"Dongha-ssi! Dongha-sshi!"

"Tae-joon sshi! Look over here!"

Calmly greeting the crowd, the two actors turned in various angles as the photographers prompted them. Having arrived together, they smiled and joked around as the flashes continuously bursted in light. Both looking handsome in semi-casual wear, Dongha was in beige slacks with a loose, white button up shirt tucked in whilst Tae-joon wore a black polka dot sweater with his white button up collar peeking out over the neckline and dark-washed jeans. Walking on to enter inside the venue, the loud calls continued.

"Hyunsik-sshi! Over here!"

It was mildly chaotic how the photographers incessantly called for the attention of the premiere guests that arrived and walked through the small walkway to the makeshift platform with overhanging posters of the movie's title plastered all over as a backdrop.

Although the movie "DAL" was not anticipated as a mainstream favorite and the premiere was marketed as a more intimate affair, a good number of the media still arrived due to the popular actors invited as guests for the premiere from their connection with the other actors in the film along with some bystanders and dedicated fans that came to witness the event.

Great names like Seo Young-hee came for her friendship with director established from their work in the film, Madonna and for Nam Ji Hyun who she played a second mother to in the drama Queen Seonduk. The group, 5surprise, also came to support their member, Seo Kang Joon for his first film with a lead role. A number of actors from the What Happens to My Family production also came with the reuniting project of two of its main young characters. Other known names arriving were Lee Hyunwoo, Lee Guk Joo, Lim Se Mi and Kim Ye-Won among others.

They all made their way away from the flashing audience and entered into the sectioned off area right by the stage that lead to the theater room.

Inside the theater, Dongha and Tae-Joon were in the process of looking for good, available seats. A sizeable room, multiple level of seats were already filled up with the more major actors and families of the DAL stars sitting closer to the front and the production crew supporters who came in from another entrance, sitting in the back. Empty seats could be seen in the first rows, reserved for the main actors of the film as well as for the media coverage press in rows opposite of them on the other side of the theater space.

Dongha motioned to an unoccupied row a couple of levels down to Tae Joon with him nodding in agreement.

"Oh, Tae Joon-ah," a hyung that he worked with in one of his past dramas called out to him from a row that they passed by, "How's your filming going? I've been enjoying your drama!"

Motioning for Dongha to go ahead and sit. He then turned around to where the greeting came from to see Daesuk, an SBS production assistant. Tae Joon walked upwards to a vacant row before his friend to better converse with him "Thank You, Daesuk-hyung! It's better now that the weather has been cooling down. We're about to wrap it up soon and then, FINALLY a vacation for me," Tae Joon enthusiastically said.

"Ah, I'm jealous. I need a vacation too. The upcoming production I've been working is becoming a headache, I think the filming is going to get delayed again, " Daesuk shook his head at the thought of the work problems that awaited him.

"Mianhe hyung. What happened?"

"Dispatch is back at it again. One of the main actresses that was already signed for the show got caught up in a dating scandal," The older man leaned in closer to Tae Joon to quietly say his next words, "…with an idol."

Tae Joon's eyes widened, having an idea of the negative impact that comes from public dating…what more with an idol with typically fervent fans. Dating was still something public figures had to be careful about in today's time especially with the prominent netizens still at large, ruling all forms of media. "Hwa…," Tae Joon let out a breath and shook his head. "So, what 's the verdict of the production companies?"

Daesuk shrugged. "I'm not sure but we're probably going to wait out and see if the uproar dies down and if the outrage is going to die down. Otherwise, we may have to change her out and get someone else."

"That sounds like a mess. I hope it also does die down, hyung."

"Yeah, thanks. Tae Joon, you! Be careful with the dating now. If you date, get good with hiding it so it won't become a problem later on, " Daesuk advised Tae Joon with a mock stern tone.

"Ayee, of course hyung. I already know how hard it is to survive when those news come out. That's why I'm not dating anyone right now."

