༺ As if Singing ༻
A script reading was a space for the actors to familiarize themselves with each other’s faces and roughly coordinate the characters.
Normally, actors wouldn’t put as much effort into their lines as they would during the actual shooting.
However, the writer asked for ‘acting.’
It was a bold request for a newbie writer, but wasn’t she the writer who had produced three consecutive hits?
— So, please give it your all and act to help solidify the ‘characters’ in my head during today’s reading.
To the actors, this seemingly simple request translated to:
— Do your best. If you do well, you might get more lines or even pivotal parts.
It sounded like the tempting voice of a serpent, inviting them to taste the forbidden apple.
To increase their parts or to avoid being overshadowed by others,
The atmosphere in the reading room began to heat up.
*
Kim Hana, played by Cha Harin, was a brave young lady living only with her sick grandmother.
She dread of becoming an actress, but her circumstances were too harsh. Nonetheless, to get closer to her dream, she joined the renowned managent company ‘Star Entertainnt Agency’ as a road manager.
There, she beca the road manager for the male lead, the talented but arrogant actor Kwon Do-jun (played by Baek Seunghyo), and learned the harsh realities of this world. Kwon Do-jun, too, learned that not everything in the world would go his way after eting Kim Hana, and they slowly fell for each other.
Kwon Do-jun’s rival actor, Tak Gyu-min (played by Lee Kyu-seong), developed feelings for Kim Hana, while the actress Ryu Jun-kyung (played by Jung Junhee) had her sights on Kwon Do-jun. There was a subtle tension between these two as well, making for a complicated love square.
“Should we start with the actors’ introductions?”
Prompted by the director, the lead actors introduced themselves first.
Yoomyeong carefully observed the actors he’d be working with for the next few months.
“Hello, I’m Baek Seunghyo, playing the role of Kwon Do-jun. I feel both the pressure and excitent of playing a top actor’s role, so I’ll give it my best.”
Baek Seunghyo, with his captivating masculine face, had a deep voice. A five-year acting veteran at 27, he recently had a surge in his stock value due to his solid acting skills. He was rumored to have a lot of die-hard fans.
“I’m Cha Harin, playing Kim Hana. I’ll do my best.”
The lead actress spoke without much enthusiasm. Having started as a child actress, she was known for both her looks and acting prowess. Twelve years in the industry, she was a veteran despite being younger than Yoomyeong. Her character seed sowhat enigmatic, so Yoomyeong reserved his judgnt.
“I’m Jung Junhee, playing the role of Ryu Jun-kyung. I’m thrilled to be cast in a role that suits perfectly. Nice to et you all!”
The next actress, who greeted with a hint of charm, was soone who had just passed the rookie stage after three years in the industry. In her previous life, she was a supporting actress who frequently appeared as a panelist on cable TV as she got older.
Last but not least…
“I’m Lee Kyu-seong, playing the role of Tak Gyu-min. I’ve always wanted to be a part of a work by writer Yook Mi-young. I’m grateful to have been chosen for such a captivating role. Thank you for having .”
Yoomyeong frowned slightly.
There seed to be various ‘intentions’ behind his words: flattering a popular writer and the choice of words that subtly elevated his pride by saying he was ‘cast.’
Of course, it wasn’t right to judge soone based on a few words.
However, this actor would be involved in a scandal a few years later, and that controversy would be a reflection of his flawed character. Even before the incident, Yoomyeong couldn’t help but feel negative towards him.
Regardless, his current popularity was arguably higher than Baek Seunghyo’s, and he was a trendy actor with a trendous amount of teenage fans. He had a fair and gentle face, a bright smile, and looked almost like an idol. His acting skills were also relatively good for his age.
These four were the main pillars of the drama .
The writer emphasized acting skills, and the cast indeed lacked any weak links.
Among the actors in their 20s, they all possessed at least above-average acting skills.
Then, Yoomyeong stood up and bowed.
“I’m Shin Yoomyeong, making my TV debut as Yoon Bohyung. Since everyone here is my senior, I’ll ask for your generous advice. I will do my best!”
With that humble and energetic greeting, most of the senior actors and staff showed a smile at the corners of their mouths.
Except for one person, the PD.
*
“Let’s begin the reading.”
After the introductions from the minor cast and staff, the reading began.
“Scene 1. In front of the Star Entertainnt Agency. A large, modern building. A low-angle shot (where the cara pans from below) to capture the imposing structure. The scene changes, and from a high-angle shot, a person who looks smaller and is wearing an ill-fitting suit is seen.”
Click— click— click—
The assistant director began reading the script for episode 1, and the reporter who would later write articles about today’s reading was busy taking pictures.
And then, the female lead’s first line.
“Wow… So this is the Star Entertainnt Agency.”
What—
Yoomyeong was surprised.
Cha Harin’s voice was full of energy.
“If I work here, I’ll et many actors, right? Oh, I want to be an actress too, but being poor is such a curse. Still, there are cases where people get recognized while working as a manager and make their debut, right? Ah, right, wasn’t that a codian and not an actor?”
Even her sighs were cheerful.
Her character, which was always cheerful despite challenging circumstances, was conveyed well in just a few sentences.
Just as the writer had instructed, her lines carried weight. Her previously unfocused eyes now held a sharp gaze.
‘So she’s the type that ‘transforms’ when acting.’
“Scene 2. Hana, wearing a visitor’s badge, walks down the agency’s hallway. Her sagging bag catches on a frad picture, which teeters and eventually shatters. Having caused an accident on her first day, Hana stands there in shock, when Gyu-min, who was passing by, speaks to her.”
