Chapter 209: Butterfly Lady (1)
Chapter 209: Butterfly Lady (1)
The filming set of Gyeongseong Lady.
Amidst a considerably hectic atmosphere, the actors arriving on set were met with a dazed expression at the sight of more staff members than usual.
Even their attire was somewhat unfamiliar.
Judging by the snippets of conversation drifting through the air, it wasn't Korean.
Japanese?
Those who heard it exchanged glances.
'Ah, come to think of it.'
They had mentioned that Japanese officials would be visiting.
Word was they were here to film footage for the promotion of Gyeongseong Lady.
"It’s interesting. Director Baek Min’s films have always been highly regarded overseas, but..."
"Isn't this the first time for Japan? I heard that, to begin with, there have been almost no films that Japan showed interest in first."
"Well, the Japanese market has a very distinct color of its own."
The Japanese film industry is actually quite a large market.
At least, that’s how it looks on paper.
However, the actual movie-going population is not that large.
While many films are produced, the majority of them are pulled from theaters without seeing much profit.
Perhaps because of that, the Japanese film industry is notoriously sluggish when it comes to importing foreign films.
It’s reached a point where animated features often outperform live-action films at the box office.
In fact, looking at the all-time box office rankings in Japan, six out of the top ten are animated films.
On the other hand, there is only one live-action film.
"Why would a place like that be interested in a Korean film...?"
The staff, as well as the actors, were simply puzzled.
It was even more bizarre considering that all this interest was centered around a single actress.
"I guess the expectations in Japan are high since she’s a future great actress."
"........"
"If someone saw this, they’d think Yuina was the main character."
The remark was quite cynical.
At those words, Jo Seo-hee, who was standing nearby, trembled slightly.
Seo-yeon quietly averted her gaze.
'She’s sulking.'
Seo-yeon flinched at Lee Ji-yeon’s sharp tone and scooted over to sit beside her.
Though the tone was incredibly sarcastic, Seo-yeon now knew it was just a simple tantrum.
True to her appearance, if one only listened to her words, it sounded like she was ready to slap someone.
Of course, there was no such malicious intent behind it.
More importantly, the reason Lee Ji-yeon was sulking wasn't because of the interest from Japan as she had just claimed!
Stealing glances at her, Jo Seo-hee pulled something out of her luxury handbag and held it out.
"I bought some Gummy Worms. Want some?"
"Did you buy those while you two were hanging out yesterday, too?"
"H-Hmph. No? I bought them at the convenience store this morning."
At those words, Lee Ji-yeon looked at the Gummy Worms in Jo Seo-hee’s hand.
The visual was far too cheap to have just come out of a luxury bag.
"......I'll eat them."
Saying so, Lee Ji-yeon began to chew the jelly aggressively.
It felt as if a chorus of hmpf-hmpf-hmpf was ringing in Seo-yeon's ears like an auditory hallucination.
Watching this, Jo Seo-hee leaned in toward Seo-yeon and whispered.
"I’ve never seen her sulk like that before. She doesn't do that often, does she?"
"......She’s low-key like that."
"Th-That’s a subtle way to put it."
Yes, low-key.
In truth, Lee Ji-yeon was quite broad-minded and would usually laugh off most things.
However, it seemed she was genuinely upset about the two of them hanging out alone yesterday.
"Even though she went out with me before, too."
"Right?"
"Of course, it was my mistake for forgetting that she called in the middle of it."
Since the call had come right before they entered the theater, Seo-yeon had simply forgotten.
But it couldn't be helped.
The movie had been so... stimulating.
She later heard that Ji-yeon had called because she was bored and wanted to hang out, but because Seo-yeon had forgotten, she didn't reply until late at night.
"......Isn't that why she's upset?"
"I did contact her later, though."
"I-Is that so?"
Seo-hee looked like she had a lot to say, but she didn't push further.
Of course, Seo-yeon hadn't averted her eyes at first for no reason.
She had only avoided them because she knew her fault better than anyone.
'But what can I do if she's already upset?'
To the extremely broad-minded Seo-yeon, the idea of sulking over such a trivial matter was unimaginable.
I mean, come on. A person can miss a call once in a while, right?
'Ahem.'
She decided she should buy her something delicious later.
As she reached that conclusion and waited, Director Baek Min, who had finished his preparations, spoke while checking on the other actors.
"Everyone is early today, I see."
Naturally, he didn't forget to look at Jo Seo-hee and Ji-yeon first, who were the leads for today's shoot.
For the record, there were scenes for Seo-yeon to film as well, but in her case, they were scenes she had already shown during the script reading.
"Seo-yeon, just do it like you did during the script reading. That goes for you too, Ji-yeon."
"Yes."
"You have to show the same acting you did then. Including the ad-lib."
At those words, Seo-yeon almost accidentally let out a "Gah."
'No, that’s a bit...'
By "that ad-lib," he definitely meant the part where Ji-yeon had bitten Seo-yeon’s finger.
It certainly made for a great scene, but from the perspective of the one being bitten, Seo-yeon had been genuinely startled.
