Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Visiting the Set
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A fair amount of time had passed since Tae-hoon got cast.
From what I'd heard, he was doing even better than expected, which was a relief.
What had I been up to in the meantime?
What else? I'd been diligently working at the Mutant Management Bureau.
Well, that's what I say, but the work wasn't actually that heavy.
Han-gyeol would occasionally head out to mediate conflicts whenever disputes arose among Abrahamic Religions, like when they popped up in breaking news.
She really lived such a busy life.
That's why, whenever she arrived back in Korea, she'd slump straight into her room and hole up there.
Naturally, her parents knew about it and just let her be.
Han-gyeol's parents were more nonchalant about it than I'd imagined.
They just figured it was fate.
Anyway, daily life was proceeding smoothly.
Come to think of it, I should probably visit the World Tree soon.
My schedule at the bureau was pretty flexible, so if I timed it right, it shouldn't be a problem.
...Now that I thought about it, angels had already appeared, so would mutants tied to other gods' apostles show up too?
They could easily emerge from places like India.
You know, Hindu gods or whatever.
But if they did show up and complicate the world even more, that'd be a problem.
The world was already plenty chaotic thanks to mutants, but I just hoped it wouldn't pile more work on my plate.
Thinking back to how hectic the bureau was during the early stages of the Second Mutation... Ugh.
Anyway, nothing much had happened in my routine lately.
I'd just check the documents handed over by the Deputy Director at the bureau, stamp them, and call it a day.
With so many capable new hires handling the administrative side, my workload had shrunk dramatically.
Yeon-hwa unnie and Ha-rin's tasks had lightened up too.
No incidents had broken out in weird places either.
My very existence acted as a deterrent for mutants, and any potentially problematic ones were being closely monitored by Ha-rin and Yeon-hwa unnie... so it was unlikely I'd run into any major trouble.
And just like that, time flew by in a blur.
Tae-hoon seemed to be adapting well.
He'd gotten pretty close with the other actors on set, or so he said.
Especially the actress Joo Soo-hyun from the audition—he said she approached him first, which saved him.
Thanks to the lead actress with plenty of industry experience, he was able to blend into the set without any unnecessary power plays or rivalries.
Of course, it probably helped that he'd been so polite and attentive to the other actors too.
-So, wanna come check out the set sometime?
"What am I supposed to do there? Oh, I haven't told them you're my friend yet, right?"
-Do I really need to? It might be fine now, but if I'd said it at the start of filming, I'd get labeled as some punk relying on connections.
"Good call on that."
-Hey, forget I’m way better at navigating society than you?
"Facts. No argument there. Anyway, so I just show up and we crack open some dried squid?"
-Whoa, you're actually coming?
"My schedule's wide open these days anyway. Plus, I'm curious to see you act."
But why me all of a sudden?
Curious about the reason, I asked him.
"But why me specifically?"
-Well... I don't know why, but right now it feels like I'm everyone's emotional support plushie on set, and it's suffocating... And these aren't ordinary people.
In short, that's what Tae-hoon meant.
For some inexplicable reason, his popularity on set had skyrocketed, and with everyone clinging to him constantly, he couldn't get a moment alone.
Even during breaks, he couldn't actually rest...
So he'd sent me an SOS because he wanted some proper downtime.
...But no matter how I looked at it, it seemed like he was planning to use me as a shield.
His intentions were obvious, so I smirked and asked,
"Just my presence?"
-...What do you want?
"Hmm... Later, if something blows up at the bureau, help out with it. You'll be free once filming wraps anyway."
-How do you know something will blow up?
"That's why it's insurance. The world's gone mad—who knows what'll happen? Getting cooperation from a mutant like you isn't easy on the regular."
Half-joking, half-serious.
When even Yahweh had descended into the modern world, who knew what could happen next.
You get insurance when you can.
-Got it. If something pops off, I'll help the bureau. But with you around, what big issue could even arise?
"You never know with the world. Anyway, when should I head over?"
-Tomorrow.
"You madman."
-It won't even take you long to get here anyway. You can zip over like the Director's Shrinking Earth Technique.
"Fine, fine. What time do I need to be there?"
-Let's see... We usually gather at 9 a.m.
"Where?"
-I'll text you the set location. Come in person. It's a historical drama set.
"Got it."
* * *
"Good morning. Looking forward to working with you today as well."
"Oh, Tae-hoon’s here?"
A decent number of people greeted her warmly as she entered the set.
Tae-hoon currently looked about high school age.
With a build that wasn't particularly large, he was the object of affection for everyone on set.
It wasn't just his appearance that made them dote on Tae-hoon.
He was always polite in how he treated people and never spoke carelessly.
Plus, he didn't strut around just because he was the lead—he showed respect to veteran actors who'd entered the industry before him, no matter how unknown they were. Winning over everyone on set was effortless.
Sure, there were a few jealous types at first, but that was only in the early days.
Now, after seeing her perform on set, everyone had no choice but to acknowledge her.
...No, it went beyond acknowledgment—they'd started outright adoring her!
