Chapter 115: Otaku Bastard
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115: Otaku Bastard
The title of the project I was participating in was [Love Rides the Waves].
I thought it sounded more like an otaku movie or anime title than a typical Korean drama, but after scanning through some web drama titles, I realized that wasn't necessarily the case.
Musing that the current trend was all about otaku culture, I buried my head in my phone's map and walked until I arrived at the meeting spot.
“Taemin-ssi!”
A silhouette that was still awkward but one I'd have to get used to.
It was my manager.
“Ah, hello.”
I bowed my head to greet him, but…
“Um, are we filming… here?”
There were no cameras or anything.
For a moment, I started to feel embarrassed, wondering if I had imagined a much larger set.
“Oh, no! Of course, you need to get your makeup done before filming. Follow me.”
The manager led me into a rather decent-looking building and onto an elevator.
As soon as the doors opened, a scent wafted over me.
It was a powdery fragrance, like the first floor of a department store.
“Welcome~”
When the automatic doors opened and we went inside, a woman who looked like a salon director spoke with my manager before leading me to a chair and sitting me down.
“Nice to meet you. Your name is…?”
“Ah. It's Han Taemin.”
“Yes~ Taemin-ssi. I heard this is your first time at our shop.”
“Yes…”
Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. Don't talk to me.
Salon staff were my mortal enemies.
And this place, being even more glamorous, was already draining my mental energy.
“A lot of other YM artists come here, you know~”
“I see.”
“By the way, Taemin-ssi, your skin is really nice. Even male idols struggle with their skin.”
Why was she talking so much when no one asked her to?
If I could, I would have put in my earphones and watched Luka's videos.
At school, I could skillfully shut down conversations like this, but this was a workplace.
A place of business.
Powder and cream.
Pencils and lipstick.
Things I'd never put on my face in my life were being slathered all over my skin.
“Wow… Taemin-ssi. You look so radiant!”
Before I knew it, the makeup was finished, and my face in the mirror… well…
If I had to describe it, my face had transformed into something like a fully enhanced mythical item.
“Uh… thank you…”
“We're done for now, but I'll call your manager over for a quick chat to finalize things.”
“Okay…”
Left alone for a moment, I slowly turned my head from side to side.
Is it okay for a guy's lips to be this red?
It was my own face, but I couldn't get used to it.
Soon, I heard footsteps, and the manager looked at me, nodding vigorously.
“Ah, as expected of the head stylist's golden hands! Taemin-ssi's face really comes alive.”
“Oh, not at all~ It's been a while since I've worked on a rookie with such great features.”
“We have high expectations for Taemin-ssi as well.”
The two of them laughed and exchanged pleasantries right in front of me.
Being praised continuously with the subject of the praise right there made me want to hide somewhere.
“Let's head to the set.”
The manager took me in his personal car, and I sat in the passenger seat, fastening my seatbelt with a sour expression.
“Taemin-ssi, how are you feeling?”
“Me? I… well… I think I'm fine.”
“That's a relief. You're not nervous?”
“I am a little nervous.”
I didn't know how much the makeup cost, but I felt like I had to at least make it worth the money.
“Hey, don't worry about it. Like we discussed beforehand, you might just walk by once and be done for the day.”
Please let that be the case.
If they asked for something unexpected, I wasn't confident I could pull it off.
The set wasn't far, about a ten-minute drive.
After parking, we walked into an alley where filming equipment was spread out, making it obvious it was a set.
“That's it! Cut!”
A man who seemed to be the director yelled "Cut!", and the actors and staff started moving around in a flurry.
“Director!”
The manager pulled me through the crowd.
And so we arrived in front of the director.
He was wearing a padded jacket and, as you'd expect from a director, had a rather stern look.
Behind his square glasses, his eyes held the stubbornness peculiar to strict people.
“Nice to meet you. I'm Jo Gyu-hyuk, the director.”
“I'm Han Taemin! It's a pleasure to be working with you!”
