A week after pulling the plane.
Tap. Tap. Tap-tap-tap.
Prrrrrrrrrr.
The propeller of the light aircraft roared to life.
"I know you've gone through parachute training multiple times, but just to remind you—"
McGroy, who had been waiting for this moment, started going over safety protocols again.
There were a lot of things he said.
But the core message was simple.
"No matter what, safety comes before the shot."
"Yes, I’ll keep that in mind."
"Your body is your biggest asset!"
If anything went wrong, I was to prioritize my safety and not even think twice.
After confirming multiple times that I understood,
I boarded the plane.
"It really gets chilly when the wind picks up."
Rothersen, sitting in the cockpit, playing Clayton, spoke up.
"Yeah. Especially since I’m just wearing a leaf loincloth."
"You say that, but you don’t look cold at all."
"Maybe it’s because I’m still young."
"No, it’s because you’re built different. Seriously, looking at you up close... You’re ridiculously good-looking."
Before getting into the real filming, we exchanged some lighthearted banter to ease the tension.
Once the mood settled, the plane lifted off.
"Let’s make this the best day of my acting career! I’ll give it my all!"
"Looking forward to it!"
"Let’s do this!"
Aside from Rothersen and me, everyone else on board was a stunt double.
Which made sense.
This wasn't just a mildly dangerous stunt.
It was an aerial shoot where a single mistake could mean death.
How many actors would voluntarily take on something like this without using a stunt double?
‘Not many.’
Not only did you need extensive training, but you also needed the determination to do it.
Which was why, thankfully, the two exceptions were here together in this very plane.
Prrrrrrrrrrr.
The plane lifted higher and higher.
In the distance, I spotted the drone cameras.
And on the wing, a camera operator was hanging on for aerial shots.
Everything was ready.
Chhhhk.
A voice crackled **through the radio.
"-Donghu, once you give the signal, the cameraman will start rolling!"
Right on cue.
I made eye contact with the camera operator and gave a slow nod.
It was time to become Tarzan.
***
Watching Kim Donghu shift from smiling into full character,
"-I don’t like to scare people, but be careful."
"-What do you mean?"
Rothersen recalled a conversation he had with a colleague a while back.
Back during the script reading, his co-star had spoken seriously.
"-Donghu Kim... is an insanely good actor. But because of his face, it feels way too intense."
"-Too intense? What do you mean?"
His co-star had summed it up like this:
Every role has a certain appearance that fits.
And depending on how well an actor’s looks match the character, the level of synergy changes.
"-That’s just common sense, isn’t it?"
Rothersen had waved it off at the time.
"-Yeah, but with Donghu Kim, it’s different."
"-How different?"
"-He doesn’t just act the role. He becomes the role. It’s terrifying."
"-Terrifying?"
"-Yeah. You’re doing a dangerous scene with him soon, right? Just... don’t let it shake you."
William, who played Sabo the Leopard, had spoken with genuine concern.
He had insisted that it was a serious warning.
‘Back then, I didn’t get what he meant...’
But now, seeing Kim Donghu’s method acting in action, It made perfect sense.
"Clayton! Stop what you’re doing right now!"
The same words could carry completely different meanings depending on who said them.
And right now—
Tarzan wasn’t asking.
He was commanding.
"You damn beast! Who do you think you are to order me around? How arrogant!"
"This is your last warning! Stop!"
By this point in the story,
Tarzan had grasped human language and could express himself fluently.
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