The Haunted Monster Actor - Chapter 120



Only Noblemtl

Episode 120

A tavern in Guupbatter, also known as Yeongjong Ferry Terminal.

The inside of the tavern was bustling like a weekend holiday even though it was a weekday.

The after-party for the bad weather filming crew continued on the same day as the last scene was filmed.

The reason was simple.

Because of the intense nature of the action movie set, there were very few opportunities to have after-parties.

‘Yeah, you must have been hungry a lot during that time… … .’

The head of the bad weather production team, who was in charge of the dinner expenses, looked around the table with a slightly fearful expression on his face.

Fresh seafood, grilled pork belly, and even chicken.

The side dishes that came up regardless of land, sea, or air disappeared as quickly as they came up.

It wasn’t that the main reason was the stunt team members who usually exercise a lot.

Even the regular staff members who had always stayed up all night in tension at the action scenes were running around the table, showing off their fancy chopstick action.

‘There will be no problem in clearing the production budget… ‘

“Here’s a plate of grilled clams! Four servings of pork belly! Two more chickens, please!”

“Soju too!”

“Oh, sorry. Auntie, can I have some beer too?”

‘At this rate, we might have to invest our own studio budget… … ?’

At that moment, when the production director’s face was filled with despair, Director Lee Cheong-beom stood up as if answering his earnest wish.

When the director got up from his seat, everyone stopped eating and looked at Lee Cheong-beom.

The production manager’s cheerful face turned towards director Lee Cheong-beom.

“Okay, everyone is eating and enjoying themselves, so I’m sorry for suddenly getting up.”

“No, Director―!”

Everyone smiles and raises their glasses as they look at Lee Cheong-beom, who stands up from his seat with his glass in his hand.

“As my director, I have a lot to say, but I’ll just say this one thing.”

Director Lee Cheong-beom spoke to everyone, including Hyun-soo.

“Everyone… … I’m really, really grateful that you followed along safely without any major incidents… … .”

The staff continued to applaud Lee Cheong-beom, who bowed his head politely to everyone.

Wheeeeeeeek!

Clap clap clap clap!

Cheers and applause filled with heartfelt respect.

The staff members each shared their thoughts about their journey so far while looking at Director Lee Cheong-beom standing in the middle.

“… … That’s right, our director really worked hard this time. Planning the route to avoid accidents, personally checking various safety equipment, filming, and directing. I thought the director also worked as a safety officer?”

“But since the director himself showed us that kind of behavior, didn’t we become more careful? That’s why it ended safely without any major accidents.”

“Senior Hyunsoo and the action team also played a part in that.”

Soon, the staff’s gaze turned to Hyun-soo, who was drinking with the action team.

“If it weren’t for the monstrous combination of those guys, we wouldn’t have been able to finish filming on budget. With the excavators, helicopters, water cans, cranes… … Honestly, in the end, the budget was almost completely gone.”

When the production manager heard that, he sighed inwardly and shook his head.

‘It’s not the last, but it’s been hitting rock bottom for weeks now?’

Needless to say, the budget for director Lee Cheong-beom’s film was not that high for a commercial action film.

However, Lee Cheong-beom spared no expense in investing even a significant portion of that small budget into safety on site.

So the budget was actually estimated quite precariously from the beginning of production.

‘Time is money on set.’

If filming had been even a little sluggish, there was a possibility that filming would have to be halted due to budget constraints.

“If it weren’t for the amazing teamwork of those people, it wouldn’t have ended this well.”

All the staff members who were listening to the production director nodded.

“The director is the best! The actors and the action team were also the best!”

Applause and cheers continued again.

“I feel like my health has improved because I smile and clap my hands every day.”

“Haha, anyway, it ended safely. Let’s let loose and have some drinks today!”

They were always nervous about any accidents that might happen, so they drank until they were completely drunk, as if trying to relieve the stress they had accumulated over time.

“Senior, although it was a short period of time, I really learned a lot this time.”

Kim Hee-woon waved his hand at Hyun-soo, who had come over and was pouring a bottle of alcohol, and said.

“This guy is embarrassing me right now. Is my junior teasing me on purpose?”

“……yes?”

Hyun-soo cringes involuntarily at Kim Hee-woon’s gloomy expression.

“Ah, that’s just how I look. You don’t have to be so down. I’m in a really good mood right now. Haha, here, have a drink!”

“Ah… … Yes! Thank you!”

Kim Hee-woon, who poured soju for Hyun-soo, continued speaking with a pleasant expression.

“Actually, I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately.”

“Huh? Are you in a slump, senior?”

It was natural for Hyunsoo to have a puzzled look on his face.

How many of Kim Hee-woon’s recent works have there been?

He was the main character(?) of the afterlife who received praise from movie fans along with the nickname of ‘actress stealer’ who chewed up the main character every time.

The Kim Hee-woon that Hyun-soo knows is an actor who doesn’t really fit the word ‘slump’.

But even Kim Hee-woon had his own worries.

“What good is it if you have a lot of works? They can’t be used as the main ones like they are now.”

‘Oh, come to think of it… … .’

If you think about it, Kim Hee-woon has never been cast as a main supporting actor in a recent movie.

They usually only appear as the main character’s assistant (of course, a villain) or as important subordinates of the main villain.

