Chapter 285
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 285
Chapter Title: The Predator's Gaze
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Seojun had been watching Park Dohun's and Kang Taeyoung's works lately.
He avoided historical dramas, as the dialogue and intonation were inherently different, and focused on modern works like "Spring Has Returned."
After filming *Escape*, Park Dohun had started a new movie. That movie was released on the heels of *Escape*'s premiere and became a box office hit. Park Dohun then took a break for nearly a year, while Kang Taeyoung had just finished a drama a few months ago.
Seojun rewatched Park Dohun's movie and Kang Taeyoung's drama, which would be the closest to their current acting skills, but he wasn't satisfied.
*'Those are different characters.'*
Lee Hyunsung, the male lead A, played by Park Dohun.
Choi Yewon, the male lead B, played by Kang Taeyoung.
What Seojun wanted was to see the two characters played by these two actors.
That wasn't to say watching their previous works was completely unhelpful.
Sometimes, an actor's unique way of expression remained across the various characters they played.
Unless a limp or a distinctive walk (like a fast pace due to an impatient personality) was specified, an actor's habits often surfaced in small details like their gait.
*'Or in scenes of sorrow.'*
Even in similar sorrowful scenes, each actor had a different method of expression.
The characters Park Dohun played grieved quietly. They would shed silent tears, only beating their churning chests without making a sound. Paradoxically, such quiet sorrow tugged at the viewers' heartstrings.
The characters Kang Taeyoung played would burst into tears explosively. Their ragged cries pierced the viewers' hearts through their ears. The lingering emotion that filled their ears captivated the audience.
*'Of course, it varies depending on the character's personality.'*
To avoid breaking character, their methods of expression would differ based on the role, but unless there were detailed stage directions, this was generally how they performed.
By observing their various works, Seojun felt he was beginning to understand Park Dohun's and Kang Taeyoung's acting styles.
However, since he had never seen them play 'Lee Hyunsung' and 'Choi Yewon', it was difficult to capture that specific feeling and atmosphere in his own acting.
The 'Lee Hyunsung played by Park Dohun' and 'Choi Yewon played by Kang Taeyoung' that Seojun had conceived through his analysis were merely products of his imagination.
*'That's why I asked to change seats.'*
Usually, the main cast sat near the PD and writer. With a female lead, male leads, and a child actor, he had expected they would be separated, with the female lead sitting apart from the male leads. And just as Seojun had predicted, he heard his original seat had been next to Kang Taeyoung.
*'If I sit there, I can't observe them properly.'*
During a script reading, you couldn't see body movements, so failing to see their facial expressions as well would be a wasted opportunity.
Seojun grinned at the faces of Park Dohun and Kang Taeyoung, where he could clearly see even the movement of their eyes.
He was glad he had switched.
Then, it was Park Dohun's turn.
Just as he'd thought, the Lee Hyunsung that Park Dohun portrayed was different from what Seojun had imagined.
It seemed his skills had improved during his year-long hiatus. This was why acting was so interesting. Just when you thought someone was good, they would reappear, ta-da, with even better skills.
Seojun's shining eyes scanned Park Dohun's movements.
Subtle movements that perfectly reflected Lee Hyunsung's character, who didn't show much emotion.
A twitching eyebrow.
Narrowing eyes.
A quivering corner of the mouth.
Determined not to miss a single word, he listened intently to Park Dohun's voice.
The spaces between the words of his lines.
The pause after a period before the next line.
The timing of his exhale.
The tone of Lee Hyunsung as played by Park Dohun.
Holding his own breath, Seojun focused all his senses on Park Dohun's performance.
***
Having finished his lines and catching his breath, Park Dohun couldn't help but laugh inwardly. It felt as if Seojun's intense gaze from moments ago was still on him.
That sharp gaze, which seemed to dissect his acting piece by piece, sent shivers down his arms, hidden beneath his sleeves. Was this how a predator looked at its prey? He had no idea how hard he had tried not to make a mistake because of it.
"Hoo."
Park Dohun let out a deep breath.
Park Dohun clearly remembered what Seojun had said when they last met—that he would capture his atmosphere. He believed Seojun could do it.
