Superstar 817
by CristaeWhile people were still unsure about Seo-jun’s physical change…
The plane carrying him soared over the Pacific and landed in Los Angeles, USA.
“Welcome, Jun.”
Amid the cheers of fans who had gathered upon hearing of his arrival, Seo-jun got into the car prepared by Kings Agency and headed straight to his residence in LA.
‘Ah, not a hotel. A house.’
Thinking of it as his second home brought him comfort.
Hotels became familiar over time too, but this felt different.
Seo-jun smiled as he spoke.
“Buying this house was a good idea.”
From Over the Rainbow 2, to Shadow & Night, and the upcoming filming—it had seen use despite long gaps between. A house well-utilized.
His satisfied expression made both Choi Tae-woo and the Kings Agency staff smile along.
“While you weren’t using it, some of our singers stayed here during their US activities. Since it’s a house, not a hotel, they all felt at ease and recovered well. One of the Red Crown members even said their cold disappeared quickly.”
Seo-jun chuckled at the Kings staff member’s explanation.
That was probably thanks to the abilities Seo-jun had embedded into the LA house.
‘It’s nice that everyone’s making good use of it.’
Time to recharge it fully again.
On the way to his LA home, Choi Tae-woo looked over the schedule on his phone.
“You’ll have two days for jet lag adjustment, then we’ll do final tailoring for your awards ceremony outfit.”
“Two days of rest?”
Jet lag?
Is that something you eat?
Seo-jun, who had already fully adapted the moment he got off the plane and slipped into Hollywood-star mode, blinked in confusion.
The others who knew his state well laughed.
“You still need to rest.”
“You can meet your friends and go to the Sea Save Center during that time.”
They clearly understood Seo-jun’s usual US schedule. After all, supporting him was their job.
“I already made plans with my friends and the center for March. Didn’t expect to be nominated, so I set it up ahead of time.”
The driver nodded.
Seo-jun’s original activities were supposed to begin in March. Kings Agency had planned around that too.
“We were all shocked when the news came out. Staff even joked that it must be April 1st, not February 1st.”
Seo-jun and Tae-woo laughed at that.
Indeed, those working in Hollywood probably felt it even more. The surprise must’ve been massive.
“Congratulations again, Jun.”
“Thanks.”
With cheerful chatter, they arrived at Seo-jun’s house.
“See you in two days, then.”
“Take care.”
They unloaded the light luggage (the rest would be delivered) and said goodbye to the Kings staff, whose face was still smiling as they left.
Following behind, the security team also greeted them and headed to their own accommodation next door.
Seo-jun and Tae-woo rolled their suitcases to the familiar front door of the two-story home.
“Feels weird calling it ‘home.’”
“Yeah.”
The wooden door creaked open.
Just as they entered—
Pop! Pop!
Came the sound of small fireworks.
“Congrats, Jun!”
“Congrats on the nomination!”
“Wahh!”
Oh boy.
While Tae-woo practically jumped out of his skin, Seo-jun let out a surprised sound and burst into laughter.
Richelle Hill and Evan Block popped small fireworks, Jonathan Will held a cake, and Director Ryan smiled gently from behind.
A truly smile-inducing surprise.
They all moved into the living room.
Balloons and party decorations were everywhere. Likely the work of Richelle and Jonathan.
“We expected Jun to walk in first… Tae-woo, are you okay?”
“H-Haha, yes…!”
Hic!
Everyone chuckled at the hiccupping Tae-woo.
“I’ll grab water.”
Richelle headed to the kitchen while Seo-jun, cutting cake onto plates, asked Evan:
“How did you all get in?”
“We asked the Kings Agency staff.”
Ah. So that’s what the earlier smile was about.
Security: Are you alright?
< Yes, I’m fine.
Even the security team didn’t rush in at Tae-woo’s scream. They must’ve known in advance. Or at least saw it via the front door camera.
“Do you want anything else? We brought a lot.”
“I’m good.”
Jonathan looked even more delighted than Seo-jun himself.
No wonder—Shadow & Night, which Jonathan directed, had been nominated in several categories aside from Best Actor.
