Lee Seok-hyeon watched Tae-ha’s acting with his own eyes and thought.
“Amazing. To think it’s at this level.”
He knew Tae-ha was good.
After all, it was his excitement for Tae-ha’s performance that made him join in the first place, so it was only natural.
But seeing it in person was different.
Tae-ha’s acting exceeded all expectations.
Just watching him made Lee Seok-hyeon’s body heat up, and he felt a fierce longing to stand before the camera as soon as possible.
But…
Working together in real time only made that feeling stronger.
And surprisingly, his own acting seemed to flow much better than usual.
It was a feeling he hadn’t been able to savor since reaching a certain level.
“When was the last time I felt like this? Was it during ?”
Especially the sensation of being utterly immersed in a role was very similar.
It wasn’t really happening, but his body felt as if it was burning up.
So, Lee Seok-hyeon became one with So Jeowa and acted perfectly in sync.
And after acting like that, the level of dopamine he felt was beyond imagination.
The thrill was incomparable, even to the rush of betting on who would pay for a meal.
He was newly grateful to have joined .
Truly, it was the best decision he’d made in recent times. Not only was acting this enjoyable, but the work’s chances of success were incredibly high as well.
Lee Seok-hyeon was now sincerely confident of ’s success.
His chemistry with Tae-ha, the core of this two-lead film, was flawless.
Even Jeong Myeong-hwan, whom he’d considered the biggest variable for this project’s success, was doing an excellent job managing the set.
But maybe he’d gotten too relaxed.
“…Why is this happening?”
After the action scenes started filming in earnest, Jeong Myeong-hwan began acting strange.
He gradually cut more and more lines, and eventually went so far as to remove entire scenes.
And all of those were parts that played an important role in the story.
But he cut them all, supposedly to strengthen the action scenes.
The implication was obvious.
Jeong Myeong-hwan was making a mistake.
The same mistake as before.
“This can’t go on…”
In the end, these thoughts floated through Lee Seok-hyeon’s mind.
And he was sure of it.
The reason was simple.
He could tell that Tae-ha, whom he’d been watching all along since the shoot began, was thinking the same thing as he was.
Tae-ha’s expression was growing darker and darker, and it was impossible not to notice.
During a lunch break in the middle of filming, Tae-ha even subtly brought it up.
“Hyung, what do you think?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know… about all the lines and scenes that keep getting cut.”
***
“Ah, never mind. I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sure the director has his own reasons.”
Tae-ha didn’t finish his thought, but it was obvious he was dissatisfied with Jeong Myeong-hwan’s decisions.
“And since things are like this, I guess I’ll have to step up.”
Tae-ha still hadn’t quite shaken off the rookie label as an Actor.
But for Tae-ha to take the lead…
It didn’t make sense.
Even if he tried, it would be a problem.
Tae-ha was still young and inexperienced, and it would be difficult for him to go up against someone as seasoned and stubborn as Jeong Myeong-hwan and achieve a good outcome.
In the end, for things to change, Jeong Myeong-hwan had to change his mind—but instead, he might just get angry.
“And the chances of that aren’t low. Like many people who’ve made it to the ranks of the masters, Jeong Myeong-hwan is a stubborn Director.”
So, if anyone was going to handle this well, it had to be him.
No matter how much of a stickler Jeong Myeong-hwan was, he couldn’t just ignore the words of a top Actor like himself.
And besides, Lee Seok-hyeon wasn’t just any top Actor who’d joined .
He’d entered as a ‘Savior Pitcher’ to rescue at a critical time.
Just as Lee Seok-hyeon was deciding to speak up, he saw Tae-ha biting his lips, barely holding himself back from saying something.
So Lee Seok-hyeon quickly moved first.
“Director. I don’t think this is right.”
A cold silence fell over the set.
But Lee Seok-hyeon wasn’t bothered by the atmosphere.
He knew that sugarcoating things wouldn’t get through to Jeong Myeong-hwan anyway.
Rather, it was better to be clear—even if the mood soured.
“That’s right.”
With that thought, Lee Seok-hyeon glanced at Tae-ha.
Tae-ha gave a small, affirmative nod, as if to signal that Lee Seok-hyeon’s move was correct.
While the two exchanged glances, Jeong Myeong-hwan couldn’t hide his displeasure and asked sharply,
“What do you mean, Seok-hyeon?”
***
Indeed, Jeong Myeong-hwan had every reason to be upset.
He couldn’t help but feel that Lee Seok-hyeon was ruining the well-controlled atmosphere on set.
And this was every film Director’s worst nightmare.
If control slipped, a set already full of variables could descend into chaos.
This was especially true on the set of an action film, notorious for its many accidents.
People could actually get hurt, so it was only natural to be sensitive.
That’s why Jeong Myeong-hwan had no intention of letting this go.
No matter how grateful he was to Lee Seok-hyeon, this had crossed the line.
Moreover, Jeong Myeong-hwan couldn’t help but feel a sting to his pride after Seon Min-gi gave up to pursue Hollywood.
That wound only fueled Jeong Myeong-hwan’s sense of inferiority.
“I can’t let another top Actor push me around. If I back down here, never mind the Capital, my film will lose its identity.”
So, Jeong Myeong-hwan resolved to take back control from Lee Seok-hyeon.
