Leaving Only a Bitter Taste (3)
After wrapping up filming, Cha Do-jin wanted to throw a modest wrap party.
But with Jeong Seo-hoon sporting a wound on his lip, he couldn't drink.
"Ah, Jeong-ah, seriously. You ruined a perfectly fun night."
"Did you come here to drink? You came to film. And I'm really sorry to Seo-hoon oppa. How's he supposed to enjoy the party because of me?"
"It's fine, so don't beat yourself up anymore."
"Jeong-ah, you said you came to drink with me? Treating me different like this?"
"If you're that mad, have sunbae bite me too."
And with that, they wrapped the first day of shooting.
The next day, Song Jeong-woo pushed the schedule hard from the morning onward.
Yoo Jeong-ah, who finished her scenes first, left the set with her manager.
She seemed reluctant to go, wanting to stick around longer, but her manager blocked her.
"You know how many schedules you have to digest in Seoul? No time to lounge around here when there's nothing left for you."
"Fine, fine. I'm going, okay?"
The evening after that, Cha Do-jin departed too.
He'd wanted to stay one more day for that modest party they'd missed, but his manager practically dragged him away.
"If a devil granted me one wish, you know what I'd ask? To split me into three! Look at how backed up my schedule is."
"Seo-hoon, let's grab a drink later. Promise!"
One by one, the supporting and minor actors left, followed eventually by the stunt team and extras.
Now, the only actors left on set were Lee Min-soo and Jeong Seo-hoon.
"This remote shoot isn't so bad, huh?"
"Yes."
"It's because we're domestic. Facilities are good here. Plenty of rough spots out there, though."
While the staff bustled around setting up the outdoor location, Lee Min-soo had somehow scrounged up firewood and was roasting sweet potatoes.
He sat across from Jeong Seo-hoon, the crackling flames dancing between them.
"Wasn't too chaotic? We don't shoot in script order, after all."
Of course, dramas weren't filmed in story sequence.
They might shoot a love confession in one spot, then immediately pivot to a breakup scene.
"Not chaotic at all. To save costs and time, batching scenes makes sense."
"Not all acting's like that. Sometimes you perform in narrative flow."
"You mean theater."
"Right. That was fun, romantic even. Didn't pay the bills, though. Haha."
Lee Min-soo's gentle smile felt worlds away from the selfish, ruthless Gangnam gangster-chabeol Hwang Hak-jin.
But the moment the camera rolled, he donned the mask like a ghost.
"You asked last time. What I think acting is."
"Yeah. Oh, you still practicing?"
Jeong Seo-hoon answered with a smirk, and Lee Min-soo brushed it off with an eye smile.
"I was curious back then. What does a master like you think, exactly?"
"My take? On what acting is?"
"Yes. The answer you've earned over a lifetime."
"Well... what acting is..."
Lee Min-soo prodded a sweet potato, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames.
"Beats me."
Jeong Seo-hoon met the statement with silence, urging him on.
"When I was young and hot stuff, I was arrogant. Thought my way was the acting. Ignored advice from seniors, pretended to listen humbly in front of them."
"..."
"Now, just thinking back makes my ears burn red. Parading my clumsy experiences like secret techniques no one else knew."
"So really..."
"That's why I asked you kids that day, right? 'Cause I don't know."
Lee Min-soo pulled a sweet potato from the fire, handed one over, and peeled his while chuckling.
"What I've learned at my age? How little I truly know."
"..."
"Still don't get what acting is. But I know a bit about technique. My clumsy antics in front of the camera."
Lee Min-soo focused on peeling, laughing heartily.
"When you figure something out later, tell me too. Don't hog it. Promise?"
Conversation died there.
Like they'd planned it, they quietly peeled and ate their sweet potatoes in silence.
"Aigoo, our actors. Don't just eat sweet potatoes—have some cider too. PD Song brought it so your throats don't dry out."
Heavy footsteps approached cheerfully.
Lee Min-soo balled up the peels and foil, stuffing them in a trash bag, then took the cider Song Jeong-woo offered.
"Finally time for you to devour me?"
"Today you're just caught. Not eaten yet, sir."
"Caught but can't escape? Might as well be eaten."
Lee Min-soo dusted his hands, laughing as he stood.
Jeong Seo-hoon watched his smile morph into Hwang Hak-jin's, then rose slowly.
In his own eyes, Hwang Hak-jin was transforming into appetizing prey.
Song Jeong-woo clapped lightly.
"Last shoot of the schedule. Let's do this, everyone."
With all filming done, Jeong Seo-hoon drove back to Seoul.
His sister Jeong Su-ryeon had looked at him so pitifully, crammed into that chartered bus.
Blood ties wouldn't let him ignore it, so he sent an encouraging text.
Wish someone would drive for me lol
Got it
Jeong Seo-hoon bid farewell to the PD, writer, Lee Min-soo and his manager, and the rest of the staff before sliding into his car.
It had been a grueling march, yet he felt no fatigue.
Refreshed as if he'd slept deeply, ready to jump back into shooting right then.
He toyed with his lip; the inner wound was gone.
He pulled over, checked the "injured" inside of his lip with his phone's mirror app.
He hadn't told Yoo Jeong-ah, but he'd distinctly felt the gash in his mouth.
Yet during disinfection, there'd been no trace.
None now either.
"I could've sworn I tasted blood... Was it my imagination?"
Before hitting the accelerator, Jeong Seo-hoon replayed his time at the remote location.
Scenes flashed in his mind like cuts from a film.
Yoo Jeong-ah...
The sensation of biting her lip—any male fan's dream—was vivid.
