Chapter 329
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 329
Chapter Title: The Depths of Despair
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For the close-up shot, Seojun checked his makeup.
“Please hold out your right hand.”
“Okay.”
A staff member from the art team wrapped a device around Seojun's wrist.
This device was designed to release a red liquid from a thin tube connected to his wrist whenever a certain amount of pressure was applied to his ten fingers. Blood would flow from it every time ‘Lee Hyunwoo’ touched and moved the rubble.
The art team staff member placed the pouch of red liquid—the blood—in a position hidden by his sleeve and connected five very fine tubes to the tips of Seojun's five fingers. Then, they secured the tubes with tape that matched Seojun's skin tone.
“Could you press down here for me?”
As the staff member instructed, Seojun pressed down on the table, from his thumb to his little finger. As pressure was applied, the red liquid flowed through the tubes and stained the table. The staff member said with a satisfied expression.
“It’s working well. Now for the left hand.”
“Okay.”
Seojun held out his left hand, careful not to apply pressure with his right. Once the device was fitted and Seojun's hair and clothes were checked again, the close-up shot began immediately.
As filming for the close-up shot began, the set once again fell silent.
Unlike the full shot from before, this time the camera lens, the cinematographer, and the crew stood in front of the actors. It was an uncomfortably close distance, but Seojun Lee seemed completely unfazed.
“…It’s like he doesn’t even see the camera.”
Completely ignoring the camera and staff in front of him, Seojun channeled ‘Lee Hyunwoo’s’ despair, which the camera captured perfectly.
His bloodied hands digging into the rubble, his arms tense with strain, the rims of his eyes red. His lips muttering only for his mom and dad.
The close-up shot, capturing every single detail, sent shivers down Director Jeffrey’s spine.
Despair. The abyss.
Grief and sorrow.
Despite the lack of tears, the emotions conveyed paradoxically showed just how much Lee Hyunwoo loved his family.
Milan Chelen entered at the perfect moment.
The camera filmed Lee Hyunwoo as he slowly turned around. A faint glimmer of hope, as fragile as a spider's thread that could snap with a gust of wind, shone in Lee Hyunwoo’s eyes, wondering if his parents might have come through another way.
Another camera followed a dark hand that landed on Lee Hyunwoo's shoulder, tracing up the arm, shoulder, and to the chin. The face revealed by the camera was completely different from the one Lee Hyunwoo had expected. The despair in Lee Hyunwoo’s eyes was captured once again on the screen of the camera filming Seojun Lee.
The crew members, who couldn't see the actors' performances properly because they were blocked by the cinematographer and other staff, subtly moved behind Director Jeffrey to steal glances at the monitor, their eyes welling up at the sight of Lee Hyunwoo's expression.
* * *
“Shooting the collapse of the south shopping district, 5-2!”
At the assistant director's shout, machines installed in new positions began to move, just as Seojun had expected.
The spot where Lee Hyunwoo’s blood was clearly visible was completely buried under collapsing pillars and the ceiling. The lights on the ceiling flickered and then went out one by one. The set crumbled as if accompanied by a thudding sound that couldn't possibly be there.
The scene was captured perfectly by the lenses of several cameras positioned above the set.
“It’s just like dominoes.”
Although the collapsing scene was scheduled for post-production sound recording, Seojun whispered quietly. Milan Chelen, who was checking his blocking, nodded at Seojun’s words.
“You’re right.”
And just like that, two-fifths of the Galleria Mall's south shopping district collapsed.
* * *
“Ready, action!”
Having spotted the boy left alone during the evacuation, Jackson Miller ran toward him.
At Jackson Miller’s call, the boy turned around. Jackson Miller flinched as he met the boy’s eyes. The boy did not look well.
“Can you speak English?”
Despite Jackson Miller asking as gently as possible, Lee Hyunwoo’s gaze wandered aimlessly.
Jackson Miller sighed and rubbed Lee Hyunwoo’s cold hands.
