Chapter 34 : I’m a Living Actor (34)

“…See? You did well, didn’t you?”

“Right? That’s why I said it was amazing.”

Smiling brightly, Kim Eun hye recalled Yoo Chaemin’s acting just moments ago.

‘She added more detail than during the script reading.’

Yet, none of it felt overdone.

Though her acting skills showed some rough edges, those very imperfections made the details Yoo Chaemin prepared stand out more to Kim Eun hye’s eyes.

There was nothing to cut; every move landed effectively.

‘It’s amazing how well she knows exactly how to act.’

It was puzzling why a friend who knew so well how to perform could only act at that level.

Usually, the knowledge and execution go hand in hand, so why was there such a gap with Yoo Chaemin? ‘She seemed a bit stiff, too.’

That was likely because she was nervous.

“This shoot is going to be fun.”

Murmuring softly, Kim Eun hye’s gaze shifted back to one spot—the corner of the set where Yoo Chaemin was reading the script.

***

The shoot, which had been interrupted by my mistake, soon resumed.

Right before filming, Director Lee Seungheon caught my eyes and glared fiercely, issuing a warning: if I messed up again, there’d be no mercy.

‘That kind of threat isn’t really scary.’

But repeating the same mistake was definitely a problem.

At least in this ongoing shoot, I couldn’t afford another NG.

If that happened, I was certain Yoo Chaemin’s image on set would be completely ruined.

Forget nerves. At this moment, I just had to focus on finishing the shoot safely.

Setting that goal in my mind, I stepped into the designated angle.

Opposite me stood senior Kim Eun hye, her makeup touch-up complete.

She now had short black hair and was dressed simply in a tracksuit.

I was wearing an oversized school uniform.

This scene was from the past of Yeo Eunsoo and Jung Bongsik—a short episode from when they lived in the same neighborhood, and the moment Jung Bongsik truly fell for Yeo Eunsoo.

The extras playing the thugs who bullied Jung Bongsik approached me.

I sat down hard on the floor and curled my body tightly.

Once they took their positions, I soon heard the slate clap.

*Clap.*

I poked my head out slightly and lifted my gaze.

As soon as my eyes met with Thug 1 in the middle, he swung his hand up.

“Hic…!”

“Wh-why are you doing this to me?!”

“Whyyy do you think? ’Cause you should’ve given us the money when we asked!”

I fumbled, pushing up my slipping glasses.

“I-it’s my money, why?!”

“Damn it, this is for real!”

Thug 2 on the left grabbed me by the collar and yanked me up.

Then— “Hey, what are you guys doing?”

A heavy, husky voice rang out.

“Hey, let’s go.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Don’t you know her? Yeo Eunsoo? If you mess with her, you’re dead!”

“Yeo Eunsoo? Oh, I think I’ve heard that name. People say nothing good happens if you get mixed up with her… Her nickname’s something like Reaper, right?”

“Hey, next time I see you, you better pay me back for today too. Got it?”

“Ah, seriously~ why are you blocking the road and acting tough?”

“Let’s go!”

The thugs muttered among themselves and quickly backed off.

I, crouched and flinching at their threats, barely dared to raise my head.

Through the downcast view, I saw a pair of worn sneakers slowly approaching.

“Hey, Jung Bongsik.”

At that voice, I finally looked up.

Yeo Eunsoo was looking down at me from above—still cocky, delinquent, and… cool.

‘She’s cool.’ The thought suddenly struck me, and my heart began pounding uncontrollably.

“Hic, hiccup!” Startled by that loud hiccup echoing through my head, I tried to cover my mouth, but my whole body trembled.

“Haaah…”

A sigh filled with irritation, as if she had expected this.

‘No, I’m not scared.’ I felt upset. Biting my lip hard, I desperately tried to hold back the hiccups, but it was useless.

If things stayed this way, she’d leave with the wrong impression.

I didn’t want that.

Although we lived in the same neighborhood, it had been years since I last saw her.

She still saw me as a pathetic loser kid… “Do you think I’m pathetic too?”

“……”

The sudden voice shattered my concentration.

It wasn’t in the script.

It wasn’t mentioned even during rehearsal.

It was an ad-lib. I looked at senior Kim Eun hye.

She met my gaze as if waiting for this moment.

Those weren’t the eyes of Yeo Eunsoo I’d just seen, but those of the actress Kim Eun hye. ‘What’s going on?’

Was this a test?

Or did it mean something else?

My mind spun briefly before clearing it out quickly.

Though I didn’t know her intention, it wasn’t a random ad-lib. After all, Yeo Eunsoo had just come home after a big fight with her mother, wandered the neighborhood, and found Jung Bongsik being bullied.

“Say it, then. Do you think I’m a pathetic thug too?”

Returning fully to her role as Yeo Eunsoo, she spoke—to Jung Bongsik and me.

‘Do I stay silent? Or do I let this go NG?’ NG? No thanks. “N-no…!”

“……”

“I-I just like you, noona…!”

***

Yoo Chaemin couldn’t hide her surprise at the unplanned ad-lib.

Thankfully, it seemed to be taken as Jung Bongsik’s embarrassment.

