Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: How to Relieve the Stress?
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How do I unwind this?
"Alright! Everyone, actors, gather over here!"
Jung Woo-jin had been poking around the studio out of boredom while waiting idly in the dressing room when the assistant director's shout drew him toward the group.
Choi Hyun-yong PD was holding the shooting storyboard, explaining it to the actors. Woo-jin hurried over to join the others and listened intently.
"We won't know exactly how far we can get today until we dive in, but we'll prioritize scenes featuring 'Hee-chan' first. Alright! Makeup time for 'Byung-chan', 'Hee-chan', and 'Eun-mi'—let's go!"
Movies and dramas aren't shot in sequence.
Sometimes they film out-of-order scenes ahead of time, factoring in actors' schedules and shooting convenience to optimize the order, then edit the fragmented clips together later.
'Today's shoot is gonna be brutal.'
With Choi Hyun-yong PD declaring they'd focus on 'Hee-chan's scenes, it was clear today would be grueling for Woo-jin.
Half excitement, half dread.
As soon as he sat in the chair, the makeup team swarmed him to get started.
Not just makeup to look handsome, but to bring the character vividly to life.
According to the storyboard, though, 'Hee-chan' was the type who obsessively managed his 'visible' image around people, deliberately working to win their favor.
So the makeup team had to make Woo-jin look like someone who'd been 'meticulously groomed'.
"Uh..."
They hit a snag right away.
"What do we do..."
A few from the team rushed to the PD and whispered something. Choi Hyun-yong PD closed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment before approaching Woo-jin.
"Haha. Never thought we'd be stressing over this..."
He scratched his head vigorously and continued.
"For 'Hee-chan', let's tone down Woo-jin-ssi’s charm a bit. No matter how much he's primping to catch eyes, you're... um, too strikingly handsome."
In other words, he was too good-looking, so they needed to dial it back for the role.
Woo-jin barely suppressed a laugh and replied evenly.
"I'm fine with that."
Once makeup was done and he was waiting in his chair, Lee Jae-hoon—the lead playing detective 'Byung-chan'—grabbed a chair and came over.
Thud.
He set it down next to Woo-jin and sat.
"Not nervous?"
"Hm. Seems okay. Thanks, sunbae."
At "sunbae," Jae-hoon waved it off.
"Nah. After seeing your acting, I feel embarrassed to be called that. But this really is your first proper role, right?"
The question about it being truly his first—he'd heard it countless times.
"Yes. It is."
Lee Jae-hoon scratched his head and muttered softly.
"Ha... I thought Son Sia was a monster, but real monsters do exist..."
That was when it happened.
"Jae-hoon-ssi! Woo-jin-ssi! Let's run a rehearsal!"
At Choi Hyun-yong PD's call, Woo-jin and Jae-hoon answered in near unison and stood.
"Yes!"
Lee Jae-hoon placed a hand lightly on Woo-jin's shoulder as a final word.
"No mercy. Let's do this for real."
"Action!"
It started with 'Hee-chan's everyday routine—or rather, his performance of normalcy.
'Hee-chan', the ace at a mid-sized firm, was incredibly popular in the office.
"Haha, good morning, Section Chief!"
"Oh! Morning, Hee-chan!"
No one treated him casually, regardless of rank.
Superiors admired his skills; subordinates loved his gentle nature. No one could hate him.
'Hee-chan' greeted an empty partition with a friendly smile as he headed to his desk.
Choi Hyun-yong PD, staring at the monitor, felt chills down his spine.
This was just rehearsal—no extras yet, only 'Hee-chan' and the supporting actor as the section chief on set.
But the moment Woo-jin started acting, the space transformed into a real office.
'Hee-chan' moved toward his seat, greeting empty air, yet the monitor felt densely packed.
"Whoa..."
A gasp escaped Choi Hyun-yong PD.
They call it an actor's aura.
