The ratings for
The ratings that had hovered around the 4% range until the second week rose to the 6% range in the third week,
and the following week, they easily broke through 7% and were looking toward the 8% range.
It wasn't yet at a level that could be called a smash hit, but the outlook was bright.
There was still more than half of the broadcast left.
Only about a week remained in the overall filming schedule.
The morning wind, which had been biting, had already taken on considerable warmth—thanks to the late-winter cold snap.
Inside the car heading to the prison set early in the morning.
["Just who the hell are you? I know everything. Gi-nam doesn't have a grandson!"]
While I Jin-mok drove, Gang Ha-jun and Go Hyeon-su rewatched episode 8, which had aired last night, on VOD.
They had missed the live broadcast due to filming.
It wasn't a crushing schedule without a single day off like at the beginning, but neither was it relaxed enough to catch every broadcast.
["Are you saying you investigated my background?"]
Within the drama, Gang Ha-jun maintained a composed attitude throughout.
The strange glint in his eyes seemed to pierce right through the small smartphone screen.
["Then how long did you think I'd let myself be blackmailed?"]
["How brave of you."]
["What?"]
["To think you'd dare do such things behind my back."]
Gulp.
Go Hyeon-su, completely immersed in the drama, swallowed dryly.
His tightly clenched fists showed just how absorbed he was.
"Hmm."
But Gang Ha-jun found his own acting lacking.
'If only I had suppressed my emotions more, it would have been much better.'
The 'loan shark' he had tried to portray was a character who, by shifting between hot and cold on a dime, delivered tension to the viewers.
That was why it was necessary to express changes in personality according to the situation with extreme clarity.
Especially in the scene just now, he needed to deliver a calm performance that contrasted with the brutal lines.
'My vocal tone was more agitated than I had intended.'
Gang Ha-jun took out the script for episode 8 from his tote bag and opened it.
"What are you doing?"
Go Hyeon-su asked.
"There are some parts I'm not satisfied with, so I'm making notes."
"You carry around all your old scripts?"
"Not all of them, but I brought this one to review alongside the footage."
An actor checking and analyzing their own performance was a very important process.
Because it couldn't be fixed, the shortcomings stood out even more,
and the more one reviewed and learned from those shortcomings, the more one could grow.
"Won't you get carsick reading in the car?"
"Text or video, it's all the same."
At Gang Ha-jun's answer, Go Hyeon-su scratched his head awkwardly and stole a glance at the script.
They arrived at the set thirty minutes earlier than the scheduled time for the first shot.
As always, most of the staff were already there waiting.
Since Go Hyeon-su, whose shoot was scheduled first, had already stopped by the shop early in the morning, he didn't particularly need makeup.
"You're here early! Let's get you changed first!"
He was caught by the assistant director the moment he was spotted.
I Jin-mok naturally followed behind them.
Left alone, I looked around the prison set I hadn't visited in a while.
Soon, someone approached me as if they knew me.
It was Writer U Yeon-gyeong.
"Gang Ha-jun, is this your last shoot?"
Her cheeks had grown noticeably hollow over the past few days.
Her dark circles seemed to have deepened, too.
Well, pumping out scripts to match a tight filming schedule couldn't be easy.
Even so, she had personally come to the set on days when I filmed to serve as the script supervisor, so it was no wonder she was hitting her physical limits.
"Yes, Writer. I'm done after this."
"But you'll keep coming to the set, right?"
"I plan to. There's only a week left anyway."
"Good. Do well today. ......Uh, Gang Ha-jun?"
Writer U Yeon-gyeong, who had been passing by me, turned back awkwardly and opened her mouth again.
"Yes?"
"Stand by for Scene 17!"
But my question was drowned out by the assistant director's shout echoing through the hallway at that exact moment.
"What, already? Why are we starting so early?"
Writer U Yeon-gyeong checked the time on her phone and muttered to herself.
"It's nothing. Let's talk later."
Then she walked away with quick steps.
What had she wanted to talk about?
Could it be related to when she got my number through Manager Jeong last time?
Now that I thought about it, that had already been half a month ago.
Still, PD Gim Yeong-jin and Writer U Yeon-gyeong hadn't breathed a word to me about it.
"Loan shark, haven't you gotten your prison uniform yet?"
As I watched Writer U Yeon-gyeong's retreating figure for a moment, the assistant director who had appeared from the opposite hallway led me to the changing room.
"Scene 17 will be over quickly, so please get ready fast."
"Yes, understood."
I shook off my stray thoughts.
After changing into the clothes given by the props team, I moved to the main set.
Filming for Scene 17 was in full swing there.
"Let me out! Ah, why do I have to be here! Call Grandpa, Grandpa!"
Go Hyeon-su, dressed in the same prison uniform as me, was being dragged away by guards with both arms bound.
It was the setup where he had hidden behind the loan shark to mess around with the noonas, only to be counterattacked and arrested.
True to his role as an immature delinquent, he screamed at the top of his lungs and tried to forcibly sit down on the floor.
After scuffling with the guards for a while, he managed to get the OK sign from PD Gim Yeong-jin.
"Cut. Good."
Next was my turn.
The loan shark had been arrested on charges of fraud, intimidation, extortion, and embezzlement.
His sentence was much heavier than Choe Han-ho's in the drama, and of course, without the same backing, there was no way out.
That was why he was all the more driven to desperation.
