Chapter 87

< Acceleration (3) >

Lee Sang-man, with a sinister smile, blew a long stream of cigarette smoke towards the front camera, which was close enough to touch. The thick smoke enveloped the camera and then disappeared. The expression on Lee Sang-man's face, which had been hidden, changed.

The man who had been wearing a strange smile now produced a stiff, expressionless face. On the monitor that Director Kim Do-hee was watching, Lee Sang-man's rigid face filled the screen. Despite the darkened face due to the mold, the splashes of red blood from Professor Kim strangely gave it a sense of vitality.

Director Kim Do-hee held her breath and stared at Lee Sang-man on the monitor.

‘That’s right, the picture comes alive. The transformation and emotional changes of a clown. It’s electrifying every time, damn it.’

Compared to his first appearance, the current Lee Sang-man was closer to a madman. The drugs had eaten away at his mind. However, amidst his descent into madness, he occasionally showed glimpses of his past self, his past expressions.

For a moment.

But it was impossible to escape the quagmire of addiction.

‘The desire to break free, the rationality that wants to live, emerges instinctively in a fleeting moment.’

Although he had written it himself, Director Kim Do-hee felt a shiver at the sight of something more. How could he express such contrasting emotions?

‘His eyes are a mix of malice and loneliness. The fact that they harmonize is even more absurd.’

This expression was not written in the script. It was something that Kang Woo-jin had created through the emotions he brought to the scene.

Just a moment of hope, but his eyes were closer to despair.

Everyone on the set felt a period in Lee Sang-man’s fleeting moment. His performance, which suggested death with just a glance, would likely have the same effect on the audience watching him on the big screen.

Then.

-Whoosh.

After blowing out another long stream of cigarette smoke, Lee Sang-man downed a shot of soju.

“...”

Director Kim Do-hee, who had her face pressed against the monitor, shouted into the megaphone.

“Cut!! OKOK!! Great! Excellent!”

Director Kim Do-hee, filled with satisfaction, ran into the shooting area.

“Wow, Mr. Woo-jin! Your energy is insane right now. Let’s do it one more time, focusing on the back this time, and then we’ll do the front.”

“Sure, Director.”

The makeup team quickly surrounded Kang Woo-jin to remove the smell of Lee Sang-man and prepare for the retake. He let the staff work on his face and breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Whoa, almost got it. The brick was lighter than I thought and almost flew away.’

The brick that killed Professor Kim was made of styrofoam by the props team.

‘I need to put more strength into it. If it flies, it’ll be a real disaster. Just an immediate NG.’

At that moment, Park Panso, who had removed his blood makeup, approached Kang Woo-jin.

“Mr. Woo-jin.”

“Yes, sir.”

“When you hit my head on the ground, how about hitting it three times and then grabbing my hair and looking at my face?”

Suddenly? Park Panso, who had been watching him, asked.

“Checking if I’m dead or alive.”

“Yeah, that vibe.”

Park Panso turned to Director Kim Do-hee, who was standing next to him.

“I think the scene would be more alive if Lee Sang-man glances at my face just before I die. Is that okay?”

“Sure, that sounds good. We’ll do it as you suggested this time.”

“Hmm. And Mr. Woo-jin, when you come in from behind me...”

Park Panso and Kang Woo-jin discussed various aspects of the previous scene. It was more about coordinating their ideas to create a better scene rather than teaching.

Director Kim Do-hee, who had been watching, smiled.

‘He’s always been a director with a lot of scene desire, but Mr. Panso seems quite excited. Plus, he doesn’t see Mr. Woo-jin as a newcomer but as an actor.’

In fact, Park Panso even asked Kang Woo-jin for advice.

“When Lee Sang-man’s emotions fluctuate, how do you manage to switch so quickly? Do you start by finding a connection point?”

“...No, I don’t.”

“Then how?”

A spoonful of confidence.

“I just recall it and spread it through my body.”

“...Is that it?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. I’m learning a lot. I hope you do well this time too.”

It felt good. Kang Woo-jin was deeply immersed in the sweetness of recognition. Whether it was an illusion or not, he had received a lot of recognition, but among all of it, the recognition related to acting was the best.

‘Damn, the sense of achievement is overwhelming.’

A completely different kind of addiction from Lee Sang-man. Thus, Kang Woo-jin and Park Panso resumed shooting. The scene became increasingly rough and realistic, but the quality was exceptionally high. Park Panso’s development and the increasingly vivid portrayal of Lee Sang-man by Kang Woo-jin.

“Or you could just eat it. It’ll be soft.”

The cut and action were repeated a few times. The more it happened, the more intense Lee Sang-man’s madness became, and the staff could only gape at Kang Woo-jin’s performance.

