Where's the Next Episode? (1)
The moment the scene wrapped, Jeong Su-ryeon nearly screamed inside her head.
The other staff felt much the same, differing only in degree.
They all shared the same thought.
They've decided to bring Lee Jin-wook back after all.
Wasn't that flashback just extra service time?
This is too much of a stretch, isn't it? Suddenly flipping the direction like this...
It's a makjang drama, after all.
Kim Sang-hee was infamous for spontaneously expanding or cutting roles, even flipping the entire direction on a whim.
But this? This was beyond extreme.
Reviving someone they'd already killed off?
Jeong Su-ryeon stole a glance at the PD.
Song Jeong-woo was grinning more satisfied than ever, and Kim Sang-hee brimmed with pride.
Cha Do-jin, returning to his spot after his scene, looked pleased as well.
Yoo Jeong-ah seemed a bit surprised but stayed composed, while veteran actor Lee Min-soo nodded to himself as if to say, Of course.
Aha!
A lightbulb went off in Jeong Su-ryeon's head.
It was a fake-out!
They hadn't overhauled the story because of viewer reactions to episodes 1 and 2.
The overhaul had started much earlier.
From when Seo-hoon auditioned.
Realizing the truth, Jeong Su-ryeon felt at ease.
"Okay, as you've all seen, our Lee Jin-wook isn't dead. So relax, everyone, and no leaks until broadcast."
Song Jeong-woo clapped to wrap the shoot.
The staff, momentarily stunned, snapped to and began tidying the set.
Jeong Su-ryeon approached Song Jeong-woo, who was chatting with assistant director Kim Hyun-tae.
"How far along are we on episode 7?"
"About 40% done. All parts without Lee Jin-wook."
"What about episode 4 editing?"
"Finished. Just slot in today's extra scene at the end. It'll be quick. Depends on how fast the PD does the fine cut."
"Episode 4 airs the day after tomorrow, right? Then I'll wrap that up tonight before I go."
Jeong Su-ryeon slipped in quietly with a grin.
"PD-nim, you're truly devious."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You've been shooting only Lee Jin-wook flashback parts this whole time to make it seem like he's really dead, then you sneak in the twist scene right two days before episode 4 airs."
"To fool the enemy, first fool your allies—you know that saying? Last drama, the twist got spoiled because staff leaked it to their families, and it blew up online."
They'd originally been wrapping episode 6 today.
With Jeong Seo-hoon on set, the staff figured they'd add flashbacks to 6 too.
But Song Jeong-woo had shot extra for episode 4, airing in two days.
The scene where the undead Lee Jin-wook returns to Gu Je-man's office.
"Just hold out two days—no leaks this time."
"I've never leaked anything."
"I trust you, Su-ryeon. But the rest of the staff? Not so much. That's showbiz."
"..."
"Just 48 hours, folks."
As Jeong Seo-hoon packed up, Yoo Jeong-ah approached.
"So the ghost I've been chasing is you."
"Looks that way."
"I knew it. He didn't seem like he'd die in episode 2."
"What made you think that?"
"Too strong an impression for a role that wraps in two episodes."
"That's all?"
"And Kim Sang-hee wouldn't toss a face like yours after two episodes."
"What's wrong with my face?"
"You're handsome. Top-tier even among actors."
"You think so?"
"Playing dumb? Concept or for real?"
Jeong Seo-hoon absently touched his face.
He'd never heard he was ugly growing up.
But...
"Mom says it a lot. Though every family does, right?"
"Pfft!"
Yoo Jeong-ah clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh.
She lightly punched his shoulder with her small white fist, holding back giggles.
"Good acting."
"Was it okay? Glad to hear."
"Not that. Just now."
Her manager hurried over and pulled her away. She gave a smirking wave.
"Run while you can. I'll catch you for sure."
"Episode 5, scene 52 line."
"You memorized that? It's my solo monologue—you're not even in it."
"I memorize the script as it comes."
Yoo Jeong-ah looked at him anew, impressed, then nodded to herself.
"Worth the chase."
"That's not a line."
Her character was Hwang Seon-hye.
A prosecutor chasing Lee Jin-wook for different reasons than Gu Je-man.
"You didn't die in episode 2? You're the main villain? Mom, holy shit! Epic! Epic!"
The soldier's sharp eyes pierced through Jeong Su-ryeon's intentional overacting.
Her acting sucked.
As kin, his sibling sense kicked in.
No wonder she couldn't pass a single minor role audition and quit aspiring actress.
"It's over! Finally over!"
"What's over?"