Not just immersing in the role, but enveloping the set's atmosphere, making it feel authentically alive.
Jung Woo-jin could fill empty backgrounds with his presence alone.
Something only a handful of naturally gifted actors like Son Sia—or true greats—could do.
And here was an unknown pulling it off effortlessly.
"This defies logic..."
Choi Hyun-yong PD trembled with exhilaration. Beside him, Lee Jae-hoon, watching the monitor, clenched his teeth.
The script in his hand shook faintly.
With 'Hee-chan's office arrival rehearsal done, it was 'Byung-chan's turn.
The detective 'Byung-chan' visits 'Hee-chan's office to investigate the prime suspect.
Lee Jae-hoon handed his script to his manager and strode to the office set, expression grim.
Meanwhile, handing off to him seamlessly, Jung Woo-jin stepped off set and took a sports towel from Jin-woo, dabbing his forehead to absorb the sweat.
"Hoo..."
Dozens of watching eyes, blazing lights, cameras in his face.
Despite the cool air, the set's pressure was suffocating.
Woo-jin approached Jung Eun-ji, playing 'Eun-mi', who was observing the rehearsal.
"Sunbae, the set air sure is heavy."
"......"
No reply.
Woo-jin poked her side lightly.
"Answer?"
"...You're good... so quit whining."
"Ouch."
Woo-jin feigned surprise, then leaned in to whisper.
"Looks like today's shoot stress is no joke. How do I unwind it?"
"......"
"I'll swing by this weekend, so loosen up that tight pussy beforehand."
"......"
"Answer?"
"...Got it..."
Bantering with Jung Eun-ji eased the tension a bit.
Soon, Lee Jae-hoon's rehearsal wrapped, and a satisfied Choi Hyun-yong PD clapped and shouted.
"Great! Perfect! Wow, everyone's locked in today. Monitor looks gorgeous. Let's keep it like this!"
Then it was shoot after shoot after shoot. Brief breaks, then more shooting, set changes, repeat.
- Action!
- Cut! Okay!! Good!
- Action!
- Cut! Byung-chan, ease up a bit on the handshake with Hee-chan.
- Action!
- Cut! Great! Perfect!
By the time his mind went hazy.
"Great work, everyone! Haha! We made killer progress today thanks to you all. Rest up and head back to set per the schedule."
Choi Hyun-yong PD's wrap-up signal ended the shoot.
"Hoo..."
Just one day, and he felt drained. Even with Solid Stamina (B).
Woo-jin glanced between a similarly slumped Jung Eun-ji and Hong Ye-won, who'd been on set at some point.
Jung Eun-ji startled with a shoulder twitch when their eyes met.
Tempting as she was, she'd mentioned an early schedule tomorrow and had to head back.
"Jin-woo-ya. Where's our lodging?"
"Ah, hyungnim. Just 20 minutes from here. Wanna go now?"
"Yeah. Share the address."
"Got it!"
Woo-jin copied the lodging address from Jin-woo and sent it to Hong Ye-won.
The reason for booking lodging near the set instead of going home.
Shooting started early tomorrow morning.
He'd barely sleep before heading back anyway.
Jung Woo-jin finished showering and lay quietly on the bed.
As he started drifting off.
Knock knock.
Woo-jin opened his eyes at the door knock.
Click.
He opened it, and from the dim hallway, someone hurried inside.
Hong Ye-won.
I shed the stress from the shoot by roughly stripping off Hong Ye-won's clothes.
"Kyaa!"
A cute scream accompanied the reveal of her pale, enticing naked body.
"Up you go!"
Woo-jin scooped her up onto the bed, sprawling out starfish-style, eyes closed as he said,
"I'm gonna rest a bit, so suck hard if you wanna get fucked."
His hands, meanwhile, busily found her breasts, kneading them like dough.
The dimly lit lodging grew quiet amid slurping, sucking sounds.
Slurp, schlop, sluuuurp, slurp, schluuuurp...