episode_0069

Seo Eisu’s appearance in “Partners” was confirmed.

Since Seo Eisu’s joining was considered quite late among the entire cast, the crank-in period was not expected to last long.

If everything went as planned, they would start filming around mid-January.

For Seo Eisu, the schedule was tight.

Perhaps he could waste time blaming the lack of time.

But…

During their first meeting, Hong Geunsik had urged him.

To be fully prepared and participate.

It was certain.

“Partners” was a big project.

And both the lead actor and director were said to be ambitious.

Filming such a project was no easy task.

Surely, many obstacles awaited Seo Eisu.

Shin Jihu believed that the remaining time until the crank-in should not be wasted.

“Something, something different preparation is needed.”

“Partners” was unlike any other project Seo Eisu had been a part of.

Not only because it was a big project with a top actor like Hong Geunsik, but also because of the genre.

Action noir.

Action.

The story and acting were important, of course.

But above all, it was a production that highlighted visual appeal for the audience.

That was why.

“I enrolled in an action school.”

“Action? School?”

“Well… It’s a bit more complicated. Just think of it as getting training in action scenes for ‘Partners.’”

In the production, the actors’ action scenes weren’t just shot on the spot.

They were meticulously choreographed under the guidance of a fight director.

The action school Shin Jihu enrolled in was where the fight director of “Partners” was working, a place where one could receive training for the action scenes and various other exercises needed for them.

Shin Jihu paid close attention as he explained.

The target of his explanation was Seo Eisu.

If even a slightly difficult word was included, it could lead to misunderstandings and potentially dangerous consequences.

Shin Jihu made sure to explain without any room for misunderstanding.

“Um, when we were filming ‘The Predators,’ the other actors were all fighting, right? It’s a place to learn how to film those kinds of scenes.”

“I see!”

Shin Jihu’s attempt was well received.

Seo Eisu’s eyes sparkled.

“At that time, Gil Hye-yeon too. Everyone was fighting so spectacularly, weren’t they? It means you can do that too?”

“Exactly.”

“I see. That’s what it was. It was possible because they learned everything.”

During the filming of “The Predators,” only the character Hyesoo had no proper action scenes.

That’s right.

Hyesoo had lived as a pharmacist before getting involved in the incident.

So, if Hyesoo were to film flashy action scenes, it would have seemed out of place.

Therefore, at that time, Seo Eisu had to watch as the other actors filmed rough and flashy action scenes with the criminals.

It seemed quite enviable and cool.

Seo Eisu spoke quickly.

“How they waved their arms and legs so brilliantly to dodge. I really thought they were all so good at fighting.”

“Is that so.”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s why I envied them so much. My body is not capable of fighting. That’s why. Action school. If I learn there, I can do that too!”

Seo Eisu was filled with anticipation.

He couldn’t wait to go to the action school as soon as possible.

Like a child going on a field trip the next day.

Seo Eisu couldn’t sit still, his feet tapping restlessly.

“Shin Jihu. Are we going today?”

“It’s still a few days away.”

“Shin Jihu, Shin Jihu. Are we going today?”

“Tomorrow. We’re going tomorrow.”

“I see!”

“Shin Jihu, have you come? Let’s go already.”

“…When did you come out and wait for me?”

“Well, it hasn’t been that long.”

“No. Why is your nose so red?”

And so, on the first day of enrollment at Action School.

When Shin Ji-hoo arrived at Seo Yi-soo’s apartment building, she was unusually waiting outside for him to arrive.

It was a surprising sight for Shin Ji-hoo.

“No, are you out of your mind? What if you catch a cold?”

“Haha. Don’t worry. I rarely catch things like colds. Besides, let’s go already.”

That was the extent of it.

Seo Yi-soo had high expectations for Action School.

She was eager to learn and was burning with enthusiasm.

Arriving at the Action School located in Gyeonggi-do, the same enthusiasm was present when she greeted the instructors there.

Seo Yi-soo was filled with endless anticipation, and her emotional expressiveness remained strong.

“Your enthusiasm as an actress is truly remarkable. I have high expectations. It may be a short time, but I will help you shine in real action scenes.”

It was a common belief among all directors and trainers that the most dedicated students were the best disciples.

In that sense, Seo Yi-soo had the qualities to become the best disciple.

Above all, her dedication was unmatched.

However…

“Instructor, let’s start with a simple physical fitness test.”

“A test?”

But things don’t always go as planned.

After all, action ultimately involved moving the body.

It meant exerting physical effort, and muscles contributed more than the mind to a person’s makeup.

“Shall we start with dumbbells?”

“Sure!”

Seo Yi-soo bravely lifted a 1kg dumbbell.

It’s best to skip what happens after 3kg.

The look of embarrassment on the face of the Action School instructor appeared from that moment.

“Um… Actress, I think my enthusiasm got the best of me. Let’s start with running.”

“Sure!”

Seo Yi-soo walked for 5 minutes like a wild black panther.

It’s best to skip the world where actresses have to do sit-ups for the sake of their mental health.

“Flexibility. Now that I think about it, since it’s the first day, I didn’t stretch properly. The actresses have excellent flexibility. Shall we start with stretching?”

Seo Yi-soo gracefully stretched her arms and legs like a dancer on stage.

Excessive poses like tearing legs apart or bending over to touch toes will be omitted for the dignity of the actresses.

