The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter: 20

“Of course.”

After reading the lines I had practiced once more, actor Lee Jung-hyun smiled with satisfaction.

“Your vocalization is good. Your pronunciation is clear too. Have you practiced before?”

“No.”

“Wow, you’re truly gifted. For acting, vocalization and pronunciation are absolutely crucial. There isn’t a role where this doesn’t apply. Even if you take on a character that stutters, these two elements need to be spot on to clearly express that stutter. It’s good now, but let’s continue to practice consistently.”

“Yes, I will.”

Lee Jung-hyun smiled at my response.

“Honestly, your acting is already quite good. It’s clear that you’re not using your usual tone and expressions, and it seems like you’ve studied the expressions Yu-hyeon might make. But…”

Lee Jung-hyun trailed off at the end of his sentence.

I nodded, signaling that I was ready.

“It feels like it’s missing something by about 2%. It definitely seems more like an imitation than true acting. I think it’s because you can’t empathize with the character Yu-hyeon.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Over the past four days, I had tried to immerse myself in the character of Yu-hyeon, but it wasn’t easy.

Since I couldn’t understand why he was saying these things in the first place, it felt like I was just repeating someone else’s words when delivering the lines.

While I was pondering how to address this, Lee Jung-hyun asked me a question.

“Yeon-jae, remember the ad-lib you did during our first shoot? What were you thinking at that time?”

“In the park?”

“Yeah. Were you thinking, ‘Oh, this character would probably say something like this’?”

“No. I wasn’t thinking… I didn’t think at all.”

The first shoot where I mimicked my partner Kim Su-han.

Thinking back on it, it feels like a piece of film is missing from the middle.

Even if I tried to recall what I was thinking when I spoke or moved my eyes, I couldn’t grasp it at all; it was a distant feeling.

At that time, I was just standing there without any intention or intervention, simply being Kim Su-han.

Hearing my explanation, Lee Jung-hyun laughed.

“Yeah. Back then, you seemed fully immersed in the character. If not, there’s no way such an ad-lib could come out so smoothly. That wasn’t imitation. It was true ‘acting.’”

“…….”

“To act the same way now, I think the most important thing is for you to empathize with the character. In fact, acting is an interaction between empathy and technique. Your technique is perfect, honestly, it’s almost chilling.”

Lee Jung-hyun shivered slightly as if he had a chill.

He had been praising me excessively since earlier. He usually called me a genius actor, but today it was particularly intense.

Feeling like I was wearing clothes that didn’t fit, I told him he could stop now, and his expression hardened.

“Yeon-jae, I don’t lie when it comes to acting.”

“…….”

“You’re really good. Leaving aside the tone and strength of your voice, I don’t know how you manage to use your facial muscles to look like a completely different person. Honestly, it’s unbelievable.”

“Thank you.”

“Accepting it so straightforwardly is another thing that feels odd.”

What am I supposed to do with this?

As I closed my mouth with nothing to say, Lee Jung-hyun composed himself and smiled awkwardly.

“That was childish, even by my own standards. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“It really is amazing. Even just now, when you were acting, you looked like a completely different person on the outside. How did you do it? Last time, you said you just imitated your friend, but this time it’s an imaginary character, so there’s no one to imitate, right?”

“No, I did imitate someone.”

“Really?”

Feeling awkward under his wide-eyed gaze, I continued.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say this in front of someone who has praised me so much.”

“I searched for a method myself, but everyone said things like, ‘draw the character on a blank sheet of paper,’ or ‘fill in the blank spaces.’ Those words didn’t resonate with me.”

But time was running out. There were only four days left until the weekend.

I couldn’t tell someone who took the time to meet me that I had no idea what to do.

At the very least, I wanted to do my best within my capabilities.

“Since Yu-hyeon’s essential trait is his affection for Lee Na-bi, I based him on someone with similar characteristics and added elements from people around me.”

Yu-hyeon, who had been a crown prince and suddenly pretended to be a commoner, could be summed up in one word: ‘selfish.’

Even though he hid from repeated assassination threats, he infinitely despised the male protagonist who was deprived of his freedom and burdened with heavy responsibilities instead of him.

Just because the female protagonist he liked also liked the male protagonist.

Seeing this, one person naturally came to mind. Oh Seung-hyun.

I realized that Oh Seung-hyun liked Park Ha-eun not long after the new semester started. Park Ha-eun also seemed to know.

In fact, it seemed like everyone in the school knew.

Oh Seung-hyun often sent her fervent gazes at any time of day.

Especially when I talked to Park Ha-eun, his gaze was so intense that it felt like fire would burst from his eyes any moment.

I didn’t care about the burning sensation at the back of my head, but Park Ha-eun, who looked embarrassed to death, seemed a bit pitiful.

It was the first time I’d seen such selfish expressions of affection that made everyone around uncomfortable.

I thought this kind of selfish affection was similar to Yu-hyeon’s, so I imitated Oh Seung-hyun’s usual aggressive expressions and intense gaze first.

