An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 29

#8 – Overwhelmed by Acting (1)

Thump, thump….

The car struggled on the unpaved road.

“Wow, this is really the boonies [a very remote or isolated place].”

Kim, the manager, gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands, concentrated on driving and replied.

“I know. It really feels like it never ends.”

He loosened his stiff neck and asked.

“Hee-sung, is the drama almost over?”

“Yeah, it looks like there’s about 10 minutes left.”

The tablet PC in my hand displayed Episode 3 of ‘The Clockmaker and the Dancer’.

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], should have watched it with me….”

“It’s okay. I’m going to watch it again when I arrive.”

Last week, the first episode started with a viewership rating of 10.3%.

Not a bad start.

Considering that TV viewership ratings are quite low these days, it was a decent performance.

However, after the viewership ratings came out, the production company didn’t seem satisfied.

Choi Seo-bin and Song Yu-na.

Considering that the leads are top-tier actors, they thought the first episode’s viewership ratings were too low.

I heard that they expressed their disappointment and hoped everyone would do better in the drama filming.

Moreover, this local filming is full of important scenes.

So, Director Bae was said to be paying special attention.

If there’s an NG [no good, meaning a failed take] during filming at times like these, I’ll definitely be under everyone’s scrutiny.

I need to keep my head straight.

I steeled my resolve while watching the drama.

Hanging the tablet PC on the headrest of the front seat, I fixed my eyes on it.

In one hand, I opened my cell phone and accessed the real-time viewer bulletin board.

What are the viewers saying about me through the broadcast?

It’s to receive feedback and feel it.

The bulletin board was filled with a pure white screen instead of text.

I didn’t want to miss a moment, so I clicked refresh.

“Uh… why isn’t it working?”

Just as I was repeatedly tapping the screen, a circular loading button appeared in the middle of the tablet PC screen where the drama was playing.

Then, the drama turned off.

‘Unable to connect to the internet.’

I couldn’t help but sigh because the drama was almost over.

And I urgently shouted to Manager Kim.

“I think I used up all my data. I don’t think I used that much….”

I raised myself up and reached out to him.

“Can I turn on the hotspot with Hyung’s cell phone?”

Manager Kim made eye contact with me through the rearview mirror and replied.

“Hee-sung, it’s not that you don’t have data. I don’t think it works here in the mountains.”

“What?”

At his words, I urgently looked out the window.

A road with no lanes.

All I could see on the unpaved road were trees and mountains full of green.

A narrow, winding mountain road that looked like it would fall off a cliff if the steering wheel was turned the wrong way.

Orange and blue houses visible far below the mountain.

There were no houses nearby.

Literally the back of beyond.

The car continued to climb, not knowing how high the sky was.

I asked Manager Kim.

“Hyung, how far are we going?”

He glanced at the navigation and replied.

“We’re almost there.”

Manager Kim, tense from driving on the unfamiliar mountain road, straightened his back and gripped the steering wheel, frozen.

The car arrived at its destination after a few big bumps.

[You have arrived at your destination. Ending guidance.]

At the same time as the navigation’s arrival announcement, we looked out the window.

A mountain lodge located high up.

I couldn’t help but wonder how they built this big lodge in a place like this.

There was nothing around.

There was no convenience store, of course.

Even a small neighborhood supermarket was a thirty-minute drive away.

When I opened the car door and got out, the fresh air I had never smelled before stung my nose.

“Wow, this is no joke.”

Manager Kim, who got out of the car right away, stretched and said.

“Wow, Hyung. What’s with this air?”

At my words, he took a deep breath.

“Kyah, this is real natural air that you can’t even smell in Seoul.”

“I know. It’s really the boonies.”

We were surrounded by green trees on all sides.

When I spun around in place and looked around, I naturally exclaimed.

“It’s really cool.”

And one car visible at the end.

I could tell at once that it was an actor’s car, not a staff car.

“Hyung, there’s a van parked over there?”

Manager Kim squinted and looked at the car.

“I wonder who came first?”

He walked a few steps forward, looked at the car’s license plate, and then opened his mouth.

“It’s Song Yu-na’s car.”

“What, Song Yu-na?”

I asked him without realizing it.

It’s not that Song Yu-na is usually late.

But I didn’t expect her to be the first to come to this mountain village.

Besides, I didn’t expect her to arrive early and spend time here.

When I asked with a surprised face, Manager Kim smiled and replied.

“Song Yu-na likes the countryside that much.”

“Wow.”

“Unlike how she looks, she really loves the countryside.”

I nodded repeatedly at his words.

“When she’s on break from work, you’d think she’d go on a vacation overseas, right?”

“Why, isn’t she?”

He raised his eyebrows and replied.

“It’s not that she doesn’t go at all, but she goes on overseas vacations once or twice out of ten times. And the rest of the time, she goes to Gangwon-do [a province in South Korea known for its mountains and nature] or some other remote mountain village to relax.”

“That’s amazing.”

I thought Song Yu-na was far from nature, such as dirt, mountains, and trees.

If I had to guess, I felt like she would like the city more.

It was unexpected.

Because her taste was completely opposite to my expectations.

I thought it was a twist.

While I was thinking about Song Yu-na for a moment, Manager Kim opened the trunk and said.

“Let’s unpack our luggage quickly.”

