Chapter 90
When I firmly rejected it, Moon Chang-sik on the other end of the phone seemed a bit bewildered.
[Um… Is it that displeasing?]
“Uh, well, h-ha….”
To be honest, it’s not really an overwhelmingly awkward scene. It wouldn’t involve much skinship, so if I think of it like laying down steel plates… Huh, this isn’t easy.
“Uh… I think I won’t be able to handle this well. Isn’t it going to be awkward no matter what I do?”
[It’s true there’s a bit of a difference, but how about postponing the shooting date and practicing?]
“Practicing? Y-yeah, sure…”
I could manage it if I had to, but could I really do this?
[If it’s too hard, well… that’s fine.]
Uh, are we really talking about modifications? So easily?
This is getting a bit too apologetic.
But I should gratefully accept it…
[I’ll teach you acting. Let’s clear out some time.]
“…Huh?”
Wait, are you serious?
**
The next day, around lunchtime, I had a phone conversation with Tenshi.
First, I should let her know I’ll be going to Japan, and we need to coordinate, right? If Tenshi can’t make it, well… I guess the family can just enjoy themselves, and I can go to Japan again later.
[Are you really coming to Japan?]
“Yeah, um… I think I’ll go next weekend. Is that a good time for you?”
[Yes! I’m really looking forward to it!]
Fortunately, Tenshi happily accepted.
I could feel her excitement even through the headphones.
Is she really that happy? More importantly, I’ll finally meet an online friend in real life.
“I’ll let you know the exact time later.”
[Okay! Um… what are you doing right now? Want to play a game together?]
Playing a game together… Usually, we would chat and play games, but right now…
“Sorry, I have previous plans.”
[Really? Are you going to meet a guy?]
A guy, huh? Well… it is a guy.
If I were to express that in a Japanese way…
“Yeah, a really cool guy.”
[What!?]
“Haha, it’s business business.”
[Seriously, awesome.]
Well, is it really business? It’s a bit ambiguous in terms of work.
[Then let’s do it when you get back!]
When I get back? I don’t even know when that will be, but I think I’ll be back before dinner…
“Sounds good.”
[Got it!]
After ending the call with Tenshi, I hastily put on the clothes I had prepared and got ready to head out.
“So, you’re going out again today?”
When I stepped into the living room, Mrs. Jang, our ever-watchful housekeeper, spoke to me.
“Uh, yeah, I’m going to meet a guy.”
“Wow, really? I’m surprised.”
“Why don’t you believe me?”
“Really? If things go well, bring him over to the house too.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Are you teasing me now?”
Yikes, if I talk any more, I might end up with another slap on the back like last time.
“Anyway, I’ll be back before dinner. I’m leaving now!”
“Bring back some tofu.”
“Got it.”
As I took on that errand and stepped outside, I noticed a red sports car parked right beyond the main gate.
…What’s that?
Hmm… Did a rich person move into the neighborhood?
Wow, I’m not someone who knows much about cars, but seeing a car that probably costs several million is something else.
I guess I’ll never ride a car like that in my lifetime.
Well, it’s not like I really want to. They say a man’s dream is a car, but I don’t really care for it.
As I passed through the yard and opened the gate, my attention was immediately drawn to the sports car parked right in front of me.
Wow, it’s seriously eye-catching. I wonder why it’s parked in front of someone else’s house…
Zing—
“Get in.”
“Ugh.”
“What? Why the sigh?”
“Just, thanks for coming to get me.”
“As long as you understand.”
While saying that, Moon Chang-sik beckoned me to get in, and I resisted the urge to grab my aching head as I slid into the passenger seat.
“Okay, I’ll start driving now.”
“What about that van?”
“That van can’t drive well. It’s too big.”
“Oh, okay.”
“And, I have a bit of a dream regarding cars. Buying a car after making some money was a small dream of mine, so now that I can ride this one, I’ll take the chance whenever I can.”
Well… it’s not that I don’t understand. But isn’t it a bit too noticeable?
Especially since I came out in my tracksuit for acting practice, and it doesn’t really match the car…
Hmm, Moon Chang-sik’s outfit isn’t much different either.
“Why are you looking at my clothes? You seem to have come in a gym uniform too.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
How did he know?
