Chapter 200
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 200
Chapter Title: Ready for Action
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The bow typically used in archery competitions is called a recurve bow.
A recurve bow is assembled simply by connecting the upper and lower limbs to the central grip, known as the 'riser,' and then stringing the bowstring to the ends of the limbs.
After that, attaching the 'stabilizer,' which extends perpendicularly from the riser, and other devices completes the archery bow you see in the Olympics.
"Ta-da!"
Oh!
The staff, who had been preparing for the shoot, applauded as Seojun instantly assembled the scattered archery equipment.
"It's easier than it looks."
"What about taking it apart?"
"That's easy too."
Seojun detached the various devices, unstrung the bow, and removed the two limbs from the riser, laying everything out just as it was at the beginning.
Another round of applause followed.
While it was a simple assembly for Seojun and the archers, it was a fascinating sight for those seeing it for the first time.
Director Choi Daeman and Assistant Director Park Jaemin entered the bustling hospital room. The schedule for the day included a morning shoot with just Seojun and an afternoon shoot with the extras. The two had come to give a heads-up, as the extras might arrive during filming.
"Don't bother our star actor."
"Oh, come on, Director."
The slightly guilty staff members averted their gazes. Director Choi Daeman spoke to a laughing Seojun.
"It's going to be a bit busy today. Think you can handle it?"
"Don't worry."
The most dependable actor of all beamed brightly.
* * *
"Ready, action!"
A scream was heard.
Go Joowon, who had been sitting on his bed assembling and disassembling the bow his friends brought him, blinked.
He looked toward the half-open window.
A blue sky. A high sun. And screams.
The sounds were coming from outside.
They were loud, desperate screams, audible even from here.
"...Was there an accident?"
But he heard no ambulance sirens. Was a drunk patient causing a scene? Getting off the bed and slipping on his slippers, Go Joowon walked toward the window. The screams continued unabated.
A man's. A woman's.
A child's. An elder's.
Screams.
Sensing that something was terribly wrong, Go Joowon’s trembling hand missed the windowsill as he reached for it. He clenched his fist a couple of times before placing his hand firmly on the frame. A sense of dread made the hair on his head stand up. Taking a deep breath, Go Joowon leaned against the windowsill and looked outside.
His gaze fell downward.
Go Joowon's face, a mix of anxiety and curiosity, slowly turned deathly pale. His eyelids trembled minutely at the unbelievable sight. His fingers on the windowsill quivered with agitation.
Go Joowon’s pupils shook violently.
"…!"
As if forgetting to scream himself, Go Joowon's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor with a thud.
"Cut, OK!"
At Director Choi Daeman's voice, the staff's perception broadened. It was as if their ears, which had felt muffled like they were wearing earplugs, had suddenly cleared.
But the silence lingered. As Seojun and Director Choi Daeman reviewed the monitor, a staff member muttered.
"...We didn't play any scream sound effects, did we?"
"No."
They hadn't played any, at Seojun's request that it would be distracting.
A man's. A woman's.
A child's. An elder's.
Screams.
"...But why do I feel like I heard them?"
The staff members rubbed their arms, covered in goosebumps.
* * *
The weight of a wooden bat is about 900 grams.
The weight of a bow is about 3 kilograms.
While Seojun always got an 'OK' on the first take, one couldn't expect the same from all the actors he worked with. Moreover, filming required multiple takes from various angles—full shots, bust shots, close-ups—and from different directions.
Naturally, this would put a considerable strain on Seojun's arm and shoulder, as he had to swing the bow like a bat.
"So this is a fake bow made by the art team."
The bow Assistant Director Park Jaemin handed him was light. It was even lighter than a real bow, which felt rather awkward. As Seojun handled it, gauging its weight, he was reminded of something similar.
"Is this made of wood? I think a wooden bat felt about this heavy."
"Well, I'm not sure about the material... but it's light, right? The shape is identical to that bow over there. The art team put a lot of effort into it."
Gripping the lower limb of the fake bow, Seojun swung it around like a bat and tried a few poses before nodding.
"I'll have to be careful with my acting."
"About what?"
"Since it has no weight, I might just swing it around carelessly. Then it won't look like a real bow."
It would break the audience's immersion. Drawing the string of the fake bow, Seojun realized the tension was completely different from a real one.
Plucking the string of the fake bow, Seojun fell into thought.
'Still, if I do it right, I think I could shoot with this...'
Weren't elven bows made of wood too?
Of course, the wood used for those bows was special, not ordinary like this.
Park Jaemin quickly understood what Seojun meant.
"Ah. Like those prop boxes you often see in dramas?"
"Yes."
Though the dialogue says they're heavy, viewers often realize the boxes are empty when they see actors lift them effortlessly or when they land lightly on the floor.
'That's just how props are.'
"But we'll be using the real bow for the important scenes, so it should be fine, right?"
"You're right."
Although he nodded at Park Jaemin's words, Seojun's gaze remained on the fake bow.
He had to think about how he would act. He wanted to make it look like a real bow, even in the scenes where he used the fake one.
* * *
"Ready, action!"
Zombies.
Having barely composed himself, Go Joowon crouched by the window, peeking outside. No matter how many times he looked,
"They're really zombies!"
About to scream, Go Joowon clamped a hand over his mouth, startled by his own voice.
He didn't know if zombies were real or not, but seeing people bite others, who then turned into the same creatures, confirmed they were indeed zombies.
At a loss, Go Joowon scanned the room and spotted the bow on his bed.
