NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 63

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 63. Angry Waves of the Desert

After that, they went through the dialogue for the middle section, and the script reading ended with applause.

 

After filming the brief interviews that followed, most of the supporting actors had left the conference room.

 

“Yeon-woo.”

 

While he was greeting the other remaining actors, Director Lee approached, calling out to Yeon-woo.

 

“Yes, Director.”

“Our ending scene requires a lot of CG processing, so we need to get started as soon as possible, and you’ll need to ride a horse. If you learn for about 3 weeks, we should be able to make it work with editing…”

 

At the director’s words, Yeon-woo smiled brightly as if this was perfect timing.

 

“I know how to ride horses. I’m ready to film whenever you are.”

 

To work in conflict zones, horses and camels are absolutely essential.

Not only Yeon-woo, but Han Hae-woon could also ride at a professional level.

 

Since Yeon-woo could ride horses as well as any skilled horseman, when considering his next project, choosing a historical drama was something he had thought about.

 

Director Lee’s mouth fell open in delight at Yeon-woo’s words.

 

“Oh, really? Wow, that’s a huge relief. I was having trouble coordinating the location…”

 

To film the final ending scene where he rides alone on horseback toward the enemy camp where the Liao Dynasty’s great army is stationed, the only domestic location that could be filmed without overseas location shooting was the Sinduri Coastal Sand Dunes.

 

Since the dune plants had sprouted and the permitted filming dates were only until next month for environmental conservation, Director Lee Sang-hoon had been praying that Yeon-woo would quickly master horseback riding.

 

If worst came to worst, he had been considering giving up close-up shots and only filming distant shots with drones, using a stuntman.

 

Of course, there are many actors who can ride horses.

As you build your career filming projects, situations where you must ride horses eventually come up.

 

Still, since he was an actor with a short career, Lee Sang-hoon hadn’t expected much, but hearing that Yeon-woo could ride horses cleared all his worries at once.

 

“Then I’ll schedule the filming as soon as possible. They said the CG processing for the Liao Dynasty’s great army takes quite a while.”

“Yes, Director. I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

When Director Lee Sang-hoon left, Seo Ji-eun approached and clasped her hands together as she spoke.

 

“Your acting during the reading was absolutely amazing. Yeon-woo, let’s speak casually with each other.”

 

 

Yeon-woo had also enjoyed exchanging lines with Ji-eun, feeling their tiki-taka worked well together.

It was a different kind of chemistry than what he had with Ma Seok-do.

 

Perhaps this was the kind of feeling Son Jin-wook and Han So-hyeon had with each other in Summer’s Closet.

 

“Hmm, should we?”

“Hehe.”

 

Looking at Seo Ji-eun’s fair, delicate face smiling somewhat foolishly, he increasingly thought of her as a little Han So-hyeon.

 

“If we get along like friends, that synergy will come alive in the work too. Sister Ji-eun.”

“Somehow thinking about filming ahead makes me excited.”

 

Yeon-woo nodded and extended his hand, and Seo Ji-eun clasped it, shaking hands while smiling.

 

It had been awkward to speak casually to Son Jin-wook or Han So-hyeon, who were over ten years older than him in real life, but with Seo Ji-eun, who was only two years older, it seemed fine.

 

***

 

A few days after the script reading ended, Yeon-woo received word that the filming schedule had been set.

 

From morning, he rode in Min-su’s car and arrived at Sinduri Coastal Sand Dunes in Taean.

 

“Wow, Korea had a place like this too.”

 

Getting out of the parking lot, Kim Min-su looked around.

 

The desertified coastal sand dunes stretched vastly to the horizon.

The sand wind blowing over gave it a strong feeling of being like a real desert.

 

“It really does.”

 

As Yeon-woo responded to Kim Min-su’s words while looking at the desert, memories of Middle Eastern operations came to mind.

 

While he was lost in thought looking at the desert, filming staff who had been waiting in the parking lot approached and greeted him.

 

“Actor, please come this way.”

 

Following the staff’s guidance, Yeon-woo entered a trailer in the parking lot.

 

A special makeup artist attached a beard to Yeon-woo and created wrinkles.

 

Kim Min-su watched the real-time makeup process with fascination from the side.

In contrast, Yeon-woo remained calm even while watching himself age in real time.

