The Haunted Monster Actor - Chapter 2



Only Krnovel

Episode 2

The drama set is not so light that it can be shaken by just one extra actor having a flat tire.

So the atmosphere on set was much more calm and indifferent than I had feared.

As soon as I handed him the script, Senior Youngjin turned around with a cold expression.

“I’m sorry, senior.”

“What do you have to be sorry about? You should be sorry to yourself for blocking my path.”

It’s understandable why Heo Young-jin would be so angry.

The role he gave me was not an ordinary supporting role.

It’s a role that has a lot of weight for a supporting role, with lines and even an appearance with the main character.

It’s a very small possibility, but it might be a chance to get noticed by a drama PD.

Hyunsoo basically kicked away that golden opportunity.

It’s not that there aren’t some unfair aspects, but the accident that happened the other day was purely a personal matter.

The world of professionals is not an easy place where such things can work.

“Let’s focus on work for now and we’ll talk separately later.”

“yes.”

Youngjin is right.

What you need to do now is not make excuses.

This is the scene, and Hyun-soo is an actor.

The only thing an actor can say on set is his lines.

Hyunsoo sat in the waiting room and checked the acting he had to do once again.

The dialogue given in this scene is only three lines.

There may not be much that can be shown with just three lines of dialogue.

Even if you are only given one line of dialogue.

‘I have no intention of taking it easy.’

New Number 34. The given Shiva(*) is simple.

The main character, Detective Jin Young-mi (playing Joo In-ah), is being interrogated by an unexpected criminal, Murder Suspect 2 Jo In-ho (playing Kim Hyun-soo).

Even though it is a companion scene, it is mostly composed of detective Jin Young-mi’s lines, and Hyun-soo just… … at the given timing.

“I am not.”

“It’s unfair.”

“I didn’t kill him.”

You just have to recite these three lines.

Even though it is only three lines, the emotions contained within are not that simple.

If it were simply expressing feelings of injustice, it wouldn’t have been difficult.

But now, Hyun-soo is not a lead actor but a supporting actor.

‘The virtue of a supporting actor is to not show off his or her presence as much as possible.’

You should express your feelings of resentment as much as possible, but at the same time, keep your presence to a minimum.

It is a complex task to naturally blend in with the overall flow of the play and the aura of the supporting and supporting actors who lead it through a balance of emotion and presence…

‘There is a chance that it will be a little more noticeable.’

“Thirty-four, one. I’ll be right there!”

The first take of the 34th episode.

It’s your turn.

Hyunsoo, sitting on a chair in the interrogation room set, looked around.

The atmosphere is no different than usual.

The PD, the camera director, the assistant director, the seniors, and even the actress he was supposed to work with don’t pay any attention to Hyun-soo’s existence.

In the meantime, he quietly killed his presence even more.

This is the ‘acting’ that a supporting actor should be doing at this very moment.

“Well, it’s possible for someone to be late once in a while. Let’s not be too nervous and just go at once.”

PD doesn’t say this to comfort people.

It was nothing more or less than thinking that I would never see him again after today, so I just let it go.

“One, two, three—cue!”

From now on, Hyun-soo is the suspect ‘Jo In-ho’ who is suspected of committing murder.

* * *

Detective Jin Young-mi begins the interrogation in a relaxed voice while handing Jo In-ho a photo.

“I miss your face a lot, don’t I?”

“… … .”

“I understand. We were living together happily until a year ago… … You must have missed me a lot, right?”

“… … .”

Although Jo In-ho still doesn’t say anything, Jin Yeong-mi continues the interrogation with a relaxed expression.

She is convinced that the Jo In-ho in front of her is the culprit.

“I think Mr. Jo In-ho has watched too many dramas. Isn’t this not the time to exercise his right to remain silent? This is… … I’m just trying to confirm the facts.”

“… … .”

“Okay, let’s skip the things we both already know for convenience.”

“… … .”

“Okay, let’s make our first touch a little easier, okay? Since you’re busy, I’ll ask you something important first. What were you doing near Lee Yeon-soo’s house around 12:30 AM yesterday? If you’re going to say something ridiculous like you were thinking of your ex-girlfriend after a year, then you can use your right to remain silent.”

It was then that Jinyoungmi’s mood changed.

“Okay, let me show you something fun.”

A single photo thrown onto the table.

“These days, black box technology has advanced so much that the picture quality is no joke, right? There are many models that don’t record continuously, so I had a hard time finding them… … My specialty is hard work. Anyway, after searching all night long… … Ta-da! This is what I found? Isn’t this guy Jo In-ho?”

“I am…….”

Before Jo In-ho could finish speaking, Jin Yeong-mi put down a few more photos as if she was taking the initiative.

“And this is from the CCTV of the shopping mall a month ago. This is from a streetlight two months ago. This is from the entrance of the apartment four months ago… … Why are there so many? Anyway, Mr. Jo In-ho, I see that you weren’t there just the day before yesterday?”

The reason Jin Young-mi is convinced that Jo In-ho is the culprit.

Even after breaking up with Lee Yeon-su, he continued to loiter near her house and planned the murder.

It was then that Jo In-ho’s trembling voice continued.

“… … Not me.”

“Huh? You’re finally responding now? How nice would it have been if the conversation had gone on like this from the beginning?”

“It wasn’t me. I… … I’m really being treated unfairly, Detective.”

“Yes, that’s what everyone says when they come here… … .”

“No.”

“… … ?”

It was at that moment that Jinyoungmi’s face hardened and flinched.

Jinyoungmi’s gaze turns to Jo Inho’s without her knowing it, at the sudden feeling of intensity in his voice without any highs or lows.

