Chapter 58
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Master M
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[Scene.58 M]
Scene.58
M
5 AM.
As usual, Yu-hyeon went out for his morning exercise, starting with a light jog around the farm's perimeter.
As he passed the actors' lodging, someone hurried out and began jogging alongside him.
“Hyung. Good morning.”
It was Jo Seong-hyeon.
“It's not morning, it's dawn.”
“Ah. Right. Just a figure of speech. Haha.”
Jo Seong-hyeon gave an awkward smile and matched Yu-hyeon's pace.
“I don't mind since I always wake up at this time. But are you sure you're okay?”
“Phew. This is nothing. I’m not on your level, hyung, but I’m the type who works out. They say we're starting a grueling schedule tomorrow, so I need to stay in shape whenever I can. Unlike movies, dramas become a real battle of stamina toward the end.”
Jo Seong-hyeon, who normally slept in until 9 AM, had asked his manager to wake him no matter what.
Back in Korea, he was known as a handsome, baby-faced, well-built, and sexy guy, but here in Malta, he couldn't even compare to Yu-hyeon.
It wasn't just his face and physique, but also his deep, trustworthy voice. On top of that, he had an unattainable level of wealth and a successful career as a famous drama writer.
A completely different kind of being had appeared.
As he found himself in a strange dynamic where he could hardly win at anything, he heard that Yu-hyeon went jogging every morning.
The moment he heard that, he thought, ‘This is something I can win.’
He might not be better at anything else, but he was confident in his running.
He wanted to prove—no, confirm—that there was at least one thing he was better at.
And while he was at it, he could build a friendship with Yu-hyeon and get some content for his social media.
Realizing there was nothing to lose, he had dragged himself out of bed at the crack of dawn.
“Is the Korean drama production system very different from other countries?”
“Honestly, I don't know much about other countries, but Korean dramas are a ‘little’ sensitive to viewer reactions. Pre-produced shows are different, but when production and broadcasting overlap, it’s beyond grueling. There are times we barely get any sleep.”
At first, Seong-hyeon had seemed quiet and a bit standoffish, but once he opened up, he was more like a chatty, energetic younger brother.
“It seems like the schedule for this drama will be even tighter than usual.”
“I know. That’s why I’m worried. But what can you do? I’m not an amateur. I have to push through like a pro.”
Yu-hyeon nodded and smiled at Seong-hyeon’s words.
“Think you can keep running until the filming ends?”
“As long as we don’t have an early morning shoot, sure. Anytime.”
Jogging was something Jo Seong-hyeon did consistently without being told, and he had even been on the track team in school.
“Good. In that case, I'll be responsible for managing your stamina.”
“What? You will, hyung?”
Jo Seong-hyeon tilted his head at Yu-hyeon's offer to manage his stamina.
Jogging wasn't an exercise that required special management, and Yu-hyeon was a writer, not a professional trainer who systematically managed athletes.
“First, shall we pick up the pace a bit? To test your level.”
“Anytime. I may not be good at other things, but I’m confident in my running. I even participate in the Han River Marathon every… whoa, hyung. Wait up!”
Seong-hyeon sped up to catch Yu-hyeon, who had surged ahead.
‘I can lose at everything else, but not at running!’
Jo Seong-hyeon picked up his speed, pushing off the ground. He felt that winning at this, at least, would help him hold his head a little higher.
But…
‘Pant, pant. Dammit, why isn't the gap closing!’
He had planned to confidently overtake Yu-hyeon and show him nothing but his back, but for some reason, no matter how much he sped up, the distance between them didn't shrink.
Yu-hyeon glanced back, slowed down, and spoke to Seong-hyeon.
“You look tired. Should we stop?”
“No! I’m still full of energy!”
“Really? Then let's go a little faster.”
“Bring it on!”
Seong-hyeon was starting to get out of breath, but he shouted as if it were nothing.
When Yu-hyeon took off again, Seong-hyeon gritted his teeth and followed.
After about three laps around the farm's perimeter…
The distance felt similar to his usual run along the Han River, but strangely, he was much more out of breath, and his ankles were starting to ache.
“Let me know if your ankles hurt. This isn't flat ground or a paved road, so it’s very different from what you’re used to.”