Not because it hurt, of course, but because of that subtle stimulation.
'Of all things...'
To make matters worse, there had been a similar scene in the movie she watched with Jo Seo-hee yesterday.
A scene where a finger was bitten, followed by something quite explicit.
Since Seo-yeon had an excellent memory, she remembered it vividly.
'I'm sure I never saw that movie in my past life.'
She could recall media from her past life as clearly as if she were playing a video in her head.
However, things she saw in her current life were just normal memories, so she tended to forget them properly.
But the movie she saw yesterday was so vivid that she momentarily wondered if it was something she had seen in her past life.
"Hmph, I'm going to bite you really hard."
Even Lee Ji-yeon was grinding her teeth with determination.
No matter how hard she bit, it wouldn't leave a mark on Seo-yeon’s skin.
Her TS Body was invincible, refusing to allow any wounds.
It was skin perfectly designed for beauty.
However, she felt sensations all too well—in fact, she was rather sensitive.
It was likely linked to her physical enhancement abilities, but...
'I have a bad feeling about this.'
Seo-yeon nodded for now.
Regardless, she was an actress.
Filming was not child's play.
Even Seo-yeon agreed that the acting Director Baek Min requested was the most appropriate for the scene.
'I mustn't make a mistake.'
Seo-yeon took a deep breath and slowly composed her emotions.
She was still lacking in romance acting, but at least today's scene didn't have those elements.
*
"The atmosphere on the Korean set is quite heated~."
"There are so many people. I wish Japan was a bit more like this."
The employees from Japan's YHJ Broadcasting Station chatted as they checked their cameras.
They had already obtained permission to film, though they would need to have the footage inspected by the Korean staff afterward.
This was to ensure there were no problematic scenes.
"Ju Seo-yeon’s acting scenes are short today."
"I heard she has the fewest appearances among the main trio to begin with."
"Ah~ but is this Taisho? Eh, the era is a bit sensitive. Is it that?"
"The era is what it is, but fortunately, there are no sensitive issues."
Since the setting was the era of Japanese imperialism, the Japanese side was also sensitive about such matters.
While most people watched without much thought, it could be troublesome if the more sensitive groups took offense.
"Anyway, the visuals of the three leads... Wow."
"Hehehe, man, they’re all stunning. Pretty, right? Of course, Ju Seo-yeon stands out particularly well."
"It’s beyond just being pretty. How should I put it? Presence? Aura? She has something like that."
"The other actress next to her is also quite something. Jo Seo-hee? I heard she’s the most popular actress in Korea. I feel like I’ve seen her in a movie released in Japan, too."
"Let’s see... You’re right. It was released in Japan. But the results were a bit disappointing."
"Well, it’s a foreign film, and a Korean one at that. It only did that well because it was a Korean film."
As they conversed, the employees stared at Jo Seo-hee for a moment, looked around, and then whispered.
"She looks like Tomie~."
"Pfft, hahaha. Ah, I-I was just about to say that. I was wondering who she reminded me of, and she’s the spitting image of that character from the manga."
"Now I see why everyone in the manga says Tomie is beautiful."
Sharing such conversation, the employees moved their cameras while looking at the three leads of Gyeongseong Lady.
The Korean side was about to start filming in earnest, which meant they had to be careful.
"Ah, so we’re only allowed to film parts of the movie content? Is that it?"
"To be precise, almost all NG scenes are okay."
"Ah, this is a problem. I heard on the way here that Ju Seo-yeon sometimes doesn't have a single NG in an entire shoot."
"Eeeeh? Really? That’s amazing. A genius actress."
Worrying that they might not get as much footage as they hoped, the Japanese staff began moving their cameras.
And then.
"Good, we’ll stop there. Next... right, let’s push Seo-hee and Ji-yeon’s scene back a bit. Let’s film Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon’s scene first. This one is shorter and should finish quickly."
For reference, the mansion serving as today's backdrop was the residence of the 'Kasugayama Family,' where 'Kasugayama Yuina' primarily appears.
In the story, Amanabi Michiko visits Yuina’s mansion for other business.
Naturally, during this time, Yeon Seon-ye hides herself so that Michiko doesn't discover her connection to Yuina.
But before filming that scene.
"This is scene number S# 17, which we rehearsed before. Plates up, please."
Previously, she had been in ordinary daily clothes.
But the current Seo-yeon was completely different.
As a young lady, Yuina was a more traditional Japanese lady compared to Michiko.
Unlike Michiko, who mostly wore Western-style clothing, Yuina generally wore kimonos.
Specifically, she favored kimonos adorned with red butterflies.
Holding a fan and wearing a kimono with a red butterfly pattern on a black background, Seo-yeon looked like a painting come to life.
Sure enough, a small exclamation of "Oh~" could be heard from the Japanese side.
The atmosphere suggested the cameras should hurry up and capture this.
"Are we filming this too?"
"Huh? Ah, we weren't, but we will now."
Since the Japanese side was filming, it felt like they should too.
In any case, the level of attention rose, and the pressure on the actors intensified.