"Episode 4 airs in this hype, right? The tables are turning. Those rabbits who fled the house will come crawling back begging to take you in."
"How's that 'over'?"
"Your acting career! Smooth sailing now—no more tear-soaked bread! It's done!"
"Tear-soaked bread? When did I eat that?"
"Tch. Starting with groveling to big-shot PDs for auditions, you wouldn't know tear-soaked bread. Lucky bastard."
She talked tough, but Jeong Su-ryeon was spinning inside.
Main villain disguised as supporting—Kim's a script wizard, no issues there. Ratings are already number one.
Once Lee Jin-wook's survival and villain reveal hit—not the wronged victim—viewer reactions would explode anew.
This is enough to pivot to acting full-time, right? No, must pivot!
The star path others begged for through humiliation lay dazzling before him.
Just maintain this momentum, and A-list is guaranteed.
Jeong Su-ryeon felt a golden lifeline descend, her chest tingling.
She glanced around, then asked in a wheedling tone.
"But... you gonna keep acting?"
"Why?"
"Reactions are insane. Keep this up, next gig you'll pull 10-20 mil per episode. Quitting now would be a waste."
"Gotta graduate. One semester left."
"Ah..."
Her world-crashing face was hilarious.
"You told me to snatch the cheese and bolt from the trap."
"When the whole cheese factory rolls in, you gonna kick it away?"
"Dunno. Thinking about it."
He pretended to mull it over, making her heart burn hotter.
"Three episodes out. I'll see reactions through the finale before deciding."
"You'll make it. No doubt."
Jeong Seo-hoon masked his feelings with a faint smile.
Right now, he was more sincere about acting than ever, than anyone.
That place the camera alone showed, filled with dear, missed faces.
He hid the thirst behind nonchalance.
Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye waited glumly for Illegal episode 4.
Above the TV hung a framed autograph from Jeong Seo-hoon.
A precious one she'd snagged by chance at the production party's first-episode wrap.
"Kim Sang-hee. Bitch."
"Song Jeong-woo. Asshole."
"Struck by lightning in my sleep. I'll make sure."
"How could they kill off Private Jeong like that?"
"Story over character?!"
The teaser of Lee Jin-wook appearing calmly in flashbacks had dragged the friends unwillingly to the TV.
They knew it was the writer's sly ploy, but this was fandom.
Boost ratings even a bit for episodes with our Seo-hoon. More face time in the next project.
"Hey, episode 4's starting."
"Ads are endless. No beer?"
"Nope. Go buy some."
"You go. What if Private Jeong appears while I'm at the store?"
"Some host you are."
Guest Kim Da-hye fetched the beer, but ads still droned on.
Finally, episode 4 began.
Lawyer Gu Je-man, probing the suspicious death of Captain Kim Si-ho—who served with Lee Jin-wook's unit—runs into Prosecutor Hwang Seon-hye again.
Old courtroom foes over Lee Jin-wook's innocence.
"Enemies meet on a log bridge, huh."
"Are we enemies, Lawyer? Just doing our jobs."
"Whatever. What's your business here?"
"And yours?"
"Lawyer stuff. A client."
"Suspicious about Kim Si-ho's death?"
"No sharing. Info swap."
Gu Je-man finds a witness suspicious of Kim Si-ho's death during his probe.
Kim Si-ho's army buddy.
"Weird. We were meeting that day. Spot was nowhere near the crash."
"Reliable with plans?"
"Like clockwork. Cancels early if needed. No reason to drive there."
Something's off!
Gu Je-man digs deeper, sensing foul play in Kim Si-ho's death.
Kim Si-ho was a survivor who'd testified to Lee Jin-wook's friendly fire massacre.
Is probing his death a mission to fulfill an unfinished client request? Or...
Then, a ghostly reunion.
"Heard you've been looking for me."
"Mom! Kyaaah!"
"What the—fuck! Fuck!"
"Captain Kim Si-ho... You killed him, didn't you?"
The beer-cracking pals nearly lunged at the TV.
The pitiful boy they'd wanted to hug was back as a devilish gaze-crusher.
"Didn't ask. Just glad you're alive."
The screen spins, cutting back to the lawyer's office on day one.
Lee Jin-wook's aggrieved face shows a deliberate hidden speck.
A bead of cold sweat rolls down Gu Je-man's cheek, lit up. The opposite angle unseen in episode 1.
Gu Je-man's voiceover, absent then:
This client... he's lying.
His episode 1 suspicion of the client surfaces.
Oblivious to fallen hair rollers, the friends wailed monstrously.
"Episode 5! Gimme episode 5!"
Where's the Next Episode? (2)