Chapter 89
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 089
Chapter Title: Tamla Script Reading (3)
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Tamla's docks.
Just under twenty plague ghosts—zombies—had reached the island.
The moment they spilled out from the ship,
the surrounding seaside and the nearby open market were dyed red in an instant.
Everyone turned into plague ghosts, tearing into each other.
A horrific scene where no one could tell who lived and who died.
In the midst of it all, Mu-yeong and the deposed young king I-yul barely managed to hide,
but I-yul ultimately despaired in the face of the plague that had inevitably found them.
And as Lee Do-ha acted out that I-yul, everyone at the script reading was left with their jaws dropped.
'I knew Do-ha was good.'
'...He's even better than at the audition.'
Even the staff who had seen Do-ha at the audition.
'W-what is this? Isn't he totally different from earlier?'
'Is he really ten years old?'
'They said he had no experience, but what if he's better than us?!'
The supporting actors who had tilted their heads skeptically upon first seeing Do-ha today.
'I heard the writer recommended him.'
'But just because he acts well?'
'At this level, isn't the writer's eye insane?'
They all nodded in admiration.
Even the great veteran actor Choi Man-cheol, who hadn't held even the slightest expectation due to Lee Do-ha's strikingly pretty appearance, was no different.
Huh.
Choi Man-cheol let out an involuntary chuckle laced with awe.
'What the hell. If he's this good.'
His lips curved upward.
'I thought he was just a pretty kid.'
'Yeah. My thinking was too narrow.'
Choi Man-cheol watched Do-ha with an intrigued expression.
He couldn't help but smile inwardly at the sight of the child freely taking flight, small mouth working diligently.
He's good. What a fun kid.
For the first time in ages, Choi Man-cheol felt his heart heat up.
And what pushed that heat definitively to a boiling point wasn't just that.
'Looks like.'
Choi Man-cheol's gaze naturally shifted to Do-ha's side.
'It's that guy, Shin Yi-han.'
It was true the child actor was excellent, but the one who made it happen was Shin Yi-han.
'He properly set the stage.'
Unlike everyone else's eyes fixed on Lee Do-ha, Choi Man-cheol began focusing on Shin Yi-han.
Because it was Shin Yi-han who had turned the tense child actor, who kept messing up until moments ago, loose enough to play freely.
Honestly, it was absurd.
Wasn't a child the hardest thing to handle on set?
Unpredictable beings who didn't communicate like adults.
Yet Shin Yi-han had calmed the child actor in one go and drawn him into the story's immersion.
Choi Man-cheol seriously observed Shin Yi-han.
'He's... the real deal.'
Not only reading his co-actor's breaths and filling in the gaps, but even drawing out hidden potential.
That must be one of the charms that made actor Shin Yi-han shine.
'...'
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Choi Man-cheol couldn't help rubbing his face dryly over and over.
'I'm embarrassed for myself.'
Suddenly, memories flooded back of how he always pushed actors—child or adult—to test them.
As if saying that if they wanted to work with him, they had to do it right.
Looking down on them, giving unsolicited advice.
Acting is exactly like this, he'd say.
Even just moments ago.
Choi Man-cheol was at a loss for words.
That young actor was igniting everyone, while he'd been pouring cold water.
What the hell had he been doing?
'Again.'
Choi Man-cheol steeled his resolve and gripped the script once more.
'From the beginning.'
No matter how long he'd been acting or how much he thought he knew about it.
...Here, didn't he need to be humble?
He wanted to be part of that more than anything; he had no intention of playing apart.
That was the moment Choi Man-cheol's mindset shifted.
And not just him.
In truth, it wasn't only Choi Man-cheol watching Shin Yi-han. Top actress Yoo Na-bi was doing the same.
Na-bi, who was as sincere about acting as she was about her looks,
had also noticed that it was Shin Yi-han who enabled the child actor to show his skills.
'It wasn't something I needed to worry about in the first place.'