Seeing the boy’s condition—his broken fingernails, the seeping blood, and the filth from the dirt and dust—Jackson Miller bit his lip hard.
Jackson Miller continued to rub the boy’s hands as he looked at the spot he had been digging at. The solid wall and pillars seemed completely undamaged by the boy's feeble efforts.
‘I don’t know what happened, but…’
Jackson Miller let out a low groan at the sight of the desperate handprints left on the hard wall.
“For now… let’s get out of here. Do you understand? It’s dangerous, so we need to go that way.”
Jackson Miller looked behind him.
The lights on the ceiling were still bright, indicating that part of the building hadn't collapsed yet. Where the two of them stood, a few lights were flickering from the impact.
The voices of people still evacuating could be heard.
“Can you move?”
Debris began to fall from the ceiling.
Jackson Miller swallowed hard. Another bomb could go off, or the building, destabilized by the earlier explosion, might collapse.
But he couldn’t just leave the boy here.
Jackson Miller tried to help the dazed Lee Hyunwoo to his feet, but contrary to his intentions, Lee Hyunwoo planted his feet firmly and refused to move. Lee Hyunwoo’s gaze remained fixed on the blood-stained wall and on his mom and dad, who would be beyond it.
“G-go… mister… you should go…”
“So you do speak English. Let’s get out of here, quickly. Another bomb might go off!”
“I-I’m staying here… mister… you go on ahead.”
Lee Hyunwoo pulled his hand away from Jackson Miller’s grasp. Jackson Miller looked back and forth between the bloodstains on his hand and Lee Hyunwoo, his expression hardening.
“It’s dangerous here. Let’s get outside, now.”
“I-I’m staying here…”
He couldn’t leave his mom and dad here.
As Lee Hyunwoo tried to turn back to the wall, Jackson Miller grabbed his shoulder, holding him firmly. The large, warm hand made Lee Hyunwoo’s eyes well up.
“You have to think about your family waiting for you outside!”
Family.
Family.
At that single word, Lee Hyunwoo felt a surge of emotion, as if he were about to cough up a clot of blood, and bit his lip.
He wanted to scream at this kind man who was trying to save him.
My family is here!
My mom and dad are waiting for me behind that wall!
“...!”
Lee Hyunwoo, about to lash out, could only open and close his mouth when he saw the worried look in Jackson Miller’s eyes.
It was a look similar to his father’s, who had been worrying about him just a moment ago.
That gaze was both welcome and, conversely, felt like it was setting his entire body on fire.
A searing hot fireball seemed to rise from the pit of his stomach, burning his chest and scorching his throat. This fireball, one he could never spit out, felt like it was boiling his very brain.
Ah.
I have to go help Mom and Dad right now… right now…!
He wanted to vomit everything inside him.
Jackson Miller gasped as he watched Lee Hyunwoo tear at his hair with his bleeding, broken fingernails, letting out a pained groan that couldn’t quite form into a scream.
Why was I the only one left on this side…?
I should have stayed with Mom and Dad…
His heart pounded, beating erratically.
His legs gave out, and Lee Hyunwoo crumpled to the floor.
It's my fault.
Why did I suggest we go on a trip?
If we had just stayed in Korea, this wouldn't have happened.
Mom. Dad. Where are you?
Why only me? Why… why only me…?
His whole body trembled as the thoughts flooded his mind. Jackson Miller shouted something at Lee Hyunwoo, who was gasping for breath. He shook Lee Hyunwoo’s body roughly.
But Lee Hyunwoo couldn't feel any of it.
…I'm alive.
A colossal wave of guilt washed over him, choking off the breaths he was struggling to take.
Lee Hyunwoo's vision went black.
“Damn it…!”
Unable even to scream, the boy, who had been trembling in agony, finally lost consciousness and collapsed. Seeing the boy's wretched state, Jackson Miller bit his lip and hoisted him onto his back.
