Junwoo was looking at Gil Junho.
"Look at this guy."
It was a scenario that Jaemin hadn't anticipated.
Gil Junho was brought in to put pressure on him. It was a kind of test. It was normal for any actor to feel nervous just by his presence in the same space.
It was unusual for a young actor who hadn't even earned a child actor title to confidently demand to be a partner with a top-tier actor. Usually, they would just ask to be seen acting.
Is he just young and bold?'
Gil Junho, who had glanced over, looked surprised as if he hadn't expected it.
Even as a member of NK, he was worth a fortune. In addition, he was a man with a strong sense of pride in his own acting. He wasn't the type of person to just act anywhere if someone told him to. His criteria for choosing works were also strict, and he would spend a long time researching the character before even starting to act. He was not likely to listen kindly to the words of a young child he had just met for the first time.
There was no good in being directly rejected by Gil Junho and being given a side. Jaemin thought he should explain it in a way that Junwoo would understand, at least on his own level.
"I'm sorry, but that might be a bit awkward for a student."
"Let's give it a try."
What did he say? Suddenly, Gil Junho, with an intrigued expression, was looking at Junwoo.
"CEO. Do you have another script?"
What is going on? He really wants to be the partner of that kid right here and now? Jaemin, who was dumbfounded, brought another script. He was about to see something rare and unexpected.
"What the hell did he find?"
I had never seen him act in a place other than a filming set before.
Junwoo and Gil Junho, who were sitting across from each other, opened the script.
It was scene 36, a scene in which two people who had switched souls talked to each other.
"Ha, what the hell is this? Don't just stand there and do something."
Gil Junho started it. The atmosphere in the conference room changed with his first line.
Just from the change in his voice tone, it was clear that he was in the body of a 40-year-old man.
But the underlying tone was clearly the soul of a middle schooler.
He's not just a good actor for nothing. Choi Jaemin nodded his head.
"Here, this is for the teacher. Hey, I'm feeling wronged too!"
Junwoo retorted with anger.
"The teacher looks younger, but what about me? And what's with this outfit? You've got some strange taste."
"T, taste... Hey, is this the time to talk about taste? Can't you understand the situation?"
Was it a mistake? Gil Junho sensed a subtle change. The boy's voice, as he retorted, had a faint hint of the middle schooler's voice tone that he had captured.
He understood and changed the character and interpretation that the other actor had captured, even after hearing just two lines.
It was a level that Choi Jaemin could not have noticed.
If it had been any other mediocre actor other than Gil Junho, no one would have noticed. He continued his lines.
"Why are you saying that to me? Is this my fault?"
"So it's my fault? Anyway, don't even think about doing anything stupid with my body. Just stay still, stay still. Don't do anything... Do you understand?"
Junwoo's finger, which was extended towards Gil Junho, trembled slightly. A determined expression mixed with anxiety. A demeanor that was aware of the surroundings, mumbling the end of the line as if someone might hear.
The confusion of waking up in someone else's body, not knowing where to start to understand what was happening. In the meantime, he could see the worry about the future and the student's mental state in their eyes.
Subtle gestures. The angle of his gaze. The movements of his body which subtly narrowed and widened the distance between him and the other person as he spoke his lines.
Even as Gil Junho continued to act, he could not even properly tell where he felt the strangeness.
It was only natural. He was sitting still. He could not have noticed that he was using every single element in this vicinity.
Choi Jaemin's reaction was included as well.
Sweat ran down his back. He was losing his momentum. He couldn't believe that a mere script could control him so easily without any prior preparation.
Gil Junho focused all of his concentration.
"So, what are we going to do then? I thought teachers were supposed to know everything!"
"I don't know either!! This is driving me crazy, seriously."
Confusion, anxiety, disappointment, frustration, injustice, irritation.
In a short, uneventful scene, various emotions bubbled up between the two.
Junwoo was enjoying this flow.
"Well, it's still different in its own way."
With Gil Junho following along to some extent as Junwoo led, a sense of momentum built up. Junwoo also began to concentrate.
