Chapter 38: Hanryang (4)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Park Dae-ri’s eyes, staring at Yu Ji-hyeong, were calm, like a morning lake shrouded with mist. They were still, without a tremor, and the temperature was ambiguous, lukewarm.

Yet, they were intense and dangerous.

Not aggressive, but enough to evoke fear. To dip a foot into those deep eyes was to feel oneself being sucked in endlessly. The more one floundered, the deeper and more endless it seemed.

Those eyes of Park Dae-ri changed the atmosphere in the interrogation room.

A hundred words were unnecessary. With just one look, devoid of any pretense, Park Dae-ri’s character became clear. At this, Yu Ji-hyeong or Ryu Jung-min, who was sitting across from him, nearly gasped involuntarily.

‘You are truly bottomless.’

There was even a sense of admiration for the monster sitting in front of him.

‘How can you show such a dense gaze in such a short time? Exactly… how long have you been honing and polishing yourself alone?’

Whether as a top actor or as Yu Ji-hyeong, the current Park Dae-ri was worth admiring. Whether he was an enemy or an actor to be challenged, he was amazing. And Ryu Jung-min understood it because his opponent was Kang Woojin. No, he had no choice but to understand.

That must be a power unique to Kang Woojin.

He had seen it during script reading too. The highly detailed acting that swallows everyone as the character itself, exceeding liveliness, as if he brought the character to life. A versatility that surpasses the method. Unfortunately, Ryu Jung-min didn’t have those things.

Therefore,

‘Focus and look straight into his eyes.’

Ryu Jung-min steeled his resolve. He was in the middle of a silent and soundless war. Now, he couldn’t back down, especially since, as Yu Ji-hyeong, it was the picture he had painted.

‘Go for it.’

Yu Ji-hyeong looked straight into the bizarre eyes of Park Dae-ri. ‘I don’t care about those hollow eyes of yours, so go ahead and get angrier.’

“Ah.”

Yu Ji-hyeong chuckled after uttering the short word.

“Sorry, this isn’t trivial talk. I made a mistake.”

“……”

His tone was somewhere between mockery and sincere apology, but Park Dae-ri did not react much. For the first time, he recognized Yu Ji-hyeong, sitting on the other side, as an enemy.

Yeah, you’re a bit better. I guess you’re not a puppet.

Park Dae-ri curled up his lips.

“No, talking about my sister who committed suicide. You’re right; it’s trivial.”

There was silence for about 10 seconds. Both Yu Ji-hyeong and Park Dae-ri just looked at each other. The silence was broken by PD Song Man-woo, who suddenly got up. He shouted loudly.

“Cut!! Okay!!”

Thanks to that, Kang Woojin was startled.

‘I was startled, I almost yelled out, “Mom.”‘

Fortunately, he was able to maintain his composure. Unaware of this, PD Song Man-woo exclaimed,

“Great, that was nice! You both killed it!”

After throwing his megaphone aside, he ran straight to the investigation room set.

“What the hell? Both of you were grinding your teeth from the first cut??!”

PD Song Man-woo enthusiastically gave thumbs up to both actors, his face alight with satisfaction. It was worth it. Even for a drama heavyweight, the scene just now was one of the best performances. It wasn’t a cut that the director could see often.

“Hahaha! This is why I can’t quit directing??!”

The same was true for the dozens of staff gathered on set.

“···Are they crazy, both of them?”

“I know, right. I thought I was going to suffocate to death.”

“Why is the acting level so high from the start of shooting?”

The directing team, shooting team, and others were busy covering their mouths or spitting out their shock. No one could believe the acting they just saw.

“Did you see Woojin’s last eye-acting? It really gave me goosebumps. If we do a close-up, I think the viewers will be terrified, right?”

“Jung-min also did great; both of them were having a psychological battle. Wow – the script’s feeling was captured so vividly.”

The staff’s excitement was understandable. It was the first scene on the first day of shooting, and the pain they had endured preparing seemed washed away by that one scene.

Why?

“If we feel this way watching it, what will the viewers think? They’ll be completely drawn in??”

It was the expectation of something extraordinary. The dozens of staff on set had been working solely for that result.

Meanwhile, the actors’ waiting area was also abuzz.

Ryu Jung-min’s team praised their actor and Kang Woojin. It was similar with Kang Woojin’s team. Of course, Choi Sung-gun was just standing with his arms folded, grinning.

‘Kang Woojin, he might become the top in the shortest time in history. I will shorten that time even more.’

The recently joined road manager Jang Su-hwan and stylist Han Ye-jung couldn’t shut their mouths.

“Wow! Insane! Woojin’s acting is really awesome?!! Amazing.”

“···Yes, that’s true. I’ve seen a fair share of top actors from Hye-yeon sis’s team, but this is the first time I’ve seen that level. Woojin is really good at acting.”

At this point, PD Song Man-woo in the set was hastily briefing the two actors. He wanted to maintain this emotion and tension.

“Let’s try it again the same way. Let’s kill the shot, but I’ll take a better shot. After that, let’s go solo cut of the same scene.”

