Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Omnibus Wrap-Up: The Blind Girl's Story
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Time flew by, and before long, the omnibus drama shoot had reached its final stages.
The remaining footage consisted of the highly anticipated showdown with actor Ma Dong-sik to cap off the finale.
And today's tale of the high school girl's sorrowful, pitiable... brief respite.
Those were the two pieces left.
It had taken two months to get this far.
The heat had subsided considerably, and the weather was now cool enough to wear long sleeves comfortably.
If everything had gone according to the original schedule, it should have wrapped up at the end of fall.
'But... it ended too soon.'
Was it because everyone was a famous actor?
They'd laugh it off lightheartedly whenever a mistake happened, which was par for the course. Still, it never disrupted the shooting schedule that badly.
The toughest part so far had been...
The senior actors ad-libbing lines and actions not in the script without consulting me first.
It was hard to keep up with them.
I still remembered it clearly.
'The Third Client.'
I was supposed to smile with relief after avenging my friend who left the world too soon by the lake...
But suddenly, he waded waist-deep into the lake and started improvising.
Honestly, that was tame by comparison.
'The actor for the Fourth Client...'
I let out a sigh involuntarily.
"Haa."
He was so intense that I nearly got hurt. He definitely pulled off a great ad-lib and got a fantastic take, but...
There were limits.
Out of nowhere, he grabbed me by the collar and pressured me to crush the target so they'd never walk again.
All with those chilling eyes burning with vengeance. I was so flustered I flubbed it twice with NGs.
At least this client role was played by a female actor just a bit older than me. She said she'd been acting for four years now, right?
So she should be different from the previous seniors who drove me crazy.
That thought lightened my mood.
Kiiiek!
As soon as I turned off the car, I snapped to attention and unbuckled my seatbelt.
My manager, who had been watching me intently, slowly spoke up.
"...Didn't bring your script?"
"Haa... In-cheol, there's hardly any shooting left, so let's travel light. Yeah?"
"True, you've been struggling to memorize the revised script. Still... there are eyes watching, so carry it just in case."
"It's fine, I said."
Just as the manager said.
After the head writer visited last time, the content had changed more than expected.
'The Secret of the Nameless Devil.'
There was originally a setup where the nameless devil was human.
But now it emphasized flashbacks to past memories tormenting him with every client...
Eventually, he loses control of his powers, struggling through the final request. That's the story it became.
So the ones hit hardest were actor Ma Dong-sik and me.
The script got completely overhauled...
The manager, who had been gazing at me steadily, let out a quiet sigh.
"Haa, alright. Then... Jun-seo, go take a look around outside."
"You're so flexible sometimes. Great, I'll head out first."
Pleased with his response, I got out of the car with a light heart.
I scanned the high school next.
It was a small building for a high school.
The barren playground was overgrown with nameless weeds.
The school walls had peeling paint covered in kids' graffiti, making it look abandoned.
No, it didn't even look like a high school.
Amazed by how tiny the school was, I was glancing around when suddenly the manager rushed out and sprayed something on me.
Chiiik!
Smoke billowed in front of me, carrying a familiar scent.
"...What's that?"
"Bugs or mosquitoes will make makeup a nightmare if they bite you. Gotta be careful."
"Oh, right. But is it still mosquito season?"
"Turn around a bit more, please."
I raised my arms high and spun around as he sprayed.
Then I heard laughter.
"Pfft."
This guy... laughing?
I snatched the spray from his hand and aimed it at him.
"In-cheol, my turn to spray you. Arms up and spin like I did."
The manager's amusement vanished instantly, his eyes widening.
"H-Here?"
"Yeah, spin quick. No one's around. And what if the bugs on you come to me?"
"...Okay."
The manager hung his head and raised his sturdy arms high, spinning in place just like me.
His face flushed bright red.
He must be embarrassed.
"...Isn't it done yet?"
"Good. Done!"
Only after spraying him thoroughly did In-cheol lower his arms and clear his throat.
"Ahem! Jun-seo, now we should go greet the senior who just joined and Director Han Mun-jin."
"Oh, right. Did the coffee truck to Su-ho hyung go off without a hitch?"
"No worries. I just got a text—the coffee truck with your name hasn't reached Kang Su-ho yet, apparently."
"I hope he sees it soon..."
While shooting the high school series.
Something happened with Su-ho hyung.
'A photo he didn't want others to see.'
I turned it into a poster and embarrassed him in front of the staff. So this time, I printed an embarrassing photo of him and sent it as a poster too.
I wondered what face he'd make.
Imagining him trembling with rage and calling me made me grin.
"Let's hurry. We're late."
"Yeah, let's go."
We headed toward the small cafeteria when I spotted Director Han Mun-jin in the distance.
He was yelling at the dawdling staff without a megaphone.
"I've told you not to weed! It's natural and nice like that! And Kim So-young, practice over there so you don't bother the kids."
He'd ruin his voice like that.
