As Han Seongtae stepped onto the set, he could tell the atmosphere was different from usual.
It felt unusually hectic, as if someone important had arrived, and he turned his head to look around.
‘Ah… it’s because of them.’
Faces he didn’t normally see.
There, chatting with Jo Seok-jeong, were Lee Min-seong and Gong Jin-hyo.
All of them were leads in Race Start.
In particular, Lee Min-seong was hailed as being in the ranks of the great actors.
“Ah, looks like people from the sponsor are here.”
While Han was looking their way, he heard Jeong Du-sik’s voice beside him.
Employees from Daehyeon Corporation, which was sponsoring Race Start.
They had come to see the set.
Since it was the company that had provided most of the cars used in filming, no wonder things felt stirred up.
“Mr. Seongtae, over here!”
Nam Seok-dae spotted Han walking toward them and called out.
“Welcome. Mr. Ji-seong, this is the actor Han Seongtae. And this is Team Leader Yoo Ji-seong from Daehyeon.”
“Hello.”
“Yes, a pleasure.”
At Nam’s introduction, Han and Yoo Ji-seong exchanged greetings.
The staffer standing beside Yoo also reached out to shake Han’s hand, and that was the end of their exchange.
The two from Daehyeon were more interested in leads like Jo Seok-jeong and Lee Min-seong than in Han, who was playing a bit part.
‘That’s just how it is.’
Their reaction was very familiar to Han.
He took it in stride and moved off.
He picked up his script and waited for shooting to begin.
“Let’s roll.”
With the staffer’s call, filming began.
[‘He Who Defined His Era’ clenches his fist and says, Let’s go strong to the very end.]
[‘The One of a Thousand Faces’ tells you it isn’t over till it’s over, so stay focused.]
Under the gods’ gaze, Han set off to give his final performance.
Makeup finished, he stepped onto the set.
‘This is the last run for this car, too.’
Looking at the Stinger sitting before him, Han wore a curious expression.
He hadn’t expected to come to like cars this much.
Only after getting behind the wheel and driving himself had he realized he was interested in cars.
Maybe that was why it felt all the more bittersweet.
‘I’m counting on you till the end.’
Tapping the roof with a smile, Han climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Ready…”
Nam’s voice drifted faintly over, and the slater stepped in and clapped the slate.
Tak!
With that sound, Han became the drug courier.
Vroom, vrrrrrum!
Pressing the accelerator and letting the engine snarl, Han glanced back.
Wee-woo, wee-woo!
The actors playing the police were in their cruisers behind him, sirens wailing.
Han’s eyes sharpened at the sight.
Buaaaang!
With a thunderous roar, the Stinger Han was driving shot forward like an arrow.
The police cruisers tore after him.
Weaving this way and that to escape the police, Han fled.
As his final performance approached its end—
“Cut!”
With Nam’s voice, the walkie mounted inside the car crackled with the instruction to stop.
Easing off and returning to his mark at the sound, Han caught sight of an odd look on Nam’s face.
“Mr. Seongtae, the driving’s good… but doesn’t it feel a little bland?”
“I know, right? It’s definitely good, but there’s something oddly lacking.”
“It’d be nice if there were something pow!—more impact.”
He could hear Nam and the assistant directors conferring.
At their words, Han checked the monitor.
The driving was good, and his flight from the police read as tense.
‘Now that they say it… it does feel a little lacking.’
Maybe because he’d heard them, Han found himself thinking his performance felt lacking too.
He could do better.
He wrestled with how.
Nam and the other directors were the same. They were discussing what to do when a message in front of Han made him pause.
[‘He Who Lives and Dies by Speed’ says your driving is uniform. You need to add variation.]
The answer was closer than he’d thought.
Watching the monitor, Nam Seok-dae fell into thought.
On the screen was Han Seongtae behind the wheel—the sight that had made Nam gasp in admiration the first time.
It still drew admiration, and yet—
‘Maybe because it’s similar to the first time, the feeling doesn’t land as well.’
Han’s driving felt similar to before.
Which made it feel all the more unsatisfying.
‘If only there were something that hit a little harder, but it isn’t there.’
Tap, tap.
As Nam drummed his forearm, Han spoke up.
“I have a suggestion.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“If possible, could I handle the car a little more roughly?”
“Roughly?”
At Nam’s echoing question, Han nodded right away.
To be honest, Han had been holding himself back up to now when he drove.
Because the cars were sponsored, he’d driven carefully.
“…That might be difficult. These aren’t cars we can treat however we want.”
