Chapter 144: The Lead is Decided (2)
Chapter 144: The Lead is Decided (2)
"The finals. Only one step remains until the ultimate winner is crowned."
Announcer Yoon Kyung-deok stood on the podium, looking out at the audience.
Unlike other auditions, the final showdown wouldn't actually take place on this stage. Here, there was only the MC, Yoon Kyung-deok, the actors who had participated in Hyper Action Star thus far, and the audience members who had purchased tickets.
The final battle between the two contestants was to be broadcast in real-time via the screen behind the stage.
"I will now explain the rules."
The final round of Hyper Action Star. The last rule was...
"A total synthesis of everything you have done so far."
From the gunfights to the subsequent battles for objectives, and even the various stunts—everything could be utilized.
However, it would be done under a script.
"A script?" a member of the audience muttered instinctively.
Though it had been called 'acting' until now, there had never been a specific script. It had been a performance full of ad-libs. Naturally, few could actually act properly; most viewers simply thought of it as a variety show where action stars competed in physical prowess rather than an acting audition.
"The script was reportedly given to them about two hours ago. Of course, this script is said to be something of a teaser for the scenario of the upcoming film Mine. While parts of it are similar, many details will change during actual filming."
The script given to the two was strictly the framework of the movie Mine. It contained the theme of the film and the plot for the scene they were about to perform.
"The two psychics engage in their final battle at the research institute where they were once experimental subjects."
A research institute. True to those words, the set was designed to look exactly like a laboratory. Various facilities and pieces of equipment were scattered everywhere.
"Because of these two, the lab is already on the verge of being shut down. The being who drove the laboratory that created them to ruin is..."
A face appeared on the screen.
Ju Seo-yeon.
"And her name in the film is..."
Yeohwa.
The two syllables of the name appeared on the screen. As the audience processed the name, Announcer Yoon Kyung-deok continued.
"And the last psychic remaining in the lab. Her name is..."
Narumi Sora.
Her character's name was Shin A-rin. Her ability: Physical Enhancement. It was the same power Sora had used throughout the audition.
It was a generic ability, but in the end, the two who made it to the finals were the ones with powers that could be utilized without CG: Regeneration and Physical Enhancement. Consequently, the audience couldn't help but feel a bit let down. They knew psychic action was difficult to pull off, but it still felt a bit plain.
"The scenario is simple. Yeohwa, the one who destroyed the lab, and Shin A-rin, the lab's final experimental subject, fight to take her down."
Yoon Kyung-deok checked the time as he spoke. It was time. He had received the signal that both actors were ready.
"Now, let the finals of Hyper Action Star begin!!"
The giant screen behind him changed rapidly.
The set was filled with rising smoke. Seeing the research institute, the audience was momentarily stunned.
Just how much money did they spend on this?
It looked as if a finished movie was already being screened. The realistic smoke and the debris of the ruined laboratory set were breathtaking. Everyone could guess that this set would likely be the actual filming location for Mine.
A trailer. This final round was essentially a trailer for the movie Mine. Even if the content changed, they could get a feel for the film's concept.
Assuming the actors can pull it off, of course.
Director Han Ye-geon crossed his arms and watched the screen in silence. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the two actors facing each other in the lab.
The winner was already as good as decided. Would it be a hollow conclusion, or...
*
Narumi Sora.
A Japanese aspiring actress. Nineteen years old. She had two younger siblings, and her parents were ordinary office workers. Aside from her pretty face, her profile was unremarkable. She had never participated in a proper movie or drama. Her only experience was a supporting role in a small children's play at an amusement park.
However, she didn't stop there; she studied Korean and flew all the way to Korea.
"Why did you decide to appear on Hyper Action Star?"
This was from an interview filmed before the finals began. It would likely be inserted during the broadcast.
"When I was young, my parents showed me old movies."
Action performances created only with the human body, without any special CG. They were the Hong Kong films of a bygone era.
"They were so cool. So I made up my mind that one day, I would definitely try that kind of action acting."
"But isn't that different from Hyper Action Star, which deals with superpowers?"
"I just won't use them."
"Ah, is that why you chose 'Physical Enhancement' as your power?"
"Yes. I'm confident in anything involving my body."
Her acting might still be lacking. But at the very least, she was confident she wouldn't lose when it came to pure 'action.' Yes, she had been confident. Until recently.
"..."
Exhaling, Sora looked straight ahead.
The smoke-filled research lab. The set was so well-maintained that it was hard to believe it was just a set. Just seeing it made Sora glad she had come to Korea. A place where she could truly perform action.
In Japan, the kind of action Sora wanted to do wasn't allowed. Some insulted her, asking what kind of acting that was, and many said it was too much. After all, the action she wanted to do was, in a way, outdated.
