Chapter 708: Making Amazing Progress Day After Day (2)

Yoon Joo-Yeon, playing the third queen, began to harshly corner Deok-Bae. There was a murderous glare in Yoon Joo-Yeon's eyes and venom laced her voice. Even from a distance, her hostility felt so real it made the skin tingle and the body shrink.

However, Deok-Bae didn't even blink. Until Yoon Joo-Yeon finished her lines, Deok-Bae remained completely unshaken. Only when it was his turn did he begin to calmly deliver his own performance.

Deok-Bae started to smile as if he truly had become Kim Beop-Min. His gaze toward Yoon Joo-Yeon brimmed with confidence, and his broad shoulders were square and proud. It was as if no matter what curses or threats were thrown at him, nothing could touch him.

Currently, the role Deok-Bae was playing, Kim Beop-Min, was the head of the delegation heading to Tamna. He was also the eldest son of Kim Chun-Chu, the head of Silla's highest noble family. In other words, he had no reason to be intimidated by royalty.

Having worn out the script with repeated analysis, Deok-Bae had mastered the character of Kim Beop-Min better than anyone and began to confront Yoon Joo-Yeon's performance head-on.

『Could it be that Her Majesty the Queen is afraid of me?』

Deok-Bae's low and heavy voice reverberated through the set. In that instant, the intense atmosphere that Yoon Joo-Yeon had dominated just seconds earlier completely vanished. With just one line, Deok-Bae flipped the energy on set.

Until now, Deok-Bae had been regarded by the crew as a tall actor good at action scenes, but now the look in their eyes changed. Everyone's perception of Deok-Bae changed from an action star to a skilled actor.

Shocked by Deok-Bae's unexpected acting skills, Yoon Joo-Yeon began to unleash an even more intense performance. She shouted, shook, and hurled her lines like she meant to kill. Nevertheless, Deok-Bae didn't flinch but simply stood like a giant rock.

Growing frustrated, Yoon Joo-Yeon started to raise her voice in anger. In this dialogue-heavy scene, she was trying to break Deok-Bae down no matter what.

『Such arrogance before your queen! Have you gone mad, wishing for death?』

Yoon Joo-Yeon's pressure grew more and more intense. Yet Deok-Bae, deeply immersed in his role, only grew more composed in his performance.

『It doesn't seem like this is where I'm meant to die.』

『What?』

『Did you forget that I am the one leading this diplomatic mission? And that most of the Hwarang warriors brought for protection have been gravely injured? At this point, I am the only one who can safely escort Your Majesty back to Gyerim. So, if you wish to return to Gyerim and see Princess Do-Hwa again... might I suggest you temper your rage?』

Sparks flew in the air as Deok-Bae and Yoon Joo-Yeon's eyes clashed. No one dared to breathe during their uncompromising acting battle.

Just then, as they locked eyes, Yoon Joo-Yeon suddenly looked away. It was the first time Deok-Bae exuded real killing intent. Embarrassed by her involuntary reaction, Yoon Joo-Yeon clenched her teeth and shouted again.

『Insolent wretch! How dare you look down on me!』

At that moment, Yoon Joo-Yeon grabbed a script next to her and hurled it at Deok-Bae's face. It was meant to land in front of him, but in her anger, she put too much force into it. A few of us and some crew members jumped to our feet in shock. However, Deok-Bae didn't even blink as the script flew at him.

Pop!

The script hit Deok-Bae's face and the string holding it together snapped causing dozens of pages to scatter through the air.

Flutter, flutter.

It wouldn't have been wrong to call NG right then, but Deok-Bae kept smiling and continued acting. Finally, Yoon Joo-Yeon's momentum began to break. She realized that no matter what she did, she couldn't shake Deok-Bae's composure.

『Y-you...』

Perhaps Yoon Joo-Yeon's own composure had wavered, because her diction started to slip slightly. In contrast, Deok-Bae continued with his lines without the slightest shake, still smiling.

