Chapter 9

Yeah, that's it. That one (1)

“So, when is Oppa coming?”

PD Yoo Jong-won, who had moved to the set built right next to her, turned his head.

The lead actress of this drama, Choi Ji-yeon, was lingering around even after her scene was over, as usual, talking about her brother.

“Aren’t you going? Don’t you have a movie shoot today?”

“That ended a while ago.”

“Didn’t you say you started last month? It ended so quickly?”

“Yes. I died. Killed by a serial killer. Gasp.”

She drew a line across her throat with her thumb.

“You said it was a romantic comedy.”

“Romantic comedy thriller.”

...You really mix everything up, don’t you?

PD Yoo Jong-won shook his head and said,

“Then go home and rest a bit. You know you won’t be able to rest even if you want to from now on, right?”

“I was going to anyway. I just want to see who my Oppa is. How can it be that I don’t even know who my real brother is at this age? Sob, sob. Is Mom really my biological mom?”

“You’re writing a melodrama that’s not even in the script. Don’t be a writer.”

“Why not? This kind of thing is popular these days. Seaweed slap!”

“Don’t say that in front of Writer Seo. You’ll have to listen to a one-hour lecture on well-made dramas if you get caught.”

Choi Ji-yeon, startled, pretended to zip her mouth shut.

PD Yoo Jong-won, who suddenly felt very tired, rubbed his eyes.

Even so, he didn’t send Choi Ji-yeon away to hide Baek Seung-kyul.

Since Choi Ji-yeon, the lead actress, would inevitably meet Baek Seung-kyul, who was playing her brother, it was bound to happen soon.

It was going to be a scene in the near future.

Quietly shooing the chattering Choi Ji-yeon to a corner, he checked the set reflected in the field monitor.

For a daily drama, they had spent a bit more money, and it was definitely worth it. The details were different. The details.

As PD Yoo Jong-won was becoming a materialist, a shadow fell over him.

It was Baek Seung-kyul, dressed neatly for today’s content.

“PD, hello.”

“Oh, Mr. Seung-kyul is here? We’re about to start the test shoot.”

“Understood.”

Baek Seung-kyul, who was about to head to the set, stopped and looked around, fidgeting with the script in his hand.

“You can just leave that here.”

“Oh, right.”

Baek Seung-kyul put the script on a makeshift table and headed to the set.

PD Yoo Jong-won watched him closely.

‘He seems too tense.’

It’s understandable. After all, it’s been over a decade since he last acted in front of a camera.

He thought Baek Seung-kyul might stutter from nervousness at first, but Choi Ji-yeon suddenly appeared beside him.

“Is that him? Wow, he’s handsome.”

“Is that what you notice first?”

“Probably not a viewer, though.”

...Even as a ten-year PD, he had to admit it was a valid response.

Still, Choi Ji-yeon didn’t seem surprised by anything other than his appearance.

She didn’t recognize him as Haebyeol.

Well, even if she had seen Haebyeol’s shows, she probably wouldn’t recognize Baek Seung-kyul, who was now in his mid-20s.

‘Unless she watched his MVs.’

PD Yoo Jong-won didn’t reveal Baek Seung-kyul’s identity.

He was curious.

How would people react to his acting if they didn’t know who he was?

#

Standing in the middle of the set, it feels like a reunion of separated families.

The cameras’ gaze on me, the lights shining down, and even the unique smell of this place.

Even though it’s a new broadcasting station, this smell is here. Is it from the props?

‘It’s so moving.’

This atmosphere...

It’s been so long.

I pretended to be indifferent and endured for 13 years, but now that I’m here, I realize how much I missed acting.

And while my emotional side is overwhelmed, my rational side keeps warning me.

That I’ve stepped back into this place, which was both my greatest joy and my greatest frustration.

That there’s no turning back now.

“Alright, the camera team, get ready for the test shoot. The camera will just check the screen, not record. Mr. Seung-kyul, the camera isn’t rolling, so try to relax.”

The pressure that had been building since the hallway finally overflowed.

I closed my eyes slightly, clenched my fists until they bled, and took a slow, deep breath.

“Action!”

I opened my eyes to the echoing voice.

It’s no longer just words. Not just lines.

It’s just An Juyeon’s actions. My current state, preparing for the audition.

“Damn... I’m nervous.”

I said something that wasn’t a line.

I did something that wasn’t in the script.

“Hello. Hello. Ahem. Ah. My name is... Ahem. A-E-I-O-U, A-E-I-O-U. Ugh, I’m going crazy.”

And...

“Cut!”

The moment PD Yoo Jong-won’s voice rang in my ears, time seemed to stop. An Juyeon’s time stopped.

I lowered my hand from my head and came out of my immersion.

A very short scene had ended.

In that moment, Baek Seung-kyul had completely disappeared, and only the character remained.

In that moment, I felt an overwhelming thrill, and my body was shaking with excitement.

“Why did I even do a test? That was really good just now!”

