Chapter 59: Star Maker (5)
The next day, when Hong Soo-yeon arrived at the Si-woo Film office, someone looked at her and tilted his head.
“How can I help you?”
“Huh? The ahjussi told me… to come here…”
“Ahjussi? Which ahjussi…?”
Hearing the word “ahjussi,” Kim Si-woo walked in from behind.
“Me. I’m that ahjussi.”
“Wha—! Writer-nim is an ahjussi? Pfft! Kekeck.”
“You think that’s funny?”
Whack.
“Gyaa—”
“You came earlier than I expected. Did you take your grandmother to the hospital safely?”
Si-woo ignored the team member he’d hit and spoke to Soo-yeon.
“Yes! The doctor told her to keep taking her medication and explained everything she needs to watch out for. They said in two or three weeks she can start taking light walks.”
“Good. If the hospital says she needs rehabilitation or anything like that, tell me. Don’t worry about the cost.”
“Okay… ahjussi.”
While they talked, the Si-woo Film members had quietly gathered around to watch.
“I didn’t even tell you guys to come—yet everyone’s already here.”
“Writer-nim! Who is she? Your girlfriend?”
“No way, would a girlfriend call him ahjussi? Then is she a new actress? Or staff?”
The team started making guesses.
“She’s an actress. I cast her myself during my Busan trip.”
“What? When did you…?”
“When you were all passed out from drinking.”
“Ah…”
The team members groaned as unpleasant memories of that night resurfaced.
After that, Hong Soo-yeon introduced herself in front of everyone.
“Hello, my name is Hong Soo-yeon. I’m 20 years old.”
She had barely finished stating her name and age when questions poured out.
“Which school did you go to? An arts school?”
“No… just a regular national high school…”
“Oh, really? Do you have any acting experience?”
“None.”
“…”
Someone who didn’t attend an arts school and had zero acting experience—cast purely for her face?
Everyone turned to look at Kim Si-woo.
“What.”
He snapped at them, annoyed by their skeptical looks.
But they cautiously protested.
“Writer-nim, even if she’s pretty, come on… She’s never acted. At least someone from a related school…”
“Quiet. If I cared about that, I wouldn’t be working with you guys either. Did you forget the set we visited the other day?”
At Si-woo’s words, the staff instantly shut their mouths.
But the actors looked uneasy—clearly intimidated by Soo-yeon’s looks.
One actor asked Si-woo seriously:
“You’ll still cast main and supporting roles fairly, right?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
“Then that’s fine.”
They were relieved.
After all, they had three years in arts high school and four years of acting major behind them—they weren’t about to lose to someone who didn’t even know the ‘a’ of acting.
“Alright, Soo-yeon and Yoo-jin, come to my office for a moment.”
“Yes…”
Once the introduction was over, Si-woo summoned Hong Soo-yeon and Lee Yoo-jin to his office.
“Yoo-jin.”
“Yes, writer-nim.”
“When’s the next shoot?”
“In three days.”
“Already? Hmm… The lines are short anyway. For the thumbnail, use Soo-yeon. And help her blend in well with the others.”
“I’ll… try.”
Si-woo pulled a script from beside his desk and handed it to Soo-yeon.
“You see the rude high school girl role near the end? We’re filming that in three days, so start practicing now. Get your acting checked either by Director Yoo-jin here or by me.”
“So suddenly? I don’t know anything about acting…”
“Hm…”
Seeing her panic, Si-woo thought for a moment, then stood from his seat.
“I’m not great at teaching… but don’t overthink it. Read the script and copy the character.”
“Just… right away? I’m not sure I can…”
“Hm…”
In the end, Si-woo began explaining the character to help Soo-yeon grasp the vibe.
“The role you’re playing this time is a neighborhood delinquent high school girl. She smokes, curses, spits on the street, and is labeled a problem student at school—basically a really bad troublemaker.”
