An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 8

Episode 8 #2 – Unexpected (4)

The bus, having been on the road for quite some time, began to rattle as if it were driving on an unpaved road.

Where are we going that the road is so rough?

The supporting actors, who had been dozing off against the bus windows, were waking up one by one, jolted by the shaking.

I cautiously opened the curtain and peered outside, seeing nothing but dirt and trees.

Judging by the dust clouds kicked up by the bus wheels, we were clearly heading up into a remote mountain valley.

Screech.

The bus stopped abruptly.

“We have arrived. Please get off.”

The bus driver’s voice was low and monotonous.

At his words, we all began to disembark.

It was a far cry from the usual filming set.

The location, a full 3 hours and 40 minutes from Seoul, was somewhere in Gangwon Province.

A remote mountain valley so isolated, it was hard to pinpoint the exact region.

There didn’t seem to be any houses nearby, no sign of habitation.

A rugged mountain valley so remote, I wondered how they’d even found it.

I could also see cliffs that looked like a single misstep would send you tumbling down.

Even after looking around with a surprised expression, all I could see besides the filming staff were trees and large rocks.

Other supporting actors also looked around, murmuring amongst themselves.

“Hee-sung!”

Someone was approaching me with a cheerful greeting.

It was the supporting actor who always greeted me first on set.

“Hello. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Nice to see you too. But I heard today’s filming is no joke. They even have stuntmen coming?”

Looking in the direction he indicated, I saw a group of well-built and agile-looking people.

“I see. But that…”

As my voice trailed off, he narrowed his eyes and asked.

“Don’t tell me, you don’t know my name?”

Actually, I had never heard his name.

No, I had never asked.

It’s rare for supporting actors to work together more than once.

Most of them are characters who disappear after filming a single scene.

That’s why I hadn’t bothered exchanging names with him on the first day.

But I couldn’t exactly tell him that.

I gave a sheepish smile and replied.

“I’m sorry. I have a terrible memory.”

He nodded as if it was okay, smiling, and then promptly said, “My name is Jang Geun-woo.”

I reached out my hand to him and replied, “Mr. Jang Geun-woo, I will definitely remember you.”

“Yes, please remember me this time. Haha.”

Like newfound acquaintances, we shook hands.

Jang Geun-woo, still chuckling, spoke again with a worried tone.

“Hee-sung, I think you should be careful today.”

I tilted my head, puzzled by his words.

“The atmosphere here, even the stuntmen… it seems like today’s filming will be quite dangerous, don’t you think?”

“I agree. There’s a sword fight scene, so I guess that’s why the stunt actors are here.”

“That’s right. And since we don’t have managers to look after us, we need to be even more careful. We can’t afford to ruin our careers in just one day.”

I nodded emphatically.

Because I deeply agreed.

For supporting actors like us who don’t have managers, getting injured is a serious setback.

Even if the main actors get hurt, they can reshoot after recovering, but supporting actors don’t get that luxury.

There are plenty of supporting actors to replace us, not just one.

You’re lucky if you even get hospital bills covered, let alone having your role taken away and being laid up for a few days.

“But Geun-woo, weren’t you a rebel chasing the royal guard in the last filming?”

“Oh, that’s right. The rebel next to the actor riding the horse. I guess my acting was a bit impressive that day. Everyone remembers. Haha.”

“I heard that the last filming was the end for that rebel, so are you here today in a different role?”

Jang Geun-woo puffed out his chest with a proud expression.

“Well, the casting director liked my acting, so they called me again today.”

He shrugged his shoulders, unable to hide his smile.

I would feel good too.

“That’s amazing.”

“Oh, come on. I’ll have to work harder in the future since I caught the casting director’s eye. Haha.”

At that moment, someone was walking quickly towards us.

It was the casting director.

Jang Geun-woo and I bowed to him simultaneously.

“Hello.”

The casting director patted my shoulder with a bright face and returned our greetings.

“Oh, Hee-sung, you’re here?”

“Yes, I arrived a little while ago.”

