Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 085
Chapter Title: Crank-In (1)
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[Anyway, once it hits theaters, all that talk will just fade away, right? They won't be able to spout that nonsense again.]
Kwon Seonghyeon had said that, but regardless, solid acting came first. This industry was brutally harsh on anyone who didn't excel at their craft.
"You have to do your job faithfully."
That's how he'd been taught, and that's how he'd been raised. Especially since this was about extending his own lifespan—he had no intention of half-assing it.
"I'm worried. You still look so gaunt...."
"It's just appearances."
"You've been holding hands the whole time."
"That's unavoidable because of the ritual."
It wasn't anything else; it was backlash from breaking a curse. His spiritual power was recharging slower than expected, even with such a vibrant battery right beside him.
"I must've made a mistake thinking about this. Should've just watched it alone. No, the angel shines most beautifully when everyone admires him... Sigh. Why'd it suddenly feel so different?"
Kwon Seonghyeon was a pretty decent backup battery—no, mentor—aside from those times he dropped cringeworthy lines like "angel" that left him speechless. Being divine-touched seemed to amplify ability effects, and he'd picked up on it quickly. Not that Yeonwoo could answer, so he just played dumb.
"You're taking your tonics properly, right?"
[Don't worry, Actor! I'm keeping an eye on it!]
"I'll trust you, Dongja-ssi. Make sure he takes his red ginseng too, okay?"
[I'm watching like a hawk every time!]
Not a hawk, but a plump sparrow puffed up proudly.
[You take care of yourself too, Actor. You're wearing yourself out looking after Yeonwoo. Your spiritual power's getting siphoned off in real-time as it is.]
"How lucky am I that I can help with my own body? If it were someone else, Yeonwoo would've been in trouble. Right?"
[Our actor's got a big heart.]
The sparrow, feathers and all fluffed out, nodded.
"I need to look better by the script reading... Maybe we should delay filming...."
"Talk sense."
Wasn't acting all about performance? Looks just needed to meet the basics. Still.
Even his mother, Lady Kang, had never fussed this much. Yeonwoo let Kwon Seonghyeon's worries go in one ear and out the other as he focused on the footage. Time was short.
And a few days later.
"We welcome all the staff and actors gathered here today."
Before the official crank-in, the script reading commenced.
***
The first script reading went incredibly smoothly. Unlike dramas, there were no glaring issues—at least, that's how it seemed to Yeonwoo.
"You're really a rookie? Your delivery was so natural. Guess I worried for nothing."
Some had pegged Yeonwoo as the potential weak link. But after seeing the leads flow effortlessly into their roles, those doubts vanished like mere illusions.
"Honestly, I thought you were a nepotism hire. But nope."
Yeon Do-hee, the female lead, chimed in.
"Never thought I'd feel all tingly and excited at my age."
"You're too kind, sunbaenim."
"Not empty words. I'm personally staking a lot on this project. If it succeeds, I can solidify my position."
Yeon Do-hee had decent recognition but fell just short of top-tier. If Min Yerin was undeniably A-list, Yeon Do-hee got "close but not quite." Her public profile matched Min Yerin's, but her films had bombed one after another.
"Anyway, this one feels great. It's gonna be a hit. You see the director's face?"
Yeon Do-hee asked.
He'd seen the director's face, of course. And remembered the shock.
*At the pre-meeting, I thought I'd walked into the wrong place....*
The genre was romance. But the guy who showed up was....
*A bear?*
Massive build. Height like his head was extra-large. Hands folded demurely, but huge. A man who looked exactly like a bear offered a greeting.
[Hello....]
[...?]
A voice that crawled in, tiny compared to his size. The assistant director who came with him translated.
[He says nice to meet you. Oh, Director Ji is a bit shy. Please understand.]
[...]
Even the bear was shy.
*...Isn't a film director supposed to be communicative?*
Questions arose, but the meeting wrapped up fine. Mostly via the assistant director, though.
"If it's about Director Ji, honestly, I don't know much...."
Yeon Do-hee burst out laughing.
"Yeah, he's the type you have to get to know to appreciate. That face of his is super friendly! I know him personally outside work, so yeah."
"...Really?"
Hard to believe, but if his friend said so.
"Anyway, let's do our best."
"Yes. I'll give it my all."
"Not too much. If the male lead outshines the female one, I'll be embarrassed. Director Ji loves it, though."
[Truth]
An alert popped above Yeon Do-hee's beaming smile.
*...He likes the director, got it. But the rest is true too?*
With Intent Discernment, any deviation from true intent wouldn't trigger it.
"Do you go to a special skincare place?"
"No, nothing like that...."
"Oh my god. Youth? Your skin looks so soft. No pores, no beard shadow."
She looked the same age, making it awkward.
"I don't have much body hair naturally. Thanks for the compliment...?"
It was a compliment, right? As Yeonwoo's tone lifted uncertainly, Yeon Do-hee laughed again.
"Was I too much for a first meeting? Sorry. You remind me of my little brother—we're the same age. Ah, Director Ji's calling. Go on."
Amid the bustling crowd, the assistant director waved hugely.
