Actor's Path 2
In the car heading to the filming location, I checked the footage we'd shot separately for the first scene. In the video, I was perfectly embodying Lee Ha-eun. It looked so much like my usual self at school. The same uniform, the same classroom, sitting at the same desk—it all made it feel even more identical.
What if my classmates saw this right in front of them? I worried someone might recognize me.
"Manager unnie."
I showed the video to Manager Unnie sitting beside me and asked her opinion.
"What do you think, unnie? Does it look similar to my usual self?"
"...Hmm. The vibe is definitely similar, but your face is so different that I don't think anyone would recognize you."
Thank goodness that's how it looked to her eyes. I decided to trust Unnie's instincts for now. If it really bothered me, I could just ask her to keep the students out as much as possible during filming.
It wasn't long before we arrived at the location. At the school entrance, I could see students who'd come early to wait around. A few from my class were among them. They must all have come to gawk at me.
Thankfully, the staff were guarding the entrance, so the students couldn't get inside. Only after confirming that could I finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew."
The school interior was packed with staff, just like last time. I headed straight to the dressing room where the costume staff were.
"You're not getting makeup done?"
"No."
The character I was playing, Lee Ha-eun, was defined by her natural, unadorned look. To stay true to that, I planned to film bare-faced. No makeup.
The female makeup artist looked reluctant.
"Still, wouldn't it be better to at least do a light layer? There's your idol image to consider, and visually, it'd be..."
"I appreciate the thought, but I'll pass."
I had no intention of changing my mind. My real face was decent enough anyway.
"I'm fine like this."
"Like this..?"
She scanned my face silently for a moment. Then her pupils dilated slightly, and she whispered in a flustered tone.
"...Wait, are you saying you haven't done any makeup right now?"
"Yes."
The artist's eyebrows shot up a bit. A flash of surprise crossed her face. Finally, she gave a wry smile.
"...Ah, then I guess you don't need any."
She accepted it with a strangely sad expression. Had I done something wrong?
With no time to spare, we finished the basic costuming and headed out.
"Let's see, today's first part is..."
I was walking down the hallway, checking the script, when a familiar face brushed past me. Without thinking, I greeted her.
"Hello, Teacher."
"Pardon?"
"Oh."
I realized my mistake and turned around. Our class homeroom teacher, Lee Ye-rin from Class 1-7, was staring at me with a puzzled look. I hadn't expected her to be at school on the weekend.
I'd accidentally greeted her like I always did.
"Wait just now..."
"You're working hard even on the weekend. I'll be going now."
I bowed quickly and hurried away. Then a voice called out from behind, stopping me.
"Wait, hold on a second."
I froze stiff on the spot. The teacher approached and peered intently at my face. Was she recognizing me? Anxious, I swallowed hard.
Suddenly, she clapped her hands lightly as if realizing something. I swallowed again.
But her next words were the opposite of what I'd feared.
"...You're Ruti, aren't you?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes."
I nodded, and she covered her mouth with both hands, beaming with joy.
"Oh my, you look so different from usual—I didn't recognize you at all!"
"R-Really?"
"Yes! Oh, and I'm Lee Ye-rin, working at this school. I watch you on TV all the time."
She was glancing shyly at my face. She had no clue I was her own student.
"If it's okay, could we take a quick photo together?"
"Sure, of course."
Click.
After snapping the photo just the two of us, she frantically rummaged in her pocket for a pen.
"Could I get an autograph too?"
"Sure. But where should I..."
She had the pen, but no paper for the signature. The teacher hesitated, then handed me the booklet she was holding.
It was the attendance register.
"Here, please."
"Here..?"
I stared down at the attendance book in silence. This was the thing she'd whack me over the head with every time I was tardy without permission.
I left my signature there. So starting tomorrow, would she be hitting me with an attendance book bearing my autograph? It felt kinda weird. More than a little.
"What does it say below?"
"It's a line from the movie."
