A Harsh Lesson '...The Flowers Fall.'
Lee Se-rin finished performing Ha-rang's death scene in front of the staff.
"That's a wrap!"
It was a success! I cheered inwardly.
It was still difficult to call it perfect, but she had performed the scene properly without reacting strongly to the lights.
The faint instability that had been visible before had vanished as well.
As I clenched my fist in triumph, Director Lee Tae-ryun muttered beside me.
"How on earth did he manage that."
Lee Tae-ryun glanced my way and continued.
"The instability is gone. I'm not sure whether that's helpful for Ha-rang's performance, but I have to admit it's become stable."
At Director Lee Tae-ryun's words, I flinched. So that was why he had tried to draw out Ha-rang's inner turmoil through Lee Se-rin's instability.
But then she'd cause a broadcast accident?!
I grumbled only inside my head and smiled.
"Thank you."
"Don't think of me as a bad person. I'm simply doing my best in my position."
"I've never thought of you that way even once."
"Is that so."
I bowed politely to Director Lee Tae-ryun, who waved me off as if to say I could leave.
"Good."
Whatever Director Lee Tae-ryun's evaluation was, this rehearsal had reached the final scene of the third act—Ha-rang's last lines in the script.
Director Lee Tae-ryun seemed to like it more than I had expected.
There was only one week left until the actual broadcast. I had resolved Lee Se-rin's stage fright.
With this, the future in which Lee Se-rin ruined the stage had disappeared.
It's perfect.
No, I should say it's almost perfect.
Above all, Kim Chan-uk's own acting had noticeably declined in quality compared to the beginning.
Now even Director Lee Tae-ryun had begun pointing it out openly.
It didn't matter. Besides, Sang-cheol mostly appeared in scenes with Min-woo.
During the rehearsals over the past few days, Kim Chan-uk was the only one who kept flubbing his lines in the shared scenes.
If he had no intention of acting properly, it would only make me stand out.
As long as he didn't cause a broadcast accident like Lee Se-rin, it wasn't my concern.
I just have to do well.
They say speak of the devil. The stage was already preparing for Kim Chan-uk's next rehearsal.
"That scene, huh."
It was the moment when Min-woo wanders the streets after hearing that Ha-rang is critically ill.
But on the stage, besides Kim Chan-uk, there was a familiar face.
"Bang Jong-su?"
Strange. The barbecue restaurant owner was an extra; he shouldn't have had any more appearances.
As I was thinking this, Writer Yun Song-i approached with a smile.
"That gentleman took a real liking to Director Lee Tae-ryun after acting with you last time. The director suggested giving him one more minor role."
Her words brought a smile to my face. A story of someone who worked hard receiving their reward. Who could dislike that? Especially when that person had helped me when I was struggling.
"Thank you so much."
"Huh? Why are you thanking me, Doyun?"
Writer Yun Song-i laughed, looking puzzled.
"Right... Haha..."
"You really are a good person, Doyun."
"But was there originally a minor role written for that scene?"
"Ah, well. It was a scene I had removed while adapting the script..."
The rehearsal begins. Please prepare!
Writer Yun Song-i answered with a smile.
"If it's you, Doyun, you'll understand when you see it."
As the rehearsal started, Kim Chan-uk walked onto the stage at the staff's signal. Opposite him stood Bang Jong-su with his arms crossed.
"Tsk tsk. I heard he's Sang-cheol's friend. One becomes a sculptor, the other whines about drawing pictures all day. Serves you right."
Bang Jong-su's delivery landed perfectly.
"Amazing."
From diction to emotion, there wasn't a single flaw. He wasn't merely a sneering extra—he was the barbecue restaurant owner, worn down by harsh reality itself.
The reactions in the Actor Gallery, where I had posted to brag about Bang Jong-su's acting, were similar.
Oh my god. Princess.
As I shed tears of laughter while looking at the gallery, Writer Yun Song-i smiled.
"Bang Jong-su's acting seemed to improve dramatically after performing with you last time, Doyun. You helped him, right?"
"Huh? How did you..."
"I told him about the added role. He was so happy and kept praising you."
Writer Yun Song-i smiled as if the memory amused her.
So that's what happened. I had only wanted to repay a favor. Thank you for raising my reputation, Bang Jong-su!
Bang Jong-su's emotionally charged lines continued.
"Tsk tsk. Kids these days..."
But then.
"...Uh, that is..."
Kim Chan-uk stumbled over his lines.
"Cut!"
Director Lee Tae-ryun, who had been seated, shouted.
"Kim Chan-uk! What are you doing right now? Why do you keep messing up your lines on such an important scene? Do it again!"
It was already the third NG. The raw intensity radiating from Bang Jong-su had overwhelmed Kim Chan-uk, preventing him from properly expressing Min-woo's despair.
Writer Yun Song-i spoke in a worried tone.
"Oh no. This is bad for Actor Kim Chan-uk too. He's been making a lot of mistakes lately."
"Haha. He's a wonderful actor, so I'm sure he'll pull through."