『Next time, perhaps use a knife instead of a book. From what I've heard, Her Majesty specializes in the art of flying daggers, does she not?』

『H-how do you know that...?』

The fact that the third queen possessed flying dagger skills lethal enough to assassinate someone was a top-secret known only to a handful within the palace. But as Kim Beop-Min, Deok-Bae began to corner her by exposing that secret.

From that moment on, the balance completely tipped. Yoon Joo-Yeon tried to shake him with bursts of intense tone and sudden ad-libs. However, Deok-Bae remained unmoved for even a moment and stayed in his performance.

'

That's my actor. Deok-Bae... He's grown so much.

'

Now, even Yoon Joo-Yeon couldn't bring him down so easily.

***

"Cut~~!"

Oh Bok-Hee's booming voice echoed through the set.

At that moment, Yoon Joo-Yeon and Deok-Bae both exhaled, catching their breath. Of the two, it was Yoon Joo-Yeon who was drenched in sweat. She had shouted herself hoarse trying to push Deok-Bae and squeezed every bit of energy into her acting.

The staff, stirred by the realism of their performance, wore visibly excited expressions. However, none of them dared to make a sound yet because Oh Bok-Hee was reviewing the long, dialogue-heavy scene they had just shot with her headphones on. It was a scene with so many lines that it took a long time to check.

A moment later, Oh Bok-Hee's face lit up and she made a circle with her fingers. "Okay~"

At that moment, the crew finally let out the cheers they had held back and clapped their hands.

"Wow~~"

Then they turned their cheers toward Yoon Joo-Yeon and Deok-Bae.

"As expected of Ms. Joo-Yeon. They say class is forever, and she proves it!"

"Ms. Yoon Joo-Yeon, your acting was absolutely fantastic."

"And Deok-Bae nailed it too, right?"

"Of course! Honestly, this scene was supposed to highlight Ms. Yoon Joo-Yeon, but how is it that the rookie didn't get overshadowed at all? Wow~ seriously, Deok-Bae's no joke."

"If it were me, I would've folded just from Ms. Joo-Yeon's glare... There's a reason everyone keeps praising Deok-Bae!"

The compliments that started with Yoon Joo-Yeon's passionate acting ended up closing with praise for Deok-Bae. Deok-Bae bowed repeatedly to the staff in gratitude.

Meanwhile, Yoo-Jin standing beside me started flailing excitedly while pointing at Deok-Bae. "Oppa! Isn't Deok-Bae just amazing? When did he get so good?"

Yoo-Jin, who was Deok-Bae's acting coach along with Choi Ji-Yung, was overly thrilled as if she was Deok-Bae.

But unlike Deok-Bae, Yoon Joo-Yeon's expression was stiff. Though she thanked everyone for the praise, displeasure was written all over her face. After all, she had lost her composure against a rookie actor and had to strain herself to act. In the end, Yoon Joo-Yeon said she needed a short break and left the set with Chief Yang Sung-Taek supporting her.

Oh Bok-Hee watched Yoon Joo-Yeon disappear without so much as apologizing to Deok-Bae and shook her head in disbelief. Then she called out to Deok-Bae and began showering him with praise.

"Deok-Bae, your acting just keeps getting stronger. It's a joy to watch. Let's keep this up, okay?"

"Yes, Mrs. Oh!"

"Good. You really worked hard today."

And so, Yoon Joo-Yeon's attempt to crush Deok-Bae only ended up raising his value even higher.

***

Fortunately, Deok-Bae wasn't hurt because the script opened up as it hit his face.

As I quietly sighed in relief, Ahn Ji-Yoon from the directing team approached and said, "Mr. Deok-Bae. The 8 o'clock shoot got moved to 4. And going forward, your call times will be earlier like this. Also, starting tomorrow, we'll give you the cue sheet as soon as it comes out."

"Oh, okay."

"And place your waiting chair near the director. She might call for you anytime."

"Understood."

"You'll be shooting a two-shot with Miss Yoo-Jin later, so please be ready for that."

Originally, the next scene was scheduled seven hours later, but now it was moved up significantly.

