“Seongtae, the shoot got pushed back. The director will contact you separately.”
It was close to dawn.
With a blank look on his face, Han Seongtae read the text that had come from Kim Mucheol.
They had gone so far as to nail down the action choreography, so what on earth had suddenly happened?
“There is a block in the current shoot, so that is why. Ah… they might end up calling you in first instead.”
“I understand, it cannot be helped. You do not have to worry about me. I am ready anytime.”
“Yeah, I know that. You are solid, really solid.”
At Mucheol’s reply, Han Seongtae let out a small laugh and turned his head.
Looking out the window where the sun was just beginning to rise, he let out a deep sigh.
They had no idea when they would be filming.
Resolving to prepare even harder, Seongtae got up from his seat.
[War of the Villains, opening wide this coming Wednesday!]
[War of the Villains, the film carrying everyone’s expectations on its shoulders. Will it be able to deliver results that match the hype.]
[With the release date approaching, people are half excited and half worried.]
While Seongtae was in the middle of intense practice, the release date for War of the Villains crept right up in front of him.
I was so busy practicing I did not even realize time had gone by like this.
Even though he had heard the date in advance from Choi Yechan, he had been too caught up preparing for the drama to really pay attention.
“Hey, the movie comes out tomorrow. We should go see it.”
“Yeah, I was planning on it anyway.”
“But are we even going to be able to get tickets? Looking at the reservation charts, it is insane.”
“If it is that, you do not have to worry.”
Texting back and forth with Kim Minseok, Han Seongtae glanced to the side.
Next to his script, three movie tickets were lying there.
“The director got tickets for me in advance so I could watch it with my friends.”
“Seriously? That is really nice of him. It is not easy to get those right now.”
“I could not go to the showcase, remember. I think he felt bad about that, so he went out of his way for me.”
“Ah…”
War of the Villains had already had its showcase a week before its release.
A showcase held with only the leads present.
Seongtae had thought that was only natural, but it seemed Director Choi Yechan had been thinking a little differently.
Judging by the way he had given Seongtae three tickets while apologizing for not being able to look out for him more.
Seongtae, who had already been worrying about how he was going to get tickets, gratefully accepted them and thanked him.
Director Choi had even said he would not feel comfortable until Seongtae took them.
“There are three tickets, so it would not be bad to invite Harin too. You two did shoot a movie together, after all. You can at least do that much, right.”
“You are right. Good idea. Okay then, I will contact Harin. See you tomorrow.”
“Okay, okay.”
Ending his text exchange with Kim Minseok, Han Seongtae immediately called Seo Harin.
“Hello?”
Hearing Seo Harin’s voice, Seongtae smiled as he opened his mouth.
Two in the afternoon.
Arriving at the theater at the appointed time, Han Seongtae could see Seo Harin walking toward him from a distance.
[The One Who Defined an Era murmurs that her fashion sense is not bad.]
As he looked at her, a message popped up from the god of acting.
Seeing that message, Seongtae let out a brief chuckle and walked over to her.
“Harin, it has been a while.”
“Yes, how have you been?”
“I have been doing well. What about you?”
“Me too! I am going to acting academy these days, and it is so much fun.”
Watching her speak excitedly, Seongtae smiled.
Seeing how hard she was working, he felt proud of her as a fellow actor.
“Ah, sorry. The traffic was bad. Did you wait long?”
“No, I did not wait that long.”
“Then let’s go in right away. The movie is about to start.”
Kim Minseok hurried into the theater.
The three of them headed toward the screens laughing together.
With popcorn and soda in both hands, their steps were very light.
“Oppa, do you really want to see this that badly?”
At Choi Jiyeon’s question, her boyfriend nodded firmly as if it were obvious.
“Of course. You could tell just from the trailer.”
“What do you mean, you could tell? Sometimes I really do not understand why men watch this kind of thing.”
“You will know once you see it. It just… you know? It really gets your blood pumping.”
Despite his words, she looked completely uninterested.
No matter how well made an action movie was, it was still just an action movie.
There was no moving story, and all it did was show flashy action that hurt her eyes.
She did not understand why anyone would want to watch something like that.
I would rather watch a romantic comedy than this.
She was only watching it because her boyfriend had asked. She had not planned on seeing this movie at all.
That was how she ended up seated in the theater.
The ads rolled.
“In our prison, we have one legendary man.”
Inside a prison.
The movie began with a man shaking his fist as he spoke.
“He took over Seoul using only his fists. And that man is here in this prison…”
Boom, crash.
Before he could finish his sentence, a huge roar rang out and the scene cut to a brawl breaking out in the prison cafeteria.
Thud. Thwack.
One man was fighting against several people at once.
It should have been difficult for a single person to defeat a group.
“Hey, hey, what is with that guy!”
“He is knocking everyone down by himself!”
“Wow. We got a real firecracker of a newbie this time.”
The man did not seem to be at a disadvantage at all despite being outnumbered.
Just as he was about to take them all down.
“What is with all the noise?”
A large man with a vicious face appeared.