Though Nam partly agreed with Han’s idea, what came out of his mouth was a no.
You couldn’t just do whatever you pleased with a sponsored car.
“Ah… so that won’t fly.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. It’s a sponsored car.”
Just as Han was feeling disappointed at his words—
“In that case, go ahead and do what you want.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’m sorry—what?”
No one knew when he’d come over, but Yoo Ji-seong was there with a smile.
Team Leader Yoo Ji-seong from Daehyeon.
Standing between Nam and Han, he addressed the two startled men.
“If the issue is that you can’t do what you want because it’s a sponsored car, then don’t worry—do it the way you want.”
“Is that really okay?”
To Han’s question, Yoo smiled gently and nodded.
“Of course. We’re sponsoring to advertise our brand in a good work—not to drag down the project’s quality. If we’re doing this, better to shoot it right and get a better advertising effect.”
“Ah…”
“You’re Mr. Seongtae… right?”
Han nodded.
“From what I’ve seen, you drive well. I don’t see any reason to worry. It’s not like you’re trying to total the car. You’re just going to go fast. Scratches and the like don’t matter. Do what you want, actor.”
Yoo’s decision was refreshingly decisive.
In one go, he solved the problem that had stumped Nam and Han.
“So we’re all set, then?”
“Y-yes…”
Nam nodded, still a bit dazed at Yoo’s words.
Leaving him there, Yoo stepped up to Han.
“I’m looking forward to a great shot.”
“…Yes. You can.”
At Yoo’s words, Han nodded confidently.
His gaze flicked briefly into the air, then back.
With all eyes on him, Han walked up to the Stinger.
Vrrrum.
The engine rumbled like a tiger’s growl, and Han began to drive.
“Team Leader, are we really allowed to do this?”
At the voice beside him, Yoo turned his head.
It was Choi Eun-chan, the junior employee who’d come along.
Unlike Yoo’s easy manner, Choi looked uneasy.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure we’re allowed to decide this on our own. What if it gets damaged…”
“Don’t worry so much. From what I saw, he’s a good driver.”
“But still…”
At Choi’s anxious mutter, Yoo let out a small laugh.
“Even if something happens, it won’t come down on you, Ms. Eun-chan, so don’t worry.”
“…”
Maybe because Yoo said he’d take responsibility, some of Choi’s worry seemed to ease.
“And look—if we’re going to advertise, better to do it properly. I trust our actor, Mr. Han Seongtae, will deliver.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“You won’t be now, but with more experience you’ll see what I mean. Ah, looks like they’re starting.”
At Yoo’s words, Choi turned her head to the set.
With Nam’s signal, the Stinger blasted off at very high speed.
If “handle it roughly” had sounded like an exaggeration, the way it was moving now said otherwise.
In a flash the Stinger reached a corner… and didn’t slow.
Screeeech!
With the sound of rubber being shaved from the tires, the Stinger traced a wide arc through the corner.
“Wow, I didn’t expect to see an inertial drift here.”
A technique where the driver’s skill matters immensely.
Yoo gave a disbelieving chuckle as he watched the Stinger.
He hadn’t expected a mere actor to show this level of driving ability.
“That’s exhilarating.”
“…”
At Yoo’s admiration, Choi just stared blankly at the Stinger.
“Han Seongtae…”
Buaaaang!
As Choi fell silent and Yoo murmured to himself, the Stinger’s engine note thundered.
[‘He Who Lives and Dies by Speed’ is finally satisfied, saying now it actually feels like riding a car.]
Pressing the pedal hard, Han continued his performance.
It was a very short sequence, but Han felt he was learning a lot within it.
Ten seconds before the performance ended.
In those ten seconds, Han felt as if he could be made whole.
Vrrrum.
But the world didn’t move to his wishes.
The ten seconds he’d hoped would be eternal ended quickly.
“Mr. Seongtae, you’re really something. You drive well, you act well. At this point you’re an all-around actor. You’re the complete package.”
“Hahaha.”
Checking the monitor, Han laughed at Nam’s words.
An all-around actor…
There was a time when he’d have been happy to be good at just one thing.
‘What if I could do every genre, not just action.’
In those brief moments behind the wheel, Han felt as if he’d had a revelation.
Not just one genre… he wanted to act across many.
He formed a goal: to reach every domain.
[‘The One of a Thousand Faces’ applauds, saying you got a great shot.]
[‘He Who Defined His Era’ finds you captivating behind the wheel and ponders which clothes might show off even more of your charm.]
It was a far-off, seemingly impossible goal, but suddenly it didn’t feel impossible at all.
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