The Haunted Monster Actor - Chapter 90



Only Noblemtl

Episode 90

The next morning, after filming ended, Hyunsoo came to say hello to the PD and writer before parting ways with everyone.

“Thank you for the past week, PD-nim. As Isin said, I wonder if we were the only ones having too much fun.”

Na Young-jun smiled and answered Hyun-soo’s words, who were full of worries about the program even before the withdrawal.

“If the cast isn’t having fun, will the viewers be having fun? It was fun enough, so don’t worry.”

Hyunsoo also smiled and nodded, as if he was finally relieved by PD Na’s words.

‘A person who knows how to bring out the natural charm of the performer most naturally.’

The fact that the Rising Dive members were able to fully unleash their potential throughout filming was all thanks to Na Young-jun creating the environment for them.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say this myself, but I think it would be hard to find a place as fun as my place.”

Hyunsoo nodded without realizing it after hearing PD Na’s words.

As he said, it will be difficult to find a filming site with this kind of atmosphere in the future.

“So, if you’re thinking about doing entertainment, who should you contact first?”

“Should I contact the stage fairy?”

“Haha, our actor Kim. Now he’s already a comedian. Anyway, you’ve really worked hard for the past week.”

“Yes, please call me again next time if you have the chance!”

“Can I record that?”

Hyunsoo, who had promised to meet PD Na next time, got on the van after greeting writer Choi Ui-jeong and the other actors.

“Brother, thank you for your hard work!”

“What was the hardship? Thanks to everyone’s help, I had a fun trip. Anyway, he was truly an amazing person.”

“Yes, even the managers often take care of you. As expected, there’s a reason why you can last a long time in this jungle-like world. Thanks to them, I’ve also made a lot of new friends this time.”

“New friend?”

“Yes, we were all so busy during the drama, right? This time, I became quite close with the other hyungs’ managers. Especially… … .”

At that moment, Gogun’s eyes became a little sharp as he said that.

“What in particular?”

“I became very close with actor Kang Ji-hoon’s manager.”

“Oh, Jihoon changed his manager. But… … Where have I seen your face before?”

“Haha, don’t you remember? Why, at the photo shoot last year… … .”

“Oh, senior Choi Ju-mi?”

Kang Ji-hoon’s manager is none other than Choi Ju-mi’s manager, Choi Hyeong-wook, who he met at the GTL pictorial shoot last year.

“Your image has changed so much since then that I didn’t recognize you.”

“Right? I don’t know what happened in the past year, but I think I got really worked up.”

The sight of her getting all worked up at the photo shoot site is nowhere to be found.

Choi Hyeong-wook was seen working enthusiastically as Kang Ji-hoon’s new manager.

“When I heard the story, it seemed like he had a hard time after that. He would complain whenever he got drunk and said he never wanted to go back to that time, and I thought I was going to die just listening to him.”

“okay?”

Hyunsoo nodded after hearing Gogun’s words.

“Well, it’s not something you should be concerned about, hyung. You fell asleep while filming late last night. Now, get some sleep, hyung.”

“No, I slept more soundly than I thought. I see that you stayed up late with the manager and staff yesterday. If you’re tired, let me know and I’ll take turns driving.”

“Thank you for just saying that, brother!”

It wasn’t an empty promise to say that I slept well.

Thanks to not having any ‘dreams’ throughout the filming of the variety show, Hyunsoo was able to sleep deeply every night.

‘I finally realize how much mental strength it takes to struggle with the aftereffects of dreams.’

Hyunsoo was quietly looking out the window with various thoughts in his mind.

Suddenly, something occurred to Hyunsoo, and his gaze turned to the bag on the seat next to him.

A bundle of scripts can be seen vaguely inside the half-open bag.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t even look at the script the CEO gave me.”

It was because the cameras were rolling almost 24 hours a day, and I didn’t have time to read the script because I was always chatting with the members at the dorm before falling asleep.

‘I’m sorry, sir.’

Hyunsoo, who felt sorry to Woo Jiyoon for trying so hard to take care of him, picked up the script in his bag.

“This is… … ?”

Soon, Hyun-soo’s eyes start to grow wide in surprise as he holds the script and begins to look through it.

Hyunsoo soon started checking other scripts.

“Writer Kim Eun-soon, writer Ham sisters’ script… … Director Choi Jong-hoon’s next work?”

Writers Eun-sun Kim and sister Ham.