Far from pink-tinged excitement.
When he'd channeled a soldier's plunder lust, the taste had been clear; now, it defied easy definition.
One thing certain: something intensely overriding the mix of fake blood and real.
Illegal rode a tailwind straight ahead.
By episode 8, it broke 19%, putting 20% in sight.
The conflict between rescue lawyer Koo Je-man and prosecutor Hwang Sun-hye chasing Lee Jin-wook tightened and loosened fiercely.
They cooperated at times, competed at others, pursuing him.
Lee Jin-wook left brazen trails, luring them or sending them on wild goose chases.
—Prosecutor, you and I are the same. Can't stand not devouring what we crave.
—Don't make me laugh. I don't kill for fun. Just want to lock up the wicked!
—I kill with a knife, you with death sentences. Different tools, same goal? Right?
—Lawyer, why play nice now? That's not you.
—Stop now, Lee Jin-wook. I'll defend you.
—Rot in prison till you die? That's your mercy, your help?
—Crime demands punishment! Your way's wrong! I'll fight for you till the end!
—That guy who died penniless—why not fight for him till the end?
Lawyer and prosecutor, chasing the same man for different reasons.
They deny how Lee Jin-wook's logic, arguments, emotions nibble at them.
To guard their identities, they whip themselves harder, pursuing him relentlessly.
Ahead of episode 9, the promo team tossed more bait.
Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye waited heart-pounding for episode 9.
"Hey, how long till it starts?"
"20 minutes."
"20? For sure? Felt late last time."
"10-min pre-air ad, so 30 total."
"What? 10 minutes of ads? Starts at 9:10, not 9?"
"Yup. Cable channels are insane. All blinded by cash."
"Damn. 30 minutes feels eternal."
"Tell me about it. Like 3 hours. Ugh, time crawls."
Both stretched legs, grumbling, when the doorbell rang.
They exchanged startled looks.
"Who at this hour?"
"Dunno."
"You got a secret boyfriend?"
"I'd tell you first."
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
"Who is it?"
"Your bro. Open up."
Oh So-hee's face twisted at her real brother's voice.
"Damn, why show up now."
Bang bang! Bang bang!
"Oh So-ri! Open the door!"
"Won't call me that in front of my nieces/nephews later! Coming!"
Grumbling, she opened the door—and her face lit up.
Her brother Oh Tae-woo held multiple containers of side dishes.
"Told you I was coming for dinner. Why so late opening? Didn't check texts?"
"Ah, sorry. Was busy."
Couldn't admit she'd blocked him ages ago and forgotten...
"This a human home? Clean up. Even wanted killers live better."
"Ah, it's fine. Everyone lives like this."
"Mom'll drag you home if she knew. Sigh."
Oh Tae-woo flung open the fridge, yanked out trash, neatly stacked his dishes.
Not enough—he started dishes.
Kim Da-hye felt awkward.
"Tae-woo oppa, we'll do it later."
"Nah. Oh So-ri says she'll do it later and never does. Seen it 30+ years."
"Then I'll take responsibility."
"Can't ask a guest. Sit. I'm doing it 'cause it bugs me."
The bearish man nimbly did dishes, tidied the place.
Kim Da-hye, used to it, felt no oddity—just embarrassment with drama imminent.
"Oppa, how'd that stakeout go? Caught the perp?"
Awkward, she tossed a topic; he answered half-heartedly, back turned to chores.
"Yeah, nabbed 'em. Locked up tight. Week's special leave."
"Nice! Rest up."
"Plan to. Couch potato mode, TV all day."
"Meet a girl. Not just rolling at home. Geez."
"Hook me up then."
Kim Da-hye clapped lightly.
"Oh right. Illegal's starting soon. Watch?"
"Illegal? What's that?"
"Hottest drama. Ratings king. Yoo Jeong-ah stars."
"If our Jeong-ah's in, must-watch. Dodged a bullet. Chasing perps, missed her new show. Which ep?"
"9. Binge later."
Oh So-hee startled, stopped him.
"No! Forgot the early twist?"
"Oh? Right!"
Lee Jin-wook, thought one-off supporting, revealed as main villain.
Couldn't spoil from the start, even for naggy bro.
"Fine, fine. Spoilers don't faze me. Cop life, can't track 'em timely. Whatever."
So the three sat side-by-side, canned beers in hand, glued to the drama.
The girls wanted breathless focus, but flow kept breaking.
Because...
"Our Jeong-ah, when'd she level up that beauty? Ultimate goddess Yoo Jeong-ah."
"What's Cha Do-jin's deal, interrupting our Jeong-ah? Hopeless punk."
"Lee Min-soo's perfect as sleazy chaebol. Oh, Gangnam gangster? Back in my Gangnam red-light sweep..."
"Can't we watch quietly? Can't focus."
"Aigoo, sorry sorry."
Oh Tae-woo's bear laugh faded; his eyes sharpened suddenly.
"What's up? Our Jeong Private not to your taste? Pushing him hard lately."
"Nah, just startled by his expression."
"Good acting? Told ya, our Jeong Private kills it. I got eyes."
"Nah, exactly the look of someone who's killed multiples."
"Duh. Know how many he's offed? Confirmed seven-plus."
Oh Tae-woo cracked another beer, nodding.
"Yeah. Solid acting. Eyes on point."
Then, late in episode 9...
"Kyaaah!"
"Aaaah! Aaaah!"
"You bastard! Pay for that kinda shot!"
Jealousy exploding at the kiss, Oh Tae-woo hurled an empty can at the wall.
Leaving Only a Bitter Taste (4)