Chapter 15
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 015
Chapter Title: Additional Filming
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It came right after Choo Gyeo-ul's comment about wanting to recruit the screenwriter for Innocent Boy.
"I was originally just planning to bring on Actor Shin Yi-han, but now that things have turned out this way, I want to snag Writer Yoon Si-a too!"
Watching Choo Gyeo-ul speak with such excitement, Shin Yi-han could only smile quietly with his eyes.
"We have to move fast before someone else grabs her. A script like this? It's at a level where the movie's success is practically guaranteed."
He had to hold back the laughter that kept bubbling up, too.
"Oh. Actor, do you know anything about her?"
Of course, he knew far too well for it to be a problem.
Because it was his own work, after all.
"How on earth did you end up cast in such an amazing script?"
And so, Choo Gyeo-ul found herself rambling on endlessly in front of Shin Yi-han without realizing it.
"No, really. I'm usually pretty cautious, but... I couldn't help it. The moment I saw the synopsis, I invested right away."
Of course, she had a lot of questions she was dying to ask.
"I couldn't even breathe properly the whole time I was reading the script. The writing is just insane."
Plus, hardly anyone knew about Innocent Boy.
Shin Yi-han was the only person she could talk to about it.
"I lost track of how many times I read it right there in my seat. The plot is simple enough, but the depth inside? Not simple at all. Wow."
Shin Yi-han kept smiling at Choo Gyeo-ul's words.
It's a first, seeing CEO Choo this generous with praise.
It was a bit surprising.
He'd always thought she matched energies well but was stingy with compliments.
"I can't wait to see how much this work will shock people. Where did you even come from all of a sudden? Honestly, that writer is a genius, no doubt! Like, a once-in-a-century genius!"
"Ah. Thank you."
As Choo Gyeo-ul's torrent of admiration continued, Shin Yi-han chuckled and tossed out a half-joking remark that was half-serious.
"...?"
He nearly burst out laughing at Choo Gyeo-ul's frozen reaction.
"For putting in the effort to recruit us."
Shin Yi-han continued smoothly.
"Ah...!"
Choo Gyeo-ul finally caught on, exclaiming as if realization had dawned late.
"Come on! The investment was something I wanted to do anyway. And if you're really grateful, just sign the contract!"
Shin Yi-han flashed a bright smile at her bold response.
"Mm. Alright then."
With that, he indirectly expressed his willingness to sign.
"Please come watch Innocent Boy too. I'll be waiting."
"...!"
Choo Gyeo-ul's already wide eyes grew even bigger.
Shin Yi-han gave a small laugh.
Now that things had come to this, the reasons he'd hesitated on the contract were basically gone.
Honestly, the fact that she was even investing in an indie film he was starring in.
Her clear fondness for both the Innocent Boy script and its writer.
And her unwavering polite speech toward an unknown rookie actor.
All of it was great.
Of course, knowing how much influence she'd wield in the future made her trustworthy too.
"Of course!"
Choo Gyeo-ul's face lit up brightly. She nodded vigorously.
"Look forward to the signing bonus. I'll make sure it's up to your worth as an actor."
She casually threw out talk of a signing bonus that most rookies could only dream of.
"Thank you. I'll be looking forward to it."
Shin Yi-han replied with a gentle smile.
"Yes!"
Not much time was left now, and who knew how much his value would rise by then.
But he was excited for this contract that would mark his next step as an actor.
Following CEO Choo Gyeo-ul's investment decision.
And Assistant Director Kwak Hoon's schedule, which was nearly wrapped up.
Shin Yi-han's next project, Innocent Boy, was gradually shaping up at the starting line.
The recent shoot for Murder's Delusion was also wrapping up bit by bit.
- Yi-han! How's the shoot going these days? I'm almost done with editing over here?! Once this is finished, I'll come visit your set soon, got it?
Ding! Right on cue, a text came in from Kwak Hoon.
Thanks to Kwak Hoon's regular updates, it was hard not to know what was happening on his end.
Visit? My shoot ends tomorrow.
Shin Yi-han chuckled.
Kwak Hoon had been checking in constantly over the phone too.
'The script reading was killer!'
'But don't forget about me?'
'No, seriously.'
Ever since the script reading ended.
'What? Your co-star today threw such a fit they called an ambulance? Puhaha... no, actually not funny... That was probably real. Probably.'
'And Yi-han, you... try not to let Sis see any injury scenes if you can. It gave me chills just watching. How do you think family would feel?'
It had been the same during filming.
His words were basically all nagging, but they reminded Shin Yi-han so much of how Kwak Hoon would be as his future brother-in-law that he couldn't help welcoming the contact.
He was grateful that Kwak Hoon made time to message despite his own busy schedule.
And just as Shin Yi-han was about to reply warmly to today's thoughtful message from Kwak Hoon...
Ding! Another message came first—from Kwak Hoon.
- But, Yi-han. Sis has been visiting your set a lot lately...?
