Chapter 27

Villain Only Acting 027

Part 1

One by one, the cast's vehicles arrived at the condominium that would serve as the crew's accommodation.

The staff who had arrived earlier were busy carrying equipment.

"It's called a mountain shoot, but it's less than a hundred meters from the condo entrance. It's right in front of us."

An assistant explained to Jung Seohoon.

"There's no scene for you today since it's daytime. Your scene will be shot tonight. So you can rest or watch if you like."

"I'll watch."

"I thought you might. Just in case, take this."

The assistant handed Jung Seohoon a small walkie-talkie.

"Doesn't the phone work here?"

"It does, but sometimes the signal is terrible because it's so remote. Take both. I've given them to the other actors as well."

"Okay."

"I've already set the frequency, so don't touch it. Otherwise, it might cause confusion."

Jung Seohoon pulled out his suitcase from the trunk and extended the handle.

At that moment, the roar of a powerful engine echoed from beyond the road.

A red sports car, with a shield emblem featuring a dynamic horse, approached smoothly.

After a quick turn, the car easily reversed and parked next to Jung Seohoon.

"Seohoon, you came early?"

Cha Dojin, wearing sunglasses, got out and waved cheerfully.

"Come to think of it, this is your first location shoot, right?"

"Not really. I did one in an abandoned building last time."

"Come on, that's not a location shoot. It's inside the city. How about a drink after today's shoot? They say the restaurant here is open 24 hours."

"Alcohol?"

"It feels like we're on a school trip. How can you not have drinks and gatherings on a location shoot? What do you think?"

Cha Dojin seemed unusually excited.

While others found location shoots tiring, he felt like he was on a group tour.

Incidentally, his outfit was a colorful Hawaiian shirt.

"I watched the last episode. By the way, I heard that Jung Ah fainted for real, completely losing her composure. How did you do that?"

"That's not it."

"Sure, it isn't. The rumor has spread. Tell me, too. You called me 'senior' so often, but you didn't treat me well. I'll just..."

At that moment, new vehicles appeared one after another.

A large Starcraft van led the way, followed by a black Mercedes.

Cha Dojin smacked his lips.

"Damn, he knows when to show up. That's Yoo Jeongah's Mercedes. The van has the manager and coordinator in it."

The Mercedes was a limousine, slightly longer than a regular sedan.

As if they had planned it, the car parked next to Jung Seohoon's vehicle, opposite Cha Dojin's Ferrari.

Yoo Jeongah got out, wearing a tight-fitting blue blouse and jeans.

"What's up? Senior, did you talk behind my back?"

"Did you plant a bug in my mouth?"

"Not funny. That's a legacy joke."

"What's not funny about this face?"

Cha Dojin laughed and pointed to his face, while Yoo Jeongah shook her head in disbelief.

"There's no one here who isn't pretty or handsome. So don't try to be funny with your face. Try to improve yourself. If you eat kimchi stew and get red pepper powder all over your teeth, you might be a little funny."

"Seohoon, you saw, right? She has 13 levels of spiciness. She's at level 1 now. When she competes with other actresses, it's no joke. It's entertaining to watch."

"You did talk behind my back. You know, if you talk behind someone's back in front of Seohoon, they'll talk behind Seohoon's back in front of you?"

"What did I say behind your back?"

Yoo Jeongah shook her head in disbelief and waved at the van.

The manager hurried over, opened a black briefcase, and lifted it up.

It was as if he was showing a stack of cash in the briefcase, as often seen in movies.

But inside were several bottles of mouthwash.

Yoo Jeongah picked one up, opened the cap, and handed it to Jung Seohoon.

"How does this smell?"

"It's fine."

She nodded and picked up the next bottle.

"How about this one?"

"It's good."

"This one?"

"Not bad."

"This one?"

"It's fine."

After making him smell almost 20 bottles of mouthwash, she folded her arms and asked.

"Which one smells the best? You have to choose one."

"I liked the first one the most."

A satisfied smile appeared on Yoo Jeongah's face.

"I knew you'd choose that. That's why I showed it to you first. But it's no fun if we use the same one, so I'll use this one."

