Chapter 680: Rising (4)

I dragged Deok-Bae, who had jumped into the water to save me, out of the water.

Thud.

Once we reached the shore and I laid Deok-Bae down, he coughed up water. Since Deok-Bae couldn't swim, he had swallowed a bit of water.

"

Cough.

..

cough.

.."

"Are you okay?"

Deok-Bae struggled to sit up. "Yes."

"You can't even swim. Why did you jump in?"

Deok-Bae gave an awkward smile. "You fell in and I panicked... I jumped in without thinking."

I was grateful, but I had no choice but to scold him. "Deok-Bae, I can swim just fine. So even if I fall in, never jump in after me again."

Deok-Bae nodded but kept staring at my stomach. "But is your stomach okay?"

I pushed out my belly and said,"Of course. I had my protective gear on."

Only then did Deok-Bae let out a sigh of relief. The staff on the bridge all rushed down at once.

"Mr. Jung!"

"Deok-Bae! Are you okay?"

Since Deok-Bae and I, who were responsible for today's highest viewership ratings, had fallen into the water at the same time, it caused a commotion.

At that moment, Geum Eun-Dong, who reached the water first, saw we were safe and collapsed to the ground. "

Sigh

~ I lost ten years of my life. Mr. Jung, why would you ad-lib an action scene there?"

"I'm sorry. I just got carried away trying to do a good job. But how did the footage look?"

Just as Geum Eun-Dong was about to answer, Oh Bok-Hee's sharp voice rang out from the bridge.

-Eun-Dong! Is Chief Jung okay?

"Yes, Mrs. Oh! I'm fine!"

I took a towel from the FD who had followed Geum Eun-Dong and handed one to Deok-Bae, then roughly dried my hair and stood up. Afterwards, I climbed back up to the bridge.

Seeing that I was safe, Oh Bok-Hee let out a sigh. "Next time, don't ever do that again. You scared me."

I thought she was angry because I improvised the scene, but she raised her voice because she was worried I might have been hurt.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Oh."

"

Phew

~ no, it's okay."

Just then, Lee Ji-Yeon came over late and nudged Oh Bok-Hee. "PD Oh. That's all it takes for you to forgive him? You should've ripped out some of his hair or something. You've gone soft. Where's the drama-crazed maniac we all know? You're not acting like yourself."

Kim Soll-Ip, Han Woo-Ju, and Yoo-Jin all said the same thing. They must have been really shocked that I fell in.

Just then, Oh Bok-Hee glanced at Lee Ji-Yeon and replied, "Well... the footage turned out great."

Lee Ji-Yeon laughed in disbelief. "What?"

At that moment, Oh Bok-Hee confidently pointed at the monitor. "If you writers see this footage, you won't be able to say anything."

With that, Oh Bok-Hee played the footage on the monitor.

On screen, Deok-Bae dramatically swung his sword and I soared through the air. From the moment I hit the water to the fake blood rising with the Taecheong-Rang mask emerging was all perfect.

"With an action scene this stylish, how could we throw it out and scold him? I'm sorry, but what Mr. Jung showed us looked better than what the script called for."

Oh Bok-Hee, known as the drama-crazed maniac, openly expressed her honest feelings in front of the writers.

Han Woo-Ju nodded in agreement. "That's right. The footage turned out amazing, didn't it?"

Lee Ji-Yeon let out a smirk. "

Ah.

.. I was going to say no no matter what, but I have to admit this one. Yoon-Ho has a knack for directing action scenes."

At that moment, Kim Soll-Ip, watching the mood, turned to me. "Mr. Jung. When we write action scenes, could you give us some direction advice? We'll split the fee with you. How about it? Deal?"

Lee Ji-Yeon flared up. "Soll-Ip~ are you cutting in line?"

"What do you mean I'm cutting in line~?"

"Right now. Right this moment~! Don't you get it?"

The writers bickering over my directing was touching, but all I had done was recall one of the iconic scenes from before the regression.

"It's nothing. I just... acted on instinct."

The writers insisted that wasn't true and said they would squeeze it out of me, but in the end, they all stopped making offers with regretful expressions.

As the commotion died down, Jang Moon-Ki quietly approached. "PD Oh, could you give us a little time for an interview? Please?"

