I’m at the Secret Garden of Changdeok Palace.
Here, Lee Young goes to Kim Jong-gun’s house. There, he witnesses Lee Geum-jin and Kim Jong-gun talking. Sensing something suspicious, Lee Young sees Kim So-hyun, who was thought to be buried alive, return alive……..
The King wants to see Kim’s daughter, who has returned alive, so Kim Jong-gun and Kim So-hyun go to the palace. Thus, the first meeting between Kim So-hyun and Lee Young is about to take place.
‘… Haven’t seen her for 12 years.’
In my previous life, I had never seen Ryu Byeol’s acting on set. Maybe we weren’t meant to be.
The Ryu Byeol I saw in the theater club was quick to memorize lines and immerse herself in characters. That’s why Ryu Byeol’s nickname was “Speedster.” It was given to her because she acted with speed.
If it takes me 4 minutes to memorize one line, she memorizes it in under a minute.
I was curious about how she acts these days, so I was going to come secretly.
But, Cheon I-an sent a snack truck on a day when I wasn’t on set, so I had no choice but to tell Yeom Hae-jin that I came to the set. So Ryu Byeol probably knows too.
Anyway….
“Wow…….”
I couldn’t help but exclaim when I saw the snack truck banner.
[Please take good care of our cutie Cheon I-an. (Most handsome selfie)]
Using a snack truck to promote himself…. He’s someone I can learn a lot from. I wrote it down carefully in my phone’s memo pad so I wouldn’t forget it.
[Cheon I-an’s Method (1)
Promote myself with a snack truck too. But, use it on a junior.]
While I was looking at the snack truck, my manager, Min Seo-eun, held up her phone.
“Bada, stand in front of the snack truck.”
We have to upload a proof shot to the official SNS account later.
“This one, this one, this one. Uploading?”
“Yeah.”
They all look the same to me. She’s being so careful choosing a photo.
‘I should trust Seo-eun unnie.’
After finishing the photos, Yeom Hae-jin came during a break.
“Bada, tell Cheon I-an thank you for sending the snack truck.”
“…Well, if I have time.”
“And later, if Cheon I-an has time, maybe he could be in our Young-Young drama once…….. Is that not possible?”
“Would he do it?”
“I can ask.”
It’s not like he’s someone who would listen just because I asked.
“What about the other actors?”
“Byeol is taking pictures with her manager, and Im-hoon is….”
She made a serious face.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“…He’s not in good shape.”
“Shape?”
“It’s serious.”
How serious could it be? Yeom Hae-jin led me to where he was. There, Im-hoon was sitting on a chair with a soulless expression, staring blankly ahead.
“Why is he like that?”
“…Im-hoon’s manager told me. He fought with that historical drama teacher.”
…Knowing his personality, he definitely would have fought.
“So he practiced historical drama acting by himself and messed it up.”
“Really?”
“Why aren’t you surprised? You seem to know something? Don’t tell me you two are like that?”
……What nonsense is she talking about? Whether I made a disgusted face or not, Yeom Hae-jin continued to say what she wanted.
“You said you weren’t interested in men.”
“…I’m still not. Why?”
Her eyes narrowed as if saying, “Can’t you tell?”
“Have you ever been interested in men?”
“When would I have time to be interested? I have to focus on acting.”
“Then, why does it sound like you’re interested in Im-hoon….”
I shook my head quickly because I didn’t want to hear anymore.
“It’s not that I’m interested in him. It’s because his acting is a mess. If he doesn’t do well, who will it affect?”
“Our drama.”
“Right. So I’m interested in that. Not the person, but the acting.”
‘Interest? Give it to the dogs.’
My blood pressure suddenly rose, and I got a headache. But if Yeom Hae-jin is worried, I need to behave myself. Otherwise, there might be a scandal.
I came to the set to rest, but I only got more of a headache.
“Come to think of it, you said your ideal type was an alien race.”
“You still remember that?”
“Who would forget that?”
I once saw a movie where aliens helped humans stop forces invading Earth. The voice of the alien in that movie was so deep….
I don’t know how many times I watched the scenes with that character. So, when I was drinking with my classmates, they asked me what my ideal type of man was, and I just said it.
“It’s almost time for filming.”
“Okay. Do well.”
Yeom Hae-jin gestured to Ryu Byeol and Im-hoon, who were ready for rehearsal. I stayed away as much as possible so as not to be a hindrance.
