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# Chapter 5 – The Unexpected (1)
At Director Kim's words, I didn't need even a moment of hesitation.
No, hesitation was a luxury I couldn't afford.
I vigorously nodded with a confident expression.
“Yes! I'm really confident. If you trust me with the role, I won't disappoint you.”
I spoke with such determination that the assistant director passing by flinched, turned his head, and gave me a quick
once-over before continuing on.
At my words, Director Kim raised one corner of his mouth and chuckled.
“Well… I don't have any huge expectations, so just do what you did today. Exactly as you did.”
“Yes, I'll work hard. Thank you, Director.”
He soon raised both corners of his mouth in satisfaction.
Then he lifted his chin and pointed toward the area behind me as he continued.
“Later, tell that assistant director over there that you're doing the royal guard role tomorrow, then get the script and
take it with you.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“How many times are you going to thank me? Haha. See you tomorrow.”
As soon as Director Kim finished speaking, he turned around and walked away.
I watched his back as he walked farther away and bowed deeply.
“Yes, I'll prepare hard and come tomorrow!”
---
The bus we had taken from the filming set drove for quite a while before stopping in front of PBC Broadcasting Station.
There was no way they could drop off every actor on the bus at their individual destinations.
The staff members who got off the bus left to take care of their own business without even saying goodbye.
And after the bus drove away, several minor actors remained behind.
“Take care.”
“You all worked hard today.”
“Goodbye!”
The reason they lingered around instead of leaving as quickly as the staff was probably because they were reluctant to
part ways.
Minor actors.
In other words, actors playing extras with little screen time.
Because of that, there were countless actors whose filming had started and ended almost immediately, after shooting only
a single shot.
If it weren't for Director Kim's offer, my filming would have ended today as well.
Since today could have been the first and last time I ever came to this set, we were exchanging reluctant goodbyes.
If we met again, it might not be on the set of Hwangkkot, but we could possibly run into each other as minor actors on
another drama or movie.
Of course, some of them might be coming back to the set tomorrow.
Just like me.
Amid the people filled with reluctance to part, I was holding the script for Hwangkkot in my hands.
It was the script for tomorrow's filming that I had received from the assistant director before getting on the bus.
“Hopefully, I'll see you all again sometime.”
“Yes. Let's all work hard.”
“See you again.”
After saying my final goodbyes to them and heading home, my heart kept pounding.
Some actors walked away with their shoulders drooping, but I was different.
Even though I was climbing the hill toward home, my steps felt lighter than usual.
It was probably because of the script in my hand.
I couldn't believe that the journey home after filming could feel this exciting and enjoyable.
No, had I ever felt like this even once before?
Without a doubt, I thought this was the first time since I had started acting that I felt proud and happy when looking
back on my performance that day.
Whenever I returned home after filming, I had always been filled with sadness and anger.
That camera sickness that flared up whenever I went to a filming set, no matter how much I practiced.
Because of it, I had to endure countless harsh words on set.
“NG!”
“Hah, NG. Again!”
“Why are you so bad at acting?”
I had been driven out of filming sets so many times that I could hardly count them, rather than receiving praise.
But what had been even more painful was knowing that all the countless hours I had spent practicing were going to waste
because of my camera sickness, while being unable to fix the problem.
But today, everyone had acknowledged me for my acting.
And that wasn't all.
I had an extra script in my hands that I hadn't expected to receive.
I was excited, and my heart was pounding.
Could there be any greater happiness than this?
I wanted to keep going home with this feeling every day from now on.
When I arrived home, washed up, and came back out, I sat down with my back against the wall.
Then I immediately took out my phone and made a call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, can you talk?”
“Yeah. Are you calling because you need someone to cover your shift?”
“How did you know?”
“Just a feeling. Your voice sounded like it.”
“…Would it be possible?”
“When?”
“Tomorrow, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. I just need you to cover for me.”
“Tomorrow? Hmm…. Alright. If you're asking me, Hee-sung, it must be something important. Got it.”
“I'm really grateful. I'm counting on you.”
After hanging up, I let out a sigh of relief.
Having worked at the convenience store for such a long time, I was secretly proud that I had made friends with the
employees working other shifts.
I had kept working without taking breaks all this time in case the day ever came when I needed to take time off from the
convenience store because of an acting job and needed someone to cover my shift.
Whenever possible, I had also covered the shifts of the other part-timers.
All for a day like this.
Bang bang.
Bang bang bang bang.
Then I heard a knock.
Someone was pounding hard on the front door, so I quickly jumped to my feet.
“It's the chicken!”
My studio apartment was probably several decades old. The doorbell was practically nothing more than a decorative object
attached to the wall.
It had faded and turned yellow, and the button had apparently fallen out at some point because it didn't even work
anymore.
Perhaps the delivery person had already left, because a plastic bag was sitting alone in front of the door.
I made my living working at a convenience store, but on a day like this, there was no way I could skip chicken.
I unfolded my small table and took the warm chicken out of the bag, setting everything up.
On a day like this, I would have loved to have some chicken and beer.
But I had filming tomorrow, so I had to refrain from drinking.
