Chapter 223: Like Starlight (3)
Chapter 223: Like Starlight (3)
To be perfectly honest, Ji-yeon had been feeling a lot of internal pressure regarding the filming of Gyeongseong Lady.
That pressure didn't stem from the film's genre.
Nor did it come from the weight of being the protagonist.
It was, quite simply, the pressure of filming alongside Seo-yeon.
"I thought you two were close?"
Because of this, Ji-yeon had frequently asked Jo Seo-hee for help while practicing for the audition. Even after landing the role, she relied almost entirely on Seo-hee’s advice.
Every time she did, Jo Seo-hee would grumble and ask that very question.
"Being close is one thing."
"What is that even supposed to mean?"
"Hey, Jo Seo-hee. Do you actually have many friends?"
Of course, Ji-yeon’s reaction only left Seo-hee feeling frustrated.
In truth, Seo-hee didn't have many friends her own age. She just had a lot of acquaintances in the industry.
Yes, connections.
But if you asked if those connections were friends, the answer was no.
It couldn't be helped. Jo Seo-hee grew up in an environment where having many friends was impossible. Everyone around her was from a chaebol family, and she was always on edge, worried that information about her might leak out.
Ironically, the only peers Seo-hee didn't treat with a sharp edge were those she had met through Seo-yeon.
People like Park Jung-woo, for instance—or Lee Ji-yeon.
Since Jo Seo-hee usually let her guard down around them, Ji-yeon’s behavior, which felt like she was putting up a wall, seemed strange to her.
"It’s not like I’m worried she’ll be disappointed."
Of course, Seo-yeon would have already seen her acting. After all, it had been broadcast to the public through a drama on a general programming channel. Naturally, Seo-yeon would have watched it.
In fact, they had chatted about it a few times. Seo-yeon would mention which parts she liked or which parts felt off.
However, watching someone on TV and actually filming with them in person were two different things.
This was the first time Ji-yeon was facing Seo-yeon’s full-throttle acting on set. And while she thought she had grown somewhat accustomed to it during the filming of Gyeongseong Lady...
She was wrong.
「You... you’re trying to die.」
Yuina’s chilling voice rang out.
Yuina had boasted a grand presence until now, but this was incomparable to anything she had shown before.
「But why? Weren't you satisfied? You obtained everything, didn't you?」
Yuina, pressing in as if half-strangling her, stared Michiko down with those characteristic red eyes.
「Ah, I see. Were the things I desired so desperately merely trivialities to you? Is that why you aren't satisfied even after getting them all? Because even with them in your grasp, you feel like you have nothing left?」
Every word Yuina spoke was a continuation of the script.
It likely represented Yuina’s own internal confusion. It wasn't just because she had realized Michiko was trying to kill herself. It was the doubt about why she had stepped forward, and the anger she felt at the sight of Michiko.
She was likely feeling confused by all of it.
「You were always like this,」 Yuina muttered, her voice like the low growl of a beast. 「Always jumping to your own conclusions.」
In truth, these were the parts of Yuina that Seo-yeon hadn't initially understood.
Her emotions.
It wasn't just the things related to love. Many of Yuina’s actions were contradictory.
She had attached Yeon Seon-ye to Michiko with the intent to kill her, yet she stopped Michiko the moment she saw her attempting suicide. She intended to use and then discard Yeon Seon-ye, yet she ended up growing fond of her. She had known for a long time that Isamu was using her, yet she lived her life desperately pretending it wasn't true.
That series of behaviors felt foreign to Seo-yeon. To her, emotions were intuitive.
If you were happy, you were happy. If you were sad, you were sad.
In particular, most of Yuina’s actions were rooted in love—the emotion Seo-yeon found most alien.
Isn't love supposed to be a positive emotion?
Because Seo-yeon vaguely thought that way, she couldn't understand why Yuina continued to maintain such a negative attitude.
However, Yeo-hee had told her this:
"It’s not always positive."
"Is that so?"
"People who live without a care in the world like me are rare."
If there is lingering attachment, it means one cannot give up on that emotion. Living while carrying that burden is difficult.
"The Yuina you described is a girl with a lot of affection."
Because she has so much affection, she is a greedy girl with many things she doesn't want to let go of.
In the story, Yuina was nineteen. She was still young and could easily be emotionally shaken.
