Actress Kim Si-a (5)
I tore through the chaotic filming set like a man possessed, bowing my head to every single person I came across.
"I'm terribly sorry. Our actress isn't in the best condition today, so she caused some trouble."
"Nah~ Things like that happen when you're shooting... And honestly, if I were Kim Si-a, I wouldn't have held up either.."
"Thank you so much for understanding! My apologies to everyone else as well."
My legs were starting to ache.
Even with a body forged by exercise—nothing like the soft one from my past life—sprinting around and bowing to dozens of people still wasn't easy.
Some might think bowing even to the extras was overdoing it.
But these little things piled up, and my reputation... our actress's reputation... and beyond that, the company's reputation all rose together.
Yeah. Every drop of sweat I shed today will come back around eventually.
People loved a hardworking newbie who ran around on his own two feet... just like that guy over there..
"Minhyuk, was it? You look like a newbie, but you're really putting in the work.."
"Hello, sir! I'm Kang Minhyuk, manager for Kim Si-a at JS Entertainment!"
Park Ji-ho PD, wearing that easygoing smile of his, must have felt a wave of nostalgia for the old days when managers ran themselves ragged on set. He even remembered my name from overhearing it in passing and came over to talk.
"You're working hard~ Wow... look at all that sweat."
"Haha. Still a rookie, so I'm learning by running around. Hope you'll look kindly on me!"
Looks like the payoff for all this sweat is coming back faster than I expected...?
I hadn't planned it this way, but the one person on this set I absolutely wanted to get close to was standing right in front of me.
Park Ji-ho PD... the man who would go on to become the main PD of JBC's music programs.
And the husband of Kim Hye-kyeong, the future star writer.
Kim Hye-kyeong's next project was going to be Lovely Lady, right?
A drama that hit 15 percent ratings..
More important than that, though, was the role in it that fit our Si-a noona's image change perfectly.
The clumsy, lovable chaebol daughter... that's pure Si-a noona. And that high-class image would be perfect for landing ads too..
Park Ji-ho PD had no idea about the scheming going on inside my head. He just kept smiling that friendly smile as he spoke.
"Why are you running around apologizing so much! Honestly, we're the ones who should be sorry. Is Si-a okay?"
"Well... ah, no. It's not enough to interfere with the shoot."
"What do you mean 'no'? One look and you can tell she must've cried her eyes out...
Anyway, if I ever work with that Kim Gyeong-tae bastard again, I'm not even human."
Hmm... he clearly feels a bit guilty about this side of things... maybe I should grab his contact info while I'm at it?
Honestly, Si-a noona was still a little too green for that role.
But I really wanted her to land it no matter what..
Even if she didn't, getting close to this guy would be a win in all sorts of ways.
After the trouble with Director Kim this time, he would end up moving over to variety shows.
"To be honest, it was a bit of a shock... I'd heard this industry was rough, but I never imagined it would be this bad.."
His face flushed red as he muttered the words, clearly embarrassed.
"Hooo. Showing a newbie something that ugly... I'm sorry. Let me apologize in his place.
There are plenty of bastards who aren't even human in this business, but even I had no idea Director Kim was one of them.."
This was the kind of man he was.
Someone who hated injustice and knew how to feel shame when something shameful happened.
Utterly ordinary... a man who still had a conscience.
"Actress Kim Si-a, please stand by!"
I wanted to get a little closer to him, but the shout ringing out forced me to wrap things up by taking his business card.
"Ah... I was hoping to learn more from you, PD-nim... but I think I have to stop here. Would it be possible to get one of your cards?"
"Why make something so simple sound so hard! Here you go... Next time, let's grab a drink!"
"Yes! I'll definitely treat you to a good one. I'll pick a nice place.."
"Oh, come on, man~ How could I let a newbie buy me drinks... Call me whenever you're free. I love drinking, you know~"
I'd heard he was a serious drinker... looks like it was true.
Park Ji-ho PD handed me his card with a hearty laugh and walked off.
I bowed after him and headed toward the van where Si-a noona was waiting.
Why is that guy sweating so much again?
Did he run around because of me, just like earlier...?
He opened the car door, still out of breath, and somehow didn't notice me dozing in the back seat. He spoke to Coordinator Choi instead.
"Coordinator... Manager Yeong-cheol still hasn't shown up, right?"
"Nope. Probably off somewhere sweet-talking some innocent kids again~ You can tell without even looking."
Listening to the two of them talk made my face burn hot.
I knew.
I knew exactly what that man got up to..
He was definitely off hitting on some pretty extra again.
Haa. I really hate this..
If that guy over there were my manager instead of Kim Yeong-cheol, how much better would it be?
Then the drive to the set would never feel scary... Should I just say something...?
"Um... Minhyuk, about that.."
"Ah, noona! You were here? Let's go. I finished talking with the PD and the director."
"Talking about what?"
"I told you earlier. Just trust me for one day and tough it out."
I'd heard he was a first-day rookie manager..
What gave him the confidence to act so sure of himself...?
And what exactly about him made me want to lean on him like this?
Looking into those bright eyes of his somehow made me want to believe in him.
"Just like you said, noona, I'll stick right next to Director Kim. Don't worry about a thing and just trust me!"
That wasn't what I'd said earlier. I'd only asked him to stay by my side on set..
He seemed to have gotten some strange idea into his head.
"That's right, unnie~ Earlier I saw Minhyuk running around bowing his head all over the place. He looked completely swamped."
"What...?"
So all that sweat really was because of me?
"Nah, noona. It's my first time on a set like this. I just wanted to go around and greet everyone properly."
Even if he said that, looking at him soaked in sweat made something in my chest ache.
