Chapter 195
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: The First Zombie
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Today's final shoot was a scene with Lee Dajin, Richel Hill, and Evan Block.
Lee Dajin, who had to act with two Hollywood stars for her very first scene, took a deep breath, her face pale. She had even taken a calming pill this morning, but it seemed to have no effect, as her heart was still pounding.
“You can do it, Dajin Nuna!”
“Do well!”
“...Yeah!”
Encouraged by Seojun and Park Dohun, Lee Dajin, who had already changed into her costume, nodded.
Thankfully, unlike Park Dohun, she didn't have to swear at the two actors, and Lee Dajin breathed a sigh of relief.
“Do your best, Dajin.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
Lee Dajin replied, full of determination.
The ‘Korean Lab’ was created by taking the ‘American Lab’ set, removing all the American-style props, and rearranging items like desks and computers.
As the skilled art team staff moved things around, Professor Maria’s Korean lab, similar yet different, soon took shape.
Director Choi Daeman checked the monitor, nodded, and shouted loudly.
“Ready, action!”
“Jaehee. Over here.”
At Richel Hill's line, the people watching the shoot bit their lips.
Seojun also broke into a wide smile. The line was originally in English, but since Richel Hill was not only good at Korean but also had excellent pronunciation, it was changed to Korean.
‘Everyone will probably be shocked when Escape is released.’
Like a Russian Matryoshka doll, like an onion with endless layers to peel. Escape was bound to be a film full of surprises from beginning to end.
“Yes!”
Graduate student Yeon Jaehee darted her eyes around as she moved the documents to where Professor Maria was pointing. It had already been two months since she started working as Professor Maria’s assistant, and Yeon Jaehee still found the professor fascinating.
‘Can a genius learn a whole language in just two months?’
“Jaehee. Find the analysis data for this.”
“Yep!”
For the past two months, Yeon Jaehee had been working part-time at the O.W.C. Foundation’s research institute. She had no idea why she, someone completely unrelated to this field, was here… but being a graduate student meant she had no choice but to do as her supervising professor told her.
‘At least the pay is good.’
It was better than working under that petty supervising professor. Otherwise, she’d probably be ghostwriting theses. The pay was good, and the kind Professor Maria was nice, too. She wasn’t quite sure what the work was about, but it was easy since it was just minor tasks. It was just that,
“/I’m here, Professor./”
“Tsk.”
she couldn’t stand that slick guy named Samuel. Professor Maria clicked her tongue. Today, too, Samuel had appeared by bursting through the door without knocking or using the intercom.
‘Seriously, why even have a door lock if he’s just going to do that?’
Pouting, Yeon Jaehee set down the papers she was holding and headed out of the lab. She firmly closed the thick, security-reinforced door and waited for Samuel to come out.
When Samuel came, Yeon Jaehee got a break. Then, after Samuel and Professor Maria had their spat, she would go back inside and put the papers Samuel had mixed up back in their original order.
Today was worse than usual. She didn't know what he had thrown, but the monitor was shattered. Professor Maria was sitting in her chair, her head hung low.
“Um… Professor….”
Professor Maria was muttering something. ‘No. Zombie. Virus. Infection.’ Hearing the incomprehensible words, Yeon Jaehee just blinked before quietly cleaning up the lab.
“Cut!”
Haaaaah.
The tension released, Lee Dajin collapsed as if her legs had given out. Richel Hill said with a smile.
“You did great, Dajin.”
“...But it wasn't an okay cut.”
“Well, getting it okay on the first try would be strange. You just have to do better in the next take. Shall we go see what was lacking?”
“...Yes!”
* * *
The next day.
Day two of the unofficial shoot.
Unlike yesterday, the indoor set was bustling. The art team and the Mirror special effects makeup team were scurrying about, busy at work.
“Blood! Blood!”
“/Here!/”
“Thank you, John!”
After arriving in Korea and collaborating with the Korean special effects team, Jenna Tride and the Mirror team also interacted a lot with Escape’s art team. This was because the zombie makeup and the background had to blend seamlessly.
Accompanied by an interpreter, they compared the blood prepared by the art team and the blood prepared by the Mirror team, discussing which would be better. From the stickiness and consistency of the blood to the color of dried blood on the walls, fresh blood on the floor, and blood on the zombies' bodies. They discussed many other things as well, eventually reaching a point where they could communicate with just a few short words.
