Novelist Running Through Time - Chapter 211

Time-Traveling Novelist Episode 212

Song Ji-young is an actress.

However, she is neither a movie actress nor a drama actress. Her filmography is too empty and messy to say that she has any specialty.

But she is not a rookie actress either. She has eaten too much food on the set to be a rookie. It means that she cannot excuse her poor career because she is a rookie.

There is no writer or director who looks for her, and she is treated like a pet at the company. Her family comforts her, and she just runs whenever she gets a job and does her best, but she does not become famous.

She is neither a movie actress nor a drama actress.

She is an unknown actress.

“Haah……”

Song Ji-young, who shook off her miserable feelings with a sigh, glanced at the corner of the set.

There was an actress who she had to treat as a ‘senior’ over there.

It is Kim Byul.

“PD-nim, when we shoot later……”

“Yeah, okay, let’s do that!”

Kim Byul approached the PD, who was like the sky, without hesitation and conveyed her ‘request’.

Is that the dignity of ‘Cannes’?

She is even a high school third grader.

What was I doing when I was in the third year of high school?

Oh, yeah, I bragged to my neighborhood friends that I was cast on the street, and my friends cut me off.

Ugly, dirty…

“Ji-young-ah, are you okay?”

“Ugh, unniiii……”

Song Ji-young leaned on her reliable manager unni for a moment and calmed down her sadness.

However, her complicated feelings did not easily become as calm as a quiet lake.

Today is the day Song Ji-young shoots a bed scene for the first time.

It is literally a ‘bed scene’, but it is not really a bed scene.

She has to act a little more explicit, passionate, and primitive.

Song Ji-young, who was wearing only a thin gown, was very nervous and hugged her manager unni to catch her breath.

‘This sucks.’

But there was nothing she could do about it.

But what can she do? This is the acting life she chose, so she has to endure it.

Song Ji-young is not Kim Byul. It means that she does not have the ability to receive the Cannes Best Actress Award and the Cannes Best Actress Award.

Then she has to succeed even if she takes off her clothes…….

“Sob, damn……”

“What, what did you say?”

“No, nothing……”

However, the dark clouds in Song Ji-young’s mind did not seem to disappear easily.

She is nervous about the bed scene, but she also does not like the role.

Of course, she knew from the beginning that she would be in charge of sex in the bed scene, which was put in to attract a lot of aggro in the first episode of the drama.

But isn’t it too much to add a role that dies from drug shock during sex?

“Damn it, what the hell is the writer thinking? Does he honestly believe that an actor who’s filming their first bed scene can also pull off acting as a drug addict? Seriously?”

“I have no idea how I’m supposed to act out dying from a drug overdose, but whatever, if I mess it up, we’ll just have to film it all over again from the beginning.”

“The future looks bleak…”

“Fuck, fuck…”

The shock of the “drug overdose death bed scene” stirred something within Song Ji-young, not as a meek and polite unknown actress, but as Song Ji-young, one of the four heavenly kings of Baekhak Arts High School’s theater and film department.

‘Should I just punch the writer?’

If Kim Byul had heard her, she would have immediately said, “Oh, you too!?” But she had to make a living, so her insolent and savage thoughts quickly subsided.

Besides, she had already wasted most of her glorious early to mid-20s, so there was no way she could give up now.

Song Ji-young accepted the cold reality and slipped out of her manager’s arms.

Then she muttered gloomily,

“Ugh, whatever… I guess I’ll just film it…”

The manager looked at Song Ji-young with pity and confessed as if giving her a surprise gift.

“Hey, Ji-young, but you’re in the drama until episode 7. You don’t die in episode 1.”

“Oh, really?!”

Song Ji-young smiled broadly.

EP 13-Unpredictable

Some, like Song Ji-young, whose filming enthusiasm had skyrocketed thanks to a sevenfold increase in both screen time and appearance fee, welcomed the situation where the script changed every day. However, most of the actors did not look kindly upon this situation.

“I mean, what am I supposed to do if they suddenly tell me to act as a psychopath instead of a delivery man? Has your script changed too, sunbae?”

“Yeah, starting today, my name is ‘Kim Seung-min’…”

“I’m out of here.”