"Have Mr. Jung and Deok-Bae shower first. We can't have our treasures catching a cold."

"Okay~ is that a promise?"

I gave Jang Moon-Ki a small bow and then headed toward the nearby changing room with Deok-Bae.

As we walked, I held out my fist. "Good work, Deok-Bae."

Deok-Bae bumped his fist against mine. "You too, hyung."

And with that, another step in Deok-Bae's rise took shape.

***

After washing off in warm water, we did a five-minute interview with Deok-Bae.

After that, Deok-Bae kept filming through the night. It was because many parts of episode 14, which would air tomorrow, had been rewritten by the writers. It was tough, but Deok-Bae was happy to keep going, since his character, Kim Beop-Min, had become a more important role.

Meanwhile, Yoo-Jin dressed as a man and dove into the role of Yoo-Hyun, one of the envoys who came with Kim Chun-Chu in episode 14 of

Hwaranjeon

, participating in the reshoots.

Once the partial reshoots for episode 14 wrapped up around 6 a.m., we rushed the footage to Seoul. Then the staff all headed to the lodging, saying we would meet again at lunch.

I also tried to get some sleep, and woke up at 1 p.m. As soon as I opened my eyes, I checked the entertainment news section on the portal.

[

Hwaranjeon

Episode 13 hits peak viewership ratings of 28.1%!!]

[

Hwaranjeon

Episode 14's Taecheong-Rang was portrayed by a stand-in actor.]

[Choi Deok-Bae dives into the water to save the stand-in actor playing Taecheong-Rang.]

[Choi Deok-Bae, playing Kim Beop-Min, a next-gen action star to watch!!]

The top ten entertainment news stories were plastered with

Hwaranjeon

. Even the show's viewer message board was heating up.

My body was exhausted, but seeing Deok-Bae's name everywhere gave me a surge of energy. Still, I didn't plan to let Deok-Bae's success end here.

***

Since episodes 15 and 16 also needed partial reshoots, the day was once again packed with endless filming.

Then at 9:30 p.m. at the envoy lodging set, Oh Bok-Hee was preparing to shoot scene 38, the final scene of episode 16.

"Once we wrap this one scene, the urgent stuff's done. So let's stay focused and finish strong."

With the promise of rest afterward, the staff gave their final push. "Yes, Mrs. Oh."

In scene 38 of episode 16 of

Hwaranjeon

, Princess Yu-Hwa, disguised as Yoo-Hyun, and Kim Beop-Min, who has been hiding his identity as Kim Beop-Moon, faced off in a sword duel. The two had become friends while tracking the group behind the assassination attempts on Kim Chun-Chu, and before parting ways, they decided to test their real sword skills in a sparring match.

"Get ready~"

"Okay!"

Deok-Bae was receiving advice from Martial Arts Director Ahn Seok-Chil in the courtyard attached to the envoy lodging.

In the meantime, I gave Yoo-Jin a few words of caution. "Yoo-Jin. Deok-Bae's still inexperienced, so when he gets immersed in a role, he can't always control his strength. So don't block the sword head-on. Deflect it, and if it feels wrong, just let go of the sword. Got it?"

Yoo-Jin gave a bright smile. Because she was dressed as a man, her sharp features combined with soft lines made her look like a smiling pretty boy.

"Don't worry, oppa. I have no intention of flying like you did after clashing with Deok-Bae."

She was talking about last night.

"Alright. Then go on."

"Yes, sir!"

Waving her sword, Yoo-Jin headed toward the set.

A moment later, the two, now ready, faced each other with swords in hand. Compared to pretty-boy Yoo-Jin, Deok-Bae exuded a strong masculine charm with his sharp jawline and firm voice. Seeing the striking contrast between them in one frame, the shot looked great.

Oh Bok-Hee shouted with a satisfied smile. "Rolling. Ready~ Action!"

The final reshoot for Deok-Bae's scene in episode 16 was starting.

***

Deok-Bae and Yoo-Jin stood opposite each other and began their lines. Since Yoo-Jin was dressed as a man, she had slightly altered her voice.

『Yoo-Hyun. When you return to Silla, let's meet again.』

『Let's do that, Beop-Moon.』

『But you said you're a scholar. Why do you like swords so much?』

『It's the times... don't you think?』

『True. When fighting against Baekje, there's no line between words and arms. Just don't push yourself too hard. I'd hate to see you get hurt.』

『

Haha.

