Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 82

Underdog’s Rebellion (2)

* * *

4 AM.

‘Baekjeong General’ [Butcher General – likely a reference to a historical figure or folk hero] filming set.

There’s a saying in the broadcasting world: you only truly know a singer by seeing them on stage, and you only know an actor by working with them.

This is because actors with good public images often turn out to be difficult on set, while those with bad reputations are often surprisingly diligent.

From Geon’s perspective, Baek Ha-ni was definitely the latter.

‘She has quite a few unexpected qualities.’

For example, like right now.

When there’s a dawn shoot, actresses usually avoid coming unless absolutely necessary.

If they’re woken up early or don’t get enough sleep, their faces tend to swell. And regardless of their fame, actresses are sensitive to even the slightest change in their appearance, like lipstick color.

So, male actors usually adjust to the dawn schedule, and female actors compensate them with snacks or mention them in making-of interviews. That’s the unspoken rule of the industry.

However… Baek Ha-ni is an exception.

Not only does she not differentiate between early evening and dawn shoots, but if the timing is uncertain, she even arrives at the set the night before and waits.

Rumor has it that when PD [Production Director] Jeon In-woo tried to adjust her filming schedule, she refused and insisted on being scheduled the same as everyone else.

It’s the same today. After attending the Zarmani event and managing her personal schedule, she immediately rushed to Buyeo and is now waiting in her van.

“Actor Park, please have some late-night snacks. The PD prepared them because you’re working so hard.”

The AD [Assistant Director] who approached handed over a bag of donuts. He thanked him, accepted it, and called out to the assistant director.

“Can I have one more? I’m going to take it to Actor Baek, too.”

“Oh, if you’d do that, we’d be grateful. I’ll bring it right away.”

Being enthusiastic about filming and being approachable are two completely different things. The assistant director returned with a few more donut boxes, looking much happier.

When he approached Baek Ha-ni’s van with the snacks, the driver’s seat door opened as if by magic.

“I heard the director prepared some snacks. You’re working hard.”

“It’s nothing! You could have just called me, but you came all the way here…”

After handing the food to Moon Seong-hoon, who looked genuinely touched, Geon peered into the back seat.

“Is she sleeping?”

A sleepy, grumpy voice answered.

“…I’m not sleeping, why?”

“Then, can I come in for a moment? We have standby in five minutes.”

“……”

After a few seconds of silence, the back door of the van opened. Baek Ha-ni, wrapped in a long padded coat, was sitting huddled in the corner.

“Aren’t you sleepy? I heard you’ve been filming since evening.”

“I’m fine. Shouldn’t *you* be tired, Ms. Baek Ha-ni?”

“Who isn’t tired here? We just do it.”

Perhaps it’s the early hour, but the sharp barbs in her words felt somewhat softened. The fatigue she couldn’t hide was evident on her made-up face.

“You should talk to the director. Senior Jo never does dawn shoots because his face swells.”

Baek Ha-ni snorted.

“That’s for people who swell. I don’t swell, and even if I did, I’m prettier than the kids who don’t, so it doesn’t matter.”

“You must be very tired today. It’s twice as big as usual.”

“…What did you say?”

Baek Ha-ni, frowning, quickly checked her reflection on the back of her smartphone. Geon added, unwrapping the donut he brought.

“It’s a joke, would you like one?”

“I don’t eat that stuff!”

Baek Ha-ni, glaring at him with eyes that seemed to want to kill, gestured towards the door with her chin.

“If you’re done, leave. I’m going to close my eyes for a bit before going out.”

“I will. Oh, thank you for today.”

“What again?”

“You followed along without complaining. And you took Senior Jo’s side.”

Baek Ha-ni’s gaze flickered to the side.

“I told you I didn’t take his side. It’s just that I couldn’t stand Gi Eun-seo, that crazy bitch, acting up…”

“Anyway, it was cool. I saw you in a new light.”

“Ha, how crazy did you think I was?”

“Before, I thought you were a fighting rooster who pecked at everyone, but now you’re a loyal agency colleague.”

He expected her to get annoyed or grumble again, but unexpectedly, Baek Ha-ni moved her lips a few times and suddenly changed the subject.

“It’s already been 30 minutes, why aren’t they calling me? Seriously, directors being late is a chronic problem.”

Then she fidgeted and took out her smartphone to watch a movie. Geon thought, holding back a laugh.

‘She’s just like my six-year-old niece. She’s awkward and embarrassed by compliments.’

At that moment, Moon Seong-hoon appeared as the passenger seat door opened.

“Actors! It’s about to start!”

As soon as Moon Seong-hoon spoke, one of the staff members came running.

After Geon got out first, Baek Ha-ni, who was about to follow, suddenly grabbed him and asked.

“Hey. My face isn’t swollen now, is it?”