And.

‘That’s what I wanted to see.’

Director Kyotaro, who had been watching Kang Woo-jin’s performance from the beginning, was now standing.

‘I’m glad I came to see it in person. It’s dozens of times better than watching it on video.’

Actually, it had been like that from the moment Kang Woo-jin’s performance started. His face was hidden behind a mask, but his eyes were sparkling.

‘A newcomer in a cameo role, but his performance silences the great actors and the entire crew of Korea. The explosive power that distracts you when you watch it.’

The balding Director Kyotaro looked around the set and then focused on Director Kim Do-hee, who was sitting in front of the monitor. He was tempted.

‘I want to sit down and work on this performance myself.’

The belief that this newcomer, who had only recently started to shine after a series of short films, would shake up the Japanese acting scene and many Japanese actors.

At that moment, Director Kyotaro lowered his gaze to look at Akaeri, who was on his left.

She was wearing glasses perched on the tip of her nose.

“...”

Unlike Director Kyotaro, she was sitting. But she wasn’t calm. Why? Because her pupils were several times larger.

“Goodness...”

Akaeri, speaking softly in Japanese, saw something she had never seen before in Kang Woo-jin’s performance.

Of course, it was.

‘Experience? Intensity? Lack? No, it’s not that. There’s nothing lacking. It’s overflowing. How... why does this actor have such depth?’

Akaeri, who had created countless characters, saw the utopia she had always wanted. The wish that if her characters came to life, they would be just like this.

Then.

“Ms. Akaeri.”

Director Kyotaro whispered to Akaeri.

“What do you think after seeing it in person?”

Akaeri, who couldn’t take her eyes off Kang Woo-jin on the set, answered in a trance.

“...Later. I’ll tell you later.”

She didn’t want to be disturbed.

A few hours later.

The sun, which had been up, was setting as the shooting continued. But the shooting heat for ‘Drug Dealer’ was only getting hotter.

“Water truck! Let’s spray some rain!”

“OK!”

The location was the same as where Professor Kim’s head was smashed. But the setting and the surrounding atmosphere were different. It was slightly darker due to the setting sun, and a water truck was ready to spray rain, just like in Lee Sang-man’s first appearance.

And.

“Standby for the shot!”

“Yes! Here! Gather over here!”

Additional extras in black suits, playing the role of Lee Sang-man’s subordinates, were added. About a dozen of them. Among them was an extra actor playing Lee Sang-man’s right-hand man. Each of them was given a sharp sashimi knife.

This scene would be the final cut to showcase Lee Sang-man’s end.

It was to show a terribly tragic fate. According to the script, after Lee Sang-man killed Professor Kim, Jung Sung-hoon could no longer bear to watch him become increasingly mad. Lee Sang-man, who had been on the edge but still within bounds, had become a wild beast after killing Professor Kim.

Moreover, he had spent half the day high on drugs.

Lee Sang-man had already surpassed the point of control. In contrast, the size of the Sang-man faction had grown to more than twice its former size. Jung Sung-hoon decided that this couldn’t continue. His own life was also in danger. Therefore, Jung Sung-hoon decided to eliminate Lee Sang-man.

Of course, he didn’t plan to do it himself.

His target was Lee Sang-man’s right-hand man. He called him out and gently pointed out Lee Sang-man’s recent issues while also hinting that he would work with him if Lee Sang-man were eliminated. The right-hand man accepted this very quickly. Lee Sang-man’s condition was very poor compared to the past. He was no longer a fierce beast but a drug-addled lunatic.

The time to strike was now.

Soon, the right-hand man and Jung Sung-hoon set a trap. They made an appointment with Lee Sang-man to discuss the domestic market in Korea, not Japan.

The location was the warehouse in front of the port where Professor Kim was killed.

It was a day of heavy rain, as if the heavens were pouring down. The car was filled with a sticky humidity and an unpleasant dampness.

“...”

Kang Woo-jin, with more pronounced mold on his face, was sitting in the back seat. His eyes were wandering aimlessly. There was no life, no vitality. He was a mindless doll, breathing only. His vision seemed to be on a roller coaster. Woo-jin had already brought out all of Lee Sang-man’s essence.

Then.

“Action!”

Director Kim Do-hee’s signal was given. Soon, Lee Sang-man’s wandering eyes focused. He moved his slightly trembling hand to pull out a pack of cigarettes from his inner pocket. It was sweet. Lee Sang-man thought the cigarettes tasted good.

“Huh...”

Was it because of the drugs he had taken earlier? Or because of the rain hitting the car? Lee Sang-man inhaled the cigarette as deeply as possible. The smoke circled his entire body. That was the sensation.

