Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Yeol's Farewell
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The filming continued.
Next up was the training scene between Yeol and Hyeon.
As the seasons changed, Yeol was gradually growing stronger under Hyeon's guidance.
“That’s not right. You’re putting too much strength into it. There are times when you need to exert force and times when you shouldn’t. This is one of those times when you shouldn’t.”
“……I see.”
Spring brought life blooming forth, summer and fall saw it reach its peak, and winter brought its gradual withering.
After the four seasons had passed, Yeol had absorbed all of Hyeon’s teachings.
“Not bad at all now.”
It was the flowering of her innate martial talent, thanks to meeting the right master.
Hearing Hyeon’s words, Yeol simply bowed her head.
She knew there was no reason for this dragonkin woman to go this far for her sake.
Even if it was just a whim, or a flicker of pity for a moth diving into flames… still.
It was a fact that Hyeon had given her the power to seek revenge.
Building a proper foundation in martial arts had taken a lot of time.
Now, it was time to go for that revenge once more.
Yeol finished her preparations.
“Are you leaving?”
Hyeon asked as she watched her depart. Yeol said to Hyeon,
“……Thank you.”
Hyeon waved her off as she looked at her.
And so, Hyeon watched Yeol leave.
Like a statue frozen in grief.
Because they both knew.
That Yeol was now off to burn her own life away.
That she would bring an end to this long saga of revenge.
Hyeon murmured,
“As expected, getting attached right before a farewell is never a good idea.”
A soft, yet bitter voice.
She had lived far longer than any human, so farewells were familiar, but still… each one brought that strange sentiment.
Especially this one, knowing they would never meet again.
But she had no right to stop her.
Yeol had chosen to burn her life, and it was her decision alone.
Only Yeol herself could turn that decision around.
Though she surely harbored no such thoughts.
From the moment she sought her out, there had been no other choice.
Knowing this, Hyeon murmured softly,
“Go on, then. Burn bright.”
* * *
Despite the fairly long footage, the shoot wrapped up incredibly quickly.
“……I’m just speechless.”
“Tell me about it.”
The reason it went so fast was all thanks to Seo-hyun.
The only one present who could wield magic.
A dragon.
That’s why even the changing seasons required no special setup.
What would normally take elaborate effort was handled with a mere snap of Seo-hyun’s fingers—rain fell, flowers bloomed, leaves scattered, snow came down.
Even Tae-hoon, who knew the extent of Seo-hyun’s power, was left speechless witnessing it firsthand. Everyone else was even more stunned.
On top of that, Seo-hyun’s acting was no joke; she didn’t call for a single NG.
She even filled in the script’s subtle gaps with ad-libs that fit the scene so perfectly they enhanced the flow, leaving the crew in awe.
Naturally, this shortened the schedule, leaving just one scene for Seo-hyun.
The moment she transformed into her dragon form and first met Yeol.
“Hmm, wouldn’t her full dragon form be too big?”
“Actually, that’s what will make the scene pop. It’ll show the audience just how transcendent Hyeon is and how she gives Yeol—the one brutally defeated by Hyeonhwa—the power for revenge.”
“Ah…… Got it.”
They set up in a vast clearing, and Seo-hyun reverted to her true form.
Even those who knew how massive she was could only gape at the sight of her, rivaling a full sports field in size.
But as professionals, they quickly pulled themselves together and started filming.
Soo-hyun seemed overwhelmed by the immense pressure of facing Seo-hyun’s dragon form, but that only breathed life into her performance.
“……You’re a dragon.”
Looking up at the jet-black dragon, Yeol spoke in a slightly trembling voice.
-Indeed, human. You look like a moth drawn to my flame, craving my power.
“You see right through me. I need your power.”
-Do you know the price of accepting my power?
“……I do.”
-Humans desire long life, yet you seek to burn yours away. Why?
“Because I must. Long life means nothing to me.”
Hyeon stared silently at Yeol’s words, then nodded her massive head as if understanding.
It felt like her entire life was seen through in an instant, like standing naked before someone. Yeol’s body trembled faintly.