PD Yoo Jong-won, who was loudly regretting it, and the crew around him, who were looking at me with surprised expressions.

Ha ha. A laugh escaped me. What can I do? It’s just too enjoyable!

I smiled naturally and said to PD Yoo Jong-won,

“I’ll do even better this time.”

“Good, good. Let’s go again with that feeling.”

The real shooting started. The scene was done in one take. The same for the shots from different angles.

The pace picked up.

The more it did, the faster I erased Baek Seung-kyul. The faster I could immerse myself as An Juyeon.

“Good, good. No, Mr. Seung-kyul, it’s too good?”

“Ha ha, thank you.”

We moved on to the next scene.

This time, it wasn’t a solo scene. There was another actor to complete the scene with me.

A woman in her late 30s approached the set.

From what I heard from the assistant writer, she was a supporting actress who had been in theater for a long time.

“Hello, hello. Nice to meet you.”

She bowed repeatedly as she entered the set.

The first thing I noticed was her unfocused eyes.

Then I saw that her hands were trembling slightly.

It wasn’t obvious at first glance, but they were definitely shaking.

Is this her first time on set?

It seemed she needed some time, but the shooting had already started.

“Alright, action!”

Fortunately, the scene where the coffee spills on me only required a few more white shirts to be dirtied.

But the problem was what came next.

She was so nervous, and sure enough...

“Uh...”

Just before the shoot, she looked flustered.

Her eyes darted around, searching for something.

She was clearly looking for the printed script.

I had seen this situation a few times on sets long ago.

Actors who, due to nervousness, had a blank mind and couldn’t even remember where they put their script.

For leads, it was just a matter of apologizing and asking their manager to find it, but for supporting actors, it was different.

I watched for a while, and when I couldn’t stand it anymore, I spoke up.

“Miss.”

“Yes, yes?”

“While they move the lights, shall we practice a bit?”

“Uh, but I’m...”

I calmly said to her, who was at a loss,

“What should we do? Why were you standing in front of someone else’s mirror? Your clothes are all dirty. Let’s see... Is this expensive? While you ask that and try to wipe it with your hand, I’ll move to the side.”

Her mouth, which had been trying to say something, froze open.

She stared at me with wide eyes.

I raised my voice casually.

“Do you know what to do next?”

“Yes, yes. Ah, I know.”

“Shall we try it once?”

We practiced briefly. Despite being extremely nervous about her first camera shoot, her acting was flawless.

It was so frustrating to be so immersed as An Juyeon.

I need to go to an audition soon, but what’s wrong with my clothes!

Finally, cut, okay. The scene ended with those two words, and she, who had done her part well, said to me,

“...Really, really thank you.”

I completely erased the look of confusion from my eyes. As I came out of my immersion, I smiled.

“I’m the one who’s grateful for your great performance.”

#

Today, PD Yoo Jong-won was well-prepared for the shoot.

After all, a daily drama is a continuous drama.

A series of intense shoots.

A two-hour movie might shoot three or four scenes a day. A drama that airs twice a week might shoot over ten scenes a day. So, how many scenes would a daily drama need to shoot?

To keep up with the volume, he had to continue shooting without being flustered by any situation.

But he was flustered.

Not because Baek Seung-kyul’s acting had improved even more.

That was an expected part.

He already knew from multiple meetings that Baek Seung-kyul’s acting was solid.

It was only natural that he would do even better with the script in hand.

‘Of course, he’s doing even better than expected...’

The problem was the consistency.

The fatigue that accumulates with each scene is immense.

It’s the biggest reason why even the most acclaimed actors often avoid drama shoots.

There’s no way to hide when your bottom line is exposed in relentless shooting.

That’s why daily dramas are called “acting-eating dramas” among actors.

But...

‘He’s not being eaten at all. Not at all.’

Baek Seung-kyul’s acting remained consistent through each scene.

It was seamless and precise.

Here, like this, there, like that.

He had a clear standard for An Juyeon, and he never deviated from it.

‘I was surprised at every meeting, but I never thought I’d be this impressed here.’

As he thought this, he watched Baek Seung-kyul through the field monitor. He saw him talking to the supporting actress.

A voice came through the earpiece he was wearing on one ear.

PD Yoo Jong-won, who had been listening quietly, let out a hollow laugh.

He was pretending to practice with the supporting actress while actually giving her her lines.

Putting aside that talent... did he memorize all the lines of the opposite role too?

PD Yoo Jong-won’s gaze suddenly fell on the script he had left behind.

Just by looking at the cover, you could tell how much he had tortured it.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he reached out.

As the pages flipped, an overwhelming amount of information came into view.

This... I would believe he wrote another script on top of this one.

He had even analyzed the roles of other actors.

PD Yoo Jong-won felt goosebumps on his arm as he tried to close the script, but Choi Ji-yeon, who had approached from the side, let out an admiring voice.

“Wow, what is all this...”