Chapter 217
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 217
Chapter Title: Jin Natra's Double
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Action Training Center, A3 Training Ground.
The place was bustling with shouts, yells, and the sounds of impact.
Four stuntmen and their trainers were scattered across the spacious training ground.
There was Shadowman's stuntman, Bel Natra's stuntman, and Tul Natra's stuntman.
And then there was Jin Natra's stuntman.
“Three, two, one!”
At the trainer's signal, a man suspended by wires leaped from the second floor. He didn’t just fall; he shot down like a spear, aiming for the mat with the speed of a predator hunting its prey.
The trainer watched without blinking, but when the man’s body tilted to the side upon landing, he shook his head.
“Yeon. Too much tension in your shoulders. You’ll get hurt if your body is too stiff.”
“Sorry.”
Kim Jaeyeon scratched his head. It seemed he had landed on his foot wrong. His unbalanced body had nearly toppled over, but the wires kept him from collapsing completely. He straightened himself from the awkward position.
“Is your ankle okay?”
At the trainer's question, Kim Jaeyeon rotated his ankle. Three times to the right, three times to the left. After checking his ankle, knee, and leg with practiced ease, he nodded.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Be careful. That body isn't just yours anymore,” the trainer said, half-joking and half-serious, as he helped Kim Jaeyeon out of the wire vest.
Freed from the vest, Kim Jaeyeon stretched and chuckled. He had heard the exact same thing when he signed the stuntman contract.
“Marine Company, Shadowman, Director Ryan, and all the Shadowman fans around the world. They’re all waiting for the release. I know you’re happy to be filming Shadowman, but if you get hurt, it’s all for nothing.”
“Yes, I know. I’ll be careful until filming starts.”
“Nope. Be careful until filming ends. The most dangerous time is during the shoot. There’s always an actor who gets complacent once they get used to filming.”
Kim Jaeyeon nodded at the trainer's firm words.
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good. Let’s take a short break and then go again.”
Kim Jaeyeon caught his breath in the rest area set up at one side of the training ground. The trainer handed him a towel and a water bottle. After wiping his sweat with the towel and drinking some water, Kim Jaeyeon exhaled.
“Calm and flexible. Don’t forget.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
While the nearby stuntmen looked weary of the trainer's constant advice, Kim Jaeyeon welcomed every single word.
After the trainer left to attend to another stuntman, Kim Jaeyeon was left alone. He took a moment to catch his breath and closed his eyes. His heart was pounding. It was beating so hard he felt like the sound could be heard outside his body.
He wasn't sure if it was from the exertion or the sheer joy of landing the role.
‘It’s already been months since it was decided…’
Kim Jaeyeon let out a small laugh at his own inability to calm his excitement.
‘But this is Shadowman. Marine Company…!’
No one could imagine how much he had cried and laughed after hearing the audition results. Until he signed the contract, he had nightmares every night that it was a mistake, an error, that another stuntman had been chosen. Each day was like a journey between heaven and hell.
Opening his eyes, Kim Jaeyeon clenched and unclenched his fists. He could clearly feel the stiffness in his body. Training like this, he was bound to get hurt.
‘I have to be careful.’
It was true that his body wasn't his alone. But Kim Jaeyeon didn't fully believe that. Just because he was hard to replace didn't mean he was irreplaceable.
The Shadowman team hadn't said it, but he was sure there were at least two other stuntmen ready to take his place if he got injured.
‘To protect this spot, I have to be the one to be careful.’
Kim Jaeyeon steeled his resolve and tried to calm his racing heart.
“Yeon! Director Ryan is here!”
“Yes, sir!”
At the trainer’s call, Kim Jaeyeon shot up from his chair. The heart he had just managed to calm began to pound once more at the director's arrival.
* * *
“Director. Jonathan. If you’re free tonight, would you like to have dinner at our place?” Seojun asked after the slightly tense mood had settled.
“Dinner?”
“Yes. A welcome party, of sorts. Evan and Richel are coming too.”
After two full days of rest, they had planned to have dinner together tonight. Remembering his mom’s suggestion to ask Director Ryan, Seojun extended the invitation to him and Jonathan.
Director Ryan and Jonathan nodded in response to Seojun’s question.
“I should go to pay my respects.”
“I’ll go too.”
As they readily accepted, Seojun took out his phone.
“Just a moment.”
His mom didn't know Jonathan was there, so Seojun had to send a message.
<Director Ryan is coming!>
<Jonathan is here too, so he's coming with us!>
>Really? I’ll have to prepare more food then!
While Seojun was contacting Seo Eunhye and An Daho was briefly chatting with Director Ryan, they arrived at the A3 training ground.
“Shadowman is using the A3 and A4 training grounds. A3 is for the main actors and their stuntmen, and A4 is for the other stuntmen. Jun, you’ll be training here from now on.”
At Jonathan’s explanation, An Daho asked.
“Are there set hours for use?”
“It’s the same as the training ground’s operating hours. For high-difficulty stunts, you can only practice when trainers are present, but Jun doesn’t have anything that difficult, so you can use it freely.”
A satisfied smile spread across Seojun’s face at those words.
The door to the A3 training ground opened.
Seojun and An Daho looked around in awe. The training ground was vast with a high ceiling. Unfamiliar machines and equipment were scattered everywhere. It was similar to the Korean action schools, yet different.
Seojun’s eyes sparkled.
“It looks like a superhero training facility.”
“To a normal person, they’re not much different from superheroes.”
