Chapter 87 – Reaction – Part 15

Chapter 87 – Reaction – Part 15

At Woojin’s words, Jo Jeonghwan unconsciously cut off Kim Min’s acting.

“Cut!”

Kim Taehyun smiled with his arms crossed.

Now he’s even acting.

In contrast, Jo Jeonghwan’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck.

Woojin’s words, not only participating in 90% of the work but also wanting to direct the acting, caused a brain freeze.

Jo Jeonghwan, who had been staring blankly at Woojin, opened his mouth.

“Woojin, everything’s good, but I think Kim Min might be sensitive about it…”

“I don’t think pride is important. What’s important is how to make a good movie.”

“That’s true, but…”

Not only Kim Min but everyone else would think it was strange.

The director must embrace and lead everyone.

The actors and staff are the same.

If the filming atmosphere is not good, the quality of the video will definitely drop.

Will the staff and organizers really just watch Woojin step forward without caring?

Of course, it was also true that Woojin’s acting was suspicious.

The extra did well.

But it was a scene anyone could do well in.

He doesn’t doubt Woojin, who wrote the work, but acting is a different story.

If he confidently proceeds with filming, saying, ‘This is how you act!’, and a bad acting performance comes out, his situation and position will become extremely awkward.

“I’m ready.”

As Woojin, who had removed his makeup to show his micro-expressions, spoke with a calm expression, Jo Jeonghwan, who had been blinking, firmed up his decision.

He decided to trust him and keep trusting him.

‘Alright, I’ll just blabber.’

Jo Jeonghwan smiled as Kim Min approached.

“Mr. Kim Min, that was much better than before. But I saw a few areas that were a little disappointing, so let’s watch Mr. Shin Woojin, who has a lot of experience acting as a detective, perform once. Let’s try it that way.”

Kim Min’s brow furrowed slightly.

Woojin, with his makeup removed, looked like a handsome young man, but there was also an inexplicably sexy aura about him.

But looks are one thing, and acting is another.

This guy, who looks obviously younger than him, has a lot of experience acting as a detective?

He swore he had never seen that face before.

He had watched countless detective shows because of this movie, but he had definitely never seen him.

Jo Jeonghwan spoke again.

“I can’t say which works they are, but Mr. Woojin here has coached detective acting more than once or twice.”

Kim Taehyun chuckled, looking at Jo Jeonghwan.

It was as if he was seeing his old self.

His team leader’s words came to mind.

‘Hey! What about your younger sibling?! Are you saying we should investigate based only on what that kid says?! Are you crazy?’

He too had once spouted all sorts of nonsense to persuade his team leader.

“Understood.”

Kim Min awkwardly smiled and nodded his head.

But his true intentions were completely different.

It was as if Director Jo Jeonghwan wanted to give Woojin an experience.

He couldn’t shake that feeling.

How powerful must his connections be to be able to manipulate even the director?

Then Woojin said,

“The catering truck has arrived, so let’s start quickly. Warm food just doesn’t taste good once it gets cold.”

“Oh? Right. Right.”

Director Jo Jeonghwan briefly chattered (?) to the filming staff and then returned to his seat.

The filming staff had to listen to Jo Jeonghwan’s voice before they could even fully grasp the situation.

“Action!”

That voice reached Woojin’s ears, which were more sensitive than anyone else’s.

‘I am Detective Kang Woohyuk.’

*

Kang Woohyuk frowned and pushed through the onlookers, approaching the alley.

Each time his gaze met someone, his brow furrowed, and he let out a scoff.

Anger, annoyance, and the bother of wanting to get rid of everything were clearly evident.

However, his expression was not obvious; it was well-refined, like a veteran detective.

Soon, Kang Woohyuk’s chest swelled greatly as he entered the alley, then a sigh escaped through his nose.

Kang Woohyuk briefly asks his fellow detective in an emotionless tone,

“The identity?”

“She’s 26-year-old Kim Yewon and…”

“Anything found?”

“Nothing special has come up yet.”

Kang Woohyuk’s eyes rolled upwards as if reminiscing about the past.

Then he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

Soon, as if remembering something, he opened his mouth.

There was a missing person case around here recently, right?

Yes, Park Jimin, 28 years old…

Kang Woohyuk sighs again and speaks quickly.

Damn it, I told them to install more CCTV. Where are they spending all the tax money?

By the time Kang Woohyuk finished speaking, they were in front of the corpse.

Kang Woohyuk’s corrugator supercilii seemed to rise in pity at the sight of the corpse, but he quickly composed himself.

He deliberately suppressed his emotions, maintaining the cool-headed demeanor of a detective.

Kang Woohyuk’s pupils dilate more than before as he looks at the corpse.

He meticulously observed the victim’s neck before speaking.

It doesn’t seem like a knife?

The Forensics Team replied.

It’s too big to be an awl, but it looks like a sharp object…

Kang Woohyuk slowly nods, imagining the criminal.

His cheek muscles involuntarily tense, and his brows furrow. Naturally, a murmur escapes Kang Woohyuk’s lips.

Crazy bastard…

Just then, his phone rang.

Kang Woohyuk turns his back to the corpse and brings his cellphone to his ear.

Yes, Team Leader, I’m at the scene now.

Listening to the Team Leader, Kang Woohyuk irritably scratches his head.

And he argues back.

Team Leader! There are rumors that he’s gone into hiding! I have a mountain of work to do, why should I investigate a missing person case? Two people…

*

Kim Taehyun, who was watching from Woojin’s monitor, was smiling silently.

He wasn’t in a position to judge acting, but…

He’s very good.

It was as if he was watching himself, or seeing his fellow detectives.

