After Story 117

“I shouldn't have taken in a low-born. It seems you can't fool your own blood as the nature of your low birth still remains in you.”

“Not at all, mistress. That was definitely not my doing.”

“Is that the only excuse you can utter from your mouth? After I have looked after you all this time?”

“I have not stolen your hairpin, mistress. I really haven't.”

“There are children who said they saw you around midnight. Two of them! If what you say is true, it means that those two children are lying. What were you doing around midnight?”

“I brought some firewood to the heater and returned to my room. Then I went to sleep.”

“And how will you prove that?”

“That's….”

“The two children who have seen you have attested to the same thing. That is why I used this roundabout method to rebuke you. Had you shown the slightest hint of repenting, had you shown a hint of shame, even, I was planning to forgive you. However, it seems that your nature is truly that of evil.”

Senior Jung, who was rebuking her while emitting her wrath, turned around while clicking her tongue. Her acting was flawless. Acting that contained sixty years of experience turned an artificial set into a place of the Chosun era.

Director Baek looked at the actress fallen down on the ground. He could see a haggard face below the messily scattered hair. There was black soot all over her face and on her teeth were yellow food remains.

Her face had also been twisted because of facial paralysis. It was the face of a commoner who was unjustly accused.

The young actress hurriedly walked on her knees and grabbed the hems of senior Jung's skirt.

“Mistress, please spare me. I was in the wrong. Please spare my life.”

“You are admitting to your sins now?”

“Yes. I was a bad woman. It is all my fault. So please, anything but throwing me out of the house.”

Senior Jung kicked her away. The actress that was kicked fell backward. They were so in sync that it really looked like she had been kicked on the chin.

“Drag that woman out of the house.”

“Mistress!”

“And shut her mouth as well. I despise her voice.”

“Why are you doing this, mistress! For your sake, I really….”

The other minor actors started dragging the actress by the arms. The actress fell to the ground and started wailing.

“Please spare me, mistress!”

The actress hit the ground with the back of her soles and resisted. Her face was messy with tears, snot, and saliva. Even during that moment, she acted while taking into account that the left half of her face had been paralyzed. The detail in her act was surprisingly perfect.

The actress kept struggling to the point that even the male actors around her had a hard time holding her down. Only after becoming limp like she had passed out was she dragged out in the hands of others.

“I cannot believe I have had such a vile girl by my side. If it were not for you, I would have had to suffer an insult,” said senior Jung as she looked to the side.

Choi Nayeon responded to that. “I have only paid back a small amount of the grace you have shown me, mistress. Rather than that, you must be feeling unwell. A servant you have commanded for a long time has reached her hand out to her mistress' items.”

“A low-born cannot fool their blood. I had taken her in out of pity, but a dog must be thrown out if they bite its owner, no?”

“You're wholly right, mistress.”

Director Baek shouted cut after seeing Nayeon smile faintly until the very end.

He could see Nayeon's manager, who was waiting behind him, quickly rush out.

“Senior Jung. How can your acting improve so much year after year? You're even better than when you were working with me last time.”

“I don't know what to say if you keep flattering me like that.”

“I'm not flattering you. I mean it. Nayeon, you were good as well. You're good at everything, whether it's your looks, acting, or singing.”

Nayeon waved her hand in the air in denial. “Not at all, director. It's all thanks to madam's guidance. The advice she had for me was so good. I want to learn a lot from her.”

Nayeon faintly smiled and grabbed senior Jung's arm. Senior Jung patted Nayeon on the head like she was looking at her own granddaughter.

“Director Baek. Where's that girl from before?” said senior Jung.

“Who are you talking about?”

“The girl I kicked.”

“Oh, her. She doesn't have a scene anymore. That was her last bit.”

“Really? Her acting skills were extraordinary.”

Director Baek nodded. Just as she said, her acting skills were surprising considering that she was just a minor actor.

“You should watch out for her. She had good eyes. It's not that easy to put everything down and act like that. But that young girl managed to do it splendidly.”

It was rare for senior Jung to praise other actors. She usually avoided doing so entirely, and yet she chose to do so.

Director Baek looked for leader Kim while the camera was undergoing a position shift. He asked where the minor actors were waiting.

“They're waiting nearby. But why? Do you need someone now?”

“I just wanted to see someone.”

He went to the place leader Kim told him.

It was May, but the weather was pretty chilly. He looked for the actress who had just finished her shoot among the people waiting while sitting down against the rock fence.

“Hello,” he called out to the actress. She had not yet erased her makeup.

He already thought this when he first saw her face before the shoot, but the shape of her head was very pretty. Now that she had a relaxed face after putting away the frown she had to put on because of the facial paralysis, her facial features looked good as well.

No, she was a considerable beauty. Did she always look like this?

“Yes, director.”

“It's just that senior Jung, I mean, senior Jung Hyejung praised you for your acting. She usually doesn't say something like that.”

“I see she has seen me in a good light.”

The actress smiled faintly by raising the tips of her lips. It was such a clean smile that the yellow stuff stuck between her teeth didn't come to his mind. There was a hint of elegance that he couldn't find when she was resisting due to the unjust accusation.

“Or maybe she hid it with her acting.”

“Sorry?”

