An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 299

Creak.

At the sound of the door opening, Director Park jumped up from his seat and bowed deeply to the people entering.

“You’ve arrived?”

At Director Park’s greeting, Jang Han-min from the investment company IBH replied with a bright face.

“Yes, Director Park. It’s been a while.”

“Yes, have you been well?”

“Of course. Have you been well too, Director?”

Jang Han-min sat down across from Director Park and asked.

“Thanks to you, I’ve been doing well.”

Food was laid out in abundance before them.

Director Park pointed to the food and said.

“You must be hungry, let’s talk while we eat.”

“Yes.”

Jang Han-min picked up his chopsticks and grabbed some food, continuing the conversation.

“You must be busy filming these days?”

At his question, Director Park smiled and nodded.

“Being busy is a good thing. The project is now entering its mid-stage.”

“The busiest time.”

Clink-

They immediately clinked glasses.

After emptying his glass, Director Park opened his mouth as if reporting to him.

“We’ll be starting location shooting next week.”

“Oh my, you’re going through a lot. Is that why you asked to see me today?”

“Yes, I thought I’d be away for a while once we go to the location.”

Director Park took out the bag he had placed behind him to show Jang Han-min what he had prepared in advance.

“So, I wanted to meet you today and show you….”

He took out a large tablet PC from his bag.

At the sight, Jang Han-min pulled his chair closer to Director Park.

“Is the footage already out?”

Jang Han-min, who was used to this kind of thing, asked with an interested look.

“Yes, I edited a short clip of the early footage for you before we go to the location.”

Director Park showed him a few videos before playing them.

It was intermediate footage shown to investors who invested in the movie, like a mid-term report, showing it as if doing homework.

“Wow… you brought several. Shall we take a look?”

“Yes.”

Director Park raised one corner of his mouth, confident in the video, and played the first one.

A video showcasing the overall feel of the movie.

Jang Han-min raised his eyebrows and concentrated on the short 2-minute video.

As soon as the video ended, he slowly nodded and said.

“Hmm… is there a next video?”

Director Park swallowed hard at his colder-than-expected reaction.

“Yes, there are a few more.”

And the next video was played immediately.

From this video onwards, it wasn’t the overall flow, but the acting scenes of the actors.

Director Park watched Jang Han-min’s reaction, taking a sip of water as if his lips were dry.

He was concentrating on the video with his lower lip protruding.

But his expression did not easily ease.

“Hmm… overall, the quality is not bad. The acting is okay, and the visuals seem good too.”

“Thank you.”

Director Park expressed his gratitude.

Nevertheless, perhaps because the desired reaction did not come out, he sighed and clicked on the next video.

“This is Jin Hee-sung’s acting that starts in the beginning. He’s the main actor, so… I edited it separately.”

After the script reading, Jang Han-min’s interest in Jin Hee-sung had increased significantly.

At the mention of Jin Hee-sung, he widened his eyes and nodded.

“Yes, let’s take a look.”

As soon as the video started, Jin Hee-sung’s acting began.

Jin Hee-sung continued acting with his eyes without any lines.

Nevertheless, Jang Han-min was concentrating on Jin Hee-sung’s acting with a serious face.

As Jin Hee-sung’s emotions became more intense as he uttered his lines, Jang Han-min, who was watching, opened his mouth in surprise.

Before he knew it, his posture was so close to the tablet PC that he seemed to be sucked into it.

Director Park, seeing Jang Han-min’s reaction, happily raised the corners of his lips.

After the video ended.

“Wow….”

Jang Han-min simply replied with an exclamation.

Director Park bit his lip and barely lowered his raised lip corners.

“What do you think?”

At his question, Jang Han-min looked up and asked Director Park.

“Was he always this good?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean Jin Hee-sung. I was surprised when I saw him at the script reading, but seeing him act on set… it’s on a different level.”

Jang Han-min shook his head, praising Jin Hee-sung’s acting.

Only then did Director Park smile again and answer.

“I was also surprised after filming the first scene. I wonder how much more he practiced….”

Then, he sparkled his eyes and continued.

“Besides the video I showed you today, there are other takes where his acting is even better. This project… will be a success. No, it has no choice but to be a success.”

