Scene 22, which I would soon be filming, was the scene where a loan shark visits the Chairman of DL Group to cause trouble.
Even after finishing hair and makeup and changing into my costume, I remained sitting in the waiting room.
There was still some time left; it was to reanalyze the character.
Although it was a minor role spanning only two scenes, I had absolutely no intention of doing it half-heartedly.
To be honest, I had been feeling the blandness of the 'loan shark' character I had briefly acted.
PD Gim Yeongjin was satisfied, but that was probably because his expectations of me were low from the start.
A delinquent, sleazy loan shark was a common archetype you could see in any drama.
The PD might have simply considered it fortunate that I could even manage that much of an imitation.
"Ah, Chairman Choe. Why would a man go back on his word? Chairman Choe. Why are you going back on your word? ......Hmm."
Reading the lines again, they somehow didn't sit right. As expected, it was lacking.
After mulling it over briefly, I sat back down in front of the styling team.
"You want me to make it neat? Why? If you're delinquent Choe Hanho's friend, shouldn't you be styled like a delinquent to match?"
"I want to try changing the setup a bit. A delinquent loan shark is too common."
"So because delinquent loan sharks are common, you want to try a neat loan shark? That's a bit cliché these days too, isn't it?"
"No. I just want to try playing a psycho loan shark who looks like an ordinary office worker."
"What's that? Did you talk to the PD about it?"
"I will now."
I smiled brightly.
**
PD Gim Yeongjin found Gang Hajun looking not the least bit delinquent.
"Did something get lost in communication with the styling team? Why do you look so docile?"
"I asked them to do it this way."
"Without saying a word to me?"
In truth, the loan shark was nothing more than a disposable character to secure narrative plausibility.
That's why he was called by the job title 'loan shark' without even a name.
The character had likewise been constructed simply according to cliché.
It meant that even if the personality was slightly different from what had been planned beforehand, it wouldn't affect the overall plot.
But an actor arbitrarily changing the setup was another matter entirely.
PD Gim Yeongjin furrowed his brow.
Even so, Gang Hajun didn't waver.
"Though the loan shark is a minor role, he delivers fairly important information for the plot's progression. We need to leave a strong impression on the viewers, but if the character is too plain, won't he be forgotten immediately?"
He calmly explained his intention.
"That is a valid point, but conversely, if the minor role's impression is too strong, won't the supporting actors get buried instead?"
PD Gim Yeongjin countered.
Gang Hajun didn't back down.
"If that happens, I'll act according to the original character. Like a hoodlum."
"Then filming time is wasted, and the styling has to be redone too. Who takes responsibility for that loss?"
"I'm confident that won't happen."
After worrying briefly, PD Gim Yeongjin soon made his decision.
"Scene 22. We'll just check the blocking and go straight into it."
It was better to shoot one more scene than to waste time arguing.
It wasn't that he trusted Gang Hajun.
Judging an actor's capability from a few lines of dialogue was preposterous.
He intended to make sure Gang Hajun could never set foot on the filming set again if he didn't like Gang Hajun's choice.
That was also the reason he was skipping the rehearsal.
Soon the main filming began.
"High,"
Clack!
"Action!"
Chairman Choi, reviewing documents.
["I told you you can't go in! You need to make an appointment in advance......"]
At the commotion heard from outside, he slowly raised his head, and Gang Hajun flung the chairman's office door wide open.
"If you really do this......"
The secretary hesitated, glancing at the chairman's reaction.
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry, Chairman. He forced his way in so recklessly."
The chairman, scanning Gang Hajun's appearance, jerked his chin toward the secretary.
The secretary bowed at a 90-degree angle, then closed the door and stepped aside.
The chairman first directed a vitriolic gaze at Gang Hajun.
"What business do you have?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chairman."
Gang Hajun greeted him leisurely, as if he were an invited guest.
And he sat down on the reception sofa of his own accord.
"Don't you recognize me? I'm Bang Ginam's grandson."
"You... you're Ginam's grandson?"
Gang Hajun put on a benign smile.
"Chairman Choe. That's not how you should act."
