There was one more person who grew anxious upon hearing the news of Seon Min-gi’s entry into Hollywood.
It was none other than the director of , Jeong Myeong-hwan.
“This… I didn’t expect things to get this tangled.”
was a project that carried Jeong Myeong-hwan’s ambitions from its very conception.
Despite his nickname as the nation’s greatest action master, Jeong Myeong-hwan was plagued by a deep sense of dissatisfaction.
It was because, every time, while his action scenes were praised, he was always criticized for having a weak story.
If the audience numbers had continued to surpass ten million, he wouldn’t have taken such criticism to heart.
But after breaking the ten-million-viewer mark only once with his third film, Jeong Myeong-hwan had since struggled at the box office.
When things went well, he managed six million viewers; at his lowest, just three million—repeating this cycle.
That’s why Jeong Myeong-hwan couldn’t help but wonder if these results really were due to the story.
And so, to resolve this problem, what he planned was…
“Killer × Killer. That’s what it was.”
The strategy behind Jeong Myeong-hwan’s planning of was simple.
Since he was told his stories were weak, he decided to completely entrust that aspect to someone else.
After completing the main setup and synopsis for , Jeong Myeong-hwan set out to find someone who could truly bring depth to the story.
The production company responded to his plan by opening a public contest for story writers.
As a result, Jeong Myeong-hwan finally met a new writer known for their meticulous storytelling.
That writer was Sim Yeong-seon.
And after more than six months of work, they completed an outstanding scenario for .
“It was even tougher than I expected. There were several times I thought about giving up in the middle.”
But he didn’t give up, and Jeong Myeong-hwan ended up getting results faster than he’d imagined.
Seon Min-gi, who had always refused casting offers, replied that he wanted to join the project.
Many people misunderstood Jeong Myeong-hwan as someone who only reused the same actors.
But it wasn’t by choice.
In truth, for several years, Jeong Myeong-hwan had wanted to work with more widely popular actors.
“If I could just ride on an actor’s popularity, I could draw in more viewers.”
However, because Jeong Myeong-hwan’s works required actors to shoot their own action scenes, top-tier actors were reluctant to join.
After all, they could choose other projects and get similar results without putting their bodies through such hardship.
Above all, another reason Jeong Myeong-hwan’s projects were frequently turned down was that they weren’t prestigious enough for top-tier actors to want to add them to their filmography.
And so, the news of Seon Min-gi’s joining reached him.
Upon hearing this, Jeong Myeong-hwan was elated.
He couldn’t help but feel that way.
He knew well that when Seon Min-gi chose a project, he placed the most importance on the depth of the story.
Moreover, Seon Min-gi had recently reached the peak of his popularity with .
The mere news that Seon Min-gi had chosen as his next project stirred an enormous response—proof in itself.
An actor you could never let slip away.
To Jeong Myeong-hwan, Seon Min-gi was just such an existence.
That’s why, when Jeong Myeong-hwan first received Seon Min-gi’s suggestion to cast Kang Tae-ha, he couldn’t immediately answer with a “yes.”
He didn’t want to offend Seon Min-gi, whom he had worked so hard to cast.
What’s more, Seon Min-gi hadn’t yet signed the appearance contract due to fee negotiations.
In other words, it wouldn’t have been strange if he suddenly left for another project at any time.
So Jeong Myeong-hwan had no choice but to be careful, and so he thought:
“How should I politely decline?”
As he carefully searched for the right words, Jeong Myeong-hwan cautiously opened his mouth.
“Kang Tae-ha… he’s certainly a good actor. He’s got a great face, his acting is outstanding. But don’t you think he’s a bit weak for this role?”
No sooner had Jeong Myeong-hwan finished than Seon Min-gi shook his head.
“No. On the contrary, I think he’s perfect for this role. Ian, who grew up as a killing machine after drifting at the bottom since he was five, must show both innocence and brutality at the same time.”
“Innocence, sure. But I didn’t mean he had to be young.”
“I know what you’re worried about. But I won’t just act childish for the sake of it. The Kang Tae-ha I know is an actor who can create narrative and give credibility with just a look.”
Unexpected high praise.
Because such praise came directly from Seon Min-gi, Jeong Myeong-hwan had no choice but to back down.
It was too burdensome to reject a recommendation for an actor who was being evaluated so highly right in front of him.
“Okay. Then let me think about it for a few days and I’ll get back to you with an answer to your suggestion.”
“Sounds good.”
When Jeong Myeong-hwan returned home, he called Sim Yeong-seon, the co-writer of .
– Kang Tae-ha? I think he’s great!
Jeong Myeong-hwan frowned at Sim Yeong-seon’s unexpected reaction.
“Doesn’t he seem too delicate?”
– That’s why I like him even more. With the Big & Stall vibe, his chemistry with Soldier will shine even more.
“That’s true, but… the image just doesn’t suit action scenes at all.”
– Come on. That’s not true. He handled the action scenes pretty well in .
“If someone else does all your stunts, does that count as action?”
– He can just learn to do it himself now. Besides, the chemistry with Seon Min-gi is guaranteed.
Every word made sense.
But Jeong Myeong-hwan, stubborn as he was, just couldn’t accept it.
“Ah, whatever. I just don’t like it. He doesn’t sit right with me. So don’t argue with me anymore.”
– …Okay. Understood.
Jeong Myeong-hwan, who had lost his temper and abruptly hung up, sat fuming for a while.
But soon, he regained his composure and, with a nonchalant expression, turned on 7\/.
