Chapter 20

Villain Only Acting 020

No one asked if he was alive (2)

The anger of the viewers was intense.

In episode 2, Lee Jin-wook, who was unjustly accused, made one last call to lawyer Go Jeman and then threw himself into the Han River.

It wasn't just a cliffhanger at the end.

He jumped in the middle of the episode, and the confirmation of his death was even shown afterward.

Viewers could no longer even hope that Lee Jin-wook was still alive.

- Joo-ya, Sang-hee, what's the problem? Huh?

- Sang-hee, I'm disappointed. Did our Seo-hoon not act well? Was his face too stiff? That can't be it.

- How do you plan to continue from here? Killing off such an actor?

- If he were a rookie, he wouldn't have even earned 100 per episode. Just take him to the end;;;

- Forget it, just bring Lee Jin-wook back. I'll watch any ridiculous plot twist.

The viewer participation board and the official SNS accounts of Illegel were flooded with all sorts of criticism.

The viewers were so shocked.

Even a story from a 50-year-old woman whose son had committed suicide in the military was posted.

- I watched it thinking Lee Jin-wook was my son. I cried all the time. I hoped he could clear his name, even if it was just in the drama. I hope lawyer Go Jeman will beat up the bad guys and clear our son's name. Please.

Although there were sarcastic comments about confusing reality and drama, the commenter deleted the post after receiving a lot of abuse and fled.

- What's the point of continuing to watch Illegel?

- I'm out.

- No, you guys;; Seo-hoon is a supporting actor, and this is a Cha Do-jin and Kim Sang-hee drama. Are you saying you won't watch it?

- No, I won't. It's even more annoying because it's the director's intention.

The negative reactions erupted like a volcano, and the production staff began to worry.

"Is this okay? There are too many bad reviews."

"No, the plot and acting haven't collapsed. It's just that one supporting actor died. Why is everyone making such a fuss? People might think the main character died."

"Our mother thought Lee Jin-wook was the main character and Go Jeman was the supporting actor."

"That's ridiculous."

The controversy was definitely well-stirred.

Song Joo-ya, hiding his smile, instructed the publicity team.

"Drop the bait."

- Breaking news! Private Jeong appeared on the Illegel set!

- What, what? Wasn't the filming already over?

- Did you check the date? Was it before episode 2 aired?

- No, it was after episode 2 aired. He filmed a light scene with Cha Do-jin. They say he will appear in episode 4.

- Damn writers! If this is true, I have no choice but to follow along until episode 4!

- He didn't die?

- That would mean the plot itself has collapsed. They might give more service time through a flashback scene.

- Ah, flashback service time... Do I have to watch this? I have to, I have to. 😭

- May our Private Jeong be happy and not in pain there. It was fun, even if it was brief.

The fandom, which had latched onto the bait that Seo-hoon had reappeared on the set, was running a fierce happiness circuit.

<Lee Jin-wook didn't die, that body was someone else's?>

- I get it! Lee Jin-wook had a twin brother!

- No, that's not it. Kim Sang-hee writes provocatively, but she's not a melodrama writer.

- Haha, if you go through all of Kim Sang-hee's works, you'll realize how ridiculous these fantasies are. (Link)

All sorts of interpretations hoping for Lee Jin-wook's survival sprang up.

But no interpretation could avoid the brilliant conclusion that the happiness circuit was burning brightly.

The fever gradually cooled down, and the viewers began to accept reality like abandoned dogs.

- Lee Jin-wook really did die.

- Where did Kim Sang-hee's recklessness go? Ruthlessly discarding characters.

- Kim Sang-hee's thrilling style is her strength, but Seo-hoon is too disappointing. It's been a while since I've seen such a young and talented face.

- Now that he's gained recognition, he'll probably get a lead role soon.

- They say he'll appear in a flashback in episode 4. Let's take comfort in that.

The highest rating for episode 3 was 12.9%.

It was a 1.3% drop from episode 2.

Especially at the end, it dropped to 10.8%.

Before the shoot, Song Joo-ya discussed the ratings with Kim Sang-hee.

"What does this mean?"

