Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 223

223. The Genius of Effort (2)

“But if it’s live… even if we consider it’s just a script reading, we have to act really well. Aren’t you afraid of causing controversy over acting skills or something? What if we just end up embarrassing ourselves?”

One of the veteran actors, playing the role of Chief Seo, said.

“What’s wrong? Our Chief Seo, are you not confident?”

“Why are you being so cold? Of course, I’m confident!”

Ahem.

Goo Jun-wook, playing Chief Seo, cleared his throat loudly.

While leading the atmosphere with Yoo Mi-ae, who played the mother, he didn’t forget to keep an eye on Yeon-woo.

Live streaming.

Also known as real-time live broadcast.

As he said, it’s only possible if you’re confident in your acting.

Who would want to showcase their terrible acting in front of people?

‘I heard the audition was amazing. So amazing that Writer Song even revised the synopsis.’

While preparing for this drama, Goo Jun-wook looked up dramas and movies featuring the lead actors.

Knowing their acting style in advance makes it easier to match their performance.

‘He’s definitely a good actor.’

Goo Jun-wook, who prided himself on having an eye for talent after rolling around in this industry for a long time, readily admitted.

That young man is good at acting.

Very good.

But that wasn’t all.

In fact, Goo Jun-wook had seen many young friends who were good at acting.

And almost all of them appeared like shooting stars, shone briefly, and then disappeared.

There are several reasons for that.

They relied only on talent and didn’t put in the effort.

Or they became arrogant because everyone praised them, thinking they had become superstars overnight, and then self-destructed due to mistakes.

Things like that.

But Yeon-woo in front of him was different.

‘He said he watched almost all of my recent works, right?’

It started as a simple small talk.

“Oh, I enjoyed the dramas and movies you were in, Yeon-woo. They were fun. You’re a good actor.”

“Thank you for the kind words. I also watched the drama you were in with great interest.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. I was especially impressed with the drama where you played a terminally ill patient. I was really touched by the conflict of whether to protect the family without saying anything or to prepare them in advance. You don’t want to hurt your loved ones, but eventually, they’ll find out someday. I was moved by the scene where you struggled with how to adjust the timing.”

“Oh… is that so…? Hehehe. It seems you really enjoyed it. Oh my. I’m more grateful.”

Goo Jun-wook had never imagined that Yeon-woo would have watched his work.

And it wasn’t just lip service.

Goo Jun-wook was a supporting actor in that drama, but he played a role that greatly influenced the female lead’s actions.

The scene where he struggled with whether to tell his family about his terminal illness was a scene that Goo Jun-wook had put a lot of effort into.

Of course, that scene passed quickly, and the female lead’s actions based on that choice were highlighted more.

But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t important.

Rather, it was a very important part that gave the protagonist justification.

The surprises didn’t end there.

“Yeon-woo, here’s the script you mentioned.”

“Thank you.”

Goo Jun-wook witnessed Yeon-woo receiving the script from the staff.

‘Well… it’s possible to lose a script since we haven’t even done the script reading yet… but it’s a bit strange.’

That’s when it happened.

“The writer said she’s going to print a high-quality one exclusively for Yeon-woo.”

“No, you don’t have to go to the trouble. Ah. If it’s a hassle…”

“No, no, no, no. It’s not that, she just seems pleased. She even said she’s going to print it on 200-gram paper… she’ll probably be disappointed if you refuse.”

Goo Jun-wook, who was listening, felt something was off.

‘He’s not getting it again because he lost it?’

Later, he casually asked and found out that Song Writer offered to give him a new script because he looked at it so much that it was getting worn out.

The notes filled with tiny writing all over the script were very impressive.

Since then, he had been observing him diligently.

Thanks to that, he was able to discover one characteristic.

He always brought the script to meetings and diligently wrote something in it when people weren’t watching.

“What… what are you doing?”

“Ah. I was studying the roles.”

“You’re a good actor…?”

“A drama isn’t filmed alone. I need to adjust my character little by little to match the others so that the dialogue becomes more vivid.”

“Ah…”

He said he was studying the roles, but it wasn’t his own role but the roles of other characters.

He had already cleared the script level and was carefully observing how the actor digested the role.

He seemed to be writing all of that down in the script…

Goo Jun-wook thought at that time.

‘The genius of effort.’

That word came to mind.

Anyway, that genius of effort made a suggestion with such an innocent face.

To do a live stream, no less.

So, he had no choice but to answer yes.

*

The live streaming schedule was set very quickly.

“They said they liked it because it would be a hot topic over there too. They’re going to do something like ‘Surprise Attack on the Live Streaming Site of the Script Reading!'”

Due to the nature of entertainment programs, the broadcast of the footage is done very quickly.

As the entertainment industry is filled with all sorts of incidents and news, the more you keep the footage, the more the topical value decreases.

You can tell by the fact that they want to film on Thursday to air on a program that airs late Friday night.

And that Thursday was just two days away.

“This is really like cooking beans in a flash of lightning [doing something very quickly].”

The already busy schedule became even tighter.

However, the drama team was more excited than tired and proceeded with the work.

