Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 58

People Who Aren’t Hungry (1)

* * *

S#.3 ‘The Chic’ Headquarters Lobby (Morning)

It’s been almost three years since graduating from college.

Escaping the tiresome life of a job seeker, Han Tae-ri was accepted into the overseas sales department of ‘The Chic’.

It’s just a six-month internship, but it’s in a massive comprehensive fashion business group that competes for the top spot in the industry.

Han Tae-ri: (Looking up at the endlessly tall building) Don’t be nervous, Han Tae-ri. This is it!

However, a rookie is still a rookie. As soon as she enters, she is intimidated by the huge golden lobby and the countless people bustling about.

Someone calls from behind the very intimidated Han Tae-ri.

Hong Jun-young: Are you Ms. Han Tae-ri?

Han Tae-ri: (Startled, she turns around) Yes, yes!

Hong Jun-young: I’m Hong Jun-young, an assistant manager in the overseas sales department. I’m in charge of giving Tae-ri a general explanation of her duties and the company orientation today.

Han Tae-ri: Oh, but I heard that my mentor was Assistant Manager Kang Seo-joon…

Hong Jun-young: (With a slightly embarrassed look) Well, something came up… Follow me for now.

He’s a friendly-looking senior colleague, except for his slightly narrow eyes. Soon, the elevator arrives and carries people upwards.

Hong Jun-young, who was walking busily on the 12th floor, suddenly turns to Han Tae-ri as if he remembered something.

Hong Jun-young: Ah, there’s one thing I need to tell you.

Han Tae-ri: Yes?

Hong Jun-young: Don’t cry. Absolutely not.

Han Tae-ri: (Puzzled, she asks back) …Excuse me?

Hong Jun-young: Don’t talk back, don’t make excuses that you’re being treated unfairly, and don’t try to fight back. Because if you do, something really bad will happen, got it?

Incomprehensible words pour out all of a sudden.

Hong Jun-young, seeing Han Tae-ri nodding, suddenly covers his mouth with his hand and lowers his voice.

Hong Jun-young: Actually, the mentor who was supposed to take care of Tae-ri, quit the day before yesterday.

Han Tae-ri: (Lowering her voice as well) Ah… I see.

Hong Jun-young: The reason he quit is…

At that moment, the glass door of the office labeled [Overseas Sales Team] opens, and a tall man in a suit appears.

Hong Jun-young flinches, and Han Tae-ri is startled.

…Is this person an actor or model who’s undercover at a fashion company?

Hong Jun-young: (Quickly standing up straight) That’s our team leader, Lee Jin-ha.

Team Leader Lee Jin-ha, approaching the two, ignores Han Tae-ri’s greeting and asks Hong Jun-young.

Lee Jin-ha: Assistant Manager Hong, didn’t you know that the Agnes project was stopped?

Hong Jun-young: Yes, yes? They said they would contact us on Monday…

Lee Jin-ha: They said they would give the order to AF. I told you to follow them to the launching event and keep an eye on them, and I said three times that the weekend was the watershed moment.

He seems to have made a serious mistake. Hong Jun-young, his face turned pale, shouts.

Hong Jun-young: I, I’ll go right now and grab onto their pant legs and beg!

Lee Jin-ha: (Looking at his wristwatch) There’s an Agnes executive meeting at Cheongdam UB at exactly 12 o’clock.

Hong Jun-young: 12 o’clock means only 3 hours left… No, more than that, how can I get into the executive meeting…

Lee Jin-ha: (In an indifferent tone) Then you don’t have to come to work starting tomorrow.

Hong Jun-young, shouting that he would definitely solve it, runs out in a hurry. The devil who crushed his senior colleague looked this way.

“What is it?”

The face she admired a moment ago now looks like the Grim Reaper. Kwon Yu-jin, forcibly possessed by Han Tae-ri’s role, stammers.

“I, I’m the intern who was supposed to come today… My mentor quit, so Assistant Manager Hong is taking over the handover…”

“What handover when he’s about to quit himself? He’s trying to make you as useless as he is.”

“Yes, yes?”