Yu-hyeon’s words made Seong-hyeon finally realize the situation.
‘Right. This isn't an asphalt road…’
“See that warehouse over there?”
“Pant, pant. Yes. I see it.”
“It's about 300 meters from here.”
“Pant, pant. And?”
“Final stretch. How about an all-out sprint?”
“.....”
“We can stop if you’re tired.”
“No. Pant, pant. Tired? I do this every day back in Korea!”
“Good.”
Yu-hyeon slowed down again to match Seong-hyeon's pace, then shouted, “One, two, three! Start!”
Seong-hyeon was breathless, but determined not to lose this time, he ran with all his might.
“Uraaararara!”
As he squeezed out every last bit of strength and ran like a madman, Yu-hyeon, who he hadn't been able to get ahead of until now, started to fall behind.
‘That's right! Pant, pant, pant. Yeah! Pant, pant, pant! Do you! Pant. Know who! Pant. I am!’
Reaching the warehouse, Seong-hyeon threw his arms up as if breaking the finish line tape.
“Yeah! I won! Hah. Hah. Hah.”
Yu-hyeon, who arrived about three seconds later, watched Seong-hyeon’s triumphant expression and let out a small laugh.
“Catch your breath.”
“Hah, hah. My breath is. Hah, hah. Perfectly. Hah, hah. Fine.”
“Really? Then let's move on to the next thing.”
“Hah, hah. What? The next thing?”
Lifting his head as if to ask what he meant, Seong-hyeon suddenly felt that something was off.
‘Wait a minute. Why is he so calm? Am I the only one out of breath?’
While he was bent over, gasping for air, Yu-hyeon had already recovered after a few deep breaths and looked as relaxed as if nothing had happened.
‘No way! We must have run at least 10 kilometers!’
Ignoring Seong-hyeon's shock, Yu-hyeon walked over to the warehouse and opened the door.
“What are you doing? Come on in.”
“What’s… huff-phoo. In there?”
“A gym.”
“What? There’s a gym here?”
“You'll see when you come in.”
Having recovered his breathing somewhat, Seong-hyeon walked toward the warehouse Yu-hyeon had entered. As he got closer, he could hear sounds like shouts and grunts coming from inside.
Peeking his head in, Seong-hyeon's eyes widened at the scene.
“Wh-… What is this place?”
“I told you. While you’re here, I’ll take responsibility for your stamina.”
Seong-hyeon looked at Yu-hyeon with an expression that said, ‘Didn’t that just mean jogging together in the morning?’
“Of course not. You know that action scenes were added when the script was revised, right?”
“Yes. I heard about that, but…”
“To shoot those, you need to practice the choreography beforehand and manage your stamina to avoid injuries.”
“That’s true, but…”
Seong-hyeon stared at the gym, speechless for a moment.
He didn't know where these people had come from, but inside the gym, nearly thirty men were drenched in sweat.
And they weren't just any men; they were huge, with intimidating faces.
“Yu-hyeon, you’re here? A little late today, huh? Oh? Who’d you bring with you?”
Kang Man-dong, who had been enthusiastically hitting a punching bag, paused his workout and approached the entrance.
“This is the lead actor of our drama, Jo Seong-hyeon. You know him, right?”
“Of course, I do. But what brings him here?”
“I decided to help him with his stamina until filming is over. And some action practice on the side.”
“Oh, really? In that case, as an investor, I should actively cooperate. Let’s see. For stamina management…”
Kang Man-dong scanned the gym and gestured to Marcos.
“Yes, Don Karman.”
“This friend here. Take charge of his physical conditioning.”
As Marcos looked down at him, Seong-hyeon instinctively took a step back.
The man was nearly two meters tall and built like a tank. And what were those dark, terrifying muscles!
Marcos looked Seong-hyeon up and down, then turned to Yu-hyeon.
“Should I make him look like me?”
Marcos flexed his pectoral muscles, twitching them as if to ask Seong-hyeon, ‘Want me to turn you into a muscleman?’
“Do you want to ruin the drama? A physique like Nicky’s should be enough.”
“A shame. You need to be my size to be called a real man.”
Marcos nodded as if building such a body would be a piece of cake.
