Chapter 797. Sequence 7

“You just have to come in, look left and right once, and then rush over there. Also, doctors, follow the rushing man with your eyes, and then Heewon, you come forward. There will be nurses going back and forth behind you, so make sure you check your lines and don’t overlap. Don’t collide with each other.”

“Yes.”

“Also, intern actors. Just relax a little. You think you can go on TV like that? You have to act like you’re tired, not dazed. Get yourselves together.”

Hyungseok pulled on his collar and heaved out a short sigh. It was finally his first appearance. While the main actors talked with the director, he frowned and straightened his mouth repeatedly in order to make his face look like it was full of life. There were two other actors playing interns apart from himself. The director promised that one of them who ‘looks good on screen’ would be given lines. The sudden appearance of an appetizing bait made Hyungseok look at the faces of the other two. Both of their eyes lit up as though they were dogs who had been starving for days. It looked as though they were ready to do anything in order to catch the director’s eyes once they began the shoot. It seemed as though he had to show off himself if he didn’t want the other two to get ahead of him.

“I wonder what I should do in order to catch the director’s eyes?” he asked Maru, who was waiting next to him.

“You should show skillful acting of course.”

“Not something obvious like that.”

“Then what? Are you going to do a backflip or something? Try staying in line with what you should be doing. Director Yoo’s eyes for discerning people are frighteningly accurate. Don’t think about doing useless stuff and just focus on your role.”

“Of course I want to focus on my role. But all I’ll be doing is zoning out as an intern.”

“Didn’t the director tell you to express what is happening on your face after seeing the patient rushing in? She’s someone who pays attention to little details when she produces things. Also, she wants the actors to remember everything that she says. If you’re still thinking that all you have to do is zone out, I think those people will be the ones to take the lines.”

Maru pointed at the entrance and drew a line towards the exit of the emergency unit that the director had pointed out before. Did you even try moving your eyes along that line? – Maru seemed to be scolding him.

“Of course I should listen to teacher Maru’s words. Have a look and see if I’m not awkward.”

Hyungseok moved his eyes, looking at the imaginary patient rushing in.

“How was that?”

“You’re good at looking.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s all I can see after all. How am I supposed to evaluate just looking? I believe that chasing the patient with your eyes is different from moving along the line.”

“I was looking at the patient though. I’m right, aren’t I? The patient comes from there and rushes towards the counter.”

“If you say so, then I guess it must be true.”

“Why are you acting so cold-hearted? Give me some tips. I used to get told that I’m quite bad at improvising when I studied at the acting school, you know? Give some pointers to your junior.”

“You always call yourself junior in situations like these even though you don’t use any polite speech.”

Maru pointed at the entrance of the emergency unit.

“I’m not skilled enough to explain to anyone, so I’ll just show you how I would do it. First up, I create a story before an act starts, whatever it may be. For example, in the case of a patient rushing in, there is nothing like a back story mentioned in the script or the producer’s directions, but I still create my own imaginary story. Well then, the patient is rushing in from over there. Ready, cue.”

Maru’s attitude changed in an instant. He was sighing like he had just been scolded before slowly moving his eyes towards the entrance. He yawned as he moved his drowsy eyes slowly. Hyungseok looked at the place where Maru was looking. It felt as though someone was there at the counter even though there was no one there. After scanning the counter for a while, Maru turned around and stretched his arms out.

“Like that, I guess?”

“So there’s no need to be in a hurry, huh.”

“If the patient came in on a stretcher to the emergency unit, then you should be tense, but if a perfectly intact-looking man is walking over to the counter, there’s no real need to look at him with much interest. Dozens of patients would be coming each day, so don’t you think it’ll be too tiring if you have to concern yourself with every single visitor? Interns should already be tired from all the errands they have to run. Even if someone visits the ER with an anxious face, I, at least, would react like that since both my body and my mind would be tired. That’s the character I set up.”

“Conversely, if it’s a passionate doctor who loves not only the patient but their families as well, they would look at the patient and his family intently, right? Filled with worries.”

“Probably.”

“I like heroic figures, so I shall embrace everyone with my love.”

Just because there was no line didn’t mean that the characters didn’t have a personality. How are you going to react to the incoming patient? – the character’s personality would be settled according to the answer to that question, even if they didn’t have any lines. If all that was needed was for the intern doctors to look at the patients as they came in like what the director said, she might as well have a staff member put on a doctor’s gown and play that role instead. The fact that she was using an actor meant that she had some expectations. Either be a scarecrow who looks only in the direction she pointed at or become an actor who can think. The choice was obvious.

“I guess there are things you can learn even if you are an actor who doesn’t have much acting to do at all, huh. Hey, wasn’t that like a hip hop rhyme just now?”

“Why don’t you quit acting and switch to hip hop then? MC Hyungseok sounds good.”

“You can’t take a joke, can you?”

Hyungseok locked his fingers together and started thinking about a character that wasn’t too overboard but could still attract the director’s eyes.

“This is why I don’t give advice to smart people. They quickly learn and make it their own.”

That was Maru’s way of complimenting someone. Hyungseok knew that because they had spent two years together in the military.

“Please give me more advice in the future so that this old dog can learn new tricks. But hey, have a look at this. This time, it’ll be different.”

“If you think it’s different, then that’s fine. Even I would be able to tell that it’s different if you have thought about what you’re acting.”