At the same time, he began to worry about the worst-case scenario—growing conflict, or another lead Actor change.
While Jeong Myeong-hwan was organizing his thoughts, Lee Seok-hyeon answered calmly,
“Because of the emphasis on action scenes, lines and entire scenes keep getting cut. I think that’s a problem.”
At that moment, Jeong Myeong-hwan realized what Lee Seok-hyeon was getting at.
In fact, Jeong Myeong-hwan had already wondered whether cutting lines and scenes in favor of action might cause problems.
But even so, he felt he couldn’t back down now.
If he did, he’d surely lose control.
Above all, Jeong Myeong-hwan didn’t believe that the lines and scenes he’d cut so far would cause major problems for the story.
He thought he’d made these decisions after sufficient deliberation.
“And why is that a problem? I don’t think cutting those parts will hurt the Story.”
Jeong Myeong-hwan’s reasoning was simple.
Even after these cuts, this was still the most story-rich of all his works.
So, he judged that this time, unlike in the past, the Story wouldn’t be criticized for being thin.
But Lee Seok-hyeon thought differently.
“I understand why you think it’s okay, Director. Certainly, the Story now feels solid, no matter how much you cut.”
“Yes, exactly. That’s what I mean.”
“But that’s only true compared to your other works. If you compare to other films, these missing lines and scenes might be criticized for making the Story weak.”
“I think already, about half the audience won’t understand why So Jeowa chose to become a Killer.”
As the conversation reached this point, even Jeong Myeong-hwan began to waver.
He started to think maybe Lee Seok-hyeon was right, and the Story had indeed grown weak.
But it was awkward to back down now.
He still wasn’t sure if Lee Seok-hyeon was right, and by now, the argument had become a matter of pride.
While Jeong Myeong-hwan was wrestling with this dilemma, someone suddenly jumped into the conversation.
“Hm… Isn’t the Story fine as it is?”
Both Lee Seok-hyeon and Jeong Myeong-hwan naturally turned to see who spoke.
And the person who’d raised their voice—
It was, surprisingly, Tae-ha.
As soon as this fact became clear, the emotions of Lee Seok-hyeon and Jeong Myeong-hwan diverged.
First, Jeong Myeong-hwan was delighted to have found an unexpected ally.
He hadn’t expected support at all.
Tae-ha was also an Actor and had personally recommended Lee Seok-hyeon, after all.
In Jeong Myeong-hwan’s mind, Tae-ha should obviously side with Lee Seok-hyeon.
But instead, he supported Jeong Myeong-hwan’s argument.
He couldn’t help but be overjoyed at this unexpected support.
He was moved without even realizing it.
On the other hand, Lee Seok-hyeon was shocked to hear Tae-ha’s words.
He’d believed Tae-ha thought the same as he did—he couldn’t believe this.
He’d even stepped up, in part, to protect Tae-ha.
And now, to be betrayed like this?
Unable to contain his sense of injustice, Lee Seok-hyeon wore a miserable expression.
***
Of course, Tae-ha wanted to support Lee Seok-hyeon as well.
But listening to the two talk, he realized that wouldn’t do.
He didn’t think Jeong Myeong-hwan would be convinced just by that.
“Good thing I let Lee Seok-hyeon step up.”
Originally, like Lee Seok-hyeon had thought, Tae-ha was going to step forward himself.
But from experience, he knew that doing so would only earn Jeong Myeong-hwan’s resentment.
“If I’m not careful, I’ll just be the nail that gets hammered down.”
So Tae-ha set things up so that Lee Seok-hyeon would take the initiative.
Pretending to be troubled and dropping hints at lunch was all part of his plan.
Luckily, Lee Seok-hyeon wasn’t totally oblivious, and played along as Tae-ha had hoped.
And he thought the situation would resolve smoothly from here.
After all, even Jeong Myeong-hwan would have a hard time ignoring the words of Savior Pitcher Lee Seok-hyeon.
But,
“Jeong Myeong-hwan’s stubbornness is stronger than I thought. At this rate, the two of them will keep fighting until one breaks.”
With that in mind, Tae-ha quickly thought up the next move.
That’s why he sided with Jeong Myeong-hwan now.
If he’d sided with Lee Seok-hyeon here, proud Jeong Myeong-hwan might have flipped the table entirely.
“I’m sorry, hyung.”
Tae-ha apologized to Lee Seok-hyeon in his heart as he continued.
“But on second thought, I think Seok-hyeon hyung might be right too…”
“Hm?”
“Seriously, whose side are you on?”
As Jeong Myeong-hwan grumbled, Tae-ha flashed a mischievous smile and answered.
“Who’s on anyone’s side? I really don’t know. That’s why I’m saying—how about we do this instead?”
And with that, Tae-ha laid out his idea.
A moment later, Lee Seok-hyeon and Jeong Myeong-hwan nodded and took turns speaking.
“Tae-ha’s suggestion seems reasonable. It looks like even the others are unsure which way is better.”
“It’ll take more effort and not a small amount of extra budget, but what else can we do? All right, let’s settle it that way. But no complaining afterward, understood?”
Tae-ha’s proposal.
It was a kind of ‘bet’—something dopamine junkie Lee Seok-hyeon loved.