Bedroom Genius Actor - Chapter 64

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 64

“The winner is Kim Ji-hu!!”

There was no surprise.

“For my first work to receive such an award…”

Unlike last time, Kim Ji-hu didn’t stutter and left his words of gratitude smoothly. Perhaps repeating the words ‘ordinary, unremarkable, colorless and odorless’ at the Baekho Film Festival had helped, as this awards ceremony was able to pass quietly.

“Congratulations, Ji-hu.”

PD Seo Min-sik handed Kim Ji-hu a bouquet of flowers.

Kim Ji-hu smiled brightly and greeted him.

“Thank you, PD-nim.”

“By the way, what are you doing after this?”

“Pardon?”

“If you’re free, let’s have a beer together.”

He had just had drinks with Oh Jin-woo recently, and now another drinking session.

‘They say when you work, there are many drinking gatherings at year-end, so this must be similar…’

Of course, this was only his second drinking session, but for Kim Ji-hu who usually didn’t drink at all, it was frequent.

“Yes, that’s possible.”

If it were someone else, maybe not, but since it was PD Seo Min-sik’s suggestion, Kim Ji-hu readily nodded.

***

Kim Ji-hu returned home, changed into comfortable clothes, and met with PD Seo Min-sik.

‘It’s the same place as last time…’

The place PD Seo Min-sik called him to was the neighborhood pub in front of Vivid Studio where he had met Oh Jin-woo before.

It seemed to be a place industry people frequently visited.

Since it was in an alley and seemed like a place people didn’t often come to, it did seem like the kind of place industry people with famous faces would enjoy visiting.

“Boss! Two draft beers here… no, do you drink?”

“Yes, about one glass is… fine.”

“Right, on a good day you should drink. Two glasses please!”

Kim Ji-hu smiled awkwardly and asked PD Seo Min-sik.

“But PD-nim, aren’t you going to the after-party? Everyone seemed to be going.”

After awards ceremonies, there are usually after-parties. Sometimes the entire filming team attends, and sometimes only the actors attend.

In Kim Ji-hu’s case, everyone would understand if he declined everything and went home, but if PD Seo Min-sik, known as an alcohol lover, declined, people would find it strange.

“Forget it. What would I do there? It’s better to just drink quietly with someone I know.”

That was something Kim Ji-hu agreed with too.

If people who weren’t even close gathered together, it would only be uncomfortable.

“Speaking of which, how’s work going these days?”

“Yes, I’m currently working with Oh Jin-woo at Vivid Studio.”

“I heard roughly about it. It’s quite a big project, right?”

“It’s a Netflix original, so it feels large-scale.”

PD Seo Min-sik nodded and took the draft beer that came out and drank it down.

“Ahhhh! This is the taste.”

“You… like beer?”

“So-so. I like it because when I drink, it feels like stress flies away refreshingly.”

Kim Ji-hu didn’t know what that meant, but nodded as if he understood.

“Speaking of which, isn’t it hard acting with Oh Jin-woo? Everyone was racking their brains because of that guy’s ad-libs.”

“It is hard… but I have to do it. Thanks to that, the work becomes richer too.”

“You really understand. Well, actually only people lacking in skill dislike Oh Jin-woo. Even if he’s hard to handle, isn’t he a source that makes the work better?”

He agreed.

Filming is something created by many people gathering together.

For that, rules are needed, and it can only be made within established plots and direction.

What helps break free from the limitations of that rigid set is precisely ad-libbing.

‘And Oh Jin-woo is putting in effort worth double his appearance fee.’

Even the great Oh Jin-woo doesn’t just come up with ad-libs spontaneously.

Behind those scenes, there must be much consideration about what ad-libs to throw in and how to interpret the work.

How could you dislike someone who not only has acting skills to back them up but also puts in additional effort?

“Ah, how are you doing, PD Seo Min-sik? Last time you said you were working on some project…”

It was something that had been on his mind. It was a project that PD Seo Min-sik told him not to come to.

Hearing Kim Ji-hu’s question, PD Seo Min-sik spoke with a subtle expression.

“Sigh-. There are problems left and right.”

“Ah…”

“But what can I do? I’m the one who said I’d take it on. I have to try my best to make it well.”