It is a tracksuit, but it’s also my high school gym uniform.
Well, it fits well and is comfortable, so why wouldn’t I wear it?
“Wait, is that really a school gym uniform? Do you still have that?”
“I graduated less than two years ago, you know?”
I mean, it could be called one year. I graduated last March.
At the mention of having graduated two years ago, Moon Chang-sik frowned and looked at me as if to say, “What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean?”
“I said it’s been two years since I graduated.”
“Were you 21 years old?”
“Of course, how old did you think I was?”
“Ah, um… I thought you were in your mid-twenties or something since you speak so maturely.”
What is he talking about?
Didn’t I mention my age? Or did he not hear me because he was off in his own world?
“What? So you didn’t even know my age until now?”
“Um… do you know my age, Su-hyun?”
Oh, he’s pushing back now?
What was his age again? I think he’s relatively young.
But he must have a significant career…
“Mid to late twenties?”
“See, you don’t really know, do you? Besides, you could just look it up.”
“When will we arrive? Still, the sports car is nice. It zooms out smoothly.”
“Of course, you’d think so.”
Before long, the car sped off and we arrived at a building before I knew it.
“Is this it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Wow, what a nice building. It’s not very big, but you can definitely tell it’s newly built.
“This building is nice. Is this where we’re going?”
“Yes, it’s in the basement. I’ve rented the whole room for today, so there shouldn’t be anyone else around.”
“Haru?”
What… do we really have to practice for that long?
But since I’m taking away Moon Chang-sik’s time, I guess it’s beneficial for me if we do it for a while…
The interior I entered was very similar to the space I visited for dance lessons last time.
One wall was made of mirrors, and it might be a bit smaller?
Even so, it was spacious enough for just the two of us.
“Alright then, let’s start with the basics.”
“Are you really okay with this? I could learn by watching YouTube; I feel like I’m taking up too much of your time.”
Is it surprising that I’m thinking this and saying it? Moon Chang-sik chuckled lightly at my response, as if it were no big deal.
“I don’t have a schedule other than filming lately, so I have plenty of time. If I hadn’t come out today, I would have just binge-watched a drama at home.”
Still, one-on-one lessons with Moon Chang-sik… If fans across the nation knew, I’d be in big trouble.
“Still, what do I owe this kind of investment to…?”
“Specifically, I’m investing in the work where you’re acting and I’m the lead. And if you really start to act like a true actress, wouldn’t that make me remember this time and lean towards the agency I belong to?”
Agency? Now that I think of it, I feel like he mentioned something about that last time.
“Is the agency really that good?”
Why is Moon Chang-sik personally putting in the effort? Is there a shortage of staff there?
“It’s not just good; I’m actually a major shareholder there.”
Ah, so he’s more of the invest-in-himself type.
That’s some serious confidence. If he fails, doesn’t that mean his stocks go down too?
Well, judging by his current popularity, even if he fails, he seems like he’ll be okay for three generations.
“Let’s skip the introduction and get right into it. Should we start with walking first?”
“Hold on a sec. But I’m only doing one scene; isn’t it enough just to practice that?”
“A wise teacher does not give hungry students fish but teaches them how to fish.”
“Eh?”
When did I become a student?
I mean, I’m only learning today… Can I really call myself a student?
“Well, I could just teach you the parts of your role specifically, but wouldn’t it be more helpful to understand the problem rather than memorizing the answer? Since I have a lot of time today, do you have any other appointments?”
Appointments? Uh… Ah, there is one.
“Uh, I have a game appointment with a friend tonight…”
As I say it, I feel a bit guilty, but an appointment is an appointment.
At the mention of games, Moon Chang-sik raised an eyebrow, then nodded as if to say it’s okay.
“Well, if it’s dinner time, that’s fine. We should wrap things up before then. Fortunately, your vocalization is good, so you just need to polish up some awkward movements.”
“Yeah, I can manage that…”
I may not have stamina, but I don’t lack physical awareness, right?
And, although I’ve only done it a few days, I think playing Beat Saber has helped me build some stamina.
“Alright, let’s assume the camera is over here.”
Thus began Moon Chang-sik’s abbreviated acting lesson.
What I realized is that he seems to have a knack for teaching.
