Life is Easier If You're Handsome-Chapter 223

Filming Tarzan had been a challenge before production started.

But the moment the cameras rolled, everything moved smoothly and relentlessly forward.

One of the biggest reasons was that there weren’t many complicated acting demands.

Most of the animals surrounding Tarzan were CGI,

which meant there were far fewer variables to manage.

Because of that, the early scenes were wrapped up in less than two weeks.

There was almost no need for retakes.

Kim Donghu’s performance was flawless.

"Is it today?"

"Yeah, today’s the day we get to see that scene again."

And so, after a smooth shoot, today marked the return of something the cast and crew had witnessed before—

The sheer, chilling intensity from the script reading.

"I wonder how it’ll feel in real life? That terrifying presence, but in actual performance."

"I dunno, man... today’s the first time I’ve ever believed killing intent was a real thing."

"Agreed. I always thought that was just an exaggerated trope in animation."

The staff was buzzing with excitement for today’s shoot.

And for good reason.

This was the battle scene between Tarzan and Sabo.

To add more realism, the fight had been choreographed as a light wrestling match.

Since Sabo was meant to be bigger than Tarzan,

his actor, William Smith, was a massive man—nearly 2 meters tall.

A wrestling match at that size and scale?

Even knowing it was choreographed, there was no way not to get hyped.

As the crew chatted—

"Thanks for showing up exactly on time, everyone."

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Director McGroy scanned the fully prepped set, nodding in satisfaction.

The current time? 8:00 AM.

To have everything ready by now, the crew had needed to arrive by 6:00 AM at the latest.

The schedule was tight, but there was a reason for this pace.

"It’s because Donghu Kim keeps showing up so damn early."

"Yeah, right? He’s always here at least an hour and a half before call time... Can’t exactly keep the lead actor waiting."

Even small things could affect a film’s image in major ways.

If the lead actor was spotted alone on set, with no crew around?

That could easily be misinterpreted.

"If that leaked, rumors could spread that the movie was falling apart."

And if such a rumor gained traction, it could seriously impact box office performance.

In Hollywood, things like that mattered.

That’s why they had lied to Kim Donghu about his actual call time,

telling him to come two hours later than the real schedule.

Meanwhile, the crew showed up early to prep everything.

That way, when Donghu arrived—

"Wow... does the set always get prepared this quickly?"

"Haha, this is Hollywood, my friend. Of course!"

"That’s impressive."

Everything would already be in place,

and they could immediately start shooting.

Ironically, this forced efficiency had actually made filming far smoother.

Lazy people couldn’t keep up with the pace,

so they quit on their own.

Only the most dedicated remained,

creating a self-filtering system that ensured nothing slowed the production down.

Anyway—

"I’m ready!"

Sabo’s actor, William, stepped out in his motion capture suit.

With that, final preparations were complete.

"Alright! As soon as Donghu is ready, we roll!"

"Got it!"

Now, it was time to capture the epic battle between Tarzan and Sabo.

***

"Not today. I won’t just get steamrolled this time."

Right before the shoot began, William Smith lightly slapped his cheeks, psyching himself up.

Smack. Smack.

"Last time, I got overwhelmed. But today is different."

William Smith had been cast as Sabo for one major reason—

his massive frame and his ability to control it effortlessly.

He had been a wrestler all through college,

making him the perfect choice to play the fierce and powerful predator.

This scene was where Sabo attacks Kochek and then meets Tarzan.

Scanning the impeccably built set, William marveled at how much it resembled the animated jungle.

The towering trees, the thick vines, the dense foliage—

everything looked exactly like the movie.

But his admiration was cut short by something that made his breath catch.

"Whoa..."

This wasn’t just inner admiration.

This was a genuine, involuntary reaction.

Kim Donghu had arrived on set.

The signature Tarzan hairstyle—

a perfectly styled wig.

A physique even more powerful than the animated version.

The primitive stone spear, the loincloth of woven leaves—

Tarzan had stepped out of the screen.

"Looking forward to working with you."

"Same here. Let’s do our best."

Right before the director’s cue, the two exchanged a brief, professional nod.

"Cue!"

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The instant McGroy gave the signal, both actors charged at each other with fierce intensity.

This wasn’t just wild brawling—

it was a choreographed sparring match, meant to look brutal but follow a pre-planned rhythm.

As rehearsed, they moved into the designated action path

and collided head-on—

BOOM!

According to the script,

Tarzan was supposed to be knocked backward upon impact.

But—

"?!"

Instead, William—playing Sabo—was the one sent flying backward.

"What kind of strength... No, seriously... Is this guy a real gorilla?!"

William was stunned.

The height difference between them was about 14cm.

Their weight difference had to be at least 20kg.

