Chapter 78: Expansion (7)

Translator: Dreamscribe

“······Is it not okay?”

At Ryu Jung-min’s firm reply, Director Kwon Ki-taek scratched his chin and crossed his arms seriously.

“You mean you’re being forced to do it.”

“You can see it that way. To be honest, I’ve had a lot of concerns.”

“But you’re doing it because it’s my work? You’re ambitious about its impact and the background?”

At this question, Ryu Jung-min straightened his posture and recalled his past filming sessions with Woojin.

“······”

It was a few seconds later when he spoke again.

“Director, when an actor feels a limit to their abilities early in their career, they choose to break through. They’re full of energy. I was like that too. However, once they’re on track, instead of breaking through, they often feel frustration upon reaching their limit. The sense of loss is profound, right?”

“···Hmm.”

“But people see me as the top actor. The fear of failure and the sense of loss are magnified. The problem is that recently, I’ve entered that state, and the one who triggered it is that monster pretending to be a rookie.”

Ryu Jung-min gave a wry smile.

“Leaving aside that monster’s past. Even though his entertainment career in Korea is far less than mine, in just a few days, he’s a monster that can crush my entire career.”

“You’re talking about Woojin.”

“You asked if I’m really okay, right? Kang Woojin, he’s overwhelming. I can’t see his limits. Every time I see him, he’s growing. When I look into his eyes while acting, he feels so distant. I struggle, trying to close the gap, and just when I feel I’ve caught up, he’s already way ahead of me.”

“Hmm.”

Slowly nodding, Director Kwon Ki-taek precisely understood the inner feelings of the top actor Ryu Jung-min. He had personally witnessed the dynamics on the set between Ryu Jung-min and Kang Woojin. Their acting might seem similar at a glance. But there’s a difference in depth, a clear disparity in intensity.

Then Ryu Jung-min’s bitter smile deepened.

“But it’s ironic. In the moment I felt the biggest crisis in my decade-long career as an actor, the work is turning out to be a historic success. Evaluations of my acting and technical aspects are higher than ever.”

“You’ve evolved, we usually call it breaking out of the shell.”

“Yes. Unknowingly, I let go of the weight of being the lead, the top actor, and purely competed with acting. Although Woojin might not have felt the same way.”

Director Kwon Ki-taek replied inwardly.

‘That was possible because Kang Woojin played the supporting role on set.’

Thanks to him, the lead, Ryu Jung-min, could solely focus on acting.

“When Woojin finished his part and left, I felt empty. On the contrary, I also felt uneasy. When I’m with him, everything I’ve built up feels insignificant. Every time we meet, the idea of running away naturally comes to mind.”

“······”

“Various things get broken. Whether it’s motivation or passion.”

Then, Ryu Jung-min’s expression became serious.

“But it makes one pure. Desire, greed, jealousy, zeal – every word gets the prefix ‘pure’. He exposes my vulnerabilities, and while I may feel despair, I also see the potential for further growth.”

“It’s an unusual relationship.”

“A monster? It’s frightening, but I’ve changed my thinking. I’ll use that fear to my advantage, for my benefit.”

Soon, Ryu Jung-min leaned slightly forward, meeting Director Kwon Ki-taek’s gaze, and smiled faintly.

“Moreover, this time, there’s no gap in our roles. It’s going to be much more intense. Now I’m even looking forward to it. How much more monstrous will Woojin be, and how much will I grow?”

The renowned director, Kwon Ki-taek, chuckled inwardly.

‘He’s quite the monster too, it’s just that he’s in a different league from Kang Woojin.’

Back on the ‘Drug Dealer’ set.

Director Kim Do-hee was engrossed in the monitor, tasting the scene, while the lead and supporting actors were waiting for Kang Woojin’s next move.

‘I didn’t expect an ad-lib¹ here, his acting changes are so diverse, it’s captivating.’

‘Did he think his initial acting was lacking? It seemed more than good enough to me.’

Given the strong impact of Woojin’s initial performance, no one, except for Woojin, thought the current embrace was a mistake.

Anyway.

‘Hmm? I’ve experienced this atmosphere before, haven’t I?’

In a strangely quiet moment, Kang Woojin thought about the past. He remembered the time he really fell during the ‘Exorcism’ shoot. For some reason, people perceived Woojin’s mistake as an act.

