Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Must Sparkle
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“———Cut!”
Park Myungjin’s voice rang out powerfully.
A broad smile bloomed across his face.
“No, seriously, Moon Hyun! What’s going on? How can a person change this much in just one day?”
He wasn’t joking—he felt like planting a big kiss on him right then and there.
After all, the issue that had kept him tossing and turning all last night had been resolved in an instant.
Watching Park Myungjin like this, Moon Hyun smiled calmly.
“Thanks to Seonwoo.”
“...Seonwoo?”
“Yeah. He gave me some acting lessons. Super intense, Spartan-style.”
“Ha, how impressive.”
Park Myungjin looked at Seonwoo with eyes dripping honey.
Then, a sudden thought struck him.
...But setting aside how impressive that is, is this even possible?
Being good at something and teaching it are two different things.
Especially acting. It was even more pronounced there.
Acting was intensely personal. Locked in one’s own world, following one’s own rules, creating one’s own character. Teaching that to someone else couldn’t be easy.
In fact, the more talented an actor was, the harder it became to teach.
And yet, he’d elevated Moon Hyun to this level in just one day?
Not just the role... but grasping the entire work while acting?
There were actors like that sometimes.
Actors with a director-level vision who could carry the production.
If Seonwoo was that type of actor...
...Not something to worry about right now.
Park Myungjin shook his head and peered at the screen.
His earlier concerns seemed unfounded... Filming for episode 2 was going smoother than expected.
Seonwoo had added a subtle mystery and pathos just when the character felt a bit bland, bringing it to life in an instant.
Yeonwoo had snapped out of his distraction in a flash,
and Moon Hyun... well, he was like this now.
If this keeps up...
Park Myungjin’s eyes sparkled.
One Room was honestly a very risky project. Full of pitfalls, with no guaranteed payoff.
Even the success of episode 1 hadn’t eased that burden.
If anything, with expectations raised, there was just more room for disappointment ahead.
But now...
...Maybe we can keep delivering without letting anyone down.
Park Myungjin clenched his fist.
Maybe he could really make it.
A well-made drama.
A masterpiece.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Great work, everyone.”
Moon Hyun’s rapid growth had led to a quicker farewell.
All his parts were wrapped, so there was no reason for him to stay in the dorm anymore.
Everyone had to pack up and bid him goodbye.
“Great work, Section Chief.”
“See you at the next shoot!”
Amid the flood of farewells, Moon Hyun turned to Seonwoo.
“Thanks to you, I was able to wrap up strong. Really grateful.”
“No big deal. I had fun too.”
“Seonwoo.”
“Yeah?”
“...Never mind. See you on set.”
“Sure.”
The goodbye was clean like that.
It wasn’t like they’d never see each other again... They’d meet at the next shoot anyway. No need for over-the-top sentiments.
But once Moon Hyun left, the mood among the rest felt a bit empty and unsettled.
It was the first time someone had been eliminated since One Room started filming, so it was inevitable.
The last dropout had been almost a month ago... It really drove home that this was a survival show.
Hyeseong shook his head.
“But man, the Section Chief’s acting at the end was seriously good...”
“Felt like he poured his soul into it.”
“He seemed shaky at first... At this point, Seonwoo might be some one-shot wonder tutor. Should I get lessons from him too?”
“...What are you talking about? How could I teach you, hyung?”
Seonwoo shook his head in horror.
Teaching Hyeseong would be far worse than teaching Moon Hyun—at least for him.
Hyeseong was like his first mentor figure.
If their skills ever reversed and he had to teach him... Honestly, he hoped that day never came.
Minhee spoke up.
“But seriously, how did you teach him? His acting was like a completely different person.”
“Well...”
Seonwoo roughly explained how he’d coached Moon Hyun.
Minhee and Hyeseong both nodded in disbelief.
“...You coached him that precisely?”
“It’s amazing he took it all in, but pinpointing all that? Insane.”
“Is it that hard?”
“Not hard so much as... perverse. Who analyzes it that deeply?”
To exaggerate a bit, he’d even advised on the tempo of breaths.
Hearing it made Moon Hyun’s dramatic change click perfectly.
Maybe I should try a lesson too?
Minhee licked her lips and eyed Seonwoo.
She’d been feeling a growing sense of crisis lately. Back then, she figured she was safe from elimination... Now, she felt like it could happen any time.
If things stay like this, no win.
Isn’t getting this far enough?
She could settle if she wanted. She’d already gotten plenty of face time with the public.
But this wasn’t just about winning the show.
She wanted to be proud of herself.
To know she’d given her absolute best with the chance she’d been given.
Minhee opened her mouth.
“Seonwoo.”
“Yeah.”
“Um...”
