Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 294
The studio rented for the music video shoot was incredibly spacious.
Rows of red seats filled the audience area.
Luxurious curtains surrounded the place.
The quality was so high that one could mistake it for a real movie theater, but the more I looked, the more I felt something strange.
It was easy to find the source of the peculiar dissonance.
'People.'
There were no people.
In such a large space, not a single person was present.
A desolate and quiet space devoid of any human presence.
On the stage, there was only a large screen standing alone.
And inside the screen, I was there.
['Mister! Is that ball yours?']
The young me, wearing a yellow hat, was smiling brightly on the screen.
'I was that young.'
I quietly watched my younger self.
['Mister, don't you lend your game console to your brother either?']
['What?']
['My brother always tells me I'm annoying and to go away.']
The young me managed to occupy a corner of the bench.
Ignoring the bewildered look from Hyung, I was busy chattering away.
It was a one-sided and unfriendly video.
The video, which played without any explanation, suddenly stopped without any warning.
"……."
In an instant, the surroundings were enveloped in silence.
The video had paused at a scene where Hyung and I were sitting side by side on the bench.
I took a deep breath and slowly walked up the stage.
Standing in front of the large screen, my presence seemed infinitely small.
'Hmm.'
This wouldn't do.
No matter how much I circled around the screen, I couldn't find a way.
After a moment of hesitation, I raised both hands up high.
'Please.'
I waved my hands desperately, as if asking for help.
Then, I heard a clicking sound, as if someone had pressed a mouse.
Simultaneously, the video on the screen shrank to fit my body size.
'This will do.'
I kept bowing in the air, expressing my thanks.
Then, I stood in front of the screen again.
After briefly looking at myself sitting on the bench in the video, I awkwardly bent my knees.
I adjusted my posture back and forth to make it look like I was sitting on the bench for real.
'This isn't easy.'
After several attempts and errors, I finally found the right angle.
At last, I had created a posture that completely hid the me in the video.
'Got it.'
I immediately smiled toward the front.
Curved eyes, raised corners of the mouth, and slightly red cheeks from the cold wind.
Everything matched the smile of the kid in the video.
I analyzed and mimicked each element, hiding my obsession behind a bright smile.
Unfortunately, perfection didn't last long.
'...My legs hurt.'
I was in a state of sitting in mid-air with nothing supporting me.
At some point, my thighs started trembling, and soon it turned into a full-body shake.
Even as my body trembled, I maintained a calm smile.
But it was only a matter of time.
"Ugh."
Soon, my legs gave out, and I frowned involuntarily as I sank down.
In an instant, my perfect posture was ruined.
"Haa…."
I let out a deep sigh and wiped my face with my hands.
My legs felt numb as if I had a cramp, but I didn't have the luxury to care.
I just lay down, completely relaxed.
Looking blankly at the ceiling, the lights seemed to shine more brightly.
They sparkled like stars seen from Earth, a shimmer that seemed impossible to reach.
Everything was just a mirage.
There was still no one around, and the only one left on the stage was me.
Before I knew it, a look of despair had settled on my face.
After staring at the ceiling for a long time, I slowly opened my mouth.
"……I wanna be the bambi."
It was the signal for the start of the music video.
* * *
"Cut!"
As soon as I heard the cameraman's shout, I jumped up.
With so many people in front of me, it wouldn't be polite to lie down.
'Ugh.'
My legs hurt.
It felt like a hundred ants were crawling up my thighs.
From my calves to my soles, everything ached, but I couldn't show it.
"Are you okay, actor?"
"Yeon-jae, are you alright?"
Jin-bae hyung and Hyung rushed to me immediately.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Fine, my foot. Stop saying things you don't mean."
"Actor, you shouldn't move too much. You lasted almost three minutes."
"Really?"
No wonder it was tough.
'Ugh.'
Ignoring the tingling sensation that spread throughout my legs, I walked as steadily as I could.
As I approached, the camera director immediately showed me the screen.
"Yeon-jae, your acting skills are something we can always rely on. How can you act so well? I almost clapped while filming."
The camera director gave me a thumbs up.
While I thanked him, my focus remained solely on the screen.
"The full shot turned out well."
"Right? We can go straight to the close-up."
"Well, just to be safe, can we shoot one more take? We might find something odd during editing."
At my suggestion, the camera director nodded right away.
"Oh, we should listen to the director. Do as you wish."
"…Don't tease me."
"Haha."
The camera director laughed heartily.
Having repeated rehearsals, we had gotten fairly close, making conversations easier.
"Oh, I'd like the camera to move with me in this scene."
"You're talking about a tracking shot (*where the camera moves along with the subject), right?"
"Yes. I want to keep the beginning as engaging as possible."
These days, for active music video streaming, the song starts right with the video.
If there's a story before the song starts, it inevitably makes repeat plays difficult.
'Instead, I need to make it engaging.'
Keeping the viewers from feeling bored was my job.
It was especially challenging for Koreans, who could easily feel bored even with a few seconds of silence.
Especially since the scene we just shot wasn't a conversation with someone else.