Director Lee Seungheon didn’t call NG, which proved it.

‘So, what happens next?’ Kim Eun hye felt a slight thrill as she waited for Yoo Chaemin’s next line.

What would Yoo Chaemin do when the detailed script she’d prepared was disrupted?

Would her acting be just stuck in the ‘script’ she prepared, or something more? She knew that springing an unagreed ad-lib on a rookie junior was rather mischievous. But her curiosity was hard to resist.

If this was a test, then maybe it was justified. The brief glimpse of Yoo Chaemin’s panic was quickly swallowed by Jung Bonsik’s emotions. Quietly looking up at Yeo Eunsoo, his eyes fluttered and dropped downward.

His hands gripped his bag tightly, his lips pressed together then parted.

Then he jerked his head up again. “N-no…!”

“……”

“I-I just like you, noona…!”

A reckless confession from a boy just realizing his feelings.

It wasn’t a direct answer to the question, but it was so Jung Bongsik.

“…What? Puhahaha…!”

Yeo Eunsoo burst out laughing and ruffled his hair.

“You’re still cute, you are.”

Then she exited. Whistling, Kim Eun hye left the frame and immediately turned her head.

Left alone, Jung Bongsik stared blankly into space, clutching his bag as if it were a shield.

“Whew…”

He exhaled deeply, then cautiously ran his hand through his hair. Then, letting out a small shout, he shut his eyes tight. ‘So cute.’ He was unmistakably the image of a boy in love.

Kim Eun hye shifted her gaze to Director Lee Seungheon. His expression was complicated—actually, it was more like wounded pride.

He gave the okay sign, but it was obvious he was reluctant. ‘He sees promise in her, so why act like that?’ Honestly, Director Lee Seungheon’s attitude toward Yoo Chaemin had seemed strange from the start.

I heard he wasn’t pressured by investors and that he personally cast her after the audition.

So why was he so hostile and dismissive toward an actor he picked himself?

I could understand it if I tried, but honestly, I didn’t want to.

The director’s subtle creation of a negative atmosphere for the actor was unpleasant. I wondered how he’d react if he knew Yoo Chaemin was drawing even more attention because of his attitude.

‘Why is he so obsessed with his pride?’

In the end, the one who suffers would be everyone involved in the film.

“Cut! Okay!”

Finally, the okay was given. Expecting this outcome, Kim Eun hye smiled slightly.

She approached Yoo Chaemin, who looked somewhat dazed, and looked at her.

***

“You were surprised, weren’t you? Sorry about that.”

After the okay, senior Kim Eun hye’s first words to me were an apology.

I hadn’t expected that, so I instinctively shook my head.

“No, not at all.”

“No? You looked totally flustered earlier.”

I had shown it, huh? It was obvious, but hearing it directly made me a little embarrassed.

“I just wanted to see how you’d handle it. If it’s a test, then that makes sense.”

Her straightforward words hit me like a fastball, and I held my breath without realizing it.

Kim Eun hye chuckled softly.

“You’re doing well enough already, but I’m curious to see how much better you can get here.”

She muttered quietly, then held out her hand.

“Please take care of me from now on, Yoo Chaemin.”

Her words carried weight.

The look in senior Kim Eun hye’s eyes seemed even more serious than before—or was that just my imagination?

I carefully clasped her hand.

“I look forward to working with you too, senior.”

***

My shoots always took place in a somewhat chaotic atmosphere.

As senior Kim Eunhye started to take care of me bit by bit, Director Lee Seungheon became even more difficult.

The director’s sharp edge every time I was on set inevitably made the staff’s gaze sour.

The only saving grace was that Jung Bongsik was a minor supporting role.

He had only one or two solo scenes, and the next most common were scenes with just Yeo Eunsoo.

After all the members gathered for Yeo Eunsoo’s revenge, he was basically wiped out.

He only appeared briefly in scenes where everyone carried out the plan together. Now, the shoot for scenes where I appeared relatively more, alongside Yeo Eunsoo, was mostly over.

The schedule moved on to filming with the other lead actors. For the first time on set, all the former members of had gathered.

“Wow, it’s been a while, everyone.”

Teddy Jang, the target of Yeo Eunsoo’s revenge and her ex-lover.

And Jang Gwangcheol, Teddy Jang’s twin brother, who had also been betrayed like Yeo Eunsoo.

Both were played by senior Heeseok Jeong in a dual role.

He was one of Korea’s most famous middle-aged male actors, ranked among the top three.

“Hello. It’s been a while since we last greeted each other!”

Ji Minseong, who played Kim Chulsoo—a key figure in the film’s storyline.

Though he didn’t get along with Yeo Eunsoo at first, he eventually became her love interest.

“Nice to see you all~ Let’s do well today~”

Yuri Han, who played Bona Lee.

She considered Yeo Eunsoo her lifelong rival and dreamed of stabbing her in the back, but was also her biggest supporter.

“Hello, seniors. Let’s have a good shoot today.”

And then there was me.

This gathering was arranged to briefly exchange greetings before filming started.

“Is this the first time all of us have been together since the script reading?”

“Yes, that’s right, senior!”

Ji Minseong answered quickly to senior Heeseok Jeong’s question.