Chapter 205: Softness Overcomes Hardness (3)
Chapter 205: Softness Overcomes Hardness (3)
In Gyeongseong Lady, Seo-yeon’s role was that of Kasugayama Yuina.
To put it simply, she was the main antagonist operating on the surface.
Goto Isamu, the mastermind pulling Yuina’s strings, actually appears as the protagonist’s ally in the early stages.
The story begins like this:
Kasugayama Yuina hires the protagonist, Yeon Seon-ye, to obtain the Amanabi family’s fortune.
Seon-ye’s role is twofold.
First, she must find the location where the Amanabi family has hidden their wealth and locate the key to unlock it.
Second, she must kill the sole heir, Amanabi Michiko.
「 Thus, you shall gain a sum of money large enough to live in idle luxury for the rest of your days. 」
Kasugayama Yuina smiled as she spoke.
Her eyes were narrowed, and the corners of her mouth were twisted into a faint, crooked smirk.
It was a smile that seemed to mirror the very nature of her soul.
Actress Ju Seo-yeon’s villainous acting is impressive every time I see it.
To be honest, she would have been great as the protagonist too...
The actors participating in the script reading each had similar thoughts as they watched Seo-yeon.
Even though she had only uttered her first line, there was something about it that sent shivers down their spines.
They had felt it since her role as Cha Seo-ah, but Seo-yeon was particularly vivid when portraying the darker depths of humanity.
Was this what they called "Method"?
'No.'
Ji-yeon, who was receiving that performance head-on, knew this wasn't Method acting.
Seo-yeon’s Method acting was thicker, much deeper.
Especially when taking on a villainous role like this, Seo-yeon avoided Method acting as much as possible.
The aftereffects tended to linger for too long.
In fact, the roles that actors struggled with most when using Method acting were villains.
It was the same for Seo-yeon—if anything, her case was more severe.
「 My, why so silent? If you are a stray dog from the roadside, you should wag your tail obediently at your master’s words, as a stray dog should. 」
Following her light, swaying steps, a graceful hand reached out toward Ji-yeon—or rather, toward the protagonist, 'Yeon Seon-ye.'
She gently stroked Seon-ye's chin, pressing her thumb against the girl's lips.
As those red eyes suddenly loomed inches from her face, Ji-yeon swallowed hard.
This wasn't exactly acting.
She was simply flustered by Seo-yeon’s face suddenly being so close.
Was this in the script?
No, the script didn't contain such detailed instructions.
As far as she remembered, Yuina’s action was merely described as: 'Gives a seductive smile while looking at Yeon Seon-ye.'
However, it seemed Seo-yeon’s current actions included her own personal interpretation of the character.
And that made things difficult.
It wasn't just Lee Ji-yeon who felt this way; the surrounding actors felt it too.
The actress playing the lead... her only experience was a few appearances in cable dramas, right?
I’m sure she’s not a 'parachute' hire, but this won't be easy for her.
They weren't belittling Ji-yeon’s acting.
It was simply a matter of presence.
Could the protagonist hold her own and assert her lead status against a 'Yuina' like that?
Honestly, it seemed unlikely.
First of all, the character Yeon Seon-ye was an ordinary girl.
She was, at the end of the day, a commoner who happened to be good with her hands.
She was clever, but she wasn't an extraordinary person.
Therefore, it would be a problem if she radiated the same overwhelming presence as Seo-yeon.
On the other hand, it would also be a problem if the protagonist was completely swallowed by Yuina’s presence.
She had to walk an incredibly fine line.
It was bound to be a very difficult performance.
Just as everyone was thinking that—
Yeon Seon-ye suddenly clamped her teeth down on Yuina’s finger, which had been touching her lips.
"Eek!!"
No one expected her to bite the finger right then and there.
As Yuina pulled her hand away in shock, Yeon Seon-ye spoke with a grin.
「 Ah, my apologies. As you said, this humble one is but a stray dog, so I instinctively bite whatever touches my mouth. 」
It was an ad-lib. But considering it followed Yuina’s previous actions, the line felt perfectly natural.
It was so seamless that people instinctively checked their scripts to see if the line had been there all along.
Thanks to that move, Yuina’s overwhelming presence was checked, and Yeon Seon-ye’s character came to life.
Without doing anything grand, the character’s color had been established.
Softness overcomes hardness.
The "soft" character had naturally parried and countered the "hard" one.
「 Of course, just as you said, My Lady, this humble one will do exactly as she is told. 」
Yeon Seon-ye bowed modestly as she continued. She looked up at Yuina, who was staring back with startled eyes.
「 Provided that My Lady keeps her promise, of course. 」
At those words, Yuina narrowed her eyes.
