An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 137

137 #25 – A Crisis for Some, An Opportunity for Others (6)

The viewership ratings, which had climbed to 17% by the 10th episode, continued their relentless ascent.

“Hyung, did you see the ratings for the 11th episode?”

I approached Chief Kim with an excited expression.

He smiled broadly and replied,

“Of course. It’s already at 18.9%.”

“If we keep this up, do you think we could surpass 20% by the 13th episode next week?”

As I spoke with anticipation, Chief Kim chuckled and said,

“We might even exceed 20% with tomorrow’s 12th episode.”

“Hey—we shouldn’t count our chickens before they hatch.”

Chief Kim shook his head at my words.

“No, we’re riding the wave of a good response right now. We might even hit number one in our time slot soon.”

At his words, I bit my lip and nodded.

Currently, ‘Blackman’ was in second place among Wednesday-Thursday dramas,

and the gap in viewership ratings wasn’t significant.

I, too, had expectations.

However, I was trying to ignore them so I wouldn’t become complacent.

Focusing my gaze on Chief Kim, I said,

“I hope so. I’ll go practice now, hyung.”

Chief Kim pursed his lips and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll be in the car. I’ll come get you when they start preparing for the shoot.”

“Thanks.”

Left alone in the car after Chief Kim left,

my eyes immediately changed as I immersed myself in the role,

and I began practicing my lines.

About an hour passed.

Knock knock.

Chief Kim carefully tapped on the car window.

I cleared my throat and quickly moved to the set.

Upon spotting Choi Seo-bin standing there with a bright expression,

I immediately rushed over to him.

“Sunbae [senior colleague/mentor].”

“Oh, Hee-sung. You’re here?”

“Yes, isn’t your shoot in the afternoon, sunbae?”

“That’s right.”

At his words, I tilted my head and looked at my watch,

which still read 10:30 AM.

“But why did you come to the set so early?”

Choi Seo-bin usually watched the other actors’ performances on set, even when it wasn’t his shoot.

That habit was so similar to mine that we always watched the performances together on set.

However, with his recent demanding shooting schedule, it was impossible for him to watch all the other actors’ performances.

Once his shoot ended, he barely had enough time to sleep before the next one, let alone practice.

I spoke to Choi Seo-bin again.

“Sunbae, you haven’t been getting enough sleep lately. You should have rested a bit longer….”

Choi Seo-bin smirked and replied,

“I’m too tired to watch any other performances these days anyway.”

“Then why did you come so early?”

“It’s your solo scene.”

“…….”

The parts that Im Ha-joon filmed in episodes 7, 8, and 9.

Because we were quickly re-shooting the scenes he appeared in, there weren’t any long solo scenes for me.

There were many short monologue scenes,

but this was the first time I had a scene where I had to deliver long lines and pour out my emotions.

I had practiced this scene countless times as well,

but I was more surprised than pleased that Choi Seo-bin knew about my scene, as I had come with a nervous heart.

“How did you know that?”

“Of course, I know, you idiot. I came early because it’s your shoot and waited for you.”

“Thank you for your concern, sunbae.”

Just then.

“We’ll start shooting soon.”

A staff member approached me and announced.

As soon as those words were spoken, Choi Seo-bin quickly scanned my outfit.

“Have you practiced a lot?”

Then, after adjusting my slightly crooked tie, Choi Seo-bin spoke again.

“No. Hee-sung, your acting is perfect, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Oh, no, I’m not.”

“You’re doing well enough now, so just keep doing what you’re doing. Our viewership ratings have stabilized now.”

At his words, I nodded.

“Thank you so much.”

“I should be the one thanking you. I wouldn’t have been able to come back like this if it weren’t for you.”

As we were facing each other and talking, Director Cha shouted from afar.

“Alright, you two. Stop flirting and let’s get to shooting.”

At his words, all the staff on set burst into laughter.

Choi Seo-bin smiled faintly and patted my shoulder.

“Go on, I’ll be watching from here.”

The fact that he was watching my performance didn’t make me nervous or anxious.

I was used to working with Choi Seo-bin and having him watch my acting.

Rather, I felt a sense of stability and reassurance knowing that Choi Seo-bin was watching me.

He was someone who watched my acting from a different perspective than Director Cha and didn’t hesitate to give advice.

I looked at Choi Seo-bin and nodded emphatically.

“Yes, I’ll do well.”

I hurried to the front of the camera.

“Ready, action!”

Soon, all the cameras captured me in a wide shot.

A moment later.

“Cut!”

Director Cha shouted with a serious expression.

He peeked his head out and opened his mouth.

“It was good, but let’s take a breath and go again.”

At his words, I snapped out of the role I was immersed in and replied, panting,

“Yes, I’ll try again.”

I pursed my lips and reviewed my lines.

As I was loosening my stiff body, someone handed me water.

It wasn’t Chief Kim, but Choi Seo-bin.

“Hee-sung, have some water.”

“Ah, thank you, sunbae.”

Choi Seo-bin said to me with a more serious expression than ever.

“Your acting was good just now, but it might be better if you spoke with a little less force. The heavy atmosphere is conveyed well, but….”

He gave me generous advice.

Director Cha’s voice was heard from beyond the megaphone.

“We’ll start shooting again.”

At his words, Choi Seo-bin quickly looked at me.

Then, he straightened my clothes and said,

“Do well.”

“Yes, sunbae.”

Choi Seo-bin patted my shoulder and nodded.

His eyes seemed to hold a lot of meaning.

Choi Seo-bin, who had encouraged me, quickly walked to Director Cha’s side.

