What He and She Concealed
Cha Do-jin was watching the live broadcast of episode 5 from his penthouse in Sinsa-dong.
A white nightgown and red wine—essentials for any gentleman.
"Kill it. Kill it."
Cha Do-jin let out a deeply satisfied sigh at the sight of himself on the 110-inch massive screen.
"Man, this was worth the 200 million. It really brings out my handsome face."
His manager, watching alongside him, gave him a look of utter disbelief.
"Hyung, but didn't I nail the emotions perfectly?"
"Yeah. You two seem to have some weird acting chemistry with Jeong Seo-hoon."
"I think so too. When I'm in a scene with that guy, I get so immersed. I forget I'm Cha Do-jin and really feel like Koo Jae-man."
"Is that why you bought all those law books you never read?"
The manager pointed to one wall with his finger.
A bookshelf spanning five meters was crammed full of legal texts.
"Yeah. I just felt like I needed law books around me all the time? Like that way I wouldn't forget I'm Koo Jae-man."
"What a load of bullshit. How much did all that cost?"
"Expensive. I mean, most books start at tens of thousands of won. Some even over 100,000."
"You might as well have just thrown the money away."
"Throw it away? This is all gonna help me get into character. Nail the emotions? Ratings go up, my value skyrockets, CF deals roll in. Plus, the interior's on point now. Intellectual guy Cha Do-jin. What a cost-effective investment."
"Sure, sure. Why not just turn it into a full lawyer's study? Instead of just filling one corner of the living room."
"Damn, I should have. Thanks for the idea, hyung."
"What gentleman? If your fans knew you were this much of a pushover, they'd all leave."
Cha Do-jin pretended not to hear and refocused on the screen.
Jeong Seo-hoon's acting had a chilling pull.
Seeing it on the big screen after editing and effects made it feel totally different from on set.
'This guy's the real deal in person.'
Cha Do-jin recalled Jeong Seo-hoon's raw expressiveness.
The footage turned out great, but it couldn't quite capture the vivid intensity of the real thing.
"Hyung, listen. I'm the only one who's seen killer Lee Jin-wook's true face up close with my own eyes. You know that?"
"...You didn't become a fan, did you? No way."
"Fan? You think this Cha Do-jin would fanboy over anyone but himself?"
Cha Do-jin raised his voice indignantly.
But he quickly dove back into the screen.
The manager shook his head in exasperation before turning to the screen himself. And he started calculating.
'He's definitely good. Real good. At this point, his value's probably around...'
"Hyung."
"What now?"
"He doesn't have an agency, right?"
"Yeah."
"Can't we bring him to our company?"
"Not my call."
"You don't know anything? Our CEO isn't the type to sit back like this."
"Nope. Nothing. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."
***
Episode 5 shot straight to 15.9%.
The internet was flooded with talk about the drama Illegal.
All sorts of Easter egg theories and happy delusions were churned out as text, images, GIFs, and videos, endlessly recycled and devoured.
Jeong Su-ryeon grinned wickedly as she checked the viewer reactions.
"My ratings squad, just you wait. This commander will make you lose your minds even more."
Jeong Su-ryeon pulled out another making-of clip she'd ambitiously edited.
While everyone else was panicking, she'd quickly filmed it with her personal handy cam.
She fired the first shot with an entertainment article.
The piece detailed the mishap during the Illegal shoot where the winch stopped during Lee Jin-wook's jump from the bridge scene.
It also included two photos of Jeong Seo-hoon grabbing the rope with his grip strength and lightly kicking off the concrete wall to climb up.
Captures from the video Jeong Su-ryeon had shot.
Drama fans eagerly spread the article and photos, stomping their feet in worry.
It was old news, but everyone fretted over possible unseen injuries.
By the time the voices cursing the production team's lax safety measures had circled the globe a few times, Song Jeong-woo had become the villain of the century.
The photo in the article showed Jeong Seo-hoon kicking off the concrete wall.
But from certain angles, it looked like he was precariously hanging from the rope.
As the outrage peaked, even non-viewers got curious and started searching.
