Something went through Tae-il's head as he checked the script.
Being tangled up with a main figure meant raising Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il)'s share further.
Writer Shin seemed to have reflected the good response to Tae-il fast.
"We'll be seeing each other more often. Acting with you is a total steal."
Yu Hye-in made a fuss of it, and Tae-il shook his head in a calm tone.
"Look for the steal later. Let's start with the paths."
"Honestly, stingy with a compliment...... yes, yes."
Yu Hye-in grumbled and stood beside Tae-il.
The changed scrap script was the scene where Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) spills a drink on Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) by accident.
"I tip it like this, don't I?"
Yu Hye-in mimed pouring water over Tae-il, and Tae-il produced a flustered expression.
Then Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) tries to wipe Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il)'s clothes and even his face with a cloth, and a startled Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) shoots to his feet, and the situation carries on.
The point was that Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il)'s coldness gets broken by Yu-na (Yu Hye-in)'s sudden behaviour.
'Hhh...... it's hard.'
She kept working through it with Tae-il, and Yu Hye-in kept tilting her head.
The scrap script, a straight copy of Writer Shin's handwriting, was giving Yu Hye-in trouble.
'It can't be her first scrap script.'
Holding the pages, Yu Hye-in looked at Tae-il with an awkward face.
"Look at this. Look...... this is bad. I'm very awkward, aren't I?"
"You're fine. Why?"
"Really? Why, then. It's on my mind."
Yu Hye-in was not able to come out and commit to it.
Watching her closely, one thought went through Tae-il's head.
"It's because it's different from the original script, isn't it?"
"Ah...... yes. It doesn't feel like one of Writer Shin's scripts......"
What expression to make, how to move: Writer Shin's scripts had it written out in detail.
But this scrap script had a great deal of that form left empty.
'She's awkward because there are no fine instructions the way the original script has.'
Tae-il met Yu Hye-in's eyes.
"You've got the years behind you."
"That's true, but...... it's Writer Shin's style that......"
"It's fine. Let's take it comfortably. Writer Shin will have trusted us enough not to put every stage direction into a scrap script."
Yu Hye-in nodded.
After that the two of them worked through it several times over.
An NG when the water went over would hold the shoot up a long time, so the rehearsal ran quite long.
A good while later, PD Choi stood.
"Let's start."
The location went dead quiet, and the FD came running out with the slate.
"Slate! One, two."
CLACK—!
The red light came on and lit the actors.
Legs crossed, sitting at a slant, Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) picked up a piece of bread and clicked his tongue as he watched Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) dealing with people at a distance.
"......Pathetic. The right sort of person for that Cha Ju-hwan."
Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) working and Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) clicking his tongue went into one frame.
PD Choi nodded easily and rose.
"Okay. Over Tae-il's shoulder onto Hye-in."
One had gone through safely.
The next cut was over Tae-il's shoulder, shooting Yu Hye-in at work.
Sitting in exactly the same posture as before, Tae-il delivered the same line again.
"......Pathetic."
The camera held Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) a little longer.
Dealing with customers with a bright face, she was full of energy.
PD Choi's forehead narrowed slightly at the monitor.
"Cut. Hye-in. Let's go once more."
"Yes. Is it all right to go as it is?"
"It's fine as it is, and...... there's that feeling of trying to look bright on purpose. That feeling of Yu-na putting on strength."
The red light came on again, and Yu Hye-in raised her voice.
"Thank you. Please come again!"
Yu Hye-in's bright voice went through the headset and into PD Choi's ear.
'It does feel as though the putting-on is a bit much......'
PD Choi thought for a moment, then raised a hand.
"Hye-in. Over here."
When Yu Hye-in and Eun Tae-il came to the monitor, PD Choi pressed the bridge of his nose lightly.
"I'd like a bit more force in it when she's dealing with people."
"Yes, PD Choi."
She did not quite understand being told to take the force out, but Yu Hye-in nodded for now.
'Put force in...... how much is he asking for?'
Yu Hye-in was about to turn away when Tae-il, watching the monitor with them, slipped a word in.
"You're saying give her the feeling of somebody doing the job for the first time."
"Exactly right, Tae-il."
"Ah......!"
Yu Hye-in's pupils widened and shrank.
Stepping into the frame together, she put a thumb up.
"Oppa, thank you."
"It's good for both of us."
From behind, PD Choi's voice came again over the megaphone.
"Going again!"
Shooting resumed on a single of Yu Hye-in over Tae-il's shoulder.
