A Few Days After Deciding to Play the Ghost at the School Festival

Seoyeon was at the Cheonghong Action School, practicing her action scenes.

"Remember, Cha Seoa is not a martial artist. If you fight with such precise, controlled movements, it might look cool, but it feels out of place. Out of place!"

Professor Kim Hongbaek was thoroughly training Seoyeon in action acting. Initially, the other stuntman trainees had looked down on her, but now they were left speechless.

However, Kim Hongbaek was shaking his head for a different reason.

‘Even after all this, it’s hard to see any sign of fatigue.’

Despite everything, Seoyeon was still only lightly wiping away sweat. Her breathing was calm, with just a slight rise and fall of her chest.

For someone who had been doing action scenes for hours, she was remarkably fresh.

"Since it seems there's no suitable double, I’ll take on the role of Detective Im Seungcheol this time."

Thinking that Seoyeon had mastered the basics of Cha Seoa's action scenes, Professor Kim Hongbaek made this suggestion.

"Huh?"

"Why are you surprised?"

"Oh, no reason."

Right, action scenes require coordination with a partner. Seoyeon was reminded of this as she opened and closed her fists, considering the situation.

‘It should be fine, right?’

This body, which had possessed the strength of an adult man since the age of six, was now almost a human weapon. What had once been a joke about being a super soldier was now becoming a reality.

‘But this is what I’ve been training for.’

It made sense to practice with a martial arts expert like Professor Kim Hongbaek before filming the fight scenes with actor Kim Daeheon.

“Let’s get started, then.”

They were about to practice the final highlight of The Chaser—the intense fight scene between Detective Im Seungcheol and Cha Seoa.

Scene #115.

“Please act as Cha Seoa would, to the fullest extent.”

“To the fullest?”

“I need to see how the emotions blend with the movements.”

“…Alright.”

Seoyeon nodded and calmly centered herself. She took a breath. And then another. As she captured the emotion and opened her eyes…

Bang!

Professor Kim Hongbaek charged at her. In the film, there would have been lines for Detective Im Seungcheol, but for now, there was none.

However, the somewhat clumsy but swift and sharp movements of Im Seungcheol came into view. They were almost identical to those of actor Kim Daeheon.

Stuntman. And body double.

Professor Kim Hongbaek was the top body double and stuntman in Korea. His movements, replicating those of Kim Daeheon, were proof of that.

Naturally, all the trainees’ eyes were glued to the scene. Watching Professor Kim Hongbaek perform action scenes was a rare treat.

At the same time, they were curious about what kind of action Seoyeon, with her incredible stamina, would showcase.

‘Cha Seoa is not a martial artist.’

Seoyeon recalled Professor Kim’s words and began to move her body. Not with the techniques learned for fighting, but with the primal aggression inherent in humans. This was Cha Seoa’s characteristic—a person who doesn’t feel fear.

Whoosh!

She easily dodged Professor Kim’s hand. It was a prearranged move. Then Seoyeon’s fist…

Whoosh!

…grazed Professor Kim’s cheek as it cut through the air.

“Wait a minute.”

“Yes?”

Professor Kim touched his cheek. He had dodged according to plan, but it still felt like a close call.

“…”

Hmm.

“Let’s tone it down a bit.”

“Okay.”

“You do understand that we’re coordinating, not actually hitting each other?”

“Y-yes, I didn’t mean to… I think.”

“Is that so?”

But that punch came straight at him. It seemed that in her deep immersion into Cha Seoa’s emotions, Seoyeon had lost some control.

‘If this were with actor Kim Daeheon, it could have ended with one blow.’

He thought it was a good thing they practiced in advance.

“From what I hear, the highlight scene will be filmed soon, so it’s good we’re practicing now.”

“What?”

Seoyeon, who had been staring at her fist, widened her eyes in surprise at Professor Kim’s words. The highlight scene was going to be filmed soon? She was sure it had been scheduled for much later.

