Chapter 148
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: What Was the Intention Behind That Acting?
With what intention did you act like that?
Tak-!
Susan stared into her smartphone with trembling hands before practically slamming it down onto her desk.
Her smartphone was playing the video from that day.
A super-high-resolution CCTV recording.
Logically speaking, now was the time to hold back.
She had filmed it under the pretext of capturing Jung Woo-jin's weakness, but this video was never meant to be shown to anyone.
Was she really going to choose mutual destruction just to ruin one actor?
It didn't add up.
Yet Susan had been agonizing over this video in her grasp for hours now.
It was because her pride had been wounded so deeply that she couldn't even string together rational thoughts.
"That arrogant bastard, how dare he..."
Susan buried her head in her desk, pressing down on her quivering eyelids with her fingers as she spat out curses.
Recalling the situation back then.
- Forget the shares or whatever. You and your daughter can just be my cum dumps. I'll fuck you senseless. How's that?
At first, she thought it was just dirty talk to set the mood.
"Cum dumps," of all things.
The vulgar word she'd never heard in her life sent a dizzying thrill through her head, and unable to hold back any longer, Susan lunged at Jung Woo-jin to kiss him.
But Jung Woo-jin firmly pushed her lips away and said,
- Haven't heard your answer yet?
His hand continued to gently caress her cheek.
But Jung Woo-jin's resolute expression made it clear this wasn't just talk to build the atmosphere.
- W-what? Are you... serious right now...?
- Think it over. If not, call me if you want to suck my dick.
That was the last thing he said.
"Hoo..."
Jung Woo-jin had wrapped Dwight Burns's daughter, Monica Burns, around his finger, turning her into a puppet.
In return, she would help him marry Melody after Dwight Burns's death and cede some shares.
That was the deal between Susan and Jung Woo-jin.
But today.
Jung Woo-jin had unilaterally scrapped the deal out of nowhere.
While throwing out that humiliating offer to become his "cum dump."
"I gave him a chance because I recognized his talent, and this is how he stabs me in the back...?"
Kwang-!
Unable to contain her rage, Susan slammed her fist on the desk and picked up the receiver.
Beep-.
- Yes, ma'am. This is Isabel!
Hearing her secretary's voice over the line, Susan quickly asked,
"How's the shoot?"
- Everything wrapped up smoothly.
"Jung Woo-jin?"
- He did about 30 minutes of fan signs after and then left...
"Fuck."
- Pardon?
"Never mind. Get the car ready right now."
- Y-yes, ma'am!
Kwang-.
Susan irritably hung up, smoothed her disheveled bangs, and stood from her seat.
"Fine. Let's see about that."
She was too worked up right now.
First, she'd head home, have a glass of wine to calm down.
As for how to deal with Jung Woo-jin.
"How dare he try to mess with me..."
She could think about it later.
Kim Hong-jin's "Introduction to Acting" class at Korea University's Film Department—where he served as an adjunct professor—was anything but a lightweight course, despite the "intro" label.
From understanding and utilizing each facial muscle to uncovering the unconscious habits that reveal a person's character before they even act.
Professor Kim Hong-jin relentlessly pushed his students to think, think again, and act.
And the current lesson.
Was having students silently act out characters from videos assigned as homework.
"Let's give a round of applause to Kim Ji-woo for that excellent performance."
Leading the applause toward the student who had performed pantomime on the podium, Professor Kim Hong-jin clapped first.
""Woo-!""
Clap clap clap clap clap clap-!
As the applause died down.
Professor Kim Hong-jin slowly stepped up to the lectern and asked the class,
"So, does anyone have a guess what character Kim Ji-woo performed?"
Tak-.
Professor Kim Hong-jin drew a small circle with white chalk, then turned back to face the students.
His eyes caught one female student shooting her hand up high.
"Shin Ji-hye?"
"Yes, Professor! I think Kim Ji-woo was performing Brian."
"Brian, huh. You mean Brian from Paranormal? What's your reasoning?"
"First, the overall slightly furrowed expression, the lips almost in a straight line, and occasionally lifting the upper lip like a smirk. Um... Honestly, the face alone had me second-guessing. But the tense left hand gripping something tight and the slightly bent elbow made me think it was Brian holding a crossbow."
"Hm."
Listening to her, Professor Kim Hong-jin connected words branching out from the "Brian" circle like a mind map: "tense left hand gripping tight," "slightly bent left elbow," and so on.
"Anything else?"
""......""
"Shin Ji-hye made a sharp observation. Kim Ji-woo? Was it Brian?"
"...Yes!"
