LIGHTNOVELWORLD Episode 135 - Finding the Landmine
The drinking party began with a toast from Director Hwang Min-kwon.
“Let’s have a safe and smooth shoot with no injuries!”
“Cheers!”
With a hearty toast, everyone raised their glasses. Yeon-woo glanced at Han Byul, who was sitting across from him.
“This is your first time at a gathering like this, right?”
“Yes! It feels strange, like I’ve become an adult.”
During their conversations while filming, Yeon-woo had learned that Han Byul had only played minor roles in short dramas with few scenes. This was her first major role. Yeon-woo smiled warmly at her.
“I was a minor when I filmed 「Summer Promise」 too. I always drank soda from a cup.”
“Oh! I watched that when I was in elementary school.”
“Huh? Elementary school?”
Yeon-woo scratched the back of his head at Han Byul’s response. Since she was now in the second year of middle school, it made sense that she had been in elementary school when 「Summer Promise」 aired.
‘We had the wrap party on March 1st, so it ended just before she started middle school.’
Reflecting on how long he had been acting, Yeon-woo also realized the age gap between him and Han Byul.
As he was lost in thought, he heard a voice calling him from beside him.
“Senior.”
“Hmm? Yes?”
It was Dong-ha from Axis who had called him. Yeon-woo looked at him and smiled slightly.
“Calling me ‘Senior’ feels a bit awkward since we’re only a year apart.”
“Ah, then can I call you ‘hyung’ instead of ‘senior’?”
Yeon-woo nodded readily.
“Sure, that’s fine with me.”
“Then please speak comfortably to me too.”
Thinking about it, Yeon-woo realized that while he was used to being called ‘oppa’ by his younger sister, this was the first time he was being called ‘hyung’ in his new life.
“Alright, let’s do that.”
“Yeon-woo hyung, when I shoot music videos, I think I’m pretty good at acting among the members. But when I’m on a film set, my mind sometimes goes blank. It’s really troubling.”
Yeon-woo patted Dong-ha’s shoulder as he sighed deeply with a troubled expression.
“Before the party started, I had a chat with Director Jung Yo-han. He mentioned he’s been editing your solo scenes lately.”
Dong-ha’s ears seemed to perk up at Yeon-woo’s words.
“My scenes?”
“Yes. He said your acting is quite good and he’s satisfied with it.”
“R-really?”
Yeon-woo nodded to reassure Dong-ha, who seemed incredulous.
“Yes, that’s exactly what he said. And your solo scenes are almost done, right?”
“Yes! I only have about five scenes left.”
“Then most of the remaining scenes will be with me. I’ll help you out whenever I can.”
The actor standing before Dong-ha was none other than Yeon-woo, who had never failed in any of his roles since his debut. If asked to pick the top young actor of the current generation, the overwhelming majority would choose Ryu Yeon-woo.
Dong-ha felt as if he had gained a powerful ally when Yeon-woo offered to help with his acting. His eyes sparkled with excitement, feeling as if all his worries had been lifted.
“Thank you so much, Senior!”
“Well, calling me ‘Senior’ when we’re only a year apart feels a bit awkward.”
Seeing this, Han Byul, perhaps feeling a bit jealous, raised her hand energetically.
“Me too! What about me?!”
“Hmm? Han Byul, you’re already doing well.”
“Still, please watch me too!”
At her enthusiastic plea, Yeon-woo nodded.
“Alright, I’ll watch you too.”
“Hehe.”
Jeong Soo-yeon, who had been watching this exchange, looked on with a hint of envy.
“You’re lucky. I won’t have any scenes with you until the latter part of the series since I’m only doing voice acting for now.”
Jeong Soo-yeon played the ‘Narrator,’ a crucial role, but her character wouldn’t appear on screen until the latter part of the story. This meant she wouldn’t be filming with them for several months, which made her feel a bit down.
Seeing her sullen expression, Yeon-woo spoke up.
“Even though we don’t have scenes together, you can come to the set to cheer us on. Watching the scenes being filmed might help you bring more life to your dubbing.”
“Really? Can I come visit?”
Yeon-woo chuckled at her question.
“Visit? You’re part of the ‘Lunchbox Expedition,’ so why talk like it’s someone else’s set?”
At Yeon-woo’s words, the actors around them tilted their heads in confusion.
“Lunchbox Expedition?”
“Lunchbox?”
Nodding, Yeon-woo explained.
“Our average age is under 20, right?”
“Wow. That’s true.”
Jeong Soo-yeon pinched Han Byul’s chubby cheeks with a smile.
“It’s because of Han Byul, isn’t it?”
“Ow─. Unnie.”
At that moment, Jeon Ki-hoon, who played ‘Dipangdal’ and was discussing stocks with the camera director at the next table, turned around.
“Hey, if I’m part of the expedition, wouldn’t that raise the average age significantly?”
His comment made the staff around him laugh. Yeon-woo also nodded with a cold smile.
“That’s true, senior.”
As Jeon Ki-hoon turned back and resumed his stock discussion while holding a soju glass, Yeon-woo watched him with emotionless eyes.
‘It’s definitely him. Baek Sol’s planted landmine.’
He had sensed it the moment Jeon Ki-hoon walked in. The signs were clear, increased sweating leading to chills or dehydration, muscle atrophy causing weak and brittle teeth, making him chew carefully without opening his mouth wide, and temporary visual distortions when moving from bright to dark areas, affecting depth perception.
