Chapter 9
Chapter 9
The classroom echoed with painful cries.
“Aaah!”
The source of the scream was Lee Myung-jun. He knelt on the floor, clutching his hand in pain, writhing in agony.
“Ugh…”
At the same time, a smaller groan came from another direction. It was Baek Seung-chan. He touched his elbow, his face contorted in discomfort.
“What are you doing! Hurry and check on both of them!”
Director Park Tae-ho shouted, and the startled staff began moving frantically.
“Myung-jun, are you okay?”
The action director rushed to Lee Myung-jun, while the assistant director and a few staff members approached Baek Seung-chan.
“Seung-chan, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but it looks like Myung-jun got hurt pretty badly.”
Baek Seung-chan showed concern as he approached Lee Myung-jun. Everything about his movements seemed natural; no one suspected he was acting.
“Myung-jun, are you alright?”
His voice was careful and warm as he addressed the pained Lee Myung-jun.
“…”
But Lee Myung-jun glared at him, teeth clenched in frustration. Baek Seung-chan stepped closer, leaning in to whisper so softly that no one else could hear.
“You shouldn’t have crossed the line.”
“You…”
At that moment, Lee Myung-jun’s pupils trembled violently, realizing that all of this had been orchestrated by Baek Seung-chan.
“You bastard! I’ll kill you!”
Enraged, Lee Myung-jun lunged at Baek Seung-chan.
“Myung-jun! What are you doing!”
The action director scolded him, trying to hold him back, while other staff members stepped in between the two.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s angry at Seung-chan for being concerned.”
“Right? It was his own mistake to begin with.”
From a distance, the staff whispered among themselves, observing the scene.
The unexpected accident caused a brief delay in filming. Publicly, Baek Seung-chan sat quietly in the classroom, resting alone.
Dr-reuk—
The classroom door opened as the assistant director entered. He looked at Baek Seung-chan with concern.
“Seung-chan, is your arm okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine. A little sore, but I don’t think there’s any problem.”
Baek Seung-chan lightly moved his arm, demonstrating that it was unharmed. Yet the assistant director still looked worried and asked again.
“Are you really sure? If it’s uncomfortable, tell me. Filming is important, but we can’t risk serious injury.”
“I’m really okay.”
Baek Seung-chan shook his head and smiled.
“What about Myung-jun? He seemed badly hurt…”
He asked cautiously, genuinely concerned.
“Oh, him? The action director said he broke his fingers from the index to the ring finger.”
The assistant director spoke as if describing someone else, not the person he had just worried about.
“So what happens with filming?”
“What do you mean? We just cut his part. Luckily, there’s a stuntman among the extras, so he’ll take over Myung-jun’s role.”
“Ah…”
Baek Seung-chan let out a sigh of relief, a guilty look crossing his face. The assistant director saw it and said:
“Seung-chan, don’t apologize. That crazy guy should have been out a long time ago.”
His voice carried anger. Lee Myung-jun’s reputation had already hit rock bottom on the set. Not only did he act out of the script, causing mistakes, he even shouted at and charged toward a concerned Baek Seung-chan.
“Are you really okay, though?”
The assistant director asked again, still worried.
“Yes, I’m fine. I could start filming immediately.”
Baek Seung-chan exaggeratedly rotated his arm, reassuring the staff. The assistant director finally smiled in relief.
“That’s a relief. Filming will start in thirty minutes, so rest until then. Let us know if you need anything.”
“Yes.”
The assistant director left, and Baek Seung-chan, now alone, allowed himself a satisfied smile.
By late morning, Kim Se-hee, the writer, was still asleep, blissfully unaware of the world. Warm sunlight streamed through the curtains, brushing her face, and she smiled softly at the comfort.
“….”
But the smile quickly faded as she sensed something amiss.
“What time is it…?”
Curious, she checked her watch.
“Damn it!”
Seeing that it was past eleven, she bolted upright.
“Why didn’t the alarm go off…?”
She muttered in frustration, suddenly remembering that she had turned off the alarm in her half-asleep state.
“Ah, the filming must have started already.”
