The Fruits of Growth
Thud!!!
Do Hoon-jae grabbed a brick lying on the rooftop and swung it with all the pent-up rage he had been holding back, smashing it into the back of Yeon Seok-jin's head.
The prop brick, designed to crumble easily, shattered into powder and scattered through the air.
He then climbed on top of the fallen Yeon Seok-jin and began throwing punches in an awkward stance, biting with his teeth and yanking at his hair.
The group of delinquents approached the disheveled Do Hoon-jae as he rolled around with Yeon Seok-jin and joined in, delivering a group beating.
Ko Young-seok, who tried to stop them, was also pummeled alongside Do Hoon-jae.
Even as the two men took a brutal beating on the rainy day, kicking up dust, they refused to let go of Yeon Seok-jin's pant leg until the very end.
Disgusted by their obsessive determination, Yeon Seok-jin finally shook off Do Hoon-jae's hand and fled the rooftop.
Left battered and broken, the two men collapsed onto the rooftop floor, stained with blood, dust, and rainwater.
"Hey, did you see Yeon Seok-jin's face?"
"Right? I've never seen that bastard make an expression like that before. He must've been scared of you."
"Yeah? You thought so too? Puhahahaha!"
"Hey, stop hitting me, it hurts. Hahahahaha!"
Because reality differed from CG, the rain didn't clear to reveal a blue sky in that moment.
Staring up at the heavy, murky sky, the two men burst into laughter for a long while.
Finally, Director Yoo In-kyu's voice rang out.
"Cut! Okay, that's a wrap!"
Only then did the staff gathered on the rooftop let out a collective sigh of relief.
Kang Tae-san stood in place, breathing heavily. Droplets of blood had formed on the back of his hand. He couldn't even tell if it was makeup or a real wound.
For the first time today, he felt like he had truly acted instead of simply reenacting.
As the staff draped a blanket over Tae-san, Director Yoo In-kyu, who had been watching him tremble silently while avoiding the rain, quietly summoned the assistant directors and gave them instructions.
"It seems like Tae-san hasn't fully come out of character yet. Please be extra careful around him today."
After all, with the kind of insane performance he had just delivered, it was only natural his emotions would be in turmoil.
The tremor still lingering in his voice made it seem as though he hadn't yet escaped his heightened state.
Tae-san quickly descended the stairs, leaving the oddly conscious staff behind, and turned on the heater in the waiting room.
Once the warm glow of the heater light filled the space, he finally felt alive again.
"Whew, I thought I was going to freeze to death."
In truth, he had simply been shivering from the cold.
***
After changing out of his soaked costume, Tae-san stepped out to find the set already more than half cleared. Everyone's faces looked noticeably lighter now that filming had ended.
The actors embraced one another, warmly promising to meet again on their next project. Their expressions were bright, each believing this shoot would leave a meaningful impact on their careers.
At that moment, Tae-san approached the group of actors and quietly bowed his head in greeting.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Tae-san, how do you act like that?"
"I learned so much from this opportunity. I guess we won't be working together again anytime soon?"
Reluctant to leave, they lingered and continued their conversation. Someone suggested they all gather for a drink since filming had wrapped successfully.
Tae-san wanted to enthusiastically agree, but…
'Ugh, aren't they cold? Seriously, how are they all so healthy?'
His body had been feeling chills since earlier. If he didn't head home soon, he was certain he'd come down with a fever.
Just then, Director Yoo In-kyu approached and gently patted Tae-san's shoulder.
"I'll arrange a proper wrap party at a nice place. Everyone should head home early today. Of course, if anyone wants a drink, they can come with me separately."
The director had noticed Tae-san's unusually dark expression and assumed he hadn't fully shaken off his role yet, so he offered this consideration.
Thanks to that, Tae-san was able to bid his farewells and head straight for his manager's car.
Laughter still echoed behind him.
"Great work!"
"See you!"
"Let's go for drinks! How about pajeon and makgeolli in this rain?"
After leaving the well-wishes behind and arriving at the parking lot, Tae-san suddenly felt a wave of hunger as the tension drained from him.
Grumble— As his stomach growled loudly, he briefly considered tagging along just to fill his belly when he heard Director Yoo In-kyu urgently calling his name from the path leading to the cars.
"Tae-san! Wait, wait!"
The director came running with two large shopping bags in his hands, panting as he handed them over.
"I was asked to pass this along to you. Ah, I completely forgot with everything going on. Here, take it."
"What… is this?"
"One of my juniors is a huge fan of yours. She kept pestering me about it."
Judging by the weight, Tae-san tilted his head curiously.
"A junior… from the broadcasting station, I assume? Do I know them?"
"Ah, do you remember? Choi Song-ah."
"Oh? Yeah, of course I remember. I first met her as an assistant director on MAD, and we worked together again during the Criminal Record shoot."
"That's right. Wow, your memory is impressive. Anyway, she says she's your fan."
"Wow, that's amazing. I've never received a gift like this before."
Watching Tae-san accept the bags with a bright smile, Director Yoo offered a bittersweet grin.
"She heard today was the final shoot and gave me all this. Can you believe it? She never even bought me a cup of coffee."
"Thank you. Could you please tell her I'm grateful?"
"Of course. Anyway, get home safely. You worked hard."
After exchanging final goodbyes with the departing director, Tae-san stood in place for a moment, gauging the weight of the heavy bags. It still didn't feel real that someone cared enough to prepare a gift for him.
Tae-san stared down at the bundle with a dazed expression. The wrapping was carefully covered in plastic to protect it from the rain.
As soon as he got into the car, Manager Gong, who had been dozing with his eyes closed, asked in a sleepy voice.
"Ah, you're here. Where to? Should we stop by the wrap party?"
"No. I'd like to head straight home. You can just drop me off and go rest too, Manager."
