“…You! What on earth are you thinking!”
Kim Sun-il shouted.
Kagagagak─!
The struggle over the steering wheel was intense.
The remaining distance to HQ 808 was not much, but to the current Kim Sun-il, it did not feel that way.
Whether they would arrive at the destination like this or flip over beforehand—this was a matter concerning not just safety but life and death.
It was only natural that there would be no compromise between them.
Kim Sun-il and Sua fiercely argued, and the camera captured every moment of it. To those watching, it was quite a spectacle. It resembled two colors battling over territory in a game of Go.
“Damn, crazy…!”
Kim Sun-il shouted while barely holding onto the steering wheel.
Every now and then, he glanced at Sua’s face as if asking if she was in her right mind, but her expression did not change. She had a clear purpose.
Her eyes, unwavering in the slightest, were filled with an obsession and desire for something.
It must have been a single-minded intent to overturn the car. At the very least, Sua was serious right now.
There was no guessing the reason. Why?
Was there some kind of malice from Kim Sun-il?
But then.
“…!”
Kim Sun-il suddenly received an enormous shock.
It wasn’t Sua’s gaze or expression. It was because he had caught on to Sua’s true feelings from an unexpected place.
‘Sua, you… surely not….’
Hand.
It was from Sua’s white, slender hand.
The grip with which her hand coiled around the steering wheel like a snake was menacing.
However, while it only shook the car, it by no means overturned it. There seemed to be a refined touch, as if she were controlling her strength.
But to the naked eye, it would surely appear threatening enough.
Likewise, to the camera, it would be the same. Only then did Kim Sun-il understand. So this was acting on the spot. He’d been outplayed.
Kim Sun-il suddenly recollected the situation of this scene.
It was truly no big deal.
From the viewer’s perspective, it would be the kind of scene where one might think, “Ah, this is a good time to use the restroom.” It was simply about Lee Kang-cheol exchanging a few words with Kim Yu-han in a power struggle while returning to HQ.
But Sua’s actions completely changed everything.
Right now, every line of dialogue was useless.
Actions spoke louder than words. This single struggle for dominance expressed everything clearly: that Lee Kang-cheol and Kim Yu-han were complete opposites, and there would be absolutely no compromise between them.
Jolt─! Jolt─!
Inside the vehicle, which swayed violently yet never flipped over, Kim Sun-il almost revealed an admiring expression without realizing it.
‘You… are unpredictable from start to finish.’
While reminding himself to maintain the expression of Lee Kang-cheol, who would endure endlessly, inside he was already impressed.
‘We both read the same script and the same scene. But how can our interpretations differ to this extent? How long did you spend studying this short scene?’
Ordinary people might have simply thought Sua interpreted the scene well, but since Kim Sun-il dedicated himself entirely to acting, he couldn’t help but keenly feel it.
Acting as a mere part that performs given tasks is different.
Sua was an actor who possessed the possibility of creation.
And when reflecting on it, it had been the same during the simulated shooting.
There were Sua’s interpretations that fit even better despite not being in the script, and Kim Sun-il understood. Such a skill wasn’t even present in himself.
However.
‘I am Lee Kang-cheol. I cannot tolerate Kim Yu-han. Definitely not.’
Kim Sun-il became even more resolute in his heart.
The confrontation between Lee Kang-cheol and Kim Yu-han was also the battle between Kim Sun-il and Sua. For the quality of the early part of the work, Lee Kang-cheol could not afford to lose. Now was his turn to prove himself.
‘In the early part, I will concentrate solely on my role as Lee Kang-cheol.’
Kim Sun-il intensely pondered and soon found the answer. What would Lee Kang-cheol do in a situation like this?
Right now, the answer came to him surprisingly quickly.
“Kim Yu-han, cut it out!”
Simultaneously shouting, Kim Sun-il extended his fist toward Sua.
Whoosh─!
The motion was quite large, but he didn’t hit properly. It was more like a grazing movement near her face.
Amazingly, Sua immediately responded to the ad-lib. She tilted her neck as if struck and then banged her head against the window.
Thud!
“…”
Kim Sun-il himself was somewhat worried if he had hit her too hard, but on camera, it would undoubtedly overflow with vitality. Adding some hitting sounds later would be enough.