He glanced at the surrounding mountain path and pursed his lips.

“Were you surprised to see a place like this?”

“No, I roughly expected it after seeing the contents of the script.”

The casting director raised his eyebrows and twisted his lips.

“Really? You’re amazing, Hee-sung. You’re a pro.”

Then, he turned his head and looked at Jang Geun-woo standing next to me, raised his index finger, narrowed his eyes, and asked, “But who was here… who was it?”

“It’s Jang Geun-woo. I played the rebel role in the last filming. I was a total macho.”

Even at his words, the casting director forced a smile, his face suggesting he didn’t remember.

“Be sure to keep an eye on him. He will come again.”

Jang Geun-woo showed off his acting with a running motion in place.

Only then did the casting director raise one corner of his mouth and nod.

“Ah, that friend who rode the horse? Okay, work hard today too.”

“Ah… no, I was the rebel running next to the horse…”

Jang Geun-woo replied in a barely audible voice to the casting director’s words, but the director put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Hee-sung, let’s see each other again when the shoot starts later!”

“Yes.”

***

“When will we arrive?”

Song Yuna leaned back in the car seat, her gaze fixed on the script, and spoke.

“We’ll be there in 5 minutes.”

Her manager, Chief Manager Choi Tae-min, replied quickly.

Thump.

The moment the car hit the unpaved road, the inside of the car shook violently.

“Ah, Oppa [older brother/term of endearment]! Can’t you drive more carefully?”

“Uh… sorry. The road here is not good…”

“If the road is not good, shouldn’t you drive more carefully?”

Song Yuna retorted sharply.

Chief Manager Choi barely held back a sigh, looking straight ahead.

‘Ha… I had a bad dream, and my condition isn’t good. Even Yuna is like this.’

Chief Manager Choi knew that Song Yuna had a prickly personality, but he shook his head, feeling she was particularly difficult today.

“What, are we filming over there where they’re setting up the camera?”

Song Yuna frowned at the sight of the filming crew visible outside the window and asked Chief Manager Choi.

“Uh, today’s scene is on a mountain path, so I think they’re preparing there.”

“We’re going on that mountain path? It’s so narrow. It’s only wide enough for three or four people to stand side by side.”

Chief Manager Choi looked dazed at her constant complaints.

“I’ll get out and check first. We’re almost there. Yuna, get out carefully.”

“Ha…”

Song Yuna sighed deeply and stepped out of the car.

Her face contorted again as she immediately went to the trunk to check her outfit.

“What is this? Why is the outfit like this today?”

“That’s…”

The stylist next to her trailed off with a trembling voice, and Chief Manager Choi stepped in again.

“I’m sorry. Someone accidentally took the wrong clothes from the costume room today.”

“What? No, you have to manage it properly. What is the stylist doing if they can’t even keep track of their assigned outfits?”

“…I’m really sorry.”

The stylist kept apologizing with her head bowed.

Song Yuna, who had finished changing while grumbling, still didn’t seem to be in a good mood and spoke with a deep frown.

“Isn’t this skirt too long? It keeps getting caught in my feet whenever I walk.”

She said, picking up the middle of the skirt with her thumb and forefinger.

At Song Yuna’s words, the stylist bowed her head again.

“Unnie [older sister/term of endearment]… I’m really sorry.”

Chief Manager Choi opened his mouth to try to ease the atmosphere for the upcoming filming.

“It’s okay. It’s normal for it to get caught a little when you walk; that’s how you get the Joseon Dynasty [Korean kingdom from 1392-1897] feel…”

“What?”

At his words, Song Yuna glared at Chief Manager Choi with fire in her eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“Really, if something like this happens again, I won’t stand still!”

Song Yuna shouted at Chief Manager Choi, not the stylist.

***

A narrow outer path.

Steep cliffs spread out on both sides.

It was a path too narrow for the cameras to stand next to and film, so the staff were only positioned at the front and back of the outer path.

Two drones were hovering above the cliffs on both sides to capture the natural scenery.