This was the first time since joining the company that someone had worked this hard for me..
Yeah. I couldn't let this person's trust go to waste.
"Let's go. I think I can do well this time.."
Yeah. If that guy is next to me, I feel like I might actually pull it off this time.
"Of course~ You're our actress, noona... You'll definitely do great."
He looked at me with eyes that held not a single shred of doubt... eyes that said he believed in me completely.
"Be careful getting down. You can't get hurt. Here, take my hand~"
Was he trying to escort me?
He held out that large hand of his and took my own, which had gone cold from nerves.
That same big, warm hand that had made my heart race before..
The warmth from his large hand seeped into mine and set my heart pounding all over again.
"Alright! Let's go, actress-nim~"
"Sh-shall we, manager-nim?"
Yeah... as long as this person is here, as long as I believe in him, I know I can do well.
Looking at his brightly shining face, I made a quiet promise to myself.
For the sake of the person who had worked so hard for me, I would pull this off..
A magnificent set that perfectly recreated a courtroom.
Countless staff, managers, and actors all turned their eyes toward us.
"Alright, our actress. Take a deep breath~ Keep your heart light."
"Deep breath?"
"Of course. You can take it slow, so just stay relaxed. No one's going to say a word.
And look over there. Even if your mind goes blank, just look at those and read them as they are."
When had he stuck those up...?
My heart had been pounding so hard earlier that I hadn't really heard him, but I was pretty sure he'd said something about taping the script somewhere.
But this...
I could feel it.
How hard he must have worked for me... how embarrassing it must have been to stick those up... how many people must have laughed at him.
"Noona... don't think about anything else. Just breathe!"
The moment my expression turned gloomy, he immediately shook his head and told me to focus only on breathing.
Honestly... our manager-nim had the sharpest instincts.
"Okay! Got it. Deep breaths... deep breaths... hoooo, haaaa, hoooo, haaaa."
"Perfect. And when the director calls action, what do you do?"
"Uh... look at you."
"Nope~ Not that. You look at the scripts I taped up."
"Ah, right... But you'll still stay next to me, won't you?"
"Of course. Where would I go leaving our actress behind? Don't worry and show them something amazing.
Kim Si-a worked this hard! Kim Si-a isn't just a pretty face—she's an actress who can act this well! You can do it, right?"
Listening to him made me feel like I really could pull it off.
"Alright, heading into the final scene. Kim Si-a, are you ready?"
"Yes, going in. Fighting, noona."
The way he clenched his fist and pumped me up was so cute it almost made me laugh.
"Huh? Noona, you just smiled, didn't you? Yes! All the tension's gone now."
"Pfft. Yeah~ I'm not nervous anymore. Just like you said, I'm going to show them. How hard I've worked on my acting.."
With those words, I walked toward the camera to captivate every pair of eyes watching.
Yeah. Today I was going to show everyone... how hard I'd worked, how well I could act..
Noona's really going to nail this... Because in the future, she becomes an actress people actually call a great performer.
I wasn't trying to care for Si-a noona for no reason.
A few years from now, that woman truly reinvented herself as a skilled actress. That wasn't something practice alone could create.
Natural acting talent, and a god-given face..
If a female actress didn't have both, it was honestly hard for her to make it big.
Once filming started, I quietly took my place beside the sour-faced Director Kim.
"Remember. One NG and it's really over."
"Come on, Director. Just trust her once. Our actress is going to do great."
"Hmph. As if."
Right after that, the assistant director's slate clap rang out and the cameras started rolling.
And a moment later, the moment the actress named Kim Si-a opened her mouth—
every single person gathered there closed their own mouths and got pulled into the performance she unfolded, as if under a spell.
"Your Honor. Please examine the evidence this prosecutor has resubmitted."
A voice that rang out a beat late... clear, precise diction.
An upright expression that made her look like a real prosecutor, with just the right amount of gesture..
And those blazing eyes that looked ready to devour everything..
Director Kim's expression changed in an instant as he peered into the camera.
"That's correct. He is my husband. The husband I love... and the perpetrator of this murder.."
Wow... so this is what an actress is? I honestly didn't expect it to be this good. I'm a little surprised.
I was getting pulled in..
Pulled into the aura the actress named Kim Si-a was pouring out.
Just moments ago she had been radiating a charisma that seemed ready to dominate the entire room,
and then in a single breath she let tears roll down her chin like a tragic heroine.
"Please... deliver the righteous judgment of the law... upon my husband... upon the husband I love."
She quietly met the camera's gaze and bowed her head. The set fell into complete silence.
What are you doing...? She did that well and you're not calling cut?
Director Kim had completely forgotten to call cut, staring at Si-a noona with his mouth hanging open.
Park Ji-ho PD was the first to snap out of it. He started clapping and let out a cheer.
"Wow~ Kim Si-a! That was perfect. Seriously perfect!"
Even if this drama's ratings were low, it was still praise from a producer for the brilliant performance she had just given!
That was right. In the end, the scripts I had taped up hadn't been necessary at all.
What she had needed was confidence... and belief directed at her..
Those were the things she had lacked, which was why she had shrunk in front of the camera.
You did well. You really did well.
Surrounded by applause, she smiled brightly as tears poured down her face.
—And then she came running and threw herself into my arms... burying her head against my chest..
"N-noona... if you do this.."
Scandals or whatever—what did any of that matter for a rookie manager..?
Right now our actress was so happy she was crying..
"Thank you... thank you so much, manager-nim... waaah!"
Fuck... this is exactly why I can't quit this job..
Ignoring the shocked stares from everyone around us, I gently patted the back of the woman sobbing pitifully in my arms.