Chapter 47: Clashing Talents

“NG!”

Again.

“Just a minute!”

Again, again.

‘How many times is this…’

The staff were getting exhausted as they kept getting NGS and the filming wasn’t progressing. Yeom Hae-jin seriously advised Im-hoon. The one having the hardest time must be him.

There’s always someone who fans the flames here.

“Why can’t you do this?”

“…..”

“I want to ask purely. Why can’t you do it?”

“…..”

“Can’t you act?”

That pure evil.

Ryu-byeol stared at Im-hoon with wide eyes. A face that didn’t show even a hint of malice.

I also received many cruel questions like that from Ryu-byeol when I was in college. Questions delivered with nothing but pure curiosity, without any particular meaning.

Im-hoon hesitated, then frowned and turned his head.

“…I can’t.”

“What? You can’t do it?”

“…Yeah. I can’t.”

“Oh. I see. It’s possible not to be able to do it.”

Even though he was intimidated, Im-hoon’s fierce tone remained the same.

‘That’s a relief, at least.’

Then, Yeom Hae-jin, who turned around, found me and made a tearful face. He was so flustered that he almost dropped the cup of tteokbokki he was holding.

“I’ve realized something now.”

“What? What did you realize?”

“Back in the theater club, you and Byeol, your acting chemistry wasn’t good, right?”

“It wasn’t.”

“It was because your acting styles were different.”

Ryu-byeol wasn’t the type to match her acting with her partner. I tried hard to match my acting with her, but….

‘It was all in vain.’

“How did you act in the theater club? You’re the type to match your acting.”

“…I just acted roughly back then.”

I mostly matched my lines while just looking at their eyes. What will Im-hoon do, not knowing this?

“Hae-jin, those two. They don’t talk at all. They don’t even seem to be thinking about matching their acting. Will it be okay?”

Usually, actors rehearse with each other before filming begins. How to act, how to move. But there was no sign of them sharing such opinions at all.

“……I have to tell them to try, even if they have to force it.”

If I don’t use the director’s authority at times like this, when else would I use it?

“Oh! What is it.”

Ryu-byeol, who belatedly found us, strode over.

“You came? How was my acting?”

“…Your acting?”

She stared at me with sparkling eyes. She seemed curious about what answer would come from my mouth.

“Honestly?”

“Yeah. Honestly.”

“It wasn’t good.”

“…Why!”

“You know why.”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s why you were always the problem.”

A troublemaker who can act alone. Because she was so good at acting, people overlooked her selfish behavior.

“It’s not my problem.”

“It’s not your problem?”

“Yeah. It’s not my problem. I originally learned it this way.”

She pointed her chin at Im-hoon.

“He’s the one who can’t do it.”

……Oh, that stubbornness.

“Is it over if only you act well?”

“Of course? Then why do you act?”

“Then why is there a partner?”

As usual, there was no answer.

I often heard news about her in my previous life. She doesn’t consider her partner and doesn’t match her acting, so she mainly does 1-roll (credit order), one-top dramas.

That’s why, when she does two-top dramas or movies, there are even evaluations that Ryu-byeol’s acting is separate from her partner’s.

Are you going to walk that path again?

“A drama isn’t something you do alone.”

“…..”

“You have to be considerate of your partner too.”

It would be one thing if it was a uniquely striking and fleeting role. But you’re the lead who will lead this drama to the end.

“That’s how I learned it, what can I do.”

“…..”

“What do you want me to do?”

I remained silent at her voice, which suddenly sank.

“…Well, you’ve always had good people around you, so you wouldn’t know.”

“…Me?”

“But I’m trying, in my own way.”

Good people? Effort? These words stirred up my mind. Her choice of words is always strange.

“So I’ll take care of it myself. Got it?”

Still, a celebrity is a celebrity. She could have frowned or gotten angry.

Ryu-byeol didn’t lose her smile until the end. Because someone might be listening to our conversation and filming it.

Then I should cut off the conversation appropriately here.

“Sorry. I didn’t know you were trying.”

If I hurt you with a hasty judgment. Strangely, I can’t control my thoughts in front of Ryu-byeol.