"Really? You are not dating anyone?" Daesuk made a joking face as if he didn't believe what Tae Joon said. "Anyways, it was good seeing you!  Take care of yourself."

Tae Joon replied in thanks and remarked for his hyung to do the same. Going back down the rows to the seats that his friend found, he was just in time when a woman walked in front of the large movie screen and signaled that the showing was about to begin.

Having surveyed the crowd to see who was there while Tae Joon was busy talking, Dongha noticed that their other friend hadn't arrived yet, "Chang Wook hyung isn't coming?"

Tae Joon shrugged, knowing it was hard to keep up with the popular actor ever since he came back from the army, "he said he is? Maybe something came up."

"Probably."

"Ill text him to see where he is now," Tae Joon reached to his back pocket to get his phone out.

A few more guests came in to sit down as an older woman walked into the front of the room where the movie screen hung.

Introducing herself as Director Shin Su-Won, she gave a quick greeting and a word of thanks for the guests that came in behalf of the production and the actors.

As she gave her speech, Dongha whispered, "still no reply?"

Pressing the home button for his phone to alight, Tae Joon shook his head.

Following along as everyone clapped while the Director went back to her seat in the front row with her actors, Tae Joon caught a glimpse of the woman that was sitting beside the Director.

"Oh! Theres Jihyunnie," Tae Joon nudged Dongha and directed his attention to where she was seating.

Nam Jihyun had her head turned to the Director, lightly laughing at something that she said. Her hair was in a neat, simple bun that showed off her bright face, glowing from anticipation with a slight quirk on her forehead that belied apprehension underlying behind her smiling face.

"Ah, my heart…," Director Shin Su-Won placed her hand over heart, feeling its fast, pulsing beat. "I really don’t like it," she shuffled in her seat, getting comfortable again after having stood up to speak to the crowd.

"Aww, Director-nim," Nam Ji-hyun laughed, finding how cute the Director was being with her reaction and holding her hand in support. They had gotten close throughout the duration of the film as they constantly communicated how they envisioned and wanted to convey a scene. With the kind of support and guidance that the Director gave to her and with this project,  her heart softened in empathy towards the woman who grew to be like another mother figure to her. "In truth, I am too. I was excited before but now I'm just really nervous…"

Nodding her head in agreement, the Director squeezed the young woman's hand in comfort. "It's going to be okay. The crowd always gets to me but my confidence on the projects I take on? I don't waver. We're going to do fine. You are truly my Han Hyo Jeong. "

Nam Ji hyun somberly smiled, remembering how she had been in disbelief at the chance of being a part of the film despite her limited experience in lead roles along with it being an entirely different character from her usual offers, type casted as either the country bumpkin or a bubbly, poor girl.

The scale had been different from her other works, a modest production in an intimate setting with only the minimal amount of crew in each scene and yet the young actress had taken the risk in order to test the boundaries of her acting. Fresh from school, she had been hesitant about picking up projects again but this movie felt like the right fit especially for her current mindset at that particular time. It had been a challenge but she reveled in every learning moment, ravishing the acting techniques and methods she picked up from her senior actors and in the scenarios the script would make her act. And now, it was all coming to fruition and she was beside herself with an odd mixture of restlessness and apprehension.

Breathing deeply,  Nam Jihyun fell silent to her thoughts and in efforts to calm her nerves. At the flash of light as the screen illuminated to life, she focused on the previews as they began to play on the screen.

Tae Joon felt a vibration as a notification popped up on his phone.

With the nickname, "Wook-hyung" as the header for the conversation box, it read: Where are you guys?

Tae Joon turned in his seat to see Chang Wook standing in the back near the walkway. Slightly waving to get his attention, he was luckily able to make eye contact and beckoned his friend to where they sat.

Hushed whispers of excuses were heard at the end of the aisle as one man hulked down to pass through to where his two other friends sat.

