Three days later, at the beech forest in Wanju, North Jeolla Province.
Originally, there had been plans to shoot here for a week, but the end came much earlier than expected. The main reason was a single lead actress who finished every scene without a single NG.
And that actress was none other than Sua.
Thanks to her, the staff were now solely occupied with packing up the equipment.
Though the filming wasn’t entirely completed, all the remaining scenes could easily be covered indoors from now on. Thus, there was no longer any reason to stay near the forest.
The submission deadline for the Short Film Festival was fast approaching. Time truly was money, so everyone moved swiftly and efficiently.
In the midst of this,
Clunk!
Seo Yeon-joo and Kim Sun-il boarded a sleek black van side by side. Perhaps due to exhaustion, both leant back fully into their seats and heaved heavy sighs, closing their eyelids.
The driver, sensing their condition, inquired cautiously,
“You’ve worked hard. Shall we depart now?”
The two merely nodded silently in response.
Not a single sound was uttered. The only movements were occasional nervous taps on the armrests, betraying the thoughts swirling in their minds.
Upon reflection, it was indeed strange. While most of the ‘Sword’ production team still had indoor shoots pending, neither Seo Yeon-joo nor Kim Sun-il had any further schedule. This was due to their scenes being filmed ahead of schedule, a courtesy extended by the production team considering their busy schedules. Being top-tier talents, this treatment was expected.
So, now they could simply leave with ease.
“…”
Yet, both remained lost in deep thought.
Their fatigue from the shoot was not the reason. There weren’t any particularly complicated scenes either. Moreover, the skies had been perfectly cooperative for all three days.
There was another reason.
It was the scenes they shot with Sua.
Yeon-joo’s last shooting scene was with Sua, and they hadn’t been able to shake off that memory. That was the cause.
“Could you hand over the script?”
“Could you hand over the script?”
They spoke simultaneously, then nodded at each other knowingly. There was no reason to hesitate now, so both sat side by side and examined the script.
Scene #42 Forest Center / Day
Upon finally realizing the end of the master-disciple relationship
Ha-ryeong gazes at her teacher with accusing eyes
Wi Ji-hye acknowledges the gaze but turns her heart away
Ha-ryeong eventually leaves the forest heavy-hearted
Even upon re-reading, it wasn’t a difficult scene. All Seo Yeon-joo had to do was convey her disappointment towards her teacher Wi Ji-hye.
But.
“…It’s strange.”
When Seo Yeon-joo stood before the camera, the emotions she felt were incredibly complex. She began revisiting those feelings one by one.
“Hey, Sun-il, wasn’t something different when I acted with Sua? I felt more energy than usual. It wasn’t exactly tension though.”
“There were no mistakes. If anything, you performed better than usual.”
“Yeah, that’s what I mean.”
Seo Yeon-joo said, seeming confused.
A bout between Seo Yeon-joo and Sua.
Had they both done well, was it a draw? Really?
…No, at least Seo Yeon-joo didn’t feel that way. The fact that it was a draw against a newcomer itself was a glaring issue.
“What’s the reason? Why did I perform better than usual? I acted the same as always. I didn’t practice this scene more than the others.”
But even as she mumbled these words, Seo Yeon-joo had a suspicion. A single confirmation from Kim Sun-il solidified it.
“It’s probably because of Sua.”
Seo Yeon-joo nodded. Indeed, Sua had to be the reason.
“It was as if… Sua had her own domain.”
While acting with Sua, Seo Yeon-joo felt as if she were stepping into some kind of space. It was a feeling of being encouraged and invigorated simultaneously.
It was quite bizarre. In a situation where she should be guiding an unknown newcomer, she instead felt encouraged.
“A surprisingly seamless harmony, and inspirations flood in when she’s around. It didn’t happen during other shoots. It only happened with Sua.”
The difference was particularly stark during other scenes. Seo Yeon-joo swore she put in the same effort into all her scenes, yet the ones with Sua stood out remarkably well.
It wasn’t that the other scenes were lacking. The director Park Jun and the staff were lavish with praise. This was corroborated by Kim Sun-il, who was often her rival.
However.
“Brilliant acting alone that elevates others’ performances… it seems almost mythical, doesn’t it?”
Seo Yeon-joo verbalized her astonishment anew. It just didn’t make sense.
“How did she do it? She neither praised nor advised. She just infused the space with the script’s world… Could this be talent from above?”
There was a desire within her to reassess Sua, yet somehow, diving in just brought up more questions and puzzles.
Kim Sun-il added at that moment,
“What surprised me most was her ability to juggle ‘Special Mobile Unit 808’ alongside the character of Wi Ji-hye. You know, Kim Yu-han and Wi Ji-hye are vastly different personalities.”
“That’s right. What is her true identity? Actors usually avoid multi-tasking at all costs. If the emotions of the two characters mix, it could cause chaos.”
“It’s almost like she has a separate persona… There’s no other word for this but monster.”
