Chapter: 56
“I’m Kim Dae-heon, playing the role of Im Seung-cheol.”
Im Seung-cheol is the protagonist, a passionate detective in the violent crimes unit.
Growing up learning martial arts, he’s the kind of cop who doesn’t shy away from battling criminals.
Reflecting such a character setting, actor Kim Dae-heon had quite an impressive look.
With a chiseled jaw, thick eyebrows, and piercing eyes.
He stood over 180 cm tall, and meeting his gaze head-on could definitely be intimidating.
“Wow, I’ve played criminals frequently, but this is my first time as a detective!”
His light-hearted banter made those around him burst into laughter.
He often took on roles as generals in historical dramas, but in modern-day dramas, he mostly portrayed villains.
It was his first time as a detective, but no one here seemed worried about his acting.
His skills were well-known in the acting community.
“I’m Jeong Si-hyeon, playing the victim, Han Ye-hwa. Nice to meet you all.”
A woman with a pure appearance bowed and greeted the actors seated at the large table.
Jeong Si-hyeon was the lead actress in a recently concluded popular drama.
She had a great image and was well-recognized.
Despite being labeled a ‘victim,’ her role was closer to the main heroine that the protagonist needed to save.
And then…
Everyone’s gaze fell upon a young girl.
The youngest actress present at just seventeen, Joo Su-yeon.
‘Isn’t she Princess Yeonhwa?’
‘I saw her on TV recently.’
Su-yeon’s appearance was almost a surprise.
It was the first time anyone had seen her face at this meeting.
Director Bae Jin-hwan had been looking for an actress for the film’s main villain role, ‘Chae Seo-ah.’
He had struggled a lot to find the right fit.
So hearing that it was Su-yeon came as a shock.
Su-yeon was a child actress who had mysteriously disappeared ten years ago.
It’s quite common for child actors to abruptly retire.
The reasons vary, but it’s not rare.
What made Seoyeon unique was her vanishing act during her peak popularity.
“I’m Joo Su-yeon, playing the role of Chae Seo-ah.”
Her voice was calm and pleasant to hear.
With an overall expressionless demeanor and a lovely face.
It was the perfect visual for the character Chae Seo-ah.
However…
‘The image of Princess Yeonhwa is too strong to shake off.’
‘I’ve heard that her performance in
The staff exchanged hushed conversations about her.
Those who hadn’t seen the play were puzzled by Bae Jin-hwan’s casting choice.
The last memory anyone had of Su-yeon was from
Ten years later, she reunited miraculously with Yoon Seo-il and Park Jung-woo.
Everyone was moved to tears as Princess Yeonhwa made them feel emotional… now a villain?
“Honestly, I’m really surprised to find Joo Su-yeon playing Chae Seo-ah.”
That line came from Park Hee-joon, who portrayed Seo Gwang-il, one of the two detectives in
While he had a sturdy physique and resembled the typical ‘hot-blooded’ character like Kim Dae-heon’s Im Seung-cheol, Hee-joon had an overall cold demeanor.
Seo Gwang-il’s role was mainly about reining in the passionate detective Im Seung-cheol, which suited Hee-joon just fine.
“Since Chae Seo-ah will be a pivotal character in this movie, I rely on you for a great performance.”
What could be perceived as warm encouragement,
Had a bone in the words.
‘Seems like Park Hee-joon is a bit suspicious of Joo Su-yeon.’
In truth, Park Hee-joon wasn’t particularly fond of Su-yeon.
He had gone through auditions to secure the role of Seo Gwang-il and had invested a lot of effort to immerse himself in that character.
This role felt like the defining moment of his life.
As it was a film backed by the GH Group, it was likely to be a huge hit.
He had practically staked everything on this film, so it was natural for suspicions to arise towards Su-yeon.
Honestly,
‘It’s not that I doubt Director Bae Jin-hwan’s capability, but I’m skeptical about the choice of Joo Su-yeon for Chae Seo-ah…’
It wasn’t outright hostility.