Kim Taehyun’s smile deepened.

Everything Woojin used to say when he was deducing criminals was now being shown through his actions.

Unconscious actions.

What actions he takes when stressed, what reactions he shows when angry, what gestures he makes when distinguishing between past and present.

And the reaction to the reaction.

Woojin was showing all of those things right now.

Watching Woojin on the monitor with those thoughts,

Kim Taehyun, who had his arms crossed and was smiling, muttered.

“My brother’s acting is amazing.”

Jo Jeonghwan was thinking something similar to Kim Taehyun.

He didn’t really understand much about the unconscious, but he had the eye of a film director.

Perhaps Woojin was reawakening the eye of Jo Jeonghwan, who had messed up his previous work.

An uncontrollable smile spread across his lips.

‘This is it. This is it…’

On the other hand, Kim Min clenched his fist without showing any expression.

His fist grew tighter and tighter.

“Cut!”

At Jo Jeonghwan’s words, Woojin’s frowning expression completely changed.

There were actors who couldn’t control their emotional immersion and had to take deep breaths, or those who couldn’t stop crying easily, but Woojin wasn’t like that.

As soon as he heard ‘cut,’ he immediately returned to a calm expression, as if flipping a coin.

The staff members whispered amongst themselves.

“What? Was he really an acting coach?”

“He looks young…”

“He’s old, but he looks really young?”

Moreover, he was handsome.

Jo Jeonghwan couldn’t hide his excitement from Kim Min and said,

“Mr. Kim Min. Did you see that? How was it? Don’t you think the character has become richer and is squirming with life?”

“Yes, but…”

Just then, Woojin approached.

Jo Jeonghwan shook his head and asked,

“Mr. Woojin, your acting…”

Woojin cut him off.

“It’s six o’clock. They say even Mount Geumgang is best after a meal, so how about we eat and then discuss? We’re all doing this to live, after all.”

“…Alright.”

Woojin immediately turned around and said,

“Detective Kim, let’s go. We might have to wait in line if we’re late.”

Kim Taehyun chuckled and headed to the catering truck with Woojin.

Woojin, who arrived first at the catering truck, asked,

Curious glances followed Woojin from here and there, but Woojin didn’t mind and asked the person preparing the food,

“What’s on the menu?”

“Spicy beef soup and…”

“Oh, wow… Is there a lot of meat?”

He smiled and replied,

“I’ll give you plenty.”

“Is it Korean beef?”

***

A friend said to the middle-aged person who came out of an expensive tavern, wearing a hat,

“Hey, did you call the assistant manager?”

“Yeah, I told you I called.”

“Don’t drink and drive like last time just because your house is close. Make sure you call the assistant manager to take you home.”

“Hey man, I told you I called you.”

“Alright, I’m going. I hope this movie is a huge hit!”

The Middle-aged Person waved to their Friend and got into the driver’s seat.

They turned on their hazard lights and looked in the rearview mirror.

Their Friend, who had been walking in the opposite direction, turned back to look at their car once before hailing a taxi.

The Middle-aged Person turned off the hazard lights and chuckled.

“Their house is right around the corner, what’s with the Assistant Manager?”

He smiled faintly, turned the Steering Wheel, and drove off.

Just then, the Middle-aged Person saw the traffic light turn from green to orange and pressed down hard on the accelerator.

They intended to cross the intersection before it turned red.

However, the light turned red faster than they had anticipated.

Crash!

They crashed into a car making a left turn.

The other car spun around, and the Middle-aged Person’s car hit a fire hydrant and stopped.

***

Woojin and Kim Taehyun found a suitable spot and were eating.

The taste of warm spicy beef soup eaten outdoors on the set made Woojin slowly shake his head.

“It tastes really good, probably because we’re eating it on set. I guess the environment really does matter for people.”

Kim Taehyun just smiled at Woojin’s words, which he didn’t quite understand.

That kind of demeanor was his younger brother’s charm.

It was a charm that no one could imitate.

Just then, a Staff member eating nearby asked casually.

“Have you been in any dramas or movies? Your acting is amazing.”

Woojin, who was eating, replied with a short answer.

“No.”

“So, are you just an acting coach?”

“He’s not even that.”

The staff blinked.

Wasn’t that completely different from what Director Jo Jeonghwan said?

But the acting was real.

After finishing their meal, Kim Taehyun asked Woojin,

“When are you heading home?”

“Since I’m here, I’ll stay and watch Actor Kim Min’s perfected acting. You go ahead. Detective Kim, thank you for your advice today.”

Kim Taehyun chuckled.

“What advice? It feels like I just came to watch the set and eat. I’ll get going then. Call me if anything happens.”

“Okay.”

Kim Taehyun patted Woojin’s shoulder and turned around.

After confirming he was gone, Woojin also turned towards Jo Jeonghwan.

Jo Jeonghwan and Kim Min were monitoring Woojin’s acting and exchanging words.

“Mr. Kim Min, I think this kind of expression should come out…”

Just then, a staff member quickly approached Jo Jeonghwan.

“Director Jo, look at this. It seems Actor Choi Wooseok caused some trouble…”

The staff member said that while handing his cellphone to Jo Jeonghwan.

“What is it?”

Jo Jeonghwan’s face darkened rapidly as he read through the article.

“This is driving me crazy, seriously…”

It was an article about the actor playing the Synesthete Culprit getting into a drunk driving accident.

“Damn it, ha… This is really driving me crazy…”

As Jo Jeonghwan was cursing and wiping his face, a familiar voice was heard.

“Is something wrong?”

Their gazes, which had been filled with a sense of emptiness and futility, pierced Woojin like arrows.