Chapter 77

< Expansion (6) >

The water truck at the scene of the 'drug dealer' seemed to have broken down, continuously spraying a torrent of rain.

- Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Apart from the sound of the heavy rain, no human voices could be heard at the scene. It was strange. It wasn't buried by the harsh sound of the rain. Even though there were over 60 people gathered, no one spoke a word.

“...”

“...”

The supporting actor who had just barely asked everyone a question looked around. Soon, he realized.

Ah, no one is in a position to answer my question.

Main and supporting actors, staff, production and distribution company personnel, and others—all of them were silent, just staring at the same spot. It was the direction where the new actor, who had been a stand-in or a filler, had briefly swept through the shooting area.

Their expressions were similar.

Dilated pupils, slightly open mouths, furrowed brows, slightly flaring nostrils. It was the kind of expression one would have after being slapped in the back of the head. In a way, it was as if they had been hit hard.

For a few dozen seconds.

- Swoosh.

The first to show movement among the frozen people were the actors.

‘...Good. But why can they do so well? They only had a brief look at the script. How can they act as if they’ve memorized it for over a month?’

The actors' thoughts, which had been frozen, began to stir, and they started to reflect on what they had seen.

‘When I first arrived at the scene and did the first scene, which was a revised one. Even without NGs, it’s one thing, but they went in without any emotional buildup. Why is it so genuine?’

Even though he saw it with his own eyes, it was hard to digest. It felt like a heavy weight in his chest.

‘Honestly... I thought a newly debuted actor would still have some of the rookie smell. But except for that, I can’t find anything. Is he already at a level where he can separate his acting? Did he reach this level in just three weeks after receiving the script?’

The 'drug dealer' scene had many skilled actors, which made the situation even more perplexing. It had surpassed the bounds of common sense.

No one could even gasp in amazement.

The actors were merely trying to understand the monster's performance in their own ways, without speaking to each other.

‘He has the makings of a great actor, to the point where it’s strange why he’s doing a stand-in. The problem is that there’s not a single hint of being a rookie in his acting, technique, or impact.’

The actors sensed that asking would yield no answers.

On the other hand.

Kang Ujin, who had been standing still after brushing past the large camera.

“...”

It had been a few minutes since Ujin saw the eerie staircase. He was starting to feel a bit puzzled.

‘What is it? Did I make a mistake?’

It was too quiet. According to the storyboard, the scene was clearly over. There should have been an OK or an NG. But there was nothing.

‘No, I didn’t make a mistake. I was scared because there were so many people, but the subspace couldn’t have been wrong. So my acting must have been nearly perfect. Whatever, I’ll just wait a bit.’

Kang Ujin chose to wait, maintaining a poker face. The increased humidity made him feel a bit cold, but what could he do?

‘More importantly, I’m a bit worried about that extra actor. Is his throat okay?’

As Ujin thought about the extra actor who had stuffed a cigarette down his throat, a middle-aged man standing next to him was looking at Kang Ujin with a slightly dazed expression.

‘This guy is really... crazy.’

It was the main director, Im Sang-ho, who had been the closest to Kang Ujin’s performance from start to finish on this set. Im Sang-ho had felt a sense of strangeness from the moment Ujin got out of the car as 'Isang-man'.

‘Not only is his acting amazing, but he did it all in one take without any breaks, without any time to adapt?’

Kang Ujin was incredibly smooth. Despite this being his first time on this vast set with all the staff and actors, he showed no hesitation. It was as if he had been part of this set from the beginning.

‘Does he not feel any pressure? As a rookie? Especially with the production and distribution company people all gathered here?’

Is this even possible? In Im Sang-ho’s 20 years of experience, he had never seen an actor like this.

Im Sang-ho, a 20-year veteran director, found Kang Ujin to be almost alien-like. Even his composure was remarkable. With hundreds of eyes watching and evaluating him, Kang Ujin remained completely calm, showing no signs of tension as he delivered his incredible performance.

‘No, he even seems a bit indifferent.’

At this moment, the expressionless Kang Ujin looked up at the stairs and shivered slightly, rubbing his arm inconspicuously. Soon, Im Sang-ho furrowed his brow.

‘Could it be... he’s already preparing for the next drug injection scene? No, he’s already in the zone. He’s visualizing it in his mind.’

