Assistant directors holding plastic megaphones went out to recruit extras for publicity.
“I’ve always wanted to try working as an extra since way back. Like a dream of mine, you know?”
“Oh, really? We still have plenty of time left, so shall we? Looks like they’re handing out appearance contracts over there.”
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
While some people’s eyes sparkled at an opportunity that didn’t come easily,
“Are you going to do it?”
“No thanks. I don’t want my face on TV. Let’s go eat instead.”
“Yeah. It’s not like we’d be acting alongside famous actors anyway. Let’s just go.”
Others rapidly lost interest and went on their way.
Those who received appearance contracts from the extra team leader amounted to about two-thirds of the initial crowd. Of those, only about half actually filled out and submitted the contracts.
“Just right. Not too crowded, not too empty.”
No matter how much of a concept it was, if too many people appeared, it could end up looking contrived. Since they were ordinary people cast on the spot, there was also concern that they might not be properly controlled.
“Those of you who filled out the appearance contracts, gather over here for a quick briefing!”
Of course, the latter was an issue that could be left to the veteran team leader’s abilities.
Now, only about ten people remained solely to watch. Those who had left once did not return, and no new people were coming either. It had become a level that two assistant directors could easily manage.
“Rookie. Take your phone and join the extras.”
PD Kim Young-jin had one assistant director—the one dressed in the neatest clothes—additionally join the crowd of extras. He served the dual role of keeping the atmosphere from becoming awkward and securing the “SNS upload video” that would be used as an insert later. Naturally, his smartphone became Camera 2.
“Rookie, ready to film?”
“Yes!”
“Good. Going for the shot. And, cue!”
The PD signaled.
The majority of those who had boldly volunteered to appear as extras stood blankly frozen in front of the camera. They had tensed up at the thought that their faces would actually appear on TV. They had been told beforehand that any reaction appropriate to the situation was fine. Taboo words like “drama,” “broadcast,” “filming,” and “actor” were naturally off-limits. But they had no idea what kind of expression to make or what to say. Some had even given up on reacting and taken out their phones, if only to pretend to film video along with the assistant director.
But when Gang Ha-jun started the action, their worries melted away like snow.
“······.”
Gang Ha-jun, keeping his lips peacefully sealed, ruthlessly trampled the bodyguard under the sole of his shoe. He wasn’t making any particular expression, but the corners of his eyes were faintly curved. As if he were enjoying this very situation.
The faces of those who felt a chill turn pale.
“Urgh······!”
The bodyguard, struck by a soccer kick to the abdomen, let out a short scream and rolled to the side. It was a prearranged action between the actors; he hadn’t actually been hit. But exclamations burst spontaneously from the mouths of those surprised by that realism.
“Oh, oh, oh!”
In their eyes, Gang Ha-jun didn’t look like an actor. He looked like a madman trampling an innocent citizen, feeling ecstasy.
“Shouldn’t we report him?”
“He’s going to kill him like that!”
Those completely immersed in the situation finally started delivering ad-libs. In the actual broadcast, they would sound like natural background noise. Thanks to Gang Ha-jun’s improvisation, quite a decent scene was born.
“Cut!”
PD Kim Young-jin signaled with a satisfied face.
“Switching angles, keeping positions!”
Before he knew it, he was getting fired up by the heat of so many people creating something together. Bust shots of Gang Ha-jun and Go Hyeon-su, along with close-up shots of the bodyguard, followed in succession. The spectator extras were no longer caught on camera, but they continued to respond.
They couldn’t help it.
They weren’t “extra performers” standing there, but “passersby who had witnessed a violent situation.”
The scene filming ended in ten minutes. About twenty minutes had been spent recruiting extras, so roughly thirty minutes in total. The time allocated for that scene had been a generous twenty minutes. The filming had been delayed all the same, but PD Kim Young-jin was satisfied. Because the result was far better.
*So this is what they mean by a coveted actor.*
He watched Gang Ha-jun dusting off the dirt from the bodyguard’s clothes and smiled contentedly.
“Shall we move?”
An assistant director approached and asked.
“Move.”
“Yes. Moving to the next location!”
As he shouted, the hesitant spectator extras cautiously shuffled toward the actors.
“Um, sorry, but could I shake your hand just once······.”
“Could I ask for an autograph?”
They extended their hands to Go Hyeon-su and the actor playing the bodyguard. Gang Ha-jun subtly waited for his turn. But no one approached him. He soon slipped away from the crowd of extras with an awkward face.
“I want to shake that actor’s hand.”
“Who? The thug? What if he punches you?”
“Hey, it’s acting, acting.”
“Then go ask for a handshake.”
“······Hey, lunch break is almost over. Let’s head back inside.”
Gang Ha-jun didn’t know.
He didn’t know that people couldn’t approach him because they were intimidated by his aura.
Soon, the on-site extras began to scatter.
“Do not upload any videos taken here to personal SNS until after the broadcast······.”
“It’s fine, team leader.”
PD Kim Young-jin cut off the extra team leader’s announcement.
“Let’s just consider it free promotion. Anyway, from this scene alone, no one will even know what the story is.”
