‘Ugh… Everything’s already spiraling out of control from the start…’
The temporary dressing room of the makeup team. Sua, sitting there to have her makeup done, was wearing a blank expression. However, inside, she was more unsettled than anyone else.
If she stayed still, she could lose half her composure.
No, if she stayed still, she might lose more than half.
This was Sua’s deeply ingrained maxim, and at the same time, it had just dawned on her as her strength. Therefore, she tried her best to remain as motionless as a dead mouse. She planned to quietly take on the filming and vanish without a trace. But…
‘Why does Seo Yeon-joo have to come right now?’
…Sua’s plan crumbled completely. All because of Seo Yeon-joo.
Of course, Seo Yeon-joo’s approach was a matter of great honor for Sua. Seo Yeon-joo was a highly ranked actress, had a great personality, was beautiful, and had no noticeable flaws.
However, for the timid Sua, it was somewhat burdensome to interact with her. Also, the situation inevitably turned out to be disappointing.
Sua suddenly felt regret towards herself.
Even though she was trying to refine her acting by making full use of special skills, she acutely realized that she was not yet capable of freeform acting. Eventually, she had to conquer this field, too.
Nothing is impossible. If she worked hard.
‘Ugh, somehow everything’s tangled. All the gazes feel strange.’
There was one way out. Just one.
…Only by proving her capacity during the main filming.
‘Yeah. From now on, it’s all about acting.’
When Sua awkwardly scratched her head, a voice suddenly intervened.
“Eh? Your hair’s been styled! Don’t touch it!”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
Right. I’m getting makeup done.
The stylist’s words suddenly struck her ears. The feeling of the brushes lightly touching her face reminded her anew that she was already standing on the starting line of the main shoot.
‘I’m making a movie. I’m actually making a movie.’
Recalling that fact made her heart race again. To be honest, she had been nervous since taking a deep breath of the air in the pine forest.
Of course, compared to the scene of Special Mobile Unit 808, the ‘Sword’ set was extremely lacking in resources. Both the equipment and the number of people clearly fell short.
Yet, the reason Sua was nervous was…
‘This isn’t a trial run; it’s the real thing!’
The real thing. That was the reason.
It’s not just that. Sua had taken on the pivotal role of Wi Ji-hye for this project. All the staff were moving with her as the center. Similar to how planets revolve around the sun.
Special Mobile Unit 808 had the three protagonists working as one, but ‘Sword’ heavily relied on Wi Ji-hye. As a result, Sua’s shoulders bore an even heavier weight compared to when she was accompanying Kim Yu-han.
‘It all depends on me. On me, and no one else but me…’
Do well. Do well. Must definitely do well.
However, the Sua of the present moment was not simply repeating this mantra for her own success. She thought about the people who had gathered despite the challenging conditions, hoping they could all share in the joy.
That emotion was the sense of mission that came with being the leading actor. It was just that the complexity was beyond what her intellect could clearly differentiate.
‘Come on, don’t be scared, right? We’ll have plenty of more shoots in the future.’
Throughout the entire makeup session, Sua brainwashed herself. Most were contents that would give her courage.
Then, at some point…
“Sua-ssi, your freeform acting gave me a proper challenge.”
Seo Yeon-joo, who had finished her makeup first, approached and started a conversation.
“Well, since we’re here, I guess you wouldn’t want to show your hand in my position, huh? Should I be happy instead? Because it means you’re keeping an eye on me.”
“What are you talking about…”
“Anyway, Sua-ssi, or rather, I’m tired of using honorifics now. Can we lower the formalities a bit? Let’s try to get closer.”
Sua couldn’t nod her head; there were too many brushes still on her face—no less than three of them.
Did she take the lack of a negative reply as approval? Seo Yeon-joo smiled faintly and continued.
“Anyway, Sua, you met our representative, right? How did it go? Did everything work out? I was really curious. Our representative is no ordinary negotiator.”
Right at that moment, Sua’s makeup was finished. As the brushes that had painted her skin tone to match the forest were cleared away, she replied.
“I only exchanged casual greetings. We agreed to meet again later.”
“Hmm? Really?”
Seo Yeon-joo raised an eyebrow.
“Our representative is the type for quick resolutions. Whatever it is, he makes swift decisions and rarely overturns them. So it’s strange that he dismissed you with an appointment for later.”
After saying that, Seo Yeon-joo leaned in subtly.
Then the smell of her perfume wafted over.
“So, Sua, you’re meeting with all sorts of agencies and talent representatives?”
“Not yet. I’m too busy.”
“Is that so? Or does Sua have specific conditions in mind? Maybe you won’t even meet someone unless they meet certain criteria?”