“Yes…”
“But later, when she encounters the male lead, she’ll start to change. That’s for the next episode. For this episode, the scene ends right when you two first meet. It’s not much of a demonstration, but I’ll show you roughly how it’s done.”
After reading the script, Kim Si-woo slipped into character.
“Hey~ what’s with this dweeb? You know me? Who the hell are you to tell me to put out my cigarette? How old are you, huh?”
The sudden transformation—Si-woo looking absolutely pathetic and trashy—startled Soo-yeon, but he continued.
“You really from this neighborhood? You don’t know these oppas?”
Si-woo shoved his phone toward her threateningly, and Soo-yeon instinctively stepped back.
For something he called “rough,” the acting was far too convincing.
“Uh… no. I don’t see anything…”
Because Soo-yeon responded without thinking, Si-woo snapped out of his acting and sighed.
“Sigh… Anyway, that’s the general vibe you need.”
“M-Me? Do that?”
“Yes. You.”
“I don’t really get it… but I’ll try…”
“Okay. If it’s too hard, just start by reading the lines.”
Si-woo planned to get help from Shim Ji-young if needed.
But moments later, he heard a voice behind him.
“Hey~ what’s with this dweeb? You know me? Who the hell are you to tell me to put out my cigarette? How old are you, huh?”
The exact same lines he had said—
And the tone and rhythm were nearly identical.
“What the—? You’re good at this!”
“You really from this neighborhood? You don’t know these oppas?”
Just like Si-woo had done, Soo-yeon held her phone up menacingly—but her acting stopped there.
“Writer-nim… Are you sure this is her first time acting?”
“I think so? That’s what I heard.”
“Then how…?”
As Si-woo and Yoo-jin watched in disbelief, Soo-yeon hesitantly looked between them.
Si-woo praised her.
“How’d you do that? You say you don’t know how, but you’re doing really well.”
“I just… copied what you did, writer-nim.”
One thing Si-woo hadn’t known—Hong Soo-yeon had a remarkably sharp mind.
A talent different from Shim Ji-young, Jung Se-yeon, and even himself.
In that brief moment, she observed and analyzed Si-woo’s breathing, gaze, movement, tone—then reproduced it.
“This is… something else…”
It wasn’t just good observation—it was a whole different level.
“I’ve always been good at memorizing things since I was a kid…”
“Come here.”
“Yes?”
Si-woo quickly typed something on his keyboard, then printed a sheet.
Bzzz—
He handed the still-warm paper to Soo-yeon.
“This is the background setting for your character.”
“Oh… okay.”
He also recommended videos of actors she could use for reference.
“Practice by yourself first, and if you want your acting checked or have questions, come to me or Yoo-jin. Asking the other actors is fine too.”
“Yes!”
“Yoo-jin, give Soo-yeon a empty desk and show her the practice room.”
“Yes, writer-nim.”
When Soo-yeon and Yoo-jin left, Si-woo felt a strange sense of unease.
‘Wait… Did I just bring in a monster?’
While Si-woo sat lost in thought, Yoo-jin guided Soo-yeon outside.
“Soo-yeon, this will be your desk. And for acting practice, come this way.”
Yoo-jin led her downstairs to a soundproof practice room.
Inside, the rooms were divided into smaller sections.
“This one is for group practice. These are for individual practice. Also, half of our actor team is preparing for a movie right now, so they might be a little sensitive. Just be careful.”
“Okay, thank you! But… what should I call you…?”
“Hm… On set, call me Director. Outside of filming, you can just use my name.”
“Then… can I call you Yoo-jin unnie?”
At Soo-yeon’s soft, earnest gaze—and knowing her circumstances—Yoo-jin melted instantly.
“A-Ah! Then I’ll just call you Soo-yeon too… is that okay?”
“Yes! I’d like that, unnie.”
“Hahaha… Alright, Soo-yeon.”
And just like that, Hong Soo-yeon quickly blended into the Si-woo Film team.