‘What are these people talking about? Give me a chance to voice my opinion!’
Seong-hyeon was about to shake his head and say this was all unnecessary, but Yu-hyeon’s question came first.
“Have you trained in any martial arts?”
“What? Martial arts?”
“Yes. We need to decide on a baseline for your action scenes.”
“A little Taekwondo…”
“How little is a little?”
“In the army… a little?”
Hearing that, Kang Man-dong shook his head.
“The kind where you get a black belt just for showing up in your army boots?”
“Ahem. Yes. That’s… about right.”
“Nah. That won't do.”
Kang Man-dong shook his head again and looked around the gym. He then called out to someone lifting weights in the far corner.
“Gavino!”
At Kang Man-dong’s shout, Carson, the mercenary team leader, dropped his barbell with a loud thud and ran over.
“You called, sir?”
“Yeah. Gavino, you said you were from Cole Smokin’ or something?”
“Ahem. Sir. It’s Col Moschin.”
Gavino corrected Kang Man-dong’s mispronunciation.
“Ah, was it? I’m not familiar with the Italian military, so bear with me. What was it similar to again?”
At Kang Man-dong's question, Gavino explained his unit's background in a sharp voice.
“The 9th Parachute Assault Regiment, also known as Col Moschin. It is the army's most elite special forces unit, a Tier 1 special operations force specializing in direct action, counter-terrorism, and more! It is an ‘extreme’ unit on par with America's Delta Force or the British SAS!”
“So, it's like Delta Force, you're saying?”
“Col Moschin is even better than Delta…”
“Yeah, I get the gist. Actor Jo Seong-hyeon, this man here is…”
Kang Man-dong quickly explained to Seong-hyeon who Gavino was and what he could teach him.
“So, you'll learn martial arts and practical combat moves from Gavino here.”
Seong-hyeon’s face was a mask of bewilderment.
“No, I think a morning jog is…”
“Jogging is a given. When a man is abroad, and an opportunity arises, he should get stronger when he can! Right?”
“Uh, well, I’m just an actor. I don’t think I need to train with people like…”
Jo Seong-hyeon tried his best to escape this bizarre place, but before he knew it, Marcos had grabbed him and started him on stretches. In a blur of “Huh? Huh?” he found himself lifting weights.
“One. Two! One. Two! Okay. One more!”
“Agh. Ugh! Agh!”
“Good, good. Restart! One. Two! One. Two!”
Yu-hyeon watched Seong-hyeon with a smirk, then approached his father.
“By the way, why are the bodyguards and the mercenary team still here?”
“I hired them.”
“You did?”
“Dangerous things can happen when the actors are out filming. You and I can't follow them around all the time. Since they were already here, I figured I might as well put them to work. I just made them an offer on the spot. They were all happy about it. Said they were excited to be bodyguards for actors during a drama shoot.”
“As expected of you, Father. Why didn't I think of that?”
When Yu-hyeon spoke as if he hadn't even considered it, a smile spread across Kang Man-dong's face.
“Ahem. This is what you call experience. Experience. And that famous Hollywood actress is coming too. Korean actors are only known to those who know, but it won't be the same for that young lady. Better to be careful beforehand than to have an accident with crowds gathering.”
“Yes, you’re right, Father.”
“You look like you're all warmed up. How about a round of sparring?”
“There are a lot of new faces. Why don't you try someone fresh for a change?”
“Aigoo. Forget it. They all turn their heads, saying they can't fight their employer. They say they'd be in a tough spot if I got hurt.”
He looked quite disappointed, as if he had been secretly hoping for it.
“So, you do it. You don't hold back or anything.”
“I told you, you'll break a bone.”
“You brat! I told you it’s not sparring if you go until bones break!”
*
After breakfast, the production team kept checking the time, pacing restlessly at the farm entrance.
“What time did she say she'd arrive?”
“Considering how long it took us to get here from the airport, I think there's still about 30 minutes left.”
“But do we really have to wait out here like this?”
“She’s a top Hollywood star. We should greet her respectfully right from the entrance.”
“It’s not because you just want to see her as soon as possible?”
“Do you really see me as that kind of…”
“Hey, what’s that?”
