Chapter 24
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Fluent English and Heartfelt Acting
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Wha?!
You speak English?
Jessica, who had been fumbling through awkward Korean, asked in surprise, switching to English.
Of course. You seem more comfortable with English, so should we just keep going in English?
I flashed a bright smile and replied in kind.
The Korean staff flipped through their papers in astonishment at my response.
No way... Theres nothing here about living abroad.
Of course there wasnt.
The Han Siu of this life was just a little kid whod never even left Seoul, let alone gone overseas.
But... how does a five-year-old have such perfect pronunciation?
Whered he learn English to speak it that elegantly...?
With Noah Battenbergwhod lived in England for 29 yearsinside me, itd be harder to tone down the sophistication.
I grinned and said,
Its because I watch TV with Mom. We love foreign movies.
TV? You got this good from that?
I watched a lot. Really, a lo-ot.
I stretched both arms out wide to show just how much.
Director Lim, didnt you say he went to language camp? Total bullshit.
Ha ha, yeah. Maybe I should tell my kids to binge TV now.
Thats talent, right? Ive never heard of anyone speaking like that just from watching TV.
The judges jaws dropped as my words flowed out fluently and effortlessly.
Phew, it felt so refreshing to chat in English after so long.
No doubt because it was my native tonguepronunciation came way easier than Korean.
With no mom or uncle here, I had no reason to hide how well I spoke it.
I savored every accent I hadnt used in ages, my face beaming with pride.
Ha ha, well. I was gonna interpret for you, but looks like Ill be the one getting interpreted for.
The Asian man sitting right next to the woman in the center chuckled.
He turned to her and said something in English.
Huh? He looks Korean, but his English is flawless.
I tilted my head curiously, and the woman in the center spoke up.
In English, of course.
Alright, Siu. Shall we try greetings again? Nice to meet you. Im Jessica Brown. You could say Im the overall director for this production. If you pass todays audition, Ill be overseeing your direction.
Got it, Jessica. Looking forward to working with you.
I nodded eagerly.
Nice. Shes the boss.
Jessica, with her long blonde hair swept back casually and no makeup on her face, scanned me from head to toe just as thoroughly as I eyed her.
Her sharp gaze was masked, her lips curved in a smile.
From her look, she seemed to have a real soft spot for me.
Given she was directing a huge production like this, her experience and skill must be top-notch.
Her aura alone screamed impressiveshe was no lightweight.
Guessing she was seriously talented, I hopped onto the chair in the center.
My legs were still too short, so they dangled in the air.
To get that fluent from just TV? Every language academys going outta business.
Maybe they didnt watch as much? The dramas I loveone, twooo, threeee...
To dodge the lingering skepticism, I bent my fingers one by one, counting them off.
As if Id only watched dramas.
From the latest blockbusters to grainy old flicks.
Id seen them all.
Well, except the ones where Mom quietly snatched the remote because they were rated for older teens.
Mom, Im a 29-year-old guy on the inside, you know.
Not that I could say it.
Id sneak peeks at the opening, and somehow shed knowthen bam, channel changed.
Last time, she even threatened to confiscate the remote if I kept it up.
Most late-night movies were like that, though.
Anyway. Its great that Siu speaks English so well, but actings a separate matter, right? Communication comes after solid performance. So, lets start with the acting?
Yes. Of course.
I nodded and hopped down from the chair.
I couldve done it sitting, but the scene I chose would hit way harder standing.
Unlike the first round, this wasnt free acting.
The notice came with an audition script, and we had to perform one scene from it.
Whenever youre ready, just go for it.
I nodded and focused.
The scene I picked: the protagonist grandson, alone with his grandmother for the first time, tentatively striking up conversation while gauging her mood.
I took a deep breath and started the acting with hesitant gestures.
Grandma... where should I sleep?
As I delivered the line, I looked up at the five judges with subtly moist eyes.
Like they were my last lifeline, the ones who might actually take me in.
In the script, the grandma glares at him fleetingly without responding.
Flinch.
I recoiled as if really hit by that glare, then mustered courage and took a small step forward.
He knew his dad had dumped him here like trash.
This irresponsible dad and the seemingly indifferent grandmatheyd had a brutal argument right in front of the kid, no holds barred.
If he left here, he had nowhere else to go.
No way he could go looking for the mom whod run off early on.
