Moonlight Sonata of Hatred
The day Hide Dream episode 6, drenched in blood, was set to air. Seventeen-year-old diehard fan Ji Eunbi plopped down in front of the TV for the live broadcast, just like always.
Go, oppa! Fighting!
Ji Eunbi was sinking deeper into Hide Dream with every episode, her cheers growing more fervent by the day. But there was more to it than simple fandom.
Why isn't it pulling ahead of the other shows in ratings?
Unlike its explosive start, Hide Dream was growing at a surprisingly subdued pace. Episode 1 hit 12%, episode 2 climbed to 14%—a steep rise that had everyone predicting even higher peaks ahead. But episodes 3 and 4 didn't surge as expected. Sure, holding steady at 14% was still a solid win, but the disappointment lingered.
And to top it off, these biting articles piling on.
"Ha, what a joke."
Ji Eunbi scowled at the trashy headlines. How could they write stuff like this?
"What? A fleeting miracle?"
Technically, it wasn't wrong if you broke it down. Because...
"Our Donghu oppa hasn't appeared!"
(For the record, Ji Eunbi knew Kim Donghu was only fifteen. But so what? With that handsome face and tall frame, he was oppa material through and through.)
Kim Donghu—or I.J, as his character was known—had made his final appearance at the end of episode 2 and vanished since. He'd burst onto the scene so dramatically, teasing something big, only to ghost completely. Even in yesterday's episode 5, not a glimpse.
According to the articles, I.J. wasn't a main or supporting role; his script lines were limited from the start. But...
Isn't wasting that face a crime?
I can't take it anymore! Time to flood the viewer board!
As Ji Eunbi fumed in front of the TV, Hide Dream chugged along steadily onscreen. The members were finally banding together, prepping for their year-end stage preview.
♪♩♪♩♬♩♪
The Hide Dream crew's youthful humming about chasing dreams had her bobbing along. This isn't bad, right? Oppa has limited screen time anyway—gotta endure.
But the moment that thought crossed her mind—
Snap.
The practice sounds cut off like a lie, and the screen switched.
"Huh?"
An empty, silent practice room. A boy with neatly slicked-back hair entered and lifted the piano lid. No dialogue. He sat silently and struck the keys.
His blank expression twisted, an inexplicable emotion bursting out toward the viewers.
S-scary.
I.J.'s loathing spilled into the world for the first time. The story you've seen so far is all fake. I'll make up for the years you were deceived by the whispers of the inferior.
Moonlight Sonata, 1st Movement.
The flower nurtured on hatred revealed itself.
+++++
Around the time Hide Dream episode 6 was airing on TV, Kim Donghu was in a quiet back alley for movie shooting.
"Just a bit more setup, then we'll start filming right away. Take it easy, Donghu."
"Thanks."
Director Lee Sungdeok admired Kim Donghu's poise while rushing to finish the final setups.
Ha, will I ever get another chance to film with Actor Donghu in my lifetime?
Lee Sungdeok felt a pang of regret that Hero was wrapping so quickly.
With such a great actor, no NGs, and filming flies by.
Back in the day, schedules clashed, NGs piled up—it dragged a one-week shoot into over a month sometimes.
Final shoot on day four already.
It could've ended in three days originally, but revisions to the wild dog scene added one.
The child actor was supposed to stab the dog doll, but it got scrapped for being too brutal. Kim Donghu would handle the stabbing, but off-screen as much as possible, with child extras placed around to imply it from their gaze.
That extra day made it four total. Every staffer on set, including Lee Sungdeok, was now a Kim Donghu fan.
"Alright, let's do great today too!"
The hero, revealed as the true killer of the loan shark, was hunted nationwide by police who quickly pinned his location. A young boy wielding a bamboo sword? Impossible to hide.
Cornered at last, his endless flight ended in a dead-end alley.
This was the hero's final tale.
"Ready, action!!!"
At Lee Sungdeok's cue, Kim Donghu became the hero instantly.
"Huff... huff..."
Ragged breaths, heaving body. His exhausted frame refused to move further after the long chase.
"Stop running now—you've come far enough! Surrender, and you might get leniency!"
The detective's line painted the dire scene: dead-end wall behind, detective ahead, cops closing the net fast. Nowhere to go.
But...
"Mister, do you know why I've been carrying this bamboo sword?"
The hero wouldn't quit. Did he not know it'd make him conspicuous? He did. Yet he carried it anyway.
Because the hero never let go of his weapon.
Whoosh.
The hero drew his sword, and detectives yanked out guns in panic. The loan shark died by that blade—rib fractures causing pneumothorax and internal bleeding. Not a wild swing, but precise kendo-honed technique.
No longer a child in their eyes.
"Funny, right? They say shooting a gun means the detective takes responsibility. That's why they say guns aren't for shooting—they're for throwing."
"But look at me. I'm different."
A frail society that couldn't fire on a criminal kid. He holstered his gun, fumbling for a baton—futile.
Bamboo sword versus baton. The power gap as clear as their length difference.
Tat-tat-tat.
The hero charged the detective. Road blocked? Break through backward.
Only one blocking him now—punch through before backup.
I'm the hero who slays evil. I won't fall here.
Crack!
The sword tip nailed the detective's solar plexus dead-center. No scream—he slammed into the wall, out cold.
The camera caught the fallen detective, then refocused on the hero.
This is it.
In the original story, the hero gets caught here. But Kim Donghu's acting rewrote the end.
The hero faded into shadowy alleys, slipping the net—into the gray fringes beyond black-and-white.
"Cut!!!"
With that shot, the hero's final scene wrapped.
+++++
Whew, tougher than I thought?
After Hero wrapped, I thanked everyone and hopped straight into the van.
Normally, you'd join the wrap party, but at fifteen, I could skip.
Tight schedule—need solo downtime.
Without steady workouts, I'd be wiped. Feeling that burn made me miss Coach Baek Sangha.
Please come train—you're UFC material! His pleas suddenly tugged at me.
Gotta visit sometime.
Then...
"Donghu, great work today."
Seokho hyung slid into the driver's seat.
Come to think of it, BeRitas is hiring up.
Right after I signed, the manager went all-in: stylists, road managers, security. Seokho hyung's smile hadn't left his face lately.
"Hyung, don't you not need to drive now with a road manager?"
"Yeah, but I feel better gripping the wheel for you."
He replied and headed straight home.
"Oh yeah, they mentioned additional Hide Dream filming?"
"Additional?"
"Yeah, they called me. Basically confirmed—just need to sync schedules."
"Not patching old footage, but new scenes?"
"Yep. Your piano was killer. Moonlight Sonata!"
The real magic's after, but viewers would faint seeing it. Faint.
I gave an awkward smile at Seokho hyung's hype.
Guess I'm popular.
One key to longevity in showbiz: ignore articles about yourself. I practiced it religiously. One bad comment or hype wave could shake your mental—better to tune out entirely.
"Your fan cafe popped up too, heh. Nothing but good ahead."
Seokho hyung beamed, genuinely thrilled.
Fan cafe? Embarrassing...
But curiosity won—I'd check later.
"Oh, and I stuck the revised Endless Frontline script under that left window."
"The extra action pages?"
"Yeah. They said speak up if it's too intense—might be tough for a middle schooler. I said I'd let you know."
Great films are nice, but safety first. Don't push yourself, Donghu. Speak if it's too much.
I smiled at his warm concern and pulled out the script.
Me versus Han Taekon sunbaenim.
How'd they adapt it? Curiosity burned.
Immersion.
A world drenched in blood.
"Arrrghhh!"
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
"Cease fire! Cease fire!"