After successfully making it through the opening performance, the British production of RUN continued to sail smoothly day after day.
“Siwoo, drink some water.”
“Thanks, Gordon.”
We had just finished Monday morning rehearsal, and I eagerly gulped down the water Gordon handed me.
It had been a month since the performances began. By next week, our run of RUN here would already be coming to an end.
This time, our final performance was scheduled for Christmas Eve.
Just hearing “Christmas Eve” reminded me that our first performance in Korea had also been on Christmas Eve.
…Along with my father’s shocking Santa costume.
I shook my head from side to side, trying to erase the sight from my memory.
“What’s wrong? Dizzy? Do you have a fever?”
Gordon, who was beside me, looked startled and placed his hand on my forehead.
“Mmm, I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
“You scared me.”
Surprisingly, as rehearsals continued, Gordon had started acting as if he were actually my father.
He had been practically falling over himself so much that I eventually told him I wouldn’t accept any more apologies.
After that, he started taking care of me in every possible way.
Some of the cast even teased Gordon, asking whether, at that point, he was basically my servant.
That made me think of Oliver for a moment, and I ended up replying that Gordon still had a long way to go.
The problem was, Gordon heard me say it too.
He was dejected for about a day, but I didn’t pay it any mind.
After all, there couldn’t possibly be anyone who could surpass Oliver.
“Team B rehearses this afternoon, right? Siwoo, what are you doing today? Tomorrow’s a day off too!”
Since today was Monday, the two double-cast teams were scheduled to rehearse separately, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
I was on Team A, so my rehearsal was already over.
And tomorrow, Tuesday, was a precious day off with neither a performance nor rehearsal.
With a rare day off coming up, the cast members were excitedly talking about getting together tonight for the first time in a while.
Jessica knew just how brutal a rehearsal schedule they had endured, so for today at least, she didn’t try to stop them.
Though she did warn them to have fun only so long as they didn’t hurt their condition.
“Speaking of which, if you don’t have anything else going on, how about we show Siwoo a whole new world?”
At one cast member’s suggestion, the other actors excitedly crowded around us too.
“Oh, great. Today, I swear I’ll finally show you some delicious British food.”
“Me too, me too. For round two, let’s go to my favorite restaurant.”
“Hey, you guys aren’t planning to take Siwoo to a pub, are you?”
Seeing how excited everyone was, Gordon frowned and tried to restrain them.
Of course, it didn’t work in the slightest.
Meanwhile, I was listening to their conversation with an utterly unimpressed expression.
“Hmmm.”
“What’s with that, Siwoo? Are you looking down on British food right now?”
“Siwoo, I’m telling you, it’s different when you actually eat the real thing. You just haven’t had proper British food yet.”
Sensing danger from my reaction, the cast members hurriedly added to their arguments, but my opinion did not change.
Proper British food? Yeah, right.
Listen, descendants. History doesn’t change that easily.
No matter how much they went on about it, it would all be wasted effort.
Even when I thought back on everything I had eaten throughout my previous life, there wasn’t anything among the dishes called traditional British cuisine that had left much of an impression on me.
And now that I was living as Han Siwoo, my palate had become accustomed to Korean food and my mother’s nourishing meals.
There was no way British food could satisfy my tongue.
“Um, it’s not that. I’d like to go with you too, but I can’t today.”
Still, they would never accept the truth even if I told them honestly, so I smiled sweetly and tried to placate them.
“What? You already have plans?”
“Come on, Siwoo. It’s too early to give up. It’s only been a month! Please don’t give up on British food already.”
They sure were persistent.
I shook my head and decided to make them give up properly.
“No, it’s not that. A friend is coming from Korea today. I have to go meet him.”
“A friend? Oh, who?”
“Who’s coming? Don’t tell me it’s your girlfriend?”
“Siwoo, you’re still young. There will be plenty more relationships in your future. Got it?”
The moment they heard the word “friend,” the cast members became even more excited and started chattering away.
