Chapter 11

Villain Only Acting Chapter 11

Really Die in Episode 2? (1)

I can't concentrate.

This was Jeong Seohoon's honest thoughts.

'Why is everyone always looking at the script?'

How much time had they had, and they still hadn't memorized it?

How much of a part is this?

Everyone kept their eyes down, focused only on reading the script, making it feel very awkward.

He thought they would look at each other and deliver their lines directly, not like they were in a library.

Of course, everyone's voices were full of power.

It was a smooth reading, as one would expect from actors.

What can I say? It felt like trying to match the drill with new recruits.

'This is what acting is, huh.'

When he thought about it, when Song Jeongwoo and Kim Sanghee had praised him, he hadn't really been acting.

He had just portrayed a soldier as he was, reenacting his own experiences.

He had mixed in some acting, but it was firmly based on direct experience, not indirect imagination. That's why the PD and the writer had really liked it.

But now, feeling like he was wearing clothes that didn't fit, this was what 'acting' felt like.

Naturally, it wasn't in a good way.

'This is what they call forced acting.'

One of the precautions that Jeong Sooyeon had repeatedly emphasized came to mind.

Forced acting without the right emotion would be obvious, so one must always focus on emotional immersion.

- I kept failing because I couldn't do that.

- Didn't you say it was because the camera didn't like you?

- That's right. I couldn't do either. If I could do one, I might have overcome it somehow.

Scene #12.

Cha Dojin (played by Cha Dojin), a lazy lawyer, meets his appointed client at his desk.

A young man with a gloomy face enters, and Cha Dojin greets him half-heartedly.

Cha Dojin: Please come in. What brings you here?

Lee Jinwook: I was recently discharged as a private.

Cha Dojin: A private?

Lee Jinwook: Yes.

Cha Dojin: I see. Are you planning to sue the Ministry of National Defense?

Lee Jinwook: No, I've been sued.

Cha Dojin: Sued?

Lee Jinwook: I, I'm accused of killing my comrades... I really feel wronged, lawyer.

As the script reading continued, Cha Dojin felt a strange discomfort.

'This guy isn't even looking at the script?'

Every time he looked up while reading, Jeong Seohoon was staring at him intently.

'He must have memorized the script, trying to impress the director and writer or something.'

He must have prepared very diligently.

Perhaps he wanted to impress the production team and get a good impression.

If he had done this while matching his performance with other actors, Cha Dojin might have thought he was quite clever.

But as actors, they were on different levels.

A sense of arrogance began to rise.

He had already read the script several times.

Cha Dojin quickly memorized the upcoming lines and looked straight at Jeong Seohoon.

Just then, Song Jeongwoo PD was holding the camera himself, capturing both him and the unknown newcomer in the same shot.

He would show what true presence was.

With this intention, Cha Dojin put strength into his gaze and a firm weight into his voice.

"So, the client is claiming that he is wronged, right?"

***

The soldier's trained senses had been checking everything since Song Jeongwoo took out the camera.

It didn't have much significance.

It was just a habit ingrained in his body and soul, his senses observing and being alert to his surroundings.

But the moment the red light indicating recording came on.

'...!'

Suddenly, the surroundings began to distort, and the flow of time started to slow down.

At the same time, the pieces of the scenery began to fade away, replaced by a familiar smell.

The other actors, except for Cha Dojin, disappeared, and eventually, even the camera held by Song Jeongwoo vanished along with him.

No, upon closer inspection, the camera hadn't completely disappeared.

A transparent lens remained in the air, watching as if to see how well he would perform.

He hadn't noticed this the last time.

"So, the defendant is claiming that he is wronged, right?"

A heavy voice echoed.

The rigid atmosphere and this voice were unforgettable.

Now, he was sitting bound in a military courtroom.

On the high bench, a judge with Cha Dojin's face looked down at him coldly.

The very trial that Rashid had faced, accused of killing a superior officer.

How could he forget?

The emotions that had surged like an explosion at that time came back to life instantly.

