Explosion on Set and Senior Sparks
10:28 AM. With a tremendous roar, the Aung San National Cemetery set was engulfed in smoke. It all happened in the blink of an eye.
The explosives detonated from the left rooftop engulfed the official entourage lined up in front of the eight graves. As the central building collapsed, the set instantly turned into a scene of utter chaos.
"Get the cars out, hurry!"
"Protocol team, protocol team! Everyone to your positions!"
It was an unprecedented situation so unbelievable even seeing it with their own eyes. Lee Jin-tae and Yoon Jong-su, who had been staring blankly at the explosion, snapped back to reality and shouted urgently.
While several assistant cameras captured the blast from various angles, the main camera focused intently on the actors' vivid expressions.
"……."
Woo Seung-hyun PD, glued to the monitor, gripped his walkie-talkie tightly. His hand trembled ever so slightly. And it wasn't just the main PD. Everyone watching that scene felt the same crushing pressure.
Filming with actual set explosions could only be done once, so there was no room for even the slightest mistake. Until the director called "cut," it wasn't over.
Thud, thud.
Lee Jin-tae and Yoon Jong-su advanced slowly toward the collapsed building, guns in hand. One step, two steps, three steps. They walked deliberately.
The staff, who had been quietly watching the actors' performances, held their breath. The actors' natural ragged breathing mixed with their footsteps, heightening the tension.
Finally—
Thud.
"No way…."
Like the destroyed building, Lee Jin-tae collapsed before the horrific sight. Yoon Jong-su, following behind, could do nothing but place a hand silently on his shoulder.
The camera zoomed in on Lee Jin-tae's hollow expression and Yoon Jong-su's furrowed brow as he bit his lip, then…
"Cut!"
Woo PD called out cheerfully. The moment his signal dropped, the staff erupted in cheers. Sighs of relief echoed here and there.
On the first day of filming, nailing a one-take-only scene. Everyone must have prayed the same thing during the ancestral rite. Please, no mistakes in the explosion scene.
Fortunately, Lee Kang-sik and Jo Seung-cheol's performances were flawless, and the crew capturing it made no errors whatsoever.
Phew, glad we got through it.
Woo PD spoke into his walkie-talkie with a relieved face.
"Directing team, status report."
"Okay, get the extras into makeup right away. Bring the seniors over as soon as cleanup's done. Let's roll it again."
The set buzzed back to life. Woo PD reviewed the footage, his voice excited as he asked Woojin.
"The shots were amazing, right?"
"Yeah, the two seniors' expressions… gave me chills just watching."
"Feels like the day's shoot is already done. Ah, such a relief!"
He stretched his arms high. There was still plenty left to film today, but finishing the biggest scene lifted a huge weight.
Woojin smiled and said, "We've got a bit until the next scene, right, Director?"
"Yeah, extras need makeup and a rehearsal… even conservatively, it'll take about 30 minutes."
"Want some coffee?"
"Sure, sounds good!"
Early July, midday. Better than August, sure, but under the blazing sun, sweat poured like rain all the same.
Production companies, agencies, friends, or fan clubs often sent coffee trucks to sets, but on day one, there were no such perks—no coffee truck, no cool drinks anywhere.
Woojin stood with a grin. "How many of us?"
"Whoa? The whole crew?"
"Of course. Including the extras, how many total?"
"Oh man, that's a lot of people… you sure?"
"This is nothing."
Woo PD looked apologetic, but for Woojin, it was truly fine. As the lead actor, wasn't this basic?
The crew sweated bullets to make every on-screen actor shine brighter than anyone. And having endured the hardships from extra to supporting roles himself, he couldn't just pass by.
How could he ignore them just because they had no lines or close-ups?
There are no small roles, only small actors. Woojin's creed. He wanted to look after them as much as he could.
"Around 100?"
"Yeah, about that."
"Americano for everyone, keep it simple?!"
"You bet. Gotta go hard, haha!"
Woo PD beamed and gave a thumbs-up.
Woojin headed out with Jun-an toward a nearby café.
"Hyung, get a blueberry smoothie."
"Nope. Iced Americanos all around."
"Iced Americano? Treat your hyung right! You've been stressing over me and Kang-sik hyung lately. Cut me some slack~"
Jun-an's exaggerated reactions to even small jokes were always fun. Woojin burst out laughing and nodded, so Jun-an pumped his fist.
They ordered and sat to wait.
"Hey, Woojin-ah. You know your official fan club launched?"
"Oh, really? Had no idea."
