Black Ops (1)
“Standby, cue!”
The moment the signal dropped, Yoo Jeong-ah slipped into the venomous mask of Professor Kim Jung-ae.
“Professor Hwang Geon-wook, where are you right now?”
“The professor? He's coming over there.”
“Where, where?”
Turning her back on the academy student, Yoo Jeong-ah spotted Jeong Seo-hoon walking in from afar.
“Hogging the TDX-3 all to himself and strolling around like he owns the place? Not even using it, just blocking the schedule. That's gotta be it.”
“Professor, it's just...”
“Hey, Professor Hwang Geon-wook!”
Yoo Jeong-ah stormed toward Jeong Seo-hoon with a huff, and the camera captured her furious expression in vivid detail.
“Cut.”
Song Jeong-woo called it, and Yoo Jeong-ah shed Kim Jung-ae's mask. Song Jeong-woo stroked his chin as he reviewed the monitor.
“Whoa, that angry face is so natural. Perfect.”
“Told you karaoke was the right call.”
“Yeah, seems like it. No extra direction needed—the actresses are already itching at Hwang Geon-wook on their own.”
“Our actresses nail the 'falling for Seo-hoon' vibes, but negative stuff like irritation or disgust? Not so much. Gotta help 'em out like this.”
Filming continued smoothly after that.
Hwang Geon-wook was an unexpected intruder, stirring up annoyance and wariness among the existing lab members.
“Classic rom-com trope: the bland side dish that kills the appetite early on.”
No one welcomed the sharp-tongued new professor, who arrived backed by the president's inexplicable favor and treated the coveted new equipment like his personal toy.
“Who'd wanna throw a welcome party for him? The president said to help him settle in, so we squeezed out time from our packed schedules—what, you think we'd rather chit-chat when we could be reading papers instead?”
“He's been in the States too long, probably not used to Korean drinking culture. Kim should just bear with it.”
“Since when were we ever buddy-buddy with dinners and welcomes? And they don't do parties in America? Total excuses.”
Hwang Geon-wook's sudden addition to Kim Jung-ae's (Yoo Jeong-ah's) lab was a burden for the grad students too.
For starters, the lab head hated him; he was a forced insert from the school; and above all, he was unapproachable, always radiating a cold aura.
But one person mustered the courage to approach him.
“Professor. Um, could I join your grad seminar next semester?”
Senior undergrad Im Seo-rin gazed up at him with eyes brimming with anxiety.
His gaze slanted down like he was looking down on humanity itself, laced with a mocking sneer.
“With those grades?”
Im Seo-rin's heart plummeted in a dizzying churn.
Are my grades really that bad? No, they're not. I even got a scholarship—thought I was pretty solid.
She found herself pinning all the blame squarely on herself. That gaze forced it on her.
“Show me your thesis draft first.”
His voice stayed icy, but it felt like being pulled from quicksand. Im Seo-rin did something not in the script.
She silently let tears well up as she stared at his turned back.
“I'll prepare the thesis hard!”
“Cut!”
The moment the signal hit, Im Seo-rin noticed her breathing shift—the PD, director, and camera suddenly flooding back into her awareness.
She sat beside him for monitoring at his gesture, and he grinned.
“What's with that entranced look? See a ghost?”
“No, it's just...”
“Different syncing with him, right? Jeong Seo-hoon.”
Im Seo-rin nodded vigorously.
“Can't put it into words as a non-actor, but everyone says the same: invisible halo behind him, gaze just grabs you, like hypnosis or something.”
“The camera vanished from my mind completely. Weird.”
Im Seo-rin murmured, cheeks faintly flushed.
“Like totally matching the crowd's energy at a concert? Exactly that. Hard to explain...”
“Like that duet at karaoke last time?”
“Yes! Spot on, PD! As expected from a master director!”
“M-master PD...”
Even a battle-hardened vet like Song Jeong-woo, immune to flattery and temptations, couldn't shrug off that one.
Song Jeong-woo ran multiple teams at once, keeping locations spinning non-stop to save time.
Jeong Seo-hoon vanished to the lab the instant his scenes wrapped.
Then he'd return for his next block, nail it, and vanish again.
The actresses, starved for real talk with him, stewed in frustration.
“What, honey hidden in the lab? Ghosts out the second his part ends. Doesn't even stick for monitoring.”
“He's busy. Why so grumpy, Ji-hyun? Not like you.”
“And you, Seo-hyeon unnie—since when so mature and cool? Know what Jeong-ah's calling you lately?”
“What'd she say?”
“Fake as hell, can't stand it. Act your age.”
“Tell her we're not even a year apart. And what's this about friends?”
“She said it for real. Three-way face-off?”
Jeong Seo-hoon approached then, and Han Seo-hee—high school senior who'd lamented her 172cm height—suddenly stretched one leg long.
She squeezed sunscreen into her palm and smoothed it lovingly up her bare leg peeking from short shorts.
“Sun's brutal... What if I burn...”
