Chapter 92: Villain Only

Part 1: Seo Hoon's Emotion

[Seo Hoon] I've arrived.

After checking her messages, Yoo Jeong-a gave one last look in the full-length mirror to check her outfit.

"Good fit, and the straps sit nicely above my collarbone, but are the shorts a bit too long? Should I wear a shorter pair? No, it's too late. I should go now."

Before leaving, she gave a resentful glance at the living room, which was still a mess from her friends' party two days ago.

"I should have cleaned up earlier. Sigh."

Who could she blame?

She should blame her past self for postponing the cleaning with the thought, 'I'll clean it up tomorrow...'.

Yoo Jeong-a, clutching only a small purse, exuded an air of arrogance from the moment she stepped out of the front door.

She drew on her experience of playing a haughty daughter of a wealthy family, draping it over her shoulders like a shawl.

Outside the main gate, a large Mercedes-Benz van was waiting.

Yoo Jeong-a, suppressing a bright smile, approached the van, and the automatic door opened.

She exchanged a glance with Ha Tae-soo in the driver's seat and sat next to Jeong Seo-hoon.

"You look really worn out. Was playing the Great Prince that hard? I thought it would be easier than Lee Jin-wook, but it got harder as the story progressed?"

Even though his face was noticeably gaunt, her heart still fluttered, but she tried to hide it.

"Lee Jin-wook at least doesn't kill children."

"Ah, that's right. As the Great Prince, you have to kill your nephew, right? But it's assassination... Oh!"

Stopping her monologue, Yoo Jeong-a suddenly realized and clapped her hands.

"Did you kill someone with your own hands?"

"You're perceptive."

"I see. You must have been emotionally drained, trying to capture that feeling?"

Yoo Jeong-a looked at him with pity.

She had never acted in a murder scene, so she didn't know what it felt like.

She remembered what a veteran actor, who had played a brutal kidnapper and murderer, had said at a drinking party.

"He said it was so hard to strangle a child to death while glaring at them. He felt like his heart was breaking... "

Some actors isolate themselves in the dark for hours before filming to capture extreme emotions.

"By the way, Seo Hoon, you've only played villains so far. No wonder you're tired. I used to feel like the character's personality had taken over me for a while after each project... "

Yoo Jeong-a, feeling sorry for him, reached out to pat his head but hesitated.

"Is it okay for me to do this?"

Before she could fully hesitate, Jeong Seo-hoon suddenly grabbed her wrist and placed it on his head.

Yoo Jeong-a, without realizing it, smiled and gently stroked his head as if comforting him.

She didn't stop until they arrived at Kim Sang-hee's cocktail bar.

"If you need anything, please contact me."

Ha Tae-soo politely handed her a business card, which she casually put away and then offered her phone.

"Let's exchange numbers with the manager, shall we?"

"It's an honor."

He didn't ask any unnecessary questions, and his serious attitude was appreciated.

When Jeong Seo-hoon and Yoo Jeong-a entered the bar, Kim Min-seok, the salaryman, greeted them warmly.

The hall was, as usual, completely empty of customers.

"You both came together today."

Kim Min-seok naturally placed two glasses of water and a plate of biscuits on the table where they sat.

"Don't misunderstand. We're not in a secret relationship. We both just didn't have anyone to have a drink with at this hour."

"Of course. If it were a secret relationship, you wouldn't have come here."

"But isn't it the opposite? There aren't many places where celebrities can drink comfortably at night."

Kim Sang-hee's cocktail bar doesn't accept regular customers after midnight.

It operates as a private venue for entertainment industry guests, and of course, at least one of Kim Sang-hee's acquaintances must be present.

The bar was set up by Kim Sang-hee to create her own cocktail bar.

Soft music played, and there was no sign of any staff.

Kim Min-seok placed a small bell on the table and said politely,

"Ring it if you need anything."

"Thank you."

Although Kim Min-seok and the staff were likely in a hidden break room, it felt as if they were the only two in the bar.

"You said you received 1.5 billion won per episode, right?"

Yoo Jeong-a deliberately brought up a bright and materialistic topic. Asking why he was struggling wouldn't be a good way to comfort him.

"Yes. The director was very considerate. He even promised 1.5 billion won while drinking here."

"When we did our first project together, you were a newcomer earning a few hundred thousand won. Your pay quickly surpassed mine."

"I feel I'm receiving more than I deserve."

"No, you deserve it. Seo Hoon, you have the right to be treated like that. Your performance as Lee Jin-wook was amazing, even when I watched it again."

As they exchanged light updates, the atmosphere gradually relaxed.

"I'm looking for a new project, but there's nothing suitable. There's one I like, but it's scheduled for September, so I might not take it."

"Is there a reason?"

"I want to do a project with you, but 'Hegemon' ends in June. You might start a new project right away, and if I'm in a project in September, I might miss the chance."

"You're still chasing me, Prosecutor?"

"Did you think I'd give up just because you ran away to a grave, Mr. Lee Jin-wook?"

A small laugh escaped, and the atmosphere became even softer.

"Are you still acting now?"

"Acting?"

"You said you always hide yourself, even in daily life. Isn't that acting? I was wondering if you were still doing it even while drinking with me."

"I'm not acting now. I contacted you because I was feeling down and wanted some comfort. If that's acting, then I'm a bad guy."

"Even if it's acting, I don't mind. As long as we can drink together, that's fine."