Then, he started watching again, focusing on Lee Jae-hyun.
He’d already watched the series once while evaluating Seon Min-gi, so it wasn’t difficult to focus on Lee Jae-hyun this time.
After watching all the way through to episode 13, where Lee Jae-hyun officially exits, Jeong Myeong-hwan couldn’t help but change his mind.
“He acted that well? Damn, I can’t afford to let this one slip!”
That was how Tae-ha ended up being cast in .
In order to secure Seon Min-gi’s participation, Jeong Myeong-hwan effectively gave up casting the other lead for the two-top protagonist role.
But with Dan Weber now extending a casting offer to Seon Min-gi, that concession had become meaningless.
Of course, it wasn’t as if Seon Min-gi had left for Hollywood without seeking Jeong Myeong-hwan’s understanding.
He’d asked for understanding, and even apologized.
Still, Jeong Myeong-hwan couldn’t help but feel complicated inside.
After all, he had just lost an irreplaceable actor.
“Who can I cast to fill Seon Min-gi’s spot? No, is that even possible?”
He felt no certainty.
There was a reason Jeong Myeong-hwan had never worked with a top-tier actor until now.
Top-tier actors were, by nature, extremely rare and picky about their projects.
Thus, Jeong Myeong-hwan naturally arrived at his next option.
To cast one of the actors he’d already worked with several times as one of the two-top leads in .
If he did this, people would again accuse him of reusing the same actors, but there was no other way.
But even this plan had a problem.
None of the actors he’d cast before matched with Kang Tae-ha’s image at all.
“If I’d known this would happen, I’d have refused Kang Tae-ha too… Now, with the casting already decided, my options are so limited!”
It was when Jeong Myeong-hwan’s frustration peaked that a call came in from Tae-ha.
– Director. For Min-gi’s spot… what about casting Lee Seok-hyun?
At that moment,
The actor who had briefly become a burden instantly transformed into a savior.
***
After Lee Seok-hyun joined the cast, the entire staff of , who had been swaying like a candle in the wind, finally regained their stability.
Although the shooting schedule was pushed back a month so Lee Seok-hyun could learn new stunt skills, everyone felt more relieved than worried.
Lee Seok-hyun was more than capable of filling Seon Min-gi’s shoes.
Tae-ha felt the same way.
He was relieved to have Lee Seok-hyun on board.
But at the same time, he was a little surprised.
He hadn’t expected Lee Seok-hyun to so readily accept a supporting role offer in .
“Why is that? Did he get much closer with Kang So-jung than I thought?”
Tae-ha could only assume that Kang So-jung, as a friend, had persuaded Lee Seok-hyun.
He had no idea that the reason Lee Seok-hyun chose was because of him.
So,
“You’re Tae-ha, right? Really nice to meet you! I’m Lee Seok-hyun!”
He had no idea why Lee Seok-hyun was so friendly from their very first meeting.
Of course, that didn’t mean Tae-ha was at all flustered.
“Ah! Of course! Who in the Republic of Korea doesn’t know Lee Seok-hyun? It’s truly an honor to meet you, sunbae-nim.”
Instead, he greeted him warmly.
It was only natural for Tae-ha.
He already knew that Lee Seok-hyun was a naturally sociable person.
Even back in the Ho-jun days.
“Back then, when we first met, he went crazy asking for my autograph just after reading the Script, saying he’d become my fan—even though he knew full well I was a rookie writer.”
That was one of the reasons Tae-ha liked Lee Seok-hyun, even though others called him a Dopamine Addict.
Lee Seok-hyun was not the type to be caught up in prejudice, deny reality, or look down on others.
Of course, being human, he wasn’t completely without such flaws, but at least he was honest about his feelings.
As Tae-ha responded with just as much enthusiasm, Lee Seok-hyun bowed his head slightly and said,
“Just call me hyung. ‘Sunbae-nim’ sounds too formal.”
“Okay. Then I’ll call you hyung, Seok-hyun-hyung.”
“Great, great. By the way, what are you doing after Action School today? Want to have lunch with me? Basketball at the arcade, shooting, darts—take your pick. Let’s have a lunch bet to commemorate our first meeting!”
He really was a Dopamine Addict, already proposing a lunch bet.
Tae-ha gave Lee Seok-hyun a bright smile in response.
“Sure. I’m fine with anything, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to do that today.”
“Hm? Why not?”
Lee Seok-hyun asked in confusion.
“Alright, let’s start practice for today!”
Gyeong Min-cheol appeared at the Action School practice hall, and a moment later, Lee Seok-hyun understood why Tae-ha had said that.
“Cough! Huff! I can’t do this anymore! I’m going to die!”
“You’re not going to die! Get up!”
As always, Gyeong Min-cheol started Lee Seok-hyun’s first day with a fitness test.
Three straight hours of relentless, high-intensity exercise.
Lee Seok-hyun couldn’t even last a full hour.
The surprising thing was—
“You… how…?”
Tae-ha was handling the same workout with ease.
Gyeong Min-cheol gave Tae-ha a satisfied pat on the back.
“As expected from our Kang! The future of action in the Republic of Korea!”
But when he turned back to Lee Seok-hyun, Gyeong Min-cheol’s expression became stern.
“This actor is going to get up! Are you going to give up like this?”
For some reason, Lee Seok-hyun felt like he was back in basic training, facing a drill sergeant.
***
Meanwhile,
Some unexpected good news reached Tae-ha’s fans.
It was…
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