Chapter 119: The Stuntman’s Face

There are dozens of issues that arise in the entertainment industry every day.

Headlines that people might just skim over are constant: a second-generation girl group member is reportedly marrying a businessman; an announcer-turned-entertainer is dating a woman 20 years younger; a twice-divorced actor, Mr. Jeong, has passed away after a battle with cancer; or singer My You has donated 100 million won to a flood relief site.

At the same time, scandalous rumors are incessantly produced: a male idol-turned-businessman allegedly used drugs; Actor K was prosecuted for sexually harassing a civilian woman; or Model T’s child is actually the son of famous Actor J.

The dopamine-fueled daily lives of the entertainment world provide interest and stimulation to the public, functioning as a great form of entertainment to chew on during their boring routines. People go to work, eat their meals, and have a drink with friends after work, using these stories as snacks for conversation.

Someone becomes a villain, while another becomes the most despicable person on Earth. They are pointed at as if they could never step foot on this soil again.

But in reality, that is not the case.

Given the nature of Korean citizens, their anger boils over quickly but also cools down just as fast, as if nothing ever happened. People call this a "boiling-pot temperament."

Because of this, even when a serious incident occurs, industry insiders often post a simple apology and remain silent instead of providing detailed explanations. They know the public's interest will soon shift elsewhere.

The stuntman accident that occurred during the filming of the drama Traveler was currently at the peak of that boiling pot. The water was boiling fiercely, but soon the fire would be turned off, and it would slowly cool down.

Since a person's life had come to an end, it might sound cold-hearted, but Director Kim Seung-pyo was the navigator currently holding the helm of this ship atop the boiling pot. If things went wrong, the ship would capsize, and all the actors and staff on board would be boiled alive.

He had to prevent that at all costs. It might seem inhumane, but he had chosen to keep his head down and stay quiet, following the philosophy that doing nothing was sometimes better than making a mistake.

"What you're saying makes perfect sense, Mr. Kim. If that's the case, why not just do that? What part are you worried about?"

A woman in her 50s asked calmly. She was a psychiatrist, sitting on a comfortable brown sofa and listening to him. In this cozy, low-toned space, Kim Seung-pyo felt a sense of security, believing he could reveal his deepest thoughts without filter.

When he lived in the U.S. and missed his home in Korea dearly, the psychiatric clinic was his only refuge. Back then, he had struggled to have consultations using translation apps with his poor English, but in Korea, he could say everything he wanted in his mother tongue. It was incredibly comfortable.

Furthermore, the person sitting across from him wasn't a quack who gave shallow comfort for over 100,000 won for 50 minutes. She was a true expert who gently touched emotions he didn't even know he had, allowing him to pour his heart out.

"I feel like I should just stay still, but the writer I'm working with keeps trying to do something."

"Does that bother you?"

"No. It's not a negative feeling like that. It's more... I thought the writer was the same kind of person as me. Not a bad person, but not a particularly good one either. Just an ordinary person. Of course, when it comes to work, he writes well, has great instincts, and is amazing."

"You're talking about his character?"

"Yes, exactly. Character. When someone is great at their job and has a good personality too, it's almost scary. I start wondering if they have a hidden agenda."

"It could look that way."

"Normally, in a situation like this, people might think about changing public perception or helping those who are treated unfairly. I think it's really hard to actually act on that, even if you think about it."

"And that writer is doing those things?"

"Yes."

"Does it make you feel uncomfortable because you can't do the same?"

"Well, maybe a little bit, but I'm not the type of person who would do those things in the first place, so it's not like I feel inferior or anything."

"Then what is it?"

"He's just... incredible."

Kim Seung-pyo, who had visited the clinic to treat the trauma from the accident site, was now praising Writer Lee Junghyuk. It wasn't entirely strange. His being here was purely thanks to Writer Lee.

In all his years of filming, he had never seen a case like this. Having every single staff member who was at the scene receive trauma treatment? He had experienced many traumatic things on other sets, but no one had ever done this before. Everyone just sought counseling on their own and tried to keep things quiet to cover up the incident. He didn't know about Hollywood, but it was a first for Korea.

"This Writer Lee Junghyuk sounds like a truly remarkable person. He's a good man."

"I didn't see him as such a good person before... but I find myself respecting him anew."

A roastery cafe in Apgujeong. I was waiting for someone with an anxious heart.

"Writer Lee, have you been waiting long? I'm sorry. The consultation took a bit longer than expected."

"Not at all. I just got here myself."

"I'll go order quickly and be right back."

Director Kim Seung-pyo sat across from me with a slightly flushed face, perhaps because he had just come from therapy. Until his coffee arrived, we chatted about the trivial weather. After taking a sip, he spoke carefully.

