Chapter 74

74. Mysterious Actor?

Whoosh!

Whizz!

Jinhyuk deftly dodged the swords swung by three enemies, clashing blades with them in a fluid motion.

Suddenly, two more enemies joined the fray, aiming their swords at Jinhyuk. At that moment, one of their swords sliced through Jinhyuk's back.

Whoosh!

"Wow!"

Jinhyuk's body avoided the sword, spinning in the air as if flying, and then landed smoothly. It was a graceful movement that seemed to lift him into the sky.

"What, what is this!"

Jinhyuk's acrobatic and dazzling movements made actor Kim Donggwang gasp in admiration.

At that moment,

Taking advantage of the enemies' focus on Hong Gil-dong Jinhyuk, Min Seo-yeon launched a surprise attack.

Seo-yeon, wielding two short swords, leaped into the battlefield with ease and swiftly cut down an enemy who was separated from the group.

"Yah!"

The actors burst into admiration again at Seo-yeon's sword skills, which resembled a dual sword technique.

How could such speed and strength come from her delicate body!

Now the battlefield was 2 vs 4.

Jinhyuk and Seo-yeon, along with the remaining four enemies, engaged in a dazzling sword fight.

"Wow…"

All the actors stood with their mouths agape, unable to say a word, watching Jinhyuk and Seo-yeon's action in a daze.

"Ugh!"

Crash!

Just like that. When the last enemy fell to Jinhyuk's sword,

"Good! Good!"

The martial arts director's satisfied cheers rang out first.

The sword coach looked at Jinhyuk and Seo-yeon, as well as the stuntmen, with the pride of an artist who had just completed a masterpiece.

His gaze then turned to the actors watching the scene.

"How about it? Quite a sight, isn't it?"

"Not just a sight! This level of action could rival professional stuntmen. Haha!"

The martial arts director burst into a happy laugh.

"No, man, what is this... They really started learning swordsmanship just a month and a half ago?"

"Hehe. They have a solid foundation in martial arts and incredible athletic ability."

Kim Donggwang shook his head, clearly not believing it. The martial arts director, looking at Kim Donggwang and the other actors, said with a playful smile,

"Well, since the juniors showed us this, the veteran action actors should be on their toes and show us their best, right?"

"Haha…"

Kim Donggwang let out an awkward laugh.

Just being on edge doesn't mean you can do that...

No, if I were ten years younger...

That's how Kim Donggwang blamed his age.

"This drama will have top-notch action scenes. Without using stand-ins, we should really capture some amazing angles."

The martial arts director was already getting greedy, and the two action geniuses in front of him were performing every move he demanded.

"We need to leave a mark in the series' history."

It would be a series with the strongest action in the history of Hong Gil-dong.

No, he intended to create high-quality action that would be hard to surpass in the future.

"So, you guys should completely burn yourselves out this time."

"What? I can understand for us, but isn't Jeong Ji-an the most important? As Hong Gil-dong's rival. Is she good too?"

Kim Donggwang asked, and the martial arts director smiled meaningfully. Kim Donggwang understood the implication.

"Is she like that too?"

"Well, not as good as Jinhyuk, but don't you remember the role she played in the Korean film?"

"Oh, a boxer?"

"Ji-an is actually an amateur boxing champion."

"Really?"

Jinhyuk and Ji-an's confrontation would not be just about acting.

They would also need to clash with as much impact as possible. The martial arts director was barely suppressing his eagerness to show this action to the audience.

***

"Hehe."

"Are you that happy?"

"Of course, I am. Aren't you, Min-yeong?"

Do Min-woo asked Min-yeong with a very excited look.

"I am, but for different reasons than you."

"Different from me? Then why are you happy, Min-yeong?"

"Obviously, because we can see Se-ryun's debut performance live with our friends."

It was the day of the SBC Music Box pre-recording and live broadcast.

Se-ryun's debut performance on a music show, right before the release of her song. It was also the first time in a long while that the five friends from the same class had gathered outside of school.

Fortunately, they were all in the same class, so they could see each other often, but they couldn't gather after school like they used to.