 

Actually, he had quite a bit of experience with special makeup from his agent days.

When carrying out operations with potential exposure to media or cameras, he would often undergo special makeup.

 

While the makeup was being applied in the trailer, Director Lee Sang-hoon and Assistant Writer Jeong Ye-na entered.

 

“Oh, Yeon-woo.”

“Ah, Director, you’re here.”

“Don’t talk. Yeon-woo’s beard might fall off.”

 

Director Lee approached and patted Yeon-woo’s shoulder.

 

“I heard during the pre-meeting that Yeon-woo has ridden horses several times before, but since we had to arrange the location so hastily, I couldn’t check his skills, which has been bothering me. So just in case, I’ve also called in a stunt double.”

 

He was probably thinking about potential safety accidents that could occur.

At his worried words, Yeon-woo smiled slightly while looking at Director Lee reflected in the mirror.

 

“I’m really fine. Horseback riding is familiar to me.”

 

Yeon-woo felt a little guilty inside as he said something that would have made his family tilt their heads in confusion if they had heard it.

 

Still, when he asked his younger sibling So-hyeon, she said the family had at least tried horseback riding experiences in Jeju Island before, so if his family asked, he figured he could just say he learned while filming.

 

“Well, this is my fault for not expecting they’d give us such tight cooperation for filming at the coastal dunes. Let’s go outside first, have you try riding once, and then decide what to do.”

“Yes. I understand.”

 

Director Lee seemed somewhat reassured by Yeon-woo’s words.

 

“Then I’ll go out to coordinate things on the filming set.”

 

Since this was an important scene that would decorate the ending of the entire drama, you could feel how much effort he was putting into it.

Director Lee patted Yeon-woo’s shoulder once more and left the trailer.

 

Assistant Writer Jeong Ye-na, who had followed him in, remained behind and looked at Yeon-woo with sparkling eyes.

 

“Writer Kim Jin-ju is still busy writing the script, so I came in her place. I’m Assistant Writer Jeong Ye-na.”

“Ah, nice to meet you.”

 

Yeon-woo spoke while trying not to move his mouth too much because of his beard and offered a handshake.

 

Ye-na’s eyes gleamed like a predator eyeing its prey as she grasped Yeon-woo’s hand with both of hers.

 

“Ah, this is crazy. I’m actually part of Woo’s.”

 

Is this how idols feel when they hold fan meetings? Ye-na held Yeon-woo’s hand and made eye contact with him.

 

Yeon-woo was always amazed whenever he met members of his fan club Woo’s.

 

He was an actor whose only publicly released work as a lead was just “Summer’s Closet,” yet people liked him this much after seeing his brief appearances in those 16 episodes of the drama.

 

“I’m really always grateful. Truly.”

 

Yeon-woo looked at Ye-na with eyes full of gratitude and smiled sincerely.

 

“Ah.”

 

With a short scream, Ye-na clutched her heart.

Her reaction was half joking, but naturally the other half was sincere.

 

‘I really hit the jackpot today…’

 

Then the special makeup artist who had finished the makeup spoke up.

 

“Alright, we’re done. Now let’s get you dressed.”

 

Then the special makeup artist and Manager Kim Min-su looked at Ye-na.

 

“Well, as a writer, while we’re dressing him, maybe you need to check something like historical accuracy…?”

 

Min-su looked at her and quietly shook his head.

 

“Right. I guess not…”

 

Ye-na dropped her shoulders and quietly left the trailer.

 

“The costume you’ll be wearing is a bit complicated, and even though it’s still quite hot outside, you’ll have to endure it. I think you’ll have a hard time.”

 

Seo Hee, a civil official of Goryeo who was recorded as being outstanding in both literary and military arts.

Though not as much as a general’s armor, Seo Hee’s outfit as an envoy and the emperor’s plenipotentiary was quite complex with multiple layers of flowing garments.

 

Yeon-woo said with a smile.

 

“I’m originally good at enduring things.”

 

After putting on the clothes and official hat in a complicated sequence, Yeon-woo came out of the trailer.

 

“You must be hot, sir.”

“I’m fine.”

 

Leaving Min-su’s concerns behind, he headed to the location where filming was on standby.

 

“Oh, Yeon-woo, you’re finished.”

 

Director Lee greeted him as Yeon-woo entered the filming set together with him.

