Episode 2
But the admiration lasted only a moment.
The lines refused to leave the mouth of background actor Yu Ha-jin.
Naturally, Writer Min A-ru’s scolding followed right after.
“Hey. Did you even practice?”
“I-I’m sorry…! I’ll do it again.”
Background actor Yu Ha-jin shouted in a rush.
Her role was Hae-su, the nameless singer dragged to a drinking party.
As the protagonist Jin-woo’s older sister, it was a pivotal part that served as the spark for the entire story.
Of course her agency had pulled every string they could to secure the casting for her.
Yet the mistakes kept repeating, and the faces of Director O Chang-seok and Writer Min A-ru grew steadily harder.
“Um… This isn’t working, Director. This person really seems…”
“I suppose I spoke too soon.”
“Deok-su, this isn’t exactly a situation that allows for leniency.”
Writer Min A-ru’s eyes narrowed sharply.
A script reading was no leisurely occasion that permitted covering for someone. No matter how impressive Kim Deok-su’s camera test had been, if the chemistry with the other actors fell flat, they might have to reconsider the entire casting.
Yet Deok-su remained calm.
“I’m sorry. Let’s try again. It’s Ha-jin, correct?”
“Uh…? Oh, yes.”
“I’ll take it slow too, so just follow my lead.”
Yu Ha-jin pressed her lips tightly together and nodded. She looked as if tears might spill at any second.
After learning she had been cast, she had spent an entire month repeating the handful of lines every single day.
Yet when it came to the real thing…
She had never hated herself more.
“…Fine, go ahead.”
Writer Min A-ru crossed her arms and lifted her chin.
The role of Hae-su had been pushed through by the production company president via a personal connection. While it was difficult to fill every part exactly as the writer wished, this particular role was essentially the drama’s starting point…
Whether it was Deok-su or Yu Ha-jin, she felt like cutting both of them loose and starting over.
While Yu Ha-jin hesitated, visibly nervous, Deok-su lightly took hold of her arm.
“Hey~. You really can’t sing at all, can you?”
Deok-su’s voice turned crude, his expression twisting to match.
Yu Ha-jin swallowed hard and began to immerse herself.
“E-executive?! I-if you act like this…”
“Come over here and sit.”
“D-don’t do this. Why are you acting like this?!”
“What’s this? With a face like that, you couldn’t even run a high-school festival… Don’t resist. You’re killing the mood, the mood!”
Following Deok-su’s lead, Yu Ha-jin sank deep into the script. The actors and staff glanced back and forth between the pages and the pair, visualizing the scene.
‘The extra’s actually decent?’
‘…She’s holding her own.’
Writer Min A-ru grumbled under her breath, but Director O Chang-seok simply smiled.
“Kyaaaaaaaack—!”
The moment Deok-su’s hand clamped around Yu Ha-jin’s throat, her face drained of color and she let out a piercing scream.
Only then did Deok-su release her, his own expression turning awkward.
“Sorry. Are you all right?”
“Ah, yes… It’s just acting.”
Deok-su shook his head vigorously.
It was only a reading, yet he had immersed himself too deeply in Jin Dong-ho. Director O Chang-seok clapped, and Writer Min A-ru scratched the back of her neck.
“…You two. Well, that was good.”
After unleashing that burst of performance, Deok-su stepped outside to clear his head.
He was sitting blankly in the corridor when someone followed him out.
“Yu Ha-jin?”
It was the same Yu Ha-jin who had shared the scene with him moments earlier.
She bowed deeply at the waist.
“Thank you for what you did earlier, sunbae.”
“No need to thank me. You carried it yourself.”
“That’s not true. If you hadn’t stepped in, I… would have been cut.”
The memory of Writer Min A-ru’s glare was still vivid in Yu Ha-jin’s eyes.
At the same time, she was curious.
“But why did you help me…?”
“I used to be a background actor too. Sympathy between fellow sufferers?”
He had once been both an extra and a background performer.
He understood better than anyone the anxious feeling of belonging nowhere.
Yu Ha-jin fell silent for a moment, then suddenly grabbed Deok-su’s hand.
“H-Ha-jin?”
“When I make it big, I’ll tell everyone the rumors about you are all wrong, sunbae. I promise. I really will.”
“Hahaha. Please do. And if we both make it and meet again as leads, that would be even better.”
“…Understood.”
Yu Ha-jin’s gaze burned with determination.
To Deok-su she seemed like a child—clear and pure in a way that touched him deeply.