The actors had been through it all. They had never filmed in a rosy environment.

This industry was a tough one, where they had to act even when the PD and the writer were fighting and the director suddenly changed.

The weak did not survive.

However, the changes in the ‘script’ also came as a sensitive stimulus to the actors.

Especially for those actors who were faithful to their professional ethics.

They would memorize their lines until the script was worn out and internalize their roles, only to have the script suddenly changed.

It was no different from the day before the college entrance exam when the subject suddenly changed from math to League of Legends.

The actors’ feelings were no different from those of examinees whose studies had gone down the drain.

“…This can’t go on like this.”

From the staff to the PD, everyone was at their wit’s end, which meant that this was a time of chaos.

This meant that the ‘writer’, who should have been responsible for maintaining order in the world, had turned his back on his loyal subjects and become a Foolish king, swayed by the words of treacherous officials.

Unable to bear the sight of his juniors suffering, the veteran actor Bae Seong-won eventually decided to take matters into his own hands and confront the writer.

“Hey, I’ll go and have a talk with her.”

“Hyung-nim, just stay put…”

“Before things blow up, someone needs to take control of the situation. Just wait here.”

His name was Bae Seong-won.

He was a veteran actor who could no longer stand to watch his juniors suffer.

The only person who could possibly stand up to the writer, who held an unassailable ‘gap’ position, was a ‘eul’ with superpowers.

Super ‘eul’ Bae Seong-won strode confidently towards writer Im Song-i.

And then…

“Excuse me, Writer-nim…”

“Oh, Seong-won-ssi, what is it?”

“Well… I have something I’d like to discuss with you. Hehe.”

He bowed deeply and humbly as he addressed writer Im Song-i.

This wasn’t because Bae Seong-won was a cowardly man.

In order to safely carry out an act of hagwŏk-sang, one had to be respectful in their demeanor!

So, Bae Seong-won’s humble posture was akin to the wisdom of the ancients, who knelt down in order to gain momentum.

“Well, it’s nothing much, but… No, no, it’s not that I’m complaining or anything… Haha, well… it’s just that… um, writing…”

This vague and rambling way of speaking was a skill that proved Bae Seong-won’s long experience.

With these few words, Bae Seong-won had created an escape route for himself and, more importantly, had gained legitimacy.

This was because the frustrated Im Song-i had generously opened up a channel for dialogue.

“What do you mean? Just say it. You know I’m not the kind of person who gets offended by things like this.”

To come out with the main point here would be like shooting oneself in the foot.

Im Song-i was the kind of person who did get offended easily.

Bae Seong-won relied on his wealth of experience to avoid the landmines and laid down his next move.

“Oh, well… I’ve been working really hard and all… but this is a bit…”

A strategic retreat followed.

“Oh, no! It’s not that I’m saying anything bad…”

Through maneuvers that were almost artistic in their execution, Bae Seong-won achieved his strategic objective.

“Oh, just say it already?!”

There it was, the opening he needed!

Bae Seong-won’s sharp eyes did not miss Im Song-i’s lapse.

However, ruthlessly exploiting this opening was something only uncouth thugs would do.

A sophisticated person in society does not deeply wound another person’s pride.

“Well, it’s just that lately, the script has been a bit…”

Bae Seong-won omitted the rest of the sentence: ‘changing too often?’

After all, both the speaker and the listener knew that there was a problem.

Therefore, it was enough to convey the protest in a way that did not cause either party to lose face.

After all, they might have to work together again tomorrow, next year, or even ten years from now.

In the world of entertainment, one never knows what the future holds.

So, one must always be cautious.

In that sense, Im Song-i also demonstrated a mature response, as befitting someone who had been in the entertainment industry for a long time.

In that sense, Im Song-i also displayed a mature response like someone who has consumed a lot of entertainment content.

“I know the writers here, I’m close with an actor from a drama…”

It was a casual greeting that could be summarized as roughly “Please kill me” and “It’s all the fault of the director.”

It means an unnecessary and irrelevant conversation.

But etiquette is necessary, hence the proverb.

Thanks to strictly adhering to etiquette and social norms, Im Song-i was able to confidently showcase unconventional and outstanding behaviors without any burden.