“Ah…”

“I’m planning to rest a bit after finishing this work. I think the higher-ups will tell me to do that too.”

It was a somewhat bitter-sounding statement. PD Seo Min-sik’s worries seemed considerable.

The PD Seo Min-sik that Kim Ji-hu knew was always positive, with a refreshing personality, but the PD Seo Min-sik he was seeing now had drooping shoulders.

‘Then not going to the after-party was also…’

It was just speculation, but he thought it might be because good things weren’t likely to be said about the next project.

‘Th, then what should I say…’

Since Kim Ji-hu had rarely properly comforted or empathized with anyone, he was flustered.

But he didn’t want to say ‘Everything will be okay. It’ll work out!’

He knew well how irresponsible and hollow that would sound to the listener.

‘Then…’

Kim Ji-hu thought for a moment and quietly opened his mouth.

“When that project is finished… how about we work on a project together…?”

“What?”

It was the most Kim Ji-hu could say.

“Well… I’m not being arrogant or… showing off… but I have acting skills… and my popularity seems to be improving these days… so…”

Bang!

As he was rambling, PD Seo Min-sik placed both hands on the table.

And said.

“Thank you.”

There were no long words.

A short phrase. And with an expression that looked half ready to cry, everything was explained.

Kim Ji-hu erased his surprised expression and said with a smile.

“I’m more grateful.”

***

The year-end passed, and a new year began.

At the same time, filming also started.

“Put the lighting over here, and move the camera over there!”

“Are the actors’ costumes ready?”

Today was the first day of filming. Because of that, the set was extremely chaotic.

Kim Ji-hu was sitting awkwardly in one corner of the film set.

‘Somehow sitting still like this makes me feel like I should be doing something…’

When everyone is working busily and you’re the only one sitting leisurely, isn’t it uncomfortable?

Kim Ji-hu was feeling exactly that right now.

‘Then the other actors…’

The other actors were concentrating on their scripts without paying attention to their surroundings.

‘I, I should at least pretend to be looking too…’

When other people are concentrating on their scripts and you’re the only one spacing out, it would definitely be strange.

Of course, even in the midst of this, there was one more person who wasn’t looking at their script.

“Ji-hu, have you memorized all your lines?”

It was Oh Jin-woo.

He too seemed to have nothing to do as he leisurely wandered around the area.

Kim Ji-hu smiled awkwardly.

“Ahaha… Yes… roughly…”

“Roughly? Hmm…”

When Oh Jin-woo narrowed his eyes and stared at him, Kim Ji-hu was startled and waved his hands frantically.

“I, I’ve memorized almost all of it! Really…”

“Puhaha. Actually, I know. I saw it during the reading. I just wanted to tease you once.”

“…”

That was true. Kim Ji-hu had already been acting without looking at the script much since the reading.

‘Somehow I feel like I panicked alone…’

That aside, Oh Jin-woo’s atmosphere felt much more relaxed than before.

Oh Jin-woo was making playful expressions like during ‘Armchair Reviewer’.

‘Still, that’s a relief. I was worried what would happen if he kept that atmosphere until filming.’

Actually, it wasn’t that bad during the reading either, but it still felt like there was a big wall blocking them.

But perhaps thanks to the drinking session they had last time, it felt like that wall had become thinner.

‘But let’s not think we’ve become close.’

Right now they were just colleagues. Colleagues who work together and search for someone called ‘Park, the President’.

So he was keeping in mind that he shouldn’t cross that line.

“Ji-hu, then you’re well prepared to receive my ad-libs on set, right?”

“I, I did my best to prepare.”

“Then I’ll look forward to it.”

Oh Jin-woo said that and walked away, waving his hand.

And the staff members who were watching this scene.

“Didn’t they just have a really friendly conversation?”

“I guess the two of them have become really close now.”

“They already had good chemistry, but I wonder how much it is now…?”

They began to harbor even greater expectations.

***

“Then we’ll start filming.”

The first filming scene was about the company. It shows what kind of company life the protagonist Jin Do-won, played by Oh Jin-woo, leads.

Jin Do-won graduated from a local university and entered the company without proper qualifications.

To make matters worse, he wasn’t very sociable either, so no matter how hard he worked at the company, he wasn’t treated well.

