Chapter 199
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: A Radiant Performance
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Assistant Director Park Jaemin called over a nearby staff member.
“Go down to the first floor and get the kids. Tell them we’re starting to film.”
“Yes!”
The kids… that meant Lee Seojun!
The staff member, who had been dragging his feet, wondering what tedious chore he’d be sent on next—hopefully not all the way to the parking lot—brightened up and dashed down to the first floor. The other staff members nearby watched him go with envious looks.
Taking the stairs two or three at a time, the staff member stopped in front of the door where the child actors were waiting. He had met his fair share of actors while working on various sets, but he had never been this excited before.
He took a deep breath.
*Knock, knock.*
“Yes!”
A voice called out, and the door swung open. He could see the children gathered together, sitting on chairs. Among them, two kids were staring blankly at Seojun, not even noticing the staff member’s arrival.
“Uh, we’re about to start filming. I think it’s time to head up.”
The staff member, whose eyes met Seojun’s, froze up as he spoke. At his words, the children glanced at the clock, their eyes widening.
“Seojun’s acting was so good, I totally lost track of time.”
“Let’s hurry up.”
Jaehan and Jiho looked after the two kids who were still staring blankly at Seojun, while Seojun and Joohee gathered the children’s scripts and the jackets they had taken off. They moved with a strange sense of unity.
Following the staff member, the children headed upstairs. Passing crew members would jump in surprise whenever they saw Seojun, making the other kids giggle. Even the two children who had been mesmerized by him seemed to have regained their senses, murmuring quietly in admiration.
“He’s really good.”
“I know. It’s different from watching him on screen.”
The way Seojun’s entire demeanor had changed the moment they started practicing was still vivid in their minds. He had been sipping cocoa from the break room while running lines, but it felt as if Lee Seojun had become someone else entirely.
Amazing!
Feeling as if the children's sparkling eyes were boring a hole through the back of his head, Seojun unconsciously rubbed it.
The children, who had been smiling at the staff’s reactions, gradually grew tense as they neared the set. The installed lights, the large cameras, and the crowd of people filling one side of the wall.
This is it. The real shoot.
Director Choi Daeman greeted the children, who had frozen at the door, stiff with tension.
“Did you all practice well?”
“Yes.”
When Seojun answered on behalf of the group, Director Choi Daeman nodded.
“You can change and get your makeup done in the room next door. They’ll give you your clothes when you go in.”
“Yes!”
The children playing the archery club members changed into school uniforms, while Seojun changed into a hospital gown. Their guardians, who had come up at some point, watched over them from inside the room. Since they couldn't get close during filming, this was the only time they could see their kids.
“Don’t be nervous. Just do what you practiced, Jiho.”
“My daughter. Don’t get too excited.”
Jaehan was also on the phone with his mom. Watching the children and their guardians, Seojun and An Daho smiled warmly.
“You were so good from the moment I started managing you, I never even got to say things like that.”
“I was good from the start.”
“…You mean from your debut as William? You remember that?”
“Hee.”
As Seojun gave a meaningful smile, An Daho patted his head, charmed by the mischievous look on his face.
* * *
“Alright, we’ll begin filming.”
Assistant Director Park Jaemin’s voice echoed through the set. The bustling movements of the crew preparing for the shoot slowly died down.
Dressed in a patient’s gown, Seojun sat leaning against the headboard of a hospital bed. A paper attached to the front of the bed read [Go Joowon / M / Age 14].
After checking Seojun’s appearance on the monitor, Director Choi Daeman shouted.
“Ready, action!”
The sound of birds chirping drifted in from outside the window. Go Joowon blinked a couple of times against the sparkling sunlight. It was already his fifth day in the hospital. He was getting used to it now. No, actually…
“Ugh, I’m so bored!”
Sitting still just wasn’t in his nature. The boy gazing wistfully out the window was gone, replaced by a kid squirming and rolling around, his back aching from lying down. Just then, the hospital room door opened.
“We can hear you all the way outside. Is this room not soundproofed?”
“See? I told you it wouldn’t be Go Joowon if he was sitting still.”
“I’ll have a cider.”
“I want a Fanta! Pineapple flavor!”
“My allowance…”
At the sight of his friends barging in without even knocking, Go Joowon, who had been fidgeting on the bed, broke into a wide grin. Despite the hospital gown, he didn’t look sick at all.
“You’re here? I was bored to death!”
The kids, who had intended to check on Go Joowon with worried eyes, were left speechless at his energetic state.
“Go Joowon… what are you doing right now?”
“Yoga! The bow pose!”
“…Even your yoga has to be bow-related?”
“You’re crazy.”
The other kids burst out laughing as Han Jiho shook his head. Go Joowon, who had been holding his ankles with his arms stretched back to maintain a round shape, also broke into laughter and released the pose.
“If you’re bored, just play games on your phone.”
