Free Web NovelYoomyeong had a habit.
— Oppa, why are you looking at that page of the script? Bohyung doesn’t even have any lines there.
— Ah... I was just looking. Haha...
Whenever he got a role in a school play in his previous life, he usually only had a few lines, and the sparsely highlighted script looked painfully empty against the white page. So he always picked an additional role for himself.
— To be, or not to be, that is the question.
Sometimes it was the lead role with famous lines,
— I fan myself to save on expenses.
Or sometimes it was a character with only a brief but memorable appearance.
And so, across 1,321 productions, Yoomyeong played 1,321 roles and imagined another 1,321 roles he never got to play.
Those countless roles became the foundation for the variations in Shin Yoomyeong’s performances.
Unable to shake off that habit, he found himself wondering how he would have played the role of ‘Tak Gyu-min’ in this script as well.
Tak Gyu-min, the second male lead of ‘Showbiz Studies.’
Yoomyeong’s impression of him was that he was soft-hearted and ill-suited for celebrity life.
— Gyu-min lets out a faint sigh after seeing fans crowd around him, then smiles brightly.
— Gyu-min smiles gently when he sees Hana always running around.
Unlike Kwon Do-jun, whose overwhelming talent and passion for acting overshadowed his terrible personality, Kim Hana, who entered the industry through sheer determination and perseverance, or Ryu Jun-kyung, who genuinely enjoyed being the center of attention, Tak Gyu-min was different.
He entered the entertainment industry because of his pretty face and difficult family circumstances. Though overwhelmed by his popularity and painfully aware of his own limited talent, he still struggled to fulfill the role expected of him.
As a ‘professional entertainer,’ he wore a bright smile as justification for the money he earned.
And so he became the ‘ordinary man’ who sincerely listened whenever the ‘ordinary girl’ stumbled or struggled.
Tak Gyu-min really was a charming character.
A normal person hidden beneath the shell of a glamorous celebrity — if portrayed well, that contrast could easily earn the viewers’ sympathy and affection.
Casting Lee Kyu-seong as Tak Gyu-min had been a good choice in terms of the celebrity façade.
However, because he couldn’t reveal the ordinary, simple man underneath, the character ended up fading into just another second male lead.
‘If it were me...’
The key was to subtly weave Tak Gyu-min’s personal vulnerability into his portrayal of ‘Munshin Wolgong’ within the drama.
For a moment, Yoomyeong shut out the outside world and immersed himself completely in Tak Gyu-min’s inner self.
Today’s scene was not an easy one.
The characters ‘Eunseong,’ played by Kwon Do-jun, and ‘Wolgong,’ played by Tak Gyu-min, were locked in fierce conflict.
In this scene, Kwon Do-jun’s performance needed to overwhelm Tak Gyu-min’s.
‘Lee Kyu-seong. He’s always subtly irritating me, and now this...’
Even though he always smiled, Baek Seunghyo was aware of the twisted feelings Lee Kyu-seong harbored toward him. He simply hadn’t cared much because he considered him an uninteresting actor.
But walking out in the middle of filming, especially during a scene designed to highlight Do-jun’s acting?
‘And now the stand-in...’
Baek Seunghyo glanced toward Shin Yoomyeong, who was waiting nearby.
Strangely enough, he was more concerning than Lee Kyu-seong.
Even though only Seunghyo himself would appear on screen, he still found himself wondering how Yoomyeong intended to portray Tak Gyu-min.
Would his ‘Wolgong’ simply yield before his ‘Eunseong’?
“We’ll shoot a full take without cuts to capture the emotions properly. After that, we’ll focus on Baek Seunghyo’s close-ups.”
Eunseong and Wolgong were characters in the drama-within-the-drama .
was a historical drama set in a fictional era, depicting the hidden conflict between Eunseong, a martial lord famed as a peerless warrior, and Wolgong, the greatest scholar of the age.
Today’s scene centered on a heated confrontation between the two over whether to wage war against an invading kingdom or pursue mediation. Ultimately, however, the scene was supposed to end with Do-jun overpowering Gyu-min.
The set was a grand royal court, lined with ministers standing in formation.