Meanwhile, Seo I-jun, played by Kim Ji-hu, was from a prestigious university and had a good personality, so he received a lot of love from people.

After such contrasting scenes, an incident occurs.

Thud!

“Kyaaaah!”

With the scream, the company becomes chaotic.

“What…?”

“What’s happening?”

The one who responds most calmly there is Jin Do-won, played by Oh Jin-woo.

“Everyone wait! Let’s assess the situation first before moving!”

Of course, there was no way people would listen to those words.

“What’s he saying?”

“Manager Kim! Let’s go see!”

Then one person speaks up.

“Everyone, wait a moment.”

It’s Seo I-jun who changes the atmosphere there.

“How about we watch and wait a bit like Do-won said before moving?”

“Should we?”

“If I-jun says so…”

This makes Jin Do-won feel even more inferior.

‘And here, after a brief moment of facial acting…’

An extra actor shouts.

“L, look outside!”

Outside is chaos.

Cars are crashing into each other, and zombies are chasing and biting people.

Of course, that scene isn’t visible in the current filming, but they were acting with expressions appropriate for that situation.

At the same time, a loud noise was heard from the office door.

“Graaah!!”

Several zombies came rushing into the office door.

“Wh, what!”

“Run!!! Monsters…!!!”

Jin Do-won reacts calmly to this.

“You can’t go out! We need to lock the door!!!”

Of course, in the chaotic situation, there was no way people would listen to those words.

Several people ran out of the office, and the zombies turned the office into chaos.

And the only person who follows Jin Do-won’s words. Seo I-jun.

‘The point of this scene is to do it in one take…’

For the urgency of the situation, it had to be cut as a one-take scene.

“Gasp!”

When everyone was running from the zombies that entered the office, Seo I-jun subdued a zombie with a chair.

‘Th, this should be enough, right?’

Kim Ji-hu, holding a chair and pressing down on the zombie, or more precisely the actor playing the zombie, pressed gently so the other person wouldn’t get hurt.

What would happen next was the scene where Oh Jin-woo blocks the door.

However, the situation changed a bit in between.

“Graaah!!”

The extra playing the zombie shook off the chair and stood up.

“Uh…!”

Kim Ji-hu was flustered by this unplanned event.

At the same time, the extra playing the zombie rushed at Kim Ji-hu.

Kim Ji-hu moved reflexively in response.

Thud! Thump!

He pushed the opponent’s chest and swept their leg.

The extra actor lost balance and fell.

He didn’t forget to support their back so they wouldn’t get hurt.

“Gah!”

The extra actor fell on their bottom.

‘I, I moved reflexively…’

Kim Ji-hu had been attending action school and learning basic theories of self-defense, training his body.

Of course, it wasn’t real combat self-defense but self-defense for acting, so it could end with just falling on one’s bottom.

‘Then what should I do next…’

Kim Ji-hu quickly grabbed a chair nearby and pressed down on the zombie again.

At the same time, he shouted.

“Do-won!!”

Oh Jin-woo looked slightly surprised but soon ran toward the door.

And he closed the office door and blocked the entrance with a desk.

“Everyone please help!”

And other people also helped Jin Do-won block the entrance with various objects.

The filming ends with everyone breathing a sigh of relief.

“Ji-hu!!!!!”

“What was that just now!!!!”

As soon as the scene ended, everyone burst into cheers.

“Huh…?”

Kim Ji-hu stood there in a daze, not even realizing what he had done.

No, more than that, the person he had knocked down was the problem.

“A-are you okay?”

The actor playing the zombie laughed heartily as he got up from the ground.

“Yes, yes! I’m fine! You must have learned some self-defense. That was quite a surprise.”

Clap clap clap.

Then the sound of applause echoed throughout the set.

It was the sound of Director Cheon Yeong-hu clapping.

“You’re even more impressive now that you’re on set.”

It seemed people liked the self-defense move he had just performed.

‘H-how should I react to this…?’

Kim Ji-hu thought he had responded quite coolly, but he hadn’t expected to be praised like this, so he stood there in an awkward position.

Still, it felt like he needed to say something for this situation to come to an end.

After much deliberation, Kim Ji-hu spoke.

“I-it’s just basic stuff.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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