Ch.109Originally, having such a person on your side tends to be reassuring.

Early November.

As Pepero snacks were starting to appear in convenience stores,

I was heading to Gyeongnam for filming.

As we got closer to the filming location,

the atmosphere of where we’d be shooting gradually reflected in the window.

“Wow, traditional houses are really impressive.”

“They sure are.”

“I don’t know why the setting of you being a young master of a place like this suits you so well.”

Seokho hyung looked around, expressing both admiration and envy simultaneously.

Maybe because I’d grown somewhat used to his compliments by now,

I just responded with a faint smile.

“But the scale is definitely big, they’ve hired a lot of extras.”

As Seokho hyung looked briefly at the set while searching for a parking spot.

“Even more than when we filmed Endless Frontline?”

I agreed with him.

“I guess it’s because they need to portray a nobleman’s household?”

When you think of a nobleman’s house, you imagine many servants,

so it seemed they had cast quite a few extras for this purpose.

“Despite all these people, everything’s so orderly. I guess that’s because the director has experience with large-scale productions, hmm.”

While Seokho hyung was admiring the well-organized set despite its busyness.

Screech.

The van had naturally finished parking.

Click.

As the door opened,

the traditional village spread out before our eyes.

“Wow, the air is different here.”

“This really looks completely like the Joseon era.”

Exclamations naturally escaped our lips.

The alien scenery unfolding like we’d time-traveled.

‘I should greet everyone first.’

Just as I was preparing to systematically greet everyone, befitting my position as the youngest.

“As expected, you came early.”

“Oh? Sunbaenim! Hello!”

Senior Jin Yuseong suddenly appeared behind me.

Looking as if he’d been there all along,

Jin Yuseong, dressed in casual clothes, waved his hand a couple of times.

“Are you filming with us today?”

“No, today is just your filming day.”

When I looked at him with eyes full of the question ‘Then why are you here?’,

Jin Yuseong just smiled, seemingly unwilling to explain.

‘But he’s really handsome.’

Perhaps because he was truly an icon of good looks.

Even just walking, he looked like he was shooting a pictorial.

On top of that, maybe because he’d been an actor for a long time,

he had a very strong presence as a person.

How should I put it—if others were cartoon-style, he alone had a realistic art style.

Anyway, while I was thinking this.

“I just came to hang out because I was bored.”

Jin Yuseong finally explained why he was here.

‘But we’re not close enough for him to come hang out because he’s bored.’

We’d only met once during the script reading,

so we were practically strangers.

‘This is awkward.’

Well, it didn’t really matter.

“I see! Then I’ll go greet everyone first!”

“Ah, greetings. Of course, I’ll come with you.”

Since there was no major change to the schedule anyway.

+++++

Jin Yuseong was what you’d call a “privileged actor.”

Born naturally handsome,

breaking through all connections of school and region, starting as a baby formula model.

Entering the entertainment industry faster than anyone else,

he rose steadily based on his innate good looks and outstanding acting skills.

He began his official path as a flower boy through the movie “The Charm of the Wolf.”

Receiving high praise that his acting skills were proportional to his looks,

he moved between various movies and dramas,

and while some received harsh criticism, people always said “Jin Yuseong’s face survived.”

It was very natural for Jin Yuseong to become arrogant.

You could say his self-esteem had skyrocketed.

In the midst of this.

‘What exactly are you?’

The suddenly appearing Kim Donghu was like an alien to Jin Yuseong.

First of all, his face was unbelievable.

While everyone has different types of handsomeness and charm,

Kim Donghu had a face that seemed to set an absolute standard.

‘And on top of that, he’s a good actor.’

He was dumbfounded when he first saw him.

Who doesn’t look at the script during the first reading?

And most surprisingly, his script was clean.

-From what I know, that… Kim Donghu? He has two scripts.

-Two scripts?

-Yeah, one gets too dirty from practice, so he brings a clean one for readings.

How dedicated to acting must one be to do something like that?

So Jin Yuseong became really curious about Kim Donghu.

‘How does he act?’

Does he have some kind of routine?

Or does he analyze differently?

With such thoughts, wanting to follow Kim Donghu around,

he deliberately cleared his schedule and came to Gyeongnam, but.

‘Why is he so ordinary?’

Contrary to expectations, Kim Donghu was the epitome of ordinariness.

No, rather, that’s what made him suspicious.

‘Can an actor who consistently achieves at least 30% viewership ratings bow his head so easily?’

Generally, the youngest position has an image of greeting well.

