“Me?” Yooil blinked, genuinely surprised. 

“Who else but you, Mr. Actor?” he was asked in return. It wasn’t that the role wasn’t tempting. 

The character Min Hojun from ‘The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High’ was quite charming indeed. However, Yooil didn’t want to accept the role out of mere gratitude. 

“You don’t have to go out of your way for me. It’s a project you’ve been preparing for a long time,” Yooil tried to decline politely.

“Mr. Actor,” Ki Juhyun replied with a deliberately stern face, “Are you dismissing my judgment now?” 

“What? No, that’s not what I meant,” 

Yooil hurried to clarify, but Ki Juhyun just laughed off his concern, “And you should know, I’ve had you in mind for this role even before we started production.”

“Really?” Yooil couldn’t hide his surprise. Yoo Jaeho, who was next to him, chimed in, nodding, “That’s true. I’ve heard that ever since watching ‘Sing in High School’, writer Juhyun has been quite taken with you, Mr. Han Yooil.”

“Of course! How could I not be? If I were a writer, I’d send you thank-you letters every day!” Ki Juhyun exclaimed, her passionate response startling Yooil for a moment. “I was actually worried you might not accept another high school drama since you’ve already done one!”

“But Min Hojun and Seon Gihyeon are completely different characters,” Yooil pointed out.

“Anyway! If it’s not you as Hojun, then I’m not interested in anyone else for the role, just so you know.”

During the car ride, Yooil couldn’t stop thinking about ‘The Missing Case of Saetbyeol High’. Ki Juhyun’s words about not underestimating her judgment echoed in his mind. Just as he had recognized something in Ki Juhyun’s work, she too had seen something in him. 

Staring out the window, Yooil smiled faintly, feeling a breeze in his heart. ‘Ah, right.’ He suddenly remembered the mountain of tasks waiting for him. Engrossed in his thoughts, Yooil quickly focused and wrapped up his remaining assignments, saving the files with a sigh.

‘There’s still the fourth semester left.’ 

Time seemed to have flown by too quickly, each day packed with activities. Fortunately, thanks to taking common liberal arts courses in advance, his remaining semesters allowed for more freedom in course selection. Hence, he deliberately filled this semester with online classes and courses with alternative assignment submissions.

After narrowly submitting his assignment, Brion spoke to Yooil softly, 【It’s okay, Mr. Yooil. Except for ‘Introduction to Korean Language and Literature’, your grades should be above B+.】

‘Oh no, this semester…’ Yooil thought, imagining the earful he would have gotten from Kim Jinwoo. Just then, Min Woojin gently applied the brakes.

“We’re here, Yooil!”

“Thanks, hyung.”

Yooil had an action training session scheduled today at the action school, arranged by his agency. That’s why he was dressed in light training clothes. As he stepped out of the car, he entered a large container-like set. Inside, it resembled a spacious gym with various structures arranged throughout. As soon as he walked in, he could see action actors in black performance tees practicing their moves.

“Ah, hello! You are Mr. Han Yooil, right?” A robust man with broad shoulders and tanned skin greeted Yooil.

“I’m Kim Jeonghoon,” the man introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Han Yooil,” Yooil replied. Kim Jeonghoon was a well-known action director in many films and dramas. After shaking hands with Yooil, he quickly started walking, guiding him through the place and rapidly explaining in his unique accent.

“I’ve had the choreography for a while now, but the dance design was only completed the day before yesterday! Given it’s a work of Director Gu Chanik, I really put in a lot of effort. Striving for perfection can make it a bit challenging for beginners. We will make some adjustments as we practice with you, Mr. Actor…” Kim Jeonghoon paused, stroking his chin, then shook his head. “Ah, I got carried away again. My wife always tells me to cut it short! Haha, sorry. Let me show you.”

With a hearty laugh, Kim Jeonghoon clapped twice, and two action actors took their positions in the center, quickly surrounded by about a dozen others.