In both dramas and films, scenes are filmed from various angles: two people talking together, then each character separately, and from a distance. The scene changes from a conversation to an individual, then back to a two-shot of a conversation.

This is to show the viewer the character’s expression to reduce boredom or increase tension.

Anyway, the shooting proceeded swiftly.

“Hi- Action!”

Ryu Jung-min’s solo shot.

“Cut! Okay! Now, Woojin!”

Kang Woojin’s solo shot.

Or from slightly above and behind the characters, etc. Thanks to PD Song Man-woo’s ambition, even cuts that were not in the storyboard were added. Of course, this would increase the quality.

‘Wow, they are shooting this much?’

For Kang Woojin, who was experiencing a large-scale drama for the first time. It was overwhelming.

“Am I going to die after this drama shoot?”

The shooting had just begun.

An hour later, inside the investigation room, Park Dae-ri and Yu Ji-hyeong faced each other. The corners of Park Dae-ri’s mouth were raised, but he was not happy. He was staring at Yu Ji-hyeong with his eyes, but he was not only looking at him.

He was considering everything, including Yu Ji-hyeong.

Park Dae-ri, rolling his dark eyes inconspicuously. Yu Ji-hyeong is holding a pen. It’s quite long. Should I stab him in the neck with that? My hands are free now. Should I smash his head with the chair? Every second, Park Dae-ri’s heart gets colder, but his brain works fast.

He unfolds a misaligned conscience, calmly and rationally.

“……”

Park Dae-ri’s fingers twitch slightly. Impulse, desire, lust, greed. these sensations spread throughout Park Dae-ri’s body and reached his lower regions. Park felt excitement.

The excitement of the flesh.

Ah—What would that man’s expression be when death is in front of him? At this moment, colors were painted in Park Dae-ri’s field of vision. Of course, only in Park Dae-ri’s eyes.

Everything else was grey.

Black lines were drawn on the silhouette of a person, and all facial expressions became filled with gray. But Park Dae-ri had to endure it. He had to hide it. He just looks at Yu Ji-hyeong.

Then Yu Ji-hyeong smiled and reached out his hand.

“No, no, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Since it’s all trivial anyway. Including my sister. Anyway, aren’t all humans the same when minced, right? Whether it’s the patty in a hamburger or a human, there’s no real difference.”

“Oh, that’s scary.”

“It’s just a joke.”

As if he had been waiting, Yu Ji-hyeong leaned forward. Surely, Park Dae-ri has changed a bit now. So he controls the situation.

“You look comfortable, here in the interrogation room. Are you comfortable?”

“I am polite to the detectives. I respect them. I think they understand me. So uncomfortable situations don’t arise.”

“Was the murder comfortable too?”

In response to the question, Park Dae-ri clasped his hands together. This posture gives legitimacy to what he is saying, his way of expressing seriousness.

“Killing a person is hard. It’s not easy to create a proper work of art. Others don’t know and talk whatever they like. Wicked, trash, go die, the death penalty is the answer.”

“Those are generally correct things to say.”

“But after all that, they lose interest after only two days. What should I have for lunch today? That becomes more important. So, the act of murder itself is tough, but repetition is comfortable. Did that answer your question?”

Park Dae-ri smiled and tapped a thick file in front of Yu Ji-hyeong with his index finger.

“Is my information in that file? What’s in there?”

He changed the subject. Yu Ji-hyeong knew Park Dae-ri ‘s intention. so he naturally had to accept it and give him a shock again.

“Well, everything? Of course, it also talks about your sister.”

“Are those things and the current me helping? You have to understand me to catch the real culprit.”

Seeing Park Dae-ri, who regained his composure again, Yu Ji-hyeong sighed deeply and opened the file. As if it were a hassle. Nevertheless, his eyes capture Park Dae-ri’s gaze and posture.

“Psychopath. At first glance, you may be judged as a psychopath, but in my view, you seem to be a category that combines a sociopath as well. Impulsive but calm. Can you systematically control impulses depending on the opponent and the situation? That’s why you show expertise in murder.”

“I see.”

“Usually, sociopaths, unlike psychopaths, often manifest due to the environment in which they were raised. So I thoroughly examined your life. It was tiring since it’s something I don’t usually do.”

“…”

Yu Ji-hyeong slowly turned a page.

“Your father was addicted to gambling and alcohol and suffered daily from violence, right? This is a common occurrence. Your father’s target was not you, but your mother and sister. Perhaps those two desperately protected you?”

“No, attacking the weak is common sense.”

“But your sister couldn’t endure it. She committed suicide in high school.”

Turning another page.

“Your mother died instantly when your drunken father crashed into a utility pole. It was a desolate road late at night with no pedestrians or cars. Circumstantially, your mother was likely forced to ride. Your father didn’t die instantly but died there. The result was closed as a traffic accident.”

Although his life was being picked apart, but Park Dae-ri still had a faint smile. Yu Ji-hyeong sighed quietly and put a cigarette in his mouth.

But when I looked closely at the records of the incident at the time, something strange stood out. Your mother died instantly in the car, but your father crawled out before dying. But there were small signs of resistance.”