“You said you didn’t care, and you said you weren’t the type to swell.”

“Ah, don’t joke around!”

*

A new wind is blowing on the set.

Around lunchtime, most of the actors who had filming today arrived at the set.

Among them was Sung Ji-ho, who played the child version of Lee Cheon-in, whose scenes were already finished.

“Hyung!” [Older brother – term of endearment used by younger males to older males]

“Oh, Ji-ho, you came to visit.”

Sung Ji-ho, who ran over, noticed that Park Geon’s durumagi [traditional Korean overcoat] was dirty and asked worriedly.

“Did you film again at dawn?”

“Yeah. But it was okay this time because I was with Ha-ni noona [older sister – term of endearment used by younger people to older females], it wasn’t boring.”

“You did all the dawn shoots every day even when I was filming a lot. You’ll get sick if you keep doing that.”

The kid, who was only fourteen, was still worried about him because they played the same role.

He’s very mature, and his professionalism both on and off set makes him an actor to look forward to in a few years.

Park Geon ruffled Sung Ji-ho’s hair.

“It’s okay. I have plenty of stamina.”

After the young Lee Cheon-in left, middle-aged supporting actors slowly appeared and greeted him.

“Actor Park, I saw the article. You suffered from getting cursed at in an expensive place.”

“I know, right. It seems like they only invited the main actors to start a fight on purpose, and I feel sorry for being an old man stuck in the back room who can’t even get invited to such a show.”

Go Cheol-jun, who plays the role of the chief of the Gyeongmu Bureau [likely a police bureau] of the Japanese Government-General, the main villain, and Nam Joong-ik, who plays the chief of the Jongno Police Station, reeking of cigarettes, expressed their worries.

“It’s okay. It’s not like I went alone.”

“Anyway, if there’s anything I can help with, let me know. I’ve been around for a while, so I know quite a few people.”

Go Cheol-jun wrinkled his entire face and winked.

Come to think of it, this senior is also a veteran who has been active in plays, movies, and dramas.

“Of course. I’ll tell you right away if I need help from my seniors.”

Nam Joong-ik, who was listening, chimed in.

“Oh, Actor Go. Now is not the time to flex your muscles to help your juniors. You don’t even know if you’ll be able to go home alive today, huh?”

“That’s right, it was a scene that lasts until night.”

Greed flashed in Go Cheol-jun’s thin eyes.

The chief of the Gyeongmu Bureau he plays, Dokuro Shinji, is a vicious villain who exploits Koreans and exterminates independence activists. He is a formidable enemy who torments Lee Cheon-in throughout the play.

“Oh, come to think of it, didn’t they say they’re filming the burning of the Gyeongseong Bank [Old name of Seoul] today?”

“That’s right. That’s why Director Jeon has been so sensitive for the past few days, in case of an accident.”

“Hey! What accident are you talking about when you’re just scorching a building and putting out the fire with water? Don’t say such unlucky things. Besides, Actor Park is standing tall.”

The two actors, who had been talking about the filming for a long time, turned to Park Geon at the same time.

Go Cheol-jun nodded seriously.

“Well, what’s there to worry about when you have a junior who flies around without wires.”

“Of course, of course! I still remember what Kim Ryul said. Cheol-jin, did you see the Grand Bell Awards? When filming the movie, Actor Park’s nickname was Warrior…”

“…I’ll do my best.”

No matter how used to it Park Geon is, it’s still embarrassing to have old men with half-gray hair talk about warriors right in front of him.

Park Geon hurriedly moved to the center of the set. Equipment was already lined up near the four-story building built in Western style.

Today, the hostage drama of ‘Baekjeongtal’ will unfold,

The Gyeongseong Bank will be burned with the anger of the Koreans.

*

The full-fledged performance of Baekjeongtal in the living room will be from next week, but the drama is constantly filming the next episode and the one after that.

Even if the script is somewhat complete and the risk of side scripts has decreased, it is natural that the more time spent on editing, the higher the quality of the drama.

Therefore, PD Jeon In-woo is putting his heart and soul into not only the highlights but also all the episodes.

“Senior Go. Today, the episode jumps around a lot, so you’ll have to act differently than yesterday. I know you know this even if I don’t tell you…”

“Of course, of course. Director Jeon has been an unusual perfectionist since he was on terrestrial TV. I’ll keep that in mind, so you can tell him not to worry.”

There are three main villains in ‘Baekjeong General’.

The first is Lee Gyun, the chief of the Jongno Police Station.

The second is Dokuro Shinji, the chief of the Gyeongmu Bureau of the Japanese Government-General.

The third is Shuhei, the head of the Hwangwoo Association (皇祐會) [Imperial Protection Society – a pro-Japanese organization] and a former samurai.