"Thank you! Please come again."
Watching a Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) wound up tight, PD Choi smiled.
The smile she gave her customers had stiffened slightly, and her voice had gone up too far.
"Okay. Changing the setup."
Then the singles of Tae-il and Yu Hye-in finished, and only the most important shot was left.
The scene where Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) spills the drink on Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il).
"It has to finish in one......"
"Hye-in...... do it well for us."
The laughter went out of the faces of the camera team and every other crew member.
An NG at the wrong moment meant, worst case, reshooting.
A tension plainly different from before showed in PD Choi's face too.
"Hye-in. There's no need to be too nervous. Just the way we practised......"
"You look more nervous than I am, PD Choi."
At Yu Hye-in's joke PD Choi shrugged.
Watching the art team prepare the props, Tae-il rocked from side to side.
"Just throw it. Start thinking about whether you'll hurt somebody and it's an NG right there."
"It isn't a sugar glass either...... if I actually hurt you......"
"Don't go small on me for nothing. Let's finish it in one."
Tae-il's word to take it easy settled Yu Hye-in's unsteady eyes a little.
Having checked the spot where she would fall several times over, Yu Hye-in stepped back with nervous eyes.
"Slate."
CLACK—
With everybody holding their breath, the slate went off.
"One moment. I'll be right...... ah?!"
Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) caught one leg against the other at the marked spot and went straight down forward.
With it, the drink and the bread she was holding went over Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il), whole.
"......"
Still holding the bread in the same posture, Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il), covered in orange juice, looked down at Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) with hard eyes.
"I-I'm so sorry!"
Flustered, Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) picked up a cloth beside her and tried to wipe Do-hwan's clothes.
"What do you think you're doing!?"
"Ah......! I-I-I'm...... I'm so sorry!"
The moment the filthy cloth touched his clothes, Tae-il shot to his feet.
With it, the secretary (a bit-part actor) waiting outside the frame came running.
"V-Vice President! What's happen...... excuse me!"
"......"
"I'm so sorry!"
Do-hwan (Eun Tae-il) glared at Yu-na (Yu Hye-in) with a face full of disgust and turned to his secretary.
The staff member (a bit-part actor) waiting there came running too.
"V-Vice President! What's happened? Surely this part-timer didn't...... I-I'll deal with it right......"
"......Leave it. Do you want it going up on NooTube that I was power-tripping?"
Do-hwan turned away, and a PD Choi wound tight shot to his feet.
"Okay!"
The moment the okay came, Tae-il ran to the monitor.
"Tae-il. The juice is dripping off you."
Team Leader Ong handed a towel to a Tae-il fixed on the monitor.
"Thank you, Team Leader Ong."
The stickiness was unpleasant enough that he wanted to change, and it was not the time to care.
To shoot the rest of the scene he needed the stained clothes.
Tae-il checked the monitor, wiped the juice off roughly and stood in front of the camera again.
"Going again from after the spill."
At PD Choi's sign the light on the camera came on.
"Do you want it going up on NooTube that I was power-tripping?"
Apart from the unpleasantness of the juice, the difficult parts were all behind him.
With an edge in his eyes, Tae-il carried the performance through.
***
"This is new. Team Leader Ong taking the wheel himself."
Late in the small hours, Tae-il got into the passenger seat of a compact car and sank into it.
Team Leader Ong, at the wheel, brought the speed up slowly.
"Good work. The waiting was quite long again today."
"Waiting is an actor's fate."
Pressing the accelerator gently, Team Leader Ong glanced at Tae-il.
"I'd heard you had a fairly impatient nature."
"When it's needed, I'm impatient."
"......"
Holding his phone up high, Tae-il tipped the seat back.
Team Leader Ong caught the sound coming from it and drove more smoothly still.
Right now, Tae-il was monitoring.
'The ratings for 3 and 4 have gone up into double figures, and his screen time has grown. Is that why he's got a taste for monitoring?'
There are few times as enjoyable as the ones where progress is visible.
At the wheel, Team Leader Ong shrugged.
"Tae-il. How many times is this, monitoring?"
"Who knows. I haven't counted......"
"Honestly...... the more I learn about you, the newer it gets. To think you were this hard a worker."
"I'm not working hard, though."
Tae-il looked at Team Leader Ong and smiled.
"I'm just becoming the character."
Do-hwan was already Tae-il himself.
'Doing it like that, of course people praise him.'
