The Boys & I

Chapter 19: From A K-Pop Idol Star to K-Drama Actress

It’s time to get back to work. In just few weeks, my first Korean drama will air in KBS2TV. The cast were busy promoting thru drama press conference and exclusive interviews from different entertainment news programs. The drama trailer had been premiered in TV and internet. It has more than 3,000,000 views that SM Entertainment uploaded in their YouTube channel in just three days. Aside from producing a drama, SM Entertainment will be producing an OST album featuring songs from the drama. SHINee sang the opening theme while BoA sang the ending theme. Jonghyun and I recorded a song which was included in the drama. Even Ryeowook and TaeTiSeo also participated in the soundtrack. The OST album has a total of 12 tracks, including instrumental versions of each song plus acoustic versions of the opening and ending theme songs. Also, each music video teaser of SHINee and BoA set a high record in million views for just half a day.

Finally, the drama had been aired in KBS. The soundtrack had been released in record bars in Korea. The music videos of SHINee and BoA had been premiered in MTV and Channel V Korea. The fans and viewers loved the drama and got high ratings in its pilot episode with almost 20%. SM Entertainment also announced that the third music video which Jonghyun and I recorded will be released 10 days after the drama’s pilot episode. This music video featured video clips of the drama.

While my drama was airing, I received a call from our drama producer. She wanted me and Jonghyun work again in another drama because our drama received a lot of love and good reviews from the viewers and press. 

I was so excited. Story conference and drama shooting pushed through simultaneously. We were doing the drama adaptation from an anime called Maid Sama. We worked with same production team but this time, the cast were different from before, except for Jonghyun. 

Jung Eunkyo as Eun Jinri (Misaki Ayuzawa)

Kim Jonghyun as Seo Taehyun (Takumi Usui)

Seohyun as Ahn Sanghee (Sakura Hanazono) 

Sunny as Kang Shinhye (Shizuko Kaga)

IU as Eun Yuri (Suzuna Ayuzawa)

Jung Yonghwa as Sang Kyuhyuk (Kuuga Sakurai)

Lee Jonghyun as Dong Seungmee (Shousei Nikaidou)

Lee Jungshin as Yang Kyungsam (Kouma Yafu)

Kang Minhyuk as Oh Yungho (Yuujirou Ono)

T.O.P. as Shin Gura (Tora Igarashi)

Lee Joon Hyuk as Gerard Walker

The production started. We all had fun. Though we were under different agencies like FNC’s CNBlue and SM’s Jonghyun, Seohyun, Sunny, and I became close friends. Then the two Jonghyuns proved that they were very close friends. From being partners during my trainee days, now Yonghwa and I became close friends too. But of course I felt awkward when Seohyun was with us. Yeah, Sunny told me that Yonghwa and Seohyun was a couple in the show “We Got Married”. After we ended the drama shooting, we and the rest of production staff had a wrap up party at a popular Korean restaurant in Seoul. We were looking forward for the press conference and promotion.

Because of the success of my first drama in Korea, I’d heard a lot of good news. First, the drama will air in different Asian countries like the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan. Second, SMTown allowed us to have a fan meeting in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan. Confirmed attendees for the fan meeting were Ryeowook, Sungmin, Taeyeon, Tiffany, Jessica, BoA, Jonghyun, and I.    

Few days after, the cast of Parfait Love went to the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan for drama promotion. We attended press conferences, mall tours, and TV interviews. One month had passed when I received a call from a staff of a famous reality-variety show called We Got Married. The show will be having a special edition because they’ll be featuring couples from three top agencies: JYP, YG, and SM. Jonghyun and I were representatives from SMTown. We started to shoot for We Got Married and it’s a fun experience. After we shoot for 6 months, we thanked the staff of that show. I cried because of joy.

Jonghyun asked me, “So are we going to say publicly that we’re dating for more than 2 years?”

“I’m not sure though. But you’re the one to tell them and not me because you’re the guy,” I honestly answered, “maybe during the press conference of Maid Sama or We Got Married, so we must be ready anytime to answer their questions.”