Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Script Reading (3)
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The entertainment industry had long been plagued by countless scandals and incidents.
Suicide, affairs, drugs, drunk driving, gambling, prostitution, and more.
It was hard to find a category that hadn't blown up yet.
Lately, the #MeToo movement had erupted over sexual harassment and assault by seniors, production staff, and industry insiders.
Exposés poured out about boomers' boomer antics and the powerful abusing their positions.
It was such a chaotic place that you had to wonder if it should just be called a criminal syndicate.
Agencies now made school violence or other issues their first check when casting someone.
Broadcasters and production companies fretted daily that actors on set might get hit with a DUI scandal or school bullying exposé. Thanks to that, anyone whose personality seemed even slightly off got sidelined.
This shift in atmosphere had reached the actors too.
In the old days, someone would've launched into a rant starting with, "These rookies... showing up late... back in my day..."
But now, no one said a word like that.
No one lectured under the guise of advice either.
Even No Tae-young, the veteran actor playing the female lead's father, just shook his head at Jeong Gyeowol's empty seat.
According to Yoon Jong-pil PD on Psychometry Her, her acting was nothing short of divine.
The screenwriter had even revised the script after seeing just one office scene, inspired on the spot. Expectations had been high.
But the vibe felt off.
Just when he'd hoped a dragon might descend to make the drama a hit, it looked more like a mudfish at best.
No one said anything outright, but their expressions suggested they were all thinking along the same lines.
Then the door opened, and Jeong Gyeowol walked in.
Her face seemed bare of makeup, her long hair just washed and dried straight.
Yet the entire reading room was overwhelmed by her visuals.
'...Her looks are insane.'
'Geum Yuna's gonna have a tough time.'
'She's a total knockout. No matter how bad her acting is, she'll steal every scene she's in.'
The industry was basically a gathering of people so stunning they stood out even among civilians.
But Jeong Gyeowol boasted top-tier beauty that transcended even entertainment standards.
The other actresses who'd be filming with her were in for some serious anxiety.
They'd get nasty comments about their looks or aging that they wouldn't normally.
Crew members who'd usually cheer at their entrance would now look indifferent.
"Ah, Gyeowol. I was just about to go looking for you. Have a seat."
"Sorry. I had to take a quick call..."
She went around late with greetings, but only to the actors.
She didn't spare a single nod to the production staff, coming off like she was ignoring them.
Veteran No Tae-young let out a blatant sigh.
The other actors didn't show it, but inwardly, they wrote her off.
'Her visuals are shocking, but her personality's a shocker too.'
'She won't last long. No need to get chummy.'
In reality, she'd already greeted the staff earlier, so no need to repeat.
But they didn't know about her gorilla ordeal, so they chalked it up to attitude problems.
After that, rookies gave proper newbie greetings.
Mid-level actors offered kind words.
The warm atmosphere flipped in an instant.
"Hello. I'm Jeong Gyeowol, playing Profiler Dr. Helena."
Whether she'd been late or rude, she had no intention of killing the room's vibe.
She planned to treat everyone like the other rookies.
Something felt off.
Different from when she'd chatted casually with the PD entering the office.
Was it her relaxed demeanor? No.
Her face, beautiful from every angle? Not that either.
Even with her brightest, most polite smile, the room didn't brighten—it froze.
'What the hell just happened?'
'Her voice tone changed.'
'What kind of aura...'
If it were just vibe, she felt more senior than the female lead Geum Yuna with 15 years of experience.
Her presence outshone most veterans.
Just a greeting, and she evoked legendary actors.
"This is my first drama too, but I'll work hard following the seniors' lead. Please take care of me."
The impression hit cold and hard.
Her intense aura lingered in everyone's minds.
If the actors felt this way, what about viewers?
'...If she acts well on top of this, we're done for.'
'Where'd they dig up this outlier?'
Even female lead Geum Yuna felt it, her face stiff.
The actors, snapping out of Jeong Gyeowol's shock, clapped late to welcome her.
Leads greeted next, then directors last. Introductions ended.
"Alright, let's get started. AD?"
"Yes. I'll proceed."
The assistant director (AD) took over.
"S#1. Opening, daytime, flashback. School field. Students chattering..."
"Hey, man, skip the opening montage. Start from the actors' dialogue. You gonna read S#3 solo? First time reading?"
The PD teased the AD with a grin.
Yoon Jong-pil PD sensed the room's chill.
Seizing the moment, he livened things up.
"Ah... Sorry. First time running a reading for me."
"...For real? Sorry, kid. Should've explained. Haha."
The PD scratched his head sheepishly, laughing.
The actors seemed to enjoy the exchange.
"Hahaha, PD's fault. Teasing without briefing."
"Loosened up the mood, though. Nice."
"Pfft, total shibai. You two could do comedy."
*Shibai: industry slang for fun situational elements.*
Everyone laughed innocently, the AD laughing along, and Yoon Jong-pil PD playing the fool to thaw the ice. Laughter bloomed briefly.
Once settled, the AD resumed.
S#4.
Female lead Kim I-seo, in her routine criminal bust, picks up the perp's dropped item. Memories flood in, kicking off the drama.
It indirectly explains her psychometry ability, her ties to Violent Crimes Unit 2, the drama's direction, and builds hype.
A high-tension directorial scene, but this was script reading.
Just read lines seated, flowing naturally.
Everyone awaited the next lines casually...
"What... is this? Hey, you bastard! What the hell did you do to me?!"
Confusion, rage, anxiety, impatience—emotions irrelevant now erupted.
Geum Yuna read like filming live, even panting for effect.
'...What the—? Just a reading, why go so hard?'
Starting intense made follow-ups limp and hard to match.
Kim Ki-tae, as partner detective Song Su-chan, had no choice but pumped-up delivery.
"...What? Why the freakout?"
"No, this bastard did something to me..."
"What'd he do?"
The AD wanted to cry.
Missing roles were all on him.
With everyone overacting from the jump, the reading pro AD wanted to crawl into a hole.
"Wha, I'm innocent~ Didn't do nothin'. Handcuffed—how could I?~"
Awkward acting, but that was the AD's limit.
Crack—
"Where do you get off talking like that."
While Song Su-chan calms the perp and loads him into the squad car.
Kim I-seo ponders what the hell happened.
Hard to explain to Song Su-chan.
The moment she picked up the wallet, visions hit like dreams: him dealing drugs, stashing them inside.
'...Try explaining that without getting called crazy bitch.'
Still, just in case, Kim I-seo inspects the wallet.
Geum Yuna upped the ante, pulling out her real wallet.
Some actors eyed her like what the hell, but she was deep in character, oblivious.
Kim Ki-tae, as Song Su-chan, hadn't expected a real wallet either, flustered.
Pushed by her seriousness, he kept up the intense acting.