Chapter 28: You’re Not Supposed to Do It Like That?!

At the film complex,

Sua’s heart was a whirlwind of both tension and excitement.

A mock shoot, something she would never have experienced in her lifetime.

She even questioned if this was really happening.

But there was no turning back.

She never thought of backing out.

In the beginning, though, it wasn’t hard to pass the time.

Sua’s precious friend—her phone was enough to keep her busy.

[Saengji: Who the heck is Kim Yuhan?…]
[Saengji: I feel like I’m going crazy.]
[Sua: Actually, it’s me!]
[Saengji: No, no, I’m not in the mood for jokes ᅲ]

She tried to tease but, as expected, wasn’t believed.

Perhaps because it was so early, the usually noisy group chat was especially quiet, and eventually, Sua found herself wandering through communities.

[Special Task Force 808 Gallery]
[Title: The mock shoot is finally happening today.]
[Whatever else, I hope they at least release the stills. If the atmosphere looks good, I’ll use it as wallpaper.]

• Kim Sun-il and Seo Yeon-ju will look amazing.
• And even in police uniforms hehehe it’s basically a photoshoot.

[Title: So, what’s the conclusion to the Kim Yuhan debate?]
[Is it Jo Il-hyun? Or Kang Do-jin? The people on-site must be jealous. By now, they must have figured out who Kim Yuhan is.]

• I think they said Jo Il-hyun is too busy to be included.
• Actually, if it’s because of Special Task Force 808, then…?
• Is Kang Do-jin going to be the funny character?

‘Ugh, why does Kim Yuhan have so much hype?’

Sua understood why.

After all, everyone was curious about the completion of an unfinished character.

She just felt a heavier weight on her shoulders.

In any case, Special Task Force 808 was attracting more attention than Sua had expected, and the most talked-about topic was Kim Yuhan’s true identity.

It was practically burning with curiosity about her.

Meanwhile, Sua didn’t have much time to spend on her phone.

Vroom—!

Vehicles started pouring in one after another, filling up the parking lot right in front of her.

…Everyone’s so professional, even parking perfectly.

Each car came in and parked without a hitch, almost like watching a military formation.

And despite the variety of car types,

…It was yet another reason Sua’s nerves were on edge.

‘I won’t be surprised even if a meteor falls. I could stand gracefully even if the Earth is destroyed…’

She repeated this to calm herself, and in some ways, it helped.

After all, no one was approaching her.

Even when their eyes met, most people quickly looked away, and it was rare for anyone to speak to her.

Instead, they seemed to have plenty to talk about amongst themselves.

“Hey, which direction are you heading?”

“We need to set up. Aren’t we using Studio 2 today?”

“Turn around. They said everything’s going to the outdoor set today.”

In a flash, the space became chaotic.

But thanks to that, Sua was able to quietly observe.

Inside the large, black bag were likely high-end equipment, and the staff members were leading the way as they moved forward, while others around them were actors… Surprisingly, just watching everything pass by made time fly by.

For Sua, everything was new.

This place felt like a completely different world.

Meanwhile, people weren’t just quietly working.

Even though their hands and feet were busy, they didn’t forget to talk.

“So, who exactly is Kim Yuhan?”
“I don’t know. But today we’ll probably find out.”

Everywhere, the talk was all about Kim Yuhan.

Kim Yuhan, that’s me…

“They must have been really strict in choosing.”

“Did you hear? People were speculating it might be Jo Il-hyun, but actually, Jo Il-hyun applied and got rejected.”

“What? Really?”

“Shh, it’s a secret.”

From then on, whenever Kim Yuhan’s name came up, Sua would shudder.

She felt like a fugitive on the run? It felt like she should step in and explain herself.

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, someone approached Sua.

“Do you happen to do valet parking?”

“Pardon?”

Sua asked again, confused.

The person, holding two one-thousand-won bills, seemed surprised instead.

“Ah, aren’t you a parking attendant?”

“No, I’m not.”

Sua replied seriously.

She had to. After all, this was the outfit she had carefully chosen after thinking about it all night.

“Well, you’re right. You’re too well-proportioned to be a parking attendant.

Could you take off your hat and mask for a moment?”

“…Why?”

“Ah, don’t think it’s strange. It’s just a habit of mine.

You know actress Park Do-hee? I’m her manager.”

Sua firmly rejected with a few resolute words, and the person, looking slightly scared, backed off.

It was too much to be mistaken for a parking attendant.

Afterward, Sua left the parking lot.

In fact, it might be more accurate to say she fled.

She was looking for a place, preferably one without many people, whether Studio 1 or 2.

And then, she became immersed in observing.

