Chapter 195: First Encounter
So, to be honest.
Do-gyeong had no idea when Kim Secretary had started standing by his side.
He had been a renowned genius artist since a very young age, a man shining so brightly that he blinded those around him.
How could he remember the faces of dozens of bodyguards that changed with each season? It was better to spend that time capturing something beautiful.
“Do-gyeong, this is the daughter of Hwa Jin Mul San, as I mentioned earlier. She’s the one who won Riverside Scene 1 at the auction with the highest bid.”
At someone’s introduction, Do-gyeong smiled mechanically. His gaze was as clear as the moon on a summer night.
“I’ve really wanted to meet you.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“Of course, you’re a VIP.”
He was hosting a charity party to unveil his new work. It was an important gathering of those who moved Korea. Do-gyeong struggled to suppress his urge to loosen his tie as he engaged in small talk.
“How much did your last piece sell for?”
“I believe it was seventy billion.”
“Oh my. That’s lower than before. That shouldn’t happen.”
Amidst this, a vulgar conversation reached his ears from somewhere. It was content that grated on Do-gyeong’s already frayed nerves.
How tacky.
It was truly disgusting to see those who knew nothing of art acting high and mighty just because they had some money. The woman standing opposite noticed Do-gyeong’s expression and worried.
“Are you alright? You seem uncomfortable.”
“I think I had too much wine. Please excuse me for a moment.”
He smiled and slipped out of the party. Do-gyeong’s bodyguards, positioned around the room, moved swiftly.
The upper-class attendees, unaware of Do-gyeong’s disgust, laughed and enjoyed the dancing and drinking.
Squeak.
The place he found was an outdoor terrace.
The cool breeze seemed to clear his lungs.
Lately, he knew something was off with himself.
He would grow bored, then become enraged, only to feel listless again in an instant. It was the complacent complaint of someone who had everything in life. His pleasure had become dull from indulgence.
Would he just roll along until he died? Was that truly why he was born?
“……Cigarette.”
Do-gyeong muttered, loosening his tie.
A man standing outside the terrace somehow understood and approached.
Sizz.
The man handed him a cigarette and even lit it. Until then, Do-gyeong had only seen him as part of the background.
“Are you alright?”
That was before he spoke. Do-gyeong lightly held the cigarette between his lips and looked up at him. The man was absurdly muscular. He had been the head of security for nearly two months, yet his first impression was ridiculous.
“Don’t worry too much.”
“About what?”
He genuinely didn’t know. About what?
The man remained silent, and all Do-gyeong could hear was a faint laugh, music, and the sound of the river wind. Then, he realized.
“The auction falling through?”
How ridiculous. That was nothing to him.
As Do-gyeong slightly raised his eyebrows, the man bowed his head and turned to leave.
“Ah, wait.”
If you’re going to speak, take responsibility.
Do-gyeong leaned against the terrace railing and flicked his fingers. His platinum hair shimmered in the moonlight.
“I thought you seemed upset.”
“No. Well, it’s just…”
Do-gyeong muttered, taking a deep drag. The night sky hung at the edge of his vision.
“Do you want to kill them?”
It was as if the itch had been scratched. Goosebumps rose.
It was a desire he clearly had but couldn’t identify, shrouded in fog. Do-gyeong looked at the man in surprise.
“You can do whatever you wish, can’t you?”
With his thick eyebrows and calm gaze, the man didn’t seem like someone who would joke around.
What a crazy guy. Do-gyeong couldn’t help but laugh out loud. It was a flawless, joyful laugh he hadn’t had in a while.
“Yes. I want to kill them all. Tear them apart, one by one, and trample them. Will you help me?”
In that moment, it felt like static electricity crackled in Do-gyeong’s mind.
A brush moving along the beautiful curves of the body. Even with the same color, the finish would differ depending on the skin.
Ah. And what of the form? A single arm, a single leg—each would be a perfect sculpture unparalleled in the world.
He wondered why he had ever thought a flat canvas was all he needed, given such excellent material as the human body.
“……You.”
“Call me Secretary Kim.”
With his sharp, gleaming eyes and firm jaw, he looked threatening to anyone. But Do-gyeong instinctively knew: he was a suitable hunting dog.
Whoosh—
Do-gyeong blew cigarette smoke in his face. Secretary Kim didn’t even blink.
“You’re with a security company, right?”
“Yes.”
“The secretary position is open.”
“……”
“I’ll pay you well.”
And with that, he stubbed out his cigarette on the terrace railing and laughed. His wrists were covered in mysterious tattoos under his shirt cuffs.
“Wanna give it a shot?”
Secretary Kim, without a word, straightened Do-gyeong’s loosened tie. It was the night they both became aware of the latent violence and desire within them. Secretary Kim gained a new name, and Do-gyeong found his first absolution that winter.
This was the encounter they remembered.
“Okay! Cut!”
At Director Kim San’s call, Muyoung grimaced and waved his hand.
The staff stopped fanning to mimic the river wind, and Muyoung carefully held the cigarette butt.
“Ugh, the smoke. Where should I throw this?”
“……Hmm.”
Su-an felt the same.
Having to endure the smoke in his face was no easy feat. The silver lining was that it was over in one take. A staff member disposed of Muyoung’s cigarette butt and handed him a fan.
“Wow, nice. We can lower the lighting a bit, right?”
“Huh? Won’t that be too dark?”
“The reflection on Su-an’s profile looks great. We’ll shoot the other side with lower lighting next time.”