"Wh-what......"
"A person as learned as you shouldn't go back on your word. I heard you started your business with my grandfather's money. You even promised to pay back the principal and plenty of interest once the business was successful."
He had a strangely calm demeanor.
If his lines were muted, he might have looked like an insurance salesman who came to offer a policy.
But he soon transformed like a wild beast.
"But why haven't I heard a peep from you until now? Are you ignoring me because my grandfather died, right now?"
"......"
The chairman's pupils shook.
He couldn't close his parted lips.
Gang Hajun stood up from his seat, slowly bent down, and grabbed the chairman's collar.
"Keuk......!"
The chairman's face gradually reddened.
He trembled all over and urgently struck Gang Hajun's hand.
"What would happen if the world found out that this company started with dirty money? Aren't you curious?"
Gang Hajun, who had issued a threatening warning in a menacing tone, released the chairman after a moment.
He flicked and straightened his disheveled suit with his hand.
"So please do as I say, Chairman. Otherwise, it won't be fun for you."
And after bowing politely, he left the chairman's office.
"Cut, okay. ......Next scene."
PD Gim Yeongjin had no choice but to give the okay sign.
The situation and gestures were the same; the only thing changed was the tone of the lines, yet the content felt far richer than before.
He watched Gang Hajun shaking hands amiably with the actor playing the chairman.
"I tried to grab you gently, but it didn't hurt too much, did it?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Whew, I heard you've only been working as an extra until now? Anyway, I can't keep up with young people these days! You're really amazing. If an extra is this good, I can't even hand out my actor business card anywhere now."
"Haha, you're too kind."
The actor playing the Chairman was an elderly late bloomer who had started acting only after retiring from a company.
His dream when young had been to become an actor, and there had even been a time when he lived as a trainee.
Thus he possessed some basic skills to a certain degree, but he fell far short compared to his fellow elderly actors.
It wasn't a matter of skill, but aptitude.
He was shy about standing in front of dozens of people itself.
That was the reason he had to give up his dream of becoming an actor in his youth.
PD Gim Yeongjin already knew that fact.
It was an unavoidable choice for reducing appearance fees, so he didn't even call NG unless it was absolutely necessary.
Because it wasn't something that could be fixed just by pointing it out.
He had clearly thought the same just moments ago.
But then......
"That was real."
PD Gim Yeongjin reviewed the footage they had just filmed and changed his mind.
The actor playing the Chairman gave a passionate performance without a hint of awkwardness for the first time since filming for *Money Bubble* began.
As if he had really been dragged to a scene where a mad loan shark grabbed him by the collar.
'What's with him? Did he awaken or something after the accident?'
PD Gim Yeongjin realized it was Gang Hajun's influence.
His ability to absorb people's concentration in an instant was truly remarkable.
It was a matter on a different dimension from simple acting skill.
You could see that just by looking at the so-called 'monster rookies' who were revered for their outstanding acting skills from debut.
Their weakness was that they 'only acted well alone.'
They only knew how to act themselves; since they didn't know how to draw out harmony with their partner, it couldn't be helped.
The know-how to breathe together and create the best synergy could only be built through experience alone.
In that regard, Gang Hajun's acting even conveyed a seasoned professionalism rarely seen in young actors with short field experience.
Not to mention his sense for making characters three-dimensional.
'Was it because I only had him work as an extra all this time?'
PD Gim Yeongjin tilted his head and lightly scratched his forehead with the tip of a ballpoint pen.
"PD, we're going straight to Scene 23 next, right?"
"Huh? Yeah. Right."
He snapped out of his thoughts at the assistant director's call.
"Good work, senior."
"Good work. I hope we meet again in another project. I learned a thing or two from you."
The actor playing the Chairman, who had exchanged closing greetings with me, went to change clothes for the next scene.
"Hey, Gang Hajun!"
I Jinmuk approached me, calling out with a surprised face.
Go Hyeonsu, who stood beside him, also had a bewildered expression.
"You weren't this good before. Did you practice behind my back?"
"I practice every day."
I joked around and naturally brushed aside Go Hyeonsu's question.