The cold steel frame, the eyes behind the glasses, are emotionlessly lowered. He would be warmer if he looked at a passing ant rather than the team’s new recruit.

“There’s no one to teach you today.”

“Yes, then I’ll just leave work… No, go home…”

“I have no choice, follow me. Turn on the recorder and notepad.”

The intern’s lips tremble.

It seems like she came to the wrong team.

*

4 PM.

The filming crew is still in the studio.

There’s no time for lunch. The schedule that started at 6 AM is proceeding non-stop.

The next schedule is a street stall in Euljiro [a neighborhood in Seoul]. They even have to move there to film the necessary scenes, and then return to ‘The Chic’ to film the office at night.

While everyone is not even able to eat properly, Byun Hwi-seung, whose filming is in the middle of the night, leisurely orders lunch and returns.

‘Doesn’t that guy have anything to do?’

‘I know, why is he doing something he never used to do?’

The staff’s glares are sharp, but Hwang PD doesn’t care much. Who would stop an actor from watching the hard work from dawn, saying it’s for monitoring?

Look, he’s even chewing a sandwich while watching the Sky Lounge scene.

“…He’s good.”

A voice of admiration leaks from his red lips.

He’s stingy with praise. For 13 years since his debut, he’s seen all sorts of monsters in person, and he’s even worked with those guys in several projects.

Is this the same person who used to criticize those people, saying they were full of pretense or obsessed with themselves, but now he’s praising someone as soon as he sees them?

The manager asked with a puzzled expression.

“What is? He’s natural, but I don’t know if he’s that special. It’s not a difficult character…”

“Jong-pil, has he ever made an NG [No Go, meaning a mistake requiring a retake]?”

“No, other people have.”

“Have you seen the script?”

“The manager has it… Oh?”

Byun Hwi-seung explained bluntly.

“How can someone memorize all the lines without a single mistake? And the transitions are fast too.”

“Transitions?”

“He perfectly calculates and uses the muscles and emotions needed for acting. Usually, that style doesn’t allow for immersive acting…”

Byun Hwi-seung stopped talking. It doesn’t make sense.

‘…If he can’t immerse himself, there’s no way he could play that evil spirit.’

Over there, Park Geon and Team Leader Lee Jin-ha are still grilling their subordinates.

“Ms. Han Tae-ri.”

“Yes!”

“The font is off, and the focus is off. Is this the data you’ve been working on for two days?”

“I’m sorry!”

“With this, we won’t be able to get orders from Dongdaemun wholesalers [a famous wholesale fashion district in Seoul], let alone the brands we want. It’s like a college student’s PPT [PowerPoint presentation] for their first business agreement.”

“I’m really sorry…”

“You don’t have to be sorry to me. Reorganize it and start contacting the vendors. Then you’ll salvage a few even if you ruin everything else.”

Kwon Yu-jin is being grilled so pitifully that it’s hard to tell if it’s real or acting.

‘The role of hitting with words is harder than the role of hitting physically, and he’s slapping her so well.’

Is that his usual personality? Absolutely not. Park Geon, whom I saw today, was a surprisingly cheerful atmosphere maker in the filming set, though he was somewhat expressionless.

That kind of person completely turns around and becomes a different person in terms of tone, expression, and even the way he walks.

‘It’ll be a hit when it airs. He’s bringing a predictable character to life in a crazy way.’

The reaction is obvious at a glance. Genres come and go, and so do trends.

Isn’t the cold, handsome boss who is only warm to me always a popular character?

At first glance, he sees his old self reflected. The role he played in his third work, that romance, was exactly like that…

While shaking off old thoughts, Byun Hwi-seung suddenly narrowed his eyes.

“Jong-pil, did the PD [Production Director] here come from doing something else?”

“Yes? He just got his debut smoothly and… He’s probably from YTS, who filmed this and that, why do you ask?”

“No, he’s got a deadpan face even while watching that acting. I thought he was filming something he didn’t want to do.”

*

“Cut!”

The cut sound I’ve been waiting for finally came out. It’s after filming the same scene for the seventh time.

“Good job, everyone. The actors need to change their costumes, so let’s take a ten-minute break.”

As Hwang PD, who was skimming through the script, said, the assistant director next to him repeated.

