I Don’t Want to Play Villains Anymore - Chapter 43

**A Father’s Day**

“…Haneul, did you go somewhere early in the morning?”

“What? Ah… no?”

Despite the response that came out of her mouth, her eyes began to wander around the room.

Her gaze swept to the right, then up to the left ceiling, and finally dropped onto the desk.

To make a perfect lie, the management of her expression was far too careless.

No, Haneul wasn’t the type to act like this in the first place. This wasn’t acting; it was the obvious gaze of a criminal who was caught in the act.

Baek Geon-hwan silently lifted the cellphone he was holding.

And he pressed the screen toward Haneul.

[Habits Taekwondo – 200,000 won]

“You signed up for a new academy, huh?”

There was neither surprise nor anger in his tone.

It was simply resignation.

In other words, it was the unique feeling of “Oh, here we go again” that Baek Geon-hwan had already gotten used to over his lifetime as a father.

Haneul froze and blinked twice.

And instinctively, she reached out her hands in front of her.

“So… Dad. There’s a reason for this, it’s all, all because of the circumstances.”

“Reason, huh.”

“Yes! Because of my comeback film, there are many combat scenes… it’s a time when I need to build my body… something like that.”

“So you went out early in the morning and registered at a Taekwondo academy?”

“It’s an academy run by someone like that… Habits Taekwondo. It’s really nice. Good facilities, water is provided, and there are private training rooms…”

“Isn’t the water coming from a water purifier?”

Haneul lightly rubbed her fingers together and smiled sheepishly.

“…All I remember is the water.”

“You can practice at home, can’t you?”

“But, Dad… it’s really private, you know? One training room for each person…”

“Haneul.”

So he signed up at a fancy Taekwondo academy.

Baek Geon-hwan closed his eyes.

And very, very slowly, he pressed his fingers against his temples.

Having lived as the father of such an unpredictable daughter for his entire life, the excuses he could use in situations like this just popped up in his mind like auto-complete.

“You went out early in the morning to learn martial arts like judo and taekwondo from an unidentified Taekwondo academy.”

“Yes. This is a high-level investment for elevating my acting skills…”

“What about the bad acting you showcased?”

“…I thought it would be a fun way to learn.”

“….”

For a moment, a brief silence fell between them.

They exchanged looks without saying a word.

One side was calm and collected.

The other side was operating at 200% efficiency.

And Haneul, instinctively tilting her head, said,

“Dad, by the way.”

“…”

“Isn’t it possible to include Taekwondo as a kind of extracurricular activity? If you look at it from the intersection of combat systems and psychological aspects—”

That was nonsense.

“Haneul.”

“Yes?”

“Right now, your speech sounds like a line from the magnificent speech you use when you hit me.”

“…Ah. That’s true.”

“And what did the director of the Taekwondo academy say to you?”

Haneul flinched at that.

That tone was distinctly a typical pattern of parents who already knew everything from somewhere.

“He just said, first-time seeing me, that I had a good punch…”

“Did you perhaps ask the new kid if they were from the maternal side?”

Haneul let out a small “ugh” as she quietly sank into the chair.

She had no other excuses left.

“But Dad, you also know, right?”

“What?”

“Our family genes are a bit exceptional.”

Geon-hwan paused to rebut but then stopped.

Baek Geon-hwan was a robust figure measuring 190 centimeters.

He had never once been bullied in his life and whenever he visited strange restaurants, he was always treated kindly.

Even in Taekwondo, which he did as a hobby, he never faced any difficult opponents.

Could it really be this gene? Geon-hwan nodded, not knowing himself.

“…Maybe it is a bit true.”

“Right? It was destined since I was born as the daughter of a martial arts father?”

“Haneul. Are you blaming this on me right now?”

“No, it’s a shared responsibility.”

“….”

And in that moment.

Baek Geon-hwan plopped down on the sofa.

The two characters ‘giving up’ were unmistakably written on his face.

“Next time you go to Taekwondo, at least tell me before you go.”

“Wow. Is that your rule?”

“No, just say something.”

“Got it! Dad!”

Haneul quickly averted her eyes and scurried to her room.

The muttering of Baek Geon-hwan that followed was devoid of his previous cold demeanor.

“Really, I can’t live like this…”

He was just a father groaning over his daughter’s unpredictable behavior.

—

Huh—

Whack!!

The beautiful foot drew an elegant arc as it kicked Su-a’s foot.

It wasn’t painful, just as the announcement stated, but…

“Ahhhhh!!!”

Indeed, Su-a flew away.

To be precise, she spun one and a half times, losing her balance as she landed across the set.

“Su-a! Su-a! Are you okay?!”

Ji-woo’s voice was rising to a higher pitch.

Having spotted the monitor, she dashed out faster than the sound towards the chaos that had almost turned into a disaster.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh… I’m fine…!”

Su-a, who had landed on the mat, groaned with half-closed eyes while being patted on the head.

Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were distant.

“Ha…”

I let out a rough breath and turned my right shoulder.

There was a click in my joint.