Wait, did he practice this while playing a role too?
Regardless, his teachings seemed to resonate directly with my ears.
He’s already got good vocalization and speaking skills. Besides, isn’t he a specialist in this field?
It’s definitely an excellent qualification for being an acting educator.
Thanks to that, I could quickly grasp the basics, albeit in a very simplistic way.
Next came the practice for the role I was given.
“Okay, let’s give it a try.”
“Are we really doing this?”
“We’ll have to do it on set, right? Isn’t it better to do this now than in front of the staff?”
Well, that’s a valid point, but…
I recalled the script I memorized yesterday.
Honestly, not much additional content was added.
If you consider only the added lines, it’s probably just about ten lines, right?
Thankfully, it didn’t stray from the framework of a minor role.
But…
“Here I go.”
“Yeah, I’ll be practicing too, so please do it earnestly.”
Ugh, let’s just get this over with.
I imagine it.
Following what I learned from Moon Chang-sik.
I am now in the recording studio.
Fortunately, the recording studio is an image that’s really easy for me to conjure.
After all, I had done quite a bit of recording in the composer’s workshop.
There were times when I spent hours in there.
With only me and Moon Chang-sik there, I overlay the recording studio onto the empty surroundings.
Creating imaginary walls, glass windows, microphones, and I even conjure up the soundproof door I’ll go out of soon.
I don’t know if it’s my side or the female Kim Soo-hyun’s, but since it readily comes to mind, maybe I have some talent for imagination?
It might be a talent leaner toward the female Kim Soo-hyun type who mainly draws pictures.
Anyway, after overlaying the recording studio around me, I started acting according to the script.
At first, it wasn’t really acting. It was just recording and coming out of the recording studio, right? That’s something I’ve done countless times, so I can act naturally.
One thing that adds to the scenario is that I’m now a top star.
A very young and successful, beautiful, talented, and confident top star achieved at a young age.
Yeah, I’m a top star right now. The apex predator of the entertainment world, my nose reaching right up to the sky.
Confidently, I leave the recording studio, believing that I’ve committed no mistakes in the recording, and I catch the eye of a rather cocky producer who’s looking at me.
“How was it?”
“Well— it’s okay.”
A fallen genius, in contrast to myself. Someone who could not bear the immense pressure of popular expectations thrust upon them since childhood— a loser.
Yet, their face is decent enough, and they seem to have some usable skills left.
Despite just rotting away in a corner while creating such an excellent track.
“Is that it? Don’t you have anything more to say?”
“No, nothing. I have no feedback to give, so you can leave now.”
…Well, that’s a bit rude, but considering that, it feels a bit wasted to just leave him be.
“Well, it’s not just that.”
But still, isn’t that a bit too bland? Our company’s head producer is certainly not that unresponsive.
“Should I offer you a compliment or something?”
“You’re too prickly.”
Even though he’s making a grumpy expression, I wonder how long he plans to keep that up.
Taking a step closer, I stretch my long legs and approach him, noticing that the grumpy expression is starting to crack a bit.
Should I try to break that expression?
I stretch out my hand and grab his smooth jaw.
“Do you really dislike me that much? Even though I look like this, I’m… Ah!”
In an instant, the background surrounding us shattered and I saw Moon Chang-sik’s bewildered expression.
Ah! This is so cringy!
What do I do about this?
“Ah, break time!”
In the end, I collapsed during practice.
My hands and feet are cringing with embarrassment!
I really feel bad for Moon Chang-sik, but it’s hard to maintain a composed expression! There’s definitely a limit to immersion!
Who wrote this script? Someone please bring them to me!
Who acts like this in reality?
As my embarrassment began to creep in, my face gradually reddening, Moon Chang-sik approached me with that still bewildered expression.
“Seriously, you have no acting experience, right?”
“Huh?”
Why is he asking that? Is he going to flatter me now?
Even if he does, there’s no way my cringing hands and feet will become normal.
“Have you studied anywhere else?”
“Uh, you saw me during the audition, right? We did it together.”
Soon, Moon Chang-sik’s expression of bewilderment shifted to shock, and his eyes began to glimmer with light.
What’s happening? What does this mean?
Did I just do well?
No, more importantly, his gaze seems a bit strange?