Lee Gyun is a pro-Japanese collaborator who sits in the Jongno Police Station and acts as a lackey of Japan. Dokuro Shinji is the chief of the Gyeongmu Bureau dispatched by the Japanese Government-General.

And finally, the Hwangwoo Association belongs to a pro-royalist ultra-right-wing officer group formed by fallen samurai.

The three fight fiercely with Lee Cheon-in, sometimes working together and sometimes falling apart.

In particular, the members of the Hwangwoo Association, who wear black clothes with gold embroidery that reads Hwang (皇) [Imperial], confront the ‘Baekjeongtal’ gang with tremendous force and combat experience.

―Matsushiro has been selected as the Minister of the Army in the mainland. Our uprising will be further delayed.

―Why does the Emperor appoint such a person…? Is he really trying to turn the Great Japanese Empire into a weak white rat!

―Now that it has come to this, there is no choice. We must kill the rebellious Koreans as soon as possible and make this Gyeongseong a perfect samurai fiefdom (封土) [feudal domain].

Inside a shanty house with all the windows blocked with black cloth and only one candle lit even in broad daylight, members of the Hwangwoo Association wearing hoods are holding secret talks.

―But what about that guy, Baekjeongtal?

When the vice-chairman of the Hwangwoo Association mentions his name, a murderous silence falls.

Baekjeongtal.

He appeared in Gyeongseong a few weeks ago. He seems to be an independence activist, but he indiscriminately slaughters Japanese police (倭警) [derogatory term for Japanese police] and pro-Japanese Koreans.

His characteristic is that he hides his identity by wearing a white durumagi, a bamboo hat, and a dark red Baekjeongtal [Butcher’s Mask] used in Korean mask dances.

His methods are also unspeakably brutal, such as smashing skulls with an ax head or chopping off limbs with a butcher’s knife.

―We must catch him, definitely!

―Tojaro and Ootsuke have already been defeated. He seems to be a swordsman who received a salary from the palace, so we also need to set up a plan to eliminate him.

―But how? He seems to have informants. He’s so elusive that even the Jongno police can’t catch his tail.

Shuhei, the chairman of the Hwangwoo Association, who had been silent until now, raised one hand.

His right hand, wearing black gloves, is missing his ring and little fingers.

―Isn’t he just a Korean?

―That’s right.

―Then we have to use bait. Would he not come out when his compatriots are being brutally killed?

As expected of their chairman. Cruel smiles appeared on the faces of the Hwangwoo Association members hidden under their hoods.

Under the light, Shuhei raises his head. In the long knife scars etched above his eyes, a blue prosthetic eye (義眼) [artificial eye] shines eerily.

―This is the land that His Majesty the Emperor will step on. The uncivilized beasts will be punished by our hands.

*

“Extras Team 1! Here, stick to this side! When you’re on standby, just keep acting on this front line!”

“Team 2, come to the other side! There, I can see your name tag, so hide it before filming!”

Assistant directors and a few filming staff members shout at the top of their lungs to coordinate the performers.

That’s because there are over a hundred extras gathering inside and outside the ‘Gyeongseong Bank’ being filmed today.

Originally, this was the number of people even when filming the marketplace scene, but today the risk is different.

Team doctors and medical staff are stationed next to the martial arts director and the director of photography, and two sprinkler trucks are also positioned behind the Gyeongseong Bank, out of camera range.

“Director Jeon, the weather is good today. There’s no wind, so there’s less worry about the fire spreading.”

Art director Yang Yeon-tae, who ran over busily, said while wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Although various materials were used, the main point is to burn down the Gyeongseong Bank, which is a wooden building. If the burning speed is too fast or the fire spreads to nearby sets, a filming accident will inevitably occur.

On the other hand, martial arts director Do Jong-woo has been worried since morning, as if something is bothering him.

“Well, it’s not too late now, so shouldn’t we postpone it until tomorrow? I had my fortune told this morning, and what was written there…”

“Again, again! Director Do, you should believe in science rather than such horoscopes. If you look here, the wind direction and wind speed are very suitable, huh?”

“What, how well has the weather forecast been right?”

The art director, who launched the weather app, held out his smartphone, and the martial arts director grumbled.

Of course, Director Do also knows that he really can’t postpone the filming. Extras, team doctors, sprinkler trucks… So much has been prepared, and if the scene is canceled due to someone’s fortune, the loss will directly impact the production cost.

And, no matter how much the two argue, the one who holds all the power here is the general director.

“Both of you, stop there. I’ll take responsibility and control it so that no accidents happen. If something happens, I’ll put on a fire suit and jump in.”

PD Jeon In-woo, whose wire-like beard had become thicker since filming began, raised his hat brim.

The next order is set. As if familiar, the art director and martial arts director covered their ears, and a voice that echoed without a megaphone rang out.

“Okay, let’s get started!”

* * *