The Script-Eating Actor – Chapter 14

Ch 14

Song Mun-gyo was in a big dilemma.

Now that he had grasped the director’s tendencies, should he yield a little, or should he continue to maintain his concept?

“Let’s just tone down your temper a bit, okay?”

The company was unconditionally shouting for the former, but Song Mun-gyo found it difficult to choose that option.

The reason, of course, was because of ‘me’.

In front of ‘me’, who had been begging him for a role, he wouldn’t want to show himself bowing his head to director Moon Byung-chul.

He didn’t want to be embarrassed, so he was holding his head high and acting so brazen.

Not even knowing that it was a downhill path.

“…Director. Ha, I really don’t know.”

“Is my point difficult to understand?”

“The script says here that I feel unbearable anger. What exactly do you want me to add?”

They began the first shoot of the full-fledged .

The location was a quiet residential area in Paldal-gu, Suwon City.

In the case of filming in an alleyway without prior arrangements, they had to control traffic and warn passing citizens.

It wasn’t for nothing that the scene was described as being ‘unfurled’ and ‘folded’. They had to quickly ‘unfurl’ it, film it quickly before complaints came in, and then ‘fold’ it up.

However, due to the trouble between Song Mun-gyo and director Moon Byung-chul, they couldn’t make any progress.

“It seems you don’t understand the situation before this?”

Director Moon Byung-chul’s expression became strange.

“Did you forget what the previous scene was? It was a scene where ‘Kim Do-hoon’ and I were reminiscing about good times. But how can you go crazy like that in the very next scene? Do you have some anger management issues?”

“Director, that’s a bit harsh.”

“I’ve said it repeatedly, Mun-gyo Ssi. The character ‘Woo-jin’ is the center of this drama. Even if the script is written like this, you can’t just go wild without thinking about the context! I want you to hide that unbearable anger, with a certain… look! Action! Breathing! A solidness like a core! That’s what I want. Don’t you understand?”

“Then you should have written it like that in the script.”

“…What?”

Director Moon Byung-chul glared at the production PD with a resentful look, as if he was looking for the moronic newbie actor that they had brought in.

And then he took off the hat he was wearing and said.

“Ha… I’m going crazy.”

“Yes?”

“Mun-gyo Ssi. Aren’t you analyzing the character? Do I have to write everything down for you? That’s the actor’s job.”

Song Mun-gyo’s manager, Myeong-gil Ssi, was fidgeting and pacing anxiously. Instead of Myeong-gil Ssi, Jae-ik Hyung had a phone call with team leader Park Chan-ik, and soon after he hung up, he said.

“Chan-ik Hyung will be here soon.”

“Whew.”

Myeong-gil Ssi’s face finally looked a bit relieved.

And then Young-mi Ssi, from who knows where, was holding a bag of popcorn in one hand and said with a bright smile.

“Dae-bak! It feels like I’m watching a real debate.”

What’s with this woman?

…Did she prepare the popcorn in advance?

I stood quietly and watched the end of this fight. It didn’t take long.

Because director Moon Byung-chul finally exploded.

“Do you think acting in a romance is a joke! You should at least have some respect for the filming!”

And then.

“Hey! Assistant director! Tell Mun-gyo Ssi to go and review the script more! Skip this scene and film the next one first!”

He demanded that they change the order of filming.

As soon as Song Mun-gyo heard that, he also exploded and left the scene.

“Hyung!”

Myeong-gil Ssi chased after Song Mun-gyo.

It was like a storm had just swept through.

“The atmosphere was crazy.”

Following Young-mi Ssi’s one-line review, the assistant director approached me.

“Ah, I’m sorry. It seems like we need to film Jae-hee Ssi’s scene first. You’re ready, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

Because I had finished preparing a long time ago and was just watching.

“Then please wait, and I’ll go get Chung-ah Ssi quickly.”

The next scene to be filmed was the one with me and actress Park Chung-ah.

