An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 30

#8 – Overwhelmed by Acting (2)

Being in the mountains, it was dark as if blackout curtains had been drawn, even before evening.

And here, everyone was gathered.

It was the first company dinner.

With no morning filming scheduled for the next day and everyone staying in a mountain cabin, not a single person was missing.

Director Bae opened the door and entered last.

“I guess it’s the mountain weather; who knew the rain would stop so cleanly like this.”

Assistant Director Jo rose from his seat in response to his words.

“Indeed. The ground is dry too; should we prepare for evening filming again?”

Director Bae let out a short sigh at his words.

“Alright, we’re all gathered for the company dinner anyway, let’s drink heartily tonight!”

Everyone, including the staff and actors, applauded Director Bae’s words.

“There’s a big TV here, and it happens to be the day Episode 4 airs. Let’s all watch it together and work hard filming from tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

Director Bae laughed heartily and took his seat.

Since it was a remote mountain area where food delivery wasn’t available, the staff set up simple foods they had prepared.

A drinking party quickly unfolded.

The initially awkward drinking session.

Director Bae filled his glass and shouted.

“Let’s toast to the perfect filming and success of ‘Clockmaker and Ballerina.’ Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

The staff and actors mingled together.

As they drank, people went to the restroom or changed seats to chat, so the seating arrangement changed several times.

“Cheers!”

At our table were two staff members, me, and a veteran supporting actor who played the role of the clockmaker artisan.

After taking a drink, one of the staff members looked out the window and said.

“But I heard that when it rains lightly and stops like this in the mountains, it gets incredibly dry?”

The supporting actor next to me opened his mouth, listening to his words.

“That’s right. That’s how the mountain climate is. Once it starts getting dry….”

I was listening attentively to his words when, from afar, a staff member shouted loudly.

“‘Clockmaker and Ballerina’ Episode 4 is starting!”

At that one word, the place became as silent as if a mute button had been pressed.

“Alright, alright, let’s watch quickly!”

Everyone put down the food and drinks they were holding and turned to look at the TV.

For me, who had only ever watched the show in a small studio apartment with Manager Kim, this kind of gathering was new.

To watch the broadcast with the actors I appeared with.

Moreover, the fact that I was watching the drama with the staff and director who were working hard together, while sharing drinks, was nerve-wracking yet thrilling.

I drank beer simply for appearances, but I chugged water, wanting to shake off even a little bit of the alcohol.

After the final commercial.

The screen switched, and Episode 4 began airing.

The noisy company dinner atmosphere had long disappeared.

The only sounds were the lines coming from the TV and our breathing.

Several tens of minutes of drama viewing continued.

People who had been focused at the beginning were now taking sips of alcohol and eating snacks, watching the drama in a relaxed atmosphere.

But I was still sitting upright, staring intently at the TV.

Then, the background slowly changed, transitioning to the next scene.

A dark stage.

One person dancing in a splendid manner on the stage.

It was Song Yuna.

A spotlight shone down on her head.

We were all impressed by her acting, as she glanced at the music and stage, engrossed in her performance.

It was beautiful.

She was playing a ballerina, but she suited the role so well that it made you wonder if she actually had that job.

As I blankly stared at Song Yuna on TV.

There was another person staring at Song Yuna with the same expression as me.

It was me, playing the role of Kim Daehan in the drama.

As my expression appeared, the staff members next to me immediately turned their heads to look at me.

“Wow, what’s with Heeseong’s expression?”

“Right? Heeseong, you look like you’ve really fallen for Yuna there?”

Director Bae was looking at me with a satisfied expression at the staff’s words.

Go Ahyeon, who played Ballerina 1, looked at her cell phone and opened her mouth.

“Haha, the viewers’ real-time bulletin board is filled with comments saying Heeseong’s clueless acting is the best.”

The place was filled with laughter at her words.

I also burst into laughter.

Go Ahyeon continued, saying again.