He sensed that same vibe again.

‘Okay, let’s keep this smooth.’

The epitome of audacity.

Having had prior experience, Woojin managed to maintain his composure and once again focused on his role as Lee Sang-man. Thus, the filming continued without any interruption.

Of course, no one noticed Woojin’s mistake. While outwardly calm, inwardly he clenched his fists.

“Nice, it seems like it went smoothly, didn’t it?”

They ended up repeating the scene about four times before moving on. The next shot was a scene where Lee Sang-man was alone, succumbing to drugs. It was a crucial scene to firmly establish Lee Sang-man’s character after his first appearance from the drug dealer. Therefore, no other actors approached Woojin.

Everyone seemed curious, yet they held back.

“Woojin, are you ready to proceed? If you need a break, you can take one.”

Director Kim Do-hee, who was talking to Woojin for the rehearsal, was slightly concerned. However, for Woojin, who held the script, time didn’t mean much. It would just delay his leaving.

“No, I’m fine. We can continue.”

With a cynical response, Woojin took a brief look around Lee Sang-man’s office set while the shooting set was being prepared. After observing the reality, he secretly lifted his index finger, entering the void space before the shoot to review.

– Thud!

More accurately, he was bracing himself for desensitization. It was a nauseating scene, but with repetition, it had become clearer and not so daunting.

Soon, Kang Woojin returned from experiencing Lee Sang-man’s world.

For ‘Lee Sang-man’, two worlds coexisted: reality and death. Carrying that sticky emotion, Woojin sat on the sofa, trying to intensify Lee Sang-man’s presence before drawing out the emotions. He was already fully in character, but he desired more.

‘A bit more, make it a bit more realistic.’

He was already Lee Sang-man, but he tried to forget that and refocus. He had to be completely lost in the role. At this moment, the surroundings didn’t matter much. The scene was all about Lee Sang-man’s existence.

Then.

“Ready-”

Director Kim Do-hee, having finished preparations, shouted through the megaphone.

“Action!”

Immediately, Kang Woojin portrayed the path of death that Lee Sang-man walked. The rancid smell was vividly expressed on his face.

“Kh- Hu-”

His eyes, nose, and mouth moved disjointedly. Something was pulling at Lee Sang-man. Or perhaps pushing him away. The physical space seemed to be endlessly fading.

Lee Sang-man’s world was filled with indescribable things.

It was so intense and yet so vague. The camera captured the face full of the world of death straight on. So close. Therefore, the forced joy and sorrow of Lee Sang-man displayed on the monitor were incredibly vivid.

Over 60 crew members watched this right in front of them.

No one commented. No one dared to make any remarks while watching that performance. That acting was not something anyone could casually comment on.

The scene wasn’t long.

“…Cut! O, OK!!”

As soon as the signal dropped, Woojin’s face, which had been in a trance, instantly returned to being expressionless. The addiction that had been radiating from him just moments ago seemed to wash away. Kang Woojin tidied up the props, considering there might be a retake, and handed them over to the props team.

Only then did a few actors whisper among themselves.

“That was insane, for real.”

“It gave me goosebumps. He portrayed something between a seizure and a fit, it’s indescribable.”

Holding a megaphone, Director Kim Do-hee seemed a bit dazed. Of course, her gaze was fixed on Woojin on the monitor.

‘He’s not a rookie; he’s just an actor. A real actor.’

He was outstanding. That was the only word for it. The scene they just shot was meticulously crafted by Director Kim Do-hee. She had personally interviewed real drug addicts and collected all drug-related footage available for that scene.

The acting bar was set very high, but Kang Woojin nailed it effortlessly.

Of course, she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. At that moment, one of the production company executives standing near Director Kim Do-hee hesitantly opened his mouth.

“…Um- I’m genuinely concerned when I ask this. Uh, did Kang Woojin actually try drugs or something? I know this sounds insane, but woah- that acting was too real.”

“Come on, that’s impossible.”

Some staff from the distribution company chimed in cautiously.

“But he portrayed it in such detail…”

“···There was an incident like that in the past.”

“Oh, you mean Jo Ho-jae?”

It was a bizarre scene. The actor’s performance was so outstanding that the production team began to confuse reality with acting. Director Kim Do-hee intervened.