"It’s just that her environment made it impossible for her to act any other way."
Yuina was a villainess, but she was also a victim.
After hearing that, Seo-yeon watched many different works. She re-watched things she had already seen. And through that, she began to see things in a new light.
I see.
Specifically, as she re-evaluated the concept of lingering attachments from a past life, her understanding of the script deepened. And the moment she saw Jo Seo-hee’s acting before her eyes, she understood perfectly.
To be honest, Yuina’s emotions in the script weren't meant to be this intense. Upon realizing Michiko wanted to die, Yuina was supposed to grab her collar and speak sarcastically.
‘You’re trying to die after foolishly getting everything? How pathetic.’
It was roughly that kind of vibe.
Of course, the underlying emotion wasn't much different from Seo-yeon’s current performance. But the attitude was different. Sarcasm and rage are entirely different things.
However, the moment she saw Jo Seo-hee’s acting, Seo-yeon—already fully immersed as Yuina—couldn't help but react this way. Because she believed that Yuina would have been furious in this moment.
Yuina and Michiko have a deep history.
At one point, they were close enough to be called friends. While that setting wasn't explicitly highlighted in the film, she thought that given their circumstances, their relationship might have been surprisingly special. If Yuina was someone with a lot of affection, she would never have been able to forget the past.
If...
Yes, if.
If the mother she met again from her past life had a miserable face, wouldn't she be angry? She would wonder what there was to be dissatisfied about, when she had obtained everything she wanted in this life.
Of course, she wouldn't have even understood the meaning of that anger.
The face Jo Seo-hee showed through her acting was one familiar to Seo-yeon. It was the expression her mother from her past life had always worn.
Perhaps that was why Seo-yeon was able to immerse herself in Yuina so instantaneously.
*
Everyone on set held their breath.
Director Baek Min raised his hand briefly, then lowered it. The acting had deviated from the script and the intended emotional line. He disliked acting that strayed from his intentions.
How many times has this happened now?
Yet, he had already allowed several exceptions during the filming of this movie. The first was Lee Sang-soo’s acting, followed by Yuina’s previous scenes. And now, it was happening again.
It wasn't just Seo-yeon. He could see a fire burning in Jo Seo-hee’s eyes as she faced Seo-yeon. This wasn't the emotion he had intended for Michiko either.
It wasn't, but... it wasn't a wrong interpretation.
Yuina and Michiko knew each other in the past.
They shared that background. The script didn't detail exactly how close they were, but there was a sense that they had been friends given their environment. Furthermore, considering the genre of this film, their relationship would have been even deeper.
Director Baek Min had acknowledged that intention to some extent.
I didn't intend for this specific part, though...
Seo-yeon’s greatest strength in acting was her ability to portray deep emotions. This was evident from her child actor days when she was known for method acting. She had shown glimpses of it in The Chaser, but hadn't taken on such a role since.
But today, whether intentional or not, Seo-yeon was clearly lost in her role. More than ever before.
Naturally, Jo Seo-hee was reacting in kind.
「What do you know about me?!」
Her voice was sharp. She grabbed the hair of the Yuina who was clutching her collar and pulled. Michiko’s eyes, which had only shown elegance until now, turned fierce. Her slightly trembling voice betrayed the rage embedded in her actions.
「How ridiculous, Yuina. If you wanted me dead so badly, you should be happy. I’m telling you I’ll give back everything I took from you.」
「You’ve been like this since we were children. Overthinking everything, acting like you’re the most miserable person in the world. How arrogant, Michiko. I hate you so much—acting like you’ve lost everything when you have it all!」
「Ha! I have it all? What do I have? I didn't want any of it! It was what my parents wanted! It was what your parents, and what you wanted!」
As Michiko screamed sharply and yanked Yuina’s hair with all her might—
「You can only say that because you’ve never lost anything, Amanabi Michiko.」
Yuina shifted her hand from the collar and shoved Michiko toward a nearby stall.
The physical struggle escalated in an instant. The staff were stunned by the raw, uninhibited acting.
Wait, Yuina is way too strong.
It’s not even a fair fight.
According to the script, it was supposed to be a fierce struggle with both of them pulling each other's hair, but looking at this, it felt like Michiko was being unilaterally overpowered.
