Chapter 78

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“...Not okay?”

In response to Ryu Jeong-min’s firm answer, Director Kwon Gi-taek scratched his protruding belly and crossed his arms solemnly.

“That means you’re doing it reluctantly.”

“It can be seen that way. To be honest, I’ve had a lot of worries.”

“But is it because it’s my work? Because you’re greedy for the impact and background?”

At the question, Ryu Jeong-min straightened his posture and recalled the scenes he had shot with Woo Jin.

“...”

It took a few seconds for him to speak again.

“Director, when an actor feels limited by their abilities, they choose to break through. They are full of energy. I was the same. But after reaching a certain level, when you feel limited, you feel more frustration. The sense of loss is significant, isn’t it?”

“...Hmm.”

“However, I am hailed as the top. The fear of frustration and the sense of loss are several times more intense. The problem is that I have recently entered this state, and the one who has brought this about is a monster pretending to be a newcomer.”

Ryu Jeong-min gave a bitter smile.

“Putting aside the past of that monster, even though his domestic entertainment career is far behind mine, he is a monster who can overshadow my career in just a few days.”

“You’re talking about Woo Jin.”

“Did you really ask if I’m okay? Kang Woo Jin, it’s overwhelming. I can’t even gauge where the end is. Every time I see him, he’s growing, and when I act with him, looking into his eyes makes me feel lost. I think I’m getting closer, but he’s already running ahead of me.”

“Hmm.”

Director Kwon Gi-taek, nodding slowly, understood the inner thoughts of the top actor Ryu Jeong-min. He had seen the scenes with Woo Jin firsthand. The two-shot scenes with Ryu Jeong-min and Kang Woo Jin. Their acting seemed similar at first glance, but there was a difference in depth. The gap in intensity was clear.

At this point, Ryu Jeong-min’s bitter smile deepened.

“But it’s a strange world. Despite feeling the greatest crisis of my career as an actor, the work is turning out to be one of the best. The evaluations of my acting and technical skills are higher than ever.”

“You’ve developed, they say that’s like breaking out of the shell.”

“Yes. Without realizing it, I put down the weight of being the lead and a top actor and competed purely through acting. I don’t think Woo Jin felt that way.”

Director Kwon Gi-taek responded inwardly.

‘That was possible because Kang Woo Jin took on the role of the main beam on set.’

Thanks to this, the lead actor Ryu Jeong-min could focus solely on acting, ignoring everything else.

“When Woo Jin finished his scenes and left, I felt relieved. But I also felt uneasy. It’s true that everything I’ve built up is reduced to nothing in his presence, and the thought of running away naturally comes to mind.”

“...”

“Various things are also being undermined. Motivation, passion, and so on.”

At this point, Ryu Jeong-min suddenly changed his expression to a serious one.

“But he makes me pure. Desire, greed, ferocity, and overheating—all these words are preceded by ‘pure.’ He shows my bare self, and while I feel frustrated, I can also see the potential for further growth.”

“It’s a strange relationship.”

“A monster? It’s scary, but I’ve changed my perspective. I’m going to use that fear for my own benefit.”

Soon, Ryu Jeong-min leaned forward slightly, met Director Kwon Gi-taek’s gaze, and smiled faintly.

“Moreover, this time, we’re on the same level as leads. It will be several times more intense. Now, I’m looking forward to it—how much more monstrous will Woo Jin be, and how far will I grow?”

The veteran director Kwon Gi-taek inwardly chuckled.

‘This kid is a monster too, just in a different weight class from Kang Woo Jin.’

Back to the ‘Drug Lord’ set.

Director Kim Do-hee was buried in the monitor, sucking her teeth, while the lead and supporting actors were waiting for Kang Woo Jin’s next move.

‘I didn’t expect an impromptu ad-lib here. His acting is so unpredictable, I can’t take my eyes off him.’

‘Was he a bit disappointed with his first performance? It looked great to me.’

The first performance was so impactful that, except for Kang Woo Jin, no one thought the current embrace was a mistake.

Anyway.

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

In the strangely quiet situation, Kang Woo Jin recalled a past moment. The time he really fell during the ‘Detective Agency’ scene. For some reason, people accepted his mistake as part of the acting.

This time, it had the same smell.

‘Okay, let’s smoothly continue from here.’

The pinnacle of audacity.

Since Woo Jin had already experienced this, he didn’t change his expression and once again pulled off the scene. The shooting continued seamlessly to the end.