But the unease was definitely palpable.
While Su-yeon had received glowing acclaim for her acting ability,
That was a decade ago, and what she had shown in variety shows was merely a snippet of her talent.
And on a theater stage,
Not in films or dramas.
Her official chance to re-enter the public eye was with this movie.
Thus, it wasn’t just him who felt reserved.
Then.
“Let’s proceed with today’s script reading.”
Director Bae Jin-hwan announced, and a slight stir rippled through the room.
It’s not unusual to jump straight into script readings after introductions.
In fact, at times like this, it’s vital to clear any tension quickly.
‘I wonder…’
The producer, Chae Dong-jin, understood Bae Jin-hwan’s intentions.
He had seen Su-yeon’s performance on stage firsthand.
So there was a degree of conviction in his belief.
This young actress, Joo Su-yeon, was undoubtedly the real deal.
However, the other actors might not share that perspective.
To them, Su-yeon was merely a child actor returning after a decade.
“Let’s go with Scene Number 24.”
“Uh? What’s that about…?”
Kim Dae-heon, playing Im Seung-cheol, responded with confusion.
S# 24.
It wasn’t a scene that specifically showcased Chae Seo-ah as a villain.
It was merely the part where Chae Seo-ah first encounters the two detectives at a bus stop.
The two officers, chasing a murderer, meet Chae Seo-ah, who is waiting at a bus stop not far from the crime scene.
At that moment, Im Seung-cheol feels an odd sensation and approaches her, leading to a brief exchange before she boards the bus and departs.
A straightforward scene.
“…Got it.”
What can I show in this?
He had such questions in mind, but since it was the director’s directive, the actors accepted and picked up their scripts.
Scene Number 24.
Set against the backdrop of a bus stop.
The table where the actors sat facing each other transformed into a small bus stop.
As Kim Dae-heon and Park Hee-joon held their scripts, they faced Su-yeon.
And then…
“Hey there, miss.”
Kim Dae-heon, no, Im Seung-cheol, said with furrowed brows.
“Didn’t you see the news today? It’s dangerous to walk around alone! There’s a murderer on the loose!”
“Oh dear, senior. Aren’t you being overly dramatic? Do all men react this way when they see a girl?”
Im Seung-cheol was not having a good day.
Three murders had already taken place under his jurisdiction.
The victims didn’t have a specific gender.
So narrowing down a suspect was much harder.
Given that a sizable male had been killed, the odds leaned toward a man being the assailant.
“Hey, but you can’t just ignore the fact that the murderer could jump out at any moment! You have to be cautious!”
“What do you mean cautious? It’s just overreacting.”
The two were arguing while fixing their gaze on the woman.
She stood silently at the bus stop, merely observing them.
A strange atmosphere.
Yes, that ambiance.
Normally, Im Seung-cheol would just brush past it, but that peculiar vibe held his feet in place.
She looked like she was in her twenties, or perhaps late teens?
She was a petite woman, hardly the type to commit murder.
Yet somehow, she managed to pull his attention.
And then…
The woman smiled.
“Thank you for your concern. I will be careful.”
Such simple words.
It was an ordinary line.
But something felt off.
‘What the…’
The first to sense the peculiarity was actor Kim Dae-heon.
Su-yeon’s portrayal of Chae Seo-ah conveyed a smile.
One that resembled something out of a painting.
Acting.
It was an undeniably distinct smile, yet it felt different.
‘Is she…acting at acting?’
Exactly, it felt like that.
She was smiling, yet it felt like she was performing a smile.
This is what one might call ‘awkward acting.’
But this was something else entirely.
A sense of dissonance.
An undeniable discomfort washed over her.
‘Humans…’
Su-yeon gazed at them, slowly erasing her smile.
‘Feel a sense of unease when seeing something almost human.’
There’s a term known as the ‘Uncanny Valley.’
The feelings evoked by nearly human-like robots or dolls, or when observing a painting.