Deok-Bae looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Hyung, I get that it's just for today, but why are they suddenly moving up my scenes from now on too?"

"They're treating you like a lead now."

Lately, Deok-Bae's popularity had grown and his acting had improved dramatically. So the production team started treating him as an important actor.

"But is it even good if the shoot gets moved earlier?" Deok-Bae asked.

I nodded. "Well, it's best to film important scenes when the actors and crew are still fresh. That's when you get the best takes. The staff are doing this out of consideration, so just accept it gratefully."

Looking at how set operations ran, there was barely a break from dawn to night. For a drama that shot two episodes a week, the schedule was brutal. Other shows using seasonal or pre-produced formats had more leeway, but for a massive drama like

Hwaranjeon

with over 50 episodes and direct production by the broadcaster, it still ran the old-fashioned way.

That was why lead actors, main roles, and key scenes were scheduled for the most comfortable time slots so the main roles leading

Hwaranjeon

could film when they were in peak condition.

Then Deok-Bae asked cautiously, "Doesn't that mean someone else has to wait longer because of me?"

"That's true."

Deok-Bae looked flustered. "Shouldn't I go tell them not to change the schedule because of me?"

His thoughtfulness was admirable, but that wasn't an option.

I shook my head and said, "Everyone's doing this to make the best show possible. Remember what I said? You fight tooth and nail to land a role, and the success of one drama affects many people's livelihoods. The staff are doing what they believe will produce the best results, so all you need to do is focus on giving your best performance."

After a moment's hesitation, Deok-Bae nodded slowly. "Got it."

"And don't worry. What you're concerned about is my job as your talent agent to handle."

It was my responsibility to smooth things over with the actor who had to wait longer because of the schedule change for Deok-Bae. Only then did Deok-Bae's face brighten a little.

"Then take some rest and read over your script. See you in a bit."

"Okay, hyung~"

"

Oh

, and keep in mind we've got a shoot for

The Omniscient Viewpoint

later too."

"Right. Mr. Park Eun-Chan already came by and I greeted him."

Apparently, PD Park Eun-Chan of

The Omniscient Viewpoint

came looking for Deok-Bae as soon as he arrived on set.

"Good. Alright then, practice your script. I'll go check in with some of the staff."

"Okay."

I left Deok-Bae and headed toward the staff to check which actor's schedule had been pushed back. When I asked, I found out it was someone with a past connection—Oh Sung-Yeon from TK Entertainment.

Back during

In the Name of God

, she was the actress who helped boost Yoo-Jin's name to No. 1 in real-time search rankings. At the time, she was working as an extra. Even after getting splashed with coffee by Hong Hyun-Joo, the second daughter of HK Inc., she kept acting calmly.

Yoo-Jin had gifted her an L.M.L skirt for her professionalism, and the touched Oh Sung-Yeon posted about Yoo-Jin's kindness on her Instargem. Thanks to that, Yoo-Jin became a hot topic.

Not only was I grateful to her, but I also knew she would later grow into a top actress nicknamed the 'Queen of Tears' with back-to-back drama hits, so I had even offered to scout her. However, as a student at the time, she said she had to ask her parents first. And since her parents had a connection at TK Entertainment, she ended up signing with them instead of Hoop Entertainment.

Now, that same Oh Sung-Yeon was about to shoot a scene here at

Hwaranjeon

. She had been cast in the role of Aso, one of the key supporting characters who follows Yoo-Jin.

On top of that, she was currently gaining popularity for her role in MBS'

The Infinite Job Hunt Era

with Chae Mi-Hyun as the lead actress, airing Mondays and Tuesdays. Under the name Sook-Ja, she played a gritty young woman living in a rooftop room who moved to Seoul alone for college and is now job hunting.

Oh Sung-Yeon was scheduled to appear on

The Omniscient Viewpoint

this week, right after Deok-Bae. So I decided to take the chance to greet her and headed to her waiting area. Oh Sung-Yeon was squatting on the sand and reading her script without even a waiting chair.

