Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All
Chapter 590: At the Jiri Mountain (1)

Chapter 590: At the Jiri Mountain (1)

[Everyday V12.2]

[Date: January 26, 2021]

-10:00 a.m [NEW. Lee Tae-Poong] Emergency helicopter transport to Jinju K Hospital ER. (Other: Contact Tae-Poong's parents.)

I blinked, wondering if I had seen it right, but nothing changed.

We had just finished the grueling midwinter shoot of Jiri Mountain and safely handled the murderers who came to Cheonwang Lodge. But of all times, the alert showed that Lee Tae-Poong would get injured badly enough to require helicopter transport on the very last day of filming.

If I had to urgently contact his parents, that must mean it would be a serious injury.

It was currently 8:20 a.m, so the incident was supposed to happen in one hour and forty minutes. I considered postponing the shoot right away, but Jiri Mountain had already changed cinematographers, caught the murderer, and had been delayed multiple times due to heavy rain.

We couldn't afford another delay. In that case, the only choice was to act preemptively and eliminate anything that could cause trouble.

First, I checked the cue sheet on my phone for today's shooting schedule. The 10 o'clock scene was Scene 122, where the main character Kang Dae-Hyun and his daughter Kang Yung-Ah attempt a desperate escape with their arms tied.

At that moment, an idea struck me. If we couldn't cancel today's shoot, then we could at least change the shooting order. Scenes 120 and 121, which were set to be filmed inside Cheonwang Lodge starting at 9, took place in a dimly lit lodge and could be filmed regardless of whether it was day or night.

At that moment, Park Sun-Jae and Shin Jong-Ki, who were heading toward Cheonwang Lodge, stopped and turned back.

"Mr. Jung? What are you doing?"

Sensing an opportunity, I immediately explained my plan. "Mr. Park, I looked at the cue sheet and I think it'd be better to change the shooting order."

"The shooting order?"

"Yes. It says we're starting with Scenes 120 and 121, right? But the scenes where they try to escape from a dark lodge could be shot anytime. So I think we should shoot the outdoor scenes while there's still daylight, and film 120 and 121 later with the lights on."

Park Sun-Jae paused in thought. Then he nodded and replied. "True, doing that would give us more time for the outdoor scenes. I'll talk to the cinematographer first and make a decision."

"Yes, sir."

I responded and glanced at my planner. The schedule entry hadn't changed yet, probably because the scene change hadn't been finalized. It seemed I would only know once filming began.

I put my phone back in my pocket and followed the two toward Cheonwang Lodge, determined to stop whatever might happen.

***

Before opening the door to Cheonwang Lodge, I wiped the snow off my shoes on the step.

After shaking off his own shoes, Park Sun-Jae spoke to me. "You've been really busy lately, haven't you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I haven't been able to come to the set often."

"Hahaha, I didn't mean it as a complaint. I just meant it's a shame you missed Mr. Go Jae-Soo's incredible improvement in acting."

"Mr. Jae-Soo did?"

Park Sun-Jae replied with excitement. "Yes, really... I've never seen an actor immerse themselves in a role like this. It's like he actually became a psychopathic killer."

"That's probably because Mr. Jae-Soo has a lot of pent-up emotion."

Having spent most of his career in supporting or minor roles, Go Jae-Soo had a deep hunger for acting. It seemed that working an entire season with the acting fanatic Lee Tae-Poong had transformed him into an entirely different actor.

Creeeak.

Park Sun-Jae opened the door to Cheonwang Lodge. I followed behind him, wincing at the sound of the screeching hinge.

Just as Park Sun-Jae said, I saw Go Jae-Soo on one side of the lodge, who had completely become the psychopathic killer from the script.

'Wait. What the hell is that?'

Go Jae-Soo sat alone in a corner of the lodge, covered in snow and hugging his legs tightly with both arms. He gripped a prop plastic dagger in his right hand and stared at the entrance.

His sunken cheeks and long dark circles, probably from days without food, made his eerie gaze even more intense. His hair, partially wet from the melted snow, was dripping with water and clumped together.

I had once fought real murderers in this very lodge, and Go Jae-Soo's eyes now looked exactly like theirs.

But filming wasn't until 9, and he was already immersed in the role thirty minutes early.