You're quite confident. Even if I get hurt sparring with you, I won't blame you. Show me what you've got.』

『Come at me!』

At that moment, Deok-Bae took a deep breath and began to swing his sword. The blade moved swiftly as if slicing the moon in the dark night sky. The silver arc it drew in the air sparkled in the moonlight.

Then Yoo-Jin moved her sword forward in response to the blade's motion.

Clang, clang, clang!

Their blades collided in a flurry, flashing in the moonlight. But then, Yoo-Jin's expression began to turn more serious.

『Haa!』

Clang, clang, clang.

As Yoo-Jin's sword sped up, Deok-Bae's did too. At the same time, both of their movements quickened. Just as I began to worry someone might get hurt, Deok-Bae struck Yoo-Jin's sword aside.

Clang!

Yoo-Jin lost her grip and fell to the ground. Her sword spun through the air, glinting under the moonlight in all directions. Startled, Deok-Bae dropped his sword and rushed over to her. As Deok-Bae reached out his hand, Yoo-Jin took it and stood up.

At that moment, the two looked at each other and shared a faint smile. Unaware of the romantic feelings they would come to have in the future, they exchanged looks filled with friendship as they portrayed Kim Beop-Min and Princess Yu-Hwa.

And so ended the scene of their fateful first meeting as future political rivals, Kim Beop-Min, son of Kim Chun-Chu, and Princess Yu-Hwa.

"Cut~~ okay! That was great. Wow~ Deok-Bae's emotional expression was better than I expected. Yoo-Jin, of course, was fantastic!"

Deok-Bae quickly let go of Yoo-Jin's hand, and Yoo-Jin reassured the flustered Deok-Bae.

As the staff laughed and praised the performance, Oh Bok-Hee shouted, "Alright, that's a wrap for today's shoot! Let's clean up quickly and relax while watching the drama!"

The current time was 9:50 p.m. Episode 14, featuring Deok-Bae's first appearance, was just ten minutes away.

***

Yoo-Jin and Deok-Bae came into the waiting tent.

Flap.

Inside the tent, which shielded us from the wind, there were waiting chairs, an icebox, and a cot.

As Yoo-Jin plopped into one of the chairs, I handed her the honey water I had prepared. "Drink this first."

"I'll drink it later."

She was clearly trying to hide the aftereffects of forgetting my advice and swinging the sword so hard.

Just as I was about to bring it up, Yoo-Jin quickly changed the subject. "But oppa. What did you think of the romance scene earlier?"

"What do you mean? What romance?"

"The scene where Deok-Bae and I gazed at each other longingly. That was a romance scene. Don't you have any thoughts on that scene?"

"That was a friendship scene."

"Come on~ I put so much into my facial expressions. It was definitely romance."

She was being stubborn.

"Ah, it did feel a bit wistful. So that's why. It was good. Good. Very nice~"

When I shared my honest impression, Yoo-Jin puffed her lips out. "No, I mean... didn't it make your chest flutter or make you mad or something? Really? For real?"

'

What is she even talking about now?

'

Her eyes sparkled, and because they were so big, it almost felt threatening.

"Are you picking a fight?" I asked,

"

Tch

."

Yeon So-Hee lightly shook her head.

'

Wait, why is Team Lead Yeon acting like that? There's definitely something going on... definitely...

'

But first, there was something I had to take care of.

"Give me your hand."

Yoo-Jin glanced at me nervously. "I-I'm fine."

"Don't lie. I can tell just by looking."

Yoo-Jin stuck out her tongue and held out her hand at the same time. It trembled slightly, still affected from the sword fight.

I frowned. "I told you to go easy..."

I began to press firmly, giving her a hand massage.

"Oww oww oww

... Oppa, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You are, right?"

"No, not at all~ You've got knotted energy there."

"

Ah

~ I totally suspect you, but I've got no proof!!"

Yoo-Jin's hand was caught, so all she could do was stomp her feet.

At that moment, Yeon So-Hee said, "Episode 14 is starting, Mr. Jung."

"Okay."

While massaging Yoo-Jin's hand, I watched the drama on a tablet inside the tent. A minute later, a loud voice rang out from outside the tent.