As Gil Junho spoke his lines, Junwoo matched his tone. It seemed to be instinct, not thought. The exchange that only the two of them knew lasted for several minutes. Gil Junho began to get confused about who was following and receiving whom.
It's not about emphasizing the acting, but preserving all the elements that blend into the scene.
Even after accumulating acting experience over a long period, he realized he still hadn't fully grasped it.
If that guy had deliberately stood out, his own acting might have already been overshadowed and left behind.
His mind briefly replayed the words the guy had said earlier.
Noise mixed with the lines. They said it's impossible here.
He didn't say it for no reason. Where did this guy come from anyway?
"I'll stop here."
The sense of emptiness that was present on Junwoo's face after the improv was over had disappeared.
Junwoo thought he had made the right choice by coming here for the first time.
It was a distinctly different feeling compared to the things he did alone in the theater.
After working together, Junwoo became more interested in Gil Junho.
"It was fun. Thank you."
Junwoo sincerely nodded his head.
Gil Junho thought. Thankful. That was something he should say.
He was still struggling to come to terms with it. He felt a level of reverence that couldn't be compared to the new emotions Junwoo was experiencing.
"To be so awestruck by someone like this kid..."
Gil Junho's heart raced.
In 15 years of acting, he had never experienced such emotions, even with well-known co-stars during film shoots.
He felt a bit regretful about only being able to perform a short situational play in a conference room like this.
'I wonder how it would be to properly harmonize with that kid.'
It wasn't about discovering a gem that he wanted to polish.
He lacked confidence. Gil Junho admitted that it was a territory he dared not venture into.
Instead, he felt a desire to learn from that inexperienced kid despite lacking experience and fame himself.
Having regained his composure, Gil Junho responded to Junwoo.
"...I enjoyed it too. I probably won't forget today."
Although the scene had ended long ago, the two couldn't take their eyes off each other.
A subtle tension filled the conference room.
Choi Jaemin, who had been lost in thought, suddenly became anxious.
Seeing it up close only fueled his ambition. To think that he could create chemistry with Gil Junho in such a short time— it not only showcased his acting skills but also heightened expectations for this kid's future.
The child's expression showed that he was definitely interested.
It seemed like the right time for me to speak up.
"As expected, you're even better than I expected. I'm so impressed. Now that I've seen your performance. Let's talk about the contract in more detail..."
"You did that on purpose, right? In the second line."
Choi Jaemin's words cut off abruptly at Gil Junho's question.
"Yes. I made a few changes."
Choi Jaemin stuttered in embarrassment. It seemed like there were only two people left in the meeting room. Choi Jaemin was not even on their radar.
"If this were the real scene, you would have done that gesture differently, right?"
"Yes. The camera only captures up to the shoulders in that scene. But I just kept my gaze on now. The original script says I should be looking up."
The eyes of the two men lit up with interest.
Choi Jaemin wondered what kind of conversation this was.
He felt like he had become invisible, even if just for a moment.
"Uh, excuse me, what's going on right now..."
He was never interested in things like contracts. The child still had his eyes fixed on Gil Junho.
"But, do you happen to do theater?"
Junwoo asked.
***
Entering the conference room, Mansik was surprised.
"It's Gil Junho."
Choi Jaemin, who had disappeared somewhere, was sitting there, the actor he had only seen on TV.
Mansik had been eavesdropping on the sounds coming from inside the room, with his ear pressed to the door. It sounded like they were doing a scene study, but he couldn't believe it was Gil Junho.
'I knew I made the right decision to bring him in.'
But what was that look on his face?
Gil Junho's expression was not good as he sat across from Mansik. He had his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, as if he were deep in thought. Even in this state, he exuded an aura of a star actor.
Mansik, who had no idea what had happened inside, began to flounder. He would never have been dissatisfied with his skills.
'Maybe he's angry at his attitude.'
Just as he was wondering,
"You're in the theater business, right?"
Gil Junho spoke up.
"Yes, I operate a small theater in the countryside."
"How many upcoming performances are you planning?"