'The leads must be so nervous.'
As everyone watched with those eyes, Lee Ji-yeon, who had just taken her position, took a deep breath.
'No...'
I'm probably the only one who's nervous.
A short distance away, Seo-yeon sat perfectly still in a seat fit for a noble lady, motionless.
'She’s just so damn pretty.'
A pale face.
Furthermore, as far as she knew, 'Yuina' was originally a lady who enjoyed luxury, so she wore kimonos with vibrant colors.
However, the kimono Yuina was wearing now had a relatively static feel.
A red butterfly pattern on a black background.
If anything, it was a rather heavy-looking garment.
Yet, that kimono matched Seo-yeon’s pale skin, her pitch-black hair, and finally, her red eyes perfectly.
It seemed they had decided to sacrifice some of the original settings to give the actress the most suitable styling.
On the other hand, the character she played, Yeon Seon-ye, was as plain as her setting suggested.
Her features, which could look sharp, were covered as much as possible with makeup.
Her expression was relaxed to the point of looking a bit dim-witted.
She couldn't let her features or face overshadow her acting.
'She probably isn't nervous at all.'
The sound of the clapperboard, the whispering of other staff members.
And the director’s head nodding.
Lee Ji-yeon had never seen Ju Seo-yeon nervous during filming.
She had heard rumors that Seo-yeon had made NGs before, but Ji-yeon had never witnessed it.
Seo-yeon was always near-perfect in her acting.
'I’ll have to be even more intense than before.'
Yuina’s presence was even greater than during the reading.
An intense aura that couldn't be projected in the school uniform she wore back then was now radiating from Yuina.
In the story, she was the overt villain.
Unlike Goto Isamu, who at least initially appears to be on Yeon Seon-ye’s side, Yuina is a villain through and through.
'Anyone would be fooled by this.'
Lee Ji-yeon wasn't the only one who thought so.
The other staff members felt the same.
"Then, let’s begin filming."
With Director Baek Min’s calm words, the cue sign was given.
Breathing, steadying her rhythm.
She looks straight ahead.
She meets the red eyes looking back at her.
「So you’ve come, the dog Isamu brought.」
It was a voice that sounded almost like singing.
The vocalization was enough to send shivers down one's spine the moment it was heard.
Lee Ji-yeon reflexively swallowed hard, but it was a natural enough action to pass as acting.
'Get it together.'
Lee Ji-yeon composed herself and continued with her lines.
「Yes, My Lady. It is an honor to meet you. I-I am called Yeon Seon-ye.」
「What did you plan to do if I didn't understand the Joseon tongue?」
「B-But, at first...」
「To judge based on only that, hmph. I wonder if you can even do your job properly.」
Tap, tap, tap. She spoke while lightly tapping the long pipe in her hand.
Her appearance was so noble that the disdain she felt for Yeon Seon-ye was palpable.
A downward gaze.
Watching the sequence of scenes quietly, Jo Seo-hee realized something.
The high-society party she had taken Seo-yeon to for reference when they were filming Sky Garden.
Seo-yeon was utilizing the things she had seen there right now.
「Thus, you shall obtain a sum of money large enough to live in luxury for the rest of your life.」
The scene continued, reaching the part from the script reading.
「My, why are you silent? If you are a stray dog from the street, you should act like one and wag your tail quietly at your master’s words.」
An even thicker, more syrupy tone.
With the hand not holding the pipe, she stroked Seon-ye's chin as before, and then moved toward her lips.
'Now.'
Immersed in her acting, Lee Ji-yeon reflexively bit Seo-yeon’s finger, just like that time.
"......Ngh."
Back then, it had been a "Kyaa!", but now it was a much smaller moan.
Wait, something was different.
Looking at Seo-yeon, her eyes were slanted, her brow slightly furrowed.
She was lightly biting her lower lip.
Her cheeks were flushed, and she was idly stroking the finger that had just been bitten with her thumb.
The face of a lady who had just suffered a great humiliation.
How should one put it?
It really suited her, but...
Wasn't this different from the acting direction they discussed?
"Ahem, let’s go again."
Sure enough, the NG sign was given.
Lee Ji-yeon was flustered.
No, surely not.
To think that Ju Seo-yeon, of all people, would cause an NG.
But it couldn't be helped.
Because.
"Ju Seo-yeon, why is your acting so... suggestive?"
"......"
At those words, Seo-yeon glared at Lee Ji-yeon with sharp eyes.
Of course, Lee Ji-yeon was dumbfounded.
'Why are you glaring at me? You’re the one who messed up.'
Seeing Lee Ji-yeon snort in return, Seo-yeon felt wronged.
I mean, she couldn't help it after receiving that kind of acting coaching.
Knowing what scenes were coming up...
'It’s because I focused too much on my finger.'
Feeling indignant, Seo-yeon shot a sidelong glance at Jo Seo-hee.
This was all Jo Seo-hee’s fault for showing her that kind of movie yesterday.
She had to think that way.
After all, in her entire acting career, this was the first time she had ever made such an embarrassing NG.