“I always got good reviews for my acting skills, and I thought I had no problems with acting. Until now, I didn’t know why, so I just thought it was bad luck… … But this time, when I matched up with my junior, I realized exactly what my problems were.”

“… … ?”

“I… … have such a strong character.”

Character.

Hyunsoo was soon able to understand what Kim Heewoon was saying.

‘In fact, he is a person who exuded a presence that seemed like he would swallow up Lee Woo-jin from the moment they first met.’

Of course, such a presence could not be said to have come only from the character of General Choi.

‘The presence of the actor Kim Hee-woon himself.’

In short, the character that Kim Hee-woon is talking about now is not the character built up through narrative.

This refers to the aura of an actor that Kim Hee-woon naturally exudes as a result of his long experience honing his acting.

That aura has such an overwhelming personality that even actors with decent acting skills can’t properly compete with it.

This was the reason why Lee Cheong-beom had not cast Kim Hee-woon in his films, citing ‘balance’ as a reason.

“So I asked the director, ‘How can I kill that character?’ Do you know what he said?”

“What did you say?”

“They said that if you die to junior Kim, you’ll know.”

“… … ?”

When Hyun-soo looked bewildered, not understanding what was being said, Kim Hee-woon smiled and continued speaking.

“I didn’t know what it meant at first either… … but after dying, I really understood.”

“… … ?”

“Kim Hoo-jae’s acting, at the end, the character of Lee Woo-jin that had been hidden throughout filming burst out all at once.”

… … Although he said he kept it hidden, it is true that Lee Woo-jin’s emotions suddenly changed and burst out.

“Junior. How did you do that?”

“yes?”

“I’m asking if you have any plans to give this senior a lot of guidance. Even if you don’t have much to learn from the villain, you’ll have a lot to learn from the protagonist.”

… … Indeed, the actor’s passion for acting was not limited to seniors or juniors.

In this way, Hyunsoo had time to safely finish another project while continuing his discussion about acting with a great senior actor like Kim Hee-woon.

We continued drinking and chatting about various things with colleagues who had suffered together.

It was late at night, when the drinking party was almost over, that Lee Cheong-beom approached.

“Actor Kim Hyun-soo. Thank you for your hard work.”

When Lee Cheong-beom extended his firm hand.

“I thank you too, Director.”

Kim Hyun-soo grabbed her hand.

Soon, the two men’s gazes begin to become passionately entangled in the air.

There was no need for further words between them.

“For this work, I will make it look like the action is even cooler than what was filmed on site.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it, Director.”

As before, it just shows through action.

So Hyun-soo went back to his accommodations at Emperor Resort in Yeongjong Island and fell asleep, feeling pleasantly drunk for the first time in a long while.

As an action actor, my work is done.

* * *

As an action actor, my life is over.

Beep beep beep

Half of my face was paralyzed.

One of my legs doesn’t move properly.

Even when I just lay down, my back hurt like crazy, so I had to always walk bending over like my father.

Yeong-cheol stood in front of the hospital bathroom mirror, holding a toothbrush, and grinned, revealing his white teeth.

he-

“Look, Dad. I’m fine.”

Although Kim Yong-cheol’s body was damaged, his strong spirit did not collapse.

Even though his father’s back was bent, he always stood tall and ahead of him.

In the soul spirit, steel iron

Living up to his name, which means a man with a soul of steel, Yeong-cheol got up from his sickbed with an even stronger will.

“By the way, it must be hard being an action actor now. What should I do to make a living from now on?”

“You punk, you just came back from the dead, so now is the time to be worrying about that?”

Yeong-cheol responded to Park Jang-sik’s nagging with a sullen face.

“Why are you worried about how to eat and live? It’s not something you have to do while you’re alive.”

Even while hospitalized, Young-cheol spent the day wondering what to do and watched action movies in his hospital room.

Throughout the six long months of hospital stay, I was worried about the path I should take.

One day, Yeong-cheol opened his mouth.

“I know what to do.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Your Majesty, when I get discharged from the hospital, can you give me a spot in the gym?”

“A seat? That’s not that difficult… … .”

After being discharged from the hospital, Young-cheol set up his own office in a small warehouse in a corner of Jang-sang’s gym.

They also brought and erected a signboard with Chinese characters beautifully engraved on it, which they had obtained from somewhere.

“Father, watch from heaven. I’m going to make an action movie that’s even more epic than the ones you used to watch!”

Kim Young-chul, who was an action actor, vowed to make a movie that would end with his own hands.

“Isn’t action something that you can do even if you’re not an actor?”

Looking at Yeongcheol, he shook his head with a face that said he was tired of decorations.

“But Youngcheol, what does this say?”

When Jang-sang tilted his head while looking at the signboard engraved in Chinese characters, Yeong-cheol answered with a hollow laugh.

“Your Majesty, don’t you even know these easy Chinese characters?

“What is it?”

“That, that… … Son, sleep… … Son, sleep… … .”

“What do you mean, son? I know that much! I asked what the next Chinese characters were!”

“Ah, Amton, that’s what I wrote in Chinese characters, meaning that my useless son will one day become an action star. The naming teacher gave it to me, so don’t ask me any more questions.”

“Action shooter that really kicks the bucket, what a great idea that is.”

“Do you think so too, Your Majesty?”

“Yes, your father in heaven will surely think so too.”

Running forward without regard for any wind or storm.

“He is a man of great virtue.”

Continued in the next episode ▶