A monstrous talent, and someone who could inspire those around her…
Seo Yeon-joo quickly came to a conclusion.
“Hey, Kim Sun-il. This isn’t where you stop, right?”
“Of course not.”
“Right, we must someday conquer overseas markets, right? But with Sua by our side, it feels like it might actually be possible. Each time we act together, we’d grow significantly, wouldn’t we?”
Just as a Taoist might yearn for a magical elixir for power, actors yearn for inspiration. Neither Seo Yeon-joo nor Kim Sun-il had ever encountered someone as spiritually enlightening as Sua.
The conclusion was inevitable. Almost immediately, they rang up their manager Kim I-seo.
“Hi. Manager, would you please secure Sua? This is an opportunity we can’t afford to miss. Under no circumstances can we let her slip. Remember the conditions we calculated? We need to at least double those.”
◈◈◈◈◈
After entirely finishing packing, the ‘Sword’ production crew gathered together for a meal. This was to be the last outdoor meal.
Thanks to the unexpected extra days perhaps, or because each shot had turned out better than anticipated — likely both reasons — everyone sat to eat with no trace of worry on their faces.
Of course, Sua was alone in a corner.
“…I’m lonely again.”
Yet, Sua no longer dwelled in self-pity as she once might have. On the contrary, her current feelings bordered on joy. Yes, she was the one who chose to isolate herself from others.
Isn’t eating quietly by myself kinda cool?
Just as Sua was immersed in her solitude, a voice emerged.
“Ah, no other seat is left but this?”
“That’s right, it seems like there’s no other way.”
“Guess we have no choice.”
Extra cast members began sitting near Sua. Each time their eyes met hers, they quickly averted their gaze, yet none vacated their seats.
Sua asked calmly,
“…Aren’t there plenty of other seats?”
Of course, as they were eating outdoors as part of the production crew, any place with space could be considered a seat. Sua failed to understand why they had crowded so close to her.
One of the extras hesitated before replying,
“To be honest, everyone here wants to eat with you, Sua. We’d love to get closer and have some conversations.”
“…”
Sua nodded briefly in response, lips tightly pressed to ensure she wouldn’t smile unwittingly. Meanwhile, more of the extras gathered around her.
It was almost like a human magnet.
“That’s right, were you all here? Oh, the mast, I see! That makes perfect sense. I’d better eat here too.”
“Oh, must you sit here? It’s so crowded!”
“Please bear with it. How often do opportunities like this come along?”
While it was loud, Sua wasn’t annoyed by the atmosphere.
She recalled the free-style acting with Seo Yeon-joo. At that time, all she saw were looks of doubt, but now they shone like the eyes of baby birds.
Maintaining her 4-second Sua-anger look, trying to appear both upset and indifferent, Sua suddenly asked,
“…Speaking of which, what does ‘mast’ mean?”
“Haha! Of course it refers to you! ‘Sword’ was like a ship at risk of capsizing until we met you, but thanks to you as the mast, it’s now sailing smoothly!”
Sua pressed her lips together. How embarrassing.
The extras paused their eating to pitch in with their thoughts.
“Ms. Sua, how do you completely immerse yourself in your roles?”
“That’s true. Could you share your routines for acting practice? The disparity between us, despite being rookies, feels like an insurmountable wall…”
“Did you plan that ad-lib?”
Sua quietly raised one hand.
“…That’s enough.”
At once, everyone stopped their complimenting with expressions of regret, as if realizing their mistake. Sua inwardly regretted making them stop.
“Hehehe. We got a little carried away, didn’t we? Unintentionally, we’ve gained too many enlightenments during this shoot.”
“That’s true. There have been far too many unexpected happenings.”
At that moment,
“But… that person isn’t here, right?”
“Who?”
The extra answered matter-of-factly when Sua inquired,
“The person who played Yoo-heon. You always seemed to be focused on Sua during the breaks and when shooting other scenes.”
“That’s right. I noticed that too.”
Sua was merely curious. Why stare at me?
“They troubled you and just disappeared. If it weren’t for Sua, that scene would’ve definitely been an NG.”
“Maybe they’re hesitating to apologize, wanting to say something but avoiding approaching due to Sua’s aura.”
“But thinking about it now, Sua’s acting back then was truly remarkable.”
Well, Sua gave it little thought. It was disconcerting at the time, sure, but things turned out in her favor. Like now, surrounded by everyone just like this.
Therefore,
“I don’t really care.”
Sua replied sincerely. And there was something else that concerned her far more right now. Something that made her hands itch even as she ate.
◈◈◈◈◈
After the meal, in the waiting room-turned-tent.
Hoooo─!
Sua immediately began practicing with the prop sword. Ever since the meal, there was something she wanted to test.
Extremely light movements, yet they seemed incredibly precise when viewed in the mirror. Of course, her physical strength hadn’t increased, so she couldn’t cut through actual straw bundles, but… how else to put it?
‘Choreography?’
Yes, choreography. Movements.