“I said it because I wanted you to do well.”

“…What? You.”

“Why?”

“Are you Im Bada for real?”

I’m Im Bada. Then who else would I be…? She pinched my arm without hurting me and tilted her head.

“You’re not the type to worry about me.”

“Hey….”

This girl.

“We’re colleagues, so I can give advice. It’s not worrying.”

“…It’s not worrying?”

Ryu-byeol, who gently turned her head to the side, quickly ran to Im-hoon.

“Hey, hey.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s match our acting a bit.”

“Why? You said you didn’t like me.”

I frowned as I listened to the conversation from the side. Did she say she didn’t want to match her acting?

“Yeah, I didn’t like you, but we’re not the only ones filming the drama. We have to like each other, right?”

“Huh, huh? Why suddenly?”

“Hurry up, let’s go? No time.”

“Huh, uh-oh?”

That’s how they moved outside the gazebo with the script to match their acting.

…Im-hoon isn’t an actor who matches his acting to the other person either.’

I don’t know if it will work out.

★★★

Born into a wealthy family, treated preciously, and growing up getting everything he wanted, that was Im-hoon.

But after running into a wall called talent, which he had never felt in 24 years, he felt breathless.

Why is talent something you can’t have?

He couldn’t understand. He couldn’t accept it.

If you don’t have talent, you just have to work hard. So, like Im Bada said, he worked hard and worked hard.

But the wall called talent was hard to overcome. It was a part that I knew painfully well. I just didn’t want to admit it.

Even so, if I walked the path of an actor….

‘I have to be good at acting.’

More than Teacher Im, who I set as my goal.

“…Hey, Im-hoon.”

“Huh, what?”

“But I’m only saying this because no one’s around. You’re really bad at acting.”

Ryu-byeol casually spat out the words.

‘How annoying. As if she’s so good.’

Im-hoon rolled his eyes and retorted.

“Are you good?”

“I’m better than you.”

“That’s funny. You’re worse than Teacher Im.”

She’ll get angry if I say this, right? I said it to make her angry, but.

“I know. She’s good.”

Huh? She admitted her acting skills.

“…What. I thought you’d get angry.”

“Why? Would I get angry?”

“I thought you hated Teacher Im.”

What. Wasn’t it? But… a few scenes come to mind.

When she was looking at the script from afar, he kept staring at her, and when he heard her practicing acting from afar, he frowned as if he was annoyed, right?

I thought these two were that kind of people. There were many people who lived as business friends after living in the entertainment industry for a long time.

But that’s not it?

“Why would I hate her?”

“You don’t!?”

“Not at all.”

Im-hoon clenched the script tightly and glared.

“Why did you look at Teacher Im like that?”

“How did I look?”

How did he look? He imitated Ryu-byeol while looking at her. Then she shrugged her shoulders.

“I was just wondering how she acts because it’s been a while since I’ve seen Im Bada’s acting.”

“Why are you curious?”

Ryu-byeol, who had been answering well until then, closed her mouth. As if she didn’t want to say something. But he wasn’t one to back down.

“Why? Why? Why?”

“Hey, stop asking.”

“No, I’m curious. I didn’t know there would be someone like me.”

“Someone like you?”

Im-hoon slightly raised the corners of his mouth and whispered softly.

“Someone who envies Teacher Im.”

“……”

“How can you love acting like that?”

“……”

“I don’t think it’s you and me, though. Someone who purely loves acting.”

He was incredibly good at smelling the same kind. Because the same kind hates the same kind. He snorted as he watched her eyes change sharply.

“You’re doing it against your will.”

“…..”

“I’m also curious as to why you work so hard while doing it against your will.”

This was sincerely curious.

“You have a lot to say for someone who acts with their face.”

Face… acting?

An attitude that was obviously mocking him. But Im-hoon just wore a calm expression.

‘…I’m not angry at all.’

It was amazing. He even felt sorry for Ryu-byeol, who was glaring at him.

Im-hoon chuckled and deliberately brought his face close to Ryu-byeol’s.

“Isn’t it good to act with a face-acting lead? My face is healing.”

“…Your way of thinking is very dirty.”