Remembering the reactions to episodes 3 and 4, Team Leader Ong shrugged.
-personally I always thought Eun Tae-il had something, and this time it landed
-Do-hwan is number one in my heart...... I'm living to see you these days......
-if one smile ever got into that cold face I'd melt on the spot
-no but that IS Eun Tae-il? Eun Tae-il the brat!
-Writer, please, give our Do-hwan more screen time T_T
Before long the car reached the front of Tae-il's building.
Having dropped Tae-il off, Team Leader Ong lowered the passenger window and waved.
"Until next time, then."
Watching Team Leader Ong's car go, Tae-il shrugged.
"Honestly...... the man does not let you in easily."
He had just got inside and was about to lay his tired body down when the phone rang loudly.
He checked it. Team Leader Ong.
"Team Leader Ong. Did you want to say goodnight? All of a sudden......"
-Tae-il. Do Jeong-min was drink-driving.
"Do Jeong-min, they say he was drink-driving."
Do Jeong-min was one of the handsome actors appearing in "Welcome to Flower Boy House".
One of the group who had run with Lee Hui-seong and been given a hiding when they tried to freeze Tae-il out.
Naturally, the drama could not help taking damage.
"Drink-driving, out of nowhere? What happened?"
-An article came out, so I checked around. This part hasn't made the press yet, but...... they say he refused the breath test and it went as far as a blood test.
"......"
If it went as far as a blood test there is no wriggling out.
Tae-il's head went cold.
"Do Jeong-min leaving is a certainty, then."
-We were just getting into a good flow. A crisis is coming...... one moment. I'll call you shortly.
Team Leader Ong, who had said he would call shortly, stayed silent until the following afternoon.
-Actor Do Jeong-min booked on suspicion of drink-driving
-Flower Boy House...... (abridged) Do Jeong-min, drink-driving scandal
-Heavily intoxicated drink-driver Do Jeong-min: what happens to his Flower Boy House role?
-Flower Boy House production team silent on the drink-driving incident......
Articles were coming out one after another.
-celebrities should be punished as harshly as ordinary people
-please punish drink-driving hard, never let him hold a wheel again
-take him off the drama right now
-flower boy or not, drink-driving has to be punished hard
-if he isn't taken off I'm not watching
-222222
-drink-driving is murder
The impact of the drink-driving was reaching the drama itself.
'This isn't a thing that ends with cutting him from the edit.'
Without an extraordinary measure, a fall in the ratings was as plain as fire.
He checked the time. Already four in the afternoon.
And still no word from Team Leader Ong.
How long did he wait like that.
Around the time evening came close, the phone rang.
-Sorry to be late, Tae-il.
Team Leader Ong.
"How is the situation? It looked serious in the articles."
-It is serious.
Team Leader Ong told him everything he had found out so far.
From the story of Do Jeong-min making an ugly scene with the police because he did not want the breath test, to the story of Do Jeong-min's agency leaning on several places to smother it, and more......
He got to hear the whole story of people working to keep the damage to a minimum.
"And the production team?"
-They don't seem to have found their footing yet. Do Jeong-min's agency isn't a small place......
"The CP and the PD will want to keep him, and Writer Shin will be grinding her teeth......"
-Exactly right. You're sharp, Tae-il.
Simply taking Do Jeong-min off was clearly a burden from the production team's side too.
Tae-il thought for a moment and let out a short breath.
"I think it's better if I talk to her directly."
-To whom?
"I'll tell you after I've talked. Then......"
The call finished and Tae-il rang somewhere else.
Soon a woman's voice came through.
-Eun Tae-il. I'm sorry, could we talk later? I've got a headache as it is.
"One minute will do, Writer Shin."
-......Make it short. What is it?
Writer Shin had been friendly to Tae-il, and exhaustion and an edge were coming through.
Being hit on the back of the head right at the moment of climbing was, in a way, reason enough.
'Writer Shin hates going round and round. Straight through the front is better.'
With another actor she would have avoided it outright. Tae-il was not another actor.
"I imagine you have a lot on your mind because of Do Jeong-min."
-Granted. And what is it that you want to say to me?
A silence ran for a moment.
'Writer Shin will want it solved fast. The problem is that Do Jeong-min's agency put a lot of investment into this production.'
The side holding the purse is the stronger party; there is no not minding them.
"Give me the time that was allotted to Do Jeong-min."
-......What?!
Tae-il's eyes were shining as they never had before.