In small letters under my signature, I'd written: 'Please hit me without hurting.'
Tears would prick my eyes whenever she aimed for the corner of it.
Back on set, I sat at the desk and opened the script. Today's scenes were especially crucial. It was the moment the male and female leads met for the first time. To draw the audience in, I had to nail the female lead's emotional arc. In that single scene, convey the awkwardness, the fluttering heart, the strange pull—all those complex feelings at first glance.
I'd already memorized the script perfectly. Now it was just rehearsal to practice.
But my co-star hadn't arrived yet.
"When's he getting here?"
I waited quietly for about ten minutes. Then someone burst through the classroom door.
"Sorry I'm late!"
He bowed deeply to me and the other extras. And as he lifted his head—
"Whoa."
A gasp of admiration slipped from the female extra next to me. The young man who'd entered was handsome enough that even I, as a guy at heart, had to admit it. A fresh-faced charm.
Lee Si-woo. The actor playing my counterpart in this movie. If I'd been scouted to appeal to guys, he'd clearly been picked for the girls.
He approached me and bowed again.
"I'm really sorry for being late. My schedule got unexpectedly tangled..."
"It's fine."
It was only ten minutes, and I knew all about clashing schedules, so I understood. I stood without fuss and offered a handshake first.
"I'm Kim Sihyeon. Looking forward to working with you."
"Me too..."
As our hands touched, I felt a slight tremble. Nerves from our first meeting?
Soon the director arrived, and rehearsals kicked off in earnest.
"Ready, action!"
The first part was the male lead picking up the female lead's dropped wallet. The key was my excited expression the moment our fingertips brushed.
Sigh.
Making that face opposite a guy was a bit awkward, but this was acting, pure and simple. Gotta eat to live—what couldn't I do?
"Ha, Ha-eun-ah, your wallet dropped here."
"Cut!"
Just as I reached for the wallet he'd handed back with an excited look, the director watching called cut immediately.
The NG wasn't me—it was Lee Si-woo.
"Si-woo, this is Sihyeon's excited scene. So why are you..."
In the scene where I was supposed to be thrilled, he was the one looking flustered.
Lee Si-woo bowed sheepishly to the director.
"...Sorry."
"Let's go again."
The rehearsal restarted. But not long after, another cut. Same reason: Lee Si-woo.
...Why are you the one getting excited in the scene where I'm supposed to?
"Cut!"
He kept NG-ing for the same reason. Irritation was starting to creep onto the director's face, who hadn't minded at first.
"Ha... Si-woo, are you not feeling well today? Why keep repeating the same mistake?"
I was a bit puzzled too. Unlike me, Lee Si-woo was a proper actor. It didn't make sense for him to keep messing up something so basic.
"Well..."
He mumbled softly.
"When I look at Sihyeon-ssi, I get nervous without realizing it..."
He kept glancing my way. I avoided his gaze and sighed inwardly.
This vibe was unfamiliar. I was already worried if we'd make it through filming smoothly.
...Life's tough when you're just trying to survive.
"Cut! Perfect this time."
Contrary to my initial worries, Lee Si-woo adapted quickly to the set and stopped making the same mistake. Thanks to that, we could proceed normally.
"That's the morning shoot. Take a short break, then we'll continue."
During the brief rest—lucky for us, since it was a classroom set, I could just sit at the desk. As I was catching my breath, a burly man opened the door and strode in.
Lee Si-woo's eyes widened.
"President?"
His agency's CEO? Out of courtesy, I bowed my head in greeting too.
"What brings the president here?"
"Just passing by and thought I'd drop in. And you are..."
His gaze shifted straight to me.
"Ruti, right? Nice to meet you. Here's my card."
He handed me a business card with the AJ Entertainment logo.
"One of our actors will be in your debt this time."
"No, if anything, I'm the one who..."
"Which is why I have something important to discuss."
He gave me a meaningful smile. I'd assumed he'd come for his own actor. But it seemed the real business was with me.