“Is it Scene 32?” “Get Secretary Kim’s face as he enters the terrace, then focus on the cigarette from the side. Do we have a fresh cigarette? Not a smoked one!”
“We’ve got a whole pack here~”
It was a flashback scene of Do-gyeong and Secretary Kim’s past.
Though it appeared in the middle of the story, it ended up being the first scene shot due to scheduling. It was easier to just set up the terrace rather than the larger sets.
“The moon’s behind a cloud. Let’s take a quick break.”
Behind the half-level fake terrace were a few bushes. The lavish garden fitting for an upper-class party would likely be added with CGI.
“Senior, are you okay?”
Every breath had been filled with smoke. Su-an kept swallowing, his throat stinging.
“Have some water.”
“……Thank you.”
They’d shared coffee countless times, yet he still used formal speech.
Su-an bowed and, turning his head, guzzled the water. Muyoung and Su-an monitored their performances together.
“It could be a bit more intense, right?”
“……Yeah.”
Su-an’s hair was slicked back with pomade, giving him a tough image. Do-gyeong, opposite him, seemed to match the atmosphere well.
“I’m done preparing!”
Then, Kim Woo-ri appeared in a stunning formal dress. Her hair and makeup were flawless, though she dragged her slippers noisily.
“These heels are too high, Director!”
“Sorry, this was the only design that matched.”
As the auctioneer representing the upper class, she would naturally gain screen time from the beginning.
Of course, until she was marked as Do-gyeong’s prey, she would only be ‘recognized’ by the audience.
“You’re so pretty, noona.”
Muyoung sincerely raised his thumb in admiration.
Woo-ri playfully blinked one eye.
“Thanks. The three of us like this feel like we’re actually going to a party, right?”
The three, usually casually meeting at a café, looked like celebrities all dressed up. Woo-ri looked at Su-an, who turned bright red and barely muttered,
“……You look cool.”
“Hehehe. He’d faint if I complimented him twice!”
The atmosphere was great from the first shoot.
To an outsider, it would seem like they were already past the midpoint, the camaraderie and stability were so natural. With actors like this, the staff were equally relaxed.
“Woo-ri, get ready for your standby.”
“Yes.”
At the assistant director’s call, Woo-ri climbed onto the set, her heels clicking. It was the scene where she found Do-gyeong’s discarded cigarette butt while on a call from the terrace.
“Could I have the phone~”
“Here you go.”
Woo-ri’s call was with a titan of the art world and a businessman who had long supported Do-gyeong.
Fearing a plunge in art prices as Do-gyeong was labeled a devil and ostracized, the businessman would attempt to kill him before the investigation.
This was why Woo-ri’s role was crucial. As a victim, she could also be his Achilles’ heel. The chairman would use Woo-ri as a target to strike at Do-gyeong’s heart.
“Where’d that cigarette butt Muyoung had go?”
“Uh, I threw it away. Just a sec.”
Once everything was set, Woo-ri leaned her slender frame against the railing. She looked like she’d stepped out of a magazine. Muyoung and Su-an sat side by side, watching the scene unfold.
“Just a moment! We’ll go again!”
“Raise the mic volume a bit.”
“Ready! Action!”
Director Kim San’s directions didn’t let up until the moon began to set.
As the sky brightened, the team leaders from each department suggested wrapping up.
“It’s too bright now.”
“Yeah, let’s schedule the next shoot then.”
“Yeah. Actors and managers, gather up!” “Quickly wrap up the set! Let’s go home! Hurry!”
Woo-ri, Su-an, and Muyoung gathered with their managers by the assistant director.
He handed out the schedule for the upcoming shoots.
“I’ve arranged it based on what we discussed earlier. There might be some adjustments, but it’ll mostly stay like this. Any changes?”
“None from us.”
“Same here.”
Woo-ri and Su-an’s managers answered for them. Muyoung peeked at the dates Gyeongmin held.
They’d finish all the terrace scenes this week, and then…
“Oh.”
Gyeongmin looked at Muyoung with a hint of worry.
Finally.
“Your first murder scene.”
Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, it was Woo-ri’s murder scene before any unfamiliar actors. Woo-ri joked,
“That’s harsh. Making me die first.”
“It just ended up that way. Is everything okay on your end, Muyoung? This week’s schedule is fine?”
“Yep. Got it.”
Muyoung confidently answered for Gyeongmin.
“Whoa! Then we’re really done!”
“Tomorrow—no, since the sun’s up, I guess it’s today. See you tonight. Good work!” “Good work!”
Everyone stretched and prepared to leave. Then, Muyoung cautiously pulled Woo-ri and Su-an aside.
“Um, noona. Senior.”
“Yeah?”
“……?”
The two, wondering what was up, smiled.
At least they were colleagues who could sync their breathing. Muyoung felt he needed to confess his issues and difficulties.
“I have something to say.”
“Oh, sure. What is it?”
“……Manager, you can go ahead. I’ll talk with my junior for a bit……”
In the bustling cleanup, the three crouched in a corner.
As Muyoung spoke, the other two grew serious.
“Oh? Those three still aren’t gone?”
The lighting director, finishing up, looked over in confusion.
“What’s going on?”
“What is it……? Why are Su-an and Woo-ri like that?”
Unlike Muyoung, who laughed as if relieved, Woo-ri’s eyes were red from crying, and Su-an had his face completely covered.
“Did they drink?”
“I don’t know. It’s weird.”
“They’re acting strange. Something’s off with their characters.”
The staff laughed, shaking their heads.