Chapter 39 : I’m a Living Actor (39)

Even in his poor condition from hyperventilation, Jeong Bongsik’s concern for Yeo Eunsoo was clearly etched across his face.

But Yeo Eunsoo’s expression as she looked at him was cold and unyielding.

“You can handle something that simple, right?”

Her voice was so cold it bordered on harsh.

Jeong Bongsik dropped his gaze.

But only for a moment.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he smiled brightly—an expression that silently said she was a pushover.

“Yes…!”

His face still slick with sweat.

His breath heavy and uneven.

His trembling lips accompanying his voice.

Yet, despite it all, his face said he was fine and this time he was going to get it right.

Yeo Eunsoo’s gaze suddenly lingered on Jeong Bongsik’s eyes.

Though the thick lenses of his glasses made them appear small, those eyes, pure and transparent with any emotion, shone without fail today as well.

“……”

For a moment, an emotion she herself couldn’t identify welled up, and Yeo Eunsoo’s expression clouded. But what mattered to her had always been reason, not feelings.

Especially after being betrayed by a lover she had sincerely loved and trusted. Quickly pulling herself together, Yeo Eunsoo’s eyes sharpened and glinted coldly as usual.

Jeong Bongsik, who couldn’t have missed the change, bowed his waist obediently and rolled down the car window.

Beyond the slightly lowered window stood a security guard dressed in a black suit.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh, sorry. This guy here had a stomachache, so he was bending over and accidentally honked the horn.”

The voice was playful, far from the usual polite tone of Satin.

“Hmm……”

But the guard was no easy target either.

Yeo Eunsoo’s act was so flawless that anyone could be fooled, yet the caution in the guard’s eyes did not waver easily.

Instead, he narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.

“I was informed that the workers came with Charles Kim, but…”

“Ha ha, yes, that’s right. We haven’t finished talking yet, so we’re just moving the luggage and waiting.”

“I see.”

Though his words were casual, the guard’s gaze kept flickering between the two.

Jeong Bongsik really was in poor condition, so he didn’t have to pretend to be sick, but Yeo Eunsoo wasn’t like that.

More than anything, the biggest problem was… “Let me check the cargo compartment for a moment.”

Inside the cargo compartment was the they had successfully stolen.

The packing was rough—time was tight, so it wasn’t meticulous.

If someone inspected the compartment carefully, it would definitely be noticeable. Yeo Eunsoo, the skilled con artist, showed no sign of panic.

Her real worry was for Jeong Bongsik.

Thankfully, since he was bent over, his expression remained hidden.

Taking her eyes off Jeong Bongsik, Yeo Eunsoo smiled faintly at the guard.

“Of course.”

After lightly patting Jeong Bong-sik’s shoulder, she got out from the passenger seat.

Pulling her hat down a little further, she headed toward the cargo compartment.

With every step, her heart beat faster—it was inevitable.

She was quick on her feet and good at improvisation, but now she couldn’t think of any suitable plan.

The only thing left was for Kim Cheolsoo to come quickly, disrupt the search with some kind of unpleasant display, and buy them time.

Yeo Eunsoo’s hand moved to her ear.

“Oh my, the weather’s really nice today~”

Her tone was sly yet natural.

‘What’s the code for when things go south?’

‘Talk about the weather.’

‘The weather?’

‘Yeah. If I mention the weather that day, you come running without fail. Got it?’

Kim Cheolsoo would do his best to sort out the situation and come here.

He would come, no matter what. And with Yeo Eunsoo’s cooperation, they would find a way out of this.

That was the rock-solid trust Yeo Eunsoo had in Kim Cheolsoo.

The problem was… when exactly would he arrive? ‘Kim Cheolsoo, hurry up and come!’ Yeo Eunsoo silently urged as she stopped in front of the cargo door.

The guard was moving toward her from the opposite side.

Thump.

Thump.

Her heart raced, and her mouth went dry.

“Open the back door, please~!”

Yet Yeo Eunsoo shouted calmly.

Moments later came the click of the cargo lock being undone.

‘Ha…’ The door opened.

Now, all that was left was to somehow distract the guard until Kim Cheolsoo arrived so he wouldn’t discover the .

‘Should I have made Jeong Bongsik do something?’

A late pang of regret. ‘No. If that idiot had acted, it would have been real trouble. He’s already in bad shape as it is…’ That was when it happened. BLAARRR! “Ahhh!” With the honking horn, a man’s scream echoed.

The guard who had been peering through the gap in the open cargo door turned his gaze toward the driver’s seat.

Without a trace of surprise, his expression remained indifferent.

Just as the guard was about to turn back toward the cargo compartment— Beep, beep, beep-beep, beep! The horn blared repeatedly.

Blaaaargh— The sound stretched out long, as if someone had slammed the steering wheel against their head and collapsed, overwhelmed by pain.

“What the—?”

The guard’s indifferent expression changed.

Though clearly annoyed, his eyes betrayed his concern for the driver’s seat.

Though he was just a loader, these people had been brought by Charles Kim, who worked with their employer, Teddy Jang.

If he left this unattended, it might cause trouble later.

“Good grief, what’s wrong with that guy? W-wait a minute!” Yeo Eunsoo, who quickly sensed the situation, sprang into action.

