A Proper Greeting
“A reshoot?”
The call from Jinbae hyung had come while we were eating breakfast the next morning. At the word reshoot, my ears perked up.
Apparently the call was going to run long, because Jinbae hyung told me to go ahead and eat first before getting up. When he came back, his face was bright.
“Actor! The reshoot for Dogs' Leash is scheduled for tomorrow!”
“Really?”
For a moment, my expression management failed me completely and I broke into a grin. I did hesitate right after, but whatever—it was only Jinbae hyung there anyway.
“Why so suddenly?”
“The main writer watched yesterday's footage and sent word that she'd like to adjust the direction slightly. The parts you'll be acting remain the same.”
Then what exactly had changed?
Jinbae hyung explained what little he'd been told over the phone.
“So they've moved Seol Seungjun's character, Lee Janhyeok, to appear earlier, then.”
“Yes, exactly. The main writer was so pleased with yesterday's footage that she insisted on bringing Lee Janhyeok in at this point in the story.”
Dogs' Leash was a drama about a forty-something man named Lee Janhyeok finding Han Seungmin, a teenage delinquent, and the two of them forming a team. The planning notes had literally written out the bromance of two men as the show's intent, and true to that, the two characters clashed and tangled with each other endlessly. It was also the story of Han Seungmin, who'd drifted from group to group without ever belonging anywhere, finding a sense of belonging with Lee Janhyeok and growing because of it.
Which meant the leads' chemistry was everything—and I'd heard the question of who would play Lee Janhyeok had been debated for months. In the end, the role went to a man with twenty-six years in the industry: Seol Seungjun.
“You've watched every single project Seol Seungjun has ever been in. Tomorrow must have you even more excited!”
“Well, yes….”
Jinbae hyung looked more worked up about it than I was. I couldn't exactly deny it, so I just gave an awkward laugh.
Never thought I'd actually get to see it in person.
There were so many actors who could act. And Seol Seungjun was one of the ones who stood out even among them. The first time I saw his performance, I'd hunted down every work he'd appeared in as if under a spell. It was true that when I heard he'd been cast in Dogs' Leash, my greed for Han Seungmin only grew.
So tomorrow I'll get to watch him act up close, too.
I felt myself getting more worked up than I'd expected, so I took a short, deep breath. That was when Seong Ijun called.
Was he planning to waste my time with more of his pointless chatter?
Well, no. I'd heard it that morning.
“Yeah. Heard this morning.”
“Sure. Is something wrong?”
The voice coming through the phone was stiffer than usual.
“No. Tomorrow's the first time. But I've seen everything he's been in.”
“Yep.”
Seong Ijun hesitated for a moment, then asked if I was a fan of Seol Seungjun.
Good question. Was this what being a fan was?
I thought of the starlight I'd seen at fan meetings. By that standard, absolutely not. I hesitated over what to say, then just told him I was looking forward to meeting him tomorrow.
“Hyung, you're sure nothing's wrong?”
Seong Ijun waffled for a long while after that, then hung up.
The next day, Seong Ijun at the filming site was still acting strange. From the very first greeting he was evasive, and he kept drifting off into space afterward too.
“Hyung.”
“…….”
“Ijun hyung.”
“Ah—huh?”
What on earth could he be thinking about so hard? No matter how many times I called him, he wouldn't snap out of it, so I had to grab his hand and shake it gently.
“Are you sick somewhere?”
“No, it's not that….”
I quietly studied him as he mumbled and avoided my eyes. When he'd asked me to come in early, I'd assumed he needed a favor, but that wasn't it either. He just kept scanning our surroundings restlessly, like something had him on edge.
Why on earth is he like that?
It was frustrating, but the sight reminded me of An-gae, so I let it go. When he was ready, he'd tell me himself.
Then it happened.
“Actor Seol Seungjun has arrived! Everyone, give him your greetings!”
“Ohhh~ our master actor is here?”
The entrance to the set erupted into commotion, and then Seol Seungjun appeared amid the crowd. His tall, commanding frame was impossible to miss, though you'd never guess he was pushing fifty.
I should go greet him.
Just as I was slowly rising from my seat, Seong Ijun—his face gone deathly pale—hauled me up in a hurry.
“Y-Yeonjae. Run over and greet sunbaenim right now.”
“Huh?”
“Go!”
Seong Ijun hissed under his breath and shoved my back hard. I stumbled forward in a daze, and the staff clustered around Seol Seungjun stepped aside as if they'd been waiting for exactly this.
Every eye in the place swung toward me, appearing out of nowhere. Seol Seungjun's eyes, too.
“……”
At the same instant, time began to crawl, as if someone had thrown the world into slow motion.
It was the same face I'd seen on screen, and yet it was uncannily like looking at a different person. His skin tone was far redder, his gaze dull and clouded. The moment he took a single step closer to me, I caught the faintest whiff of alcohol.
No way.
Before I could dig into the suspicion blooming in my head, Seol Seungjun spoke first.
“Don't think I've seen that face before?”
The corners of his mouth curled up in a smile, and the skin around them was covered in a bluish shadow of stubble. His bloodshot eyes were strangely unpleasant, but my first order of business was the greeting.
As my head bowed and my field of vision dropped, I caught sight of a nearby staff member's expression.
Terror.
It was an emotion laid perfectly bare.
Terror? My mind raced through the puzzling situation. With my head already half-bowed, all I could see of the man was his feet.
Before I could even think, my mouth was moving. Pure survival instinct.
