Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Direct Experience
A loud explosion rocked the peaceful White Tiger, causing the vessel to shake violently. Soldiers in combat gear rushed onto the deck to respond to the attack.
“What… is that.”
The soldiers, who had assumed it was an attack from the North, froze for a moment as they faced an unexpected monster. The same was true for Sergeant Kim Woo-jin, the role played by Yu Yeon-seo.
The script had a stage direction: ‘Kim Woo-jin, upon seeing the monster, is momentarily horrified.’
Yu Yeon-seo recalled his time as Kang Jin-hu in the year 2207. He drew on the memory of when he first encountered ‘it’ on the surface at the age of 10.
“Hah…”
Sergeant Kim Woo-jin swallowed hard, staring blankly at the monster. A storm of emotions swirled in his trembling eyes. What, it wasn’t the North Korean army? Can a creature like that even exist on this planet?
“What are you doing?! Shoot, now!”
Snapped back to reality by someone’s shout, he raised his rifle, aimed at the monster, and pulled the trigger.
But there was no deafening gunshot, no muzzle flash at the end of the barrel. The CG would be added later. So, how should an actor perform to make it look more realistic?
Yu Yeon-seo, now Sergeant Kim Woo-jin, moved as if feeling the recoil of the gun and mentally counted the imaginary bullets. Thirty rounds. Empty.
As Sergeant Kim Woo-jin changed his magazine, Sergeant Lee Hyeon-jun, played by Lee Han-gyeol, fired his own weapon, providing cover.
“What… the hell is that?!”
“I don’t know! Just shoot!”
After emptying his magazine, Sergeant Lee Hyeon-jun ducked back, and after a deep breath, Kim Woo-jin turned and raised his rifle. He didn’t fire indiscriminately like before. He shot carefully, one bullet at a time, as if searching for the monster’s weak spot.
“Don’t damage the ship!”
“Damn it…”
A shout from someone who seemed to be a superior officer. Did he really think that was possible right now? Spitting out a short curse, Kim Woo-jin and Lee Hyeon-jun rolled to the side, taking cover behind something else. A tentacle from the monster shot out and smashed the barrier they had been hiding behind.
“Aaargh!”
A soldier who couldn’t get away in time was ensnared by the monster’s tentacle and dragged away. The stunt actor, wearing a wire around his waist, bent his body like a flip phone, making the motion of being dragged away look more realistic.
Sergeant Kim Woo-jin, who had been calmly observing the situation, focused his fire on a part of the monster that seemed to be staggering more than the rest.
“Hey! Kim Woo-jin!”
Lee Hyeon-jun tried to provide cover but ran out of ammunition. Even as the monster closed in, ready to devour him, Kim Woo-jin calmly continued to fire.
“Fuck…!”
Struck by a swinging tentacle, Kim Woo-jin was sent flying sideways. The wire pulled him at the perfect moment.
The single shot he fired as he hit the wall pierced the monster’s weak point, and the creature finally collapsed. Kim Woo-jin let out a huge gasp and slumped to the floor.
After a moment of silence, the deck was filled with the groans of the wounded and shouts for medics.
“...Is it over?”
Kim Woo-jin took the hand Lee Hyeon-jun offered and stood up, staring blankly at the chaotic deck. A few drops of rain began to fall, quickly turning into a downpour.
Soaked by the pouring rain, Sergeant Kim Woo-jin stared at the monster he had brought down. A sense of relief at having survived was mixed with the anxiety that there might be more. They were on a ship in the middle of the ocean; reinforcements wouldn’t be coming anytime soon.
The camera closed in on his face.
“Okay, cut!”
Startled by Director Park Ho-jin’s loud voice, Yu Yeon-seo lifted his head. The debris from the destroyed cover was gone, and the groaning soldiers had reverted to being stunt actors. He wasn’t on a sea shrouded in thick fog, but inside a green screen studio.
‘Was I completely immersed for a moment?’
Yu Yeon-seo clenched and unclenched his palms.
‘…This is fun.’
Since it was his first time acting, he had deliberately chosen a script with a setting similar to the society of 2207, but for that moment when the camera was rolling, he had become Sergeant Kim Woo-jin. It wasn’t bad.
