Chapter 584
Chapter 584
Bae Se-jin gazed quietly down at the script in his hands.
It was the script for Season 2 of Doll Hunter.
He had read and recited it hundreds of times already, to the point where he could vividly hear the voices in his head. The pages were covered in all sorts of annotations and handwritten notes.
He hadn't done it alone.
‘…I received a lot of help.’
While he was working on this, there were members who would sneak over and meddle whenever they saw him holding the script.
He recalled the words from Ryu Cheong-woo that had started it all.
—I see. Do you think it would be easier to visualize if you had someone to play the opposite role?
Acting as a partner to help him run lines.
In his early days as a child actor, his mother had occasionally done it for him, but after that, practicing alone had always been enough…
However, instead of coldly cutting them off by saying, "You're actually wasting my time," Bae Se-jin had simply let the members recite the lines.
It was a bit embarrassing, but it was enjoyable.
‘This… technically has nothing to do with group activities.’
It wasn't a stage performance or song production, nor was it even a solo activity for "Idol Bae Se-jin."
It was strictly the personal work of "Actor Bae Se-jin," yet the members' interference was born out of pure friendliness and goodwill.
—Well, ahem, if you're going to… then thanks.
And so, he had happily accepted that goodwill (though he didn't let it show). He figured if he ran out of time, he could just make it up by splitting his rest periods later.
But unexpectedly, it had been a genuine help.
‘It wasn't a waste of time.’
Hearing the thoughts of people whose way of thinking differed from his own allowed him to view the script from multiple perspectives. They looked into the story from blind spots his own logic couldn't reach and spoke to him about it—things he never would have realized if he had recited it alone.
Because of that, Bae Se-jin had slightly modified his interpretation of the role…
"Se-jin-ssi."
"…!"
Bae Se-jin was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts.
He was on set.
"It's your turn, Se-jin-ssi."
"Yes."
At the manager's call, he set down the script and stood up. His eyes gleamed.
‘Let’s do this right.’
This was a snowy mountain in Gangwon-do.
Doll Hunter Season 2. It was his first day of filming.
Bae Se-jin’s character, Jung Yi-sol.
He was a medical student with antisocial personality disorder—a psychopath lacking empathy. Trapped in a bizarre high-rise building with others trying to escape, he committed inhumane acts of murder without hesitation, treating food as the ultimate value.
He had even killed the protagonist without a second thought.
However, the one thing Jung Yi-sol hadn't calculated was that the moment the protagonist died at his hands, the protagonist returned to the past—to the very beginning of the story.
And so, the moment Season 2 began.
—Gasp!
The protagonist, having returned to the past, kills Jung Yi-sol the moment they meet.
Bae Se-jin had already filmed that scene. It had been shot during Season 1 to help the actors maintain their emotional flow.
Thus, one might easily assume that since Jung Yi-sol was already dead, he wouldn't appear much in Season 2…
But in truth, Bae Se-jin’s role didn't end there.
Clack.
The signal for the start of filming.
The moment the short sound of the slate cut off, he forgot about the cameras and equipment.
…
Jung Yi-sol opened his mouth.
"Hello."
"…!"
He was sitting calmly on a folding chair with his legs crossed. In his hand was a medical questionnaire held by a clip, and he wore a white lab coat.
Facing him was the protagonist of the drama.
And the place where they stood was…
Whoooooosh…
A desolate, snowy mountain, whipped by endless white snow and freezing winds.
The protagonist asked in a trembling voice.
"What is this?"
Jung Yi-sol replied nonchalantly.
"Your mental landscape."
"…"
That was it.
This Jung Yi-sol was not a person who actually existed in the drama.
Whenever the protagonist fainted, fell asleep, or was pushed to his absolute limit—whenever he was unconscious—this was a delusion appearing inside his head.
"Why are you here?!"
"I suppose I'm your trauma. I can't really use any other appropriate professional terminology. After all, I'm a figment of your imagination."
And so, the two of them sat facing each other on folding chairs amidst the landscape of a desolate winter mountain.
As if they were in a psychological counseling session.
And one by one, he would evaluate the protagonist's actions, pointing out his hidden inner thoughts.
—Bringing Lee Myung-hee along as an ally was a rash judgment. She died at the convenience store last time; do you think she'll survive any longer this time?
—A burn on the abdomen, a puncture wound in the right shoulder, a fractured left ankle. Right now, you don't need a counselor; you need a real doctor.
—You left Lee Myung-hee behind in the security office. There's no difference between the choice you made just now and the choice I made.
The mental landscape wasn't always a snowy mountain. The protagonist saw hallucinations in reality as well. In those moments, Jung Yi-sol would sit right beside him and converse.
Sometimes inflicting pain, sometimes bringing composure, and occasionally… surprisingly, offering comfort.
—…Even if you had chosen the other side, the situation wouldn't have improved.
However, the meaning of every word changes depending on the tone.
