Chapter Text
Chapter 9
Seokjin was completely lost.
It was not like Bang PD dropped him off with a guidebook explaining where to go or what exactly he was supposed to do once he arrived. The moment the company van disappeared down the road, Seokjin was left standing alone outside the massive filming site, staring at the chaos around him.
Staff hurried past carrying cables and equipment. Cameras were being adjusted. Bodyguards stood around the perimeter, stopping curious passersby from taking photos of the set.
Seokjin awkwardly adjusted the strap of his bag and hesitated near the entrance.
Okay. Calm down. You’re technically part of the cast now.
Still, he had no clue how to enter without looking suspicious.
Gathering what little courage he had left, Seokjin slowly approached one of the security guards stationed at the front. The man was tall with muscled arms, and intimidating enough to make Seokjin instinctively bow before even speaking.
“Um… excuse me,” he said carefully. “Please I’m Kim Seokji—”
The reaction was immediate.
The security guard’s eyes widened so dramatically Seokjin almost stepped back in alarm. Before he could even finish introducing himself, the man bowed a full ninety degrees.
“SEOKJIN-SSI!” the guard exclaimed loudly. “We have been expecting you!”
Seokjin nearly jumped out of his skin.
“A-Ah?!” He quickly waved his hands in panic. “No, no, please, you don’t have to—”
“Please follow me!”
The guard straightened immediately and gestured respectfully for Seokjin to walk ahead of him, like he was escorting an important celebrity rather than a trainee who still shared bunk beds with six other boys.
Seokjin’s confusion only deepened.
What Seokjin was not aware of was that this morning, the entire security team had been briefed on the important individuals arriving on set. Some names were marked normally. Others had been highlighted for special treatment.
Kim Seokjin’s name had been circled in red.
The instructions had been extremely clear.
Treat him respectfully. No mistakes.
At first, the security guard assumed Seokjin was perhaps the son of an investor or someone connected to production. Because his name was pretty unfamiliar in the entertainment industry.
Now, seeing him in person, the man honestly thought the attention made sense.
The young man walking beside him looked unreal. Tall, broad-shouldered, absurdly handsome. Even dressed casually, he carried himself with a natural elegance that made him stand out from everyone else on site.
The guard found himself sneaking another glance. Seriously… how does someone look like this in real life?
Meanwhile, Seokjin was dying internally.
“Really, it’s okay,” Seokjin insisted softly as he hurried after the guard. “You don’t have to be this formal with me.”
The guard looked horrified. “No, sir. I was instructed properly.”
Instructed?
That somehow made this even scarier.
The guard eventually stopped in front of a large tent near the center of the filming area. Seokjin immediately recognized it.
This was the same tent where he had met the makeup noona during his first filming day.
The security guard stepped aside and gestured grandly toward the entrance.
“It’s here, mister!”
“Please, just call me Seokjin,” he said weakly.
“Yes, Seokjin-ssi!”
That somehow felt even more official.
The guard bowed one final time before quickly retreating back toward his post, leaving Seokjin standing alone outside the tent.
Seokjin could overhear voices coming out of the tent. He took in a deep breath, then walked in.
The first thing Seokjin noticed when he stepped into the tent was the massive oval table occupying the center of the room.
The spacious tent was far bigger inside than it looked from outside. Scripts, coffee cups, and scattered notes covered the table while the cast and production staff sat around it in the middle of discussion. At the head of the table sat Director Lee Eungbok.
He looked gloomy, deeply dissatisfied with something he may have been listening to. The tension around him was so thick Seokjin immediately regretted entering at all.
Then the director looked up. The change was instant.
His gloomy expression disappeared so fast it startled everyone in the room. His eyes practically lit up the moment they landed on Seokjin, like a man dying of thirst finally spotting water.
“There you are!” Director Lee exclaimed.
The sudden shift in mood was so dramatic that the entire table turned toward the entrance. And directly toward Seokjin.
Seokjin instantly stiffened under the attention.
