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This was a back alley in Kitay-Gorod. One of Moscow’s oldest districts.
It was the kind of place where, just by looking at it, you could tell countless directors must have filming an action scene here on their bucket lists.
The red brick buildings and iron fire escapes were appropriately worn down, and overhead, electric wires tangled irregularly across the sky.
Jo Eunnara practiced the choreography a few times with Kang Hanseong, the martial arts director from <Do It and It Works> Action Academy, then took a break.
The scene they had to shoot today was action-heavy overall. Basic martial arts action combined with car stunt action, and even the camera setup was large-scale enough to bring in drones.
Across from her, she could see the two leads seriously consulting with the director before the actual shoot began.
“They look serious. I guess both of them really are sincere about acting. Nara, trust me this time. I can feel it.”
“...”
At her innocent manager’s hopeful words, Jo Eunnara gave a crooked smile.
‘As if.’
Because she had noticed it while casually throwing a few polite questions at the half-insane staff.
In this industry, where deceiving and being deceived was natural, Jo Eunnara, who could no longer trust filthy, disgusting humans, had become a god of leading questions.
‘I heard the kiss scene on the first day was botched. They must have been trying to pretend they weren’t used to it.’
Being good at acting and being sincere were two very different things. Jo Eunnara knew that the only person here who was sincere about acting was herself.
‘I have to stay sharp, damn it... I’m not trusting anyone this time.’
She couldn’t stand by and watch people date on set.
After confirming that the behind-the-scenes camera was attached, Jo Eunnara approached the two of them. Her grip tightened around the script in her hand.
‘If undeniable proof of a real dating rumor drops midway through the broadcast, we’re fucked.’
She had already experienced it before. For the two leads, it would end as a minor blow, but for a supporting actor like Jo Eunnara, it was no different from falling into the abyss as background decoration.
Jo Eunnara approached Han Yeoreum with her script.
“When I appear here.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Can I know what kind of feeling you’ll be running in with? I’ll prepare my expression to match that.”
Han Yeoreum stared quietly at the section Jo Eunnara had handed her and fell into deep thought.
* * *
‘Jo Eunnara really is Eun Baekhap’s relative.’
She was more sincere about acting than expected. Such passion, like a single flower blooming amid all that misfortune....
‘She really reminds me of the old Han Yeoreum. I’m about to cry.’
The basic condition for my ideal second male lead.
Don’t get drunk on your own emotions and stand out. Match the female lead.
‘You’re already planning to match my expression. Jo Eunnara, you are the best second male lead.’
Five thousand stars.
‘And you came over right when the behind-the-scenes camera was attached.’
I was so grateful.
Jo Eunnara in her agent uniform was practically a cheat key that could raise views just by being put in the thumbnail.
‘And with friendly behind-the-scenes videos like this in between, we can completely calm down the dating rumor.’
I really liked Jo Eunnara.
I should treat her well.
‘And filming has to go smoothly for us to have time to reshoot that regrettable kiss scene from the first day.’
I pointed to the section Jo Eunnara had marked in the script and said,
“I’ll run in crying. I’ll be crying from the moment the shootout starts.”
“Ah, crying? But it connects to the scene where you have to check the CCTV circuit inside the car. Since reinforcements have arrived, wouldn’t it feel more natural for you to stop crying then...?”
“I’m crying, but I thought it would look good if I still did my job properly. It’s also good for showing how serious the ambush is.”
“...Crying... all right, I understand for now.”
Jo Eunnara nodded briefly, then looked through the script again. She seemed to be connecting the scene in her head while imagining Im Ria.
As if trying to picture the feeling, she lightly furrowed her brow. Her cold eyes turned serious.
‘She’ll definitely feel it in a little while.’
Because this scene was different from the kiss scene on the first day.
This actually worked out perfectly.
It was one of the types of acting I was most confident in.
When it came to being nervous, I was confident I could do it better than anyone.
Because for me, it was acting that simply “happened.”