Originally, Bae Se-jin had intended to portray this imaginary character as even more aggressive and sinister than the original Jung Yi-sol.
‘Since he’s an imagination, it makes more sense.’
He thought it was natural for Jung Yi-sol to be depicted as a more terrifying and fearsome existence, given he was inside the head of the protagonist he had personally murdered.
However, during script practice for this part, the opinions of the members who played the protagonist's lines were all slightly different.
Intrigued by this, Bae Se-jin had questioned their opinions more seriously.
Especially one person.
—U-um… well. This is just my opinion, but…
Seon A-hyun.
Starting with the recent album, he had been playing a somewhat mysterious and eerie character within the group's lore.
Much like Jung Yi-sol.
Perhaps because of that, he had thought more deeply about the psychological states of the protagonist and Jung Yi-sol.
—If this character is the protagonist's imagination… wouldn't he be more human? It feels like the protagonist's wish for "Jung Yi-sol to have been a good person" might be projected onto him… And more than anything…
The decisive remark.
—The, the protagonist… killed Jung Yi-sol, after all.
—…!
—I don't think he would be… without guilt. Because the protagonist is a good person…
Bae Se-jin had pondered this quite deeply.
And to his dilemma, Park Moon-dae had offered simple advice.
—Either way, if you're the one acting it, Hyung, it'll have plenty of plausibility. You're the expert.
—But if I had to pick…
An opinion from a different angle.
—I think the audience would like that version more.
—Ah…!
It would be more interesting to see a slightly more favorable Jung Yi-sol!
From an external perspective—the viewers' point of view.
—…Alright. Thanks.
That was why Jung Yi-sol appeared like this in the protagonist's mental world.
He spoke cold and cruel words, but he acted as if he were slightly swayed by the protagonist's pain.
As time went on, it would make the viewers slightly hopeful or confused as to whether he was becoming compassionate.
‘For me, this is more fun to act, too…’
In truth, a character like Jung Yi-sol, who lacked even a shred of empathy and only valued survival efficiency, wasn't Bae Se-jin’s taste at all.
So, this subtle change in the Jung Yi-sol of the mental world—as if he were recovering sympathy and a bit of empathy for the protagonist…
‘Even if he’s just a fake imagined by the protagonist.’
He was looking forward to acting this out.
The Jung Yi-sol completed through Bae Se-jin’s heart.
He now raised his head and looked at the protagonist, who was still in a state of panic.
"My imagination? A dream… is this a dream?"
"Think whatever you like. For now…"
Jung Yi-sol clicked his ballpoint pen.
"It's time to wake up."
"Ah…"
The protagonist collapsed onto the snow.
Jung Yi-sol didn't spare him a glance.
"Cut!!"
And just like that, Bae Se-jin’s first scene of the season received a clean "OK."
"Ah, that was great! Especially here, not giving him a glance was perfect. Strangely enough, it's very aesthetically pleasing."
The director muttered with satisfaction, and the staff around them began packing up the equipment in high spirits.
Even in the subsequent scenes filmed in a burst, Bae Se-jin didn't receive a single "NG" sign.
However, everyone on set realized something.
It wasn't that Bae Se-jin was throwing in ad-libs that weren't in the script.
But in his tone, his movements, and his gaze… he was giving "nuance" to Jung Yi-sol’s performance.
Toward his client.
Toward the protagonist.
"…Our Yi-sol’s character is changing bit by bit, isn't he?"
"Yes. …I thought that would be more charming."
"Yeah, yeah. That's right. Keep doing it. Do it exactly as you've envisioned it, Se-jin-ssi."
The director confirmed it immediately.
Even with that meticulous character construction and the excellence of capturing delicate moments, the people on set only marveled and clicked their tongues in admiration; they weren't shocked.
Shock happens when something unexpected occurs. That's reserved for people with bad reputations.
But when someone who was already insanely good performs brilliantly once again, it doesn't cause shock—it adds another layer of deep trust.
‘A real genius is a genius after all.’
Like that.
"It was really… really good."
"…Thank you."
After filming, Bae Se-jin accepted a warm decaf Americano. Even before reviewing the footage, he knew.
‘…It must have turned out well.’
A soft, tight sense of fulfillment blossomed in his heart.
After such a productive shoot.
"Se-jin Sunbae-nim!"
"…Ah, yes."
"It's a shame you can't make it to the team dinner at that famous raw fish place in Gangwon-do today. You said you had another schedule, right?"
The actor playing the protagonist asked with a sociable and easygoing manner.
Bae Se-jin replied a bit awkwardly, but with a fair amount of energy.
"Yes… There's a group shoot nearby. I have to join them immediately, so I have no choice."
"Ah… Wow, then the TeSTAR members must be nearby right now?"
"Yes."
If it had been the old Bae Se-jin, he would have looked at the person with a "What are you up to?" expression, wondering why they were talking to him. But he didn't do that anymore.
On the contrary, feeling a bit excited that he had successfully managed his time, hadn't he even enjoyed some light small talk with the other actors before the manager arrived?