“Has anyone here actually tried drugs?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then how can you judge that Woojin’s act just now was realistic?”

“······”

“If you’re going to question it, I wrote the script, so maybe you should investigate me first.”

“No, sorry, Director.”

“Don’t you dare approach Woojin with that question. If you disrespect a talented actor like him, I swear the whole set will turn upside down.”

Quickly, the production and distribution staff backed down. After all, if Director Kim Do-hee said she would do something, she would. However, she also somewhat understood their sentiments.

‘On the flip side, it means that Kang Woojin’s acting was so incredible that these guys would say such idiotic things.’

A newcomer, just a few months into his career, had confused major industry insiders with his acting. It was laughably impressive. Soon after, Director Kim Do-hee stood up and coldly said to the production and distribution staff.

“Alright, everyone should leave now. We’ve seen Kang Woojin’s acting, and the verification is over. You’re interfering with the filming.”

Director Kim Do-hee walked over to Woojin on the shooting set. Woojin was discussing something with the cinematographer.

“Woojin, are you okay?”

Woojin, who was just a bit tired answered in a low voice.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Come on, let’s take a break. The intense scene just now would be exhausting for anyone. The footage we got is good, so we won’t need to shoot it again. Just relax and gather your emotions.”

Director Kim Do-hee patted Woojin’s shoulder and after making eye contact with the cinematographer.

“Let’s go have a smoke, Woojin.”

Director Kim Do-hee took out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. Woojin nonchalantly shook his head.

“No, I don’t smoke.”

“···Oh? You don’t smoke?”

“Yes, I don’t smoke.”

For a moment, both Director Kim Do-hee and the cinematographer looked surprised. Director Kim Do-hee asked,

“But you smoked naturally during the ‘Lee Sang-man’ shoot? I thought you were a regular smoker.”

Woojin answered nonchalantly.

“It was just acting.”

At this, Director Kim Do-hee couldn’t help but chuckle.

“…Haha, I totally fell for it.”

She realized she wasn’t much different from the production and distribution staff.

The next day, early morning.

Around a shabby warehouse in the vast set of ‘Drug Dealer’, there was a hustle and bustle. Obviously, they were preparing for the shoot.

“Art team! The director said we need more bloodstains on this chair!”

“How much?!”

“A lot! A lot!”

“Cover the window up there! Where’s the blockout curtain?!”

“We’ll get it right now!”

The atmosphere was exactly like an abandoned warehouse. It was quite spacious, with stone pillars showing signs of age, and garbage was scattered here and there on the floor. In the corners, there were numerous vinyl sheets stained with blood. Amidst this backdrop, dozens of staff members were busily running around.

-Click.

A man sitting on a wooden chair, that had been set up in advance, in the center of the warehouse, reading a script, caught the eye. Wearing a plain short-sleeve t-shirt, it was Jin Jae-jun, the male lead of ‘Drug Dealer’. He generally had a sharp look. He was also one of the top actors in the country and had a strong reputation as a method actor.

In ‘Drug Dealer’, he played the role of ‘Jeong Seong-hoon’, an undercover detective.

What was interesting was:

“Huu-”

The tension apparent on the face of the top actor, Jin Jae-jun. They were already halfway through filming ‘Drug Dealer’, and he had long since adapted to his role. Yet, something seemed to be weighing on Jin Jae-jun.

‘It’s because of Kang Woojin-‘

It was undoubtedly due to the monstrous newcomer Kang Woojin, who had appeared the day before. With just one scene, this newcomer had turned the set upside down. After wrapping up yesterday’s shoot, all the actors at the lodging could talk about was Kang Woojin.

And Jin Jae-jun thought,

‘Exactly what Jung-min hyung told me.’

He had already asked Ryu Jung-min about Kang Woojin, wanting to know about the kind of actor he was. Ryu Jung-min’s response was brief and to the point.

‘Act your heart out, or you’ll get overshadowed without even realizing it.’

Honestly, Jin Jae-jun found it hard to believe. Even if it was advice from a top actor like Ryu Jung-min, but being overshadowed by a newcomer? However, after yesterday, Jin Jae-jun deeply believed Ryu Jung-min’s words.

‘They brought in a replacement, but what a monster he turned out to be.’