Some of the gazes were curious. Some looked plainly shocked. A few seemed cautious, almost wary. And unfortunately, Seokjin could also recognize the unmistakable look of jealousy from several actors sizing him up from head to toe.
“I’m glad you could make it, Kim Seokjin,” Director Lee said warmly. The enthusiasm in his voice only deepened everyone’s curiosity. “Please take a seat.”
Seokjin bowed quickly. “Thank you director-nim.”
Trying not to trip over his own feet, he carefully walked around the table toward the only empty seat available.
It happened to be beside a little girl quietly sipping juice through a straw.
Seokjin politely turned toward her. “Hello—”
Then his brain caught up.
Oh Eunseo.
THE Oh Eunseo.
The famous child actress stared up at him with huge round eyes, completely frozen. Seokjin panicked internally.
Had he done something weird already?
“Um…” he said awkwardly, giving a small bow while seated. “Nice to meet you.”
Oh Eunseo continued staring at him in complete silence.
One of the actresses nearby laughed softly. “Eunseo-ya, close your mouth.”
The little girl snapped out of it immediately, cheeks puffing red. “An Angel!” she blurted loudly.
The entire table burst into laughter. Seokjin almost folded into himself from embarrassment.
Director Lee looked absurdly pleased for some reason. Once Seokjin finally settled into his seat, the director straightened and addressed the room.
“Everyone,” he began, “this is Kim Seokjin, the newest addition to the production.”
The room quieted immediately.
“He will be playing the newly developed character, Gwidong,” Director Lee continued.
The cast was stunned.
Director Lee Eungbok was famously decisive with casting. Once production started, he almost never made major additions, especially not unknown actors with no public portfolio.
Yet here sat a complete newcomer receiving a significant role halfway into filming. Naturally, people were confused. Seokjin could practically feel the unspoken questions hanging in the air.
Who is he?
Where did they find him?
How good is he to make the director rewrite the script for him?
Before the silence could become awkward, someone suddenly started clapping. Kwon Haehyo leaned back in his chair with an amused grin spread across his face.
“Well, look who’s back,” the veteran actor said warmly. “Glad to have you again, boy.”
The tension in the room loosened immediately. Several cast members joined the applause, though some still looked skeptical.
Seokjin bowed quickly from his seat, flustered all over again. “Thank you, sunbaenim.”
“Well anyways,” Director Lee cut through the chatter, clapping his hands once to regain everyone’s attention. “Some of you were not present during the second shooting with Mr. Kwon.”
A few actors nodded in understanding.
Director Lee gestured toward Seokjin with open satisfaction. “This man here made quite an impression during filming, and after discussion with the writers, we decided to expand his role within the story.”
The room fell quiet again, filled with more curiosity. Seokjin felt several pairs of eyes land on him again. He straightened instinctively, trying not to look as nervous as he felt.
Director Lee continued casually, “Today is also our first reading after the original script was revised.” He lifted the thick stack of papers in front of him and lightly tapped it against the table. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce Seokjin properly and let him experience how our readings usually go.”
Then he looked directly at Seokjin. “After today’s session, I’ll personally hand you your updated script.”
Seokjin immediately bowed his head. “Thank you, director-nim.”
“Good.” Director Lee leaned back in his chair. “Then let’s continue. We’ll restart from Act 4, Scene 3.”
Around the table, scripts opened in unison.
Seokjin lowered his gaze toward the script in front of him, quietly scanning through the scene description.
The setting was inside General Kang’s residence during late evening. Seo Jaehyun, the young son of General Kang, had just learned he was to be formally betrothed to the Third Princess, Princess Hwayeon, by royal decree. The child apparently did not want the engagement at all.
Seokjin glanced toward the young boy actor sitting a few seats away. The child looked tiny compared to the thick script in his hands, nervously mouthing his lines to himself.
Director Lee pointed toward the actress playing Lady Kang, the boy’s mother.
“Let’s begin.”
The actress straightened elegantly before beginning her lines.