“The one with the red scarf is actor Hwang Yiwon, and the one with the blue scarf represents you, Mr. Yooil.” Yooil watched intently. This scene, appearing in the latter half, unfolds after Hwang Yiwon’s past is revealed, and members of the organization he was part of invade the flower shop to eliminate him.

One by one, the figures in black approached the two in the center. The blue scarf stretched out an arm to block an attack, while the red scarf, wielding a shovel (currently represented by a cheer stick balloon), thrust it into the attacker’s midsection. The speed was faster than expected, bringing an automatic tension to the scene. And the action didn’t stop there. Kicking shins, choking necks, slamming heads against walls…

“Wow,” was all Yooil could say, mesmerized by the performance. Such scenes he had only seen in movies. ‘But how am I supposed to memorize all this?’

【’The Mysterious Garden’ Scene 72 action sequence, recording complete. Ready for practice whenever you are.】 Brion’s voice was a welcome sound.

“Right, this is your first time with action scenes, Mr. Yooil, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s my first.”

“Haha, this is going to be fun.” Kim Jeonghoon looked at Yooil with an inscrutable smile. At that moment, Yooil had no idea what he meant by ‘fun’.

* * *

“Panting… gasping…” Yooil realized something new. Action actors could be lethal.

“Hard, isn’t it?” 

Yooil could barely nod in response, too out of breath to speak.

“But you’re keeping up well. It’s rare for someone to last an hour in their first session.” It seemed his regular exercise routine was somewhat paying off.

“You have a good foundation, so we won’t need to spend too much time on training,” said Kim Jeonghoon, and Yooil’s face lit up.

“Really?”

“Of course. I’m always honest, aren’t I?” Kim Jeonghoon continued with a robust voice and a grin. “Warm-up’s over. Shall we start? I’ll guide you slowly, so don’t worry too much. Let’s start by moving your right elbow in an arc.”

Yooil put down his sweat-soaked towel and stood up. 【’The Mysterious Garden’ Scene 72 action sequence. Here it is.】 ‘Alright.’ Yooil alternated between watching the video Brion displayed and following Kim Jeonghoon’s movements.

【Starting the action completion evaluation program.】

【Evaluating the action you just performed… Scene 72-1, action completion rate: 45%.】

‘45%?’ Not even half completed.

Hearing that motivated him even more. “Excuse me, Director. May I practice a bit more and then show you again?”

“Sure! Oh, wait. It’s about time for a break.” After a quick glance at his watch, Kim Jeonghoon clapped loudly. “Let’s take a short break and then continue!”

And so, the break began.

Yooil took a few sips of water and readjusted his stance, ready to dive back into practice. As the practice session continued, the feedback from the action completion evaluation program kept coming:

【Scene 72-1, action completion rate: 56%.】  

【Scene 72-1, action completion rate: 59%.】  

【Scene 72-1, action completion rate: 67%.】  

【Scene 72-1, action completion rate: 71%.】  

…  

【Scene 72-1, action completion rate: 83%.】  

Exhausted yet determined, Yooil finally felt like he was getting the hang of it after the relentless repetition during the break.

“Mr. Han Yooil?!” Kim Jeonghoon returned from a restroom break and a phone call, only to find Yooil still sweating and practicing intensely. “It’s break time, why aren’t you resting?”

“I want to make the most of the time before I leave,” Yooil managed to say between breaths. Kim Jeonghoon was taken aback by Yooil’s dedication. He thought, ‘He could use a stunt double for the tough action scenes, right?’ But Han Yooil seemed to have no intention of doing so. ‘Is he ambitious about action scenes?’

Kim Jeonghoon had noticed Yooil’s exceptional qualities right from the warm-up. His muscles were well-defined, and his core was strong. He seemed to maintain himself rigorously. ‘This determination is admirable.’

Nodding to himself, Kim Jeonghoon clapped his hands loudly, summoning the action actors. “Shall we give it a try?” He didn’t expect much; it was only a short break, after all. Not enough time for a miraculous improvement, or so he thought. But then…

Kim Jeonghoon’s expression changed. 

