Peninsula: My e-sports dream shattered, I chose to become an actor.

The day after filming GG, the sky over Seoul was bright and sunny. Lee Myung-yeop arrived at the coffee shop in Gangnam District on time for their appointment.

The person he met today holds a pivotal position in the Korean drama industry—Kim Eun-sook, the acclaimed screenwriter who penned the "Lovers Trilogy" and the phenomenal hit drama "Secret Garden."

Li Mingye had dressed up specially for today. He wore a well-tailored, custom-made plaid long coat, over which he wore a beige turtleneck cashmere sweater, and slim-fitting dark trousers. The outfit retained a youthful freshness while the texture of the fabric accentuated his tall and upright figure. He slightly adjusted his cuffs, exuding an innate air of nobility.

He learned about the style of Kim Eun-sook's script from Kim Hyun-seok, so he prepared his outfit accordingly, hoping to make a good first impression.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be wearing such thick clothes in this weather. Even though many Koreans wear clothes that have nothing to do with the weather, he didn't want to suffer like that.

Pushing open the heavy glass door of the café, the wind chimes tinkled softly.

Kim Eun-sook was sitting by the window flipping through a magazine when she saw Lee Myung-yeop push the door open and enter. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she stood up and waved first.

"Mingye, it's been so long! You've become so handsome!" Her voice was full of surprise as she looked Li Mingye up and down with admiration.

Li Mingye strode forward, bowed slightly, and smiled humbly: "Yes, Aunt Eun-sook hasn't changed at all; she's still so young."

"No way, I've aged a lot now." Kim Eun-sook waved her hand, a smile hidden in the fine lines around her eyes.

They actually knew each other a long time ago.

In 2004, Kim Eun-sook's drama "Lovers in Paris" became a ratings sensation in South Korea, achieving an astonishing 56.3% viewership rating.

At that time, Li Mingye's mother was a huge fan of the show and had countless questions and thoughts about the plot.

So his mother directly used her connections to approach Kim Eun-sook to discuss the matter, since no one understands the plot and characters better than the screenwriter.

Lee Myung-yeop still remembers that Kim Eun-sook often came to visit and had enthusiastic discussions with his mother, which left a deep impression on young Lee Myung-yeop.

It can be said that her family had the biggest social connections at the time, and her mother deserves some credit for her current high status.

"When I first found out you were going to be an actor, I was absolutely shocked! My glasses even fell off!"

Kim Eun-sook picked up her coffee and took a sip, then changed the subject: "But then I thought about it again, and with a face like yours, Mingyeop, tsk tsk, there's probably no one in the world more suited to be an actor than you! You're just a natural-born talent."

"That's too much, Aunt Eun-sook." Lee Myung-yeop blushed as Kim Eun-sook praised him.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while, creating a harmonious atmosphere. Finally, Kim Eun-sook put down her coffee cup and got down to business.

"Mingye, I will definitely fully support you if you want to act." Kim Eun-sook paused, "But the production team isn't entirely up to me."

Li Mingye nodded. With his current fame, he certainly couldn't carry the lead role in such a big production, so this time he was aiming for the second male lead.

"So, since you don't have any official works airing yet, in order to put the production team and others at ease, we hope you can audition." Kim Eun-sook deliberately slowed down her speech at the end, her eyes fixed on Lee Myung-yeop's face, observing his reaction.

The subtext is: as long as your acting isn't terribly bad, the role is yours.

Li Mingye said naturally, "Of course, no problem. I will prepare carefully and will not let Auntie down."

Kim Eun-sook breathed a sigh of relief, a bright smile spreading across her face. She took out a bound booklet from her bag and pushed it in front of Lee Myung-yeop.

"Here is the current first draft of the script. You can take it back and take a look. If you have any ideas about the character, or feel that anything is not suitable, feel free to talk to me about it."

"Has the name been decided yet?" Li Mingye asked casually as he took the script.

"Not yet, but you can bring up any ideas you have." Kim Eun-sook blinked, looking all ears.

Lee Myung-yeop picked up the script with great interest, but he didn't rush to start reading it. What he needed to do now was to build a good relationship with Kim Eun-sook, as she was a valuable connection for his future career in the entertainment industry.

Lee Myung-yeop chatted happily with Kim Eun-sook for another half hour until she had to leave first, at which point he took a car back home.

As soon as he entered the room, without even taking off his coat, he eagerly sank into the soft sofa and opened the script.

He read quickly, and soon turned to the last page. After all, the script wasn't finalized yet; the unique "shoot-as-you-go" model of Korean dramas meant that the subsequent plot would need to be further refined based on ratings and audience feedback. This is one of the reasons why screenwriters hold such a high status in South Korea.

He was very satisfied with the plot development of the second male lead, Choi Young-do.

Initially, due to the misfortune of his family of origin—his father's domestic violence and his mother's departure from home—he developed a quirky and wicked personality, but also suffered from an extreme lack of security and emotional support.

Therefore, he constantly opposes the male lead, Kim Tan, and even bullies the female lead because of it.

But as the story progresses, he is gradually drawn to the heroine's resilience, transforming from a bully into a "dark knight" who secretly protects her.

Finally, he was moved by the female protagonist's words, and finally revealed his inner vulnerability and loneliness, reconciled with the male protagonist, and bravely confessed his feelings.

To be honest, Li Mingye thinks this character is very charming, and if he plays the role well, he will definitely gain a lot of fans.

From a personal perspective, Li Mingye even felt that this second male lead, with his dramatic contrast between his earlier and later roles and his quiet dedication, was more complex and compelling than the male lead, Kim Tan.

With his good looks and acting skills, he was a little worried that he might overdo it and steal the spotlight from the male lead.

Li Mingye nodded happily and closed the script.

This script seems familiar, as if I've seen it somewhere before.

However, there are many things that seem familiar, such as the "hippocampal effect," which is nothing new.

Compared to that, what happened with TWICE is truly amazing. Because he looked for the members based on the content of his dream, he actually found the corresponding members, and each one matched up perfectly.

Besides another woman in his dream whose unique temperament left a deep impression on him...

Putting aside his jumbled thoughts, Li Mingye took out his notebook, turned on his pen, and began writing a biography of Cui Yingdao.

The pen scratched across the paper, and the light in his eyes gradually sharpened.

Meanwhile, far away in Japan, Mina was watching Girls' Generation's dazzling performance on stage on her phone screen.

The sisters on the screen wore gorgeous stage outfits and enjoyed the cheers of thousands of fans.

Mina's eyes revealed a hint of envy as she lightly swiped her finger across the screen.

"I wish I could stand up there too."

She thought to herself silently.