An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 46

#11 – There is no eternal ‘Gap’, nor eternal ‘Eul’ (4)

I started stretching in my seat to loosen up my body from the tight schedule that had started early in the morning.

“Hee-sung, today’s filming, except for one scene, is all with Kang Chan-sung.”

Manager Kim said, looking at me through the rearview mirror.

At his words, I stopped moving and flipped through the script.

“Well, since I play the manager and he plays the singer, I’ll almost always be with Kang Chan-sung.”

“Yeah, but today there are a lot of scenes where you’re close and exchanging lines.”

Come to think of it, today’s filming had a lot of scenes with Kang Chan-sung.

There were more scenes doing lines and emotional acting than being on stage.

I didn’t let go of the script until I arrived at the set.

On days like this, if there’s an NG [no good – a filming term for a take that needs to be redone] from the first scene, it’ll be a disaster.

Arriving at the set, I immediately started changing into my costume.

The first outfit was a typical flashy idol outfit for the stage.

The stylist always picks out two or three outfits, and I choose one that fits the scene.

Today, I picked one of the outfits she had carefully chosen and changed.

Leaving the busy staff behind, I leaned against the car and went over my lines.

I had to run as soon as the staff gave the signal.

At that moment, Kang Chan-sung and his manager passed by.

Our eyes met, and I bowed my head towards Kang Chan-sung.

Even if I didn’t like it.

I didn’t want to become the same person as Kang Chan-sung, who doesn’t greet people.

“Hello.”

There’s no need to ignore him, but there’s also no need to be overly nice.

I just need to play the role of a formal junior [in Korean culture, someone with less experience or who is younger].

As usual, I thought he would pass by without responding to my greeting.

But Kang Chan-sung stopped at my voice.

“Oh, okay.”

What?

I was rather taken aback by his attitude of accepting my greeting.

Moreover, Kang Chan-sung even turned to look at me.

To be exact, he was scanning my body with strangely unpleasant eyes.

His gaze made me furrow my brow.

Kang Chan-sung sighed deeply and shook his head.

“What’s with that outfit?”

“…Excuse me?”

“And what’s with your hair? Get a hairstyle that suits you.”

His tone was full of sarcasm.

“The role is a singer, a singer.”

“……”

“Don’t you know idols [pop stars]?”

I didn’t want to argue with him before the start of filming.

I wanted to retort to his words, which seemed like he was picking a fight.

But it wouldn’t do me any good to raise my voice on set with a senior actor, especially Kang Chan-sung, who played the lead role.

“I’m sorry.”

“Okay, let’s pay attention to the quality of the drama.”

Kang Chan-sung made a displeased expression and gestured to his manager to leave.

After he left.

I let out a sigh I had been holding in.

“Haa, why is he being like that?”

Manager Kim, who was next to me, also looked puzzled.

“Why is he suddenly coming over and acting like this when he usually doesn’t even talk to you?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Is he doing this for the drama, or does he just want to find fault?”

He patted me on the shoulder and frowned.

“You have a confrontational scene with him today. Isn’t he coming here to immerse himself in the emotions?”

I waved my hand in the air at Manager Kim’s guess.

“No way.”

“Why?”

“I told you before. During the script reading, when I went to get his number to get close, he ignored me, saying that he only needs to focus on the actual performance.”

Manager Kim tilted his head.

“Well… that’s true. Then why is he doing that?”

“You can’t understand Kang Chan-sung no matter how hard you try.”

A staff member shouted at us.

“We’re going to start filming!”

“Yes.”

I left the anger caused by Kang Chan-sung here, steeled my heart, and approached the set.

***

“Cut, okay!”

The moment Director Lim’s okay sign fell, I gasped for breath.

Three consecutive cuts.

All those scenes were filming where I was constantly exchanging dialogue with Kang Chan-sung.

Not calm and gentle lines.

A feast of cold and sharp lines.

Thanks to that, even now that filming was over, a subtle tension flowed between Kang Chan-sung and me.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

When I bent down and greeted the staff and Kang Chan-sung,

“Yeah.”

Kang Chan-sung raised one corner of his mouth and glared at me with a face full of sarcasm.

His attitude was particularly unusual today.

Why is he being like this all day?

Is he really acting like this to me because of immersion, as Manager Kim said?

Thanks to that, my feelings towards him were unintentionally building up.

If these feelings continue, I’ll be able to express myself well enough in the last scene without having to try to immerse myself?

Turning on a positive circuit, I started walking towards Manager Kim.

“Hee-sung, you worked hard.”

Manager Kim said, handing me a small fan.

“Thanks, hyung [older brother or close male friend – a Korean honorific].”

He looked around and whispered quietly.

“Kang Chan-sung was originally a jerk, but he seems even worse today?”

At Manager Kim’s words, I clapped my hands together.

“You felt it too, hyung?”

“Yeah, it’s strange.”

“That’s why I don’t know why he’s being like that.”

Manager Kim and I frowned and clicked our tongues.

“What don’t you know?”

We were startled by the sudden voice and shouted.

“You scared me.”

Han So-jung giggled at my surprised expression.

“What were you whispering about so quietly that you didn’t even know I was here?”

At her question, I wiggled my eyebrows and said.

“It’s nothing. Haha.”

Han So-jung nodded and muttered.

“Wasn’t it something you were curious about because of Kang Chan-sung?”

At her words, I swallowed hard.

It seems she heard all our stories.

“……”

When Manager Kim and I didn’t answer, she leaned towards us.

“I heard that Hee-sung gave a hot dog to a child extra yesterday?”

I nodded at her words.