Just then, Lee Yung-Jin approached me and whispered. "Mr. Jung. You're here."

"Yeah. Yung-Jin, when did Mr. Jae-Soo start acting like that?"

"We got here thirty minutes ago. And as soon as he arrived, he went behind the lodge to cover himself in snow and has been holed up in that corner ever since."

"What's been going on the last few days?"

I knew Go Jae-Soo had a habit of intense immersion, but this was excessive. He didn't even acknowledge me now.

Looking concerned, Lee Yung-Jin started explaining the situation. When filming was canceled a few days ago due to heavy rain, Go Jae-Soo stayed holed up in his room at the lodge until dawn today, not even showing his face outside. He drew the curtains on all sides and kept the room dark without even turning on the TV.

And that was all to become the killer Oh Myung-Jin in Jiri Mountain.

'This is going too far...'

Normally, I would have let the actor stay in character, but not today. If someone became so immersed that they showed real intent to kill, then it was highly likely something could go wrong during the actual performance—Just like Everyday had warned.

'If Go Jae-Soo ends up hurting Lee Tae-Poong because we left him like this...'

Just the thought was horrifying.

This level of immersion wasn't good for the actor himself, either. Actors who dive too deeply into their roles often suffered serious side effects. Especially when playing villains, they might experience sudden urges to commit suicide or even develop cognitive issues.

"You should've stopped him."

"Of course I tried. But he insisted on doing everything he could to perform better."

Talent agents were usually just support for the actors, so when an actor set their mind on something, there was not much they could do.

But I was a chief, which meant I had the authority to intervene in the actor's decisions and stop this kind of behavior.

"Got it. I'll take care of it."

Park Sun-Jae and Shin Jong-Ki looked visibly disappointed, but I ignored them since they didn't fully understand the side effects of such immersion.

The prop in Go Jae-Soo's hand was made of reinforced plastic and had a pretty sharp edge. If it pierced someone, it could bleed profusely. How I knew this was from before the regression, when an ill-tempered actor practiced knife scenes with me and left a hole in my head.

Come to think of it, I had really gone through hell managing rotten personalities before the regression.

Taking a deep breath, I approached Go Jae-Soo like I would a wounded beast. Facing the sharp gaze that looked ready to stab me any moment, I stood about three meters away and began to speak slowly.

"Mr. Go Jae-Soo."

Go Jae-Soo glared at me and frowned when I said his name. He had forgotten himself and become the character Oh Myung-Jin, so hearing his real name triggered resistance.

But I didn't back down.

I called his name again, gently trying to calm him. "Mr. Jae-Soo. There's still a lot of time before filming starts. Save the immersion for later. The more you push now, the harder it'll be during the actual scene."

Go Jae-Soo's eyes sharpened as he glared at me.

"Mr. Jae-Soo, you're not a murderer. You're an actor. An actor, got it?"

I kept reminding him that this was acting, not real life.

Then, grinding his teeth, Go Jae-Soo spat out, "Get... lost."

Even that response meant he was slightly coming back to himself.

I was about two meters away from him now.

"Acting isn't about pushing with all your might. You need to know when to push and when to pull."

Actors who immersed themselves too deeply into the role tended to be loyal to their emotions, as they feared never being able to reach the same level of immersion again.

But once something was experienced, it never truly disappeared.

"Mr. Jae-Soo, you're more than capable of performing like this again. So please, stop now. Trust me..."

Go Jae-Soo's gaze slowly began to change.

Clunk.

But just then, the door to Cheonwang Lodge opened and a cold gust of wind swept in.

In that instant, Go Jae-Soo's instincts kicked in. His hunched body sprung up like a spring, and he swung the plastic knife in his right hand.

Whoosh.

The sharp blade came straight toward my stomach. I had been prepared to dodge from the start, so I quickly sidestepped as soon as the blade approached.

It missed by a hair, slicing past my side.

As I dodged, I grabbed Go Jae-Soo's wrist holding the plastic knife. Then I swept his leg to break his balance.

Stumble.

Go Jae-Soo fell forward with both arms stretched out, like he was trying to fly like Superman. I instantly wrapped my arms around his waist as he fell.

Grab.

