Angel Smile 249 Shady Stranger

"""Good work!"""

As soon as the director ended the take, everybody relaxed. The fallen actors all got up as if their gruesome deaths had all been a dream.

All the casts and crew thanked each other for their hard work, slowly leaving their positions.

"That was really good, Miss Yeo Ri," Ryeon Jae Hwan praised as he dusted himself. Yeo Ri's level went beyond her age; she was simply remarkable, for someone who barely had a few months' worth of experience. Even he was not sure how well he could cry on cue like Yeo Ri, and the girl had done it so effortlessly. The girl was definitely worth more than just a simple minor role, he thought. With those looks and that talent, he was convinced that she'd be the next big name soon.

He held out a hand to help her up, to which Yeo Ri accepted after several seconds of hesitation.

"No, it was all thanks to everyone's hard work. I wouldn't have been able to be so immersed in the scene if everyone hadn't been so professional and amazing," she humbly replied.

"You're downplaying your own talents, Miss Yeo Ri. Have more confidence." He patted her head instinctively, and when he realised his action, he smiled sheepishly at the girl.

Yeo Ri's head bobbed perfunctorily. She touched her head, smiling awkwardly at him.

"Well, I'll see you on the next shoot, then, Miss Yeo Ri." He bowed towards her in farewell, appearing apologetic for his over-casual behaviour. They were only temporary co-workers, after all. Such intimacy went beyond their current relationship and he feared the consequences of accidentally offending her. In any case, he wasn't about to get crucified by the media for harassing a junior.

"Yes. It's been a pleasure to work with you, sunbaenim."

After the filming wrapped up, Yeo Ri immediately rushed to her second schedule of the day.

...

..

.

In front of a school, a crowd gathered as filming started.

Currently, Yeo Ri was filming a scene where her character was late to school, and in order to avoid getting caught by the teacher, she decided to climb over the school's wall and try to sneak in.

"'Oooof...'"

Yeo Ri groaned with her cheeks puffed up as she seriously climbed up the wall. Despite her recent workouts, her body strained as she pushed herself up. 

After toiling for several minutes, she finally reached the top. Yeo Ri saddled the top of the wall with a bright gaze, her eyes sparkling with triumph over her feat. 

"Okay, Miss Yeo Ri, that's a wrap for this take. Try to descend slowly on the mattress. Be careful not to get hurt!"

"Yes~"

Yeo Ri carefully came down from the wall with the help of several staff members, then landed safely on the prepared mattress. 

After the take, Yeo Ri was ushered to the break area while they tidied up the set. They removed the safety mattress, placing a slightly steep platform against the wall, where Yeo Ri would have to jump off from. Although it was not as tall as the wall, it was still risky, thus the crew had to make sure it was safe for the girl before attempting the jump.

While they fixed up the new setup, Yeo Ri waited by the side as a makeup artist touched up her face, wiping away her perspiration.

Sticking closely to her was Secretary Kwon, who had a deep, irritated frown on his face. His watchful eyes roamed around the area, scanning for any suspicious figures. 

His intimidating look caused a few of the crew to squirm uncomfortably, and even Yeo Ri noticed that he was far more serious than usual. 

"What's wrong with you?" she asked as the makeup artist left to tend to other matters.

"Nothing, miss. I'm just being careful."

"That 'Ji' person hasn't sent anyone after me as of late, has he?" 

"None who's actively trying to go after you, miss, though I've taken notice of some shady people watching you every now and then. Still, it's not good to be lax since we don't know who's watching and when." On top of that, there was an internet-troll-possible-stalker he had to look out for. The threats were just endless with this girl.

"Okay," she briefly replied. Yeo Ri didn't care much about her safety, but it was nice to have someone watching out for her. Yeo Ri found herself thinking of how regrettable she would feel when Secretary Kwon returns to his original duties one day. She would miss his presence, especially since she had begun to warm up to him and got used to his company. 

Yeo Ri kept to her thoughts and sighed. 

"Miss? Are you tired?" Secretary Kwon momentarily turned his gaze towards her. The girl had multiple ongoing projects she was working in, and he was worried that she might be feeling the pressure of her busy schedule. 

"Not really," Yeo Ri shook her head. 

"Alright, break's over! Let's start again with Scene 6," the assistant director called out, and Yeo Ri immediately reacted at her cue. She moved to her position as she got ready for the next scene, leaving the man to his vigilant self.

As the girl got into her element, Kwon Tae Yang fell back, making sure that he was far enough to be able to survey the crowd fully. It was hard to pinpoint who was a staff member and who was not, since many had dressed up in similar monotone, nondescript clothing and wore face masks and caps despite the increasingly hot weather.

His eyes narrowed as he noticed a certain figure skulking behind the sound technicians. The person had worn a hooded jacket with the hood pulled up, his face hidden under a face mask and a cap pulled so low that it hid their eyes. From the physique of the person, Kwon Tae Yang deduced that he was a man, age unknown. 

The man stood out to him, as he had his hands hidden within his pockets, and he didn't seem like he was part of the crew due to his lack of actions. He carried no props, documents, backpacks, or lanyard that some of the other people had, seeming as if he came to the set empty-handed.

As if realising the secretary-cum-manager-cum-bodyguard's gaze, the man raised his head to look back at him, then slowly slunked away, disappearing behind the school building. 

Secretary Kwon was immediately alarmed. He looked towards Yeo Ri, who was still absorbed in her acting. He debated whether he should stay and watch over the girl or chase after the other guy. The guy was suspicious, yes, but mere suspicion didn't mean that he was a threat. Perhaps he was a student who came to see what was going on, he reasoned weakly.

In the end, Kwon Tae Yang decided against following after the shady stranger.

Chapter end