“We’ll take a 10-minute break!”

Kwon Yu-jin gasps for breath. As the office scene takes up the most weight in the play, the amount of filming per day is also enormous.

Even in pre-produced dramas, the scenes in the drama are inevitably tight. The amount filmed in the same space crosses over episodes, and they change clothes according to the time and film again.

‘What time is it now?’

Looking at the clock, it’s 5 PM. It’s already been 12 hours since I woke up at 5 AM when my manager came to pick me up.

All I’ve eaten in the meantime is a cup of fruit salad and a roll of kimbap [Korean seaweed rice roll]. I thought it was a big deal when I was filming a web drama, but the real drama set is a separate war.

“Yu-jin, change your clothes and let’s go to the next scene. The items that the manager delivered…”

“Yes, I’ll change and come right away.”

Was it an award-winning entry in a contest? This writer is unnecessarily detailed, and he wrote down every single change in Han Tae-ri’s clothes for each scene.

In scene A, an oversized suit and semi-wide pants, in scene B, a fitted shirt and tight slacks, and so on.

Yu Ho-young has procured PPL [Product Placement] with brands and accessories that match the feeling. No matter how much the drama is an advertisement, if you ignore the visible aesthetics, the viewership will be cut off in chunks.

Park Geon’s voice grabbed Kwon Yu-jin, who was hurrying to the car.

“Is it manageable?”

I can’t get used to this no matter how hard I try. Until a few seconds ago, he was catching her like a rat, but when the cut comes out, the atmosphere of the person suddenly changes.

“Yes, it’s my first day, so it’s not hard.”

“That’s a relief. If there’s anything lacking, I’ll try to adjust.”

Kwon Yu-jin looked up at Park Geon for a moment.

‘Is he saying that sincerely?’

There’s no way there’s anything lacking.

I wondered how good Park Geon was, but his ability to match acting is beyond the norm, not to mention his ghostly fast immersion.

It’s hard to make an NG when you’re with that actor.

It’s the sound that the actors who play the employees of ‘The Chic’, including Ahn Ji-hwan, who plays Assistant Manager Hong Jun-young, made as soon as they filmed each scene.

“No. Thanks to the actor, I’m acting so comfortably right now, really!”

“Still, nutritional supplements are necessary.”

“Yes, I ate kimbap earlier.”

“That’s not enough. Don’t you usually have no appetite and get orthostatic hypotension [low blood pressure upon standing]?”

Kwon Yu-jin’s lips parted.

“How did you know…”

“Choose a multivitamin with a high vitamin B content, and make sure to get enough salt even if you eat a diet. The swelling won’t be captured well on the screen because there’s a constant schedule.”

After that, Park Geon talked about her chronic diseases one by one, said he would write down the necessary list, and followed the manager to the car.

‘Physical education? No, was he from medical school?’

At first glance, it seems like he’s only kind to the lead role, especially the actress, but that’s wrong. Didn’t he talk to the staff who were groaning and holding their backs for a long time earlier?

‘The typical physical imbalance comes from the spine. It’ll be difficult to get a separate correction, so here are some stretches you can do in the middle of filming…’

Now he’s excitedly talking about boxing with an unknown supporting actor.

…Is he just a friendly style?

“Yu-jin! Costume!”

The manager’s voice was heard from over there. As she hurriedly ran, Kwon Yu-jin thought.

I’m glad I was cast in this role.

*

“Cut!”

“Okay, okay, let’s try a little harder, you’re going to the last scene after a 5-minute break!”

11:37 PM.

Finally, today’s filming is coming to an end.

‘The Chic’ office, the restaurant we booked, back to the office, and now we’re in the lounge bar.

Geon, sitting on the sofa, thinks.

‘It’s been a while, this feeling too.’

During the filming of ‘Seoul Dog’, the schedule was exactly like this when we were chased by time towards the end of the drama.

‘Black Priest’ was more urgent in terms of time, but the drama scene has a unique atmosphere of being chased.

The anxiety that a last-minute script might fly in, and the burden that it’s not pre-produced. Those two things make the staff and actors impatient.

