LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 43 - Preview
Chapter 43: Preview
TL: Aniea
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a day off.”
I sprawled on the sofa, feeling like a squid. Despite being quite confident in my stamina, the past few weeks had been extremely tough.
Even just the drama filming had such a tight broadcast schedule that there were times when I stayed up all night, went home, and then came back out in the afternoon.
‘At least I’m better off…’
As an actor, I could take naps here and there while others were filming. Sometimes, like today, I had days when there was no filming at all.
But the staff had to dedicate themselves to the drama day and night, practically wearing themselves out.
From the start, the previous drama schedule had fallen through, so we had to step in urgently without enough extra personnel.
‘I heard the editing room is like a zombie land.’
Especially in the editing room, where they had to watch all the footage and select only the best scenes, there hadn’t been a single day they went home since filming began.
The filming hours themselves were massive, and because each scene was shot from multiple angles simultaneously, the editors’ work time was doubled.
‘There are so many hardworking people in the world.’
Even though I was often told that I was pretty intense, looking around, there were people even more extreme.
That didn’t mean I could do anything special for them, just occasionally sending them some free snacks through Director Kang In-ho.
– Woo-ju.
– Yes, Director.
Director Kang In-ho, who finally started speaking casually to me after spending days together at the filming site.
Although the awkwardness hadn’t completely disappeared, the distance between us had noticeably lessened compared to before.
He was originally a friendly type who shared all joys and sorrows with the actors, so this change was actually a bit late.
In fact, the only person he still used formal language with on set was Actor Kim Young-ho, making me the only exception. I preferred it this way too.
– Here, take this.
– What’s this letter for?
– The editing team asked me to give it to you. They said they’re grateful for all the snacks and coffee you send. But at the same time, they kind of hate you.
– Huh?
What reason could there be to hate someone who generously supports them financially? As I tilted my head in confusion, Kang In-ho chuckled and explained.
– They said your scenes are so well done that they can’t decide what to cut, which makes the editing process much longer compared to others.
– That’s a compliment.
– No, I think they genuinely want to kill you. Of course, you probably won’t need to visit the editing room, but just in case, be careful.
– …
Despite various happenings, we successfully completed the filming for two episodes.
Of course, the next shoot was already scheduled, but no matter how strong you are, everyone is still human. So, we were given just one day off.
“… Well, today is the day the preview is released.”
Normally, everyone would gather to watch it together, but Director Kang In-ho firmly sent everyone home, saying we would all collapse if we had a gathering in this state.
Kim Eun-ha also had separate matters to handle today, so for the first time in a long while, I had some alone time.
‘… I was told not to worry about Park Ji-hoon for a while.’
I didn’t know the details, but Kim Eun-ha assured me with such conviction that I felt I could relax a bit.
With nothing particular to do and no energy left to do anything anyway, I was just lounging on the sofa waiting for the preview after calling my parents to check in.
“Oh, is it finally up!?”
Just then, a notification rang from the official channel I had set up. With a mix of excitement, anticipation, anxiety, and nervousness, I turned on my phone. But then.
“Oh… Who made this?”
On the screen, the text “First Release in 10 Minutes” appeared along with the phrase, “<Peaceful Chaebol Life: Official Teaser Trailer>.”
People who had apparently set notifications like me rushed in and angrily typed in the chat.
– Hey, are you kidding us from the start?
– Oppa, do you really want to drive me crazy?
– I’m going to lose my mind, I’m going to lose my mind, I’m going to go…
Since the drama had been a hot topic across various communities, the chat was filling up at an astonishing speed.
Although there were some annoying trolls, most were cute complaints, making it somewhat fun to watch.
– Oh, the countdown is starting!
– The big moment is really coming now!
– Here comes the notice game.
– 10!
– 10.
– Can’t even count properly, lol
While the viewers amusingly dragged out the time, the numbers on the waiting screen steadily decreased.
‘…How will it turn out?’
Because Kang In-ho had strictly kept everything secret from both staff and actors, I had no idea what it would look like.
There wasn’t enough time to film separate footage for the trailer, so they must have taken scenes from the first and second episodes.
Usually, teasers are less than a minute long. I was very curious about how much of my part would be shown.
– 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
As the numbers decreased, the speed of the chat also rapidly slowed down. At this point, I put my phone down and turned my head towards the TV.
A gigantic screen, large enough to resemble a small cinema. Connected to my phone, the teaser began playing with magnificent sound.
*
A dignified, antique-looking office. In front of it, with a full view of Seoul’s nightscape, stood a man with his back turned.
The scenery was so beautiful it could be called a spectacle, but the man’s gaze remained indifferent.
After silently gazing out the window for a long while, the man suddenly took out his phone.
Beep… Click!
The call connected before the dial tone even rang once, and a heavy voice of a middle-aged man came through the receiver.
– Yes, CEO-nim.
“You’re late with the report, unlike you.”
– My apologies. The resistance from the Beta side was tougher than expected, so the plan got a bit delayed, but Alpha has been secured.