It was a scene where I moved alone on stage, making it relatively quiet.
'I'll use that silence instead.'
The goal was to evoke eeriness and emptiness from the silence, rather than boredom.
To make the viewers feel a chilling sensation that tingled at the back of their heads.
'I'll need to be meticulous during editing.'
I could already feel a headache coming on.
But it was funny.
'Why is this so much fun?'
It was so fun that I couldn't help but smile.
Even when I acted in the drama "February 3rd," which I had written myself, it was plenty of fun.
Writing and directing everything myself took the fun to a different level.
It was a feeling that was hard to explain with just the word 'fun.'
'This is the first time I'm acting as myself.'
The role I was playing wasn't another character.
There was no need for the 'erasing Lee Yeon-jae' process that I always went through while acting.
It was important to stay true to my own emotions and express them convincingly.
The difference was unfamiliar yet intriguing.
"I want to act for the rest of my life…."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh."
I didn't realize my thoughts had slipped out.
I hastily covered my mouth, but everyone around me had already heard.
The staff and the other actors waiting nearby burst into laughter.
"Haha, how cute. You want to act for the rest of your life?"
"Look at his eyes sparkle. What would he have done if he didn't act?"
Actor Kim Seok-jun playfully tapped the hat I was wearing.
Then, Hyung blocked his hand with a laugh.
"Our Yeon-jae is good at everything. If he hadn't acted, he would have sung. He's even releasing an album now."
"…Seriously, can't say anything around you."
Actor Kim Seok-jun made a weary face.
"Hey, how are you planning to get married? What woman would take a single guy with a son and daughter? Huh?"
"Thanks for the useless worry, Seok-jun. But I'd still do better than you."
"This bastard, seriously."
They're fighting again.
I pushed their backs firmly.
"Go fight somewhere else. You're in the way."
I had enough to worry about already.
After pushing Hyung and Actor Kim Seok-jun aside, we continued filming.
The ongoing story was similar to the introduction.
['Butterfly, I'm really happy you're here.']
A scene whispering to the butterfly from the drama "Butterfly Flowers in the Elm Tree."
['I wish everything would end here. I don't want to wake up....']
A scene mumbling after drinking water with sleeping pills in the variety show "Mission Clear."
['We just have to die together. Let's die here.']
['......']
['This time, until we die, we stay together.']
A scene where twin brothers face their fate in the movie "Twins."
['Hey, stop crying. You look really ugly.']
['You like it when I cry, don't you? Can't take your eyes off me.']
['Is this guy crazy?']
A scene depicting a fresh first love in the drama "Goodbye, My Summer."
['Even if we can't talk, we'll keep communicating.']
['......How?']
['I'll always be by your side.']
A scene letting go of a dead brother in the drama "February 3rd."
['Sorry, I'm sorry.... I'm not Seok-hyung.']
['What are you talking about? I was talking about Yoseok-hyung....']
['......']
['You said I could... call you hyung.']
A final scene from the drama "Killing Horn."
I continued acting in front of the screen showing key scenes from the dramas I'd filmed.
I had to cry like a child, then immediately switch to a crazed look.
The staff watching the shoot whispered among themselves.
"This feels eerie."
"Right? It's sad, but also kind of... funny."
As soon as I heard that, I held my breath.
'Amazing.'
It was exactly the reaction I intended.
I had arranged various elements so that while my attempts to fit into the character seemed somewhat pitiful, they didn't come across as purely sad.
It couldn't be helped.
'The song is upbeat.'
The scenes following the introduction were relatively light-hearted.
I would work hard in front of the screen, only to trip and fall or show up in the wrong outfit, confusing the characters.
There were also planned scenes where I would exit the stage with an embarrassed expression or fall in time with a trumpet sound.
There were going to be plenty of funny scenes.
'Looks like it's been well-executed.'
I managed my expression while clenching my fist quietly.
It was a small, secret celebration of joy.
'Whew, this is tough.'
Despite the fun, I could feel my stamina depleting as the shooting dragged on.
Every time I changed characters, I had to completely change my hairstyle and clothes.
To be efficient, we shot scenes with other actors intermittently, making the sequence of the music video even more chaotic.
'But it seems to be going relatively smoothly, right?'
I felt a sense of relief at that moment.
'Huh?'
I noticed a male staff member busily moving equipment in the corner.
My mind started working quickly.
'That person...'
His face seemed familiar.
Where had I seen him before? Maybe on another shoot?
No, I would have remembered for sure.
I quickly searched through my memories.
Then, suddenly.
"Ah!!"
As the scene vividly came back to me, I shouted without realizing it.
I could feel everyone looking at me because of the sudden noise, but I couldn't even apologize properly before jumping out of my chair.
"Hello!"
"Uh? M-me?"
I ran straight to him and grabbed his hand, startling him.
As I saw his eyes widen like a rabbit's, I smiled bashfully.
"It's been a while, Ji-woon hyung."
"...!"
I didn't think his eyes could get any bigger.
His eyes looked like they were about to pop out.
At the same time, he shouted loudly.
"How do you remember me?!"