As Lee Kang-cheol, Kim Sun-il calmly spoke the lines.
“Department 808 identifies criminals and is responsible for arresting them within 24 hours. Working only as parts to increase the arrest rate is all that matters.”
The quiet inside the vehicle.
Kim Yu-han no longer attempted to twist the steering wheel. Lee Kang-cheol, with sweat droplets on his forehead, calmed his excitement and said.
“It’s not something done for one’s own satisfaction. Got it?”
Kim Yu-han’s face was still unseen.
Her disheveled fringe now covered down to her nose, and she had her head resting against the window.
In this way, for a while, she did nothing.
Was it because the shock of being hit was great, or had she realized it was too difficult to steer the wheel with her own hand? There was little movement. As the vehicle continued driving silently, suddenly.
“…”
The corner of her mouth, the only part that remained exposed, slightly curved upwards.
“It hurts.”
A plain reaction.
“See? You can do it when the senior does it.”
And an unplain addendum.
It was as if she looked like a trainer taming a pet, or a teacher teaching a student, or an older sibling amusing a young child.
At the same time, an unbelievable event unfolded.
Blood trickled from the left corner of Sua’s mouth. It was strange since Kim Sun-il’s fist only grazed past and shouldn’t have caused injury.
Could she have deliberately bitten her cheek just now?
While Kim Sun-il silently swallowed his amazement, suddenly Sua’s left hand extended like a snake again. But this time, she didn’t aim for the steering wheel. It wasn’t a forceful movement either.
She simply placed her hand on Kim Sun-il’s shoulder.
“Today, we’ve each learned one thing from each other.”
And her murmuring, slightly playful voice.
“I will try to follow the rules as much as possible, and you will try to break them.”
As she shook her head slightly, revealing her upper face hidden under the fringe, her eye corners were already bent like a crescent moon. It was a stature that even Lee Kang-cheol would find hard to easily guess the gender.
“However, I won today’s battle. You know how rankings work, right? The one who laughs last wins.”
It was at that moment that Lee Kang-cheol/Kim Sun-il realized all of this was part of Sua’s plan. It was merely a board set up to evaluate patience, nature, and limits.
A chill ran down his body.
“…Is that right?”
The competition concluded.
Lee Kang-cheol couldn’t laugh, but Kim Yu-han did.
“…”
Just then, the vehicle entered HQ 808.
– Cut! Cut! That was amazing!
Through the radio, PD Choi Hee-won’s shout was heard.
Behind that, the vehicle remained all still.
Sua was still staring out the window, perhaps pondering something, and Kim Sun-il rested his hands on the steering wheel, lost in thought.
“That was an incredible scene!”
“The camera captured it perfectly! It’s insane!”
Led by PD Choi Hee-won, many staff members surrounded the vehicle, all clearly excited. Sua thought the scene resembled a horde of zombies in an apocalyptic world.
Above all, Choi Hee-won was the most excited.
“Director, did you prepare this all out of nowhere? What an amazing surprise! I was about to call out ‘NG’ without realizing it was agreed upon! This is so moving from the very first scene!”
His usual stony demeanor was nowhere to be found. This indicated how important the main filming was and how satisfying the just-seen scene was.
“Ah, this is why I started directing!”
The excitement of the nearby staff was the same.
“Wow, this scene feels like a thriller.”
“The two opposing character dynamics are insane.”
“Can buddy cop dramas make a real comeback?”
Directors, sound engineers, cameramen—everyone was in a hurry to express their impressions. The scene made everyone feel excited and full of things to say.
The moment created by Sua and Kim Sun-il was exactly like that.
“Did you see when Sua’s fringe moved and revealed the upward-curving eye corners? I genuinely felt chills. The viewers’ emotions will be complex, won’t they? Should they admire it or be scared…?”
“Sun-il’s emotions were spot on. Holding it in and then letting it explode—it’s exactly like Lee Kang-cheol.”
These praises couldn’t help but be extraordinary.
Since the Special Mobile Unit 808 had conducted simulated shooting unlike other dramas, indicating how much harder the production was compared to other works, the staff had been under tremendous pressure.
And now they finally felt the payoff.
“…It was really worth the hard work. It was really worth it.”
“Exactly. This is definitely going to resonate with the viewers.”