“They took it away. Said it was causing me stress.”
“Well, Go Joowon does suck at games.”
“Just watching him play makes my blood boil.”
Yang Joohee’s comment filled the room with the friends’ laughter. For the first time since being admitted, Go Joowon laughed with genuine joy.
“Cut! NG!”
At Director Choi Daeman’s voice, the laughing children snapped their mouths shut. Their eyes darted back and forth as they mentally replayed their lines. Did I mess up? Was it me? Anxious glances were exchanged.
“Jaehan. You can’t look over here.”
“Yes. I’m sorry!”
Kang Jaehan, who had accidentally met the eyes of one of the many cameras lining the wall, quickly replied.
“Joohee, a little louder, please.”
“Yes!”
Joohee mentally rehearsed her line.
“Jiho, you did well.”
“Thank you!”
Director Choi Daeman gave directions to the other children as well. They nodded quickly, replaying the scene in their minds.
“Seojun, you were great.”
“Thank you.”
“Alright. Let’s go again!”
At the director’s words, the children headed back outside the room. The door closed, and Seojun leaned back against the headboard.
* * *
“Ready, action!”
After carefully tucking Go Joowon in under the blanket, even over his thin hospital gown, the children sat surrounding the bed.
“Are you sure you’re sick? You look fine.”
“You’re not even on an IV… Are you faking it?”
“If you’re not sick, you should get discharged already.”
From stories about their teachers to gossip about friends, so much seemed to have happened in just five days. Go Joowon burst into laughter at their entertaining tales. The contrast between the kids in their school uniforms and Go Joowon in his patient gown was striking.
“Oh, I brought this.”
“What is it?”
He had been curious about it from the beginning—the thing inside the shopping-style bag. He had thought it might be snacks or drinks, but seeing his friends get drinks from the fridge next to the bed, Go Joowon figured that wasn't it.
“Ta-da!”
Kang Jaehan pulled the item out of the bag.
Go Joowon’s eyes slowly widened as he recognized what it was. His pale cheeks flushed a rosy pink. His mouth fell open, and a foolishly bright smile spread across his face. He beamed, looking for all the world like someone who had just fallen in love.
His eyes, which had been sparkling before, now shone like the sun. The other children, in the middle of their lines, stared blankly at him. They had seen it during practice, but this was on another level.
It wasn’t the actor Lee Seojun.
It was Go Joowon, shining brilliantly.
“My bow!”
What came out of the bag was the archery bag Go Joowon had left at the club room.
Han Jiho, who was supposed to take out another bag and say, ‘I brought the arrows, too,’ couldn’t get the words out.
After a brief moment of silence, Director Choi Daeman shouted.
“Cut! NG!”
“…I’m sorry!”
Having just been praised, he had now caused an NG. Director Choi Daeman waved his hand at the disheartened Han Jiho.
“No, it’s alright. We were all captivated too.”
“Still…”
“You can just get it right on the next take. And Seojun…”
It was just a short piece of acting, but the impact was different. The love Seojun outwardly projected was staggering. Director Choi Daeman fell into thought for a moment before speaking. But that was Go Joowon’s character.
A boy who loved archery with a fearsome passion.
“Keep doing what you’re doing.”
“Okay!”
After that, there were a few more instances of the child actors forgetting their lines, struck by Seojun’s radiant gaze, but the shoot eventually wrapped up successfully.
“How was it?”
“It seemed like there were a lot of NGs. Was it difficult?”
The guardians approached the children, who appeared with tired faces. The set was small and the door had been closed, so they hadn't been able to watch.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“Seojun is a really, really good actor.”
They had always thought he was good, but the actual shoot was something else. The children, realizing this, shook their heads in awe.
“Be honest, Seojun. You like archery more than acting now, don’t you?”
“Yeah. No archer, not even a real one, would make a face like that!”
“Are you going to quit acting and take up archery?”
With the filming over and the tension released, the children chattered away. Seojun burst out laughing at their questions. If his fans around the world had heard them, they would have been grabbing his trouser legs and bursting into tears.
“No. That was just acting.”
“To think that kind of expression is possible through acting… Wow.”
Seojun smiled at the children’s amazed reactions. For this shoot, he hadn't even needed to use his ability. All he had to do was let his love for acting shine through. Judging by their reactions, it seemed to have been a success.
Feeling as though his love for acting had been acknowledged, Seojun smiled with satisfaction.
* * *
The filming for the movie ‘Escape’ proceeded smoothly. Some days they shot on outdoor locations, and other days they were on indoor sets.
“I was on set yesterday!”
Jukyung said with a bright smile. It was a scene she filmed with Joohee and Jaehan. She played a patient passing by in the background as the archery club members were talking on their way to visit Go Joowon.
“Then you’ll be filming in zombie makeup soon, right?”