Her petite frame and porcelain skin.
Despite an aura that seemed hard to approach, she always smiled brightly and treated her seniors with utmost courtesy, making it impossible not to find her endearing.
So today too, before filming began, she'd done a light makeup touch-up and become something like Soo-hyun's emotional support plushie—especially among the senior actors.
Soo-hyun gazed at Tae-hoon fondly.
Whether she was a mutant or had once been a guy didn't matter.
Her acting shone brilliantly despite being so new to it.
Every gesture carried elegance and dignity.
Soo-hyun thought she was the perfect fit for Hyeon-hwa.
The reason Soo-hyun cared so much about this movie, Blood and Blade, was that her recent films had all flopped.
She'd been criticized for having great acting chops but no eye for projects, so Tae-hoon's presence was like a light in the darkness—or salt in the wound, but the good kind.
Sure, you could argue what light or salt a total newbie could provide... but from the moment she'd seen Tae-hoon at the audition, she'd been convinced.
That actor is going to make it big.
Even without an eye for projects, Soo-hyun had a keen eye for talent, so she could gauge Tae-hoon's potential impact.
Getting close could only benefit her. No—she wanted to get close.
Her personality checked out too.
Mutants were said to have quirks sometimes, but Tae-hoon hadn't shown any.
"Um, sunbaenim?"
"Yes, hoobaenim?"
"Th-the director said filming's about to start..."
"Oh my, look at me spacing out. Got it. What scene is it?"
"An action scene."
"Ooh, something to look forward to?"
One reason she believed this film would succeed no matter what was that Director An Jin-ho had brought out his signature weapon.
An Jin-ho and action films were a guaranteed box-office hit.
He didn't shoehorn in weird melodrama or romance. He stuck strictly to his vision, which was why people praised him.
Take Soo-hyun's protagonist, Lee Yeol—she wasn't focused on melodrama or sorrow, but pure revenge.
She lived by her parents' will, but never forgot the blood debt owed.
A vengeful ghost like that.
Action flicks like this often diluted tension with romance or sob stories, but Director An Jin-ho wasn't one to go easy.
If revenge was the goal, the protagonist obsessed over nothing else.
The main villain sharpening her blade while awaiting that revenge.
He drilled relentlessly into that two-way rivalry.
So how much effort would he pour into the action?
With action comprising nearly half the film, the scenes got investment beyond imagination.
And... the glimpse she'd caught of Tae-hoon's action skills before was top-tier.
Tae-hoon pulled opponents into his flow or slipped into theirs, creating fluid, water-like action.
This scene was the first clash between Lee Yeol and Hyeon-hwa.
It ended in Lee Yeol's defeat, but Hyeon-hwa let her go again, waiting for her growth.
Everyone on set held their breath.
Lee Yeol's sword clashed with the one Hyeon-hwa conjured from flames.
A fierce deadlock.
Clang!
Lee Yeol pressed forward relentlessly, parrying and redirecting attacks without retreat.
Hyeon-hwa watched her with satisfaction.
Yet she infused power into her sword, blooming blue irises.
To swat away the moth charging at her.
Collision. Collision. Collision.
Sword against sword, scattering blood and sparks in a brutal yet beautiful dance across the set.
Soo-hyun was in awe.
Had action scenes ever felt this effortless?
Tae-hoon's swings were easy to block, and the blue irises scattering from her blade held no heat.
Usually, clashing swords led to awkward moments if timing slipped...
But with Tae-hoon as her opponent, that never happened once.
Even wild swings looked picturesque from afar.
Zero NG takes in action scenes.
That stat said it all—Tae-hoon's action acting was peerless.
As an actress who dove into action herself, she knew how incredible that was.
Soo-hyun was certain.
This scene had turned out insanely good.
"Cut! Perfect, that's great!"
Cheers erupted on set.
Tae-hoon approached Soo-hyun cautiously and asked,
"Were you okay? It wasn't too hot, right?"
"Oh, no, it wasn't hot at all. Your ability is seriously amazing, Tae-hoon."
Relieved by her answer, Tae-hoon let out a sigh.
No matter how he knew it wasn't hot, it sure looked scorching from the outside.
"Good thing. All that practice controlling it paid off."
"It's just so fascinating every time. Oh, by the way, Tae-hoon. Didn't you say a friend was coming?"
"Oh, right. Yeah. Should be here soon."
"But that's unexpected. I didn't think you'd call a friend out of the blue."
At Jin-ho's words, Tae-hoon gave an awkward smile.
He couldn't exactly tell the truth.
That being treated like an emotional support plushie was nice, but suffocating enough to call in a friend.
"So, what's your friend here for?"
"They wanted to watch. Is that okay?"
It was usually a no-go.
But Director An Jin-ho knew Tae-hoon had no manager or agency, so he figured it was for her peace of mind and allowed her guest.
"No, I already said it was fine earlier, right? I'm not that strict."
"...Thank you."
"Anyway, I'm curious. Wonder what kind of person your friend is."
"Uh... You'll probably be shocked."
"Huh? Someone we know?"
"...Probably."