Novel Lived
Chapter 27 - It's All Acting
Chapter 27 - It's All Acting
Chapter 27: It’s All Acting
Gulp-!
Park Soo-bin, who had once vowed to humble Kang Woo-ju, secretly swallowed her saliva.
The reason was none other than Kang Woo-ju himself. He was glaring at her right in front of her eyes.
‘How did it end up like this!?’
She wanted to turn her head away from his gaze immediately, but even that wasn’t possible because Kang Woo-ju’s hand was gripping her chin.
His eyes shone with a subtle madness, like moonlight. Facing him felt like being tightly bound by a giant snake.
‘…Am I going to be devoured!?’
The best she could do in this situation was to avoid screaming. She prayed for this situation to end as quickly as possible.
However, contrary to her wishes, Kang Woo-ju’s face got closer and closer. Now, their breaths were close enough to touch each other’s skin.
Realizing this, Park Soo-bin held her breath, but she had inhaled too hastily to hold it for long.
Just when she felt like she was drowning alive, a voice of salvation was heard from somewhere.
“Cut!”
Director Kang In-ho’s voice echoed through the filming set. Her mind, which had been drifting away, snapped back.
When she came to her senses, Kang Woo-ju was already standing a good distance away from her, as if nothing had happened.
Huff-
Only then could Park Soo-bin barely exhale the breath she had been holding back. Even amidst this, her gaze was still fixed on Kang Woo-ju.
‘···Is that guy’s acting really acting!?’
Of course, she had thought he was peculiar ever since she first saw him at the script reading session.
He showed up precisely at the scheduled time, not even a minute off. He didn’t flinch even in front of the veteran actor Kim Young-ho and confidently pushed forward.
Though she knew firsthand how desperate new actors are for a fixed role, she wondered if he really had to immerse himself in the character to that extent.
‘Until he bought us beef…’
In hindsight, something seemed off since then. She heard that the dinner that day cost over 7 million won.
No matter how immersed he was in the chaebol character, there’s no way a rookie actor could casually cover such an amount.
– Director. About Kang Woo-ju. I’ve heard through the grapevine that he’s a parachute hire… (TL: grapevine is a social media for professionals)
Just when everyone was stuffed with alcohol and Hanwoo beef, a conversation about Kang Woo-ju emerged from the staff.
– Oh, yeah. He is a parachute hire.
– …!!?
Kang In-ho acknowledged the fact nonchalantly. It wasn’t something he said just because he was drunk.
Rather, Kang In-ho wiped the playful smile from his face and addressed the production team.
– So what?
– What?
– You saw it earlier. How he acted.
– …
The bustling atmosphere of the dinner quieted down instantly at Kang In-ho’s words. Scratching his head, Kang In-ho continued.
– I don’t know where someone like him suddenly appeared from, but even if he wasn’t a parachute hire, I would have chosen Kang Woo-ju.
– Oh, come on. You didn’t even know his name at first.
– Ah, it’s just a figure of speech! A figure of speech! That’s how this industry works. No matter how good-looking or talented you are, if you don’t have connections, it doesn’t matter.
– Well, that’s true.
Phew-
Even as he sighed, the persistent back-and-forth between Jung Ha-rin and Kang In-ho echoed in her ears.
‘Co, could it be···!?’
A hypothesis suddenly popped into Park Soo-bin’s head. At the time, she just let it go, but now it seemed suspicious.
It’s certain that Kang Woo-ju has a lot of money. But his acting skills are a bit too much. It feels like he isn’t acting but is naturally like that.
Especially the videos and accounts circulating on social media all had similar impressions to hers. Especially those intense eyes she had just seen…
‘Could it be that Woo-ju ssi has feelings for me…!?’
Honestly, she herself wondered how she got cast as the lead in <Peaceful Chaebol Life>. She had made all sorts of mistakes on the final audition day.
But what if Kang Woo-ju personally selected her? Come to think of it, she heard that the role of [Kang Joo-heon] didn’t even have an audition.
‘What if he’s not a parachute but an investor!?’
Then it would make sense why Director Kang In-ho and Writer Jung Ha-rin treat him differently compared to other rookie actors.
– Everyone should thank Kang Woo-ju! Because of him, you don’t have to do weird PPL like sleeping in a massage chair! Hahaha-! (TL: PPL = Product Placement)
The drunken words of Director Kang In-ho caused a huge wave in Park Soo-bin’s heart.
A production budget so large that they didn’t have to worry about PPL. This wasn’t just a parachute; it was practically a custom order.
In that case, it would be perfectly possible for him to personally choose his co-star.
‘…Oh my god. Seriously.’
With that thought, Park Soo-bin began to look at Kang Woo-ju with a fresh perspective. Upon closer inspection, even his indifferent gaze seemed somewhat cool.
‘But didn’t he say he had a girlfriend?’
That question briefly crossed Park Soo-bin’s mind. However, she didn’t have the luxury to think deeply about it.
“Soo-bin ssi!”
“…Yes, yes!?”
It was Director Kang In-ho’s sharp voice that snapped her out of her daydream. Park Soo-bin quickly turned her head toward him.
“What are you doing over there?”
“Ah, well…”
“Hurry and come check the footage.”
“Yes! I’ll be right there!”
Park Soo-bin straightened up like a new recruit and quickly moved towards him. The sharper Kang In-ho’s gaze became, the faster her steps quickened towards him.
When he held a megaphone, his charisma was extraordinary, completely different from his usual self.
“Do you see the footage here?”
The camera Kang In-ho pointed to showed the scene she had just filmed with Kang Woo-ju.
The standout, without a doubt, was Kang Woo-ju. He displayed a decadent charm that seemed straight out of a romance web novel cover.
