An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 303

303. True Friend (3)

Knock knock.

I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door again this morning.

“Junwoo?”

I was sure it was Jang Junwoo, not Manager Park, at the door.

“Yeah, Heeseong. It’s me.”

Jang Junwoo knocked on my door again today.

“What’s up? I told you to meet me out front on time today. You’re early?”

“Yeah. I got ready early and had nothing to do. I thought we could grab a coffee out front before heading to the set.”

“You’re diligent, really. Aren’t you tired?”

“No, you’re the lead actor in our movie, so you’ll be filming all day, but I don’t have many scenes. Haha.”

Instead of feeling gloomy or sorry at his words, I now had enough of a friendship with him to laugh at his jokes.

“Seriously. Yes, I’m tired because I’m the lead actor, Jang Junwoo.”

Jang Junwoo chuckled at my words and pulled my arm.

“Anyway, it’s your first shoot, so you have to leave early. Let’s grab a coffee and go to the set. Okay?”

“Of course, it’s okay. Let’s go!”

Jang Junwoo and I came out of the room side by side and headed to a small cafe right in front of the pension [a type of guesthouse or lodging].

The conversation started with the coffee order.

“How’s the filming going?”

At my question, Jang Junwoo shrugged and replied.

“For me, each given shoot is precious. How about you?”

“Same here.”

Jang Junwoo raised his eyebrows at my words.

“Even for someone like you, everything is precious?”

“Of course. It’s not like I can do every project or every role… everything is precious to me too.”

I recalled my situation and repeated.

“No, it feels like the higher my position in the acting industry, the more desperate I become.”

“Why?”

We each had a cup of coffee in our hands.

“People. I mean, the director, staff, fellow actors, and even the public. They expect more from me. I have to meet those expectations… and I also want to grow more.”

Jang Junwoo nodded as if he had realized something at my words.

“I thought that if I became a lead actor and a top star like you, Heeseong, I wouldn’t have such thoughts. Amazing.”

“No, it’s not amazing. And I’m not a top star. Haha.”

“Hey, if you’re not a top star, Heeseong, who is?”

Now, we could have natural and continuous conversations over coffee instead of alcohol, and Jang Junwoo and I had become much closer.

I think it started when he cleared my name as the so-called ‘laundry thief.’

The moment I realized I was misunderstanding him was that day.

The feeling that I was unknowingly blocking myself from becoming friends with Jang Junwoo.

I made it obvious and drew a line with him, but Jang Junwoo didn’t, and his attitude made my hasty misunderstanding of Jang Junwoo disappear in an instant.

Perhaps that’s why I could directly feel that Jang Junwoo and I were rapidly getting closer.

“You’ll be able to play the lead role soon, Junwoo. Don’t worry.”

“Thanks. Oh, let’s go to the set now. You need to get ready, Heeseong.”

He checked his watch and took care of my filming schedule, and we packed up and hurried to the set.

Arriving at the set after talking.

I shuddered as I looked at the abandoned hospital in sight.

“Even though I’ve been here so many times, it’s still eerie every time I come.”

Jang Junwoo nodded in agreement with my words.

“Yeah. It’s a creepy building for no reason.”

“Yeah, I feel a spooky energy. You’ve heard the story about this hospital, right?”

“Of course. That’s why it’s scarier.”

At that time, a staff member walking next to us approached.

“Hello.”

“Yes, hello.”

She opened her mouth while holding a walkie-talkie.

“They say ghosts appear here too.”

Jang Junwoo and I burst into laughter at the staff’s words, but Jang Junwoo waved his hand and said.

“Hey, there are no ghosts these days.”

“It’s true. There’s been a lot of talk among the staff that ghosts are appearing here, didn’t you know?”

At her words, Jang Junwoo and I made eye contact at the same time.

We awkwardly raised the corners of our mouths.

“Ah… no way.”

“I don’t believe it, but it feels eerie to hear the story?”

“Ghosts really appear. Ugh… just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.”

She shuddered at her own words, rubbed her arms, and quickly walked to the set.

After the staff left.

We were heading towards the abandoned hospital in front of us.

“There’s no such thing as ghosts. Haha.”

I laughed it off, feeling like my spine was chilling.

* * *

Now, preparations for the first scene are in full swing.

I changed my clothes, came out, and looked at the script, quickly immersing myself in the role.

And as I was reviewing my lines, Director Park approached me and put his hand on my shoulder.

“Heeseong.”

“Yes, Director.”

He pointed to my script with the pen in his hand and said.

“This scene is really important, so you have to do well.”

“I understand.”

“Well, I know you’ll do well with your acting, but I have high expectations for this scene.”

At Director Park’s words, I felt a burden on my shoulders.

He began to explain the filming as if expressing his passion.

“In this scene, you’re on drugs. It’s your first time taking drugs, so you can’t handle it, right?”

Director Park opened his mouth as if to make me understand the acting that my character would perform.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But you can’t let the drug dealers see that. So you struggle to walk down the hallway with your unsteady body.”

At his words, I nodded.

“So I’m going to that room inside?”

I pointed to the small door at the end on the opposite side of where we were standing.

“Oh, that’s a really small room….”

Director Park took my hand and led me to the room.

As he said, it was a space blocked on all sides.

There were no windows, no furniture, and no luggage.

It felt like a real hospital.

It was old, so it was closer to a faded color than white, but it was still a creepy, empty space.

“You can’t control your body here and act hard. You’re on drugs, but you’re trying not to be… that kind of acting.”

“Yes, I’ll try.”