“My son,” she read softly, overly gentle, “why are you troubled? Becoming tied to the royal family is an honor.”
The child actor responded hesitantly, “But mother… I do not wish to marry the princess.”
“She is kind and beautiful,” the actress continued with a graceful smile. “You will grow to care for her.”
Director Lee suddenly lifted a hand.
“Stop.”
The actress froze.
Director Lee rubbed his forehead. “No. That’s wrong.”
A tense silence settled around the table.
The actress carefully smiled. “Wrong in what way, director-nim?”
“She sounds too soft.” Director Lee frowned. “This woman is not comforting him because she understands his feelings. She’s comforting him because she has no power to oppose the palace.”
He leaned forward.
“Lady Kang is exhausted here and also very much afraid. But she’s hiding it from her son. Right now you sound like you’re reassuring a child before bedtime.”
The actress’s smile stiffened slightly.
“I interpreted the scene as maternal warmth,” she defended politely.
“Yes, but restrained warmth,” Director Lee corrected immediately. “You’re still a noblewoman trapped inside political pressure. Your son’s engagement is not romantic to you. Rather, it’s survival.”
The room became noticeably quieter. Even Seokjin could feel the actress’ embarrassment creeping into the air.
Director Lee, however, continued completely seriously. “When you say, ‘You will grow to care for her,’ I need it to sound like you are trying to convince yourself too.”
The actress lowered her eyes briefly before nodding. “Understood.”
“Again,” Director Lee said.
This time her voice came out quieter.
“My son… why are you troubled?”
Already, the difference was obvious. There was tension beneath the softness now.
The child actor looked up from his script and responded more naturally this time. “But mother… I do not wish to marry the princess.”
There was a pause.
Then the actress inhaled softly before speaking again.
“She is kind and beautiful.” Her smile faded slightly near the end of the sentence. “You will… grow to care for her.”
Director Lee finally nodded once. “Better.”
The atmosphere relaxed a little around the table.
Kwon Haehyo quietly leaned toward Seokjin and muttered under his breath, “Careful. Once he gets passionate, nobody survives.”
Seokjin nearly choked trying not to laugh. Across the table, Director Lee immediately pointed without even looking at them.
“I can still hear you, sunbaenim.”
The entire room burst into laughter.
Even the actress who had just been corrected ended up smiling sheepishly.
Kwon Haehyo raised both hands innocently. “See? Terrifying.”
————
The script reading had ended nearly thirty minutes ago, yet Seokjin still felt slightly dazed as he followed Director Lee across the filming grounds. Eventually, Director Lee slowed his pace and glanced toward Seokjin, who was walking alongside him
“There’s someone from the broadcasting side waiting inside,” the director explained. “They’ll be discussing your contract and appearance fees.”
Seokjin immediately straightened. He had not even considered the financial side of things yet. Up until now, he had only been focused on whether he was actually good enough to survive on set.
Perhaps noticing the nervous look on his face, Director Lee chuckled lightly. “Relax. MBC treats rookie actors better than most places. Normally, brand new actors earn around 100,000 won per episode. Productions like ours usually push that closer to 500,000.”
Seokjin’s eyes widened slightly. Even that sounded like an unbelievable amount of money to him.
“Of course,” Director Lee continued, shoving his hands into his coat pockets, “your case is a little different. The writer personally pushed for you, and after reviewing the footage, the production team agreed. They may offer around one million won per episode.”
Seokjin nearly stumbled while walking.
“One million?” he repeated before he could stop himself.
Director Lee laughed openly this time. “Don’t focus too much on the number. What matters more is exposure. If the audience reacts well to you, that’s where the real opportunities begin. Brand deals, endorsements and future projects. This industry runs on recognition.”
Seokjin nodded quickly, trying to calm himself down. “I understand. Thank you for explaining it to me, director-nim.”