Even at Director Park’s words, Jang Han-min was still admiring Jin Hee-sung’s face on the tablet PC.

He said to Jang Han-min with a confident face.

“You can expect enough to be satisfied. I can say that with certainty.”

Jang Han-min stroked his chin and raised his eyebrows.

“This… maybe we should expand the scale a bit?”

Director Park widened his eyes in surprise at his muttering.

“…Pardon?”

“No, our IBH will prepare for the release, so Director, just focus on the project as you are now.”

“Ah, yes!”

Jang Han-min was pleased with the progress of the movie, twitching the corners of his mouth repeatedly.

He filled Director Park’s empty glass and said.

“I look forward to the second half, Director Park.”

At his words, Director Park bowed his head and replied.

“Yes, I’ll make a great piece!”

* * *

“Cut, okay!”

With the director’s sign, Song Yu-na shook off the emotions she had been immersed in.

“Good job.”

Then she quickly left the set.

She approached her manager, Chief Manager Choi, who was waiting for her.

“Yu-na, you worked hard.”

“Yeah.”

“Here’s water.”

He handed Song Yu-na a bottle of water with the lid open.

Song Yu-na shook her head and said.

“No, I don’t want to drink it.”

Then, with her eyes glazed over, she asked him.

“Oppa [term of endearment used by women to address older brothers or close male friends in Korean], when is the next shoot?”

“Hmm… it looks like it’ll be at least 3 hours.”

“Then I should sleep in the car. I’m so sleepy.”

Song Yu-na, who hadn’t been able to sleep, looked like she was about to collapse.

Chief Manager Choi nodded, attending to her.

“Yeah, let’s get some sleep quickly. Let’s go to the car.”

“Yeah.”

Song Yu-na, with her eyes almost closed, entrusted herself to Chief Manager Choi and walked heavily.

As soon as she got into the car, Song Yu-na leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

As she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly remembered something and raised her body to ask Chief Manager Choi.

“That’s right, Oppa!”

“Yeah?”

“What were you going to tell me before I went into the shoot?”

“Ah… that’s….”

Chief Manager Choi hesitated, looking flustered.

Song Yu-na glared at Chief Manager Choi and said.

“What is it? Tell me quickly. I want to hear it and sleep.”

“That… Seo Gyu-ri is also joining the movie we’re going to be in.”

At his words, Song Yu-na’s eyes lit up as if her sleep had vanished.

“What? Seo Gyu-ri?”

“Yeah.”

Song Yu-na shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip.

She didn’t like it.

WG Entertainment had used her name to include junior celebrities more than once.

She usually didn’t argue about these things, so she tried to let it go.

“Oppa, you know I’ve never complained to the company about this, right?”

“Of course, Yu-na, you understood.”

“I’ve tolerated the company doing this, and I’ll let it go this time too, but….”

At her words, Chief Manager Choi nodded and listened carefully.

“But… if you mess with me, then it’s Seo Gyu-ri, WG [likely referring to WG Entertainment], and whatever. I’m going to overturn everything. You know what I mean, Oppa?”

Chief Manager Choi knew too well that Song Yu-na’s words were not just a fit of anger.

He swallowed hard and replied.

“Yeah, I’ll check with the company.”

“Yeah, keep an eye on what WG is doing. Pay attention.”

Then she immediately crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

* * *

As soon as I arrived at the set, I checked my physical condition.

I was recovering quickly, but my body wasn’t fully recovered to handle the action scenes.

While stretching and looking around the set.

“Hee-sung, are you in good condition?”

Director Park approached me and asked about my condition.

He seemed worried about the wire action scenes as well.

I smiled, sticking out my stomach so he wouldn’t worry.

“Yes, I’m in great condition today. I don’t think I need to use a stuntman.”

Even at my words, Director Park looked at me with worried eyes.

“It would be much better if you did, but don’t overdo it.”

“Yes, I understand what you mean. I’ll try my best, and if I can’t, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, should we practice a bit first?”

“Yes, I’ll be practicing until the shoot.”

“Okay. If you need anything, tell the assistant director.”

Director Park pointed to the assistant director in the distance and said.

I nodded.

“Yes.”

In the case of intense action scenes using wires or props, the director in charge of the action scenes comes.

