Unless they had gone through an audition, meetings between actors and writers typically did not happen right away.
Depending on the circumstances, it was usually only after the director and broadcasting channel were decided, and the casting for the primary and secondary roles was completed, that the main production team would have their first meeting at a gathering known as a formal meet-and-greet.
After that, an official event called the first script reading would take place.
The reason Tae-ha had met Han Yun-seong early during *Virus* was that the two were already close friends. During *Your Brilliant Sparkle*, he had met Im Kyung-ho in advance to communicate because he was both an actor and a writer. Even then, the first time he had met Im Kyung-ho, Shin So-hee, Han Woo-ri, and Kim Se-mi all in one place was at the formal meet-and-greet.
For those reasons, Tae-ha had been unable to meet Lee Hyun-seung and Park Hee-jeong before the meet-and-greet for this project. It was only after ITBC was confirmed as the channel, Shin Seong-jin was chosen as the director, and Han Seul-gi was cast as the female lead that they could finally meet face-to-face.
Arriving at the meet-and-greet ten minutes early, Tae-ha bowed his head naturally. The venue for today’s meeting was the office building of Salamander Studio.
“Hello. My name is actor Kang Tae-ha. I look forward to working with you.”
By now, it wasn’t awkward to meet familiar faces and greet them as if it were the first time. Since it had been a long time since he began calling Kang So-jeong “nuna” and Lee Seok-hyun “형,” it was only natural.
Of course, that didn’t mean the joy of seeing Lee Hyun-seung and Park Hee-jeong again had vanished.
“Hello, Kang Tae-ha. I’m Writer Lee Hyun-seung.”
“I am Park Hee-jeong.”
Lee Hyun-seung and Park Hee-jeong, who were already seated, accepted his greeting. Looking at the two of them, a hint of nostalgia sparkled in Tae-ha’s eyes.
He wanted to ask so many things: how they had been, if they were doing well, how the preparation for the work was going, and if it had been difficult. However, he suppressed those urges and simply offered a bright smile.
Afterward, he exchanged greetings with Shin Seong-jin and Han Seul-gi.
Although he had arrived ten minutes early, it seemed Tae-ha was the last one to arrive. The production PD, Kim Seo-an, and the other actors were already present.
However, the atmosphere of the gathering was strangely poor. Tae-ha grasped this fact instantly. It wasn’t just a simple mood issue.
‘They are suspicious of each other. Where did this doubt start?’
He was able to read that much very quickly. While Tae-ha was thinking, Kim Seo-an took the lead to loosen the tension.
“Now that Actor Kang is here, let’s officially begin the meet-and-greet. We won’t do individual introductions here since we’ll do those during the full reading. Today, we’ll just have a short time to match the tone before the full reading and ask each other any questions. We’ll talk for about an hour and then move to a reserved restaurant for dinner. Is everyone okay with Chinese food?”
“Yes, that sounds great!”
Director Shin Seong-jin spoke up loudly to lighten the mood, and Tae-ha chimed in.
“I like it too!”
Natural laughter broke out at that, and Kim Seo-an spoke with a satisfied expression.
“That’s good to hear. Then, let’s start the reading comfortably while enjoying the snacks and drinks provided. Director, please take over.”
Following Kim Seo-an’s lead, Shin Seong-jin cleared his throat and began to speak.
“Yes. Today, we’ll just read a few scenes briefly. Shall we start with Scene 3 of Act One?”
Scene 3 of Act One was a scene that briefly showed what kind of place Model High School was. It depicted how the powerful students at Model High bullied those who were not.
Consequently, there was no part for Tae-ha to play in this scene. Tae-ha’s character first appeared in Scene 12 of Act One and didn’t have his first line until Scene 30. This meant he would only start playing an active role toward the later half of the act.
Instead, the beginning of Act One featured more scenes of Kim Eun-ha, the female lead of *Fight School*, played by Han Seul-gi. To be precise, Kim Eun-ha was a character who suffered while being pushed around by the students. She was in a position where she couldn’t take any action even as school violence was being committed.
In fact, she was even scolded by the principal for failing to hold back and trying to stop the violence.
“Then, are you saying it doesn’t matter to you as an educator that innocent students are being bullied, Principal?”
“Innocent? Who said they’re innocent? Is being poor, having no connections, and being bad at studying truly ‘innocent’ in this society? Are they completely without sin?”
“If anything, I am the one giving the students a lesson as an educator. The world is not merciful to kids like you. If you want to survive, you have to be good at something. Otherwise… you’re the ones who will suffer.”
“Principal.”
“Yes. I am the principal. I am the principal of this school. So, don’t you dare try to advise me on my educational policies. Just follow my words. Do you understand, Ms. Kim?”
Model High School was a place where those with money, power, and good grades could bully and exercise violence against others without facing any sanctions. The conflict intensified as Act One progressed.
The story eventually reached a point where the two major factions dividing Model High were on the verge of a confrontation.
“Let’s end this today. You son of a bitch.”
“Will you be okay? You’re terrible at fighting.”
At that moment, Tae-ha delivered his line in the persona of Lee In-woo. Originally, there was a scene where he slowly walked between the two students after this.
“That’s enough.”
Tae-ha intentionally paused for a moment so the scene could be imagined, and then he warned the students. He continued his lines.
