How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor Chapter 127

Chapter 127

 

At first, we quietly sat inside the lodge and simply read through our lines.

“Ah, it feels a little lacking just sitting here.”

“It can’t be helped.”

The events Junho and Ajin went through in the latter half of the movie were so dramatic that there was far more action than dialogue.

After exchanging lines a few times, Ajin suddenly sprang to her feet, apparently deciding this wasn’t enough.

“Oppa, let’s just go to the villa.”

“At this hour?”

“So what? We know the passcode anyway. Nobody else uses it.”

“I don’t know…”

Going up the mountain this late at night didn’t seem like the best idea.

When I hesitated, Ajin looked frustrated and immediately called Director Seo to ask for permission.

“See? It’s fine! Let’s go!”

“Alright then.”

I wasn’t particularly eager, but she looked so excited that I decided to go along with it.

As soon as we started moving, our managers, Hyun Jingae and Choo Seomok, naturally followed behind us.

“There’s not even a moon tonight.”

“If there weren’t any streetlights, it’d be pitch black.”

Fortunately, the road leading from the village to the villa was well-lit by streetlights.

The moment we entered the villa, Ajin exaggeratedly shivered.

“It feels so creepy with nobody here~.”

“Let’s practice quickly and head back.”

“Okay! Jingae oppa, film me.”

As Ajin said cheerfully, Hyun Jingae immediately pulled out his camera, as if he’d been waiting for the opportunity.

When I asked what he was filming for, he said it was for a vlog.

“The company’s allowing it. These days, actors run personal vlogs to increase their recognition.”

“Really? That’s interesting.”

“Is it okay if you appear too?”

“Do whatever you want.”

“Yes!”

Ajin grinned brightly.

‘Since both Hyun Jingae and Choo Seomok are here, there shouldn’t be any dating rumors.’

After that, we worked on the blocking we hadn’t been able to practice earlier.

Since the action began inside the villa before moving outdoors, there were countless small details to pay attention to.

“Um…”

After we’d practiced everything possible inside the villa, Ajin cautiously spoke up.

“Can we go into the mountain and practice the rest?”

She asked while carefully watching my reaction.

My first thought was, ‘That’s a bit much.’

But I couldn’t reject her outright.

The determination in her wide eyes was too obvious.

“Ajin, it’s already really la–”

“Absolutely not.”

Cutting me off before I could refuse gently, Choo Seomok spoke expressionlessly.

“Walking through the mountains at night is insanity.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Ajin immediately shrank back and apologized, making the atmosphere awkward.

Then…

“We’re not going very deep anyway, so isn’t it fine…?”

Hyun Jingae, still holding the camera, timidly spoke up.

It was admirable how he was trying to stand up for his actress.

“If this were a real mountain, that’d be one thing. But it’s basically just the neighborhood hill.”

“So neighborhood hills aren’t mountains?”

Choo Seomok immediately shot back at his hesitant remark.

“As a manager, it’s my duty to protect my actor’s safety.”

“I mean… I care about my actor’s safety too…”

Hyun Jingae protested, looking slightly offended.

After watching the two managers face off, I reached a simple conclusion.

“We’ve already come this far. Let’s just go a little way in.”

“Mr. Seulho.”

“I know you’re right. It’d be safer your way. But look at her face. She looks like she won’t be able to sleep tonight if we turn back.”

I nodded toward Ajin.

She immediately put on the most pleading expression imaginable and looked at Choo Seomok.

“Please, Manager…”

Even though his face clearly said, ‘Why should I care if she’s making puppy eyes?’, Choo Seomok eventually sighed in defeat.

“Fine. But we’re coming back within thirty minutes.”

“Yes!”

“But don’t do anything reckless. If someone disappears like in the movie, I’m carrying only Mr. Seulho back down the mountain. I won’t look for anyone else, so you’re on your own.”

He really hated this situation.

I’d never seen him speak this bluntly before.

Even when he sounded cold, he was always polite to other people.

“I’ll remember!”

Not wanting to upset him any further, Ajin nodded enthusiastically.

Trying to lighten the mood, I joked,

“Could you even carry me? I’d be the one carrying you.”

“…You’re joking, right?”

“Yeah. It’s a joke. Relax.”

Man, it was getting hard to joke around him.

After calming him down, we finally started climbing.

Ajin walked behind me, with Hyun Jingae filming behind her.

“Let’s not go too deep. We’ll do it here.”

“Okay!”

At a spot where the streetlights were only faintly visible, we switched on our flashlights and practiced our movements.

Perhaps because Choo Seomok had scared her, Ajin didn’t make any small talk and focused entirely on rehearsing.

“Wow! If we hadn’t practiced this ourselves, we’d have been in huge trouble!”

“Seriously.”

After about thirty minutes, I was glad we’d come.

Of course, we’d have had plenty of time to go over the blocking on filming day.

‘But we probably wouldn’t have been able to fine-tune it this much.’

Right now we were wearing thick clothes, so we could move and think comfortably.

