Chapter 79: Expansion (8)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The reason Jin Jae-jun felt unconsciously tense was because of Kang Woojin’s gaze from across. A look that felt drained of energy but still seemed to prick every inch of his body.
It was just a rehearsal now.
Thus, the knife held by Kang Woojin was fake, and there was no blood as expected. The distance between the knife blade and the eyeball was about 3cm, farther than anticipated. Normally, it should have been almost 1cm from the eyeball. Woojin’s costume and face were clean.
Yes, Kang Woojin was certainly holding back.
It was just a simple dialogue rehearsal after all. The problem was that, even though it was a rehearsal, the Kang Woojin that Jin Jae-jun saw, or rather Lee Sang-man, that Jin Jae-jun saw felt too real.
‘…I can see why the director was so engrossed in watching the monitor.’
Of course, Jin Jae-jun was taken aback by yesterday’s Lee Sang-man’s portrayal as well. Even as a spectator, he found it hard to look away. The clarity of the portrayal, the distinct movements, the detailed lines. But today felt different. Sitting in front of Lee Sang-man as his counterpart, Jin Jae-jun felt a stifling pressure.
‘Can a gaze suffocate someone? Is it just natural for him?’
There was a difference between the people Lee Sang-man recognized and those he didn’t. His eyes were deep. While they weren’t yesterday, but today, those eyes were filled with Jin Jae-jun, or more accurately, ‘Jeong Seong-hoon’. Jin Jae-jun felt himself being drawn into them.
Could that be why?
“…”
Jin Jae-jun’s view of Lee Sang-man began to shift. The sights he had or would see as ‘Jeong Seong-hoon’ overlapped like a panorama. The emotions thrown by Lee Sang-man became the catalyst.
The brightness of the warehouse darkened even more.
The bustling staff disappeared, replaced by men in dark suits. Among them was Lee Sang-man. With his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he tortured a subordinate tied up in a corner of the warehouse using a sashimi knife.
It wasn’t clear where he was cutting, but Lee Sang-man slowly sliced the subordinate’s flesh.
The subordinate’s screams, Lee Sang-man’s low laughter, the smell of blood.
Jeong Seong-hoon felt a dry lump in his throat. He felt it. Every hair on his body stood on end. From behind Lee Sang-man, blood dripped continuously. That was all Jeong Seong-hoon could see.
And now, Lee Sang-man, with blood all over his face, stood before him.
“You have the eyes of a snitch. You’re a snitch, aren’t you?”
Even now, the sashimi knife was close to the eyeball. Lee Sang-man was a man with a wild madness in his eyes, yet agile with a weapon.
However, Jeong Seong-hoon was willing to stake his life.
After all, the old warehouse, the slicing of the subordinate, the showering in blood, and even this knife were all just for show. Jeong Seong-hoon desperately held back the urge to urinate. He then adjusted his posture, relaxing his hunched shoulders and crossing his legs.
That posture wasn’t good for walking on a rope.
“Then stab me. See if you can bleed me.”
Jeong Seong-hoon instead brought his eye even closer to the nearby blade. That crazy gangster bastard had a good sense. Pushing forward aggressively was the only answer. On the other hand, the hint of amusement disappeared from Lee Sang-man’s face.
Instead, a weariness appeared.
“Why cursing at me with your eyes, huh? Curse at me openly, you bastard.”
“You called me a snitch. Yeah, I’m a snitch, motherfucker.”
“…”
“Enough with the bullshit tests. Let’s do business. You’ve probably checked everything about me before we met.”
Lee Sang-man moved the knife from Jeong Seong-hoon’s eyeball to his nose bridge.
“Yes, I’ve checked thoroughly. The resume is indeed that of a drug dealer. Sold drugs and even went to school, right? And your backer is Choi Jun-ho. But, Mr. Jeong.”
Lee Sang-man, tapping Jeong Seong-hoon’s nose with the knife, changed the expression in his eyes to something snake-like.
“Looking at you now, your eyes seem intelligent. You’re a thug, but an intelligent thug, that’s what your eyes say.”
“Stop the bullshit, asshole, and get lost. I’ll go to Japan myself and shove the drugs into those Japanese monkeys myself.”
“Mr. Jeong, you plan to walk out of here alive?”
“What the hell do you want, bastard?”
Yawning, Lee Sang-man lightly scratched Jeong Seong-hoon’s cheek with the knife.
“I don’t trust people. I trust events. To do business, there has to be trust, right?”
“…”
“Ease up on that intense gaze. I might just gouge it out. Tsk, since I don’t deal with second-best. Create an interesting event for me. Something that would make headlines.”
“What kind?”
“If you slice open your ‘backer’ and take out all his organs, I’ll trust you then.”
Choi Jun-ho, the drug kingpin in prison, was Jeong Seong-hoon’s backer. In other words, Lee Sang-man was suggesting that Jeong Seong-hoon kill Choi Jun-ho, whom he had worked hard to gain trust from. It was a tricky proposition for Jeong Seong-hoon, who was undercover.
Because he was still officially a police officer.
Even if he somehow managed to kill Choi Jun-ho, the police would likely suspect him. Conversely, Lee Sang-man was not to be trifled with either.