“Ah!”

“No, you haven’t even bent your waist yet?!”

“Ti-time! Stop!”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“Ah!”

Omitted, omitted.

Yes.

Seo Yi-soo, except for her appearance, was truly a one-dimensional body.

If the dragon hadn’t transformed, she wouldn’t even have acting skills, so her appearance was truly one-dimensional.

When this fact became clear.

Seo Yi-soo became crestfallen.

It was a gut feeling that it would be difficult to portray action scenes.

The Action School instructor became desperate.

With the film’s production about to start, it was a gut feeling that training this actress would be very challenging.

The instructor pondered.

“Should we focus more on stuntmen for the filming?”

However, stunt doubles should at least support the original actor’s action to shine.

In Seo Yi-soo’s current state, it could be said that nothing was working out.

This couldn’t go on.

“Actress.”

The instructor spoke with a determined expression.

“Let’s start with exercise. Let’s start with that.”

“What about the action?”

“Let’s learn how to walk first. Running or jumping… we’ll do that later. Let’s do it later.”

Who cares about action.

This actress needs to start with exercise.

I need to equip muscles on this flabby body.

That’s the only way to make even the slightest action possible.

Such realization made the Action School instructor impatient.

That impatience gave birth to a cruelty that was not cruel.

“More, I can’t do this anymore…!”

“Instructor, you can do it. Come on, just one more time!”

“Ugh…!”

Instead of the action she wanted to do, Seo Yisoo had to endure basic physical exercises to the point of exhaustion.

No matter how basic it was, from Seo Yisoo’s perspective, it was no different from cruel abuse by a ruthless human race trying to exterminate the last remaining dragon.

She would die like this.

It was certain that it would happen.

Seo Yisoo harbored such conviction.

Although Seo Yisoo was afraid of dragons, she was also a dragon who knew how to act at the crucial moment.

In other words.

“Uh, where are you going, Instructor?”

It meant running away instead of receiving training.

“Sigh.”

Shin Jihu, who was handling work at a nearby cafe, felt a headache coming on.

In front of him was Seo Yisoo, who had escaped from the Action School.

Shin Jihu rubbed his forehead and said, “So, that’s how it is…”

“Yes, yes. I really thought I was going to die. That instructor definitely harbored ill feelings towards me.”

“So you ran away.”

“Yes, yes. Shin Jihu, don’t worry. I am a clever actress. I sensed danger and ran to you immediately.”

“Oh my.”

Look at her talking like that.

Her eyes were bright, her expression was firm, and her attitude was shamelessly demanding praise.

“…”

It was a ridiculous situation.

But still, Shin Jihu was Seo Yisoo’s manager.

He was the one who would support this actress until the very end.

So he thought about it for a moment.

Maybe, just maybe, Seo Yisoo made the right choice?

Maybe, the Action School instructor really did harbor ill intentions towards Seo Yisoo?

Maybe, staying there any longer would have put Seo Yisoo’s life in danger?

“…As if.”

That couldn’t be true.

“Yes, yes, what do you think, Shin Jihu? Did I do well?”

“Well? Running away when the climax is right in front of you. And you want to do action scenes?”

“Uh…”

That day, Seo Yisoo was scolded a lot after a long time.

After sobbing and being scolded for a long time, her heart softened when Shin Jihu bought her mango bingsu at the cafe.

The next day.

“Instructor, our student… I mean, our actress was very rude yesterday. Come on, Seo Yisoo, apologize quickly.”

“…”

“Quickly.”

The next day, Seo Yisoo stood in front of the Action School instructor, hesitating.

And because of the memory of the scolding from last night, she stammered a bit.

She stood with her hands politely clasped in front of her, apologizing in a trembling voice.

“I’m really sorry! I will work hard and not run away in the future!”

Even the ending of her words was corrected by Shin Jihu, a proper apology suitable for modern Earth.

‘As expected. She learns quickly when taught.’

If she was a stubborn child who refused to admit her mistakes, she wouldn’t have been able to apologize like that.

Still, it was fortunate that Seo Yisoo was a good child.

Shin Jihu smiled contentedly.

‘What are these people?’

Of course, the instructor watching them felt equally bewildered.

It wasn’t proper action training.

Just receiving basic physical exercises, running away, and then apologizing like a child the next day.

And a manager who looked at it all with a pleased expression.

Neither of them seemed normal.

“Oh, well. It’s fine.”

It was really strange, but what could he do.

This was his workplace, and work sometimes required accepting the irrational.

Through such processes, people become adults.

The action school instructor let out a bitter smile.

“Well, I’m the same. I got too impatient with my schedule. I didn’t consider the circumstances of the actors and pushed too hard. I’ll be more gentle from now on.”

The action school instructor decided to engage in social life.

He pretended not to see strange things and focused on his own tasks.

He was a competent teacher.

He taught Seo Yisoo with great dedication.

He poured his passion, kindness, and patience into her.

And in the end.

Seo Yisoo, with the physical stamina of a scrap of paper, waste material, and recyclable garbage, was able to fulfill her role in action.

With that, the minimum preparation for the filming of “Business Partners” was completed.

The production also finished pre-production and began filming in earnest.

The actors gathered in the conference room arranged by the production company on the agreed date.

“Business Partners”

It was the day of the reading.