* * *
“…Cut, okay!”
Director Jeffrey’s shout broke the suffocating silence.
Everyone took a deep breath in and let it out. They had been watching so intently that their shoulders felt stiff, as if they'd pulled a muscle.
“…But that was acting, right?”
That was the only thing anyone could say.
Once the okay was given, Seojun and Milan Chelen exited the set, and the art team staff took turns going up.
“…Is Lee okay?”
One of the art team staff, preparing the set for the next scene, spoke up.
“What do you mean?”
“Well. The previous take and this one… the emotional acting was so intense.”
Indeed, unlike the previous shoot where they filmed a hesitant Lee Hyunwoo still unable to grasp the situation after an unimaginable terror attack, today’s scene captured ‘Lee Hyunwoo’ in despair after losing his parents right before his eyes.
“When an actor is so good that even the viewers get swept up in their emotions, it’s obvious that the actor themselves will be affected by the aftermath.”
Working as an art team staff member in Hollywood, he had seen more than one or two actors like that.
Actors filming intense emotional scenes often become sensitive before shooting begins and remain on edge afterward, unable to break free from their roles.
“Yeah. There are definitely actors like that.”
The image of Seojun Lee, tormented and consumed by guilt, made their hearts sink even just thinking about it.
“…I wonder if he’s alright?”
The gazes of the staff, all thinking similar thoughts, turned to Seojun Lee as he came off the set.
But contrary to their worries, there was Seojun Lee, sipping orange juice and monitoring the take. ‘Lee Hyunwoo,’ who had been in agony just moments before, was nowhere to be seen. In his place was Seojun Lee, with a bright expression, watching the monitor and saying something. Everyone let out a sound of awe.
“…I guess we don’t need to worry?”
Everyone nodded at that.
* * *
“For the close-up, we plan to emphasize this part.”
“That’s great!”
Director Jeffrey, pleased with the last take, beamed and spoke with uncharacteristic cheerfulness. Seojun also smiled brightly and nodded. Only Milan Chelen, whose heart was still pounding wildly, felt like he was in a different world.
Milan Chelen watched Seojun moisten his throat with orange juice.
At first, when Seojun’s eyes glazed over, he had simply thought it was great acting. But as time went on, he began to wonder if it was genuinely dangerous.
Recalling the scene made his hands grow damp with cold sweat.
Milan Chelen let out a breath.
Looking back now, he realized his flustered performance during the shoot might not have been just acting; his real emotions had likely bled through.
‘Why….’
He himself would have called for a cut immediately, so he was puzzled by Director Jeffrey's decision to let the scene continue.
“Director. Have you seen Jun act like that before?”
“Ah, yes. He showed me during our first meeting. I was so surprised then…”
Director Jeffrey shook his head as if the memory still made him dizzy.
“I almost called an ambulance. But after hearing what Jun said, I think I understood a little better for today’s shoot.”
“What did he say?”
The answer came from Seojun, who was sitting next to him.
“I told him that the one suffering from guilt isn't me, but ‘Lee Hyunwoo.’ The one in pain is ‘Lee Hyunwoo,’ so he doesn’t need to worry.”
Milan Chelen mulled over Seojun’s words for a moment and came to understand their meaning during the next shoot.
“The one in pain is Lee Hyunwoo…”
Just as Seojun had said, the person on set wasn't Seojun Lee, but ‘Lee Hyunwoo.’
* * *
“Hello!”
Andrew Walker, Seojun Lee's biggest fan who had been waiting for this day, greeted him energetically. Passing staff members smiled brightly and welcomed the adorable Andrew Walker.
“Hi, Walker. Early Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!”
Andrew Walker went around greeting everyone with a bright smile, until—
“Hi, Andy.”
He completely froze at the sight of Seojun, who had arrived before him.
Seeing Andrew Walker frozen solid in the middle of his greeting, Seojun burst out laughing.
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