*'So I expected to be observed... but his gaze is more intense than I anticipated.'*
He had expected him to copy his tone and facial expressions, but at this rate, it seemed Seojun would even mimic the very breaths he took.
*'I knew this would happen, which is why I practiced so hard...'*
While he wanted to see Seojun capture his performance, a part of him also wanted Seojun to struggle with it.
*'I can't just let him imitate me easily. I'll have to work even harder.'*
Acting wasn't about winning or losing; there was no absolute standard. But that's precisely why Park Dohun didn't want to be outdone.
***
*'I'm jealous.'*
Kang Taeyoung's seat was across from and next to Seojun, and next to Park Dohun, so he had a clear view of Seojun watching Park Dohun.
He was envious that Seojun was watching Park Dohun's performance with such a serious expression.
As both a fan and a fellow actor, Kang Taeyoung, who liked and respected the actor Lee Seojun, felt his shoulders slump. He thought they had become close enough to exchange phone numbers, but it seemed he was no match for Park Dohun, whom Seojun had known for years.
But he couldn't stay dejected.
'...I have to do my best!'
As his turn approached, Kang Taeyoung stared at the script with a serious expression.
He never would have imagined that the very gaze from Seojun he envied had given Park Dohun goosebumps.
"Hello."
Kang Taeyoung noticed something was off the moment he uttered his first line. He felt a gaze from somewhere. It felt as if every nerve in his body was on edge. Flinching for a moment, Kang Taeyoung continued his lines.
"I'm Choi Yewon, in charge of this ad shoot."
Despite the feeling of being stared at, Kang Taeyoung focused on the script and continued to act diligently. No matter who was watching, what mattered now was his performance.
This was the performance he had practiced hard for since the day he received the script, so as not to disappoint Seojun, who would be acting alongside him. Inwardly, he gritted his teeth, but outwardly, Kang Taeyoung was thoroughly playing 'Choi Yewon'.
***
*'Taeyoung-hyung is good too.'*
Having scrutinized Park Dohun's acting, Seojun now observed Kang Taeyoung's performance just as meticulously.
The sociable Choi Yewon was rich in expressions and emotions. Unlike the highly restrained Lee Hyunsung, the character was a perfect match for Kang Taeyoung, who was also emotionally expressive in real life.
*'And yet, he's completely Choi Yewon.'*
Just as Seojun analyzed, Kang Taeyoung's own emotions were not visible in his performance.
In aspects other than emotion, due to his shorter acting career compared to Park Dohun and Seojun, some of 'Kang Taeyoung's habits' did show through, but it was acceptable.
Once again, Seojun picked apart Kang Taeyoung's portrayal of Choi Yewon piece by piece.
The eyes, curved into a smile.
The smiling lips.
The gentle tone.
The pauses between lines.
As he observed, Seojun found himself unconsciously mimicking Kang Taeyoung's expressions.
The camera director swallowed dryly at the sight of Seojun's face, which had mirrored Park Dohun moments ago and was now reflecting Kang Taeyoung. He didn't know the reason for it, but he could tell it was something extraordinary.
***
It was Kang Taeyoung's turn.
Feeling the gaze again, Kang Taeyoung was reminded of a similar stare.
*'It's like an acting coach checking my homework.'*
It was a gaze that picked apart and analyzed every single detail—the movement of his feet, his fingertips, his emotional expression, the timing of his breaths, his eye contact, his facial expressions.
It just so happened to be a scene where Choi Yewon was looking around. Kang Taeyoung, having already memorized the script, lifted his eyes from the page and scanned the conference room as if he were Choi Yewon.
Just as he was about to open his mouth, his eyes met Seojun's sparkling ones.
*'How long has he been watching?'*
Kang Taeyoung, who had been momentarily pleased to see Seojun watching him with sparkling eyes, soon noticed the sharpness within that gaze. He realized what that 'acting coach-like gaze' was.
It was Seojun.
The actor Lee Seojun was observing and analyzing him.
Kang Taeyoung gulped at the sharp, observing gaze. Seojun's eyes, which seemed to watch everything from the top of his head to the tips of his toes—no, even the way he breathed in and out—sent a chill down his spine.
