Chapter 17.2
In any case, they couldn't afford to be awkward with each other, as they would have many encounters during the filming. Yoo Yeon Seo cautiously approached.
"Hyung, would you like to drink this?"
Lee Han Gyeol stared back and forth between Yoo Yeon Seo and the drink in his hand.
"You're calling me ‘Hyung' now?"
‘No, it was because I really didn't know… There's more to it than you think.’ Yeon Seo scratched his cheeks as if embarrassed. Lee Han Gyeol chuckled and took the drink.
"Thanks."
Although Lee Han Gyeol appeared nonchalant on the surface, he was quite surprised inside. It had been almost seven years since Yeon Seo had taken the initiative to approach him like this, excluding their time working together.
"Yoo Yeon Seo, are you taking lessons at this time?"
"Huh?"
Some of the One-Seven members used to pick a fight with him whenever they crossed paths, and Lee Han Gyeol was usually one of the members who watched from behind. But now he doesn't hold any ill feelings towards Yoo Yeon Seo.
So that's why Lee Han Gyeol could talk to Yoo Yeon Seo with ease.
"Do you exercise?"
"I've been doing it consistently since I was discharged. I mean, I've been trying to build up my muscles, but why won't they grow?"
"You were like that even when you were a trainee."
Seeing that their relationship didn't seem bad, the trainees stole glances at them.
"Can I ask you one thing?"
"What?"
Lee Han Gyeol subtly asked Yoo Yeon Seo, who had sat down next to him.
"Kim Yi Jun visited you in the hospital, right?"
"Yeah."
After the stormy argument with his grandfather, the person who had emerged from under the bed was Yi Jun. Yoo Yeon Seo nodded.
"He said that you might have a different reason for leaving our team."
‘He said that?’ Yoo Yeon Seo's eyes widened. It looked as though Lee Han Gyeol’s question hit the mark.
"…just think as you please."
He didn't have much to say. What could he say without knowing anything? In the end, Yoo Yeon Seo, who used his all-purpose shield, stood up and headed towards Director Park Sung Jin.
"Could it be true..?" Lee Han Gyeol stared at Yoo Yeon Seo's retreating figure.
"You and Han Gyeol seem to get along better than I thought. It's different from the rumours."
"Were there that many rumours?"
"Yeon Seo is at the centre of the incident, so there are many baseless rumours."
Director Park Sung Jin smiled and handed him a model knife. Yoo Yeon Seo took the stance.
The Director also became serious and demonstrated a set of clean and neat movements.
"Do you remember the moves?"
"Yes."
Yoo Yeon Seo nodded his head as his gaze became sharp in an instant.
“Baekho-ham" was divided into two parts. Part 1 was about subduing the unknown monster attacking the warship, and Part 2 was about confronting infected soldiers by the virus that emerged from the barely defeated monster.
They were practising action moves for the second part, each holding a knife. Initially, they intended to use a stunt double, but due to Yeon-seo's impressive progress, they decided to give it a try without one.
"Wow…"
"This is really amazing."
The trainees stopped what they were doing and watched Yoo Yeon Seo and Director Park Sung Jin's action choreography. The moves they exchanged were just moves, but the intense expressions and atmosphere made them feel like they were watching soldiers in training.
"I can understand why Director Park is so good, considering his special forces background… but what on earth is Yeon Seo hyung?"
"Maybe he was born with a talent for action?."
Lee Han Gyeol, who saw Yoo Yeon Seo's action for the first time, was also astonished. Were these practised moves?
It felt like watching a skilled person with decades of experience.
Director Park Sung Jin thrust his knife towards Yeon Seo's face. Yeon Seo swiftly turned his head to the side to dodge the knife. Following that, he spun the knife around in place and thrust it towards Director Park Sung Jin.
‘Why did they include such a move?’
Yeon Seo begrudgingly accepted that it was a move designed to look cool on camera.
As Director Park Sung Jin lunged forward, Yeon Seo dodged by rolling once on the ground. The infected soldiers were designed to possess strength beyond human capabilities, so getting hit would hurt.
‘Should I throw the knife here… Oh, what should I have for dinner?'
As a result, the mock knife in Yeon Seo's hand spun around on the floor before being thrown far away, each move calculated. He quickly stood up, grabbed Director Park Sung Jin's wrist, twisted it, and made him drop the knife he was holding.
‘Should I eat meat? But it's not as tasty when eaten alone… Should I ask Lim Seung Hyun and Lee Tae Gyeom to join me?'
Even while his mind wandered, Yeon Seo performed precise movements, climbing onto Director Park Sung Jin's shoulder and pretending to twist his neck.
"Alright, that's enough. Did you get the footage?"
"Yes!"
One of the trainees shouted loudly. Yoo Yeon Seo landed lightly on the ground, and Director Park Sung Jin took a quiet deep breath. ‘That was intense… I almost got stabbed for real.'
Even if it was a mock knife, getting stabbed would hurt enough to leave a bruise.
‘What just happened?' The spectators were stunned, but the feelings of those directly involved were even more intense.
Despite having lost his touch, he was a former special forces member, but Director Park Sung Jin felt like he was being pushed back.
"Are you okay?"
That was a question he should have asked himself. Director Park Sung Jin grinned.
"Yes, how about you, Yeon Seo?"
Yeon Seo responded without missing a beat.
"I'm fine."
Yeon Seo flexed his sore palm as he concluded his thoughts.
‘Alright, I've decided. Let's have beef.'