As I greeted the directors and walked towards the camera, actress Park Chung-ah walked over from a distance with her manager.

Park Chung-ah.

She was three years younger than me, but she had debuted on television earlier.

She was the second most important female character, but because Soyoon had an overwhelming amount of screen time, her role wasn’t that big.

However, since she was my long-time girlfriend from high school in the concept, she was also someone I had to face every day if I had filming.

“You’re here?”

When I greeted her, Chung-ah Ssi greeted me politely.

“Hello, Sunbaenim.”

“Oh, don’t call me that. It makes me uncomfortable.”

She hadn’t become famous, but she was already in her third drama, so I should be the one calling her Sunbaenim.

“Then, should I call you Oppa?”

“Yes. That’s good.”

“Then, Oppa, please speak comfortably as well.”

What was certain was that she was someone I would be seeing often in the future, so I had to get along with her, but I wasn’t too worried about this part.

“Ah. E. I. O. Uuuuuuu.”

Her awkward way of pulling her chin and loosening her mouth was so funny that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Puh-huh. Ah, I’m sorry.”

“Eee, was it weird?”

“No. It’s not.”

At my denial, she pulled the corners of her mouth again and started loosening them.

“Uuuuuuuuuu.”

“Puh.”

Certainly, in many ways, her impression wasn’t bad.

I thought I could probably get close to her soon.

“Oh my, I’m sorry that the scene order suddenly changed.”

At that time, the director approached us with a very tired-looking face.

“It’s okay.”

“Then, shall we do a rehearsal? Let’s see… what page…”

“Page 32. Scene 12 of episode 1.”

The director had a face that said he wasn’t even surprised by this anymore.

“Hehe, thank you.”

The scene to be filmed was simple.

Because it was a high school flashback scene, we were wearing the school uniforms that had been prepared in advance, and our makeup was done to make us look as young as possible.

It was a scene where we held hands and walked while having a light conversation about what kind of lives we would be living in a few years, and they would film it using a moving camera（dolly）.

“Is it okay if I hold your hand?”

At my question, Park Chung-ah nodded.

“Of course.”

We held hands and walked while exchanging lines.

Park Chung-ah acted well, just like the image I had in mind. She had the sense to lightly trail off at the end of her lines, and she would come in at the exact timing. It was as if she had prepared a lot, her lines flowed naturally.

The feeling wasn’t bad.

The cinematographer also seemed to like the shot, giving a thumbs up, and the shoot sign was given just 10 minutes after filming had resumed.

“Good, just like that!”

“Okay! Let’s go!”

At the main FD’s shout, the FDs immediately began to block off the alleyway, and the extras got ready to move according to the class leaders’ signals.

If Park Chung-ah and I did well, then all these staff members wouldn’t have to suffer multiple times, and we could finish it in one go.

“Shoot!”

What was there to say?

“Okay! Let’s go for a bust shot!”

It was okayed in one take.

*

“Cut! Let’s go again!”

Filming of another scene continued on set, but behind the scenes, a rather serious conversation was taking place.

Team leader Park Chan-ik, who had arrived after receiving a call from Jae-ik Hyung, immediately went to find Song Mun-gyo, and a small L&K meeting was held behind Song Mun-gyo’s Carnival.

“So, are you saying that you can’t do it now?”

Team leader Park Chan-ik.

He was a talented person who had discovered and debuted many rookies, including Song Mun-gyo, Im Ju-won, and even me, and he had a powerful influence in the L&K actor team.

“Ah, how many times do I have to say it? I don’t want to do it.”

But until now, he had always been at Song Mun-gyo’s beck and call.

“So, you’re saying you don’t want to do it?”

But today, he was a little different.

It was as if he had come with a sharpened knife.

“….”

“Say it clearly. If you’re going to drop it, the sooner the better.”

He was making a pretty strong move.

