Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: 1mm
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Filming was halted three more times. All three because of Gong Ji-hyeon's acting, the male lead opposite the female protagonist.
The PD spoke up.
"Whew. We're short on time as it is. Let's move on to the next scene for now. Gong Ji-hyeon, go practice somewhere and come back."
"I'm sorry!"
The PD snapped in irritation.
"You shouldn't have screwed up in the first place!"
Do Joo-hee headed off to meet the writer of this drama.
Shin Eun-ha watched her trudge away with slumped shoulders, feeling sorry for her.
"She used to act pretty well before. What happened?"
"You know her?"
"We've never worked together, but we chat a bit if we run into each other at the station or events."
"She acted well back then?"
"Pretty darn good. Her fame as an actress was about on par with mine at the time. For a kid who's barely twenty-one to have that kind of skill and recognition? Impressive."
Na Gang-in tilted his head.
"Doesn't seem like she had that level of talent, though."
"She's been awkward since early this year. That's when her popularity tanked too. Must be a slump."
Shin Eun-ha sighed with pity.
"This industry's brutal. If she overcomes the slump, she'll survive. If not, she'll vanish. I've seen plenty of stars who shone bright and then faded away."
"If her acting's gotten awkward, why not give her some advice next time you see her?"
Shin Eun-ha shook her head.
"I can't help her. Not because I don't want to— I just don't know how. Her agency's probably already thrown top actors more famous than me and the best acting coaches at her, trying everything."
"Ah..."
"If I start spouting random advice, it'll just confuse her more."
"Fair point."
With the shooting order shuffled, Lee Yeon-ji had nothing to do either. She came over to Na Gang-in, dragging her two friends from the script—roles 1 and 2.
The two who came with Lee Yeon-ji greeted Shin Eun-ha.
"Hello!"
"Unnie! I'm a huge fan!"
Shin Eun-ha gave a little wave.
"Hey. Hi. Nice to meet you."
Friend Role 1 asked,
"Whoa! Yeon-ji, how do you know Senior Shin Eun-ha?"
Lee Yeon-ji grinned smugly.
"She's my neighborhood unnie."
"No way! So jealous."
Friend Role 2 chimed in.
"What about the guy next to her?"
"My neighborhood ajusshi."
"Ah, got it."
Na Gang-in grumbled,
"Wow. Same description minus the title, but the reactions are polar opposites."
Lee Yeon-ji giggled and wheedled,
"Ajusshi, buy us something sweet. I'm hungry."
"We're in the middle of shooting."
"It's gonna be a while before our turn comes back around. We've been hanging here forever, and I'm starving. We need energy! They say chocolate and slice cake are great for recharging."
"Why not hit up the rich Eun-ha instead?"
"Eun-ha unnie looks like she has a lot to catch up on with these unnies."
Friend Roles 1 and 2 sparkled at Shin Eun-ha with big eyes.
Na Gang-in asked,
"Chocolate, slice cake, and drinks to go with. Cool?"
"Yes! Cool!"
Do Joo-hee had gone to find the drama's writer.
"Why the long face?"
The drama writer griped,
"Today's scene is crucial, and Gong Ji-hyeon keeps blowing it. Can't swap her out now. Driving me nuts. Why'd Park PD insist on using her?"
"Gong Ji-hyeon used to act great."
"Ancient history. The kid's a total mess these days."
Do Joo-hee poked at her friend.
"Should've worked with acting pros like me. Gong Ji-hyeon's on my level, right? Lee Bo-ra's a bit immature, but she acts well."
Her friend shot her a glare.
"Lucky bitch. You didn't just luck into great actors—your martial arts director fell from the sky too. Where do I find someone like that?"
"Huh? He was here. Didn't you meet him?"
"Who?"
"Our martial arts director."
The drama writer shot up from her chair, scanning around.
"Whoa! Na Gang-in? Where? Who is it?"
"Over there... He's gone? Must've headed home."
"You idiot! You should've told me sooner!"
"Why? Your drama isn't action."
"Wasn't Blue Sky action-packed either? With Na Gang-in, we could toss Gong Ji-hyeon and fill today's shoot with something else."
"Toss her?"
"It's her first scene today, so it'd work."
"When do you rewrite the script? Your schedule's tight."
The drama writer's eyes gleamed.
"Rumor has it Na Gang-in can whip up revisions overnight if he's around."
"You think you're Director Son Tae-min? Overnight?"
"At least this scene could work without her. Do Joo-hee! Find Na Gang-in now!"
Do Joo-hee smirked lazily, wagging her finger.
"Even if you find Na Gang-in, he's not someone you book on a whim."
"Then at least introduce us so I can say hi. Makes booking him next time easier."
Na Gang-in returned from the nearby convenience store with Lee Yeon-ji's snacks.
No managers for minor roles like Friend 1 and 2, so he'd grabbed extras for them too.
On the way back, his phone rang. It was Cha Ji-hee from Ironman Engineering's design team.
"Hello."
- Team Leader Na! We've designed a new version of our mass-production Dragon Plate!
"Fabrication and testing?"
- Not yet. Just blueprints for review.
Ironman Engineering's base mass-production model reused blueprints from Na Gang-in's custom Dragon Plates. But it only fit customers with similar builds to the originals.
So, more official variants from Na Gang-in meant more mass-production options.
Na Gang-in had been too busy lately for much Dragon Plate design, so official customs came out sporadically.