His hand gripping her chin prominently showed his veins, and his beast-like eyes that she had faced directly were impressive.
“Soo-bin ssi, not there. Here, here.”
Then, Kang In-ho, seemingly frustrated, pointed directly at the photo with his finger. There, her face, pale with fear, was clearly captured.
Only then did Park Soo-bin understand why Kang In-ho had called her over separately. No matter how stunning Kang Woo-ju looked, if his co-star appeared terrified, it was a problem…
“It was really perfect.”
“What?”
“Among all the shots we took today, I like your cut the best! Those eyes that seemed frightened yet subtly stirred. Gosh, it’s hard to believe this is a rookie’s acting.”
“Th-thank you?”
Director Kang In-ho’s praise was so unexpected that Park Soo-bin, despite her bewildered feelings, nodded earnestly.
It was the first compliment she had received from him today, but it wasn’t her intended acting.
“Let’s wrap up the scene with these shots. Once they’re touched up and posted on the board, get ready for your phones to blow up.”
“…Yes.”
Director Kang In-ho seemed very pleased. As he turned away, Park Soo-bin quickly scanned the area, looking for someone. The root of this situation.
“Huh?”
When she finally spotted her target, a silly sound escaped Park Soo-bin’s lips.
Kang Woo-ju, being such a noticeable person, wasn’t hard to find. However, she had to question what she was seeing. The Kang Woo-ju of all people was smiling ‘gently.’
‘That person…’
Park Soo-bin’s gaze naturally shifted. At the end of it stood a woman with such beauty that even another woman couldn’t help but be amazed.
She wasn’t wearing anything particularly eye-catching. Just a white dress shirt and a black blazer.
Despite this, she exuded a chic career woman vibe that kept drawing Park Soo-bin’s eyes.
‘She looks familiar. Where have I… Ah!’
She finally remembered where she had seen her. She was the woman often seen with Kang Woo-ju in photos on social media. The one he had referred to as his girlfriend.
“Oh? CEO Kim Eun-ha!?”
…CEO?
It was as if Director Kang In-ho, who was sitting next to her, stood up to solve the question in Park Soo-bin’s mind.
“Everyone, let’s take a 10-minute break!”
Without any hesitation, Kang In-ho halted the shooting and hurried towards where Kim Eun-ha and Kang Woo-ju were standing together.
Just who is she? That question swirled in Park Soo-bin’s mind. Suddenly, Kim Eun-ha turned her head slightly and made eye contact with her.
“…!?”
Creepy-!
The moment their eyes met in mid-air, Park Soo-bin felt a shiver run down her spine.
Even though Kim Eun-ha was smiling kindly, an indescribable eerie feeling crawled up her legs like a snake.
Compared to that, Kang Woo-ju’s gaze from earlier was child’s play. It felt like locking eyes with a tiger in the mountains.
‘…I must be crazy.’
Park Soo-bin instantly realized how absurd her previous thoughts had been. Only someone like Kim Eun-ha could date a man like Kang Woo-ju.
She felt so embarrassed by her earlier fantasies that she wanted to slap herself.
‘I must have watched too many dramas.’
Ever since she was cast as the lead for the first time, she had been binge-watching dramas for acting practice. It must have messed with her head a bit.
‘…I should just focus on acting.’
Swish-
Park Soo-bin subtly shifted her gaze to avoid Kim Eun-ha’s. It was a half-instinctive action.
* * *
“…Eun-ha ssi, what brings you here?”
Seeing Kim Eun-ha suddenly appear at the shooting set, I couldn’t hide my surprise.
Her mere presence was enough to catch me off guard, and the timing was the worst.
It was right in the middle of filming an intense scene where I was about to kiss the female lead, portraying a complex love-hate relationship.
“I had some business nearby, so I dropped by.”
“I know Eun-ha ssi’s schedule too.”
“What was that scene just now?”
“…It was purely for the scene. Just for the scene.”
Though Kim Eun-ha was blatantly changing the subject, it wasn’t the right moment to point it out. I felt a cold shiver down my neck.
‘…I didn’t do anything wrong, so why do I feel guilty?’
Watching Kim Eun-ha smile silently made me break out in a cold sweat. It felt like I had been caught in the act of cheating.
While pondering how to handle this situation, Director Kang In-ho happened to walk over.
“CEO.”
“Hello, Director!”
“What brings you here?”
“Of course, I came to support my boyfriend’s first shoot!”
“…?”
Suddenly, Kim Eun-ha hooked her arm around mine. I felt dizzy for a moment, wondering if it was okay for her to openly acknowledge our relationship.
Kim Eun-ha, on the other hand, held my arm even tighter as if nothing was wrong.
“Oh, CEO Kim Eun-ha!”
“Writer Jung! How have you been?”
“Thanks to you two. It must not have been easy to align schedules with us, and you even treated us to beef. We are truly grateful. Right, Director?”
“…Oh, yes. That’s right. Yes.”
Jung Ha-rin naturally closed the distance between herself and Kang In-ho as she spoke. It was a movement so subtle that one might have overlooked it if not paying attention. She was definitely a smooth operator.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disrupt the filming.”
“Oh no. It looks like you even brought snacks and coffee for our staff. Such attention is always welcome from our perspective!”
“I’m relieved to hear you say that.”
Hoho-
The two women exchanged friendly glances and engaged in a warm conversation. Stuck in the middle, Kang In-ho and I exchanged awkward smiles as well.
“But Director.”
“Yes, CEO-nim.”
“I’m just asking out of curiosity. Will the scene you just filmed be used for the poster?”
“······.”
Kim Eun-ha smiled.
Her face was brighter than ever.
******
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