An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 105

105 #20 – In a Strange Place (8)

The makeup room saw visitors every single day, without fail.

Most of the cast had been transformed into zombies.

In the drama, I too had turned into a zombie, doubling the time it took to prepare for filming compared to usual.

“Today is your last day in zombie makeup, isn’t it?”

The staff member in charge of the supporting actors from the makeup team said to me with a smile.

“I guess so. Now, it feels like it would be more awkward to go around with my bare face. Haha.”

“I’ve been having dreams about zombies these days.”

She shuddered as she spoke.

Sitting next to her, Han Dongmin replied, “Still, when you go back to Korea, you might miss our zombie faces. Haha.”

“That’s right. After seeing only zombies every day like this, I think I’ll miss it here when I go back to Korea. Except for the hard parts. Haha.”

We chatted with the makeup team, with whom we had become close while getting our makeup done.

Normally, my face would have been etched with fatigue.

But with the special occasion of it being the ‘last’ time, the makeup room was filled with lively conversation.

As we talked and got our makeup done, before we knew it, red occupied more of our faces than skin color.

Torn skin and dripping blood completed the zombie makeup.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“No, no. Have a good last scene shooting.”

I bowed my head towards her.

“You’ve really suffered a lot doing makeup for months.”

She smiled brightly at my words and replied, “Hee-sung, you’ve also suffered a lot getting difficult makeup. Fighting!”

The makeup team staff and I exchanged eye contact.

And so, I headed to the set for the last shoot.

Overseas filming for a long time, over two months.

Now, with only the grand finale scene ahead.

All the actors appearing in the movie gathered in one place on set.

This shoot, where we all film together, would be the first and last.

We headed straight to our positions without even having time to greet each other.

And before long, Director Kang’s megaphone crackled to life.

Chijijik-.

Numerous cameras whirred.

Bright lights blazed.

Only after all the actors, immersed in their roles, were ready, did Director Kang’s voice boom out.

“Ready, action!”

As Director Kang’s voice echoed in the desert, all the actors instantly immersed themselves in their respective roles.

My eyes also changed immediately.

“Kuaaa!”

The zombies started running in droves.

Towards the only remaining survivors.

That is, they ran madly towards the lead actors Han Sia and Song Yuna, who were alive as humans.

My neck was bent sharply backward as if my neck bone was broken.

The level of my shoulders had long been uneven.

Also, in a state where my waist was not held upright, the bones of my body expressed a twist unlike that of a human.

I put in a lot of effort to express the unique characteristics of a zombie.

I had taken dance lessons while preparing for this movie back in Korea.

To realistically portray the process of turning into a zombie and the scene of a zombie running.

I practiced countless times to express details in each small scene.

My eyes were bloodshot, and my nostrils flared.

Struggling to find people, I ran towards Han Sia.

She stopped at a dead end and shouted at me, looking at me.

“Hyun-joon… it’s me. It’s Min-young…!”

Han Sia said to me, sobbing.

In response to her words, instead of answering, I tilted my head and approached.

“I was worried… why are you… why are you here like this!”

Unable to feel emotions, I raised my upper lip to reveal my teeth.

“Kiaaaak!”

With a bizarre sound, I dripped thick, dark red blood as I approached her.

Tears flowed non-stop down Han Sia’s face.

“Hyun-joon… I love you….”

Kwok-!

Even to her desperate confession of love for me.

“Kyaa!”

In the end, I bit her neck.

“Kueueueuk.”

Han Sia’s flesh was torn away through my mouth.

Her body was twisting all over as the zombie virus began to spread.

“Hyun…joon….”

Han Sia’s eyes fluttered.

I bit her flesh without any change in expression.

“Cut, okay!”

At Director Kang’s sign, Han Sia and I gasped for breath.

“Haa….”

At her rough breathing, I got up from where I had fallen and reached out my hand to her.

“Are you okay?”

Han Sia immediately grabbed my hand and got up.

“Of course.”

She smiled and shook off the sand from her body.

At that moment, Director Kang approached us.

“Wow, Sia and Hee-sung, your acting was so good until the end.”

At his words, Han Sia and I smiled brightly and made eye contact.

“Hee-sung, unwavering eyes. How much did you practice? The details in your body are no joke!”

I scratched my head.

“Haha, I practiced hard, so I’m glad you saw it.”

At my words, Han Sia exclaimed in admiration, “That’s right. I really thought you were a zombie and was so scared in the middle! Haha.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Of course. You could even be compared to the martial arts team or dance team doing zombie stunts.”

Director Kang nodded in agreement at her words.

“Even the bent angle was perfect. You really suffered a lot, Hee-sung.”

“No, it was the director who suffered.”

He raised the corners of his mouth at my words and patted my shoulder.

Then, holding the megaphone, he turned around and shouted.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard!”

At his words, the many people on set shouted as if in unison.

“You’ve worked hard!”

Thus, the long and arduous film shoot in Australia came to an end.

***

“I know it must have been hard filming overseas, but thank you for trusting me and following me without any complaints.”

Director Kang stood up, raised his glass high, and continued. “You’ve all worked so hard, and since we’re leaving tomorrow, let’s drink moderately today. Let’s have a proper dinner party when we go back to Korea!”

“Yes.”

“Okay, everyone, you’ve worked hard!”

At his lead, we raised our glasses high, clinked them together, and shouted.

“You’ve worked hard!”

Keueueu.

It was the first and last dinner party we all had together in Australia.

We didn’t have a chance to get together due to the busy filming schedule, and it wasn’t easy to create a place where all the staff and actors could be together like this.

That’s why we took this opportunity to relieve our pent-up feelings and raise our glasses.

Empty bottles began to pile up as we shared stories we hadn’t been able to tell for two months.