It was an intense gaze that seemed to scream, How dare a wench like you...
However, Yuina couldn't rashly discard Seon-ye just yet.
First, Seon-ye was someone brought in by Goto Isamu, not Yuina herself.
Second, there was no thief in the area with better dexterity than her.
And finally, she had the boldness to bite Yuina’s finger—even if it was an ad-lib, it perfectly established Seon-ye’s character.
「 ...Of course. When a dog listens well, it is the master’s duty to provide a reward. 」
With that line, Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon put down their scripts simultaneously.
The reading for Scene #17 was over.
The first meeting between Yeon Seon-ye and Yuina.
One of the most important scenes in the early part of the film had concluded.
'......This.'
Even though the acting had stopped, no other actor raised their hand to go next.
They were all too busy processing what they had just witnessed.
Young kids these days are terrifying...
The biggest surprise was Lee Ji-yeon.
No one expected her—whose career had been limited to general programming channels—to show this level of acting.
Above all, her instantaneous ad-lib was startling.
Even Director Baek Min, who was known to dislike ad-libs, nodded in approval at Ji-yeon’s improvisation.
"That feels much more natural. I’d like you to perform it the same way during the actual shoot."
He even went as far as to revise the script.
Faced with such an incredible performance during the very first script reading, the other actors couldn't help but feel tense.
They had braced themselves since it was a Baek Min film, but it seemed their own acting skills were truly about to be put to the test.
*
To be honest, I was starting to enjoy myself.
I had been worried about the romance, but there was no need to act out any romantic scenes in today’s reading.
The first meeting between Yeon Seon-ye and Yuina.
Seeing Ji-yeon standing across from me with her script made me feel strangely good.
After all, wasn't this our first project together?
So, I had to work hard.
At the same time, I wanted to show her my best side.
Those thoughts came naturally.
Because, well...
'I have to show Lee Ji-yeon what's what.'
I had already shown her my acting during practice.
But practice and the real deal are different.
Script readings, in particular, are often as intense as the actual filming.
If the director is picky, they can take a very long time.
For the record, Director Baek Min is the picky type.
So, I couldn't afford to hold back.
And even if Ji-yeon made a mistake, this wasn't the kind of place where she’d be judged harshly.
But to think I’d be the one caught off guard.
"I didn't think you'd actually bite me."
"It didn't hurt anyway."
At Ji-yeon’s cheeky reply, I narrowed my eyes.
She wasn't wrong.
Even if Lee Ji-yeon bit down with all her might, she wouldn't leave a single tooth mark on my skin.
Skin that didn't even get a scratch from a paintball wasn't going to be damaged by Ji-yeon’s bite force.
But that was beside the point.
"It was good, though. You surprised me, Lee Ji-yeon. You didn't prepare that in advance, did you?"
Jo Seo-hee asked with an impressed voice.
She was one of the actors who had been inwardly cheering at Ji-yeon’s ad-lib.
Everyone knew I was a good actor, but they hadn't known about Ji-yeon.
"Ju Seo-yeon."
"What."
"That yelp... that wasn't acting, was it?"
"......"
Well, of course I was surprised.
Suddenly having my finger shoved into someone’s mouth and bitten?
It wasn't about the pain; it was only natural to be startled.
"I was just... a little caught off guard."
I was just slightly flustered by the unexpected ad-lib.
Usually, when I act, my mind is like a clear mirror and still water.
To paint the picture of an emotion, the brushstrokes must not falter, which requires maintaining inner peace.
This time was just a minor exception.
"It won't happen again."
"......Hmm."
Well, probably.
Lee Ji-yeon also knew that I was meticulous when it came to acting.
Still, I suppose she was satisfied with having startled me once.
Just as I was thinking that—
"It's my turn next. I think we should do this scene together too... is that okay?"
Jo Seo-hee took the baton after me.
Though she had lost the first slot, Director Baek Min readily gave her the second.
By the way, this scene also included Lee Ji-yeon.
Well, that was obvious.
Lee Ji-yeon was the protagonist of this movie.
'If she messes up, I’m going to tease her.'
Whether it was Lee Ji-yeon or Jo Seo-hee.
I crossed my arms and decided to watch them act.
'I wonder which scene it is.'
I flipped through the script to find the scene number Director Baek Min requested.
And then, I found the scene Ji-yeon and Seo-hee were about to read.
And...
'Wait.'
I looked back and forth between the script and the two women standing before me in shock.
「 My Lady, you are just like a doll. 」
「 Why? Because I cannot even resist a single thread being pulled by a maid’s hand? 」
「 I meant that you are lovely and beautiful. Why must you speak so harshly? 」
That scene wasn't from the beginning; it took place much later.