“And if the drug kingpin still remains alive? Then you’re finished. Without anyone knowing, not even a mouse or a bird. For deceiving me. Look forward to it, from your family to the damn dog you raise, I’ll make them all suffer.”
It was Lee Sang-man, the boss of Busan’s largest organization, ‘Sang-man Faction’.
It was evident that countless gang members would be after Jeong Seong-hoon. He had to make a decision. First, he needed to get out alive. Only then could he plot his next move.
“Understood.”
“You are indeed sharp.”
Lee Sang-man, with a sly grin, tossed the sashimi knife that had been pointed at Jeong Seong-hoon’s cheek down in front of him.
“Take it. Next time, bring your factory with you. You have a professor, right?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, Lee Sang-man, now wearing a suit jacket, waved at him while pocketing the diamond (drugs) Jeong Seong-hoon brought.
“See you again as a drug lord.”
For a moment, Jeong Seong-hoon stared into Lee Sang-man’s eyes. Lee Sang-man was smiling slightly, but his eyes reflected a violent future. Jeong Seong-hoon couldn’t say anything more to him.
Then.
“······Jun. Jae-jun?”
Director Kim Do-hee’s voice reached the ears of top actor Jin Jae-jun, who had been glaring at Lee Sang-man.
“Jae-jun.”
Only then did Jin Jae-jun turn his head.
“Ah- Yes, Director.”
Director Kim Do-hee, holding a script, gave him a thumbs up.
“Haha, it’s just a rehearsal, but you were too immersed, weren’t you? You seemed more intense than usual.”
“…It’s because of Woojin’s acting.”
“Right? Even when he toned it down, he was that good.”
“Yes, even though it was just a rehearsal, I unintentionally got carried away… I mean, I was really into it.”
Jin Jae-jun mumbled under his breath and shifted his gaze. On the opposite side, Kang Woojin was calmly checking his costume with the staff. For a moment, Jin Jae-jun frowned and let out a hollow laugh.
‘What just happened?’
It was the first time during the entire shooting of ‘Drug Dealer’.
‘It felt like I was actually in the story.’
He had never been so deeply immersed in his acting before, especially during a rehearsal.
Of course, everything started with,
‘Am I going crazy? Can you even evaluate that as acting?’
Whatever it was, it even surpassed Kang Woojin’s usual acting.
The same day, around lunchtime, Incheon Airport.
Amidst the bustling crowd of the airport, several reporters with cameras had taken their places. As if they had an appointment, they were lined up at the entrance fence. As a result, the people around were curious.
Regardless, the reporters, looking at the time, started to get impatient.
“Why isn’t she here? She’s late.”
“Maybe we got the wrong information?”
“No way.”
Then,
“She’s here!”
One of the reporters pointed towards the entrance and shouted. A middle-aged woman in her 60s appeared. The lady, with glasses perched on her nose, was Akari Takikawa, the popular Japanese novelist.
With her appearance, about a dozen reporters eagerly clicked their cameras.
– Click, click, click!
They shouted out whatever Japanese they knew.
“Over here! Please look this way!”
“Author, what’s the reason for your visit to Korea?”
“Please say hello to your fans!”
On the other hand, the author Akari, amidst various teams, merely waved to the reporters without giving any comment.
Regardless, one thing was certain.
The globally renowned, super-popular author, Akari Takikawa, had come to Korea.
A few tens of minutes later.
Quickly exiting the airport, Akari boarded a large van waiting in the parking lot. Interestingly,
“Author”
An already familiar man was seated inside. It was Kyotaro Tanoguchi, the renowned Japanese director with a full head of gray hair.
“You arrived sooner than I thought.”
From the looks of it, Director Kyotaro had boarded the van before Akari. As the van began to move, Akari replied with a smile,
“I’m not good at press conferences. I find the reporters uncomfortable.”
“Haha, a world-renowned author like you shouldn’t say that.”
“You, Director, used me as a shield and entered the country secretly, didn’t you?”
“No way. I merely made your entrance more prominent.”
“How cunning.”
The novelist Akari softly whispered as she received her schedule from the agency staff, but she asked the director Kyotaro, who was sitting across from her, again.
“But Director, why did you have to align your schedule with mine from the start? Wasn’t it a bit too soon to deliver the script to that Korean actor a few days ago? After all, I’m here for a two-week schedule, which is ample time.”
With an indifferent look, Director Kyotaro smiled.
“I’ll be with you only for today, and from tomorrow I’ll be moving separately with my team. I have to meet with the Korean distributor and scout some locations. I also need to check the situation related to actor Kang Woojin in Korea.”
“Seems you’re quite eager.”
“I am eager to meet him. But we have to wait. It won’t be an immediate meeting. Of course, I’m sure you’ll also find actor Kang Woojin to your liking.”
Although Director Kyotaro was in charge of the overall production, novelist Akari also had enough influence to replace an actor or two. In fact, she held enough sway to overturn the entire work. She shrugged and said,
“Well, it’d be a problem if I didn’t like him.”
“You’ll definitely want him.”