“Oh, you didn’t know? Director Bae Jinhwan mentioned that there were some changes, and he asked if we could start with the highlight scene.”

“Oh.”

So that’s why they were practicing this scene instead of a chase scene today. Seoyeon finally understood. Director Bae probably assumed Professor Kim would inform her.

“Let’s make sure we do it right.”

“Yes.”

As Seoyeon, now filled with determination, prepared herself, Professor Kim massaged his cheek again.

“…I’d better apply some ointment.”

If he didn’t stay alert, it might be more than just a close call next time. Professor Kim had that realization.

***

A few days later, filming for The Chaser resumed as scheduled.

The location was a convenience store.

“We’re going to shoot all the convenience store scenes today.”

The filming for The Chaser was going smoothly overall. At this rate, the movie was expected to be released either by the end of this year or early next year.

They were even starting to work on the promotional video with the footage they had shot so far.

“So we might be working late today. We’re shooting three scenes, three.”

Director Bae Jinhwan announced to the crew.

Originally, some of the convenience store scenes were planned to be filmed over a few days.

This was because the convenience store scenes were a highlight of the movie. Director Bae had wanted to save them for the end to maintain the emotional intensity.

“But the convenience store owner said they had something come up.”

“Well, then we have no choice.”

Since the location was a real convenience store, they had to work around the owner’s schedule. They had paid the owner appropriately for the use of the store—in fact, they had even paid a little extra.

Given the high foot traffic, any bad publicity could negatively impact the film. Director Bae was always very mindful of such things.

‘Though the real problems lay elsewhere.’

Seoyeon thought as she observed Director Bae. In the past, The Chaser had been plagued by setbacks. The biggest of which was actor Pyo Jiwoo’s scandal involving club violence and attempted murder.

The film’s release had been delayed, screenings were reduced, and it had been surrounded by a slew of negative press. This time, with Seoyeon playing Cha Seoa, such issues wouldn’t arise, but Director Bae had always had bad luck.

“Ah, Seoyeon.”

As she continued to watch him, Director Bae approached with a smile.

“Are you okay with today’s shoot? It’s a later scene, so it might be tough.”

“Yes, I think I’ll be fine.”

He was likely referring to her method acting. The highlight.

The convenience store scene was the highlight of the movie. Naturally, it required Seoyeon to fully embody her character, making it the most demanding part for her.

Moreover, filming out of sequence could disrupt her emotional immersion. This could be challenging for Seoyeon in many ways.

‘But you can’t always film in order.’

When she was younger, Director Gong Jungtae had often accommodated her, but Seoyeon was no longer a child.

She was an actress who would continue to work in dramas and films. It was something she would need to adapt to.

“That’s the spirit.”

Reading Seoyeon’s thoughts, Director Bae gave her a thumbs up. He always admired her serious attitude toward acting.

‘She really doesn’t seem like a teenager.’

Her polite demeanor and dedication to her craft impressed him. As an older director, he had his share of complaints about today’s young actors, but Seoyeon had managed to quell all his concerns.

As a result, Seoyeon was highly regarded on set.

“Seoyeon is great at navigating social situations.”

“Right? She’s so professional. I bet she’s popular at school too.”

One of the staff members passing by said to Seoyeon with a smile.

Seoyeon, having heard this more than once, simply smiled awkwardly.

“Popular… Of course.”

Seoyeon replied confidently. After all, she was playing the ghost at the upcoming school festival. Making friends would be easy after that.

Spending time with her classmates at the festival would give her plenty of chances to bond with them.

“Exactly!”

“If any of your friends want to visit the set, feel free to bring them.”

“Ah, yes.”

But she didn’t have any friends that close yet. Seoyeon nodded anyway.

Both the agency and the film crew were very interested in Seoyeon’s friends.

“Today, we’re starting with scene number 117.”

This was the beginning of the convenience store sequence that would serve as the movie’s climax.