Well, Korea might be similar, but for now, this was enough.
Ju Seo-yeon.
She saw Seo-yeon walking calmly toward her. No, once the scene started, she would have to call her 'Yeohwa.'
Seo-yeon was dressed in an all-black dress. It wasn't the school uniform she always wore. For some reason, she was dressed entirely in black, down to her stockings. Yet, it was so strikingly different that it suited her strangely well.
Long, jet-black hair, and calm eyes tinged with red staring back at her. Her hands were bare. Unlike Sora, she didn't seem to have brought anything with her.
Is she underestimating me?
Sora didn't know. But she thought it was possible. The performance Seo-yeon had shown so far had far exceeded the ordinary, not just in terms of acting, but in 'action' as well.
Sora was confident in her physical abilities. But looking at Seo-yeon, her confidence couldn't help but waver.
Even so.
She couldn't lose. Besides, it wasn't as if there was no way to win. Since Seo-yeon was an actress, she tended to strictly follow the 'drama's' content. In other words, as long as she had the power of regeneration, there had to be a flaw. Regeneration, after all, was only possible if one was hit. Inevitably, Seo-yeon would have to allow Sora's attacks to land. She didn't know what form that would take, but...
I'll win with action.
A heavy silence. The sound of cameras moving could be heard from all directions. And then...
Beep—!!
The sound signaling the start of the scene rang out. The moment the simple set transformed into a sealed research institute.
"Why did you do it?"
Narumi Sora—no, Shin A-rin, the sole survivor of the lab and a Grade 1 Physical Enhancement psychic—took the initiative.
"You didn't have to kill everyone!"
At those words, Seo-yeon narrowed her eyes. The script didn't have designated 'lines.' It was more like a 'setting' that described the situation in the film and the general circumstances of the two characters.
The character 'Yeohwa' was a Grade 1 Regeneration psychic who had undergone horrific experiments at the lab in the past. After barely escaping, she grew her strength and tracked down the psychics one by one to kill them. For revenge. This laboratory was her final destination.
Shin A-rin is the opposite.
Though she was experimented on, she escaped with the help of a kind researcher. She was living an ordinary life when she heard the news and came to save the researcher who had helped her.
So, who was good and who was evil? It was a very ambiguous situation.
From Yeohwa's perspective, revenge was only natural. They had performed countless horrific experiments on her, taking advantage of her regeneration. The reason so many psychics existed today was because Yeohwa had endured those experiments.
On the other hand, Shin A-rin had avoided that nightmare thanks to the researcher who cherished her. She surely had terrible memories, but as a result, she met a good person and became happy. From her perspective, Yeohwa was nothing more than a murderer who killed the researcher who saved her.
It worked.
Sensing Seo-yeon's hesitation, Sora smiled inwardly. It was a line she had thought of in advance and practiced countless times. Since her Korean was still unfamiliar, she was worried her pronunciation might slip.
It was worth the effort of planning.
There were no lines in the script, but the situation and narrative were there. Everything from now on would be lines based on that.
However.
The audience didn't know these detailed inner workings and narratives. Even if they were explained, they would only know that two psychics were clashing. Detailed explanations would be spoilers.
So, Sora made the first move. With that line, she framed 'Yeohwa' as the villain.
There is a concept called the 'imprinting effect.' It means that learning that occurs at a specific time has a lifelong impact. Like an animal recognizing the first thing it sees as its parent. This was similar. In the end, people are forced to think based on the first words they hear.
Prejudice. First impressions. It takes a lot of effort to change them.
In fact, everything Shin A-rin said was logically sound. There was no need to kill everyone in the lab. She could have distinguished the good from the bad and let them live.
"Researcher Park saved me! He saved the children involved in the experiments and helped them!! Why, just why did you kill such a kind person!!"
A sharp cry cut through the sealed laboratory. Only the sound of sparks flying somewhere could be heard in the silence.
"Because I don't know," Seo-yeon—Yeohwa—said in a low voice. "In the end, didn't they all play with lives just the same? Why should I have to distinguish between them?"
Slowly, Yeohwa took a step forward. One step. Then another.
"If I only save some and kill others, it wouldn't be fair, would it? How resentful would the dead be if I let them live? That man was just like the others, playing with lives in the same lab."
Watching Yeohwa approach, Sora realized something.
She's going to lean into the villain image?
But it suited her terrifyingly well. Carrying the image of a villain, a wicked person, on her back, Yeohwa spoke to Shin A-rin.
"If you want revenge, why don't you take it yourself?"
Just then. Thump, thump!!! The sound of footsteps echoed. Before she could even think, What?...