She looked disheartened, probably having heard her shoot was delayed. She must have come early in the morning to wait, and there was no wonder she looked down now that she was told to wait again. Still, rookie actors weren't allowed to leave the set until their shoot was done. If they disappeared when an AD or PD might call for them at any moment, they risked losing their role entirely.

Seeing Oh Sung-Yeon looking slightly deflated, I cautiously called her name. "Miss Sung-Yeon~"

Oh Sung-Yeon lifted her head from the script. "Oh? Mr. Jung! Hello!"

She quickly stood and bowed.

I smiled and said, "I heard the news. You're starting scenes with Yoo-Jin from today, right?"

The role of Aso was a high-profile supporting character with a fair amount of exposure.

Oh Sung-Yeon nodded. "Yes. The company landed the role for me."

"I'm looking forward to working with you. It'd be great if you get along well with Yoo-Jin, just like last time."

"Don't worry. I'm still a huge fan of Yoo-Jin unnie!"

Even now, as an actress, she still fangirled over Yoo-Jin.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry your shoot got delayed. Deok-Bae's schedule got moved up, so... it happened that way."

"

Oh

~ so that's why. The AD didn't say anything. Well... it happens. I saw earlier—Mr. Deok-Bae's acting was no joke. He's on a whole different level from a rookie like me, so I understand."

I felt bad, but the truth was Deok-Bae was only two months in and Oh Sung-Yeon had been acting for six months under TK Entertainment. If I told her that, she would only be more disappointed, so I decided to leave that part out.

"Thanks for understanding. By the way, did you film for

The Omniscient Viewpoint

yet?"

"No, not yet. My talent agent Mr. Choi Dae-Gi said he'd try asking if they could move it up since my schedule changed. Also, please speak comfortably with me, okay?"

Because of our past connection, I agreed. "Alright. So Choi Dae-Gi is your talent agent now?"

"Yes."

Choi Dae-Gi, who was the same age as me, used to work under me back at Top Entertainment. He was diligent and had a good personality, but because Top only cared about money, he was never treated properly there. Still, he truly cared for his actors. Now, at TK Entertainment, he had just wrapped his rookie road talent agent duties and was in his first year as a full talent agent.

"This happened because of Deok-Bae, so please let me help. What's Mr. Choi Dae-Gi's number?"

"

Oh

, he's coming right over there."

From where she pointed, I saw Park Eun-Chan walking over with Choi Dae-Gi, the one-year talent agent. Choi Dae-Gi, around 173cm with a thin build, was bowing over and over, his skinny waist nearly folding in half.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Thanks to that, Park Eun-Chan's expression had softened to just a slight frown. Usually, when a talent agent asked for a schedule change, PDs exploded, asking who gave them the right to meddle. Just seeing this, I could tell how hard Choi Dae-Gi had pleaded.

This was my moment to step in. I approached Park Eun-Chan and greeted him with a bright smile. "You're here, Mr. Park."

Park Eun-Chan tilted his head. "

Oh

? What brings you here, Chief Jung?"

"I heard Miss Sung-Yeon's shoot got delayed because of us, so I came to help. Since it's already like this, how about having Deok-Bae do a guest appearance in Miss Sung-Yeon's scene?"

The irritation on Park Eun-Chan's face vanished instantly. "

Hahaha.

That works great for me. Can he shoot right now?"

That wouldn't do. It was only right to let Oh Sung-Yeon get her solo shots first before calling in Deok-Bae.

I suggested, "I think it's best to start with Miss Sung-Yeon's shots first. After that, we'll bring in Deok-Bae for a guest appearance. Then we'll shoot his own segments too."

"Okay. Let's do that."

But just then, my phone vibrated with a notification.

[Notification: March 5, 2021. A new Schedule Entry for Choi Deok-Bae has been posted.]

'

A new schedule entry for Deok-Bae?

'

"Sorry, please give me a moment."

I excused myself to check Everyday and see what the schedule was. And the Schedule entry shocked me.

'

What? Deok-Bae causes an accident?

'