Song Yuna, her cheeks flushed, sat in front of me and sipped her drink.

She, who had always been in her room after filming, kept filling her glass as if she was drinking the alcohol she hadn’t been able to drink all that time.

I filled her empty glass with water.

“But Yuna, what is that necklace?”

Han Dongmin asked, pointing to Song Yuna’s necklace with slightly unfocused eyes.

Then, at his words, Song Yuna grabbed the gemstone of her necklace with her hand.

“This?”

“Yes, I was wondering what it was because you always wear it.”

Song Yuna paused for a moment, then nodded slowly.

I knew.

That the necklace was a memento of her mother.

“Ahem, shall we have a drink?”

Thinking that it would be difficult for her to start a conversation, I picked up my glass to change the subject.

Song Yuna raised one corner of her mouth and clinked her glass against mine.

“Keueueu.”

She poured the alcohol into her mouth and slammed the glass on the table.

And she opened her mouth, fiddling with her necklace.

“When I was young, something very strange happened….”

She, who would not normally participate in conversations with actors, began to lead the conversation once she had some alcohol in her system.

That’s why the other actors listened more attentively to Song Yuna’s words.

“What happened?”

Han Dongmin asked her, raising his eyebrows.

“When I was very young, I went to a building with my mom.”

Song Yuna stared blankly into the air and continued her story.

“But there was a big fire there.”

Han Sia and Kim Seunghee, who were on the next table, were also listening to her.

“Oh my, and then?”

Han Sia asked, widening her eyes.

Song Yuna shrugged her shoulders and said, “The fire spread so badly that I couldn’t breathe, but suddenly a man appeared and saved me.”

At her words, Han Sia and Kim Seunghee clapped their hands together.

“Oh, that’s a relief. Was he a firefighter?”

Song Yuna shook her head and said, “No. A stranger. It was a man I had never seen before… but thanks to him, I survived.”

She continued in a calm voice.

“He was really a man who appeared out of nowhere, but if it wasn’t for him… I might have died too.”

“He’s a lifesaver.”

Kim Seunghee smiled playfully and opened her mouth.

“It’s fate with that man. I wonder if he was handsome? Haha.”

Han Sia lightly tapped her shoulder and asked Song Yuna, “So who was that person?”

Song Yuna shook her head vigorously.

“A complete stranger. Navy blue suit pants, a white shirt, and a striped tie. That’s all I remember.”

Song Yuna bit her lip and fiddled with her necklace with one hand.

I could tell right away.

That her mother had passed away there.

Song Yuna drank the soju [Korean distilled spirit] in front of her.

Tears of longing welled up in her eyes.

***

After the long dinner party ended.

I came into the hotel for departure the next day and laid down my tired body.

“Two months have passed in an instant.”

Manager Kim said, lying on the bed.

“Time really flies. It’s already the day to go back to Korea….”

I replied to him, trailing off.

And gradually, my mind became hazy.

So, on the last day.

My eyes slowly closed.

Suddenly.

Black and gray smoke filled my vision.

A pungent smell stung my nose.

Cough, cough.

I quickly covered my mouth and nose with a wet handkerchief.

“Heueup!”

Wait a minute.

This is… a dream.

As soon as I realized it was a dream, I barely opened my stinging eyes in the thick smoke.

I covered my mouth even more.

I couldn’t see in the thick smoke.

I felt the wall with my hand and headed forward.

“Save me!”

Then I heard a voice.

“Cough, cough. There’s someone here. Please….”

It was a young woman’s voice.

I perked up my ears at the sound and carefully moved towards it.

“Are you okay?”

I shouted to check where she was.

An answer was heard immediately in my voice.

“Here… there’s a child. Please help me, please….”

A voice heard desperately not far away.

I hurried to run towards it.

“Haa, haa.”

Holding my breath against the fire and smoke, I moved following the voice.

“Here!”

I was able to find her, who was making a voice, in a short time.

In her arms, a young child was trembling and crying.

“Euaaang.”

The woman, who appeared to be the mother, looked at the crying child and said to me.

“Here, please take the child. Please, I beg you.”

She pushed the crying child to me.

I lifted the young girl into my arms without hesitation.

The child struggled in my arms and shouted.

“I won’t go. Mom-!”

A pretty-looking child.

She cried, looking at her mother.

The child’s mother on the floor smiled and soothed the child.

“Yuna, it’s okay. Go with the uncle first. Mom will be right there. Stop!”

I reached out my hand towards her.

She wiped away her tears with her hand and said to me in a small voice.

“My… leg….”

When I shifted my gaze at her words, at the end of it, a large wall had collapsed and was covering her leg.

I quickly began to lift the wall.

But the collapsed wall did not budge even a little with my strength.

She grabbed my collar and said.

“If you don’t go out now, even our child will be in danger. Quickly….”

“But….”

“Please. Please save only the child safely. Please.”

The child was crying in my arms.

She, who was pinned under the wall, had a more desperate look than any eyes I had ever seen.

A decision had to be made.

Because if it stayed like this, even her child would not be able to get out of here.

“Quickly. Please….”

Tears flowed in her eyes.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

“I’ll go out quickly and call people!”

She looked at her child and smiled brightly.

“Yuna, don’t cry. Mom loves you so much….”

I hugged the child tightly in my arms and started running towards the outside.

“Haa, haa….”

How long had I been running?

The dark smoke was disappearing from my vision.

Bright light was shining strongly in front of my eyes.

And at the end of it, clean glass.

Me and the child in my arms reflected in it.

Navy blue suit pants and a white shirt stained with smoke.

The child was holding my checkered tie tightly with her hand.

In that hand was a brightly shining gemstone necklace.