I recalled the loan shark's situation in my head as I entered the cell designated by the assistant director.
Then, the five minor actors and extras who had been in the waiting room gathered in their places.
They all had burly, intimidating appearances.
After the filming equipment was all moved, the rehearsal began.
"Inmate 1, pick a fight with the loan shark. And loan shark,"
Snap!
PD Gim Yeong-jin stopped mid-sentence and snapped his fingers.
"Keep holding back, then when you hear this sound, flip and attack."
"Yes."
After checking the camera movement as well, I briefly coordinated with Inmate 1.
Since it was a scene requiring a scuffle, we had to move along meticulously planned paths to prevent accidents.
"Here we go."
A moment later, the assistant director stood before the camera.
He clapped the slate in his hand, and the actual filming began.
"Hey, mister. You came in for fraud?"
"......"
Gang Ha-jun sat motionless, his eyes half out of focus.
Inmate 1 prodded his head with his fingers.
"A person, when spoken to, should, answer, yeah?"
Gang Ha-jun shook his head weakly.
The taunting from Inmate 1 continued.
"You did such despicable things with that innocent face? Huh?"
Snap!
The promised signal rang out.
Gang Ha-jun stared into the camera.
In his refocused eyes, a fleeting glint of madness flashed by.
Crash-bang!
Gang Ha-jun sprang up from his seat and pushed Inmate 1 by the neck with his arm, driving him into the corner.
"Kck!"
"Shut your trap. Unless you want to leave here dead."
And he warned him.
A sneer hung at his lips.
"Cut! Moving on!"
PD Gim Yeong-jin shouted.
The prison scenes were only two scenes in total.
"PD, I think the actor looked straight at the camera earlier."
The cameraman cautiously pointed it out.
"Ah, that? I know."
"Is that okay?"
"He did it on purpose, so it's fine. Right, Gang Ha-jun?"
PD Gim Yeong-jin asked me.
"Yes. I thought if I simply made a commotion and exited, the viewers might feel it was a bit empty. I wanted to leave a strong impression."
"What kind of strong impression?"
'A warning—don't think this is over.'"
When I answered, PD Gim Yeong-jin nodded toward the cameraman.
"Then shall we move?"
"Ah. Yes."
The staff, including the cameraman, began packing up the equipment.
**
Break time after lunch.
I was busy running lines with Go Hyeon-su.
The prison scene had been his ending scene, but he still had a bit more filming left.
Because as the weight of the loan shark role I played grew, the screentime for Choe Han-ho, his role, had increased as well.
"Ah, Nuna! Are you really doing this to me?"
"Exactly, who told you to mess around? You dug your own grave. Stop acting like a kid."
"No matter what, this is too much! I......"
"Whoa."
I Jin-mok, who had been checking his phone after several vibrations, interrupted the reading—something he rarely did.
"Why? Did something happen?"
Go Hyeon-su asked with an anxious expression.
"You guys haven't seen the article yet?"
"What article?"
"This."
I Jin-mok held out his smartphone.
'Late An Dong-jin's Posthumous Work , Grand Release on the 20th'
The first thing to catch my eye was the simple headline.
Beneath it was a huge photo of me from my previous life.
"Ah......"
Go Hyeon-su, who had roughly skimmed the short article, let out a sigh.
"Now that you mention it, it is about time for the release. They said when An Dong-jin passed away, it had already been three months since the crank-up."
He made a dejected expression.
"It was my dream to work with An Dong-jin even once."
You've already achieved that dream.
Not that you'd realize it, even if you died and came back to life.
"Want to go see it together when it opens? If it's the 20th, filming will be over so we'll have some free time."
I Jin-mok suggested.
"I'm fine, but what about you, Hyung......"
"Just tell them I called you, or whatever."
"Then what do I say?"
"Figure out your own excuse."
"Wow, seriously."
The two, who had been bickering briefly, turned their gazes toward me.
"What about you?"
"I don't mind. It's fine."
Though I have a feeling it'll be a bit strange.
"Okay, it's a promise. Keep the 20th open."
And so, an impromptu movie crew was formed.
**
Go Hyeon-su's filming ended late in the afternoon.
Normally, I would have stayed on set alone until all filming was wrapped, but today I went home early.
It seemed about time to start looking for audition schedules.
Because a week later, I wouldn't have any reason to follow Go Hyeon-su to the drama set.
"You're back early."
Father greeted me as I came home.
"I have something to do. Where's Mom?"
"She hasn't gotten off work yet. Did filming go well?"
"Yes."
"Wash up and go rest."
"You rest too, Father."
After exchanging awkward greetings with Father, I went into my room.
And I took out the laptop sitting on one side of the bookshelf.
It was something I hadn't used even once since waking up as Gang Ha-jun.
In just two months, quite a lot of dust had accumulated.
I roughly wiped off the dust with a wet wipe, connected the adapter, and turned on the power.
Zeeeeng—
Just as I was entering the laptop password, a call came through on my phone.
"Hello."
—Gang Ha-jun. It's Writer U Yeon-gyeong. I had something to say, but you left early today. Can we talk for a moment?
What business could the writer have contacting me directly?
It couldn't be about adding more scenes when the final scene shoot was already done.
"Yes, it's fine. Please go ahead."
—It's not anything else, but......
At Writer U Yeon-gyeong's following words, I doubted my own ears.