Director Ryan, who had gestured to a trainer that caught his eye, continued.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll be training here too, Jun. First, you’ll learn the basics, then how to wield weapons, and then we’ll work on the choreographed fights.”
Director Ryan looked at Seojun for a moment before continuing.
“The basic training will be tedious, and wielding weapons and practicing choreography won’t always be fun. It’ll be much more tiring and difficult than you think. Your body might not move the way you want it to.”
As if to scare him, Director Ryan listed all the potential difficulties Seojun might face. Jonathan and An Daho’s gazes turned to Seojun. They expected him to be a little intimidated, but Seojun’s expression was one of understanding.
“It’s okay. Even middle school pro athletes train hard, right? I’m a pro actor, too.”
For the sake of acting, Seojun was willing to readily accept even the hardships. No, he found joy and happiness even in the struggle.
Seeing Seojun’s eyes sparkle in response to his words, not only Director Ryan but also Jonathan and An Daho couldn’t help but smile.
“So, who’s my stuntman?”
There were three people who looked like stuntmen, but one was Evan Block’s stuntman whom he’d seen during the filming of *Shadowman 2*, and another was Richel Hill’s. The unfamiliar man was bigger than Seojun.
“You’ve seen those two, right? That actor is Tul Natra’s stuntman. Oh, right. Jin Natra’s stuntman is Korean.”
At Jonathan’s words, Seojun and An Daho’s eyes widened.
“A Korean-American?”
“No. He said he came from Korea three years ago.”
Just as Jonathan finished speaking, Seojun spotted two men walking over from a corner.
The two, who had first spotted Director Ryan and were about to greet him, widened their eyes when they saw Seojun. It seemed they hadn't known he would be there.
Jonathan smiled and introduced them.
“This is Aiden, the trainer in charge of Jin Natra’s action scenes. Aiden will be handling your training before the shoot and your action direction during the filming of Shadowman.”
“Hello. I’m Seojun Lee. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”
“I’m Aiden. A pleasure to meet you.”
Aiden, composing his surprised expression, extended his hand. Seojun smiled and shook it.
“And this is Jin Natra’s stuntman, Jaeyeon Kim.”
“Hello. I’m Lee Seojun.”
“I’m Jaeyeon Kim, no, Kim Jaeyeon. It will be a pleasure working with you.”
“Please, speak comfortably. We’ll be training together from now on.”
Kim Jaeyeon hesitated for a moment at Seojun’s words, then smiled awkwardly.
“Ah, should I?”
“Is it okay if I call you Jaeyeon?”
“Of course. Se-Seojun.”
Seojun…!
This was something he couldn't have imagined, not when he came to America, not even when he first dreamt of becoming a stuntman. His family and friends back in Korea would be shocked if they heard. Overwhelmed with emotion, Kim Jaeyeon’s face flushed red.
Kim Jaeyeon tried hard to hide his excitement, but the actor, manager, director, and trainer, all with keen eyes due to their professions, noticed it instantly.
After the introductions, Kim Jaeyeon resumed his training with Aiden. Conscious of Seojun watching, he struggled to gather his scattered focus and began to move.
Oh.
Seojun’s eyes sparkled at Kim Jaeyeon’s brilliant movements.
* * *
That evening.
The Shadowman team gathered at Seojun’s residence. The large dining table was laden with dishes prepared by Seo Eunhye, Richel Hill, and Evan Block, leaving not a single empty spot.
“Did you have fun at the center?”
“Yeah! It was really fun. Oh, and you know Jin Natra’s stuntman? He’s a Korean guy.”
“Really?”
Seo Eunhye’s eyes widened at the mention of a Korean.
In all the time they had spent filming various projects with Seojun, they had never met another Korean on a Hollywood set.
Evan Block, eating a handmade dumpling, nodded.
“I saw him training, and he was better than I expected. And judging by how I ran into him every day I was there, he seems to have a diligent personality.”
Hearing Evan Block, Richel Hill, who was eating a pork belly wrap, tilted her head.
“Huh? You too? I think I saw him every time I went as well. Is that guy really training every single day? Working too hard can be bad, though.”
At Richel Hill’s worried comment, Seojun recalled Kim Jaeyeon’s appearance.
‘He didn’t seem exhausted.’
“A Korean? How did you find him?”
Jonathan, who was chewing on a large piece of steak, answered Seo Eunhye’s question.
“We held auditions. It’s hard to find someone with the exact same build and silhouette as Jun, so we picked the most skilled person among the actors with the most similar silhouette. We also considered his height, since Jun is still growing. You can trust his skills.”
Director Ryan, observing Seo Eunhye’s expression, added.
“His personality seems fine as well. The times I saw him at the training ground, he looked good. The trainers also gave him high praise.”
Since this person would be training and filming with Seojun, Director Ryan had been careful in his selection. He had even used Marine Company’s resources to look into him from various angles, just in case he might be a bad influence.
“I saw him too, and he seemed like a good person,” An Daho added.
Seo Eunhye smiled, relieved by the words of Director Ryan and An Daho.
“That’s a relief. Seojun, next time you see him, ask him. We should have a meal together sometime.”
“Okay! I will.”
Seojun, who was inhaling spaghetti loaded with meatballs, nodded.
“Training starts tomorrow. The beginning is really tough, you know? You’d better be prepared.”
Seojun burst out laughing at Richel Hill’s words.
His flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes seemed to perfectly reflect his anticipation for the training that awaited him tomorrow.
“I think it’s going to be so much fun.”
Seeing Seojun like this, everyone else burst into laughter.