As the summer departs with reluctance, red dragonflies flutter their wings.
Along the riverbank, which has cooled down after the heatwave, people are seen enjoying recreational activities. Mothers lovingly trying to feed their children homemade kimbap and children holding nets attempting to catch dragonflies.
On such a riverbank, Youngguk is running tirelessly.
His breath is short. Stopping his jog at this moment would be the height of happiness.
However, as if urging his aching thighs, his running speed increases.
After overcoming the hurdle, adrenaline rushes through his mind, and his previously heavy steps feel light, as if he has shed sandbags.
“Whew.”
How long has he been running? He estimates it to be over 5 kilometers. He sits on a bench facing the river and takes out a water bottle to drink.
His back is already soaked, but the water going down his throat tastes more refreshing than ever.
At that moment, an old man sits next to him on the bench and unfolds a newspaper.
[Actor Jang Youngguk, exclusive model for Desiderio!]
[Why Chief Designer Monica Rossellini chose actor Jang Youngguk.]
[Jang Youngguk breaks the stronghold that even famous Hollywood actors couldn’t!]
Youngguk’s name filled the front page of the newspaper.
To sum it up, he signed a contract with Desiderio. Of course, it was conditional. The model photoshoot would proceed after all movie shoots were completed, and he would receive double the initial contract fee.
If asked if he changed his mind because of the money?
‘No.’
In fact, he was already living without financial worries. He had achieved great success in both dramas and movies. Not only was his appearance fee high, but the investment he made during the shooting of “Confession of a Priest” had multiplied his original investment several times over.
The reason for signing the contract was none other than the attitude of Chief Designer Monica.
- I will always return to Korea until you change your mind. That’s how valuable you are to me.
At that moment, the old man reading the newspaper squinted his eyes at the article. But he couldn’t read it, perhaps because he forgot his reading glasses. Eventually, he nodded toward Youngguk sitting next to him.
“Young man, what’s written in this article?”
“It says an actor signed an advertising model contract with a clothing company.”
“Do they put such articles on the front page these days?”
Youngguk, wearing a cap pulled down low, suppressed a smile. The old man, dissatisfied with the article, clicked his tongue and folded the newspaper. Then, as if still curious, he asked:
“Is the clothing store famous, or is the actor famous? What’s the actor’s name?”
“It says Jang Youngguk.”
“Jang Youngguk? Never heard of him, so the clothing store must be more famous then?”
It was a reasonable question. Referring to Desiderio as a clothing store was an understatement, but comparing it to Youngguk wasn’t entirely wrong either.
Watching the old man walk away, Youngguk stood up feeling refreshed. He felt like he needed to work even harder.
After finishing his shower and coming out with a towel around his neck,
“Youngguk!”
His uncle was waiting with a sullen expression at the door. Living together now felt normal, but his uncle’s expression was unusual.
“Don’t I get a gift?”
What gift?
“I carried you on my back since you were a snot-nosed kid, and now you…!”
“When did you ever carry me on your back, uncle? You always say that.”
“It’s just a saying.”
His uncle scratched his nose awkwardly and added.
“Your brother said he received a wallet from Desiderio.”
“I prepared one for you too, uncle.”
“Really?”
Actually, Youngguk had decided to cover all the costs related to gifts for the staff. But Monica insisted it was from her heart and refused, so eventually, it didn’t happen. Still, feeling uncomfortable, he had bought several Desiderio wallets.
Gifts bring happiness to everyone. With his uncle’s wealth, a Desiderio wallet wouldn’t be an expensive item.
However, his uncle treasured the wallet Youngguk gave him like a sacred talisman and proudly showed it to his grandfather. Watching that made him feel glad about his gift.
“Youngguk, are you going to the action school today?”
“Yes.”
“Be careful.”
At his grandfather’s words, his uncle’s eyes widened.
“You’re going to an action school?”
“There’s an action scene at the end of the shoot, so I thought I’d practice in advance.”
“Well, well, brother. It seems I should give you some lessons, don’t you think?”
His uncle shrugged. After all, wasn’t he someone who had played various roles on both TV and in movies? He had starred in so many action films that they couldn’t be counted on ten fingers.
Seeing his uncle already warming up, Youngguk thought he should leave the mansion as soon as possible.
“Youngguk, such opportunities are rare. Believe it or not, I used to be an action star.”
While talking, his uncle looked around.
“Brother, where did Youngguk go?”
“He left like a shot a moment ago.”
“Ready.”
A word often used in action films. It refers to pre-arranging the sequence when shooting high-difficulty action scenes.
Since such shoots could easily lead to major accidents, they not only conduct several rehearsals but also never neglect practice.
“Youngguk, did you exercise before?”
Martial arts director Kwon Jae-hong marveled as he felt Youngguk’s calves. Not only that. From his thighs encasing his femur to his abs and chest, wasn’t his body solid as if he had been working out for a long time?