“Are you okay?”
With Cha Harin setting the tone high from the start, Lee Kyu-seong, the second male lead, also stepped up his ga.
With a pure smile that could turn the eyes of teenage girls into hearts, Gyu-min kindly extended his hand and even made up for the mistake of breaking the fra. Hana starts to like Gyu-min.
Soon after, Hana was assigned as the personal road manager for the male lead, Do-Jun.
“You’re assigning a newbie girl as a road manager? Boss, have you finally lost your mind?”
“What else can we do? No one wants to be your road manager thanks to your terrible attitude!”
Do-Jun was the epito of a typical male lead in a kdrama: he started off as a proud and arrogant character but began to change after eting the female lead.
He lost the argunt with his bickering boss and eventually accepted Hana as his road manager. However, he picked on her in every way possible to make her quit.
“Ugh! What a huge disappointnt! I was his fan, but he’s such a jerk!”
After a day of putting up with Do-Jun’s antics, Hana grumbled on her way ho when she saw a familiar figure in the park.
It was Bohyung’s first appearance.
*
“Hana.”
“Huh? Bohyung? Why are you dressed like that?”
“Our family went bankrupt…”
“What?”
“I have no clothes to wear… and nowhere to sleep tonight…”
“Oh no! Are you okay? What about your parents?”
“They… they ran away, leaving alone. They took the cat… probably because it eats less than … huhuhu.”
Rumors about this exceptional rookie actor who was praised repeatedly by the writer had reached both the actors and staff. So watched with skeptical eyes to see how well he would do.
But… their skepticism lted away.
“Do you have any newspapers at your place? I’ve heard newspapers keep you warm. There’s a reason why holess old n sleep covered in newspapers. A box would be nice… but that’s too much luxury, right? I asked too much from you… I’m still young, so a newspaper is fine…”
His performance felt distinctly unique from simple acting.
‘What’s this? It feels like I’m listening to a song rather than a line… Ah…!’
Baek Seunghyo, who was listening intently, realized why his acting felt different.
Rhythm.
Untrained individuals might not notice, but a seasoned actor who had solidly learned the basics of acting like Baek Seunghyo could.
The actor delivered his lines rhythmically.
As if it’s more than a simple ‘slice-of-life’ drama.
Cha Harin, who was exchanging lines with him, was equally surprised.
Despite rely exchanging lines, she felt cozy.
The air seed to dance to the lody of his voice. Affected by it, her lines naturally slowed.
“I live with my grandma… If you want, you can stay at our place until you find a part-ti job and can pay for a room.”
“Rea… really? Thank you, Hana. I will definitely repay this favor. Thank you so much!”
The next scene was in Hana’s old multi-generational ho.
“Grandma! I’m ho~ Were you okay today? Did you manage to eat regularly while you were alone?”
“Our Hana is here. Don’t worry about . But who is this fellow?”
Veteran actress Lee Ok-hyung, who played Hana’s grandmother, asked in a guarded tone at the sight of the unfamiliar figure.
Then,
“Grandmaaaa~ I’m Hana’s friend! I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve been wanting to et you!”
A voice dripping with charm, smooth as whipped cream.
‘Is this guy… actually a guy?’
The face of the famously fussy veteran actress Lee Ok-hyung lted.
*
‘Isn’t he overdoing it?’
PD Joo was about to give so feedback to the actor playing the role of Bohyung after the reading of the first episode was over. He felt that the actor’s tone felt sowhat off compared to the others.
However, writer Yook spoke up first in an excited tone.
“Bohyung! It’s like the Bohyung from my imagination has co to life!”
She gushed with praise.
“How did you do that, that thing with your voice? It sounded so… resonant.”
She described the rhythm.
“In the script, there are multiple instances where it says ‘Bohyung speaks as if he is singing.’ So, I tried to express it as rhythmically as possible without compromising the feeling of ‘speech.'”
“Do you understand why I wrote it that way? Do you get Bohyung’s character?”
“In my opinion, it’s sort of like… Hana’s ‘guardian angel’?”
“Yes, that’s it!”
Yook Mi-young slapped her knee in agreent.
In an era where dramas mainly highlighted the lead, the trend was slowly changing.
She wanted to try out an attractive supporting character who wasn’t the lead but was a pivotal part of the narrative. That character was Bohyung.
For the ‘aspiring actress’ and ‘commoner’ Kim Hana, there were two unfamiliar worlds.
The glamorous world of celebrities and the equally flashy world of the wealthy elite.
As she entered the unfamiliar world of showbiz, Bohyung, a mber of the wealthy elite, stepped into her life.
He served as an advisor for Hana, who was lost.
Since the entertainnt industry was just a different version of the conglorate world that Bohyung originally belonged to, he used his own experience to give Hana so pointed advice.
He also played the role of her material supporter.
He discreetly helped her out with her tight finances and ensured that she always looked presentable.
In essence, his role was that of a realistic character with an unrealistic role.
A jack-of-all-trades butler. Or…
A fairy godmother to Cinderella, who turned pumpkins into carriages.
Hence, Yook Mi-young used the phrase ‘speaking as if singing’ several tis in the script when describing Bohyung, hoping for a slightly surreal atmosphere when Hana and Bohyung interacted.
She had written it that way, but she hadn’t really expected it to be portrayed like that…
“You were good during the audition, but you’ve improved so much more since.”
In contrast to the dreamy expression of the writer, the atmosphere in the reading room beca tense.
For all the actors and staff present,
And especially the four leads,
Their first impression of Yoomyeong beca vividly etched into their minds.
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