But that’s when the youngest truly acts like the youngest.

‘Kim Donghu is only the youngest by age.’

Just 17 years old.

Though he’ll soon be eighteen,

he was still undeniably young.

But.

‘Don’t people who become famous early usually develop celebrity disease?’

Kim Donghu wasn’t arrogant at all.

Just a polite youngest—that was exactly Kim Donghu.

‘People usually climb up in situations like this.’

Being harsh to those who treat them well,

and cautious around those who get angry—that’s human nature.

‘Why is everyone so careful around Kim Donghu?’

With such questions in mind.

“Actor Kim Donghu! Can you come in right now?”

“Yes, no problem.”

Kim Donghu’s filming began.

“Okay, ready! Action!”

Director Yoon Seongbin’s familiar cue followed.

“…How is the world so full of insects?”

As Kim Donghu’s first line dropped, Jin Yuseong’s eyes widened.

He seemed to understand why everyone was careful around Kim Donghu.

+++++

It was late autumn.

The harvest was over, and dragonflies were lazily flying around.

As the cold gradually approached,

Lee Taeseong frowned at the insects crawling around his house.

“No matter when they die, they remain worthless.”

Why do they struggle so desperately when facing death?

It’s truly incomprehensible.

The insects shudder at his gently uttered words.

Even though they can’t understand language, how do they respond so well?

“They say even livestock can recognize the eyes and gestures of those trying to kill them.”

You’re at a similar level.

Taeseong’s gaze moves from the flying insects down.

The insects crawling on the ground, who could die at any moment without anyone finding it strange.

Yet they’re the ones who claim to want to live more than anyone.

“Please, please just once… just once… show mercy, young master!”

“I beg you, please. What do children know! Punish this ignorant father!”

It all started from a truly trivial incident.

Perhaps it didn’t need to become a matter of begging for one’s life.

But thinking carefully, it was crossing a line,

and even with mercy, it was hard to overlook such an incident.

Yes, if I had to compare it.

“It’s like a fly landing on rice cakes prepared for a feast.”

Some might say the fly just landed briefly and left,

so it’s not a problem, and eat it anyway.

Others might frown at the sight,

saying they could never eat it again, and throw the rice cake away.

The key point here is,

regardless of what action is taken, there’s no case where the fly is forgiven.

The fly is quick and escapes quickly, so it’s left alone because it can’t be killed.

But if it could be killed, who wouldn’t kill a fly that landed on rice cakes?

“But I can kill that fly.”

It wasn’t even a fly to begin with.

It was an insect that couldn’t fly, just crawling on the ground.

Look even now.

“See how you crawl on the ground.”

Taeseong slowly rose from the porch.

Thud.

He stepped on the head of the servant who was prostrating on the ground.

For a mother and father to endure humiliation together to protect their child.

“Why did you covet my snacks?”

He knew the reason.

It was probably childish thinking.

In a nobleman’s house, precious and delicious food often appears.

While it couldn’t compare to the king’s table,

things of similar quality occasionally appeared on the table.

“So you ate it.”

Between the lips of the insect hanging upside down,

something shiny could be seen through swollen, burst lips.

“Even so, how could you think of eating candy?”

Was the sweet smell that enticing?

Swish swish.

At Taeseong’s light gesture, the club treatment on the bound insect’s arms began again.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

It sounded like beating thick blankets for laundry.

At that sound, the bound insect’s mother trembled,

“Oh! Oh! Please, please just once! Show mercy, young master! He’ll die at this rate!”

She grabbed Taeseong’s trouser leg and begged.

“Ah.”

With a sigh expressing displeasure, Taeseong’s gaze lowered even more.

Slash!

As his gaze lowered, Taeseong’s sword moved.

The blade, drawn without notice, severed the insect mother’s forearm.

“That was a favorite outfit… how dare you touch it again.”

Still, the father clearly has better judgment from years of work,

knowing what to do.

Crunch.

Taeseong applied more force to the foot stepping on the head,

grinding the insect father’s face until it bled.

“Hmm… Well, I’ve been bored these days, so this works out well.”

Today I can have some unpleasant fun.

With those words, the camera zooms in on Taeseong’s—no, Kim Donghu’s face.

The face of a kind young master without a drop of blood.

As the frame moves slightly downward, hell unfolds.

A demon wearing a human disguise,

truly the root of corruption.

‘…That’s acting?’

Jin Yuseong’s eyes widened.

At the same time, he felt relieved.

‘At least I’m on the same side as Taeseong.’

It’s always reassuring when such a character is on your side.