The First Scene of Episode 7
The opening of episode seven began with a solo shot of Ju Ha-ryeong. It told the story of events at the sports high school and the journey toward a gold medal. Once here, the goal was naturally to claim that gold.
The familiar set greeted his eyes. Woo Dan-wol had already been training here for over a month. This was, in other words, the space he knew best among all the filming locations.
There had been a few hiccups along the way, but he had arrived safely. If a status window existed, Lee Hye-ri would surely have possessed a skill called Best Driver.
Ju Ha-ryeong stood on the ring. Her familiar movements and the crisp, satisfying smack of the mitts echoed through the set. There was no need for special makeup or anything of the sort.
One could argue this was exactly why she had been cast as the drama’s lead. Ju Ha-ryeong was famous as a celebrity who had trained in boxing for more than three years. It went far beyond a simple hobby—she was deadly serious about it. Outside of her schedule, she devoted a great deal of time to the sport.
“Hello~”
“Dan-wol! You’re here?!”
The familiar greetings rang out. Woo Dan-wol had become acquainted with most of the staff on set. He exchanged light conversation with them while waiting for filming to begin.
“Hmmmm…”
“Ji-hoon, please, say something…!”
Meanwhile, Lee Hye-ri was pleading with the makeup artist and designer Seong Ji-hoon. It wasn’t for any major reason. Or perhaps it was a very major reason indeed.
This was the precise moment they were deciding the level of skin exposure for Woo Dan-wol in the upcoming shoot. It was fair to say that virtually every outfit Woo Dan-wol wore on camera—whether in the drama or on set—was born from Seong Ji-hoon’s hands.
After all, his fashion sense… left something to be desired. That was why she had entrusted the entire process to him.
And that was how the current situation had come about. Lee Hye-ri was practically on her knees begging.
“Ah, come on! Just wait a second, CEO.”
“Ji-hoon. No—Mr. Ji-hoon. We really must be careful. The malicious comments lately…”
“Hyung Dan-wol doesn’t care about that stuff.”
“Y-yes, but… You know how it is. Whenever an article about Dan-wol comes out…”
“That’s exactly why we have to dress him even better.”
Seong Ji-hoon was an eccentric. He also possessed a strong rebellious streak. Why had Lee Hye-ri recruited someone like him? Because she was a rebel herself.
In other words, Haesung Entertainment was a den of rebels. Negation meeting negation, negating the negation until the synergy flipped into positivity. Even so, in this particular moment, regret was washing over Lee Hye-ri.
She had personally gone out of her way to scout and hire him, yet now she wondered if it had been a mistake. That kind of situation.
Seong Ji-hoon had declared that if they were going to catch flak anyway, they might as well push forward without compromise.
“What do you mean by that… Ji-hoon…”
“You know Hyung Dan-wol’s personality, right?”
“Yeah…”
Lee Hye-ri knew it too. If he set his mind to it, he possessed a sense of integrity that could devastate the entire broadcasting industry. That might have been why she hesitated to send him on variety shows.
In the end, she decided to trust Ji-hoon’s judgment. Sighing in relief that at least it wasn’t a shirtless scene, Lee Hye-ri had no idea.
Even in perfectly modest clothing, when combined with Woo Dan-wol’s acting, the kind of ripple effect it would create…
The refreshing sound of mitt punches echoed across the set. Sweat trickled down her cheeks. It had to be exhausting, yet the corners of her mouth curved into a graceful arc.
Ju Ha-ryeong was truly happy. How many opportunities did one get to showcase a favorite hobby while doing a beloved job? Perhaps that was why she had chosen this drama.
“Krr… The chemistry with Dan-wol is going to be something to see, huh?”
“With Dan-wol…?”
Due to differences in screen time and scenes, it had been a while since Ju Ha-ryeong had seen Woo Dan-wol. Consequently, she only knew that he had refused to use a stand-in. She had no way of gauging how much boxing training he had been doing.
“Yes. If it goes well, we should get some really cool shots.”
“Is it at that level…?”
Ju Ha-ryeong tilted her head, puzzled. It was only natural. For a man who wasn’t an athlete to take up boxing…? No matter that it was acting and they would simply be coordinating movements, she had never imagined he could display any real chemistry with her after years of dedicated training.
Of course, she acknowledged their acting chemistry. Throughout her many films and box-office successes, she had never encountered someone whose acting synced so perfectly with her own.
Because it was a romance drama, she always found herself busy steadying her heart after every scene. That alone spoke volumes about his skill and his profound understanding of the role.
Her opinion of the actor Woo Dan-wol was nearly flawless. However, the idea of Woo Dan-wol who had learned boxing…? It was difficult to picture.
“Please prepare for filming. Dan-wol’s makeup is complete!”