“I have very talented friends in the literature field whom I take around as assistant writers and consult with, you know?”

“Oh, I see.”

“I completely revised the script. This is the final episode script… Take a look.”

“Uh…”

“I’ll buy you a coffee, so take your time to review it.”

Unable to resist Im Song-i’s coercion, Bae Sung-won examined the script.

As Bae Sung-won sipped the coffee provided by Im Song-i, his expression turned quite serious.

It didn’t take him long to recognize the value of the script.

“Oh…”

Im Song-i asked Bae Sung-won, who looked a bit dazed, about the absolute value that exists above any discomfort or issues on the set.

“How is it?”

“…”

“It’s fun.”

It was a question filled with conviction, not curiosity.

Bae Sung-won nodded firmly with a stern expression.

* * *

Sitting in a corner of the set, one can feel the flow of gazes when looking around.

Like a black hole, all eyes converge on one point.

The center of the set.

“Alright! Relax a bit more! Let’s go again!”

“Yes!”

The set is a space structured similar to a concert hall.

There is a stage and an audience.

Not only with the eyes of everyone present but even the camera angles focus on the stage.

In the swirl of this vast gaze, looking beyond the stage…

It feels like a palpitation that disrupts the flow.

Like looking at the audience in a movie theater, peeking behind the stage of an opera house…

“What are you doing?”

At that moment, a question was thrown at me.

What am I doing?

If looked closely, observing the surroundings from a corner of the set, or if looked broadly, helping to accumulate experiences for Goo Yu-na and An Joo-hee under the pretext of journalism and stealing inspiration while appreciating the art piece created through their combined talents.

However, from a moderate distance, this kind of answer seems appropriate.

“I came to the drama set through connections, to do research for a novel.”

“What kind of connections?”

“Who does she know?”

If that’s the case, what is love?

Kim Byeol sat down next to me and chuckled playfully.

“Are you jealous?”

I frowned for no reason.

“It’s about actor Baesungwon.”

“Why are you close with Seongwon sunbae?”

“I was fishing.”

“What? Oh, when you filmed that variety show? That was a long time ago…”

“Usually, when men fish together, they become comrades.”

“What does fishing have to do with comrades?”

“To me, fishing is war…”

Gobies, mudskippers, flatheads, red seabreams…

As I recalled the opponents I had caught, Kim Byeol chuckled and snorted.

“I don’t really understand what comradeship is since I didn’t serve in the military!”

“I didn’t either.”

“Why? Oh right. Ah, ah, aah! Aah! Aah!”

Before I could respond, Kim Byeol, who had stepped on a landmine and exploded in agony, writhed in pain and tore at his own hair.

Meanwhile, I refocused on my thoughts.

I throw a dart into the foggy mist in my mind.

Art.

Art conveyed through stories.

Goyuna’s art is the intricate combination of plots rolling like gears, and An Juhee’s art is the writhing of intense emotions burning like sparks between characters.

Im Song-i sided with the latter here.

It’s to maintain viewership ratings.

So, is the universal beauty that prevails in the world passionate and primal emotions?

An Juhee’s argument, and the enthusiastic drama fans of Saebichneulbom Nursery’s fiery dramas come to mind.

Who ends up with whom, when confession and kisses take place…

It was said that discussing these elements while watching is the true taste of a drama.

Romance…

Then, is lust, desire, love, the essence of beauty that dramas possess?

Do people pursue a simulated romance with an ideal that doesn’t exist in reality while watching dramas?

Is that, unlike the publishing industry, the main reason the drama industry spends vast amounts of money?

So, is the trend in the world dominated by storytelling steeped in romance?

“Ahem!”

What interrupted the endless flow of thoughts was Kim Byeol’s embarrassing cough.

“Inseop, will you forgive my slip of the tongue…?”

“Romance.”

“Huh?”

I murmured a passing thought.

“I should try writing a romance novel…”

“Out of the blue?”

Ignoring Kim Byeol’s expression that seemed to say ‘there are all kinds of weirdos,’ I quietly got up to leave the set.

“Hey, hey, where are you going…?”

Literature is never trivial.

As soon as one worry ends, the next one follows immediately.

“Are you mad…?”

Then, what is the true essence of love?