Chapter 117: Breakthrough on the Wire

It was Grace Kim who first suggested a break due to An Yoo Seok’s continuous failed takes.

"Director, let's take a break."

"Yes, let's do that. Everyone, take a restroom break. Yoo Seok, see me for a moment."

"Yes, sir."

As An Yoo Seok followed Director Kim Seung-pyo out of the studio, the staff members began to voice their concerns.

"Is it really okay to keep going like this?"

"Yoo Seok is usually such a good actor, but he seems incredibly nervous."

"It’s probably because he’s standing in front of Grace Kim."

"Wasn't he fine during the location shoot last time?"

"Hmm. Chroma key filming isn't easy, after all."

Lee Junghyuk, who had visited the studio to show his support for the first day of filming, overheard the staff's complaints. Since the atmosphere was not what he had expected, even he, who rarely got flustered, became serious.

Lee Junghyuk walked toward Grace as she was taking off her equipment.

"How was the shoot? Are you okay?"

"Yes. Korean studios are actually quite high-level. Director Kim must have worked very hard."

"But the atmosphere seems a bit off. Did something happen?"

"Ah."

Grace Kim briefly pointed out the areas where An Yoo Seok had been lacking during the shoot. From her perspective, it seemed as though An Yoo Seok failed to realize he was an actor in this unfamiliar environment. Even for the most talented actors in Korea, it was only natural to feel out of place if they lacked experience in blockbusters.

However, he had to overcome that if he wanted to lead this drama from an equal position alongside her. Grace Kim had agreed to work with An Yoo Seok solely out of trust for Writer Lee Junghyuk and Director Kim Seung-pyo, not because she personally held a high opinion of him as an actor.

In fact, replacing actors was very common in Hollywood. The Hollywood drama scene was a place where anyone could be replaced at any time if their acting was insufficient. Grace Kim found herself thinking that, if necessary, they might even need to discuss replacing the male lead.

She secretly thought that for a drama this good, it wouldn't be bad to cast international actors and turn it into an American drama instead of limiting it to a Korean one. Since it was such a large-scale project, it wouldn't be difficult to translate and change the lines to English. That might even be a better opportunity to make the Korean writer, Lee Junghyuk, more known to the world. Above all, acting in English would be much more comfortable for Grace Kim as well.

"I’m worried. I wonder if Mr. An can pull this off."

Lee Junghyuk remained silent after hearing the brief summary of the situation from Grace Kim. Seeing his reaction, Grace shrugged her shoulders.

"Director Kim followed him out, so let’s see how it goes."

Just then, Kim Seung-pyo returned and approached Lee Junghyuk and Grace. He scratched the back of his head, appearing hesitant to speak.

"Do you have something to say?" Grace Kim asked first.

Kim Seung-pyo asked if she could share any know-how or tips with An Yoo Seok for filming while wearing a skin-tight suit.

"I don't think that would help Yoo Seok."

"Why is that?"

"In Hollywood, countless actors have fallen behind while filming these chroma key scenes. I also learned my own know-how through repeated frustrations just to survive those sets. It’s not a problem that can be solved by someone telling you what to do; you have to realize it for yourself. My method might not work for him."

"I see. Hmm."

Grace, who was infinitely kind to Lee Junghyuk, spoke coldly. Since her words weren't wrong, Kim Seung-pyo looked troubled about how to lead the set.

"Director, if it's alright, could I talk to Yoo Seok for a moment?"

Lee Junghyuk, who had been keeping quiet, asked with a serious expression.

"I’d be grateful if you did. I pulled him aside and told him he was doing well and to be brave and confident, but it didn't seem to resonate with him."

"Where is he? I'll go. Oh, before that, please show me Yoo Seok’s filmed scenes."

"Yes. Let's watch them together."

Seeing An Yoo Seok struggling while hanging from wires in a skin-tight suit, Lee Junghyuk felt a sense of misery himself.

"Whew."

A sigh escaped him unconsciously. Lee Junghyuk knew better than anyone that it wasn't that An Yoo Seok couldn't act. It was just a matter of how to tell him that he was losing his way.

Grace Kim looked back at Lee Junghyuk as she headed to the waiting room to touch up her makeup. In Hollywood, it was rare for the main writer to visit the set. Usually, junior writers, referred to as "set writers," would be on-site to adjust minor details as unexpected situations arose. Of course, they communicated constantly with the main writer in the studio.

She had heard that in Korean dramas, unlike in America, a single writer writes the entire script. That was why she had been surprised when she saw the sixteen-episode script for Traveler written by Lee Junghyuk. It was a high-quality script that didn't fall behind those written by ten or more writers in Hollywood, so it was hard to believe one person had written it all.

'But an actor’s skill is definitely beyond the writer’s responsibility.'

She was certain there was nothing he could do here. Grace entered the waiting room, leaving behind a filming site where an "okay" seemed unlikely today.

Meanwhile, after watching An Yoo Seok's takes, Lee Junghyuk went outside to find him. Before long, he found him near the recycling area outside the studio. An Yoo Seok was sitting on the curb of the sidewalk, looking completely dejected and sighing deeply.

"Yoo Seok."

"Oh? Writer Lee. You're here?"

Seeing An Yoo Seok stand up awkwardly, he looked like a lost puppy that had lost its mother. Normally, Lee Junghyuk would have comforted him gently, but for some reason, he felt frustrated today.

"An Yoo Seok. Are you going to get your act together or not?"

"...Pardon?"

"I saw the footage. Your acting was a total mess. The emotional line was dead, and you couldn't focus on the scene."

Facing the writer who was speaking harshly for once, An Yoo Seok began to make excuses in a fluster.

