Chapter 16
Feeling awkward, I headed to an empty seat. As I sat down, a blonde woman scowled at me and said,
"Don't sit here."
"Oh, sorry, is someone sitting here?"
"Dude, can't you see my bag?"
Seriously? She won't let me sit there because of her bag?
It was a bag with a large "L" logo on it.
There's a luggage rack right there. Is she saying her precious bag is too good for it?
'Blonde hair…'
I remembered reading that in the script.
The blonde woman was a character who had a crush on the male lead and was jealous of the female lead.
She completely embodied the personality of a villain, just as the script described.
'So that's why Director Kim said not to sweat it.'
It's as if the character and the actress are practically the same person.
I'm guessing Jeong Jik-han got that stoic role since he's a total newbie.
There's no point in arguing with her and making things worse.
It's not like my life depends on this acting gig. I'm just here to keep my word.
Of course, I'll still give it my all.
"Just move."
Then, the woman sitting across from us, who'd obviously been listening, chimed in.
"Oh, uh, sure, unnie..."
The blonde shot Jeong Jik-han a look and clutched her 'L' bag to her chest.
Jeong Jik-han sat down and looked at the woman across from him.
The woman put down her script, looked at Jeong Jik-han, and then spoke with a faint smile.
"You're Jeong Jik-han, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Hye-in splurged on that bag, so, you know, cut her some slack."
The woman apologized on behalf of the blonde.
I mean, even if it is an expensive bag, treating someone like a piece of luggage is just wrong.
'This person is the female lead.'
No need to start anything with the lead actress.
Jeong Jik-han smiled gently and said,
"It's alright."
"I did a little digging on you, Jeong Jik-han... Is this your first role?"
"Ah, yes. How did you know?"
"You don't have, like, any credits or an agent, it seems."
I see.
Jeong Jik-han awkwardly scratched his sideburn and said,
"Yeah, I'm freelance right now."
"So, how'd you land this part?"
"Pure luck. Director Kim liked me from before."
"Oh, really? Were you in one of his other projects?"
"Just an extra."
She kind of flinched when I said 'extra.'
The blonde was giving me a major stink eye, so I figured I'd said something wrong.
Then, the other woman cracked a smile, as if she found the whole thing hilarious.
"Hold onto that luck. Some people would kill for a chance like this."
"..."
It was as if she'd casually dropped a bomb. Her words hit me like a ton of bricks.
I totally underestimated this whole thing.
Director Kim made it sound so easy, but I was basically crashing a party for people who were serious about acting.
It was like I'd rolled in and kicked out some other poor actor who'd been working their butt off.
"I'll work my hardest not to screw things up. No, I'll nail it."
"Things are a little tense, you know? We had a table read a couple of days ago, and you're just jumping in now."
Kang Cheol-min.
That was the name of the role Jeong Jik-han was assigned.
The table read was already done.
Duh, that's why we're already shooting.
Everyone here has been prepping, practicing, and hustling to get here.
So, yeah, I get why they'd be salty about me just parachuting in.
Jeong Jik-han just nodded, and the woman gave him a soft smile and said,
"I'm Lee Seon-hye. It's nice to meet you."
Lee Seon-hye, the female lead of the production.
She was the first to offer Jeong Jik-han a handshake.
"Looking forward to working with you."
After shaking hands with Lee Seon-hye, he finally looked at the man who was engrossed in the script.
The guy must have felt my gaze because he glanced over and said,
"Just chill, man. Chill. If you're tense, you'll freeze up on camera. Gotta relax."
The male lead wasn't giving me the cold shoulder; he was just, like, in his own world.
You could tell he was super focused, just by the way he was muttering his lines and trying out different expressions.
"Alright, places!"
Director Kim's voice boomed from outside, and the crew started bustling.
Everything looked set.
Then Lee Seon-hye and the male lead jumped up and headed outside as if they'd been waiting for this all day.
They started shooting, and I watched them, trying to get a feel for things.
I figured I needed to see and hear everything so I wouldn't be totally lost when it was my turn.
Buzz- Buzz-
At that moment, Jeong Jik-han’s phone vibrated.
Good thing I was a little ways away from the set, or the director would've had my head.
I went back to the empty waiting area and checked my phone. It was Director Yang.
I quickly answered, surprised.
“Yes, Director Yang.”
-This is Jeong Jik-han, right?
“Yeah, it’s me. What’s up?”
-That file you showed me? We’re using two of those songs for the show’s soundtrack.
“What? Seriously?!”
-Yeah, that’s why I’m calling. We’re on a tight deadline, so we need to get started ASAP. Can we put you down as the contact person?
Contact person?
Oh, right, because Kim Jin-seong, you know... isn't around anymore.
So, who gets the royalties?
Kim Jin-seong wasn't signed to any label when he was making music.
'I guess it goes to his family?'
I wasn't sure, so I needed to buy some time.
"Director Yang, sorry, but could I talk to Kim Jin-seong's family first and get back to you?"
-Sure, but make it quick. I need an answer by tomorrow. We're on a tight schedule.
"Yes, I understand."
After I hung up, my heart was racing.
So this is what it feels like to be a manager?
They say managers feel amazing when their artist makes it big, and I totally get it now.
It was like my own hidden gem of an artist was finally getting their moment in the spotlight.
