Chapter 82: The Crew’s Gathering, First Meeting with Jung Eun-ji

Watching Chen Zhe make a phone call was like witnessing a Sichuan opera performer change masks: first, he appeared flustered and panicked, then, suddenly, his expression relaxed as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Lee Ji-eun couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh softly.

“The president has already spoken with your acting class teacher. Just let your teacher know, then hurry downstairs to me, do you hear?” Lim Soo-ho’s voice on the other end of the line grew louder and louder, stabbing at Chen Zhe’s eardrums until he felt as if they were being torn apart. Startled, he quickly moved his phone away, successfully saving his ears this time.

Listening to Lim Soo-ho’s barrage of demands, Chen Zhe waited for a long moment before a pause finally came. Seizing the opportunity, he promised to head down immediately, then hung up the call in a rush. Only after successfully ending the conversation did he let out a sigh of relief; he hadn’t expected his manager to have such a talkative, nagging side.

“Hahaha, surprised by Soo-ho’s performance, aren’t you?” Seeing Chen Zhe’s exhausted expression, Lee Ji-eun walked over and patted his shoulder, her schadenfreude-filled smile impossible to hide.

“I really didn’t expect him to be like this. My eardrums almost got pierced!” Chen Zhe rubbed his ears gently, trying to ease the lingering discomfort, though it didn’t help at all.

“You’ll get used to it. I understand exactly how you feel—Soo-ho used to be my manager’s assistant!” Watching Chen Zhe attempt to soothe his ears, Lee Ji-eun didn’t respond with the gloating Chen Zhe anticipated. Instead, she gave him a look that said, “I’ve been there,” and gently patted his shoulder in sympathy.

“Alright, I won’t keep you any longer. I need to get going, or Soo-ho will start nagging again if I’m late!” With another resigned sigh, Chen Zhe waved to Lee Ji-eun and hurried over to his acting teacher to explain, requested leave, and then rushed out of the classroom.

——— Dividing line in motion ———

Departing from LOEN Entertainment, the two drove for nearly half an hour before arriving at their destination: a house at 458-5 Pyeongchang-dong, Jongno District, in central Seoul.

The doorway was framed with gray-white stone bricks, a double iron gate with floral patterns in black, and red brick walls and house. From outside, two large trees flanked the entrance, their crowns nearly reaching the second-floor windows. The house exuded the feeling of a true home, the kind of place where one’s heart could settle.

Seeing the house, Chen Zhe’s face softened with nostalgia; it always reminded him of his own home, the place where he’d grown up. But he quickly reined in his sentimental expression and returned to his usual composure.

Chen Zhe looked at his manager, Lim Soo-ho, his eyes questioning. After receiving a nod and approval, Chen Zhe stepped forward and pressed the doorbell beside the gate.

“Coming, please wait a moment!” Heavy footsteps sounded, and the door opened just enough for one person to slip through. A slightly overweight middle-aged man in black security uniform emerged, pausing in surprise at the sight of Chen Zhe and Lim Soo-ho. Once he gathered his wits, he strode forward.

“Hello, are you Mr. Chen Zhe?” The man scrutinized Chen Zhe, then pulled out his phone, glancing between the screen and Chen Zhe, finally asking with a tone of uncertainty.

“Hello, I am Chen Zhe. Is this the site of the ‘Reply 1997’ production team? I was invited by Director Shin Won-ho to attend the crew gathering.” As the security guard sized him up, Chen Zhe studied the man in return, then glanced at the front yard, mentally comparing it to his own home’s garden and concluding that his own was superior.

“Ah, Mr. Chen Zhe, please come in. Director Shin and the others are already inside waiting for you—the rest of the cast has arrived too!” Hearing Chen Zhe’s introduction and question, the security guard quickly opened the gate wider, ushered him inside, and informed him who was present.

“Yes, thank you! I understand, I’ll go in right away!” After a slight bow of thanks, Chen Zhe, together with Lim Soo-ho, walked through the opened gate, carefully observing the house’s design as they went.

As they approached the main house, a young man in a white T-shirt came toward them, waving enthusiastically. Chen Zhe was about to ask who he was when Lim Soo-ho suddenly stepped forward and embraced the man warmly, leaving Chen Zhe dumbfounded.

“Chen, go ahead and join the gathering. I want to catch up with my friend!” After separating from the young man, Lim Soo-ho smiled and waved to Chen Zhe, urging him inside.

Entering the house, Chen Zhe paused in surprise at the scene before him. A group sat in a circle on the floor, chatting and laughing cheerfully. Among them were familiar faces: Director Shin Won-ho, Writer Lee Yoo-jung, and Eun Ji-won, who had helped him during the audition at the tvN building.

Beside them sat two men and two women, some of whom Chen Zhe vaguely recognized. One girl, whose mouth was slightly wide but whose smile was exceptionally charming, immediately caught his attention.

He remembered her clearly: Apink’s third member, his first friend in Korea, Oh Ha-young’s older sister, and one of his favorite idols before his rebirth—the tough Busan girl, Jung Eun-ji.

Noticing Chen Zhe’s gaze, Jung Eun-ji glanced over, and when she realized he was watching her, she mischievously winked at him.

“Hello, Director Shin!”
“Hello, Writer Lee!”
“Hello, Senior Eun Ji-won!”
“Hello, Senior Jung Eun-ji!”
“Hello, Senior Ma Yoo-jin!”
“Hello, Senior Lee Ho-won!”
“Hello, Senior Lee Shi-eon!”
“I am Chen Zhe, a newcomer from LOEN, pleased to meet you all!” Noticing Jung Eun-ji looking toward the entrance, the others followed her gaze and saw Chen Zhe standing there. Under the weight of their attention, Chen Zhe hastily bowed and greeted each of them, introducing himself briefly.

His greeting drew expressions of surprise from the group; they found it remarkable that Chen Zhe could instantly recognize everyone present and accurately call out their names. Yet, faced with his courteous demeanor, they all smiled approvingly and nodded in return—after all, first impressions are always better with polite people.

Chen Zhe’s ability to recognize everyone wasn’t just due to his improved memory and recollection of the cast information he’d researched before his rebirth, but also thanks to the list of directors, writers, and lead actors from the ‘Reply 1997’ crew that Kim Jung-min had sent him last night, allowing him to match names and faces and deepen his impression.