She'd wondered how the famously skilled Shin Yi-han would sync with a child actor.
'He's too good.'
Na-bi flipped through the script with nails glittering with jewels, letting out a hollow laugh.
'Chillingly so.'
Na-bi scrutinized every expression Shin Yi-han made, not missing a single one.
She couldn't quite define it.
Shin Yi-han clearly had something unique that others lacked.
Not just good acting.
Like he was seeing the entire stage, not just his own performance.
The immersion that drew everyone in sent shivers through Na-bi again and again.
'At this rate...'
She couldn't tear her eyes away from Shin Yi-han.
'I'll fall for him.'
Precisely as a fellow actor. His acting was so captivating it sparked envy.
No need for loud voices or big gestures.
Shin Yi-han had already become the king's loyal guard perfectly.
For Do-ha, if nothing else.
For this script reading.
He seized everyone and pulled them into the story.
And Na-bi followed that flow.
The stage directions alone made the whole scene feel vividly alive.
Ah, but.
"The plague ghosts draw near the hut. Mu-yeong and I-yul have nowhere left to retreat."
If only it weren't for the director's voice reading the directions, it would've felt even more real?
Na-bi chuckled inwardly.
Soon after Lee Do-ha, Shin Yi-han's acting truly kicked off.
After a brief moment to catch their breath, the plague ghosts drawn by Mu-yeong's blood scent reached this place.
Mu-yeong could only clench his fists tight.
"Mu-yeong. Before those things burst in and bite me."
His liege, face drained white,
"Cut me down with your sword. Please. End it before more suffering..."
spoke words horrific for a child.
Words from a broken soul, uttered by his liege.
Shing.
In the end, Mu-yeong calmly drew his sword.
Through the hut's window, the hellish scene outside was visible.
At this rate, there was no hope—only a dog's death awaited.
Yet Mu-yeong's thoughts remained unchanged.
"That will never happen."
Mu-yeong's sword would never point at his liege.
"Never."
Mu-yeong spoke in a gentle tone as if soothing a child, setting his sword at his feet.
"As long as my head remains on my shoulders, not a single scratch will mar Your Highness's sacred body."
He offered only a small smile with the unyielding gaze of loyalty to his king.
"Stay here just a moment."
With that, Mu-yeong hid I-yul upstairs in the hut.
Then he stared at the enemies beyond.
"And I will cut them all down."
He picked up the sword he'd set down earlier.
"Be they monsters, men, or even the cowardly king hiding in the palace."
He slipped out of the hut without a sound.
"All of them."
Gripping his sword as he eyed the plague ghosts starting to frenzy at his scent.
And in Mu-yeong's gaze as he watched them,
the script reading room instantly transformed into a blood-soaked hut.
A precarious moment, facing countless foes with a single sword.
The staff and actors unwittingly swallowed dryly.
Because Shin Yi-han, like the protagonist, had made this space entirely his own.
With calm yet burning eyes.
Instilling hope.
Making them want to believe his words, no matter how impossible.
It was after that scene of Shin Yi-han's ended.
Strangely, the heat at the reading didn't die down.
The actors began pouring their all into their lines as they came.
The spark Shin Yi-han ignited had long spread to the others.
It became a full-blown acting showdown.
Swept up in the atmosphere Shin Yi-han created without realizing it.
No one skimped, treating it as more than just a script reading.
With the youngest child actor going so fiercely from the start,
who could half-ass it?
No one wanted to be a burden; they exchanged energy and gave their best.
In that fervor, time flew by.
"Great work, everyone!"
Only with assistant director Kwak Hoon's wrap call did the actors gasp for breath, returning to reality.
And the loudest voice belonged to
"Whoa. I'm dead!"
top actress Yoo Na-bi.
"Na-bi, do something about that old-man voice..."
"Whew! Thought I was gonna die~!"
