Chapter 27: Ready to Soar (4)
After Kim Si-woo left, Kim Ji-hyun reflected on where things went wrong.
‘Was it when I asked for a role at the bar?’
‘Or when I earned millions from ads?’
‘When my SNS followers hit a million?’
‘When I rejected the cameo?’
‘When I got drunk and ranted on the phone?’
‘When I was cold to him today?’
‘Or… all of it?’
‘I just wanted to get closer…’
‘How did it come to this?’
Kim Si-woo’s words echoed in her mind. His unfamiliar, cold demeanor had shocked her, leaving her too frozen to even say goodbye as tears welled up.
Deciding to act on his advice, she visited her agency’s CEO after the shoot.
“Boss…” she began.
“Ji-hyun! What’s up?” the CEO replied warmly.
“Can you… change my manager? And maybe my stylist too?”
“What happened?” he asked, gesturing for her to sit.
“Did the manager do something wrong?”
“No, it’s just… we don’t click,” she said, hesitant to admit her manager did little beyond driving.
After Kim Si-woo’s critique, she’d noticed other actors’ managers—even for less famous stars—constantly checked their condition, gave feedback, and rehearsed lines. Hers just took selfies or gawked at other actors.
“He’s new, give him time. I’ll talk to him. Work with him for three months, and if it’s still bad, we’ll revisit,” the CEO said.
“Okay…” she replied.
“I’ll get you a stylist ASAP.”
She needed one urgently for her next shoot but feared pushing too hard might alienate the CEO, just as she’d pushed Kim Si-woo away.
“Thanks. Please find someone good.”
As she left, the CEO’s face darkened. The manager she wanted replaced was his nephew.
“If he wasn’t family, I’d fire him on the spot,” he muttered.
After Revenger, Kim Ji-hyun hadn’t had a manager for a while—a common issue for struggling actors at small agencies. When her fame surged, the CEO needed to assign one. His brother had begged him to hire his idle son, who jumped at the chance to manage the beautiful, famous Kim Ji-hyun.
‘What if she doesn’t re-sign because of this? I should’ve hired an experienced manager from the start. She’s too kind to put up with this…’
Frustrated, he called his nephew.
“Hey, you! Where are you? Get to the office now!”
The nephew, planning a night at a club, rushed to the office, panting from running up the stairs. Clueless about his uncle’s anger, he faced a tirade.
“I told you to do your job right! I said to learn from other managers, but you begged to manage Ji-hyun, saying you could handle it. And now this? You can’t even look after one actor?”
“What are you talking about?” the nephew protested.
“Ji-hyun wants a new manager. Are you doing your job properly?”
“Of course!”
He lied, knowing nothing about managing.
“Starting tomorrow, do whatever Ji-hyun asks. No—actually, I’m assigning another manager. You’ll learn from them and stick to road managing.”
“Road managing? That’s just driving!”
“You want to go back home? I got you this job because of your mom’s begging!”
“No, Uncle—”
“Shut up and get out!”
The nephew stormed out, head down, grinding his teeth.
***
Kim Si-woo was on a boat.
‘I never thought I’d actually end up on an island… I just want to go home.’
Park Woong-deok had insisted he join this shoot, set on an island.
‘When did he even book this place?’
“You’re wondering when I booked this place, aren’t you?” Park Woong-deok’s voice startled him.
“Gah!” Kim Si-woo yelped.
“I arranged it while reading the script. It’s been a while,” Park said.
“I see,” Kim Si-woo replied.
“First time seeing an action scene?”
“Yeah… sort of.”
Park laughed heartily, clapping Kim Si-woo’s shoulder.
“I like how consistent you are.”
“Huh?”
“That ‘everything’s a hassle’ vibe. I dig it.”
Others might call it laziness, but Park appreciated Kim Si-woo’s bluntness.
On an island in South Jeolla Province, the crew unloaded gear and moved quickly.
“Director says there’s special food today. Let’s wrap up and eat!” a staff member called.
At the mention of food, the crew’s pace quickened. Kim Si-woo and some actors were puzzled.
Shim Ji-young leaned in, whispering, “Director’s a notorious foodie. Remember that beef place?”
