Stalker (3)
That day.
The NG from the final shoot.
The tear scene between Park Seung-ah and Kim Ju-an.
It was an ad-lib that felt almost like an accident, something never written into the script.
But that didn't matter in the end.
Even if they hadn't intended it, the meaning of those tears was clearly conveyed to everyone around them.
Kim Ju-an and Park Seung-ah had forgotten Cheon Eun-bin.
Kim Jae-jun and Ryu Mi-so remembered Cheon Eun-bin.
Weren't those tears an unconscious act born from that very difference?
A cruel fate.
Consolation sent by someone from outside the fourth wall, breaking in for the sake of that pitiful girl.
Was that why the tears they shed felt so hollow?
That's what I think.
Thinking that way made me feel a little better.
“You think so too?”
Stalker (4.5/5)
It had risen by 0.1 points from last time, as if in agreement.
Cheon Eun-bin.
“It's a shame.”
The first time I read the script.
The first time I experienced Cheon Eun-bin.
The first time I acted as Cheon Eun-bin.
That was why I felt the regret so keenly.
“It's such a shame it's only a short film.”
What if they had shot it long, the way other movies usually were?
Wouldn't they have been able to unfold Cheon Eun-bin's story even further?
The story with her one and only friend, Seung-ah.
The story with the lover she cherished, Ju-an—couldn't those have been portrayed with even finer delicacy?
“Well, nothing we can do about it.”
Ara gazed out the window.
It was only May, yet the sunlight already burned fiercely.
The cherry trees had shed every last pink petal and were now pushing out fresh green leaves.
“I'm feeling down anyway. Might as well game.”
Today she planned to stomp some noobs.
This dark space.
Clack-clack.
Click-click—
The sound of keyboards.
Fssst— thwack!
Gulp— gulp—
“Uuuugh…….”
Zombie-like groans drifted through the air.
“D-Director…. My heart's racing so fast…….”
“M-Mine too….”
Bong Jun-seo and the editor assisting him were practically dying.
The mountain of coffee cups and energy drinks stacked beside them explained everything.
“Still…. We're almost done, so hang in there….”
“Nngh….”
That day.
The moment shooting wrapped, Bong Jun-seo and the editor threw themselves straight into the work.
Filming was over, but the real game was only just beginning.
For the actors who had delivered such outstanding performances, there was not a single moment to rest.
Seoul Short Film Festival
The short film festival where Stalker would be submitted this time.
It was also the festival where Director Bong Jun-seo had once served as a judge.
From the seat of the evaluator to the seat of the evaluated.
Perhaps this place was Bong Jun-seo's ocean.
“Uuuuuugh…….”
One thing was certain: he was on the verge of collapsing right now.
.
.
.
A few days later.
“KRAAAAAAH!!!”
“UAAAAAAAGH!!!!”
Two screams seized the dark space.
“It's finished!!”
“UAAAAAAAGH!!!”
The screams turned into cheers in less than a second.
“Alright! Call the actors who can make it, hold a little private screening just among us, and get ready to submit!”
“Nngh!!”
.
.
.
That evening.
The actors had received the sudden call that morning, yet every one of them indicated they could attend.
The first to arrive was Kim Jae-jun.
“Hello….”
!
The moment he stepped into the editing studio and began his greeting, a sour stench slammed into his nose.
“Come on in, Jae-jun!”
Bong Jun-seo, his entire face buried under dark circles, welcomed him.
Did he even sleep at all…? He's about to drop dead.
Kim Jae-jun was seriously worried about the man's health.
“Sorry. We pulled about four all-nighters, finished this morning, washed up and came back, but it still smells, right?”
“N-No, it's fine. Please don't push yourself too hard, Director.”
“I can't help it. How am I supposed to shake off this feeling I haven't had in so long? I'm tired, but I'm not worn out!”
Bong Jun-seo's eyes shone brighter than ever.
A few minutes after they exchanged greetings—
“Hello….”
!?
Ryu Mi-so entered the studio with the exact same reaction as Kim Jae-jun.
“Hahaha….”
A short while later, once she had adapted to the smell, Ryu Mi-so asked Bong Jun-seo,
“Director….”
“Yes?”
“Um, is Gil Ara coming too…?”
“Of course. She should be almost here. Why do you ask?”
“Ah, no, just….”
Yes!
Ryu Mi-so rejoiced inwardly.
But that joy always came paired with worry.
Ah, wait. Ha….
What exactly were Ryu Mi-so's feelings whenever she looked at Gil Ara?
It's more comfortable just watching her from afar……. Or is it?
Ryu Mi-so found Ara overwhelming.
She was still drowning in that unsolvable dilemma of whether she should like her or not when—
Click—
The studio door opened.
Right after, Ara appeared, her yellow eyes gleaming.
Whoa, she's here!
It was a different feeling from the woman Ryu Mi-so had only been watching on the screen moments earlier.
Heh…. That hat looks really good on her too.
While Ryu Mi-so was lost in thought—
“Hello….”
!?
Ara showed the exact same reaction as the others.
What the hell!
For a second she thought someone had sprayed apple cider vinegar straight up her nose.
Ah crap. Gotta finish the greeting.
Ara pushed through the smell and opened her mouth again.
“H-Hello, Director. Sunbae-nims.”
“Hahaha. Good to see you. And sorry about the smell.”
“It's fine. These things happen.”
“Ara, come on in. You've been well?”
