Chapter 79

79. It was a huge hit.

Whoosh—

Hong Gil-dong (Woo Jin-hyuk) narrowly avoided the sword blade that swept over his head.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

In an instant, he deflected several sword blades that simultaneously stabbed at him.

Clang! Clang!

With lightning-fast sword techniques, he parried them.

Puff!

“Gah!”

He slashed one down.

Swoosh!

“Chok!”

He dispatched another with a thrust.

“Hyaah!”

But the assassins, as expected, showed no fear or hesitation and continued to challenge him.

Swoosh! Clang!

Swoosh! Thud!

Avoiding the relentless attacks of the enemies at an unbelievable speed, Hong Gil-dong (Jin-hyuk) took down each one of them.

Whoosh!

“Gah!”

The intense action scenes, unfolding at a speed that was hard to follow, left the people gathered at Lee Young-joon’s house breathless, their eyes glued to the screen.

“Wow….”

They could only gape in awe.

Whoosh—

Jin-hyuk, gliding between the enemies' swords, was like a swirling wind. Though his presence could be sensed, he was impossible to cut down.

Swoosh!

Thud!

The foolish ones who tried to cut the wind were caught in the deadly dance of swords that the wind unleashed, each one spilling blood.

“Gah!”

On the white canvas of the snowy mountains, Hong Gil-dong, the 'Dancer of Death,' painted a picture with the enemies' blood.

Amid the majestic snow-capped mountains and the snow-covered white plains, perhaps it was the beautiful scenery.

Or maybe it was the dazzling and graceful movements of Jin-hyuk, who danced the dance of death.

Or perhaps it was Jin-hyuk's fatal charm, even amidst the bloodshed.

Certainly, what was unfolding on the screen was a bloody sword fight. And yet, it was also undeniably beautiful.

Puff!

Jin-hyuk pulled out the sword that had pierced the enemy's body. Behind the falling figure, he saw the remaining three enemies retreating.

“Now… three are left.”

His expression was blank, his eyes cold and devoid of emotion.

The faces of those who met his gaze turned pale and frozen.

At that moment, the camera captured Jin-hyuk, and his appearance was like a work of art, meticulously carved by a master from a block of ice, reflecting the shadows of his heart.

“Haa…”

Jin-hyuk's breath formed a mist in the air, revealing that he was a living being with a hot heart, not just a cold statue.

– What is this? Is this real action?

– No! What is this? Are you crazy? It's so cool! 😭

– Woo Jin-hyuk! Woo Jin-hyuk! Woo Jin-hyuk! Please take me!

└ I'm dying! 😭

– Wow… Is this not cheating in a drama?

└ A doping test for the PD and Woo Jin-hyuk is urgent.

└ This should be sent to the Baekryong Film Awards, not just the drama awards.

In every household watching "The Story of Hong Gil-dong" and on every open internet forum, chaos reigned.

***

Creak!

The veteran actor Won Sang-ki, who had played the first Hong Gil-dong, suddenly stood up from his seat.

“Calm down. You're a patient.”

His clenched fists were trembling. Though it wasn't visible, his heart was trembling even more.

This is real. This is truly real.

A wildly intense yet beautifully picturesque action scene.

The snowy mountains and the snow-covered plains, as if they had leaped out of a Korean painting, and the graceful action that seemed to be painted by a master's brush.

An action scene that surpassed any sword fight he had ever seen.

“…”

Tears streamed down the veteran actor's face.

His large, pot-lid-like palm roughly wiped away the tears.

The wrinkles on his knuckles bore the marks of his years as an action actor.

“…”

His wife looked at him with a tender expression, but his eyes were not on her, and his lips did not move.

He was focused on the moving image of Hong Gil-dong and his lines.

In fact, his heart had been stirred even before the breathtaking action scene began.

Hong Gil-dong, who killed his mother's murderer, another mother, Choran.

Though Chunseom and Choran were characters in the original story, their relationship had been brilliantly reimagined.

Hong Gil-dong, the righteous bandit.

How ironic the term "righteous bandit" is. A word that combines 'righteous' and 'thief'.