“Oh, yeah, it was amazing,” Kim Si-woo recalled.
“Everyone in the industry knows Park Woong-deok’s a gourmet.”
Now it made sense why the crew hustled. Good food was a powerful motivator.
In less than an hour, the set was ready, and everyone moved to the restaurant Park Woong-deok had arranged.
“Auntie, I’m here!” Park greeted.
“Welcome!” the restaurant owner replied.
The kitchen was bustling, preparing a feast of grilled fish and tangy mulhoe (raw fish salad) that made mouths water.
“Finish shooting early, and we’ve got seafood stew, spicy fish soup, and sashimi for dinner. Let’s do this!” Park announced.
- Yes!!!
Motivated by the promise of a lavish meal, everyone ate quickly and hurried back to the set, eager for soju with their food.
Gulp.
The sound and lighting directors, known for their love of alcohol, were especially impatient.
“Hey! Hurry up and prep! Never mind, I’ll do it myself!”
They barked, unusually hands-on, abandoning their usual chair-bound ways.
“Director, lighting’s set!”
“Sound’s ready too!”
“Look at these guys rushing for a drink,” Park chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ve sourced special ingredients—you won’t be disappointed.”
He grinned, understanding their enthusiasm.
“Actors, ready?”
- Yes!
The island scenes featured Han Ye-ri (Shim Ji-young) preparing for revenge and confronting her daughter’s killers. Shim Ji-young stepped out of the car in a tracksuit, visibly tense.
“Phew…”
Despite suggestions for a stunt double, she’d insisted on doing the action herself—a relief for Park, as actors rarely handled their own stunts.
‘It’s not too intense, so she’ll be fine.’ he thought.
“Shim, don’t overthink it. Just do what you’ve been doing,” Park encouraged.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
Her scenes began: setting traps around the island, carrying heavy loads, training her body, and firing a gun.
Bang, bang, bang.
Three shots marked the end of the land-based filming.
“Great work, Shim!” Park praised.
“Thank you,”
She panted, drenched in sweat. The physical demands—hauling loads, intense exercise, and the tension of shooting—were exhausting, even for a fit actress. Yet, her struggle made the footage more authentic, capturing a raw, unpolished intensity.
Shim Ji-young, Park, and the crew were all satisfied.
“One last scene. To the sea!” Park called.
The final shoot was on the water. They switched from a larger boat to a smaller one, which rocked heavily with the waves.
“Why am I here…?”
Kim Si-woo muttered, baffled at being dragged along.
“You’re not doing anything else, so you might as well come,” Park teased.
“I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t called me…”
“Shh! We’re starting,” Park said, grabbing the camera himself.
Just as he was about to call “Action,” a huge wave rocked the boat, splashing water inside.
“Ugh, I’m soaked,” Kim Si-woo grumbled.
“Phew, almost lost the camera,” Park sighed, holding it high.
Turning to resume, Park froze. The boat carrying Shim Ji-young, her co-star, and the sound technician had capsized, with people flailing in the water.
“Help!” Shim Ji-young’s cry rang out.
Without thinking, Kim Si-woo dove into the sea.
“Damn, this water’s freezing!”
Reaching the overturned boat, he grabbed Shim Ji-young.
“Noona, stay still—ugh!”
She panicked, pulling him under as she tried to climb up. Forcing himself back up, he lifted her to breathe.
‘Please, calm down… I’m gonna die first at this rate.’
Moments later, her struggling stopped.
“Phew! Almost drowned,” he gasped.
“You… okay?” she asked weakly.
“You back to your senses?”
“Yeah… thanks,” she said.
Rescue personnel from the larger boat arrived, saving the sound technician and co-star. Soaked, Kim Si-woo climbed aboard, his frustration peaking.
“Why did I write this scene…?”
But the ordeal wasn’t over. As a precaution, Park and the drenched crew were taken to a hospital off the island. Thankfully, they were fine and just needed rest.
Now, a drunken Shim Ji-young was slurring beside him.
“Hey, Kim Si-woo… hic… sob…”
‘What now?’
‘Is drunk ranting a trend these days?’
‘This is all Park Woong-deok’s fault…’
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