Both are legendary writers who boast careers that are even longer than Choi Ui-jeong’s in the drama field.

Who is Choi Jong-hoon there?

No further explanation is needed.

Among the movies he made, there are two that achieved ’10 million’.

The fact that he has made two films that have sold 10 million tickets, something that other directors struggle to make even once in their lifetime, is proof of his incredible career.

“What is this… … ?”

As if he had expected such a reaction from Hyun-soo, Go-geon said with a smile.

“The drama is currently in the planning stages, and I understand that Director Choi’s film is still in the pre-production stage. Seeing that he’s already sent me a book like this, I guess it means that he made a very impressive appearance in this drama.”

It was at that moment that Hyun-soo’s hands, which had been turning the pages of the scripts with a blank expression and no response to Go-geon’s words, stopped.

“Huh? Director Lee Cheong-beom?”

Lee Cheong-beom.

Hyunsoo’s eyes lit up with joy at seeing the name for the first time in a long time.

He is not a director with an overwhelming career like Director Choi Jong-hoon mentioned above.

But he… … .

‘You could say he’s someone who left his mark on our country’s action film industry.’

There is one movie that left the strongest impression on Hyun-soo throughout his teenage years.

“Uncle Neighbor… … Is this movie from 16 years ago already?”

Hardboiled action movie “The Uncle Next Door”

I wouldn’t say it’s the most entertaining movie.

But it is clear that of all the movies he saw in his teens, this one stimulated Hyun-soo’s peripheral nerves the most intensely.

‘At first, it was a movie that became a hot topic because it cast Won Ji-sang, who was considered the most handsome actor in South Korea at the time.’

But when the film opened, the actor’s handsome face did not catch the audience’s eye.

This is truly overwhelming action.

A cruel and gory production contrasting with the cold mise-en-scène.

While the intense action scenes in the cynical atmosphere lead the way, the mood of the entire movie is suddenly reversed with a single line of dialogue.

“When I think about it now, it was truly amazing in many ways. How could such a movie come out at that time?”

The lineage of South Korean hard-boiled action films can be divided into before and after “The Uncle Next Door.”

Not only were there many viewers unable to watch the film until the end due to its graphic depiction of heinous crimes and brutal action scenes, but there were even some who called the film company to ask if such a thing could actually happen.

This was the reason why Hyun-soo, who was a teenager, somehow managed to find and watch ‘Uncle Neighbor’, which was not suitable for minors.

Hyun-soo, who was still young, still vividly remembered the shock he felt when he first saw the movie.

‘It was a huge success at the time, with an audience of 6 million.’

“Since then, I have watched all of the director’s works without fail… … .”

Unfortunately, the films he released after that did not perform very well.

No, it’s not that it’s bad.

‘The most recent score was 200,000.’

In a word, he was now a failed director.

It’s not just a failure, it’s a complete, utter failure.

It’s been almost 5 years since the release of your latest work, but I had forgotten about it because there was no news about a new work…

“Hmm, are you trying action again?”

It’s action acting.

I’ve watched Uncle Neighbor more than 30 times now, and I’ve often imagined Hyun-soo performing such flashy actions.

Hyunsoo began reading the synopsis of the movie “Bad Weather” with an interested expression.

As I read on… … .

“Oh, I drank too much last night.”

Strangely, my eyes keep closing.

Hyunsoo was clearly in his right mind just a moment ago.

Soon, Hyunsoo could understand why his eyes were slowly closing.

“Obviously, it doesn’t seem that bad.”

The narrative structure is also quite solid, and there is no particular flaw to be found.

Yet, I feel a strange boredom.

To put it more bluntly, it’s not fun.

“Hmm, what could be the problem?”

Hyunsoo is now looking over the scenario with a serious face.

Soon Hyun-soo realized why he wasn’t having fun with this script.

“This… is exactly like a copy of my neighbor’s uncle.”

Hyunsoo’s evaluation was harsh.

It’s not a replica, it’s a deteriorated version.

Rather, it was said to be a low-quality scenario that was downgraded from the neighbor uncle.

Yes, that’s right.

The movie Bad Weather is a movie that repeats the clichés and major devices of the movie ‘Uncle Neighbor’ from 16 years ago.

Hyunsoo, who suddenly has a slightly disappointed look on his face.

“……still.”

As a long-time fan of director Lee Cheong-beom, Hyun-soo read his script all the way through out of courtesy.