The childish debate continued. Ryu-byeol attempted a surprise attack first.

“I don’t plan on getting along with you anyway.”

But Im-hoon smiled and defended.

“We have to see each other for 7 months?”

Ryu-byeol’s beautiful face crumpled.

“I have to see your face for 7 months…?”

“Yeah, a whole 7 months. It’s quite a long time?”

Im-hoon expressed the connection by bumping his index fingers together in front of Ryu-byeol’s eyes and continued.

“In a way, it’s fate.”

“Crazy.”

At this time, he had a question.

‘But….’

Is there a need to fight with her? It’s beneficial if we get along well without fighting! Wanting to quickly tell her this fact, Im-hoon said in a loud voice.

“Ryu-byeol, let’s be reasonable!”

“Reasonable…?”

“Yeah. Reasonable. Like you said. This drama isn’t just us. There are staff and the director too.”

“You’re suddenly talking a lot. So?”

“Let’s get along well with each other. There’s nothing bad about it. The more we do this, the more people are waiting. I’ll raise both hands and feet.”

She looked at him with suspicious eyes and fell into thought. If I coax her a little more, she’ll fall for it.

“Let’s do well.”

“…..”

“Teacher Im said that if the lead actors don’t have a good relationship, it all shows on the screen.”

Of course, she never said this.

“That’s true.”

As expected, she reacted immediately when I threw Teacher Im as bait.

“…Hey. Im-hoon.”

“Huh?”

“Do I look like an idiot?”

Ryu-byeol poked his chest with the script rolled up like gimbap.

“I agree because what you’re saying is right. Im Bada……”

“……”

“Don’t mention her name.”

I don’t feel the pressure because I’m wearing clothes inside the dragon robe, but somehow the poking motion seemed to be getting stronger.

“Okay. I got it. Stop poking. My chest hurts.”

“……”

“Let’s help each other out. Among people without talent.”

She should be angry at the word “no talent” again. But she was looking at the script again without saying anything. He tilted his head and glanced at Ryu-byeol’s script.

‘…She’s written a lot?’

The writing was denser than Im Bada’s script. It looked like cramming.

Im-hoon looked down again. A blank script with nothing written on it came into view.

Is this the problem?

The acting teacher said that writing a lot on the script makes you feel distracted. But her and Teacher Im’s scripts too….

Im-hoon silently looked down at the blank script and suddenly opened his mouth.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“What again?”

“You wrote a lot on the script. Why is that? Are you trying to memorize the lines?”

“That’s also there.”

Ryu-byeol held the script in front of his eyes and pointed to the memos written all over it.

“I have to write down in detail how to say the lines, how to act, so I don’t forget. I don’t trust my brain.”

“…Why do you write that down?”

“If you don’t write it down, how are you going to act?”

That’s true. How do you act?

“Don’t tell me you didn’t even mark the lines?”

Im-hoon felt Ryu-byeol’s gaze rolling towards his script and hurriedly covered the script.

He thought he closed it pretty quickly. Ryu-byeol’s eyes cooled rapidly.

“Hmm?”

Ryu-byeol exclaimed as if surprised. Im-hoon’s eyebrow shot up at this.

“What is it? That reaction?”

“It’s just that everyone has a different way of memorizing the original script. I’ve heard that there are types who act without writing anything on the script like you.”

“Huh?”

What does she mean? Im-hoon gestured to Ryu-byeol to say more.

“If it’s comfortable for you not to take notes, I don’t really care.”

Ryu-byeol tilted her head and added.

“But you prepared like that and that was it?”

“What? That, that much?”

Im-hoon suppressed the rising swear words.

Considering Ryu-byeol’s personality, there was nothing to be gained by butting heads with her now.

He didn’t want to learn from Ryu-byeol, but he hated asking Teacher Im even more. He has his pride.

Im-hoon took a deep breath and casually blurted out as if asking something insignificant.

“Then how do you prepare?”

“What?”

Ryu-byeol was silent for a while as if she had heard an unexpected question. Taking advantage of the gap, Im-hoon asked again.

“The memos in the script, how do you write them?”

If he wanted to learn something, he had no choice but to take a step back.