The first scene after the troublesome previous actor disappeared and a new actor was brought in.
‘I can set the tone properly.’
It was a nice timing to truly raise the mood on set.
* * *
“Ready.”
Galdaeguk sat in his chair and looked at the two people appearing on the monitor.
This scene was the narrative immediately before the kiss scene, the one that would lead into it.
Matteo, who protected her by throwing himself in harm’s way without sparing his own body, only to keep his mouth shut afterward without saying a word.
Ria, who grabbed Matteo by the collar and gave him their first kiss.
It was the perfect scene to immediately convey to viewers how their emotions had deepened.
Unknown attackers.
Interpol and ICC operations that were not shared with each other. freёwebnovel.com
Suspicion blooming between them.
Conflict between departments.
And love beginning to sprout.
One camera showed the entire alley.
Another was set up to close in on the two people’s faces.
Because they were using multicam, it was a scene where they had to be careful with their gazes.
If they looked at the lens even by accident, that cut would have to be thrown out.
They had to immerse themselves enough to completely forget the cameras existed, but at the same time, calculate the movements of their eyes.
“Scene 44, take 1!”
“A-cam marker!”
“B-cam marker!”
The slate snapped shut, and Han Yeoreum and Han Yohan beyond it became Im Ria and Matteo.
Galdaeguk held his breath and watched them.
The two walked through the narrow alley, their shoulders brushing dangerously close together. Since they were sharing a single black long umbrella, Matteo’s left shoulder was soaked through.
Just as Im Ria pulled her dry lips inward at the subtle atmosphere—
Bang!
A flashbang dropped from the upper floor of a building. Like a trained agent, Matteo immediately shielded Im Ria behind him and secured his view.
The sound of burly men busily running down the building could be heard.
“...”
“...”
Neither of them said a word.
On Matteo’s face was the coldness of someone forced to make sharp calculations in real time, while confusion and fear seeped across Im Ria’s face.
With one hand, she gripped Matteo’s shoulder. With the other, she covered her mouth and nose in case the smoke contained drugs.
Then she hurriedly lifted her head and looked up at the building.
It was the behavior of an Interpol brain trying to determine whether there was a sniper watching from behind a window, and where exactly this alley was.
Matteo looked forward.
Im Ria looked upward.
Their eyes moved busily, as though they had divided their roles between them.
A moment later, the smoke cleared.
Before they knew it, they were surrounded from front and back.
In front were the attackers who had run down from the building. Behind them were attackers who had just gotten out of a black van.
Their escape route was completely cut off.
All of them had their faces tightly wrapped in masks.
Click.
They loaded guns equipped with suppressors and walked forward as if applying pressure.
“...Who are those people?”
“I don’t know. Not right now.”
Im Ria clutched Matteo’s collar with trembling hands.
Im Ria was not a field agent. A situation she had only faced in simulations had suddenly unfolded in reality.
Matteo pushed Im Ria into a small gap between buildings, an alley narrow enough for one small woman to barely fit into.
Step. Step. Step.
The footsteps of the attackers approaching from both sides were chillingly steady.
Im Ria staggered and hid behind a huge trash can.
She hurriedly pulled a laptop from the bag she was carrying and contacted somewhere through a transmitter.
Her slightly parted lips, trembling chin, and the fear-filled tears spilling from her wide eyes.
Galdaeguk became immersed to a degree incomparable to the kiss scene.
A thick fear oozed through the screen.
Enough to make Galdaeguk tense along with her.
The fingertips entering the password were terrifyingly realistic.
[Error: Invalid password. 3 failed attempts will lead to a permanent ban.]
She slipped because of the fine trembling.
Two chances remained.
If she failed to enter it properly, the program would lock.
To wipe her hands, wet with rain and cold sweat, Im Ria curled her fingers inward and clenched a fist, only to flinch in shock again.
Bang!
The sound of someone being hit could be heard.
With tears dripping down, Im Ria tried once again to enter the password.
Bang!
