Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 11

The Shark in the Bath (5)

* * *

S#.12 Inside the Brothel

Splash, splash.

Choi Seung entered the cold bath, traversing the tub as if parting the Red Sea, and emerged on the other side.

The blood that had stained his suit was completely gone, replaced by bathwater dyed crimson.

Ma Dae-hui: You son of a bitch, are you Jung Yeon-woo’s lackey?

Choi Seung stood at the door. He turned around before leaving and began to sign complexly.

Choi Seung: (Subtitled) If you follow me, you’ll die.

Ma Dae-hui, who didn’t understand sign language, stood blankly as the door closed, plunging the scene into darkness.

*

Today’s filming was over.

Everyone left the set, but Park Geon was still in his suit, dripping wet.

It was because the extras had gathered around him, each offering a word of praise.

“You were really amazing. I’ll come as an extra for the next scene too. Keep showing up, okay?”

“I’ve been doing stunts for years, and you’re the first actor I’ve seen who uses his body better than Director Hyun. Now I know why there was no separate action director.”

“You’re definitely going to be a star. I can’t wait for today’s episode to air.”

“Thank you. Oh, yes. You’ll all do well.”

The manager, Park Seon, was also excited, answering the compliments pouring in instead of his brother.

In the end, most of the people who had gathered took photos and even got autographs.

Finally, Yong Joon-sang, accompanied by his manager, approached and asked with sharp eyes,

“Can I get a photo too?”

“Yes, of course.”

“But did you really not learn acting? Leaving aside the lines, even your breathing is wild.”

“This is my first time.”

“Writer Eun didn’t bring a joker, but a hidden card. Teach me some action later.”

“Whenever you want.”

Yong Joon-sang nodded seriously, exchanged phone numbers, and left.

Only the manager, who hadn’t seen what happened on the set, followed him, asking questions.

“Joon-sang, what was it like inside? Tell me!”

As Yong Joon-sang disappeared, Park Seon and the Park Geon brothers approached PD [Production Director] Na Jong-mo.

“Can I go to the car for a bit? My clothes are all there, so there won’t be any other filming today…”

“Ah, there isn’t any. Even if there was, I’d have to cancel it. If you don’t have a place to change, you can use my house.”

“Thank you, PD-nim!”

The two brothers walked away, dripping water.

PD Na Jong-mo, watching their backs, nudged the cameraman.

“What do you think, Director Kim?”

The cameraman silently gave a thumbs up.

“What’s there to say? He’s crazy good.”

“Let’s send this to Writer Eun as soon as we get to the editing room. That guy will be excited and work all night again.”

“We have to run with this momentum too. From what I see, that friend is very practical and has a strong heart. He was amazing at the audition, and now he’s almost…”

“A monster. Okay, let’s go quickly. We’re busy if we want to release all the teasers by the first episode.”

After the cameraman rushed off, PD Na Jong-mo called the JNBC public relations team leader.

“Oh, team leader. It’s me.”

-Ah, why again! The PR team is on strike, closed until the end of the weekend!

“Do you remember the bet we made?”

-…Writer Eun’s joker?

“Yes. It’s not a bust, but a jackpot, so prepare as promised. If you don’t get scared after seeing this, you have kidney stones.”

*

That night, a GIF was posted on the community site.

Title: Seoul Dog Bomb Guy Identity Revealed LOLOLOL

(GIF of Choi Seung’s sauna appearance)

He was a killer…lol

?? What’s with the look in his eyes when he comes out of the water?

ㄴIt’s like a blood-soaked shark coming up;

ㄴNo, something… something’s crazy…

ㄴDefinitely in the top 5 appearance scenes of the year

Next scene? Next scene? Next scene?

ㄴSo who the hell is this?

ㄴI don’t know;;; They only put up a picture on the homepage and there’s no actor’s name lololol Concept is awesome

Tell us what role it is, Na Jong-mo Eun Hee-wook, you devils!!!

ㄴ(???) : Watch episode 1 if you’re curious

*

Time flew by like a bullet.

Eun Hee-wook poured his soul into writing the script, the actors performed the scenes, and the production team diligently released teasers.

The first bait was, of course, Choi Seung.

A mysterious man with his role name and photo prominently displayed on the homepage.

A face no one had ever seen, and no actor’s real name.

Just when fans were guessing that he was an unknown actor brought in by Eun Hee-wook, a short clip suddenly appeared.

Choi Seung’s bathhouse bloodbath scene, which had been kept secret until now.

The visuals were crazy, and the timing of the cut was even crazier.

It was obvious that the production team had deliberately leaked the teaser, but people couldn’t help but be hooked.

So who is Choi Seung, is there another lead added to Yong Joon-sang and Seo Hee-do, what role does that guy play…

The fans’ complaints occupied most of the broadcasting station’s bulletin board, and then a photo was uploaded.

Seo Hee-do and Yong Joon-sang taking a selfie with Choi Seung, covered in blood and making a V sign.

“I’m going to catch Na Jong-mo, the charge is malicious aggro [aggravation], and the sentence is seventy years… PD-nim, you won’t be able to get out this lifetime?”

The assistant director, who frequented the drama’s homepage and official Instagram, chuckled as he read the comments.

“What are you talking about? If you add up all the curses I’ve heard while directing, I’d live to be two hundred years old.”