-……I see. I understand. You’re a moth. One who would burn herself and the world for revenge… Very well. I’ll give you my power. The price is half your lifespan. Do you accept?
“I accept.”
And so, Yeol met Hyeon.
* * *
With the first meeting between Yeol and Hyeon wrapped, the day’s filming came to an end.
At this point, all of Hyeon’s scenes were done.
What remained was Tae-hoon’s footage.
Hyeonhwa was the main villain with her own storyline, after all.
“Great work, everyone!”
“Wow, you all really killed it today!”
Though the footage had increased, the staff’s voices were upbeat.
Probably because they were certain it would be a hit.
Honestly, even I thought the movie looked great.
The characters were compelling from the start, and there was no forced melodrama.
The protagonist steadily, unflinchingly pursuing her goal was plenty attractive.
It nailed the vengeful ghost concept while fleshing out the main villain’s arc.
I’d overheard the director mention Hyeonhwa’s story, and she was a captivating character.
Not some awkwardly redeemed villain, but one steeped in madness from the outset.
A character mad for blood, reveling in battle and slaughter, seeking to burn the world.
The arc where Yeol becomes something like Hyeonhwa was solid too.
Far more appealing than a cheap twist like “she’s actually good deep down.”
In every way, Tae-hoon seemed to have hit the jackpot after mutating.
While Han-gyeol, who mutated with him, was still mediating in the Middle East… this guy had gone from considering stunt work at an action school to landing the lead villain role.
Of course, no one’s luckier than me.
A Korean literature major worrying about his future, and now look at me……
* * *
Even after my scenes were done, I’d drop by the set whenever I had time.
Watching the movie come together was fun.
Above all, seeing Tae-hoon’s acting improve steadily was great.
He was good before, but now he held his own against Soo-hyun.
Even the other actors were amazed at his rapid growth.
And the way he embodied Hyeonhwa’s madness… who knows how far he’ll go.
……Oh, and he made a stage name.
Figured it’d be better than using his real name, and he picked a pretty feminine one.
What was it? Tae-hwa, I think.
Obviously inspired by Hyeonhwa.
Anyway, time flew by, and before long, filming for Blood and Blade was complete.
Post-production kicked off in earnest, complete with press promotions.
“……What’s that? Isn’t that unnie?”
“That’s me.”
“……Now you’re doing movies too?”
They’d seen me in the trailer.
Looks like they were milking my buzz for all it was worth.
“And who’s that? A mutant? Or CG?”
Seo-ah asked while watching the trailer, pointing at Tae-hoon’s mad laugh at the end.
“Mutant. And someone you’ve met before.”
“Huh? Really? Who?”
“My friend, Han Tae-hoon.”
“……For real?”
“Didn’t I mention it?”
“Nope.”
“Well, the news went around school during the Second Mutation, right? That a mutant came from our school.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t know who exactly…… Wow, that’s wild. So Tae-hoon oppa started filming right after mutating?”
“Yeah. He mutated, wanted to swing a sword around, so I suggested stunt work, and boom—cast as the main villain. His acting was solid, so he aced the audition.”
“No way. But unnie, why are you in it?”
Seo-ah looked shocked.
“Me? I went to see Tae-hoon, ended up doing a cameo on a whim.”
“That didn’t look like a casual cameo. You went all out.”
“It just happened that way. There’s a premiere soon; I might go.”
“Ooh…… Can I come?”
“Do what you want.”
“Yesss, finally getting to see Joo Soo-hyun’s face up close.”
“Oh, right, you’re a Soo-hyun fan too……”
Seo-ah grinned ear to ear.
I remembered back when I holed up watching movies, and she recommended Soo-hyun’s films—she’d seen them all.
“My fave. But her recent stuff’s been bombing…… This one’ll do well, right?”
“It will. I’m in it, after all.”
“……Wanna argue, but you’re right, so I can’t.”
She seemed to feel my popularity firsthand, grimacing before nodding.
“Plus, the movie turned out really good.”
“O…… Should I get hyped?”
“Han Tae-hoon’s acting is even better than mine…… It’s worth watching.”
Her eyes sparkled at my words. She might become a Tae-hoon fan at this rate.