Her reaction was not overly frantic, but rather a rational one, surprised yet concerned for her comrade.

The guard gave a light nod.

Yeo Eunsoo dashed to the driver’s seat, where she found Jeong Bongsik with his head buried in the steering wheel.

His body was limp, perfectly convincing. Startled, Yeo Eunsoo hurriedly tilted his body back and checked his face.

“…!”

Jeong Bongsik squinted and smiled faintly at her, as if to say he was fine and it was all an act—no need to worry.

‘You…!’

Muttering only with her lips, Yeo Eunsoo furrowed her brows sharply.

Then, as if swapping faces, she changed her expression and shouted, “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Mr. Jeong! Get a grip!” Slap, slap.

Her slaps to his cheek carried a little force.

“Look, I think you need to take this guy to the hospital right now… What should we do?” At Yeo Eunsoo’s words, the guard glanced inside the cargo without entering, then turned back to his indifferent face.

“Well, doesn’t look like there’s a problem. Better get going then.”

“Thank you, thank you!”

Without hesitation, Yeo Eunsoo pushed Jeong Bongsik back into the passenger seat and climbed into the driver’s seat.

The guard closed the cargo door for her and calmly pressed the lock button as she pressed the accelerator.

The massive truck slowly pulled out of Teddy Jang’s Villa.

Not long after the huge truck left the Villa, “Phew…” Yeo Eunsoo sighed in relief after confirming in the rearview mirror that no one was following.

She threw off the stifling hat in one motion and swept back her thick hair.

“Ha…!”

It was truly unbelievable the more she thought about it.

She hadn’t expected anything, yet Jeong Bongsik had pulled off a surprisingly charming stunt.

With a small chuckle, Yeo Eunsoo smiled at him.

“What are you?”

Her tone was a bit harsh, but aside from that, it was hard to read any negativity.

Her wide, bright eyes and slightly excited voice said otherwise.

However, Jeong Bongsik, who was awkward not only in dealing with people but also in reading them, quickly wore a serious expression.

“D-d-did I… do something wrong?”

“Ah, really!”

Yeo Eunsoo laughed heartily, gripping the steering wheel.

She didn’t even know when the last time she had laughed like this was. “You’re a riot. So, I’m saying you did well!”

At her blunt words, Jeong Bongsik finally grinned sheepishly.

***

Silence lingered over the filming set after all the actors finished their scenes.

No one heard the director’s voice calling out whether it was a take or a retake.

But none of the staff questioned this silence.

Like Director Lee Seungheon, they found the situation difficult to comprehend. ‘What’s that?’ That was the thought running through most people’s minds.

Kim Eunhye, who acted alongside them, wasn’t much different.

She didn’t openly express shock like the others, but her gaze toward Yoo Chaemin held awe beyond mere surprise.

Only Ji Minseong was different.

Though his own filming was over, he stayed to watch the shoot, quietly grinding his teeth while glaring at Yoo Chaemin. “…Cut. O-ok!”

Director Lee Seungheon shouted belatedly, snapping out of his daze.

Still looking dazed, he watched Yoo Chaemin approach him.

‘What on earth?’

Had he been bewitched? Dreaming briefly? Nothing else explained this situation.

Yoo Chaemin’s acting had changed.

It wasn’t just slight differences in detail or voice projection.

Even his breathing was different.

Whenever he spoke his lines, all eyes were naturally drawn to him, and everyone immersed themselves in the emotions he conveyed.

This scene had been a bit worrisome at first.

Because Jeong Bongsik’s clumsy and timid personality caused problems early on, there was a risk of alienating the audience.

If the acting failed to express this well, the dislike wouldn’t be resolved, and even if Jeong Bongsik’s actions saved the day, the plot would feel forced.

So how should this scene be acted well?

In truth, there was no particular aspect in the scene that needed special highlight.

Though Jeong Bongsik made a move, it wasn’t anything flashy.

What Director Lee Seungheon wanted was simply to capture the character of Jeong Bongsik well.

Jeong Bongsik had a crush on Yeo Eunsoo.

Driven solely by his desire to help her, he became involved in a crime he had never attempted before.

That feeling was the other key part of Jeong Bongsik’s character that Director Lee Seungheon had focused on.

If only that could be expressed properly, this scene could highlight Jeong Bongsik’s charm even more.

That was why Director Lee hadn’t made any special demands of Yoo Chaemin—knowing well he couldn’t deliver it.

But now, the acting Yoo Chaemin showed shattered Director Lee’s expectations completely.

The worry and anxiety Jeong Bongsik showed despite his hyperventilation, fearing Yeo Eunsoo’s plan might be ruined because of him.

The frustration and guilt for not doing well despite wanting to.

The slight joy mixed with continued guilt at Yeo Eunsoo’s concern.

The failure to relax until Yeo Eunsoo finally said he did well, at which point he finally smiled.

Director Lee had never been able to portray Jeong Bongsik’s character with such detail himself.

He had left those parts to the actor’s interpretation in the script.

Yoo Chaemin had drawn them perfectly.

‘How on earth…?’

How could acting improve so much in just a few hours?

“Improved” didn’t even begin to describe it. It was a whole different level.

The person in front of him was indeed Yoo Chaemin playing Jeong Bongsik—but it no longer felt like Yoo Chaemin.