She muttered to herself, disappointed that she had missed watching Baek Seung-chan bring her character to life from the very beginning.
“Well, nothing I can do. I’ll watch the earlier parts later on video.”
Determined to catch the remaining scenes live, she quickly washed her face and called Director Park Tae-ho.
“Director.”
“No, I overslept. But how far has filming progressed?”
She changed her clothes while asking, secretly hoping it hadn’t progressed too far—or better yet, not started at all.
“Really?”
Her voice brightened at the unexpected delay.
“I’ll be there soon.”
Hurrying, she dressed roughly and left home, excited to watch Baek Seung-chan’s acting from the start.
“…phew…”
Arriving at the Pyeongtaek set, Kim Se-hee felt relieved. It was exactly one hour from Gangnam, where filming was taking place.
“Hello, writer-nim.”
Parking her car, she was greeted by the assistant director waiting in the lot.
“Oh? Assistant director. Long time no see.”
Kim Se-hee returned the greeting warmly. She had worked with the assistant director once before under Director Park Tae-ho.
“What’s the matter?”
“I came to pick you up. The director said he’ll arrive soon.”
“That’s perfect. I was about to call him anyway.”
“So I’m here.”
She followed the smiling assistant director into the set.
“What about that actor, Baek Seung-chan? How is he?”
“Ah, Seung-chan…”
The assistant director hesitated briefly, then said with certainty:
“He’s the best rookie I’ve ever seen. Simply a monster. The industry will go crazy soon.”
“Even you say that, now I’m curious.”
Being evaluated by an experienced assistant director under the renowned Director Park Tae-ho made her anticipation for Baek Seung-chan skyrocket.
“Kim writer, are you here?”
“Long time no see, Director.”
Entering the classroom, ready for filming, Director Park Tae-ho greeted Kim Se-hee warmly.
“You rushed here in a hurry.”
“I couldn’t miss it.”
She adjusted her messy hair and looked toward Baek Seung-chan waiting outside the window.
“More ordinary than I expected.”
Having met hundreds of actors in her career, Kim Se-hee noticed that talented ones shared a certain aura—a presence that made them stand out. But Baek Seung-chan, eyes closed, gave off nothing of the sort.
“For now, yes.”
Director Park Tae-ho agreed. He, too, felt nothing until Baek Seung-chan began his unexpected performance.
“But once he starts, it’s different.”
“Let’s see.”
He said with conviction, and her expectations grew.
“Alright, let’s start. Action!”
At the cue, Baek Seung-chan slowly opened his eyes.
It was the scene where he first entered as the new transfer student.
“My name is Kang Hyuk.”
A single short line, then he sat beside Nam Si-woo. The brief scene ended smoothly.
“Cut!”
Director Park Tae-ho called out loudly and looked at Kim Se-hee, grinning.
“Well, glad you didn’t go on that European trip, huh?”
“I don’t even need to say it.”
Kim Se-hee replied, her voice full of uncontainable excitement and joy.
After all, it was her creation, Kang Hyuk, that Baek Seung-chan had brought to life. She could notice the subtle details invisible to others—the expressions, tone, gestures, and gaze—like the character had stepped out of the script onto the screen.
Few moments could rival the thrill of seeing a character she created perfectly realized by an actor.
Filming continued.
“Too noisy to sleep. Quiet down.”
Kim Se-hee couldn’t take her eyes off Baek Seung-chan. Anyone watching might have thought she had fallen in love.
After finishing about three scenes, she suddenly stood up.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
Director Park Tae-ho asked, puzzled.
“I want to go home.”
“Suddenly? You said you wanted to watch him act.”
“I’ll watch the earlier scenes on video. Right now, I’ve got a story I want to write.”
Watching Baek Seung-chan had sparked an idea she couldn’t resist: a drama centered on him, with her own new character moving through the story.
“Then I’m leaving.”
With that, she left the set. Director Park Tae-ho shook his head, amused, yet a smile remained.
He understood her excitement and looked forward to seeing Baek Seung-chan act in her new creation.
“This will be fun.”
Watching her leave, he smiled with interest.
“Hmm… I guess she wants to work with me on this too?”
He thought he should contact her tonight just in case.