‘What is this?’
Lee Ki-tae PD felt a sense of unease watching the ongoing finals.
It was an audition, but also a variety show; it was clearly a broadcast structured that way.
However, this final was more focused on the audition and acting.
Previously, it resembled a variety show, witnessing the actor’s quick wit in real-time.
But for the finals, two hours were allotted with a script in advance.
In other words, they intended to watch acting.
‘At the same time, it’s the final confirmation time.’
Since the settings had been shared from the preliminaries up to now, he should know how it would proceed.
They were thrown into a specific location with a mission.
That had been the format for [Hyper Action Star] until now.
If they had communicated enough beforehand, they could have roughly conceptualized how they would act.
They just needed to incorporate that into the mission.
‘Even so, it would be difficult to choreograph action sequences in just that time.’
Two hours.
If they were in a state where they had discussed things to some extent in advance, it could be a time to finally synchronize.
If they were to set up a scene live in two hours, at most one scene, maybe two scenes could be conceptualized.
That would typically take about 10 minutes.
Thinking normally, it would roughly be a scene within 5 minutes.
But that wasn’t necessarily a problem.
Typically, the action scenes shown in films are about that length too.
So, he thought they would show their acting related to the background and narrative excluding the action.
With that composition, they could extract around 10 or 20 minutes of content.
Even if it wasn’t exactly that, it didn’t matter.
‘So, I’ve prepared various things.’
For instance, pre-interviews.
And showcasing the moments where they thrived during previous missions.
Combining all that, he had planned roughly 40 minutes of composition.
Before the finals began.
To insert it appropriately after it concludes.
‘But.’
Lee Ki-tae checked the time.
Five minutes had already passed.
Even the people who were applauding in admiration for the opening skirmish were now feeling flustered.
It was a light exchange, but the quality looked hard to achieve in two hours of practice.
Now, other acting would emerge, he thought.
That was, if Narumi Sora hadn’t pulled out her nunchaku.
The audience was surprised merely by the unexpected weapon, but the stakeholders felt it in an entirely different direction.
‘How?’
Using a weapon was several times more difficult than just coordinating with bare hands.
He was confident that nothing could be done in two hours.
‘Is it just swinging it around a couple of times?’
That might be doable.
He thought that, but still found it odd.
Something felt off on both sides.
It felt more like a real-time duel rather than a coordinated act… Why was that?
Lee Ki-tae held his breath and watched.
He now couldn’t fathom how this final would turn out.
*
One breath.
With her nunchaku tucked under her arm, Sora looked at Seo-yeon.
She had already passed the realm of acting.
As Shin Ah-rin, what she had prepared was merely simple lines.
That was something she had already informed her opponent, so she must have memorized them.
However, there was no action acting to accompany it.
She had prepared zero in advance for that.
Ultimately, this part was one where Narumi Sora had to fight as herself.
Not action acting, but pure action.
‘Those were your words.’
Her face was inscrutable.
Looking at Seo-yeon, Sora extended her left hand forward.
It was a familiar pose.
It was the stance she had practiced countless times while watching movies as a child.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The weight she felt in her hands was far lighter than an actual nunchaku.
Aside from the chain made of plastic, it was closer to a sponge shaped like a stick with a balanced weight.
If hit, it would probably feel just a bit dull.
But, oddly, it felt fine to bring what she typically used.
“Do you like Hong Kong movies?”
At that moment, Yeohwa spoke.
Suddenly, it was unclear whether she was asking Shin Ah-rin or Narumi Sora.
However, among the lines she had prepared, she had nothing to use for that question.
Thinking the Korean would come out awkward, Sora simply nodded.
“Yeah.”
That was all she replied.
At that, Yeohwa’s smile deepened.
“Interesting.”
Her voice sounded almost mocking.
Was it because of the previous line?
It felt as if she was sneering at her favorite movie.
Of course, that was fine.
That kind of thing was familiar to Sora.
“If you get hit, it won’t just hurt.”
This was from her prepared lines.
The character Sora portrayed, ‘Shin Ah-rin,’ was a physical enhancer.
Using such a weapon meant that she could surely break bones with a single strike.
That was a line to inform Seo-yeon.
And so, Sora took a step forward.
Just like Seo-yeon did earlier.
One step, then another.
It transformed into a run, dashing toward Seo-yeon.
With her left foot sliding forward, her right hand wielding the nunchaku drew a smooth trajectory towards Seo-yeon.
Swosh!!
Seo-yeon avoided it by bending at the waist.
Her red eyes followed the nunchaku and then turned towards Sora.
Did you dodge that?
Her eyes seemed to say just that.
Sora, seeing that, inwardly chuckled.
Thinking about it, Seo-yeon did not take the initiative.
Earlier, when Sora charged in, the first strike had come from her.
The knee strike thrown reflexively.
If you think about the reason, it’s simple.
Seo-yeon could evade.
The act of dodging itself is nearly impossible without aligning properly.
At least in acting.
Therefore, if Seo-yeon followed up with an attack, the truth was Sora couldn’t dodge.
Unless she blatantly shows it like before.
Thus, Seo-yeon did not make the first move.
Otherwise, it would become one-sided violence.
There would be no way to disguise it as a choreographed act.
‘So.’
Sora decided to pass the responsibility.
“You said you would match the choreography,” she felt.
At the same time, her pride was hurt.
She wanted to show that she could do it like Seo-yeon too.
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