You'll Have to Watch the Movie
The making-of PD didn't even have a chance to ask him to keep it moderate before Bae Su-chan's mouth opened.
"If by 'was it hard' you mean 'were you embarrassed' — a little, yes. And of course, I thought it might have been a burdensome question for Actress Su-a as well."
"Ah, right. Genius or not, she's still only ten. It might have been a difficult question to answer."
Bae Su-chan nodded as if to say that was exactly it. His eyes curved, bright with the look of a man who knew things were about to get very interesting.
"Actress Su-a's acting style definitely isn't something I could imitate."
"Ahh..."
"But! She gave me a clear clue to the problem I was facing. Thanks to that, I was able to develop my own technique and get a much firmer hold on Geon-bok. It's not perfect yet, but it's getting better and better! I'm truly a lucky man. I got the chance to learn acting from Director Hong Il-beom and Actress Su-a at the same time."
The making-of PD listened with his mouth half-open as Bae Su-chan laid out praise after praise for Director Hong Il-beom and Lee Su-a.
The director had told him to, sure — but a grown adult asking a little kid questions and learning from her? And looking that happy about it?
Even with her substantial role, she was still young, her career was short, and she barely had a fanbase to speak of. The PD had been building the making-of around the lead actors, and he found all of this hard to swallow. She'd given an impressive performance at the table read, that much was true — but to go this far?
"And Actress Su-a also—"
"Oh, there's more?"
"Yes! Actress Su-a took the lead in getting the actors together for acting practice, and thanks to that, we've had far fewer retakes! Hahaha!"
The making-of PD couldn't bring himself to object and laughed along, but his gut had already decided.
They're going to say this was a hundred percent scripted.
Unlike the PD sitting across from him in person, viewers watching through a camera and an editing bay would have a hard time feeling the genuine emotion in Bae Su-chan's voice. People would absolutely say they were just trying to boost the child actress.
Do I cut this, or keep it?
The main audience for a making-of film was fans of the actors and the movie, so the PD figured the smartest approach was to show only the fun, impressive stuff. Anything that might stir up controversy was easier on the heart just cut.
But there was always a what-if.
The director and the actors are all praising her acting. What if the movie blows up when it comes out?
Then people would kick up a fuss about why there was so little Lee Su-a footage in the making-of. Clicking his tongue inwardly, the PD chose the safe option. He'd already clocked out for the day, so he would ask Lee Su-a when she came in tomorrow.
Having more footage to edit was always better than having too little. Work hard now, and the future would be easier.
"Actress Su-a! Actor Su-chan said all this — is it true?!"
He'd sent word ahead through her manager that he wanted a short interview as soon as she arrived on set. Lee Su-a, finished with hair and makeup, didn't fluster even when the making-of PD shoved a camera in her face without warning. She just grinned, easy and unbothered.
"Aww, Su-chan was being way too nice. I just showed him a little of how I act, that's all. I'm glad it seems to have helped!"
The delivery was so smooth it was hard to believe this was a child actress's interview skill. The making-of PD let out an audible sound of admiration even as he glanced behind her. Actress Ye Na-ri, who'd arrived with her, and Lee Su-a's manager Gwon Du-il both looked utterly dumbfounded.
So it was a bigger help than I thought?
Especially given the manager's expression — this wasn't a line anyone had told her to say. They'd called her a genius. Apparently that wasn't limited to acting.
Lee Su-a smiled with a face of perfect, innocent ignorance.
"And I'm learning so much too — from Director Hong Il-beom, from Jo Yong-jin, from Bae Su-chan, from Ye Na-ri here... from everyone, really!"
"Wow, so you're all teaching each other. The atmosphere on set must be amazing."
"Yes! It's really fun. I think the movie's going to turn out great, too."
She had a real gift for smoothly passing the credit around. The topic had shifted from acting to the mood on set, and it wrapped up on a warm note.
Well... good enough.
The PD captured Lee Su-a's giggling face prettily on camera. Whatever the truth was, there was no need to put all of it in the making-of film.
Having decided to focus on Lee Su-a today, the making-of PD tossed her a light question.
"What do you do when you're resting at the lodging?"
