Chapter 138: Wrapping Collision

“Don’t hesitate here—just show it clearly. After all, Juho has already made his decision by this point.”

“Yes.”

“And for the last part…”

Before the final shoot, I checked the script with Incheol.

“Hello~”

“Hyung, you’re here?”

“Oh, Cheolmin’s here?”

Jinseok, who was playing the role of Cheolmin, had arrived at the set too.

“Huh? Who’s that next to you?”

“My wife.”

And beside Jinseok was his wife.

“She wanted to see the set just once….”

“I’m sorry. For interrupting while you’re working.”

“Oh~ No, not at all. You’re welcome anytime.”

Incheol waved it off and welcomed Jinseok’s wife warmly.

“But why today of all days, sis-in-law….”

It was awkward since we had a fight scene scheduled with Cheolmin.

“I heard you two are fighting today? Hit him hard for me!”

“Wow~ Isn’t that a bit much?”

“What? I’m just saying to act your heart out.”

The two bickered, but their eyes were full of love as they looked at each other.

I felt this before, but he’s such a lovebird.

And Incheol must have noticed too, because he gave me a subtle look suggesting we should slip away quietly.

“Then you show her around the set~ I have to prepare for the shoot.”

“Ah, before that, I brought some simple snacks for the staff to enjoy.”

Jinseok’s wife said as she handed over a prettily wrapped shopping bag.

“Snacks?”

“You could’ve come empty-handed—no need for all this.”

“It’s thanks to the director that this guy gets to act again.”

“No, no. I’m the one honored to work with Jinseok.”

Incheol got to use an actor with experience who delivered stable performances, and Jinseok got to resume the acting he longed for. 

In other words, they were exactly what each other needed.

“It’s nothing big. Just some cookies I baked at home.”

“Cookies!”

At the word “cookies,” my ears perked up, and my gaze went straight to the shopping bag.

“Hahaha, try them. I’m not great at much else, but cookies are my specialty.”

“Thank you~”

When I opened the shopping bag, they were each prettily wrapped, and in front of the cookies was some lovely handwriting.

[‘Collision’ staff, thank you for your hard work! from. Yoo Jinseok]

“You wrote all this by hand?”

“I wanted to put pretty stickers on them, but I didn’t have time….”

“Wow, sis-in-law, you’re the best! I’ll enjoy them.”

They were round and pretty-looking—there was no way they wouldn’t taste good.

“Should I pass them out?”

“Yeah? And I’ll show her around the set.”

The set wasn’t much to see, but I quietly stepped away to give the two some time alone.

“Hyung~ These were made by Jinseok hyung’s wife.”

“Oh~ Thanks.”

“They look delicious!”

The staff thanked us and each took a cookie.

“You have one too, hyung.”

“What is it?”

I handed a cookie to Hayoon as well.

“Jinseok hyung’s wife made them and brought them.”

“Ah~ Did you eat one?”

“Of course I did~”

“It’s not the one with chocolate, right?”

He was worried in case I’d eaten chocolate.

“I picked one without it. It’s super tasty, so try it, hyung.”

“Yeah, I reserved a nearby barbecue place for the wrap party.”

“Thanks.”

Since it was the final shoot, I figured we should have a wrap party, so I decided to host it.

“Hyunjae, uh…… Should I ask the CEO if you can use the company card?”

“Huh? Hahaha! It’s fine.”

I burst out laughing at Hayoon’s question.

“But you’re filming without pay, and you bring snacks to the set every time, and now hosting the wrap party too.”

It was basically a net loss. I wasn’t getting any guarantee, so it was like volunteering, and with styling costs, gas, and everything else for the shoots, nothing was left for me.

“But it’s a project you said was fun, hyung. I don’t regret it at all.”

“Huh? You did it because of me?”

“Not 100%, but it wasn’t without influence?”

I winked at Hayoon.

“Besides, filming this has leveled up my acting skills, and I’ve learned a lot from the director. I’ve gained so much.”

Incheol had an uncanny way of spotting what direction would help me do better or what parts I struggled with, and he’d direct accordingly. Naturally, it broadened my perspective and improved my acting.

“This might be my first and last time, so I want to do it comfortably.”

This was the only film I’d chosen purely for the work itself, without thinking about anything else, so who knows when I’d encounter something like this again.

“If that’s how you feel….”

Hayoon nodded, understanding me.

“Ah! I should buy something tasty for that gym buddy of yours too.”

“Dongha?”

“Yeah, he helped a ton early on.”

If I hadn’t met that guy, I wouldn’t have grasped how to portray Juho right away.

“He’s busy preparing for physical education college entrance exams these days, but I’ll contact him when he has time.”

“Physical education?”

“Yeah.”

“It suits him well.”

He looks like he just likes to play around, but at least he’s found his path.

“Hyunjae~ Let’s run through the blocking.”

“Yes! Hyung, I’ll be right back!”

At the staff’s call, I hurried over to the spot.

“Jinseok will push you from here to there.”

“Yes.”

“Then you’ll fall over this way….”

Today’s shoot included an action scene.

“Oh! Jinseok! Come over quick, let’s rehearse.”

“Yes!”

While rehearsing with the staff, Jinseok happened to come over, and the staff called him right away.

“I’ll show you with Hyunjae first. Like this, pull…”

The staff demonstrated the prepared action in slow motion, and Jinseok watched intently, memorizing the moves.

“Not too hard, right?”

“No.”