At my words, Writer Yun Song-i nodded, though she didn't look entirely convinced.
"I suppose so?"
The atmosphere on set had grown heavy because Director Lee Tae-ryun was clearly furious. Kim Chan-uk's face was flushed as he let out a deep sigh.
And then he turned his arrow toward an easy target.
"Director. That extra's acting is so distracting that I can't catch my emotions."
For a moment I doubted my ears.
That bastard? Where does he get off making excuses?
Bang Jong-su's performance had been flawless.
Yet regardless of my anger, Bang Jong-su—who was only a minor extra—jumped in surprise and kept bowing deeply to Kim Chan-uk, who was far younger than him.
"Oh dear, I-I'm sorry. I must have overdone it."
Even after such a servile apology, Kim Chan-uk snapped at him irritably.
"Mister. If you're a minor role, just act like a minor role. Deliver your lines and get off. Are you trying to film an art house movie by yourself and ruin the protagonist's emotional arc?"
At Kim Chan-uk's sharp voice, the set froze. But none of the staff stepped in to stop him.
Of course they wouldn't.
On any filming set, it was common for lead actors to get sensitive. And if the target was a mere extra, it was only natural that no one would intervene.
I knew it all too well after experiencing it bitterly for twenty years.
"Ha, do I really have to worry about something like this?"
Kim Chan-uk muttered in annoyance, then forced a smile and bowed his head to the staff.
"I'm sorry. I got ahead of myself because I wanted the acting to match well."
Then he tossed the words at Bang Jong-su like throwing scraps.
"You too, minor role. Don't overact. Let's do this properly, yeah?"
"Ah, yes. I'm sorry."
Bang Jong-su kept bowing his head.
"It's fine."
"Haha. These things happen."
Everyone was ready to move on, except for Director Lee Tae-ryun, who sat there frowning. Only Bang Jong-su looked restless and anxious.
That bastard.
The abusive language I had swallowed countless times while stuck in the corner of sets for the past twenty years.
What I couldn't stand even more was that my benefactor—the one who had handed a warm canned coffee to a mere background actor like me, the one who had comforted me by saying that effort would eventually be recognized—was now being humiliated by this shallow, pretty-faced punk.
"D-Doyun? Where are you suddenly going?"
Despite Writer Yun Song-i's flustered question, I was already walking.
I strode to the center of the stage and stopped in front of the bowing Bang Jong-su.
"Actor Kim Doyun?"
Ignoring the flustered Bang Jong-su, I asked Kim Chan-uk.
"Act like a minor role and get off? Is that direction written in the script? It wasn't in mine."
The moment I appeared, Kim Chan-uk's face twisted. But he quickly put on a smile as if this was perfect timing.
"Why is today so weird? The supporting actors keep butting in. People who aren't even in the same league."
I stared coldly at the smirking Kim Chan-uk.
"You can't catch your emotions because the other actor's performance is too strong? Doesn't that just mean your own skill is lacking and you can't handle the other's intensity?"
"You're speaking pretty rudely, aren't you?"
Kim Chan-uk approached with a reddened face, but I didn't back down and kept speaking.
"Once you're on stage, drop the idol title and just act."
For a moment, veins bulged on Kim Chan-uk's forehead.
"This bastard...!"
Kim Chan-uk reached out as if he were about to grab me by the collar.
"Actor Kim Doyun?"
"Who else?!"
The staff were growing frantic, worried that it might lead to contract issues.
At that moment, Director Lee Tae-ryun shook his head.
"Just leave them for now."
"Excuse me? But Director, if we leave them and something happens..."
"Hey. Are you the director? Are you taking responsibility? I said leave them."
"Understood."
At Director Lee Tae-ryun's sharp command, the staff hesitated and stepped back. Lee Tae-ryun watched with his arms crossed, looking intrigued. In truth, he hadn't been satisfied with Kim Chan-uk's acting condition lately.
If this kind of provocation sparked some real fire in him, it would be beneficial for the director either way.
While Director Lee Tae-ryun thought this, Kim Doyun's words continued.
"The problem isn't this person's acting. It's that your shallow acting, which relies only on your face, is finally being exposed."
"This crazy bastard...!"
Director Lee Tae-ryun nodded.
"Well, he's not exactly wrong."
Having lost his reason, Kim Chan-uk finally grabbed Kim Doyun's collar roughly. Even with his collar seized, Kim Doyun didn't bat an eye and simply stared straight at Kim Chan-uk.
Director Lee Tae-ryun let out a dry laugh. Kim Doyun really was insane when it came to sheer tenacity.
"Should I stop them soon?"
The moment Director Lee Tae-ryun muttered that.
"Lee Se-rin?"
The ice princess who rarely spoke to anyone on set, the undisputed top star and genius actress, appeared with a frown.
"L-Lee Se-rin, sunbae?"
The moment Kim Chan-uk bowed his head in panic, Lee Se-rin looked him over as if he were an insect and spoke.
"How unsightly."