His body was so lean from losing weight for the role that it wasn't hard to support him. I used all my strength and pulled him back upright.

"M-Mr. Jung?"

Go Jae-Soo finally came to his senses. The madness vanished from his eyes, replaced by innocence.

"Are you alright, Mr. Jae-Soo?"

Flustered, Go Jae-Soo didn't know what to do. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Jung. I... I knew I shouldn't be like this, but it felt like I was possessed."

To calm him, I smiled as warmly as I could and reassured him. "It's okay. I'm completely fine and unhurt. Just take a little break and act later."

"I know I can't be like this... but I just wanted to do well so badly..."

"I understand. I really do."

Since Go Jae-Soo had only played minor roles until now, the pressure to perform must have been immense with the movie's release just around the corner. That was probably why he immersed himself in the role to such an extreme today.

After soothing Go Jae-Soo, I turned to Lee Yung-Jin, who was standing nearby. "Yung-Jin, take Mr. Jae-Soo to the break room on the first floor and let him rest for a while."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Though Lee Yung-Jin had heard plenty about the dangers of deep immersion, this was his first time witnessing it firsthand and he was visibly tense.

Go Jae-Soo, now drained of energy, leaned on Lee Yung-Jin and was led to the room.

I quickly checked my planner to see if Lee Tae-Poong's injury was still listed, wondering if this extreme immersion could be the cause.

[Everyday V12.2]

[Date: January 26, 2021]

-10:00 a.m [NEW. Lee Tae-Poong] Emergency helicopter transport to Jinju K Hospital ER. (Other: Contact Tae-Poong's parents.)

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the accident would be caused by the role immersion.

I calmed my racing heart and looked around. Park Sun-Jae, Shin Jong-Ki, and the rest of the staff were frozen stiff. Stories of method acting accidents were common in the film industry, but this was the first time any of them had witnessed it in person.

Park Sun-Jae swallowed hard and asked, "Mr. Jung... Mr. Jae-Soo looked really serious... Will he be okay?"

I purposely gave a big smile and answered, "Yes. It's just his first time experiencing this kind of immersion, so he couldn't regulate it. Tae-Poong went through the same phase, but now he knows how to control it. Mr. Jae-Soo will be able to manage too."

I wasn't an actor, but I had dealt with this type of actor before my regression. So I answered with confidence and then changed the subject.

"Mr. Park, what about Tae-Poong and Si-Ah? I heard they came up on the helicopter this morning."

"Oh, they're on the second floor. We figured it'd be best if they didn't run into each other."

Today's scenes involved the surviving male lead and his daughter running from and fighting the character Oh Myung-Jin, played by Go Jae-Soo. So Park Sun-Jae thought it would be best to keep Go Jae-Soo, Lee Tae-Poong, and Kang Si-Ah apart. It was a thoughtful decision meant to prevent disruptions to immersion.

"That was a great decision. I'll see you later then."

I nodded and headed upstairs to check on Lee Tae-Poong and Kang Si-Ah's preparations.

Upstairs, both were already immersed in their roles as Kang Dae-Hyun and his daughter Kang Yung-Ah. But unlike Go Jae-Soo, Lee Tae-Poong, who had experience with extreme immersion, was handling it in his own way.

Lee Tae-Poong smiled warmly as he played a string game. "Yung-Ah~ Is this how it goes?"

Kang Si-Ah shook her head. "No, Dad! You have to do it like this!"

To maintain their bond as father and daughter in the story, Lee Tae-Poong stayed immersed through play, focusing only on the relationship.

Then he noticed me and gave a small smile. Unlike Go Jae-Soo, it was a sign that he could clearly separate reality from acting.

I couldn't help but admire how far Lee Tae-Poong had come. He was once called the 'Bad David,' but now he has reached this level.

Just then, Ahn Yoo-Joo, the production chief from the first floor, came upstairs. Now Park Sun-Jae's wife, she had spent the whole winter in the mountains. Her hair had grown longer and her skin slightly tanned.

"Mr. Jung. Just as you suggested, we're changing the scene order. We'll start with Scene 122, so please get everything ready."

"Sounds good! Thank you."

At the same time, I opened Everyday to check whether the event where Lee Tae-Poong would get hurt had been erased.