And yet—

he had been the one knocked down?!

This was a first in his 33 years of life.

"Sabo... I’ll kill you and wear your skin."

A deep, guttural snarl erupted from Tarzan’s throat.

Not a human voice—

but the growl of a predator.

William was still reeling from the impact

when Tarzan charged forward again, eyes locked on his prey.

Even though the spear was a prop, it didn’t feel like one.

The way Kim Donghu held it, the way his muscles flexed as he moved—

the threat level was off the charts.

"Is that... an actual spear?!"

The pressure was suffocating.

The most terrifying part, however, was Donghu’s movements.

Like a man who had truly lived among gorillas,

his motions were wild yet controlled,

his ability to climb trees effortlessly, the way he moved through the jungle—

Every single detail was shocking.

For the first time in his life, William truly felt like prey.

"No. No way. There’s no way I’m losing in raw strength."

Shaking off his hesitation, William forced himself to focus.

He drew upon his wrestling instincts,

tightened his grip, and steeled his nerves—

Just in time to face Tarzan, who was now swinging toward him on a vine.

SWOOSH!

According to the choreography,

this was where William was supposed to get hit and fall back.

But—

"Th-Those eyes...!"

The moment he locked eyes with Kim Donghu—

his entire body froze.

These weren’t just intense eyes.

They were the eyes of a killer.

Not acting.

Not pretending to be a wild beast.

But the real thing.

He couldn’t move.

His body refused to respond.

He wasn’t supposed to be scared,

but his instincts betrayed him.

Ironically, the thing that finally forced his body into action

was something deeply ingrained—

His wrestling muscle memory.

THUNK!

On pure reflex, his arms shot up—

one grabbing Donghu’s left shoulder,

the other gripping his right wrist.

"Huh?"

That was the telltale setup for a wrestling takedown move.

But the window was too short for the crew to intervene.

"Is this an ad-lib?"

Kim Donghu didn’t seem bothered.

Instead, the moment William grabbed him,

he immediately adjusted—

Dropping the spear, locking his # Nоvеlight # legs around William’s waist,

and delivering a controlled yet precise blow to his ribs.

Not with full strength—just 50%.

"KUGH!"

The impact shook William’s entire body.

The shock snapped him out of his paralysis.

Realizing what had happened—and that he had almost ruined the scene—

he immediately followed through with the planned choreography.

THUD!

He launched himself backward,

perfectly selling the attack and fall.

Even though it was acting—

"...If I wasn’t wearing protective gear, my ribs would have shattered."

Still gasping for breath, William looked up

to see Kim Donghu still watching him like a predator eyeing wounded prey.

The focus in those eyes had never wavered,

even through a completely unplanned moment.

"Are all Korean actors like this...?"

As William struggled to process everything,

the director’s voice rang out—

"Okay, CUT! That was great! The action just now looked incredible!"

McGroy was completely oblivious to what had just happened.

"I should apologize."

William knew he needed to get up and explain.

But—

He couldn’t move.

Even with protective padding,

his insides had taken a massive hit.

His body wasn’t responding.

In all honesty—

"I just want to close my eyes and collapse."

But he held on.

Not out of pride.

Not out of professionalism.

But for one single reason—

"I do NOT want this to end up in the behind-the-scenes footage."

A man’s pride was on the line.

***

With Tarzan's casting finalized and filming progressing smoothly,

the news quickly spread across the United States.

And the ones who reacted the fastest were—

"What? Kim Donghu is in the U.S. right now?!"

None other than the professional boxing organizations.

To be honest, they didn’t care about actor Kim Donghu.

"Doesn’t matter what movie he’s shooting."

"We don’t have time to care about some Hollywood actor."

But boxer Kim Donghu?

That was an entirely different story.

"Once he’s done filming, he’ll have to promote the movie, right?"

"Of course."

"Now tell me, what was stopping us from getting Donghu Kim in the ring before? Money? No."

The real reason was simple.

Their interests never aligned.

More specifically, Kim Donghu’s interests never aligned with theirs.

He was too powerful, standing at the top of negotiations.

From his perspective, there was zero reason to step back into the boxing world.

But now—he was in Hollywood.

That meant press tours, public appearances, and exposure.

And if he was already in the U.S.—

"Tell me—what could be better promotional material than a championship match?"

Among the four major boxing federations,

three of them—

WBA, IBF, and WBO—

all based in the U.S.—

held a brief meeting.

And within minutes,

they collectively launched their move.

A single tweet—

『 Hey, Tarzan. Stop calling yourself the king of the wild.

Come prove it in the ring. Let’s see how you handle modern warfare. 』

It was a blatant challenge.

The opening shot in a war to bring Kim Donghu back to the ring.