Of course, no one noticed Woo Jin’s mistake. On the outside, Woo Jin remained calm, but inside, he clenched his fists.

‘Nice, it seems to have gone well, doesn’t it?’

The scene was repeated about four times before it was finally wrapped up, and the next cut was a scene of Yoo Sang-man alone, falling into drugs. This was an important scene to solidify Yoo Sang-man’s character after his first appearance in ‘Drug Lord.’ Therefore, the actors didn’t really talk to Kang Woo Jin.

Curiosity did bubble up, but everyone seemed to be holding back.

“Mr. Woo Jin, can you go right away? If you need time, you can take a break.”

While rehearsing and talking to Kang Woo Jin, Director Kim Do-hee was a bit worried, but to Woo Jin, who had the script in hand, time was meaningless. It would just delay his departure.

“No, it’s fine. You can go right away.”

Answering sarcastically, Woo Jin briefly looked around Yoo Sang-man’s office while the set was being prepared. After taking in the reality, he secretly raised his index finger to enter the subspace for a review before the shoot.

- Thud!

More accurately, he also considered the possibility of it becoming dull. It was a nauseating scene, but it had to be vivid and yet not too overdone.

Soon, Kang Woo Jin returned from leading Yoo Sang-man’s world.

Yoo Sang-man existed in two worlds: reality and death. Carrying that sticky emotion, Woo Jin sat on the sofa. Before raising the emotion, he increased Yoo Sang-man’s presence. He already had everything about Yoo Sang-man but still felt greedy.

‘A bit more, a bit more realistically.’

He was already Yoo Sang-man, but he tried to forget it. He retraced his steps. He had to be thoroughly immersed in delusion. At this moment, the surroundings were not important. The cut would end with Yoo Sang-man’s existence alone.

Then.

“Hi-”

With the preparations complete, Director Kim Do-hee loudly called out through the megaphone.

“Action!”

Immediately, Kang Woo Jin brought out Yoo Sang-man’s walk on the path of death. The foul smell was vividly expressed on his face.

“K- H-”

His eyes, nose, and mouth moved separately. Something was pulling Yoo Sang-man. Or, pushing him away. The physical space endlessly disappeared.

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

It was intensely vivid and ambiguous. The camera captured the world of death on Yoo Sang-man’s face from the front. It was close, so the forced emotions of Yoo Sang-man displayed on the monitor were vivid to the point of making one swear.

Over 60 people were watching this up close.

No evaluation came out. No one could comment on the current Yoo Sang-man. This was something that couldn’t be casually handled by anyone.

The scene was not long.

“...Cut! O, OK!!”

As soon as the signal dropped, Woo Jin’s face, which had been in a trance, instantly turned expressionless. The addiction that had been palpable just moments ago disappeared as if it had been washed away. Not knowing if there would be a retake, Woo Jin organized the props he used and handed them to the prop team.

At this point, a few actors murmured quietly.

“He’s really gone, isn’t he?”

“It was chilling, the way he expressed it between convulsions and madness—words can’t describe it.”

Director Kim Do-hee, holding the megaphone, was a bit dazed. Of course, her gaze was on Kang Woo Jin in the monitor.

‘This kid isn’t a newcomer, he’s just an actor. A real actor.’

It was amazing. That was all she could say. The scene just now was one that Director Kim Do-hee had put a lot of effort into. She had interviewed real drug addicts and included all the drug videos she could find.

The acting hurdles were very high, but Kang Woo Jin handled it so easily.

Of course, it would be the same for others watching. At this point, a production company executive standing near Director Kim Do-hee finally spoke.

“...I- I’m seriously worried. H- Has Mr. Kang Woo Jin ever tried drugs or something? I know it sounds crazy, but—wow, the acting is real.”

“No way. That’s ridiculous.”

The distribution company staff also cautiously chimed in.

“But to show such detail...”

“...It did happen in the past.”

“Oh, Jo Ho-jae?”

It was a strange sight. The actor’s performance was so outstanding that the production team began to confuse reality with acting. Director Kim Do-hee mediated this.

“Is there anyone here who has actually done drugs?”

“No, there isn’t.”

“Then how do you judge that Mr. Woo Jin’s performance was realistic?”

“...”

“If we’re going to be that strict, I should be tested first since I wrote the script.”

“No, no. I’m sorry, Director.”

“Don’t go up to Mr. Woo Jin and ask him. If you show such disrespectful behavior to an actor who is a benefactor, the whole set will be turned upside down.”

