The Third-Gen Chaebol Becomes a Genius Actor - Chapter 123: The Phoenix (5)

Chapter 123 < The Cuckoo (5) >

The first episode aired and the word of mouth spread, and by the 3rd and 4th episodes, the viewership of ‘The National Bird’ exploded. There was not much time left until the last shooting.

“You’re doing it like this… Wow, you’re really good.”

“Can we go right away?”

Before the action scene, Yoo Yeon Seo matched the movements with the stunt actor. He casually moved around and calculated the camera position and angle, then spoke to the director.

“Can I modify the action a little bit?”

“As long as you follow the line, you can do whatever you want.”

“Then I’ll do one more rehearsal.”

“Sure. You can do it twice.”

The director nodded his head with a smile on his face, no matter what Yoo Yeon Seo did. Thanks to the influence of ‘The National Bird’, JSTV’s OTT subscription rate hit a record high, and all the staff members received a bonus. They were planning to go on a reward vacation to a resort after the drama ended.

In fact, Yoo Yeon Seo was not satisfied with the melodrama acting and focused on the action acting that he was confident in, but in the director’s eyes, the lead actor looked so beautiful moving with such enthusiasm.

“Oh…”

The director opened his mouth slightly as he saw Yoo Yeon Seo slide on the hood of the car and kick the stunt actor.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Yoo Yeon Seo, who was staring blankly at the air for a moment, nodded his head.

Seong Hyeon-woo lost his reason when he heard the news that Lee Seo-eun was kidnapped.

“It’s a trap. You know that, sir.”

“…”

“If you go now, both of you will be in danger.”

“I have to go.”

Despite the entourage’s dissuasion, Seong Hyeon-woo drove roughly towards where Lee Seo-eun was. The entourage followed him.

“Your Highness, where is the national bird?”

“…”

Meanwhile, Lee Seo-eun, who was kidnapped and locked up in an abandoned warehouse, clenched her mouth at the kidnapper’s interrogation. The national bird should be with the grandfather, why are they looking for it from me? Her eyes shook.

The kidnapper took it as a defiance and raised his hand. Lee Seo-eun, whose upper body was tied to a chair, closed her eyes tightly.

“Are you not talking?!”

“Wait, stay outside.”

The man who was about to touch Lee Seo-eun was stopped by Lee Kang’s entourage, Hwang Naegwan.

“Are you not familiar with this place?”

“Hwang Naegwan. Did Lee Kang order this?”

“That’s right, didn’t I tell you not to harbor vain hopes?”

Hwang Naegwan, who looked like a snake, warned Lee Seo-eun.

“I’ll give you 10 minutes. If not, you’ll die here. This is the emperor’s order.”

“What?”

“You’d better remember well.”

Hwang Naegwan closed the door and left, and Lee Seo-eun was left alone. She didn’t know what to remember, and the fear of dying soon crept up on her. She breathed heavily and observed the surroundings. And she shook her body and knocked over the chair she was sitting on.

The scene changed and Seong Hyeon-woo, who arrived at the abandoned warehouse where Lee Seo-eun was kidnapped, faced the kidnapper gang.

“What the hell?!”

“Catch him!”

Then the action scene with Yoo Yeon Seo’s opinion, he tilted his head back to avoid the punch, then quickly broke the opponent’s arm with a swift movement, and swung his long legs to kick. He was hit a few times because there were many of them, but Seong Hyeon-woo’s entourage arrived late.

“Seo-eun!”

Seong Hyeon-woo, who was bleeding from a wound on his forehead, left the remaining thugs to his entourage and opened the door of the warehouse.

‘She’s gone…’

But Lee Seo-eun was not there.

Barely escaping from there, Lee Seo-eun ran away from the people chasing her.

‘What is this?’

It was a familiar road, as if she had seen it in a dream. She quickly shook off the people chasing her because she knew the road well. Lee Seo-eun headed to a house that was left alone.

‘I know this place.’

A fence that made a creepy sound as it opened without oiling, a garden full of weeds. There was no trace of people. But as if possessed, she approached the front door and pressed the password. Lee Seo-eun cautiously entered the house.

