༺ He Would Definitely Surprise Him ༻
Incheon International Airport.
Yoomyeong, dressed in light summer attire and sunglasses, stepped out of the van. Ho-chul, who was accompanying him for the shoot, was with him as well.
It was an informal schedule so there were no fan clubs or reporters, but passersbyers began to gather as they saw familiar faces.
“Wow, isn’t that the male lead from that drama last winter?”
“He wasn’t the lead, but the second male lead, Shin Yoomyeong.”
“Really? I thought his name was Yoon.”
“Dummy, that’s the character’s name.”
Yoomyeong slightly bowed in greeting to a few people who were shouting his name and headed towards the <The Late Goryeo Dynasty & the Early Joseon Dynasty> team.
Familiar faces he saw every day beckoned him over.
Joining the China location shoot were Yoon Hansung and himself, veteran actor Lee Geun-chan who was playing the role of Lee Saek, Min Gyeong-Guk as Jeong Do-jeon, and the actor playing the role of Si-heon, as well as several extras who were acting as part of the envoy.
The Chinese team would be locally sourced.
The Chinese production company, in partnership with the production company of <The Late Goryeo Dynasty & the Early Joseon Dynasty>, had arranged for local equipment and extras to create realistic scenes. Director Son had personally cast a Chinese actor for the role of Zhu Yuanzhang (the Emperor of Ming).
While waiting for everyone to arrive, Ho-chul struck up a conversation.
“Has actor Yoon Hansung not arrived yet?”
“No, Hansung hyung will arrive early tomorrow morning.”
“I see… But hyung, this is actually my first time going abroad.”
“Me too.”
“Really?”
Ho-chul, despite being in the industry for three years, had oddly never had a chance to go abroad.
This was also Yoomyeong’s first time taking an international flight. He had never had a role that was important enough to be taken abroad for a location shoot, and he couldn’t afford to travel overseas, either, except for that one trip he took to Jeju Island.
“I thought you would have traveled a lot, hyung. How do you feel?”
“Kinda excited about eating on the plane…”
Yoomyeong murmured, slightly embarrassed.
Domestic flights didn’t serve meals. For him, the idea of eating and even drinking alcohol in the sky was fascinating.
“Hyung, you’re in business class, right? I heard they serve meals on actual plates there.”
“Yeah, I heard that too. But then, who does the dishes?”
“Right?”
Watching the two exchange naive questions and answers, the nearby staff couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Wow…”
Yoomyeong boarded the plane awkwardly.
The production company had provided business class seats only for the director and main actors. Ho-chul, with a look of envy, headed towards the back, making Yoomyeong feel a bit guilty. If everyone couldn’t sit in premium seats, then Yoomyeong thought it would be better if they all flew economy class. However, that decision was out of their control.
Yoomyeong cautiously took his seat. It was incomparably more spacious than the economy seats he had experienced on his two domestic flights. As his eyes widened in surprise, Min Gyeong-Guk, who was sitting next to him, chuckled and pressed a button beside him.
Zzz—
‘Uh…what?’
The seat stretched out, providing more comfort.
“Wow… this is amazing!”
“Haha, The look on your face is even more amazing. This seat only reclines 167 degrees, but you’d probably faint if you sat in a 180-degree reclining seat.”
“Well, I’ve heard about those seats.”
“I know you knew, but you still got so surprised.”
Gyeong-Guk looked somewhat cool as he sat comfortably in the business class section. Yoomyeong, feeling a bit embarrassed for acting like a novice, leaned back and tried to look used to it. Just then, a flight attendant approached.
“Sir, please return your backrest to the upright position for takeoff.”
“Oh… right! Sorry!”
Yoomyeong hurriedly found the button to raise his backrest, causing Gyeong-Guk to burst into laughter again.
It was rare to see Yoomyeong, who was usually so skilled and impressive in acting, appear so adorably clueless.
*
{Flying is quite amazing, isn’t it?}
‘Have you ever tried riding a plane?’
{What would be the point of getting on a plane? I’m much faster.}
‘Right…’
Behind the partition, beer was being sucked into the air.
