Ghost-seeing actor

“Everyone, gather around! We’re starting filming soon!”

The assistant director’s voice drew the actors together.

Taeju stood in his black warrior robe, tightly clutching his script in hand.

Star director Yoon Doo was right in front of him.

He was speaking with Kang Jaehwa, who wore a red dragon robe.

A man with round glasses and a gentle expression on his face.

However, he was known to be very strict when it came to actors’ performances.

Even now, he was demonstrating movements directly in front of Kang Jaehwa.

Every line, every movement meticulously guided, made Lee Jung-hyeop shake his head in amazement.

[Seriously meticulous. He oversees every action scene and lines himself.]

“Uncle said that Director Yoon Doo has worked closely before. Did you always follow his instructions back then?”

[Yes.]

Taeju met Lee Jung-hyeop’s serious expression.

[He’s always been the kind of person who works with a strict plan in mind, never improvising in the field.]

“Mr. Taeju, let’s have a quick chat.”

The assistant director, Park Woo-don, interrupted Lee Jung-hyeop’s words.

Taeju quickly approached Park Woo-don.

“Turn around.”

As instructed, Taeju turned around.

“Okay, now turn back.”

Turning back, Park Woo-don’s pleased face was visible.

“Your back resembles Kang Jaehwa’s figure quite well. We shouldn’t have any issues capturing a full shot.”

“Sir, may I ask something?”

Taeju cautiously posed a question.

“When we film the scene where I face Kang Jaehwa Sunbae later, should I just stay there without disturbing him as much as possible?”

Park Woo-don gazed at him silently for a moment.

After a brief thought, he spoke.

“Think about what a stunt performer needs to do.”

“Pardon? I won’t be showing my face, but I should stand in front of Kang Jaehwa Sunbae and immerse in the scene without disrupting—”

“Exactly. How will you immerse?”

“I’ll try to stay cautious not to disrupt Sunbae’s lines.”

At those words, Park Woo-don gave a perplexed expression.

“If your interpretation is like that, then go ahead.”

“Is this kid Jaehwa’s stunt performer?”

Suddenly, Director Yoon Doo intervened between them.

“Yes, director. Han Taeju, the stunt performer for Kang Jaehwa’s back.”

When the assistant director politely introduced himself, Taeju quickly lowered his head.

“I’ll do my best, Director.”

Yoon Doo briefly glanced at Taeju and walked past him, saying,

“Alright, let’s start filming.”

Following the others moving one by one, Taeju also began to move.

His heart pounded.

The feeling of the air shifting was intense.

Entering the set filled with various equipment, Taeju felt as if he had stepped into a palace from the Joseon era.

As a stunt performer, he steeled his resolve.

‘Alright, let’s finish the shoot smoothly, Director Park said. For the sake of the project, I’ll temporarily suppress my presence. I’m just a stunt performer for the back view.’

“Alright, stand by!”

Kang Jaehwa, with his robe fluttering, stood in front of him.

Director Yoon Doo loudly exclaimed,

“Three, two, one… Action!”

***

The first take.

Taeju firmly resolved not to make any mistakes.

Though Kang Jaehwa acted in front of him, Taeju remained calm.

Quietly standing still, he carefully replayed the lines in his mind.

That was when it happened.

“NG! Cut!”

Yoon Doo’s furious voice echoed throughout the set.

The atmosphere on set turned tense instantly.

Yoon Doo stormed towards the set, his footsteps echoing.

Kang Jaehwa stepped forward with a tense expression.

“Sorry, Director. I stumbled on the lines—”

“Not you, Jaehwa. You come here. Now!”

The intense rage in the air made Taeju tense up.

The fiery director removed his round hat.

And then, his harsh words slammed into Taeju.

“No matter if it’s just a back view stunt, standing like a statue is useless. Why did I call you here!”

“Yes…?”

Surely, the assistant director didn’t say anything about standing still.

“You can’t just stand there like a lump of stone, even if your face doesn’t appear on screen.”

“Ah, so…”

“In this scene, the tension between the king and his loyal guard is the key point, but right now, it’s like you’re acting alone, just facing a wall,” Yoon Doo added forcefully.

“Acting is about interaction. You need to respond to your partner’s performance for the scene to come alive. Do you understand what I’m saying? If it’s hard, at least deliver the lines,” he said.

Taeju quickly thought.

‘In the actual film, Kang Jaehwa’s face and voice will only appear as the one playing dual roles, but let’s give it our best effort for a great scene. Good thing I memorized my lines.’

“I’ll redo it with lines.”

“Confident you can do it?”

“I’m confident. I’ll show you all the practice I’ve done.”

Only then did Yoon Doo’s expression slightly ease.

“Make it up with better acting if you feel sorry. I’ll be watching how you bring this scene to life.”

***

The second take.

The camera captured Kang Jaehwa in his red dragon robe and Taeju in his black warrior robe.

In the dark space, there were only the king and the guard.

This was the king’s and the guard’s first meeting.

Faced with the continuous threats of assassination at night, the king decided to send a guard who looked exactly like him.

A dangerous mission where the guard could easily be killed.