Today’s shoot was the time to put all those meetings into practice.
Both the art team and the Mirror team moved with sharp determination. The art team, in particular, was determined to create a set that would impress even the Hollywood actors.
“Should I splash it? All of it?”
asked the youngest member of the art team, holding a container full of red liquid. The art team staff huddled together to discuss.
“No! Wait… is this too much blood to come from one person?”
“Isn’t this about right? They say the human body is 70 percent water.”
“But not all of that water is blood.”
“Besides, it’s not like blood just erupts from a bite wound…”
They had a plan, but things always changed on set. The youngest art team member watched his passionately debating seniors with an awkward expression.
While holding the container of blood and blankly looking around the set, the youngest member spotted an actor and his manager entering through the main door. It was Lee Seojun.
“Actor Lee Seojun! You’re here already?”
“Yes. I wanted to watch the makeup process.”
“The Mirror team is over there!”
“Thank you.”
Watching Seojun bow and head toward the special effects makeup team, the young staff member cheered internally. I got a thank you from Seojun!
The Mirror team was busy laying out the necessary materials for the special effects makeup on a table. Jenna Tride, who was examining a paper with the preliminary sketch for today’s special effects makeup, spotted Seojun.
“/Oh, Jun. You’re here?/”
“/Jenna. Hello! Richel and Evan came with me. They’ll be here in a bit./”
The leader of the Bone Breaking dance team, sitting awkwardly in a chair to get his zombie makeup done, quickly spoke up when he made eye contact with Seojun. He had only managed a brief greeting yesterday and wanted to talk more.
“Ah, hello, Actor Lee Seojun.”
“Hello. I saw Bone Breaking’s dance, and it was really incredible.”
“Ah, really?”
“How many years have you been doing it?”
Chatting with the leader, who scratched his cheek shyly, Seojun found a spot a little away from the table.
“Is it okay if I watch the makeup process?”
“Ah. Of course.”
At the leader’s reply, Seojun looked at Jenna Tride.
“/Is it okay if I watch?/”
“/Of course!/”
When Seojun asked with sparkling eyes, Jenna Tride and the Mirror team smiled faintly and gave their permission.
“Have some of these while you work.”
“They’re mini fish-shaped pastries. Aren’t they cute?”
Soon, Evan Block and Richel Hill came in, holding a paper bag full of fish-shaped pastries. After handing the bag of pastries to the staff, the two headed over to where Seojun was sitting.
“May we watch, too?”
“Ah, of course!”
I’m not sure if this is something they need my permission for, though. The leader scratched his cheek at the sight of the Hollywood actors asking so politely.
“Thank you.”
Even Evan Block and Richel Hill took seats in front of him. Starting with Bone Breaking’s dance, he was able to chat about various things with the Hollywood actors, and the leader was simply delighted.
Once all the preparations were complete, Jenna Tride spoke.
“/Alright, let’s begin!/”
The first zombie special effects makeup for Escape had begun.
The leader could only dart his eyes around as unidentifiable substances were applied to his face.
Evan Block and Richel Hill, seeing zombie makeup for the first time, also watched with interest. The staff were also very interested in the first zombie makeup application. They would probably get used to it as filming progressed, but for now, it was enough to make them instinctively scrunch up their faces. It was even more so under the bright lights, where every single wound was clearly visible.
“Wow… I’ve lost my appetite for the day.”
“Tell me about it. And we have to keep seeing this from now on?”
While even the adults were grimacing, Seojun just giggled at the increasingly familiar-looking zombie.
After deciding to film a zombie movie, he had read books not only from the Elves’ Book of Life but also about undead and zombies from the Library of Evil. Reading those books and practicing his zombie acting at school had caused those past lives to surface faintly, while at other times they felt like entirely new stories.
“Jun has a strong stomach.”
“You know that word?”
“I studied by reading reviews of zombie movies!”
Seojun and Evan Block laughed at Richel Hill’s words.
* * *
“Ready, action!”
Dressed in a suit, Samuel checked his watch as he headed for the ‘Life Extension Team’ lab. There were many teams in this research institute, but the final stages of all experiments were handled by the ‘Life Extension Team,’ the core of this project.