"When did you change the concept again? I didn't see you discussing it with the PD."
"I just tried it myself. I thought it would be better this way."
"Why did you think that?"
"DL Group is set up as one of Korea's leading corporations, so it doesn't make sense for its chairman to be threatened by a single loan shark. Unless it's later when more plot threads are unraveled. We need to leave this kind of impact so that viewers can watch thinking, 'I guess that makes sense.'"
Abandoning plausibility in order to secure plausibility.
There's no greater absurdity than this, but sometimes such elements make a drama more provocative.
"Wow, now you can even see the big picture."
I Jinmuk, exaggerating his admiration, grabbed my head and started looking it over this way and that.
"Didn't you hit your head too hard? I mean, there are kids who suddenly explode with genius after hitting their head."
Stop talking nonsense and move your hand already.
"I'm glad you viewed it favorably."
I smiled, clenching my teeth.
"Wait a sec. Since this is Episode 4 footage...... If the first broadcast starts next week, we can see it around the end of this month. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out."
"Hyung, why are you so interested in Hajun all of a sudden?"
Go Hyeonsu asked as if teasing.
"Interested? It's just fascinating, that's all."
I Jinmuk played dumb.
Soon the assistant director approached.
"We're going straight to Scene 23. Hanho and the loan shark, please get ready immediately."
"Yes."
We followed his guidance and moved to the 'Company Hallway' set.
Scene 23 wasn't very difficult.
Because it was the scene where they high-fived after succeeding in threatening the Chairman.
"Instead of a high-five, let's just have Hanho freaking out by himself. The loan shark will just smile modestly."
The action had changed slightly according to the new setup, but...
**
Inside the car heading home.
Taking Gang Hajun all the way to his house was not I Jinmuk's duty.
Because of that, Gang Hajun would always get off on the main road near Go Hyeonsu's house and take a bus or taxi home.
But today was different.
The destination the navigation was pointing to was Gang Hajun's house.
I Jinmuk had used the accident near the filming location last time as an excuse, but his real purpose lay elsewhere.
He gauged Gang Hajun's reaction through the rearview mirror as he blinked sleepy eyes.
"Gang Hajun, you finally escaped being an extra today, huh? How do you feel?"
"I feel great. Thank you, hyung. For recommending me to the PD."
"Thank Hyeonsu later. I only did it because Hyeonsu asked me to."
"Ah, really?"
Go Hyeonsu had already dozed off.
"I should buy him something tasty at least once."
"Yeah. ......"
I Jinmuk, who had paused briefly, opened his mouth again.
"I was following you to filming sets aiming for extra roles, but I can't do that now. Since I've appeared in a minor role."
"Well, even if not for that, you had to escape being an extra by now."
"That's true. Then what are you going to do from now on? Are you going to go around to auditions and such?"
"Auditions are good, but for now, I want to keep following Hyeonsu around until filming for *Money Bubble* ends. For the sake of recharging my batteries."
"Is that so?"
A faint smile formed at the corners of I Jinmuk's mouth.
The truth was, until recently, he hadn't liked Gang Hajun very much.
Because Go Hyeonsu needed to establish himself quickly as an actor so that he, too, could get promoted, and Gang Hajun felt like he was holding Go Hyeonsu back.
All Gang Hajun did when coming to the filming set was get scolded for talking when the camera was rolling, or cause accidents while trying to help the staff.
He called himself an acting aspirant, but he looked pathetic, like a parasite sucking on Go Hyeonsu's back.
But for some reason, Gang Hajun, whom he met again after half a month, had changed 180 degrees.
Especially after seeing him act, he couldn't help but be shocked.
'I think this kid might be a hidden pearl after all.'
I Jinmuk couldn't be sure if his thought was correct.
Because after all, he had seen how Gang Hajun had been up until now.
"But why?"
"No, it's just. I wondered if I'd be disappointed if you didn't show up."
I Jinmuk vaguely glossed over it.
Saying so while feeling relieved that there would be no worry about Gang Hajun being snatched away by somewhere else for the time being.
'I'll have to keep an eye on him.'
He thought.