The reading continued afterward.
The performances by lead actors Lee Jin-ho and Kang Se-a were superb.
Given that both were young yet already respected for their skill, quiet praise rippled among the staff.
“I wanted you, of all people, to believe in me…”
“Every piece of evidence here points to you! You! The evidence is speaking—what do you expect me to do about it?”
Deok-su found himself completely absorbed in the leads’ reading as well.
Their voices didn’t transform like his own ability allowed, but their expressions and physicality offered plenty to learn from.
Kang Se-a’s especially rich range of expressions left a strong impression on him.
After the leads, he paired up with Han Gyu-jin, who played Jin Dae-ho.
It was a crucial scene—the first confrontation between the two villains in the drama.
Han Gyu-jin tapped the desk and muttered in a low voice.
“…You bastard again!”
“I-I’m sorry, Father. That’s…”
Slap!
Han Gyu-jin clapped his hands, mimicking a strike across Deok-su’s cheek.
“Yes, because your name keeps appearing in the news, the stock price has dropped ten percent! You worthless fool—! You’ve cost me ten percent of my assets!”
“F-Father…”
“Chairman! You call me Chairman here!”
Deok-su’s voice, thick with tears and fear, mingled with Han Gyu-jin’s harsh reprimands.
‘See? I was right to cast Kim Deok-su. He doesn’t lose ground even to Teacher Han Gyu-jin.’
‘…Is he really an idol? How much acting training has he put in?’
Both Writer Min A-ru’s and Director O Chang-seok’s eyes sparkled as they watched Deok-su.
In truth, they had been quite worried.
Given the character, Deok-su would share many scenes with Han Gyu-jin.
Veteran middle-aged actors naturally possessed outstanding skill; to avoid being overshadowed, he needed to bring equally strong performances.
When the pair finished their reading, applause erupted throughout the room.
[Episode 2]
After the reading ended and during the break, Han Gyu-jin approached Deok-su.
“Deok-su. You were quite impressive earlier.”
“Not at all. You’re too kind, Teacher.”
“Humility from a friend. I’d heard from Hyeok-jung that your acting was pretty decent, but this level is more than decent, isn’t it?”
Deok-su blinked.
Kim Hyeok-jung rarely praised his acting ability.
Han Gyu-jin burst out laughing.
“Hah, truly. That friend must cherish you a great deal. He’s the type who gives an extra rice cake to someone he dislikes and an extra whipping to someone he likes.”
“Ah… You and our teacher seem quite close.”
“Close? He’s a bothersome fellow.”
Han Gyu-jin and Kim Hyeok-jung were known throughout the industry as the closest of friends.
The reading continued until midnight.
That day, the person who shone brightest during the reading was undoubtedly Kim Deok-su.
He matched perfectly with background actors, veterans, and leads alike, smoothly handling every request from the director and writer.
Thanks to him, even the sliver of worry Director O Chang-seok had carried vanished completely.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Deok-su had just seen Director O Chang-seok off and was turning to leave when two people approached him.
They were the leads, Lee Jin-ho and Kang Se-a.
He had become acquainted with both actors, yet they had never shared many conversations.
It felt awkward.
But Kang Se-a acted as though awkwardness didn’t exist, winking while striking a pose of lifting a drink, her voice bright and lively.
“Just the actors tonight. What do you say?”
Building friendships with fellow actors was important.
Deok-su accepted. Lee Jin-ho hesitated at first, but when he saw Deok-su agree, he glanced around and nodded as well.
The actors, accompanied by their managers, gathered at a beef-tripe hotpot restaurant near the broadcasting station.
The managers took a separate table and shared drinks among themselves.
Kang Se-a ordered beer and soju, mixed them in the proper ratio, and handed glasses to the two men.
Deok-su was dieting, but he decided building rapport mattered more and accepted the glass.
As the drinks circulated and the initial awkwardness melted away, Kang Se-a lightly gripped Deok-su’s forearm.
“Oppa, your body is amazing…”
“This is after losing weight. Acting like a pathetic loser isn’t easy either.”
“Kyahaha. It’d be tough even if oppa’s face got all wrinkly.”
Kang Se-a naturally took charge of the gathering.
It was a stark contrast to the shy Lee Jin-ho.
Yet once the conversation turned to acting, even he gradually spoke more.
“…I liked the character Ha Jin-woo, but after today’s reading it feels a little flat. The director and writer say it’s fine, but… Hyung, why do you think that is?”
