'Record of Youth' Episode 9 will see cameo by Park Seo-joon, as Hye-jun's career takes off in a big way
The 'Record of Youth' Episode 9 promo is out and it shows another star appearing in a cameo. It is none other than Park Seo-joon and this doesn't exactly come as a surprise since we saw how Park Bo-gum had appeared in a cameo in Seo-joon's show 'Itaewon Class'. However, what is exciting about this is the fact that Hye-jun (Park Bo-gum) seems to be walking the same red carpet as Park Seo-joon and that is in a way adding credibility to his status as a star. In fact, in the promo, we also see Hye-jun's grandfather explain to Hye-jun's father that he shouldn't take his son lightly anymore as he is, after all, a star.
It also seems that all the glamor surrounding his job, or the stardom that he has achieved with his recent role hasn't gone to his head. In what we assume is an interview, Hye-jun says that he wants to do work that will be memorable and bring comfort to people. He continues to take the bus despite his rising popularity and this symbolizes how Hye-jun is very much grounded in reality. His aim had been to become an actor who was relatable and someone that fans would seem comfortable around and not to be a star who seemed to be at a distance that common folks thought was unreachable, and his position unattainable. He seems to have hit it out of the ballpark but what we are most curious about is if Hye-jun's former agent's plan to create gossip about Hye-jun's model days by connecting him to designer Charlie Jung failed.
Then we also see Jeong-ah meet her father and discuss certain aspects of her life with him. This comes after her mother has a huge row with her about quitting a secure and stable job for something that is the exact opposite. Jeong-ah's mother had thrown a huge fit and the only one that Jeong-ah seems able to confide in is her father. She even tells him that she is still unable to depend on anyone and this might include her boyfriend Hye-jun too but considering how busy he has been, things between them might change a bit.
The most interesting bit about the promo though is how Hae-hyo's mother has begun to drive him insane with her expectations. She had been supportive of him all this while and had even gone to the extent of buying him followers and making connections to ensure that he gets roles with big stars. That is also how Hae-hyo had got his first chance at a web drama and later in a movie too. However, none of the projects that he had worked in really took off, not as well as Hye-jun's drama did. His work in the film had also been noticed by other artists in the field as well, so his talent is spoken for.
All the times that Hye-jun had stopped himself from comparing his state with Hae-hyo's seems to be catching up to his friend, whose mother is forcing him to look at his friend who had no privilege and still made it. Is the way he is being treated by his mother fair? Maybe not. However, it is also hard to conclude that Hae-hyo was not aware of the things that his mother had done to manage his career. All he had done so far is to stay ignorant and in the upcoming episode, the reality is sure to come crashing down on him.
'Record of Youth' originally airs on tvN on Mondays and Tuesdays in South Korea and can be streamed on Netflix in the US.