“Yeah. They said the next shoot will be in our zombie forms!”
The children lowered their voices.
“I heard it’s a Hollywood special effects team. I looked them up, and they’re incredible. Jenna Tride? She’s super famous, too.”
“It’s my first time getting special effects makeup. I’m worried I’ll accidentally touch my face.”
“Me too. What if it gets itchy?”
“Do you think you’ll be able to act well?”
Seojun tilted his head at the children, who were only worried about the makeup. They shared a meaningful smile. During their after-school zombie acting practices, they had all carefully watched, memorized, and imitated Seojun's performance, which always left the practice room in stunned silence.
“We practiced by watching Hollywood actor Lee Seojun! Of course we’ll do well!”
“Though we might not be perfect.”
“Even if your movements are a bit clumsy, it’s fine as long as you don’t feel awkward. If the person acting thinks it’s strange, the audience will feel it too.”
The children nodded at Seojun’s advice.
The time for the climactic battle in ‘Escape’ was drawing near.
* * *
The special effects makeup artists from Dohwawon boarded the bus sent by Movie Dream.
“It’s finally filming day!”
“We’re really shooting it! A zombie movie.”
Unable to hide their excitement, the makeup artists were as cheerful as if they were going on a picnic, even though it was for work.
“Did you see the makeup sketches the Mirror Team sent over?”
“Wow. I never imagined they could improve on them even more.”
There was less blood and gore, but the inhuman feel was much stronger.
“It felt like they drew them after seeing a real zombie somewhere. I guess Hollywood is on another level.”
Everyone nodded in agreement at the words of their team leader, Kim Sowon.
Meanwhile, the bus arrived at the filming location. The Dohwawon team was surprised once by the clean roads despite being in the suburbs, and again by the fact that there were empty spaces in the parking lot despite the large number of cars.
“Dohwawon, the special effects team? You can head to the auditorium on the first floor.”
Following the set map (why did they even have one of these?), the Dohwawon team members marveled as they made their way to the first-floor auditorium.
The clean, white building was bustling with people. There were the extras who had been practicing basic movements and the Bone Breaking dance team. A few of them were reviewing choreography and movements with the martial arts director.
“All these people are playing zombies?”
They had thought of it as a picnic, but work was work.
Just as the Dohwawon team was starting to feel overwhelmed, they spotted the RIO, Stam, and Mirror Teams already preparing to apply makeup to the actors in the auditorium. They all greeted Dohwawon warmly. With so much work to do, more colleagues meant an easier time for everyone.
A short while later, Jenna Tride stood before everyone, the materials for the special effects makeup laid out on the tables. The makeup artists, who had spent the last while learning the Mirror Team’s techniques and secretly picking up even more know-how, watched with shining eyes.
Jenna Tride looked warmly at the makeup artists she had worked with, albeit briefly, and would continue to work with during the shoot, and opened her mouth.
“/Let’s begin./”
* * *
The hospital lobby.
Zombies were running rampant. Cameras were filming from all angles, and blue screens for CG work were set up everywhere.
Amidst this blend of reality and fantasy, among the choreographed movements, were a few zombies that stood out.
Unlike the other fixed cameras, the camera operator who was moving about freely followed Director Choi Daeman’s gesture.
The zombies, moving with grotesque sounds, were dressed in school uniforms or patient gowns.
Their movements weren’t as fast or violent as the adult actors. Nor were they as bizarre as the Bone Breaking team’s.
But they possessed a captivating presence. It was as if they were imitating a ‘real zombie’ they had seen somewhere.
‘A person who draws an elephant after seeing one and a person who draws one after only hearing a description will produce very different pictures. And…’
It also felt similar to the atmosphere of the ‘zombie’ inside the lab during the private filming. Director Choi Daeman wasn't the only one who thought so; the camera director and Park Jaemin also looked visibly surprised. But there was a difference.
‘The difference between the sun and a firefly, maybe?’
But even a firefly shines brightly to people. Upon seeing the child actors, the extras flinched instinctively. A fearless zombie flinching? It was a good thing this was just a rehearsal.
“Let’s go again!”
While preparing for the next rehearsal, Director Choi Daeman saw Jenna Tride and the Mirror Team rushing toward the child actors, who were laughing as they looked at each other’s makeup. A staff member who could interpret for the Mirror Team ran over to the director.
“They want to adjust the child actors’ special effects makeup. What should we do?”
Jenna Tride, after animatedly explaining something in English to the bewildered actors, looked over at him. Seeing the sparkle in her eyes, Director Choi Daeman nodded his approval. It seemed they had also discovered the fireflies.
“We’ll take a short break!”
During the break, Director Choi Daeman replayed the rehearsal footage. Even on screen, the actors’ performances were impressive.
“…Yeoul Arts Middle School.”
Director Choi Daeman found himself thinking, ‘Seojun’s friends are on another level.’