Time passed, and finally the first shooting day for the drama <Black and White Mask> arrived.
Myungwoo submitted documents to school saying he would participate in filming and headed to the site earlier than scheduled.
A habit formed from climbing up from the bottom in his previous life.
Being early at the filming site.
Well, this time there was another reason too.
“Hello!”
Myungwoo greeted everyone he saw unfamiliar.
“Ah, that little actor?”
“Handsome kid has good manners too~”
Rarely handsome, the child actor he would work with in the future, bright and polite.
People couldn’t help but feel favor toward Myungwoo.
First impression successfully planted well.
Myungwoo thought inwardly while greeting every new person.
The most important for an actor is of course acting skills, but another name for them is celebrity.
Naturally, personality, usual behavior, every single action observed and evaluated by others.
Considering that, Myungwoo had to act as a ‘polite and good-natured kid’ from the moment he stepped out.
Since he re-entered this world, Myungwoo quickly accepted a life where he had to mind everything about himself.
“Hello!”
.Ah.”
This time the person Myungwoo greeted was an actor he would work with today.
Actor Yang Seunghyun, playing the murderer in <Black and White Mask>.
“The new child actor?”
Yang Seunghyun looked down at the little kid greeting him with a somewhat cool impression.
“Yes! Please take care of me, sunbae-nim!”
A person I haven’t seen in previous life.
Well, at least 10 years passed until he returned to the acting world.
Countless actors must have appeared and faded in that time.
This person must be one of them.
Thinking that, Myungwoo maintained a bright smiling face.
Yang Seunghyun stared blankly at Myungwoo.
……What, something on me?
When Myungwoo’s thoughts started veering elsewhere due to no response from Yang Seunghyun.
“Sunbae…….”
Yang Seunghyun slightly blushed his cheeks and turned his gaze.
“……?”
“Ahem, I-I’ll take care of you too.”
Saying something completely opposite to his cool impression, even stuttering.
Now, so…….
Happy?
Because I called him sunbae?
Wow…….
Pure person. Gets happy over this.
Somehow, Myungwoo’s favorability toward Yang Seunghyun rose a bit.
“Yes, sunbae-nim!”
Myungwoo looked at the actor much his junior(?) with warm eyes.
He had times like that too.
Somehow reminding of old times, and the feeling wasn’t bad.
Myungwoo spent the remaining time talking with Yang Seunghyun.
And shortly after, the announcement to start shooting echoed on set.
“Then sunbae-nim, I’ll go shoot now!”
“Yeah, do well and come.”
Do well and ‘come’.
Already piled a lot of favor toward him.
Myungwoo, catching that keenly, smiled widely and answered Yang Seunghyun.
“Yes! I’ll do well!”
At Myungwoo’s bright smile, Yang Seunghyun responded with a small smile.
Bright kid.
Pure person.
Favor-filled hearts crossed.
The two exchanged last greetings with smiles and parted.
“Hmm~ Humm~”
***
Bright street with the sun high in the sky.
‘Yoo Dongha’ headed home after parting with noisy friends.
“Hmm, hu…… Huh?”
The child humming excitedly stopped as if discovering something.
TAP TAP TAP TAP-
And ran toward the object catching his eye.
……Teddy bear?
In an alley inside the main street, a slightly worn teddy doll lay fallen.
Dongha crouched and poked the doll.
The doll tilted and fell, facing Dongha.
“Cute-looking.”
Dongha muttered looking down at it.
Would Younghyun like it?
Nam Younghyun, the girl Dongha likes.
Thinking of her, a big smile bloomed on Dongha’s face.
Slightly flushed cheeks, leaking giggles.
Anyone could see a young boy in puppy love.
Girls like cute things, so she’d like this too, thinking that, Dongha picked up the doll.
And ran home humming even more excitedly than before.
Unaware that the doll was the last trace Younghyun left in the world.
CUT!
***
The scene where ‘Yoo Dongha’ picks up the doll ‘Nam Younghyun’ dropped and thinks of Younghyun ended.
“Wow, acts well.”
“Yeah. Not like a rookie child actor? Expressions not excessive. Natural.”
After acting ended, praise for Myungwoo burst here and there.
Myungwoo smiled at people’s reactions.
Phew, short scene but getting praise like this feels good again.
“As expected of Yoo Hee?”
“Yes, her eye is really different.”
The director also smiled, looked around Myungwoo and others, then opened mouth.
“Now, Myungwoo gun must be tired, rest a bit then next scene……..”
“No.”