The director seemed pleased by the response and pushed open the entrance to a smaller tent tucked near the back of the set. Compared to the noisy warmth of the script reading area, this tent felt much more formal. Two couches sat facing each other with a glass table placed between them, documents neatly stacked on top alongside bottled water and several copies of the revised script.
A sharply dressed woman sat on one side with perfect posture, her expression composed enough to make Seokjin nervous. Beside her sat a middle-aged man in a dark suit who looked up immediately when Seokjin entered.
Seokjin bowed deeply. “Hello. I’m Kim Seokjin.”
The man greeted him politely while the woman observed him carefully for several seconds before speaking.
“I’m Writer Kim Eunsook.”
Seokjin almost straightened out of shock. Even he knew her name. He quickly bowed again, slightly more deeply this time.
Director Lee took the seat beside them while Seokjin cautiously lowered himself onto the couch opposite them. Only then did he notice the thick script lying directly in front of him.
Writer Kim Eunsook rested a hand lightly atop it. “As the director explained earlier, this is the revised version of the story. We are significantly expanding your role.”
Her tone was calm, but there was unmistakable excitement hidden beneath it.
“Your character, Gwidong, is now a runaway slave who catches General Kang’s attention at a young age. He grows under the General’s protection and eventually becomes a highly skilled assassin. Later, he is entrusted with protecting General Kang’s heir, the future son-in-law of the Emperor.”
As she spoke, Seokjin found himself unconsciously leaning forward. The role already sounded far larger and more complicated than anything he had expected.
“But Gwidong is not simply loyal muscle,” she continued. “He is a man carrying secrets of his own, and eventually those secrets force him into a position where every choice becomes dangerous. He will have to decide what he values most.”
Director Lee nodded approvingly beside her. “The role requires restraint and tension. A lot of your scenes rely on subtle emotional shifts rather than dramatic outbursts. But after watching your performance last week, we believe you can handle that.”
“More than handle it,” Writer Kim added without hesitation.
Seokjin felt his face heat up slightly under their confidence. Before he could respond, the MBC representative cleared his throat and opened the folder in front of him.
“If you officially join the production,” he began, “MBC is prepared to offer you ten million won per episode.”
The room went silent.
Director Lee visibly blinked in surprise. Even Writer Kim seemed momentarily caught off guard by the number being stated so directly.
Meanwhile, Seokjin felt like his brain had stopped functioning entirely.
Ten million?
Just moments ago, Director Lee had explained that rookie actors normally earned around 500,000 won. Even the “special” amount he mentioned earlier was only one million.
The representative noticed the stunned expressions around him and quickly continued, “We understand this is an unusually high amount for a newcomer. However, both the writer and director have strongly vouched for your talent and long-term potential. The production team believes this investment is worthwhile.”
“We hope this is enough to secure your participation moving forward,” the representative added, sounding strangely tense for someone offering an absurd amount of money.
Honestly, Seokjin already knew he had no reason to reject the offer. Still, a thought crossed his mind before he could agree.
“I’ll accept the role,” he said carefully, “but I have one condition.”
The representative stiffened almost immediately. Director Lee looked amused while Writer Kim simply folded her hands together and waited.
“What condition?” the man asked cautiously.
Seokjin hesitated briefly before answering. “I’m currently part of an idol group preparing to debut under BigHit Entertainment. As you probably know, our company doesn’t have much influence right now.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before continuing. “When our debut approaches, I was hoping MBC could help us secure a stage slot on one of your music shows.”
The representative stared at him for a moment before visibly relaxing.
“Oh,” he said in relief. “That’s all?”
Seokjin blinked. “Yes?”
“That’s a very manageable request,” the man assured him immediately. “MBC can absolutely arrange that when the time comes.”
Director Lee burst into laughter beside him. “You terrified the poor man. He thought you were about to renegotiate your pay.”
“N-No!” Seokjin denied quickly, horrified at the idea. “I would never!”
Then Writer Kim Eunsoo extended her hand toward him across the table. “Then shall we consider this settled?”
Seokjin looked down at her hand before firmly shaking it.
“Deal!”