“It’s overrr!”
Inside the car.
Rogers’s booming voice drowned out the music coming through the speakers.
As if feeling relieved, he was stretching wide on the seat.
Seeing that, his manager stared at him as if he were looking at a monster.
“Wow… you really finished all of that. Hyung, are you even human?”
“Then what am I, if not human?”
“A monster. Hyung, you’re a monster itself.”
At his manager’s words, Rogers let out a small laugh.
Honestly speaking, Rogers himself had been thinking something similar to his manager.
A forced march that had half begun on a whim.
Even he had not expected that he would be able to pull it off.
At first, he had thought he would stop partway through.
But things went better than expected, and the timing and various circumstances all followed along well.
Instead, it had become stranger not to keep going.
‘At this point, it’s telling me I have to go to Korea.’
That was how he was able to finish a schedule that should have taken three months in just two weeks.
It was an achievement that, if others saw it, they might ask if that was even possible and tell him not to lie.
It was something possible only because Rogers was a man of tenacity.
“I didn’t know I’d be able to pull this off either. It’s a good thing the schedule could be adjusted. Otherwise, I would have given up long ago.”
“True… it was strange, though. You were able to set the appointments you wanted on the exact days and times you wanted.”
At Rogers’s words, the manager deeply agreed and nodded.
This grueling schedule had only been possible because luck had followed along.
When they said they wanted to move the schedule forward, both the commercials and variety shows had immediately given their okay.
Thanks to that, he had managed the feat of finishing three months’ worth of work in two weeks.
Even so.
“Hyung, you really are… not normal. Even if the schedule could be moved up, who does things like you?”
“Why? This much is doable, isn’t it?”
“That’s only because it’s you, hyung. Is that something someone who couldn’t even sleep one proper hour a day and only barely slept while moving around should say?”
“It was hard. Next time, even if someone offered me a fortune to do it again, I don’t think I could.”
“That’s only natural.”
“Still, it wasn’t a bad experience. A fascinating experience where you can learn how far a person can go. Don’t you think?”
“It was a hellish experience I never want to go through again.”
Seeing his manager tremble, Rogers laughed and picked up his smartphone.
By handling three months’ worth of work, he had earned himself one week.
Once that time passed, he would have to start working again.
Days of suffering just for one week.
Rogers did not regret those days.
Because his enjoyment began now.
“Then shall I look for a ticket to Korea?”
One week.
He intended to enjoy it to the fullest.
That was also the reason he had crammed all his work together.
To go to Han’s country.
Han Seongtae looked at Ma Seokdong, who was walking in front of him.
Ma Seokdong in a suit looked just like a bear.
His shirt was so packed full that it would not be strange if it burst at any moment, and the buttons of his suit jacket would not even close.
That was how thick Ma Seokdong’s muscles were.
When a man like that wore a full suit and scowled, it was now hard to tell whether he was a police officer or a gangster.
‘Senior Ma Seokdong was amazing at playing gangsters too.’
Han Seongtae looked at Ma Seokdong and let out a small sound of admiration.
He was a man with a body Han Seongtae could never have.
[‘The Founder of Jeet Kune Do’ says those muscles are truly tempting, and that he cannot even guess how much effort it must have taken to build them.]
Han Seongtae was not the only one admiring Ma Seokdong.
Even the Founder of Jeet Kune Do was applauding as he watched Ma Seokdong.
A man with a body impressive enough to make even a god admire it was right in front of him.
Han Seongtae walked alongside him as he confidently strode with a bowlegged gait.
In front of them, three actors playing gangsters came out from the game room set.
Looking at the gangsters, Ma Seokdong opened his mouth.
“Wow, gangsters.”
Kang Moobae walked toward the gangsters and gave a fierce smile.
Beside him, Yoo Yeongjun was swaggering.
“If you kneel now, I’ll only hit you once.”
At Kang Moobae’s words, they looked at one another.
“Hey, get him!”
Without anyone going first or last, they rushed at Kang Moobae.
Seeing that, Kang Moobae clicked his tongue, and Yoo Yeongjun reflexively opened his mouth.
“Hyungnim, you can’t kill them!”
“…”
Kang Moobae did not answer.
Seeing that, Yoo Yeongjun scratched his head roughly and approached the gangster closest to him.
“Let’s make this easy. Easy.”
Yoo Yeongjun gestured at the gangster to stay still.
At that, the gangster glared at him fiercely and charged.
Seeing that, Yoo Yeongjun let out a sigh.
“I said let’s make this easy.”
Whoosh!
A fist swung through the space where Yoo Yeongjun’s face had been.
Lowering his head deeply to dodge the punch, he grabbed the gangster by the collar.
Bang!
When he threw him down just like that, the gangster screamed and went limp.
“See? Isn’t it better if we do this the easy way?”
“Urgh.”
At Yoo Yeongjun’s words, the gangster twisted his body and struggled to escape somehow.
Seeing that, Yoo Yeongjun smacked the back of his head and pointed somewhere.
“Hey, stop moving and look over there. You should consider yourself lucky I’m the one handling you.”
At Yoo Yeongjun’s words, the gangster reflexively turned his head.
Smack!
Along with a sound like splitting firewood, he could see his comrade flying away.
The gangster who had been hit by Kang Moobae’s palm had fainted in a single blow.
