Chapter 65. Master Plan – Production Report Meeting

As the martial arts director launched a surprise hook using a mitt, taking advantage of the gap in Yeonwoo's defense, who was alternating jabs and straights in a practical course, the director thought that Yeonwoo would either take the hit or dodge with a head movement if his reflexes were quick enough.

However, since Yeonwoo had learned practical martial arts rather than boxing, he preferred not to take the risk of dodging. In real combat, if you attempt to dodge a bayonet, knife, or axe like in a movie and fail, it means death.

Yeonwoo raised his left hand to deflect the hook and then lightly jabbed with his right. The martial arts director, whose stance was disrupted, had no choice but to dodge by moving.

Then, the martial arts director's mitt came flying again. Yeonwoo, still in the stance of a jab, moved forward and used his elbow to deflect the director's hook, then capitalized on the rotation to extend a straight punch with his right arm.

This was a movement ingrained in his body through countless practice sessions, almost like a dance, but Yeonwoo's punch barely touched the director's cheek and stopped.

"Phew, I almost put all my strength into it."

While Yeonwoo thought it was fortunate and retracted his hand, the martial arts director, with wide eyes, tried to understand what had just happened.

If it had been a match, the director's light hook, intended for probing, could have resulted in a cross counter and a K.O. loss, making it the "first and last attack."

"…Ah, Mr. Actor, I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Ryu Yeonwoo. I apologize if I was rude."

In response to Yeonwoo's words, the martial arts director, Do Gwang-wook, shook his head vigorously and spoke.

"No, no, that's not it. How could you be rude? This was a test I proposed."

Then, with a bright look in his eyes, he continued.

"If it's not too much trouble, could you visit for a light sparring session after the filming of this project is over, when you have some free time? It would be a shame if you got hurt during a sparring session now, so let's do it after the filming is done."

"Um, sure. I understand."

Yeonwoo nodded, looking at the martial arts director's bright and somewhat intimidating eyes, as if it were no big deal.

In reality, he thought that even if they sparred now, his face would never be hurt, but he didn't say it out loud.

"By the way, where did you learn your skills?"

Most people in the industry know each other, so the martial arts director was curious about who Yeonwoo's teacher was.

Yeonwoo was at a loss for words in response to the question.

'Self-taught… that won't work.'

Without a specific answer, he decided to bluff.

"I learned at an acting school. Just in case we have action scenes later…"

"Oh, at an acting school…? Your teacher must be quite skilled."

The martial arts director tilted his head in surprise at Yeonwoo's words, but what could he do if Yeonwoo said so?

Jeong Chul-min, who had become a martial arts expert by chance, had a conversation with this teacher over a bowl of jjampong in Daejeon.

"Hey, who's talking about me?"

After that, Yeonwoo and Yuhan, holding foam swords, practiced the choreography for the action scenes.

As expected, Yuhan, with his extensive experience, quickly learned the movements.

On the other hand, Yeonwoo, who had no experience with choreographed swings and dodges, struggled at first.

"This is harder than I thought."

"You're doing really well for a first-timer. If we practice for two days, we'll have it down."

Yuhan, who had just reviewed the moves he learned, encouraged Yeonwoo.

As Yeonwoo adapted, the two gradually fell into sync. Yeonwoo found the action scenes more enjoyable than he expected.

"This is actually pretty fun. It feels good when the moves sync up."

Yuhan nodded and smiled in response to Yeonwoo's words.

"Yeah, it feels like dancing, and there's a great sense of satisfaction when everything lines up."

Yeonwoo and Yuhan, practicing with foam swords, felt a bit closer after a day of training.

Meanwhile, a man in the corner of the gym watched them with a jealous eye.

"I can accept Yuhan, but where did this guy come from to suddenly become the lead?"

Park Kyung-wan, who had been cast in slightly more significant roles recently while working on the special effects team, felt a twist in his gut as he watched Yeonwoo, who was practicing with Yuhan.

"I've been working my way up from small roles, but this guy just pops up and becomes the lead. And he was so arrogant earlier when the director was watching."

Although he didn't have the courage to start a fight right now, he was also annoyed by how the special effects team members looked at Yeonwoo as if he were a big star.

"I have a significant role too, so why don't they look at me with that kind of admiration?"

Even though he hadn't been wronged, Park Kyung-wan felt a sense of inferiority and gritted his teeth.

The time for Yeonwoo and Yuhan to practice action scenes passed quickly, and now they were about to start the main filming.

"Alright, now that we have a set broadcast date, let's put in even more effort."

"Okay-!"

The assistant director's call to rally the team was met with enthusiasm.

However, Yeonwoo was elsewhere at this moment.