“My name is Lee In-woo, the teacher assigned to this school starting today. And I’m warning you, back off while I’m still being nice. I’m a teacher who isn’t afraid to hit students, too.”
After Tae-ha’s acting ended, a heavy silence descended upon the room.
***
‘What was that?’
This thought flashed through Lee Hyun-seung’s mind as he witnessed Tae-ha’s acting.
He had been surprised when he first saw Tae-ha’s face earlier. Tae-ha was much more handsome than Hyun-seung had imagined, and his face was full of friendliness. But if one were to ask if his charisma as a male lead was weak, that wasn’t the case either.
Rather, an odd amount of charisma could be felt amidst that friendliness. And that was precisely —
‘It’s the same feeling I had when I met Ho-jun in the past. Their faces are completely different, so how can he give off this kind of vibe?’
Lee Hyun-seung wasn’t the only one who felt this. Park Hee-jeong seemed to have felt the same way, as she sent him a message on her phone.
[About Actor Kang.]
[Why do I get the feeling of Writer Ho-jun now that I’ve seen him in person? Is it just my imagination?]
Lee Hyun-seung replied that he felt the same way.
But that was as far as it went. Naturally, the thought didn’t expand beyond that. He just found it fascinating that Tae-ha, who was much younger, gave off a similar vibe to Ho-jun. Even the way he sociably broke the awkward atmosphere was similar, but he dismissed that as a coincidence as well.
With the script reading officially underway under Shin Seong-jin’s leadership, Lee Hyun-seung and Park Hee-jeong set aside their impressions of Tae-ha and focused on the reading. It was a crucial opportunity to see the capabilities of the main actors with their own eyes.
And then.
‘It’s not bad.’
Lee Hyun-seung inwardly gave a positive evaluation. The acting of the cast was generally better than he had feared. In particular, Han Seul-gi’s acting, which he had been most worried about, was better than expected. She suited the role of Kim Eun-ha more than he thought.
Of course, if asked if she was perfectly to his liking, the answer was no. Han Seul-gi’s expressions while playing Kim Eun-ha were still a bit awkward. Even considering it was their first meeting, it was inevitable to feel a sense of regret.
‘Is it a relief that there seems to be room for improvement? Ah, I don’t know.’
As he thought this, Lee Hyun-seung’s gaze naturally drifted toward Shin Seong-jin. In truth, among the people gathered today, Shin Seong-jin was the one causing Lee Hyun-seung the most worry.
It was because he didn’t know if Shin Seong-jin could satisfactorily direct *Fight School*. *Fight School* dealt with a fictional school called Model High with added fantasy elements. Its purpose was to satirically point out the various sides of society in an exaggerated manner, providing fun and eliciting empathy from the viewers.
For that reason, the director’s skill was incredibly important. If handled poorly, everything in *Fight School* could end up looking childish. Moreover, since most of the actors cast in *Fight School* were only showing slightly above-average acting skills, the director’s role was even greater.
‘But to think the director for this project is someone making their debut…’
Doubts couldn’t help but continue to bloom in Lee Hyun-seung’s heart. This was why he still felt uneasy even after seeing that the actors’ performances were better than expected.
However, the moment Tae-ha finally delivered his lines in Scene 30 of Act One…
“Wow.”
The flowers of doubt that had been in full bloom in Lee Hyun-seung’s heart all withered away. It wasn’t just that the flowers of doubt withered. The moment Tae-ha started the reading, an incredible heat surged through the room, lifting the atmosphere.
That heat burned away all the flowers of doubt. The intensity was so great that Lee Hyun-seung couldn’t help but think of Ho-jun’s name once more. Ho-jun, too, had been someone who could create such an atmosphere on set.
At the same time, he remembered something Ho-jun had said.
‘In a drama set where collaborative work is happening, no one has absolute certainty. Everyone takes a step back and watches with suspicious eyes to avoid responsibility in case the drama fails.’
‘That’s why at least one person is needed to instill confidence in others. And the one who must play that role isn’t anyone else — it’s the writer. The writer who first gave birth to and introduced this drama to the world.’
However, he and Park Hee-jeong had failed to do that. Instead of instilling confidence, they had spread doubt. He felt ashamed of this fact and was also grateful to Tae-ha. If it hadn’t been for Tae-ha, he might not have realized his mistake until the end. He wouldn’t have been able to instill confidence in everyone like this.
In the end, Tae-ha had done the work that they should have done. Because of that, Lee Hyun-seung couldn’t help but feel thankful toward Tae-ha. Even Park Hee-jeong seemed to be of the same mind, unable to hide her shame and admiration.
Tae-ha continued the script reading through Act Two, and everyone in the room had a remarkable experience. The acting of the other actors, which had been only slightly above average, suddenly improved in an instant. Even Han Seul-gi’s expression, which had been the biggest concern, had perfectly transformed into that of Kim Eun-ha.
It was the moment the atmosphere of the meet-and-greet, which had been filled with doubt, shifted toward conviction.
***
Some time later.
At the point when the entire reading had finished.
Tae-ha received an unexpected proposal from Lee Hyun-seung and Park Hee-jeong, who had been in close contact with him since the meet-and-greet.
“Wait, me?”
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