"Sorry!" Kim So-young bowed quickly and scurried off.
She still had that youthful student vibe, fresh like a high schooler.
Was it the uniform?
Even though she was older than me now...
The character she played was a girl born completely blind, far from ordinary.
Yet she had a talent for art, always drawing in class.
Her classmates... no, calling bullies "friends" felt off.
Classmates, then.
They resented her exceptional drawing skills.
Dodging the teacher's eyes, the classmates escalated their bullying of Kim So-young...
No, the character's name in the story: Kang Min-ji.
'I happen to witness that.'
This was right around when my humanity starts returning, so I help Kang Min-ji selflessly, no strings attached.
Could she pull off acting a congenitally blind student convincingly?
Before shooting began.
Wearing focus-less lenses for makeup, Kim So-young turned her gaze toward Lee Jun-seo in the distance.
He was casually fixing his clothes in the mirror.
The most crucial part of this shoot...
Wasn't Lee Jun-seo—it was her.
Her agency CEO had emphasized it multiple times. In an omnibus drama, any role could shine like the lead.
'I have to nail this.'
Kim So-young clenched her fists.
She had to succeed this time.
Just one hit...
And like Lee Jun-seo, who blew up with his debut, her path would open.
"Kim, ready?"
She flinched at the director's voice and stammered a reply.
"Yes! Ready!"
"Then Lee, see that rooftop? Head up there."
"Got it, Director."
Lee Jun-seo's calm response carried quiet strength.
'...Is he the same guy from before?'
His vibe had totally shifted since script reading—like a different person.
He even looked bigger...
As she stared at his retreating back.
Flinch!
He turned suddenly, and their eyes met. His makeup-sharpened eyes curved into crescents.
Chills ran down her spine.
It felt like facing a real devil.
'Ah, I wanna see Mom...'
Kim So-young had hated ghosts and scary stuff since childhood; that gaze made her want to bolt.
"Alright, let's start. Extras and Kim So-young, to your marks."
Don't wimp out.
Gotta succeed this time.
Steel-willed, Kim So-young moved to her spot as a young staffer directed. The extras smiled and greeted her.
"Hello."
"Let's do great, Kim So-young!"
"Yes, don't hold back—bully me viciously, everyone."
"Okay."
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Director Han Mun-jin smacked the table with his rolled-up paper to get attention.
"Long shot first, then group shot. Got it?"
"Yes! Got it, Director."
"We know."
"Hahaha!"
Maybe the nice weather?
The mood was cheerful.
"Action."
At the director's cue, Kim So-young immersed into Kang Min-ji.
Eyes always forward.
Or slightly down-right.
Never follow anything with her gaze. That was the toughest, most vital part of playing Kang Min-ji.
After group shots transitioned to close-ups, Han Mun-jin crossed his arms and shook his head.
Frankly, he hadn't expected much from Kim So-young's acting.
Only four years in the game.
Plus her youth made deep roles a stretch, he'd figured.
Even so...
Like rookie Lee Jun-seo.
He'd hoped for that deep, seasoned intensity.
A bit.
"...Experience shows."
Acting lifelong darkness from congenital blindness felt off.
"Ah, there..."
Han Mun-jin raised his hand to cut, then grabbed the megaphone.
"Kim! Expression's awkward."
"Huh?"
"For someone blind, that dropped cane is their lifeline."
"......"
Even after that...
She didn't get it?
Han Mun-jin sighed deeply and continued.
"Anxiety. Desperation. Fear... Mix them. Right now, only anxiety shows."
Her eyes widened.
Finally getting it.
"You can do it, right?"
"Yes! I can!"
Satisfied with her firm reply, Han Mun-jin lowered the megaphone and signaled.
They rolled again.
Kim So-young tapped her folding cane, inching along.
As she neared the main building, the story's bully kids—who targeted Kang Min-ji—appeared.
"Huh? Blind girl's coming."
"Kekeke. For real?"
They snickered, pointing at the sightless girl.
"Hey, your turn."
"Should I? You guys watch out."
The key moment hit.
Han Mun-jin watched the laptop feed intently.
A bully nudged the cane-dependent girl.
Kim So-young lost balance and fell.
Eyes unmoving, she groped the floor frantically.
"Wh-where is it? I... I can't without it."
Desperate hand motions, tiny voice trembling with unease.
"I really can't without it..."
The fear of not finding the cane hit home.
Relieved at last, Han Mun-jin leaned back, lips curving.
"Now that's watchable. Cams 2 and 3, bust shots. Good."
Still lacking, but this was Kim So-young's limit.
He could tell.
"...Gotta roll with it."
Muttering, the sound director next to him removed his headphones.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Oh, did you catch Kim So-young's mutter clearly? Voice was soft—hope it didn't drop."
"Of course. Who do you think I am? I catch ants chatting."
"Show-off..."
Han Mun-jin slapped his back.
Rising,
"Cut! That's a wrap!"