"If you can."
Glowing red pupils were right in front of Shin A-rin's nose. It was clearly several meters away—a distance she should have been able to react to.
"You think I can't?!"
Shin A-rin shouted sharply and moved her hands. Normally, they would have to perform close-quarters action, but close-quarters action requires a lot of practice. They had to match their 'beats' to exchange attacks cleanly.
Before filming started, they were given two hours. When Sora had approached her to try and sync their beats even a little, Seo-yeon had said:
"It's okay."
"Huh? No, what?"
"I'll match the beats to you."
For a moment, Sora hadn't understood what Seo-yeon meant.
No way.
Did she mean she would watch Sora's actions and match the choreography on the fly? It was absurd. But she felt it might not be impossible. Sora had often performed action on stage. Naturally, mistakes happen in live performances, especially when not using professional actors. Every time that happened, Sora had reacted with quick reflexes.
Is this an extension of that?
Sora nodded slowly at Seo-yeon's calm reaction. Fine, if she said she would match it, then so be it. Whether it would be acting or just a clumsy farce, she didn't know. The viewers would be the judges anyway.
"Yeohwa!!"
Sora—that is, Shin A-rin—chose a gun first. Basically, the final round included the rules of all previous missions. Like the preliminaries, she just had to fire and land a critical hit. Yeohwa had her hands down and hadn't even drawn the pistol strapped to her thigh yet. So, if she fired first, it was over.
Thud.
The moment the muzzle pointed toward her, and just as her index finger was about to pull the trigger...
Yeohwa's right hand swatted A-rin's hand away. The gun fell easily. In the moment Shin A-rin's eyes followed it...
"You look desperate, using a gun?"
Before she could even get a line out, Sora felt Seo-yeon's movement stop there. Red eyes stared directly at her. Reflexively, Shin A-rin raised her leg.
Pow!!
Yeohwa wedged her right arm in and lightly blocked the knee. Then, Shin A-rin swatted away Yeohwa's moving left hand.
She's intentionally moving where I can see.
It was bewildering. The series of movements just now certainly didn't have much power behind them. Since it was acting, they couldn't hit with full force. But she had blocked them so easily. Conversely, it was only possible because Sora had moved in a way that was obvious to her opponent.
I'll match the beats to you.
The thing she thought was impossible was becoming a reality.
"I don't know what it is," Yeohwa's voice drifted over. Her eyes narrowed, and a wicked smile played on her lips. "But you seem to have the leisure to think about other things?"
In that moment, Sora realized Yeohwa's hand had touched her chest.
Huh?
And in an instant, the surrounding scenery changed. The props decorating the set were basically made of soft sponge or squishy materials like Styrofoam. But even so, being pushed back several meters and falling was a different story. To the viewers, it probably looked as if she had been blown away by a psychic power.
Does she actually have superpowers?
Honestly, from the receiving end, it felt that way. Her opponent just watched her calmly without giving chase. To anyone watching, she felt like a final boss. Sora had seen The Chaser, but the atmosphere here was different from Cha Seo-ah. If Cha Seo-ah was a terrifying murderer, this was like a monster. The feeling of facing a predator. Even though she knew it was acting, Sora felt a chill run down her spine.
Right.
Sora exhaled and pulled herself together. She didn't know anymore.
Since she said she'd match the beats...
She pulled an item out of the slip bag at her waist. It was something she had already cleared with the staff. Made of somewhat firm sponge, it was a very unusual weapon.
"Wait, that's..."
"Why that, of all things?"
The audience watching through the screen buzzed loudly. It wasn't just the audience. Jo Seo-hee, who was watching the finals, also narrowed her eyes slightly.
Nunchucks?
The sound of chains echoed through the speakers with a clink. Come to think of it, she had said she liked Hong Kong movies. Was this an item she brought to lean into that concept?
If it's clumsy, it'll only lead to a point deduction.
Even as that thought crossed her mind, Jo Seo-hee felt that after seeing their initial exchange, anything was possible. The first clash. Seo-yeon had certainly matched the beats, but Sora's reaction speed was also incredibly fast. It was a scene that truly drove home her claim of being confident in her physical abilities. At the same time, it made sense why she had knocked Han So-yu out in the Round of 16.
While the audience buzzed at the sudden appearance of the nunchucks...
"..."
Seo-yeon stared at Sora with a calm face. Of course, internally, she was currently quite flustered. It wasn't the "Why nunchucks here?" reaction like the others.
She's Japanese, so why isn't she using a katana?
If she's Japanese, shouldn't she naturally attack with a katana? I wanted to try catching the blade with my bare hands.
Seo-yeon was a little disappointed.