An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 4

Episode 4 #1 – Camera Shyness (4)

Kim, the director, frowned deeply at Song Yoona’s words and asked,

“What are you talking about?”

At the words of Director Kim Chan-ki and Song Yoona, all the staff and actors began to buzz.

They seemed to be doing their own jobs, but they were pricking up their ears and glancing at me.

Song Yoona….

Not only did she lash out at me on the movie set, but she’s being so rude to me even on the new drama set.

Of course, I did flub my lines several times back then, but is she trying to make sure I can never set foot on a set again?

But I couldn’t deny her words here.

It was true that my acting that day was terrible.

Song Yoona shrugged and opened her mouth.

“I have a movie I’m filming right now, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I saw him there as an extra. But this guy is a terrible actor. He was trembling and messing up all his lines. He couldn’t even handle one line properly and had to do several takes. He’s bound to do it again, so please replace him from the start.”

With her arms crossed, Song Yoona blatantly scanned me up and down and snapped at me.

Director Kim replied with a troubled face at her words.

“No, how can I do that now….”

“Isn’t he just a passing extra? Can’t you just replace anyone? If I have to do multiple takes because of this guy, aren’t you and I the ones who lose out?”

She added in a fierce voice.

“Please replace him; I can’t act with someone like this.”

She was asking to replace an actor out of the blue when all the filming preparations were already finished.

Director Kim seemed quite embarrassed by Song Yoona’s words.

And he immediately turned his head, glared at me, and asked.

“Was that really the case?”

I waved my hands at his words and quickly replied.

“Uh… no. That’s not….”

Before I could finish, Song Yoona, with fire in her eyes, spoke.

“What do you mean no? It’s true! Are you saying I’m lying right now?”

“Whoa, whoa.”

A person approached, waving his hands in the air with a loud voice.

It was the casting director.

He was the one who had been impressed by my acting at the audition and cast me.

Everyone turned their heads to look at him at his voice and gesture.

“Whoa, whoa, Yoona, calm down. I saw this friend’s acting directly at the audition, and he’s good.”

“Good at what? He caused a mess on set with NGs [no-good takes], you know? He even stutters like he has camera shyness, ha….”

Looking at the agitated Song Yoona, the casting director maintained a smile and replied.

“Well, I thought he was quite good at acting?”

“If it’s an extra audition, there must have been dozens, no, hundreds of people who came! Are you sure you saw it properly?”

Director Kim, who had been quietly listening to their tense conversation, opened his mouth.

“Okay, then, Yoona. Let’s try it once, and if it’s not good, we’ll change him. If there’s an NG, we’ll immediately replace him with another actor.”

Director Kim turned his body, looked at me, and frowned.

“That….”

It wasn’t a face of anger, but it seemed like he was trying to recall my name.

But there’s no way he would know the name of a mere extra.

I quickly answered Director Kim.

“Jin Hee-sung, sir.”

“Ah, yes. You agree with what I said, right?”

I answered briefly and firmly with a confident face and tone.

“Yes, I agree.”

Director Kim nodded once, as if he had read my expression, and looked back at Song Yoona.

Then Song Yoona, still with her arms crossed, said in a reluctant tone.

“Then it’s just once. If there’s even one NG, you’re replacing him right away.”

“Okay! Alright, let’s go for it right away!”

Director Kim suppressed a sigh and walked past the main camera, taking a seat on the chair next to the monitor.

At his movement, the chaotic atmosphere returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

“Alright! Standby, everyone. Song Yoona!”

While Song Yoona went to check her makeup and clothes for the last time, everyone began to focus on the set at the staff’s loud shout.

Not only the staff, including Director Kim, but even the extras’ gazes were focused on me.

Perhaps because of the noisy conversation a little while ago, even the extra actors who hadn’t been visible before seemed to have come to watch nearby.

I suddenly started to tremble even more violently.

Can I do well?

No, I must do well.

If I make a mistake this time, I might not have a chance to be on set again.

I took a deep breath and calmed my breathing, but my trembling heart didn’t calm down easily.

Numerous staff and actors.

Beyond that, the numerous cameras made my heart race.

Don’t tremble.

If I don’t tremble, I can do it.

No more, no less, just as much as I practiced….

***

“Ah, I’m so annoyed. How can I be in a scene with someone who can’t act like that?”

Song Yoona said with a sigh.

Her stylist patted Song Yoona’s clothes and replied.

“Just a moment, sis. Let me just fix the sleeves.”

“Ha, what is that wannabe doing as my bodyguard? It’s annoying, really.”

The manager, who had been looking at them with a frown, was approached urgently by the FD [floor director].

“Are you Song Yoona’s manager?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Can I ask Song Yoona to stand by?”

He nodded and said to her, who was full of anger.

“Yoona, let’s start filming.”

And a voice was heard from afar.

“Alright, everyone, standby! Song Yoona!”

“Yes, I’m going.”

Song Yoona’s stylist shouted loudly and put down her sleeves.

“Sis, do well!”

“Of course. When have you ever seen me make a mistake?”

Before long, filming began.

“We’ll go for the first take.”

A suffocating atmosphere.

‘Yeah, he needs to mess up and get kicked out of the role to come to his senses. Let’s see what he can do.’

Jin Hee-sung seemed to be closing his eyes and calming his nerves in front.

Song Yoona scanned Jin Hee-sung once and immediately immersed herself in the role.

“Ready, action!”

At the same time as the cue sign, Jin Hee-sung’s eyes changed.

His expression also told Song Yoona that he was very urgent.

“The enemy forces targeting the princess are increasing.”

Jin Hee-sung looked at her with a desperate look, as if he would protect Song Yoona even at the cost of his life, and uttered his lines.

“Is that certain?”