"I'm curious why you're asking about that..."
"Would it be possible for me to stand on that stage?"
"What? In my theater?"
Mansik's eyes widened.
"Gil Junho wants to participate in my performance?"
"Did I hear it correctly? A heavyweight actor like Gil Junho wants to perform at my theater. It left me speechless."
For Mansik, it was undoubtedly an excellent offer. However,
"...I'm curious about your conditions. It's a radical offer, but I'm afraid I can't match your pay. Recently, many performances have been canceled, so there have been a lot of people avoiding the theater."
"Money is not an issue. I got a bit greedy, you see."
Greed.
He wasn't talking about Mansik's theater.
He was talking about that guy.
As expected.
Mansik could understand why Gil Junho had been making such expressions all this time.
He could sense that Gil Junho was also feeling the impression he had initially received from Junwoo.
Gil Junho's proposal went beyond being just surprising for Mansik. However, there was something even more important than that.
"Did you talk to him?"
"Yes, we just finished our conversation."
It was worth bringing him here. Rather than the thought of having obtained Gil Junho, the fact that he wanted to stand on the stage was more significant.
"If that's the case, there shouldn't be any issues. I'll talk to him again."
Despite maintaining a casual demeanor, Mansik's heart was racing. That kid and Gil Junho on the same stage. The outcome was challenging to predict.
"However..."
Gil Junho cut to the chase as he spoke.
"Has that kid been active only there? Honestly, it's hard to believe he's affiliated with such a theater company. Oh, I didn't mean it that way, but if I unintentionally hurt your feelings, I apologize."
Gil Junho asked genuinely, as if he were curious about the matter.
'I can understand that. I used to be like that too.'
Mansik chose his words carefully.
"I'm not sure if I would call it 'activity.' Anyway, I don't know everything about him. He's always studying by himself, reading books and scripts, but I can't tell what he's learning from them."
"Self-taught with just books or scripts? Is that really it?" Gil Junho couldn't believe it. Well, it seemed like things that couldn't be taught through instruction.
Gil Junho found himself lost in thought again.
"It's just something innate. Whether you ask me or that kid, you won't get more than a sore mouth from asking."
Mansik felt a sense of accomplishment for no reason.
Moreover, he knew about abilities that they were still unaware of.
Judging the kid's ability based on just one short skit seemed a bit hasty.
The talent the kid possessed was tremendous, not limited to the profession of an actor.
"Anyway, I look forward to working together."
The two shook hands.
***
Junwoo was looking up at the large screen in the lobby on the first floor.
Various video clips of entertainers affiliated with the company were playing alternately on the screen.
'...'
Junwoo was sensing the changes coming his way.
After the play, there was a situational drama with Gil Junho.
His growing desires were fueled by coincidences.
"Kid. You're here."
Junwoo turned around, and Director Choi Jaemin was standing there. He had maintained a smiling demeanor, but there was a hint of resignation. He knew that Junwoo had no intention of signing a contract with an entertainment agency.
Honestly, Junwoo still couldn't understand it. Why would someone turn their back on a top entertainment company in South Korea and insist on a rural theater?
He hesitated for a moment, hoping for a glimmer of hope.
"Hmm... Are you really not interested? You won't be able to easily find many opportunities anywhere else, not just in terms of work."
Junwoo knew that Jaemin was sincere. Jaemin's words were not wrong. But he didn't have the heart to sign a contract with a company that didn't understand a single word he said.
Becoming a part of this place clearly indicated the kind of responsibilities he would be tied to under the agency. What Junwoo wanted was not simply taking on roles in productions.
"I'm sorry."
Junwoo's apology carried a firmness. Choi Jaemin eventually shook his head, as if acknowledging defeat. There was no point in pressing further; it seemed like trying to corner a stubborn child who wouldn't budge.
"... I've never felt this disappointed before. However, if you ever need help with a performance or happen to change your mind later on, please do contact me."
Junwoo accepted the business card Choi Jaemin handed to him.
"For sure." 92Please respect copyright.PENANASlfHjvjNcM
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