‘I think I get it now. They’re probably going to shoot that scene here.’

Was it because she had read the entire script and experienced it?

Just scanning the set, she could already picture the scenes unfolding in her mind.

It didn’t stop there. She also began to think about what people would want in such a setting, and what kind of character she would need to become…

It was hard to put into words, but it felt like her body had already internalized it.

Her way of thinking and seeing things had changed completely.

While she was reflecting on herself, her phone rang suddenly.

It was Lee Geum-sook, the writer.

“Hello? Sua?”
“Yes?”
“Ah, right. I already told you about the mock shoot schedule.”
“I’ve already arrived. I was looking around the other studios.”
“I see. Would you like to come to the outdoor set now?”

Sua silently followed the instructions.

Now, the time for the mock shoot had really come.

It hit her hard. Her heart was pounding as if it were a drum.

‘Ugh, I’m so nervous.’

She tried her best to calm her trembling heart, imagining something comforting.

In her imagination, she was lying down comfortably, rubbing her cheek against the belly of a rabbit doll.

But even that wasn’t enough to calm her, so she imagined herself fiddling with her ears in desperation.

And then, finally, when she stood next to Lee Geum-sook, the writer, everyone around her, positioned like a fence, was staring only at Sua.

Sua couldn’t help but freeze. All those gazes felt like one big camera.

Their lenses were capturing Sua’s every move.

What kind of character are you? They seemed to be asking her.

Frozen, Sua kept repeating the same thing to herself.

‘Sua, you have to introduce yourself.

Sua, you have to introduce yourself.

Sua, you have to introduce yourself.’

At the same time, a message from a while ago popped into her mind.
-[Monkeying: Yang Ha-rin’s real personality must be like an angel.]

Yes, she realized then just how important image management was.

This was their first meeting. In other words, it was an opportunity.

An opportunity to show the character of Sua in whatever way she wanted to the people’s eyes.

Sua quickly took off her hat and greeted them.

“Hello. I’m Kim Yuhan. I’m playing Lee Sua’s role.”

Her voice, sharp enough to surprise even herself, echoed.

The surroundings grew even quieter.

Sua, feeling embarrassed, quickly pressed her hat back down.

It was around this moment that she realized her mistake.

‘I’m losing it. I even introduced myself wrong.’

But it was already too late.

The people had heard how she introduced herself and couldn’t forget it.

This made her all the more the center of attention.

“Kim Yuhan, who’s playing Lee Sua?”

“That, did they do that on purpose? Introduced herself backwards?”

“Is she confident because she’s already immersed in her role?”

“It’s bold. Even veteran actors can’t introduce themselves like that.”

Everyone—those on the filming crew, the directors deep in thought, and the other actors—was equally stunned.

‘Why is the atmosphere like this? I’m shaking. If I hadn’t worn a mask, I would have died from embarrassment.’

While hiding her trembling lips, Sua thought to herself.

Only Lee Geum-sook, PD Choi Heewon, and Seo Yeon-ju reacted differently.

They gave gentle smiles, eyes full of amusement, as if they were enjoying this situation like a game.

The mock shooting set, once silent, now faced an unexpected calm.

“Everyone, did you all pay attention? That’s Kim Yuhan, the one we’ve all been waiting for.”

Lee Geum-sook, the writer, broke the silence.

At that moment, the others around her snapped out of their deep thoughts, their expressions slowly returning to normal.

“Let’s proceed. Everyone, to your positions.”

With that, the official preparation for the shoot began,

and now that everyone had regained their focus, the chatter and noise became chaotic.

“Is that person, no joke, really Kim Yuhan?”

“Wasn’t she a parking attendant?”

“She’s too good-looking to be a parking attendant. But if you ask if she’s an actress I’ve seen before, that’s definitely not it.”

“I saw her confidence. It’s no joke. It’s intense.”

“…The outfit looks too comfortable. I don’t think it’s going to work.”

Everyone seemed to have the same impression. It was chaotic.

“She’s even a woman? Kim Yuhan is supposed to be a male role.”

“Is this some kind of prank from the marketing team?”

“That actually makes sense.”

“Anyway, this isn’t just some random position, right? The clause in the contract about the mock shoot, everyone remembers, right?”

“Of course, we remember.”

The problem was that all this whispering was clearly audible to Sua. Naturally, she had to listen attentively, her ears perked up.

‘Was there anything important written in the contract?’

All Sua could remember was the huge amount of money—several hundred thousand per episode. She didn’t understand the other complicated terms!

Fortunately, the answer came from someone else.

“After the mock shoot, if they judge that the person doesn’t fit, they’ll immediately cancel the contract. But if they find someone who fits well, they’ll raise their conditions.”