Instead, I took out the cola that had come with the chicken, turned on the TV, and put on a popular drama these days.
It wasn't a drama I appeared in, but I needed to watch popular dramas to study the acting skills of famous actors these
days.
Monitoring was an essential part of studying acting as well.
Only after setting everything up did I finally open the cola.
Hissss.
I took a sip of cola and then tore into a chicken leg.
Chicken and beer, or rather, chicken and cola, after working hard outdoors all day was heavenly.
But the moment I took a bite, my gaze shifted away from the TV and toward the script lying beside the chicken.
Before I could even take another bite, I became completely absorbed in the script.
To the point that I forgot I was even holding a chicken leg.
The role I would be playing tomorrow was the royal guard.
In other words, it was a scene continuing directly from the role I had played today.
Originally, this role was supposed to be played by another actor.
Since I had taken over that actor's role, I needed to show several times more than what was expected of me.
The lines I had done today were four lines.
And the lines I would be acting tomorrow were a whopping six lines!
It was the largest amount of dialogue I had ever been given in a role.
Mistakes were not an option.
That feeling of immersion I had today.
I had to carry it forward exactly as it was.
---
The next day.
The bus stopped at the entrance to the set again today.
Even though it was only my second time here, for some reason, everyone already felt somewhat familiar.
“Hello!”
I greeted the staff in a loud voice.
Some staff members walked past with a nod.
Others glanced at me after I greeted them.
Even though it was my second time seeing them after yesterday, no one greeted me warmly.
No, perhaps their reactions had already changed enough because of my acting yesterday.
At least no staff member shouted at me or reprimanded me in response to my greeting.
I greeted everyone one by one before walking toward the area where the minor actors were gathered.
“Oh, Jin Hee-sung?”
The man who had arrived earlier waved at me and spoke.
“Ah… it's you from yesterday.”
It was the minor actor who had spoken to me here yesterday.
It seemed he had filming today as well.
I smiled slightly, secretly happy to see a familiar face.
He pointed toward the bus he had ridden and asked,
“You came by bus too, right?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“I came by bus too. How come I didn't see you? Anyway, it's nice to see you again.”
He greeted me with a bright smile and offered his hand.
“Yeah. Nice to see you too.”
The moment I released his hand, he leaned toward me and asked,
“But did you hear about that?”
“Huh? About what…?”
Before I could finish, he spoke.
“They say someone from WG Entertainment is coming today too.”
“WG Entertainment… Why are they coming?”
“Apparently, someone is coming for a special appearance.”
WG Entertainment.
It was one of the three famous major entertainment agencies in our country.
For such a famous and major agency to send someone for a special appearance….
“Go look in the mirror one more time. I heard they'll probably be here soon.”
He held out his hand mirror toward me.
“No, I'm fine.”
“Come on. Someone from WG Entertainment is coming, after all. It might be the opportunity of a lifetime.”
The reason he was paying so much attention to his appearance was obvious.
He wanted to make a good impression on WG Entertainment.
There were three major entertainment agencies, but actors especially preferred WG Entertainment.
The other two major agencies had more idols than actors under their management.
Naturally, they tended to invest more in idols than actors.
But WG Entertainment was known as a company that focused more on actors than idols.
In fact, they had overwhelmingly more actors under their management compared to idols.
That was why they were famous for not hesitating to invest in their actors.
“You never know. Maybe I'll catch the manager's eye today and at least get a business card.”
Dream on.
A business card?
I wasn't even hoping for something like that.
I just wanted to deliver the lines I had prepared today without stumbling over them.
He was busy checking himself in the mirror and fixing his appearance.
“…Is someone from WG Entertainment really coming today?”
Perhaps they had heard our conversation, because the surrounding minor actors began gathering around us.
It made sense. WG Entertainment was famous for actively handing out business cards when they spotted minor actors they
liked on filming sets.
“Yes, I told you they are. I couldn't find out who exactly, but who cares who it is? All we need to do is catch the
manager's eye.”
“Exactly. I'm sure they'll be looking closely at minor actors like us who don't have agencies.”
The minor actors around me all took out mirrors or their phones and began fixing their hair and checking their faces.
I left them behind, moved to one side, and reviewed my lines.
I had to perform perfectly today as well.
After going over my lines several times, the chaotic set began to settle down.
It was a signal that filming would begin soon.
“We'll prepare the first scene!”
When the staff member shouted loudly, the actors filming the first scene quickly moved into position.
My turn was still a while away, so I focused on my lines again.
Then.
A flashy van was driving past the bus and entering the set from far away.
It was a brand-new, enormous van that even ordinary actors had difficulty riding in, the kind usually reserved for top
stars.
The actor from WG Entertainment had definitely arrived.
They had said it was a special appearance….
Usually, a special appearance meant appearing briefly in only one scene.
A top actor this successful was coming for a scene like that?
The gazes of everyone around me, including the minor actors and staff, turned toward the van.
Then the large door opened.
A staff member ran toward the door and shouted so everyone could hear.
“Actor Park Min-jun is here!”
Park Min-jun…?
Wait a minute.
Why is that bastard here…?