‘That’s quite impressive.’ 

He was mildly surprised when Yooil perfectly matched the first couple of moves. But as Yooil continued to follow the subsequent actions accurately, Kim Jeonghoon’s face turned serious. 

‘How did he get the posture right?’ 

Before the break, Yooil had several areas that needed improvement. ‘Did he really improve this much in such a short time?’

“Mr. Han Yooil?” Kim Jeonghoon asked as Yooil wiped off his sweat. “Have you been exercising?”

“Not really,” Yooil replied. 

Kim Jeonghoon, after a moment of puzzlement, raised his eyebrows and said, “Mr. Actor, you have talent.”

Kim Jeonghoon’s gaze was intense, like a coach scouting an athlete. 

‘That’s a relief,’ Yooil thought to himself. 

The recordings from Brion had been a big help. 

【Please continue to rely on me, Mr. Yooil.】

A few days later, on the set of ‘The Mysterious Garden’, Hwang Yiwon clenched and unclenched his fists, expressionless. 

It had been a while since he last filmed an action scene. 

‘Feeling a bit nervous,’ he thought.

He had three main reasons for accepting this movie. First, it was a work of Director Gu Chanik. Second, the character appealed to him. And third, it had action scenes. Although he was getting older and his agency preferred him to avoid strenuous action, he wasn’t ready to give up on action scenes just yet.

Thus, he practiced with even greater diligence. The last thing he wanted was to be labeled ‘a washed-up actor.’ Above all, he didn’t want to feel embarrassed in front of Han Yooil, a talented newcomer.

“72, scene 1, and action!” As Kim Hyukjin, Hwang Yiwon clenched his fist and got into position. While Sooil blocked an intruder’s attack with his arm, Hyukjin swiftly grabbed a shovel from the ground and jabbed it into the attacker’s solar plexus. Unlike Sooil’s rapid but somewhat flawed movements, Hyukjin’s strikes were experienced and precise.

While Sooil quickly leaped to strike the intruders on the head, Hyukjin aimed for their legs. His shovel moved in clean arcs, as if slicing through the intruders’ legs. Then, in the final moment, Sooil gets caught by the neck by the last remaining intruder. Hyukjin just looked on, his expression unreadable.

…

“Cut!” The scene wrapped up with Director Gu Chanik’s command. They had been filming the same scene multiple times. Action scenes required a variety of cuts to maintain tension and dynamism, making the repeated takes a necessary evil.

Exhausted, Hwang Yiwon sat down, breathing heavily. He was reaching his physical limits. 

‘Can’t go on any longer.’ 

He gestured to his manager, who quickly understood and rushed to the assistant director. After a brief discussion, the assistant director announced loudly, “Great work, everyone! We’ll now proceed with the stunt doubles for filming.”

Everyone nodded in understanding; the physical toll of the day’s filming had been immense. The fact that they had been filming without stunt doubles until now was impressive in itself. That’s when it happened. Han Yooil spoke up.

“I think I can keep going.”

Hwang Yiwon’s eyes widened slightly at Yooil’s words. The assistant director looked at him worriedly, “Uh, Mr. Yooil… Are you sure? It’s okay not to push yourself too hard.”

“No, really, I’m fine. I think I can do it,” Yooil insisted, shaking his head with a smile.

Watching Han Yooil, Hwang Yiwon suddenly let out a chuckle. Then, after a brief stretch, he walked back in front of the camera.

“Mr. Actor?” The staff, seemingly trying to dissuade him, received an ‘it’s okay’ gesture from Hwang Yiwon.

Han Yooil just quietly watched him. “Mr. Yooil,” Hwang Yiwon found him intriguing. More precisely, every time he saw Yooil, he was reminded of his younger self. His energetic, passionate younger self in his 20s.

“If Mr. Yooil is stepping up like that, how can I possibly rest?” In other words, Hwang Yiwon was impressed by him.