"Director. You called?"
"Today's time is fi...."
"Yeonwoo-ssi is fine today."
Approaching, the assistant director jumped right in.
"Yes?"
"Video sh...."
"He wants to shoot a quick video."
"It's possible, but...."
"Inspir.... Earlier...."
"Seems like Director Ji's had a burst of inspiration. He's been fiddling with the camera nonstop."
Glancing over during the helpful translation, Director Ji had shed his shyness, eyes gleaming at Yeonwoo with the camera in hand.
"Pretty...."
"He says editing for more visual flair is obvious, but tweaking the angles a bit would make it way more stunning—says the vibe's hitting him hard right now. Better shoot before it fades."
The inexplicable fervor in those sparkling eyes was no joke.
*...Dunno what, but better go along.*
No need to douse the director's passion, who oversaw script, direction, editing—everything.
But during the impromptu image shoot, Yeonwoo wondered if he'd done more than withhold water—maybe poured oil on the fire.
***
That vibe had been there from the start.
[Eu, Eureka...!]
Arriving early to the meeting room, Yeonwoo went to greet him, and the bear bolted outside in a frenzy.
[...?]
Suddenly alone, Yeonwoo blinked in confusion.
Eureka? Wasn't that what some old foreign mathematician yelled when he discovered something?
The bear—Director Ji—soon returned with his interpreter.
[Whoa, Director. How's a guy who looked half-dead suddenly so energized? Eyes full of mania....]
[Quick, the feeling from last time....]
[Got it. Yeonwoo-ssi, he says the vibe's changed again from before?]
"The vibe?"
[Definitely....]
[He says it's definitely different. Not the drama or pictorial vibe.]
Wasn't enough just eating all the health foods Kwon Seonghyeon brought?
[Is it weird? I lost some weight, but I can bulk up quick....]
[No!]
Yeonwoo's words cut off at Director Ji's firm shout. The assistant director startled too.
[...Yes?]
[Absolutely! No... no way!]
Director Ji loomed suddenly, eyes blazing.
[Perfectly....]
[...?]
[Jawline sharper.... Eyes deeper.... Aura too....]
[The aura's more profound now, he says. Wonders where you've been and what you've done.]
Just kidnapped by some business family, broke a curse, took backlash, puked blood.
[Don't stare too much....]
[Is it bad?]
No way. With stats from that European noblewoman, no chance.
[Deeper eyes make the gaze killer, he loves it. But he's shy—better stop staring.]
Felt like the heat radiating beside him might explode soon. The assistant director added.
[If before was coffee, now it's TOP class?]
[...?]
[Means he really likes it.]
Yeonwoo ended up showered in praise.
*Well, my face does feel like it might burst.*
If old Director Ji was just a bear, now he was a grizzly.
Fine as long as no issues. That was pre-script reading.
*Didn't expect it to carry over like this....*
Yeonwoo sighed softly, eyeing the camera capturing him head to toe from every angle.
"This is insane...."
He hadn't done much.
"Walk a bit...."
"Stop there.... Turn your head this way...."
The shy actor-director relayed instructions via assistant.
Weird stuff becomes normal eventually. Talking to ghosts? Humans being odd barely registered.
"Wanna walk some?"
"Stop there, turn your head this way, meet the gaze."
"Pretend someone's beside you, lean in like this."
Just walking, stopping, posing as directed, yet Director Ji's excitement surged.
Especially reciting lines a few times—Director Ji,
"Huh...."
"...Director?"
Broke into tears.
"Aigoo, our director must be over the moon."
"Yes...?"
"Understand, Yeonwoo-ssi. Our director struggled so much to get this film here. Look at him. Yeah, the soft tofu heart under that rough exterior, but image is everything. A hulking scary guy doing romance? Open ending too? Studios trashed it everywhere—not major, they said. Whew, I'd cry too. He pushed through ignoring it all—did great. Director, stop crying. Yeonwoo-ssi might run scared."
"No.... Can't...."
Director Ji, silent tears streaming, covered his eyes with massive hands.
*...The movie should be fine.*
Seeing the reaction, the new stats worked well—better than expected. Though the intensity worried him.
"Only saying now, but Director said he saw you in that drama and just knew. 'Gotta make him the lead.' First time he's ever said that."
"Really?"
"Once work starts, he's better, but pre-production? Fragile guy, as you know...."
Fragile. Didn't fit Director Ji at all.
"From the Grim Reaper role?"
"Wild, right? Picking a romance lead from a Grim Reaper. But Director's eye for talent is unreal. I suffered from then on...."
"Stop...."
Director Ji flushed, silencing the assistant.
Kwon Seonghyeon had first pointed to this script as a solid director's work to expand Yeonwoo's acting range and fame. Building varied roles and images mattered. He'd accepted—later learning it was targeted at him specifically.
"Director praised you so much, I got curious too. Great expressions, enunciation, diction—above all, that magnetic presence. But one tiny nitpick."
"What was it?"
"Tinglyness?"
"...?"
"How to put it? That thing that tickles deep in your soul."
"Ah...?"
Dunno, but sounded risky.