Left alone in front of the camera after he left,

I shrugged my shoulders and calmed my heart.

And with a gaze that changed in an instant, I glared at the camera.

“Ready, action!”

***

The hot sun was shining down,

and I was relaxing lazily in its warmth,

when my phone rang in my pocket.

It was a name I hadn’t seen in a while.

Seo In-woo.

I smiled brightly with joy and answered the phone.

“Hello?”

-Sunbae, it’s me, In-woo.

“I know. How are you doing?”

-Great. I’m enjoying your drama, sunbae. You’re amazing. You went straight into another project without resting.

“Haha, no, it’s nothing. What have you been up to these days?”

-Me? Just resting. Are you shooting, sunbae?”

“Yeah, I’ve been busy shooting lately. I’m on standby now, so I can talk.”

-Ah, I called at the perfect time. Sunbae, does that mean you can’t come to our reward vacation this time?”

The reward vacation given to the ‘Temptation of the Other Woman’ team.

It was the first reward vacation given for a project I had appeared in, so I had been eagerly waiting for that day.

But now, it was realistically impossible for me to go.

I opened my mouth with a face full of regret.

“Yeah, I can’t go. When are you leaving?”

-We’re leaving next week. I got a call saying you couldn’t make it. So I thought I’d call just in case.”

“I’m constantly shooting, so I can’t take off even a day, let alone several days.”

-That’s too bad. You worked the hardest and carried our drama….”

“Hey, we all worked hard together.”

-Still… I feel bad that we’re going without you.”

“No, there’s nothing to feel bad about. Have fun for my share too. Let’s grab a drink together next time.”

-Okay. Take care of yourself, sunbae, and make sure to eat well while shooting, even if it’s tough.”

“I will. You too, don’t get hurt while you’re having fun, and come back safely.”

-Yeah, I’ll contact you again when I get there.”

As soon as I hung up with Seo In-woo, Chief Kim asked me, raising his eyebrows as if he had been waiting,

“‘Temptation of the Other Woman’ reward vacation?”

“Yeah, they’re leaving next week.”

At my words, Chief Kim patted my shoulder and said,

“It’s a shame you can’t go, but there’s good news.”

“What is it?”

He held out his phone to me.

Chief Kim’s lips stretched into a long smile.

The screen he held out was the viewership rating for the 12th episode.

And that rating was a whopping… 20.3%.

“Wow!”

I exclaimed, my mouth wide open.

I thought it would take a few more episodes to surpass 20%, but I couldn’t hide my joy at the number that had already exceeded it.

Chief Kim was also smiling broadly, his lips almost reaching his ears.

“You couldn’t go on the reward vacation, but at least there’s a good result. Let’s 힘내 [himnae – a Korean expression of encouragement, meaning ‘cheer up’ or ‘hang in there’] a little more, Hee-sung.”

At his words, I nodded repeatedly.

“Yeah, I hope it keeps going like this.”

I stared intently at the ‘Blackman’ script on my lap, burning with determination.

Although I couldn’t go on the reward vacation after finishing the difficult shoot,

I was doing a shoot that was more valuable than that, so I had no regrets or regrets.

Rather, as I watched the viewership ratings rise, I only wanted to pour more passion into the shoot and dedicate myself to it.

***

“Wow, the food truck is no joke today?”

I exclaimed in admiration as I scooped food from the food truck with Choi Seo-bin.

“I know, right? We should feast today. Haha.”

We piled our plates high with food and sat down.

Director Cha spotted me and Choi Seo-bin and took a seat in front of us.

“I should eat with our actors.”

“That’s great, Director. Haha.”

“Enjoy your meal.”

And so, the meal began.

We were having short conversations, but our chopsticks didn’t stop moving.

“I heard there’s a buzz online about how good you two’s chemistry is these days?”

At Director Cha’s words, Choi Seo-bin and I looked at each other and burst into laughter.

“Our chemistry has been famous for a long time.”

Choi Seo-bin said with a smirk.

I nodded in agreement.

At that moment, the alarm on the phone placed on the table rang.

Choi Seo-bin’s gaze shifted to my phone at the alarm.

“What is it? An SNS alarm?”

Looking at my phone at his words, I saw that someone had tagged my account.

I tilted my head and clicked on the alarm.

And there were the photos.

It was a photo from the ‘Temptation of the Other Woman’ team’s reward vacation.

-‘Temptation of the Other Woman’ reward vacation, day 2.

Hee-sung is not here, but he is in our eyes haha!

It was a group photo taken with bright smiles.

And in the very center of the photo was a photoshopped image of me.

They had deliberately created a space for me and taken the photo.

I burst out laughing as I looked at the photo of my whole body photoshopped into that space.

Choi Seo-bin, who was peeking at my phone from the side, also smiled.

“Wow, they photoshopped you in, Hee-sung?”

“Yeah, I guess so. They tagged my account in that photo too. Haha.”

“Everyone’s getting along well, and they must be sad that you couldn’t go.”

Director Cha looked at us with wide eyes at our conversation.

Choi Seo-bin relayed the content to him.

Then Director Cha made a tsk sound and said to me,

“Oh my, you were the lead there, I feel bad that you couldn’t go.”

At Director Cha’s words, I waved my hand and replied,

“No, I like acting and shooting like this.”

Choi Seo-bin smiled contentedly at my words.

Director Cha pulled his body closer and said to me in a small voice,

“Let’s work hard as much as you came here without resting. PBC has prepared a hefty bonus, so let’s finish well.”

At his words, I nodded emphatically.

“Yes, I will work harder. Director!”