An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 98

98. #20 – In a Strange Place (1)

I was eating chicken breast, diligently working towards my target weight.

Manager Kim approached me with a worried expression.

“Heeseong, you’re really putting yourself through it.”

“Hey, it’s nothing. I need to be this prepared for the role,” I replied casually with a shrug.

He nodded and handed me a box filled with low-calorie snacks.

“What’s this?” I asked, examining the contents.

He replied, his lips still downturned in concern, “You must be exhausted from practicing so much every day, and you’re even controlling your diet. Eat these snacks in between.”

My lips naturally curled into a smile at Manager Kim’s thoughtfulness.

“Thanks, hyung [older brother or close male friend]. But don’t worry, I’m eating well and exercising.”

“Still… after this movie shoot, let’s go eat something really delicious.”

“Haha, I will.”

Manager Kim looked me up and down. “You’ve really lost a lot of weight. It’s a clear difference.”

At his words, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, a proud look on my face.

Effort never betrays you.

There were many moments of crisis due to the sudden and drastic diet.

But each time, I read the script to suppress my appetite.

The rising corners of my lips were impossible to hide, seeing such clear results.

“If I keep pushing until filming, I think I can definitely reach my target weight.”

Manager Kim smiled at my words, spoken with the enthusiasm of a child. “You’ve worked so hard. Director Kang will be surprised when he sees you at the script reading next week, right?”

“Yeah. The script reading is already next week.”

Manager Kim nodded.

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he clapped his hands. “That’s right. Heeseong, the final movie lineup is out.”

“Oh, tell me.”

He pulled a piece of paper from his planner and handed it to me. I immediately scanned the document.

“The leads are Han Sia, Seo Hyena… I already knew about these actors.”

I checked the names with my finger and slowly flipped through the pages. Then, the last lead role, marked as vacant, caught my eye.

-Lead: Undecided.

“Huh? This spot is still undecided?” I looked up at Manager Kim and asked.

He shifted his gaze to where my finger pointed. “Ah, it’s been decided now. I just got a call…”

Before he could finish, I eagerly interrupted. “So, who is it?”

I swallowed hard, looking intently at Manager Kim.

“Song Yuna. I heard it was finalized today.”

…Song Yuna.

The thought of meeting her again like this left me speechless.

I looked at the script and slowly considered the role. “If it’s this role… Song Yuna would suit it quite well.”

Manager Kim strongly agreed with my quiet murmur. “Yeah, I think she’ll really bring the character to life, right?”

I slowly nodded. Working with Song Yuna… it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

***

For a week, I intensified both script practice and the final push of my diet.

And then, the day of the script reading finally arrived.

As soon as I got out of the car, I checked my appearance in the side mirror.

“Heeseong, let’s go up,” Manager Kim said.

“Okay.”

Manager Kim and I headed to the script reading room.

When I opened the door and stepped inside, some actors had already arrived. It was full of actors I was meeting for the first time, but I quickly approached them.

“Hello, I’m Jin Heeseong.”

“Yes, hello. I’m Seo Hyena,” she greeted me with a bright smile.

Han Sia, who was already seated, also came over to greet me kindly. “Oh my, Heeseong-ssi [formal title]. I’m Han Sia. Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, Sia-ssi. Nice to meet you too.”

She smiled and said, “Heeseong-ssi, I really enjoyed your drama.”

“Haha, thank you. I’m honored that Sia-ssi watched my drama.”

“The honor is all mine. I’m honored to be filming with you. Haha.”

This movie doesn’t have many male actors.

I was quite nervous entering the script reading room, but the atmosphere was much friendlier than I expected. I relaxed and greeted the other actors one by one.

“Heeseong-ssi, you’re here?”

Someone came up behind me and greeted me. It was Director Kang.

I quickly turned around at his voice and bowed. “Director, hello. How have you been?”

“Haha, I’m good.”

He smiled and shook my hand. Soon, his eyes widened, and he began to scan my body up and down. “Heeseong-ssi, how much weight have you lost?”

I smiled and scratched my head. “I lost a little.”

“I only suggested losing a little for the role, but you must have gone through a lot,” Director Kang said, stroking my arms and shoulders with admiration.

I waved my hands dismissively. “No, I have to prepare to fit the role.”

“Wow, thank you. It suits the character perfectly now.”

“Thank you, Director. I’ll work hard.”

Director Kang repeatedly clicked his tongue in amazement and thanked me. “Okay. Let’s start when everyone is here.”

He glanced at the wall clock and left the script reading room. There were still about 20 minutes left.

The actors were settling into their seats, and some were gathering and chatting to pass the time.

At that moment, the door to the script reading room opened again.

Everyone’s eyes turned towards the entrance.

