Chapter 44
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 044
Chapter Title: Others' Hell Script Reading (3)
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Yeah. At first, I definitely thought it was nothing special.
The Geum Seong-je that Shin Yi-han was portraying.
"The place I'm living in now is super cheap and spacious, even if it's pretty rundown."
What could I say.
He felt approachable.
Pretty serene.
And quiet, too.
"What do you think? Wanna come? I'll talk to the owner uncle for you."
"Whoa! For real?"
"Of course. You've been complaining about how cramped your goshiwon is."
But as the dialogue kept going.
An inexplicable tension hung in the air of the reading room, no matter how you sliced it.
Even though it was everyday chit-chat.
It felt like nothing but the calm before the storm.
"Gi-hyeok, now."
So damn ordinary. Just like something a friend would say.
"Don't hold back."
Every now and then, it became impossible to tell where it was heading.
And that was exactly it.
'...Feels off.'
It made my stomach churn. Like I'd swallowed something rotten.
But unfortunately, the protagonist Ban Gi-hyeok didn't notice a thing.
Ban Gi-hyeok was just.
Thrilled to see his old friend after so long.
And overjoyed at the thought of escaping his tiny goshiwon that was barely ten pyeong.
- Scene 41. Protagonist Ban Gi-hyeok moves into 'Lucky House' on his hometown friend's recommendation.
Ban Gi-hyeok finally moved into the share house.
"Whoa, Geum Seong-je, you're the best! Thanks a ton! I'll buy dinner tonight! What do you wanna eat?"
He was too busy reveling in the fact that this huge room was his space.
"Nah, I've got stuff to do. Get me next time."
Geum Seong-je waved him off with a smile when Ban Gi-hyeok suggested grabbing dinner.
"Hey, Gi-hyeok, isn't it about time your girlfriend gets off work? Go pick her up since you finished early."
"Oh yeah, perfect timing...!"
Ban Gi-hyeok bolted out of the share house.
And then, meeting up with his girlfriend, he started gushing excitedly about how his hometown buddy was the greatest.
'Huh? Did I ever tell Seong-je about my girlfriend?'
'I must've, that's how he knew...!'
He had no idea. That he'd never told his friend he had a girlfriend.
Or that the timer on the time bomb had started ticking from that moment.
The scene shifted next.
The end of Episode 1.
The source of all the chills and inexplicable unease up to now.
- The attic of the share house.
This was the 'errand' Geum Seong-je had mentioned to Ban Gi-hyeok.
- A middle-aged man bound to a chair thrashes in agony. Geum Seong-je smiles in front of him.
The director read the stage direction for the final scene.
And everyone's eyes in the reading room turned to Shin Yi-han.
It was time for Geum Seong-je's true nature to reveal itself.
'Either it'll be cringey, or he'll nail it.'
Some wore intrigued expressions.
'Honestly, up until now it was basically just reading lines... This is where the real test is.'
'But even just reading it...'
'Why does my stomach feel so queasy?'
Others looked baffled.
And right before their eyes, Shin Yi-han became Geum Seong-je and smiled.
As if all his previous smiles had been fake.
Like it was the purest joy and happiness.
Grinning wide-.
That bright smile froze the reading room solid. Only gasps of shock echoed.
'No, seriously, why?'
'No lines, and it's still giving me chills...?'
It was pure, unadulterated delight that defied all logic.
And what made this moment even more confusing was exactly that.
This was a minor side character not even present in the reading room.
- Mmph! Mmmph!
A middle-aged man sobbing and screaming in pain.
But in Shin Yi-han's gaze, fixed intently on someone.
- The middle-aged man was the rude customer who'd harassed protagonist Ban Gi-hyeok last night.
- Drunk and shoving Ban Gi-hyeok around, threatening him.
The stage directions the director read replayed perfectly in their minds.
- P-please! Spare me! Aaaagh!
As if the man was really right there in front of them.
- Geum Seong-je was thrilled.
"Uncle. Why? Regretting it now?"
It might've been a throwaway line.
But his breathing felt utterly horrifying.
"That's why you messed with Gi-hyeok."
Geum Seong-je stood over the blood-soaked floor, pitying someone.
"Gi-hyeok's just too pitiful, you know."
And slowly gripped his throat.
More precisely, the fingertips clutching the script.
"Endure it. Keep enduring."
It was as if he were really strangling a neck.
"Endure."
His thumb slid straight forward, slow and deliberate. No different from actually slitting a throat.
"Or you'll end up crushed for real. Because of scum like you."
But then.
At the peak of ecstasy as the victim's breath failed-
Creeeak-
It shattered in an instant.
Someone from downstairs had opened the door.
And Geum Seong-je didn't scowl at the interruption.
"Ah. Busted."
Pfft. He laughed.
His face welcoming being caught.
Like a kid giggling after finding his playmate at the playground.
"......"
"......"
That was the final scene of Episode 1.
That innocent laugh made everyone shrink back. A heavy silence fell, not even breathing audible.
The contrast between the brutal scene and Shin Yi-han's expression left them unsettled.
From start to finish.
It felt like whatever had been lurking in that creepy normalcy had finally burst out.
What was it like? It was, like...
Yeah. A sense of wrongness.
'So utterly alien.'
Perfectly disconcerting.
And unlike the others.
Director Gil Mi-jin and writer Ko Ji-sook, who'd seen this scene in the prior meeting, were the only ones smirking.
'This is Shin Yi-han the actor.'
Those stunned faces were utterly satisfying.
'This is Geum Seong-je...!'
The script reading continued straight through a whopping four episodes' worth of content.
'I-is this for real?'