“They’re making a fuss about how they even found an actor for that kind of role. The praise is endless, you know?”

Other actors nodded in agreement at her words.

My heart suddenly grew warm at their reactions.

Being recognized by colleagues for my acting.

Could there be anything more thrilling than this?

My heart rate sped up uncontrollably.

I wanted to hear people say that Jin Heeseong was a good actor just by hearing my name.

To do that, hard work was the only way.

After responding to them with a smile, I turned my gaze back to the TV.

An hour passed.

The final scene, where emotions reached their peak.

It was an emotional scene between the two leads, Choi Seobin and Song Yuna.

As expected.

They were exchanging glances without saying a word.

And the audience was overwhelmed by those glances.

A suffocating atmosphere.

Neither of them opened their mouths at all, but you could understand their feelings for each other as if you could hear their dialogue.

Clang-

The OST [original soundtrack] played, and Episode 4 ended like that.

Applause erupted from all of us.

“Wow! This episode turned out well too.”

Director Bae nodded expressionlessly and opened his mouth.

“It’s just the beginning, so I hope everyone will work hard. I’ll film hard too.”

Everyone answered with determined faces at his words.

“We will work hard.”

Director Bae poured alcohol into his glass and said.

“Anyway, Seobin is really good at acting.”

“Haha, no. It’s because the director filmed me well.”

Choi Seobin, who was sitting next to him, took the bottle of alcohol that Director Bae was holding.

Director Bae, who received the alcohol, put down his glass and picked up the bottle again.

This time, he offered alcohol to Song Yuna.

She stood up and approached Director Bae, extending her glass at his gaze.

“And Yuna’s emotions are something else!”

“Thank you, Director.”

“You devoured the final scene with just your eyes. Keep up the good work in the future.”

“Yes, I will work hard.”

She poured all the alcohol she received from Director Bae into her mouth.

After the drama broadcast ended.

The TV was turned off, but the noise level here increased even more.

Director Bae and several staff members had already returned to their rooms.

Only some of the actors remained.

“Can I sit here?”

Choi Seobin, who had come in from outside, asked, probably after smoking a cigarette.

I nodded and pulled out a chair.

“Of course. Please sit down, senior.”

As he sat down, I handed him a glass and said.

“Senior, would you like soju [Korean distilled spirit]?”

“Yes, I’ll have soju.”

After handing him the soju glass next to him, I poured him a drink.

As soon as he received the glass, he immediately filled my glass as well.

“You worked hard today too.”

“No, senior. You worked hard as well.”

He and I exchanged a word each and then poured the alcohol into our mouths.

“I saw the broadcast earlier, and your acting was good.”

“Haha, no. I’m still too far away from catching up to you, senior. I need to work harder.”

I poured alcohol into his empty glass and said.

“And senior, you can speak comfortably to me.”

Choi Seobin paused for a moment, then picked up the bottle of alcohol in my hand.

And he poured soju for me, slightly raising the corners of his lips.

“…Should I?”

“Yes, I think it would be more comfortable for me if you did.”

“Alright. Here, take a drink.”

“Yes, senior!”

Choi Seobin’s face on the billboard across from HS Entertainment’s terrace.

And the aura emanating from Choi Seobin, whom I had encountered there.

The thought that I was getting closer to such Choi Seobin made me smile involuntarily.

It wasn’t just that I had gained a top actor as a friend to brag about.

It was just that I was growing enough to get closer to a top actor and that I was establishing myself as an actor, which made me feel proud.

Manager Kim had told me that Choi Seobin valued etiquette at drinking parties very highly.

Since he had helped me during filming a while ago, I was trying to stay as sober as possible out of gratitude.

We had to film together in the future, so there was no need to get drunk and make mistakes.

“Heeseong, is this your first miniseries?”

“Yes, I filmed a one-act play right before this.”

He pursed his lips as if he found it interesting.

“Oh, really?”

I nodded at his words.

“Yes, ‘Don’t Look at the Stars’ on KTS….”