Seeing that, one of the gangsters drew a knife.
“Ah, that’s not it. Does he want to die that badly?”
Yoo Yeongjun immediately sighed at the sight.
Pointing a knife at Kang Moobae was never a good idea.
“Hey, hey. Put that knife down.”
“Die!”
Despite his words, the gangster paid no attention and rushed in while swinging the knife.
Kang Moobae’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the gangster.
“You little bastard.”
Smack!
A sound louder than the one made by the gangster who had fainted moments ago rang out.
The gangster holding the knife flew far away and collapsed after slamming into the wall.
“What, should I let you go too?”
“No. I’ll stay still.”
At Yoo Yeongjun’s words, the gangster immediately shook his head.
Even in his eyes, Kang Moobae was far too frightening.
Thinking that he really might die if he made one wrong move, the gangster changed his posture so Yoo Yeongjun could tie him up comfortably.
At the gangster’s obedient behavior, Yoo Yeongjun laughed and stood up.
“Let’s see…”
He approached the gangster who had fainted after hitting the wall.
And he could tell one strange fact.
“Hyungnim… this bastard isn’t breathing.”
“What? No way.”
At Yoo Yeongjun’s words, Kang Moobae became flustered and hurried over.
He shook the gangster this way and that, then brought his hand near his nose.
He could not feel any breath.
“Hey, hey, you can’t die. Why aren’t you breathing after one hit!”
It was not hard to tell that Kang Moobae was greatly flustered.
If the gangster died here, then it would become excessive force, people would ask whether it made sense for a police officer to kill someone, and so on…
He knew all too well that all sorts of troublesome matters would come crashing down.
That was why he shook the gangster violently and tried to wake him.
“Hyungnim, this bastard really isn’t breathing. Isn’t he dead?”
“Don’t say unlucky things.”
Who’s dead?
Kang Moobae raised his hand high, then slapped the gangster across the cheek.
“Huuurk……!”
From the shock, the gangster drew in a violent breath and his eyes snapped open.
At the sight of the gangster instantly regaining consciousness, Kang Moobae let out a sigh of relief.
“Whew. I thought I was going to get disciplined.”
“…”
Yoo Yeongjun quietly stared at Kang Moobae.
Had he sensed his gaze?
Kang Moobae turned to look at him, and seeing Yoo Yeongjun’s strange expression, he frowned.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, it’s just that I think you’re really amazing too, hyungnim.”
“What is?”
“It’s amazing that you knock someone out by hitting them, then wake them up by hitting them.”
Perhaps because he had no excuse to give at Yoo Yeongjun’s words, Kang Moobae closed his mouth.
Seeing that, Yoo Yeongjun let out a sigh and shook his head.
“Let’s go in. They said he’s inside.”
“Then we should go in.”
“I’ll have the patrol officers clean up the scene.”
“Got it. Clean it up properly and come in.”
Kang Moobae went inside, and Yoo Yeongjun watched his back.
“Cut!”
Then the director’s voice rang out.
A voice announcing the end of filming.
Han Seongtae and Ma Seokdong laughed as they returned to their places.
“Good work. Your acting was good.”
“Senior, you worked hard too. Your acting was amazing as well. I’m always amazed by how you act so realistically.”
“Come on, how could I compare to you, Seongtae-ssi? Don’t you see everyone admiring you right now? This is all coming out because your acting is so good.”
At Ma Seokdong’s words, Han Seongtae laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.
When a great senior he had always respected praised him for his acting, he could not help feeling good.
Bzzzz.
While laughing and talking with Ma Seokdong, Han Seongtae checked the smartphone Jung Dusik handed him.
At the name that appeared on the screen, Han Seongtae’s eyes widened.
‘Why is this person suddenly calling?’
With a strange expression, Han Seongtae answered the phone.
Vrooom.
A car drove along a quiet road.
The person driving that car was Jung Dusik.
“What’s this all of a sudden? Why did that person suddenly come?”
“Exactly. I don’t really know either.”
At Jung Dusik’s question, Han Seongtae, who had been looking at his smartphone, shook his head.
On Han Seongtae’s smartphone, the name “Rogers” was written.
A call from Rogers that came in while he was filming.
Because of that call, Han Seongtae had to move immediately.
“I really don’t know. Rogers didn’t contact me separately either.”
“Right. How would we know the hearts of foreign actors?”
At Han Seongtae’s answer, Jung Dusik let out a sigh.
Seeing that, Han Seongtae gave a small laugh and continued exchanging texts with Rogers.
—You should have contacted me in advance. Then I would have been prepared.
—Rogers: I was trying to surprise you. I’ve always liked surprises.
Seeing Rogers’s reply, Han Seongtae let out a faint sigh.
A friend’s visit was welcome, but he could not help being a little flustered.
Han Seongtae was human too.
“We’re here.”
“Ah. Hyung, thank you for driving.”
“The hard work starts now. The articles are going to be insane. What am I supposed to do about that?”
Just as actors had work only actors could do, managers had work only managers could do.
Because he knew his difficulties, Han Seongtae could only smile awkwardly and comfort him.
When he got out of the car, he could see it.
Incheon Airport, and the people crowding in front of it.
Han Seongtae slowly moved his feet to meet Rogers.
Leave a Reply