It wasn’t fancy action like in an action movie—it was closer to a street thug fight, so the difficulty wasn’t high.

“And here, you’ll get stabbed with the knife, then fall over this way. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“Then let’s rehearse with Hyunjae.”

Jinseok rehearsed the action with me, and once we synced up, we went straight into shooting.

“Alright~ Ready? Let’s go. Ready~ Action!”

With Incheol’s voice, the red light on the camera came on.

“Hyung, good work.”

“You too.”

After the shoot with Jinseok, we shared a hug.

“Thanks. It’s been a while since I had real fun.”

“I’m the one who should thank you more. Without you, hyung, Cheolmin probably wouldn’t have come to life like this.”

Cheolmin was a typical villain, but Jinseok’s skill turned him into a three-dimensional character.

“Even so, I’m more grateful.”

“Act once in a while. You’re the most brilliant when you’re acting.”

“Brilliant, huh….”

Jinseok trailed off shyly at my words and patted my shoulder lightly.

“Why~ It’s true.”

And that’s when Jinseok’s wife appeared.

“He’s right. Honey, you’re the coolest when you’re out there.”

“What….”

“Hyunjae, if something like this comes up again, call us anytime.”

“Of course. I’ll count on you, sis-in-law!”

Jinseok looked at us two, who clicked so well, with a hint of jealousy.

“What are you two.”

“What else? Just a beautiful bromance between me and sis-in-law. Whew~ I need to change and wash up before getting in the car.”

Jinseok had just shot the stabbing scene, so his clothes and hands were covered in fake blood.

“Ah, no wonder it felt sticky.”

“Let’s go.”

“Ah! Hyung, you know about the wrap party later? Come too, sis-in-law!”

“Yeah, we’ll come when the time works. Hang in there till the end~”

Jinseok said goodbye first and left, while I had the very last scene left.

“Hyunjae, let’s do the final one.”

“Yes! Just a sec. Let me get the emotion right.”

I focused my mind to recapture the slightly loosened emotion. It was the scene right after stabbing Cheolmin.

“Tell me when you’re ready.”

“Yes, I’m good.”

“Okay, then let’s go right away.”

I staggered forward, one step at a time, slowly. From the fight with Jinseok, my face was scratched, and Jinseok’s blood dripped from my hands to the floor. Every path I walked was stained with drops of blood.

“Haa…… haa…….”

The rough breathing gradually subsided, and with unfocused pupils, I walked to the end of the rooftop railing. The strong wind tousled my hair, but I paid it no mind.

Stopping at a spot where one more step would mean falling, I turned around. And then I locked eyes with the camera.

” “

Everyone in the space held their breath, focused solely on my performance. After staring down the camera, I crouched down and ducked out of frame.

“Cut!”

Five seconds after I disappeared from the camera, Incheol called cut.

“Let’s do the camera stare scene one more time at the end. This time, pour more emotion into it.”

“More here?”

“Yeah, enough to make people think, ‘Ah, something’s about to happen.'”

“Yes!”

After Incheol’s direction, we shot it again, then a few more from different angles, and with that, the filming of ‘Collision’ wrapped up.

“Wow! Great work, everyone!”

“Good job.”

“You all worked hard!”

We celebrated with the staff.

“Hyunjae, good job.”

“Director, it was fun.”

Right after the short chat with Incheol, another staff shouted.

“Alright~ We need to clear out quick, so save the rest of the talk for the wrap party! Hurry up and pack!”

Renting the location cost money, so speed was everything.

“Rest of the talk later. Or I’ll get in trouble.”

Even Incheol couldn’t stand tall in front of the finance staff.

“Hyunjae, here’s your clothes.”

“Thanks. Director, see you later~”

“Yeah.”

After saying goodbye, I removed my makeup, changed into clean clothes, and headed to the wrap party venue.

“Wow~ When did you all get here? Did you fly?”

I thought I’d prepared quickly, but the other staff and Incheol were already at the venue.

“For us, it’s just packing up the equipment and done.”

“Sit, sit.”

The staff were already grouped together, and as expected, the seat next to Incheol was empty.

Directors get avoided everywhere, huh.

“Hyung, where’s sis-in-law?”

I asked Jinseok, who was sitting across from Incheol.

“She said how could she crash a wrap party.”

“She could’ve come….”

“Alright~ Our lead is here, so director, say a few words!”

A staff member set the mood, and Incheol picked up his glass and stood.

“First, thank you all so much for believing in me and coming this far, and more than any other film, uh……”

It’ll stay with me a long time. Ahem, I’ll never forget it.”

Incheol cleared his throat midway, his voice choked up.

It couldn’t have been easy for a once-successful director to challenge himself with an indie film again.

With the low budget, we sometimes had staff source props themselves, we often shot under time pressure, and renting locations cost money, so we had to maximize expression in minimal spaces.

“Woooaah!”

“Great work!”

And the staff who’d endured all that hardship together were like comrades in arms.

“You guys worked hard too.”

“This isn’t even hardship. My main job is being a delivery driver, rumored to be one of the toughest in Korea.”

Jinseok joked lightly.

“Jinseok, you…… Stick to acting, not delivery.”

“Hahat.”

Jinseok just laughed off Incheol’s words.

“Hyunjae. If you keep going just like this, it won’t take long.”

I asked what Jinseok meant by “it won’t take long.”

“What won’t take long?”

“You know what I mean. You know you’re not meant to stay here.”

At Incheol’s words, my heart skipped a beat.