“Senior!”

Someone ran up to Choi Seobin and sat down before I could finish speaking.

It was Park Minjoon.

He was sitting at the next table, but he deliberately came over at this timing while I was talking.

I was upset, but I didn’t want to create conflict by talking about it in this place.

I took a short breath and turned my head to look at Park Minjoon.

Choi Seobin also turned his head at the voice calling him.

He frowned and replied.

“I was in the middle of a conversation.”

His one short and concise sentence.

He turned his head back and said to me, relaxing his brow.

“So, what was the title of the one-act play?”

“Ah… it was ‘Don’t Look at the Stars’ on KTS.”

“Really?”

Choi Seobin replied with a smiling face, as if he had never been upset with Park Minjoon.

“There’s nothing to do here anyway, so I should watch it sometime when I’m bored.”

“Haha, I’d be grateful if you watched it.”

While he and I were having a friendly conversation.

I felt a stinging gaze.

At the end of that gaze was Park Minjoon.

I turned my head and gave him a sneer.

The moment Park Minjoon, who had made eye contact with me, was about to open his mouth.

“Did you come because you had something to say?”

Choi Seobin asked Park Minjoon.

Park Minjoon straightened his back and replied.

“Ah, I came because I wanted to drink with you, senior. Can I sit here?”

A polite tone that I was hearing for the first time from Park Minjoon.

It seemed he wanted to make a good impression on Choi Seobin.

He nodded.

“It seems like you’ve already sat down?”

Park Minjoon offered alcohol with a friendly expression at Choi Seobin’s cold tone.

“I’ll pour you a drink.”

Choi Seobin received the glass without saying a word.

Park Minjoon opened his mouth again.

“Senior, I’m in the same WG Entertainment family, so you can speak comfortably to me too….”

Choi Seobin, who had received the alcohol, put down his glass before Park Minjoon could finish speaking.

“I don’t know?”

“Yes?”

Park Minjoon looked at Choi Seobin with a bewildered face.

“I’m just not the type to let my guard down easily.”

Choi Seobin drank the alcohol as it was.

Park Minjoon, who had been rejected, froze in his spot with that expression on his face.

At the same time, I raised one corner of my mouth into a smirk at Park Minjoon, who had made eye contact with me.

***

Piles of empty bottles.

People getting drunk.

And the rain falling again.

I got up from my seat while drinking and approached the window.

As I was looking at the rain falling outside the window.

Flash-!

Even though there was no lightning, a scene flashed through my head like a lingering image.

The dream I had that day, that place.

The sight of me sharing a drink with the ballerina at my regular bar.

The alcohol was sloshing in the glasses placed in front of her and me.

The candlelight on the table dimly illuminated her face.

Her eyes, looking at me with moist eyes.

That scene flashed before my eyes in an instant.

Goosebumps ran down my entire body, and I felt like all the alcohol I had been drinking had worn off.

Even if I thought about it carefully, it wasn’t in the script at all.

There was no way that I, a supporting actor, would be clinking glasses with Song Yuna in the drama.

But the scene of me sitting face to face with the ballerina vividly came to mind.

And Song Yuna’s face, smiling brightly at me.

Unlike previous dreams, I felt like I could see every little detail.

What the heck is this?

I felt like these memories were appearing more and more frequently….

“Uh?”

At that moment, Song Yuna, who was walking over, staggered and leaned towards me.

I quickly reached out and grabbed her arm.

She must have been so drunk from chugging drinks one after another that she couldn’t even stand properly.

Her face flushed, she twitched her eyebrows and stood up.

And she shook off my hand.

“Hey, don’t grab me without permission!”

“No, Yuna. You almost fell.”

“Hmph, no I didn’t?”

I shook my head slightly.

Her personality is really strange.

Song Yuna straightened herself as if nothing had happened.

And she walked back to her seat with a haughty face and shouted.

“Alright, everyone, let’s drink!”