Overhearing her mutter, Jeong Seo-hoon shrugged off his lab coat.
“Cover with this then? Got spares inside anyway.”
“Really? Thanks, oppa!”
Han Seo-hee beamed, snatched it, and draped it over her leg.
Im Seo-rin, who'd lingered post-scenes, sidled up slyly.
“Seo-hoon, when's your last bit today?”
“Timeline says this is it.”
“Oh, perfect. Mine just wrapped too—dinner together? Then karaoke...”
Yoo Jeong-ah, Chae Ji-hyun, Lee Seo-hyeon, and Han Seo-hee's eyes flashed sharp.
Brazen lie, lips not even wet.
Waited over an hour since hers ended.
Knew this was his last and camped.
Whoa, twenties unnies got hidden tails. Goals.
“Tonight I...”
About to decline, Jeong Seo-hoon locked eyes with Kim Sang-hee across the way.
Arms crossed, she nodded subtly. Don't reject her courage.
“Sure. I'll change at the lab post-shoot and meet you. Cool?”
“Yes! So excited—fans loved that last clip.”
The managers' posted clips had blown up in fandoms.
Both Im Seo-rin and Jeong Seo-hoon fans clamored for a duet stage.
If that deleted hug vid had dropped... total opposite reaction.
“You two having fun alone? Take us too.”
“Karaoke? I wanna go. Oppa, please?”
“Why not make it a full lead cast dinner? Solo duo risks scandal, hurts the drama.”
“All together, no scandal, party all night.”
“Jeong-ah, you shoot till 10, right? Checked the timeline.”
“Join after. Lead cast dinner—won't wrap early.”
In the invisible spark war, Jeong Seo-hoon mediated.
“Pre-rehearsal sync with Im Seo-rin. Sorry, sit this out—I'll set a full cast dinner next time.”
Upgraded from leads to everyone. Not what the sidelined four wanted.
Sole winner Im Seo-rin flashed a sunny grin at them.
“We'll do our duet later—come watch!”
“...”
“...”
The hulking detective Oh Tae-woo endured his sister and her friend's nagging while meticulously cleaning the fridge.
“So when's Jeong Seo-hoon calling?”
“When, huh.”
“Kids. I don't have his number. Why would he call?”
“Liar. Picked him for the drama—must've swapped digits.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Seo-hoon gushed about oppa in making-of. Eyes dripping greed. 'Actor I wanna work with again'—oppa, you hit the big time?”
“Big time my ass. Know how much grief I got at work after?”
“Grief for what? Drama's killing it.”
“Bosses ripped me: cop playing criminal? Tarnishing police honor, blah blah.”
Oh So-hee shot back, incredulous.
“Chaebol heir's bodyguard ain't criminal. They blind? Skipping drama for article comments?”
“Exactly. They'd shut up if they watched. Just parroting rumors, oppa.”
“Anyway, zero connection to Jeong Seo-hoon. No expectations.”
“Really none?”
“Got his manager's contact, maybe.”
“That's something!”
Kim Da-hye chimed in excitedly, rapid-fire.
“Oppa, quitting detective for full acting? Happens a lot. Guy from Russia sales went huge on NetPrime.”
“Not happening. Yoo Jeong-ah pushed, bit part no acting needed.”
“No skill needed? You stole scenes with barely lines. That's talent.”
“Enough—don't stash delivery in the fridge. Toss it right away.”
“Just saving for later.”
“'Later' you forget. Look at this mold. Still edible?”
Oh Tae-woo's smartphone buzzed.
Oh So-hee glanced casually—then leaped like a startled kitten from a robot vac.
“Ha Tae-soo manager? Oppa, Jeong Seo-hoon's guy! Answer!”
“Oppa, I'll clean—gimme the broom, take the call!”
Oh Tae-woo got shoved from the fridge and picked up.
Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye half-assed cleaning, all ears on him.
“Yes, Oh Tae-woo speaking.”
-Ha Tae-soo here. Remember Illegal's Song Jeong-woo PD?
“Yeah, quick greet on set.”
-PD wants to talk. Free now?
“Yes, fine.”
Ha Tae-soo switched to Song Jeong-woo.
Quick hellos and updates, then to the point.
-Supporting role opened up sudden. Was eyeing you originally, but figured day job'd make it tough—didn't ask last time. Now with the hole, you're top of mind.
“Detective work's nuts—undercover, investigations, arrests. Last time burned all leave...”
-Yoo Jeong-ah's real brother role.
“Then it's a yes.”
Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye fist-pumped silently, jumping hand-in-hand.
-Time okay? More screen than The Hunter...
“Leave or suspension—I'll make it. Her actual brother? I'd rise from the coffin to do it. But with Jeong Seo-hoon's character...”
-Mildly antagonistic? Opposed anyway. You chase actor Jeong Seo-hoon.
“Chase?”
-NIS black ops.
Oh Tae-woo's breath hitched—just a beat—unnoticed.
He replied brightly.
“Sounds fun.”