In Jo In-ho’s eyes, which were staring at her quietly, one could sense his absolute certainty that he was absolutely not the one who killed Lee Yeon-soo.

Jinyoungmi’s hair stands on end at the feeling of being overwhelmed and the eerie feeling that cannot be described in words.

Jin Young-mi… … no, actress Joo In-ah forgot for a moment what line she was supposed to say next.

‘W, what kind of person’s eyes are these… … .’

“Detective.”

“……yes?”

Jo In-ho opened his mouth in a calm voice.

Jo In-ho feels truly wronged at this moment.

“I am Lee Yeon-su… … .”

That would be the case, I guess.

“I didn’t kill him.”

Because I have no interest in killing a girl who is old enough to be cold.

… …

… …

… …

“… … Cut!”

“Cut!!!”

The cut sign was given, and for a while a mysterious silence fell over the set.

Everyone’s eyes turned to PD Yoo, who called cut.

“… … ?”

The reason why the atmosphere on set became strange was simple.

This is because normally, after the cut sign, the PD should have said whether it was okay or not to go back.

But for some reason, PD Yoo just stared at Kim Hyun-soo’s face with a strange expression on his face.

Instead of giving the okay sign, PD Yoo opened his mouth towards Kim Hyun-soo.

“Mr. Kim Hyun-soo?”

“yes?”

“What did you just… … do?”

“Huh? What did I… …?”

Before Hyun-soo could finish speaking, PD Yoo suddenly jumped up from his seat.

“You wait in the waiting room for a moment. Now, everyone, pay attention!”

“… … ?”

“Wait a minute, all of you! Don’t touch the interrogation room settings! Director Oh, Director Oh, the main actor, and the guy I brought… … Ah, Heo Young-jin. Come here for a moment.”

A strange atmosphere began to swirl within the filming set.

* * *

“Hey, what the hell is that guy?”

“… … I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Heo Young-jin lowered his head at PD Yoo Jong-seok’s words, which started with a swear word.

“No, I’m not asking you to apologize, I’m asking you what that guy is.”

“No, I’m really sorry… … .”

Heo Young-jin, who was speaking, tilted his head for a moment.

Now that I think about it, what did I do wrong?

There’s no way I could find fault with Hyunsoo for being late now.

So… is it because of the acting?

Heo Young-jin thought back to the acting that Hyun-soo had just done.

Even to Heo Young-jin, who has quite a bit of experience on set, his acting wasn’t that bad.

‘It was a fairly plain and balanced performance.’

That was the highest level of acting that a significant(?) supporting role could show.

“Huh? Now that I think about it, I don’t think I have anything to be sorry about.”

“Who said sorry, Emma? I mean, where did you pick that up?”

“That’s… … your junior from college?”

“What’s the level?”

“I hit the flat ground.”

Flat?

“That’s a flat surface? Hmm.”

This time, Yoo Jong-seok’s gaze turned to Joo In-ah.

“How was it?”

At Yoo Jong-seok’s question, Joo In-ah tilted her head with a slightly ambiguous expression.

“I don’t know yet….”

“Really? So you’re saying there was something.”

“… … .”

Joo In-ah is a talented actress with outstanding acting skills among actresses in their early 30s these days.

The fact that she felt something like that meant that her intuition was not wrong.

Yoo Jong-seok replayed the take he had just taken.

‘It’s clear that my acting wasn’t very different from the script.’

Although I did recite lines that were a little different from the script, that was a natural change that occurred during the process of interacting with the other actor and converting written language into spoken language.

What that guy showed me earlier wasn’t just a problem with acting tone or lines.

‘There’s definitely something there.’

“Here… … stop!”

Yoo Jong-seok just stared at the still scene for a while without saying anything.

And soon after, Yoo Jong-seok’s eyes catch the eye as if he has discovered something.

“Hey, what is this… … ?”

“… … ?”

“Heh heh, this guy, his eyes are completely rolled back.”

“yes?”

“Heo Young-jin, do you know what shape a person’s eyes have in the dark?”

“Huh? That’s why… … .”

“Don’t you know? Yeah, that’s obvious.”

“… … ?”

Of course, there aren’t many people who can answer the question just asked, including Heo Young-jin.

Because people usually have no way to check their pupils in the dark.

Due to the nature of his job, Yoo Jong-seok often has to check people’s pupils in the dark through night filming.

What do the pupils of actors look like in the dark when viewed through night vision equipment?

In the dark, human pupils are greatly ‘dilated’ as there is no need to limit the amount of light, unlike usual when they are constricted.

‘But this guy… … his pupils are open even in bright places.’

As if sitting alone in the dark.

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

The bastard didn’t move an inch from his seat the entire time the owner was giving his lines.

There is no gesture, not even the slightest trembling of the body.

At the same time, the gaze never leaves the owner’s eyes.

What do the above features imply?

While preparing for this work, Yoo Jong-seok researched and interviewed numerous criminals.

Pupils wide open like a ferocious beast.

A posture without any disturbance or movement.

A sustained gaze as if observing the other person.

‘This is totally… … .’

It feels like watching actual interviews with psychopathic criminals.

“Hey, Heo Young-jin.”

“yes!”

“Did you bring a murderer home from somewhere?”

“Huh? What, what on earth do you mean… … .”

“Okay.”

In Yoo Jong-seok’s opinion, there is only one person who can figure out what he saw.

“Send the picture I just took to Author Ko.”

“… … Yes? Writer Ko? Right now?”

“Yeah. Right now. Right now.”

Maybe she would recognize it.

I’m talking about the ‘something’ that little girl just showed me.

―――

(*Shivai: Slang used on set to describe the overall content, situation, or flow of the script.)

Continued in the next episode