“Don’t say that, and please have a look.”

Maru shook his head in vexation. In Hyungseok’s opinion, no instructor could match Maru when it came to acting or his advice. Maru kept looking away, saying that he didn’t want to, but he would probably listen if he pestered him. He might look cold-hearted on the surface, but looking after each person was his personality and his nature. Hyungseok knew that.

He practiced a few more times and was about to have Maru check it for him. Just then, he saw a woman walk over to the director with her hair tied. The rather large gown wasn’t able to hide her curves. Looking at the white curves, Hyungseok spoke,

“It’s Yoonseo. Man, she looks really pretty in real life. These days, I don’t think top-tier idols would lose out to actresses. Don’t you think so?”

“I guess she is pretty.”

Maru took his eyes off the script for a moment and uttered a line before looking down at his script again. Is it his concentration that is a marvel or his preference for women that was firm? – Hyungseok wondered before exclaiming and looking at Yoonseo who was smiling next to the director.

“Female idols always jump into dramas once they start doing well. It seems like dramas do make quite a bit of money, huh?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Look at her nose and lips. These days, even if you do undergo surgery, you have to do it discreetly like that. She’s totally my type.”

“If that’s the case, why don’t you go over and try talking to her? Stop mumbling next to me.”

“I’m only a bottom of the run actor. I don’t dare go there. Oh, you said you were close to Mr. Heewon, weren’t you? Can you set up a place with him and Yoonseo as well? I’ll treat you like my big brother for life.”

“I wonder what bad luck I had to meet someone like you in the military. Did I commit that many wrongs in my previous life?”

“You were so giddy when I got you Han Gaeul’s autograph, yet now you’re doing this to me?”

“That… I guess I’m grateful,” Maru said as his lips twitched.

From how Maru of all people was hesitating to speak, it probably meant that he felt really pleased. Han Gaeul over Yoonseo, huh. He really had a tight preference.

“If I catch the director’s eyes here, Yoonseo will look at me at least once, right? I’ll get her interest through my acting skills.”

“Now the crazy guy is talking nonsense huh. I’d like to remind you that you might get cut by the next episode.”

“Watch me. I’ll show you how a mayfly survives.”

“What, you’re going to do a backflip?”

“No, acting.”

* * *

“Over there! Did someone stick an iron rod in your eyes? Why are you so tense! Loosen up a little!”

“I’m sorry!”

Heewon giggled as he turned around. The man who introduced himself as Maru’s friend slapped his own cheeks, saying ‘get yourself together.’ He was an interesting person. Heewon took a liking to him, thinking that it wouldn’t be boring if someone like that was around.

“Where did you meet someone like that? I haven’t said hello properly, so introduce him to me later. He looks interesting.”

“Forget interesting. He’s overly confident and uselessly optimistic. He’s quite tiring. In some sense, he’s the complete opposite of you.”

“Would I be able to get some energy if I’m next to someone like that?”

“Your laziness is a curse from heaven, so you’ll never be able to fix it. Haewon is the only solution.”

Maru poked him on the back and pointed forward with his chin. The director was looking at him with her eyes open crookedly. You dare get distracted when an adult is speaking? – her eyes seemed to say. Heewon smiled awkwardly. Director Yoo Jayeon was a scary person, so there was a need to stay docile.

“Well then, let’s do that again.”

At the director’s signal, a man rushed in. The world of pure white turned colorful again. Heewon colored the face of the man in front of him, who he had never seen before, with the color of his close friends. That process didn’t take that long. Looking at the man colored in light pink, Heewon could act happy like he had met an old friend after a long time.

“Heewon, your expression looks good. Look a little more worried at that part.”

He changed his emotions according to the director’s words that entered his ears. To Heewon, this was easier than using clay to form a shape he wanted. Everyone else said it was hard. Talent was a thankful thing.

“Interns, move your eyes, yes. The man falls back. Heewon recognizes him. That’s it. A little more friendly and with a little more worry.”

The director’s words stopped. He could hear her voice but couldn’t comprehend her as though it was an alien tongue. His brother always told him to fix the habit of not listening to others once he was absorbed in something, but he couldn’t do what he couldn’t do. He just did what his body willed him to do and according to the directions from before. After a while, he could hear a ‘cut’ sound that snapped him back to reality.

“Okay! Yoonseo and Heewon, come over for a sec. We’ll do some monitoring.”

Heewon yawned. He felt like monitoring wasn’t necessary, but he still walked over since Haewon’s prickly gaze was on him. He didn’t want to get nagged after all.

“Both of you are doing well. Yoonseo’s doing good too.”

“I think I’m blending in well thanks to Heewon.”

“I guess that’s not entirely incorrect.”

“Director, you should say that I’m not at times like this.”

“I told you I can’t speak empty praises during the get-together.”

“I didn’t know it would be like this. Please give me more love. And you too, Heewon, look at me in a good light.”

Heewon nodded. He felt like he had talked to Yoonseo about various things during the get-together but nothing remained inside his mind. It wasn’t like he was disinterested in her since she was quite pretty, so it was quite strange.

“What?” Yoonseo asked, seemingly weirded out by his stare.

“A good person or a bad person. I was just wondering.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing. Forget about it.”

“You can’t ignore me, okay? You of all people should be on my side. Isn’t that right, director?”

Yoonseo smiled softly.