Na Jong-mo, whose eyes were dark, retorted.

Thanks to the delayed audition, they were in the midst of an intense filming schedule to secure enough footage before the first broadcast.

“How are the reactions?”

“It’s finally today, everyone’s going crazy. They’re going to storm the broadcasting station if it doesn’t meet expectations.”

“Tell them to come quickly if possible. That way, we’ll get one more article before the broadcast.”

“Oh my, so what percentage are you expecting [referring to viewership ratings]?”

Na Jong-mo’s tired eyes lit up.

“Definitely 20%. At least 15%.”

“…Aren’t you aiming too high? Even MBS’s ‘Lord of Despair,’ which swept the first half of the year, barely hit 30%.”

“Lee Si-do is a fake soldier. Our Park Geon is a real soldier. And a special forces veteran.”

“Yes, yes, whatever you say.”

*

“Prosecutor, we’ll go in first.”

“Yes. You know what to do when you get home, right?”

“Oh, I know. JNBC! Seoul Dog!”

5 minutes before 8 PM.

Bae Young-ho let the chief and staff in the same room leave work.

Then, he tuned the TV in the prosecutor’s office to JNBC and called Seo Seung-ah.

“Hey, did you fix the channel?”

-Don’t be so extra… No matter how much you turn it on with the TV in the prosecutor’s office, it won’t be counted in the ratings.

“The heart is important. I sent all the employees home and turned it on to support him.”

Seo Seung-ah clicked her tongue and asked.

-Ah, where’s Park Geon? Is he going to monitor it with the actors he’s filming with?

“He’s probably at home, watching with his parents.”

-Then that’s fine. It’s starting, so I’ll hang up.

He was going to do that anyway. Bae Young-ho closed the door and focused on his best friend’s drama.

The commercials ended, and well-produced highlight scenes flowed smoothly.

Cuts with cartoon-like effects. Ma Dae-hui, Seo Hee-do, and other supporting actors he had seen at least once appeared, and then a familiar face appeared on the screen.

Park Geon, a man overlooking the night view of Seoul from the rooftop of a high-rise building.

“Oh, you son of a bitch. He looks good in a suit.”

Then, the real start.

The drama itself was quite good. Dynamic directing, the passionate performances of familiar scene-stealers, and a good sense of pacing.

From the human terror that occurred at the police box to the natural illumination of the background of the Gwangsu Unit detective who was demoted.

Then, the sequences in which the main character, Ma Dae-hui, fiercely investigates the mysterious ‘gang hunt’ case.

The drama ran for 40 minutes with a quality that elicited admiration, and then suddenly stopped.

The new face that viewers were expecting, the soaking wet suit man who had been attracting expectations since the trailer, did not appear at all.

“Isn’t it supposed to be the amount that will come out today?”

Bae Young-ho blinked and checked the text from his friend, then chuckled.

Seo Seung-ah: [But when is Geon coming out?]

Seo Seung-ah: [???]

Seo Seung-ah: [Ah, the feeling is too strong]

Seo Seung-ah: [Na Jong-mo Eun Hee-wook please…please..please..]

Seo Seung-ah: [The broadcasting station guys need to be hit]

*

-Protect your body, Body Shield.

A commercial came on with Yong Joon-sang sitting in a massage chair, closing his eyes, and smiling.

Park Yeol-ho, who had changed the channel, awkwardly tried to encourage his sons.

“The first episode is about hiding the hidden card, something like that. Don’t be too discouraged, wait and see.”

“Why are they hiding the hidden card so much? The people there are all pros who have gone through all sorts of things, did he perhaps get on the PD’s bad side or something…”

The mother, Han Young-joo, who had a bad expression throughout, snatched the end of the sentence.

“No, Mom. That PD is so into Hyung [older brother] that he’s almost a fanboy. He even got an autograph last time.”

“Really? Is Seon telling the truth?”

“Yes. He’s still filming, but he’ll probably have more screen time starting next week.”

“Then that’s a relief. Anyway, you can’t trust people at the broadcasting station.”

Han Young-joo, who had some experience as an advertising model when she was younger, clicked her tongue as if she wasn’t relieved.

“By the way, what about your car? You’ll need it to move around the filming locations.”

Park Seon replied, looking quite like a manager.

“I drive a small car. A hyung [older brother/friend] who runs a rental car business gave it to me cheaply for a long-term rental.”

“How can big guys like you ride in a small car? Mom will buy you one, so drive it together.”

Park Yeol-ho, who was listening, opened his mouth in surprise.

“A new car? Where do you have the money?”

“I earned more, spent less, and saved up. I’ve been the sales king of the month several times.”

“Okay, then Dad will add to it. What was it, a Starcraft van? I heard a lot of celebrities ride in it.”

“…Don’t overdo it, you just buy us food. I’ll take care of getting something appropriate.”

“No, I have quite a bit of pocket money too…”

The family’s joint drama viewing ended with Park Yeol-ho clearing his throat.

As everyone was returning to their rooms, Han Young-joo asked quietly.

“Geon-ah, is filming okay? Are there any difficulties?”

“Yes. It’s more fun than I thought.”

Park Geon, who answered, smiled. It was a strangely detached smile that had appeared after his discharge.

“And I think it’s going to be more fun.”

*