Life is Easier If You’re Handsome - Chapter 27

In December, when just a slight breath in the air would immediately turn into a puff of mist, the holiday season was slowly setting in.  

At the Dream High filming site, the crew seemed determined to fight off the cold. 

They were sipping on their steaming cups of instant coffee.  

“What’s everyone doing for Christmas?”  

“What can we even do as crew members? If we’re unlucky, we might have to work.”  

“What?! No way!”  

“Why are you so shocked? Dream High airs in early January. Do you think we’re going to be resting on Christmas?”  

“The PD and the cinematographer have already agreed to work during Christmas.”  

As usual, there was light banter before work began.  

They chatted about everyday things for a few minutes before naturally moving on to today’s filming.  

“Today’s Lee Jae’s last shoot, right?”  

“What’s with the slang? Calling it a ‘last shoot.’ You kids these days… just say final filming!”  

“These days, people shorten everything.”  

“This generation, I swear.”  

Glance.

The staff glanced around.  

There were no reporters, but plenty of people who seemed to be standing in as replacements.  

“Did we break any school property or something?”  

“No, why?”  

“Then why are there so many school officials here today?”  

“You seriously don’t know? Oh, right. You were sick that day, so you missed it.”  

“Missed what?” 

“The performance—no. I mean, the piano performance by Kim Dong-hoo.”  

“Oh yeah. I wasn’t there for that.”  

The senior crew member finished the last sip of his coffee before continuing.  

“Everyone who saw that performance is here. They all want to see Kim Dong-hoo play the piano one more time.”  

“Is he really that good?”  

Could an actor really play the piano so well that people from the school would show up just to watch?  

At this, the senior crew member smiled and shrugged.  

“You’ll see for yourself.”  

———-

At the same time.

Edward Park, the principal of the arts school, was staring intently at the school gate.  

“Principal, staring at the gate won’t make the actor arrive any faster. You’re going to scare him off at this rate.”  

“Hmm. Is my gaze that intense?”  

“Yes. Honestly, it’s a little creepy, like a raccoon with an obsession.”  

“Pffft!”  

At the assistant principal’s blunt remark, a piano teacher nearby spat out their coffee, laughing.  

Since Edward Park had witnessed Kim Dong-hoo’s piano performance.

He had insisted that the actor must be recommended for special admission into the school.  

This had led many of the teachers to gather at the filming site today.  

Though they joked about the principal being a ‘creepy raccoon’.

Everyone knew that when it came to spotting talent, Edward Park had an exceptional eye.  

And when someone like him gave such high praise, curiosity naturally followed.  

“But we’re two hours ahead of the filming schedule. Is it really necessary to wait this early?”  

The assistant principal asked, to which Edward Park nodded.  

“Kim Dong-hoo is known for being incredibly diligent. He usually arrives two hours before call time.”  

“Whoa. Really? That’s some serious dedication.”

“And let me tell you, since you guys haven’t seen him yet, he’s incredibly handsome. In my opinion, he might be the most handsome person in the world.”

As Edward Park’s over-the-top remark made everyone laugh,  

A food truck quietly pulled up near the school gate.  

It was a vehicle that hadn’t been pre-arranged.  

Both the staff and school officials rushed over, curious about the arrival.  

The driver realized people were approaching and quickly rolled down the window.  

“Fishcake truck here, sent by actor Kim Dong-hoo. Is this the Dream High set?”  

On a cold, brisk winter filming day.

The warm arrival of a fishcake truck, courtesy of Kim Dong-hoo, brought a cheerful atmosphere. 

“As expected from Kim Dong-hoo! I knew you were a gem ever since the Doctor Joy days!”  

Suddenly, a round of praise for Kim Dong-hoo began.  

Just then, a black van followed closely behind.  

Wondering who could be in it this time, everyone watched as—  

“Hello! I’m Kim Dong-hoo, playing the role of Lee Jae!”  

Just like his first day.

Kim Dong-hoo, the actor who always remained humble and grounded, made his appearance.  

“Dong-hoo! Dong-hoo! Oh my, how can you be so adorable!”  

PD Kim Young-mo ran to greet him as if he had been eagerly waiting for this moment.  

No one found it strange. 

The fishcake was just that warm and welcoming.  

———

Following Kim Dong-hoo’s arrival, the rest of the cast began to show up one by one.  

Among them were the members of Dream High, as well as Jang Gunho, who played Principal Wang Ho, and Kim Yoo-ryun, who portrayed Chairwoman Maria.  

All of Dream High’s main and supporting actors had gathered in one place.  

Today was the day of the filming for Dream High’s major performance, the ‘Mirinae’ concert scene.  

The performance would mark the confident start of Dream High, known as a group of underachievers.  

Due to the scheming of Principal Wang Ho and Lee Jae, their group would be the first to perform on stage.  

After Lee Jae’s final performance, the audience would continue to demand an encore.

It would lead to Dream High taking the stage once more for the grand finale.  

Since the members of Dream High had to perform twice, they were all busy tuning their instruments.  

“Did you guys practice a lot?”  

Jin Soo-hyuk, who played Dream High’s leader and the first male lead, Song Cheol-su, asked, and everyone nodded.  

“It was really exhausting.”  

“I started to feel more like a band member than an actor.”  

“I’ve never worked this hard for a role before.”  

“Same here.”  

