Forest of Flowers (7)
In this world, there was a saying: movies belong to the directors, but dramas belong to the writers. Most people agreed with it.
While films were often written and directed by the same person, the quality of a drama was largely determined by the writer’s skill. That was why even someone who never appeared on screen could become a star writer simply by being “a writer you could trust.”
Which made Woo Dan-wol’s behavior highly unusual. Knowing that, he had asked the CEO for permission first.
In truth, if it had been any other actor, Ko A-rin would have felt quite offended. But there were three reasons she decided to hear him out.
First, his conduct had been impeccable. Even though he was a rookie filming his debut project, she had personally chosen him, so she couldn’t help but feel some affection. On top of that, he was always polite on set and took on the role of mood-maker, so it was safe to say no one on the staff disliked him.
If a child who had never caused trouble suddenly got into an accident at school, you’d feel more curious about the situation than betrayed. It was the same logic.
Second, he was irreplaceable. None of the well-known male actors in this world could properly portray the role of Kang Min-hyeok that Woo Dan-wol was playing. The script had been on the verge of falling apart, but thanks to him they had made it this far. So they might as well listen to what he had to say.
And finally… the change he requested was actually something Ko A-rin had deliberately revised out of consideration for the male actor.
“Is it… really that awkward?”
“Yes, Writer-nim. If by any chance…”
“No, it’s not that. I’m just surprised.”
Ko A-rin looked genuinely astonished as she spoke. And for good reason. The scene Woo Dan-wol had called awkward was one she had toned down precisely because she worried a male actor might protest. It was the final part of the shipwreck episode.
To retrieve the satellite phone held by the killer, Jin Da-yeon decides to confront them. Thanks to the criminals killing and torturing one another, only two remained. She hides Kang Min-hyeok in a room and heads out to find the phone.
The problem was that another killer had already found where Kang Min-hyeok was hiding. Her skirt was stained with dried blood. The girl they thought would die quickly had survived until the end and continued tormenting them.
This scene was crucial because it properly showed the viewers that Kang Min-hyeok—who had been acting like an ordinary person in front of Jin Da-yeon all this time—was actually one of the ‘flowers’ just like them.
It was a kind of trick. Aside from the early scene where his facial expression changed, there had been no direct indication that he was a criminal. So the truth that everyone knew but had tried to ignore was finally revealed.
Even among criminals, the difference in strength could not be ignored. In reality, the slender girl actress was physically stronger than Woo Dan-wol. If she truly tried to overpower him, he wouldn’t be able to resist at all.
That was why the original plan had been murder using poison—the weapon of the weak. In this world, and within the Forest of Flowers, men were considered the weak. The method was poison.
The first idea she had come up with was rejected, leading to the birth of the syringe scene. But Woo Dan-wol’s suggestion was something that surprised even Ko A-rin.
“Wouldn’t it be better to administer it orally? Setting the action aside, pills are easier to feed someone, aren’t they?”
“K-kiss…?”
Woo Dan-wol nodded. Ko A-rin felt so flustered her brain almost short-circuited. She had never imagined a male actor would say such a thing.
Of course, kiss scenes did occasionally appear in romance dramas. Male actors in that genre could do them without much backlash.
But this was the first time a male actor—who usually had to be cautious about anything sexual—had requested something like this. Using a syringe to kill a woman wasn’t impossible, but doing so when the power dynamic was clearly in her favor felt too risky. In the end, it was good news for Ko A-rin, who had revised the script. Still, there was something she needed to confirm first.
“Are you really okay with it, Dan-wol-ssi?”
“The kiss scene? Yes, well… it’s just acting. What matters is making a better work.”
“Ah…”
At this point, she no longer knew what to think. Ko A-rin decided she would stop viewing Woo Dan-wol the same way she viewed other male actors. A man with that kind of personality and mindset was practically a national treasure—especially in the entertainment industry.
And so, on the set of Forest of Flowers, the script was revised for the first time, and the day of Woo Dan-wol’s final scene drew near.
When Jin Da-yeon heard about the script revision, she was puzzled. The actors had already finished their analysis—why make such a choice now?
Of course, everyone involved had their reasons, and the actors appearing in the scene had agreed, so she had nothing to say. The overall situation wasn’t changing, so Han Da-sol had no problem with it either.