"Figured as much."
Jun-an chuckled and explained. Back during Wanted, membership was in the thousands. Five figures? Ancient history. Now it was barreling toward six figures….
In café culture dominated by idols, a actor hitting those numbers was pretty shocking.
"Fan club name's still in contest, but I'll let you know when it's decided."
"Got it."
"Log in and post something. Great projects are one thing, but fans need love too."
"Yeah, I will."
Official fan club launch. Tunnel-visioned on work, he'd overlooked something key. People who liked him got him this far.
"And there's an official 'Baek Woojin Gallery' now."
Gallery Farm, Korea's biggest community site. Topic-based sub-communities called galleries—and the 'Baek Woojin Gallery,' born post-Red Petals, had exploded into a major one overnight.
Official fan clubs and galleries, coordinated with the agency, shared schedules and hosted fan meets. The media tag "rising star" was starting to feel real. What a string of gratitudes. Time to work harder—and pay more attention to those who liked "him."
"Guess what's funny?"
"What?"
"The gallery operator? Team Leader Park Mi-young."
Wait, Team Leader Park Mi-young?
"For real?"
"Yeah, talked to her the day before yesterday."
"I owe her a meal."
"Huh, when?"
"Didn't tell you, but that time I went to the airport alone…."
Jun-an's eyes widened at Woojin's story. What a connection!
"Gotta set a date soon. Had no clue—she saved my life."
"Yeah. Been putting it off for months…."
Excuses like focusing on projects or busy schedules—he'd delayed too much. Time flew. Especially then, he couldn't let everyday moments slip. What seemed trivial was anything but. The most precious things.
"Hey hey hey! No excessive self-reflection allowed."
Jun-an continued, eyeing Woojin's pensive face. Woojin replied with a smile.
Right then, "Your coffee order's ready."
"Ah, thanks, appreciate it."
They loaded the coffees into the car, chatting happily, and soon returned to set. They wheeled the cart from the team van.
"Heavy hands, light heart—that's the rule, ahem."
Jun-an pulled the cart with light steps. Strutting confidently anywhere? Seeing Jun-an shake his hips happily lifted Woojin's mood too.
They entered the directing area with the coffee.
"Coffee for everyone!"
Jun-an hyung shouted loudly. But….
"Aigoo."
Woo PD shook his head with a sigh, while the assistant director rubbed his face in distress.
"What's with the sudden vibe?"
"Dunno. What happened?"
What went down while they were gone? The set, buoyant after nailing the big scene, now sagged like someone dumped ice water on it.
"PD."
"Oh, you're back?"
Woojin handed Woo PD his coffee and asked, "What happened?"
"Well…."
He looked awkward. "There was a fight."
"What?! A fight? Between who?"
"Sigh, Kang-sik hyung and Seung-cheol hyung. While you were out, it blew up."
Woo PD added it wasn't physical—just a heated exchange between Lee Kang-sik and Jo Seung-cheol.
The spark? Something trivial. Right when Woojin left, post-explosion as the crew prepped.
In the set's smoking area, Jo Seung-cheol was smoking first. Lee Kang-sik entered late after chatting with the assistant director.
"……."
"……."
An awkward air flowed unintentionally.
"Want one?" Jo Seung-cheol offered first.
Whoever started it, their prickly relationship had festered for years. For Jo Seung-cheol to speak first took guts.
But…
"……."
Lee Kang-sik stayed silent, lighting his own without reply. Avoiding even eye contact. Jo Seung-cheol must've felt ignored.
"Hey, Lee Kang-sik!"
"What? Why are you yelling?!"
It escalated instantly. Their booming voices echoed outside—no one missed it.
"Lee Kang-sik, you really!"
"Pot calling the kettle black."
"Seniors, why?!"
"Calm down, we're a team!"
Staff broke it up, but the mood froze solid. No one dared approach either side now. Tough seniors to handle.
Made sense.
"Thinking about it, it's nothing major, but…."
Woo PD trailed off with a sigh. Woojin said, "To a third party, maybe. But not to them. There are feelings we don't know."
"True. I misspoke…."
Woojin startled at Woo PD's words. "No, no, not like that, Director. Don't worry."
"Haha, anyway, it's awkward. What to do? We need to start shooting."
"I'll check on the seniors. Don't stress."
Woojin grabbed the coffees and headed off. Yeah, lead actor duty. A cute junior approaching might help. Crew and actors alike would think so.
"Dad, have some coffee."
Woojin approached Lee Kang-sik first with a bright smile.