"Haha, is that okay?"
Once they left the parking lot, Tae-san carefully unwrapped the shopping bag. As he peeled away the plastic, the smell of kimbap wafted out. Colorful fillings neatly rolled inside were packed tightly into lunch containers.
"Kimbap…"
Tae-san took out one of the neatly arranged containers and offered it to his manager first.
"You haven't eaten yet, right? Want some?"
"No, I'm not really a fan of kimbap."
Feeling awkward, Tae-san withdrew the container and nodded. Then, taking a piece for himself instead, his expression froze the moment it touched his tongue.
"What is this? Why does it taste like this?"
"Why? Wait, it's not spoiled, is it?"
"No, that's not it."
Tae-san shook his head and clapped his hands.
"It's really delicious. The best kimbap I've had recently!"
The ingredients looked fresh, the colors vibrant, and the meat inside wasn't ordinary ham but premium hanwoo bulgogi, giving it a luxurious flavor. There were even nude kimbap rolls styled like California rolls.
Manager Gong asked with mild curiosity.
"Is it really that good?"
"Yes, you should try some too, Manager."
After reluctantly accepting a bite, Manager Gong let out a short "Oh—" of admiration and gave a positive review.
"It really is good, right?"
"Well, it's not bad. Where did you buy it?"
"Come on, it's not store-bought. You can tell it was handmade. Kimbap is a dish that takes real effort."
Having gained some cooking experience after absorbing a housewife's life, Tae-san knew all too well how tedious and laborious making kimbap was. Unless it was from a specialty shop, someone had to prepare all those vegetables and fillings one by one—cutting, stir-frying, seasoning, and rolling them neatly before slicing.
It wasn't for nothing that drama writers used lunchbox kimbap as a symbol of affection.
Watching Tae-san devour the kimbap with gusto, the manager clicked his tongue.
"I heard the wrap party is at a barbecue place. Why settle for kimbap when you could fill up on meat?"
"Because it tastes best when you eat it today."
The car filled with the scent of kimbap. After finishing it all, Tae-san pulled out his phone and took a photo of the empty container as proof. Then he sent a message to Choi Song-ah, whose contact he had saved.
Choi Song-ah, who was walking under an umbrella on her way back to the subway, received Tae-san's reply. Seeing the photo of the empty container, she barely suppressed the urge to flood him with heart emojis and instead sent a single dignified duck-thumbs-up sticker.
"He ate everything without leaving a single piece. Thank you."
Her cheeks flushed pink.
***
Time passed, and the day of POA's final live broadcast arrived. After more than two months of training and broadcasts, the debut members would finally be decided today.
Kang So-yeon was in the waiting room backstage, steadying her breathing. Though her ranking had steadily climbed to sixth place—the debut cutoff—by yesterday, the final live voting still remained.
Considering how heavily the internet votes and judges' scores from today's final stage would factor in, she couldn't feel secure. A single mistake could knock her out of the debut lineup, so So-yeon was more nervous than ever as she waited to perform.
"It's okay. You can do this."
The audience seats in front of the stage were filled with countless fans and family members. Kang Tae-san had also been invited and was seated there, in a spot easily captured by the central camera.
Under the blue lights, So-yeon walked onto the stage. Having been informed of Tae-san's seat in advance through the assistant director, she quickly spotted him and waved with a bright smile.
Tae-san waved back enthusiastically, shouting, "Kang So-yeon! Fighting!"
At that moment, the broadcast camera zoomed in on Tae-san. When his face appeared on the large screen broadcasting the live feed, a small murmur rippled through the audience.
"Isn't that actor Kang Tae-san?"
"He's Kang So-yeon's real brother. His visuals are insane. Wow."
Amid the audience's heated interest, the final debut selection stage for the POA trainees began. The top ten trainees took the stage one by one, performing songs and covering popular idol tracks in groups of three or four.
So-yeon's stage came toward the latter half. As the song started, her solid, well-trained vocals filled the venue. Her dance lines were flawless and steady. Thanks to countless rehearsals, even her gaze, gestures, and expressions looked effortless.
Tae-san sat in the audience with his fists clenched tightly throughout her performance. After the song ended and the stage was briefly reset, the final results announcement finally approached.
The host stood at center stage with a microphone.
"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for! I'll announce the six final debut members!"
The rankings were called out one by one. Second place, third, fourth, fifth. With each name announced, the trainees on stage shed tears and embraced one another.
So-yeon's name still hadn't been called. Only two spots remained—first and sixth.
The host raised the tension in the venue before announcing the final ranking.
"This season has had many surprises. As expected from the finale, we have an unexpected result today. I'm sure many of you will be shocked."
'Please… even sixth place is fine. Just don't fall out, So-yeon.'
So-yeon's eyes, already glistening with tears from the tension, were captured on the screen.
The host continued slowly.
"In sixth place… is trainee Yoo Ji-eun, who dominated first place from the beginning and was considered a strong debut candidate!"
Gasps erupted from the audience. The ace trainee from SL Entertainment, who had enjoyed overwhelming popularity early on, had been announced in sixth place.
'Then…?'
Tae-san swallowed hard. Only one spot remained.
"And the final first-place winner of this season's POA! The trainee who will take center stage for the debut performance is…"
The host paused dramatically. The audience's cheers surged to the brink of explosion.
"…Trainee Kang So-yeon!"
On stage, So-yeon covered her mouth with her hands and burst into tears. Her fellow trainees rushed over to embrace her.
In the center of the audience, Tae-san shot to his feet, raising both arms high and cheering. He even grabbed a random male spectator beside him and shouted.
"That's my sister! That's my little sister! Aaaah! So-yeon! Aaaah!"
It was the day Kang Tae-san earned the new title of "little-sister-obsessed fool."