Each of them chimed in, expressing how difficult the process had been.  

At the same time, they recalled why they had worked so hard.  

Kim Dong-hoo.

That day—  

The day Kim Dong-hoo, as Lee Jae, sat at the piano and played the keys.  

The hateful sound that shocked everyone.  

And in that moment, they all realized.  

They had to surpass that.  

That was the real Lee Jae.  

So, they had practiced like crazy.  

To protect Dream High and to deliver even better performances.  

That resolve had only deepened since rehearsals began.

The more they played, the more deeply the Dream High cast members immersed themselves in their roles.  

They began to truly understand why they wanted to win so badly, why Lee Jae’s performance came last, and what they needed to showcase in their opening performance.  

Emotions surged within them.  

When they regained their focus, they realized the cameras were already rolling.  

“Action!!!”  

With the director’s cue.

Tack. Tack. Tack. Tack!

The beat of the drumsticks marked the start. 

Doom. Doom. Doom.

The bass and guitar kicked in.

And the keyboard added a layer of sweetness.  

Then, after months of practice, the vocals pursued perfection.  

♪♩♪♩♬♩♪  

A song celebrating youth.  

A song encouraging you not to lose your dreams, reassuring you that you can achieve anything.  

“Dream High! Spread your wings and chase your dreams!”  

In a small opera hall, which didn’t quite match the energy of a band performance,  

The song of dreams and hope filled the space.  

It was the essence of Dream High and the core of the drama, beautifully brought to life.  

“They really practiced a lot,”  

“Indeed. It’s impressive.”  

PD Kim Young-mo and writer Lee Minha smiled proudly as they watched.  

Perhaps it was the intense motivation they had, but it was truly an outstanding performance.  

“Cut!”  

As soon as the director gave the OK, everyone applauded in unison. 

“That was amazing!”  

“Woohoo! So handsome!”  

“Dream High is the best!”  

Amidst the crew’s applause, the Dream High actors descended from the stage with proud smiles.  

Afterward, the extras and guest performers took the stage, and the curtain fell.  

They took a brief break to regroup and prepare for the grand finale.  

Whoooosh.

The curtain rose once again.  

Though the curtain had lifted several times before, this moment felt different, heavier.  

What kind of band sings about youth and freedom?  

You’re just tools to highlight my talent.  

That appeared to be the message.  

In everyone’s view, a sleek black grand piano came into sight.  

———-

“If I don’t try harder, I might get overtaken.”

Jang Gunho, who played Principal Wang Ho, remarked with a chuckle.  

Kim Yoo-ryun, who portrayed Chairwoman Maria, smiled in agreement.  

“Exactly. He’s already such a great actor, and on top of that, he prepared for the band scenes too.”  

Balancing two things at once wasn’t easy, yet Kim Dong-hoo had done it effortlessly.  

While they were exchanging compliments about the Dream High cast.

The sight of the grand piano instantly brought Jang Gunho into character as Wang Ho and Kim Yoo-ryun into Maria.  

‘… Is he really going to do it?’ 

‘I heard he changed the piece for this performance too.’  

Originally, he was supposed to perform ‘Moonlight Sonata’ during the main event, as rehearsed.  

However, Kim Dong-hoo suggested a different piece, saying he had something better in mind.  

There was one condition, though—he wanted to perform it without rehearsing.  

Ordinarily, that would’ve been unthinkable, but writer Lee Minha had been fully supportive of the idea.  

Everyone else had agreed, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to try.  

Now, for the first time, everyone was about to hear Kim Dong-hoo’s performance live.  

“Alright, we’re ready. Action!!!”  

At the director’s signal, Kim Dong-hoo immediately began.

From behind the stage, Kim Dong-hoo—no, Lee Jae—emerged.  

He was dressed in a pristine suit like one worn for a prestigious piano competition.

With his hair neatly slicked back, that overwhelmingly handsome face was further enhanced. It evoked the image of an aristocrat.  

But that aristocratic face was filled with intense disgust.  

As if even stepping onto this stage was a humiliation.  

It was clear that proving his talent in this way was distasteful to him.  

The disfigured noble approached the grand piano.  

Swoosh.

Before playing, he gave a brief bow to the audience.  

Everyone held their breath, waiting for Lee Jae’s performance.  

Having spread his contempt and showcased his genius in the first performance.

What would he reveal this time?  

As the entire filming crew waited in suspense, almost forgetting to breathe—  

Doom. Doom. Doom.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

A bell rang out.  

Not a Christmas carol, but a bell signaling the end for the inferior.  

With each movement of Lee Jae’s fingers, emotions filled the air.  

This time, there was no hatred.  

Only disdain.  

A cold, unyielding contempt. It no longer desired to even acknowledge others as equals.  

It was 1838.  

The sheet music was inspired by the performance of a violinist who had made a pact with the devil.  

It was introduced as the pinnacle of technical prowess, the zenith of musical skill.

Brilliance of genius.

And a graveyard for those without talent.  

“La Campanella…”  

Someone whispered in awe as Lee Jae seemed to ask.

‘Do you really intend to give these people a chance? Do you think such worthless beings should win?’

Die.

Don’t even dream.

Just die.  

He whispered to everyone.  

Change the story.  

Don’t waste time giving opportunities to the worthless.  

Don’t even imagine a scenario where I lose.  

A flower that had fed on hatred bloomed in its full glory.