Once filming preparations were complete, Woo Dan-wol sat inside the cabin. His expression was completely different from anything he had shown before. If one had to describe it, it was blank. But what lay beneath that blankness was something more fittingly called a monster than a person.
The smiles, worry, anxiety, and even affection he had shown while with Jin Da-yeon—all of it had been nothing but a mask. His face was more terrifying than ever.
A moment later, it was not Jin Da-yeon but the girl who knocked on the locked door.
“Pffft, Oppa. I know you’re in there all alone.”
“Ahem… kuhum… ahem.”
He cleared his throat with a cough-like breath. It was a habit and device Woo Dan-wol had created through his own analysis. Like changing masks, his nearly expressionless face transformed into that of an ordinary person. A voice filled with anxiety and fear echoed through the room.
“P-please… spare me…”
His voice trembled. Yet the actions captured by the camera were terrifyingly calm. He pulled out a pill from deep within his clothes and held it in his mouth.
Han Da-sol quietly watched his acting, which clearly differed from the script. His skill was on another level. She could have observed the scene as an actress, but right now she was watching it purely as a situation.
“The detective sister isn’t here, you know? What do you think will happen if I smash the doorknob with a fire hydrant? Just open it for me, okay?”
The girl’s voice, drenched in madness and pleasure, was horrifying. Even though she was a supporting actress, she was a skilled performer who had built up her filmography since childhood. Her portrayal of a murderer was more than enough to inspire disgust. She had no name. She was simply the vicious criminal girl. The actress playing her threatened him, and Kang Min-hyeok had no choice but to open the door with his own hands.
—Click.
The door opened. The one facing the murderous girl was the ordinary civilian Kang Min-hyeok. The calm, indifferent expression with which he had been looking down at the situation changed the moment he faced another person. Han Da-sol was impressed by the frighteningly fast shift in expression.
The atmosphere climbed toward its climax. Kang Min-hyeok’s expression and aura changed once again. From that of an ordinary person to something like a flower harboring a sweet dream meant to lure in insects.
Even Han Da-sol, who was standing a step back from the situation, flinched at the seductive allure. It was so intense that the girl actress facing him directly flinched as well. Under normal circumstances, that would have been an NG. Instead, it made the acting feel even more real.
This was the new direction after the script revision. The girl, whose desire for murder was overtaken by sexual desire, grabbed both of Kang Min-hyeok’s hands. Naturally, with his strength, he couldn’t even resist properly.
Kang Min-hyeok was slowly backed against the wall. The woman, who was similar in height despite being a girl, slowly stared at him. But her eyes were filled with greed. The simultaneous desire for conquest created a strange atmosphere.
The supporting actress barely held onto her sanity and continued acting. Thanks to that, this tightrope-walking tension was being captured on camera.
“If you bite your tongue, you die. Got it?”
“……”
At first there was only silence. The eyes looking at her trembled like those of a herbivore. Having given up on resistance, wondering what he should do, and anticipating what was about to happen—the fear mixed into his gaze was exactly like the seductive movement of a nine-tailed fox that stirred up desire.
A low voice flowed out. With both hands raised and bound by one of hers, not knowing where the other hand might go, the answer slipped out between his fidgeting lips.
“I… understand.”
“Good.”
Then she pressed her lips to his. It was so clumsy that calling it a kiss would be wrong—it was more like smashing their mouths together. Even though it was acting, as a supporting actress she was considerate of her counterpart and made the movement look like a kiss for the camera.
Suddenly, the supporting actress’s eyes widened. Woo Dan-wol had properly aligned their lips. And what followed completely flustered the murderous girl. The action continued right after the kiss.
The murderous girl’s face was colored with confusion. The supporting actress was flustered by his action, and the character—the murderous girl—was showing a bewildered expression because of the poison that had entered her throat. No matter how flustered she was, she was a professional. She knew exactly how good this scene was becoming.
So she staggered backward, pouring every ounce of her acting ability into the performance. She coughed violently and collapsed toward the bed.
“Cut!”
The two actors had given performances with everything they had. Exclamations of admiration flowed from those around them, but Han Da-sol’s expression was not good.
—Twitch.
She didn’t know why, but the corners of her eyes twitched, and she felt as if something was surging up from deep inside her heart.
“Ah, haha…”
An awkward laugh. And admiration. It was Han Da-sol’s way of hiding her expression and emotions.