Chapter 201: Genius Actor (2)
Chapter 201: Genius Actor (2)
The filming location agreed upon with Director Kakeba Hiro was a deserted alleyway.
There was a playground nearby, suggesting that two scenes were likely being linked together.
There are a lot of actors in school uniforms.
Of course, not many of them were actual high school students. Most were adults. From what she had heard, only the female lead and a few other actresses were actual high schoolers.
"I never imagined we would meet like this."
Kakeba Hiro was a tall man with bold, striking features. He looked to be in his mid-thirties and was handsome enough to be called a heartthrob. It wasn't for nothing that he had a massive female following among young actors.
"Di-Director Kakeba says he's very happy to meet you."
"I'm happy to meet him as well," Seo-yeon replied with a polite bow.
She hesitated, wondering if she should add anything else. Since she hadn't seen any of Director Kakeba’s works, she wasn't sure where to start the conversation. Seo-yeon gave Sora a subtle look, asking for help.
Receiving the signal, Sora began to translate with a practiced ease.
"It is an honor to meet the renowned Director Kakeba. This is the Korean actress, Ju Seo-yeon. She heard you mentioned a cameo and says she will work hard under your guidance."
Seo-yeon didn't know exactly what Sora was saying, but judging by the director's expression, it seemed like a good opening.
This is convenient.
Director Kakeba couldn't speak Korean. So, when Seo-yeon spoke casually, Sora would translate it into the appropriate professional tone. Of course, if he had understood Korean, Seo-yeon would have spoken that way herself, but since he didn't, there was no helping it.
First, Seo-yeon sat down with Director Kakeba to share a brief conversation.
By the way, someone else was there too.
"It would be great if you could tell us a little about The Chaser as well."
Reporter Yuito, who had arranged today's meeting, was present. He looked incredibly pleased with himself for making this happen, his grin practically reaching his ears. A meeting between Ju Seo-yeon and Kakeba Hiro—no matter how he wrote the article, the views were guaranteed.
"Ah, I'm planning to watch The Chaser myself, so please don't tell me anything. I want to experience it without knowing a thing."
"Ah, yes! I see. That makes sense."
"Speaking of which, was it Mr. Furihata? Thank you. It's thanks to you that I'm meeting Actress Ju Seo-yeon."
Furihata was Yuito's surname. Even though it was a sudden contact, Kakeba had readily agreed because Yuito had used Ju Seo-yeon as bait. The photo of Seo-yeon sent via DM had been impossible for Kakeba to ignore. That was how much interest he already had in her.
I want to see her act in person.
That was why he had hoped she would appear, even if only for a brief cameo.
"But what kind of role is it?"
"Since it's a cameo, the screen time will be less than a minute. A 'denpa-kei' high school girl you might run into on the street? You can think of it like that."
The conversation flowed through Sora's interpretation.
But 'denpa-kei'?
Seeing Seo-yeon's reaction, Sora added an explanation.
"In Korean terms, it refers to a '4D' or eccentric character."
"Ah, I see."
It was more that she thought the character had quite a distinct color for a mere cameo. And the reason for that was simple. This character was something Director Kakeba had come up with on the spot after seeing Seo-yeon in her jirai-kei outfit. It was a character created with the impression she left in that photo as a motif.
A kind script.
The lines she received had the Korean pronunciation and meaning written out. The dialogue lasted ten seconds at most. From her entrance to her exit, her total appearance was, as Kakeba said, about a minute.
"Please rest for a bit before we prepare for filming."
After the short conversation, Kakeba stood up. Reporter Yuito followed him, perhaps having a separate interview to conduct.
"Then we should wait nearby as well."
Walking around was difficult because they were drawing a lot of attention. Many people were already casting curious glances at Seo-yeon as she spoke with Director Kakeba.
"A Korean actress?"
"Why all of a sudden? More importantly, who is she?"
Many of the Japanese actors looked at Seo-yeon with curiosity. While there were some negative looks, Director Kakeba was someone who was more serious about his work than anyone else. He didn't invite actors to his set just because they were popular or because he liked them. He preferred people who fit his drama and could properly pull off the role, even if it was just an extra.
"I heard she's an actress who appeared on a variety show recently."
"Ah, I feel like I've seen her somewhere."
"But, how should I put it..."
