Chapter 116: What is an Agency?
Near the valley outskirts of Gyeonggi-do.
There was a hidden gem boasting breathtaking scenery where water and mountains met. It was just a little disappointing that the sun was setting.
A remote guesthouse served as the base for the filming location.
“You said you were going to eat?”
“Yeah. But I didn’t have time, and I had to diet, so I turned it down. What do you think? Can you tell I’ve lost some weight?”
Muyoung, recounting the charity party from last week, spun around where he stood. Maybe it was because he’d cut out flour, but his skin was so fair it looked even clearer.
“You do look thinner.”
“Actually, I’ve lost about 2kg. A little more and I’ll be there.”
“Take care of your health. Taeseok’s helping you, right?”
“Yeah. But actually, it’s just water weight. I just don’t eat.”
Muyoung, rubbing his belly and looking satisfied on his own. It was a body he was creating by sacrificing his health, but if it was for a project, it seemed he even enjoyed it.
Bora stared blankly at him, then frowned.
No matter how she thought about it, something seemed off.
“What’s wrong?”
“No. Do you think the investment representative of SJ Entertainment would have invited you to eat just because they had free time? There must be something they wanted. It’s the same with giving you the invitation at the first meeting.”
“It’s probably because of our dating scandal. They seemed to really like it, talking about how it was trending and how it would boost ad revenue.”
“Are you kidding? What about me?”
“Oh, right.”
So, only you had a scandal?
If that was really the intention, Bora, who was from the same agency and in the same cast, should have been informed as well.
The fact that she wasn’t clearly meant SJ, Yusah, had another reason for contacting Muyoung……
“Was it because I was the only one at the shoot that day?”
Muyoung sniffed the bag of snacks. He kept picking it up and putting it down, only tasting the flavor. Bora sighed and took it from him.
‘There’s no way he’d know, I’ll have to look into it.’
What was going through her mind now was the news of an ‘agency acquisition’ she’d heard in passing. After film distribution and production, they were now expanding into the entertainment business.
‘Maybe it’s because of business?’
She had to admit it.
Muyoung was the hottest topic in the entertainment industry these days.
“……You.”
“I shouldn’t eat it, right?”
Bora shot him a half-joking, half-serious look, though he didn’t notice as his gaze was fixed on the snacks.
“If you make me come here and then leave, I’ll really leave you to it.”
“Huh? Where am I going?”
“Alright, you two ready?”
The assistant director chimed in at the perfect moment.
As the crew poured in all at once, Muyoung and Bora went into the shoot without finishing their conversation.
“The valley’s just ahead, right?”
“Yeah. But dragging the lights over is a hassle, so we probably won’t be able to go as deep as we’d like. Looking at the layout, that’s scene 112 over there. Past the rock is 113. And then the valley.”
“What about the chicken?”
It was a night away from the city.
A vampire who hadn’t fed on blood in a long time, instead of eating the people from the club, devoured the chickens in the coop.
When he was caught, he fled into the mountains, and the people chased after him, calling his name.
“Ready.”
“Wow, it looks so real.”
There was a pile of chicken carcass models, their necks half twisted.
Unlike Bora, who looked disgusted, Muyoung played with it lightly as if it were a toy.
“The moon is so big and beautiful tonight.”
“Yeah, I’ve been waiting for a night like this.”
Kang Seongbae, sitting on a bench and skimming the script. At his words, the director and crew looked up at the sky.
Being away from the city, the moon felt close enough to touch.
“Muyoung and Taeseok are going to have a tough day today.”
“It’s the latter half, so we’ve got to work hard.”
It was fortunate that it was summer weather.
There was a short scene planned for water entry.
The director of photography checked his watch and said,
“We’ve got the moon shots. Let’s start right away. We’ll go non-stop until sunrise.”
“Alright. Seongbae, get me a coffee.”
“Lighting Director, the third light keeps going out.”
As the assistant director’s standby signal dropped, everyone got busy.