"Um, could I possibly get Ryu Cheong-woo-nim’s autograph? I've been a fan since his days on the national team…"
"…I'll ask him as soon as I get there today."
"Oh, thank you!"
Bae Se-jin was satisfied with his improved social skills.
And glancing over, he saw the manager approaching.
‘Finally moving…’
But the manager wasn't alone. He was talking with a staff member from the production company.
And when his eyes met Bae Se-jin’s, he spoke with a bright face.
"Se-jin-ssi, just a moment."
"…?"
"We were just having a conversation about this…"
And so, having heard a piece of unexpected news, Bae Se-jin quickly headed toward the mountain cabin located twenty minutes away!
His heart was pounding.
‘Everyone must be filming already!’
What had happened in the half-day he was gone?
Perhaps they had already churned out three or four candidates for the CM song.
Bae Se-jin knew that he didn't actually contribute much to the team's composition…
‘…But I can help a bit with the lyrics!’
If he participated diligently from now on and told them that their advice had been a huge help for his filming, everyone would be happy…
Thinking that, he quickened his pace excitedly as soon as he got out of the car.
However.
"……What on earth happened to you…?"
In the yard, he encountered Park Moon-dae, whose face was scruffy and smudged with soot!
"A lot has happened."
"……"
Park Moon-dae led Bae Se-jin inside the cabin. Even as he moved, he kept glancing around, looking as if he were on guard in case a production crew member suddenly popped out.
To an outsider, he looked so tense and resigned that one might mistake him for someone who had been surviving for a week after a zombie outbreak.
‘W-what is it?’
"Did something happen?"
"Something… definitely happened."
It was simple.
TeSTAR wasn't just here to be provided with food, clothing, and shelter while comfortably and enjoyably agonizing over making a CM song.
"It turns out, we have to survive on our own…"
"……"
Let's do our own work ourselves!
"Still, they said every time a CM song passes, they'll give us pocket money and let us go out into the city… They said until then, we'd be hunted down like runaways if we tried to leave."
"……"
Well, even that much would have been fine. Everyone was decent enough at cooking, cleaning, or manual labor.
Living a simple life as "natural men" while composing wouldn't have been that hard.
Except…
"We didn't get to choose our chores ourselves."
Under the production crew's lead, roles were assigned by drawing lots based on their rankings in a game.
And the results were…
"Seon A-hyun is cooking…?"
"……"
"Park Moon-dae is… chopping wood?"
That was how it turned out.
Bae Se-jin broke into a cold sweat.
In the midst of that, Park Moon-dae stealthily showed him something he had been carefully hiding with his work gloves.
Foil with soot rubbing off it.
"I snuck out to roast some sweet potatoes. The production crew hasn't caught me yet."
"…You're saying that in a place with cameras right now?!"
"I've bribed them all."
The camera directors gave a thumbs up. Such was the power of wood-fired roasted sweet potatoes.
"……"
Bae Se-jin was momentarily speechless!
But he couldn't stay speechless for long.
"W-what about the other members?"
"The Hunting Team."
"…?"
"Cha Yu-jin, Lee Se-jin, and Cheong-woo Hyung. Those three are the Hunting Team. Just know that for now."
Park Moon-dae began walking again.
Bae Se-jin fell into a state of confusion!
H-hunting?
No, wait, more importantly.
"What about the composing?"
"We haven't even been able to start."
Before he could even be shocked by those words, the word "composing" immediately brought one member to Bae Se-jin’s mind.
The one person whose name hadn't come out of Park Moon-dae’s mouth yet!
The man who served as the producer for every TeSTAR album!
"Right, what about Kim Rae-bin? Rae-bin is the one who composes…"
"He's the kakdugi."
"…??"
Park Moon-dae explained.
"Because he's the youngest, they made him the wildcard."
"……"
"It's a role where he's not allowed to do anything."
Kim Rae-bin was sealed!
"T-then who's doing the composing?"
"You, Hyung."
"……"
Me?
"Yes. You. The remaining lot was 'Main Producer'."
Bae Se-jin froze at the sudden appointment.
Park Moon-dae, who had become scruffy from poking at the hearth in the snowy mountain cabin, held out a roasted sweet potato and spoke solemnly.
"Now that you know, let's get started. We're currently three songs behind… They said as long as you just start them, Hyung, everyone else can participate. Oh, except for Rae-bin."
"……"
"I think we need to finish the sketch for one song today to meet our labor quota… I mean, the deadline."
Bae Se-jin hesitated, unable to take the roasted sweet potato, before finally speaking with a feeling of wanting to squeeze his eyes shut.
"Um… It's not three songs."
"…?"
"It's four."
Bae Se-jin avoided his gaze, recalling what the production company staff had said earlier.
"O-our drama production company said it looked like fun, so they requested an additional auction from the crew here… and put in some PPL."
"……"
TeSTAR’s labor list updated.
Doll Hunter CM song… no, OST added.