Scripted For Us

Cast: Song Kang (tree spirit), Hwang Minhyun (Lee Inseong)

Pom Pom Pom

"Gather around, good people, and prepare to be amused by the trials and tribulations of our unlucky bachelor, Noh Chonggak! His journey through love is a comedy of errors that rivals the finest jests in the kingdom!"

In the bustling market square during the Joseon period, a lively street performance unfolded, attracting a crowd eager for a dose of humor and satire. A makeshift stage had been set up, and the performers, clad in colorful hanboks and masks, took center stage. Among them were several individuals wearing funny face masks, and a jester adorned in vibrant attire assumed the role of the narrator. With a clever blend of wit and jest, they spun tales of Chonju's most famous leftover bachelor.

"In a town where the moon itself blushed at the prospect of romance, Noh Chonggak set out on a quest to find love as enchanting as the starlit sky. Little did he know, his journey would be more tangled than a skein of yarn in the paws of an eager kitten!"

The audience erupted in laughter as the performer portrayed Noh Chonggak, and various performers acting as the female counterparts engaged in amusing actions in a matchmaking scene. Each effort resulted in a comical twist of misfortune for the female performer.

"Noh Chonggak tries and tries. But fear not, dear audience, for our bachelor's misfortune did not end there. Every girl he matched with always ended up with misfortune, and her family immediately decided to cut ties with him to put an end to the unluckiness."

Surrounded by the jovial atmosphere, the satire continued. Unbeknownst to them, somewhere in the crowd, a pair of calm gazes, clad in the finest cloth, stared at the performance with hands behind their backs. Another pair, dressed in commoner clothing, glared at the scene.

"My lord, they must be telling your story, right? Right? Should I come to them and ask—"

"Let them be, Palchil a~."

"But, My lord, it's not the first time they made a performance like this about you. And they also called you old bachelor."

"They are not wrong either. Come on, let's go home and let them enjoy the show."

Before the servant could step forward to create havoc during the performance, the gentleman raised his arm to stop him. It was Lee Inseong, one of the greatest talents in Joseon, yet so unlucky in marriage that, until now, no matchmaking process had ended successfully— which was strange.

Lee Inseong was blessed with good looks, great talent in study and swordsmanship, and a good personality. Yet, every family he was engaged to always faced misfortune—either the female fell into an unknown sickness, the family went bankrupt, or many other types of misfortunes. Now, almost none of the noble families were willing to tie the knot with his family. When Inseong came to visit, they would hide all the females in the house, from those who had come of age to those still underage, including daughters, concubines, and servants.

His inability to get married had caused grief for his parents. They had tried a thousand ways to find noble young ladies to marry him, yet no one dared to take the challenge—even when his parents decided it was fine if he married a middle-class daughter. However, middle-class families immediately begged for their lives when they had just come to visit the house. As a result, his series of misfortunes became the talk of the town, and street performers often retell his story with sprinkles of comedy. After several years of failures, he now earned a new nickname— Noh Chonggak.

Yet, it didn't bother Inseong as he actually wasn't too eager to get married either. He just did it to fulfill this responsibility to continue the family lineage. Although this was such a scandalous and unfilial thought of him, Inseong thought it was even better if this situation could stay forever.