Ch.63Not bad, I suppose.

“…That’s not supposed to break, is it?”

The props team’s jaws dropped the moment they saw the wooden sword break.

It was true that they had deliberately prepared an old wooden sword with various nicks to give it a historical drama feel.

But they had tested its durability multiple times to prevent any injuries during filming,

and each time they concluded it was perfectly fine.

“Couldn’t it break if you hit the weakest point? Like, aiming for a specific spot…?”

“Hey, what kind of martial arts fantasy are you filming? Do you think that’s even possible? And even if it were possible, how could anyone actually do it?”

But Donghu just did it.

The props team stopped arguing with their team leader.

What had happened before their eyes was so unrealistically excessive,

they completely understood the desire to deny reality.

The props team wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

Everyone on the set was looking at Kim Donghu with the same thoughts.

Director Oh Jaedeok in particular was trembling.

“Is, is anyone hurt?! Is everyone okay?!”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“What about actor Kim Donghu?!”

“I’m perfectly fine too, Director.”

Director Oh Jaedeok, finally coming to his senses, rushed over to actor Park Jinhyeok.

It would have been a disaster if fragments had flown off when the wooden sword broke.

But whether intentional or not,

Park Jinhyeok had let go of the sword at just the right moment before it broke, avoiding any injury.

A perfect coordination that seemed rehearsed.

“Could it be that you deliberately broke the wooden sword…”

Director Oh Jaedeok started to say something to Kim Donghu but stopped.

No matter how he thought about it, that was impossible.

Deliberately breaking a wooden sword? This wasn’t a martial arts novel—how could that be possible?

Anyway.

“I’m so glad neither of you was hurt. You both must be shocked, so let’s take a short break, replace the wooden sword, and film the duel scene again.”

“Yes, sir.”

Actor Park Jinhyeok glanced at Kim Donghu, who had answered at almost the same time.

‘Was it really an accident?’

Kim Donghu’s earlier advice to let go if things seemed dangerous.

Somehow, Park Jinhyeok felt like those words had been said with this situation in mind.

“…But seriously, how did you do that with a wooden sword…”

“Just luck. How could anyone deliberately break a wooden sword?”

“For someone who just experienced that, your face doesn’t look surprised at all.”

“Well… I guess I’ve always had strong nerves.”

Watching the two from a distance,

Ha Seunghoon, who played the adult Jaun, slowly nodded.

“…So that’s why everyone talks about Kim Donghu.”

This kid grows up to be me.

‘He’s lost quite a bit of his swordsmanship skills.’

Just as he was thinking this must be some kind of dark evolution—

“He’s seriously no joke. Intense.”

Should we be doing that too?

Someone approached Ha Seunghoon with a gentle smile.

“Hyung, maybe we really should, but then we wouldn’t finish this in a day.”

“Still, seeing the kid work so hard is strangely motivating.”

Ha Seunghoon nodded at the words of Seo Jinwoo,

who played the adult Baek Dongsoo.

“He’s definitely going to win Best New Actor, right?”

“Not just that. He debuted in a movie that hit 10 million viewers. He’s going to cause a sensation at the end-of-year awards.”

The conversation naturally shifted to the upcoming year-end awards ceremonies.

Drama and film.

In both fields, Kim Donghu had achieved undeniable success that everyone recognized.

Plus, the current filming of “Swordsman Baek Dong-soo” would finish before the awards ceremony,

so it wouldn’t be strange to see him on the award stage.

“A sensation…”

“What?”

“Then isn’t it weird that we’re just standing here watching someone like that?”

At those words, Seo Jinwoo laughed.

“You’re right. Should we get his number?”

“What?”

“I don’t see why actors need to be so formal with each other. Let’s just go over and get his number.”

“Why are you talking about getting a kid’s number like you’re hitting on someone?”

“That’s exactly what it is—wait, hitting on?”

“Yes?”

At Ha Seunghoon’s questioning look,

Seo Jinwoo laughed again.

“Talented actors always rise to the top, so there’s nothing wrong with becoming friends early.”

“What do you mean…”

“I’ve never been formally trained in acting.”

At Seo Jinwoo’s sudden statement, Ha Seunghoon nodded knowingly.

It was a well-known story.

Seo Jinwoo, who had risen to his current position through self-taught acting.

A man who had won Best Actor based on his unique acting philosophy.

“So if I were to learn acting, I’d want to learn from someone who’s ridiculously better than me.”

“Wait, am I hearing this right?”

“Yes, you are. You’re understanding me perfectly.”

I can’t be a stupid student who fails to get the number of a good teacher right in front of me.

With those words, Seo Jinwoo walked away with light steps.

Ha Seunghoon followed, also wanting to exchange numbers.

+++++

“?”

When I came to my senses, I found two top male actors’ numbers saved in my phone.

“Wow… Seniors Seo Jinwoo and Ha Seunghoon rarely exchange numbers with anyone…”

Beside me, Jinhyeok hyung kept muttering in disbelief.

The reason I could stay calm in this situation was simple:

‘This feels so unreal.’

It was far from anything ordinary.

Having the numbers of actors I’d only seen on TV in my phone.

It was a different kind of surrealism than chatting with Sujin and Jaerin.

“Donghu, how do you approach your acting?”

While I was feeling this sense of unreality, Seo Jinwoo suddenly asked me a question, making me turn my head.