“…”

“Well, it’s an old case, and there’s no evidence, so it was closed as is. But it’s strange. In that moment of confusion, what was he resisting?”

Suddenly, Yu Ji-hyeong leaned close to Park Dae-ri on the opposite side.

“From the beginning, you were a psychopath, and having experienced a hellish life, you nurtured sociopathic tendencies. What were you doing at that time?”

He pointed at Park Dae-ri with his index finger.

“The pleasure of serial killing was awakened by your father, right? It wasn’t five murders, but six.”

Suddenly, Park Dae-ri’s expression became rigid. His eyes, stone-like, were motionless, simply staring straight at Yu Ji-hyeong’s face, who had come close. Park Dae-ri’s emotions intensified.

Soon, Park’s gaze went down.

He had seen the pen that Yu Ji-hyung had tucked between the files, and after looking at the pen for a moment, Park Dae-ri again wore his smile and whispered to Yu Ji-hyung.

“You know, all my works known to the world. Do you think that’s all?”

Park Dae-ri’s voice grew even softer.

“Don’t you think there are things that haven’t been revealed?”

Then he grinned and grabbed Yu Ji-hyung’s collar, furious. It was a deliberate action.

“You son of a bitch!!!”

It was uncomfortable to be in the interrogation room any longer. He needed to get out. The detectives rushed over, subdued Park Dae-ri, and cuffed him again. Park Dae-ri resisted fiercely until he was dragged out of the interrogation room.

The interesting thing was.

– Swoosh.

As soon as he came out into the corridor, his resistance suddenly stopped. Moreover, Park Dae-ri even apologized to the detectives who were holding him. His voice was calm.

“I’m sorry for causing a scene.”

“···What??”

At this point, the main camera zoomed in for a close-up of Park Dae-ri’s face. Soon, Park Dae-ri, who was slightly bowing his head and smirking, thought of Yu Ji-hyung and muttered to himself.

Park Dae-ri’s mind was filled with the fleeting image of his struggling father.

“He’s thorough; how did he find out?”

Meanwhile,

A man, somewhere on the set, watching Park Dae-ri’s acting, couldn’t hide his surprise.

‘That… actor. Isn’t he the rookie from this morning?’

It was Director Kwon Ki-taek, a masked master. He had been puzzled since the actor playing Park Dae-ri first entered the interrogation room set. That rookie, who had looked at the large set with amazement in the morning, was now preparing to be in the same scene as Ryu Jung-min, as if he were a supporting actor.

Why? Why is that unknown rookie being cast in the same scene as Ryu Jung-min?

As Director Kwon Ki-taek, he found it hard to understand. The rookie had full makeup and perfectly prepared costumes, and even had his own camera. But no matter how he looked, that rookie was a face he’d never seen before.

‘Could it be… he’s from a powerful agency?’

It was common in this industry to push an unknown actor along with a top star. Therefore, Director Kwon Ki-taek had a similar thought. But it didn’t take long for that thought to turn 180 degrees.

‘Ryu Jung-min is struggling not to be overshadowed. What’s up with this rookie.’

He couldn’t have been just a filler actor. A monster making the top actor struggle. That rookie was now single-handedly overwhelming this huge scene with his acting. The fact that the heavyweight Director Kwon Ki-taek couldn’t take his eyes off him was evidence.

‘…A rookie? No, that acting isn’t from a rookie. Who on earth is he? Someone who has been in theater for a long time?’

Director Kwon Ki-taek, staring intently at Park Dae-ri’s acting, called over the film company’s production PD.

“Hey, find out that kid’s name.”

“What? Ah, yes. I was thinking of checking myself. His acting is insane.”

Then the production PD quietly moved and asked something to a production staff member. He returned a few minutes later.

“Director.”

The production PD whispered to Director Kwon Ki-taek.

“The actor’s name is Kang Woojin.”

“Kang Woojin?”

“Yes.”

“Wait a minute, Kang Woojin? Kang… Woojin.”

Director Kwon Ki-taek, for some reason, kept repeating the name Kang Woojin. The reason was simple.

“I’m sure – I’ve heard that name somewhere.”

It was a familiar name. Then it dawned on him. Suddenly, Director Woo Hyun-goo, now fallen from grace, came to Director Kwon Ki-taek’s mind.

Specifically, it was the curse that Director Woo Hyun-goo spat out when they met at a high-end Chinese restaurant.

‘Some nobody named Kang Woojin refused my audition. That bastard. His name is Kang Woojin······’

Suddenly, Director Kwon Ki-taek’s eyes widened.

“Yes, that rude nobody.”

That’s right. That rude nobody was on this set. The threads were connected in a strange place. Of course, the actor named Kang Woojin didn’t know Director Kwon Ki-taek.

Then, Director Kwon Ki-taek, who was slightly smiling, turned his gaze back to Kang Woojin on the set.

“That audition was worth refusing..”

And then, recalling Director Woo Hyun-goo, he muttered softly.

“Since you pushed an audition on that kind of monster, it’s bound to be refused.”

*****