An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 298

298. Episode 54 – All I Have Is Acting (2)

“Ready, action!”

Director Park shouted through the megaphone.

He immediately settled into his seat, his eyes glued to the actors framed by the camera.

With legs crossed and chin resting on his hand, he watched Jin Hee-sung’s performance on the monitor, increasingly captivated by what he saw.

“Ooh….”

Director Park reacted audibly to each of Jin Hee-sung’s lines, expressing his admiration.

Jin Hee-sung moved along the prearranged path with his fellow actor, fully immersed in the scene.

As he continued to act, Director Park leaned back further into his chair.

The highlight of this scene was fast approaching.

Director Park alternated his gaze between the script and Jin Hee-sung’s performance, double-checking the directing cues.

In the meantime…

Thump-

The other actor lunged at Jin Hee-sung.

The actor, having stabbed Jin Hee-sung in the back with a prop weapon, smirked cruelly.

Jin Hee-sung crumpled to his knees at the gesture.

The camera didn’t miss a beat, swiftly zooming in to fill the screen with Jin Hee-sung’s face.

Jin Hee-sung, seemingly oblivious to the camera’s proximity, continued his performance with unwavering intensity.

“Ugh… people… don’t die easily….”

Jin Hee-sung’s words were fragmented, punctuated by ragged breaths.

It was as if he had actually been stabbed with a real weapon.

Everyone on the staff and the other actors knew it was just acting, but they were so taken aback by the sheer realism of the performance that they stared at Jin Hee-sung in stunned silence.

Director Park, who had been leaning back, shot forward in his seat, his eyes fixed on the monitor.

Whether Jin Hee-sung was aware of this reaction or not, he delivered his lines with an increasingly grave expression.

“I’ll catch you… and throw you in jail with my own hands….”

Jin Hee-sung’s face filled the screen.

The camera captured the minute trembling of Jin Hee-sung’s lips as he spoke.

At the sight, Director Park’s jaw dropped, and he murmured under his breath.

“…Crazy.”

He was utterly speechless, completely absorbed by Jin Hee-sung’s performance.

Director Park was now solely focused on Jin Hee-sung, having abandoned the script altogether.

Jin Hee-sung was blinking heavily, as if on the verge of collapse.

Even his eyelashes trembled.

Director Park finally leaped to his feet, unable to tear his eyes away from Jin Hee-sung, who appeared to be on the verge of losing consciousness.

He watched Jin Hee-sung act with his own eyes, bypassing the screen entirely.

Jin Hee-sung seemed to be fighting for his life, clinging desperately to his last breath.

Director Park frowned, his mouth agape.

“Is that… acting?”

He clicked his tongue, transfixed by Jin Hee-sung sprawled on the floor.

It was as if he were witnessing a real death, not a performance.

In Director Park’s eyes, awe mingled with tears of fear and worry.

He wasn’t the only one affected.

The actor who had stabbed Jin Hee-sung in the back emerged from the camera’s view after delivering his final, mocking laugh.

When he saw Jin Hee-sung still writhing in pain on the monitor, he covered his mouth with his hand, aghast.

It was just a fake weapon, a prop.

However, seeing Jin Hee-sung in so much pain made him question whether he had unknowingly wielded a real blade.

The camera director filming Jin Hee-sung, and even the surrounding staff, were equally stunned by the performance.

Some were genuinely unsure whether they were witnessing acting or reality.

Director Park seemed to be drawing blood, so hard was he biting his lip.

“How can his acting improve so dramatically from the script reading?”

He narrowed his eyes and murmured, almost to himself.

“Jin Hee-sung… is there no end to his potential?”

* * *

“I’ll catch you… and throw you in jail with my own hands….”

I continued acting as I fell to the floor, clutching the wound from the prop weapon.

It wasn’t so long ago that I *had* been stabbed with a real weapon.

That memory allowed me to tap into the feeling even more authentically.

No, it felt almost identical to that experience.

As I writhed in simulated agony, tears welled up in my eyes.

But I consciously prevented them from spilling down my cheeks.

My gaze remained fixed on the retreating figure of the “criminal,” the one we called Norangi [slang for someone wearing yellow clothing, often used to denote a criminal or suspect in Korean dramas].

I fought to control my ragged breathing and clenched my fist.

My eyelids felt heavy, threatening to close.

I strained to keep them open, resisting the urge to succumb.

And I waited for Director Park’s cue, the signal that the scene was over.

But Director Park hadn’t shouted “Cut,” even though I had finished all the lines in the script.

What was going on…?

Since I hadn’t heard Director Park’s signal, I couldn’t get up or turn to look at him.

I had no idea what was happening outside the camera’s frame.

If I moved or did anything unexpected, it would be an ‘NG’ [No Good – a filming term for a take that needs to be reshot].

Did I somehow forget the next line?

That was impossible.

I had practiced countless times, reciting the lines repeatedly until just before the scene began.

This was definitely the end….

Even though I knew the scene was over, I improvised, adding lines.

I had no idea if my additions would be edited out or used in the final cut.

All an actor can do in this situation is keep acting.

Panting, I struggled to maintain my composure.

I swallowed my breath and murmured.

“CCTV? Ha, you’re all caught on my eyes. You son of a bitches….”

And then, slowly, deliberately, I closed my eyes.

“Cut, okay!”

Director Park’s belated “Cut” finally rang out.

At his signal, I opened my eyes and pushed myself up.

The actors, the staff, even Director Park himself.

They erupted in applause, spontaneously.

Clap clap-

“Wow…!”

“Crazy.”

“Is this really acting?”

The set, moments before silent with rapt attention, was now filled with exclamations of awe.

Director Park rushed over to me, helped me to my feet, and asked with genuine concern.

“Hee-sung… are you okay?”

“Yes, Director.”

“I honestly thought Hee-sung had really been stabbed with a knife.”

He stared intently at the prop dagger sticking out of my waist, as if still half-convinced it was a real weapon.

“Really?” I asked.

“Yeah, wow… this is real….”

I asked with a faint smile at his speechless appearance.

“I thought I had made a mistake because the director didn’t give me a cut sign. I thought I forgot the next line.”

“I was so blown away that I forgot to shout cut.”

Director Park shook his head, still looking dazed.

“I have to keep that last ad-lib. That line was so good. The words about everything being caught on my eyes… Did you come up with that ad-lib on the spot?”

“No. Not exactly… I didn’t hear the cut sound, so I just tried something in a hurry.”

He smiled and gave me a thumbs up.