“…!”

Sua was secretly surprised. The mock shoot was far more important than she had expected.

‘I absolutely can’t make a mistake. I need to be cautious about everything. Everything.’

In the midst of it all, someone approached Sua first.

“Hello, Sua. Or should I call you Yuhan?”

“Yes? Huh?”

She had answered casually with a yes but quickly second-guessed herself—it was too late. She had already agreed.

“Most productions only do a script reading and move on, but the mock shoot is a bit unfamiliar, right? What were you doing before this drama?”

“Soccer, baseball, golf, swimming… anything really.”

“Ah, I see…”

Sua’s strategy was to avoid lying but keep her answers as short as possible. The longer the conversation, the easier it was for her to slip up.

Of course, this made it even harder for people to approach her.

“Why is she being so cold? Is that her usual personality?”

“She’s definitely going to get an earful from Sun-il.”

“What do you mean by ‘I’ve done everything’? Wait, did she introduce herself as Kim Yuhan, just like the character? That genius in every field thing?”

“…She’s really deep into it. Method acting or what?”

“This is starting to feel a bit shaky.”

“The writer and PD Choi must have had a reason for bringing her in.”

Amid the ongoing conversation,

“Alright, let’s begin the mock shoot! The weather’s great!”

It was PD Choi Heewon’s commanding shout, as massive as a rock.

Her energy was palpable. This was an important moment.

Finally, the mock shoot began.

They said they’d start with the scenes that were particularly controversial in the script, and the first scene was a big deal. It had gotten everyone’s hopes up.

Sua could feel it too.

It was a scene that would feature both Seo Yeon-ju and Kim Sun-il together.

“Wow, the first scene is with Seo Yeon-ju and Kim Sun-il?”

“The weather’s great, and my eyes are getting a treat.”

“There’s no need for eye drops. This is like tonic for my eyes.”

Sua naturally focused as well.

‘The first scene is going to be intense. And my turn is next….’

Her turn was indeed next. If she didn’t want to be compared negatively, she needed to watch the performances of the actors ahead of her.

S#32 Special Forces Headquarters Office / Day

When Kang Cheol enters the headquarters, Yoon Jin greets him as if she’s been waiting for him.

Special Forces Unit 808.

The story begins when Lee Kang Cheol is assigned to the 808 division.

It’s a unit that only deals with criminals who must be apprehended within 24 hours. The difficulty level of the job is extreme, making it both a highly coveted and dreaded department.

As a principled person, Kang Cheol is assigned to the 808 division. The reason for this is that he’s expected to handle the “mad dog” that no one else can deal with.

“What should I do?”

Kim Sun-il, playing the role of Lee Kang Cheol, murmured. The clean freak, the principled Kang Cheol—this was a combination that Sua thought suited him perfectly.

“It’s urgent. Normally, people don’t speak like this first. You know that, right?”

Seo Yeon-ju, playing Ha Yoon-jin, responds leisurely.

She played the role of the 808 unit leader in this production, convincingly portraying uprightness with her demeanor alone.

Lee Kang Cheol blinked quietly.

“Did you expect me to say something?”

“Of course! Aren’t you curious? You, an elite with great results, why did you end up in a department like this, like you were exiled?”

“It’s because I’m useful. That’s what I thought.”

“Right. Kang Cheol, just handle the mad dog.”

“Mad dog?”

“Yeah, a criminal who bites fiercely like a mad dog. Not a real dog, but a person. Far more dangerous. His name is Kim Yuhan.”

Kim Sun-il and Seo Yeon-ju were completely immersed in their roles, and the surrounding reactions were full of admiration. When Sua looked around, she noticed many people smiling in satisfaction.

‘Hmm.’

However, Sua tilted her head slightly.

She had changed so much from before.

‘The part that needs attention in this scene is…….’

Lee Kang Cheol is a person trusted by everyone around him, but he doesn’t trust anyone himself. This aspect had to be revealed, and Kim Sun-il was expressing it perfectly.

‘…But how do I know this?’

Was it because she had experienced all the roles?

Sua felt as though she was omniscient in the world of Special Forces Unit 808. She could calculate exactly how each character would move, what they would say, and what expressions they should have.

It wasn’t something she planned—it just happened.

‘Now, all that’s left is for the final actor to wrap it up well.’

At that moment.

“Unit leader, it’s urgent! You need to see this!”

A different actress stepped into the acting space.

“…No. That’s not right. You can’t act like that.”

Sua muttered without realizing it.

Immediately, the shooting was stopped.

In an instant, all eyes were on Sua.