At least his dad hadnt outright abandoned him at grandmasat least she hadnt kicked him out.
She hadnt exactly welcomed him in warmly, either.
The grandmas house was pitch dark.
The space of an old woman with no joys left but this home.
I recalled the stage direction about the dark house and shuffled around the audition room, exploring the unfamiliar space like I was onstage.
G-Grandma... can I turn this lamp on a little?
Now for the grandmas curt reply.
No scene partner, so I had to imagine her voice solo.
Grandma: (gruffly) The oils low. Why bother.
I recalled her line from the script and bowed my head slightly.
...Yes. Sorry.
But only for a moment.
He knew cowering like this wouldnt make her remember him.
So, with awkward smilessome fake, some realI chattered on with little stories.
My voice got swallowed whole in her silence.
She rose silently, like she couldnt take any more, and shuffled off awkwardly.
I looked dejected for a beat, thenas if struck by an ideamy eyes widened, and I hurriedly rummaged through the backpack Id looped around me when leaving Dads.
No actual propjust mime.
On stages 400 years ago, props were often absent, so this was easy for me.
Grandma!
I called out, as if grabbing her just as she headed to that small inner room, done with her grandson and with nothing left to say.
Assuming shed turned, my face lit up.
Look at this. I-I brought it from Dads house to give to you.
The pronunciation practice paid off, enduring sleep deprivation for days.
The grandsons words spilled out steadily, matching the growth pace of the original seven-year-old.
Heres where I added my own touch.
In the script, the grandson just said house when describing it.
That bugged me.
Did this kid ever have a real home?
Not the place where Mom left him like luggage.
Not the house shared with a dad who was always out with friends or dragging them home.
Did he ever truly think of that as his home?
Only to be shipped off to Grandmas like luggage again.
So I tweaked the line.
From just house to Dads house.
That place wasnt truly his home.
As the play went on, the gloomy grandmas house would become the grandson and grandmas home.
Thats when hed finally have one.
A small change, but to me, a key line threading the whole play.
In my grandsons handemphasizing Dads housewas a small gift for grandma.
I forced a bright smile.
Because getting kicked out here meant no going back to Dads, either.
Joey Sus jaw dropped at the performance of contestant 36, Han Siu, unfolding before him.
Sure, he worked under Jessica now, but before that, hed directed an entire troupe.
Known as Jo on Broadway, hed helmed full productions at a small theaterproof of his exceptional talent.
And hed achieved it all at a very young age.
Wont you come with me, Isu?
Even so, when Rainbow Pictures famous Jessica Brown first made her offer, he could hardly believe it.
Why me, of all people?
Sure, he was good, but Broadway was crawling with top directors.
The mystery cleared up quick.
Jessica got laser-focused and ruthlessly analytical on the job.
Put harshly, her tunnel vision narrowed her view.
Shed spark brilliant ideas that way, but often overlooked the bigger picture.
Her genius directing compensated, keeping her star high at Rainbow Pictures.
Joey Su was the one person who could give her straight, sound advice.
Their tastes aligned yet diverged, so while she dismissed others, she heeded him almost always.
That dream synergy propelled her to greater heights and put him on the map at Rainbow.
So hed push back against her one-sided calls when needed.
But for this Korean run of RUN, Joey Su found himself perfectly aligned with Jessica for the first time in ages.
Contestant 36. Han Siu.
This little kids acting was downright astonishing.
Even on video, it stunnedbut live, at five years old? Unbelievably seasoned.
Especially those hurt expressions and delicate gesturespure magic.
Hed figured Jessica fell for the audition tapes charm: performing an unseen script.
Finding out later it was original? Mind-blowing.
But now, maybe it wasnt the lines originalitymaybe that facial acting hooked her.
An expression only someone truly wounded could make.
One of total surrender in dire straits.
What the hell had this five-year-old been through?
The more he tried to grasp it, the less sense it made.
Haa...
That sigh-like breath wasnt from Joey Su, lost in thought.
Snapping out, he glanced sideways in surprise.
Jessicainfamously ice-cold evaluating talentwas changing expressions with every beat.
Proud yet pitying when the kid smiled innocently.
Frowning sympathetically at his moping.
Clearly, she wasnt judging an audition anymore.
Just one audience member, savoring actor Han Sius performance.
As if it were her own story.