An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 58

58. #13 – People Don’t Change Easily (1)

Gloomy, ashen skies.

The wind was blowing fiercely, making the clouds move quickly.

“Looks like it’s going to rain today.”

Kim, the manager, said, looking up at the sky.

“Yeah, did the weather forecast say it would rain?”

He tilted his head, answering.

“I don’t need to check to know it’s definitely coming.”

“Well, we’ll at least get a shower.”

The sweat that poured during every shoot because of the hot weather was a constant memory.

Today, I put on a light jacket because of the chilly weather.

“We have a few outdoor scenes to shoot today; we need to film them quickly before it rains.”

At my words, Kim, the manager, looked at his watch.

“Yeah, I think they just started shooting.”

“Ah, already?”

“The first scene is with minor actors, so I didn’t mention it.”

I fastened my jacket and replied to Kim, the manager.

“Still, I should go watch the filming, right?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

***

I frowned, staring intently at the set.

The acting of Park Na-yeon and Choi Seo-bin, who played the main roles, was captivating.

They exchanged subtle emotions with their eyes.

Their acting evoked admiration from the viewers.

“Wow! I’ve heard Park Na-yeon is good at acting, but she’s definitely on another level.”

Kim, the manager, who was next to me, clicked his tongue in admiration at her acting.

“Right? You can see the emotions directly in her eyes.”

“Wow, it looks like she has tears welling up even when she’s just standing there.”

I looked at her eyes from afar.

Her eyes looked like they were filled with tears, even though it wasn’t a scene where she was supposed to cry.

“Look at that. They say those eyes aren’t from lenses.”

At Kim, the manager’s words, I naturally nodded.

“Her eyes are really deep….”

While we were talking about Park Na-yeon.

“Cut, okay!”

Director Jang’s voice echoed.

“Let’s move on to the next scene right away.”

Park Na-yeon and Choi Seo-bin left the set to prepare for the next scene.

“Senior!”

I made eye contact with Choi Seo-bin, who was walking towards me.

I called out to him slightly and bowed my head.

“Oh, Hee-sung.”

He naturally came to my side, put his hand on my shoulder, and said.

“The next scene is with you and me, right?”

“Yes, that’s why I was waiting.”

He looked at the set and opened his mouth.

“But why were you out here already? There’s a long scene in the middle.”

Choi Seo-bin pointed to Park Min-joon, who was standing on the set, with his chin.

“I remember that only that friend is in it, not you, right?”

Choi Seo-bin and Park Min-joon were senior and junior colleagues in the same agency.

However, you could tell that their relationship wasn’t close just by the way they addressed each other.

“That’s right. I came earlier and was watching my senior’s acting to study.”

“Oh, you watched my acting?”

I nodded vigorously and smiled.

“Of course. There’s always a lot to learn from your acting, senior.”

At my flattery, Choi Seo-bin patted my shoulder and laughed brightly.

“I won’t rest either; I’ll wait with you and go straight into the shoot.”

At Choi Seo-bin’s words, I scanned him.

“Senior, what about changing your clothes?”

“I’m wearing the same clothes for the next scene too.”

At that moment, the lights turned on.

Park Min-joon stood alone on the set, staring at the camera.

“Ready, action!”

At Director Jang’s signal, Choi Seo-bin was about to say something but quickly stopped himself.

And we both fixed our gaze on Park Min-joon at the same time.

Park Min-joon stared intently at the camera and sighed deeply.

“Haa, this is awful.”

As soon as he said his line, he slumped down in the chair.

Then, he picked up his cell phone and made a call somewhere.

A very raised voice.

“Hello. Yes, Director. This is Deputy Park.”

Holding the cell phone with both hands, he made a call.

“No. Not there, Deputy Park from WG Medical in Gwangju. Yes, yes.”

Since the other actor wasn’t in front of him.

Because he was acting while holding the phone, there was a bit of awkwardness on Park Min-joon’s face.

I tilted my head slightly at the sight.

“Cut, NG [No Good]!”

As expected, it seemed that Director Jang saw it that way too.

Immediately, NG.

“Min-joon, you’re making a groveling phone call; don’t do it like that. Let’s try again.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Park Min-joon puffed air into his cheeks and loosened his facial muscles.

Director Jang stood in his place, hunched over, and gestured as if he was receiving a call towards Park Min-joon.

“Something like this, can you do it?”

At Director Jang’s appearance, Park Min-joon quickly got up from his seat.

He watched his motion and nodded.

“Yes, I’ll try again.”

“Let’s go again right away.”

He leaned back in his chair with a short sigh.

“Ready, action!”

As Director Jang said, Park Min-joon hunched his body as much as possible in the chair he was sitting in.

“Hello. Yes, Director. This is Deputy Park.”

Even though no one was watching, he seemed to be showing the appearance of a sales employee who was intimidated just by the phone call.

“No. Not there, WG Medical in Gwangju….”

“Cut, NG!”

Director Jang’s signal, shouting before Park Min-joon’s line was even finished.

Director Jang’s face was slightly red.

Everyone’s eyes were on him.

“No, what kind of tone is that for a sales employee?”

“Ah….”

Park Min-joon trailed off, looking like he didn’t even know what he had done wrong.

Because he couldn’t retort to Director Jang’s words.

“NG!”

Park Min-joon’s filming continued.

And NG came out one after another.

Director Jang got up from his seat without saying anything and sighed.

“I’m sorry.”

Director Jang, who had been holding back, suppressed his anger and opened his mouth.

“Don’t just do as I told you; you have to improvise. Like that….”

Park Min-joon seemed very dejected at Director Jang’s continued coaching.

Choi Seo-bin, who had his arm around my shoulder, slowly lowered his hand.

