Chapter 76

Villain Only Acting 076

The First Thing to Be Crushed (4)

In an instant, the drowsiness vanished, and his scattered nerves sharpened.

‘What did I just say.’

Was I under the spell of a dream?

Jeong Seohoon's mind snapped back to reality, and he organized his thoughts.

Like inserting a magazine into a trench that had just been hit by a surprise artillery attack at dawn, he quickly composed his words.

-Jeong Seohoon? Could it be that you...?

"Ah, I'm sorry. I was confused because of a dream. I had a similar dream."

-A similar dream?

"Yes. In the dream, I was rehearsing a scene with you where we were acting out a rebellion."

-Which scene exactly?

"Scene number 32... No, the scene where we encounter the Left Minister while hunting in the mountains with my subordinates. The scene you called NG two days ago."

There was a faint sound of swallowing, wavering through the air.

-Didn't I get attacked by the Grand Prince in that scene?

"Yes."

-But you said you cut me?

"It was just a dream. It was incoherent, with the story jumping around and an illogical ending. It's not real, right?"

-Even in the dream, I called you 'Suyang' and you cut me.

"Yes, that's what happened in your dream."

-But didn't you say the same thing just now? Why did you call me 'Suyang' and say it was an NG?

"..."

Lee Minsoo's voice carried a hint of desperation.

Did he want to believe that they were both in the same dream? Did he hope for it?

"I'm sorry. Because of the NG in your 'dream,' I was still half-asleep and made a slip of the tongue."

-There's no need to apologize. But...

"In your dream, if I said the same thing after the NG, that would be really eerie, wouldn't it? Two actors having the same scene and the same NG in a dream on the same day?"

Jeong Seohoon acted naturally, trying to sound excited about the strange coincidence.

"If the PD finds out, he'll be thrilled, saying it's a sign of a big hit. What did I say in your 'dream,' sir?"

A faint groan slipped out, and a thin, dry answer came back.

-I remember lowering my posture and chuckling near your pillow, but I mumbled something that I couldn't hear properly.

"That's a shame."

-It felt like a real cut on my chest. When do ordinary people ever experience such intense pain?

"You're right. It's not common."

But Jeong Seohoon had experienced far worse pain and situations countless times.

-Why did you call me 'Suyang' so casually and say it was an NG?

"..."

-I just had a feeling. In my 'dream,' after you cut me, you chuckled and said something. Maybe it wasn't like that...

"..."

-It's just a dream, right? Maybe we were both so immersed in the same scene that we had similar dreams...

"Sir."

To calm Lee Minsoo, who was in a state of confusion, a moderate level of composure was best.

"It's just a dream."

-Just a dream...

"Don't think too deeply about it. Why don't you get some more rest? It's very late, and we have to shoot again in a few hours."

-I'm sorry. I must have disturbed you in the early morning.

"I'm worried that it might affect your performance today. I'm fine, though, being young and full of energy."

-I understand. Get some good rest.

"Yes, have a good sleep."

Jeong Seohoon put down his phone and lay back on the bed.

The sleep that had fled was lingering outside the door, hesitating to return.

"Be careful. Even if it was in a dream."

There shouldn't be any problem.

It was just a dream, after all.

He had explained it away well to prevent Lee Minsoo from harboring any strange suspicions.

But a slight curiosity and a sense of certainty remained.

'Did the Lens Power pull Lee Minsoo into my dream?'

The hypothesis that rose like a morning star gradually emitted a stronger glow in his mind.

The probability of it being a mere coincidence was converging to zero.

Could the Lens Power have created a set for the performance in the dream and forcibly invited Lee Minsoo?

'Come on, making me experience such pain is too much. The other party is a civilian.'

Jeong Seohoon hoped his muttering would reach the Power.

***

"..."

Lee Minsoo, who had been staring at his phone, lay down again.

"Ugh..."

As soon as he lay down, a sharp pain ran from his shoulder to his chest.

The nightgown, which had come undone, revealed unblemished, intact skin.

If the pain was so vivid, how could it all have been a dream?

'Did we both get sucked into a dream created by a vengeful ghost?'

He even entertained the absurd notion that they had been pulled into a dream by a ghost.

In front of Jeong Seohoon, who saw it as a mere coincidence, he couldn't continue with such serious musings, so he ended the conversation appropriately.