“What is it?”
Lifting his head, Yu Yeon-seo felt several pairs of eyes on him. Some people were staring with their mouths agape, while others had their eyebrows raised high as if they had witnessed something completely unexpected.
“Going to check the monitor?”
“Yeah.”
Lee Han-gyeol, who was not oblivious to the staff’s reactions, tapped Yu Yeon-seo’s shoulder and nodded.
‘I really thought he was the character.’
In truth, Lee Han-gyeol hadn’t been able to properly immerse himself while the staff were holding up crude monster cutouts. But the moment he met Yu Yeon-seo’s eyes, he felt as if he had truly become Lee Hyeon-jun.
‘This is completely different from his previous acting.’
Lee Han-gyeol looked at Yu Yeon-seo with fresh eyes. He got this good from just a short period of acting lessons?
“Did it turn out well?”
Yu Yeon-seo, who was rumored to never monitor his own acting, stood next to the director as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The director flinched in surprise.
“Yes, let’s take a look.”
People gathered around the monitor. The screen was split into four sections, each showing a different angle. One was a close-up of Kim Woo-jin’s expression when he first encountered the monster.
‘Such a realistic expression, as if he’d actually seen one.’
The director nodded to himself, deciding he would definitely use this scene. On another monitor, Lee Han-gyeol’s hand slipped as he tried to change a prop magazine, causing him to drop it.
“Ah…”
Lee Han-gyeol smiled sheepishly. It might have been a mistake, but it could also be interpreted as a flustered action in a tense situation facing an unknown creature.
“There’s one thing that bothers me…”
The director was about to say something but closed his mouth. He remembered what the cinematographer had told him. Never try to teach Yu Yeon-seo anything. If it looked decent enough, just let it go.
“Yes?”
“It’s nothing. It’s good.”
Honestly, if he just kept this up, it was already beyond expectations. No, it was a complete transformation. Even the on-set staff were watching his performance, mesmerized.
The director began to hope that Yu Yeon-seo’s acting transformation would generate a huge buzz even before the movie’s release.
“Let’s get some more shots from a different angle.”
“Yes, sir.”
While the actors were getting their clothes and makeup touched up, Park Min-woo, who had been waiting, approached excitedly.
“Hyung! That was seriously no joke.”
“...You think so?”
“It really felt like there was a monster in front of you! Wow, if you could act this well, why were you so wooden before….”
Park Min-woo, rambling on excitedly, clamped his mouth shut. Yu Yeon-seo chuckled.
Because I’ve already experienced it. This is going to be a problem for my next project… I can’t play a soldier again. And there probably won’t be another project like White Tiger with a setting so similar to 2207. I can’t rely on luck anymore.
“You have a point.”
Park Min-woo, who had been momentarily scared, widened his eyes as Yu Yeon-seo patted him on the shoulder. It wasn’t just his acting; his personality seemed to have changed drastically too. The head of his management team, standing behind him, was also gaping in astonishment.
“What the, he’s good?” the cinematographer muttered, watching Yu Yeon-seo’s retreating back.
“Wow, I thought that wasn’t Yu Yeon-seo.”
“Is that really the same Yu Yeon-seo who used to read his lines like a textbook? Is he a different person?”
“Just what kind of lessons did Mr. Park give him….”
The other staff members also began to murmur among themselves.
“Senior, this is different from what you told me.”
“I know…”
The cinematographer had told Park Ho-jin that whatever he imagined, it would be worse, and not to be too disappointed. The clips of Yu Yeon-seo’s acting that made it to the screen were the best takes chosen after countless refinements.
But this time, his immersion was so incredible that he got an okay sign in a single take. Moreover, he didn’t hesitate to throw his own body into the action without a stunt double.
“Wow, it’s like he’s a different person.”
The filming of White Tiger was proceeding smoothly. With Yu Yeon-seo, the weakest link, now completely embodying his role as if he were a different person, the motivation of the other actors naturally soared. This led to fewer NGs, and they even began to voluntarily discuss how to achieve better results.
“Yes, I’ve just confirmed it. Thank you.”
Im Seung-hyeon, who had stepped out of the studio for a moment, reviewed the report from Yu Yeon-seo’s previous manager and the detailed bank statements.