It is Ma Seokdong.
When it came to action, he was Korea’s top actor, someone you could never leave out.
He walked toward the man with heavy, deliberate steps.
“You little punk.”
Smack.
With a single slap, he floored the man.
A satisfying, explosive action.
Watching that scene, something about Choi Jiyeon’s expression turned strange.
As her gaze stayed fixed on the screen, the movie’s story continued.
“Hey. Do you want to work under me?”
“And who are you supposed to be.”
“There is actually someone who does not know Jang Sudong.”
“Jang Sudong? Do you mean the boss of the Mubaek gang.”
“Yeah, that is right. You know your stuff. You have some skills. Be my guy.”
At Jang Sudong’s words, Park Haejun looked conflicted.
Time passed.
Park Haejun received Jang Sudong’s favor and went under him.
After that, the prison became their world.
With the strongest fists and a tough enforcer together, there was no one who could stand against them.
“Haejun, you are getting out soon, right. Must feel good.”
“I would not say I feel good, exactly… It just feels strange. The thought that I am really going out.”
“Sure, that makes sense. When you get out, contact these guys. I have already put in a word for you. You can go in comfortably.”
“Thank you, hyung.”
Park Haejun was released first, and two years later, Jang Sudong was released as well.
In that time, Park Haejun rose to a fairly well-known position within the Mubaek gang.
“Haejun, I knew you would do well.”
“It is all thanks to you looking out for me, hyung.”
“Yeah. Keep it up.”
A warm, pleasant atmosphere.
But it did not last long.
“Hey, Jang Sudong. I hear you have been making trouble lately.”
“Detective, instead of doing this here, why do we not talk outside.”
“Outside? You think the police of the Republic of Korea are a joke? What kind of thug lays hands on a detective.”
Detective Jung Seoktae appeared at one of the gang’s business sites.
Because of him, the once-quiet Mubaek gang became noisy.
Whack.
When Jung Seoktae tried to go inside, smacking his own face, Park Haejun tried to stop him.
That led to a scuffle.
“Our guy seems to have made things uncomfortable for you, Detective. Let us just smooth this over for my sake.”
“Smooth it over? You think this is something that can just be smoothed over. You lot just laid hands on a detective.”
“I will get you results instead.”
The corrupt detective, Jung Seoktae.
There were plenty of members who were unhappy with him.
But that did not mean they could touch a detective.
They had been trying to keep things from blowing up and handle it in a good mood when, one day.
“You son of a bitch!”
Park Haejun was stabbed to death in Jang Sudong’s place.
No.
Watching Haejun collapse in a pool of blood, Choi Jiyeon clenched her fist hard.
At some point, she had become completely absorbed in the movie.
“Jiyeon…”
Her boyfriend, who had been the one to suggest they watch the movie, was now the one staring in surprise as she focused all her attention on the screen.
She did not even hear him.
Watching Park Haejun fall, Jiyeon let out a gasp without realizing it.
He is not a character who should die like that.
After Haejun’s death, the story rose toward its climax.
When Jang Sudong finally beat down the serial killer and stood in front of Park Haejun’s urn.
“Ha…”
Jiyeon let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.
I had not expected anything.
She had assumed it would be just another movie, but it had touched her heart far more than she had imagined.
She felt like an idiot for not wanting to watch this kind of film before.
“Oppa, this was really good.”
“Yeah? I am glad you liked it.”
Her boyfriend looked dazed, but Jiyeon’s expression was nothing but bright.
It was when they were leaving the theater.
“…Huh?”
“What is it?”
“I thought I saw Han Seongtae.”
“What? Come on, no way. Why would Han Seongtae be here?”
At her boyfriend’s words, she nodded.
Where her gaze had been headed, there was a man walking with two others.
On the way out after watching the movie.
“Ah…”
Han Seongtae suddenly came face-to-face with someone he had not expected to see.
Kim Rina.
She was chatting with a friend.
“Seems like everyone came to see it.”
“Yes… Hello, sunbae.”
“I really enjoyed the movie.”
Kim Rina and her friend bowed their heads to Seongtae.
When Rina lifted her head again, her eyes went to Seo Harin.
“…”
A brief silence.
The two of them had to be meeting for the first time, yet strangely, they held each other’s gaze for quite a while.
Why does this feel so stifling?
Watching the two of them, Han Seongtae started to feel strangely uncomfortable standing there.
[The One Who Defined an Era looks at you with a faint, inscrutable smile.]
[The Actor of Eternal Youth murmurs that things have gotten interesting.]
What were the gods going on about now?
While Seongtae was tilting his head in confusion, they ended up parting ways faster than he expected.
Everyone had their own schedule, and Kim Rina did not bring anything up.
“See you at school, sunbae.”
“Yeah, get home safe.”
Nodding at Rina’s words, Han Seongtae headed home with Kim Minseok.
Ding.
After arriving home, washing up, and coming out, Seongtae noticed a text on his phone.
“Did you see this?”
Jung Dusik had sent a message with a link attached.
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