"...".
Shin Yi-han read the message, then quietly pocketed his phone.
Maybe he didn't need a future brother-in-law just yet.
"Sis! Need any help?"
Shin Yi-han sidled over to his sister Shin I-rim, who was moving props in the corner of the set.
"What is it."
He took the load from her and glanced at her casually.
No, seriously, my sister is still so young.
"Shouldn't you head home now that filming's done?"
"Why? Helping Sis is fun. Plus, I can hitch a ride back."
Shin I-rim chuckled at her grinning little brother.
"By the way, Sis. Is the drama teaser edit done? Weren't the rookies handling the basic cut last time?"
Ah, so that was his real goal? Sneaky.
Her eyes kept sparkling with curiosity.
In the end, Shin I-rim shrugged with a laugh.
"Yeah. Pretty much."
Especially the early flashbacks with heavy screen time.
With the late son's school days footage nearly complete, it was only natural.
"Though Senior Kim Geun-tae ended up overhauling it all."
The premiere date for Brilliant Sky had been officially set.
"Honestly, the final product."
The PDs in charge were racking their brains for promo efforts.
SBC's Golden Hand PD Kim Geun-tae's Masterpiece Brilliant Sky Premiere Date Confirmed.
All viewers are guaranteed no regrets. Skip it, and you might regret it enough to beat the ground (laughs)!
Following the articles, as her brother said, a teaser would drop soon.
A special teaser to grab attention before the main trailer.
And apparently, that teaser...
"Was killer."
Even as the rookie PD, she felt like it was going to be a massive hit.
"To the point where you can't miss it."
Shin Yi-han lifted the corner of his mouth at his sister's words.
His sister could be weird sometimes, but she never lied.
It really felt promising.
"Anyway, it'll go up on Nutyube soon, so wait for it. I'll send the link the second it's out."
"Okay."
Shin Yi-han smiled.
All his projects were progressing smoothly lately, and they were all ones he was excited about.
He couldn't wait to see people's reactions.
The next day.
"Great work, everyone!"
"You all did amazing, seriously!"
The school flashback scenes with Lee Ha-neul and the other student actors had just wrapped.
Staff and student actors exchanged greetings.
"Fi-finally!"
And probably the most emotional reaction came from Park Mu-gang.
"It's over!"
Park Mu-gang threw his arms up like he'd been liberated, tears welling in his eyes.
"I'll never hit anyone again!"
Park Mu-gang vowed.
He'd felt like he was going insane throughout the shoot because of Shin Yi-han.
At least his next role—please let it be warm and kind!
He was sick of being the bully!
Shin Yi-han quietly chuckled from behind at Park Mu-gang's mutterings drifting over.
As far as I know, he kept playing gangsters after this too.
His base dialect was fixed, but his sharp features were the real issue. Oh well, his choice.
"Hey, uh, Shin Yi-han. You."
Park Mu-gang approached Shin Yi-han naturally and struck up a conversation.
"Got a next project?"
At his words, all eyes turned to them.
'...!'
'...?!'
The student actors especially perked up, ears straining.
'Next project.'
Everyone was curious, but Shin Yi-han had always drawn a subtle line, never giving a straight answer.
He was nice and approachable, so why was he so hard to get close to?
'No way... he overheard our gossip?'
'Nah, he wouldn't know. Park Mu-gang isn't the type to blurt that out.'
Even with fellow young actors, Shin Yi-han never dropped to casual speech.
But Park Mu-gang, the only one among them who bantered casually, might get a different response.
'We have to follow him to whatever it is.'
'Exactly. If he spills now, I'll tell my agent right away.'
'Shin Yi-han not blowing up? Impossible. Gotta stick close for those crumbs.'
They all shared similar thoughts, waiting for Shin Yi-han's reply.
"Ah, next project?"
And then he spoke.
"Yeah. I do. Planning to do it."
"Ooh. Already? What's it?"
It was real. The surroundings hushed.
"Mm. I'll hit you up later."
"Huh? For real?"
But the student actors heard nothing more.
'He wouldn't spill it right here.'
Shin Yi-han chuckled, sensing the other actors' stares.
He didn't want unnecessary attention when he already had a specific vision in mind.
CEO Choo Gyeo-ul's info network was freakishly good, but Innocent Boy's production was still under wraps.
"Real talk? You better contact me!"
Park Mu-gang, who'd already swapped numbers with Shin Yi-han, yelled excitedly.
He was thrilled.
What a hilarious guy in every way.
Fundamentally nice. Decent actor too. Just prone to sudden bursts.
Well, he's a good kid...
Even if it was an indie, not sure if he'd still be hyped.
But having an actor with such immersion for Innocent Boy made him think of a role to cast him in.
Of course, thinking about it didn't mean he'd actually call.
Shin Yi-han shrugged and walked on.
With actor greetings mostly done.
Time to say bye to the staff too.
No more extra shoots, so no reason to come back here for a while.