I didn't have much to do on the first day.
Just a one-minute scene with Lee Seon-hye.
And a five-minute scene with the male lead. That was it.
If they even keep those scenes after editing... I might get, like, one minute of screen time?
"That's a wrap, everyone!"
"Good job, everyone."
"Good job."
We started early and wrapped up around 6 PM.
I thought we were just doing one scene, but they wanted to get all the outdoor stuff done in one go.
They were shooting everything out of order, so I had no idea what was going on.
"Jik-han, good job today."
"Director. Thanks. Sorry, I think I messed up a bunch."
"What? Nah, you were fine."
"No, seriously, I blanked on my lines, even though there weren't many... I'll do better, I promise. I don't want to be a pain."
"Ha! No, seriously, Jik-han. You've got a really natural vibe, so even when you messed up your lines, it felt real. It worked."
Was that a compliment or a backhanded comment?
So, stumbling over my lines was 'real,' but my acting sucked?
I just gave him an awkward smile, and he checked his watch and said,
"You said you had somewhere to be, right?"
"Yes."
"Too bad. It's always better when the actors can hang out and get to know each other."
That's when it clicked. No wonder the actors were so cold to me at first.
It's got to be tough to pretend you're best friends or lovers with someone you barely know.
"We're shooting indoors tomorrow, so it should go a lot faster."
"Where should I be tomorrow?"
"I'll text you the details. Oh, and how do you want to be paid?"
"Yes?"
"Since I brought you on, Jik-han, just tell me. Daily or all at once after we wrap?"
"Uh... daily, I guess."
I was being honest, and Director Kim chuckled and said,
"Broke, huh?"
"Haha..."
"Gotcha. I'll send it to the account on your contract."
"Thank you."
"And like I said, this is low-budget, so don't expect a huge payday. Especially since it's your first gig."
"I heard some people work for free just to get a credit."
"Ha! I'm not that cheap. Anyway, see you tomorrow."
I said goodbye to Director Kim and the crew, and then went over to the actors.
The male lead was, like, ridiculously good-looking.
He had that pretty-boy look, you know, almost feminine.
"Jik-han, you did great today."
"You too, man."
"Hey, no need for 'actor-nim.' Oh, shoot, did I not introduce myself?"
He looked flustered for a second, then laughed it off and held out his hand.
"Haha! I'm such a space cadet. I'm Choi Han-gyeol. Jik-han, you were awesome."
"Thanks. Looking forward to working with you."
Choi Han-gyeol was totally different from what I expected.
He was, like, super upbeat and energetic.
But when he was focused, he was laser-focused. You could probably carry him away, and he wouldn't even notice.
'This guy's going places.'
I thought to myself and then looked over at Lee Seon-hye.
"Seon-hye, you were great too."
"Hey, let's swap numbers."
Lee Seon-hye just straight-up asked for my number.
I kind of hesitated, and she chuckled and said,
"Tomorrow's all about our scenes, and I had a couple of questions."
Then Choi Han-gyeol chimed in, holding out his phone, and said,
"We've got scenes together tomorrow too, so I should probably grab your number."
"Ah, yes."
After I gave them my number, I looked over at the blonde.
She still had this sour look on her face and kind of scoffed, saying,
"Whatever."
And with that, she turned and clicked off to the parking lot.
Lee Seon-hye, who was next to him, gave a bitter smile and said,
"Don't mind her. Hyo-seong can be a little prickly, but she's serious about acting, and she's a sweetheart, really."
"Oh... Hyo-seong, huh?"
"Yes, Han Hyo-seong."
I watched Han Hyo-seong walk away, and my mind started racing.
I didn't feel annoyed or anything.
Maybe it was because of my time at the cafe for the dead?
I started wondering what made her so prickly. I was actually curious about her story.
"Dude, seriously?!"
"Yeah, the director called and said they're using Kim Jin-seong's songs."
The cafe door opened, and the usual crowd came in.
I told Kim Jin-seong what happened, and his usually gloomy expression totally lit up.
'He can smile like that.'
It kind of broke my heart to think that someone who could smile like that had been so down for so long.
"The show's supposed to air early next month. Then everyone will hear Kim Jin-seong's music."
I said that, grinning like an idiot, and Kim Jin-seong suddenly bit his lip and started to cry.
Then he grabbed my hands, like, really tight, and bowed his head.
I was a little surprised, but I understood. I gave him a small smile and said,
"You've been through a lot, Kim Jin-seong."
"Thank you... thank you so much. Jeong Jik-han... you're a lifesaver."
"Haha, it's nothing, really."
"It's hard enough to get help when you're alive. I know how tough life can be... but you've done so much for me..."
Kim Jin-seong was full-on sobbing, tears streaming down his face.
His hands were shaking as he held mine.
I could feel how much this meant to him, so I patted him on the back.
"This is all you, Kim Jin-seong. You earned this."
"This is all because of your hard work. I didn't do anything."
I meant every word.
Everyone has those moments.
When you feel like you're this close to a breakthrough.
When you're so close you can taste it, but you just can't quite reach it.
People tend to beat themselves up even more when that happens.
I wanted to tell those people...
"Don't be so hard on yourself."
"Even if nobody else sees it, you know how hard you worked."
"Tell yourself, 'You did good, you hung in there, you made it through another day.'"