Sua, who knew absolutely nothing about agencies or contracts, was nonetheless struck by a thought. Could it be necessary to establish such criteria to be a proper actress?
Soon, she timidly asked.
“Do I really need to think about all this?”
That made Seo Yeon-joo look slightly surprised. The face that had been pressed close to Sua’s instantly pulled back a bit.
But then Seo Yeon-joo laughed softly.
“You’re right. The agency people should be the ones worrying about that.”
“Do well in the first scene.” With that, Seo Yeon-joo left the dressing room, and Sua also rose from her seat, shaking off her thoughts.
Oh, she glanced at the script one last time.
It was time to become Wi Ji-hye.
Main filming. Finally, it was Sua’s turn.
This was the moment when extras who had been resting from all corners rushed to the monitors. After all, Wi Ji-hye’s success was pivotal to ‘Sword’.
Random comments filled the air with tension.
“It’s finally Wi Ji-hye’s scene…”
“Will she do well?”
“They’re really pressed for time. It’s getting dark. If there’s even one NG moment, they’ll have to wrap this up for today and continue tomorrow.”
Neither Seo Yeon-joo nor Kim Sun-il were exceptions.
Seo Yeon-joo and Kim Sun-il stood behind Director Park Jun alongside a crowd gathered around like a fan screen, watching the monitors intently.
“Director, I also want a closer look.”
“As much as you want. Though there’s no chair left. Should I give you mine?”
“That’s fine. Should I give mine to Kim Sun-il? Hey, do you need a chair?”
“…No. I don’t want a chair that’s been used by someone else.”
“Ugh. This cleanliness obsession of yours.”
As Seo Yeon-joo and Kim Sun-il bickered, the tension on everyone’s faces deepened. They all stretched their necks to see the monitors, determined not to miss a single moment.
In the space between the pine trees, lay an open circular clearing.
Sua and Son Ji-ah stood facing each other.
The very sight of the place suggested a life-and-death duel was fitting here, and no less than five cameras were set up in different positions.
S#16 Forest / Day
Juhna (Son Ji-ah), while deeply pondering something, walks as if mesmerized. When she comes to her senses, she’s in the forest.
Her hand slowly grips the hilt of her sword, resolving.
Wi Ji-hye senses movement and stops meditating, opening her eyelids. She then sees Juhna with her sword drawn and ready.
Both immediately sense the inevitability of the end.
A production assistant held a slate with all the pertinent information: scene number, production name, roll number, take count, director’s name, cinematographer’s name, and date.
As he approached the actresses with the slate, Crank In began.
Everyone held their breath.
Whist—
A chilling breeze swept across the scene like an insidious tongue.
Son Ji-ah, portraying Juhna, was the first to break the silence.
“Sua, I’ve heard you’re something else?”
However, Sua kept her eyes closed. Like someone completely absorbed, she only moved her lips.
“What do you mean?”
“That you pushed Yang Ha-rin aside and snatched the lead role, entirely by merit.”
By now, Son Ji-ah had a clear understanding of the acting prowess Sua brought to Wi Ji-hye’s role. Watching her freeform acting with Seo Yeon-joo had convinced her.
So Son Ji-ah’s words were an obvious provocation. They implied, how could someone with such skills secure the lead role?
Sua, who clearly understood the meaning, showed no reaction.
“I never pushed anyone aside. She left on her own.”
“Is that right?”
Son Ji-ah shrugged.
“I think you don’t know yourself very well.”
“Perhaps,” Sua agreed.
“Exactly, right? Yes, that’s exactly right. That’s how you appear to me.”
Son Ji-ah grinned amicably.
‘She has absolutely no awareness of herself. If she had any grasp of her own capabilities, she couldn’t possibly display such a brazen attitude.’
To Son Ji-ah, Sua’s acting ability was severely lacking, with absolutely no self-awareness.
If she objectively understood her acting abilities, she wouldn’t be able to act this way. In fact, she wouldn’t have dared to take on the lead role in the first place.
‘This is because people around her have been overly supportive.’
Son Ji-ah was certain of it. Sua was someone who was parachuted into the role.
Indeed, all the signs were there for someone parachuted in.
What happens when a person with extremely poor acting skills receives only praise? This kind of hybrid actor is born. At some point, she starts to genuinely believe she’s a brilliant actor.
An utterly detestable situation.
‘Granted, she has some decent backing somehow.’
The two actors from Mystique being overly protective of Sua was a sign, and for Park Jun to abandon Yang Ha-rin and the whole CT Entertainment for her meant Sua certainly had certain trust placed in her.