"I did not commit a crime. I am wronged."

The joy of being back in the scene created by this camera.

The refreshing feeling of the frustration that had weighed on his heart being washed away.

A faint smirk mixed into his expression.

Cha Dojin was slightly taken aback.

'What? Did he interpret the character like that?'

Lee Jinwook was in a very wronged position, and in Episode 2, he would end up committing suicide, with his body never found.

If it were him, he would have portrayed it in a very painful and intense way to make an impact.

It was also important to adjust so as not to stand out too much in the drama's color and not to be overly dramatic.

The other actor didn't seem to be giving a particularly bad performance.

But beneath the expression of being wronged, a subtle smirk was mixed in.

It was a small mistake, as if he had thought of his girlfriend he had just started dating while acting.

'This kid, he's not supposed to act like that in this scene.'

And there was no way that the meticulous Song PD and Kim writer would let it slide.

'I might get a scolding. If I'm unlucky, I might even be replaced.'

It's not uncommon for actors to be replaced during script readings.

Cha Dojin decided to stop paying attention to his co-star.

After that, he focused only on immersing himself in the flow of the script without even looking up.

"Good job."

"Thank you."

After the first script reading, everyone got up with relieved expressions and exchanged greetings.

Jeong Seohoon also received a greeting from the supporting actress sitting next to him.

"Good job. You did well. It's a shame you only appear in Episode 2 and then die."

Her name was Hwang Rahui.

Jeong Seohoon nodded in acknowledgment.

"Yes, thank you."

"Indeed, it seems like someone directly cast by Song PD. I also found it helpful to watch."

"Thank you."

As Hwang Shin-yoon passed by, he briefly greeted, "Good job."

After that, no one greeted Jeong Seohoon.

***

There is something called the atmosphere of the set.

While watching the actors' performances or script readings, the staff get a sense of it, and the actors evaluate each other silently while matching their performances.

Ah, he must have practiced a lot.

He's going to be cut.

He might get a bit of a scolding.

That person doesn't seem to like their co-star.

And so on.

Jeong Sooyeon, overhearing the conversation, frowned inwardly.

'It seemed fine to me...'

Of course, she might have been biased because they were siblings.

If the experienced veteran actor Lee Min-soo saw it that way, it must be correct.

'His acting isn't bad, but what does it mean that the texture doesn't match?'

***

After roughly tidying up the set, Song Jeongwoo and Kim Sanghee were repeatedly reviewing the acting scenes they had filmed.

Kim Sanghee was particularly excited.

"Look at this. This expression. It's exactly what I imagined. PD, did you give him any specific direction for this?"

"No. I didn't. We usually see how they interpret it first before giving direction."

"That subtle hint of a smile that barely shows is the key. Later, when viewers come back, they'll realize, 'Ah, that's what it was,' and it will hit them like a plot twist."

"Indeed. I was surprised that Mr. Jeong Seohoon brought that out without any explanation."

"I gave Mr. Seohoon a character explanation. The first meeting between Cha Dojin and Lee Jinwook, from Lee Jinwook's perspective, is like a ritual of confession in a bamboo forest for the murders he will commit later."

"He didn't think that Cha Dojin would keep chasing him because of this. I know, I know. I've heard it so many times it's like blood in my ears."

"Even if I give a detailed character explanation, many actors mess up the character analysis. But Mr. Jeong Seohoon did it as if he had crawled right out of my mind."

"Usually, they only show the attitude of being wronged. They wouldn't do this unless it was a well-executed foreshadowing performance."

"But Mr. Lee Min-soo's eyes are definitely sharp. He pinpointed that the texture was different."

"Mr. Lee thought he would die in Episode 2."

The actor had shown the character he had created in its entirety, as if it had crawled out of his mind.

Kim Sanghee, delighted, watched the scene several times and said,

"His acting was definitely different when the camera was on him versus when it wasn't, right?"

"Definitely. He's a real pro."

"I love actors with such strong nerves."

Really Die in Episode 2? (2)