“That’s right.”

Han So-jung lowered her voice even more and said.

“I heard Kang Chan-sung was angry because of that.”

“Excuse me?”

I was so surprised that I asked back in a loud voice.

Then she put her index finger to her lips and lowered the decibel.

“Shh.”

At her words, I tilted my head.

“No, he’s angry because of the hot dog?”

“Yes, that’s what I heard.”

I frowned at the incomprehensible words.

“Why is that?”

“He said you gave the hot dog from the snack truck that came to him to the child extra. He must have told the staff that he was upset because you were showing off with his stuff.”

I burst into laughter at her words.

“So that’s why he was showing me such an unpleasant attitude today?”

Han So-jung also shrugged her shoulders, as if she didn’t understand Kang Chan-sung.

“That’s absurd. He’s so childish.”

She smiled at my words.

“I heard that’s why he was doing that, so I came to tell Hee-sung.”

“Let him be and curse [ignore him and complain about him].”

“It’s a bit… right?”

Han So-jung shook her head as if she didn’t understand.

I kept laughing at Kang Chan-sung’s thoughts.

Even if I went back to yesterday.

Or even if something like that happened again.

I would act like yesterday again.

Because I don’t think even an iota that it’s a wrong action.

But I sighed at Kang Chan-sung’s childish thoughts.

He was picking fights over every little thing because of such a thing?

The more I think about it, the more upset I get….

***

“Haa.”

I stretched and loosened my body from the day’s non-stop filming.

I was exhausted from the relentless filming.

But the most important last scene remained.

I dragged my tired body and patted both cheeks with my hands.

Then I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

Finally, today’s highlight.

A scene that requires a long, long dialogue and intense emotions.

I had perfectly memorized the lines, but I slowly recited the lines again in my head.

“Okay, let’s start filming.”

At the staff’s shout, I opened my closed eyes and took a long breath.

This filming is a scene where Kang Chan-sung, who plays the manager, and I, who play the idol, are in fierce conflict.

I, who am a top star who is doing well in the current era, complain to my manager.

An important scene that leads to the end of emotions.

It’s an important scene, so I shouldn’t make any mistakes because I’ve practiced countless times.

Ha…

Let’s focus.

Before entering the filming, I closed my eyes tightly.

The memory I saw in my dream.

If I were a top star… what kind of tone and expression would I have?

The vivid scenes from the dream flashed by like film.

I felt the pounding of my heart and opened my eyes.

In front of me, Kang Chan-sung was glaring at me with a distorted face.

The moment I looked at him.

I was instantly immersed in the role.

The cameras and staff around me gradually moved away and began to look blurry.

I rolled my eyes with a deeper sense of immersion than usual.

The emotions as an idol role swirled like a vortex.

“Ready, action!”

At Director Lim’s voice coming through the megaphone, my expression changed in an instant.

After finishing the stage, I came down the last step and gasped for breath.

“Haa….”

“Mino, you worked hard.”

Kang Chan-sung gave a formal greeting with a soulless tone and expression.

“Is that all?”

I asked, wiping the sweat flowing down my forehead.

“I said you worked hard.”

“Ha… is everything just half-assed now?”

When I glared at him, Kang Chan-sung glared at me with sharp eyes.

“Stop it.”

“Stop?”

I opened my mouth and trembled so much that my facial muscles trembled.

“Are you kidding me right now?”

I shouted so loud that the microphone exploded.

The surroundings seemed to freeze in an instant at my voice.

The camera that was coming closer to take a close-up of my face stopped.

A moment of silence followed.

My eyebrows were bent in an inverted eight shape, and I screamed so loud that the set seemed to be leaving.

“I came here trusting only you, hyung!”

My fists were clenched so tightly with anger that they seemed to burst.

Thanks to that, not only my face but also my neck turned red, and my whole body trembled slightly.

“I’m… your manager.”

Kang Chan-sung shouted, closing and opening his eyes tightly.

“And I’m older than you…”

Before he could finish his words, I shouted.

“If you’re old, act like an adult. Stop acting like a child.”

Kang Chan-sung’s mouth seemed to be blocked, and he trembled with his mouth open.

He stared at me with a flustered face and then opened his mouth.

“You…”

“Hyung, I’m telling you nicely, shut that mouth.”

I glanced at Kang Chan-sung as if he were pathetic.

And twisted one corner of my mouth up.

“……!”

Kang Chan-sung, with a clear look of embarrassment.

I didn’t improvise a single word.

I just fully immersed myself in the role and treated him [with contempt].

Kang Chan-sung bit his lower lip so hard that it seemed to burst.

I watched the scene and sent him a sneer.

The blazing eyes were captured on camera.

I slowly closed and opened my eyes and sent Kang Chan-sung a look of contempt.

Soon, Director Lim got up from his seat and shouted.

“Cut, okay!”

At Director Lim’s okay sign, some of the staff clapped their hands in place.

I took a long breath and loosened my stiff neck.

But Kang Chan-sung was still clenching both fists with a flustered face.

“Wow! Hee-sung, you surprised me?”

Director Lim approached me with the megaphone he couldn’t put down.

“You acted exactly how I wanted… no, even better than that.”

I smiled at his words.

“Haha, thank you.”

“The staff next to me even had sweaty hands because it felt like you were really fighting?”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right! Your nasty acting is the best!”

Director Lim admired and gave a thumbs up.

“Where did you learn to act like that?”

“Me?”

Director Lim looked at me with wide eyes as if he was curious.

At his question, I smirked and wiggled my eyebrows.

“There were many people around me who could be role models.”