Surrounded by their endless gossip, I apologized and got up.
It was about time for me to leave.
“Anyway, that’s why I can’t go today.”
“That’s so mean, Siwoo……”
“There’ll be another chance. Let’s look forward to next time.”
I fled the rehearsal room as though escaping from the cast members, who were already beginning to conspire behind me.
It definitely wasn’t because I had absolutely no expectations for British food.
“The weather is really nice today.”
“Must’ve been good weather for flying.”
“Mm-hm!”
I was on my way to the airport with Mother in the car Uncle was driving.
Heathrow Airport.
It had been a while since I’d been here.
Today, too, it bustled with people of many different races.
“Siwoo! Over here.”
After entering the airport from the parking lot, we met up with the three members of the advance research team for the LSB variety show A Boy Walks Through Britain, who had already arrived in Britain ahead of us.
“Hello.”
“Hey there. Aren’t you tired?”
“Mm-hm, I’m okay.”
This wasn’t our first time meeting the advance scouting team preparing for the variety show.
Uncle and Mother greeted the production staff warmly too.
The advance team had arrived around the same time I first came to Britain and had been scouting locations ever since.
Some seemed to have stayed in Britain the entire time, while others traveled back and forth.
During that time, they had met with us several times as well to stay in communication.
And since they were here anyway, they had also filmed some footage of me rehearsing while preparing for RUN.
“Sorry we’re making you work even on one of your few days off.”
“You’re only six. How do you somehow seem busier than we are?”
Having watched me rehearse, the production staff had now completely fallen for me.
Apparently, watching me act had made them even bigger fans.
Maybe that was why they seemed almost as concerned about my condition as Mother was.
“It’s okay. I really wanted to come today too.”
The staff smiled fondly as they watched me answer energetically from a bench on one side of the airport.
Then, as though suddenly remembering something, one of them took a shopping bag out from among their luggage and handed it to me.
“We got this for you, Siwoo.”
“Wow! Thank you!”
Excited by the unexpected present, I pulled the gifts out of the shopping bag.
The production staff had prepared sweet chocolate snacks and a tea set.
“We heard you enjoy drinking tea.”
“Seriously, at first I wondered if that could really be true.”
“Ooh, I’ve never seen this tea before. Thank you.”
When I gave them a deep bow from where I was sitting, the staff stamped their feet as though I were so cute they couldn’t stand it.
“Eat lots, Siwoo.”
“When you finish those, we’ll get you something else too.”
“Wow! Let’s all eat them together later.”
At first, the staff had found my enjoyment of tea unusual.
Now they had reached the point where they went out of their way to cater to my tastes.
After thanking them, I handed the gifts to Uncle.
He carefully put them into my bag.
“It’s already this late.”
“Then we’ll start filming now~”
After checking the time, the production staff busily finished preparing to shoot.
True to the show’s documentary-variety format, from this point on, they intended to capture my daily life and travels without missing anything.
I’d heard about it beforehand, but I hadn’t expected them to start filming with absolutely no lead-in at all, so my eyes widened.
“Hm? PD Kim and Yeonsu hyung still aren’t here. You’re starting already?”
The camera captured my face, filled with confusion.
Nam Yeonsu’s spacious, quiet apartment.
A huge suitcase belonging to Nam Yeonsu lay wide open in the living room, which was normally neat and spacious.
Nam Jinyong was busy with work again today and came home late.
His father wasn’t there, and neither was the attentive care his mother had given him when he was younger, so Nam Yeonsu had been struggling by himself since the afternoon as he packed his belongings.
His manager, Kim Seonghu, had come by partway through to help, and the housekeeper had assisted him with organizing things, but there was still an enormous amount to pack.
“Hmm, would this be enough?”
It was Nam Yeonsu’s first time traveling so far abroad, so he stared at the checklist he had written in his clumsy handwriting, worrying over it again and again.