"Good. Kim Ji-woo also observed well and described it excellently. However-."
Tak tak tak, tak tak-.
As Professor Kim Hong-jin picked up the chalk again and wrote on the board, the students quietly watched.
The two words he wrote were followed by small question marks.
"Stride" and "Gaze."
"Kim Ji-woo, when you walked on the podium earlier, your stride was quite wide, right?"
"Ah, yes..."
"What was the intention behind that acting choice?"
"...Um. Well. To show a confident demeanor, on purpose..."
"No. Brian doesn't have a wide stride. It's a trait of the uncomfortable bridal gown, but unless he's in a full sprint, Brian keeps his steps short—almost always. His footsteps are nearly silent too."
"Ah..."
"Next, gaze. In your performance, you directed your gaze in two main directions. Toward the seated students and toward where I was standing. Can you explain the intention behind splitting your gaze like that?"
"Ah, that was..."
Seeing flustered Kim Ji-woo unable to respond, Professor Kim Hong-jin gently stroked his chin.
"Hm... I touched on actors' gazes a bit last time. Remember?"
"Yes!"
Amid the silence, only Shin Ji-hye raised her hand high, and Professor Kim Hong-jin gave her a slight smile.
"Shin Ji-hye?"
"You said an actor's gaze must always have clear intent and emotional line because it interacts with fellow characters or objects on stage."
"Exactly."
With a pleased look at Shin Ji-hye, Professor Kim Hong-jin turned back to the class and continued.
"With or without lines, actors' gazes convey so much. Recall the homework 'Night Stage.' Unlike the henchmen entering with the gang boss early in the film, whose gazes were straight ahead, the gazes of those behind the boss—soon to betray him—were scattered and unfocused."
Whiiiir-.
Professor Kim Hong-jin picked up the remote and turned on the beam projector.
"I've been mentioning actor Jung Woo-jin too often lately—it's embarrassing—but his acting is such excellent teaching material, I can't help it."
As the screen descended over the blackboard from the podium side, Professor Kim Hong-jin paced and explained.
"In performing the role of 'Brian' this time, actor Jung Woo-jin separates his gaze with astonishing precision. At first, in the early episodes, I wondered if it was just habit—but."
Leaning on the lectern, he spoke gravely.
His face held the conviction of someone preaching a conspiracy theory.
"No. Even in brief cross-cuts or action long takes, he maintains perfect consistency. His acting is thoroughly intentional, not mere habit. Especially when he stares at the camera like facing a sacrificial altar—he's clearly hinting something to us."
Chin-.
But the moment he finished.
The screen jolted to a stop at the bottom, and Professor Kim Hong-jin relaxed his face with a small laugh.
"Everyone seen Paranormal episode 9?"
""Yes-!""
Paranormal episode 9.
The most recent episode, generating massive buzz.
Even injured Catherine returned to the front lines.
The group prepared meticulously to take down the "Lycanslope."
On a night with a moon nearly full.
They finally inflicted meaningful damage on the seemingly invincible "Lycanslope."
While Brian sniped its only weak point—the neck—to slow it down.
As Catherine drew its gaze, Jennifer leaped down with a silver-melted stake.
Though she failed to pierce the heart.
She succeeded in driving the stake deep into its left shoulder blade.
Whether the previously unassailable "Lycanslope" felt fear for the first time, it let out a howling roar and fled with its tail between its legs—a scene that gave many viewers thrilling catharsis.
Seeing students flushed with excitement, all saying they couldn't wait for the next episode, Professor Kim Hong-jin nodded.
It was composed of satisfying scenes, sure.
But truly remarkable.
These were students studying drama structure.
Even simple plots include setup, conflict, climax, resolution.
So where was Paranormal at on a grand scale?
Of 24 episodes, only 9 were out.
Why hadn't they realized it hadn't even hit the midpoint?
Jung Woo-jin had them so enthralled they couldn't notice, and director Steven Hodge's seamless connections were masterful.
The word "twist" kept floating in Professor Kim Hong-jin's mind.
Paranormal.
No, actor Jung Woo-jin—how would he shock the world?
Chills ran through Professor Kim Hong-jin's body already.
"Thinking about the 'gaze' we discussed today will make the upcoming episode 10 even more intriguing. And."
Behind him, the revealed screen showed his YouTube channel in a browser.
- @KimHongjinsFilmReading, 1.27M subscribers, 122 videos.
"Check out the video I uploaded this time when you have a moment. Likes and subs appreciated."
Seeing Professor Kim Hong-jin crack a rare playful joke.
The students burst into laughter all at once.