As if she had never been angry with Jin Hee-sung, Song Yoona received the words in an elegant tone, befitting a top actress.

“Yes, I don’t know how long this place will be safe. You must move your residence soon.”

“I don’t want to. You also know why I have to stay here. If I say I’ll stay here… if I do, what will happen?”

“However….”

In Jin Hee-sung’s trembling voice, the anguish of a bodyguard and concern for the princess were felt intact.

The eye contact was also perfect.

It wasn’t that he was conscious of the camera, but like a pro who had filmed dramas several times, he was clearly visible in the angle while looking at Song Yoona within it.

‘…What, he’s good?’

A slight surprise lingered on the brow of Song Yoona, who had regarded him as a simple extra and ignored him.

‘Why was he like that last time?’

Questions arose in her head, but she focused on acting again as the camera was already rolling.

“I will stay here. All those who wish to leave may leave.”

“I… no, we will protect the princess. Surely…! That will be the case.”

Jin Hee-sung recited the last line in a brave tone.

The staff around him silently admired the facial expression of drawing his sword and bravely trying to protect Song Yoona’s side.

Song Yoona was unknowingly immersed in the role she was playing thanks to Jin Hee-sung’s smooth acting. Thanks to that, she didn’t have to make an effort to make an impressed expression, and her expression was naturally made according to the situation. Let’s go with this feeling.

“Cut! Okay! Good! Let’s go for a bust shot right away.”

The director’s loud okay sound.

Everyone looked at Jin Hee-sung with surprised eyes.

“Thank you!”

At that word, Director Kim looked at Song Yoona.

Song Yoona bit her lip slightly and looked away.

It wasn’t just the director and Song Yoona who were surprised by Jin Hee-sung’s acting.

The supporting actors who were watching let out a sigh of relief as if they had been recognized.

It couldn’t be helped.

They had no choice but to sympathize with Jin Hee-sung, who was in a similar position to them.

It was also true that they desperately wanted him to do well in his acting more than anyone else.

Clap clap clap.

The supporting actor who had spoken to Jin Hee-sung a little while ago clapped his hands.

Glare.

Song Yoona and the staff’s eyes were focused on him.

‘Was this too much?’

Embarrassed, he put his hands behind his back and turned his head.

“Ah, there’s a mosquito….”

***

“Cut, okay!”

A fist clenched tightly.

Not only the entire scene, but also the bust shot received okay signs in succession at once.

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Oh, Hee-sung, you worked hard, and we’ll go to the next scene right away.”

Filming continued, but my role ended here.

But it was enough to celebrate.

It was thrilling.

It was my first time feeling this way on set, so I felt even stranger and more mysterious.

The feeling I felt while acting was similar to when I acted at the audition last week.

As if possessed by something.

It felt like a bodyguard had come into my body and left.

I burst into laughter at my absurd imagination.

Possession, what a ridiculous story.

It must be that the light of my acting is finally shining.

Has my camera shyness disappeared now?

I would be really happy if I could act like this from now on….

***

The bus back to Seoul.

The bus was already more than half full.

It is rare for supporting actors to bring their own vehicles.

Most of the time, in order to film in the provinces, supporting actors and staff travel together by bus.

But the disadvantage of this bus is that it only moves after filming is over.

Except for famous actors who have managers and vehicles, once their short filming is over, they get on this bus and wait endlessly for the filming to be completely over.

After filming one scene, this bus was the only place I could go.

While looking around for a seat, there was someone reaching out and calling me.

“Jin Hee-sung!”

It was that supporting actor who had told me about Song Yoona before the acting.

I smiled and approached him.

“Sit here. It’s boring, so this is good. Haha.”

“How did you know my name….”

“You said you were Jin Hee-sung earlier. How can I forget when I heard your name when everyone on set was focused?”

“Ah….”

He gave me a thumbs up, shook his head, and said in a lowered voice.

“Wow! You were good at acting earlier! I watched you act.”

“Thank you.”

“But….”

He peeked out between the bus backrests, looked around, and lowered his voice as much as possible.

“Song Yoona has a terrible personality.”

“Haha, it can’t be helped. It’s true that I made a mistake on the movie set last time.”

“You have a good personality, Hee-sung.”

“No, I don’t.”

How long has it been?

Suddenly, the sound from outside the bus.

“Cut! Okay! Thank you for your hard work.”

“Everyone worked hard!”

“Let’s clean up and evacuate quickly.”

It seems that filming ended earlier than expected today.

“We’re finally off work.”

“I know. This time is early.”

“Where is Hee-sung’s house….”

“Jin Hee-sung? Are you here?”

At that time, a voice calling for me was heard from the front stairs of the bus.

The person hanging on the bus stairs was the casting director.

“Yes, I’m here!”

I jumped up from my seat.

“Can you come here for a second?”

“Yes!”

I gave the actor sitting next to me a look and hurried out of the bus where he was.

“Yes, is there something wrong?”

“Oh, no, Director Kim wants to see Hee-sung?”

“Me?”

He raised his eyebrows at my words and nodded.

What is it?

Did I do something wrong?

I thought it was too okay to do it all at once earlier….

Did he finish my filming quickly and replace me with another actor?

This anxiety started to resurface.

And Director Kim is visible in the distance.

It’s better to get hit sooner rather than later, so I headed towards him almost running.

“Director, did you call me?”

“Oh, you said you were Hee-sung?”

“Yes, I’m Jin Hee-sung.”

Then he looked at me with a benevolent smile.

…What is it?

They say you can’t spit on a smiling face; is he already smiling?

“Are you free tomorrow?”

I tilted my head and asked back at the unexpected words.

“Yes?”

“We have another schedule tomorrow. There are a few more bodyguard scenes, and I think Hee-sung would do well.”

Director Kim looked at me with deep trust and added.

“How about it, would you like to try it?”