“Choi Dong-won, Kim Du-hyeon… there they are.”
Choi Dong-won and Kim Du-hyeon were the names of the CEO and a manager at AST Entertainment, One Seven’s agency. He then found a sentence in the former manager’s report.
There were instructions to accept most requests from AST Entertainment.
It could be a sense of loyalty to the group he had suddenly left. It was understandable to compensate them with money for any losses incurred by his departure.
But for that to continue for seven years was strange. The members of One Seven had gained belated popularity through a viral resurgence and had successfully renewed their contracts. So why would their manager need to get his number?
“Hah…”
Was he being treated like an ATM? No, I can’t jump to conclusions yet.
Im Seung-hyeon shook his head. If he just waited, One Seven’s manager would approach him anyway. He could confirm their intentions then. But if his suspicions were correct, should he just let it be?
‘The young master told me to handle it as I see fit…’
Nothing was more vague and uncertain than being told to ‘handle it as you see fit.’ It might even be a test to see how he handled things.
‘This is complicated.’
Deciding to observe the situation for now, Im Seung-hyeon went back inside the studio.
Lee Tae-gyeom was staring intently at Yu Yeon-seo, who was lost in his acting.
“But… they’re our allies…!”
“Not anymore.”
Sergeant Kim Woo-jin grabbed a sailor by the collar and slammed him against a wall. The sailor was Private Park Ji-won, the main character of White Tiger, played by Park Min-woo.
“Shoot them all. That’s the only way we’ll survive.”
Sergeant Kim Woo-jin glared at Park Ji-won with blazing eyes.
“Cut! Okay!”
As soon as Director Park Ho-jin’s voice called cut, Yu Yeon-seo released his grip. Park Min-woo straightened his crumpled uniform.
“Wow, hyung… take it easy.”
“I was taking it easy.”
The actors gathered in front of the monitor. Since the previous scene had been a one-take shot, the review session was long.
Yu Yeon-seo glanced to the side. He remembered the director’s words that he had started to say before but stopped. Even now, he had a dissatisfied look on his face.
“Director, please say what’s on your mind. Honestly.”
“Um… well…”
Director Park Ho-jin hesitated for a moment before speaking in a less-than-confident voice.
“Your other acting is flawless, really. But… your portrayal of pain, I guess you could call it, is a bit weak.”
“My portrayal of pain?”
“Yes.”
The director replayed the footage. It was mostly scenes where Sergeant Kim Woo-jin was getting beaten up by an infected soldier. Yu Yeon-seo, slammed against a wall, was frowning and letting out pained groans.
“I know Sergeant Kim Woo-jin is a strict, by-the-book soldier, but he’s still human. Wouldn’t the pain show on the surface?”
The director played the clip again. Kim Woo-jin being thrown against a wall by an infected soldier. Something was off. With that much force, he should have looked like he was in more pain.
Hearing the director’s words, he realized it felt like he was mechanically feigning pain. The director watched Yu Yeon-seo, who remained silent for a long time.
“I mean, it’s fine as it is…”
“I understand what you mean.”
Kang Jin-hu of 2207 was born with his sense of pain deleted; he was someone who didn’t really know what pain was.
‘Come to think of it, Director Park Seong-jin said something similar. That it was unnatural.’
It was during the action choreography practice for White Tiger.
Since he had never felt pain, taking minor attacks with his body was the most efficient way for Kang Jin-hu to move.
It was the strategy of giving up flesh to take the bone, but he couldn’t use such movements with Yu Yeon-seo’s body. Because of this habit, there were times when the action choreography felt off.
‘So this isn’t normal…’
The habits of 2207 still lingered. Yu Yeon-seo stroked his chin.
‘How can I act out pain more realistically?’
It felt like something he had to experience directly to understand, but he couldn’t test it out with this body.
By the time he had regained consciousness, he was already mostly recovered from the car accident. The most he had experienced was a brief sensation of his insides twisting due to memory synchronization, but… wait, memory synchronization?
“Director, let’s reshoot the part that was bothering you. I’ll give it a try.”
If he didn’t know pain, why not just experience it directly?