Chapter 145: The Lead is Decided (3)
Chapter 145: The Lead is Decided (3)
'What is this?'
Producer Lee Gi-tae felt a sense of incongruity as he watched the finals unfold.
It was an audition, but it was a broadcast structured as a variety show.
However, this final round was focused much more on the audition aspect—on the acting itself.
Until now, the content had been closer to a variety show, testing the actors' spontaneity in real-time. But for the finals, they were given the script and two hours of preparation time.
In other words, it was meant to showcase their acting.
'At the same time, it’s the final chance to verify their skills.'
Since the setting had been shared since the preliminaries, they would have known how things would proceed: being dropped into a specific location and given a mission.
That had been the format of Hyper Action Star all along.
If they had communicated to some extent beforehand, they could have planned out how they would act. All they had to do was fit that into the mission.
'Even so, designing an entire action sequence in just that amount of time should be difficult.'
Two hours.
If they had discussed things beforehand, it was just enough time to coordinate their movements one last time.
If they were to compose a scene live within two hours, they would be limited to one, maybe two scenes at most.
Usually, that would result in a sequence ten minutes long at most. Normally, one would expect a scene under five minutes.
However, that wasn't particularly a problem.
Action scenes in movies generally lasted about that long anyway.
So, he expected them to show acting related to the background and narrative, excluding the action. If they structured it that way, they could pull out about ten or twenty minutes of content.
Even if they didn't, it didn't matter.
'Because I’ve prepared several other things.'
For example, the pre-interviews. And showing clips of the two of them excelling in previous missions.
Combining all of that, he had prepared a 40-minute segment to be inserted appropriately before and after the finals.
'But.'
Producer Lee Gi-tae checked the time.
Five minutes had already passed.
He could feel the audience, who had been clapping in admiration at the first clash, starting to grow bewildered.
It was a light exchange, but the quality was far beyond what one would expect from a mere two hours of practice.
Now, they’ll move on to acting that isn't action.
That’s what he thought—until Narumi Sora pulled out the nunchucks.
While the audience was simply surprised by the appearance of an unexpected weapon, the professionals were reacting in an entirely different way.
'How?'
Action involving weapons is twice as difficult as coordinating bare-handed combat. He was certain that no matter what they did, it couldn't be mastered in two hours.
'Is she just going to swing them once or twice?'
Maybe that much was possible.
He thought that, but something was still strange.
Both of them... why did it feel less like they were following a choreography and more like they were actually fighting in real-time?
Lee Gi-tae held his breath and watched. He could no longer predict how this final would end.
*
One breath.
Holding her breath and tucking the nunchucks under her arm, Sora looked at Seo-yeon.
They had already moved past the realm of acting.
The only things she had prepared as Shin Arin were a few simple lines. She had told her opponent about them beforehand, so Seo-yeon would have them memorized.
But there was no choreographed action.
The preparation for that was zero.
In the end, this was a part where she had to compete as Narumi Sora.
Not action acting, but pure action.
'It’s what you said.'
Seo-yeon’s face was unreadable.
Looking at her, Sora extended her left hand forward. It was a familiar stance. It was the posture she had practiced countless times while watching movies as a child.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The weight in her hand was much lighter than real nunchucks. Aside from the plastic chain, they were closer to rod-shaped sponges weighted appropriately.
Even if she got hit, it would just feel like a dull thud.
However, it felt as though it wouldn't have mattered even if she had brought the ones she actually used.
"You must really like Hong Kong movies."
That was when Yeohwa spoke.
For a moment, Sora wasn't sure if she was asking Shin Arin or Narumi Sora.
But among the lines she had prepared, none were for this question.
Fearing her clumsy Korean would slip out, Sora simply nodded.
"Yes."
That was her only reply.
At that, the smile on Yeohwa’s lips deepened.
"Interesting."
Her voice sounded almost mocking.
Was it because of the previous line? It felt as if she were mocking the movies Sora loved.
Of course, it was fine. Sora was used to that sort of thing.
"It won't just end with pain if you get hit."
This was a prepared line.
Sora’s character, Shin Arin, was a physical enhancer. If she used a weapon like this, bones would surely shatter in a single blow. It was a line to inform Seo-yeon of that fact.
And then.