At that moment.

-Click.

The rear door of the car opened. The right-hand man, holding an umbrella, said amidst the rain.

“Boss, Jung Sung-hoon has arrived.”

Lee Sang-man, who was stuck in the seat, moved his head with difficulty.

“...”

There were no words. Or rather, he couldn’t speak. He lacked the strength. His body was not the same as before. The elasticity of his flesh was gone, and his muscles had wasted away. Perhaps standing was all he could manage. His face, filled with these conditions, was captured by the camera from the front.

-Swoosh.

Lee Sang-man, moving with difficulty. What was making him move was his faint sense of purpose and his position as the boss. However, the little rationality he had left was on the verge of being consumed by the instinctive craving for drugs.

Then, Lee Sang-man slowly extended his hand outside the umbrella.

The heavy rain pelted his bony hand. It was a stark contrast to his first appearance.

The dozens of staff members watching Lee Sang-man felt a chill.

‘His energy is 180 degrees different from his first appearance, making him look pitiful. His acting is really insane.’

‘Really... every movement is captivating. A legendary character.’

Some were involuntarily impressed.

“The picture... it’s amazing.”

Some covered their mouths. At that moment, Lee Sang-man, who had extended his hand outside the umbrella, spoke softly.

“It’s going to be dry.”

The right-hand man, holding the umbrella, stiffened at his short words.

“The sea?”

Lee Sang-man, with a weak smile and a deathly face, replied.

“Yeah, the sea.”

“You look very thin.”

“Do I?”

“Yes.”

Lee Sang-man slowly lowered his hand and looked at his rain-soaked hand. He smiled faintly, remembering a similar scene from the past.

“Damn, let’s finish this quickly and have a drink.”

Lee Sang-man and his subordinates moved towards the front of the warehouse. The rain was getting heavier, obstructing the view. Lee Sang-man slowly scanned the area around the warehouse while taking out another pack of cigarettes. The camera also panned around the warehouse from behind Lee Sang-man.

There was no one. Jung Sung-hoon, who should have been there, was nowhere to be seen.

The camera, once again, focused tightly on Lee Sang-man’s side. Lee Sang-man, who had been blowing out a long stream of cigarette smoke, spoke in a weak voice. He was addressing the right-hand man standing next to him.

“Is he gone, or was he never there?”

“...”

He was calm. He was not a fierce beast or a madman. He was just a drug addict who had given up on everything and sensed his tragic fate in a few minutes.

“He was never there.”

“Good work, boss.”

“Shut up. What a formal greeting.”

The right-hand man lowered the umbrella he was holding. At the same time, the other subordinates did the same. They were immediately drenched by the heavy rain. Soon, Lee Sang-man looked up at the rain falling from above and slowly put the wet cigarette in his mouth.

At that moment.

-Poke!

A large man among the subordinates stabbed something into Lee Sang-man’s abdomen. But Lee Sang-man didn’t move much. He just looked at the man with a weak gaze. Despite his weakened state, the man felt fear and took a step back, trembling.

Lee Sang-man, looking at the sashimi knife stuck in his abdomen, recognized it.

“Damn, why did you stop?”

It was the sashimi knife he had given to the man as a gift, the one he had stuck in Jung Sung-hoon’s eye. Lee Sang-man pulled it out and threw it at the large man.

“Put it back in.”

This seemed to be the trigger, and the right-hand man shouted to the other subordinates.

“Attack!!”

The subordinates, who had hesitated, rushed at Lee Sang-man all at once. The camera pulled back slightly for a wide shot. The sounds of stabbing and slashing were barely audible. All that could be heard was the rain pounding the ground. But only red rain was flowing from Lee Sang-man’s feet.

Thus.

-Clunk!

Lee Sang-man, who had been stabbed, knelt down. His abdomen was a mess. Blood gushed out. The right-hand man kicked the weakened Lee Sang-man with his foot.

“...Ugh...”

Blood flowed from the mouth of Lee Sang-man, who had fallen to the ground. At that moment, the right-hand man sprinkled something around Lee Sang-man. It was the equipment he had used as a drug addict. The transparent granules Lee Sang-man had stockpiled, including the diamond bag.

“Ugh...”

Lee Sang-man, lying on his back, had blurred vision. He started to crawl. Squeak, squeak. He squeezed out all his remaining life. What he saw was one thing. A syringe. Despite death being imminent, he crawled like a zombie and picked up the syringe. His hands were trembling, but he managed to lift it.

Then.

-Poke.

He stabbed it somewhere. The right-hand man, watching this, cursed softly.

“Idiot.”

Lee Sang-man started to laugh.

“Huh, huh, huh.”

He was confused.