The reason the guard willingly agreed to this perilous task.

To see the queen who had entered the palace five years ago.

As a child, she was the youngest daughter of the noble family he served.

It was heartbreaking to witness the queen endure humiliation at the hands of the mad king.

The king slouched on his throne, suddenly rose.

In the quiet palace, only the heavy sound of his footsteps echoed.

He then commanded the prostrated guard,

“Raise your head.”

As the guard lifted his head, the king drew in a breath.

His face stared back at him.

In fury, he quickly returned to his throne and sat heavily.

The idea of a mere guard possessing his face was infuriating.

But for now, he suppressed his anger.

For his safety, even in this moment of threat.

“Did you hear from Kim Naegwan what your duty entails?”

Taeju’s monotonous voice flowed out.

“In the day, you are to secretly guard His Majesty, and at night, you will enter his chambers instead to handle assassins.”

“Good, you understand well.”

The king nodded, then turned his gaze back to the guard.

He appeared calm, with a serene expression devoid of emotion.

But then a sudden wave of anger surged within him.

Not only did the guard share his face, but he also possessed unparalleled swordsmanship—something the king lacked.

‘You have powers I don’t possess.’

The king’s growling voice echoed through the room.

“Never forget your place. You are nothing more than my shadow. A stand-in, a substitute. If you ever attempt to take my place, I will kill you on the spot.”

The guard remained silent, showing no reaction.

The king raised his voice sharply.

“Answer me now!”

From the unflinching lips came a dry, emotionless voice.

“Are you afraid? Only the cowardly shout loudly.”

“What did you say!”

“Do not worry. I will protect Your Majesty with all my strength, with my very body.”

The eyes of the guard remained calm as they gazed toward the king.

However, Kang Jaehwa’s gaze watching the guard faltered.

The king should not fear a mere guard.

Why does he feel a presence?

Why does that calm seem so powerful?

Despite his efforts to maintain composure, the moment had already passed.

The king, adorned in his majestic dragon robe, cast a wary glance at the guard.

***

“As expected.”

Yoon Doo, watching the actors through the camera, shifted his focus from Kang Jaehwa’s performance as the king to Taeju’s back.

Yoon Doo crossed his arms nonchalantly.

“I knew it would be like this.”

The assistant director glanced nervously at Yoon Doo.

Every time Taeju acted, Yoon Doo’s expression grew more rigid.

“You’re supposed to keep it restrained with Kang Ta-ha, but it seems you’re getting too emotional. Should we stop the shoot now?”

“Why so uncertain? Are you checking in with me?”

“Ah, well…”

Park Woo-don looked troubled.

Truthfully, he liked Taeju’s performance.

But Yoon Doo didn’t seem to share the same view.

“How many years have we worked together, and you still don’t understand me?”

Yoon Doo chuckled softly.

“Taeju is doing exactly as I instructed. His acting is stimulating Kang Jaehwa.”

“No way. Even Kang Jaehwa, with his experience, wouldn’t be shaken by a fresh-faced rookie like Taeju.”

“It’s not about being shaken but influenced. Not as Kang Jaehwa, but as the king.”

Honestly, Kang Jaehwa lacked depth in his acting compared to his striking appearance.

What enhances an actor’s performance is the stimulation they receive from their counterpart.

That’s why Taeju was encouraged to actively engage in his performance.

The relationship between the king and the guard mirrored Kang Jaehwa’s and Taeju’s relationship.

The guard was merely a stand-in for the king, but he held a strength the king didn’t possess.

That’s why the king remained wary of him.

Watching Kang Jaehwa’s performance, it became evident that he was unconsciously becoming more immersed.

In his eyes, it wasn’t Taeju he saw—he saw the guard and treated him from the king’s perspective.

Taeju’s performance had truly stirred him.

“Now the scene is finally coming together.”

The moment Taeju, the variable, entered Yoon Doo’s meticulously planned mind, he felt a strong impulse.

Moved by Taeju’s performance, he began to feel a desire to give him more dialogue.

Just then, Park Woo-don voiced his thoughts.

“Having just the back of his head on screen is a bit of a waste. His acting is good too.”

Yoon Doo maintained a stoic expression, choosing to remain silent instead of responding.

As someone who preferred to shoot everything according to his meticulous plan, he didn’t enjoy improvisation on set.

However, for a while, his gaze moved between Kang Jaehwa and Taeju.

Eventually, his focus settled solely on Taeju.

Though the voice was lacking, he couldn’t help but yearn to capture those eyes on the screen.

Eyes that encapsulated sorrow, joy, anger, indifference—emotions bottled up and expressed through those deep eyes.

At just 21 years old, those eyes held the depth of a century’s worth of experiences.

It was incredibly frustrating.

That Taeju’s face couldn’t be captured on screen, as a back view stunt performer.

‘His acting is amazing. Sometimes, his performance even surpasses Kang Jaehwa’s. I just want to capture that…’

Yoon Doo struggled to swallow his disappointment.

Yet, it was undeniable that Taeju’s acting had moved him.

So, for now, he decided to continue observing.

Taeju’s performance.

***

Meanwhile, another person was watching him from the corner of the set.