It was only natural that the other actors were busy complimenting Sua and Kim Sun-il. Kim I-seo from Mystic was tense.
‘Sua, I have no idea how far you’ll go.’
Mystic believed that the actor they managed would definitely reach the top someday, so they couldn’t help but be on edge. It was crucial not to be the representative who held her back.
Park Do-hee and Hwang Myung-pil were similarly scratching their heads.
“Sua is performing exceptionally well again today.”
“Exactly.”
“Dohee, you have a shoot with Sua today, right?”
“…Exactly.”
Just then, amidst the atmosphere stained by all of this, Kim Sun-il spoke up belatedly.
“PD, please check Sua’s condition.”
“Huh? Condition? Oh, you mean…?”
At that point, the look on Choi Hee-won’s face nearby turned surprised. Having realized that what flowed down from Sua’s lips wasn’t makeup.
Choi Hee-won PD widened his eyes and asked,
“What! That’s real blood? Sua, why did you do that? It’s not like you can’t call ‘NG’ once or twice. We could have re-shot properly after preparing blood capsules!”
Sua slowly shook her head.
“If this take hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t have been filmed this way.”
“But… then, let me ask you one thing.”
Choi Hee-won’s voice was full of panic.
“Then why even attempt something dangerous? Sua, you’re an actress, any injury, big or small, is risky. We could have found another solution…”
“It’s not Sua.”
Sua cut Choi Hee-won’s words midway.
“I am Kim Yu-han.”
And the following was a calm voice.
“Kim Yu-han would have done that. This scene wasn’t filmed because it was painful. It wasn’t filmed because it was dangerous… We can’t say that to the viewers.”
“…”
“I will continue to act this way from now on.”
Then everyone’s expressions turned peculiar.
“And don’t misunderstand.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“Yes. I’m asking you to put away the look you get when watching actors endure all kinds of pain and struggle through filming. The reality is different. Not at all.”
Sua said.
“I’m having more fun now than ever.”
With a gentle smile that held no trace of falsehood.
—
Thereafter, the shooting continued.
“Let’s try again!”
Seo Yeon-joo’s scene.
“Go as brutally as possible! Discard humanity!”
And the scenes of those playing criminals.
Thanks to Sua, the filming site grew more heated, but Kim Sun-il was currently alone. He was quietly holding his chin while calmly reflecting on what had happened.
‘I lost.’
Kim Sun-il’s evaluation was simple.
Sua’s ad-lib, which Kim Sun-il countered with an ad-lib of his own, was indeed Sua’s original plan. She had confidently countered him again, eventually securing victory.
A defeat after three rounds of exchanges.
But oddly enough,
Despite the strong pride he held in his acting, Kim Sun-il didn’t feel a bit disheartened at the moment.
There must have been several reasons.
Primarily, Choi Hee-won’s words came to mind.
– “I almost called ‘NG’ without realizing it had been agreed upon!”
Not just Choi Hee-won – everyone perceived that scene as something pre-agreed upon. That meant the scene had achieved such high quality. For this alone, Kim Sun-il felt content.
Most importantly.
– “When acting with Sua, somehow my acting felt different, right?”
Seo Yeon-joo’s words.
He’d finally internalized them.
Lee Kang-cheol, the principle-driven character.
In fact, this character resembled Kim Sun-il and was simultaneously his limitation. Kim Sun-il executed the script admirably, but he was entirely incapable of improvisation.
But just now, it was different.
He had clearly performed impromptu acting.
“….”
Kim Sun-il silently stared at his hand.
At the same time, he recalled Sua’s words.
– “If this take hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t have been filmed this way.”
That’s right.
If they filmed again, it would surely lose its flavor since Kim Sun-il would be fully aware of all Sua’s intentions.
The conclusion was clear.
It was intended by Sua, and it was made possible by Sua.
“Hmm.”
Upon reaching this realization, Kim Sun-il couldn’t help but marvel and immediately began exploring other possibilities.
The last thing he remembered was his younger sister’s single remark.
– “You always look so unhappy.”
Perhaps, this time could be different.
Perhaps, he could become someone different than before.
Could he break out of the egg that had firmly encased him and thus step into a new spectrum?
“Perhaps…”
It was indeed a long time since he’d entertained this possibility.