It’s the experience of sensing that it almost resembles humanity, but deep down, you instinctively know it’s not quite human.
“Thank you for your continuous efforts. If things get dangerous, I will surely contact you.”
This didn’t sound very significant or serious.
Smiling at the officers, the woman appeared friendly.
However, seeing her up close, one wouldn’t dare call it friendly.
‘Chae Seo-ah is similar to me, yet utterly different.’
In her past life, she felt beloved.
That’s what she thought.
She had been given an opportunity.
To observe others’ emotions, to learn and mimic them.
Though she had been scolded and even punished along the way.
But it couldn’t have been abuse…
Her past self was forced to become a ‘normal person.’
To smile and cry like any human.
This was an expectation from her parents.
Yet Chae Seo-ah never got even that chance.
Chae Seo-ah’s smile was a social skill honed in the midst of hardship.
A mere imitation, not even close to the emotional mimicry her past self possessed.
‘Make the emotional mimicry as shallow as possible, just teetering on the edge of awkwardness.’
Su-yeon understood.
She knew precisely when people began to feel the ‘oddness.’
Having laughed and cried countless times in her past life, she remembered the faces she displayed.
In that process, fear had emerged.
Right now, what Su-yeon was portraying was merely the fringes of that discomfort.
If her ordinary emotional mimicry were to follow over 95% of typical feelings,
Now, Su-yeon was at around 70%.
Just barely within the threshold that a person might label it as ‘emotion.’
And with it, the measure of awkwardness.
“But…”
Su-yeon, or rather Chae Seo-ah, repeated her calm smile as she spoke.
“Do you both work from the police station nearby?”
A perfectly normal question.
But there was a palpable tension in the air.
Such mundane dialogue felt like a thriller scene, piercing the hearts of the two police officers.
“Oh, yes. That’s right.”
“Ah~, I see. If I call, will you come right away? How long does it usually take? You can come right away, right?”
Is she genuinely worried about the murderer?
That thought felt strange.
She seemed overly curious about the response time, where they’d be, and when to expect help.
“May I ask why you’re interested in that?”
Detective Seo Gwang-il asked cautiously.
He tried to shake off the bizarre feeling emanating from the woman.
“Because you said it was dangerous. I’m just a frail woman, so I think it’s prudent to know how I can get help when needed.”
Though this sounded reasonable,
Her words held no trace of ‘concern.’
Only pure curiosity lay hidden in her questions.
In stark contrast, her smile deepened the unease.
She wore an imitated calm smile, yet her emotions radiated brightness.
As though she were grinning a bit too wide, unsure of the measure of an appropriate smile.
“Ah, the bus has arrived.”
As the two pondered what to say, she remarked cheerfully, bowing her head.
“I look forward to working together next time.”
Typically, under such circumstances, Detective Im Seung-cheol would have made a light-hearted joke, but this time, he couldn’t muster the courage.
He felt it.
That he would meet this woman again someday.
An instinctual sensation coursed through him.
The two detectives could only watch as she departed on the bus.
Thus, Scene Number 24 concluded.
The first encounter between Chae Seo-ah and the two detectives came to an end.
“…Phew.”
Someone let out a breath of relief.
The tension that had settled over the table dispersed with that sigh.
The table read concluded smoothly.
Plain dialogues exchanged remain at a steady pitch without dramatic heights.
But…
‘What was that?’
All eyes present were fixed on Su-yeon.
‘Was that acting?’
It wasn’t method acting.
Not even in that realm.
What they encountered moments ago was the genuine ‘Chae Seo-ah.’
They were actors, making a living through performances.
Thus, they could discern what was acting.
But now was different.
There was no differentiation.
“Su, Su-yeon?”
Even Director Bae Jin-hwan found his voice trembling as he questioned.
He anticipated Su-yeon would perform well, but never expected it to be on this level.
She felt like a completely different person compared to Hong Jeong-hee in
“Yes?”
The way they reacted surprised Su-yeon.
Their gazes on her were filled with palpable tension.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