Ironman Engineering researched their own designs as a workaround. They still paid licensing fees, so it was fine for Na Gang-in.
But their last in-house design had weak defense—couldn't even replace basic bulletproof vests. AI Jeon Ji-in had called it trash after checking.
Cha Ji-hee asked,
- Can I come to your workshop today, Team Leader Na?
"Mm. See you in two hours."
- Got it!
Na Gang-in hung up and headed back to set. But after a few steps, another call came. This time, Chief Surgeon Lee Jeong-ho.
"Phone's blowing up today."
Lee Jeong-ho had called about Lee Yeon-ji.
- Yeon-ji said you're there too, Gang-in.
"Just grabbing her some snacks, then I'm off to work."
- Hope she wraps up quick and comes home. She's been begging to go, so I let her, but my wife's worried sick. As you know, she had surgery, and just recently inhaled poison gas...
Na Gang-in listened to Lee Jeong-ho's complaints for a bit, then hung up.
On his way to Lee Yeon-ji, he spotted an actress in the corner, looking glum and sighing. It was Gong Ji-hyeon, the female lead's opposite.
Lee Yeon-ji could head home after one scene. Shin Eun-ha had no reason to stick around either.
But if Gong Ji-hyeon kept flubbing, neither could leave.
Gong Ji-hyeon's face was shadowed. She'd tanked the shoot, and her confidence was shot.
Lately, acting felt impossibly hard. No matter how hard she tried, nothing satisfied the PD.
Last year, it hadn't been this tough.
But early this year, the slump hit. Everything changed.
Since then, "awkward acting" comments everywhere. Lessons from coaches, advice from peers—nothing worked. Each criticism chipped her confidence, making her acting worse. Now she could barely remember last year's techniques.
This drama was her agency's Hail Mary. Not a huge role, but competing with the lead. Script had her in multiple future scenes.
But she had to nail this debut. Botch it, and no PD or writer would keep her.
Her manager had warned: last chance. Fail again, and they'd pass roles to others.
Tears welled up.
"Why can't I do it?"
She used to act well.
"I don't even know what to do anymore."
Back then, she'd grasp techniques instantly and express them effortlessly.
Not now. Losing confidence made it harder and harder.
She'd seen Shin Eun-ha on set today.
"We were on the same level last year."
Shin Eun-ha exploded with the 10-million-view film A Sunny Day. Even peers like Lee Bo-ra leveled up via Blue Sky.
But Gong Ji-hyeon plummeted. Roles shrinking.
"I wanna cry."
Na Gang-in said,
"To get Yeon-ji and Eun-ha home, that girl needs to nail it."
He spoke to AI Jeon Ji-in.
"Ji-in, when that girl acts earlier, I'll make the expression she should've had. Adjust it for me."
- What direction of assistance do you want?
"You heard the PD explain it a bunch. Exactly that."
- Understood.
Na Gang-in approached Gong Ji-hyeon.
She looked up. Only staff and actors' people allowed here.
She figured Na Gang-in was one.
Na Gang-in said,
"Saw your scene just now."
She deflated.
"It sucked, right? I know."
"Wasn't it supposed to be like this?"
Na Gang-in made a slightly fierce expression. AI Jeon Ji-in adjusted it.
Gong Ji-hyeon jumped.
"Huh?"
Seeing his face, it clicked.
"That's the feeling the PD meant..."
His expression held even more emotion than the PD demanded.
"So that's what the PD wanted."
She stared blankly at his face.
"I'm jealous."
Conveying such complex feelings with just an expression, no lines— she envied it.
Na Gang-in relaxed his face. Gong Ji-hyeon urgently asked,
"Wait! Can you do it one more time?"
Na Gang-in's goal: help her nail the scene, send Lee Yeon-ji and Shin Eun-ha home.
"Sure. Copy me."
"Like this?"
"No, that's real anger."
"But viewers need to think I'm mad."
Na Gang-in advised,
"It's not some brutal movie—it's family drama. Viewers can get mad with you, but don't sour their mood. Stay on that line."
"Right. So the expression like..."
"That's anger, I said."
Na Gang-in broke it down, showing expressions one by one.
"Here, eyebrows just a bit like this. Eyes a touch here. Try each."
"Like this?"
"Nah. Like this."
Gong Ji-hyeon followed precisely, then checked a mirror.
"Ah!"
She looked genuinely pissed in the reflection.
But not over the line. This would pass the PD next take.
She bowed to Na Gang-in.
"Thank you. Helped a ton."
"No need. That's just the start."
"Huh?"
"You think that'll cut it on camera?"
Her briefly bright face darkened again.
"I barely managed that much..."
Na Gang-in eyed her slumped shoulders, then quietly asked AI Jeon Ji-in,
"Ji-in, about my expression assist skill. Can it work on others' faces?"
- How would I control someone else's facial muscles? Impossible.
"Not changing her face directly. Assume she's an agent— project a hologram showing how to adjust her expression."
AI Jeon Ji-in projected Gong Ji-hyeon's 3D model in air, zooming on her face and forming an expression.
"Overlay the hologram face on hers."
A translucent hologram face aligned perfectly with Gong Ji-hyeon's real one.
Na Gang-in checked the alignment and said,
"Okay. Now I'll detail each expression down to 1mm. Move your facial muscles precisely."
"1mm?"