At the very least, the fully mastered motions could appear as masterful swordplay to others. Watching through phone cameras or mirrors gave her the impression she could be hailed as the greatest under heaven.
“O…?”
Sua felt a slight chill. Why am I so cool?
Upon reflection, this happened the first time she acquired a special gift too.
Her first experience was with a racing movie called ‘Over Speed.’
Sua revisited the sensations lingering in her body. Knowledge of driving cars, the feel of turning the steering wheel and pressing the accelerator and brake—all vividly remained as if she had learned them in reality.
I could probably drive right now. Definitely.
…Could it be, does the experience go so far as to enhance the physical body?
‘Really? Seriously? Then there’s no genre I couldn’t do?’
It was an exhilarating hypothesis to consider. Ah, though adult films with bed scenes are excluded as they cannot be experienced.
Swish─! Swish─!
Sua began swinging the sword even more excitedly.
She was lost in thought for barely a moment.
A desolate battlefield. Alone, Sua faced enemies approaching from all sides. She clutched a baby rabbit lovingly in her arms.
Enemies from all directions lunged at Sua and the rabbit, but she silently carved perfect sword paths. Day and night, fighting for three whole days until ultimate victory.
Finally bringing the baby rabbit to the Rabbit Kingdom, the Rabbit King and Queen knelt in tears at her feet.
—Master Sua! Please take over the Rabbit Kingdom!
—We cannot survive without Master Sua!
—We’ll offer all our carrots!
Of course, Sua refused.
“I am the wind. I cannot remain in one place.”
—We cannot allow it. Without Ms. Sua, our kingdom will perish!
—For the future of the Rabbit Kingdom, please!
—We will sacrifice all our carrots!
Hmmm, then she’d sigh and reluctantly accept.
“Fine, but just for a short while…”
That was when it happened.
“Sua.”
“…!”
Sua was shocked stiff. Exclaiming ‘Huuu’ in her mind, she unknowingly swung her sword. In the blink of an eye, she pivoted her body and traced a semi-circle with her blade.
Whaa─!
In the shortest of moments. Regaining her senses, Sua found herself with the sword-tip already pressed against her opponent’s neck. The opponent reacted two beats later.
“Uh, Uh!”
It was someone familiar. Son Ji-ah, who played the role of Yoo-heon.
She hastily raised both hands.
“It’s m-me! Son Ji-ah! I didn’t come here to cause trouble!”
“…When did you approach?”
“Since you started enacting Wi Ji-hye’s sword dance. I was transfixed.”
It wasn’t Wi Ji-hye, it was Sua’s role as the rabbit kingdom’s protector, but Sua managed to calm her flushing face just in time.
Meanwhile, Son Ji-ah continued,
“Hey, do you have any interest in stage performances? Musical or theater. I feel like you’d be truly amazing at it. Your gestures are just extraordinary.”
“Get to the point.”
Out of embarrassment, her voice had turned very gruff.
“Uh, um, sorry.”
Then, Son Ji-ah took a deep breath as if preparing for something important. Her expression turned seriously grave.
“First, I want to apologize.”
“Apologize?”
“Yes. I stopped acting midway, forcing you to cover the entire scene alone. Your talent amazed me greatly, but still, it was my fault. I apologize, albeit late.”
Ah, only then did Sua understand.
Because Son Ji-ah suddenly stopped acting, Sua had to cover the whole scenario herself—every movement and every line.
…Deliberately? You didn’t forget your lines?
Still, maybe she shouldn’t be angry. Thanks to it, the situation turned out good for Sua. She was aiming to be a major actor anyway, so managing her public image was important.
Then, 0-second Sua Humility.
“Don’t worry about it. I assumed there was something you lacked, so I took over.”
Is there anything more heartwarming than aiding someone in need? Why Son Ji-ah’s face stiffened so conspicuously, Sua didn’t know.
Son Ji-ah scratched her head.
“…Lacking? No, that’s not entirely… right, it’s not wrong.”
She nodded.
“In any case, I appreciate you accepting my apology, and I also came to thank you. Thanks to your advice, I’ve remembered my original purpose. From now on, I will focus on acting without using other methods.”
“What advice?”
“You knew everything, didn’t you? My circumstances, my mindset. But how exactly did you do that? Giving advice through Wi Ji-hye’s mouth. That’s true free-style acting, isn’t it?”
“…”
First, a 1-second Sua Understanding.
“…Hmm, good memory you have.”
“Getting motivated by you is truly refreshing. My heart races. I’ve decided not to renew my contract with CT Entertainment. From now on, I’ll dedicate myself solely to acting.”
1-second Sua Understanding.
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Um, which brings me to my point.”
Son Ji-ah paused for a moment.
Seemingly struggling to articulate her next words, she suddenly bowed at a ninety-degree angle—a gesture indicating utmost sincerity.
“Me! I’d like to start anew and aim to achieve acting like yours someday! Please, I beg you, will you be my acting mentor?”
