Chapter 60 : Shadows of Similarity

“Kind of resembles him?”

At the team leader’s words, Park Jaehoon jumped and glanced at Hyunjae standing beside him. 

Hyunjae smiled as if he knew something.

“Do we… look alike?”

The team leader had seen countless actors, so there was some weight to his words. 

“Yeah — maybe because he played your younger self? His mannerisms are strangely similar.”

A chill crawled up Jaehoon’s arm when he heard that. 

He’d hinted before that Hyunjae reminded him of Jaehyun, but habits ingrained in the body don’t vanish overnight, so he hadn’t allowed himself to hope. 

Still — to not only erase Jaehyun so quickly but to start imitating me too? 

Was that even possible?

“I thought it was just me noticing that.”

“Right? Their gestures are almost the same.”

Other staff nearby nodded in agreement with the team leader.

“Good thing. If he looks nothing like Jaehoon in the younger-role, that’d be weird.”

“Haha, someone might say it’s on purpose… wait — are you copying Jaehoon on purpose, by any chance?”

The team leader’s eyes widened and he stared at Hyunjae, who only smiled in return.

When is his shoot?

Jaehoon ran Hyunjae’s filming date through his head.

***

Hyunjae’s shoot for “The Forest Painted by Clouds” took place in the dim hours before dawn.

“How’s your condition today?”

“I’m great!”

Director Seongho checked on Hyunjae, who bounced lightly to show he was ready and eager.

“Let’s run a light rehearsal first.”

Seongho had cast him because he’d been struck by Hyunjae’s eyes. 

Yet every other day, the stunt team sent revised action plans — the sequence would change, then change again — and Jaehoon couldn’t help wondering what was so special about him.

How good could he be to cause all this fuss?

He’d been waiting impatiently for the shoot day since a week ago.

“Hyunjae, you ready?”

“Yes.”

Hyunjae and the action performer opposite him took their places center set and ran the choreography smoothly, and the crew on site stopped mid-task to watch.

“Wow…”

“This is insane.”

Seongho thought the same thing without saying it aloud.

The action in the new rehearsal was far higher quality than the snippets they’d been sent — he quickly shut his mouth before it gaped open. 

He’d planned to spice up a bare-handed fight scene with direction and editing because it could get dull; this, however, was way beyond his expectations.

“Okay like that?”

“Nice.”

Seongho had no other words.

“Once you’re ready, let’s shoot.”

“Hyunjae, wait a sec.”

“Yes~”

The stylist called Hyunjae over to fix the hair ruffled during the action, and unlike the terrifying presence he’d shown moments ago, Hyunjae trotted to the stylist like a little dog, tail invisible but enthusiasm very visible.

If Seongho couldn’t capture this properly, he was going to quit directing. 

The thrill in his chest roared; preparations finished, cameras were about to roll — and then Park Jaehoon showed up.

“What are you doing here?”

It was his rare day off, but Jaehoon had come to the set in casual clothes.

“Just came to watch.”

“Hyung!”

Hyunjae, prepping for the shoot, waved at Jaehoon, who lifted his hand in return.

“You didn’t see his rehearsal earlier, did you?”

“We already met at Action School.”

Jaehoon nodded as if he already knew what Seongho might say.

“You should be nervous, you know?”

It was teasing, but Jaehoon could tell there was a kernel of truth in it: if the child actor’s action was this good, Jaehoon needed to be even better.

“I’m practicing hard.”

“Just kidding. This is going to be fun after a long time.”

Seongho smiled as he spoke. 

His favorite kind of action was hand-to-hand combat; he had fallen into film because of childhood kung fu movies, so this kind of excitement was his lifeblood.

“Ready.”

“Okay — roll.”

“Don’t get hurt.”

“Yes.”

With Seongho’s admonition, filming began and Hyunjae’s eyes changed instantly.

The old house’s darkened living room: a man slumped on a sofa, a soju bottle at his side, watching TV while smoking. 

Hyunjae, his shaggy bangs concealing his eyes, stepped into frame.

The worn floor covering stuck to the soles of his feet with each step, the sound leaking between the TV lines.

An indescribable tension fell over everyone; they swallowed nervously.

“What the—”

The co-actor glanced up, annoyed, when Hyunjae came close. 

Then, through the parted bangs, their eyes met — blank, unblinking pupils.

“What the hell is this kid doing, glaring like that…”

The actor stubbed out his cigarette on the floor and reached for the soju bottle nearby, but Hyunjae’s hand closed on his collar faster.

“What are you doing— ugh!”

“You can kill him.”

“What—?!”

Hyunjae watched the struggling man’s face with a joy like a predator about to devour prey, as if savoring a long-awaited meal.

“I’ve been waiting for this day.”

“You crazy—”

Feeling his life threatened, the actor scrambled, grabbed the soju bottle, and without hesitation smashed it down on Hyunjae’s head. 

Glass cracked with a sharp clink. 

Hyunjae released his grip and put his hand to the top of his head where the bottle had struck.

