Chapter 16
The filming that began at dawn finally ended after sunset.
"Alright, we're done for the day! Great work, everyone!"
The moment Director "Lee Woosuk" finished speaking, a collective sigh of relief swept through the set.
"It's finally over!"
"Wow... today was really long."
"Let's keep this energy for tomorrow!"
Though fatigue lingered, a subtle excitement spread across everyone's faces.
The crew moved quickly to pack up the equipment, and the actors, one by one, began to change their clothes and gather in small groups to chat.
In that moment, my eyes met with Director "Lee Woosuk's," who was carrying some equipment.
He slowly approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder without a word.
It was a short moment, but the firm pressure of his hand carried a strange weight.
"Today... you were really great."
At his words, I smiled and nodded.
"I was nervous because it was the first day, but the atmosphere on set was so good that I felt less jittery."
He propped his chin on his hand and chuckled lightly, then patted my shoulder again.
"Nervous? What are you talking about? You were flying high. What's more amazing is that you kept all that inside for five years."
He turned his head and looked towards where CEO "Kim Myungjun" had been standing. Then he gave a faint smile and said:
"The CEO was completely impressed by you. Said he won't interfere with the drama anymore."
My eyes widened slightly.
"...Really?"
"Yeah. Said watching your acting gave him all the reassurance he needed. No more meddling, he'll just pump in the money."
The corners of my mouth rose on their own.
"Wow... I can't believe his attitude changed so much in just one day."
"That's thanks to you. You convinced the CEO with your acting alone."
He looked at me again and nodded. His gaze was different this time. It wasn't just simple encouragement, but a trust filled with sincerity.
"You did well, Cha Eunyul. Now all you have to do is act comfortably."
I nodded quietly.
"I'll be in your care from now on, Director."
Director "Lee Woosuk" laughed at my words.
"No need to be so formal."
He squeezed my shoulder one last time before stepping back. As he turned away with a light wave, his back looked somehow reassuring.
He turned and stretched once, saying:
"Phew! What a relief! Now that the investor is secured, we can finally start getting everything from the sound director onwards set up!"
I asked without thinking.
"You haven't found one yet?"
He stopped walking and tilted his head slightly.
"It's no use if the production budget isn't available. Until now, the main assistant director has been handling the sound checks, and he's been going through hell."
"What... really?"
"Yeah. We even rented the sound box. The official equipment is scheduled to arrive next week. As of today, I need to start drawing up a list of candidates for sound director."
Then he stroked his chin and muttered.
"To capture realistic sound, you can't just stay in the studio. You have to do outdoor recording too... Ah, so busy, so busy."
I smiled quietly.
"Director. You seem so tired."
He looked at me for a moment, then laughed and said:
"Hey, that's just how it is. A director ages ten years every time they shoot a drama. You can easily replace the writer, the lighting director, and even the actors, but you can't replace the director."
"That sounds a bit disappointing."
"Ah, except for you. We can't replace you. Phew, I'm so glad you did a great job."
With that, Director "Lee Woosuk" clasped his hands behind his back and headed back towards the set.
I watched his retreating back and quietly muttered to myself.
"...It's just the beginning."
One by one, the lights around the set were turned off, and the camera equipment was packed away.
I stood for a moment under the convenience store sign. The place where I had poured most of my emotions all day. And for a moment, the first scenes of the day came flooding back.
The moment my eyes first met with "Oh Suhyeon's" in the drama.
Exchanging dialogue across the counter, scanning products, recommending items.
It wasn't acting.
For me, it was reality.
[Convenience Store Part-Timer Yoo Daeyoung]
From the moment I equipped the title, this was no longer a film set.
It felt more real than reality, more vivid than acting. Even without lines, my body reacted naturally.
It wasn't acting; it was me, living and breathing as "Yoo Daeyoung."
How did you hold that in for five years?
Director "Lee Woosuk's" words echoed in my mind again.
Five years ago, standing in front of the camera was a given for me.
And now, here I was again, in the same spot.
I took a slow breath. My fingertips trembled slightly.
It wasn't nervousness.
It was excitement.
The feeling of being able to act again.
The confidence that I could melt into this scene.
In this moment, there wasn't a single trace of falsehood.
"Eunyul, let's get going too!"
From a distance, brother "Jaeho" waved his hand.
I looked up at the convenience store sign one last time.
Then I took a slow, steady step forward.
The first day of filming was a success.
Ad-lib.
Acting is a living art, and ad-libbing is an element that makes that art shine even more.
The script provides the path an actor must follow, but how they walk that path is up to them.
That's why, if you want to be a good actor, just memorizing lines isn't enough.
You need something that goes beyond the lines.
You have to make the character a complete part of yourself.
And one way to do that is through ad-libbing.
Ad-libbing isn't just about changing the lines. It's about diving deeper into the character's emotions in that fleeting moment.
When an actor fully understands their character, the ad-lib isn't just a simple variation, but a real performance.
An unexpected word, a single gesture, can create a resonance that goes beyond the script.
Sometimes, that ad-libbed performance becomes an iconic scene in the work.
Ad-libbing is not a simple act of wit.
For it to blend in naturally, it's necessary to know how deeply the actor understands the character in the story, and how multi-dimensionally they have envisioned them.
In other words, ad-libbing isn't allowed for just anyone.
Only an actor who is 100% immersed in and understands their character can execute a successful ad-lib.
Today was the third day of filming at the convenience store.
The sky was already dark, and the lights under the convenience store sign cast a soft glow. The evening air crept between the hands packing up the equipment.
Compared to the first day, the atmosphere was much brighter.