Originally, Hong Gil-dong was a contradictory figure born from the contradictions of his time, unable to call his father 'father'.

The scene where Hong Gil-dong kills Choran is a device that vividly expresses this contradiction in the context of today's era.

The veteran actor's heart raced.

If revenge against the one who killed your mother is called justice, what if that revenge involves killing another mother?

Is it still justifiable as a just revenge?

It wasn't a matter of logic. It was a matter of whether Hong Gil-dong's heart could bear it.

Like Raskolnikov in "Crime and Punishment," who killed a despicable usurer but could not bear the weight of his guilt.

The 2012 version of Hong Gil-dong was far from a superhero who punishes evil and rewards good.

A righteous messenger born from contradiction.

Justice should be light, but the darkness he carried was too deep, making him a complex, three-dimensional character.

The veteran actor was eagerly looking forward to how the writer would develop this story and character.

And most of all.

Woo Jin-hyuk's genius acting, which could effortlessly convey the complex emotions of the narrative.

‘Ah… How can he do this at his age…’

The drama, which started with a heavy character, was determined not to be overwhelmed by the weight of the themes it presented.

When it reached the 'Sword Fight on the Snowy Mountain,' a clear display of its identity as an action epic.

The veteran actor's heart, which was already racing, could not be controlled by anything.

He had clearly heard that there were no stunt doubles.

If that was true, then the young genius actor who glided between twenty enemies….

Was undoubtedly an actor of a caliber that no previous era had seen.

***

The leader of the assassins spoke.

“Hong Gil-dong. Can't you stop? Isn't this enough?”

“…”

“Strike my neck. And spare the others. Though they are my parents' enemies, they are already dead, and we have paid a high enough price. Isn't this enough?”

The leader's eyes showed no fear. He put down his sword.

“Spare them…?”

“Yes! They gathered here because they had no means to live. Show mercy just this once!”

Anger rose in Jin-hyuk's eyes.

“Show mercy to the demons who kill to fill their bellies? Do you think that makes sense?”

“They have committed a crime worthy of death. Spare the others! They will not do this again. Make them swear! Please, just my life!”

The leader knelt on the snow.

“Boss!”

“Boss!”

The other two knelt in front of him, as if to protect him.

Grinding his teeth, Jin-hyuk groaned.

“Those who have committed a crime worthy of death should die quietly.”

Crack!

Hong Gil-dong Jin-hyuk approached them as if he were flying.

Swish! Swish!

In an instant, the two figures blocking Jin-hyuk fell.

Pierce!

Jin-hyuk's sword pierced the leader's chest.

“Gah!”

The man spat blood and fell.

Without even looking at the fallen man, Jin-hyuk moved towards the mountain hut.

Thump.

The man's bloody hand grabbed Jin-hyuk's leg.

“P-lease… spare… them… only…”

The man died before he could finish his sentence.

Jin-hyuk looked down at the man with emotionless eyes and continued to move.

Swoosh— Swoosh—

Jin-hyuk's bloodied sword dragged across the snow, sounding a mournful death knell.

Thud.

Jin-hyuk stopped at the entrance of the first mountain hut.

Creak.

Jin-hyuk, still expressionless, opened the door.

At that moment, what he saw was.

An old man, a woman, and a few children.

Dressed in tattered clothes, they were trembling in the corner of the hut, looking at Jin-hyuk as if he were a messenger of death.

The woman clutched her child tightly.

“P-please spare us….”

The woman, unable to raise her voice, spoke in a barely audible whisper.

In that instant.

Jin-hyuk's cold, frozen eyes wavered.

A close-up of Jin-hyuk's eyes.

And the eyes clearly conveyed confusion.

Grinding his teeth, Hong Gil-dong raised his sword, but.

The hand that had held the sword steady amidst the battle with twenty men now trembled.

“Waa- Daddy-.”

At that moment, one of the children in the woman's arms burst into tears.

“Daddy, Daddy-.”

Perhaps because they believed their father would protect them in this dangerous moment.

The child crying out for their father and the mother trying to cover the child's mouth.

Bang!

Jin-hyuk plunged his sword into the floor of the hut. The child's cries grew louder in surprise.

“Haa. Haa.”