“Ah.”

A normal person would have screamed and fallen, but he didn’t change expression despite blood running down his head.

“Psycho.”

Free from Hyunjae’s grip, the actor realized how close he’d come to disaster and felt a surge of panic.

“I should have killed him back then.”

Cut!

The moment the co-actor finished his line and it was time to switch to the stunt double, Seongho called, “Cut!”

“Are you okay?”

At the sound of the cut, Hyunjae checked on the co-actor. 

The actor, brushing off his clothes, forced a laugh.

“Ah~ you startled me. I’m fine.”

Though he had underestimated the rookie at first, he now tried to appear relaxed, hiding the fact that he had struggled not to get ‘devoured’ by Hyunjae.

“And you, Hyunjae, are you okay?”

“I’m fine too. Director, how did it look?”

Even if the soju bottle had been made of sugar, it still couldn’t have been painless, yet Hyunjae’s curiosity was more about how the camera captured him than how he felt.

“Come see.”

Seongho’s satisfied smile hinted that the take had turned out well, but Hyunjae went to the monitor to check it for himself.

“Hyung, don’t I look too bland?”

“No, you look perfect.”

Jaehoon noticed a dark aura flowing around Hyunjae despite the scene being shot in almost complete darkness, relying solely on the TV’s glow. 

Had he not seen the footage in real time, he might have suspected post-production effects were added.

What is this kid?

One word came to Jaehoon’s mind.

Genius.

There was no other way to describe Hyunjae.

“Let’s do a few more takes like this.”

“Yes!”

Hyunjae answered brightly, so different from the person he had been acting just moments ago that Jaehoon almost doubted they were the same. 

Usually, such intense scenes pulled actors into the emotions, darkening their expressions — not him.

A few more takes were filmed from different angles, and then the real action scene began.

“Alright, let’s start.”

This time, he was paired with the Action School team leader. 

The moves were difficult, requiring them to sync repeatedly. 

Jaehoon watched tensely.

“Ready~ Action!”

At the shout, Hyunjae grabbed the team leader by the neck with one hand and slammed him to the floor.

“Ugh!”

A groan escaped naturally, and Hyunjae smiled, one corner of his mouth lifted. 

His eyes shone with exhilaration — he was reveling in his opponent’s pain.

Crazy.

Though it was acting, the difference from what Jaehoon expected was staggering. 

The team leader struggled to break free, punching Hyunjae in the face, but Hyunjae barely flinched.

The team leader pushed Hyunjae’s shoulder back and swung a nearby chair at him. 

It shattered, but Hyunjae only laughed.

“Hahaha…”

The team leader lunged again, and the two began a full-on grapple. 

Since it was their first time in such a scene, there were many wild swings and clumsy hits, but that made the fight all the more thrilling.

“Hah… hah…”

The middle-aged team leader looked exhausted, yet Hyunjae remained as composed as ever.

The chaotic, back-and-forth fight ended when the team leader finally froze mid-movement.

“Cut! That was great.”

“Wow~ that was amazing.”

“How long did you two practice this?”

Applause echoed as the action wrapped.

“Thanks, Team Leader. Are you okay?”

Hyunjae extended his hand, helping the fallen team leader to his feet.

“I thought I was going to die.”

“I didn’t miss a single move, did I?”

“Your gaze… I really thought you were going to kill me.”

“Hehe~ just kidding.”

While Hyunjae bantered with the team leader, Seongho looked at Jaehoon, still glued to the monitor, and gave him a grateful nod.

“Thanks. This is going to turn out perfectly.”

Jaehoon felt pride, even a little fear, watching Hyunjae deliver not 100%, but 200% of what he had envisioned.

If this continued… maybe a national-level actor was emerging before their eyes.

In just a short time, Hyunjae had completely erased Jaehoon’s image and replaced it with his own. What would come next? 

No one could tell.

***

The shoot, originally scheduled for three days, extended to a week, adding lines and new scenes. 

Essentially, they had put more focus on the child actor’s narrative.

“Hah… hah…”

Bloodied and bruised, now knowing exactly how to wield a sword, the protagonist could finally leave the set.

“You did well~”

“Thank you, everyone!”

The special appearance shoot was finally over.

“Hyunjae, good job today.”

“Not at all. It was fun.”

Though his body ached, he smiled anyway. 

No matter how skilled or agile, continuous impacts and hits left no room for comfort.

“And you know not to tell anyone about this, right?”

“Of course.”

Seongho reminded him once more to keep the cameo secret before everyone finally headed home.

“Ugh~ Hyung, I feel like I’m going to die.”

His back ached from the wall, shoulders throbbing, muscles screaming in protest.

“You did well.”

“I’ll have to rest all day tomorrow.”

He resolved to curl up under blankets and do nothing.

“Oh no…”

“Huh? Why?”

“I have a schedule tomorrow.”

“A schedule? What kind of schedule?”

“A variety show.”

A variety show? Me?