How should I say it? It felt like I had found a masculinity I could no longer grasp.

And in a subtle way, it was pleasing.

“Haneul!!”

Ji-woo approached.

Her eyes were sparkling seriously.

“You… just now, that! That! That!”

“Yeah?”

“You moved like a pro, right?! I was watching the scene and I was sure! That move was not just improvised! Hey, while avoiding the tackle, the way you adjusted your balance and kicked with your back foot, I swear, I got goosebumps!!”

Ji-woo, who has recently been watching martial arts to give me accurate feedback on my acting, was glowing with excitement.

“…Is that so?”

I took a sip of water and shifted my weight slightly.

Here, pretending not to know would make me look cooler.

“Isn’t it? Did I feel it alone?”

“No, it’s just that I’ve been stretching a bit lately…”

“Don’t lie!! How is stretching when you’re throwing someone into the air?! Is your body rubber?!”

Ji-woo gripped my shoulders with her eyes almost rolling back.

I turned my head to look at Su-a.

“Is Su-a going to be okay?”

“Haha! Haneul kicked me, but… right now… I still don’t know if I’m on the ground or in the clouds…”

Su-a gave me a thumbs-up while smiling.

At this moment, I was unsure if it was a compliment or a vague flag.

But then.

“Wow! Wow!! This is truly perfect. Director, this is pure art!!!”

The camera director, I Deum, shouted with excitement.

Somehow, she seemed even more thrilled than Ji-woo.

She was already rewatching that scene in front of the monitor.

“Look, look, Haneul. Here. This. This scene.”

Ji-woo replayed the clip where she kicked Su-a.

“Check out this timing. This move. You’re really… ah…”

She couldn’t complete her thought but placed her hand on the monitor, her face nearly filled with emotion.

“You’re a genius… you could do anything…”

“…It’s not that much.”

I pretended to be humble and took another sip of water.

Then Ji-woo suddenly nodded and said in a different tone.

“But for real. Your movements felt different.”

“…Huh?”

“In the past, it just felt like ‘the actor doing action,’ right? But today…”

Ji-woo bit her lip slightly.

“It felt like you were actually fighting. Literally, it was like weapon-like movements. The technique was good, but the rhythm and the flow… it felt oddly scary and convincing.”

Was the feeling from my past coming back?

I had heard many such praises in my previous life.

I blinked and reflected on her words.

“Real weapons…”

That thought, strangely, stimulated me.

‘Isn’t it cool?’

Ji-woo shrugged.

“There’s a ‘feel’ that only those who truly fight understand… and you got that.”

“…”

‘Sneaking out to train at a dawn class was worth it.’

I smiled faintly at that.

But before I could hide that smile, Ji-woo asked.

“But seriously, where did you learn that? Did you take martial arts as a kid?”

“Um. I’m just the type who’s gotten used to fighting.”

“H. What is your real identity?”

Ji-woo laughed, tearing at her hair, and beyond that laughter, Su-a murmured while lying on the ground.

“I’m still dizzy… Haneul’s appearance is like a doll… but her kicks have soul…”

I chuckled at that.

“That’s the essence of acting.”

“What? A doll?”

“Soulful kicks.”

“…Ha.”

Ji-woo placed her palm on her forehead, shaking her head as she spoke.

“Really… this drama, where the heck is it going to end up…”

“…The answer is the Oscars.”

“Haneul, if you really say that and it happens, we’ll rewrite the contract.”

“Sounds good. Then you can be my manager.”

Ji-woo collapsed in laughter.

That laughter was not just simple laughter.

Something like the hope that this drama might actually become a reality.

And the convinced laughter that we had properly captured Baek Haneul.

I walked back toward the hallway while watching that laughter.

“Okay. So what’s the next scene?”

Ji-woo unfolded the script and said.

“The next scene is where Cheong-ha encounters the group of second graders hiding in the bathroom.”

I nodded and replied.

“…It’s time to kick again.”

Especially, this scene would show Cheong-ha’s martial arts in detail.

In other words, it was the scene where the most action would take place in this episode.

“Don’t throw out the window this time.”

“I’ll give it a try.”

At that comment, Ji-woo burst out laughing again.

Su-a stifled a scream on the mat.

And I prepared to kick again.

‘Probably next episode will be where the real story starts?’

To decide to get help from Seo Hyun-woo and Na Jae-hyeon to fight the secretly powerful Na Jae-hyeon.

The time would come for the trio to be formed.

‘…Come to think of it, I didn’t even explore emotional depths this time but got great feedback.’

It’s not that it’s bad.

If I had to say, it’s disappointing.

As I moved my body passionately, I had to concentrate on emotions as well.

Shooting action scenes requires exact coordination, so if I neglect my performance, the opponent could get hurt.

If I accidentally go too far with emotional acting, it could lead to a major incident.

Well, it’s better than a live round in a g*n…

‘I should practice including emotions as well.’

I was just correcting little things that I regretted from my past life.

The journey isn’t finished yet.

Youth was still in progress.