A 30-second teaser trailer for the film had been released online yesterday, and today was the production report meeting.

The news of Park Chan-hong's new film, which had been a topic of much speculation, had caught the attention of both film enthusiasts and the general public.

Although Park Chan-hong hasn't yet had a film win at international film festivals, he is known for his box office success in Korea.

When the teaser trailer was released yesterday, the internet reaction was very enthusiastic.

- Finally, the release date is out. Amazing.

- This is the first time a trailer has made me so excited.

- I need to go to the theater soon.

- Is Masukdo scared of Ryu Yeonwoo? They're twice his size. This movie looks fun.

- I feel like the plot will be predictable. Is it about a con artist infiltrating an organization to steal money?

- No, it's not.

- Our Uju is always waiting.

- Who is Uju?

- The character name for Ryu Yeonwoo in "Summer's Closet."

Yeonwoo arrived at a movie theater in Apgujeong, checking the reactions to the trailer.

Upon arrival, he recognized the place.

"Oh, we're here? This is where I came for 'Spring's Lover.'"

"This place is big, so they often use it."

A staff member who had been waiting for him came to his car and guided him to the waiting room.

When he opened the door and entered, he saw familiar faces he hadn't seen in months.

"Ah, Yeonwoo, you're here?"

"Yeonwoo! It feels like it's been ages."

Actor Jeong Hae-gyun, who played the organization boss Park Kang-woo, greeted Yeonwoo.

Before him, Han So-hyun ran over and grabbed Yeonwoo's hand.

After calming down the excited Han So-hyun, Yeonwoo greeted Jeong Hae-gyun.

"Senior, you've really worked hard on this shoot. The release is finally approaching."

"Hehe, it's just the fate of playing a villain."

Indeed, during the shoot, Jeong Hae-gyun had taken a lot of hits, rolls, and knee drops.

After the greetings, Yeonwoo sat down, and Han So-hyun spoke with a slightly dark expression.

"Have you heard from Jun-ho?"

"Yes, I think it's better not to contact him for now. I'll try to reach out later."

"I also wrote a message and deleted it, unsure if I should contact him."

Yeonwoo, through Han Hae-woon, was investigating the situation, suspecting that it might not be a simple drug issue due to the involvement of Plus Ten's Byun Hak-gyu.

He had also received updates from Han Hae-woon on the ongoing investigation within the prosecution, but so far, there were no significant developments since the non-custodial indictment.

While chatting with Han So-hyun, the door opened, and Park Chan-hong and Masukdo entered.

"Director."

"It's been a while."

With this, the five participants in today's production report meeting were all present.

The three in the waiting room stood up to greet them, and a staff member announced that the meeting would start soon.

"Let's go on stage, everyone."

As they walked onto the stage, the audience erupted in cheers.

Wow!

The director and actors greeted the audience and took their seats. Yeonwoo had heard that some fans were selected through a lottery to attend.

KIM Min-a, the announcer, received a cue and picked up the microphone.

"Hello, I'm KIM Min-a, and I'll be hosting the production report meeting for 'Master Plan.' Thank you to all the media and fans for joining us today."

After a brief pause, KIM Min-a continued.

"This is a film that has been generating a lot of buzz since the production stage. Let's meet the cast of 'Master Plan.'"

As KIM Min-a introduced them, the audience cheered and clapped.

"Yes, the atmosphere here is really hot. Before we meet the director and cast, let's watch a video."

The lights dimmed, and a slightly longer version of the trailer released yesterday played on the screen.

The early scenes showed Masukdo (played by Kwak Ji-cheol) being humiliated, followed by Pierre Choi (played by Yeonwoo) removing his sunglasses at the airport.

When Yeonwoo appeared on screen, the audience let out a brief gasp at his beauty.

Then, a short scene of Pierre Choi and Kwak Ji-cheol's first meeting in a motel was shown, followed by the appearance of the experts, led by Han So-hyun as Deer Jennifer. The last scene featured Pierre Choi's line:

- Let's make it a big game.

The screen went dark with Pierre Choi's charismatic smile and a raised corner of his mouth.

The lights came back on.

"Yes, the trailer alone is very exciting. Could Director Park Chan-hong give us some insight into 'Master Plan'?"

The announcer smoothly shifted the focus to Park Chan-hong, who picked up the microphone.

"It's a well-crafted crime thriller. The chemistry between Ryu Yeonwoo and Masukdo was excellent. It's entertaining. Come see it in theaters."

True to his usual style, Park Chan-hong gave a short and concise introduction.

"Hehe. That was a confident introduction. Next…"

The questions moved to Masukdo, who shared about the fun atmosphere on set where they exchanged ad-libs. Then, the questions shifted to Ryu Yeonwoo.