Chapter 44:
Chapter 44:
Hwang Yiwon nodded slowly and continued the conversation,
"If that's the interpretation, it's not bad."
"Thank you."
As Yooil and Hwang Yiwon concluded their brief conversation, the camera setup was completed just in time. Among the staff, who were watching Hwang Yiwon and Han Yooil conversing in soft voices with satisfaction, only Son Jisoo had a face dying of curiosity.
* * *
"Thank you for your hard work, actor!"
The shooting with Han Yooil and Hwang Yiwon went smoothly. Hwang Yiwon, who had a schedule in the evening, left work early. It was now time to shoot the scene where Choi Bin', played by Son Jisoo, comes to the flower shop.
It was also the last scene of the day.
Stretching his stiff neck from waiting, as soon as Son Jisoo saw Han Yooil, who was drinking water alone after the shooting, he quickly approached him.
"It looked like you were talking with senior Hwang Yiwon earlier."
"Oh, yes. We had a conversation about acting."
Son Jisoo, who was observing Han Yooil's expression, started to worry for a moment.
He didn't tell him exactly what I said, did he, that bastard?'
However, Yooil seemed completely unaware. He nonchalantly met Son Jisoo's gaze that was scrutinizing him and replied calmly,
"There was nothing particularly problematic about our conversation. Senior Hwang Yiwon, he seemed kind."
"Is that so?"
Son Jisoo chewed on the inside of his cheek. Regardless of his aversion to Han Yooil, it was true that Hwang Yiwon was known to be harsh to newcomers.
Yet, such a response. It was incomprehensible to Son Jisoo.
What's going on?'
He wanted to probe further, but at the call of the production team, he had to momentarily put his thoughts aside.
"We're going into scene 28~"
At the staff's call, Son Jisoo stood up.
Finally.'
He walked slowly with a triumphant smile on his face.
He had been waiting just for this moment since the last shoot.
He loudly set down the script he had been diligently reading.
After all, in this field, its the end if you're good.'
"Actors, please get ready."
"Yes."
"Understood."
Son Jisoo and Han Yooil took their positions in front of the camera.
Yooil was inside the flower shop, and Son Jisoo was starting the scene from outside the shop. Yooil's eyes met Son Jisoo's through the transparent glass door.
!'
Yooil was a bit startled upon meeting his gaze. Son Jisoo seemed a bit different from the one he had met just a short while ago.
Son Jisoo was looking at him with eyes blazing, as if he had encountered Yooil in a fighting ring.
He must have prepared a lot.'
Today's tone analysis of Son Jisoo indicates 68% confidence, 17.6% excitement, 13.1% annoyance, and 1.3% others
No need for analysis.'
Yooil took a deep breath.
He felt the nervousness and pleasant excitement of standing on stage for the first time.
The light in Han Yooil's eyes started to sparkle.
This is going to be fun.'
A few seconds later, the camera's red light came on.
"Take one of scene 28~"
"Action!"
* * *
During the time the owner, Kim Hyukjin, was away,
Sooil wandered around the flower shop, memorizing the names. It was his daily mission given by Kim Hyukjin every morning.
"Ah, what was it This one is a lisianthus, and this Pink Star? Geez, why are all their names like this?"
Sooil muttered to himself, ruffling his hair.
As Sooil was muttering, a jingle was heard from behind himthe sound of the door opening. Quickly, Sooil straightened up from his bent posture.
"Welcome."
With a mechanical greeting, Sooil turned around and instantly froze.
The man standing at the door, his hand still on the doorknob, was equally frozen.
The man, staring intently at Sooil's face, opened his mouth with a stiff expression.
"You're really here."
Choi Bin.
Sooil's closest friend, and the one who knew all of his past.
The very person that Park Sooil least wanted to meet right now.
""
Sooil slowly closed and then opened his eyes. Wishful thinking, but the man standing in front of him doesn't disappear.
"You you're alive."
Choi Bin's voice sounded both hollow and angry.
Sooil responded nonchalantly.
"Of course, I'm alive."
Downplaying everything, as if it's nothing significant, was his specialty.
"You, you really"
Choi Bin's mouth opened slightly and then closed again. His eyes were filled with a myriad of emotions. Sooil avoided his gaze.
It's an emotion he's not ready to confront.
"Sooil, you no, never mind."
The wavering gaze finally fixed on Sooil's face.
"Why are you here? What's all this about, really?"
"That's a pretty lame question for a high school classmate."
"Don't evade the question."
Neither backed down, as if they were pulling at the ends of a taut rope.
Resentment and disregard, different forms of anger, were about to consume each other.
Choi Bin took a step forward, glaring at Park Sooil.
"I was here before. Park Sooil, what's your relationship with the owner here?"
Even as Choi Bin asked quietly, Sooil maintained his casual demeanor.
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Just an employee and a boss."
"You don't know anything about that person?"
Choi Bin's gaze, which was filled with resentment, now held a hint of tension.
"I saw something when I was here last time. It's hard to explain in words but there's something about that person."
"What do you mean?"
"Anyway, it's really weird!"
The cry was so earnest it was almost pitiable.
However, Park Sooil, hearing this, raised his eyebrows and looked away.
His furrowed brow smoothed out. Then, with a deep sigh, the corners of his eyes drooped downwards.
A clear sign of boredom.
"!"
Seeing his expression, Choi Bin's fist tightened.
"I'm busy. If you're not buying flowers, leave."
"Hey, Park Sooil!"
Intently staring at the monitor, Gu Chanik spoke up.
"Cut!"
It was an instant okay cut.
It's done.'
Just as practiced. Son Jisoo clenched his fist in satisfaction. He was pleased with his own performance reflected on the monitor.