A child actor in a small royal robe sat upon the throne. Yoomyeong, draped in scholarly robes, stood on the left, while Baek Seunghyo stood on the right.
Scholar and warrior.
“Rolling — 3, 2, 1, action!”
“Your Majesty, I urge you to order troops to the border with the Sumyeong Kingdom. The longer we delay, the greater the danger to our innocent people. I, Eunseong, will personally lead the campaign and restore our nation’s honor!”
Eunseong’s thunderous voice shook the royal court.
The director clenched the script tightly, impressed by Baek Seunghyo’s excellent condition.
Then—
“Your Majesty. Our nation has only just begun recovering from the war with the Geoncheok Kingdom that ended in June. Soon the harvest season will arrive, yet our beautiful land is about to be stained with blood once again. This is not the time to indulge in fantasies of war, Your Majesty. I beg you to make a wise decision.”
Huh?
The child actor sitting on the throne blinked in surprise.
Caught off guard, Baek Seunghyo quickly regained his composure and continued.
“The Sumyeong Kingdom has always pretended to be a brother nation while stabbing us in the back at our weakest moments. And yet you suggest making peace with such treacherous people, Wolgong? Furthermore, the territory they invaded this time is rich in mines. Do you truly not understand what they will demand in exchange for peace?”
Eunseong wasn’t looking at the throne.
Instead, he glared fiercely across the royal court at his rival, Wolgong.
Wolgong answered calmly.
“Our people will board fragile ships and die beneath enemy blades. Border trade, which has only just begun recovering, will come to a halt for at least a year. Repeated hardships will replace rice on the people’s tables with bark, and children will cry for their parents. I am no less angered by the Sumyeong Kingdom than anyone else, but there is a proper time for war.”
“Then what do you propose, Wolgong?!”
“I propose sending an envoy to the Empire to negotiate peace. I will personally go as envoy and persuade the Empire to grant us the most favorable terms possible.”
“Have you lost your mind? The Empire’s tribute demands already crush the people beneath their weight!”
“Isn’t a bent back still better than death?”
“Cut—! Eunseong and Wolgong need to feel more evenly matched... Wolgong, please put more force into it.”
“...I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll do it again.”
The criticism came not from the director of , but from the director of .
And the moment Yoomyeong shifted from ‘Wolgong’ back into ‘Tak Gyu-min,’ Baek Seunghyo felt a chill run through him. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
‘So that’s why he portrayed Wolgong that way...’
Wolgong was supposed to be a wise man capable of calm reasoning even in desperate circumstances, someone who could step back and see the bigger picture.
To Baek Seunghyo, Eunseong was like a ferocious tiger, while Wolgong was meant to resemble a cold, venomous snake.
At first, he thought Yoomyeong had simply misunderstood the character because he was only filling in temporarily.
But it was more than that.
From the very beginning, Yoomyeong had deliberately exaggerated his projection and thrown his entire body into the performance. The problem was that his voice lacked the firmness necessary to feel threatening.
It resembled a child throwing a loud tantrum — noisy, but not intimidating.
A high-pitched voice without weight behind it.
Baek Seunghyo found himself wondering where such a delicate interpretation had come from. Then he realized that same softness remained even after Yoomyeong returned to portraying Tak Gyu-min.
It was a gentle, tame voice.
‘That’s right... I’ve gotten too used to Lee Kyu-seong’s version of Tak Gyu-min. But when I first read the script, Gyu-min felt more like this. Does he really interpret a role this deeply even when he’s only standing in temporarily...?’
“Good. Keep that feeling. Let’s start with Do-jun’s first close-up. Yoomyeong, read the opposite lines for him.”
It wasn’t merely ‘bad acting.’
It was the portrayal of someone trying their absolute best and still feeling painfully inadequate.
Recognizing Yoomyeong’s intentions, PD Bang Hak gave a satisfied nod, and filming continued smoothly.
Meanwhile, writer Yook Mi-young, who had just arrived on set, silently observed everything.
“Oh, Writer Yook, you’re here? Come this way.”
After the scenes involving Tak Gyu-min wrapped up, Yook Mi-young approached PD Bang during a short break, and he led her to a quieter area for a more sensitive conversation.