It was his debut as a commercial film director, and now he was getting Oscar buzz. Who wouldn’t be thrilled?
Seo-jun smiled.
“Congrats to you too, Jonathan.”
Jonathan grinned so hard it looked like his smile would reach the sky.
“Hehehe. Thanks.”
“You look like an idiot,” Richelle teased, making everyone laugh—including Director Ryan, who smiled quietly.
Soon, hiccups stopped, food was laid out, and drinks were poured.
“Once more!”
Richelle raised her glass with a cheerful voice. The others smiled and followed suit.
“To Jun and Jonathan’s nominations!”
Clink!
Laughter and clapping echoed.
“How’s Night Jin coming along?”
…Did I walk into a tiger’s den?
The morning after the party, as soon as breakfast ended, Seo-jun asked the question.
Jonathan Will had the strange thought that Seo-jun had waited to ask until after the meal—so he wouldn’t upset his digestion.
Ugh. Too meticulous…
“Uh… well…”
Jonathan’s brain, still basking in Oscar glory, suddenly switched to overdrive.
“Story-wise, Irregulars comes first, right? So we have to wait and see that before we move forward. Even if it’s a different series, there’s overlap, and continuity matters!”
Yes!
It’s not that I wasn’t thinking!
I was just waiting for Irregulars to finish!
He spoke with conviction, but Seo-jun stared without blinking… then nodded.
“That makes sense.”
“Right?!”
Saved!
Jonathan celebrated internally.
“But you’ve got the framework ready, right? The basic setup?”
“Uh…?”
Oh no.
“I thought I was saved…”
Seo-jun smiled.
“I have no schedule for two days.”
It sounded less like a statement and more like a challenge.
Let’s see how much we can get done in two days.
Jonathan looked like his soul had left his body while the others burst into laughter.
Two days later.
Jonathan escaped Seo-jun’s house with tears of joy. Director Ryan and the actors had already gone.
In their place, staff from fashion brand REDEN arrived for the final fitting.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Lee.”
“Looking forward to working with you.”
Chosen over other brands, REDEN staff smiled confidently. With this Oscar appearance, their brand would soar even higher.
‘ARESSIS is old news now.’
ARESSIS had once grown quickly after being associated with Seo-jun.
Now it felt stagnant.
‘That’s why they weren’t chosen.’
Despite submitting many designs, it was REDEN who stood here today.
‘Though I should worry about my own work first.’
The designer glanced at Seo-jun as they measured.
Ever since the nomination announcement on February 1st, REDEN had started working on outfits using Seo-jun’s previous measurements. But the new ones from Kings Agency showed some differences.
‘He’s definitely bulked up.’
Not in a huge, hulking way, but in a lean, powerful way.
Shoulders, arms, chest, waist, thighs, calves—all more defined.
‘That’s a good look.’
The soft image before was nice, but this gave off a stronger appeal—something that would resonate with male customers too.
‘He’d make a perfect ambassador…’
They had been offering for years—but never got a yes.
Conditions kept improving too…
‘But he doesn’t do ads at all.’
While rare for Hollywood stars, it was normal for Korean celebrities to have many endorsements. Yet Seo-jun barely did any.
It was curious.
“There aren’t any major changes.”
“Really?”
The REDEN staff nodded and fine-tuned the fit.
“Any discomfort, Mr. Lee?”
Seo-jun moved around.
As someone who had sat through many award ceremonies, he knew exactly where to look for issues.
“Hm… the shoulders are a bit tight.”
“Just a moment.”
The designer’s hands moved quickly. With a soft rip, the shoulder seam opened. He re-pinned the fabric into a new shape.
Fast and precise.
Seo-jun noticed he wasn’t even breathing—focused to the extreme.
“How is it now?”
“Perfect. Comfortable.”
The staff smiled brightly.
“We’ll send it as soon as it’s finished.”
“Thanks for today.”
As the REDEN team left, Seo-jun stretched with a satisfied sigh.
“Alright! I’m ready.”
With his arms raised like a great beast, Choi Tae-woo nodded in admiration.
“Good job.”
“I barely did anything,” Seo-jun replied with a grin.