Chapter 82

Villain Only Acting 082

Creative Inspiration (1)

Lee Min-soo sat in his seat, staring intently at Jung Se-hoon.

At that moment, Jung Se-hoon was in sync with Han Se-hee.

Han Se-hee, as captured by the camera, exuded a deep sense of unity, as if she had transcended time to become a noblewoman of the Joseon era.

‘Something’s different. There’s definitely something different.’

Han Se-hee was clearly different when she was in sync with Jung Se-hoon compared to when she was with other actors.

Lee Min-soo could clearly see the difference.

Even her small, casual smiles felt different.

In front of Jung Se-hoon, they felt like the genuine smiles of a noblewoman.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, recalling the unforgettable voice once again.

‘Why did you call him Suyang and cause that NG?’

Every time he remembered, goosebumps would rise on the back of his hand, even after several months.

The hallucination he experienced when he first synchronized with Jung Se-hoon after having a dream about being stabbed by the Grand Prince, where the scenery around him seemed to warp.

At that moment, Lee Min-soo, forgetting about the PD, the camera, and even himself, could fully immerse himself in the role of the Left State Minister, delivering his lines as if he were truly the Left State Minister.

‘Was that last year already?’

But that mysterious sense of unity was a one-time occurrence.

Lee Min-soo never experienced it again after that.

Thanks to his efforts to not forget that sensation, he could feel his acting improve every time he monitored his performance.

‘Teacher, your acting has improved. You’re really amazing.’

But no matter how much the PD praised him, it didn’t quench his thirst.

Since that day last year, Lee Min-soo had been chasing after the lost sensation.

Even today, despite not having his own part, he came to the set to watch Jung Se-hoon’s performance.

***

During the break, Jang Seung-won talked only with Kim Sang-hee.

“Writer, how is Han Se-hee’s acting these days? Hasn’t it improved a lot?”

“Yes, it has. She’s completely different from when she first auditioned. How could she have improved so much?”

“Love is a powerful thing, it seems.”

“Shh, don’t say that lightly. It could cause trouble.”

“So what? Is it strange for the Grand Prince’s wife to love the Grand Prince?”

Kim Sang-hee’s expression was not serious, as if it was just a joke.

“Don’t you think of Se-hoon as a totem?”

“Totem?”

“An acting totem. When placed on the set, it boosts the acting skills of the actors around it.”

“I often feel that too. The actors who perform with him definitely have a different acting tone.”

Jang Seung-won scratched his chin with his fingertips, recalling a recent conversation.

“Teacher Lee Min-soo said something similar. He said that when he synchronized with Se-hoon, he felt a deeper concentration.”

“You said that during the filming of ‘Ilryul’ too.”

“Han Se-hee is also showing better performance than expected. It’s a shame that today is the last day.”

Han Se-hee’s filming officially ends today.

All the flashback scenes in the later episodes have been completed.

Kim Sang-hee smiled at Jang Seung-won, who was casually changing the subject.

“PD, just be honest.”

“The audience’s reaction is good, so how can we...”

“No. It might be seen as a beautification of Sejo. It seems like an attempt to soften his image with love.”

“Can’t we extend the 20s era a bit more? It’s too early to let Han Se-hee leave.”

“Was that a fake, and this is the real deal?”

“No way. I was serious just now. But if it might be seen as a beautification of Sejo, we should stop it.”

Sejo was a figure who destroyed the ruling system of Joseon for his own greed. It was also the main theme of the entire story of "Hageup."

As a writer whose ancestors were servants of a noble family, he could never compromise on this.

“I’ll extend it by two episodes.”

“Really?”

Jang Seung-won was delighted, and Kim Sang-hee held up two fingers.

“I was also thinking of extending it because of Han Se-hee’s acting. But if we extend the 20s era by two episodes now, the shooting schedule will be tight, you know?”

“I’ll make sure there are no problems.”

“I know how you’ll write the extended script, right?”

“You won’t roll the set without a purpose, right? I know you well.”

“Since you flattered me so well, I’ll give you a pass. I’ll send the extended script to your email by today.”