Reality, unfortunately, was deeply image-conscious.
Handsome men and pretty women were treated well everywhere they went.
And Soo-yeon wasn’t just beautiful—she was polite and quick-witted, having worked since she was young.
The actors who initially kept their guard up were soon taking care of her,
And the staff naturally doted on her as the youngest member.
***
Three days later.
This was the first shoot starting under the name Si-woo Film instead of Revenge Film, ever since the web drama targeting Choi Dae-ho.
Kim Si-woo was worried because Hong Soo-yeon hadn’t come to him even once during those three days,
But Yoo-jin and everyone else seemed completely unconcerned.
‘No way… they’re not bullying her, right?’
As if noticing his concern, Soo-yeon—her script now worn and ragged—looked up from reading, smiled, and waved at him.
“Right… It’s only her third day. Of course she’d still feel awkward.”
Si-woo watched from a corner of the set. Soon, Yoo-jin finished preparations and called the actors.
“Everyone, let’s get ready.”
“Yes!”
The actors took their places in shooting order, and Soo-yeon folded her script and fixed her gaze on the scene.
“Alright. Scene 1. Cue!”
At Yoo-jin’s cue, the actors began.
“Man, why are there so many bullies in our neighborhood? I walked all the way around yesterday so they wouldn’t take my money.”
“What? You scaredy-cat? You’re an adult.”
“Hey, fists are close and the law is far.”
“No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend.”
“You have one?”
“No… I don’t…”
The two male actors exchanged lines, finishing the first scene.
“Cut! Good work, everyone.”
When the scene ended, Soo-yeon walked to the actors and staff, telling them they worked hard. They smiled and chatted back with her.
Si-woo was relieved to see she didn’t seem ostracized.
‘She doesn’t look left out… Good.’
Filming continued until the final scene of the day—the first encounter between the male lead and delinquent high-schooler Hong Soo-yeon.
“Okay! Last scene for today. Actors, please take your positions.”
Once everyone stood in place, Yoo-jin called for action.
The male lead spotted Soo-yeon smoking in the alley and approached her to lecture her.
“This is a no-smoking area. How about you put that out?”
“Hey~ what’s with this dweeb? You know me? Who the hell are you to tell me to put out my cigarette? How old are you, huh?”
Soo-yeon’s acting was even more refined than before—sharper, cleaner.
It was exactly like the character Si-woo had pictured in his mind.
Normally, actors infused their own experience, thoughts, atmosphere, and personality into their performance.
That individuality always showed up in the acting.
But Soo-yeon felt like she had become someone else entirely.
‘Is this… method acting?’
For the first time, Si-woo wondered if he was witnessing true method acting.
Even Shim Ji-young, Jung Se-yeon, Kim Ji-hyun, and Park Seung-hwan—none of them felt like this.
“I’m twenty, why?”
“You sure you’re from this neighborhood?”
“I’ve lived here all twenty years.”
“And you wander into this alley without fear? You don’t know these oppas?”
“Nope, don’t know them.”
“Sigh…”
When Soo-yeon took a drag of her cigarette and started to walk away, the male lead grabbed her wrist—and the scene ended.
“Cut! Great work, everyone. Since it’s actress Hong Soo-yeon’s debut today, we’ll be having a team dinner at a barbecue restaurant. I put up a vote in the group chat—check if you’re coming.”
“Okaaaay~!”
The staff hurried to clean up equipment after hearing Yoo-jin’s announcement.
Meanwhile, Soo-yeon was being praised by the male lead actor.
“Soo-yeon, this was really your first time acting? I actually got scared for a second.”
“No way~ It’s only because you reacted so well, oppa.”
“No, seriously—everyone here was probably shocked.”
At this point, Si-woo simply thought she was talented in acting.
It wasn’t until the next day that he finally learned what had happened to Soo-yeon over the past three days—
And the way she acted.