In the dream, Seungun was standing at the far end of a memory he never wanted to recall again. He thought he had reported President Gu to the police and run far away. One day, President Gu appeared before Seungun, who had been relieved thinking he couldn’t be found at this distance. And he was helplessly dragged somewhere.
That place was the most horrific place in Seungun’s life. Though the world proclaims that all people are equal, there was a class system there. Grades were assigned and they were driven to an auction house. Even while being auctioned, wicked acts took place everywhere.
President Gu held Seungun’s ruined face straight and said that tomorrow that place would be his stage. He said people who would cherish him would line up.
It was the year just past twenty. Seeing that place, Seungun thought President Gu’s side was heaven. Seungun begged President Gu for forgiveness as if he’d give up his liver and gall bladder. But looking at President Gu’s face without a hint of wavering, he experienced the feeling of his heart being torn into several pieces.
President Gu was someone who could take Seungun to such a place anytime he wanted. Just as one action is more important than a hundred words, the memory from that place remained in his mind and shackled Seungun.
In the dream, Seungun was at that location, but no one noticed him, yet he hid in a corner watching all the scenes like a panorama, trembling all over. President Gu’s voice rang out vividly, threatening that if he didn’t handle the work well, this time he’d really make him the protagonist on that stage.
No, no, no. Seungun sat down, held his head, and muttered. Something pressed down hard on Seungun’s body. His chest was uncomfortable and stuffy.
“…ssi, Im Seungun-ssi.”
“Huk.”
Seungun, whose eyes snapped open, first felt his stuffy chest. He hurriedly unfastened the seatbelt crossing his upper body. Gi Siyoung had opened the driver’s seat door and was looking at him with a strange gaze. Because sleeping while breaking out in cold sweat in a cool car wasn’t a normal thing.
“You said you were going to the convenience store but you were sleeping here?”
Gi Siyoung asked in a tone that suggested he was pathetic.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I dozed off.”
Seungun hurriedly got out of the driver’s seat. Outside, rain was still pouring down, cooling the steamy heat. Seungun’s body temperature dropped low from the bizarre dream he’d had after a long time.
He opened a large umbrella and held it over Gi Siyoung’s head. Because he was quite tall, he had to stretch out his arm too. Since it was indoor filming, they weren’t affected by the steadily falling rain at any point, but they couldn’t avoid getting damp.
“Long time no see, hyung.”
Gi Siyoung greeted a familiar face as he entered the set. Kim Gyujeong, who received the greeting, smiled brightly.
“Long time no see. Are we really filming the same work? Why is it so hard to see your face? You haven’t been coming to the gym lately either.”
“I rested a bit. My condition wasn’t good.”
“Right. I saw the article. You were practically a national hero, weren’t you?”
“Hero, what hero.”
“Is your body okay? I heard you got hurt.”
“I’m fine. Maybe because I’m young.”
“Are you talking about age in front of your hyung?”
Kim Gyujeong made a motion to flick his head, but didn’t actually do it.
“Oh, hello, Myeongwoo-ssi.”
Gyujeong confirmed Myeongwoo who appeared behind him and greeted him warmly.
“Yes, long time no see. Wow. You’re dazzling today too.”
“Haha. Why are you making me embarrassed? By the way, next to you…”
Seungun bowed in greeting.
“Hello, I’m Im Seungun, Gi Siyoung-ssi’s road manager.”
“Ah, I’ll be seeing you often from now on. By the way, you have a really good impression.”
“Thank you.”
Actor Kim Gyujeong, who played the role of a senior detective colleague as Gi Siyoung’s counterpart in the drama, was an actor who received a lot of public favor.
He debuted in his mid-twenties and had a genial impression and gentle voice that had never taken on a villain role until his mid-thirties. He was also an actor who had long-term box office success without any scandals, continuing an ion drink commercial where he smiled with his almond-shaped eyes folding into crescents for 10 years since his rookie days.
“Fighting today!”
Kim Gyujeong shook his fist briefly and powerfully, then spread his long legs wide and lowered his posture for the makeup artist applying a moist, colorless, odorless lip balm to his lips.
Today’s filming had a very large role for Gi Siyoung, who felt a disconnect between the woman he loved and his mission, wavering back and forth. Kim Gyujeong played the role of a colleague senior who pressured him extremely by threatening and coaxing him.
“You’ve completely become a gangster bastard. Get it together, you bastard!”