Kang Ujin was glancing at the upper stairs, muttering to himself.

‘Damn. Is there a fan up there? It’s so cold. I’m getting chills. How long do I have to wait?’

At this moment.

“...Cu, cut!!”

Finally, a call came from outside the building through a megaphone. It was Director Kim Do-hee’s signal. Thanks to this, Ujin turned his body calmly and made eye contact with the director. Im Sang-ho spoke first.

“Have you got the emotion and tone for the next scene down?”

The composed Kang Ujin tilted his head slightly inside.

‘What’s this short-eyed uncle suddenly saying?’

Is it some kind of professional signal? Ujin decided not to think too deeply about it.

“Yes, more or less.”

“Huh. Indeed, the extras and staff praised you highly. I’m quite close to the art director of the extras, so I asked about Ujin. He said that when shooting with Ujin, he would be too busy watching to do his job. He said the character jumps out of the script and into reality.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, but I didn’t quite believe it. I thought it was a bit exaggerated.”

The director paused and chuckled.

“Even if he had exaggerated it a hundred times, it wouldn’t have been a problem for an actor like Ujin.”

Caught off guard by the sudden praise, Kang Ujin didn’t know what to do. Well, it’s embarrassing. Director Kim Do-hee, with his tousled hair, entered the building at the right moment.

“Ujin!”

She grabbed Kang Ujin’s hand, accompanied by an assistant director and a few staff members. What is it? Ujin was naturally startled, but he managed to remain calm. He couldn’t let his guard down in the concept.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Shi... No, I’m sorry. I got too excited and swore. - Ujin, you really blew me away! I can’t believe it even though I saw it with my own eyes. How did you do it? You only had a few minutes to look at the script?”

What can I say? I just went into the subspace. But I can’t say that. Kang Ujin put on a mix of appropriate arrogance and restraint.

“I followed the script.”

“Ha... Ha. That’s not possible, right?”

Regardless, Director Kim Do-hee’s mood was already floating high. Though he felt bad, he no longer thought about the actor Oh Jun-woo, who had been replaced.

‘This is a perfect turn of events. No, I’ve never been so captivated by an actor’s performance while directing before.’

She had already seen 'Kim Ryu-jin' and 'Park Daeri' dozens of times for research. But the 'Isang-man' that Ujin showed had not a single trace of either of them.

The 'Isang-man' that Director Kim Do-hee had envisioned.

It wasn’t something common or seen before. It was new and fresh, yet familiar. Director Kim Do-hee was genuinely moved by the composed Kang Ujin. It was a misunderstanding, but it was still genuine.

‘A hardworking genius? Given his busy schedule, he must have analyzed my script and 'Isang-man' to death. There’s no way such detail could come out otherwise.’

As a director, the only way to repay him was one.

“Ujin, let’s do the same scene again. The last one was according to the storyboard, but this time, we’ll reduce the lighting and focus the camera more on the front.”

“Understood.”

This composed monster had brought out 'Isang-man' with great effort, and now he would make it even more realistic. Soon, Director Kim Do-hee, with a battle-ready look, ran outside and shouted to the water truck.

“Make the rain even stronger!”

At the same time, the director of photography patted Kang Ujin’s shoulder and resolved.

“If the shot is lacking, it’s my fault, so I’ll have to try my hardest. I can’t be embarrassed, so leave it to me. I’ll make it as good as possible.”

The morale of the production team was rising on its own.

“Thank you.”

If they’re going to do a good job, there’s no reason to stop them. Ah, but if their enthusiasm increases, will the workday get longer? Kang Ujin, feeling a strange emotion, stepped outside. The extras and staff were already preparing for the reshoot.

Among them, the extras and supporting actors were whispering about Ujin.

“He’s a great actor.”

“I saw him up close, and his eyes were just... Honestly, Oh Jun-woo wasn’t that good.”

“Shh, listen to the staff. But Kang Ujin isn’t just hot for no reason. His acting is really amazing.”

Regardless, Kang Ujin approached the extra who had been the stand-in.

“Excuse me.”

The extra actor was drenched, and his makeup for the bruised face was freshly reapplied. He flinched when he saw Ujin.

“Yes?!”

“Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I was wondering if your throat is uncomfortable or anything.”

“Oh... No! I’m fine!”

“I’m sorry. I’ll try to do it as quickly as possible without NGs.”

“Yes, sir! Don’t worry about it.”

“No, I should be concerned.”

Kang Ujin, speaking softly, gave a small nod to the extras and walked towards the parked car. The extras, who had been watching Ujin’s back, were a bit dazed.

“Thought he’d be cold, but is it just me who’s swooning?”

One by one, they started to fall for Kang Ujin.

“Not only is his acting great, but his character is top-notch too.”

A few dozen minutes later.

The preparation for the reshoot of the same scene was complete. The entire setup in the shooting area was the same as before. Even more so.

“What do you think? Since it’s the second time, will it be different?”

“If he adds a different flavor to that quality, it’ll be insane.”

“Will it go without NGs again?”

“Maybe.”

The 60 or more onlookers were still in place. Not a single person had left. The actors were even closer to the set, and the staff were huddled around Director Kim Do-hee. The executives from the production and distribution companies were the same. The cohesion of the circle surrounding the shooting area was incredibly tight.

Choi Sung-geun, with his spiky hair, standing a few steps away, laughed in disbelief.

“It’s like a zoo.”

Han Ye-jung, holding a script, chimed in.

“It’s understandable. It wasn’t given to him the day before, but he received it right on set, and Ujin didn’t change his expression at all. I can see why the skilled actors are captivated.”

However, Choi Sung-geun, with his arms crossed, focused on something else.

“Everyone is distracted by that, but I’m amazed by the completion of 'Isang-man'. In his busy schedule, when did he manage to perfect it to this level?”

A level of completion that no one on set could complain about or should not complain about.

“Moreover, Ujin isn’t just focused on 'Drug Dealer'. He’s working on other projects too.”

“Ah.”

Choi Sung-geun recalled when Kang Ujin had finished shooting for 'Hanryang' and was already working on the character for 'Island of the Missing', including a recent Japanese project. He was currently handling at least five projects.

This was a fact only the Kang Ujin team knew.

“If they knew this, the dozens of people here would be shocked, for sure.”

At this moment, Director Kim Do-hee raised the megaphone.

“Water truck! Alright, camera rolling! Action!”

The reshoot began. Kang Ujin got out of the car. No, it was Isang-man. Isang-man was no less than the first Isang-man.

“Come closer. You’re all getting wet.”

It wasn’t the same, though. It was even more vivid and lifelike. The wobbly yet firm atmosphere, the detailed movements like scratching his arm, and the soft gaze captured by the camera.

A more intense and deeper Isang-man was born, surpassing the first.

“Brother! Save me! I must have been crazy! Please! Brother!”

The repeated readings and reshoots were a process of infusing life into Isang-man. The heat on the set intensified despite the pouring rain.

“Ah, do it.”

“...Yes?”

“Ah, do it. Open your mouth.”

Isang-man, crouching, grabbed the head of his subordinate, who was drenched in rain. Just as he was about to put the wet cigarette in his mouth,

- Swoosh.

The wet head of the subordinate made Isang-man’s hand slip. Instantly, Kang Ujin realized his mistake.

‘Ah.’

The short hair of the subordinate and the heavy rain contributed to the slip. As a result, the crouching Kang Ujin lost his balance.

- Thud.

Due to the force, Ujin hugged the bruised subordinate. It was very natural. This was a shot that was not in the script. Therefore, the hugged subordinate.

‘Huh?’

And Kang Ujin, who had hugged the subordinate.

‘Damn.’

He paused for a moment. At this moment, Director Kim Do-hee, who was monitoring the performance, furrowed her brow.

“...He hugged?”

Most importantly, the expressions of the main and supporting actors were all serious.

‘Is it an ad-lib? From a rookie in his first scene?’

‘It’s an ad-lib.’

‘An ad-lib. Did he plan this too?’

And at this moment.

At a major film company, MV Films, two people were sitting face to face, already deeply influenced by a misunderstanding. No one else was visible.

The legendary director Kwon Gi-taek, with a warm smile.

“I’m counting on you. I have high expectations.”

The top actor, Ryu Jeong-min, maintaining his baby perm.

“I’m honored, Director.”