"Ah, well... This studio is very unfamiliar, and it's my first time doing wire acting. I practiced a lot, but once the camera starts rolling, I lose my head."

"Would you make those kinds of excuses even if you were doing this three years ago?"

"That's..."

"Back then, you were unknown and much more desperate, so it would have been different, right? That means you’ve lost your initial drive. Why? Now that you think you’ve reached a certain level as an actor, can do the roles you want, and have a reliable mother, do you just want to act comfortably while doing what you've always done?"

"Writer Lee... That's not it. Why are you saying that?"

An Yoo Seok, stung by Lee Junghyuk’s pushing words, began to shrink even further.

"If this is all you can do, I wouldn't have offered you the male lead role in Traveler. Even if Grace Kim is a massive actress in Hollywood, if you were just going to be swallowed up by her, I wouldn't have even thought about raising you as an actor in the first place."

"..."

"When I saw you doing that multi-role acting in Daehangno — playing a son, a mother, a younger sister, and even a grandmother all by yourself — I thought it was a waste for me to be the only one seeing that performance. I was certain that the people of Korea, no, the people of the entire world, had to see your acting. I didn't place a bet on casting you as the lead in Twin Love for no reason when you had nothing. I had conviction."

"Writer..."

"But look at you now. There’s no desperate actor, only an An Yoo Seok who doesn't want to be here. Are you going to make me regret my choice?"

"No. No, Writer Lee. I'll get my head on straight."

"Are you a ridiculous person just because you’re wearing a skin-tight suit against a green background?"

"No. Absolutely not."

"Are you going to let yourself be swallowed by Grace Kim?"

"No. I can do better."

An Yoo Seok snapped out of it at Lee Junghyuk’s onslaught of words. Lee Junghyuk was right. Although he still loved acting after rising to stardom through Twin Love, he occasionally faced a deep inner desire to settle. He remembered his past self, who analyzed characters through the night and revisited scenes two or three times even after an "okay" was given. The reason he hadn't looked back at his past until now was that he felt he was doing fine.

"Stop acting like a child. You're not an amateur."

"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."

An Yoo Seok bowed deeply and headed straight back into the studio. The staff, who had finished preparations and were waiting for him, resumed filming.

"Are you ready?"

Grace, who had finished her touch-up makeup, stood in front of An Yoo Seok.

"Yes. Let's do this."

"Alright, going into the shoot. This scene is where Yura throws herself to save Tae-gyu, and Tae-gyu catches her and rolls. Everyone, watch out for safety. And... action!"

Finding An Yoo Seok about to be hit by a car from the second floor of a building, Grace dives without hesitation. Discovering Grace jumping to save him, An Yoo Seok’s expression changes instantly. His eyes, which had looked as fragile as a fawn's, turn into the face of a beast determined to save his beloved.

Catching the falling Grace, An Yoo Seok rolls across the mat. He huffs and puffs, wrapping his arms around her head and waist to ensure she isn't hurt.

"Yura. Don't do that. I don't want you getting hurt anymore because of me."

An Yoo Seok, who had the face of a beast, had suddenly become a tender lover. He stroked the area above Grace Kim’s scarred eyebrow and gazed intently at her. His eyes, filled with both gratitude and apology, caused Grace to freeze for a moment.

"Do you... remember?"

"I don't know. I just keep getting this strange feeling that you’re constantly saving me."

An Yoo Seok looked down at Grace with a sorrowful face. Their clothes and the environment no longer interfered with their emotions. Watching the scene through the monitor, Kim Seung-pyo missed the timing to call "cut." An Yoo Seok’s immersed expression was so captivating that it made him forget his role as a director.

"Cut! Okay! Yoo Seok! That was amazing!"

"Whew. That’s a relief. How was it, Grace?"

Looking at the broadly smiling An Yoo Seok, Grace didn't just marvel at his sudden change in acting; she immediately thought of Lee Junghyuk.

'What on earth did he say to make him a different person in an instant?'

"I’m sorry for showing such an unskilled performance all morning. I’ll do my best."

An Yoo Seok reached out a hand to Grace Kim, who was still lying down. Taking his hand and standing up, Grace Kim gave a small smile.

"I’m looking forward to it, Mr. An."

"Pardon? To what?"

"Haha. I think you're going to be a great actor."

'Ah. Did I overdo it?'

While driving home, the image of An Yoo Seok looking as dejected as a puppy kept coming to mind. Although he had bowed repeatedly and thanked him at the last moment, An Yoo Seok was a polite and well-mannered young man to begin with. Lee Junghyuk worried that his pushiness might have actually discouraged him.

He had pushed because he had seen the documentary on Gatflix about how An Yoo Seok was bound to succeed, but it would be bad if that moment was delayed because of him today.

"Whew. I can't leave it like this."

He pulled over to the shoulder of the highway for a moment and turned on his hazard lights. He immediately opened his chat room with An Yoo Seok on his phone.

'Yoo Seok. Earlier, I stepped out of line by trying to lecture you, didn't I? I would have been upset if I were you. You're doing well enough. You're already a great actor! Just let my words go in one ear and out the other. I guess I’m starting to give unwanted advice as I get older ^^; Just think of it as an old man nagging... Yoo Seok, the weather is quite cool today. Don't catch a c—'

He was typing quickly when a message from An Yoo Seok arrived first.

Writer Lee. Thank you so much for the advice today. Thanks to you, I finished today's shoot safely. I know you said those harsh things because you care about me. I won't let you down! Thank you!

It was a long message accompanied by an emoticon of a bowing bear.

"Whew. Thank goodness. I almost sent that."

He quickly pressed the backspace key and deleted everything he had written in the messenger window.

Right. Good job today, Yoo Seok. ^^

He didn't forget to send a thumbs-up emoticon as well.