'I'm losing my mind.'
In the script by thriller master Ko Ji-sook.
'How is this even a script reading...!'
No actor could catch a proper breath.
Top star Baek Eun-won, whose experience and skill outshone any other.
Go Do-jin, who'd risen to top actor status on villains alone.
Just those two were intimidating enough.
But add in rookie Shin Yi-han, who could shift the atmosphere with a single line.
'What the hell is that guy... What?!'
The reading room brimmed with insane pressure.
And it lasted the entire grueling session.
'Where the hell did he pop out from...'
'Is this even acting a rookie can pull off?'
And the bigger issue? Shin Yi-han had lit a fire under the two leads, too.
'Baek Eun-won was always the serious type, fine.'
'But Go Do-jin wasn't like this. Insane.'
'Tell me about it...'
In the end, the supporting actors sweated bullets, pushing through their lines.
Baek Eun-won crumbling mentally as the protagonist.
Go Do-jin startling everyone as the main villain watching the chaos.
Not just chills, but Shin Yi-han's casual lines choked the air from their lungs.
In that atmosphere, they gave their all not to break the vibe.
'G-gonna die.'
'Can't even tell 'em to go easy...'
'Facts. Can't ruin this, no way.'
By the end, everyone was drained dry.
Palms slick with sweat.
Too exhausted to even stand.
But some weren't tired at all.
Like Shin Yi-han, for instance.
The guy who'd spat out those brutal lines earlier was now beaming happily.
'N-no. Isn't that a bit too different from before?'
Completely unlike the smile he'd worn as Geum Seong-je.
'...That's the scary part.'
'Just one acting bit over.'
'How does he hide that Geum Seong-je so well?!'
The room couldn't help but get chills at the sight.
Same face, same expressions, yet the vibe flipped completely.
"That's our Geum Seong-je! This is it! Exactly!"
Surrounding him were director Gil Mi-jin, writer Ko Ji-sook, and assistant director Jo Yu-ri.
"I can't tell if I wrote a killer script or if Geum Seong-je was just that vivid...!"
"Losing weight made the vibe even crazier! Grr-!"
The mood was already festival-level.
Baek Eun-won wasn't slumped in exhaustion either; he was fixed on Shin Yi-han.
And for good reason.
...This was a first.
From child actor days to adulthood, he'd never taken a break from acting.
But in all that time, he'd never felt swept away by someone else's performance.
He'd outshine others if he had to. Never lose.
No wonder his peers felt lackluster.
But.
'Shin Yi-han is different.'
He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this exhilarated.
'Totally different.'
Even knowing his work from other projects.
This exceeded expectations. Truly unique.
Baek Eun-won's face lit up. He couldn't wait for filming to start.
Of course, he wasn't the only one hyped nearby.
Right beside him.
'Young kids got stamina...'
Main villain Go Do-jin was slumped over the table, groaning.
'30s should get a break...'
Whew.
Early episodes had tons of protagonist and sub-villain scenes, so the main villain like him didn't have much today.
But weirdly.
'Why do even those few scenes make me hate losing?'
He usually slacked on readings, but he'd been swept up ages ago.
'Guess I'm still young?'
Pfft. Go Do-jin grinned at his crumpled script.
His sharp features made a staffer yelp—eek!—but anyway.
'Joking.'
Go Do-jin's gaze landed on Shin Yi-han.
'He's the culprit, huh.'
Shin Yi-han caught his eye and bowed politely.
'...Nice guy or what? How's a rookie got that guts.'
Go Do-jin let out a stunned chuckle.
'Look at him. Already comfy? Like he's been in the industry for decades.'
No awkwardness or nerves around the director and writer. Go Do-jin shrugged.
To him, Shin Yi-han was a total enigma.
Ah, but one thing was clear.
'Not a fluke pick.'
He liked him.
Go Do-jin smirked.
The other actors felt the same.
They sidled up to Shin Yi-han, tossing casual comments.
'How can I not admit it...'
'Who's the idiot who ranted he wasn't picked fair in auditions.'
'Hi, it's me. I repent...!'
That was their inner monologue.
Shin Yi-han had proven his place here.
Though one person's face had gone pale in the vibe.
'......'
Choi Gyeol.
He'd thought Shin Yi-han stole Geum Seong-je from him.
'Lies.'
'This... was Geum Seong-je...?'
But facing the real performance, he was speechless.
He'd flubbed lines multiple times, too.
'Th-this won't do. For me.'
He couldn't stay.
Finally, Choi Gyeol excused himself to the bathroom and bolted. Too embarrassed to endure.
Of course, without him, the reading room still buzzed with awe.
Not even noticing he'd left.
And following Choi Gyeol.
Actually, right after the reading ended, another person slipped out.
Jennifer Kim, Newflix's Korea branch rep.
Ring ring- ring ring-
Standing in the hallway, she had no choice but to make a call.
Her heart pounded through every ring.
[Oh! Jennifer!]
Click. English poured from the speaker as the call connected.
[So, how was it?]
The voice belonged to Brian from the Newflix team.
[We were worried sick about using a rookie for sub-villain.]
With rising expectations for Korea, Brian had awaited her report.
[Approved it, but you know. Even if it's big-name director and writer here.]
He trusted Jennifer immensely.
[If you say no-go, he's out.]
"Got it."
But Jennifer had only one thing to say.
"Jackpot."
[Huh... ?]
Praise, nothing less.
"Way beyond 'good'."
Jennifer sent the video she'd filmed on her phone.
"Sending video. Check it out."
[That good?]
She was certain.
Actor Shin Yi-han...
Would make this drama something special.