Gu Chanik, standing next to Son Jisoo, patted his shoulder and whispered softly.
"You seem to be in good condition today."
"!"
Son Jisoo's cheeks rose in a smile.
That was until Gu Chanik added another comment while looking at Yooil.
"You, well, you're always good."
At the director's words, Han Yooil just modestly bowed his head. Unaware, Son Jisoo bit his lip.
Really, I don't like this.
Son Jisoo's gaze swept over the set.
It was a persistent and fiery gaze.
* * *
The staff members were busily moving around every corner of the set, dedicating themselves to the setup. Soon after the shooting team and the art team finished their setup, the assistant director shouted loudly.
"We're moving to the next cut for shooting~"
The light on the camera, capturing Sooil and Bin in a two-shot, turned on.
"Action!"
The shooting began with Director Gu Chanik's voice.
"I'm busy. If you're not buying flowers, then leave."
"Hey, Park Sooil!"
Park Sooil lifted one corner of his mouth.
A clear sneer.
"Why. Say it differently?"
He spoke each word with precise pronunciation.
"Customer. Because of the customer, all the other customers will leave. Pleaseee, could you leave?"
This will be an okay cut as well.'
The camera director was ready to call cut' at any moment.
Meanwhile, upon hearing Sooil's words, Choi Bin's neck veins bulged.
His eyes, growing increasingly red, were captured by the camera.
Everyone held their breath as they watched Sooil and Choi Bin.
Clang-
"?!"
A sound that shouldn't have been heard resonated in the studio.
Everyone froze at the unexpected incident.
A glass vase thrown by Choi Bin, Son Jisoo, had shattered on the floor.
"Ah."
The assistant director clamped his mouth shut. He almost gasped.
The prop team leader was also covering his mouth.
Glass shards scattered on the floor of the flower shop.
The two actors simply stared blankly at the now dysfunctional glass vase.
It's ruined.'
Of course, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened on set. There had been even more drastic improvisations.
An improv involving throwing an object in front of them was minor.
But of all the props, why pick the one made of glass to throw?'
The prop team leader and the art team leader exchanged sad glances. It's going to be a headache to clean this up and start over,' their faces seemed to say.
The assistant director closed and then opened his eyes.
Huh?'
But it was quiet.
The assistant director looked at Gu Chanik with a puzzled expression.
Why isn't he calling cut?'
Director Gu Chanik was seriously looking at the monitor.
Only then did the assistant director look at Han Yooil and Son Jisoo.
Huh?'
The expression of the assistant director gradually became more complex as he watched the two.
The two actors were still looking at each other.
As Choi Bin and Park Sooil.
The red-faced Choi Bin spoke up.
"You've changed, haven't you?"
His voice trembled with anger.
But Sooil was still cold.
"It seems like you're the one who's changed. Now you know how to throw things."
The assistant director glanced at the script in his hand and widened his eyes.
What's this?'
[Sooil: I'm busy. If you're not buying flowers, then leave.
Bin: Hey, Park Sooil!
Sooil: Why. Say it differently? (Coldly) Customer. Because of the customer, all the other customers will leave. Please, could you leave?
Choi Bin, with an angry face, looks at Sooil before stepping out of the flower shop.]
Isn't this supposed to be the end of the scene?'
However, the performance of the two didn't seem to be ending.
Sooil took a step towards Choi Bin.
With a flinch,
Choi Bin slightly recoiled at Sooil's approach, the moment captured by the camera.
Choi Bin tries to glare at Sooil, forcing his eyes wide open.
Don't you think you're going too far?"
At Choi Bin's words, Sooil chuckles.
You, of all people."
And then, from his mouth, a voice as cold as the winter wind was heard.
"Don't cross the line. I'm telling you nicely."
""
Unable to say anything, Choi Bin just looks at Sooil and then turns around to leave.
The door of the flower shop closes.
Sooil intently watches Choi Bin as he walks away.
Only the bell on the door rings obliviously with a clear sound
"Cut!"
Director Gu Chanik's cut' finally sounded.
All the staff were watching his reaction.
But the assistant director knew what kind of response to expect.
"Good."
He nodded with a rare satisfied smile.
"Very good."
It was a scene that could have been bland if it had followed the script strictly. That much more, the actors' performances were crucial in this scene.
Director Gu Chanik looked at the shining glass shards on the floor.
"Hmm."
Whether it was a mistake or intentional, the image of the broken glass vase surprisingly fit well with the scene.
But what was even better was something else.
The dialogue.'
The scene they just shot was to be placed before the scene in the pink muhly garden.
The ad-lib that Sooil just delivered played a role in highlighting his line about not crossing the line.'
He has a good sense.'
After monitoring a few more times, Director Gu Chanik nodded.
"Let's go with this."
* * *
"Hey, hyung You worked hard"
Son Jisoo's manager cautiously handed him a coffee. However, Son Jisoo seemed not to notice the manager's words.
""
He slowly unclenched his fist. Red nail marks were visibly imprinted on his palm.
"Ha."
A hollow laugh escaped from Son Jisoo's mouth.
"Ha ha"
Strictly speaking, him throwing the glass vase and delivering the lines to Sooil wasn't an improvisation.
It was a performance he had prepared, rehearsing it over and over again by himself.
He was well aware that a supporting actor shouldn't overshadow the lead. That's why he threw the glass vase, prepared for the backlash.
He wanted, even for just a moment, to overpower him.
But the moment he uttered his first line, he realized something had gone wrong.
Throughout his performance, he couldn't see his own presence.
He was merely being dragged along by Han Yooil's pace.
"I was played."
It was a complete defeat.