Then he heard the sound of the electronic lock, followed by the sound of Nam Jinyong coming home.
Nam Yeonsu, who had been sitting on the living-room sofa lost in thought, jumped at the sound and hurried toward the entryway.
“You’re home?”
“Yeah.”
Nam Jinyong crossed the living room and glanced briefly at Nam Yeonsu’s suitcase.
But that was all. He didn’t say anything more.
Seeing Nam Jinyong about to head straight into the master bedroom, Nam Yeonsu summoned his courage and called out to his father.
“D-Dad……!”
“…? What is it?”
He had stopped Nam Jinyong, but the words still wouldn’t come easily.
After hesitating, Nam Yeonsu squeezed his eyes shut and bowed at the waist.
“Thank you for letting me go. I’ll… have a safe trip to Britain!”
“……”
His father was always so strict.
Nam Yeonsu was afraid of him, but he had always wanted his approval.
After all, Nam Yeonsu was only eight years old, still at an age when a child wanted attention from his parents.
He had forced himself to smile as he spoke, yet Nam Jinyong’s expression remained cold even after hearing his son’s thanks.
Suddenly afraid that perhaps he shouldn’t have said anything, Yeonsu began lowering his head when he heard Nam Jinyong let out a heavy sigh.
“……”
I knew it. I shouldn’t have said anything.
After thanking him, Yeonsu had wanted to show his father that he had packed all of this by himself, but now it seemed that would be pointless.
“Nam Yeonsu. Lift your head.”
“Y-Yes.”
At his father’s cold voice, Nam Yeonsu’s head immediately snapped up.
“Listen carefully. You’re not going there to play. So don’t get too excited.”
“Yes……”
“This isn’t a variety show we’re sending you on just so you can have fun. It’s a show meant to properly promote you. Treat it the same way you would a drama or film shoot and give it everything you have. Don’t let yourself look sloppy either.”
All he received in return was stern nagging.
As one admonition followed another, disappointment flashed across Nam Yeonsu’s face.
But only for a moment.
Nam Yeonsu smiled and nodded again.
“Yes. Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll do a good job.”
Nam Jinyong silently watched him for a moment before giving one final warning.
“And don’t let that little kid outshine you.”
“……”
“Whether it’s a variety show or a set, once an actor gets overpowered by someone else’s presence, it’s over. Understand?”
“……Yes.”
Siwoo isn’t that kind of kid, though….
But the thought never made it out of his mouth.
“Finish packing and go to bed early tonight. Don’t get so excited that you ruin your condition.”
“…Okay.”
Even his final words of advice came in that chilly tone.
And so, without receiving so much as a single warm farewell, Nam Yeonsu departed for Britain.
He met up with the LSB production staff together with his manager, and they boarded the plane.
On the flight to Britain, Nam Yeonsu was looking at a British newspaper his manager had gotten for him.
It was a paper containing an article with Han Siwoo’s face in it.
“Hehe.”
Nam Yeonsu’s expression as he looked at the newspaper was filled with anticipation and excitement.
He had studied English hard before coming to Britain.
Thanks to that, he had carefully read the English article over and over.
There were many difficult words, so he couldn’t translate it perfectly, but that didn’t matter.
From the beginning, Han Siwoo’s face stood out far more clearly to him than the article itself.
The part of his schedule he looked forward to most in Britain was none other than watching RUN.
Because his schedule had been so busy, Nam Yeonsu had never managed to see the Korean production of RUN before it ended.
Apparently, Seong Jihun had even asked through his manager whether Yeonsu would come see it, but in the end, there had been no way to clear his schedule.
And now he was going all the way to faraway Britain and would get to see his friend perform.
Nam Yeonsu excitedly swung his legs.
What kind of performance will Siwoo show me this time?
What will Siwoo and I talk about while we’re traveling?
Just thinking about it made him happy.
“Yeonsu, look out the window.”
“Wow.”
At the end of the long flight, London finally began to appear outside the window.
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