17 - The Second is Proficient
The Second Time, Skillfully
Episode 17
Se-ah's mother, Ahn Hye-soo, was praised by those in the industry as a once-in-a-century genius.
When the cue sign was given, her eyes would change instantly, and the changes in her voice and expression were so dramatic that it was as if you were seeing a different person. Her understanding of the roles and her ability to analyze the play were also exceptional, to the point where she knew the work better than the writer.
Perhaps that's why some people in the film and drama industry called her crazy.
"Could she have been called sane?"
CEO Im muttered quietly and turned the frame upside down again.
When he first met her, he was drawn to her appearance, grace, and reputation.
This was despite the fact that she was a woman with a so-called 'entertainer' job, which CEO Im and his family extremely hated, as a relative had previously married a celebrity spouse and suffered great hardship.
Eventually, Ahn Hye-soo became pregnant after a one-night stand, and CEO Im, worried about being entangled in a love affair with a celebrity, reluctantly married her. It was fortunate that she was an orphan, so there were few avenues for the story to leak out.
So, when Ahn Hye-soo insisted on continuing her career on the condition of maintaining secrecy, he couldn't stop her.
But at some point, she began to change. He still doesn't know what the problem was. Was it because her ability to interpret was so outstanding, or was it because her ability to empathize was exceptional? When she took on a role and began researching it, the character's personality would rub off on her even in everyday life.
One day she became a young lady without children, and another day she became a grumpy queen.
The problem started after she took on a role that showed severe symptoms of depression.
She actually went to a psychiatrist and got a prescription. She was so immersed in the role that she was taking medication, which seemed very dangerous.
'I'd rather you quit your job!'
CEO Im eventually began to actively interfere with Ahn Hye-soo's work. He was afraid that if Ahn Hye-soo became controversial, it would damage the company again, and he would incur the criticism of the executives. He tore up the script and went to the director to plead with him. But that led to bad results.
'I'd rather end my life than quit my job.'
She said that and left the house on the day she had a bad fight in front of Se-ah. A few hours later, bad news came, and CEO Im was overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness.
"Hoo..."
A difficult sigh escaped as he recalled memories from a long time ago.
"I can't let Se-ah become like that."
He tapped the mouse and went to the portal site to search. He rubbed his eyebrows as he stared at the picture of Se-ah that came up when he typed her name.
'I know it's difficult, but I have plans and goals. Please don't ignore me.'
Se-ah's voice echoed in his head. He was taken aback by her confident voice and ambition. He was more worried about her passion than he had expected.
"..."
To be honest, as soon as he heard Se-ah say that she wouldn't get married, the amount he had rashly accepted from Ji-man came to mind first. He shook his head as if to shake off the number with 10 zeros attached to it.
Marriage might be the way to save Se-ah. If she quit acting and lived as a housewife, she wouldn't be eaten up by her roles.
CEO Im really didn't want to make Se-ah like his wife. But she was his only daughter. It would be good for the family if she quit her entertainer act at this opportunity. Thinking this, CEO Im coughed, feeling a prickling sensation somewhere.
After all, he couldn't ignore the 10 zeros. Ji-man, with his bulldozer-like drive, was a businessman who could easily achieve things that seemed impossible.
In the business world, Ji-man was unconditionally named as the next chairman of An.B Group. No matter how harsh Chairman Park, the current chairman, was in his assessment of Ji-man, the continued success spoke for itself.
"I have to make a good impression, yes."
He nodded his head without realizing it, then rubbed around his chin in embarrassment. It felt like his conscience was muttering that he was a snob.
No. How is this being a snob? There are more than 1,000 people working at his company alone. Just thinking about the families attached to those people, how many people is that? He was responsible for that number.
"After all, the best way is for Se-ah to marry Executive Director Park Ji-man."
In a crisis for the company, a political marriage was a very good means of turning adversity into a blessing. It could prevent Se-ah from going wrong and kill two birds with one stone.
"Keuheum!"
CEO Im cleared his throat again, rationalized that it was not something to weigh on his conscience, and lowered his gaze to the documents.
"We'll start filming in 30 minutes!"
Someone shouted loudly in the set that perfectly recreated a school classroom. Se-ah, who was looking at the script among the extras sitting on chairs and chatting in groups of three or five, slowly closed her eyes.
It was the day she had been waiting for. The scene where she finally faced Hyun-joo head-on. She wanted to be completely immersed in the role, just like when she filmed Dan's music video.
"It's not easy."
She gently opened her eyes and unfolded the script again.
The music video was filmed almost continuously, so there was no break in the emotional line. However, dramas tend to film scenes that are filmed in one set all at once. As a result, her emotions kept getting cut off.
She tries to concentrate as much as possible and immerse herself in it, but she doesn't feel like she's become that person like she did during the music video.
"Are you worried about something?"
Yoon Joo-ho, who played the male lead Woo-suk, who was sitting next to her, spoke to her.
"Ah. It's nothing."
"Drama filming isn't easy, is it?"
Joo-ho took the words as she mumbled. She nodded awkwardly, as it was roughly true. She had many scenes with Joo-ho because he was the lead, but they didn't become close.
"The emotional line keeps getting cut off."
"Hey. You're doing well. What you're doing now is enough."
It may have been comforting words to some. But Se-ah, who wanted to be more immersed in the role, needed advice on how to maintain her emotions rather than being comforted that she was doing well enough.
"Haha. Yes. Thank you."