Yoo Jeongah handed Jung Seohoon the fifth bottle she had shown him.

"Here, take it. Don't forget to use it later."

"What is this?"

Jung Seohoon, genuinely confused, turned his gaze and saw Cha Dojin with his body half-turned, pressing his forehead.

'Here we go again,' he seemed to be thinking, pretending to be indifferent.

"It's mouthwash. I like all of them, but let's use different ones."

"Mouthwash?"

"Oh, you didn't know?"

Yoo Jeongah widened her eyes and continued.

"We have a kissing scene."

***

A murmur of excitement spread among the crew.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"This location shoot has a kissing scene."

"What? Really?"

"Yes."

"Koo Jeman and Hwang Sunhui? They don't seem like they'd have any chemistry at all."

"Apparently not. It's supposed to be Hwang Sunhui and Lee Jinwook."

"That makes even less sense. If that happens in the current plot, it'll turn into a melodrama. The ratings will plummet, and the viewers will set the forums on fire."

Kim Sanghee is notoriously known for not pairing up male and female leads.

Even when viewers, moved by the characters' stories, cry out for a happy ending, she doesn't budge.

For her to introduce a kissing scene first, it's no wonder everyone is buzzing.

On the other hand, Jung Suyeon had different concerns.

'If that guy, Yoo Jeongah, and he kiss and something happens, it won't be good.'

Scandals from on-set chemistry are not uncommon.

What if, during the kissing scene, he misinterprets the affectionate feelings and thinks Yoo Jeongah likes him?

Or worse, what if he thinks he likes Yoo Jeongah?

Or, what if they really do spark something?

For a rising new male actor, a scandal with a top female star would be a huge blow.

Yoo Jeongah's fans would not leave a single piece of him unscathed.

'I need to warn him later.'

Yoo Jeongah's fans are extremely passionate, and getting on their bad side can be a headache.

***

"Our writer, Kim, is writing a kissing scene."

Song Jeongwoo was so moved that he seemed ready to dance.

"How long has it been? No, it's not just been a long time; it's his first time since his debut, right? Isn't it?"

"Yes, it's my first kissing scene."

"To think I'll be directing Kim's first kissing scene. It feels like a meaningful gift, and I'm deeply moved."

"To be honest, I still don't know."

"Still don't know? What do you mean by that?"

Kim Sanghee shook his head and continued.

"I have a specific image in my mind. It has to be perfect. Not a single millimeter off. If it's not, I'll scrap the drama."

"Scrap it! We're almost at 20%! Why are you saying such sacrilegious things!"

"They have no chemistry, but they have to kiss. I need to convince the audience. I need to elicit a reaction like, 'This is the kiss I wanted to see!'"

Assistant director Kim Hyuntae was listening attentively.

He was more anxious inside.

'Why a kissing scene out of nowhere? It doesn't fit the plot at all.'

Maintaining a consistent emotional flow is crucial in a drama.

Usually, the actors' visuals and acting skills maintain this flow, but in Kim Sanghee's case, it's the script that does the heavy lifting.

And there's no hint of romance in Hwang Sunhui and Lee Jinwook's story.

'PD can't be unaware of this.'

He hasn't even seen the script yet, just heard about the kissing scene.

But Song Jeongwoo isn't worried about the plot falling apart.

He trusts Kim Sanghee so much that he would believe the earth orbits the moon if Kim said so, and he captures it on screen without a doubt.

'PD's trust is not ordinary.'

At least when it comes to Kim Sanghee's scriptwriting skills, the director has a faith-level trust.

'A bit envious.'

Kim Hyuntae felt a bit envious.

When he becomes a PD and takes full responsibility for a production, will he meet a writer he can trust like Kim Sanghee?

Song Jeongwoo asked with a wide smile.

"What if we can't get that reaction from the audience?"

"Then we scrap it. Obviously."

"Which episode is it in?"

"It's an added scene at the end of episode 9."

"Good. It's the perfect timing to boost ratings. Did you think about that, our ratings machine?"

"I wouldn't