Some of those watching Seo-yeon swallowed hard. The sight of her quietly reviewing her script was like a painting. Having worked in the entertainment industry, they had seen plenty of handsome and beautiful actors, but she was on another level.
"Wow, honestly, with looks like that, it wouldn't even matter if she couldn't act."
"I looked her up, and apparently she's famous in Korea as a 'genius actor.'"
"Well, with a face like that, it's worth promoting her as a genius."
There was a common superstition that exceptionally good-looking actors lacked acting skills. Especially when they were young, there was a tendency to push through with their looks even if their acting was lacking. To put it another way, it meant their face could cover for poor acting. Thus, most people were skeptical of Seo-yeon's talent but accepted it nonetheless. With that face, they felt it was okay if she wasn't great at acting.
"Hmm, but I heard she can't speak Japanese at all. Is that going to be okay?"
"I know she doesn't have many lines, but even a few awkward lines can make a scene feel completely off."
As whispers filled the set, people stole glances at an actress standing quietly in one corner. It was Goto Reika, the female lead of the drama First Love Moment, a girl with a pure and innocent look that suited her role perfectly. She was nineteen this year. Having been praised for her acting skills among her peers, her pride was sky-high.
But of all scenes...
She has to appear with that Korean actress.
Since she was the female lead, it was natural for them to be in the same shot. But honestly, it was a burden. Precisely because it was a cameo with few lines, the visuals would be emphasized even more.
"You just have to win with your acting."
"That's right, Reika-san."
She was the most popular actress lately. Naturally, several actors on set were following her lead. Their words soothed her heart a little, but her unpleasant mood didn't change.
What is she even doing?
There was still some time before filming. Seo-yeon had asked for time to practice after seeing the script. Reika couldn't understand why she needed to practice for a mere one-minute appearance. There were hardly any lines.
An eccentric denpa-kei girl. A character who just appears in a group and insults the male lead.
The scene was as follows: The male lead, Kusakabe Kento, and the female lead, Sato Mio, end up together late at night. They have a petty argument over a misunderstanding from the morning and separate for a moment. As Kento sits alone in a park, wondering if he should apologize to Mio, a group of girls approaches him. Their role was to flirt with the handsome Kento. Then, Mio, who had been hiding and watching Kento's reaction, would jump out and chase them away. It was just a small incident, not a particularly important scene.
It's just that.
Looking closely, Seo-yeon had handed the script to the Japanese girl called 'Sora' and was having her read it repeatedly. Why wasn't she looking at it herself? Why was she making another actor do that?
Wait, is she not an actor?
A manager? Or just a translator? If she was a fellow actor, Seo-yeon was being incredibly arrogant, treating her like a servant. Being called a genius actor must have made her quite stuck-up. As Reika was thinking this...
"Reika-san."
"Yes?"
"That girl reading the script over there. I know her."
"Oh, really?"
As she listened, it turned out the girl really was an actress. Or rather, an aspiring one.
"She used to work part-time at a theater company. I think I ran into her then."
"But why is she with a Korean actress?"
"She said she was going to Korea to become an action actress or something... anyway, she was a strange girl."
A strange girl. Apparently, she had criticized Japanese action acting for being different from what she expected. Was that why she had fled to Korea?
Then that's actually perfect.
Reika said with a smirk.
"To think all she's doing in Korea is acting like a servant..."
As she spoke, she suddenly flinched. Seo-yeon's eyes were fixed on her. She hadn't even seen her turn her head.
D-Did she hear what I just said?
No way. The distance was too great. Besides, it was quite noisy on set before filming.
And they said she can't speak Japanese.
Even if she heard, she wouldn't have understood. The red eyes that had been fixed on her soon returned to Sora. Only then could Reika breathe a sigh of relief.
"Th-That was scary, Reika-san."
"I don't know about being a genius actor, but her... atmosphere is definitely something."
Reika couldn't help but agree with the other actors. The actress named Ju Seo-yeon was somehow an eerie individual.
*
"We'll begin filming now."
A short while later, Director Kakeba returned and announced. The staff moved busily. Seo-yeon had disappeared for a moment to change into her costume. Filming would likely start as soon as she was ready.
"Narumi-san. Do you think Actress Seo-yeon is well-prepared with the script?"
Reporter Yuito approached Sora and struck up a conversation. At first, Sora didn't realize he was calling her. Since coming to Korea, she had been called 'Sora' much more often than her surname, 'Narumi.'
