8
## Chapter 8
Yu Hana stopped writing in her notebook and looked up.
'I hope he's doing okay...'
She had deliberately left her phone in the living room on silent.
If she kept it with her, she knew she'd check it every few minutes.
But even without looking at her phone, she found herself thinking about Kang Jihoo over and over.
It was his first day of filming. Was he doing well? Was he being intimidated by the senior actors and unable to show his
true ability? He had gone there alone without even a manager. Had he adjusted to the set?
She couldn't stop worrying.
'If it weren't for finals, I'd have gone with him.'
If her final exams weren't right around the corner—or at least if she were certain her father wouldn't be at the filming
location—she would have shamelessly followed him there.
'I'm worried about Director Na Chanho too...'
There was another reason for her concern.
The director of I Go to School was Na Chanho.
As someone from the CS family and a student in the same field, she had heard plenty about him.
Most notably, he was notorious for demanding far more takes than necessary.
'What if he really makes the rookie do thirty takes just to break him in?'
Yu Hana nervously bit her fingernail.
'I can't take this anymore.'
After who knew how much time had passed, she suddenly sprang out of her chair.
I'll just get my phone. If something happened, he would've called or sent me a message. I'll only check once.
She muttered excuses to herself as she walked into the living room.
Then...
"Huh?"
The moment she looked at her phone, her eyes widened.
"How is this... even possible?"
---
Around the same time, at the filming set of I Go to School.
"The next location in the script is the school's incinerator. But due to school circumstances, we'll have to switch it
to the restroom behind the main building. We're short on time, so let's move immediately."
Assistant Director Jo Woori announced loudly for everyone to hear.
"What should we do? Will you two be okay with the change?"
She immediately hurried over to the two actors involved and lowered her voice.
"I'm fine."
The first was Kang Jihoo, who played Han Jinil.
"I'm not. After watching Jihoo's acting earlier, I think it'll be even scarier in a restroom."
The second was Jae Youngcheol, who played Lee Changsoo.
"Go easy on me. Actually... maybe don't? Haha."
"...Haha."
Kang Jihoo answered with nothing more than a polite smile.
'He really does seem easygoing.'
From a short distance away, Director Na Chanho quietly watched them.
'I still can't figure him out.'
A little later, after arriving at the new filming location, Na Chanho walked over to Kang Jihoo.
"Kang Jihoo."
"Yes, Director."
Jihoo was examining the herbal cigarette the staff had handed him.
Herbal cigarettes, also known as non-smoking cigarettes.
They were commonly used by non-smokers or underage actors when filming smoking scenes.
'I wish he could use a real cigarette.'
He already knew Jihoo didn't smoke, so he had no choice but to prepare these instead.
Still, the director couldn't help feeling disappointed.
"The location changed from the incinerator to the restroom."
"Yes."
"It's a much tighter space now, so the emotional tension has to change as well. I want Han Jinil to pressure Lee
Changsoo even more."
An incinerator naturally created an uneasy atmosphere. It was dirty, isolated, and felt like something bad could happen
even if nothing actually did.
It had been the perfect setting for Scene 15.
But a restroom was different.
The space was so cramped that fitting both actors and a camera inside was already difficult.
There was almost nothing for the camera to capture besides the actors themselves.
Everything would depend entirely on their performances.
"Understood."
Jihoo answered calmly.
'Did he really understand?'
Jihoo had delivered outstanding performances during the additional audition and in Scene 14.
But this scene was different.
It marked the beginning of the story's central conflict and the point where Han Jinil's true nature would finally
emerge.
'He couldn't even swear properly...'
The director still vividly remembered Jihoo's first audition. It wasn't just that his acting had been lacking—he'd
looked like someone completely incapable of cursing.
"Alright... Rolling."
There wasn't enough time to give him a lesson on how to curse.
"Everyone, focus. Ready... Action!"
The camera rolled.
Thinking, It'll work out somehow, Na Chanho called for action.
Click.
Jihoo immediately lit the cigarette.
'Hm?'
The movement looked incredibly natural.
Jae Youngcheol hurriedly lit his own cigarette after him.
Jihoo slowly exhaled smoke toward the floor.
"Lee Changsoo."
His voice was low.
"Huh?"
Jae Youngcheol answered at once.
"You went to the same middle school as Kim Mooyoung, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
Jihoo spat on the floor.
Jae Youngcheol looked away, blowing out a breath toward the ceiling as if refusing to meet Jihoo's eyes.
'Good.'
A subtle detail that clearly established their hierarchy.
'As expected of Jae Youngcheol.'
He wasn't a famous actor, but years of experience in independent films had given him solid instincts.
"So what's it going to be?"
"...Huh?"
Jae Youngcheol lowered his gaze again at Jihoo's next line.
"Not 'huh.'"
'Kang Jihoo is no joke either.'
Unlike during his first audition, when he couldn't even curse naturally, he now looked like someone who had spent the
last five seconds bullying classmates.
'No... not just a delinquent.'
Despite his young age, he carried himself like someone who had been establishing dominance among men since childhood.
Someone completely accustomed to wielding power over others.
"So what are you going to do?"
The meaning behind those words was obvious.
Scold him. Beat him up. Do something.
"...Come on. What's there to do? He's a good kid. Besides, the teacher was about to come anyway."
The Lee Changsoo that Jae Youngcheol portrayed was the only member of Han Jinil's group who was actually friendly with
Kim Mooyoung.
That was why he defended him.
"Hey. Finish your cigarette. Recess is almost over."