SNS hashtags for Illegal exploded in numbers.
Just as the hype peaked, the full video dropped.
— "The winch isn't winding! It's stuck and not working!"
— "Let go. I'll climb up."
The staff panicked, straining futilely, while Jeong Seo-hoon calmly called out.
He spun lightly in midair, grabbed the rope, and pulled himself up effortlessly with arm strength alone.
In mere seconds, he was back on the bridge, leaving stunned staff gaping like fools.
— "You okay? You okay?"
— "Yeah, no big deal."
His humble expression, as if it truly was nothing, sent drama fans into a frenzy.
***
S#09.
Several black sedans pulled up, and a stern-faced elderly man, Hwang Hak-jin (Lee Min-soo), stepped out from the back seat.
Bulkily built men followed like bodyguards as Hwang Hak-jin entered an unmarked basement entrance.
Descending narrow stairs, dazzling lights filled the corridor.
Slim beauties in revealing hallway dresses casually linked arms with old men.
— "Where is he?"
— "In Room 1."
— "You took good care of him? No slip-ups?"
— "He said no girls needed. Jeong Madam's just keeping him company."
— "Tch... How much is he gonna squeeze this time? Won't even take a girl."
Hwang Hak-jin entered Room 1, where a balding man in his 50s was chatting and laughing with Jeong Madam.
— "Sorry to keep you waiting, Chief Prosecutor."
— "No worries, no worries. We all know Chairman Hwang's a busy man. Come, sit."
Hwang Hak-jin treated the chief prosecutor politely but without bowing low.
— "So, what brings you here?"
— "Just a heads-up. There's this hot-blooded young prosecutor named Hwang Sun-hye at the Southern District Prosecutors' Office. Looks like she's poking into one of your Gangnam businesses. The one on Samsung-ro."
Hwang Hak-jin's face hardened for a moment, but the chief prosecutor's eyes were glued to Jeong Madam's cleavage.
Hwang Hak-jin stood.
— "Jeong Madam, take good care of our Chief Prosecutor."
— "It's fine, really. I'm not big on girls."
— "We'll show our gratitude generously. Relax."
— "Well, if you insist..."
Leaving the lecherously grinning chief prosecutor behind, Hwang Hak-jin exited the room and headed to his office upstairs.
Under harsh fluorescent lights, he roughly loosened his tie and barked at a subordinate.
— "Bring him in. That guy."
***
Veteran actor Lee Min-soo felt a pounding in his chest like his first time in front of the camera.
This was his first scene syncing with Jeong Seo-hoon.
Their characters' first meeting in the drama.
Now he could see for himself what had excited that slippery Cha Do-jin.
— "You called for me."
The calm baritone voice pulled him in instantly.
His steady footsteps felt slow, the vertical line of his long legs forcing the gaze downward.
The gaze naturally climbed the perfectly tailored suit, meeting eyes.
'Lee Min-soo' felt his heart race.
The thick aura emanating from his entire body was something only the real deal could possess.
He'd seen him act many times.
But standing before the camera with him for the first time.
'What I saw was acting. This... this is the real thing...'
The killer Lee Jin-wook, who found his path on the battlefield, stood before him.
The lights, mic booms, countless cameras, the director and staff watching him.
None of it registered in this moment.
Lee Min-soo's awareness completely detached.
Hwang Hak-jin was utterly pinned by his focus.
By this eerie opponent who could shatter polite pretense at any moment and snap his neck.
The veteran actor's pride—he would not yield—infused his voice with deep, natural vibe.
— "Past cleaned up nicely?"
— "Yes."
— "Every last scrap?"
— "Yes."
— "Good. Time to get to work then?"
— "Just give the order."
The beast licked his lips subtly, eyes gleaming.
The moment he imagined drool pooling in those black pupils aimed at him, the hairs on his hand stood on end.
'Killing machine...'
The veteran actor stifled a groan unnoticed, but he saw it clearly.
The saliva pooling in that predatory gaze nearly splashing onto him.
What He and She Concealed (2)