[Error: Invalid password. 3 failed attempts will lead to a permanent ban.]
But she entered it wrong again.
Someone fired into the alley where Ria was hiding.
The lid of the trash can flew upward.
“Mmph...!”
Unable to even scream, Im Ria pushed her lips inward and bit down hard.
Curling her body as tightly as she could, Im Ria entered the password once more.
This was truly her last chance.
[Authentication Complete]
* * *
Martial arts director Kang Hanseong had to struggle to hold back his admiration while watching the destructive action.
Pure skill that surpassed weight class, enough not to fall behind the action actors brought directly from Russia.
Inside the frame, Han Yohan moved as if he were rampaging freely.
‘The long umbrella was truly a divine move.’
This scene must have moved vividly inside Ma Eungyo’s head.
It was a masterpiece-like scene.
Han Yohan opened the long umbrella to block the opponent’s vision, kicked out his leg with the toe of his dress shoe, then instantly lowered the umbrella and struck the staggering man in the abdomen.
Thanks to that, bullets missed him again and again.
Defense and offense at once.
The opponent had a gun, while he only had an umbrella.
That alone explained the overwhelming difference in ability.
Creating distance from the enemy, Han Yohan drew a gun from his coat.
Bang!
The sound of Han Yohan’s gun, which had no suppressor attached, rang through the alley.
Like a skilled sniper, he even dealt with two men using a single bullet.
The attackers judged that if they came at him one by one, they would lose, and tried to surround Han Yohan.
That was when someone relatively small could be seen beyond the attackers, trying to enter the alley.
The place where Im Ria was.
‘And here...!’
Two shots forward.
Then one more after turning around.
Having exhausted all his bullets, Han Yohan grabbed the bottom of the long umbrella and hooked the collar near the handle.
The neck of the man trying to enter the alley was caught.
A swift recoil.
Han Yohan dragged the man out and used him as a human shield in front of him.
The bullets flying from every direction all lodged into the man’s body.
Han Yohan snatched the gun from the body of the man who had been alive just moments ago.
Without a single wasted movement.
Han Yohan threw the corpse toward the remaining attackers and fired with precise, momentary aim.
The many attackers were subdued all at once.
Bang—!
And at the same time, several more vans arrived in the alley.
* * *
At some point, Jo Eunnara was no longer watching the screen. She was watching the two of them with her naked eyes.
‘What are these people...?’
It was an indescribable immersion.
Han Yeoreum looked genuinely terrified, as if her life were on the line. freewebnøvel.com
Han Yohan handled the gun as if it truly belonged to him.
Jo Eunnara realized again what kind of place this was.
There were people who existed outside the standard.
No matter how much one practiced, worked hard, and was sincere, before real genius, none of that had any power.
“I’m crying, but I thought it would look good if I still did my job properly. It’s also good for showing how serious the ambush is.”
She remembered Han Yeoreum saying that earlier as if it were nothing.
‘This isn’t just showing how serious the ambush is.’
Jo Eunnara’s lips crooked upward.
A hollow laugh escaped her.
Even though they had not yet acted together, she felt as if she were being grabbed by the collar and dragged along.
In the entertainment industry, where there was not a single person she could trust, Jo Eunnara thought that if nothing else, the evaluation of Han Yeoreum was accurate.
The title “skilled actress” was not merely JC ENM’s viral marketing.
Because—
“Hyung. Where’s the makeup team?”
Instead of an acting choice that made her think, this is what I should do, she had come up with acting that made her think, this is what I have to do.
Taegyeong⎮(Pulling Ria’s arm) Careful!
Exactly what expression, what voice, what emotion, and what movement she had to use.
It felt as though she had received silent directing.
“Why makeup? What else are you doing?”
“I’m getting a bullet lodged in my arm.”
It felt wrong to simply pull away a woman who was terrified like that.
She would have to lean as far as possible out of the driver’s seat.
“I should have one or two gunshot wounds too.”
It was acting that made you absolutely want to risk your life to save her.