It might be more plausible that a ghost in the studio had invited them both into the same dream.

"Why did you call me 'Suyang' and say it was an NG?"

The sound of his chuckling still lingered in his ears.

Jeong Seohoon had said it was a slip of the tongue while half-asleep. Given that he had just woken up from the dream, it made sense.

But how could he explain the lingering unease in his heart?

Lee Minsoo couldn't sleep for quite a while due to the vivid pain left by the dream.

***

When they met at the Paju studio in the morning, Lee Minsoo seemed to be in some distress.

Occasionally, he would clutch or rub his chest, and Jeong Seohoon was certain.

"Sir, you don't look well. I'm worried your condition might not be good."

"Ah, I must have slept in an awkward position. My chest feels stiff."

"What? Your chest feels stiff?"

Jang Seungwon, who had overheard this, rushed over and examined Lee Minsoo.

"Where does it hurt? How does it feel? When did it start? Is it from here to here?"

After examining Lee Minsoo, Jang Seungwon quickly called the assistant director.

"Take the sir to the emergency room for a cardiology check-up. Right away."

"What? The emergency room? Cardiology?"

"What if it's a heart attack? A relative of mine passed away from acute myocardial infarction after complaining of similar symptoms, so I have a bit of trauma. Take the sir to the hospital quickly."

"It takes about an hour to get to the university hospital's emergency room from here. Wouldn't it be better to see a doctor at the medical center?"

"Ask the doctor, and if it's serious, take him to the hospital for a detailed examination."

"No, PD Jang. It's not that bad."

"Sir, chest pain is nothing to take lightly. I've lost two close people to heart disease. Please listen to me."

"I'll go with you. The assistant director should stay here and manage the set."

Jeong Seohoon's quick offer surprised Jang Seungwon.

"No, Seohoon, you need to stay here for the shoot. Where would the lead actor go?"

"Today's morning scenes are joint scenes with you, sir. I can't shoot them without you."

"Ah, you're right."

Jang Seungwon flipped through the shooting schedule, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

"You knew all this? What...?"

"Then it's okay if I go? I'll come back as soon as possible."

"It's not right to send the lead actor on such an errand... but..."

"Please, I'm genuinely worried about you, sir."

Thus, Jeong Seohoon escorted Lee Minsoo.

The doctor at the studio medical center said it didn't seem to be a sign of myocardial infarction but advised caution, so they went to the emergency room in the facility's ambulance.

The emergency room at the university hospital became noisy as soon as Lee Minsoo and Jeong Seohoon arrived.

"Please keep this absolutely confidential."

"Of course. Don't worry."

Without a second thought, they conducted a detailed imaging examination due to the severe chest pain, and they waited in a private room for the results.

The managers had left, and only Jeong Seohoon and Lee Minsoo remained in the room.

"I've never had such a vivid dream in my life."

A mutter, like a soliloquy, suddenly emerged, and Jeong Seohoon quietly turned his head.

Lee Minsoo continued, his gaze fixed on the air.

"In dramas and movies, there are often stories about people being suddenly sucked into another world or the past. At first, I thought I was in such a situation."

"I've seen many such stories too."

"But no matter how much I called out, no one appeared. Then I suddenly noticed my costume, which was familiar. It was the prop I wore during the rebellion shooting."

"..."

"Then I saw you. You were in Grand Prince attire, approaching with your subordinates. That's when I realized it was a dream."

Unless it was a dream or the set, he wouldn't encounter Jeong Seohoon in Grand Prince attire.

"Why does the chest I cut in the dream hurt so much?"

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? It was just a dream."

"Still, I feel sorry."

"In my life, I've never had such a vivid dream..."

Lee Minsoo slowly, repeatedly, and gently chuckled.

He didn't look at Jeong Seohoon once during the conversation.

It seemed more like he was chasing after the hallucinatory scenes from the dream.

The medical staff appeared.

"The results are all in. There's no problem. It appears to be a temporary muscle strain."

"I knew it. I came here because of PD Jang's fuss, but this is embarrassing."

"How about the pain?"

"The painkiller is very effective. I'm not in pain at all now."

Lee Minsoo stood up, feeling refreshed as if the pain had been washed away, and refused the manager's offer to support him.