When Jeon Ki-hoon had entered the restaurant and extended his hand for a handshake, he had made the common mistake of drug users, reaching out to shake hands with empty air before shaking his head to regain focus.
And most of all…
‘He reeks of a drug user.’
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) primarily conducts two types of operations overseas, monitoring North Korean movements and apprehending drug offenders who have fled abroad.
In the entire law enforcement community, it would be hard to find someone who had apprehended more drug offenders than Yeon-woo in his previous life. While many signs were evident, the moment he saw Jeon Ki-hoon, he had a strong feeling that this man was Baek Sol’s drug-addicted pawn.
Jeon Ki-hoon was well-known for his volunteer work and had a good reputation, which meant even LN Entertainment, which cross-checked casting decisions multiple times, could have missed it.
‘The problem is how to catch this guy.’
First, they needed a search and seizure warrant obtained through proper legal procedures.
‘With Han Hae-woon now assigned to Seoul, that should be easy enough.’
However, to get a warrant, they needed sufficient evidence. They couldn’t just accuse him of being a drug offender without any proof.
‘I’ll have to keep a close eye on him on set and have Han Hae-woon assign someone to watch him.’
The most likely time for them to use Jeon Ki-hoon would be either towards the end of filming or just before the Netflix launch.
‘If it were me, I’d choose the latter.’
That way, they could cause the most damage when it would be hardest to recover. Conversely, knowing their plan in advance gave Yeon-woo plenty of time to prepare.
‘We haven’t even started filming scenes with Jeon Ki-hoon yet.’
While Yeon-woo was making various plans, time passed, and it was almost 10 PM. Han Byul, being a minor, had left earlier with her father, and it seemed like it was time to wrap up the gathering.
“Hic. Oh, starting early has made me tired even though it’s only ten.”
Director Hwang Min-kwon, who had been abstaining from alcohol to focus on filming, took the opportunity to drink to his heart’s content today. Director Jung Yo-han stood up and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Alright, everyone, let’s call it a night. We have filming tomorrow.”
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The next morning, Yeon-woo checked his smartphone and found a message from Han Hae-woon sent early in the morning.
[Han Hae-woon: I’ve assigned someone to the target you pointed out. They’re very competent, so if anything happens, they’ll catch it immediately.]
Nodding at the message, Yeon-woo got up and prepared to go out. Since filming was scheduled to start in the afternoon due to the previous night’s gathering, he had arranged to have lunch with CEO Kim Joo-seong.
‘Hmm, it’s the usual place.’
Driving himself to the high-end Korean restaurant where he had dined with CEO Kim Joo-seong twice before, Yeon-woo arrived and was guided to a private room deep inside. CEO Kim Joo-seong stood up with a smile as Yeon-woo entered.
“Yeon-woo.”
“Have you been waiting long, sir?”
“No, I just got here.”
As they sat down, the dishes were served, and CEO Kim Joo-seong began to speak.
“How is the filming of 「White Blood」 going? I personally assigned Team Leader Yoon Mi-yeon to ensure everything runs smoothly.”
At the mention of Baek Sol’s pawn, Jeon Ki-hoon, flashed through Yeon-woo’s mind, but he smiled and nodded.
“All the staff are top-notch veterans, and the set is perfectly prepared. Thanks to your attention, everything is going smoothly.”
“That’s good to hear.”
CEO Kim Joo-seong smiled contentedly and continued speaking.
“What do you think about this project? Do you think it will be a hit? Your keen eye predicted the success of 「Sketch」 just by looking at the script.”
In truth, Yeon-woo had accepted the role without even reading the script, but he smiled modestly.
“Your judgment is far superior, sir. However, I am even more confident about this project than I was about 「Sketch」. I’ve been putting a lot of effort into it.”
Not only was he putting in effort as an actor, but he was also dealing with Baek Sol’s schemes in various ways.
“Haha, is that so? That’s reassuring.”
After taking a bite of the high-quality sea bream dish, CEO Kim Joo-seong frowned slightly.
“As the company grows, naturally, there are more cooks in the kitchen. The board is skeptical about the fantasy genre, so they aren’t looking favorably on this project.”
“Is that so? I guess I’ll have to work even harder.”
Yeon-woo’s words were met with a nonchalant expression from CEO Kim Joo-seong, who picked up another piece of sea bream with his chopsticks.
“I have no doubt in your judgment and skills, Yeon-woo. It’s just that the board can be a bit of a nuisance. Now I have to find an outside director. There aren’t many suitable candidates.”
Hearing CEO Kim Joo-seong’s muttered words, Yeon-woo asked,
“Do you need to appoint an outside director?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. The board has a knack for making things difficult. They want me to find a renowned figure who isn’t from this industry. One from their side and one from mine.”
Listening to CEO Kim Joo-seong, a name came to Yeon-woo’s mind. Someone who would be easy to control, quite renowned, and not from the industry—Professor Kim Taekyung, his former college classmate and current advisor.
“In that case, I have someone I could recommend for the outside director position.”
CEO Kim Joo-seong looked puzzled at Yeon-woo’s unexpected suggestion.
“You do? An outside director?”
“Yes. He’s a professor in the Economics Department at Korea University.”
“Oh, that’s right. You were a student at Korea University.”
The company would handle any issues regarding dual employment for faculty members. It was quite common for university professors to serve as outside directors.
Given Professor Kim Taekyung’s penchant for external activities, he was likely to accept the offer. With Baek Sol’s movements towards LN Entertainment becoming increasingly suspicious, having someone Yeon-woo could easily control as an outside director would be beneficial and certainly not harmful.