Jin-hyuk's breathing quickened.

It was supposed to be revenge for his mother.

It was supposed to be a just revenge.

The scum who killed to survive should have died and disappeared.

Jin-hyuk met the eyes of those who trembled in fear, perhaps having lost their children, husbands, or fathers.

Jin-hyuk's eyes wavered. His heart wavered. His sense of justice wavered.

Was my justice.

Their justice as well?

……

……

“Justice? Hahaha! Oh, sir, it seems you have a great misunderstanding.”

“I don't break into these wealthy homes for any sense of justice.”

“I just want us to live together.”

The bandit Hong Gil-dong's cheeky attitude was somehow.

Sad.

***

“Ugh… What is this?”

Tears welled up in Yeon Se-ryun's eyes.

The drama ended with the humorous return of Hong Gil-dong, hinting at his future exploits.

“Why is this so sad….”

Se-ryun quickly wiped away her tears.

She couldn't explain it, but Se-ryun, who could feel people's emotions, sensed the sadness in Hong Gil-dong's cheeky attitude.

Even though the drama had long ended, no one in the room moved.

The incredible action scenes that had kept them glued to the screen from the beginning.

And Jin-hyuk's insane acting, which conveyed the sadness and confusion in Hong Gil-dong's narrative.

The contrasting, cheeky performance Jin-hyuk delivered afterward.

But the pathos in that cheekiness, the sadness in the laughter, and Jin-hyuk's unbelievable acting that made it all feel real.

Surprised. Sad. Laughing. Aching heart.

All of it was contained in Jin-hyuk's acting.

“Cough…”

Director Jeong Doo-il, who knew best the shock of Jin-hyuk's acting, let out a sigh.

Of course, he knew. He was a genius.

But.

Could he be this much of a genius?

As everyone sat in a daze, Do Min-woo quietly approached Jin-hyuk.

Then Min-woo hugged Jin-hyuk tightly.

“It's okay. It's not your fault.”

“…”

Was he talking to Jin-seo? Or to Hong Gil-dong?

Jin-hyuk subtly pushed Min-woo away, once again confused between reality and the drama.

Click.

Lee Young-joon's father turned on the main lights in the living room.

Only then did everyone's hearts, which had been bound to the Joseon era, return to reality.

“Wow! Really amazing. Amazing. It felt like I watched a great movie, not a drama. Haha.”

Do Min-woo's father exclaimed loudly,

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Suddenly, he started clapping.

“Wow-!”

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Everyone in the living room joined in, clapping for Jin-hyuk.

Jin-hyuk's parents, Woo Bong-soo and Kim Sun-hwa, looked at their son, who had beautifully adorned the first episode of his first leading role, with teary eyes.

***

“Hmmm~”

Director Jeong Doo-il's morning was filled with spontaneous whistling.

Jin-hyuk's acting, which had made him get up and pace during editing, was still moving him deeply.

Despite having watched it countless times, seeing Jin-hyuk's acting on TV again was indescribably moving.

And the direction, which he felt he couldn't have done any better.

He was proud of himself.

Of course, it was also thanks to Jin-hyuk, who had performed the incredible action scenes so convincingly.

The text messages Director Jeong Doo-il received last night were countless.

They were moved. The direction was insane. The praise never seemed to end.

– Director, what about the next project….

Actors and related parties were already subtly asking about the next project.

‘No, people, it's only the first episode, and you're already talking about the next project….’

He thought, but couldn't stop his mouth from gaping open.

“Let's see, shall we?”

His hand, which would usually tremble when checking the ratings, didn't tremble at all.

No matter what the ratings were yesterday, the first episode's reaction had already told him that tonight's second episode would be a huge hit.

After all, the first episode was more about the quality of the work and the promotion and audience expectations. It just needed to meet the basic expectations.

“Let's see, the ratings!”

Director Jeong Doo-il's eyes widened as he excitedly checked the ratings.

“What? This!”

28.4%

Jeong Doo-il rubbed his eyes and checked again. It was still 28.4%.

Let's all watch together, shall we?

At that moment, a meme popped into Director Jeong Doo-il's mind.

Jeong Doo