* * *
Deduck.B Wi Jaehwi slid the cara’s mory card into place and wiped the sweat slicking his palms.
“This is going head-to-head with , right?”
“Yes. Their budget’s insane, and this one needs CG too—both are no joke.”
The venue was an event hall on Teheran-ro, where would soon hold its script reading.
Most of the invited reporters had also attended ’s script reading not long ago.
‘ really lived up to its na....’
With a heavy lineup of veteran actors, the pressure had been unreal. The sheer weight of those nas made even the air in the reading room feel different.
“Hello. Thank you all for attending the script reading for . I’m Director Jang, in charge of both the script and direction. Has anyone here read the original web novel? Yes—quite a few hands. I’ll be sure to rember that.”
With the big director’s easygoing greeting, the script reading began.
Seated reporters watched the rising buzz around Han Yeoreum, the solid visual pairing with Kwon Junhyeok—and above all—
“It’s been a while. I’m Geum Bitgang, playing Yeomga.”
“Thank you all for coming—. I’m Noh Jeongyeon, playing Jeongan.”
At the presence of two giants—the twin pillars who had dominated an entire generation in the ’70s—shutters clicked nonstop.
Geum Bitgang and Noh Jeongyeon. Their attendance alone lent a weight no less formidable than ’s stacked cast.
‘Please... do well, Yeoreum...!’
Clutching the script, the reporter silently pleaded while watching Yeoreum. And then ’s script reading began—
‘What?’
‘...It landed.’
‘The two rookies... this is rough.’
It was a complete ss.
* * *
‘Where did it go wrong?’
I’d prepared as much as I could. The problem was that my preparation and the others’ preparation were different.
‘First, Kwon Junhyeok....’
His volu wasn’t bad, but his low register muddied his diction. And he looked far too tense. Overall, under-rehearsed.
‘Next—.’
I’d been dragged around entirely by Professor Geum Bitgang. I couldn’t even count how many problems there were.
‘The opening of the reading was fine.’
Then, sowhere along the line, Professor Geum Bitgang changed direction.
I didn’t know what displeased her. A veteran of her caliber wouldn’t make a mistake—this had to be intentional.
‘I tried to use historical-drama projection....’
But the mont Professor Geum Bitgang delivered her lines in that thunderous voice, mine sounded small. I imdiately switched to the familiar stage-theater projection.
‘The tempo completely changed.’
Instead of the relatively calm, asured cadence with clipped endings typical of historical delivery, I went faster and higher—theatrical.
‘And then Professor Geum Bitgang snapped right back to her original historical projection....’
So I ended up looking like the only one overacting.
‘After that, I panicked and don’t rember much.’
I got pulled along by Professor Geum Bitgang, resisted trying not to be, and the reading ended in a half-this, half-that state.
‘Overall, I’m lacking in both historical drama and theater.’
The reading room cleared of reporters and staff, leaving just the four of us: , Kwon Junhyeok, Geum Bitgang, and Noh Jeongyeon.
“Yeoreum! You did well—really well! You were nervous, but you did great.”
Right—there was one more. The big director patted my shoulder, encouraging .
“No. I had a lot of shortcomings today.”
Across from , Geum Bitgang tilted her head slightly.
“So you know, at least?”
“Mm—. Bitgang! Shh!”
“I thought you must be sothing special, to take a year off school after just one year of acting.”
“Don’t mind her. Bitgang’s just embarrassed—she’s in the spotlight again after so long.”
“What do you an, I—!”
Noh Jeongyeon smiled leisurely as she tried to smooth things over, but Geum Bitgang’s displeased gaze stayed fixed on .
‘...What did I do?’
A chill settled over my emotions.
If I rest even a little, I’ll never catch up to Do Gyeoul. So I have to juggle school and schedules?
‘I’m a rookie. Compared to Do Gyeoul, my na carries far less weight.’
Of course the set won’t revolve around .
‘No... and more than anything.’
I don’t want to grow slowly. I want to take roles wherever I can.
“You can’t even hide what you’re thinking, and you expect to carry a sixteen-episode series?”
Geum Bitgang saw straight through and shook her head.
“...I’m sorry for showing my shortcomings today. I’ll practice more before filming starts.”
“Yes! So our Yeoreum won’t tarnish your reputation—”
“Anyone would think Yeoreum’s your student, Director Jang.”
Having irked a master, the big director went pale and rushed to defend .
“No, it’s not that. I saw her Episode 16 acting recently—I know her ability. She was just nervous today—”
“You’re like this with reporters watching. You think it’ll be different on set?”
That was when—
“Hic....”
A faint tremor ca from the seat beside .
“S-sorry... hic... I am....”
Kwon Junhyeok was crying, tears dripping down.
‘No... why you?’
He looked like he’d tried hard to hold it in. His eyes were red.
“If I’m... hic... not to your liking... then I’m... how much...! I-I’m sorry....”