Sora took a step forward. Just as Seo-yeon had done earlier.
One step, then another.
Then, breaking into a sprint, she lunged at Seo-yeon.
As she closed in on the stationary Seo-yeon, her left foot slid forward, and her right hand, gripping the nunchucks, swung in a graceful arc.
Whoosh!!
Seo-yeon ducked to avoid it. Her red eyes followed the movement of the nunchucks before turning back to Sora.
You missed, didn't you?
Her eyes seemed to say exactly that.
Sora let out a silent scoff at the sight.
Come to think of it, Seo-yeon never initiated the attack. Even earlier, when they clashed, Sora had been the one to lunge first. The knee kick she had fired reflexively.
The reason was simple.
Seo-yeon knew she could dodge.
Dodging itself is an act that is nearly impossible without coordination—at least in the context of acting.
Therefore, if Seo-yeon were to counterattack, Sora honestly wouldn't be able to dodge it unless it was a telegraphed move like before.
That was why Seo-yeon didn't strike first. If she did, it would become one-sided violence rather than acting. She wouldn't be able to disguise it as choreography.
'So.'
Sora shifted the burden.
You’re the one who said you’d handle the coordination.
That was the feeling.
At the same time, her pride was stung. She wanted to show that she could do exactly what Seo-yeon was doing.
And so.
Clack!!
The sound of the chain rang out as the nunchucks changed direction.
As she retracted her arm, she snapped her wrist outward, causing the nunchucks to whip around, aiming precisely for the back of Seo-yeon’s head.
It was a maneuver impossible with a standard weapon. But with chained nunchucks, it was possible.
Belatedly realizing this, Seo-yeon’s eyes shifted.
Thwack!!
That was when the nunchucks struck Seo-yeon’s body.
Her character, Yeohwa, had regenerative abilities. But she had two weaknesses.
One was the head. The other was the heart.
So, a hit to the back of the head was dangerous. Depending on the situation, it could be a killing blow.
Seo-yeon blocked it by thrusting her right arm in the way.
As if she had taken a heavy blow, Seo-yeon’s body lurched forward.
It was at that moment that a collective gasp erupted from the viewers.
"For a second, I thought I was watching a scene straight out of a movie."
Reporter Kim Min-woo, who had been watching the scene on the screen from the audience at the time, recalled that moment.
"Otherwise, it just wouldn't have made sense."
Yeohwa, having blocked with one hand, let her right arm hang limp. She was portraying that it was broken.
It certainly looked that way.
Toward her, Shin Arin—Sora—swung her nunchucks mercilessly, seizing the opening.
"I might not look it, but I’ve done a bit of exercise myself."
A 2nd-degree black belt in Taekwondo. A 3rd-degree in Hapkido. On top of that, he had done Kendo. His hobby was going to an MMA gym a couple of times a month to spar.
"What? You're asking if I could do that?"
At those words, he crossed his arms and tilted his head.
"Hmmmm."
Then, he laughed as if the idea was absurd.
"Hahaha. No way, no way. How could I do something like that?"
He waved his hands dismissively.
"How do you dodge a weapon being swung at that speed? And with nunchucks, it’s even faster."
A weapon in someone's hand feels much faster than it actually is. Even though a bare hand is technically faster, it feels that way.
And yet, she dodged it. She dodged the nunchucks being swung at her.
A strike to the shoulder.
The chest.
The waist.
The head.
Following that, Sora spun half a turn, swinging the nunchucks toward Seo-yeon’s legs.
Everyone watched the sequence with bated breath.
"Is that even possible with choreographed action acting? I really want to ask the two actors if I ever meet them."
He was genuinely curious about how they had performed such action.
And.
Just as the reporter said, the audience watched the screen as if possessed.
Dodging the nunchucks aimed at her legs, Seo-yeon rolled to the side to create distance. Then, as Sora lunged again, she kicked a nearby chair toward her.
"Ugh!!"
Sora reflexively threw her body to the side.
Watching her, Yeohwa cackled.
"Isn't this sort of thing common in Hong Kong movies?"
Action using chairs was a frequent trope in Hong Kong cinema. Yeohwa seemed to be referencing that.
'Her right hand.'
Looking now, she was moving the right hand that had been hanging limp. Did that mean the regeneration was complete?