“…Good morning, sunbaenim! I'm Lee Yeonjae, here to greet you for the first time!”
My head, which had dipped only briefly and was already on its way back up, went down again—jaw clenched tight—into a full bow. Waist bent to a hard ninety degrees, I called out my greeting at the top of my lungs.
Is this right?
I'd started all this on the strength of one thought that had flashed through my head in an instant. All I could see was the filthy floor of the set. Silence hung thick around me.
“……”
I still couldn't read the situation, and my head was a mess. But every tense muscle in my body was telling me: now is not the time to lift your head.
The silence stretched on for several more seconds—and then a booming laugh rolled down from above me.
“Haha! Haven't seen a kid with manners like this in ages! Head up! What's with all the formality? I'm not that scary a guy~!”
A hand slapped roughly at my shoulder, and I straightened up. As I raised my head, I stole a quick, unnoticed glance toward the staff. Where the terror had been, relief was now spreading across her face.
“What was the name again? Lee Yeongjae?”
“It's Lee Yeonjae! Please, feel free to speak comfortably with me, sunbaenim!”
“Easygoing, too. I like that. It's been a while since I've had a junior I actually took a liking to.”
My mind spun at full speed. The puzzle pieces I'd gathered were snapping into place.
So that's what this is.
What I had to do in this moment was crystal clear. I'd figure out the details later—first, finish this conversation.
“I'm honestly a huge fan of yours, sunbaenim. Just meeting you like this makes me so happy, and getting to act on the same set as you—it's an honor!”
I imitated Noh Bihyeok's easy, sociable smile and pushed my voice bigger. It was my own voice, but it was loud. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I'd produced this many decibels.
As the distance closed, the smell of alcohol grew sharper. Afraid my brow might crease if I let my guard down for even a second, I kept a soft smile on my face. It wasn't a wasted effort—the man's face brightened even further.
“Never met a junior this decent. So you're a fan of mine, huh. No wonder~! I'll sign something for you in a bit.”
“Thank you!”
Only after a few more exchanges of utterly empty small talk did Seol Seungjun finally move his feet. The assistant director scurried along at his heels.
“You get it, right? I'll be in my waiting room. Don't let anyone in. When the set's ready, just knock.”
“Of course, sir. A master actor needs to find his emotions—we wouldn't dream of disturbing that. I'll stand guard out front myself, so don't you worry. Just let us know when you're ready!”
Seol Seungjun didn't even acknowledge the assistant director's smiling flattery. He simply shut the door.
Bang!
The instant the waiting room door slammed shut, the air that had been stretched taut across the whole set released all at once.
“…F—ing hell. Seriously.”
In front of the waiting room, the assistant director muttered a quiet curse. I watched in silence as the other staff let out a collective sigh.
“Yeonjae… are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
I answered Seong Ijun and carefully loosened my neck. Shouting like that on an unwarmed throat had left it stinging. I looked over at Seong Ijun, who was watching me with worry written all over him.
“Was what you'd been hesitating to tell me since yesterday about sunbaenim?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Looking at his glum face, I swallowed a sigh.
“It's not like you were short on time to say it. Was there a reason you couldn't?”
“It's just….”
He probably hadn't meant to put me in a tough spot. I wasn't thinking that just because of the way he was squirming now, either.
He's an actor too. Who'd believe that?
And besides, if that had been his intention, he wouldn't have shoved my back like he did.
Just reading the mood around me now, I could guess. What might have happened if I hadn't greeted him properly. If Seong Ijun hadn't shoved my back with everything he had, I wouldn't even have gotten my flattery in on time.
Still. It would've been so much better if he'd told me first.
“I'm sorry. I really did want to tell you, but….”
Seong Ijun's speech was sluggish today of all days, and it grated on me, but I waited quietly. Whatever else was true, he had helped me. That much was fact.
“Did it feel wrong to badmouth an industry senior? I'd have been in the same bind. I get it.”
“No, no! It's not that!”
Seong Ijun shook his head quickly.
“I just… didn't want to be that kind of person.”
“What kind of person?”
“The kind who sits around talking about other people behind their back. And now I know it might not even be true, so….”
As he said it, his pale eyes turned toward me.
“Sunbaenim has parts that are… not exactly comfortable, but he might be different with you, right? I didn't want to open my mouth too hastily.”
“……”
“But watching him come in just now, his steps were unsteady…. I figured he'd been drinking again today, so I told you to greet him right away. When he's been drinking, he's way, way more sensitive than usual.”
Again today? So this wasn't the first time he'd shown up to set drunk. I was awestruck. I barely stopped myself from clicking my tongue. I slowly patted the shoulders of Seong Ijun, who seemed to have shrunk in on himself.
“Thanks for the help. By the way—did you greet him properly at first, hyung?”
“……No.”
Seong Ijun gave a bitter smile.
Even granting that I was just an extra, the two of us would be filming together for the entire run of this drama.
My expression must have hardened, because Seong Ijun waved his hands frantically, telling me it was fine.
“He doesn't give me a hard time, though. He knows the main PD dotes on me, so—”
“Gives you a hard time?!”
“Y-Yeonjae, keep your voice down….”
What on earth had I just heard? My head ached. My clenched fists itched to tear at my carefully styled hair, so I just squeezed them tighter.
“If he doesn't do it to you—then he does it to everyone else?”
“……”
Seong Ijun gave a small nod.
I was so dumbfounded I could barely breathe. So this was—
He really was a complete lunatic.