“…Huh!”

She gasped at the familiar sight of the house, and the scene changed. As if showing the past, the screen was slightly blurry, and the camera showed an orphanage.

“Didn’t I tell you to do it right!”

Bang! It was a loud sound that made the listener cringe. A boy who fell to the floor widened his eyes and looked at the director.

“Where do you get the nerve to glare at me!”

“Director!”

“What!”

“Sir, we have a guest… He looks like a big shot.”

“What?”

The director of the orphanage raised his hand and glared at the fallen child with a smirk.

“Seonghyeonwoo, you clean up everything before I come back!”

The child left behind stared at the door that the director had left, and looked around.

And the screen briefly showed the surroundings of the orphanage. A deserted mountain village, someone’s murmuring voice was heard.

“Did you hear the news? About Hyunwoo…”

“What about him?”

“He’s the illegitimate child of the CEO of Cheono Group.”

“Really?”

“Yes, he came to pick him up.”

“What do we do? The director beat him up earlier.”

The orphanage was turned upside down by the unexpected appearance of a big fish. The adults, including the director, looked for Seonghyeonwoo, but…

“He’s gone!”

Seonghyeonwoo had escaped from the orphanage a long time ago.

Unable to bear the child abuse, the young Seonghyeonwoo ran away without a destination, fearing that someone might catch him. And he got lost.

“Ah…”

To make matters worse, it started to rain. In the end, Seonghyeonwoo collapsed on the street from cold and hunger.

Then, a girl in a raincoat poked him.

“Are you okay?”

“…”

“Don’t you have a home?”

He had no energy to answer, so he just stared blankly at the girl. His eyes gradually closed.

“Dad! There’s someone lying here!”

The girl’s clear voice, and a man who clicked his tongue as if he felt sorry. And the young Seonghyeonwoo lost consciousness.

“What’s your name?”

Seonghyeonwoo, who came to his senses in a strange house, looked at the man who handed him cocoa and asked kindly.

“…Woo-hyun.”

The child lied because he didn’t want to use the name his mother who abandoned him gave him.

“I see, where’s your home?”

“…I don’t have one.”

“What? What about your parents?”

“I don’t have them either.”

Seonghyeonwoo showed a precocious attitude unlike a child and knelt down to the man.

“Can I live here with you?”

The man hastily lifted the child up. He was actually the crown prince of the Korean Empire, but he had eloped with the woman he loved because his father opposed their marriage. His wife died of complications after giving birth to Seo-eun, and he had been living quietly with his daughter.

“…Okay. Let’s do that.”

He couldn’t send the child away who had nowhere to go, so Ihun nodded his head. Seonghyeonwoo blushed at the gentle touch of his hand on his head.

And so their cohabitation began.

“Woo-hyun, do you want to play catch with me?”

“Let’s not do that there… Let’s do it like this.”

“Do you want to be my son, Woo-hyun?”

Seonghyeonwoo, who had never received parental love, gradually found his childlike side in the affection that Ihun gave him.

“Look at that!”

“Seo-eun, that’s dangerous.”

And he took care of Ihun’s daughter, Seo-eun, as if she were his own sister. He owed his life to Seo-eun, who had found him on the street.

Seonghyeonwoo wanted to grow up quickly. When he became an adult, he decided to repay Ihun and Seo-eun who had taken him in.

But the family he thought he would live peacefully with was suddenly attacked by a stranger. Seo-eun screamed and fainted, and Seonghyeonwoo hugged her tightly.

“Woo-hyun, listen carefully. Take Seo-eun and run away.”

“Dad…”

“You know our hideout, right? Wait there until the sun rises, and my friend will come.”

Seo-eun’s father, Ihun, grabbed Seonghyeonwoo’s shoulders and pleaded.

“Dad!”

“Seo-eun, I entrust my daughter to you.”

With that, Ihun lured the stranger away. Seonghyeonwoo, who was left in the hideout, trembled in fear with Seo-eun in his arms.