Jang Seung-won let out a tired laugh.

“What? You’ve already written it?”

“It’s worth extending. The young, innocent Grand Prince’s wife. The audience will love it.”

“If I had just waited, I would have won the guessing game.”

“Since I have the script, that won’t happen. Are you really disappointed to lose the guessing game?”

“No. I can lose this kind of thing happily, even ten or a hundred times.”

“Instead of showing the selfish side of the Grand Prince, we’ll show a more lovable Grand Prince’s wife.”

Kim Sang-hee had been emphasizing this through the script from the beginning.

He wanted to ensure that while the audience might admire and be drawn to Jung Se-hoon’s portrayal of the Grand Prince, they wouldn’t be captivated by the character of the Grand Prince himself.

He was thoroughly protecting the dignity of his ancestors who swept the courtyard for Kim Jong-seo.

“Yes, I understand. It’s necessary for balance.”

“I can’t allow the image of Prince Suyang to be beautified, thinking of our ancestors watching from below.”

***

“Good job, brother.”

The camera turned off, and Han Se-hee greeted Jung Se-hoon with a deep sense of regret.

Today was the last day of her filming. From now on, Lee Se-hyun would take over the role of the Grand Prince’s wife.

Han Se-hee wouldn’t be coming to the set anymore.

If she came to visit, anyone would welcome her, but a popular girl group center couldn’t just come and visit without a schedule.

“You did a great job too, Se-hee.”

“But when will you treat me more casually?”

“I’m already treating you quite casually.”

“Are you deliberately keeping your distance from me?”

She asked with a smile, as if it was nothing.

Perhaps because she was young, she didn’t hesitate to express her thoughts.

“No, I’m not.”

“Is it because of the scandals? You’re being careful because there are always scandals with the actresses you work with, right?”

“Being careful with my words and actions is something I do as a person, not because of scandals.”

“Wow, that sounds cool. Is that how all Korean University students are?”

It was a slightly ridiculous reaction.

How could such a simple comment be related to being a Korean University student?

“I also want to go to Korean University. Can I get private tutoring from you?”

“I’m not really cut out to be a tutor...”

“Come on, what are you talking about? You’ve already been investigated by V-Lab for tutoring the children of generals and sending them to good universities. I’m also from V-Lab.”

“Han Se-hee! Se-hee! We’re running out of time! We need to move quickly!”

At that moment, her manager appeared and dragged her away.

“Brother! I’m leaving! Thank you so much!”

Han Se-hee hurriedly said goodbye and was dragged away, glaring at her manager.

Then, Kim Sang-hee’s presence was felt.

“Why do you look so disappointed, seeing your lovely partner taken away by a wicked manager? It’s like watching a wife go back to her parents’ house with her children.”

“Ah, Writer.”

“I was hoping there would be something touching between the two of you, but it seems there’s nothing. What a pity.”

“I’m not really interested in dating right now. I’m completely focused on acting.”

“That’s why you need to experience romantic feelings. Not necessarily dating, but emotional experiences.”

Kim Sang-hee’s expression was meaningful.

“Since you’re so focused on acting, shouldn’t you study emotions more? I’m planning to cast you as the lead in a romance later.”

“Are you serious?”

“Do you know I don’t joke about scripts? Or are you not interested in a romance lead?”

“...”

A short, quiet silence.

It was a gentle way of indicating that he wasn’t particularly interested.

But since Kim Sang-hee was his benefactor who had quenched his thirst, he wouldn’t refuse the role.

“Don’t worry. It won’t be a typical romance. Se-hoon, you’ll probably like it.”

“I’m more nervous because you said it won’t be typical. Is it the next project after ‘Hageup’?”

“I’ll keep it on hold until you’re ready. You’re not ready yet. You’re not ready.”

The experience of romantic feelings, which Kim Sang-hee felt was lacking in the current Jung Se-hoon.

“Yoo Jeong-a and Chae Ji-hyun were also good, but now I think Han Se-hee is a good choice too. If they date, they’ll both be each other’s first love, right? Their ages are perfect