—
On the other hand, Sua was surrounded by the medical team.
Currently, all the medical team members who were around looked relieved and exchanged a few words. Sua’s condition was perfectly fine.
“Thank goodness. We were worried about the real blow from such a fierce show, but it was just the self-inflicted bite.”
“Yeah, there’s certainly no need to worry about scars or anything. Just applying the ointment should do. Sua, you should be careful about what you eat for a while since the swollen area might get bitten easily again.”
Sua nodded. It was natural, given Kim Sun-il’s punch never landed and she had only pretended to get hit. Compared to actually being struck, this would feel like nothing, wouldn’t it?
After the medical team pulled back, Kim I-seo approached.
“Sua, do you know how worried I was?”
“No idea.”
The casually spoken words caused Kim I-seo’s eyebrows to twitch. Sua thought she shouldn’t say such things going forward.
“…Anyway, it’s a relief. Rather, have you heard about the outside circumstances? Everyone’s incredibly enthusiastic. As if their feet were on fire.”
“Ah, that’s a good analogy.”
“The nuance of the metaphor doesn’t matter, it’s crucial that it’s due to you, Sua.”
“Hm?”
Sua tilted her head in confusion at this.
“Sua displayed an all-out performance without sparing her own body, dispelling those who saw her as talented but overly arrogant. Moreover, in such a smooth sailing situation, anyone who hinders progress will stand out significantly. Naturally, they have no choice but to go all-out.”
“Hmm…”
Sua pondered for a moment before responding,
“I acknowledge that.”
“So, how’s your physical state? Can you continue filming?”
“No problem.”
Was she worried that today’s filming schedule might be affected?
What Sua said casually, but Kim I-seo waved her hand while smiling faintly.
“Please don’t misunderstand. I didn’t ask out of concern for the shooting schedule over you, Sua. It’s just that there’s a big fish at today’s site.”
“…A big fish?”
“Aah, Sua’s job is simple. Just continue as before.”
“That, I’m confident about.”
Sua mentally added a remark to Teukjeon. Right, isn’t that right, Teukjeon? At this, the arctic fox shaped Teukjeon seemed to nod.
…Why did I arbitrarily assign the arctic fox’s appearance to Teukjeon?
That was simply Sua’s heart. Strongly.
Anyway, Kim I-seo seemed satisfied with that response.
“Good, in that case… We’ll reel in a big fish today!”
She clenched her small fist in what appeared to be excitement. At that moment, Sua began to feel slightly anxious and opened her mouth immediately.
“Then, Director, I’ll have a moment alone to gather my thoughts.”
“Ah, sorry about that. I’ll step back right away.”
Kim I-seo quickly disappeared.
“…”
Just then, Sua’s expression faltered and melted away.
“Owww…ouch…it hurts…”
Of course, every word she carelessly said earlier in front of everyone was genuine. Sua was determined to work even harder in the future.
However, it was because Kim Yu-han’s emotions had been mixed in that moment, transforming the pain into a source of enjoyment. Now, Sua naturally felt pain.
Intentions and actual pain are completely separate, aren’t they? Completely separate!
‘Got scolded for pretending I’m not in pain… tears are welling up in my eyes…’
Although tears welled up at the corners of her eyes, she made sure not to let them fall.
Of course, crying isn’t an option!
The arctic fox wouldn’t cry over something like this!
That’s right, there’s no such thing as a whimper in Sua’s repertoire. Ever!
—
The serious filming was just beginning.
“Sua, prepare for the next scene!”
The set, which was hotter than before, had a few especially noticeable points.
Firstly, Park Do-hee had resolved to persevere.
“Absolutely no fainting today… I believe in myself.”
Finally, through intense discussions among the production team, they decided to use the scene from the simulation where Park Do-hee bit her arm and fainted.
Hence, they were now filming a different scene involving Park Do-hee, Kim Sun-il, and Sua together. Park Do-hee had repeatedly rallied herself.
Additionally,
“…”
The big fish Kim I-seo had mentioned.
The product Extreme’s commercial team and director Ko Tae-min.
These two groups had started paying attention to Sua.
—
The genuine shooting had only just begun.
—
Sua’s situation, which had become a focal point, was just the beginning of an epic that would unfold on the screen of drama creation—full of intensity and passion.