On the actual day, we’d have to wear thin summer clothes.

Since we’d also be trying to finish quickly to avoid catching a cold, we likely would’ve overlooked many details.

“How was it, Manager? Worth coming up here, right?”

“Yes. I agree.”

Even Choo Seomok, who’d looked irritated the entire time, seemed much more satisfied now.

Apparently, even he thought this rehearsal had been worthwhile.

“What about you, Jingae oppa?”

“Great. Perfect.”

Hyun Jingae nodded vigorously while holding the camera.

Since we’d finished practicing, I was just about to suggest heading back.

Then…

Rustle.

Very close by, we heard the unmistakable sound of someone stepping on dry leaves.

It definitely hadn’t come from beneath the feet of the four of us.

Everyone who’d been laughing just moments ago instantly fell silent.

“…What was that?”

Ajin whispered, looking like she’d forgotten how to breathe.

“Who’s there?!”

Even after my loud shout, no reply came.

I’d already grabbed Ajin’s wrist in case she panicked and bolted.

“Ajin, don’t worry. It’s probably nothing.”

“What do you mean, nothing? The wind doesn’t make sounds like that.”

“Maybe it’s a cat. Maybe Maru’s looking for m–”

“No. It can’t be.”

Ajin shook her head.

“I actually looked for Maru as soon as we got here. The village chief said we wouldn’t see him for a while. He hurt his leg and had to stay at the animal hospital for a few days…”

Her voice trembled with fear.

She seemed more frightened than necessary, so I tried gently reassuring her.

“Then it’s probably another cat. Maru isn’t the only cat around here. Don’t be so scared.”

“…Okay.”

Ajin answered with a pale face.

Then…

Rustle… crunch.

This time, there was no doubt.

Someone had deliberately made the sound.

The crunch of leaves being stepped on one after another.

At the same time, my eyes met Ajin’s.

“It’s okay. Let’s head down.”

“…Okay.”

Even though she looked like she was about to faint, she somehow managed to answer.

I signaled to the two men beside me with my eyes.

Let’s go.

‘We’ll think about it once we’re back down.’

Fortunately, we hadn’t gone very far, so there was no chance of getting lost.

We simply had to retrace our steps.

Rather than rushing and risking twisting an ankle, we moved carefully.

‘We don’t even know if it’s actually a person.’

And even if it was, there were three healthy adult men here.

There wasn’t much reason to panic.

So I focused on calmly heading downhill.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, something flew toward my feet.

“Eek!!”

Ajin screamed.

“It’s okay.”

After quickly reassuring her, I picked up the stone lying on the ground.

‘There’s no way a cat threw this… right?’

Just from the arc it had traveled through the air, it was obvious.

Some person over there was messing with us.

“Hyung, stay with Ajin.”

“……”

“Jingae hyung?”

When I turned around, Hyun Jingae looked even more terrified than Ajin.

Forget it.

“Seomok, you watch those two.”

“Yes.”

Thankfully, Choo Seomok, as a former soldier, calmly protected both of them without showing any sign of panic.

Judging by his expression, he honestly seemed like he couldn’t care less about the other two and only wanted to throw me over his shoulder and run.

But for now, he apparently thought figuring out the situation came first, so he kept the two behind him while watching our rear.

‘Reliable.’

With the rear covered, I only had to deal with whatever was ahead.

“Come out.”

After clenching and unclenching the stone in my hand a few times, I spoke flatly on purpose.

“Stop fooling around and come out. You’re pissing me off.”

What happened when you said ‘You’re pissing me off’ without actually sounding angry?

Normally, an angry voice was sharp enough to make even the listener uncomfortable.

But saying it this flatly gave the words an unexpected weight.

“I’m counting. Three… two…”

I scanned the surroundings carefully as I spoke.

Then…

Whoosh!

Another stone flew toward us.

Before it even hit the ground, I threw the stone already in my hand toward where it had come from.

“Agh!!”

Nice shot.

Direct hit.

The scream echoed through the darkness.

I immediately rushed over with my flashlight, but whoever it was had already disappeared.

“O-Oppa…”

Ignoring Ajin’s trembling voice behind me, I examined the area.

The leaves here were damp, as if someone had been sitting there for quite a while.

Beside them were countless hurried footprints.

As though several people had all run away together…

‘…Seriously?’

The moment I figured out what was going on, all the tension left my body.

I casually looked around.

At first, I hadn’t noticed it.

But after looking more carefully, I spotted a hidden camera high up in one of the trees.

‘How adorable.’

Now what?

They’d obviously put quite a bit of effort into this.

Should I play along?

I was seriously considering it when…

“T-That was definitely a person just now, right…? There’s someone else here besides us?”

Ajin muttered, her face drained of all color.

Watching her, I slowly nodded.

Okay.

So she’s in on it too.

‘Hmm.’

It didn’t take long to decide.

Right.

If they wanted to scare someone…

They should be prepared to get scared themselves.

‘Let’s see how you like it.’