Of course, there are people who aren’t like that at all.

“Kyaa, thank you!”

There are also many female extras in the background of the shots being taken. Byun Hwi-seung, who was surrounded by beauties and taking pictures, even gives them a hug one by one.

‘He seems to be enjoying it the most.’

The fan service, which no one knows who will receive it, is over, and Byun Hwi-seung, who came this way, sat next to Geon.

He took out a liquid electronic cigarette, took a puff, and then threw a conscientious comment.

“It’s okay, it doesn’t smell because it’s an e-cigarette.”

“Smoking is prohibited in public facilities.”

“I can pay 100,000 won [approximately $75 USD as of October 2024].”

Byun Hwi-seung coolly declares a violation of the law and scrolls through his phone. There are hundreds of unread DMs [Direct Messages] and talks piled up on SNS [Social Networking Services] and messengers.

“Park Geon didn’t learn acting separately, did he?”

“Yes.”

“I thought so. I can feel it as soon as I mix in one line.”

“I didn’t learn it, but I’ve been doing it for a long time.”

Some realization flashed across Byun Hwi-seung’s face, who had a puzzled expression for a moment.

“Do you want to have a drink after it’s over? I heard you’re a strong drinker.”

“I haven’t unpacked all my moving boxes yet.”

“What about cigarettes?”

“I don’t smoke.”

“The women you meet…”

“Not yet, because I’m focusing on acting.”

“I have a question, why did you come here?”

Geon turned his head. The rival in the play, who had been fighting fiercely until just now, was looking at him with pure curiosity.

“I don’t think the viewership will be a big hit, and I’ve achieved everything, so there’s no need to transform my acting. So I wanted to ask.”

“The synopsis was interesting.”

“Is that all?”

“The additional things are not important.”

Byun Hwi-seung exhaled a fruit-flavored smoke.

“It seems so. I know for sure after working together once.”

“I have a lot to learn.”

“There’s nothing to teach you about acting. I can pass on how to avoid getting fired by hitting the boss, how to meet ordinary people, and how to avoid scandals by avoiding paparazzi and reporters.”

It’s too materialistic for an actor’s achievements. Geon asked with as little interest as possible.

“Is that really possible…”

“We’ll be on standby in 1 minute!”

From far away, Yu Ho-young AD [Assistant Director], whose voice was hoarse in a day, shouted.

Byun Hwi-seung glanced at the production crew. And for the first time, he lowered his voice.

“What do you eat? Loach, or black goat? I’ve never seen anyone walking around all day and being so energetic.”

“…”

*

That dawn, a post was briefly uploaded to a private community operated on a membership basis.

Title: The Hoedo team started filming

This is Park Geon’s new work, and the building in front of our company is the set. The people who went to the filming site said the atmosphere was good, so I’m attaching a bunch of photos I got.

[Park Geon’s photo]

[Byun Hwi-seung’s photo]

[A photo of Kwon Yu-jin squatting and eating kimbap]

[A photo of Byun Hwi-seung smoking in the smoking area]

[A photo of Byun Hwi-seung and Park Geon facing each other]

-Byun Hwi-seung is just smoking an e-cigarette there ㅋㅋㅋ [onomatopoeia for laughter]

└No-back Byun too… [referring to someone with no backing or support]

└└He can’t be stopped by the head of the agency

-But they’re surprisingly okay with each other? I thought they’d fight when they met

└Byun Hwi-seung is a pro ㅇㅇ [abbreviation for “okay” or “agreed”]
He’s been praised for his acting skills

└└So I’m looking forward to it. The chemistry between a promising player who has reached his peak and a blue-chip stock that is going down to a low point.

-Why does Kwon Yu-jin look like a loser?

└I heard that the role is a new employee, so she keeps getting scolded and criticized by Park Geon

└└She looks like she’s about to cry just by looking at her expression

-How much will the viewership be?

└5% like a YTS rom-com [romantic comedy]?

└└I think it’ll exceed 7% with Park Geon’s ticket power. If you add a handful of fandoms from the supporting actors, it might be more?

└└└10%

└└└└12.5%

-No, is this an auction house? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ [onomatopoeia for laughter]

*