Unlike the previous filming, this location was cramped and difficult.

Because of that, the atmosphere on set was quite tense.

Complaints could be heard, such as who scouted this location, and how a sword fight could be possible in such a narrow place.

The staff and supporting actors, noticing the director’s fierce demeanor, participated in the rehearsal without a word.

“Who is the person standing at the very front today?”

“That’s me.”

At the martial arts director’s call, I raised my hand and began to receive additional instructions from him.

“Yes, so when the bandit comes here, you swing your sword, first to the left once, and then swing to the right while…”

The martial arts director, the opposing actor, and I quickly coordinated our movements.

And the filming started immediately.

“Okay, let’s go with the scene where the bandits approach, and the princess gets off the palanquin [covered litter or sedan chair] and says her lines first.”

“Ready, action!”

The noisy atmosphere became quiet in an instant.

The cameras were rolling in front of and behind the cliffside path, and a red light was shining on me standing in front of the palanquin.

“…Who are you?”

I was surprised to meet a bandit on the outer path, so I stopped walking, but I spoke my lines with a tone that conveyed the bravery to protect the princess.

“Where do you think you’re going, passing by here so carelessly?”

The bandits were walking in a group.

They were walking towards me with confident eyes and crooked smiles.

“Which lady is in the palanquin…”

“Move. If you give way, I will spare your lives.”

Swoosh…!

I drew my sword to prevent the bandits from approaching the princess in the palanquin any further and threatened them.

My eyes showed the strength that I would cut off their heads if they took even one step closer.

As I held the sword and tensed my whole body, the drone on the cliff began to circle around to capture the situation.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t we moving?”

Cold atmosphere.

Song Yuna shouted loudly from inside the palanquin because it suddenly stopped and didn’t move.

The bandits began to stir at the sound of Song Yuna’s voice from inside the palanquin.

“You must stay inside, Princess.”

I shouted to the princess while keeping my eyes fixed on the bandits.

But contrary to my worried wishes, the princess came out of the stopped palanquin and said.

“Who is it that… Ugh!”

“NG [No Good/Take Again]!”

Song Yuna, who had never made a mistake before, hit her head on the palanquin while getting out, resulting in an NG.

She quickly shouted to everyone.

“I’m sorry. Let’s do it again!”

“Let’s go again right away. Ready, action!”

“You must stay inside, Princess.”

“Who is it that stopped here? Do you know who I… Ugh! I’m sorry.”

“…NG!”

This time it was Song Yuna’s line mistake.

After that, there were several NGs, both big and small.

There was 1 NG from a supporting actor.

The other 4 were Song Yuna’s mistakes.

“NG! Ha… Yuna, what’s wrong today? Are you not feeling well?”

“I’m really sorry. I’ll do it without mistakes this time.”

She bowed to the director and staff, then shook her head vigorously.

To make mistakes in a row that she doesn’t usually make.

Is she nervous because of the poor and difficult environment?

“Yuna, go next to the royal guard now and show a detailed expression of giving courage even though you’re scared!”

“Yes, I’ll try.”

“Okay. Ready, action.”

As if she had never been nervous, Song Yuna immediately immersed herself in acting and approached me.

After giving her a brief look that she didn’t have to worry, I turned my gaze back to the bandits.

“Princess, I will be here, so please go to the back.”

I spoke in a small voice so that the bandits in front wouldn’t hear.

“Hahaha.”

Soon, the bandits approached from behind, making sinister laughter.

It was a dilemma.

Because of the bandits coming out from the front and back, she stood closer to me.

In response, I checked that the hem of her dress was clear with one hand, then raised my sword high into the sky.

The moment I tried to approach and cut down the closest bandit….

Crackle.

“Huh? Uh… Kyaaak…!”

At the sound of Song Yuna’s voice from right behind me, I quickly turned around.

The stone at the edge of the cliff where Song Yuna was standing crumbled, and her body tilted as it was.

Down the cliff.

In an instant, I threw down the sword I was holding and instinctively threw myself.