Miho was enthusiastically drinking the complimentary beer offered in business class.
‘Is it good?’
{Not bad.}
Miho gulped down a can of beer and then sneakily stored another can in the overhead compartment as Yoomyeong handed it to him.
Zzz—
Yoomyeong fell asleep as soon as he finished his meal, exhausted from months of filming. He thought he would be too excited to sleep on his first international trip, but he didn’t wake up until the landing announcement.
Krrrum—
Startled by the loud vibration, he sat up to find that they had arrived at the airport in China.
“Wow…”
His first impression of the airport was that it smelled different from Korea. Yoomyeong’s eyes darted around at the foreign language signs, but there was no time to explore.
The schedule was tight, with no time for sightseeing.
After taking a chartered bus and driving for several hours, they arrived at the outskirts of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
The main location for the shoot was a Ming Dynasty set near Hangzhou.
“Thank you for coming.”
Director Son, who had arrived earlier, greeted them warmly. Then, everyone quickly joined in to help unload the luggage. Yoomyeong helped with the setup despite the protests. Once things settled down, he stood by the lobby window. The hotel, which was popular among filming crews, offered a distant view of the vast set.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“Yes… The scale is something else.”
“Everything is bigger in China. It’s as if their specialty to build things grandly. Imagine the awe and the overwhelming feeling a person from Goryeo would feel as they arrived in Ming for the first time, yet overcoming it all with just their ‘human dignity’ to gain recognition.”
“…”
“That’s the vision we wanted to capture, which is why we insisted on filming here despite the production company’s disapproval.”
“Haha.”
Yoomyeong laughed at Director Son’s candid words.
“Take a break for now. We have a meeting with the actor playing Zhu Yuanzhang tonight. It’s a short 5-day shoot, but it’ll be good to greet your fellow actor.”
“Yes, Director.”
Yoomyeong went up to his room and lay down on the bed, but he was unable to sleep because of his excitement for his first overseas location shoot.
*
Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, had a certain charisma. He possessed cruelty and executed 100,000 people, and also had uniqueness as a ruler who united China starting from the bottom.
Director Son, in search of an actor capable of portraying these traits, personally visited China during the pre-production phase to hold auditions.
Luo Derong.
He was a 50-year-old veteran actor who was once hugely popular and was now known for his solid supporting roles. He was also a familiar face to Yoomyeong.
Director Son, accompanied by Lee Geun-chan, Min Gyeong-Guk, Shin Yoomyeong, and an interpreter, met him.
“Welcome, Mr. Luo Derong.”
[Hello.] (*Chinese dialogues are indicated in ‘[ ]’)
“Please meet our actors. Mr. Shin Yoomyeong is acting as Lee Bang-won, Mr. Min Gyeong-Guk as Jeong Do-jeon, and Mr. Lee Geun-chan as Lee Saek.”
“Nice to meet you.”
[Nice to meet you.]
Luo Derong greeted them in awkward Korean, prompting laughter and a relaxed atmosphere.
[Has the lead actor not arrived yet?]
“Yes, he has another schedule and will arrive early tomorrow morning.”
[Is that so? The lead role arrives on the same day…? Tsk.]
He clicked his tongue subtly, his tone slightly negative. Despite his friendly smile, he continued to make vaguely irritating comments, making them wish the interpreter was miscommunicating.
[I was really impressed by your film that won at the Berlin Film Festival, Director Son. I respect you.]
“Haha, have you seen it?”
[Yes, the tightly woven story as well as the texture and beauty of the screen were truly impressive.]
“Thank you.”
[But… is this project a bit of an experimental piece?]
“What?”
He did it again.
[There are no particularly famous actors. The lead, Mr. Yoon, doesn’t have much filmography yet, and the co-lead, Mr. Shin, is a rookie actor. There are some well-known supporting actors, but the leads are… Is this a strategy of using fresh faces for the film?]
Though he spoke in a roundabout way, the implication was clear: he was dissatisfied with the actor lineup.
Director Son’s eyebrows twitched, and Min Gyeong-Guk’s face turned red.
Whether or not he realized the mood, Luo Derong added something more.