"The proposal you gave me is excellent."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I thought about it for a few days. It made perfect sense why you told Setflix that. Honestly, I don't think there's any other way now."

Director Kim Seung-pyo caught himself getting too excited and took a moment to catch his breath. Then he expressed a concern.

"However, according to Yoo Seok's manager, Yoo Seok is having a pretty hard time."

"That's understandable. There are many people writing strange comments, claiming to be fans."

It was true. In An Yoo Seok’s case, he seemed to be excluded from the controversy due to his invincible fan base, but there were many dangerous comments like, "I'm just glad it wasn't An Yoo Seok," or "I'll kill the writer and director if they make him do anything dangerous." A soft-hearted guy like him was bound to be suffering.

"It would be great if Yoo Seok could participate, but I'm afraid it might be difficult. How about doing it with Grace Kim instead? She would have more impact."

"He was Yoo Seok's stuntman. It will be much more meaningful if Yoo Seok participates."

"That’s true."

"I'll talk to Yoo Seok. He's gentle, but he has a strong inner core, so I'm sure he'll join us."

"Then I'll have to shamelessly ask you again, Writer Lee."

As he spoke, he pulled a bundle of documents from his bag.

"I drew up a storyboard based on the script you sent."

"You're the director, so you should handle the directing."

"No, no. You planned this and wrote the script, so I should naturally get your approval. I realized something clearly this time. You are more than just a writer."

"Aren't you looking at me too favorably?"

"No, it's not that. I became more certain after talking to the doctor. You're a good person."

"Haha."

'A good person.'

I was going to refute Director Kim’s praise but decided to let it be. There was no harm in being seen as a good person. However, I hadn't made this proposal to Director Kim because I was a good person. It was a thoroughly calculated move based on profit and loss.

The filming of Traveler had fallen into a quagmire that might be impossible to escape due to the accident. As Team Leader Jang from Setflix said, we had to do business. When she mentioned the word "business," an idea had simply flashed through my mind.

I immediately drafted a plan and sent it to Director Kim, and based on this meeting, it seemed he liked it. It was a project that couldn't even start without him, so I was grateful. If this work could allow filming to resume, it was the best possible outcome for me. So, this wasn't the action of a good person, but a move entirely for my own sake.

"Shall we proceed then?"

The God Media studio in Hapjeong-dong.

There were three projects being worked on simultaneously, using the items planned by Lee Junghyuk. Im Seong-hee and Jeong Tae-mi were the lead writers on two of them, and the last was a joint debut work by three assistant writers.

To help Lee Junghyuk focus on Traveler, Ten Ent and H Studio had taken over the co-production of each project along with God Media. Because of this, CEO Hong Ju Hee and General Manager Jo Min-seong took turns visiting God Media to check on the progress, making the place constantly busy.

However, everyone moved quietly, even being careful with the sound of their footsteps and breathing. It was because Lee Junghyuk's door had not opened for several days.

Of course, it wasn't unusual. That door was closed far more often than it was open. Generally, once work began, Lee Junghyuk would shut his door and focus on writing. On the contrary, there were rare days when he would lock himself in because of writer's block.

The problem was, "Writer Lee doesn't have anything to write right now, does he?"

The script for Traveler had been finished long ago, and since filming was suspended, there was no script to revise.

"Maybe he started a new project?"

CEO Hong Ju Hee, who was planning to work with Im Seong-hee on a new piece, asked Seo Sun-ae softly.

"I'm not sure. He didn't mention anything."

Im Seong-hee, Seo Sun-ae, and Hong Ju Hee were all worrying about Lee Junghyuk, momentarily forgetting their own tasks.

Just then, the doorbell rang. As Seo Sun-ae stood up to greet an unscheduled visitor, the firmly closed door opened, and Lee Junghyuk emerged faster than anyone.

"Oh? Writer Lee?"

"Ah, it's been a while, CEO Hong. That's mine, so I'll take it."

Lee Junghyuk opened the studio door and accepted a package from a quick delivery service.

"What is that, Writer Lee?"

Thud. Seo Sun-ae's question failed to reach him, blocked by the closing door.

'What could it be... I have no idea what he's thinking.'

Meanwhile, Lee Junghyuk connected the external hard drive he received from Director Kim to his desktop. The video on the drive was exactly what Lee Junghyuk had proposed.

The video began with An Yoo Seok's words.

"We want to create a movie about the stuntman, Go Sang-young."

And the person captured on the screen wasn't the male lead, An Yoo Seok, but an actor dressed in the same clothes, preparing for action.

It was the face of the stuntman, Go Sang-young.