“The more I watch Shin Yoomyeong, the more impressive he becomes.”
“Ah, you noticed too? He’s young, but his instincts for acting are exceptional.”
“He’s the kind of actor... who makes you think about the next scene.”
Feeling restless, Yook Mi-young flexed her fingers.
“Director, maybe it’s my rebellious streak talking, but I keep wondering whether we really need to hold ourselves back when we already have an alternative. Do you ever think that too?”
“...Honestly, yes.”
Ever since watching episodes 1 through 5, Yook Mi-young had wanted to increase Bohyung’s lines.
But because of Lee Kyu-seong’s status and TW Entertainment’s relationship with the broadcasting station, she had forcibly expanded the second male lead’s role instead.
Now, though... it was becoming increasingly difficult to restrain herself.
“Should we just replace the second male lead?”
Director Bang wasn’t someone who made reckless decisions.
Despite his friendly personality and skill at maintaining relationships, he was stubborn when it came to protecting his convictions — something he had already proven by enduring a year-long directors’ strike.
“I’m freelance, so I don’t really care... but are you sure you’ll be okay, PD-nim? TW’s pressure won’t be easy to deal with.”
“...If this drama becomes a mega-hit, what can they really do? It’s not as if we’re completely in the wrong.”
“Lee Kyu-seong gave us the perfect excuse.”
“Exactly.”
Their eyes gleamed like mischievous children plotting trouble.
Today’s Bohyung scene centered on a conversation with his manager, revealing his true feelings.
“Ready — 3, 2, 1, action!”
“Manager, what happened with the matter we discussed?”
“It’s been arranged. Her profile has been added to Ti-eum Film Production’s audition list.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“May... I ask you something presumptuous?”
“That’s unlike you, Manager... What is it?” frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
The man addressed as Manager — a solidly built middle-aged man — hesitated briefly before continuing.
“If you want to push someone, we can make them a star. And if you think it’ll seem too sudden, we can make it happen naturally. You know promoting someone directly is easier than arranging these kinds of ‘coincidental opportunities.’ Why go through all this trouble?”
Bohyung smiled quietly.
“If we did that, it would deny all the effort Hana has made until now.”
“...”
“Do you know why I ran away?”
“Why?”
“Because I could see people’s greed, selfish desires, and flattering smiles too clearly. Their intentions are so obvious that they make me sick.”
The Manager stayed silent.
His young master from the Hyukseong Group had been extraordinarily perceptive since childhood.
Bohyung could read people’s intentions almost unnaturally well and manipulate them however he pleased. Because of that, the manager had long ago resolved never to lie in front of him, admiring his terrifying insight.
Sometimes Bohyung would sigh and say, ‘I see things too easily — even the things I wish I didn’t understand.’
“Hana is ambitious, but her desires are pure. She has many dreams, but she never forgets what she needs to protect. She faces hardships honestly, falls down, then gets back up and keeps running without stopping... It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone who still remembers how to care for others even while struggling themselves.”
“...”
“It may look like I’m helping Hana, but honestly, I think I’m the one being healed. Being around Hana and her grandmother makes my exhausted heart feel alive again.”
“I see...”
Bohyung lightly tapped the manager’s arm and smiled mischievously.
“Don’t make that face, Manager... Or should I say ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Uncle? You’re one of the people healing my heart too. Anyway, I want to respect Hana’s ambitions. People who grow up without much rarely get opportunities, but someone who has lived the way Hana has deserves a chance. And I believe she’ll make the most of it once she gets one.”
This wasn’t the cute butler or the arrogant chaebol heir.
This was Yoon Bohyung as a human being, revealing his genuine self.
And that sincerity moved everyone watching.
“Cut—OK! Great work today, Yoomyeong.”
“Thank you, Director.”
Yook Mi-young, who had been watching from her chair, approached him.
“It was great seeing you on TV, but honestly, it’s even better seeing you on set. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you, Writer Yook.”
“Yoomyeong, do you have another schedule after this?”
“...No?”
“Then can we talk for a moment?”
After moving to a quiet corner, Yook Mi-young finally brought up the real subject.
“Do you think you could handle it if Bohyung’s role increased significantly?”