The trainer set the mitts down. Ju Ha-ryeong wiped her sweat with a towel, her gaze naturally drifting toward Woo Dan-wol.
And then.
“……”
Silence blanketed the entire set. Woo Dan-wol stepping out from the waiting room. Everyone closed their mouths at the sight of him.
The staff, the actors—even Director Seong A-reum wore a sly little smile. Ah, she was smiling because she believed his visuals would guarantee success. The ratings were already climbing thanks to him, after all. She had no intention of stirring up unnecessary trouble.
“What’s going on? Why is everyone so quiet?”
Woo Dan-wol smiled. Episode 7 marked a significant turning point. The man who had been subtly displaying his charm was now about to wag his tail in full force.
The staff who had worked with him through the first six episodes swallowed nervously. He could bicker and occasionally turn prickly or sharp, yet like a fox he would slip in those softly swaying, alluring lines. That was the Woo Dan-wol they remembered.
The raw, unedited footage and what they had witnessed on set had been exactly like that. How would it feel for viewers watching on screen? The staff had all vowed to tune in live without missing a second.
“Bravo, Dan-wol!! Those visuals are killer!”
“Thank you, Director.”
“Uahaha! Good, good. Let’s give it our all today as well.”
“Before that, I’ll warm up a bit.”
Naturally, there was to be no sweat in the actual filmed scene. However, since it transitioned straight into sparring, he needed to loosen his body. It was an essential step to prevent injury.
So Woo Dan-wol began his warm-up routine. The look in Ju Ha-ryeong’s eyes as she watched him was anything but ordinary. His warm-up technique was far from average.
“You weren’t lying, were you?”
“Come on, I’ve been watching him this whole time.”
The woman working as a boxing coach under the martial arts director answered. She had taught him everything—from the proper way to wrap his hands with bandages to footwork, the jab, cross, hook, uppercut, straight. The one who had instructed him in the various techniques and combinations was none other than this boxing coach.
Woo Dan-wol warming up with practiced ease. While his talent was undoubtedly exceptional, she could answer with such confidence because she had witnessed firsthand just how much effort he had poured into it.
“He’s only been learning for a month and a half. But he’s incredibly talented.”
“……”
Of course, Ju Ha-ryeong remained somewhat doubtful. As time passed and Woo Dan-wol finished his warm-up, he spoke up.
“I’m ready.”
“All right, let’s get right to it!”
The boxing coach stepped out of the ring. Ju Ha-ryeong checked the blocking with familiar precision. This was a scene she had gone over dozens of times.
As a true professional, she had not only analyzed it but added her own detailed touches. The first scene being filmed featured only Ju Ha-ryeong.
“Standby, cue!”
Director Seong A-reum’s command rang out. As filming began, Ju Ha-ryeong started to move.
Whoosh!
Shadow boxing. Her body control was beyond what anyone would expect from an actor. Even professionals would admit she was quite skilled. Ju Ha-ryeong’s level was far from that of a novice.
Ha Min-ah. Her eyes sharpened like a wolf’s. An intense aura radiated from her, as if she would tear her imaginary opponent to shreds.
That was the nature of shadow boxing. For Ha Min-ah, boxing served as a form of expression. A catharsis, one might say.
The frustration from human relationships and her own abilities. The anxiety about her future.
She worked through countless emotions through boxing. With every movement, every drop of sweat, her expression grew brighter and more refreshed.
But today was slightly different. Though she carried many worries and sources of frustration, as a student at the sports high school aiming for the gold medal, she was now pounding against the wall standing before her.
“Haa, haa, ha…”
She dropped her guard. No matter how many punches she threw, the pent-up frustration refused to dissipate. Just as she was about to step down from the ring to clear her head for a moment—
“You think you can handle it in under three minutes?”
“…?”
It was Lee Shin-woo. Ha Min-ah’s eyes widened. None other than Lee Shin-woo!
They were familiar enough to greet each other without awkwardness and chat comfortably, but Lee Shin-woo showing up here was completely unexpected.
“Why the surprise? I’m part of the boxing club, you know.”
“W-well, that’s true, but…”
You said you were quitting. Lee Shin-woo had spent his school days acting like a complete delinquent. His reputation was in tatters, and there had even been protests suggesting he was on the verge of dropping out. Naturally, she had assumed he wouldn’t come here.
That was probably why she was so shocked. Though flustered, she finally noticed what he was wearing. It wasn’t his school uniform. In other words, he had come here to train.
“Staring at me so intently is a bit embarrassing.”
“Ah, ah…!”
Ha Min-ah, usually so good-natured and laid-back, was thrown into a fluster. Lee Shin-woo slowly climbed up onto the ring. Of course, for training one would wear light, thin clothing, but…
The unfamiliar sight of someone so familiar from the opposite sex struck Ha Min-ah in a completely different way.