“The child actor scenes are done, so it’s our turn now, right? Before that, I want to know how you think about acting.”

Suddenly?

As that thought crossed my mind, I felt everyone’s attention suddenly shift to me.

They all stopped whatever they were doing to focus on this conversation.

Even Jinhyeok hyung, who had been muttering beside me, was waiting for my answer.

But Seo Jinwoo’s question was difficult for me to answer.

Or more precisely, I couldn’t answer it.

‘How do I act? I just immerse myself in the role.’

Of course, I couldn’t be that honest.

“I… I try to think that I’ve really become the character, like immersing myself…”

“Immersing yourself.”

I gave the most roundabout answer I could.

And however he interpreted my words:

“So you mean you adjust your daily life to match the character?”

“Excuse me?”

“You incorporate it into your everyday life, right? That’s impressive at such a young age. You’re self-taught too, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I taught myself acting.”

“I thought so.”

Some strange misunderstanding seemed to have sprouted, but I didn’t bother to correct it.

Anyway, with that unresolved misunderstanding, the filming proceeded smoothly.

When all the filming was complete,

Director Oh Jaedeok, snorting like an angry bull, expressed his eagerness to start editing.

“I’m really… I’m going to edit this deliciously, and our Swordsman Baek Dong-soo! We’ll hit 30% ratings!”

“Woooooah!”

Time flew by quickly amid such powerful aspirations.

Finally.

“Dad, are you watching Swordsman Baek Dong-soo?”

“Of course I have to watch my son’s show.”

“…”

The final broadcast date of “Swordsman Baek Dong-soo” approached.

++++++

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous about this.”

SKS Drama Director Jung Doseon showed his anxiety while watching the airing of “Swordsman Baek Dong-soo.”

Even his normally expressionless face was covered in cold sweat.

In the tense conference room, only Director Oh Jaedeok looked relaxed.

“It will go well.”

“Yes, it has to. Then we’ll get bonuses, go on overseas trips, and all that.”

At the sudden mention of incentives, the employees sat up straight.

Could they really get such special treatment if the ratings exceeded 30%?

‘But it would be worth it.’

SKS had already tasted success with “Secret Garden.”

And now, if they had another hit in the Monday-Tuesday drama slot?

It was hard to imagine how much the advertising rates would soar.

“But viewers will watch it a lot, right?”

“Viewers care less about ratings than anyone else. Only industry people obsess over them.”

“I put a lot of effort into editing. I only slept two hours in a week.”

Under Director Oh Jaedeok’s confident assurance, the highlight scene of “Swordsman Baek Dong-soo” began.

-Can’t we start over?

-You’re talking nonsense. That’s why you could only watch your loved ones die.

Swords clash,

and ironically, with each clash, Jaun’s attachments to life are cut one by one.

In this process, scenes of childhood play-fighting are interspersed.

What used to be light clashes with wooden swords

now become deadly movements with real swords aimed at killing each other.

Clang!

Sparks fly, and the scene transitions back to childhood.

-Hiyaaaah!

Young Baek Dongsoo raises his wooden sword without knowing anything, and

young Jaun’s strike watches calmly.

Slash!

Jaun’s sword cuts through memories and the past, leaving a deep wound on Baek Dongsoo’s body.

Born to kill—the Heavenly Killing Star.

Faced with the wound created by that innate talent, Baek Dongsoo could no longer remain still.

-…Hup!

With a short breath, Baek Dongsoo’s sword fiercely thrusts upward.

In the past.

When young Baek Dongsoo unknowingly performed an upward slash,

young Jaun precisely broke that wooden sword and immediately gained the upper hand.

In their past duels, no one died even when there was a winner,

and afterward, they would laugh together and go eat.

But now, as if those times no longer exist.

Slash!

Baek Dongsoo’s sword deeply cuts Jaun’s body.

Leaving a dark wound,

Baek Dongsoo urgently grabs Jaun’s body, which seems about to spill its innards.

-Why! Why didn’t you block it! You could have, you could have easily done it!

Baek Dongsoo’s sorrowful cry.

Jaun frowns, saying his ears are ringing, then:

-…Thank you.

He breathes his last words briefly.

After a short epilogue about Baek Dongsoo, who killed his friend with his own hands,

the caption “Thank you for loving Swordsman Baek Dong-soo” appears.

The production team in the conference room let out gasps of surprise.

“Director… This is amazing, it’s insane?!”

“Is, is this going to be a huge hit?!”

While everyone was making a fuss in surprise:

“Quiet, don’t raise your voices.”

SKS Director Jung Doseon demanded calm and stared at his phone with sharp eyes.

What he wanted wasn’t the production team’s enthusiastic reactions.

Only the ratings percentage.

Ding!

A KakaoTalk notification arrived in the suddenly quiet conference room.

Director Jung Doseon immediately checked the message, smiled deeply, removed his glasses,

and slicked his hair back neatly.

His face looked somehow relieved.

Director Oh Jaedeok urgently approached and checked Director Jung’s KakaoTalk.

“…Peak ratings 35%?! Fi-final tally…32%…!!!”

He announced the final results and hugged Director Jung Doseon.

“Did, did we make it?!”

“Yes, we’ve topped the Monday-Tuesday drama slot.”

The fierce drama battle of 2011 is now over.

SKS dramas reign supreme.

“Not bad, not bad at all.”

And of course, with ratings like these:

ㄴKim Donghu is completely insane?

The online community went wild once again.