Jae Youngcheol lightly tapped Jihoo on the shoulder.
"Otherwise I'm heading back first."
Jihoo didn't answer.
He simply stared at him.
"..."
Then—
"Lee Changsoo."
"...Yeah?"
Jihoo's eyes changed.
They became unreadable.
And unmistakably colder.
His naturally icy expression combined with that chilling gaze made it feel as though the temperature around them had
dropped several degrees.
"Just because I let you hang around me... you think we're actually friends?"
A sharp intake of breath echoed behind Director Na Chanho.
One of the assistant staff members couldn't help inhaling.
"W-What? What do you mean...?"
Jae Youngcheol flinched.
"What?"
Jihoo asked again in the same cold voice.
"W-What's wrong with you?"
Jae Youngcheol forced an awkward laugh before stopping halfway.
Then he lowered his head and avoided Jihoo's eyes.
Whether it was acting or genuine fear, no one could tell.
'He's actually scared.'
Director Na Chanho recognized it instantly.
This had nothing to do with experience.
The atmosphere itself had changed.
Even if he had been standing in Jae Youngcheol's place, he would have been genuinely intimidated.
This was nothing like the boy from the first audition.
'How did he change this much... in just a few days?'
Na Chanho couldn't hide his confusion.
"Look at me, you bastard."
Jihoo delivered the next line with eyes as sharp as a freshly honed blade.
The entire set froze.
Silence lingered.
Finally, Na Chanho broke it.
"C-Cut... Okay."
For the first time in Director Na Chanho's career, he approved a scene in a single take.
---
"O-One take? Really?"
Assistant Director Jo Woori asked in disbelief.
"...Ah."
Only then did Na Chanho realize what he had just done.
"...Yes. Let's wrap this up."
There was no taking back an "okay" once it had been spoken.
'Besides... it really was that good.'
There was no reason to withdraw it.
The performance truly deserved the first one-take approval of his directing career.
"A one-take?"
"Director Na actually gives one-takes?"
"Of course he does. Didn't you just see that performance?"
The whispers around him were a little distracting, but with the tight filming schedule, it actually worked out well.
'...Did it?'
Na Chanho stared at Kang Jihoo as he returned the props.
Jihoo's acting had been phenomenal.
It couldn't have been any better.
'Then couldn't we create even more with him?'
That was exactly why it felt so regrettable.
With acting skills like that...
With that level of immersion and character analysis...
Anything he tried would only improve the film.
'If we had just a little more filming time, I'd shoot several more versions.'
New ideas began flooding into Na Chanho's mind.
He mentally held a brainstorming session with himself, refining some ideas, discarding others, and developing the
promising ones.
It was his personal creative process.
"Director, filming wrapped up earlier than expected."
"Ah, Manager Choi."
Before long, Choi Younggil from CS Film approached him, forcing him to end his brainstorming.
'I'll add that scene during the next shoot.'
At least he'd managed to come away with one worthwhile idea.
'I'll polish it up when I get home.'
If it still looked good afterward, he'd discuss it with Kang Jihoo.
That thought stayed in Na Chanho's mind.
---
"Great work, everyone! I'll post the next filming schedule in the group chat later today!"
Filming finally ended.
The moment I got my phone back from the staff, I sent Hana a message.
[Kang - Filming's over. Finished earlier than expected.]
[Kang - I'll text you again once I'm on the subway.]
Since she said she was studying for finals, she'd probably reply late.
I slipped my phone into my pocket.
"Kang Jihoo."
Just then, Bae Jiho approached.
'Now what's he going to say?'
I couldn't help tensing up.
In my previous life, Bae Jiho had looked down on me countless times on film sets.
He had even humiliated me in front of everyone.
"Yes, sunbae."
Still, I couldn't ignore someone calling my name.
"So this is your first movie, right?"
"Yes."
"Stop saying that."
"Hm?"
I frowned in confusion.
"What kind of nonsense is that? You're telling me this is your first time? Does that even make sense?"
Ah.
"You know Director Na's reputation, right? He's infamous. Especially with rookies. People say he makes them do thirty
takes. But you got a one-take. I saw it with my own eyes and still can't believe it."
Lowering his voice, Bae Jiho whispered conspiratorially.
It was unexpected.
'So he has this side to him too.'
In my previous life, he eventually accepted me as a fellow actor.
Even then, I'd never seen this side of him.
Maybe it was because he was younger.
"Let's get along from now on. Honestly, I think I'll be the one learning from you."
"No, sunbae."
"Forget the 'sunbae.' Just call me hyung. I'll speak casually too. Sound good?"
...Maybe it really was because he was younger.
He seemed much friendlier.
"I'm not the only one who thinks so. See those executives over there?"
I looked where Bae Jiho pointed.
Several CS Film executives were talking seriously with Director Na Chanho.
"When you were acting, they couldn't take their eyes off you. Anyone watching would've thought it was love at first
sight."
Just as Bae Jiho finished speaking, one of the CS Film executives—the man who appeared to hold the highest
position—turned toward us.
"Oh. He's coming over."
Was he the department manager?
I watched the approaching man.
"Kang Jihoo."
He walked over so quickly that he reached us almost immediately.
Without even greeting us first, he called my name.
"Yes?"
"Do you happen to have an agency?"
"...No."
"Perfect."
A slight smile appeared on his face before he handed me his business card.
"My name is Choi Younggil from the Production Department at CS Film. We'd like to introduce you to CS Entertainment.
Would you be interested?"