I'm Narumi-san, and Seo-yeon is Actress Seo-yeon.
Sora smiled bitterly at the difference. Then again, she hadn't appeared in a proper drama yet. She had done small plays and extra work, but her first significant role was in Mine. Only after Mine was released would Sora be able to call herself an actress.
"Yes, she seemed to have memorized the script in less than ten minutes."
"Oh, that's fast! Then, what was she doing until now?"
"What was she doing?"
"You were the only one reading the script, Sora-san. At first, I thought you were practicing acting together, but that wasn't it."
Ah, that. Actually, Sora had been a bit flustered by that as well. She only understood the reason after hearing Seo-yeon's explanation later.
"Ah, that was—"
It was just as Sora was about to explain.
"Whoa!!"
Exclamations erupted from somewhere. Turning her head to see what was happening, she saw Seo-yeon appearing on set in her jirai-kei outfit.
It really does suit her.
When she had seen her at the hotel, she was just wearing the clothes, but today her makeup was done properly. Seo-yeon's visuals could pull off even such an outfit without any awkwardness. No, rather, it felt like this image suited her perfectly.
"We'll start with a light run-through first."
Everyone nodded at Director Kakeba's words as he clapped his hands. Usually, filming wasn't done in one or two takes; it often took a long time. At his words, Seo-yeon's eyes moved quickly. She was likely identifying the camera positions.
However, there wasn't much to identify. Japanese drama sets didn't have as many diverse cameras as Korean ones.
The main cameras are quite expensive, but there aren't many of them.
There was a clear difference in manpower to begin with. There weren't enough people to operate a wide variety of cameras.
It's probably a budget issue.
Fundamentally, the budget for drama production was much higher in Korea than in Japan. You could tell just by looking at the set. An alleyway, a vacant lot next to a playground. At first, she hadn't thought much of it, but after seeing the script, it couldn't be called a 'perfect' filming location. It was likely because the locations permitted by the local government were extremely limited.
Seo-yeon took a deep breath and watched the actors take their positions one by one. Looking at them, she mentally overlaid the tone of the drama she had been watching since yesterday, First Love Moment.
Not a Korean drama, but a Japanese one. The difference wasn't just in the equipment.
I am a cameo.
Screen time: one minute. A role that was nothing more than showing her face once and saying a few lines. Of course, that didn't mean she intended to do it half-heartedly. Although her motivation was largely personal, that was separate from her job as an actress.
"Ah, I don't care! Do whatever you want, Kusakabe-kun!"
"Sato, you!!"
Exaggerated movements and arguments. Compared to other Japanese dramas, there was a significant difference in the acting style. But it was still different from Korean acting. The drama she watched yesterday overlapped in her mind, and Seo-yeon's lips moved slightly.
She mimicked the intonation Sora had used earlier and the feeling of their speech with her tongue. The tone. And the color of the drama. It was like choosing paint—the right color to paint onto her acting. To others, it might be strange, but to Seo-yeon, it was a perfectly familiar and natural act.
What?
Then, as Seo-yeon's turn approached, the actors preparing to enter with her flinched. The girl, who had been expressionless until a moment ago, was now 'colored.' An eccentric denpa-kei girl with a somewhat gloomy and unpleasant impression. Her presence had changed so distinctly that their feet faltered.
"You asked why only I was reading the script earlier."
Watching this, Sora spoke up.
"Actually, she had been practicing a bit at the hotel even before receiving the script."
"Practicing, you say?"
This was to answer the question Reporter Yuito had asked earlier. However, Yuito's gaze was already fixed on Seo-yeon. He held his pen and notebook as if he wouldn't miss a single frame.
"Yes. You could say it's the tone of the acting."
"...The tone of the acting?"
"And the pronunciation."
She had the lines and knew how to read them, but since it was Japanese, she needed to know the specific intonation and the emotions embedded in the words. So, Seo-yeon had listened to Sora read the script over and over, interpreting the character in her own way. She blended the Japanese acting tone with the Korean acting tone appropriately.
"What's this? Hey, handsome, are you all alone?"
A gloomy girl's voice. A tone that was a bit more high-pitched and exaggerated than usual. But it wasn't awkward. A gloomy yet lovely, trivial jirai-kei girl. Showing her color while not letting her presence become too overwhelming.
At that perfect harmony, everyone's gaze began to shift toward the nameless extra.