The right hand was healed, but now the left hand hung limp.
Yeohwa was a regenerator. To show that, she inevitably had to take hits.
Both arms just now. And once to the waist.
Because she had acted out taking the hits properly each time, Sora felt her prediction had been correct.
"For someone who's been beaten like that, you're quite sturdy," Sora said in a slightly clumsy tone.
She couldn't afford to let herself be outdone in the war of words.
Then.
Seo-yeon raised her right hand and smashed a nearby display case.
A weapon that had been inside the sugar glass case.
A red fire axe.
Seeing it, Yeohwa curled her lip.
"I hope you're sturdy too."
Gripping it, Yeohwa charged straight at Sora.
A weapon!
A weapon was now in the hands of Yeohwa, who had been fighting bare-handed until now.
She, who had always yielded the first move to her opponent, now raised her right hand first.
'Dangerous.'
Before the thought could even finish, the axe changed trajectory and struck the wall behind Sora, who had reflexively twisted her body.
Crash!!
With a loud bang, the styrofoam wall split apart.
At that sight, Sora’s eyes trembled.
'Wasn't that weapon made of sponge too?'
A somewhat firm sponge. Even so, it had split the styrofoam?
For a moment, she could feel Seo-yeon’s body stiffen, as if she hadn't expected it to break either.
It was the first time a delay had appeared in Seo-yeon’s movements.
'Now!!'
Sora swung her nunchucks, seizing the opening.
Yeohwa’s eyes followed the trajectory. Pulling the axe from the wall, she used the blade to parry the nunchucks.
As if she knew she couldn't win through raw physical ability alone.
Instead of taking the force head-on, she diverted it.
If it had been metal, the direction would have shifted only slightly. But because the soft sponges collided, the nunchucks were repelled as if bouncing off a spring.
As they flew into the air, Yeohwa’s hand moved to snatch them.
Then, the axe fell vertically.
Snap!!
The nunchucks broke with a sound and fell to the floor.
With both hands suddenly empty, Sora lunged for Yeohwa’s throat and chest.
But before she could reach her, Yeohwa leaned forward and slammed her shoulder into Sora’s body.
"......!!"
Sora was knocked backward.
Falling onto the floor made of soft mats, she hurriedly tried to push herself up.
"Ah."
...If it weren't for the red fire axe right in front of her face.
And so.
The finals of Hyper Action Star came to an end, bringing with it a whirlwind of sensations.
*
Hyper Action Star, which had become a hot topic as an audition to cast the lead for a movie, finished its run.
Aside from Group A in the beginning, the show hadn't produced any notable results, causing ratings to plummet. They rebounded slightly later, but honestly, the reviews hadn't been great.
It was different from typical auditions, and it felt more like a simple variety show than a showcase for action acting.
"Well, that's how audition variety shows made for movie promotion usually go."
"Still, isn't it kind of fun?"
That was the general reaction, but the ratings were still respectable.
An average of over 6 percent.
For a variety show on a general programming channel, this was an incredible rating, so everyone was satisfied. Most felt it was fine to end it on this note.
However, a massive hit exploded at the very end.
[The finale of <Hyper Action Star>, which ended with a brilliant finish, wasn't pre-choreographed acting?]
[Narumi Sora: 'I acted with the feeling of actually fighting.']
Articles like these were posted one after another, literally setting internet communities ablaze.
Naturally, there was a lot of talk about the character Yeohwa. She was portrayed as a villain, but she ended up as the final winner.
The unscripted lines felt a bit clumsy, but they were enough for immersion. In fact, many praised it for being fun because it focused on the action.
The action scene, which was expected to last under five minutes, went on for nearly fifteen. It was only natural that all sorts of GIFs and clips were circulating.
On Ju Seo-yeon’s fan cafe, the consensus was: 'The strongest Ju Seo-yeon ever has appeared.'
Thus, Seo-yeon was chosen as the lead for Hyper Action Star.
There were very few who disagreed. Though many posts suggested, 'Instead of being an actress, why not just join the UFC?'
Anyway.
Seo-yeon, having become the lead of Mine, was...
"Seo-yeon, a public service announcement offer came in."
"Huh? For me? From where?"
"The fire department."
"......"
...letting out a troubled sigh at the sudden flood of commercial requests.