I’ve Become a Genius Actor

Chapter 94:

The first shoot for "Shadows of Faith" began late in the evening. Yooil, who had been sitting in a makeshift waiting room, stood up to loosen his stiff body due to the long wait. That's when he heard a knock.

"Actor, are you ready!"

The staff member who opened the door of the waiting room looked up at Yooil with surprised eyes.

"Yes, I'm all ready."

Yooil was dressed in a snug-fit charcoal short-sleeved functional T-shirt and blue sports shorts, revealing his sculpted, lean physique. His muscular arms were adorned with large dragon and flower tattoos, though they were just makeup using tattoo stickers.

The staff member, facing Yooil head-on, was momentarily unsure where to look.

Although Yooil was a model of a well-mannered young man during the reading a few days ago, the Yooil in front of him now was entirely different in aura, with even the sharp earring in one ear perfectly suiting him.

The staff managed to speak up.

"You, uh, really suit this look, actor"

"Really?" Yooil touched the earlobe where the earring was, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He was not used to wearing rings or bracelets, so it felt quite noticeable.

Park Younghyun, upon seeing Yooil, let out a short exclamation.

"Wow."

"Man, you look like a totally different person!"

Then a middle-aged actor, who played the main character in Season 1, Park Taeil, laughed heartily and patted Yooil's shoulder.

"Taeil. What would you do if your daughter brought home a son-in-law like this?"

Prompted by the Making Film director's question, Park Taeil replied as if he had been waiting for it.

"I'd sprinkle salt and chase him away!"

Park Taeil's response made the surrounding staff burst into laughter.

Park Taeil, who had spent a long time as an unknown actor, hit the prime of his life four years ago with his appearance in the ten-million hit movie, "City of Night."

In "Shadows of Faith," he played the role of Kim Shin,' a former police officer turned detective agency owner. Kim Shin, who collaborated with rookie cops to raid a drug den in Season 1, was set to uncover the secrets of the closed-off island of Haseokdo with young journalists in Season 2.

Having reviewed Season 1 in preparation for this shoot, Yooil had meticulously observed Park Taeil's acting on the screen.

Park Taeil was an actor who preferred to go with the flow on set rather than calculating his performance. His manner of speaking had a unique flair when acting, which matched well with his sly character roles.

Above all, he was a genuine person off the screen.

"No kidding, when I said I'd be shooting with Yooil, my wife was so jealous, she's about to go crazy~ She's always watching Yooil's videos! As for my parts, she just watches the highlights~"

"Ah That's an honor."

"Ai, honor my foot If it's okay, could we take a picture together? I want to send it to my wife."

And with a playful glint in his eyes, Park Taeil raised his phone. He immediately sent the selfie he took with Yooil to his wife, looking quite proud.

"He's a total romantic."

"Indeed."

Yooil, hearing Park Younghyun and Kim Suna whispering, looked around.

Most of the filming, including the first shoot, was planned to take place on Ganghwado, chosen for its blend of island atmosphere and accessibility. It was said that CGI would be generously used where necessary.

The actual shooting location indeed had an island-like atmosphere.

The art team must have put in a lot of effort.'

"Let's get ready for the shoot~ Please be on standby!"

As the actual shooting time approached, the relaxed atmosphere of the set changed in an instant.

Kim Shin, along with journalists Eunyoung and Daeoh, receive a mysterious letter asking for help from someone on Haseokdo. As they realize there's no way to reach the island without a boat, Eunyoung and Daeoh are at a loss, pacing back and forth. That's when Suhyun approaches.

The scene they were about to shoot was precisely this moment.

"Camera roll!"

The red light on the camera turned on.

"Action!"

Han Yooil, becoming Suhyun, slowly opened his eyes. Squinting with one eye, Suhyun looked in the direction where Kim Shin and his group were.

""

Then he started walking with a slight swagger, his legs relaxed yet his core firmly held. It was the walk of a rascal, one who seemingly cares little for the world but still lives life with a certain earnestness. A junior staff member couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight.

"This is the boat to Haseokdo," Suhyun muttered, pointing at his own boat anchored at a distance. Eunyoung and Daeoh turned their heads in surprise.

"You're going to Haseokdo?! Really?!"

"Can we go right now? Please, we'll pay you!"

Suhyun decides to take the three on board without accepting any money. The atmosphere changed when Kim Shin asked a serious question.

"But why are you taking us? You're not even getting paid to go to a secluded island."

With a candid response, Suhyun replied.

"It piqued my interest when I heard your story. Thought I'd tag along."

"Excuse me."

Eunyoung took a step forward towards Suhyun, her expression becoming stern, her black bob swishing at her chin.

"It seems you don't understand the gravity of the situation We're not going on a leisure trip. We received a tip."

Despite Eunyoung's sharp words, Suhyun nonchalantly nodded.

"Ah, yes."

That response only made Eunyoung's temper flare.

"I said this isn't a joke!"

The mood was growing tense. It was Daeoh who intervened.

"Let's, let's stop here. It's getting too dark"

"Hmph."

Eunyoung sighed in frustration, and behind her, Kim Shin's serious face was captured.

"Cut!"

Director Go Jinho nodded in satisfaction.

They're good. Better synergy than I thought.'

It wasn't surprising that the three actors of similar age had a good rapport. What was surprising was something else.

He's not getting overshadowed by Park Taeil.'

Director Go Jinho called out in a cheerful voice.

"Okay~ Let's move on to the next scene."

The staff started moving swiftly. The next scene was a dialogue on the boat heading to Haseokdo. The shooting was not on a boat afloat at sea but on a vessel installed on land.

It was thought to be a model boat, but it turned out to be an actual ship that had been in operation until a few years ago. A large chroma-key cloth was installed behind the boat.