With school studies, approaching Hong Gil-dong rehearsals, high-intensity action training at the action school, and shooting and event schedules.

Jinhyuk and Seo-yeon were busy with a non-stop schedule, even on weekends.

It was almost the end of the semester, but it was the first time since the second semester began that they had gathered outside. It had been a long time since they had seen Se-ryun.

Min-yeong was proud and pleased every time her friends appeared on TV, but she also felt a great sense of loss that they couldn't easily hang out together anymore, like the fast-paced time of her second year in high school.

Min-yeong's words made Do Min-woo frown.

"Hey, I feel the same. Why do you think I'm happy?"

"Because you're excited about seeing a girl group, right?"

"Hey, what do you take me for... Is a girl group important now? Thinking about seeing Se-ryun's debut performance with friends makes my heart..."

The driver, Yeon Sung-hoon, asked,

"Haha. Do you have a favorite girl group, Min-woo?"

"Rose Black!"

True to his character, Do Min-woo immediately blurted out the name of a girl group.

"Ah! I know too. Rose Black. The group with An Ye-na, who appeared in High School 2 with our kids?"

"Wow! The director knows girl groups! You're great. Haha!"

Do Min-woo burst into a happy laugh, and Min-yeong forced a smile.

"Considering how happy you are to see a friend's debut performance, it's a bit too quick for you to mention a girl group, isn't it?"

"Hey, hey, Oh-ha. It's a misunderstanding. It's just pure fandom. Fandom is fandom, friendship is friendship."

As Min-yeong's smile faded, Do Min-woo turned to Yeon Sung-hoon as if trying to escape.

"Director! Is it still far?"

"Haha. We're here."

The car soon entered the underground parking lot of the broadcasting station. After parking the car, the four of them got out and saw two familiar faces.

"Jinhyuk!"

"Seo-yeon!"

Do Min-woo, Kim Min-yeong, and Lee Young-jun ran to the two as if they had made a pact.

Jinhyuk, who had seen them at school the day before, slightly dodged Do Min-woo, who rushed over with an intense welcome.

"We saw each other at school yesterday."

"Ai, man. Seeing you at school is different from seeing you here, isn't it?"

The five friends, who had even applied for on-site experience learning for today, gathered outside of school for the first time in a long while. Sung-hoon's expression was pleased as he watched the children.

"Alright, let's go up."

They followed Sung-hoon to a cafe inside the broadcasting station. After settling down, Sung-hoon said,

"Min-woo, Min-yeong, and Young-jun, take a break here and go in when it's time for the pre-recording. Jinhyuk and Seo-yeon and I will visit the waiting room first."

Jinhyuk and Seo-yeon were going to visit Se-ryun's waiting room with Sung-hoon. Since it was just before the recording, only the three actors could visit.

Jinhyuk and Seo-yeon followed Sung-hoon to Se-ryun's waiting room.

A moment later.

"Wow. Holy cow. Hey, hey."

"Mom, what is it?"

As Jinhyuk entered the waiting room corridor, the eyes of the idol singers standing around quickly focused on him.

"It's Jinhyuk."

"Wow. Wow. Is he making a special appearance?"

The atmosphere was clearly different from the script reading of Hong Gil-dong, as it was a place where idols of Jinhyuk's age gathered.

Due to the ongoing popularity of High School 2 among teenagers and young adults, Jinhyuk was still the hottest actor. His entrance was a significant visual impact.

He was also a mysterious actor, still shrouded in mystery.

After High School 2, Jinhyuk had not appeared on any variety shows, unlike other main actors who leveraged the drama's success to appear on various shows.

His decision to focus on his studies was purely his own, but it inadvertently added to his mystique.

An actor who appeared only in commercials, like a top star. Amidst this, the news of his casting in a major mini-series.

It was a move that fit the mysterious concept perfectly. The aura he exuded was even more than what they had imagined.

To the idol singers gathered there, Jinhyuk already had the air of a star among stars.

"Wow. He's really the real deal."

"Ah, I'm a real fan of High School 2. I want to talk to him."