**
The viewership ratings for *Money Bubble* were meager, contrary to expectations. They even fell slightly. Videos posted to SNS by those who had been cast on the spot as extras during the last street filming were no help in promoting the drama. Leaving aside the absence of the main character, Gang Ha-jun—who was at the center of those clips—hadn’t even appeared on the broadcast yet. There was no way he could draw people’s interest when no one knew who he was or what role he played. Moreover, the rough silhouette filmed from a distance failed to capture any of the scene’s urgency.
*#Filming_near_the_office, #What_was_the_drama_title_lol, #I_was_an_extra_too, #These_nameless_rookie_actors_are_pretty_good, #Escaping_during_lunch_break*
The fact that quite a few people had participated in filming without even knowing what drama it was had also played a part. The comments on the Hanmaru TokTok board were nothing but cold.
—What makes this different from other chaebol dramas? It just feels like a patchwork... I don’t even know why I’m watching it.
—22222
—333. Watching for Han-seo noona.
—Pro-haters lol. Let’s see you try writing one.
—Loans at ☆Big☆Jack☆Capital☆! Welcome small loans for office workers!! Inquiries☞TokTok ID eocnf79
The reactions of “looking forward to it” that had dominated during the first broadcast were nowhere to be found now.
But fortunately, the production team’s prediction hadn’t missed the mark.
The atmosphere began to turn around starting from episode 4, when the loan shark appeared.
—That loan shark’s presence, though? Look at that crazy bastard’s pupils. Feels like dual personality.
—Not dual personality, more like a psychopath or sociopath or something?
—That actor was filming near our company last time lol. He was beating the hell out of someone, but his twist charm is insane.
—Omg, is your company’s address in P-yeong-dong by any chance?
—Yeah, yeah. Seeing the impact of his role, he seems like a rookie his company is pushing. He’ll blow up soonㅜ I should’ve gotten an autograph if I’d known.
—Agreed. Honestly, I was too scared to even try talking to him back thenㅠ What a waste...
The ratings that had been sluggish all along began to surge from the moment the loan shark strangled Chairman Choi’s neck. They soon seemed to catch up to the average ratings of the first episode, and ultimately surpassed it by 0.4 percentage points. It might not seem like much, but considering it had been gradually declining the whole time, that was a decent showing.
“Hey, did you see the video on the real-time search? You didn’t, did you?”
“What video?”
Inside the car returning home after finishing filming up to episode 10 of the total 16 episodes. Go Hyeon-su, who was awake for once, suddenly held out the smartphone he’d been looking at toward me.
“It’s from that street filming we did before?”
“This was completely buried when people first uploaded it to SNS, but now it’s making a comeback.”
“Really?”
Creating a buzz all on your own was always a joy. A smile crept to my lips before I knew it.
“When you make it big later, you can’t pretend you don’t know us.”
“Why would I do that? When you think about it, I only landed this minor role thanks to you, hyung, and Hyeon-su.”
I meant it, of course.
There are things in life that can’t be achieved by skill and effort alone.
That’s why you need something called “luck.”
Me entering the body of the aspiring actor Gang Ha-jun, and actor Go Hyeon-su being Gang Ha-jun’s friend—all of that was that very “luck” for me. Even without Go Hyeon-su, I would have somehow found my way into acting, but the undeniable fact was that I had quickly obtained a good opportunity thanks to him.
“Thank you, Hyeon-su. Thank you, hyung.”
“Why are you being so gross?”
“Go away.”
Go Hyeon-su and Lee Jin-muk grimaced at my words.
*Bzzt.*
A text message arrived on my phone.
It was Manager Jeong.
*‘Ha-jun ssi. Are you getting home safely? It’s nothing serious, but the PD and the writer asked for your number so I gave it to them. Is that all right?’*
*‘Yes, of course. But why would those two need my number?’*
*‘Well, I’m not sure about that either...’*
*‘Yes, I understand. Get home safely.’*
“Who is it?”
Go Hyeon-su suddenly stuck his head toward my phone screen.
“Manager Jeong.”
“Why Manager Jeong all of a sudden?”
“He said he gave my number to the PD and the writer.”
“Your number?”
“They wanted to know it?”
A question surfaced on Go Hyeon-su’s face.
“Together? Both of them?”
“I don’t know if it was together or separately.”
“Could it be they’re trying to cast you for their next project?”
I Jin-muk cut in and asked. His face reflected in the rearview mirror showed both interest and impatience.
“Me? There’s still a long way until this drama ends.”
“But filming wraps up in a month.”
“Come on, no way.”
I shook my head. It wasn’t out of humility—I simply thought there was no way.
Of course, there were cases where directors or writers approached actors directly without going through a casting director. But that was something that only happened when casting big-name actors. When there was no direct personal connection between the producer and the star, it was also a kind of sucking up. A “love call” along the lines of *I personally reached out to you, so you have to appear in my work, right?*
It might happen for Ahn Dong-jin, but there was no way it would happen to Gang Ha-jun.
At least not now.
“Hey, I’m jealous. Where is the PD trying to cast you? I heard rumors he’s planning a movie right now—could it be for that? ......But does Writer Woo participate in movies too?”
Go Hyeon-su’s eyes sparkled. He was already getting way ahead of himself on my behalf.
“I told you, that’s not going to happen. Don’t get my hopes up for nothing and get some sleep.”
I shook my head. Then I folded my arms and closed my eyes.
*Surely not.*
I repeated only that word in my heart.
*What are the odds of that?*