"That's true enough, Tae-il."
As though he had decided something, PD Choi whispered to Tae-il in a low, careful tone.
'You have to be sensitive about your image, Tae-il.'
'......'
'Villain or not, putting a leash on an older man and dragging him about...... Tae-il. Say the word if you need to. I'll get this scene through smoothly.'
Villain or not, it was a scene that might make a viewer uncomfortable.
For a Tae-il who was recovering his image little by little, it was a bucket of cold water.
Saying he would get a scene like that through faster was PD Choi's own kind of consideration.
'......'
Tae-il was aware of it too.
That word "brat" that had always followed him.
'Act while you're weighing your image and you can't do anything. A villain taking abuse is a prize.'
Thoughts in order, Tae-il looked at PD Choi.
"Thank you, PD Choi, but I'll take the thought and leave the rest."
"Tae-il. Are you really all right?"
Tae-il smiled.
"There's no scene that shows the character of Do-hwan better than this one."
"Even so...... you have to think about your image. How about at least taking the leash out? You know how well people pick at things these days."
"Writer Shin will have had a reason for putting that scene in. You know it yourself. Abuse you take for a character is a prize."
Tae-il lowered his head and leaned back into the seat.
'......'
Watching Tae-il read his script, PD Choi shut his eyes.
'You were wrong, senior. You said Eun Tae-il would ask for it to be changed first...... and he hasn't.'
Before long the bus reached the first location, the mansion used as the flower boy house.
The first scene was Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) watching from inside a car as Ju-hwan (Kang Seong-jin) goes into the flower boy house, and driving off.
"A faint tremor......"
Do-hwan, letting his feeling show a little as he watches Ju-hwan go into the flower boy house.
The point was to reveal a complicated feeling just barely.
'About to break, without breaking.'
Looking at the line he had marked in highlighter, Tae-il put force into his eyes.
He hooked his phone up to a selfie stick, tried a tremble in the eyebrows, tried a twist at the mouth.
'That's too much. And this looks sly.'
He was using the phone as a monitor to practise expressions when a shadow fell over him.
"......Honestly, you really are hard-working."
Kang Seong-jin, his makeup done.
He handed Tae-il a coffee and sat down beside him.
"Hyung. Did you see this teaser?"
"Yes. Why?"
"The other actors all got a nice little share, and you were the only one who came out looking good. Your back, anyway."
"I didn't know my own back was that impressive either."
At Tae-il's banter Kang Seong-jin worked his mouth.
"Hyung. Did the production side say nothing? Only your back in the first teaser......"
"I hear they weren't going to put me in the teaser at all."
The ones carrying the production are Ju-hwan here and the other handsome actors and Yu Hye-in.
The Do-hwan that Tae-il played was no more than a supporting role that enriched the episodes, and it had been the production team's move to pull in even a few more viewers.
"Going into the shoot!"
While they talked it over the setup finished.
Tae-il got into the car across from the gate, and Kang Seong-jin walked toward it, working out his path.
For this one scene, Tae-il had come all the way out here early in the morning.
"It only needs to go into one frame once, so let's get it done fast."
Sitting at the monitor, CP Seong fixed his cap and shouted.
Soon the monitor showed Tae-il sitting in the car and Kang Seong-jin walking slowly in through the gate.
-......The path's good enough. Let's go straight in.
From the back pocket of the man waiting in the front seat of the car came CP Seong's voice.
Before the sign came, Tae-il gathered the feeling.
-Action!
CP Seong's voice rang through the car, and Tae-il took hold of the feeling.
Kang Seong-jin headed for the gate with his steps dragging.
"......It suits you."
With Tae-il's one short line, Kang Seong-jin opened the gate and went inside.
"Okay. Cut."
A cut that fits in one frame finished fast.
Soon Kang Seong-jin, one cut done, came over.
"Good work. Where do you go now?"
"The studio."
"Ah! That one's quite hard to sink into. The LED moves all over the place and makes you dizzy......"
"I'll have to manage."
Tae-il shrugged and left Kang Seong-jin behind.
Team 1, CP Seong among them, left, and Team 2, PD Choi among them, headed for the LED studio nearby.
A studio that specialized in shooting car scenes.
When the sedan Tae-il had been riding in came inside the building, enormous LED panels began to be arranged around it.
Not long after, the LEDs were running footage the camera team had shot of the flower boy house and the road.
"Tae-il. Get ready."
At PD Choi's word, Tae-il got into the car.
Except that the scenery flowing past was LED, it was a car in motion, exactly.
Soon PD Choi's voice came into the car.
-Start from showing the feeling while you watch Ju-hwan at the flower boy house.
On the LED on Tae-il's side appeared the flower boy house and Ju-hwan (Kang Seong-jin) opening the door and going in.
The picture froze, and PD Choi's voice came again.
-Here we go, Tae-il. Ready?
When Tae-il raised a hand, PD Choi called out.
-Ready, action!
The stopped picture moved, and Ju-hwan (Kang Seong-jin), walking with nothing in him, opened the gate and went inside.
"......It suits you."
Watching the vanished Ju-hwan (Kang Seong-jin), Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il)'s mouth twisted faintly.
PD Choi checked Tae-il's enlarged face on the monitor and let the moment run in silence.
Inside the car, the situation went on.
"Vice President. Director Jeong has moved."
"Later than I thought. Let's go."
The picture moved slowly, then ran faster and faster.
As though the acceleration moved him, Tae-il sank back into the seat.
"Okay!"