“Okay.”

“There’s filming from the afternoon, so go in now and get some sleep for an hour or two. You need to adjust your condition.”

I went to his side and held the luggage in both hands.

“Okay. Let’s go in.”

***

“Cut, okay!”

The first scene in the countryside was cleanly okayed.

I knew that everyone was putting their effort into this filming, so I tried my best not to make any NGs.

Thanks to waking up after taking a nap after arriving and finishing acting practice, I finished without a single NG.

“Good job!”

The actors who filmed with me greeted Director Bae, the staff, and me after the filming was over.

It seemed like they were going in to rest because they had come a long way.

Moreover, the weather was getting cloudy, so they seemed to be hurrying into the lodge.

But I stayed in my seat to watch the next scene.

Then Manager Kim came to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

“Hee-sung, filming is over today. Should we go in and get some rest?”

“Hyung, do you want to rest first?”

At my words, he tilted his head.

“I want to watch the remaining filming and learn. My filming is over, so Hyung can go in first.”

“Whatever.”

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

“Then I’ll go make a call to the company for a bit. I’ll be watching.”

“Okay.”

After Manager Kim left, I walked to one side to watch the next filming and took a seat.

“Ready, action!”

The filming started soon.

I quietly focused on the filming with my arms crossed and my brow furrowed.

“Is it worth watching?”

Then Choi Seo-bin came to my side and quietly opened his mouth.

“Ah, Senior [term of respect for someone older or more experienced].”

I bowed slightly and greeted him.

He brought his index and middle fingers to his mouth and sent a look.

It’s a signal to go smoke.

When I nodded, he whispered softly.

“Do you smoke?”

But since I didn’t smoke, I shook my head and replied.

“No.”

“That’s too bad.”

I put my hands in my pockets and said.

“But I have a lighter.”

At my words, Choi Seo-bin chuckled and moved his feet.

I followed him and arrived at the smoking area prepared on one side.

Choi Seo-bin took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, and I quickly brought the lighter flame to him.

“It’s okay.”

He smiled and replied, then took the lighter from my hand.

After lighting the cigarette, he exhaled a long stream of white smoke.

Then he handed me the lighter back and opened his mouth.

“But why do you carry a lighter around?”

“Ah, it’s because it’s set in the Japanese colonial era.”

“Because everyone smokes a lot?”

At his words, I nodded.

“Wait, but wasn’t Hee-sung’s character a non-smoker?”

“Yes, that’s right, but since the clockmaker and the seniors around him all smoke, I thought it would be a role that I actually carry around.”

He put a cigarette in his mouth and replied.

“Are you immersed in the role?”

I scratched my head and replied.

“Rather than being immersed… I’m trying to understand the role 100%.”

Choi Seo-bin stared at the air for a long time without saying anything at my words.

“If I were that role, what would I have done….”

He said, exhaling smoke to himself.

“That’s right.”

“Yes?”

Choi Seo-bin turned his head and looked at me as I tilted my head.

“The director said that he sees potential in Hee-sung.”

He raised the corners of his mouth and said.

“I like people who work hard. Of course, there must be results from the effort.”

Choi Seo-bin put out his cigarette and continued.

“I hope to see you often on set in the future.”

My heart was pounding at his words.

A senior actor, and even a top star like Choi Seo-bin, said those words to me directly.

These words must include not only this filming but also other filming.

It’s a huge compliment.

I bent over towards him.

“Thank you, Senior. I will work harder.”

“Haha, let’s go back now. We have to watch the filming.”

“Yes!”

Choi Seo-bin and I walked back to the set side by side.

***

Afternoon the next day.

Today is a day when I don’t have any filming.

In fact, my part ended yesterday afternoon, so I could have gone back to Seoul, rested for a day, and then returned tomorrow.

But once I go out to Seoul, it’s too far to come back, so I decided to stay at the filming site.

It’s not that I don’t have any filming, but other actors have filming schedules, so I can watch.

I didn’t put on makeup and just wore a hat, and then went to the set.

On days like this, it’s more helpful to watch other actors’ performances and study than to lie down and rest.

Since today wasn’t a day with a lot of filming, the morning filming was finished leisurely.

I didn’t move my seat and was still on set.

Suddenly, a drop of rain fell on my head.

‘Oh… is it raining?’

When I raised my head and looked at the sky, raindrops fell on my cheek.

Plop.

The raindrops soon became thicker, and the set immediately began to be cleaned up.

The actors, staff, director, cameras, and equipment hurriedly took shelter from the rain.

I was also urged and finished evacuating into the accommodation.

“Is it raining a lot outside?”

Manager Kim, who was inside the accommodation, asked me.

“Yeah, it suddenly poured down.”

“I don’t think this rain will stop easily?”

“I know.”

As I listened to the pattering rain, tens of minutes passed.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

When I carefully opened the door, a staff member bowed and said.

“Hello, Hee-sung.”

“Yes, is there something wrong?”

“I’m here to tell you that the rain will come until tomorrow morning, so filming will start in the afternoon.”

Manager Kim nodded as he looked at the rain falling behind the staff member.

“Yes, I’ll prepare accordingly.”

The staff member looked at me in the room and said.

“So we’re having a company dinner tonight, so come later if you want to.”

I replied in a loud voice at his words.

“Yes, I understand!”