“Yes, Sunbae-nim.”
Ara finished greeting them in order and looked at Ryu Mi-so.
“You've been well too, Sunbae-nim?”
She offered her a casual greeting.
Uwaaaaah! What do I do!!
Right now Ryu Mi-so's insides were pure chaos.
I-I should at least say hello too! B-But what do I even say?
She seemed to have forgotten even the simplest way to greet someone.
“Um….”
“Yes?”
Ryu Mi-so's mouth finally managed to open, and the words that came out were—
“A j-junior!! Showing up later than her seniors?! Are you out of your mind?!”
Words completely different from what she had intended shot out.
“Ah, I'm sor—.”
“Hmph! Forget it!”
She crossed her arms and turned her head slightly, dodging Ara's gaze.
“Mi-so, what's wrong with you? There's still plenty of time.”
Kim Jae-jun tried to rein her in from the side.
“Y-You! From now on, try to get here earlier whenever you can!”
“Ah, yes.”
Ugh…. What a boomer sunbae.
I should just go die…. Dying would be easier.
While the two of them were thinking completely different things—
Knock-knock—
Click—
Last of all, Kang Hui-ok arrived at the studio.
“Oh dear, looks like I'm the last….”
!?
“Hahaha…. I should've sprayed some Febreze…….”
Director Bong Jun-seo looked sheepish.
Once greetings were finally finished, they all took their prepared seats.
Bong Jun-seo set out simple snacks and drinks, then dimmed the lights.
“Well then, humble as it is, let's begin.”
Clap-clap-clap—
The venue, the food, the equipment—everything was humble.
Bong Jun-seo looked at the actors watching him.
So what if it was humble? Looking at the faces gathered here, who could possibly say such a thing?
And so their small but dense private screening began.
.
.
.
About forty minutes later.
Stalker
The screening ended with the film title written in white letters on a black screen.
Even though it was over, Bong Jun-seo deliberately left the lights off.
Sniffle—
He gave everyone here a little time to let the aftertaste settle.
A short while later—
“I'll turn the lights on.”
Click—
At last the lights came on and the room brightened.
The snacks he had prepared still looked exactly as they had at the start, only now they were cold.
The drinks with ice floating in them were on the verge of losing their ice entirely.
Yet not a single person's drink showed any sign of having been touched.
As a special note, a pile of wet tissues had stacked up on the table in front of Ryu Mi-so.
The spectrum of her acting is truly astonishing….
Kang Hui-ok thought as she looked at Gil Ara, whose eyes had turned red.
From an antisocial personality disorder serial killer to a tragic heroine….
For reference, Kang Hui-ok had not watched Train to Ulsan.
She hated anything gross, after all.
“What did you all think?”
Bong Jun-seo broke the silence to hear their thoughts.
Everyone looked at Kang Hui-ok first.
A gesture of respect and consideration for the senior actress.
Kang Hui-ok felt it and answered.
“I would have regretted it deeply if I hadn't done this. And I don't cry easily, you know?”
Kang Hui-ok's eyes were faintly red as well.
“Th-That means…?”
“Yes, Director Bong. It was wonderful.”
“Ah…!”
“And Director Bong?”
“Y-Yes?”
She called out again to the overwhelmed Bong Jun-seo.
“Congratulations in advance. Hohohoho. Though there is one regret.”
“Ah, yes. Please speak freely.”
He said that, but Director Bong Jun-seo's face was tense.
“It's nothing major—why is it only forty minutes? It's such a shame it's a short film.”
“Ah….”
Everyone fully agreed with those words.
By the way—
When did he even shoot that last scene?
It wasn't just Ara; it was everyone's question.
Between the scene where Cheon Eun-bin disappeared and the scene where Kim Ju-an and Park Seung-ah ate meat while shedding tears, a shaman's monologue scene had been added.
He really packed it in tightly.
That was her honest thought.
And Kim Jae-jun.
The CEO really made a brilliant investment this time.
He was marveling at Im Tae-o's foresight.
Uwaaaaah…. Eun-bin is so pitiful…
Ryu Mi-so's tears had stopped, but her insides were anything but calm.
“Then I'll submit it as is. Everyone, thank you for your hard work.”
Bong Jun-seo bowed at a full ninety degrees to the actors, and the small private screening came to an end.
“If I end up making another film, it will probably still be a zombie movie, but one that doesn't lean into the apocalypse vibe.”
Countless articles related to Train to Ulsan kept pouring out.
Ara's filmography had been newly updated as well.
“Hmm? What's this? The score's lower than I expected?”
It had surpassed ten million viewers, yet the surprisingly stingy rating left her puzzled.
“Anyway…….”
Nothing else?
Ara waited for some other message, but nothing came.
“You're not gonna level me up…? It was ten million???”
Maybe she had been gaming so much that she was starting to see her own life as a game now.
Ara selected the newly added Train to Ulsan in her filmography.
Role:Choi Su-yeong
Notes: The image of an adult who loved her family and never hated others moved everyone. However, the role's weight within the film is minor.
“Ahh.”
Ara roughly got the idea.
“Because I was an extra, the exp is low, huh?”
It was her own interpretation, but it was probably right.
She thought it was really too much.
She also thought it was a waste.
“Still, ten million… what a shame….”
Ara expressed her deep regret.
▶ Kim Jae-jun, Ryu Mi-so, Gil Ara. Is this real?