Even just watching through the director’s monitor had given him goosebumps. Especially, Kang Woojin’s solo drug scene was captivating enough to be soul-stirring. Today, Jin Jae-jun was scheduled to shoot his first face-to-face scene with Kang Woojin. In the script, ‘Jeong Seong-hoon’, ambitious about entering Japan, arranges a meeting with ‘Lee Sang-man’ through his gangster connections.

Lee Sang-man was already the head of the largest organization in Busan.

One wrong move, and regardless of his plans for Japan, Jeong Seong-hoon might end up dead without anyone knowing, at the hands of Lee Sang-man. But for now, the only one with proper connections in Japan was Lee Sang-man. Therefore, Jeong Seong-hoon had to get on his good side.

The problem was the location of their meeting.

Not an office, but an abandoned warehouse. In the actual script, there are many intense scenes between Jeong Seong-hoon and Lee Sang-man in this warehouse.

Of course, the climax comes at the hands of Lee Sang-man.

Then,

-Swoosh

“Hello.”

Kang Woojin, who had finished his makeup and costume, entered the warehouse. He too had stayed in the lodging nearby the set yesterday, and today, he looked somewhat more lively than before, though his voice remained deep.

After greeting director Kim Do-hee and the staff, Woojin said,

“Hello, senior.”

He then bowed to the waiting Jin Jae-jun. Jin Jae-jun who had been waiting, responded with a slight smile and extended his hand.

“We couldn’t greet each other properly yesterday. I look forward to working with you. I guess we’ll be meeting a lot, right?”

“Yes. I’ll do my best.”

Upon seeing Kang Woojin up close, Jin Jae-jun found Kang Woojin’s aura unique.

‘Is he calm or cold? It’s confusing. Anyway, his real personality doesn’t matter in acting.’

Meanwhile, Woojin, having let go of Jin Jae-jun’s hand, was thinking,

‘Wow, Jin Jae-jun. He looks so young. Handsome, petite, top actors are indeed on another level.’

A few tens of minutes later, the filming preparations were complete, and actors who weren’t scheduled for today’s shoot gathered in the warehouse.

“Oh? Professor, you’re here too?”

“I have a few scenes with Lee Sang-man, and I’m curious about his acting when he’s not doing solo shots.”

“Ah, right. It’s Lee Sang-man who kills Professor Kim, isn’t it?”

It was more appropriate to view them as spectators rather than actors. Anyway, Kang Woojin and Jin Jae-jun sat facing each other in the middle of the warehouse, with director Kim Do-hee holding a script between them.

“For now, let’s assume we’ve shot the scene where Lee Sang-man tortures his subordinate. We’ll rehearse the scene that comes after. Woojin, here’s the knife.”

Soon, a sashimi knife was handed to Kang Woojin, who was wearing only a dress shirt. The knife was currently clean, but during the actual filming, it would be dripping with blood. Kang Woojin raised the knife and wiped it on the sleeve of his shirt.

He then threw the knife onto the desk in the middle.

The knife rolled and stopped in front of Jin Jae-jun. Or rather, in front of ‘Jeong Seong-hoon’. Then, Lee Sang-man leaned in and said

“What do you want?”

Trying to remain calm, Jeong Seong-hoon replied,

“I came to sell drugs. Pave the way for me in Japan.”

“Those Japanese bastards can be tricky, you know?”

“I know. But if you vouch for me, it’ll be fine. That’s why I’m here.”

“Show me what you’ve got then.”

Jeong Seong-hoon took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table. Looking at the small particles, Lee Sang-man commented,

“Diamonds.”

Suddenly,

-Swipe!

Lee Sang-man quickly picked up the sashimi knife that was in front of Jeong Seong-hoon and held it near his right eye. The sharp blade trembled slightly in front of Jeong Seong-hoon’s eye. Jeong Seong-hoon flinched.

On the other hand, Lee Sang-man tilted his head slightly and said,

“Your eyes don’t look like a drug dealer’s.”

He peered deeply into Jeong Seong-hoon’s pupils with a violent gaze.

“You have the eyes of a snitch. You’re a snitch, aren’t you?”

Without realizing it, Jin Jae-jun swallowed hard.

TL Notes:

1) Ad-lib: impromptu performance i.e to improvise and deliver without preparation