‘…Ryu Byeol is smiling, and Im-hoon looks gloomy.’
What scene is it? I took out the script from my bag to check which scene it was.
[Scene #12. N (Day), Viewing Pavilion Pond.
– Kim So-hyun looks around, feeling detached from the reality that she has fallen into the Joseon Dynasty.
Lee Young, on his way back to the East Palace from afar, suddenly hears a familiar but subtly different way of speaking. He turns his head at the sound and discovers Kim So-hyun looking around.
Lee Young (Voice): Kim So-hyun?
– Lee Young quickly walks towards the Viewing Pavilion Pond where Kim So-hyun is.]
A scene that requires subtle facial expressions, such as slightly frowning or suppressing surprised emotions, and.
[Scene #13, N (Day) Viewing Pavilion Pond.
Startled by the unfamiliar footsteps, Kim So-hyun raises her head.
Kim So-hyun: (Trying to imitate the Joseon Dynasty dramas she has seen so far, but with a clumsy tone) Greetings?
– Lee Young’s face hardens at the unfamiliar tone.
Lee Young: (Imitating Kim So-hyun’s tone) Greetings?
Kim So-hyun: Ah… Was that not the feeling? I can’t remember because I came back from the dead. (Forced smile)]
I wonder if he can do light comedic acting. I can say definitively.
‘He can’t.’
These were scenes that could be swayed by Im-hoon’s acting. The lead actor needs to put in the effort, but he’s still fumbling around, not even grasping the basics of acting.
‘Can he act well today?’
“Byeol!”
“Yes!”
Ryu Byeol, who was dangling foxtail grass over Im-hoon’s head as if teasing him, stood up. Ryu Byeol approached the assistant director, listened to something, nodded, and gave an okay sign.
The assistant director then called Im-hoon.
“Im-hoon!”
“Yes, yes…!”
He flinched and quickly looked around for the person who called him….Like Yeom Hae-jin said, the fire in his eyes is gone.
Normally, he was always serious and intense when it came to acting, but now it was like they brought in a gentle lamb instead.
“Ready!!”
Yeom Hae-jin shouted loudly as if to encourage the actors.
“Action…!”
She made a mistake at the end. It could have been an embarrassing situation, but Yeom Hae-jin didn’t care and only focused on Im-hoon.
‘She must be worried too.’
She made a mistake she doesn’t usually make. The sound of shoes dragging could be heard in the silent set.
Kim Jong-gun, who entered the palace, tells Kim So-hyun to wait at the Viewing Pavilion because there is someone to talk to.
From Kim So-hyun’s unrestrained steps as she looked around the Viewing Pavilion, the atmosphere of a modern person detached from the Joseon Dynasty permeated.
But something didn’t seem right, and she frowned and bent over.
“I’m sorry!”
Returning from Kim So-hyun to Ryu Byeol, she shouted to the staff, apologizing.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Yeom Hae-jin, who took off her headset, asked what was wrong.
“Director. I tried walking, and what do you think about walking slowly while looking around? I think that would make it look more like someone from the future.”
“…Looking around. That’s good. Let’s go with that.”
“I’m sorry!”
When the re-shooting started, Ryu Byeol walked with the steps they had discussed. It was similar to before, but the walking speed was slower and the facial expressions were more diverse.
She was acting the perfect ‘Kim So-hyun’ in my eyes.
‘… How can she act like a different person in an instant?’
“Cut!”
She didn’t seem to hear “Cut,” and continued to act while looking at the air, so I shouted again.
“Cut!”
“…Ah!”
Once she gets immersed in a character, Ryu Byeol can’t get out of it. I thought that I am me, and the character is just a character. But when I see Ryu Byeol, that thought disappears.
She quickly got out of character and approached Yeom Hae-jin to check the screen.
After that, after filming three different scenes, Im-hoon got up from his personal chair.
‘Is it Im-hoon’s turn?’
He was cooling his face with a personal fan because the dragon robe must be hot since it’s still spring.
“This time, we’ll film Im-hoon! Scene 12!”
The staff hit the slate and stepped back.
‘Huh?’
I doubted my eyes.
Squeak, squeak. His movements were like a pseudo-robot.
Does that appearance remind him of the day he learned from Senior Tae Jin-hwa?
He said that in historical dramas, you can’t just act. You need gestures, foot movements, facial expressions, and posture.
‘…Those are movements caused by nervousness.’
“Wait!”