She playfully slumped over the table even more like an old man at her manager's quip,
but Na-bi was serious.
Not even on set, legs stuck in place while sitting, straining her all—it left her body aching all over.
'And seriously, what is with him.'
Na-bi had long been dumbfounded staring at Shin Yi-han.
'He's even crazier than I thought...!'
After unleashing such intense acting,
aside from brief breaks, he couldn't have let go of focus,
'Why doesn't he look tired at all?'
Shin Yi-han showed no sign of fatigue, just happily handing a drink to Do-ha beside him.
Na-bi couldn't look away from Shin Yi-han, chuckling hollowly.
Now she could only think he was amazing in every way.
'Well, well?'
Park Mu-gang spotted her like that.
'Drooling over him, huh.'
Still staring? Na-bi had eyes only for Shin Yi-han throughout the reading.
Park Mu-gang shook his head.
'And it was killer for me too.'
Recalling the reading just now, Park Mu-gang ruffled his hair roughly.
Even though everyone gave their all, he felt frustrated.
He wanted to jump up and scream.
He knew well enough from filming with Shin Yi-han before.
And he hadn't been slacking either.
Yet Park Mu-gang felt inadequate as always today.
'I was the worst.'
Damn. Damn.
Of course, not just to Shin Yi-han or Choi Man-cheol,
he couldn't shake the thought he'd been outdone even by Yoo Na-bi down to the youngest Lee Do-ha.
It felt like hitting an insurmountable wall.
Is this what talent is?
Is this... the best someone like me can do?
Park Mu-gang bit his lip.
He felt urgency that this wouldn't do.
Some might shrug it off in this situation, focusing only on what they could do.
The supporting actors here already thought that way.
Can't be helped, this is my limit, they'd say with a laugh.
How do you beat a monster like that?
But Park Mu-gang was different.
All those feelings birthed not resignation, but desire within him.
Because the sole reason Park Mu-gang burned was one thing.
He wanted to do better.
More, more.
Park Mu-gang resolved, staring at Shin Yi-han.
'I'll do well.'
'I will.'
Quietly igniting.
And under the subtly prickling gazes of Yoo Na-bi and Park Mu-gang, Shin Yi-han could only laugh inwardly more.
Not intentional, but he'd given them good stimulation in various ways.
Today had been too fun fundamentally.
Shin Yi-han was immensely satisfied.
'Honestly, it's great.'
Choi Man-cheol, Yoo Na-bi, Lee Do-ha.
And Park Mu-gang too.
The other supporting actors as well, but those four especially had solid skills he could trust and rely on for Tamla.
More than just skill, their unique traits would make the film shine brighter.
Far from tired, Shin Yi-han grinned happily.
He was already certain what scenes would be born on the upcoming set.
A Tamla more perfect than his past life was right around the corner.
Just thinking about it thrilled him.
But then.
As the reading wrapped and everyone caught their breath,
Choi Man-cheol, quietly reviewing the script, suddenly stood up.
'Huh?'
All eyes turned to him.
'Going to actor Shin Yi-han?'
'Has to be Shin Yi-han, right?'
But defying expectations, Choi Man-cheol headed to Lee Do-ha sitting beside Shin Yi-han.
'No, not?'
'To Do-ha?!'
The room hushed.
'Why? Scolding Do-ha? Because of that early acting?'
'Huh? No way, he did so well.'
'Nah, he's famous as the tiger teacher. Even if good, he'll chew you out if needed...!'
Everyone tensed, watching Choi Man-cheol and Do-ha.
And then, standing before Do-ha for real.
Choi Man-cheol swallowed hard and opened his mouth.
He scratched the back of his head and bowed.
"This old man."
"...?"
He spoke as kindly as possible.
"Sorry for scaring you, Do-ha."
At that moment, Do-ha and everyone around had their eyes widen.
That Choi Man-cheol actor?! Apologizing...?
Only Shin Yi-han laughed inwardly, as expected.