“Proceed as planned. Do not disappoint me any further.”
– Understood.
Click-
The man who hung up the phone placed it on the table and picked up a wine glass with his empty hand.
Even while doing so, his gaze remained fixed out the window. More precisely, he was silently watching the people bustling around like ants.
“……”
People he could crush anytime if he wished. It should have been like that.
As he lightly waved his hand, the dark red wine in the glass began to swirl and mix.
Immediately after, he took a sip of the wine. The dark red liquid stained his lips, standing out vividly against his pale skin.
“…The taste has changed.”
Drip-
With a slight frown, the man tipped the glass, spilling all the wine inside.
The top-tier wine, worth tens of thousands per sip, splashed onto the floor.
His gaze followed the falling wine. Under the soft lighting, it sparkled and almost looked like blood.
＊
The moment the wine that flowed along the floor like that soaked into the carpet, the scene changed.
Captured on screen was a man collapsed on a quiet asphalt road, bleeding.
Blood was flowing profusely from his head, and his wide-open eyes had lost all signs of life.
“He is definitely dead.”
“Handle it as usual.”
“Yes.”
After a brief exchange, the men in suits began to move busily.
Someone picked up the body and placed it into a pre-prepared container to move it to the truck, while others used tools brought from somewhere to clean up the blood and flesh scattered on the ground.
The operation was carried out swiftly and meticulously, almost like a cleaning service. The chief watching the scene from the side clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. Knowing this was going to happen, I don’t understand why they bothered so many people. Because of this, my neck is also in danger.”
“Is it because of Beta?”
“Yes. I don’t know where she disappeared to. Seeing there are no traces left, it must be the work of professionals like us…”
The chief briefly glanced towards the truck, imagining someone who would not have even a single strand of hair left, dissolved in a chemical container.
“Could it be Daehan’s side?”
“No, that’s unlikely. Lee Dae-ri wasn’t that stupid. He must have hired someone through his personal connections.”
“…A traitor is always a headache. If the news that we lost Beta reaches the top, what will happen to us?”
“What will happen, you ask?”
Tsk-
The chief clicked his tongue, looking at his subordinates who were watching him with anxious eyes.
Ugh-
After a moment of contemplation, the chief scratched his head nervously and let out a deep sigh.
“Bury it.”
“…What?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself. The opponent is a professional too. By now, they’ve likely crossed the border by boat. Realistically, tracking them is impossible.”
“………”
“Everyone connected to Alpha is under our surveillance, so they won’t go there. The chances of them returning to the country are extremely low.”
“No matter what…”
“Unless you want to take a bath in that drum, shut up and do as I say!”
The chief’s eyes gleamed with madness. Seeing this, the subordinates quickly bowed their heads.
As he said, if the fact that they lost Beta became known, everyone here would be as good as dead. Thus, they decided to follow his orders.
“Such a professional wouldn’t provide daycare services. No matter how skilled she is, what can a high school girl do alone?”
Tsk-
The chief clicked his tongue and turned his body. The other employees silently followed him.
Vroom-
The employees got into their respective vehicles and started the engines simultaneously. As the vehicles gained momentum and sped forward, the scene changed again.
＊
“I swear!”
“I swear!”
Following the loud cry of the girl standing at the front, everyone raised their right hands.
On the name tag worn by the woman on her left chest, the words ‘Seoul Central District Prosecutor Park Soo-bin’ were clearly engraved.
“That I will work as a courageous prosecutor who dispels the darkness of injustice. A warm-hearted prosecutor who takes care of the powerless and the marginalized. A fair prosecutor who follows only the truth…”
The declaration continued on and on.
And then, a man’s face watching her from behind was also shown in a close-up. Soon, a cold smile appeared on his lips as the trailer ended.
Gulp-
After watching the entire trailer, I unconsciously swallowed dryly. I hoped I had a lot of screen time, but this was completely…
‘It’s like I’m the main character!?’
It made sense because the scene with the male lead was just him standing with Park Soo-bin, the female lead, as they took the oath.
‘Is this okay?’
As I pondered this and glanced at my phone, the chat, which had been frozen as if someone had hit the pause button, started moving again.
– ???
– What is this?
– What did I just watch?
As expected, all sorts of question marks started flooding in. Just as I was biting my lip, thinking the editing might have been completely off.
– Wow… This is crazy.
– Kang Joo-heon is seriously insane. I thought the expectations were horribly ruined, but I was completely entranced from the moment the trailer started.
– I’m replaying the last scene of Kang Joo-heon smiling over and over. I think I’m really crazy, lol. My heart is pounding uncontrollably. Just ten more times and I’m joining his fan club!
With the name Kang Joo-heon, the chat was flooded with overwhelming praise to the point it seemed to lag.
“Uh… um…”
Seeing this, I scratched my cheek awkwardly, not knowing how to react. After a while, I finally nodded my head.
‘…Well, this is a good thing, right?’
Swoosh-
I naturally leaned back on the sofa, silently offering some consolation to the male actor who played the main character role.
*****
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