Regardless of the state of the nation, Yu-hyeon’s foolishness in constantly following the female lead was partly taken from Noh Bi-hyuk. The arrogance and bravado that subtly showed in his lines, due to the power he enjoyed as a crown prince, were borrowed from the accent of Nam Min-hee, the wealthiest student in our class.

As I spoke, Lee Jung-hyun stared blankly, mouth agape, before letting out a short sigh.

“You’re really not normal…”

“Sorry?”

“Why do you make it sound so easy? It’s not like you’re assembling a model kit… Can you just take parts and stick them together like that? Is it that easy?”

Lee Jung-hyun, looking slightly exasperated, questioned me, and I found it equally bewildering.

How could someone who changed personas so easily for each project say something like that?

“I don’t know if this is also a natural talent, but… you have an exceptional eye for observation. Not to mention your muscle control. For now, let’s prioritize immersing yourself in Yu-hyeon. You’ve got the basic character setup down, so you can refine the details once you’re immersed.”

“Yes. But how can I immerse myself?”

“There are various ways. You can try experiencing situations similar to what the character goes through. After all, people can’t understand something they haven’t experienced. The important thing is not to make hasty assumptions.”

As the conversation lengthened, Lee Jung-hyun brought out the whiteboard again. No way.

“You can’t just guess and try to justify actions by thinking, ‘If I were this character, I’d think this way in this situation.’ You need to become that character and be in that situation. Do you understand what I mean?”

“A little.”

“This method of an actor completely immersing and merging with their role is called method acting. But I don’t think method acting is the best approach. We always have to be aware of the camera. Ultimately, what matters is the footage captured on camera. Even if you immerse yourself 100% in the character, it’s pointless if it doesn’t show on camera.”

He drew something that seemed to resemble a TV on the whiteboard.

The form was so pitiful that it was almost endearing beyond sympathy.

I couldn’t concentrate, so I looked down as if mulling over the conversation.

“So, you mean we have to maintain the emotional flow while being mindful of the camera.”

“Of course, trusting the camera director is also important. But as actors in a filmed production, we need to act in a way that looks good on camera. It’s not easy. It’s easier to fully immerse in sadness, but we also need to ensure that our emotions are convincingly expressed.”

“How do you focus in such moments?”

At my question, Lee Jung-hyun smiled broadly.

“Practice, without a doubt. Acting is a skill, and it improves with practice. The better you can execute your technique, the better you can immerse yourself in the character, and the more the audience can feel, ‘That person is truly sad.'”

“It’s difficult.”

“Haha, yes. Acting is inherently difficult. I find it more challenging the more I do it.”

It was indeed very challenging. The situation felt so tangled that I didn’t know where to start.

As I fell into deep thought, Lee Jung-hyun, looking pleased like someone watering a plant, gave me some advice.

“For now, Yeon-jae, try to find one strand you can grasp to understand the character Yu-hyeon. That’s your task.”

“Yes. I’ll try.”

“Yes. And once you find that strand, decide on one action that will act as a button.”

“A button?”

“An action you can take that instantly helps you immerse in the character. Just by performing that action, you can draw on the emotions you’ve connected with. That’s technique.”

It sounded easy, but it was truly difficult. He spoke nonchalantly, but his gaze conveyed something more.

It was a look I had never received before, so I couldn’t decipher its meaning.

Several days passed after visiting Lee Jung-hyun’s house, and during that time, I threw myself into practice like a madman.

It was an almost obsessive dedication.

Noh Bi-hyuk, seeing the script worn and tattered, shook his head.

“Yeon-jae, didn’t you say you wouldn’t act? Where did that person who said they weren’t interested go?”

“Aren’t you tired of saying that? It’s been days.”

“Yeah. I’ll say the same thing five years from now. Haha. But do you really want that role so badly?”

Noh Bi-hyuk laughed, then casually asked as if it didn’t matter.

His nonchalant attitude couldn’t hide his genuine curiosity.

“It’s not even the lead role, just a supporting one. Why are you working so hard all of a sudden?”

“It’s not like that. I don’t even think I’ll get the part.”

“What? Then why are you working so hard?”

Noh Bi-hyuk asked, puzzled, but I had no answer.

I didn’t understand it myself. Why was I working so hard?

I had started trying to learn how to immerse myself because of the misfortune factor, but I wasn’t desperate to be in the drama.

Even if I thought about not getting the role, my first thought was ‘of course,’ rather than feeling sad or upset.

However, when it came time to tell Lee Jung-hyun that I didn’t get the part, I wanted to be able to say that I had done my best.

Lee Jung-hyun hadn’t even told me to get the role, but his final gaze lingered in my mind.

It felt like I was tightly bound to that gaze, the meaning of which I still didn’t fully understand.

The night before the audition, I practiced until I was drenched in sweat before finally getting ready for bed.

Lying in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

It was absurd and ridiculous, but…

‘It felt like he was saying that I could do it…’

Perhaps the meaning of that gaze was trust.

That foolish thought blurred into the haze of my fading consciousness.