The conversation didn't flow well because it was always the same. On the other hand, she got along well with Hyun-joo. However, they consciously avoided talking to each other in this work because they were playing opposing roles.
If they could meet privately on a day other than the filming day, they could become closer. Should she make an appointment after filming today?
"What are you doing tonight?"
Se-ah, who was thinking about meeting Hyun-joo separately, turned her head at the words she heard from the side. Joo-ho smiled gently as their eyes met.
"Let's have dinner together if you don't have any schedule."
"I have a schedule."
"Ah... I see. Okay."
It's good to be kind, but she declined this kind of attention. Love was a useless emotion for her. Hadn't she been badly hurt by a man once already? She didn't want to waste the opportunity to live again.
Se-ah leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She heard a sound of clearing his throat as if he was embarrassed, but she ignored it.
Filming was soon.
Hyun-joo would come thoroughly prepared, so she couldn't spend time chatting. Joo-ho mumbled that she should film well and left. This was because Joo-ho did not appear in the scene to be filmed now.
Hyo-ryeong, who learned about the news of the accident of the female lead Ji-an, tells Sol-mi about it as if it were a mistake.
Sol-mi enjoyed the misfortune of others. She believed that she had to put someone down in order to raise her own position. Hyo-ryeong's position was not something to be put down, so she stuck to her with flattering words. But to Sol-mi, Ji-an's position was endlessly low.
She spread the word throughout the school that Ji-an was the famous pianist Seo Ji-an and that she was retiring due to an accident. Most of the students attending prestigious high schools were children from prominent families, so they knew a reporter or two. It was a world where they would talk with the guise of being friends, and if the other person's corporate information came out, they would tear them apart.
The news of Ji-an's retirement was reported before she had even decided on it.
"We're going to start filming!"
Se-ah's eyes changed at the director's voice.
Ji-an was organizing her textbooks. She tried not to pay attention to the whispering around her.
"Isn't she that pianist Seo Ji-an? I heard she can't use her hands anymore."
Emotions surged at that one word. Others were talking about the fact that she hadn't accepted so easily.
Ji-an, who had stopped moving abruptly,'s eyes turned fierce.
"But is that true? Didn't she play the piano really well when she transferred here?"
"I think it's true."
"I heard she went straight to the infirmary after class then."
"Min Hyo-ryeong heard it after going to the infirmary because of a headache."
The whispering of the three or four people gathered together was no longer small. There was no filtering in the words they said, pointing directly at Ji-an. Ji-an, who had been listening to it all, slowly got up and approached them.
"Min Hyo-ryeong. What class are you in?"
Her voice, without intonation, was chilling. The extras flinched and froze.
"What class are you in?"
Just before an NG was called, Ji-an asked again. Director Kim, who was watching the monitor, narrowed his eyes and watched the situation.
"Kim So-young. Can't you hear me?"
She glanced down at the name tag of one of the whispering group and said. The extra, who had been suppressed by her spirit, opened her mouth as if possessed.
"Class 7."
Director Kim nodded as if relieved and called out an okay cut. The camera that had been taking close-up shots moved back.
Even though the cut was out, Se-ah was maintaining her emotions with a hardened expression. The extras, who were suppressed by the atmosphere, couldn't say a word and were stuck in their places.
"Action!"
Director Kim, who had finished setting up the camera and was looking at Se-ah's condition on the monitor, immediately gave the signal.
"Oh, really. Why are you asking that? Are you going to go find her?"
The extra, who had come to her senses at Director Kim's signal, said her line. Ji-an didn't even look at her and went straight out of the classroom. She heard the whispering of the students around her as she went to Class 7. The contents were all similar.
"Hey! Seo Ji-an is here!"
As soon as she opened the door to Class 7, someone shouted as if it were a spectacle. At the same time as the students in the hallway rushed to the windows, a path was made in the classroom. It was obvious who she was looking for.
Hyo-ryeong, who was sitting by the classroom window, and the female students gathered around her looked at Ji-an.
Hyo-ryeong and Ji-an's eyes met. At that moment, the classroom became quiet.
"Cut!"
It was a situation where they had to cut because of the camera angle. Director Kim urged the staff, twirling his fingers. Ji-an and Hyo-ryeong's emotions were too good right now. They had to continue right away. The camera was quickly set up again. At the following cue sign, Ji-an strode forward.
Ji-an was standing with a desk between them, and Hyo-ryeong was sitting.
"I'm sorry, Ji-an..."
Hyo-ryeong was going to apologize anyway, since the words came out of her mouth. That was also her image to her friends. She called Ji-an with sorry eyes.
"You. You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
Originally, Ji-an's line was, 'You don't look sorry at all?' But it was an ad-lib that wasn't awkward with Hyo-ryeong's following line. Rather, the line that Ji-an spat out now suited her much better. Her expression too.
The look of contempt and disgust as if she had read Hyo-ryeong's pretense. Hyun-joo lost her words for a moment at the raw expression.
The simple line, 'Why are you doing this? It's not like that,' didn't come out.
Hyun-joo, who was flustered, hardened her expression. Fortunately, it was within the realm of acting that Hyo-ryeong would do, but Hyun-joo's inner self was quickly collapsing. She couldn't think of her lines.
"Tell me, Min Hyo-ryeong. You don't look sorry at all."
Ji-an spat out the words according to the original script, but Hyun-joo couldn't open her mouth. It felt like cold sweat was flowing down her back.
"NG!"
In the end, Director Kim called out NG.