"Numbers don't lie. They're straightforward. The rating for just Lee Jin-wook was 3.8%."

"Good that we increased his lines."

"It's not about increasing his lines, but restoring the original setting."

"I know, I know. But the other actors and viewers won't think that way, right?"

"I know what rumors are going around."

Kim Sang-hee added casually.

"Kim Sang-hee is favoring someone else and giving them more lines, that's what they're saying."

"Alright, enough."

"Don't worry. I'm an 8,000-per-episode writer. My bank account is too solid to be swayed by such rumors."

"I was worried you might be affected mentally."

"Thank you for your concern. But I'm worried about my mental state being torn apart by the viewers in real-time."

"You've been through a lot. What are you worried about?"

"..."

"So, Kim Writer, please pay more attention to Seo-hoon."

"What about my mental state being torn apart by the viewers?"

"You've been through a lot. Don't worry."

***

Seo-hoon was adjusting his emotions while drawing at the set.

The pen moved quickly, erasing the blank spaces on the canvas.

The drawing was of himself returning from the battlefield, and the base members welcoming him back as if they had seen a ghost.

As he completed the characters and began to fill in the background, he sensed someone quietly watching from behind.

It wasn't Yoo Jeong-a, but the art director, Jang Chun-sik.

It was fine when he just watched quietly, but his heavy breathing was distracting.

Finally, Seo-hoon put down his pencil and turned around.

"Ah, did I disturb you? I'm sorry."

Jang Chun-sik, who had been staring with his mouth slightly open, finally showed an awkward expression.

Seo-hoon naturally closed his sketchbook, and a hint of regret appeared in Jang Chun-sik's eyes.

"You draw well. Are you doing image training for today's shoot?"

"Yes."

"But the background seems a bit different from the script. It's not an overseas deployment but a lawyer's office in Seocho-gu. They meet there, right?"

Seo-hoon came up with a natural reason on the spot.

"While imagining Lee Jin-wook returning from the overseas deployment and massacring his allies before returning to the base, I tried to capture the emotion of him going to meet lawyer Go Jeman."

"Wow...! If we cross-cut those scenes, it would create even more tension. Wait, didn't we have a scene like that in the broadcast?"

"Yes, at 16 minutes and 28 seconds in episode 1."

"You memorized that?"

"I watched the original broadcast. I know the main flow."

Jang Chun-sik's pupils trembled violently.

His expression seemed to be suppressing the urge to shout, 'Who is this kid?'

Just as he was about to say something more while looking at the sketchbook, a staff member ran up breathlessly.

"Director! The setup is complete, we're ready to start shooting!"

"Ah, okay. Got it."

Seo-hoon stood up.

It was time to become a soldier again and savor the atmosphere there.

He wanted to stand in front of the camera as soon as possible.

***

Even after Lee Jin-wook's suicide, Go Jeman continued the lawsuit.

The murder trial no longer had any meaning, but he wanted to restore the dead man's honor.

Everyone around him said it was pointless, but he continued the fight as if under a spell.

However, during the process, the captain of the unit where Lee Jin-wook had served died in an accident.

The investigation team concluded it was a simple traffic accident, but Go Jeman thoroughly investigated the case from the beginning.

While tracing the suspicious threads, Go Jeman was visited by a familiar face.

The exhausted and troubled expression of the young man he had seen before was gone, replaced by a detached and indifferent look that made him wonder if it was the same person.

- I heard you've been looking for me.

- Captain Kim Si-ho... Did you kill him?

For a few seconds, Lee Jin-wook stared silently, then smiled faintly.

- No one asked if you were alive.

"..."

Song Joo-ya couldn't call "cut" for a long time.

But the eye battle between the two actors continued, tense and unbroken.

As if they couldn't break out of their immersion without the cut signal.

Kim Sang-hee, who had been watching silently from the side, finally broke the tension with a small breath.

"Cu, cut!"

Only then did the artificial world dissipate, and the two actors returned to reality.

Kim Sang-hee murmured softly.

"Didn't it feel like they were trapped in my script's world just now? Ah, how...?"

"Seul-na, our Kim Writer, the muse has arrived. Bring a portable desk."

Where is the next episode? (1)