Seeing the firmly shut door, Samuel shrugged. He pressed his index finger to the door lock’s fingerprint scanner.
If only.
If only he had used the intercom next to the door lock to contact the lab.
If only Samuel, the project lead who popped into various labs as if they were his own home, had been a little more careful.
Couldn’t this have been prevented?
Beep-
The thick door opened.
Inside the pitch-black office.
“/Doctor./”
Samuel said, fumbling for the light switch. He thought he smelled something metallic, but he dismissed it, figuring it was just the various chemicals in the lab.
Samuel ran his hand along the cold wall, searching for the light switch.
“/I told you to sleep in your quarters…/”
Grrrrr.
A bizarre sound made Samuel stop talking.
“/Doctor?/”
Samuel had seen a test subject before. But at the time, the subject had been blindfolded and gagged. If he had seen an unrestrained test subject even once, Samuel would have fled the lab immediately.
[The O.W.C.’s management is perfect.]
That thought created a blind spot.
Click.
Trying to assess the situation, Samuel flipped on the lights.
!!
How could he not have known it was this close?
Right in front of Samuel stood something covered in blood.
Under the bright lights.
The thing that was once the ‘Doctor’ stood there. The monster, wearing what used to be a ‘white lab coat’ now caked with blood and flesh, began to move.
Could human joints move like that?
Its arms and legs twisted in directions that seemed utterly impossible. It was a bizarre movement. Something inhuman was before Samuel’s eyes.
Grrrraaaah.
Fear bloomed across Samuel’s face.
“/Ah, no…!/”
The zombie lunged toward its prey, toward the warm, flowing blood.
“Cut! Okay!”
The leader, who had been about to pounce on Evan Block, stopped in his tracks. The fearful expression on Evan Block’s face quickly returned to normal. He thought he had gotten used to it, but seeing a zombie appear right in front of him was a little scary.
Noticing this, Richel Hill gave him a warm smile.
“/Looks like you were scared./”
“/Hm. A little?/”
“/How are you going to act if you’re scared of makeup like that? You’re done for in the zombie genre./”
Evan laughed at Richel Hill’s teasing.
“Alright, we’ll take the close-up shot now.”
A large camera was set up in front of the leader.
Wow. The leader, who had never stood in front of such a big camera, went to scratch his cheek before realizing he was in makeup and lowered his hand.
Assistant Director Park Jaemin spoke to the awkward leader.
“Just relax. You’re incredibly scary even when you’re standing still.”
“Really?”
“Totally!”
Park Jaemin gave him a thumbs-up, and the leader relaxed. Right. They’ll edit it well.
Filming began, and Assistant Director Park Jaemin flicked the lights on and off.
The zombie appearing out of the darkness was certainly impressive, and,
“/It’s scary! Evan! You call that a little?! That’s terrifying!/”
Evan Block laughed at Richel Hill’s words. Lee Dajin and Park Dohun both shivered. Kim Jongho and Lee Jiseok pretended they weren’t scared as they wiped the cold sweat from their hands. The staff also swallowed hard.
Hollywood special effects makeup was incredible.
“Ooh.”
On a set full of startled people, only Seojun was rewatching the just-filmed scene with sparkling eyes. The zombie’s face suddenly appearing was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.
‘Dad won’t be able to watch this.’
The thought suddenly occurred to Seojun.
* * *
With only the last scene of the day left, Director Choi Daeman spoke to Seojun.
“I’d like to ask you to do the next part, Seojun… would that be okay?”
“Me?”
Seojun tilted his head at Director Choi Daeman’s words. The next scene was one that a staff member could have done.
“You remember the last scene of Yeok? The one in the bedchamber.”
“Yes.”
“I heard you were actually there for that. I’d like you to create that kind of atmosphere… would that be alright?”
“Yes!”
Understanding what Director Choi Daeman wanted, Seojun’s eyes sparkled.
‘This sounds like fun.’
At the news of Seojun’s shoot, not only the dance team leader but also Jenna Tride, the Mirror team, and the staff quickly prepared for filming, their eyes gleaming.
Seojun, wearing blood-stained shoes, giggled. They were a little big, but not enough to hinder his acting.
The preparations for the shoot were over in a flash. All that was needed was a hallway and a door.
Seojun stood behind the door.
“Ready, action!”
Director Choi Daeman’s voice echoed loudly.
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