The genial smile witnessed during standby was gone, and he was roughly shaking the collar of his junior police officer who was standing at a crossroads thinking other thoughts.
“Do you really think you’re family with that bastard just because you work under Hwang Junghun? Or what, have you really fallen in love with Hwang Miyeong? You, who doesn’t believe in things like love?”
“……”
“What. Are you serious? It’s because of that woman? Is that why you’re acting like an idiot? Are you going to screw over your real family who suffered like dogs for years just because of a woman?”
“Watch your mouth.”
The rest was a predictable story.
Seungun left the filming site for a moment. The sound of rain hitting the umbrella was clear. He intended to clean the car using the break. The parking lot was quiet. He opened the back seat door wide, cleaned the dirty dust on the floor with a cleaning brush, and neatly organized the scattered scripts, placing them on the seats.
He cleanly wiped the table where the tumbler was placed with disinfectant wipes and wiped it once more with dry tissue so no wiping traces remained. After spraying the unscented disinfectant spray purchased separately with the company card in every corner of the car because Gi Siyoung disliked artificial scents, it was definitely cleaner than before.
While he was cleaning, the inside of the indoor set became noisy. He hurriedly finished cleaning and was closing the door when Kim Gyujeong came running out from inside the filming site. Without any staff, he was heading somewhere just roughly blocking the rain with his hand.
“Oh, if he does that, his hair will be completely ruined.”
Unable to watch, Seungun hurriedly approached that place.
“Kim Gyujeong-ssi!”
“Huh? You’re the person I saw earlier, right? You said you were Siyoung’s manager.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Don’t tell me you came to hold an umbrella for me?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Kim Gyujeong lowered his hand and grinned. His face was already moistly wet.
“Where did your manager go? Why are you out here alone?”
“Right now they’re talking with the assistant director about schedule issues.”
“Your styled hair will get all wet.”
“I have to fight in the next scene anyway, so it’s okay if it gets messy.”
“Still, I’ll hold it for you until you go in.”
“Thank you. Siyoung’s new manager is really kind too.”
Kim Gyujeong forcefully opened the car door and started searching for something while pressing the seat with his knee.
“I carry my script in separate sections. So it’s too thin and sometimes falls into the corners of the car.”
“Take your time looking for it.”
“Where was it… Heave-ho, here it is. That’s why I came to find this.”
Seungun tried not to do anything that might seem like rushing him. Even so, Kim Gyujeong hurried frantically and found the thin script incredibly quickly and closed the car door with a “thud!” Seeing his face that said “I’m really fast, right?” while flapping the script, he seemed to understand why the public kept saying how kind he looked.
He seemed like someone who wouldn’t do things outside common sense like using his fists to assault people or stripping naked to show off his goods.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes. But don’t rush. You’ll splash muddy water on your clothes for no reason.”
“Haha. I’m envious of that Siyoung bastard.”
“What?”
“Seungun-ssi seems like you do meticulous work well. Of course, Siyoung who works with you would know well too.”
Swallowing the words he wanted to say—that person probably doesn’t know—Seungun silently held the umbrella for Gyujeong who winked playfully. The set was slightly hotter than outside. He was folding the dripping umbrella and shaking it gently when a sharp explosive sound of “crash!” rang out from inside.
“Siyoung-ah!”
Myeongwoo ran first.
“Actor Gi! Are you okay?”
Director Kim ran next.
“What happened?”
Gyujeong also ran like lightning with the staff.
“Did you hurt your hand?”
“Ow. Ah, that hurts.”
Gi Siyoung said flatly. The youngest staff member moved quickly and started sweeping the glass cup pieces that had fallen around into a dustpan. Kim Gyujeong, who approached closely, also intervened with a worried face. Myeongwoo hurriedly stopped the bleeding from where blood was coming out with a clean handkerchief while checking Siyoung’s complexion.
“Are you okay? There’s also an action scene later.”
“It’s not that hurt.”
“Still. What if you get hurt more?”
Gyujeong also added a word.
“It tore well. Then it’ll bend well when punching.”
At the brutal response, Gyujeong frowned.
“If you’re thirsty, ask for water. Why did you drink the water placed as a prop? You usually don’t eat prop items.”
“That’s true.”
“First let’s treat your hand. Seungun-ah!”
“Yes!”
At Myeongwoo’s call, Seungun moved quickly. Gi Siyoung felt nauseous because of the blood he’d briefly seen, but his guts twisted more than that. No, they were about to turn over a bit.