"The day before a shoot, I try to get plenty of rest. When I have free time, I practice acting or work out with my manager."
"Summer vacation's almost over, right? Did you finish your homework?"
"Yes! Now I just have to not skip writing in my diary."
Lee Su-a didn't seem shy with anyone — she talked easily even in front of the camera. Plenty of actors got uncomfortable unless they were performing, so this was a relief.
The making-of PD shot her from various angles as she sat in the waiting area on set, then spotted a vivid red wound on her leg. A cold sweat ran down his back.
"A-Actress? Did you hurt your...?"
He whispered it, glancing sideways at the fearsome-looking manager Gwon Du-il, a former combat sports athlete. Lee Su-a's eyes went round, and she burst into a peal of laughter.
"This is makeup! It looks super real, right? Want to see?"
Lee Su-a hiked her skirt up a little. The back of her calf was covered in countless thin, long wounds.
"Aigoo, you startled me... This is makeup? Cheon-yeong got hurt?"
"Yes. Um... is it okay if I spoil it a little?"
"If it seems like something we shouldn't air, we'll just edit it out, so go ahead and talk freely."
Even so, Lee Su-a hesitated a moment, then chose her words carefully.
"Baek-yeong, who appears as a villain in the story, lost the protagonist and took it out on Cheon-yeong for no reason."
"Aigoo, what a rotten man. Why take it out on a child who didn't do anything wrong? That must have hurt so much."
"Everyone else reveres her, but he knows Cheon-yeong's secret, and Cheon-yeong doesn't even resist, so he just sees her as an easy target. But Cheon-yeong is okay."
"She's okay? Is that thanks to Il-yeong, her closest friend?"
"That's part of it. And Cheon-yeong chose to endure it for now, for the sake of later. She was prepared for it, so she's okay."
The character analysis poured out so fluently the PD quietly marveled. She must have really studied the script.
"Still, a child getting beaten like that... that's so much to go through. Cheon-yeong will be happy in the end, right?"
The PD had only attended the first table read, and at that time the film had ended with Cheon-yeong's death. He'd heard the ending had been changed before cameras started rolling.
Lee Su-a shrugged, maddeningly vague.
"Who knows. But Cheon-yeong is the kind of friend who can be happy even now. No matter how miserable the circumstances she lives in, she can find happiness. Especially if she's with Il-yeong."
"Wow, so Cheon-yeong becomes happy together with Il-yeong?"
Lee Su-a grinned, a mischievous look on her face.
The well-timed promotional instinct made the PD laugh, his frustration forgotten.
Listening from a step away, Gwon Du-il suddenly thought that Lee Su-a and Cheon-yeong were remarkably alike. A mind so sharp it was startling, instincts downright supernatural, and a habit of drawing a line with almost everyone.
If that was the case... who was Lee Su-a's Il-yeong?
Only one person came to Gwon Du-il's mind, of course.
Baek-yeong laying hands on Cheon-yeong was a frequent occurrence. He claimed that enduring physical pain honed one's divine power to a finer edge, but no one had ever seen Hui-yeong or Baek-yeong themselves undergo such training.
Those who didn't know the truth whispered that Baek-yeong had gone blind with jealousy because their master Hui-yeong's favor had turned toward Cheon-yeong, and that he would one day incur the spirit's wrath. Baek-yeong couldn't have cared less. That the legends of the spirit and the shrine maiden were fake was a secret known to only three people, himself included.
Of course, that was a misconception.
"Cheon-yeong, are you all right?"
"Mm..."
Having confirmed Yang Ho-gun's escape, Baek-yeong had flown into a rage and taken up a switch. Spouting the absurd claim that their failure to anticipate the spy's flight was because Cheon-yeong had neglected her training, he beat her until the switch snapped.
With her calves split open, Cheon-yeong couldn't even lie on her back. She could only lie prone, panting in short, ragged breaths. Doctrine forbade administering medicine to a shrine maiden, so there was little treatment to be had.
"Ji-suk, water..."
They were alone, so Cheon-yeong used her real name. The girl called Il-yeong, whose true name was Ji-suk, tenderly wiped the sweat from Cheon-yeong's brow, then rose.
And ran into people she had never expected.