“How frustrated were we when we couldn’t do anything and were just sitting around for weeks? It’s better to work hard.”

In particular, the fact that it was a live stream set the production team on fire.

Since they were people who had been rolling around in the entertainment industry for a long time, they started to create a proper plan on how to make it more flavorful.

“Script reading alone is boring, so it would be better to give the characters a strong presence from the beginning, right?”

“It’s no fun if it’s too stiff, so let’s go with a natural approach. Viewers will be tuning in.”

“Should we communicate with the people who come on the broadcast and proceed?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea? It would be good to induce participation because they will be more interested.”

“But it’s a bit difficult to reveal everything from the first episode, so let’s keep it within a certain range…”

They were really on fire and looked very excited.

And their passion was directly linked to the results.

“Wow…? The set is amazing?”

First of all, they had set up several floors of the same building as a huge set.

“We made it pretty well, right?”

“It’s beyond pretty!”

“Our art team worked hard. They tried to make it as realistic as possible. We can’t avoid location shooting, but a studio is better whenever possible.”

When asked how they completed it so quickly, they said they gritted their teeth and made it for several weeks while the president of A Entertainment was being difficult.

The production company’s determination to produce this drama was very well revealed.

“We’re even wearing costumes for the script reading?”

Another place where the production company’s burning passion was revealed was the costumes.

There were various costumes such as police uniforms worn by the police and sharp suits.

The veteran actor who saw it asked curiously.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a script reading with so much effort.”

There are almost no script readings that set a dress code.

Script reading is not a rehearsal, and it only has a symbolic meaning that the actors are matching their performance for the first time in a comfortable state.

Anything is okay as long as it’s not filthy or inappropriate to look at?

But this script reading was a little different.

No.

It was very different.

“Ah, we have to put in the effort. We’re doing it live, and if we just sit around a table and say our lines without any style, we’ll be fine, but what fun would it be for the viewers watching?”

“So, I can change into this?”

“Yes. You can get your makeup and styling done.”

It became almost a showcase level rather than a script reading, but the response was good.

“Yeah. What can’t we do if we can attract viewership even like this?”

“It’s better for us if this is more effective than spending thousands on advertising. If we save on production costs, the filming environment will be better.”

The actors also seemed excited about the new type of event.

“Oh. The perfect recreation of the protruding belly, Jun-wook.”

“…No. Isn’t this discrimination? How can an old woman in her sixties be so elegant? Did you secretly plan this with the stylist?”

“Oh my. Are you jealous? You should have been an elegant president instead of a pot-bellied chief?”

They are already halfway enjoying the skit.

One way or another, actors were people who lived on attention.

“…Is something wrong?”

Yeon-woo also changed into his costume and finished his styling.

But the reaction was a bit strange.

‘Why is everyone so quiet since a while ago?’

The touch is careful, as if handling something very sacred.

Somehow, their expressions seem blank…?.

What should I say.

It’s like they’re a little out of it?

The reaction became even quieter after he put on the jacket that he had taken off because he was afraid of getting powder on it.

‘Does it not suit me? Did the makeup not work well? I received intensive care… was it still not enough?’

There are people who consider smearing things on their faces as shameful.

Well.

I won’t say anything because it’s an individual’s freedom.

At one time, Yeon-woo himself was very annoyed by the act of putting something on his face.

Even until relatively recently.

However, in recent years, he has been making efforts to continue managing himself as much as possible.

‘Asking to be loved as you are without doing anything is practically a luxury.’

You have to make an effort.

Moreover, isn’t an actor a visible profession?

Apart from issues such as lookism, this is a matter of professional ethics.

Besides.

‘What’s wrong with wanting to look good to the people you like?’

He said that many people who liked him were looking forward to this drama.

Then, isn’t the right thing to do to meet that expectation?

Thanks to that, he spun the weight training routine several times more than usual in the final spurt yesterday.

After that, he released it thoroughly and took care of it carefully…

‘Was it arrogance to think it was okay…’

He in the mirror was pretty decent even to himself.

It doesn’t seem like there’s anything particularly wrong.

‘As expected, it was right to say that people should continue to strive and live.’

Not a single word of the old sages is wrong.

In this case, it was what the stubborn old ghosts swarming in the shrine of his mother, Kang Yeon-hwa, said.

‘I tried changing the styling, but is my hair weird? Or is it a problem that I exercised too much to get in shape yesterday?’

Perhaps because he spun the strength routine several times more than usual yesterday, it seemed a little tight when he put it on.

It is the clothes that change with very subtle differences.

It seems a little tight on the shoulders and arms even now.

Yeon-woo was looking in the mirror and fiddling with his collar awkwardly when he raised his hand to his hair.

“Wait a minute! Don’t touch it!”

A staff member who was startled as if awakened from a petrification spell stopped Yeon-woo.

“Yes?”

“It’s perfect right now. You must never touch it.”

“Wasn’t it weird?”

“It’s because you’re too handsome, even though I did it!”

“Yes…?”

Too, what?

Is it a variation of a swear word like Too X…?.

‘Does that mean I’m too unsightly?’

Yeon-woo tilted his head at the incomprehensible words.