His muscles weren’t bulked up like a bodybuilder’s but were compact and filled, making them even more impressive.
“I jog every morning, but I don’t do any particular exercise.”
“Just that and you have such a balanced body? You’re better than most of our action school students. If you were flexible too, that would be perfect.”
Kwon Jae-hong smacked his lips. Youngguk’s body was very desirable for an action actor.
Of course, many actors had good bodies too. But most of them focused on appearance and were not flexible. In common terms, they were more for photo shoots.
“Want to try this?”
Kwon Jae-hong lifted a mitt to waist height. Youngguk lightly stretched and then kicked.
As he easily kicked the mitt with his instep, Kwon Jae-hong gradually raised the height. Eventually, he lifted the mitt to a position above his own head.
An actor who had never done action acting before wouldn’t even be able to lift their leg this high.
However.
Whack!
The mitt shook with a crisp hitting sound. Youngguk’s seamless movements were flawless.
Seeing this, Kwon Jae-hong clicked his tongue in admiration again.
“Youngguk, are you sure you haven’t done action scenes before?”
Youngguk responded with a faint smile. In fact, saying he hadn’t learned was a lie. In his past life, hadn’t he often played the roles of gangsters and bodyguards? He had even worked as a stuntman in an action school to make a living at one point.
Now, with his body younger and lighter, he wouldn’t be worse than his old self.
“It’s a shame that the action scene at the end of the movie is short. With this level of flexibility for a first-timer, a little tweaking could make it incredible.”
While Kwon Jae-hong was smacking his lips repeatedly, Son Hwawon arrived at the action school. Being polite as always, he greeted everyone and waved at Youngguk.
Kwon Jae-hong also greeted Son Hwawon and shook his hand.
“Hwawon, you have calluses, so you must have been working out hard.”
Son Hwawon replied that he had been hitting the gym diligently to avoid being a burden.
Soon, Son Hwawon’s basic test also took place. However, Kwon Jae-hong’s expression was less enthusiastic.
Though it was true that Son Hwawon’s body was sturdy, showing he didn’t lie about going to the gym, his flexibility was significantly lacking.
“Anyway, there’s still time before the shoot with the action scenes, so it’s fine. Hwawon, you should start with basic flexibility training, and for Youngguk, let’s test how well you can sync up. First, I’ll show you the kind of scene we need and the goal to aim for. Myungdeok, Jisung!”
At Kwon Jae-hong’s call, stuntmen Myungdeok and Jisung, who were warming up on one side of the action school, came running.
The fact that they had compression patches on their thighs and arms, and their solid physiques, indicated to anyone they had been working out for a long time.
“Myungdeok will play Youngguk, and Jisung will play Hwawon. We’ve matched the scenes as per Director Baek’s script, so please have a look.”
As soon as Kwon Jae-hong finished speaking, the two men distanced themselves. A slight nod served as a signal, and their eyes gleamed instantly.
Their hands and feet moved swiftly. So fast it seemed someone might get hurt.
Son Hwawon, watching, couldn’t keep his mouth shut, so it must have been quite a sight.
“That was the first part.”
“Director, you said first part?”
“We usually prepare about three action scenes for one cut. Normally, if there are many supporting actors or obstacles in the scene, we use stand-ins. But for the scene Director Baek ordered, it’s mainly the two of you in a full cut, so using stand-ins is difficult.”
Son Hwawon’s face showed signs of worry. At that moment, Kwon Jae-hong glanced at Youngguk and asked,
“Youngguk, want to try syncing up? The scene you just saw. Jisung will guide you step by step, so consider it a preview. Of course, you’ll wear protective gear. You need to get a feel for it first.”
Youngguk nodded briefly and started putting on the protective gear. While gearing up, Kwon Jae-hong and the stuntman, Jisung, explained the sequence.
Wearing full protective gear made him feel awkward, but it was necessary.
“Jisung, lead him.”
As soon as Kwon Jae-hong finished speaking, the stuntman’s fist flew toward Youngguk. Following the pre-arranged sequence, Youngguk tilted his neck sideways to avoid the punch.
Then he clenched his left hand and aimed at the stuntman’s abs.
The stuntman widened his eyes in surprise as Youngguk’s fist stopped in front of his abs.
The speed was faster than expected, and the sequence was flawless. Kwon Jae-hong, intrigued, continued,
“Keep going.”
At that moment, Youngguk’s eyes gleamed. As if he were on an actual set, his fists and feet began to move.
The stuntman, Jisung, swallowed his surprise. He had been told Youngguk was new to action scenes.
Syncing up wasn’t just about having good reflexes. It required a keen eye and trust in one’s partner.
“Wow.”
Watching from the side, Son Hwawon couldn’t help but exclaim. The synchronization between Youngguk and the stuntman was perfect.
Kwon Jae-hong also blinked in surprise as he watched.