Watching the monitor, PD Choi got easily to his feet.
"That was good, Tae-il. I heard the LED studio was your first. Good stuff."
"I'll have to act against CG later too, so it's only natural. Shall we go once more?"
"Hahaha. I can see the appetite, but save your strength. The real thing starts now."
After finishing the studio shoot fast, Team 2 headed for the next location, the set.
Arriving at the set, the middle-aged actor he would work with, Im Gi-u, was getting ready.
"Eun Tae-il. First time since the read-through."
Im Gi-u put out a hand toward Tae-il, who was bowing his head.
"Senior, I'm in your hands today."
"I'm the one who should be asking. The script is the script, but...... go easy on me."
The sunken look in his eyes said how uncomfortable Im Gi-u felt.
'Telling me outright to grovel. Team 2's air is going to be murderous today.'
'He's saying play it safe. Well, who would enjoy being told to wear a leash.'
'He's a teacher, though. Eun Tae-il will hold back reasonably.'
Whether or not he knew what the crew were muttering, Tae-il held Im Gi-u's hand and smiled.
"Thank you, senior. I'll give it everything."
"Everything is fine, but let's take the force out of it today."
Leaving Im Gi-u behind, Tae-il went back to his seat.
'Put the leash on Director Jeong's neck myself, go to the meeting room and, in front of the other directors......'
In Tae-il's hands, the problem scene, the one marked "leash," lay open.
It was the scene where Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) hooks a leash onto the neck of a kneeling Director Jeong (Im Gi-u) and drags him all the way to the meeting room.
Perhaps because of it, the location, normally noisy, was strangely quiet.
"Going into the shoot."
Even the AD's voice, which usually rang around the place, was subdued this time.
Tae-il stepped into the frame and opened a drawer, and inside was the pet leash the art team had put there.
He was looking at the leash when a voice came from behind.
"I wonder whether it'll even fit my neck."
Tae-il turned, and there was Im Gi-u.
"Sir."
"......It looks short for a person."
Im Gi-u's mouth was twisted faintly as he looked at the leash.
The art team crew, standing well back, were shuffling their feet.
If Im Gi-u caught hold of somebody and worked it all out of his system, it would be hard for anyone to stop him.
Then Tae-il spoke.
"Shall we try it, then?"
"......Tae-il. What did you just say?"
The air went cold at speed.
'What, what is he saying?'
'Has Eun Tae-il lost his mind?!'
'Wow......! That lunatic, honestly......!'
Did he do it without knowing Im Gi-u was looking for somewhere to work it out of his system?
PD Choi, watching the situation, moved to stand, and the AD caught hold of him.
'Senior! Don't! If it blows up bigger......'
There was no chance Tae-il did not know how the air was going.
Holding the leash, Tae-il carried on calmly.
"The strap looks shoddy. It's a use-once thing, but it's going on you, senior."
"......"
Im Gi-u stared at him.
Whether the man was deliberately serving him something......
But looking the strap over and then holding it against his own neck, there was no particular malice to be felt from Tae-il.
"It's short for me too. Team leader."
Having put the leash on himself, Tae-il called the art team leader over.
The art team leader came at a run and soon brought a different leash.
"The design was better on that one."
"The strap is pretty, but it's uncomfortable. Something easier to wear......"
"Leave it as it was."
Im Gi-u, who had been watching quietly, stepped in.
He sighed, took the leash off Tae-il and fastened it round his own neck.
The leash sat with a little room left and turned loosely.
"Eun Tae-il. I'll be expecting something."
Im Gi-u undid the leash again and went back to his place.
PD Choi and the rest of the crew, wound tight, let out a breath of relief.
A little later.
"Ready. Action!"
At PD Choi's signal, Tae-il turned away from the kneeling Im Gi-u.
The secretary (the rookie actor), there with them, spoke in a shaking voice.
"Vice President. Director Jeong has been waiting."
"......"
At the secretary (the rookie actor)'s words, Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) turned slowly and smiled as though surprised.
"Ah, Director Jeong. Were you there."
The camera director quietly took in Tae-il and Im Gi-u.
Watching the monitor, PD Choi raised a hand.
"Cut. Good. Changing the composition."
The air stretched tight, and the shooting went on.
'Eun Tae-il. He's prepared a great deal.'
He had known since the read-through that the man had come in well prepared, and seeing it on set was another thing again.
Sunk into the character, Im Gi-u knelt and shook.
"Vice President. Forgive......"
The muscles of Director Jeong (Im Gi-u)'s face trembled faintly.
As though he were genuinely shaking with fear.
"......Director Jeong. Do you know this."
Still facing the window, Tae-il went on.
"A man who hits you from behind once will do it again."
"Vice President. I, I......"
"But what about an animal, rather than a man."
"......Sorry?"
Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) took the leash out of the drawer.
"Put it on. No. You are a director, after all."
"......Sorry?"
"V-Vice President?"
Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) began fastening the leash around Director Jeong (Im Gi-u)'s neck himself.
At the strangeness against his neck, Director Jeong (Im Gi-u)'s pupils shook hard.
Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) looked into his eyes and moved the corner of his mouth.
"An animal, at least, doesn't hit you from behind."
"V-Vice President......!"
"Let's go."
"N-no......!"
Wearing a sunken smile, Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) left the office holding Director Jeong (Im Gi-u)'s leash.
'He's insane...... Eun Tae-il, he's insane......!'
Watching Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) look coldly down at a Director Jeong (Im Gi-u) weeping with humiliation, PD Choi's eyes were shining.