A weapon!
Though the bow was disassembled into several parts, it looked more reassuring than ever. Go Joowon quickly snatched the bow's grip, the riser, from the bed. It was just a small component, but it brought him a sense of calm.
Letting out a sigh, Go Joowon looked around.
A private room.
"I should be safe in here, right?"
There was water in the bathroom, snacks and bread from his friends, and fruit his parents had brought.
"If I lock the door and block it with furniture..."
As he looked for furniture to barricade the door, Go Joowon had a realization.
"The guys!"
His friends, with whom he had been laughing and chatting just a moment ago.
The friends he'd been close with since the day he joined the archery club. The friends who had worried about him and even came to visit him in the hospital.
Chewing his lip anxiously, Go Joowon lifted his head.
They hadn't left long ago, so if he went to find them now, they might be okay. If he waited with his friends in a safe place, someone might come to rescue them.
His dark, wavering eyes blazed like fire.
Go Joowon immediately got dressed. As if he had watched a zombie movie, he put on several thin layers of clothing and a tracksuit over them.
His preparations didn't stop there. He laid out the equipment from his archery bag on the bed.
He put a finger tab on his hand, a chest guard over his chest, and an arm guard on his arm. He then put another spare arm guard on his other arm.
With fluid, seamless motions, Go Joowon assembled the bow.
He attached the limbs to the top and bottom of the riser, which would serve as the grip, and connected the string to their ends. He then began attaching the sight and other equipment, but paused.
"If a zombie gets close... I might have to swing it."
After a moment of thought, Go Joowon detached the stabilizer.
The 'stabilizer' was a device needed to prevent shaking and maintain balance when shooting, but it was longer than the lower limb. With a rod longer than the lower limb attached perpendicularly to the grip, like the letter 'T' on its side,
"If I swing it with this on, I'll be in more danger."
Gripping the lower limb of the bow, Go Joowon swung it through the air a few times, then looked at his still magnificent bow with a regretful expression.
"This is going to bend it... I'll have to ask Mom to buy me a new one when I get out of here."
Thinking of the latest model that had just come out, Go Joowon tried to calm his trembling heart and gathered the arrows his friends had brought. He placed a few of the twenty arrows in his quiver for easy access and put the rest in his bag. To ensure it wouldn't hinder his movement, he slung the quiver over his shoulder instead of strapping it to his thigh.
"Got everything? Oh, where's my phone?"
Remembering his confiscated phone, Go Joowon bit his lip, then shook his head.
"There are phones outside, so it's fine."
Besides, someone else who was still okay might have already called the police.
"I have to go get the guys."
Fully prepared, Go Joowon forced his pounding heart to calm down and stood before the firmly shut hospital room door.
* * *
While Seojun was filming, the child actors playing the archery club members began to arrive one by one, heading to the special effects makeup room on the first floor. The supporting actors who would be appearing with them were also guided to the makeup room by the staff.
Jenna Tried's face lit up at the sight of the child actors. As the head of the Hollywood special effects team rattled off in English, the child actors just blinked and rolled their eyes. A staff member in charge of interpretation smiled and said.
"She says to come this way."
"Okay!"
A short while later, the Mirror Team's elaborate special effects makeup was complete. The zombies, on which Jenna Tried had personally rolled up her sleeves to work, looked even more realistic yet unnervingly alien. Jenna Tried and the Mirror Team smiled with satisfaction.
"No matter how many times I see it, it's scary."
"I think I'm getting used to it now."
Watching the child actors huddled together after finishing their makeup, the supporting actors waiting for their turn shook their heads. They knew from the last shoot just how well those kids could act like zombies.
Just then, a commotion erupted at the end of the hallway.
Gasps of awe mixed with strange screams and trembling voices could be heard. The supporting actors' gazes were drawn to the source. The child actors, knowing who was causing it, giggled.
It was Lee Seojun.
As Lee Seojun appeared, clad in a tracksuit and various pieces of archery gear, radiating a powerful aura, everyone's jaws dropped without them even realizing it.
"Hello!"
After Seojun greeted them, an explanation followed from the accompanying Assistant Director Park Jaemin (whom no one had even noticed). The jaws of the supporting actors, which seemed like they couldn't open any wider, dropped even further. Assistant Director Park Jaemin didn't forget to add a warning to 'keep it a secret' before leaving with Seojun.
The kids, who had been watching Seojun's appearance with giggles, started tapping on their phones.
>Jukyung: Where are you going?
>Seojun: Just came to say hi. If everyone found out before we start filming, they'd be too surprised to act. I still have scenes left to shoot.
>Juhui: Do your best with the shoot!
>Seojun: Your makeup looks great. You guys looked like real zombies!
>Jaehan: There were so many people, how did you find us?
>Seojun: You're wearing school uniforms lol
>Jaehan: Ah!
Seojun's appearance sent a wave of excitement through the first-floor special effects makeup room.
"Holy crap. Is Lee Seojun really the lead?!"
"A Hollywood special effects team was already unbelievable, but Lee Seojun is the star? This movie is going to be a massive hit."
"Don't you think Lee Seojun brought the Hollywood team here?"
"I think you might be right."
The supporting actors were buzzing with the incredible news. Everyone, from those who were there just for a part-time gig to those who were truly passionate about acting, was visibly excited by the unexpected appearance of the star.
A star who could turn people's worlds upside down just by showing up.
"That's my friend."
Watching the excited adults, the children smiled with pride.
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