Hyunsoo covered the scenario like that.

“… … Ah, I’m suddenly so tired. Excuse me, but can I close my eyes for a bit?”

The movie Bad Weather was definitely a scary piece of work.

It was so boring that it made Hyun-soo, who wasn’t tired at all, fall asleep from boredom.

Hyunsoo unconsciously closed his eyes while holding the devil’s(?) script in his arms.

* * *

In the dark alley, there was a damp, watery smell, a mixture of the rain that had fallen the night before and the urine of drunkards.

Gyaaak―!

Suddenly, a stray cat that was digging through a trash bag runs away with its fur standing on end at the sound of a sharp scream.

Soon, a hairy, malevolent hand grabbed the woman’s slender arm and dragged her into the alley.

“Hehehe, why is it like this? Stay still!”

“Hey, let go of this. I said let go!”

“How dare a woman wander around at this hour? She must be really pissed!”

“A bunch of you are harassing a woman… … You’re not even men!”

“Still, I told you to stay still, you bitch!”

match!

Whoa!

A woman collapsed in a pile of trash and glared at the men with eyes that looked like they might burst into tears at any moment.

“You guys… … if that guy finds out, he won’t stay still!”

“Hehe, it’s no use saying that. We’re people who aren’t afraid of anything.”

A group of thugs surround her with malicious eyes, paying no attention to what the woman says.

“Hey, stop there.”

Soon, a young man appeared before the gangsters with a flashy entrance sound.

The identity of the man who was half-leaning against the wall with a toothpick in his mouth was none other than Hyun-soo.

“Huh? What about you? Are you the guy that you were talking about?”

“No, that guy… … !”

“You little punk, do you know who we are and why you’re doing this?”

“Of course I know. You lowly bastards who harass women! You’ll come to your senses after you taste my fists today!”

Hyunsoo, who is about to fly towards the gangsters like lightning!

Beep!

Snap!

Posh!

Pagagang!

Every time Hyun-soo and the gangsters’ fists and arms cross, a loud sound effect rings out.

“This guy, he knows who we are! I don’t know if you know your twin-gun brother!”

“Ugh… … Dual pistols?! Oh no, I messed with some really scary guys… …!”

Hyun-soo soon begins to get beaten up by the gangsters, unable to overcome their numerical superiority.

“Tongue, Brother… …! Help me, Brother!!”

Hyun-soo, with a funny bruise on his face and a bloody nose, reaches out to help someone.

At that moment, a loud, manly laughter was heard from near the entrance of the alley.

“Hahahahahahaha! Now it’s the real protagonist’s turn to step forward. These guys, I won’t leave you alone!”

“Brother… …you came!”

“Ah, you came! I was hoping you would come to save me!”

“Whether you’re wielding dual pistols or dual swords, if you want to live, you’d better run away! As for our brother over there… …!”

… … Cut!! Cut, cut! NG!!!

“… … .”

Soon, a middle-aged man walks in from outside the alley, smoking a cigarette.

The man speaks to Hyun-soo in a nervous tone.

“No, this kid, is this the only way he can act! It’s so frustrating, it’s so frustrating!”

“I’m sorry. It’s, it’s my first time as an ambassador… … .”

“Oh my, my head.”

Soon, Hyun-soo’s eyes turn to the camera standing behind the director as he stands up and bows.

The master monitor next to the 16mm camera looking at Hyun-soo is not visible.

Instead, what catches the eye is a long, now obsolete viewfinder and a large film canister mounted on the back of the head.

‘That’s a very old film camera, at least from the late 1970s… ‘

At that time, I was blankly staring at the camera.

Waaaa …

A loud siren sound, incomparable to the woman’s screams, echoed throughout the area.

“Hey hey! It’s curfew! Everyone, hurry up and pack your gear and crawl back to your quarters! We’ll continue filming until tomorrow morning, and those who are late will get a bad rap!”

“… … .”

“Hey, Youngcheol!”

“……yep!”

“You have to do better than this tomorrow, okay? If you throw away the film again tomorrow, then you and I will both die!”

“Oh, yes! I understand!!!”

Childish dialogue and loud sound effects.

A 16mm motion picture film camera that takes those shots.

People on the streets start running around like crazy when the curfew comes.

In the dream, Hyun-soo was Kim Young-cheol, an unknown action actor on a movie set in the 1980s.

Continued in the next episode ▶