Chapter 68: Acting with Acting (1)
Chapter 68: Acting with Acting (1)
The Chaser was a film with a relatively small cast.
Since actor casting accounts for a significant portion of a movie's production budget, this was a major advantage. It meant the money saved on casting could be diverted elsewhere.
From an actor's perspective, however, a small cast was both a burden and a blessing. It meant the scenes would be concentrated on a few individuals, which naturally increased their screen time.
"Min-ah, good job today."
"Yes, thank you!!"
Kang Min-ah, who played the younger sister of Detective Seo Gwang-il in The Chaser, let out a sigh of relief. As a rookie and still quite young, she often found herself overwhelmed by nerves.
I have to work hard so I don't become a burden to the company.
Kang Min-ah belonged to Lauren Company. It was a third-tier agency that had aggressively pushed for her to land this role. Although it was only a supporting part, playing the sister of the lead, Detective Seo Gwang-il, meant she would get a fair amount of screen time. Compared to her three previous minor roles in dramas as an extra, this was a massive leap forward.
I still don't really know what kind of face I'm making once the camera is on me.
Still, she felt she had finished well without many NGs. Everyone praised her, saying she was doing great for her age.
I guess talent really is a thing.
Min-ah stole a glance at the girl sitting quietly nearby.
The girl was two years younger than her. She had heard she was only seventeen, but with her makeup and styling, she looked to be in her early twenties. Sitting with her eyes closed, her posture was remarkably straight. To an outsider, she looked like a young lady from a prestigious family.
She had the beauty of a flower, but after witnessing her acting, Min-ah couldn't bring herself to call Seo-yeon a mere flower.
Take today’s shoot, for example.
S# 37.
The scene where Han Ye-hwa and Cha Seo-ah encounter each other in an alleyway. It was a pivotal scene where Cha Seo-ah stalks, knocks out, and kidnaps her.
Normally, Cha Seo-ah would have killed Han Ye-hwa on the spot, but instead, she drags her back to her own home—the place where her parents were murdered and where she now lives alone.
How did Kang Min-ah feel watching that scene?
Is she actually Cha Seo-ah?
She had trembled so much that the question felt genuine. Especially the eyes. It felt like looking at something inhuman, something merely masquerading as a person. Was it really just acting? It was enough to make her wonder.
A strange, rising sense of discomfort filled her heart. That was the level of intensity she felt in this scene. It was as if everything before had been a mere warm-up. The inferiority complex and jealousy toward Han Ye-hwa were vividly etched onto that unsettling face. It was a performance Min-ah couldn't even dream of imitating.
"Still..."
Shin Seong-mi, who played the 'Convenience Store Clerk,' chuckled as she noticed Min-ah stealing glances at Seo-yeon.
"Since you're around the same age, why don't you try to get close to her?"
"Huh?"
"You'll be seeing each other throughout the entire shoot."
Of course, Shin Seong-mi said this because she recognized Seo-yeon's potential.
That girl is definitely going to be big.
Once this movie was released, her status would change instantly. For Min-ah, this was likely the only chance to become friends with Seo-yeon. Shin Seong-mi didn't bother saying that it was good to have an actor like that in one's network; she knew Min-ah wasn't the type of person who appreciated that kind of talk.
"I-I suppose so."
Min-ah nodded. An actress two years younger than her. They were definitely peers. Min-ah also had many things she wanted to ask and learn from her.
What on earth is she thinking about?
Min-ah swallowed hard as she watched Seo-yeon, who remained perfectly still with her eyes closed. Honestly, there was an aura about her that made it difficult to approach. Was she deeply contemplating today's performance? Or was she so immersed in Cha Seo-ah's emotions that she was struggling to shake them off?
"...Maybe not today."
It wouldn't be right to disturb her in that state. Min-ah shook her head with a hint of regret, resolving to try talking to her later when the timing was better.
And, just as Min-ah suspected, Seo-yeon was indeed lost in deep thought.
What am I going to do about my 400 million won?
It was a truly grave concern.
The role of Cha Seo-ah was a career-defining part for Seo-yeon. She was confident in her performance and could clearly envision how Cha Seo-ah would be perceived by the audience.
There were no restrictions on roles in the contract, but...
Sometimes, contracts included clauses that restricted certain roles or variety show appearances to protect a brand's image. Fortunately, no such terms were specified in her contract. However, if the movie's image became too ingrained, it would inevitably lead to image damage. There had been cases where actors complained about being dropped from advertisements despite having no such restrictions, simply because their on-screen persona was too strong.
If I want to improve my image...
Two options immediately came to mind. Since it was a cosmetics ad, it would be best to emphasize her femininity. There was one drama and one movie that fit the bill.
But the movie will likely be released after 'The Chaser,' so let's put that aside for now.
The movie still had time. Even if she auditioned now, it would take a while to hit theaters. That left the drama.
"Of all things..."
Seo-yeon groaned, crossing her arms and lowering her head. There were two main issues. First, the genre was a 'youth romance.' Second... the male lead was Park Jung-woo.
Dream Future. A drama featuring a cast of actors in their late teens and early twenties.
It was a very, very rare type of youth drama. For its genre, it had an average viewership rating of over 15 percent, peaking at roughly 17.6 percent. While those were 'quite good' ratings for any drama, for a youth drama, they were 'blockbuster' numbers. Most importantly, more than half of the teenage actors who appeared in it saw their careers skyrocket within three years. Seo-yeon had initially considered it but gave up because the genre was 'youth romance.'