Why had he ever thought that gaze was like an 'acting coach's'?
That was the gaze of a predator, ready to devour Kang Taeyoung's performance.
His palms grew sweaty, and goosebumps rose on his arms. Once he became aware of it, he couldn't stop thinking about it.
A normal person would have been distracted and stopped acting, but Kang Taeyoung was different.
Why did he feel even more excited, for some reason?
Kang Taeyoung tried to calm his surging heart.
Not as a fan who loved Lee Seojun's work, but as an actor who wanted to perform alongside him, he wanted to show his true skill. He wanted to show him how good he could be.
The mouth of the actor Kang Taeyoung, more serious than ever before, slowly opened.
***
"Alright, let's take a 10-minute break!"
At PD Gong Heechan's words, everyone put down their scripts. The actors, who had been speaking a lot, opened the water and drink bottles on the table and drank. Some went to the restroom, and others stepped outside for some fresh air.
Seojun jotted down notes in his script about what he had gleaned from Park Dohun's and Kang Taeyoung's performances, while Park Dohun also checked parts he needed to reconsider.
Kang Taeyoung, having successfully finished his part of the reading, grinned as he read the next section.
The camera director called over PD Gong Heechan. After replaying the recorded footage a few times, PD Gong Heechan called over Writer Yoo Cheonga. Writer Yoo Cheonga was amazed after watching the footage.
PD Gong Heechan returned to his seat and asked Seojun.
"Seojun. Looking at the footage, it seems like you were imitating Dohun's and Taeyoung's acting... is that right?"
The other actors sitting nearby looked puzzled at PD Gong Heechan's question. Kang Taeyoung lifted his head to look at Seojun.
*'He was imitating my acting?'*
Seojun nodded and replied.
"Yes, that's right."
"Hmm. It's because of that, isn't it? What you said about portraying the adult role exactly."
Seojun began to speak in response to Writer Yoo Cheonga's question.
"Yes. I watched Dohun-hyung's and Taeyoung-hyung's previous works, but it was difficult because the characters were different. So I was observing them during the script reading. Hmm. I guess it showed on my face without me realizing it."
He hadn't noticed because he was so focused on observing.
Everyone blinked at Seojun, who smiled sheepishly.
"Observation? What do you mean you'll portray the adult role exactly?"
Seojun smiled at Yoon Hyein's words and said.
"It means I'm going to act exactly like Dohun-hyung and Taeyoung-hyung. There's often a sense of disconnect because the child actor and the adult actor are different, right? I want to minimize that gap with my acting. By capturing the atmosphere and performance of the adult roles exactly."
"...Is that even possible?"
Everyone's eyes widened at this unheard-of concept. Park Dohun smiled and asked Seojun.
"How about it, Seojun? Can you show us a little?"
"I still have more to analyze for Taeyoung-hyung... but I can do Dohun-hyung to some extent."
He still needed to watch, analyze, and practice more, which was why even his performance in today's script reading was incomplete, but,
"I can do this part perfectly."
Seojun pointed to his first line.
It wasn't the flashback part yet, so he had just been waiting for his turn.
PD Gong Heechan and Writer Yoo Cheonga, who had been looking forward to Seojun's acting since the first meeting, had their eyes light up. The other actors who had just heard the explanation were no different.
The camera, which had stopped briefly due to the unexpected situation, turned back on. There was a feeling that a scene they couldn't afford to miss was about to happen.
"Then, would you like to try it now?"
"Yes."
Seojun readily nodded at PD Gong Heechan's words.
The silent conference room.
All eyes gathered on the seated Seojun.
As if the "Action!" call had been heard from somewhere, Seojun's atmosphere changed in an instant.
"Hello. I am Yoo Sungjin. I came from America."
A stiff voice and a rigid expression.
A familiar way of speaking.
Even though the lines were different, someone else came to mind.
Everyone's gaze turned to Park Dohun. Park Dohun's eyes also widened at Seojun's performance, which was more similar than he had expected.
The only difference was the voice.
*'That means... if only the voice were changed...'*
Writer Yoo Cheonga, PD Gong Heechan, the actors, and the staff stared back and forth between Park Dohun and Lee Seojun with looks of astonishment.