Myungwoo quickly denied.
Didn’t want to break this flow.
“I’m fine. Let’s go to next scene right away.”
Myungwoo, considering seeming bold, directly said to director wanting to continue this atmosphere and feeling.
..Oh, Myungwoo gun, confident?”
Passionate actor makes director passionate too.
At Myungwoo’s words, director slightly surprised then nodded smiling.
“Good. Then detective and Yoo Dongha conversation scene right away. Jung Boyoung ssi, ready?”
“Ah, yes. Director nim.”
Jung Boyoung, playing rookie detective, lightly nodded.
With two actors agreeing, next shooting continued quickly.
This scene was acting Myungwoo already showed once at audition.
Jung Boyoung looked at Myungwoo with slightly sunken eyes, took a deep breath, slowly blinked.
And her atmosphere changed instantly.
“Hey, Dongha ya? You’re Dongha student, right?”
Rookie detective calling Yoo Dongha.
“Yes? Who are you?”
And, instantly wearing Yoo Dongha’s face, Kang Myungwoo acting.
Completely different from earlier, perfect wary child seeing stranger first time, Jung Boyoung inwardly exclaimed admiration.
Good.
Jung Boyoung thought that and continued acting.
“Hi, I’m detective Choi Seohyun. Came from the police station over there.”
“Police station? Isn’t that where bad people get caught? D-did I do something wrong?”
At instantly scared Yoo Dongha, Jung Boyoung kept inwardly exclaiming and focused on acting.
Changing emotions instantly also pro level…….
Jung Boyoung had inwardly looked down on Myungwoo.
Face too handsome, maybe Yoo Hee picked just for that.
No matter how Yoo Hee values acting, with that face as child actor, could have picked for face.
But matching breaths, that thought gradually disappearing.
“No! Dongha ya, not that you did wrong, nuna came with one request for Dongha.”
“Request? What request?”
“Mm, Dongha ya? Can you lend that to nuna for a bit?”
Following detective’s words seeming sorry, slightly hesitating,
“Yes? B-but, this is my precious, can’t give…….”
Scared expression from wariness toward stranger adult, stepping back with mind not wanting toy taken.
Wow.
The acting that surprised people at audition unfolded before Jung Boyoung’s eyes too, she greatly surprised inwardly.
What? A kid acts this well?
Her known common sense gradually breaking.
“Mm, nuna not strange person. And promise to borrow briefly and return right away!”
Fortunately hit lines without stumbling, but Jung Boyoung unknowingly increasingly immersed in rookie detective role.
“Jung Boyoung actor, acting seems improved?”
“Yeah. Was good before, but beyond expectation?”
That was visible to others on set too.
Had to be.
More immersed actor naturally acts better than not.
“Mm, but it’s mine…….”
Still hesitating Yoo Dongha.
“Dongha ya, nuna really not strange, if lend to nuna, promise return quick. The toy Dongha has is really, really needed for nuna.”
“……”
Continuing two’s acting, no, passionate performance.
Before knew, Jung Boyoung perfectly immersed in role.
Improved from earlier.
And that, her counterpart Kang Myungwoo clearly felt too.
Wasn’t like this at start, so gradually immersed acting with me.
For Myungwoo, something experienced a lot.
Many such actors in previous life too.
Matching with him, immersed in counterpart role, acting like real not acting.
Weird. I…… don’t feel like me.
Jung Boyoung wrapped in confused feeling while acting.
What is this.
The role, feels like real not role.
Moreover in scene matching with mere child actor.
Jung Boyoung continued acting mixed confusion and admiration.
Decisively, the scene trembling in fear but eventually trusting rookie detective and handing doll proceeded.
“Alright. Nuna pretty, so specially lend. But must return quick!”
Yoo Dongha’s trembling hand, his anxious expression and eyes.
Acting with emotions exploded one level more than audition.
“Wow..
“Better than last time?”
“Yeah. What is that kid?”
Quiet conversations around, but no sound reached Jung Boyoung’s ears.
No, couldn’t reach.
At Kang Myungwoo perfectly acting Yoo Dongha, Jung Boyoung momentarily inhaled sharply.
No, what, acting skills……..
Jung Boyoung unknowingly increasingly acknowledging Kang Myungwoo’s acting.
And finally after seeing last acting,
Had to fully acknowledge his acting tremendously outstanding.
….Really crazy.
Even profanity in her inner mind.
She too surprised, couldn’t hit next line.
“NG!”
After long, no Choi Seohyun’s line, finally director shouted NG himself.