-Let's go!! We're starting at 27.9%!

The episode began just 0.2% below yesterday's peak of 28.1%. Since viewership ratings usually rose toward the middle, it was almost certain we would surpass yesterday's high by the time Deok-Bae appeared at 10:20 p.m.

After finishing Yoo-Jin's hand massage, I checked the viewer message board. At 10:20 p.m., when Deok-Bae made his appearance, comments started pouring in.

[

Hwaranjeon

Viewer Board]

-This is crazy. Choi Deok-Bae is super tall with sharp features. Total charisma.

-The action was way better in this episode.

-That stunt guy must've evolved into a real martial arts director.

-Everything else is the same, but with Deok-Bae in it, it feels completely different.

-Now that I think of it, even the stunt actor in the Taecheong-Rang mask had some amazing moves.

The action scene on the bridge was getting far more praise than I expected. Thanks to that, the viewership ratings already seemed promising.

It was now 10:21 p.m., and the entrance curtain of the tent flapped as it opened.

Geum Eun-Dong leaned in with an excited expression and shouted, "We hit 30.0% in minute-by-minute viewership ratings!!"

"30%?"

"Yes!"

It was an unbelievable number. Even though episode 13 of

Queen Jeong-Hee

airing on KBC was pulling in an incredible 23.4%, we had hit 30%.

"Then what happened with

Queen Jeong-Hee

?" I asked.

"I heard it started at 22%, but dropped to 20% during the part where Deok-Bae appeared. We'll know the final tally once it's confirmed."

"Thank you!"

"

Hahaha

. I'll head off now. I need to let the writers know too."

"You came to us before the writers?"

"Of course. Today's star is Deok-Bae, isn't it?"

Duk-Bae jumped up and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Mr. Geum!"

I couldn't just let such good news pass by. I stopped Geum Eun-Dong as he was about to leave.

"Mr. Geum, let's have a team dinner tonight. I'll call the barbecue place in front of the set right now."

"You really don't have to..."

"No. When it's time to treat, I have to treat. I'll talk to Mrs. Oh."

Geum Eun-Dong nodded joyfully. "Got it!"

Then I left the excited Yoo-Jin and Deok-Bae and headed to Oh Bok-Hee. "Mrs. Oh, I'll treat the crew to dinner once the episode ends."

"Pork? Beef?"

"Chicken, pork, beef, lamb—your pick."

"Then can I go with beef?"

"Deal!"

Hearing both the news of the 30% viewership ratings and the dinner, Oh Bok-Hee started dancing with joy.

And so, while the staff buzzed with excitement and celebration, episode 14 of

Hwaranjeon

came to an end. The peak viewership ratings for episode 14 was 30.5%. Thanks to Deok-Bae's appearance, even the show's weakness—action—was now fully reinforced, and

Hwaranjeon

's viewership ratings were soaring even higher.

That's when Kk Talk messages started pouring in with various ad inquiries.

Buzz~ Buzz~

Deok-Bae's rise was becoming real.

'

Congrats, Deok-Bae.'

Just as my heart swelled with emotion, my phone rang again. But this time, it wasn't an ad inquiry. It was a call from Kang Gam-Chan.

[Caller ID: President Kang Gam-Chan]

I answered immediately.

"Yes, Mr .Kang."

-Good work. I saw the viewership ratings report.

"Yes. The ad inquiries are pouring in. I think the company needs to start focusing on pushing Deok-Bae aggressively."

-Right, we'll talk about that tomorrow. But for now, I need you to come to Seoul.

It was already past 11 p.m., meaning I wouldn't arrive in Seoul until dawn. Plus, I had promised a team dinner at the set, so I told him it would be a little difficult.

However, Kang Gam-Chan said it was urgent.

-Leave the dinner to Team Lead Yeon and come to Mr. Choi Eun-Tae's house. We have something to take care of while Choi Man-Sik is away.

"Sir? What kind of business?"

-The plan is to extend Choi Man-Sik's detention in Japan as much as possible and bring forward the stock listing.

Apparently, they have concluded that's the best way to push Choi Man-Sik out for good. In that case, the situation had changed. This kind of golden opportunity couldn't be missed.

"I'll head up right now."

'

Time to loot the empty house.

'