Minhee fidgeted with her lips.
One sentence. Can you look over my acting too? That’s all.
Seonwoo’s skills were legit. He was a junior, sure, but better than her in some ways.
Acknowledge what’s good, learn what you can.
Yeah. Simple.
With her resolve firm, Minhee opened her mouth with a determined look.
And then,
“Shave your head bald.”
“...Why do you always do this, sunbae?”
It failed.
Ah, yeah, she couldn’t do it.
...Too embarrassing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ One Room episode 2 wrapped so smoothly it felt almost suspicious.
No weak links anywhere in the cast.
Jieun, Jinwook, Hyungbin... Everyone here delivered their best performances yet.
The looming crisis was probably the biggest motivator.
They all knew they could be next to go.
One slip could mean elimination.
The pressure was poison, sharpening their edge.
And in this atmosphere, Park Myungjin couldn’t stop grinning.
...Audition shows aren’t half bad?
An environment impossible in regular dramas... Where screen time scaled with performance, and flops got cut. Raw as it gets.
Perfect for exposing actors’ limits.
No need for carrots or sticks.
The actors pushed themselves.
And Park Myungjin wasn’t the only one satisfied.
Nice.
Seonwoo was thrilled by his fellow actors’ fiery performances too.
Why be happy when rivals excel?
Competitively, sure. But Seonwoo thrived on seeing diverse colors.
Especially if he could paint them himself.
Besides, Kim Seonwoo’s character shone brighter when those around him did.
From his view, their passion was a bonus.
And what Seonwoo anticipated most was...
Justin’s death.
Right.
This scene they were shooting now.
After Park Moon Hyun’s death, everyone spirals into panic.
Justin stands out most.
—P-Please... stop now. Yeah? This is all a show, right? To get me off drugs, huh? Fuck... How much? Huh? How much did Mom offer?
Withdrawal warping his mind, convinced it’s all a ploy to treat him.
Staff even joked, “Did he really do drugs?”
But Justin soon realizes it’s no show.
—This junkie fuck’s been pissing me off since yesterday.
Seo Jinwook finally snaps, beating Justin to a pulp.
Lucky Bang Hyungbin and Song Jaewon pulled him off—otherwise, death wouldn’t have been off the table.
Now Justin knows: This place is kill-or-be-killed.
But instead of quieting down, he starts losing it more.
—Ki-Kill. To survive... I have to kill!
Muttering that, he eventually lunges at Yoo Jieun. But it fails.
Kim Seonwoo and Bang Hyungbin stop him, tie him up.
But Justin’s not the only problem.
That night’s vote is a headache.
Skip it, and the “All eliminated if no vote” message looms.
Vote, and it feels like murdering someone.
They can’t agree till the end.
Everyone votes their conscience, retreats to rooms as time starts.
Then,
—Justin Player has been eliminated.
—No vote today due to early elimination.
The announcement plays.
Justin’s out. No vote needed.
After stunned silence, they burst from rooms.
Rush to Justin’s... To find him strangled, dead.
“Kyaaaaah!”
“F-Fuck. No way.”
“Wh-Who! Who did this?!”
Horrific screams echo.
Episode 2 ends on Justin’s corpse, seeming to smirk... Hinting not just votes—some kill hands-on.
When Seonwoo first read the script, he had to admit:
...Writer Ryu’s a genius, no doubt.
The slow build of distrust, fear, panic exploding in that cathartic moment...
Characters’ vibrant hues drowned in madness and darkness, swirling crimson-black. Overwhelming.
Especially Ryu’s take on Kim Seonwoo’s emotions here... Irresistibly compelling.
Kim Seonwoo: Ah... (Stares blankly at Justin’s corpse. Eyes like he senses something.)
“Something” sensed in his gaze.
Ryu left that “something” vague. Actor’s job to interpret.
Back when he didn’t grasp Kim Seonwoo’s spark... He’d have hit a wall.
But now?
He knew what it was.
...The first stirring of the will to live.
Tough scene.
But one he desperately wanted to nail.
This moment mirrored his own first brush with acting.
From gray, monochrome days taken for granted... Meeting acting.
Seonwoo had always craved a colorful life,
and Kim Seonwoo always yearned for a reason to live.
He wanted to show it.
How brilliantly people sparkle with color.
That humans are born to shine—even if just through acting.
Not easy, of course.
Kim Seonwoo’s screen time here: Barely 2 seconds.
Express everything in that.
The void in his chest igniting with life’s longing.
The ever-dead man reborn through Justin’s death.
Could he?
Have to.
Seonwoo popped a color droplet.
As gray mist enveloped him like always, his eyes gleamed fiercely.
Goal clear.
Time to sparkle.