The Art of Subtraction
Writer Yun Song-i looked around the noisy stage where the rehearsal was being prepared, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. There were far more staff members bustling about than she had expected.
“Plays really do use a lot of people, huh? And this is only a rehearsal……”
This production of Flowers Fall was part of KBC’s irregularly scheduled program, Masterpiece Theater.
The show filmed stage arts—musicals, plays, operas—and broadcast them live. It couldn’t exactly boast high ratings, but because Flowers Fall was such a famous modern play, there had been strong internal voices at the station calling for a director with a big name.
Director Lee Tae-ryun had been pushed into taking the helm by that very pressure.
“This is still a broadcast, after all. There’s a lot to check on the first rehearsal.”
It wasn’t a drama, but it was undeniably a program that would be aired live across the country. It was only natural that so many staff members were attached to it.
“He’s thorough.”
Writer Yun Song-i spoke with clear satisfaction as she watched Kim Doyun bowing politely to the staff one by one at the edge of the stage.
“For a rookie actor, he doesn’t seem intimidated at all. Earlier I saw him going around greeting every single staff member.”
Director Lee Tae-ryun let out a short huff at her words.
“That’s basic. Showing up early, greeting people—those are the fundamentals. Any actor should be doing them as a matter of course. And more important than that is……”
“Skill. I already know that’s what you were going to say.”
Yun Song-i cut in, shaking her head.
“Tsk. The problem is you know me too well, Writer Yun.”
“What are you talking about? I still can’t figure out a single thing that goes on inside your head, Director.”
A staff member’s shout rang out.
— Please prepare for the rehearsal! Starting with Scene #1!
The scene they would be shooting in this rehearsal was the very opening of the play.
The first scene opened in Min-woo’s studio. In the dark, messy workspace, Min-woo was writhing in the agony of creation in front of a canvas when his old friend Sang-cheol came to visit and comfort him.
After that came the scene where Ha-rang, worried about Min-woo, brought him a packed lunch only to be met with his cold attitude.
It was important, sure. But……
Well, Sang-cheol doesn’t really have much to do.
The main focus was Min-woo’s suffering and the love that was beginning to go off the rails.
So how exactly should I approach this performance?
I turned my head to look at Lee Se-rin and Kim Chan-uk. Lee Se-rin already seemed to have the script memorized perfectly; her eyes were closed as she settled into the emotion.
Her emotional range really is outstanding.
Kim Chan-uk was different. He still couldn’t tear his eyes away from the script.
Has he still not memorized it all?
Well, they weren’t people I needed to worry about. Right now I had to focus on figuring out how to fulfill my role as Sang-cheol.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
Should I make a small gamble?
I knew how important the first rehearsal was. If I wanted to leave a good first impression on the director and staff, the rest of the production would go smoothly.
Which meant it would be stupid not to use my cheat-like ability, Director’s Vision.
But.
This time, I have a feeling I might not need it.
Gallery.
The post I had uploaded right before the rehearsal appeared.
The #1 scene I uploaded at dawn. As long as I immerse myself properly, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?
I had thought the user Mari Is a Princess only ever said weird things, but she had given me something genuinely important.
While she was being roasted by the others, her words helped me realize something.
When I used Director’s Vision, my immersion became abnormally strong. So strong that it felt like my emotions were going into overdrive.
I looked down at my copy of Flowers Fall, its pages frayed and tattered from constant handling.
In this scene, Sang-cheol needed to act with his power pulled back as much as possible. To highlight Min-woo’s sensitivity and Ha-rang’s heartbreak, Sang-cheol required a plain, understated performance that didn’t draw attention to itself.
In simple terms, I need to subtract from the performance.
If I could just get a tip on how to deliver that kind of restrained acting, this gamble would be worth it.
With that thought, I opened the gallery.
The door to the rehearsal stage opened and a high-pitched voice rang out. It was variety department PD Kang Min-ju.
“Oh my, I didn’t expect to see Director Lee here.”
“Ah? Hello, PD Kang!”
“How have you been, Writer Yun Song-i? Isn’t it hard being under this guy?”
“Haha, you already know the answer and you’re still asking.”
“Our team would welcome Writer Yun Song-i anytime. If you ever get tired of Director Lee, just come on over.”
Director Lee Tae-ryun clicked his tongue as he watched Kang Min-ju skillfully coaxing Yun Song-i.
“What are you doing here? Does the variety team have that much free time?”
“How could I not come when a program I planned is being filmed? Besides, when the great Lee Tae-ryun is directing, I have to come see it.”
PD Kang Min-ju had joined the station at the same time as Director Lee Tae-ryun. She was now a star PD in the variety department, but she was also the one who had originally planned and directed Masterpiece Theater.