"It's embarrassing that you came with me, Seohoon. I could have come with just the manager."

"I thought it would be a good opportunity to show our closeness. It could be helpful in this tough drama industry. I calculated it."

"I see. I'll keep that in mind."

Lee Minsoo muttered, as if in jest, and lightly rubbed his chest, which was no longer in pain.

"By the way, it's almost the end of the year. The invitation to the Baekryong Awards should be coming soon."

"I've also been told by the organizers that the invitation will be sent soon."

"Even before the invitation? It seems you're starting with the Best Actor award secured."

"Is that so?"

Instead, Manager Ha Taesu's eyes sparkled with strong interest.

"Usually, they give hints to actors who are going to win. They don't say it outright, but they make it clear enough to catch on."

"Wouldn't it be great if Seohoon really starts with the Best Actor award? I'm already excited."

"I think the Korea Cable TV Art Awards will also push Seohoon. It seems like the end of the year will be full of good news."

"Thank you for the kind words."

On the way back, they used Jeong Seohoon's van.

Lee Minsoo's manager had also come with Manager Ha Taesu in the van, following the ambulance.

When they arrived at the Paju studio, PD Jang Seungwon welcomed them with relief and immediately started the afternoon shoot.

After changing into his costume and finishing his makeup, Lee Minsoo approached Jeong Seohoon and lightly nudged his elbow.

"Grand Prince attire really suits you."

"It suits you too, sir."

"Anyway, please be a bit gentler from now on, both in dreams and on set."

"In dreams, you should control it, sir."

"I just felt like I needed to say it to you directly."

Jeong Seohoon could sense the lingering unease from yesterday's dream.

Perhaps he wanted to wash away any lingering bad feelings with this small talk.

"I won't invite you to my dreams from tonight, or from now on. I feel really sorry for causing you so much pain."

"As long as you don't cut me, you can invite me anytime. It was an interesting and novel experience until the pain started. And saying it like that makes it feel like I was really pulled into your dream, which is a bit unsettling."

Of course, the invitation was a mutual joke.

They laughed lightly and stood in front of the camera.

"Standby... and... action..."

At the moment PD Jang Seungwon gave the signal, Lee Minsoo felt the air flow slow down.

His vision wavered, and the surrounding noise faded into the distance.

The disorienting sensation of time and space being flipped didn't even allow him the leisure to look around, forcing his gaze to fix on the Grand Prince in front of him.

-Cut... and... action...

As PD Jang Seungwon's signal ended, the distorted sensation suddenly cleared.

The Left Minister was not in the studio but in the center of the capital.

However, the scenery around the Grand Prince was hazy, wavering between clarity and obscurity.

The only clear view was of the Grand Prince, while everything else was distorted like a landscape on a rippling surface.

"..."

What was happening?

Was he seeing things?

Was his mind so clouded with fatigue that it was malfunctioning?

Without the courage to turn and look at PD Jang Seungwon, the Left Minister could only stare intently at the Grand Prince, who wore a polite sneer.

"Minister, close your eyes and help me this once. I will repay this favor for generations to come."

Through the hazy and wavering scenery of the capital, the Grand Prince's figure, as clear as sunlight, slowly approached.

In the dizziness of being suddenly dropped into the past, the Left Minister desperately recalled what he needed to say.

"Grand Prince... If you don't abandon your treacherous thoughts, I will no longer stand idly by!"

A refreshing sense of relief filled his chest as he spoke.

Despite acting for decades, he had never felt such a sense of unity and satisfaction in a single line.

Immersed in the ecstasy of feeling like the real Left Minister, he was startled when the haze suddenly vanished.

The visible scenery was the interior of the studio.

"Your facial acting was excellent, sir."

"..."

As PD Jang Seungwon approached with a smile, Lee Minsoo involuntarily let out a sigh of relief.

He looked at Jang Seungwon, then around the set, and finally at his own hands before turning his gaze to Jeong Seohoon.

"Sir, why are you like this? Don't tell me you...?"

Jang Seungwon asked in surprise, holding his breath, and Lee Minsoo smiled slightly.

It was a very clear and refreshed expression, free of the unease that had clung to him since yesterday.

Lee Minsoo said brightly,

"This studio really has a powerful ghost, it seems."

"Oh, please, sir, catch that ghost for sure."