Kang Seongbae rinsed his mouth with a sip of coffee for a sugar rush. Soon, Taeseok and Jinrim also finished their makeup and joined.
“Rolling! Standby—!”
“Standby!”
“Ready! Action!”
It was an actual chicken coop, so it had a unique smell that seemed like it would sting the nose. Muyoung, with the prepared carcass model in front of him, curled up and lay face down.
Slurp— gulp!
It was a truly grotesque sound.
The slurping sound, as if possessed, was so chilling that the sound engineer felt like taking off his headset.
“What’s that?”
Finally, the club members came out, hearing the noise.
The flashlight reached the vampire’s back. As he slowly turned his head, everything was illuminated in the bright light.
Pale skin. Feathers sticky with blood and saliva. Glowing eyes……
“Eek!”
The truck driver was startled, his eyes widening. A being trapped at night, never to see sunlight again. He remembered that fact he’d forgotten.
Whoosh!
“Wait!”
“Where are you going? Are you crazy?”
“Let go of me! Right now……!”
The vampire hid in the darkness.
The nurse, who knew the secret, tried to chase after him, but the truck driver grabbed her. But she shook off his grip and followed the vampire into the mountains.
“Cut!”
What followed was sheer hardship.
The actors ran and ran through the dark, deep mountains.
The lights illuminated the path, but could they compare to the sun?
Crunch!
“Gasp! Gasp!”
They were scratched by branches, hit by rocks, and often slipped on the steep paths. Sweat and dirt were one thing, but the bugs were everywhere.
“Muyoung, if you’re okay, let’s go again?”
“Yes! Got it.”
“Ready! Action!”
Pat pat!
“Gasp, gasp!”
He wiped his bloodstained lips and wandered through the forest until the sun rose.
The director checked his watch and looked up at the sky. Dawn was slowly breaking.
“Moving to the valley!”
“Be careful coming down!”
The forest scenes had continued through the night. Finally, it was the highlight of the day’s schedule.
“We can only shoot this scene once a day, Muyoung. Please do your best.”
“Yes, Director. I’ll do my best too.”
It couldn’t be helped as the scene was set against the sunrise.
With the mindset of getting it in one take, he stretched where he stood.
“Huff! Ha! Haha!”
The fellow actors watched Muyoung with concern. Muyoung, seeming fine, made a V sign with his fingers, then received instructions from the production team.
“One shot of you sitting and watching the sunrise. And one shot in the water, but when you go in, look to your left.”
“Like this?”
“Yeah. And there’s a groove on the bottom over there. If your body keeps floating, put your foot in it to balance.”
“Oh, got it.”
After carefully checking the safety measures, he took his place. Sunlight was spilling over the ridge.
“Ready—! Action!”
Even the director’s voice was hoarse.
As the sharp standby call came in, everyone gathered their last bits of mental strength. The vampire, sitting on the shore and gasping, looked toward the sunrise.
‘It’s beautiful.’
The clear sky he was seeing for the first time. His body felt like it was burning up, but he couldn’t turn his head. In his intensifying breath, he felt awe.
“Haa, haa.”
He gasped, grabbing his collar. Tears welled in his eyes, making everything sparkle, and the more they did, the more his mind drifted.
Splash—!
It’s hot. His whole body was scorching and blazing.
The vampire jumped into the water to cool the heat.
The valley water slowly submerged him up to his neck. Where the darkness hadn’t yet lifted, the water looked black.
‘It’s like that day’s memory.’
The black amniotic fluid, his first memory. The vampire instinctively knew that the sky he was seeing now would be his last memory.
As even his face grew hotter, it wouldn’t be long before he was submerged up to his head.
“Hey—! What the f—!”
Then, a loud voice from somewhere.
It was the host and nurse who had been searching for him.
Taeseok, without hesitation, jumped into the water and pulled him out.
“Aaaah—!”