Someone pointed down the road, tilting their head.
“Looks like a motorcycle? It's coming this way.”
“A local, maybe?”
The production team, out to greet Elizabeth Veil, saw not the person they were waiting for but a high-displacement motorcycle speeding toward them. They quickly parted to the sides.
Vroooooom. Vrooom!
The motorcycle, showing no signs of stopping, shot through the middle of the crew with a *whoosh*!
“Wh-… What was that?”
“How reckless!”
As the crew, startled by the motorcycle's speed, began to complain, someone spoke up with a dazed expression.
“An Agusta F4 CC!”
“What about spicy monkfish stew?”
“You don't know the Agusta F4 CC? The motorcycle that Annie from *Urus Club* rides!”
“……What?!”
The entire crew turned their heads in unison toward the motorcycle now crossing the farm.
“No way. The person who just passed was…”
*
Hearing the motorcycle in the distance, Yu-hyeon sighed.
He had hoped she would arrive normally, but of course, she never knew how to make a quiet entrance.
Kim Seong-hui and Yu Han-seong, who had been waiting for Elizabeth with him, as well as the main actors, followed Yu-hyeon’s gaze.
Everyone had bright, expectant looks on their faces, except for Jo Seong-hyeon, whose eyes were sunken as if he'd been up all night, his face filled with a strange sadness.
"Seong-hyeon. Is something wrong? You look so pale…"
CP Yu Han-seong looked at Jo Seong-hyeon with concern.
"I can't be the only one to suffer. I can't be the only one…"
"Huh? What do you mean by…"
Just as Yu Han-seong was about to ask again, the sound of the motorcycle grew loud, right in front of them.
"She's here."
With a roar of its engine, a motorcycle that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie skidded to a stop in front of the main house.
“Isn’t that the same motorcycle from the drama?”
“I think so. Her clothes look like the ones she wore in *Urus Club*, too.”
“Wow, she didn't show up as Elizabeth Veil. She came as Annie.”
The rider, clad in a black leather suit, dismounted nimbly and took off her helmet.
*Swoosh.*
Her sleek blonde hair, which had been tucked inside, cascaded down like a waterfall, revealing a captivating face.
It was Elizabeth Veil, the star of *Urus Club* and a top Hollywood actress.
Elizabeth strode toward Yu-hyeon and suddenly threw the helmet in her hand at him.
“Ah!”
“Whoa!”
Everyone cried out in surprise, but Yu-hyeon casually caught the flying helmet and took a slight step back.
Elizabeth clicked her tongue with a “Tch!” and rushed forward, throwing a punch.
“Hey!”
“What the!”
As everyone flinched at the sudden outbreak of violence, Yu-hyeon, with a thoroughly annoyed expression, held up the helmet like a shield.
Elizabeth quickly retracted her fist and attempted a roundhouse kick instead.
Yu-hyeon let out a sigh, slipped inside her kick, and nudged her hip upward with his shoulder.
Unable to withstand the push, Elizabeth stumbled backward before finally regaining her balance.
She rubbed her backside with an awkward expression, then clasped her hands together and bowed her head to Yu-hyeon. She spoke in fluent Korean.
“Master. It's been a year.”
Yu-hyeon shook his head, looking troubled.
“Miss Veil. You're startling everyone. That's enough with the games. The drama ended a long time ago.”
"Oh my, games?"
Elizabeth shook her head as if everything she was doing was completely serious.
"And when did you learn Korean?”
“Shouldn't it be basic for the Master's disciple to know the language the Master uses?”
Elizabeth placed a hand on her hip and continued.
“Besides, Annie is meeting Master M of the Urus Club. This kind of greeting is basic, isn't it?”
The others looked on with expressions that said, ‘What is she talking about?’
“Oh my. It seems the others don’t know. That you were the mysterious M of the Urus Club.”
At Elizabeth's words, Kim Seong-hui gasped, "Huh? Oh! M!" and stared at Yu-hyeon.
The mysterious figure who was the protagonist Annie's hidden supporter and martial arts master, who would quietly appear to help her whenever she was in danger and then disappear.
“Yu-hyeon. You didn't just write the script… Y-you acted in it, too?”