“The camera director will be on the rail equipment in the front hallway and move with you to this door.”

I glanced at the rails on the floor outside the door and nodded.

“And you come into this room, Heeseong.”

I tilted my head at Director Park’s words.

“Then the camera director will come in here with me?”

“No. The space here is too small. I’m only going to put one camera in here because it might interfere with your acting.”

The drug acting that I had to put all my effort into.

Director Park said that he would only put me and one camera in the room for consideration and for the screen composition.

I looked at the camera in the middle of the room and said.

“Is this the camera?”

“Yes, this is a remotely moving camera. We’ll control it from the outside, so don’t be surprised by the camera moving.”

I chuckled at his words and replied.

“Of course. I’ve acted with a moving camera before, Director. Haha.”

“Well, then, think you’re alone in this room and show me properly.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best!”

When I finished speaking, Director Park patted me on the shoulder and returned to his seat.

And the room where I was left alone.

I raised my head and scanned the room.

A small room blocked on all sides.

The camera was being controlled remotely and was spinning around.

I swallowed hard, feeling a strange eerie feeling, and came out of the room.

“Is the remote camera ready in the room?”

Director Park sat down, grabbed the megaphone, and shouted.

“Yes, ready!”

“Okay. Everyone, get ready in your positions.”

At his words, all the noise on the set became as quiet as a mouse.

And the camera director, staff, and Jin Heeseong, who was waiting for the camera.

Everyone was focused, waiting for Director Park’s sign.

“Ready, action!”

Filming began with Director Park’s shoot sign.

Jin Heeseong loosened his pupils as if he had just taken drugs.

“Ugh… huff….”

Jin Heeseong couldn’t even speak properly.

He was expressing his slowly loosening pupils.

The camera director who was filming Jin Heeseong opened his mouth wide at the sight.

“Haa… haa….”

Jin Heeseong looked around, quickly checking if anyone was chasing him.

He took a deep breath and started running down the hallway.

“I can’t get caught….”

A tongue that was difficult to pronounce accurately.

It was impossible for Jin Heeseong to run straight in that state.

He quickly judged that he would not fall and grabbed the wall.

Thud-

Jin Heeseong, who touched the wall, barely raised his loosening legs and headed forward.

A small room at the end of his gaze.

“There’s probably no one there….”

Jin Heeseong ran as hard as he could when he checked the room at the end.

Because he didn’t know when he would lose consciousness or fall.

The camera moved smoothly along the rails to film Jin Heeseong, who was running with difficulty.

Jin Heeseong soon arrived in front of the room.

He pulled the door with his blurry eyes, breathing heavily.

Bang-

As soon as the door closed, I felt like my breath was suffocating, even though I was acting.

This place without light was not the feeling of the white wall that I had seen with Director Park a little while ago.

The only things I could hear in the dark were my breathing and the sound of the remotely controlled camera moving.

Thanks to that, the acting of trembling with fear naturally erupted.

“Ugh…!”

* * *

Director Park, as well as all the camera directors and staff on set, were all looking at the same place.

The acting that Jin Heeseong was performing in the tightly closed room.

The appearance of Jin Heeseong seen on the small monitor.

“Ugh… I… I can’t breathe!”

Jin Heeseong moved, grabbing his collar as if drugs had spread throughout his body.

He was hitting his chest as if he couldn’t breathe, and pulling his clothes as if they were torn.

The staff on the set covered their mouths with their hands to prevent the exclamations coming out of their mouths.

Jin Heeseong’s eyes, with his pupils completely loosened.

His focus had disappeared a long time ago.

Jin Heeseong, who had been staring blankly into the air for a while, suddenly started convulsing.

“Aaaah! Huff… huff….”

Jin Heeseong’s arms and legs were bent back as if they were bent, and his body was lying on the floor because he couldn’t control his body.

Jin Heeseong seemed to be struggling to live on the floor.

“Aaa… Aaa!”

As if the drug was gradually dominating his brain, he seemed out of his mind.

His appearance of struggling to live and not to be intoxicated by drugs was pitiful.

Jin Heeseong did not stop acting until he heard the cut sound.

No, when he didn’t hear the cut sound, Jin Heeseong heightened his emotions.

His body moved more violently.

His appearance with his back bent and his eyes turned over was no different from a person who had actually taken drugs.

Even when viewed on a small screen, Jin Heeseong’s acting was overwhelming.

Director Park was looking at Jin Heeseong with a serious face, but it seemed that he couldn’t hide that he was satisfied with his acting.

A slightly raised lip.

Director Park stared at Jin Heeseong for a while, then suddenly jumped up from his seat and shouted.

“Cut, okay!”

At that signal, Jin Heeseong released his bent body.

The staff hurriedly ran into the room and lifted Jin Heeseong up.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Jin Heeseong took a breath he had been holding back with the staff’s support and replied.

“Thank you.”

Jin Heeseong staggered so much that he couldn’t control his body properly.

As soon as he carefully walked out of the room while entrusting his body to the staff, cheers and applause erupted.

Clap clap-

“Wow!”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Heeseong’s acting… is really crazy!”

The expressions of these people towards him seemed to be beyond admiration and awe.

Director Park walked to Jin Heeseong with a reaction no different from them and raised his thumb.

“Heeseong… really….”

Director Park, who was speechless, bit his lip and shook his head.

“Is it okay to act this well? I was really creeped out by Heeseong’s acting.”

“Thank you, Director.”

“In my entire directing career, Heeseong is the first actor to show me acting that I was so drawn into on set.”

Director Park poured out praise, and with his words, the people on set gave generous applause.