Director Kyotaro seemed very excited. It was a new side of one of Japan’s top directors. At least in Akari’s eyes. He was so purely ambitious. Soon, Akari, crossing her arms, pushed up her glasses.
“Director, can I see the acting of that actor Kang Woojin?”
“Ah? Yes, of course, on the hotel’s TV.”
“No.”
She requested to Director Kyotaro.
“Not on TV, but with my own eyes.”
In the afternoon, back in Suncheon.
Near the large set of ‘Drug Dealer’, there was a medium-sized hotel. This hotel was used by the actors and staff of ‘Drug Dealer’ as accommodation. Due to the nature of the work, there were many regional shootings, and this hotel was mostly used when shooting in Suncheon, so it was almost always reserved.
Hence, actors were frequently seen in the hotel lobby and its vicinity. Into such a lobby,
– Whoosh.
Kang Woojin, with an expressionless face, was escorted by the large-built Jang Su-hwan. Soon, several people who passed by Woojin turned their heads.
“Oh my, isn’t that the actor? The one from ‘Profiler Hanryang’ Park Dae-ri!”
“Huh? Ah! Kang Woojin?”
“Yeah! I think it was Kang Woojin! I only caught a glimpse but it seemed like him!”
“Really? Should we go and check?”
Not only the guests. The hotel staff at the front desk and various other areas were also sneaking glances at Woojin. Among them, the filming of ‘Drug Dealer’ was already a hot topic, and the news that Kang Woojin had recently joined was already widespread.
“Oh my God- Kang Woojin, Kang Woojin is here.”
“Whoa, what’s with his appearance? He’s super handsome in real life!”
“Should we take a photo? Is it okay?”
“Looks-wise, Kang Woojin seems better than Jin Jae-jun, right?”
“Shush, we’ll get in trouble with the team leader.”
The lobby quickly became bustling. Noticing this, Jang Su-hwan quietly coughed and whispered to Woojin.
“Hyung, I think you should wear a mask.”
“Why?”
“People are starting to recognize you.”
“Ah-”
Only then did Woojin, who had been looking at his phone, glance around. Though not many, about ten guests and staff were definitely staring at him. For Woojin, who had experienced this before, it still felt a bit awkward.
‘It feels good, but also a bit embarrassing.’
Regardless, Woojin, now wearing a mask, , made it to his room, leaving behind Jang Su-hwan who mentioned he’d get in touch when it was time. Once inside his room, Woojin relaxed for a moment. His room, with just a bed and a simple table, wasn’t particularly spacious.
“Well, at least I have a room to myself.”
Woojin muttered quietly and flopped down on the bed. After lying still for about 3 minutes, he rolled over and picked up his phone to check the time.
“5 o’clock.”
It was currently 5 in the afternoon. However, today’s filming of ‘Drug Dealer’ was not yet over. They had shot a few scenes from morning until now. There were remaining scenes, but due to Jin Jae-jun’s schedule, there was a break.
Roughly 2 hours?
Usually, actors would wait in the car or somewhere on the set during breaks, but since ‘Drug Dealer’ had separate accommodations, Woojin could rest in his room and then head out again when needed. Hence, he was still dressed as ‘Lee Sang-man’, in a shirt and suit trousers.
While searching his name on a search engine, Woojin mused,
“2 hours- should I take a nap?”
However, he shook his head, not feeling particularly tired.
During intermittent breaks in the shooting, Woojin entered the void space to relieve his fatigue, and he had a good night’s sleep yesterday. So, he thought maybe he should review some works. Then, Woojin shifted his gaze to the scripts and scenarios placed on the small table.
“Since ‘Drug Dealer’ is already being filmed, it might be better to look at ‘Male Friend’.”
Woojin had already fully read the first episode script of the short series ‘Male Friend’, and now he picked up the second episode script he had recently received.
– Flip.
After reading the script for over 30 minutes, Woojin seemed to find something and spoke out.
“Oh, it’s this scene. The surprise song scene.”
From the script alone, it was evident that the male lead would be portrayed in a rather cool way. At that moment, he pondered.
“Um-”
Suddenly, Woojin raised his index finger and tapped on the black rectangle next to the ‘Male Friend’ episode 2 script. Instantly, Woojin’s world transformed into the completely dark void space. Familiarly, Woojin moved toward the seven white squares.
He fixed his gaze on the white square labeled ‘Male Friend’.
-[6/Script (Title: Male Friend), Grade A]
-(Episode 2)/(Episode 3)/(Episode 4)
-[*It is a highly-completed drama script. 100% reading is possible.]
The grade had recently been elevated to A, and it was already listed up to episode 4. Among them, Woojin chose episode 2.
-[You have selected the script (Title: Male Friend Episode 2).]
-[Listing characters available for reading (experience).]
-[A: Han In-ho, B: An Beom-chul······]
The male lead of ‘Male Friend’ was ‘Han In-ho’. For Woojin, this was the first time choosing the role at the forefront. Nonetheless, with a somewhat peculiar expression, Woojin selected ‘Han In-ho.’
Soon, a robotic female voice echoed throughout the virtual space.
[“Abilities exceeding the basic specs have been detected. Enhancing ‘singing ability’ first.”]
*****