“Haa, the filming is getting really long. I think Director Jang’s condition isn’t good today….”

At his words, I looked at Director Jang, not Choi Seo-bin.

“But Min-joon is having trouble with that simple acting… no.”

Choi Seo-bin shook his head as he spoke.

Because the next scene was my and Choi Seo-bin’s turn.

I started to feel a little nervous.

I had practiced countless times, but if I made a mistake on set, all that practice would be for nothing.

I raised my head and recalled my lines.

The increasingly blurred sky came into view.

Looking up, I commented, “Looks like it’s about to pour, doesn’t it?”

Choi Seo-bin followed my gaze and replied, “It does. Min-joon needs to get an okay quickly so we can film our part, too.”

“I heard we’re filming the last outdoor scene today.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Ah, if it rains in the middle of it, filming will be delayed. I hope Min-joon nails it this time.”

Director Jang’s voice, though weak, came through the megaphone: “Cut, okay.”

It was definitely an okay sign. Choi Seo-bin and I relaxed and headed straight for the set.

The assistant director called out, “The weather’s not so good, so we’ll shoot the next scene right away!”

“Yes,” we replied.

Choi Seo-bin and I walked together, getting into character.

Just then, Park Min-joon trudged toward us, looking completely drained.

He must be exhausted after being scolded by Director Jang in the previous scene.

Suddenly, Choi Seo-bin blocked Park Min-joon’s path.

Park Min-joon looked up, recognized him, and bowed his head. “Senior.”

Choi Seo-bin’s face hardened at the address. He stared straight into Park Min-joon’s eyes and said, “Min-joon, maybe you should practice your acting a bit more before coming to set.”

Park Min-joon froze, unable to say anything. He just blinked and twitched his lips.

“You’re causing trouble for others. Let’s do better.”

“…Yes, I’m sorry.”

Choi Seo-bin delivered his barbed words and then walked leisurely to the set.

***

“Let’s film quickly and wrap it up,” Director Jang shouted, looking at the monitor.

“Action!”

Choi Seo-bin looked at me and smirked. “Team Leader is like this, right?”

“No, you’re a disposable item I’m seeing for the first time.”

I shrugged and shook my head.

Choi Seo-bin burst into laughter, as if dumbfounded by my feigned ignorance. “I already heard you did it from someone.”

“Who, who did you hear it from!”

“Cut, NG [No Good]!” Director Jang stopped the scene from his seat.

It was my mistake, my uncontrolled voice.

I cleared my throat and shouted so everyone could hear, “I’m sorry. I’ll do it again.”

Director Jang nodded. “Let’s go right away. Ready, action!”

“Who did you hear it from!”

“Cut, NG!”

Damn it.

My mistake again. My third NG already, and the mistakes kept pouring out in the same part.

This time, the problem was my twisted pronunciation.

Haa, why is this happening suddenly….

I squeezed my eyes shut and shouted, “I’m sorry!”

Director Jang’s expression was turning cold at the absurd series of NGs.

Eventually, he put down the megaphone and jumped up from his seat. He might have overlooked it normally, but the previous scene with Park Min-joon hadn’t gone smoothly either. It seemed like his anger had accumulated.

Just then, Choi Seo-bin smiled brightly and spoke to Director Jang.

“Ah, Director. It’s been hot every day, but suddenly the wind is blowing, so my mouth must be freezing up.”

Choi Seo-bin continued, touching his mouth and cheeks. “It looks like it’s going to rain soon… can we go again quickly?”

At his words, Director Jang stopped walking towards me and looked up at the sky.

Then he sighed deeply and said, “Haa, okay. Let’s go again.”

Director Jang turned around and walked back to his seat.

I looked at Choi Seo-bin and said in a low voice, “Thank you, Senior.”

He patted me on the shoulder as if to encourage me. “It’s nothing. Don’t lose heart, and don’t get distracted, just focus.”

“Yes.”

He looked straight into my eyes. “Do the acting you can do. You have to do well to pull me up, too.”

At Choi Seo-bin’s words, I clenched my fist. I felt like I had gained a thousand reinforcements from his words.

I opened my eyes wide, took a deep breath, and replied, “Yes, I understand.”

***

“Hee-sung, you’re here?”

“Yeah, good morning!”

As soon as I got into the car, Manager Kim greeted me. As soon as I fastened my seatbelt, the car pulled away from the front of the house.

I leaned back in my seat and asked Manager Kim, “As I said yesterday, about the second scene of the filming….”

“Ah!” Before I could finish, Manager Kim snapped his fingers and said, “Why, what’s wrong?”

I asked with a surprised face, and Manager Kim wrinkled his nose. Then he looked at me in the rearview mirror and gestured to the seat next to me. “Hee-sung, there’s a new script next to you.”

“The script has been revised?”

“Yeah, Director Jang revised a lot of the latter part.”

It seemed like he felt something was lacking while filming the movie. Filming was already halfway through, and since we couldn’t reshoot it now, the new method he sought was script revision.

At Manager Kim’s words, I quickly opened the script. My face gradually distorted as I read through the revised parts.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], a new character appears?”

I quickly flipped through the script and asked again, “Besides, it’s quite a significant role to be called a cameo. It feels like they called in a relief pitcher [someone who comes in to replace another when they are struggling]?”

Manager Kim raised his eyebrows and replied, “Yeah. It’s rare for a relief pitcher who comes in the middle of a movie to have such a significant role, let alone a drama.”

I nodded. The high proportion of roles being quickly put in… who will take on the role?

While flipping through the script, a piece of paper inserted in the middle popped out.

‘Additional Recruitment: Kang Chan-sung’

Wait a minute. Kang Chan-sung? That drama actor is coming as a relief pitcher…?