However, this actually suited Yuina’s cold aura, making it seem plausible. Michiko’s look of indignant frustration as she looked up also fit perfectly.
Director Baek Min kept raising and lowering his hand. He was debating whether to call a cut or not.
Regardless, the immersion of those two is at its peak.
Especially Jo Seo-hee. She lunged at Yuina again. This time, Yuina accepted the charge, and they both tumbled to the ground. As they tangled and fought in the street, the other actors playing pedestrians began to murmur and gather, acting as a crowd.
This is the first time I’ve seen Miss Seo-hee this immersed in a role.
The reason Director Baek Min had insisted on casting Jo Seo-hee in Gyeongseong Lady was simple. He felt the character of Amanabi Michiko was a perfect fit for her.
Having lost her mother at a young age, Jo Seo-hee was chasing her shadow. In a way, Michiko was the same. Ultimately, Michiko was constantly overshadowed by her parents.
Add to that the fact that she was a chaebol heiress and had a strained relationship with her father—all these elements became factors that allowed Jo Seo-hee to immerse herself in Michiko.
The Michiko currently rolling around with Yuina was likely more Michiko herself than Jo Seo-hee.
The staff watched, mesmerized by the incredible synergy between the two actresses. Some watched with excitement, others with bated breath.
And Director Baek Min, once again, raised his hand in contemplation. It wasn't because their acting was poor. It was because Yuina and Michiko weren't the only ones in this scene.
The person who was supposed to break up the fight—the protagonist, Yeon Seon-ye—was watching them with a bewildered expression.
Was that acting? Or was she genuinely flustered?
Either way, it was still natural for now. However, she couldn't just stand by and watch them fight forever. Ultimately, the fight wouldn't end unless Yeon Seon-ye intervened.
But she’s going to jump into that?
More importantly, is Miss Seo-hee okay?
At this rate, it would be an NG. Just as everyone was starting to think that...
「Stop this right now... Ack?!」
Yeon Seon-ye, who was trying to force her way between them, tripped over her own feet and fell.
And as she fell, she slammed her head right into Yuina’s face.
*
To be honest, it was halfway accidental.
Watching Yuina and Michiko—Ju Seo-yeon and Jo Seo-hee—rolling and fighting before her, Ji-yeon hadn't dared to jump in with her lines.
Since they were children, Seo-yeon had been a benchmark for Ji-yeon. Ever since that time they played the Prince and the Princess. She had wanted to act like that too.
I want to be able to say, like Jo Seo-hee, that I want to act alongside you with confidence.
Jo Seo-hee could do it. You could see it right now. Of all the performances she had seen from Jo Seo-hee, had there ever been a time she was this immersed? Though it was a bit funny that the performance involved a messy catfight.
Regardless, it was difficult for Ji-yeon to easily step between the two actresses. She felt like Yeon Seon-ye caught between the real Michiko and Yuina.
She was the protagonist, yet the eyes of every staff member were on those two. The audience would likely be the same. In this moment, she was no different from an extra in the crowd.
If this continues, it’s an NG.
The moment she realized that, Ji-yeon felt her head go cold. They had put on such a passionate performance. If she messed up a single line or action and they had to reshoot from the beginning... could they ever produce a performance with this level of immersion again?
Honestly, it was hard to guarantee.
Thus, out of a desperate need to do something, Ji-yeon’s feet got tangled. She fell forward and headbutted Yuina square in the face.
「Yeon Seon-ye, you?!」
Yuina rolled away, clutching her face. Her face was hidden behind her hands, but the eyes visible between her fingers seemed to be gauging whether this was acting or not.
The situation had turned into a complete mess in an instant. This wasn't an action Yeon Seon-ye was supposed to take. Jo Seo-hee also looked at Ji-yeon with startled eyes. She surely realized that wasn't acting.
However, Ji-yeon, who had just slammed into Seo-yeon’s face, felt herself becoming strangely calm.
I’m glad the one I hit was Ju Seo-yeon.
She was the kind of girl who wouldn't even have a scratch if Ji-yeon hit her with her head a dozen times.
So, in that moment when everyone was panicking, Ji-yeon decided to use this accident to her advantage.
「Stop bullying the Young Lady, you wicked woman!!」
The already chaotic situation turned into a complete shambles.
In a good way, of course.