“Seo-eun, are you awake?”

“…Where’s dad?”

“He’ll be here soon.”

“Dad!”

“Seo-eun!”

But as soon as Lee Seo-eun regained her senses, she sensed something ominous and ran outside. Seong Hyun-woo followed her, and where he tried to catch her, there was an abandoned warehouse.

“We have to be quiet. Got it?”

He doubted that Lee Seo-eun, who was stubborn, would follow him back. Seong Hyun-woo had no choice but to drag her near the warehouse.

“Your Highness. You were here?”

“Shim Naegwan. Why are you here when you should be serving my brother?”

He saw Lee Hoon kneeling surrounded by guards. Seong Hyun-woo instinctively covered Lee Seo-eun’s mouth.

“I already told my brother that I renounced my royal status.”

“That’s not something you can decide. Where is it? The national seal.”

“Do you think I’ll back off if you give it to me?”

Shim Naegwan’s eyes flashed dangerously. He never intended to spare him anyway. Lee Hoon swallowed his saliva. If he was going to die anyway, he wouldn’t let his brother have his way.

“I don’t know where the national seal is.”

“Then you leave me no choice.”

Shim Naegwan pointed a gun at Lee Hoon’s forehead. And then…

Bang!

“Ahh!”

Seong Hyun-woo quickly shielded Lee Seo-eun’s eyes, but she must have guessed her father’s death from the gunshot. The guards were startled by Lee Seo-eun’s scream.

“There they are! Catch them!”

“Seo-eun, come here!”

Seong Hyun-woo ran away with Lee Seo-eun.

“Let go!”

But it was easy to catch up with a child’s pace. Seong Hyun-woo was grabbed by the collar and struggled, biting the man’s hand.

“You bastard!”

The man’s hand was bleeding, and Seong Hyun-woo saw Shim Naegwan recognize Lee Seo-eun and lost consciousness.

“…”

When he opened his eyes again, he saw a white ceiling. Seong Hyun-woo hurriedly left the hospital room and looked for Lee Seo-eun.

“…Who are you?”

But he was too late. Lee Wook, Shim Naegwan, and the bodyguards were already surrounding Lee Seo-eun. Seong Hyun-woo quickly hid behind the door.

“This man is your grandfather. Your father’s brother.”

“…”

“You’ve seen him when you were young… Don’t you remember?”

Of course, she wouldn’t remember when she was just a baby. But Lee Wook smiled as kindly as possible. He had searched his brother’s house thoroughly, but the real national seal didn’t show up. There was only a cryptic note that said, ‘You won’t touch my daughter until she regains her memory.’

‘Maybe if I keep her with me and gently coax her… she’ll eventually find the national seal.’

Lee Wook stroked Lee Seo-eun’s head.

“I’ll protect you instead of your late father.”

“…”

Lee Seo-eun, who was staring blankly at Lee Wook, nodded her head.

Seong Hyun-woo, who was listening to this, thought that this was all Lee Wook’s scheme, and that there was no friend of his uncle who he had hoped for.

‘I have to get stronger.’

He couldn’t protect Lee Seo-eun properly anyway. So…

‘Just wait a little.’

And he went back to the orphanage on his own and revealed that his father was the president of Cheonoh Group.

***

Lee Seo-eun woke up to the sound of boiling water. The familiar sight of the house, though dusty. It was the house where she lived with her father.

“Are you awake?”

Seong Hyun-woo rushed to her as soon as he saw her open her eyes.

“Don’t get up yet. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…”

Lee Seo-eun stared blankly at Seong Hyun-woo. There was dried blood on his forehead. It must have hurt…

Seong Hyun-woo looked at her seriously. Was something wrong? Did she get too shocked?

“Are you scared?”

“Woo-hyun.”

Seong Hyun-woo’s eyes widened. The main OST of the drama played softly with the piano, and his eyes became moist.

He let out a short breath as his emotions overflowed and smiled softly.

“Yeah.”

Another masterpiece was born, and the 15th episode of ‘National Seal’ ended.