The production and distribution company staff quickly backed down. Director Kim Do-hee was the type who would do it if she said she would. Despite her frustration, she somewhat understood their feelings.

‘In other words, Mr. Woo Jin’s acting was so absurd that these people are saying such ridiculous things.’

A newcomer who had appeared only a few months ago had confused the major industry figures with his acting. It was laughable. Soon, Director Kim Do-hee stood up and coldly told the production and distribution company staff.

“Everyone, start packing up. You’ve seen Mr. Woo Jin’s acting, so the verification is over, right? You’re hindering the shooting.”

Director Kim Do-hee walked towards Kang Woo Jin, who was in the shooting zone and talking to the cinematographer.

“Mr. Woo Jin, are you okay?”

What? Just a bit tired, that’s all. Woo Jin answered in a low tone.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Come on, take a break. That intense scene was tough for anyone. The shot came out well, and I don’t think we need to reshoot. So, take a break and compose yourself.”

Director Kim Do-hee patted Woo Jin’s shoulder, met the cinematographer’s gaze, and continued.

“Let’s go have a cigarette, Mr. Woo Jin.”

Director Kim Do-hee, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, was met with a indifferent shake of the head from Kang Woo Jin.

“No, I don’t smoke.”

“...What? You don’t smoke?”

“No, I don’t smoke.”

For a moment, Director Kim Do-hee and the cinematographer were a bit surprised. Director Kim Do-hee asked.

“But when you were filming ‘Yoo Sang-man,’ you smoked naturally, didn’t you? Even if not a full cigarette, I thought you always smoked.”

Kang Woo Jin answered very casually.

“It was acting.”

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

“...Ha ha, I was fooled.”

She was no different from the production and distribution company staff.

The next morning.

In the vast set of ‘Drug Lord,’ the area around a dilapidated warehouse was bustling. Naturally, it was in preparation for the shoot.

“Art team! The director said there should be more bloodstains on this chair!”

“How much?”

“A lot, a lot!”

“Block that window up there! Where’s the barrier?”

“I’ll go buy it right away!”

The atmosphere was that of a dilapidated warehouse. It was quite spacious. The stone pillars showed signs of age, and trash was scattered everywhere on the floor. In the corners, plastic sheets stained with blood were piled up. Amidst this, dozens of staff members were busily running around.

- Flap.

A man sitting on a wooden chair set up in the center of the warehouse, reading the script, caught the eye. He was wearing a plain sleeveless shirt. He was the male lead of ‘Drug Lord,’ Jai Jun. He generally had a sharp appearance. He was also one of the top actors in the country and had a strong image as a method actor.

In ‘Drug Lord,’ he played the role of ‘Jeong Sung-hoon,’ who conducts an undercover investigation.

The interesting part was.

“Phew-”

The expression of the top actor Jai Jun was filled with tension. The filming of ‘Drug Lord’ had already passed the halfway mark, and he had adapted to it. Yet, Jai Jun was serious.

‘Kang Woo Jin—’

Naturally, it was due to the monster, Kang Woo Jin, who appeared yesterday. A newcomer who overturned the set with just one scene. The talk among the actors in the dorm after the shoot yesterday was all about Kang Woo Jin.

And Jai Jun.

‘Just as Jung-min said, that’s what it is.’

He had already asked Ryu Jeong-min about Kang Woo Jin. What kind of actor he was. Ryu Jeong-min’s answer was short and blunt.

‘Act your heart out, or you’ll be eaten without realizing it.’

Honestly, Jai Jun found it hard to believe. It was the advice of a top actor like Ryu Jeong-min, but no matter what, being eaten by a newcomer was absurd. However, after yesterday, Jai Jun could vividly believe Ryu Jeong-min’s words.

‘I thought I was getting a regular actor, but what kind of monster is this?’

Just watching through the director’s monitor made his whole body shiver. Especially, Kang Woo Jin’s solo drug scene was so intense it took his breath away. Today, Jai Jun was scheduled to shoot his first scene with Kang Woo Jin. In the script, ‘Jeong Sung-hoon,’ who is eager to expand into Japan, makes an appointment to meet ‘Yoo Sang-man’ through his connections in the underworld.

Yoo Sang-man already boasts the largest organization in Busan.

If he made a mistake, Jeong Sung-hoon could be killed by Yoo Sang-man without anyone knowing. But currently, Yoo Sang-man was the only one with proper connections in Japan. Therefore, Jeong