Next to the filming set, they were test-running the drone camera, and on the opposite side, they were bringing in a horse.

 

“If you fall off the horse, it would really be a disaster. Want to try riding the horse once first?”

 

Though Director Lee Sang-hoon had rushed the filming schedule like roasting beans in lightning, he had never actually seen Yeon-woo ride a horse, so he seemed to want to confirm it with his own eyes.

 

“Yes, Director. Then I’ll take a light ride around the filming set.”

 

Since Yeon-woo had traveled through all kinds of rough terrain on horses and camels instead of cars to avoid detection when infiltrating operational areas, it seemed better to show them his actual horseback riding to reassure them and prevent unnecessary worry.

 

Yeon-woo approached the horse and stroked its mane.

 

Whinny─.

 

It was a gentle creature, a veteran that had participated in filming many times, but establishing this kind of rapport was good in many ways.

 

“You have sugar cubes, right?”

“Yes. Of course.”

 

When Yeon-woo asked the animal handler, he pulled out a square sugar cube from his front pocket.

 

People commonly but mistakenly believe that carrots are horses’ favorite treat, when actually their favorite is sugar cubes.

 

Yeon-woo stroked the horse’s forehead while making eye contact and fed it the sugar cube.

When he petted it, the horse blinked its large eyes as if pleased.

 

“You handle horses well.”

 

When the animal handler spoke while looking at Yeon-woo, he smiled quietly.

 

“Is this one afraid of drones or cameras?”

“It’s used to them since we’ve done a lot of filming.”

“May I ride around the area for a bit?”

 

At Yeon-woo’s question, the animal handler nodded and handed over the reins.

Yeon-woo took the reins and despite wearing uncomfortable costume, mounted the horse in one smooth motion with skillful posture.

 

“Alright, shall we walk slowly?”

 

Yeon-woo skillfully gripped the horse reins and walked through the sand desert around the filming set.

 

“Wow, he really knows how to ride.”

 

Watching this scene, Director Lee Sang-hoon nodded with relief and accelerated the filming preparations.

 

After a few minutes, when the cameras had finished setting up, Director Lee called for Yeon-woo.

 

“Yeon-woo, we’re ready to film.”

“Yes, Director.”

 

Yeon-woo rode the horse to where filming would begin.

 

“Now, since the horse might get startled, I won’t give you a separate cue. When you’re ready, just ride straight ahead and gallop.”

 

Yeon-woo nodded knowingly at the director’s words.

 

“Ready?”

 

Yeon-woo quietly communicated with the horse while stroking its mane.

 

Soon he gripped the horse reins and kicked with his legs, beginning to charge forward at high speed with the horse.

 

Horses naturally love to run.

But being timid yet intelligent animals, they instinctively adjust their speed based on the capability of the rider on their back.

 

The better the rider, the faster the horse’s speed becomes.

 

As Ryu Yeon-woo skillfully performed reining and matched the horse’s running rhythm by slightly lifting his hips and pressing his body close, the horse began running at increasingly faster speeds.

 

Not to be outdone, the drone camera captured this scene from the sky, filming Yeon-woo galloping across the desertified plain.

 

Looking toward the green reference poles planted in the distance for CG processing, he imagined the Liao Dynasty’s great army there and galloped with a solemn expression.

 

It was the image of Seo Hee carrying Goryeo’s national fate on his back as he charged into the storm.

 

The drone camera followed at full speed, capturing Yeon-woo’s dynamic galloping with a sense of velocity.

 

Then the drone camera climbed to a higher altitude, capturing the scene from above.

 

Though there was nothing ahead before CG processing, behind the galloping Yeon-woo, a sandstorm rose like a tempest from the horse running at full speed.

 

The quiet sea-like plain ahead contrasted with the sand-formed turbulent waves churning behind, creating a majestic picture.

 

Director Lee Sang-hoon watched the outdoor field monitor connected to the drone camera operator’s panel and was moved to emotion.

 

“…Even without any processing, if we can get this quality of footage, this will be a scene that goes down in historical drama history.”

 

Then the animal handler, who had been watching the monitor to check the horse’s condition, also expressed admiration.

 

“That actor really rides well. To reach that kind of speed, you’d usually need to prepare professional riders.”

 

At that moment, Yeon-woo in the footage began slowly reducing the horse’s speed and turning around to come back.

 

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————