“Stop talking nonsense.”
At Director Lee Tae-ryun’s words, Kang Min-ju sighed and answered.
“You really are no fun at all. But somehow, on every set you direct, there’s always at least one hidden variety genius. The treasure hunt is pretty entertaining.”
“That’s only natural. Because I have this eye.”
“You really are unlucky, Director Lee.”
Acting talent and the quick wit and charm needed for variety shows had overlapping elements. PD Kang Min-ju often discovered raw variety gems on Director Lee Tae-ryun’s sharp-eyed sets.
“Since you’re here anyway, just watch quietly and leave. Don’t get in the way.”
“Director Lee, do you think I’m going to cause trouble? I said I’d just watch, so why are you being so cold?”
Even as she said that, PD Kang Min-ju’s eyes were already scanning every corner of the stage. Then her gaze stopped on one spot.
“Who’s that?”
The person she pointed at with narrowed eyes was Kim Doyun.
“Ah, he’s one of the actors we cast this time. He’s a rookie, so you probably wouldn’t know him.”
“Why are you answering her!”
Writer Yun Song-i looked at Director Lee Tae-ryun with a puzzled expression.
“What? You act like you don’t like Actor Doyun that much, yet here you are……”
“That’s that.”
Seeing Director Lee Tae-ryun’s evasive answer, PD Kang Min-ju smiled.
“Oh, so it’s like that? You don’t want him yourself, but you don’t want to give him to anyone else either?”
“There’s no such thing when it comes to actors.”
At Director Lee Tae-ryun’s reply, PD Kang Min-ju smiled for a moment before muttering in confusion.
“But you know… it’s really strange.”
“There’s nothing to pay attention to.”
Director Lee Tae-ryun spoke as if it were nothing.
But PD Kang Min-ju was sharp. Since talent for acting and variety had many common factors, she wasn’t completely without an eye for people either.
That was why the corner of her mouth slowly lifted.
“Hmm. His face is decent, but he doesn’t seem overflowing with talent. He’s definitely not your style, Director Lee. Did something change in your heart?”
PD Kang Min-ju licked her lips.
— Starting Scene #1, Min-woo’s studio!
At the staff member’s signal, Kim Chan-uk began his performance. As Min-woo, he cried out in anguish.
“No…! This isn’t it. It needs to be… more intense!”
He slammed the brush in his hand to the floor and swung his fist toward the empty air where the canvas should be.
It’s a bit disappointing compared to the audition.
Even I could tell the acting was lacking. Had he not had enough practice time? But he’d had two full days between casting and rehearsal.
Not my problem.
“—Enter Sang-cheol now!”
Following the staff’s instruction, I walked along the path we had marked earlier. There was no actual set since it was only a rehearsal; the areas were simply marked with tape on the floor.
I came early and roughly checked it out, so I won’t get confused.
I mimed opening a door, turning an imaginary doorknob.
This part does feel a little weak.
Director’s Vision[Deactivated]
If I had turned Director’s Vision on, this imaginary door might have felt real. But not right now.
I approached the seated Min-woo. It was my turn for dialogue.
Pull back as much as possible. Don’t lead with emotion. Just deliver it plainly, with a hint of worry.
I opened my mouth.
“Min-woo, did you stay up all night again? Painting is fine, but your body’s going to break down first.”
Kim Chan-uk, as Min-woo, recited his line without turning around.
“What, is that you, Sang-cheol? I’m going crazy because the work isn’t coming out.”
His tone was curt. But the emotional line felt a little unstable.
Did he not practice properly?
I clicked my tongue inwardly but kept Sang-cheol’s worried expression firmly in place.
I moved to the area marked with tape beside the chair where Min-woo was sitting—the “work table.” I pictured the convenience store bag I might have brought him yesterday.
“The one going crazy is your face, idiot. The food I bought you yesterday is still sitting there untouched. Does painting feed you or something?”
Plain, but filled with genuine concern between friends. A realistic conversation that two struggling, impoverished art students might actually have.
Kim Chan-uk answered in an irritated voice.
“If you’re going to say that, then leave. That’s not what’s important right now! This one line… Ah! Why isn’t it working!”
He fixed his gaze on the imaginary canvas again, acting tormented. But his expression and gestures still felt disconnected.
It’s too dark.
Min-woo wasn’t simply a sensitive artist; he needed to show the desperation of realizing he lacked talent. Yet since that desperation hadn’t reached its peak yet, it had to be expressed with restraint.
Is this just me being arrogant?
Maybe it was because I had experienced Director’s Vision, or maybe because I had analyzed the characters with the users in the Actor Gallery.
