The Prelude to <em>Red Petals</em>
The script reading for the movie Red Petals—the overture to its birth—had begun. This was his second time, but the trembling and tension felt no different from the first. If anything, it might have been even more intense. After all, he'd successfully "settled in" with Wanted, so now it was time to "prove" himself with Red Petals.
Prove. What a heavy word. He'd broken through auditions on pure skill alone and landed the role. On skill alone, he'd elevated the supporting character Choi Kyu-bo into a lead, drawing everyone's attention. But in the end, all people saw was the glamorous image of "rising star Baek Woojin." No one knew about the sweat and tears he'd shed to get there.
"A rookie not even a year into his debut snagging a lead in his first film?"
"And that film is none other than Ryu Chang-min's retirement project?"
Until he delivered the results, doubts and curiosity like that would keep trailing him. And then there'd be the whispers: "Doesn't he have connections?" "I get he did well in his last project, but this feels excessive." "Pfft, total hype."
And so on. If he couldn't prove why he'd been cast as Prince Yeonsan, envy, jealousy, critical stares, and snide comments would cling to him like a tail.
"Whew."
Woojin let out a deep sigh in front of the office door. Even during Wanted, script readings had never been lighthearted. Convincing his fellow actors through performance was the first step in proving himself—and the script reading was the place to make it real.
Knock knock.
He could feel a faint tremor even in his fingertips as he knocked. Was this how gladiators felt entering the Colosseum? With grim determination, Woojin opened the door and stepped in.
"Hello! I'm rookie actor Baek Woojin. I'll work hard. Please take care of me!"
He bowed deeply. In response,
"Hey, you're here!"
Seong-cheol waved cheerfully, welcoming him. Then,
"Nice to meet you."
From Jang Jun-ho, the senior playing Kwon Dal-su.
"First time seeing you in person. I've heard a lot."
Ha Hyun-cheol, playing Park Won-jong, smiled as he spoke. Woojin also exchanged greetings with Hong Man-sik as Yuja-gwang, So Jae-chan as Yu Sun, Jo Wol-rae as Seong Hui-an, and the others.
The grim resolve he'd steeled himself with just before entering felt almost silly now—the seniors' reactions were incredibly warm and friendly. In this unexpectedly harmonious atmosphere, he was just starting to relax when—
"Teacher, you've arrived."
Among them, the eldest, Seong-cheol, shot up from his seat and bowed deeply toward the door. The other seniors followed suit, bowing to someone. Woojin did the same, then slowly raised his head.
Straight ahead stood a veteran actor entering with a kindly smile for the junior performers. "Nice to see you all. Sit comfortably. No need for such formality."
A great actor with 57 years in the industry, turning eighty this year. It was Lee Jae-soon, playing the eunuch Kim Cheo-seon.
* * *
Oh Seong-cheol guided Lee Jae-soon to his seat. The immense aura Woojin had sensed from photos with Ryu filled the room. Even the teacher's simple steps to his seat felt like living performance. To convey such depth in the mundane—
The acting that emerges when you're not acting is the best acting. Was this what it looked like to reach that realm?
"Have you eaten?"
"Of course. Already did. How've you been?"
The teacher settled in and chatted amiably with Seong-cheol. Woojin later learned Seong-cheol had played the teacher's second son in his debut film.
"Teacher. That's the kid."
"Hm?"
"The one I mentioned last time..."
Seong-cheol pointed at Woojin. The teacher's gaze turned to him.
"Ah~ So you're Yeonsan."
"Woojin-ah. Greet the teacher."
Woojin rushed forward faster than anyone.
"I'm rookie actor Baek Woojin, cast as Prince Yeonsan. It's an honor to meet you!"
He shouted even louder, bowing deeply. The tension that had eased at the great actor's arrival wrapped around him again.
"Heh heh, such vibrant energy. I like it."
The teacher chuckled warmly and extended his hand. Woojin clasped it respectfully. The grip was rough and calloused, but the energy it conveyed was immense.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-five."
"Heh heh heh. Same age as my youngest grandson."
The teacher's hearty laugh boomed.
"Treat me like a grandson, Teacher. I'll give it my all."
"Young folks these days are so affable. Let's do our best."
"Yes, sir!"
The teacher nodded at Woojin's cheeky line.