“Flat, huh… Ha Jin-woo is a guy who spent twelve years focused solely on becoming a prosecutor for his sister’s revenge.”
“Right. Hmm. Should I emphasize the obsession more?”
When Lee Jin-ho snapped his fingers, Deok-su added his thoughts.
“What if he deliberately hides how persistent yet deeply affectionate he is? Showing a personality one-eighty from Jin Dong-ho could create real appeal…”
“Ah! The opposite! That works too. Jin Dong-ho starts with everything and loses it piece by piece, while Ha Jin-woo gains by taking those things away. As the story progresses, Jin Dong-ho’s inferiority complex would surface.”
Kang Se-a jumped in, refusing to be left out, and the three of them talked about acting for hours.
The drinking continued through a second round and then a third at Lee Jin-ho’s house.
“…You analysis nerds! Even so—! This noona is feeling gooood!”
“You’re the youngest, aren’t you? Right, Deok-su hyung?”
Under the influence of alcohol, Lee Jin-ho’s words began to slur, and Kang Se-a’s face flushed bright red.
In age order, Kang Se-a at twenty-eight was the youngest, Lee Jin-ho at thirty was second, and Deok-su at thirty-one was the eldest.
“…Se-a’s the one in her prime.”
“You don’t even mean that… But Deok-su oppa, is your skin always this good? You barely wore any makeup. Teach me your skincare routine, hmm?”
The three continued drinking until morning.
That afternoon, Deok-su struggled to open his eyes.
“…Ugh.”
“Hyung, you’re awake?”
It was his first time sleeping over since the body swap.
He hurriedly called Jeong-mi, only to learn that Lee Hui-yeong had already phoned ahead.
Relieved, Deok-su gulped down the water Lee Jin-ho had left for him.
“…Did I do anything embarrassing last night?”
“You didn’t. Though honestly my memory is a bit…”
“You didn’t.”
Deok-su flinched.
Kang Se-a was standing at the doorway in comfortable clothes.
Fortunately she wasn’t the only one there.
Lee Hui-yeong and Kang Se-a’s manager had slept in another room.
Only then did Deok-su breathe a true sigh of relief.
Lee Jin-ho’s home was a tower palace well over seventy pyeong, with plenty of space and spare rooms.
To cure their hangovers, Deok-su opened the refrigerator.
While the managers ordered delivery, he prepared hangover soup using bean sprouts and dried pollack.
“Oh? How pretty. Oppa, what’s its name?”
“Gang-soon.”
Woof—woof woof—
Kang Se-a’s eyes sparkled with interest at the shih tzu energetically exploring the house.
The gentle dog wagged its tail as it roamed, clearly delighting the animal-loving actress.
But not everyone found the animal delightful.
“Aaaack!”
Just as Deok-su was leaving the kitchen after finishing the soup, he spotted the shih tzu at his feet and recoiled in terror.
His face turned deathly pale. He looked around frantically and hid behind Lee Hui-yeong.
“O-oppa?”
“The d-dog… t-take it away! Please…!”
Everyone stared at Deok-su in blank amazement.
Fortunately Lee Jin-ho shut the shih tzu in a room, and after the meal Deok-su and the others left the house.
On the way to JMT Entertainment for the next schedule, Lee Hui-yeong spoke up.
“Gang-soon was really cute earlier…”
“Ah, I can’t stand dogs. I don’t even want to look at them.”
The reason was simple.
When he had been Yu Ji-hyun, back at the orphanage, a dog had bitten him badly.
Though the scars had vanished with the body swap, the terror from that day still remained.
Lee Hui-yeong asked for the reason, but Deok-su could hardly speak of memories from his time as Yu Ji-hyun.
“I just hate them. Anything on four legs.”
“Even cats? They’re so cute when they act all aloof…”
“I don’t know about cats, but I hate dogs. Wolves, whatever—they’re all awful!”
Having never seen Deok-su react so strongly to anything, Lee Hui-yeong chose not to press further.
When they entered the training room, Managerial Director Lee Gwang-yong was waiting.
Beside him stood two unfamiliar people—a man and a woman.
“This is Stylist Team Leader Mun A-rim. Team Leader Kim Ha-young is a highly skilled stylist we managed to scout from Gurum Entertainment. And this is new manager Park Hyeon-woo. He’s a former military driver and a veteran behind the wheel. The company really put thought into this.”
Deok-su and Lee Hui-yeong exchanged greetings with the pair.
For the first time, a team dedicated solely to Deok-su had been assembled.