And as Shin Yi-han approached Director Pyo Nam-un and PD Kim Geun-tae...
"Ah! Our actor! It was so much fun. You have no idea how thrilled I was every time the camera rolled."
"Actor Shin Yi-han. *Sniff*. *Sob*! You were perfect to the end. I'll make the edit epic!"
Their reactions were anything but subdued.
As the two fussed dramatically, even shedding tears, Shin Yi-han unwittingly stepped back...
"Thank you. See you again."
He was truly grateful for how well they'd taken care of him throughout. Shin Yi-han smiled brightly till the end.
"Yeah. Take care..."
"Come visit when you're bored! Promise?!"
"Of course. I'll bring treats."
But even after bidding them farewell, Shin Yi-han couldn't leave the set.
Hm?
Where'd the writer go?
He'd heard she came specifically to say goodbye...
Did she already head home?
Yoon Si-a from Brilliant Sky, who'd been there during the last shoot, was nowhere in sight.
Thanks to her, Lee Ha-neul's scenes had ballooned lately.
'Um... just one more scene.'
'Sorry. I added it again.'
'Last revision, really! Just this one scene...!'
She'd pop up on set and urgently hand over revised pages more than once or twice.
Thanks to that, Shin Yi-han got to fully immerse in Lee Ha-neul.
He was grateful.
So I wanted to say goodbye in person.
She wasn't in the set. Phone went to voicemail.
In the end, Shin Yi-han scanned around and stepped outside.
But she wasn't far.
Nearby, another drama was shooting, perhaps.
"Did you see his face earlier? Grinning like an idiot."
"Kid's got some nerve."
He spotted a few writers, with an assistant writer trailing like a tail.
And coincidentally, Writer Yoon Si-a stood among them.
Grabbed while passing through the set?
"A rookie like him cozying up to Ham Yeon-jeong? Must be nice. Know how high her rates are?"
Ooh...
"You don't think he lucked into the Kim Geun-tae PD bus, do you?"
Yoon Si-a was young, a rookie writer herself.
He'd expected some jealousy.
But this?
Shin Yi-han let out a hollow laugh.
Compared to Yoon Si-a, these writers couldn't even write a proper script. It was ridiculous.
And that left no room for hesitation.
The moment he spotted Yoon Si-a, Shin Yi-han strode right up.
"Hey. Don't you know how to respond? Say some—"
The writers startled at his sudden appearance.
"Wha—scared me. When'd you sneak up...?"
"Who're you...?"
Ignoring their questions, Shin Yi-han pushed through and reached for Yoon Si-a.
"Writer Yoon Si-a."
Her eyes went wide.
"Looks like you all don't know what Brilliant Sky is about."
Shin Yi-han smiled brightly as he said it.
Ganging up to bully one person? Just like the perpetrators in Brilliant Sky.
"Let's get out of here."
Anyway, good to dodge crap.
Yoon Si-a's time was too precious to waste listening.
"Run!"
"...!"
Shin Yi-han grabbed her outstretched hand and bolted.
He didn't care about those left behind.
He dashed between sets until the writers were out of sight.
Huff, huff. Soon, he had to stop at Yoon Si-a's ragged breathing.
Shin Yi-han grinned playfully and checked on her.
"You okay?"
Yoon Si-a caught her breath a few times, then looked up belatedly.
Her cheeks were flushed—from the winter wind, or the run.
"...".
Maybe because he'd barged in so suddenly. She seemed flustered, lips moving but no words coming.
"Ah, sorry. I shouldn't have jumped in like tha—"
"No?!"
Yoon Si-a cut off his hasty apology with a shout.
"That was awesome!"
"Huh?"
Without giving him time to react, she pulled out her laptop from her bag.
Totally out of left field.
She set it on a nearby box and started typing furiously.
"Writer?"
What was going on?
Now Shin Yi-han was the flustered one.
"Sorry. Inspiration hit."
...?
"That just now. I'd regret not adding it."
Tap tap tap. After that line, only typing sounds filled the air. No response no matter how many times he called.
That just now?
Peeking at her screen, Shin Yi-han grew even more bewildered.
It was the scene she was revising.
A mid-story moment.
Desperate mother Heo So-ra, once trying to drown herself at sea.
But.
Was Lee Ha-neul originally in this scene...?
Right before the protagonist's death, a flashback of her son was added like a life reel.
He hadn't expected her to reuse the son this way.
Shin Yi-han was genuinely impressed.
The son was now reaching out to his drowning mother underwater.
The only similarity to earlier was the outstretched hand, but still.
This single addition brought the scene alive.
And it's way more engaging now.
His eyes kept drifting to it.
A brand-new scene, absent from the past version, poured out in an instant.
And apparently.
His Lee Ha-neul shoot wouldn't end today after all.
"This... we have to film it!"
Yoon Si-a finally looked up.
Shoving the laptop at him, she'd just locked in Lee Ha-neul's additional filming.