"Hey, hey, he's coming, he's coming. Talk to him. Don't be scared. We're in the same industry."

At that moment, one of the members standing nearby pushed a girl group member who was at a loss.

Just as Jinhyuk was about to pass, the member, startled, bowed 90 degrees.

"Hello, I'm Yoon Bora from the new girl group K.C."

"Ah... Hello."

Jinhyuk stopped and greeted her. Encouraged by Jinhyuk's greeting, Yoon Bora said,

"Ah, I'm a real fan of High School 2!"

"Thank you."

"Ah, can I shake your hand?"

Yoon Bora tentatively extended her hand. Jinhyuk smiled and lightly shook her hand, causing Yoon Bora's face to turn red.

As Jinhyuk passed by, the excited voices of the girls, though lowered, were still audible.

"Wow, what a voice."

"What do I do? What do I do?"

"Wow. I came to make fans, but I ended up being a fan of Jinhyuk."

As Jinhyuk and his group, who had attracted everyone's attention in the corridor, were about to head to Se-ryun's waiting room, a familiar face approached them.

"Phew. You're here. Actor Yeon Sung-hoon. It's been a while, Jinhyuk and Seo-yeon."

Se-ryun's manager greeted them with a big smile and led them to Se-ryun's waiting room.

"..."

As soon as Jinhyuk entered the waiting room, all the eyes in the bustling room focused on him.

The eyes of the idol group members sharing the waiting room widened just like in the corridor.

"Hello, I'm actor Jinhyuk. I'll be a moment."

"Hello, I'm actor Min Seo-yeon."

Se-ryun approached them with a clear expression, trying to suppress her excitement.

"Jinhyuk! Seo-yeon!"

Se-ryun, who was nervous about her first performance, felt like she had a thousand supporters with the arrival of these two.

At that moment,

"Preparing for the GirlsN performance... Wow."

The floor director (FD) who entered the waiting room let out an involuntary exclamation upon seeing Jinhyuk.

"Ah..."

The FD's wide-eyed expression, alternating between Jinhyuk and Seo-yeon, clearly showed that they were familiar with High School 2.

***

"Wow..."

"Why? What happened?"

The assistant director asked the FD, who had just returned from the waiting room with a dazed look.

"Senior, he's in the waiting room now."

"He? Do I need to guess who you mean?"

The assistant director laughed, finding it amusing.

"No, no. Do you know High School 2?"

"How can I not know it? It's a given for a music show targeting teenagers and young adults. Of course, I know it."

"Jinhyuk, who played Jin Seo-jin, and Min Seo-yeon."

"What?"

The assistant director, who knew better than anyone what High School 2 and Jinhyuk meant to the 10-20 age group, was taken aback.

"Ah, he's here to support Se-ryun. They acted together."

"Yes, but senior, have you ever seen Jinhyuk in person?"

"Isn't he completely mysterious? I've only seen him in TV commercials."

The FD, still excited, continued,

"Wow... I thought I was immune to the beauty and good looks of idols I see all the time, but he's on a different level. It's really something."

"Really? I'm curious."

"Check it out later. He's going to be in the audience for both the pre-recording and the live broadcast. It's not a joke."

At that moment,

"What's not a joke?"

"Ah, Director."

"What is it? What happened?"

The assistant director told the PD about Jinhyuk. The PD's expression changed strangely as they listened.

"He's going to be here for both the pre-recording and the live broadcast?"

The PD's mind was racing. As the head of a program targeting teenagers and young adults, the PD knew better than anyone about Jinhyuk's popularity.

They also knew that he was an actor who couldn't be invited to variety shows even if they wanted to.

"Is he in the waiting room now?"

"Yes."

"Let's go."

"What?"

"Let's go meet him."

The PD walked briskly towards the waiting room.

***

At the same time, in the KBC Drama Department.

"Ah."

The director rubbed their face after hearing the report from the head of the department. It was a known fact, but it was still a report.

The ratings of the newly launched mini-series were hitting rock bottom.

After the complete failure of the summer special mini-series, which was supposed to ride the success of High School 2,

The network's ace card,