The staff's expressions were relaxed, and Director "Lee Woosuk" was also gently leading the set, cracking a joke now and then.
Most importantly, the shadow of "Kim Myungjun" had vanished from the set.
'Good. The investor's meddling because of me is over now.'
At first, I was bothered by the fact that he was dissatisfied with my casting and was disrupting the set all through filming.
I was worried he might intimidate the staff, which made me uncomfortable, but seeing the atmosphere now, it seemed I could put those worries aside.
The camera director and lighting team were smiling as they adjusted the equipment, and the waiting actors were chatting quietly, holding heating pads.
A night filled with light laughter instead of tension. I don't think I've ever been on such an enjoyable set before.
In that moment, someone called me cheerfully from behind.
"Actor Cha Eunyul! Hello!"
I turned to see "Eunmin" from the makeup team greeting me with a bright face.
"Ah, Miss Eunmin. Hello."
Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth as she laughed.
"Oh my, you remembered my name? Wow. Actor Cha, you're really so popular on set these days."
"Pardon? It's only been three days."
"Exactly. It's only been three days, but you've memorized all the staff's names and you speak so warmly... you're already a legend among the staff."
I smiled shyly.
Honestly... it was thanks to the title.
When I shifted my gaze for a moment, I could see the letters slowly materializing above her head.
[Chatterbox Park Eunmin]
When I see a title, the name automatically pops up. And since most of the staff had titles, calling them by their names was very easy for me.
She continued:
"Ah, and before filming started today, CEO Kim Myungjun is said to have gathered the entire filming crew and said something. He said the atmosphere on set has been great lately, and that he'll reserve the store for us whenever we ask. It seems to be an official directive now."
I was speechless for a moment.
"Really?"
"Yes. They said it's the first time the CEO has said something like that. On the first day, the mood was so tense, but these days, I wonder who he's smiling at..."
I just smiled without a word.
"Honestly, everyone has already noticed. Ah, right. You know we're having a team dinner today, right?"
"Yes. Of course."
"I'm looking forward to seeing what you're like when you drink, Actor!"
She left me with a playful smile and a word of encouragement, and quietly walked away.
I smiled quietly to myself. No one heard or saw it, but that one comment warmed a corner of my heart.
I felt a little proud, and a little cautious.
This was... a small sign that I was being acknowledged.
After taking a moment to catch my breath, I slowly made my way to the set.
The next scene was for the afternoon shoot.
It was the scene where "Yoo Daeyoung," who had been hiding his feelings, finally reveals them. The lines were short, but the suppressed emotions had to flow.
I recalled the rehearsal script.
Writer "Yoo Yijin's" scripts were always meticulous. And "Lee Woosuk's" direction was trustworthy as well.
In their hands, the drama was already close to perfection.
But as an actor, a desire grew within me.
I felt I could make the character "Yoo Daeyoung" more vivid than he was now.
To be precise, the moment I fully understood "Yoo Daeyoung" through the power of the title, some of the scenes in the script seemed a bit off.
I felt that "Yoo Daeyoung" wouldn't talk this way.
A single phrase, a single glance—
With a little refinement, I felt he could come to life much more authentically.
'...But can I even say that?'
My thoughts stopped there.
I was an actor who had just made a comeback.
And not even as a proper protagonist, but just a supporting character with an important role.
Suggesting a change in the script, when the director had already put a great deal of thought into that scene, could be seen as unnecessarily disrupting the flow.
'Do I dare, in my current position, ask for that?'
The atmosphere on set was just starting to find its rhythm. If I handled this wrong, it could be seen as me overstepping my bounds.
The timing wasn't right yet.
I sat quietly in a corner of the set and took a sip of water.
In front of me, cameras were being set up, and the lighting team was testing the brightness over and over.
I was already used to the lines and the blocking.
The problem was... 'how' to fill them.
Should I portray the character "Yoo Daeyoung" exactly as he was written?
Or as an actor, should I push the emotions a little further?
In that moment, an idea flashed through my mind.
A gesture that suppressed the emotion more strongly before letting it explode. Or a detail like a short, sharp breath before delivering a line.
Would Director "Lee Woosuk" accept that?
No, before that...
Is it right for me, in my current position, to suggest something like that?
In reality, many actors who try to change even the nuance of a single line or the direction of their gaze are often told to 'stick to the script'.
Especially an actor who hasn't even completed their 'first few takes'.
Despite all that, the ambition in my heart did not easily subside.
I wanted to make "Yoo Daeyoung" not just a character living inside a script, but someone I could make convincing.
The moment I spoke, whether it would be seen as an actor's immersion or an overstepping interference, depended solely on the timing.
"Alright, sound is rolling—, camera is rolling—, let's go for the final take."
A sense of tension spread across the set.
A dark alley.
The lights behind the convenience store were turned off, and a temporary floodlight harshly illuminated the space.
The camera lens turned, and "Oh Suhyeon" stood leaning against a wall, his head bowed.
In front of him stood another man.
An extra with a single passing line. But his eyes were sharp.
Emotions intertwined.
"Oh Suhyeon's" voice rose, and the man's breathing became ragged.
It felt less like a film set and more like a real fight about to break out.
And then—
From the mouth of the alley behind them, "Yoo Daeyoung" quietly emerged. A shabby blue windbreaker, slumped shoulders, a dark expression—Yoo Daeyoung.
That was me.
With my emotions reined in, I was slowly entering the frame.
Every breath, every step—everyone was silently watching only that scene.
Now was the moment I had to bring out the emotion I had hidden.
In that moment, Director "Lee Woosuk's" low voice was heard.
"Cut. Hold on a moment."
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