"So this one's the baby of the group?"
"No, Teacher. There's someone a year younger than him, and this time..."
Bang!
That's when it happened. The door flew open, drawing all eyes.
"H-Hello!"
A young woman stood there, panting as if she'd sprinted in. The 24-year-old rookie actress caught her breath and declared loudly,
"I'm rookie actress Shin Da-hee, cast as Jang Nok-su!"
She bowed deeply.
"That's the baby, Teacher," Seong-cheol whispered.
The seniors welcomed her just as warmly as they had Woojin. Stiff with nerves, she moved like a robot.
"Relax. Haha."
"N-No, I'm fine!"
The seniors burst into laughter at the maknae's cuteness, shaking hands with her. Watching, Woojin thought, I must've looked like that to them too. It was embarrassing to realize his own state just minutes ago might have been the same.
After greeting the seniors one by one, she bowed politely to Lee Jae-soon and Oh Seong-cheol. Finally,
"Please take care of me, sunbae!"
Woojin offered his hand at her spirited greeting.
"No need for sunbae. I'm a rookie like you, Da-hee."
"Still..."
"Let's just use names with each other. I'm still learning too."
"Got it. I'll call you Woojin-ssi then."
"Yeah."
Woojin smiled and shook her hand. At the same time, the thought crossed his mind: At least there's another actor my age. Lucky. Da-hee, meeting his eyes, seemed to think the same. For now, it was just a friendly grip, but what chemistry would they create on camera? As Prince Yeonsan and Jang Nok-su, the two young actors exchanged a look conveying expectation and excitement. Both emotions.
That's when it happened.
"Everyone's here."
It was Ryu Chang-min. He entered with a bright expression.
"Please take care of us, Director!"
The actors rose and greeted him. Ryu shook hands with everyone, bowing politely to Lee Jae-soon as he had with the others. Moments later, settling into his seat, he said,
"Since we're all here, shall we get started?"
The script reading with the main cast gathered. Ryu surveyed the room, a satisfied smile on his face. In that smile lingered deep anticipation that his final work for the world had finally begun.
"Normally, we'd start with introductions, but I assume you've all greeted each other."
The actors nodded. They all knew who everyone was anyway, and the new faces were just Woojin and Da-hee.
"Let's skip the formalities and dive in. That okay with you, Teacher?"
Before directing the reading, Ryu politely sought Lee Jae-soon's approval. The master respected the great actor, who replied,
"Do as you wish, Director."
"Thank you, Teacher."
The great actor responded in kind with utmost respect.
"Before we start, a few key announcements."
Ryu cleared his throat and continued.
"Filming will mostly be at Mun Kyung-sae Open Set, with just the final scene's one shot at the summit of Daebu Mountain in Yangpyeong."
It was like a briefing. Unusual—normally handled through agencies.
"That's Ryu's style. He covers all the details actors might wonder about before starting," Seong-cheol whispered to Woojin.
Woojin nodded, focusing on the director.
"As for shooting, we'll film every scene in sequence."
Ryu's next announcement was downright radical.
Filming scenes in order?
"The production company opposed it, of course, but they've agreed to my way."
This wasn't done in films or dramas. Once a set was ready, they'd shoot all scenes there back-to-back. Reasons varied: location bookings, constant setup time, extra extras needed, and more. It wasn't impossible, but...
On set, time was money. This was a costly, cumbersome method.
"I know. It's a reckless plan."
Ryu acknowledged it upfront.
"As you know, this is my retirement film. I want to make it better than anything."
Sincerity rang in his quiet voice.
"Filming in sequence will let your talents shine brighter."
The sole advantage: following time's flow made maintaining emotional arcs easier for actors.
"And I want to see the overall picture and composition in forward flow."
Woojin swallowed dryly. It sounded like the director wanted to witness Prince Yeonsan's transformation more vividly.
"It's settled with the crew, but I'd like your input too. Is it okay to proceed my way?"
The actors nodded in silent agreement, curiosity about the untested method evident.
"Thank you. Finally..."
Ryu extended his hand.
"We have two young actors in our film. Baek Woojin-ssi and Shin Da-hee-ssi, could you stand for a moment?"
His gesture pointed to Woojin and Da-hee, the two rookies.