Finally sitting down, he was greeted by mock rebuking shakes of heads, Tae Joon leaned over to whisper, "you're cutting it close, aren't you?"

Ji Chang Wook bowed his head, "Mianhe! I got held up. The meeting with my company took long with the plans for my upcoming project. It's been hectic."

"Good thing you came before the previews ended.  Are you gonna stay after this for the gathering?"

"Yeah, probably. Especially since our hyung personally invited us...I haven't been able to greet Jae Yoon Hyung since I came back. "

"True, you know he'll get upset if we didn't go," Tae Joon smiled at his older hyung's antics. "We also need to go for Ji Hyun- ah."

"Isn't this her first project since she had said she was going to take a break to finish school. I think that's what she had said before when you guys went to visit me in the army?" Ji Chang Wook tilted his head in thought, his memory muddled from the overlapping routine days of his army life.

"That's right, our Bong Bong is growing up!" Tae Joon smiled.

"Haha, that's great for her," Ji Chang Wook half heartedly said, not able to match Tae Joon's affection due to the amount of time he had not spoken to his former costar. He wondered how his friend had maintained his connection with Ji Hyun that allowed him to have the reaction that he displayed.

Their conversation ended as the room further darkened with the start of the movie.

The gut-wrenching sobs of Nam Ji Hyun's character filled the room and pierced the hearts of all the people in the theater. Her emotions filled them with the heavy burden of disappointment and hurt as the culmination of the past events caused her to  finally break. Her emotional endurance had reached its capacity and in the private space of her room the walls she had painstakingly built crashed down.

She was a vision, a beautiful disarray of tears and disheveled hair. Her face partially obscured by shadow from the darkness of her room , and the other illuminated by the sliver of the light from the setting sun coming through her window blinds.

Her display of such raw emotion enraptured the viewers. Those 12 years of acting experience could never be more clear as her despair filled up every space of the screen and the theater room that encompassed it.

"Hwa~," Ji Chang Wook let out an almost inaudible gasp of awe. His seatmates and all the other actors in the room shared the same sentiment. In front of them was those rare occurrences that surely exemplified the beauty that is the acting profession, the power to erase the being that is real and breathe life into the imagined in a way that makes those who watch feel like a voyeur as the story played out.

Ji Chang Wook rapidly blinked and slightly jumped as the lights were brightened in the room and the people in the broke into applause. He had been caught unaware, still staring blankly at the screen as the captions ran up. Standing along with everyone else, he clapped as the actors of the film stepped into the middle of the theater in a procession. With his hyung, Jo Jae Yoon leading the line and waving at the crowd as he walked with a cheeky smile, Ji Chang Wook let out a piercing whistle made with his thumb and forefinger in his mouth. Tae Joon laughed and clapped harder at the sight of their older friend.

Still clapping, the actor's eyes passed through the rest of the actors still shuffling in front to fit the whole cast in a line. His gaze stopped at the young woman in the middle. With a more angular face that retained only a slight curve of youthfulness that had marked Chang Wook's memory for months of filming under the summer sun, Nam Ji Hyun impressed upon him a feeling of unfamiliarity.

Maybe it was because this is the first time he's seen her in almost two years or he was still under the illusion that the movie had casted upon his perception but Nam Ji Hyun no longer seemed like someone he knew.

From the distance between the front of the room to where he was seating, she was demure and unlike the bubbly character that he remembered. Her smile seemed stiff and practiced, the norm within the industry that he didn't think he would see in someone like in his former costar. A part of him felt saddened at the thought. Being in the industry, there were too many people that have become too guarded and aware of the eyes that constantly follow them as artists, living with the objective of simply being "industrially correct" whether it was in public or in private. But still, Nam Ji Hyun pulled up every length of an aura as a serious actress and he was proud of that change from her Rom-Com past.

Moving his attention away from his former costar, he looked at the other casts that were on screen and matching them in his memory from their characters in the film.

The applause slowly died down and the audience sat back to their seats as the post interview for the premiere began.