Director Park is the director who shoots the movie, so it’s difficult for him to help with the action.

There were also stuntmen all together.

“Hello.”

I approached them and greeted them.

“Yes, hello. Hee-sung, you’re riding the wire today, right?”

At his question, I replied with a face full of excitement.

“That’s right. I’m going to practice before the shoot.”

“Yes, you should. Then this way….”

I moved according to his guidance.

At that time.

“Sunbae-nim [senior colleague or mentor]!”

The person who came up to me and greeted me was Jang Jun-woo.

The actor who greeted me first on the first day of filming.

“Ah, Jun-woo. You came?”

“Yes, I heard that Sunbae-nim’s next shoot is an action scene, so I came to see it. Can I… watch?”

“Of course. But aren’t you shooting too, Jun-woo?”

At my words, he smiled and shook his head.

“That’s right. But I’m standing on the ground, not on a wire. Haha.”

I talked with him, and a few minutes later, I continued to focus on wire practice.

While I was taking action in the air on the wire, Jang Jun-woo was acting out a scene where he was watching me from the ground, looking anxious.

So he didn’t need to see me practice.

He didn’t need to help me either.

But he was sticking to me, practicing as if he wanted to help me.

After practicing for a long time, finally, the first shoot of the action scene began.

In preparation for any situation, the set had mats laid out where I would land.

Stuntmen who could be replaced at any time depending on my condition were also on standby.

Before the start of filming, Director Park approached me and Jang Jun-woo for directing.

“Jun-woo is waiting here for Hee-sung to land….”

He enthusiastically directed Jang Jun-woo, describing the actions along with the lines.

He sent me a short word.

“Hee-sung, just do what you’ve been doing. You know what I mean, right?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Don’t get hurt, and tell me anytime if it’s too hard.”

“Yes, Director.”

At the end of my answer, we returned to our respective places.

I went into the air through the wire.

Jang Jun-woo went to the place where I would land.

And Director Park stood outside the camera with a megaphone.

The voice of Director Park was heard.

“Ready, action!”

With his sign, the wire moved.

I moved, waving my feet in the air as much as I had practiced.

“Hoo… ha….”

The temporary wall built on the set.

I moved by stepping on the wall with my feet.

Even in the midst of it, I couldn’t let go of my unwavering eyes and expression.

A body moving in the air, with lines and expressions on top of that.

That’s why I don’t use stuntmen or doubles to shoot all of this.

Tak-

I floated my body in the air.

I approached the temporary wall again and moved my feet quickly.

Several cameras quickly captured my appearance at the same time.

Finally, before landing, the action continued.

Taak-

I kicked my feet to move away from the building again.

My body floated in the air and relied on the wire.

And the place I checked in advance.

As I was heading to the floor with the mat laid out, at that moment, suddenly…

“Ugh….”

The wire brushed against the wound on my stomach.

Because of that, a sharp pain rose in my stomach.

I, who had been relaxing and hanging on the wire, suddenly tensed up.

Instead of the landing point where I should have fallen onto the mat, I started to fall next to it.

“Uh… uh?”

The wire was quickly going down to the floor.

The already skewed angle could not be moved even if I moved my body again.

“No…!”

The moment I fell to the floor where the mat was not laid out….

Thud-

The first thing I saw when I tightly closed and opened my eyes was a blue mat.

What?

It was definitely the floor….

And the person who fell next to me was Jang Jun-woo.

He looked at me from the side as I opened my eyes and asked.

“Sunbae-nim, are you okay?”

“Ah…. Yes.”

He caught his breath and looked at me.

“The place where Sunbae-nim was going to land….”

While everyone was focused on my appearance captured on camera and me in the air, Jang Jun-woo was focused only on the mat for the acting with me who landed.

Thanks to that, Jang Jun-woo confirmed that the point where I was going to fall was not a mat.

He immediately threw his body and pushed the mat to where I was going to fall.

He briefly explained the situation to me.

I reached out my hand to him and got up from my seat.

“Thank you so much. I wasn’t hurt thanks to Jun-woo.”

At my words, he smiled and replied to me.

“Sunbae-nim, you’re not feeling well right now. Always be careful.”

“I will, thank you.”

Nevertheless, I dusted off my body and moved back to the starting point.