Of course, since the cast was primarily teenagers, the romance was more of a 'puppy love' variety with no suggestive scenes. Still, it felt a bit... off.
If I jump in now...
But Seo-yeon was no longer in a position to be picky. She was in 'survival mode,' and her options were limited.
The role itself doesn't have many romance scenes anyway, so it should be fine.
Plus, the male lead was Park Jung-woo. Since there was a separate main heroine, there shouldn't be any issues. The role Seo-yeon was eyeing was more of a cute, mascot-like character. A cute mascot—the polar opposite of a 'serial killer.' While it might not completely erase the impact of her current role, it should be enough to offset it.
That should do it.
She even remembered that the actress who originally played that role had landed several lucrative commercials despite being panned for her acting. Though that had been the end of her career.
Romance... can wait until later.
At the very least, she wasn't confident in it yet. Maybe someday, but not now.
*
The Yeonhwa High School festival.
It was a fairly large event, even extending invitations to outsiders. Depending on the results, additional rewards were sometimes given out. Consequently, many students participated quite actively.
...I'll have to audition first. Luckily, it's on a day I don't have filming. If they overlapped, I would have had to mention it in advance.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with Seo-yeon. Today, as usual, she sat in her isolated seat, lost in her own thoughts.
"..."
Is this really it? This isn't exactly the high school life I had in mind.
She suddenly felt a bit gloomy. Watching her classmates busily and energetically preparing for the festival gave her an indescribable feeling.
...Maybe if I participate more actively in the festival.
Improving her image wasn't just important for the 'Cha Seo-ah' role. Didn't Ju Seo-yeon herself need an image makeover right now?
"U-Um, Seo-yeon."
Just then, someone spoke to her. It was a girl with round glasses—the class president.
"Yes?"
"Well, I thought you might not have heard about our festival booth."
The class president, Gil Da-hyeon, swallowed hard. There was something overwhelming about the way Seo-yeon stared directly at her. For Da-hyeon, a student who did nothing but study, it was quite intimidating.
I see why everyone was avoiding talking to her.
She had heard Seo-yeon was an actress. The impact she made in Looking at the Past and Memories had been so incredible that Da-hyeon still watched the reruns. The Seo-yeon on screen was as beautiful as a flower. And that hadn't changed. However, if 'Princess Yeonhwa' was a flower, the current Seo-yeon felt like a blade. She realized that this is what happens when someone is too beautiful.
"U-Um, our class is going to run a horror booth."
"A horror booth?"
Seo-yeon tilted her head inwardly. She had a general idea of how they worked. She had seen similar booths in her previous life's high school. They usually involved using blackout curtains to darken the room and decorating the hallway and classroom to look scary. Students in costumes would wait inside to jump out and scare the visitors.
Honestly, they weren't that scary.
It was more about being startled by the atmosphere. For someone like her, who was unfazed by horror, it didn't really resonate. For the record, the reason she had been scared by that game before was purely because of the jump scares. Truly.
"The principal said we could use the abandoned building in the back, so we decided to use that."
"Huh?"
An abandoned building?
"It hasn't been maintained well, so we'll be checking it with a teacher before using it. Don't worry too much."
"Ah, okay."
Seo-yeon nodded. Using an entire abandoned building.
"..."
Still, it was just a high school horror booth. But using an abandoned building would certainly provide a decent atmosphere. She had heard of the abandoned building at Yeonhwa High School. It was an old, empty school building used a long time ago. There hadn't been any specific accidents there; it was just left behind naturally as new buildings were added and the student population decreased.
The atmosphere will definitely be there.
The idea of using the empty building was actually quite good. As Seo-yeon nodded to herself, the class president turned back to the other students.
"Oh, and we're missing one person for a ghost role. Anyone want to do it?"
"A ghost role? Where?"
"The old science lab on the second floor."
"Ah..."
The students' reactions were lukewarm. Seo-yeon opened a book she wasn't actually reading and listened intently.
"Is there really no one? The person who was supposed to do it suddenly backed out."
"Well, I can see why."
"But it's an important part, right? We decided to make that the highlight..."
The students trailed off. Seo-yeon thought for a moment. It seemed a ghost role was vacant.
"..."
Seo-yeon's mind raced. If she naturally participated in this, wouldn't it be a chance to get closer to the other kids?
"Um."
As soon as Seo-yeon spoke, everyone's eyes moved in unison. Seeing the shock on their faces, Seo-yeon flinched for a moment.
Did I say something wrong? No, I haven't even said anything yet.
"...If there's no one for the ghost role, can I do it?"
"Huh? Really?"
At Seo-yeon's sudden offer, everyone exchanged glances. An active actress playing a ghost. And considering Seo-yeon's looks...
"But are you really okay with it? There aren't many other kids on the second floor, so it might be a bit scary while you're waiting. We're going to cover everything with blackout curtains."
Seo-yeon nodded at the president's warning. It was just a high school horror booth operating during the day. There was no way it would be scary. These things were usually just about the atmosphere.
"It's fine," Seo-yeon said confidently.
The class president slowly nodded. If she wanted to do it, there was no reason to stop her. More than anything, she was secretly looking forward to Seo-yeon's ghost acting. If a professional actress played the ghost...
This might actually get a better reaction than I thought.
If the festival went well, it would look good on her student record. The class president was filled with motivation. Of course, that wasn't exactly what Seo-yeon had intended.