I understood the dynamic between him, the director, and me, a nameless rookie, so I bowed my head deeply in a show of respect, even though it felt unnatural for me.
“First, manager, go get him changed. I think it'd be best to shoot his scene right now and move on to the next one.”
“Yes! Understood!”
The conversation ended there.
The manager hurried over to another staff member, received an outfit, and came back.
“Taemin-ssi, you can go in there, change into this, and come back out!”
…It was a school uniform.
I never thought I'd wear a school uniform again in my life.
No, that wasn't right. If Doah had suggested something like a school uniform date, I would have been willing to rent one.
And Doah in a school uniform…
Somehow… heheh…
-Knock, knock, knock
“Taemin-ssi! Could you please hurry!”
“Ah, yes!”
This wasn't the time for that.
I quickly changed and came out, where a woman who looked like a stylist adjusted my clothes.
“We're starting the shoot!”
The request was so simple it was almost absurd.
They just wanted me to walk from the end of the alley to the streetlight with my hands in my pockets.
“And my expression… what should I…?”
Walking was just walking, but what was I supposed to do with my face?
“You know your usual stoic expression, Taemin-ssi? That somewhat blank look. Just do that, and it should be perfect.”
“Ah… okay…”
“Just think of it as naturally walking down the street. Don't feel too pressured.”
Led by the manager to the end of the alley, I saw other extras ready to follow behind me.
Judging by their visuals, it seemed they were trying to portray the typical group of bullies from a school drama.
I wasn't an experienced professional, but I was an expert at walking with an indifferent face. On the cue, I slowly walked forward.
“Cut!”
It was over in less than ten seconds.
No way, is that it? It's already over?
But even if they didn't like it and asked me to do it again, I could have done this ten more times.
The director had a peculiar expression.
The other extras and I just stood there blankly, waiting for the next instruction.
“Han Taemin's manager! Could you come here for a second!”
When my manager was called instead of me, my body began to stiffen.
Shit. If someone's getting scolded, I'd rather it be me…
No, but was there even anything to get scolded for?
I hated the idea of someone else getting in trouble because of my mistake, so I could only wait for the manager with an apologetic look on my face.
The manager walked over with a very serious expression.
I swallowed hard.
“Um… Taemin-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“Would it be possible for you to do just one line of dialogue?”
…A line? They wanted me to act with my voice?
“Uh… what is it…?”
“The director was asking if you could possibly say this one line.”
If it was difficult, it would be impossible.
If I had to raise my voice and shout, or do some over-the-top action, I'd have to say I couldn't do it.
“Okay.”
“It's, [Otaku bastard, you should know your place.]. That's the line.”
The line itself was one thing, but the content…
Why hit a guy where it hurts all of a sudden?
Of course, they probably didn't intend it, but a stone thrown without thought can kill a frog.
And it seemed I was the frog this time.
“So, what kind of tone should I use for this…”
“The director's request was to make it sound as arrogant as possible. He was raving about how well your face fits this scene.”
The manager seemed quite desperate as he earnestly explained what a great opportunity this was.
“Just give it a try. If the director doesn't like it, he'll just edit it out, so let's just try to capture that feeling as best we can.”
I wondered if this was right, but it was just one line.
It would have been awkward to refuse, so I kept muttering the line to myself before going in.
Otaku bastard, you should know your place.
Otaku bastard, you should know your place.
Otaku bastard, you should know your place.
Right. I just had to say it in that annoying tone Luka uses during her skits.
When the cue was given, I walked forward just like before.
Reaching the streetlight, I tilted my head slightly and stared at the camera with contempt.
“Otaku bastard, you should know your place.”
Of course, I think the chances of actual otakus watching a web drama are extremely slim, but I apologize in advance, everyone.
After offering an apology they'd never hear, I stood still and watched the director's reaction.
The director, who seemed to be rewatching the last scene…
“Yeah… that's the one.”
…Does that mean I did a good job?