Yeom Hae-jin hurriedly stopped filming, took off her headset, and ran to him.
“Im-hoon, what are you doing?”
“…Ah, I’m sorry.”
“Relax, and release the tension in your shoulders.”
“Yes….”
A sad voice that seemed to be heard all the way here. It seemed like his body wasn’t moving the way he wanted it to.
The re-shooting started, and his actions improved, at least a little. But even if it improved, would it be okay?
‘…What should I do.’
Yeom Hae-jin was a director who valued the vitality of the character while emphasizing details.
Was it when we did a short drama together? I don’t know how many times we re-shot. She was the type to keep trying until the character came out of the actor.
It was a detailed and meticulous filming, so you could feel like you were scraping your bones.
“…That’s it!”
A good scene must have come out. That’s what it looks like when Yeom Hae-jin finishes.
“Director, I’m sorry….”
He kept bowing his head to the staff, apologizing.
‘It’s the first time I’ve seen him act like that.’
His manager’s complexion wasn’t good. Whether he did or not, Ryu Byeol was absorbed in analyzing her character.
Yeom Hae-jin must have thought that this wouldn’t work, so she approached him and asked.
“…Im-hoon? You’re still not relaxed, are you?”
“Ah, no.”
“You need to relax a little. That’s how good scenes come out. If the actor is nervous, a good scene can’t come out.”
Ryu Byeol, who was looking at the script next to her, nodded. But she didn’t seem to care much.
‘Her own character and acting are important.’
She must mean that there’s no need to worry.
“Im-hoon. I want to make Scene 13 so that the viewers will exclaim, ‘Wow!””
“…Yes.”
“The lead actor has to show that kind of scene. Will you be okay?”
The more she said that, the heavier his shoulders would become. But if he doesn’t avoid it and overcomes it, he will grow someday.
“I’ll try.”
He said he would do it. I ate cup tteokbokki instead of popcorn like someone who came to the movie theater.
‘…Tteokbokki is delicious.’
I stuffed the chewy rice cakes into my mouth and watched. To be honest, I was having fun watching.
‘It’s like watching a coming-of-age drama.’
Yeom Hae-jin returned to her original position as if filming was starting again.
“We’ll film Scene 13!”
As filming began, the scene where Kim So-hyun and Lee Young meet was staged.
“…Greetings?”
Ryu Byeol expressed surprise in her voice, like someone meeting the ‘King’ for the first time in the Joseon Dynasty.
“Greetings?”
Im-hoon has to imitate her tone, but…. Why is his tone so different?
‘Didn’t they rehearse?’
The subtly misaligned atmosphere seemed like they hadn’t rehearsed no matter how I looked at it.
“…Ha, NG!”
Yeom Hae-jin frowned and asked Ryu Byeol.
“Didn’t you match lines with each other when you rehearsed?”
“…Ah. Rehearsal.”
“You two were talking earlier, wasn’t that rehearsing?”
He said in a dejected voice.
“We didn’t….”
“Why? Didn’t you?”
“She said she didn’t want to rehearse with me….”
“Byeol…!”
Yeom Hae-jin shouted loudly. Ryu Byeol rolled her eyes and reluctantly opened her mouth.
“…I was analyzing the character. I’m sorry.”
As expected, there’s no way she would have matched lines.
Ryu Byeol was a terrible individualist, so she had no consideration for the other person she had to act with.
Still, Ryu Byeol, who was conscious of the people around her, said to Im-hoon in a boring tone.
“You heard my line ‘Greetings’ earlier, right?”
“Uh, uh….”
It didn’t sound like he heard it…….. Ryu Byeol shrugged as if that was okay.
“Then you can act. You just have to say your lines according to that.”
“…Uh.”
“You can do it, right?”
…Is that her saying that she’ll try to match up even now?
Unlike Ryu Byeol’s calm expression as if she was saying something obvious, Im-hoon’s eyes were shaking wildly. But Ryu Byeol isn’t the type to catch that and care.
Leaving Ryu Byeol, who was focusing to naturally immerse herself in the scene again, I looked at Im-hoon with a slightly worried heart.
Unless Ryu Byeol matches up with Im-hoon separately.
Ryu Byeol sent a signal to Yeom Hae-jin as if she had roughly rehearsed. She put on her headset and said.
“Let’s film one more time.”
Can he endure it?
“NG, let’s go again!”
No, there’s no way he can endure it. The focus is already disappearing from Im-hoon’s eyes.
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