Was her parent the CEO of some conglomerate? But for a greenhorn, it was hard to throw money into blockbuster projects for their first acting job, so ‘Sword’ was likely a test. Everything seemed to fit perfectly.
‘Whatever her backing may be, it’s a gross misuse of resources.’
Even a parachute actor needs some talent to qualify. No matter how good the protection, attaching it to someone with paltry skills makes no sense. It would be like her cutting her own lifeline every time she acts.
After calculating all this, Son Ji-ah smirked.
“You’re such a formidable talent that displaced Yang Ha-rin, but I think this will be a great learning experience for me. I wonder, could you promise me just one thing? Will you really give your all in this performance?”
Of course, this, too, was a carefully calculated provocation.
No matter what you do, Sua can’t act well. The more she’s pushed to give her all, the more people watching her performance will be bitterly disappointed.
“Let me just say this.”
But Sua’s reply, with her eyes still closed, was short.
“I, once I start something, I can’t stop. Not until the end.”
“…?”
What was that supposed to mean? Son Ji-ah tilted her head in confusion.
There was no chance to question further.
Clap!
A member of the staff approached loudly striking the slate. The filming of the life-or-death duel between Wi Ji-hye and Juhna, scene number 16, had officially begun.
Son Ji-ah immediately slipped into the role of Juhna.
‘Perfect. I’m going in strong right from the start.’
She intended to give it her all.
If she could dominate Sua with acting skill, all the better.
…What could be more humiliating to an actor than a lead actor being outperformed by an extra? How ridiculous must that be?
Son Ji-ah, with the experience of building her career through theater, was exceptionally confident in her ‘movements.’
The mastery and vividness of wielding a sword. Since theater demanded conveying everything through movement, she couldn’t help but train rigorously, and she had now reached a certain level.
In contrast, ‘Sword’ was under-equipped. It was shabby.
She hadn’t heard of Sua receiving any swordplay coaching, and she had briefly observed her handling the sword during freeform acting. Sua seemed like someone seeing a sword for the first time. Besides, ‘Sword’ was an action-minimalistic movie.
Being a fusion period piece that pursued artistic merit rather than entertaining the audience with flashy action, it was fitting.
So the conclusion was straightforward.
Even in the simple action of swinging the sword, Son Ji-ah, merely an extra, would be far superior to what the protagonist Sua could manage.
Predictable as to how the film set’s atmosphere would follow.
Surely, the lead actor being outclassed by an extra would ruin everything.
‘I guess it’s time to grow tired of living. Die already!’
Son Ji-ah’s mouth curled into a wild grin as she performed a perfectly choreographed swing.
Right at that moment.
Wi Ji-hye’s eyes finally revealed their presence to the world.
At that moment, the hand that held the sword seemed to traverse a different dimension of time, as if the first blade of the master swordsman had already traced its path and found its answer.
Swish!
Like riding the waves, Wi Ji-hye’s sword climbed up Son Ji-ah’s blade, revealing an enlightenment known in the world of swordsmanship as “breaking the sword.”
Clang!
As the sunlight clashed with Wi Ji-hye’s blade, casting a sparkling white light, one bright streak flickered near Son Ji-ah’s neck.
The whole process was as natural as flowing water.
In the blink of an eye.
Whoosh!
Like cautiously measuring the master’s prowess, a wind that seemed even more timid than before swept through everyone once more.
“…”
Where Wi Ji-hye and Son Ji-ah stood, it was uniquely silent.
By now, Wi Ji-hye had already passed Son Ji-ah. Their positions reversed, Wi Ji-hye silently showed her back.
It was one beat later when Son Ji-ah’s lower strands of hair suddenly flew skyward, as if violently struck.
Pop!
“…!”
Son Ji-ah instinctively understood.
This scene would certainly have some CGI added later.
Even without calculating, the image was clear. Likely, her hair swept by the sword cut would drift down to reveal a freshly shorn bob.
It was so impeccable. The entire scene was as vividly painted.
But how?
How in the world did Sua do this?
Befuddlement finally appeared on Son Ji-ah’s face, and as she struggled to turn her head towards Wi Ji-hye, the latter did not look back.
Instead…
“Such a duel should not be so pitiful.”
She slowly lowered the tip of her sword, strengthening her voice.
As her voice resonated, it seemed the grass bowed their heads and the branches trembled in fear. Everything around began moving in rhythm with her.
“I have drawn the sword, not anyone else.”
The unparalleled swordsman Wi Ji-hye spoke calmly to Son Ji-ah who had not yet fully transformed into Juhna. It was a simultaneous warning.
“You too must give your all.”
You, Son Ji-ah, as Juhna, come forward with your utmost strength.