The nurse helped him, suffering in the sunlight. She wrapped him in a blanket and held him close.
“It’s okay. It’s okay!”
“Aaaah!”
“Damn it!”
As the vampire lay face down and screamed, Taeseok also covered him with his body to block the sun. The three clung together. To the shivering vampire, the two murmured repeatedly.
“It’s okay. It’s okay……”
“Hic……”
The screams, which had been filled with pain, now carried sobs, and the camera captured the steadfast faces of Bora and Taeseok.
The camera, which had been shooting them in a long shot, gradually shifted its focus toward the sun.
‘If we fade in here—’
The screen would brighten, and the scene would transition. Everyone on set held their breath, waiting for the director’s cut signal. Then, the moment the sunlight sparkled in the viewfinder.
“Cut! Okay!”
“Whew. Good job, everyone.”
“Finally, it’s over!”
“You all really worked hard!”
“It’s a relief we got it in one take, really.”
The location shoot, the all-nighter, and the outdoor filming were finally over.
The completely drenched Muyoung and Taeseok were wrapped in blankets by the staff, and Kang Seongbae and Jinrim patted their backs in encouragement.
“You really worked hard. It was so tough, right?”
“You worked hard, sir.”
The moment they first exchanged emotions with a human.
It was a truly important scene in the vampire’s life and a schedule the filming team had been worried about. Overjoyed that they’d successfully finished, everyone hugged lightly in celebration.
“Muyoung, you’ll catch a cold.”
“I’m fine. I’ve been running all day, so my body’s warmed up.”
“Just in case, take some cold medicine and rest well.”
The satisfying work product was more important than his body.
But there was something he’d overlooked.
His condition was poor due to dieting, unlike usual, and the valley water at dawn was colder and stronger than expected.
“Achoo—!”
“Are you okay? Did you take your medicine?”
“Yeah.”
Ko Gyeongmin glanced at him worriedly while driving.
He’d been a bit weak after the location shoot, and now he’d caught a cold.
“Should we cancel tomorrow’s schedule?”
“What? Haha. It’s not that bad.”
There are people who never catch a cold?
Muyoung casually waved his hand.
“Or let’s stop by for an IV drip. How can you be so sick when your body is your asset?”
At Ko Gyeongmin’s strong suggestion, Muyoung reluctantly nodded. It was his first time. Getting an IV drip at a hospital. He’d lived such a healthy life that it felt a bit strange.
“I’ll help you check in, Ha Muyoung. Is this your guardian?”
“Ah, yes. Muyoung, wait here for a moment.”
After a simple check-up, he was waiting for the IV drip……
“Aren’t you Ha Muyoung?”
“Hello?”
“Oh, you don’t recognize me. I’m Park Kanghoon from the Everyday Entertainment News. We’ve had an interview before.”
He said that, but since Muyoung had done so many interviews, he didn’t remember clearly. Muyoung smiled and greeted him.
“Hello. How have you been?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. But what brings you here?”
“Oh, I caught a cold. Came in for an IV drip.”
“A cold? They say even dogs don’t catch summer colds.”
“Haha. You’re right. I had an outdoor shoot.”
At Muyoung’s words, the reporter’s eyes lit up.
Like he’d found prey.
“You were shooting?”
“Yeah. But it’s nothing. I just need to take some medicine, but my manager insisted on the IV drip. Haha. Oh, there he is. Well, take care, reporter.”
Saying that, Muyoung left.
He disappeared around the corner with Ko Gyeongmin.
The reporter kept watching his back, smirking. Like he’d found a good story.
“Who was that?”
“I don’t know. Some reporter.”
“Hmm.”
Ko Gyeongmin nodded, feeling something was off.
Strangely, it kept bothering him.
But soon, the hospital’s bustle drowned out that feeling, and a few hours later, he saw the reality through an article.
[Ha Muyoung rushed to hospital due to excessive schedule]
[Is the excessive filming schedule to blame? What is the agency doing?]