Park Taeil joked as he saw the three actors climbing aboard.

"It's like, you know those wooden horses in front of big restaurants! Right?"

"Huh?"

The two actors with extensive experience as child actors looked at Park Taeil, clueless.

"You mean the coin-operated horses?"

"Oh! Yeah, that one!"

Yooil's comment made Park Taeil excitedly join in.

Park Taeil, who kept cracking jokes, immersed himself instantly as the camera started rolling.

"It's a cult."

The intensity of the scene enveloped everyone on set.

Kim Shin's words left Eunyoung and Daeoh with frozen expressions.

"What do you mean?"

"That island. And all the people living there"

Suddenly, an unexpected burst of laughter broke the tension.

"Ah, sorry. It just sounded so right, I couldn't help but laugh."

Suhyun's expression was ambiguous, teetering between composure and madness.

"You seem to know a lot about it."

"I do know quite a bit."

A shadow momentarily passed through Suhyun's eyes, but he shrugged it off nonchalantly.

"It's where I used to live."

His tone was dry, almost imperceptibly so unless scrutinized closely.

At Suhyun's unexpected revelation, the group was stunned, and he casually scratched his head.

"Aren't you coming?"

Then, the clear sound of "Cut!" filled the air.

Park Taeil looked at Yooil with a newfound expression.

"This is unexpected."

Kim Suna and Park Younghyun were also exceptional actors, but the Suhyun' Yooil had created was a layer apart from the character they had envisioned from the script.

It felt like a new layer had been added.

"That's refreshing."

Park Taeil looked at Yooil with a pleased expression.

The filming continued smoothly until an unexpected incident occurred.

"No, you can't come in here!"

"Damn it! Why not! It's my house, I'm going in!"

The voice of a clearly intoxicated man echoed through the set.

"?!"

The actors looked towards the source of the disturbance, and then a clanging sound rang out. A spare light had fallen to the ground.

Screams started to emanate from various places.

"!"

Yooil quickly leaped off the boat and rushed over.

A staff member was clutching their hand, pale-faced. It seemed they had cut their finger trying to catch the falling light.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah Yes, I'm fine."

A few staff members were holding back the red-faced middle-aged man, but despite their efforts, the drunken man was swinging his fists in the air, insisting on going into his house.

Yooil stood in front of the man. The man's grizzled hair and flushed brown skin were evident.

"Let's talk this out."

"Who the hell are you? This is my house!"

The middle-aged man, muttering curses, took a step back upon seeing Yooil. Yooil realized that the man's gaze lingered on his tattooed arms for a long time.

Didn't expect the tattoo stickers to come in handy like this.'

Thanks to a month of intensive bulking for the role of Suhyun, Yooil's physique had improved considerably.

Stepping forward, Yooil asked the man,

"Did you just say that container over there is your house?"

"Yeah, that's right! It's my house! If you want to film in my front yard, you should have asked for permission!"

Yooil tilted his head slightly as he looked at the man.

"Are you sure it's really your house?"

He had a reason to doubt.

There are no registered residences or houses' within 100 meters of the filming location.

"Yeah, S*X, this punk is in my house! Call the police! Huh?!"

The man's violent outburst had the staff trembling in fear.

What should we do'

Safety first, let's get the actors away from here first'

As the staff whispered, waiting for the police to arrive, the middle-aged man swung his arms wildly.

"!"

Park Younghyun and Kim Suna were about to spring into action, but Han Yooil was quicker.

Yooil lightly grasped the man's wrist. Brion's voice rang out once more.

Pattern analysis complete. In about 1.5 seconds, the individual will swing his left hand towards your face.

Yooil held both wrists of the middle-aged man firmly, his expression unchanging, he spoke.

"Are you okay?"

"!"

"Considering you've already committed interference with business, assault, and property damage. And now you're adding trespassing."

Min Woojin, who had been delayed due to being in the restroom, gasped as he blocked Yooil's path, and the timely arrival of a police car prevented the situation from escalating further.

Director Go Jinho, looking exhausted, said,

"Jaekyung, go to the ER to get that hand treated Everyone must be shaken up, let's take a break and regroup."

The staff member with the injured hand headed straight to the hospital. The wound seemed not to be severe, and as word spread, the tense atmosphere eased a bit.

Thank goodness.'

As everyone took a breather and the actors were having their makeup touched up, Yooil's phone rang.

* * *

A few days earlier.

In a dark room where thick blackout curtains blocked all light, a man stood staring intently at a poster on the wall.

[I WILL NEVER DIE.]

It was a poster for the dark hero movie "Dogman" from the 2000s, the film that first led the man into acting.

Is it going to end like this?'

Kang Hyesung, his face worn, repeatedly punched the wall.

As his period of reflection dragged on, anxiety and unrest began to gnaw at him.

Damn it.'

The staff's revelations and the controversies over his character seemed laughable.

What did I do so wrong!'

Those who confronted him couldn't even raise their voices.

"Manager, I can't live like this anymore! Huh?!"

Kang Hyesung, it's still time for you to reflect!

"But with Sun and Moon,' it's almost certain KVN will give us an award!"

He began to beg, abandoning all pride.

"Please If I fall behind here, I'm really doomed, Manager Please help me."

Eventually, Kang Hyesung got the answer he wanted.

Ah, damn it. Do whatever you want, okay? Do whatever you want!

Though the tone was rough, permission was still permission.

Kang Hyesung immediately arranged an interview that day. The full text of his interview was published not long after.

Coincidentally, the publication coincided with midnight on the day of Yooil's first shoot.

"He's really pushing it."

CEO Jang, checking his phone, got up from the bed.

In the darkness, his eyes shone sharply.