In this scene, Cha Seoa engages in a fierce fight with Detective Seo Gwangil, who has rushed in after locating the place where Han Yehwa was kidnapped. Seo Gwangil, a detective with the athleticism of a national competitor, wasn’t easy for Cha Seoa to kill. She barely manages to knock him out with a soju bottle, hitting him over the head.

During this time, Han Yehwa escapes. Leaving the unconscious Seo Gwangil behind, Cha Seoa hurries after her.

However, finding Han Yehwa after she has already fled is almost impossible. Cha Seoa stops running and enters the convenience store.

She’s looking for tools to kill the detective who’s passed out at her home.

“Uh, is this scene alright? Shin Seongmi might get some flak for it.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s better to leave a strong impression at the end.”

When Kim Daeheon, who played Detective Im Seungcheol, voiced his concern, Shin Seongmi, who played the convenience store lady, laughed.

She, too, had felt the same when she first read the script.

It might come across as a bit implausible, but…

‘It’s definitely shocking.’

It seemed like a scene that would be talked about for a long time.

“If this scene is going to work, Seoyeon needs to nail it.”

“Yes.”

“You need to show everything that Cha Seoa is.”

The next scene would be the final fight with Detective Im Seungcheol. Scene #115.

For the audience to be fully engaged in the climax, the buildup was crucial. Scene #114 was that buildup.

It was the scene that would solidify Cha Seoa as the perfect villain, creating intense suspense for the viewers.

“…Alright.”

Director Bae Jinhwan let out a sigh. The highlight scene had come sooner than expected, but it was a scene they would have filmed eventually.

This scene had been on his mind since he first took on the movie.

He watched as Seoyeon calmly prepared herself. She wasn’t dressed in Cha Seoa’s usual raincoat, but in her everyday clothes— a hoodie and jeans, what she’d typically wear when visiting the convenience store.

Quietly.

In the noisy set, busy with preparations, Seoyeon stood alone, her eyes closed as she centered herself emotionally.

She needed to deliver a performance more intense than the one she had given on stage as Hong Junghui. Director Bae had faith in her.

He believed Seoyeon could do it.

Slowly.

Seoyeon opened her eyes. Her red eyes glinted sharply under the bright lights.

The filming for scene #114 began as the camera captured Cha Seoa walking toward the convenience store.

Step.

A heavy footstep echoed.

「…Huff.」

Breathing heavily, Cha Seoa moved slowly. She was late because of the detective who had broken into her home.

If there had been one more detective, it could have been dangerous.

「…」

Cha Seoa silently observed the passersby who were staring at her wounds. Their strange looks had become something she was accustomed to.

Cha Seoa thought to herself. She had lost Han Yehwa for now. The next step was to deal with the detective she had left unconscious at home.

She wasn’t ready to get caught yet. If the person who saw her kidnap Han Yehwa disappeared, she might be released due to a lack of evidence, even if she was caught.

Jingle.

With that thought, Cha Seoa entered the convenience store she had grown familiar with.

As she stepped inside, the convenience store lady exclaimed in surprise. This woman, the store owner, was someone Cha Seoa knew very well.

「Oh my, Seoa! What happened to you? You’re hurt!」

In response, Cha Seoa smiled. It was the same familiar, feigned smile she always used. But the dull-witted store lady didn’t find anything strange about the forced smile.

「I’m fine. But I need to borrow some tools.」

「Tools?」

There was a toolbox that Cha Seoa had left at the store previously. Just as she grabbed the blue tape she planned to use for handling the body…

「What a day this has been. You’re the second one today.」

The store lady muttered to herself, speaking to Cha Seoa.

At that moment, Cha Seoa’s hand froze, clutching the tape and the large box cutter.

「Second one?」

「Yes! Oh, this is a secret, but there’s a young lady in the back room right now! Don’t be scared, but she’s on the run from a killer. It’s so frightening.」

At those words, Cha Seoa’s gaze turned sharply toward the store lady. The emotion reflected in her eyes at that moment was probably the clearest emotion she had ever shown in her life.