Probably both.
Flaws in Kim Chan-uk’s Min-woo that I wouldn’t have noticed before kept jumping out at me.
I shouldn’t interfere. I need to focus on my own performance right now.
I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about someone else’s acting. With that thought, I delivered my final line.
“Hey, even if you don’t listen to me, at least be good to Ha-rang. Where else in the world would you find someone who takes care of you like that……”
“It still needs a lot more work.”
At Director Lee Tae-ryun’s words, Writer Yun Song-i asked with a puzzled look.
“Why? Actor Kim Chan-uk’s emotional acting was stable, and even though Lee Se-rin only appeared briefly, she was incredibly intense.”
“Well, yes. They were both intense.”
At his ambiguous answer, Yun Song-i clapped her hands and nodded.
“Ah! So you’re talking about Actor Kim Doyun? Certainly compared to the acting he showed at the audition… it doesn’t feel that intense. Maybe it really was just luck that day……”
“Luck, huh……”
Director Lee Tae-ryun sat with his legs crossed, tapping his fingers on the table. At that moment, PD Kang Min-ju, who had been watching from the side, smiled and jumped in.
“He’s a veteran.”
“Huh? A veteran? Who?”
At Yun Song-i’s confused gaze, PD Kang Min-ju shrugged.
“That Kim Chan-uk over there. For an idol actor, his emotional expression was decent. And Lee Se-rin, as expected of Lee Myeong-hwa’s daughter, had incredible presence even in a short moment. But both of them went too hard with their emotions.”
“Too hard? I thought it was good……”
“I’m not saying it was bad.”
PD Kang Min-ju raised one finger and continued.
“Look, Writer Yun, when you write, don’t you control the rhythm of strong and weak passages?”
“Yes, of course. If you start with the climax, the later parts lose their power, so you have to build it up properly so readers don’t get tired… Ah!”
Yun Song-i let out a sound of realization.
“Exactly. A filming set is the same. Acting has rhythm too. This scene is the moment before the main characters’ emotions explode—it’s the part where they catch their breath. If you put too much power in from the start, the later parts will feel boring.”
PD Kang Min-ju turned her gaze toward Kim Doyun.
“But that kid Kim Doyun understood that perfectly and pulled his power back. He only showed the exact amount of plain, friendly concern appropriate for a friend. That’s what brings out the true flavor of this scene.”
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense. It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“At that age—or rather, even most talented actors can’t do it that well. Actually, the more talent they have, the harder it is. They’re too busy pouring out emotions they can’t control. Controlling that delicately is also part of the director’s job.”
Director Lee Tae-ryun narrowed his eyes at PD Kang Min-ju, who had been silently watching him.
“What.”
“How on earth did he learn that kind of technique at his age? Since I don’t recognize his face, maybe he studied abroad?”
Director Lee Tae-ryun answered briefly.
“He’s a complete rookie.”
“A complete rookie? Director Lee, where do you keep finding these monster-like kids?”
Writer Yun Song-i asked curiously as well.
“Is he really that amazing?”
“Well, if you say he’s amazing, then he is. Just looking at the acting itself, I honestly can’t say much. It’s not a style with strong impact. But I doubt Director Lee would have cast him based on just that one thing……”
Yun Song-i chimed in.
“During the audition he was incredible! The director watched that video multiple times!”
“Director Lee did?”
Things Director Lee Tae-ryun would never normally do. PD Kang Min-ju laughed with interest.
“Director Lee. I’m going to go have a chat with that Kim Doyun. That’s fine, right?”
Director Lee Tae-ryun waved his hand as if annoyed.
“Do whatever you want.”
PD Kang Min-ju walked toward Kim Doyun with light steps, then turned back and said cheekily.
“Director Lee, you have to butter up kids like that early, before their price goes up, you idiot. If you keep acting cold according to your personality, you won’t be able to get them for your next project.”
“I have no intention of getting him, so stop worrying and go.”
Director Lee Tae-ryun answered curtly, but his gaze quietly remained on Kim Doyun.
The more he watched, the more mysterious the actor seemed.
In this rehearsal performance, the inexplicable suction power he had shown at the audition was absent. The problem was—
This is a scene that actually comes alive because his talent isn’t showing.
If Kim Doyun had intentionally adjusted the intensity of his acting, it meant his understanding of the script and his ability to adapt to the situation were already professional level.
If that were all, he would have simply thought of him as a ‘useful rookie.’
But if on top of that—
That unidentified suction power from the audition appears together with it.
If flexible technique unsuitable for his age and the frenzied concentration from the audition could coexist within one actor.
For a moment, a chill ran down Director Lee Tae-ryun’s spine.