Yoo Jeong-a's eyes twinkled with a mischievous smile.

Her slightly drunk eyes sparkled through her tousled hair.

"How many times have you been in love? Be honest."

"Out of the blue?"

"Things like this should be sudden. How many times?"

"I've never been in love."

"Liar. It's okay, just tell me the truth. I'm really curious."

"I'm serious. I only studied."

"Come on, that doesn't seem right... Just from the way you handle women, you seem like a man who's always juggling multiple relationships..."

"What about me?"

"You're always so calm. It's like you've experienced everything and found enlightenment. Have you really never been in love?"

"Yes."

"Then who was your first kiss with? You can't have never kissed anyone if you've never been in love, right?"

"Your first kiss was... Yoo Jeong-a?"

"What did you say?"

The shock was like a sudden sobriety, and she sat up straight.

"Don't lie. Me, your first kiss?"

"Yes."

"No way! That's cheating! Your first kiss... your first kiss... to have such a bitter taste."

She had bitten him in surprise, overwhelmed by the murderer's aura when their lips touched.

Their lips had been in contact for a while, but it was an ambiguous scene, not a normal kiss.

"Wow, I feel so wronged right now. I didn't even know I was the first... I'm so frustrated. Why did I bite you then...?"

"But the PD was actually satisfied with it."

"Still, it feels wronged."

Yoo Jeong-a looked at him with eyes full of frustration, regret, and resentment.

"Let's... "

Her eyes showed the struggle of trying to say something difficult.

After a moment, she continued with a voice filled with regret.

"Next time, let's do a warm kiss scene... "

***

Early morning, the van stopped at the residence in Nonhyeon-dong, and Jeong Seo-hoon got out.

Ha Tae-soo got out of the driver's seat and checked Jeong Seo-hoon over.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"It seems you were psychologically dependent on Yoo Jeong-a. Was it because she was your first co-star?"

"It wasn't a romantic role, just a chase. I just thought of Yoo Jeong-a first."

"But there won't be any scandal, right?"

"It won't. No reporters followed us. As long as nothing slips at the bar, it'll be fine."

"That's a relief. That bar is Kim Sang-hee's hideout, after all."

"Would this industry function properly if a scandal broke out every time actors had a drink together?"

"True. You and Yoo Jeong-a are a scandal-worthy pair. Anyway, go in and rest. Contact me if you need to go out. I'm your manager."

"Got it. See you, bro."

Ha Tae-soo drove the van back to his own home.

As he entered the living room, he saw Jeong Su-yeon lying on the floor with a white face mask, wiggling her foot to beckon him.

"How far did you go with Yoo Jeong-a?"

"Just had a drink."

"Thinking about it, it might be fun to bully Yoo Jeong-a as a sister-in-law. What do you think about us being rivals for the inheritance?"

"Just had a drink."

"The PD said you must rest today. I'll rest too. Don't even think about going out unless you're on a date with an actress."

Jeong Seo-hoon, with a dismissive laugh, lightly kicked Jeong Su-yeon's exposed belly.

His steps up to the second floor were lighter than when he left the studio earlier, perhaps because of the conversation with Yoo Jeong-a, or maybe because he kicked his sister...

***

Paju Studio.

Just because the lead actor is resting doesn't mean the set is on hold. They have to keep filming scenes without the lead actor.

While the staff were busy setting up the set, Jang Seung-won was dozing off in a folding chair with his arms crossed.

"PD, are you really that tired? I've never seen you sleep on set."

"Yesterday, after wrapping up the shoot, I did a few hours of rehearsal with Jeong Seo-hoon. I kept reviewing it until morning."

"Really impressive. Is that the level you need to be at to command 800 billion won in production costs?"

"They say the incentives he gets on top of his directing fee are even higher. I wonder how much it is."

Once the setup was complete, the assistant director cautiously woke Jang Seung-won.

As soon as his shoulder was tapped, Jang Seung-won opened his eyes, slapped his cheeks, and stood up energetically.

"Alright, let's start the shot."

The filming ended at 3 PM.

It was decided to stop early because Jang Seung-won was too exhausted.

The staff welcomed this decision.

"Good call. We don't have a tight schedule, so it's good to take breaks. I was worried you might collapse today."

"I wanted to finish filming by May 1st, but it doesn't seem possible."

"The final episode airs on June 22nd, so you can take it a bit easier. But you look troubled, PD?"

"Assistant Director, take a look at this."

Jang Seung-won showed him a video clip that had been edited.

It was the scene he and Jeong Seo-hoon had rehearsed that morning.

"PD, did you act in this? Wow, unbelievable."

"I just filled in for a bit because there was no one else. Don't make fun of me, I know I'm not a good actor."

"You're not bad. Your eyes are so realistic."

The assistant director, his face full of interest, stared intently at the monitor.

The clear dialogue from the monitoring headphones, the vivid acting as if the Great Prince had come back to life, and the PD's realistic expression, which didn't look like a beginner's at all...

"..."

After watching the entire clip, the assistant director quietly removed the headphones and organized them.

"Actor Yoon Jin-won has to step into this scene, right?"

"Yes."

"Isn't this going to break his mental state? He has to choke someone while looking at this? I can feel my arm hairs standing up right now."

"Before he leaves the studio, call him in quickly. Show him this."

"Got it."

The assistant director stood up, and Jang Seung-won, while monitoring the scene again, muttered to himself,

"I wonder if Yoon Jin-won likes horror movies..."