“Nothing, I was just talking to myself. What's your name?”

“I'm Han Haneul.”

“Have you worked on anything else before? Your skills aren't something that a minor actor should have.”

“Not many times. I just started off.”

“Really?”

She seemed like she had received regular acting lessons since young. An actress with beauty, character, and skill was always precious. Not to mention, she was young.

“Oh, you were here?”

Director Baek turned around when he heard a voice behind him. It was senior Jung who had approached.

“Were you okay before? I might have pushed a little too hard because I wanted to finish it in one go.”

“You pushed moderately so it didn't hurt at all. Look. I only got some dirt on me. I'm totally fine,” Haneul said as she slightly raised her sleeve.

“I'm glad that you're okay. You did really well before.”

“Thank you.”

“Let us meet again later if we have the opportunity.”

Senior Jung grabbed Haneul's hand once before returning to the set. If that person said such a thing directly, it meant no ordinary business….

Director Baek had a closer look at Haneul again. It was always better to know promising talents beforehand. After all, only then would he be able to cast them using his connections later when they become successful.

“For today, I have no choice since your role is over, but if I have the opportunity next time, I'd love to give you a more important role.”

“Thank you for your words alone.”

“It's not just words. You'll really see me later.”

For now, he left an impression on her.

Due to the nature of acting, it was hard to probe out everything with just a glimpse, but the scene where she passed out was on a high level.

The entertainment industry would never let a talent that protrudes above everyone else be. The people from the broadcast industry would do whatever it took to find those people and let them stand in front of a camera.

On his way back to the set after saying goodbye, he saw Nayeon running over.

“Director.”

“In a hurry? Why are you running?”

“I heard what the madam said before. I wanted to talk to that actress as well. I mean, I still lack skill. She looked like she was around my age, so I thought I might learn something if I talk to her.”

“What a good girl. You're doing well right now, but you want to do even better?”

“I'm still lacking compared to other actors. I should do my best to learn if I don't want to shame my position as a lead actress.”

“You're modest. You should turn right when you go out and you'll see her right away.”

“Thank you, director. Then I'll go talk to her.”

“Yes.”

She was an earnest girl, definitely much better than those arrogant kids who raised their heads high because they tasted success at a young age.

Her acting was also rather decent considering that it was her first time in a historical drama. Despite receiving bad gazes from around because of her title as an idol, she still did her best. He liked seeing that.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Maybe because of that, senior Jung looked after her as well. No, other actors also liked Nayeon. Who would hate her when she went out of her way to greet all of them one by one when she came?

“Those that become successful sure are different.”

Director Baek crossed his arms and walked back to the monitor.

* * *

“Hello.”

Haneul looked at Nayeon who approached with a smile, before realizing that it was directed at her and spoke,

“Yes, hello.”

“I was next to you when you were acting before. Do you remember?”

“I do. Even putting aside your acting, you're a singer I like so I knew you.”

“You know our song?”

“I do. It's always on the charts, so how could I not?”

Nayeon took a step closer and asked, “How was our song this time? I'm worried because some people are saying that it's only so-so.”

“I had fun listening to it. It's a song that makes you jerk your shoulders without knowing it.”

Nayeon's expression brightened up. Haneul smiled and thought about the reason Nayeon came over to speak to her.

Did she approach her first because she was just that sociable? Or was there some other reason?

“Come to the yard,” shouted the leader.

The minor actors resting while leaning against the walls, stood up and walked into the yard through the front gate.

“Leader, how about me?” she asked the leader who was far away.

“You can come as you are now. The director said he wants to do another take.”

“Okay!”

Her face was itchy, but she had to hold back since there was an additional shoot.

“I’m shooting some more,” Haneul said to Nayeon in front of her.

She had been staring without a word for quite a while now. She couldn’t tell whether this girl had something to say to her or not.

“Hey,” Nayeon said.

“I’m the lead actor. Please go easy. Okay?”

“What do you….”

“It looks bad, doesn’t it? Unni, oh, you look older than me, right? Anyway, unni, you’re a minor actor while I’m a lead actor. That act back there wasn’t something you should’ve put so much of your mind into, but I think you took things a little too far just because you were in front of the camera. That kind of acting is not good acting.”

“Oh, okay,” Haneul replied with a smile.

“Anyway, please take care of me, and try to read the room. In shoots, you have to do small things like that really well. I’m not blaming you for anything. I’m just telling you this for your own good. You aren’t upset, are you? I’d be upset if you are.”

Nayeon looked down and made a teary face. This girl knew how to look cute in front of others.

Haneul nodded.

“I’ll try.”

“I knew I could get through to you. Then let’s go. We can’t be late.”

Haneul looked at Nayeon who naturally hooked her arm around hers and led the way. Her cunning actions were pretty skilled.

But there was one thing she didn’t like.

“I’m twenty-three this year,” Haneul said.

“Really? You were the same age as me, huh? I thought you were an unni for sure.”

Nayeon chuckled and dragged Haneul forward by the arm.

What an interesting girl she is — Haneul smiled and walked with her.

KTLChamber's Thoughts

Another idol... with not such a good impression this time. Let's see how that goes

Editor's Note:

Seems cute when we have people like shitwoo. Also, Haneul getting mad at Unni of all things lol.