Right. If Geum Bitgang openly criticized a Daehan Arts College student, how displeased must she be with an idol whose lack of acting was obvious?
If you put Junhyeok and on the sa scale, I outweighed him by far.
“I’ll take responsibility and resign—resign....”
“Are you a politician? What resignation?”
“Th-then withdraw....”
“Do you think this is school?!”
At Geum Bitgang’s bark, Junhyeok’s sobs grew louder. Judging by the cuts on his hands, he’d clearly practiced action scenes hard.
“Mm—. This is sothing.”
There was no good answer to this situation. Even now, Noh Jeongyeon spoke gently, smiling.
“Alright, if the actors are already bickering before filming, nothing’s going to work. Let’s eat and talk things through. No one has a schedule after this, right? Let’s take my car!”
“What kind of nonsense—food—!”
“Co on, Bitgang~.”
“I’m not going!”
And with that, she grabbed Geum Bitgang by the shoulder and dragged her along. Despite her delicate face, her grip was terrifyingly strong.
Geum Bitgang couldn’t even put up a real fight and was hauled away.
“What are you doing? Why isn’t everyone coming?”
Turning back, Noh Jeongyeon bead. That was how we ended up piling into her van—, the big director, and a crying Kwon Junhyeok.
“Professor, um....”
“Yes, my little chick?”
“The restaurant... is kind of far, isn’t it?”
“We’re almost there, almost!”
Maybe because the van’s curtains were drawn—I couldn’t see outside.
By calculating the pace of Junhyeok’s sniffles, we’d been driving at least an hour. The car didn’t stop.
‘Where are we even going...?’
The mont unease set in, the car finally halted.
“Everyone out! Make yourselves ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ at ho—like it’s my place!”
Stepping out, we saw—
“This is my villa! Who said you could treat it like your ho?!”
“Fine. Then make yourselves at ho like it’s Bitgang’s place!”
Geum Bitgang’s villa, surrounded by nature. Even the air felt different.
Cool, fresh grass told us we were deep in the mountains.
“There’s plenty of food in the fridge. You all like beef, right? Yeah?”
“...We haven’t been here in ages—how would there be food! Hey! Where’s your manager going? Turn that car around right now!”
“I stocked it all. Don’t feel burdened—go on in!”
In the anti, Noh Jeongyeon’s car drove off. We were completely isolated.
“Alright. Since we’re all together, let’s give it our all for a few days.”
Noh Jeongyeon smiled brightly. Geum Bitgang pressed a hand to her forehead like it was over. Junhyeok’s eyes grew wet again. The big director just stood there with his mouth open.
“...Isn’t this kidnapping...?”
“Mmm—. In modern terms? A training camp.”
“That doesn’t sound very modern.... Professor? Hello, Professor!”
Noh Jeongyeon dragged Junhyeok with one hand and the big director with the other, disappearing inside.
Beside , Geum Bitgang muttered,
“...Give up.”
“Professor....”
“No one has ever beaten Noh Jeongyeon when she wears that face....”
And so, the team’s training camp began.
* * *
“Now that we’ve eaten well, let’s get to the main point.”
Clapping her hands together cheerfully, Noh Jeongyeon spoke as soon as the al ended.
“Alright! Episode 16 acting—I’d like to see it here.”
The target was obviously Han Yeoreum.
Noh Jeongyeon t Yeoreum’s startled gaze. As expected, Geum Bitgang provided backup.
“Can’t do it?”
Yeoreum drew a deep breath and answered at once.
“No. I can.”
She closed her eyes briefly. When they opened again, a different light fixed on Geum Bitgang.
“You wretch. Yeomga... shaless beyond asure, without equal under heaven.”
It was clear she’d practiced the lines extensively. This wasn’t re recitation.
Fury and twisted attachnt toward Yeomga bled into the very first line.
“Blood tears will never dry in your eyes, and in your hands, pus and blood shall rot and clot!”
The thunderous voice that followed shook the room. This was no fledgling dragged around by veterans monts ago.
‘And next?’
Her acting flowed smoothly, without a single stumble. As if she truly were the shamaness Seoryeong.
“O wandering guest-spirit, crossing roads in a land a thousand miles from ho—.”
As she collapsed in pain, chanting, Yeoreum deliberately broke her diction, as if coughing up blood.
Noh Jeongyeon was quietly impressed by a level no re “chick” could show.
‘...Still.’
When Yeoreum finished, Noh Jeongyeon looked into her eyes and thought,
‘Not a hundred.’
The big director, delighted to see the performance again, sprang up and asked Geum Bitgang,
“Well? Professor—now you see why I believe in her, right?”
“More or less.”
“Isn’t that a perfect hundred?! No—one thousand! Ten thousand!”
“No.”
Geum Bitgang looked at Yeoreum, still seated on the floor.
“Ninety.”
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