Song Mun-gyo hesitated a bit, as if he didn’t expect team leader Park Chan-ik to say such a thing.

“Are you serious?”

At Song Mun-gyo’s question, team leader Park Chan-ik burst out in anger.

“Of course I’m not serious!”

And then he held his forehead and sighed deeply, trying to calm his anger as he spoke.

“Hoo! Mun-gyo. Before we started filming, I clearly told you to tone down your temper a bit because the director’s personality wasn’t normal, right?”

“You did. And I also said that I didn’t want to do a romance.”

“Hey, Song Mun-gyo! Is this the time for you to be picky about your projects? Should I be blunt and honest with you?”

“….”

“Ha, never mind… Mun-gyo. It’s one thing that you’re 10, 20 minutes late to the filming location. But it’s another thing that you couldn’t control your temper and cursed in front of the director! And it’s another thing that you’re showing off your weird pride to Jae-hee!”

“Ah, it’s not like that!”

Song Mun-gyo jumped up from his seat.

“Showing off my pride? Me? Why? What’s so great about that bastard? What’s so special about him?”

And then he glared at me and said.

“S*it, no matter how much you struggle, I’m still the lead.”

As if making a pledge, he muttered and then disappeared as if running away.

“Aigoo, my head.”

Team leader Park Chan-ik grabbed the back of his neck as he watched Song Mun-gyo disappear, and Jae-ik Hyung approached him and said.

“I guess that means he’ll do it?”

Team leader Park Chan-ik said.

“He has to. We can’t drop it. You know. This casting was put in to make up for the losses from his previous work.”

“Still, since Hyung came out strong, it seems like he got a warning?”

That was true.

I could feel a slight ‘desire’ in his eyes as he glared at me.

‘S*it, is this guy making me angry? Should I really try too? Just you wait and see!’

That kind of stubbornness.

However, team leader Park Chan-ik was still not over his anger, and he was huffing and puffing.

“Ah, but the more I think about it, the angrier I get. How long has it been since he became famous that he’s being picky about his projects! Does he think he’s Song Beom-ho? Choi Tae-shik? There are so many people who are coveting this spot.”

The acting one can do and the acting one wants to do.

Unless you’re a veteran actor or a top star who can pick and choose any project they want, the gap between these two always exists.

However, it is entirely up to the actor to narrow this gap.

You have to show through your skills that you can do well in this genre, and only then will opportunities come.

In order to seize opportunities, you have to work diligently on each project. Director Moon Byung-chul might hit it big with , and then he might go into a 10 billion won blockbuster thriller for his next project.

“Mun-gyo has become too comfortable.”

“That’s true.”

This industry is small.

That’s why image is important.

Team leader Park Chan-ik looked at me and patted my shoulder.

“Jae-hee, you’ve only been getting praise lately. Even Sunbaenim Oh Mi-ran is grumbling that she doesn’t have any scenes with you. You’re very popular.”

“Ah, haha. Is that so?”

“Yes. Jae-hee, don’t worry about Mun-gyo and just keep doing what you’re doing. Got it?”

That’s what I intend to do.

I nodded.

“Anyway, I have to go see the director. Ugh, my son is only four years old, but I understand how parents feel when their child causes trouble at school and gets dragged into the principal’s office?”

Team leader Park Chan-ik jokingly said and walked towards the filming location.

Jae-ik Hyung stretched lazily and said.

“Ughhh! It’s a relief that our Jae-hee does well on his own. Thanks to you, this Hyung has nothing to do on set.”

Well, I always approach things with the heart of a rookie.

But it’s not like I don’t have any ambition.

One ambition hidden behind the polite face of a rookie.

To become an actor who can ‘pick and choose the projects I want’.

I smiled behind my mask.

“Me? Well… am I at that ‘rank’? I still have a long way to go.”

A sense of impatience kept rearing its head, but I decided to set a goal.

One year.

Within that time, I will definitely become famous.