The last one to arrive was none other than Song Yuna.

She gave a quick bow towards the room in general. “Hello.”

And immediately went to find her seat, walking forward with her gaze fixed ahead.

The only person here who wasn’t a stranger was Song Yuna.

With a hopeful heart, I quickly approached her. “Yuna-ssi!”

At my voice, she stopped walking and turned her head slightly to look at me. She must have known that I was cast in the movie.

But she showed no signs of surprise or joy.

I simply raised my hand towards her, who was staring at me intently.

“Yuna-ssi, long time no see. How have you been?”

Song Yuna simply nodded in response to my greeting. “Yes.”

It hadn’t been that long since we filmed a commercial together, yet she greeted me so coldly.

Well, her aloof personality isn’t exactly new. I would have been more surprised if she had been friendly.

Song Yuna immediately took a seat in the chair in front of her.

“Ahem.”

I stood next to her and smirked. “Where did the person who played board games so passionately go?”

At my teasing, her stiff expression softened, and her eyes widened slightly. Then, she looked up and glared at me.

I chuckled at Song Yuna’s glare and moved away.

***

‘Actor Jin Heeseong’

The name tag was placed on the table. After confirming my name, I took my seat.

There was a name tag, a bottle of water, and a drink on the table. And in front of it, there was a script with my name written on it.

I straightened my posture, took out the pen I had brought, and opened the script to check the parts where I had lines.

When I opened the script, my lines were already highlighted.

I was reviewing my lines when Director Kang spoke, “That’s the final version of the script. There have been some revisions from the previous version, but the parts we’re reading today don’t include the revisions or additions, so don’t worry.”

“Yes,” we answered in unison.

He smiled and continued, “After the script reading, please check the revised and added parts carefully. And it seems like you can plan accordingly with the crank-in [start of filming] schedule.”

After finishing his instructions, Director Kang shifted his gaze to the script. At his words, all the actors also began to quickly scan the script.

I also hurriedly checked the script to see which parts had been revised and added. However, because it was quite a large amount of material, I couldn’t check it all before the script reading began.

“Okay, let’s start with the first scene,” Director Kang announced, and Song Yuna began to read her lines.

An hour had already passed since the script reading began. I had already memorized the script and recited the lines while looking straight ahead.

“Is there any meaning in living like this?”

The world has turned entirely into zombies. A face that has lost all hope at the thought of being the only human left.

I continued the lines in a tone devoid of motivation. “Is it really the right thing to do, just prolonging life while starving like this…?”

Director Kang was staring intently at me, not at the script. He smirked at my immersion in the role.

After my lines were finished, Director Kang spoke. “Oh, that’s so good. Okay, let’s take a short break and start again.”

He clapped his hands once, and the actors stretched their stiff bodies.

“Wow, senior [term of respect for someone with more experience], your acting is really amazing,” Han Dongmin, a supporting actor sitting next to me, exclaimed and gave me a thumbs up.

“Haha, thank you. Dongmin-ssi, you’re doing well too.”

After giving him a smile, I turned my head and looked at the name tag on the table. This movie is about zombies and survival, so the number of actors appearing was quite large.

Except for the lead actresses, the number of actors playing supporting roles was significantly higher than in other movies. I was also appearing as a supporting role, so I was curious about its importance.

It’s break time now. Without getting up from my seat, I quickly started checking the back of the script.

I wanted to see where and how much the revisions and additions were compared to the script I knew.

As I looked at the script, my eyes gradually widened. This was because my role among the supporting roles was much larger than I thought.

There were quite a lot of parts in the script I received initially, but in the current final version, there were so many lines and scenes that it wouldn’t be strange to call it a lead role.

The parts that were highlighted were significantly more than the pages that weren’t.

Did Director Kang pay special attention to my part?

I tilted my head and flipped through the script page by page. Looking at the highlighted parts, a smile gradually spread across my face.

The fact that there were many scenes meant that there were many opportunities to showcase my acting skills. As an actor, I couldn’t help but be happy.

After a few minutes of break time, the script reading continued. I was acting and watching the acting of other actors, and my heart was burning with passion.

It wasn’t just because there were many scenes. I was enjoying the fact that I was able to immerse myself more and act better because I was working with other actors on the script that I had been practicing alone.

But more important than these things was the work itself.

It wasn’t the filming set yet, but as I read the script and the voices of the actors were added, I could understand it even better.

This script… is unbelievably fun.

I was passionately acting, revealing my excitement. Those feelings were conveyed to the other actors as well.

The script reading room was as hot as the actual set. At that moment, I was convinced.

This is a success… no, it’s not just a success. This movie will definitely be a huge hit that will shake Korea, right?