[I was really looking forward to working with Director Son, but to think that it’s not a stage for professionals… that’s a bit disappointing, haha. Regardless, I’ll give my best as an actor.]
Yoon Hansung, who became a star about five years ago after a long period of obscurity, had no famous works in China. The comments were a clear jab at him and Yoomyeong, who was a rookie actor.
Yoomyeong felt angry. He had endured disrespect and belittlement during his obscure years, but it was different when it involved Hansung.
Hansung’s long years of frustration, his efforts to overcome them, his humility, and his passion for mastering a new acting style at an age when his technique was already mature—no one had the right to say that he was not a professional.
Before he could say anything, Min Gyeong-Guk beat him to it.
“Just because you’re unaware doesn’t give you the right to belittle other people. Your narrow-mindedness is showing. Have you seen <The Road of Life and Death>? How about <Labyrinth Man>?”
Both films were highly praised for showcasing Yoon Hansung’s talent. <Labyrinth Man> was also a work of Director Son.
“You say you respect Director Son, but you haven’t even watched all of his films. And aren’t you being hypocritical for belittling the lead actors he chose? Does that mean you think that your own acting, which was chosen by him, is mediocre too?”
“Actor Min…”
Director Son made a show of trying to intervene, but he didn’t stop the interpreter from translating Gyeong-Guk’s words.
It seemed like he was also upset.
Luo Derong’s face reddened upon hearing this.
[Aren’t your words too harsh?]
“Me? I’m being incredibly calm and rational right now. What I said was only the bare minimum.”
Sparks flew between them.
Then, Director Son finally stepped in to mediate with a wry smile.
“Mr. Luo Derong, actors are nothing without their acting and pride. Actor Min spoke impulsively, but he had a point. The actors here are the best I’ve carefully selected for this project, both in terms of acting ability and passion. They’re among the best in any project I’ve ever worked on.”
[Hmm, I see…]
He calmed down and responded nonchalantly.
“Well, you’ll see it once you act together.”
[We’ll see. I look forward to it.]
The director wore a meaningful smile.
It was an interesting situation. Although he was angered by Luo Derong’s words, he couldn’t help but see a parallel to the film’s plot, where ‘Jeong Mong-ju’ stood against the arrogance and territoriality of a great nation to prove his worth.
With the director’s intervention, the actors could argue no more and stood up.
Seeing Gyeong-Guk and Yoomyeong’s fiery glances, Director Son sensed that tomorrow’s shooting would be more passionate than ever.
He hoped that this incident would also reach Yoon Hansung, inspiring him to silence Luo Derong with his acting.
However, Hansung looked terribly gaunt when he arrived the next morning.
*
“Hyung, are you sick?”
Yoomyeong was alarmed at the sight of Hansung’s deathly pale complexion.
It had been about a week since he last saw Hansung.
Towards the end of the shooting at the Mungyeong set, Director Son had hurriedly moved up all the scenes involving Jeong Mong-ju for some reason, leaving the last shoots without him.
Yoomyeong had asked Hansung if he had any important schedules, but Hansung hadn’t answered.
‘Is he so ill that he couldn’t tell me…? Is he… seriously ill?’
Seeing Yoomyeong turn pale in anticipation of his answer, Hansung smiled and shook his head.
“No, it’s not that…”
“Then what? Hyung, you look terrible. You should be in the hospital and not on an overseas shoot.”
“It’s not that… I’m just hungry.”
“What??”
What did he mean? Yoomyeong was stunned.
“I haven’t eaten for days.”
“Why? What happened? How could you let yourself get to this point—?”
“Jeong Mong-ju starved for 13 days.”
Yoomyeong held his breath at Hansung’s words.
Despite the deep dark circles under his eyes, Hansung’s eyes shone intensely as he spoke with Jeong Mong-ju’s expression.
“I couldn’t do 13 days because of the shooting schedule, but it’s my sixth day of fasting. Hopefully, it’ll work out.”
Yoomyeong was shaken by that intense gaze.
There was no need to relay Luo Derong’s comments.
This actor would surely surprise him.
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