It was a scene where Seon-ye, having entered the mansion, gradually builds a bond with the young lady, Amanabi Michiko.
And it was the scene where they first felt a spark.
「 Seon-ye, dry my hair. Your touch is so delicate, it feels wonderful. 」
With those words, Seon-ye’s hands touched Michiko’s long hair.
And as their eyes met through the strands of hair, the two shared a faint smile.
'Wait, no, hold on a second.'
Watching them, I was overwhelmed by an emotion that was hard to describe.
After all, Yeon Seon-ye’s way of treating the young lady... was a carbon copy of how she treated Ramiel.
*
Recently, I’ve become aware of a new emotion.
To put it simply... nervousness.
It’s not that I’ve never been nervous in my life.
But this nervousness was different from the usual kind.
I felt a bit lacking in confidence.
"What should I do..."
A week had passed since the script reading.
Actual filming was set to begin next week, and I had a lot on my mind.
'Jo Seo-hee, why is she so good at this?'
Even now, when I closed my eyes, I could see it.
Jo Seo-hee’s acting during that script reading.
There was nothing grand about it.
It was the acting of a girl who meets Seon-ye’s eyes and realizes she’s in love.
And Yeon Seon-ye looked at Michiko as if she were a precious treasure.
That performance was so natural that I had found myself admiring it in spite of myself.
'Well, I guess it has to be natural.'
After all, she was just pouring her usual affection for Ramiel into her acting.
But thinking about the target being Jo Seo-hee made me instinctively rummage through my bag for a coin.
'Right, it was confiscated...'
My bubble wrap for mental stability had been taken away too.
And nothing else felt right in my hands, so I didn't have anything to carry around.
'......'
I glanced around.
I was currently at the KMB broadcasting station.
I was here to discuss several things regarding the previous broadcast in Japan.
Specifically, they were asking about filming a new CM related to Dream Future.
'It seems like The Chaser is planning something too.'
The Japanese release had been moved up, and it was set to premiere next month.
They said it was an extremely rare case for a Korean film.
The "Jirai-kei" killer image... my image in Japan was certainly something else.
'Anyway.'
Clearing my throat with a dry cough, I peeked at the script.
There weren't any explicit scenes, but there were many that made my cheeks flush just by looking at them.
And some of them involved me.
'Doing this with Lee Ji-yeon...'
I had acted nonchalant until now, but after seeing it on-site, it didn't seem easy.
I felt like I finally understood why Jo Seo-hee had been so flustered when she first suggested it to me.
'It’s similar to Jo Ha-rin, but this is deeper.'
In a way, Kasugayama Yuina’s romantic acting was similar to Jo Ha-rin’s.
The fact that she couldn't easily reveal her feelings to the person she liked.
And the fact that her love would never be fulfilled.
'I could fake it with Jo Ha-rin, but this will be difficult.'
I was a bit worried.
My acting is fundamentally based on decorating emotions.
If I couldn't fully understand Yuina’s feelings, I might fail to bring this crucial scene to life.
'Should I ask Jung-woo sunbae... no.'
No matter how shameless I am, asking Jung-woo about this is a bit...
But then again, there weren't many female actors I could ask.
Actress Jung Eun-seon?
She’d probably tell me if I asked, but she scolded me every time we met.
If I saw her now, she’d surely say:
"An actress shouldn't be crawling around on the ground like that."
She’d definitely scold me like that.
Didn't she look at me as if she wanted to drill a hole in my face just because I poked a hole in a coconut on a deserted island?
Jung Eun-seon placed extreme importance on an actress’s dignity and image.
Whenever she saw me running around excitedly on variety shows, she’d always leave a comment via text or KakaoTalk.
'Hmm, so if I were to ask someone...'
"What are you looking at?"
"!!"
I hurriedly slammed the script shut and looked away.
It—it’s not like I was embarrassed by the script, but it just felt a bit awkward!
And it was a familiar voice.
"C-cough. Wh-what is it?"
"Pardon? Oh, nothing."
I hurriedly looked away, then felt my flustered heart instantly cool down.
Instead, I found myself looking at her with a bit of pity.
I had just regained my lost inner peace.
"Hello, Yeo-hee."
"A-hem. Oh, hello. What a coincidence."
Seeing her smiling naturally, I narrowed my eyes.
Come to think of it, I felt like I’d sensed a presence even before I opened the script.
At the time, I thought it was just a celebrity who recognized me...
'Wait.'
I looked at Yeo-hee as she spoke to me and thought.
Standing before me was a woman who hadn't been able to let go of a lingering attachment for twenty years.
In other words, she was the perfect "textbook" for the acting I needed right now.