Instant Rap Mastery Shocks the PD
Suhyeon hurried over to Jang PD and the manager with quick steps. With the manager standing stiffly, roasting like a skewer amid Jang PD's torrent of fiery rage, Suhyeon gently pushed him aside with one hand and bowed in greeting.
"Hello. I'm Suhyeon, leader of BBG."
Jang PD didn't return the greeting. He just glared at Suhyeon with sharp, piercing eyes, saying nothing.
Whoa. If I handed him a liusyeopdo willow leaf saber right now, he'd carve me up alive...
Suhyeon met Jang PD's blade-like gaze with a soft smile.
"YK's Park Dongju Siljang-nim said you've been working hard filming a great piece on this hot day, and told us to rush over and give it our all to help. So here I am, as fast as I could."
Jang PD stared at Suhyeon and let out a deep sigh, as if the ground might cave in.
"Haa~ Can't even talk right. Damn that Park Siljang."
"When you said your drama needed a cameo, Park Dongju Siljang-nim sent me directly! I'll do my absolute best."
"Suhyeon, you... No, wait. You're not the rookie from two years ago anymore. Now you're a top idol at the peak of popularity, so I guess I have to treat you right."
After a moment's thought, Jang PD spoke up.
"Suhyeon, you don't remember me, do you?"
Suhyeon quickly rifled through his memories at the words, but nothing came up.
"Sorry. I'm bad with faces."
"About two years ago, right after BBG debuted. You did a cameo on Chimera, directed by Jeong Seong-ho PD."
"Ah! Yeah, I remember that."
"I was assistant director under Senior Jeong back then. Remember how you couldn't memorize five short lines and we spent over two hours on a 30-second cameo?"
"I do. And the lines got changed later."
"We had to have that senior call the writer directly to rewrite them all. What was the scene again..."
"It was the one where I go to a friend's house to watch a soccer game. The lines kept getting shorter until they were finally '[Hey everyone]', '[Shoot~ Goal~]', '[Clap clap~]', '[Whoa~ Awesome~]', '[Gotta head out]'. Haha."
"You're laughing? Does that mess from back then still amuse you? I was ready to scrap the whole idol thing, but held back for YK's sake... And now you're here to ruin my drama?"
Suhyeon stiffened slightly as he looked at Jang PD and replied.
"PD-nim, back then I was young and distracted by all sorts of nonsense, so I couldn't focus. But now!! It's different. If I concentrate, memorizing a few lines is easy. Don't worry—just trust me. I'll give it everything."
Jang PD scoffed dismissively at Suhyeon's words and turned to scan the crowd.
"Hey~ Assistant director! How many characters in that rap Kang Kyung-sook Writer wrote herself?"
The assistant director, standing a bit away and peering at the script, answered.
"Total's just over 500 characters, PD-nim."
Jang PD smirked mockingly at Suhyeon, pronouncing judgment.
"Over 500 characters... The national anthem's fourth verse is only 200, and you think you can memorize that? The guy who botched a few short lines? Make sense."
He turned back to find the assistant.
"Assistant!! We'll scrap the rap Kang Writer wrote. Suhyeon can't memorize over 500 characters in time. Call her and ask to change it to just singing something."
"Whoa. The protagonist's dream is to be a rapper—will she buy that? No way. You call her, sunbae-nim. I can't. You know her temper..."
"Haa... Now even my direct junior assistant is pissing me off."
Suhyeon gave a wry smile and made his plea to Jang PD.
"Hmm. PD-nim, just let me try once. If I fail, I'll apologize cleanly and send over BBG's best rapper right away. Deal?"
"Oh ho. For real? Swap someone else immediately if you flop? Promise?"
"Yes! I promise."
"Hey~ Assistant~ Bring the script with the rap."
Buoyed by Suhyeon's offer to send a replacement, Jang PD's mood lifted. He gladly handed the script from the assistant to Suhyeon and checked his watch.
"No time—can't give you more than 30 minutes. We'll shoot right after. If you can't memorize by then, send the other guy. You said it first. It's 2 PM now, so by 2:30..."
"I've memorized it all."
"Yeah. So, it's 2 PM now. Memorize by 2:30."
"I've already memorized it."
"Huh? What?"
"The rap lyrics. All of them."
"....What do you mean, all memorized?"
"The rap lyrics you just gave me. All memorized."
".......You're saying you've memorized the rap from the script I just handed you?"
"Yes, PD-nim."
"So... you memorized the rap I gave you just now? In that short time? Then we can shoot right away?"
Suhyeon handed the script back to Jang PD with a pure, innocent smile.
"Yes. We can start immediately."
"Haa. YK office folks have no manners. No manners!"
Suhyeon straightened up seriously as Jang PD snorted like an angry bull.
"PD-nim, don't you want to swap me out fast if I fail? Better to shoot quick—it's good for you too, right?"
"Aha! Exactly! You're right, Suhyeon. Quick thinking—that's key."
Grinning as realization dawned, Jang PD patted Suhyeon's shoulder approvingly with the script and explained the concept.
"Simple rundown: Protagonist dreams of being a rapper, writes lyrics to cheer up a struggling friend. A senior alum rapper visits his old school, stumbles on it, and freestyles it on the spot to the beat. Got it, Suhyeon?"
"Yes, understood."
"Whoa, fast—I like it. Let's knock it out quick."
Jang PD turned toward the sound console setup.
"Sound team~ Play that beat Kang Writer mentioned. Even if we change it, we gotta hear the real deal once."
Moments later, the beat kicked in.
Thump thump chicka chicka
Thump thump chicka chicka
Suhyeon bobbed lightly to the flowing beat.
"Famous beat, huh."
"You know it?"
"Isn't it from Abby Nom's Lost My Chef? The one where the restaurant owner desperately searches for his chef who bolted mid-business... Yeah, I know it. Haha."
"Ho ho, really? Then you'll nail it. Let's shoot."
Jang PD clutched the script in one hand, gave a subtle nod to the camera supervisor, then called out.
"Standby. Sound team! Beat on~"
As the beat rolled, Suhyeon fixed his gaze on the camera. His feet moved lightly, shoulders and hands swayed smoothly, neck and face flexed fluidly.
"Ready~ Action!"
At Jang PD's "action," Suhyeon launched into the rap without a hint of fear. Not a beautiful tenor, but a voice that mysteriously drew you in, paired with gestures that seized attention. Over the beat, he varied pitch and rhythm subtly, slicing through it fast and powerfully.
Another day, same old painful grind!
...
...
...
Come on, power up~ my friend~
Suhyeon finished the rap with a serene expression.
Jang PD dropped the script to the floor, mouth agape in a daze, staring blankly at Suhyeon.