episode_0027

“Seo Soo, you….”

Watching Seo Soo’s performance, Gil Hye Yeon was momentarily speechless before she finally spoke up.

Seo Soo swallowed his saliva and looked at Gil Hye Yeon’s lips.

And….

“How did you interpret the character normally…. Did you keep that in mind?”

“Character interpretation?”

At Gil Hye Yeon’s question, Seo Soo just tilted his head.

Gil Hye Yeon sighed.

“In the performance you put so much effort into, there’s not a trace left of the character you interpreted.”

Two different performances by Seo Soo.

Seeing that, Gil Hye Yeon sensed something was off.

Seo Soo’s performances with and without technical focus were completely different.

One was done mechanically without any distinctiveness, while the other, although clearly showing the character’s traits, lacked in technical aspects.

“This is not something that usually happens. Applying techniques shouldn’t make the character interpretation disappear from your mind, right?”

Gil Hye Yeon pointed out that very fact.

“It seems like you have no idea how you usually act.”

Being an acting coach at KS Entertainment, she was not unaware of what she had realized.

However, Gil Hye Yeon had experienced firsthand how peculiar and unique of an actor Seo Soo was while working with him on set.

On the other hand, the acting coach was unaware of this.

So, by sticking to generic acting guidelines, the issue was not being identified and resolved.

Gil Hye Yeon continued to explain diligently.

“Anyway, to solve this, you need to know how you interpreted the character Min Seo.”

“….Hmm.”

However, Seo Soo’s expression was peculiar.

“Character? Interpretation?”

“Hmm?”

He just tilted his head repeatedly.

Eventually, he looked up at Gil Hye Yeon and spoke.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Even the acting coach is like that. Why does everyone make things so complicated?”

“….No. I mean.”

Despite Seo Soo’s empty response, Gil Hye Yeon felt extremely frustrated.

But she overcame it with her fondness for Seo Soo and continued to explain.

Using all the vocabulary she knew, she explained the character and its interpretation to him.

However, Seo Soo’s reactions only worsened.

Seo Soo shook his head.

“I don’t get it, I don’t understand. Explain it in simpler terms.”

Seo Soo wasn’t being stupid.

He simply had too many unfamiliar terms, especially when it came to various Earthly grammar rules.

Whatever the reason was.

Seo Soo just couldn’t understand Gil Hye Yeon’s explanation.

“….Ah.”

In the end, Gil Hye Yeon, who had exhausted all her patience, glanced at Shin Ji Hoo.

“Is it me? Am I making things too difficult?”

“Haha.”

Shin Ji Hoo, with a compassionate smile towards Gil Hye Yeon, seemed to convey the meaning of ‘I understand completely.’

What more could be said?

Shin Ji Hoo felt the same frustration and annoyance that Gil Hye Yeon was feeling right now, something she experienced every day while dealing with Seo Soo.

People find warmth in empathy with others.

Shin Ji Hoo empathized with Gil Hye Yeon’s feelings.

And Gil Hye Yeon, who usually had to bear her frustration and subsequent anger alone, felt a strange sense of satisfaction in knowing that Seo Soo was now experiencing it too.

Shin Ji Hoo wore a warm smile.

Gil Hye Yeon, at a loss for words, sharply said, “Instead of just smiling like that, could you at least help me?”

“What do I know about acting? I just have to trust the teacher.”

“Ugh, seriously.”

The manager and actress duo were truly a handful.

Gil Hye Yeon sank into deep contemplation as to why she was going through so much trouble on her day off, even coming to someone else’s company.

With a furrowed brow, he said, “Just take the shot.”

“Take the shot?”

What?

He looked at Gil Hye-yeon with a puzzled expression.

A chilling remark followed.

“You. You, you. I’ll capture you on film.”

“Eek!”

Seo Yi-soo’s shoulders trembled in fear.

***

Fortunately.

When Gil Hye-yeon mentioned “taking the shot,” it didn’t have a violent connotation.

“Maybe it’s because we’re a major entertainment company. The equipment is really fancy.”

“Well, it’s one of KS Entertainment’s boasts. It’s known to have the same specs as the cameras used in broadcasting stations.”

The camera, specifically.

There was no point in explaining in detail, so Gil Hye-yeon and Shin Ji-hoo meticulously captured Seo Yi-soo portraying “Minseo” on camera.

And now was the time.

“Look. Now that you see it with your own eyes, can you feel the difference in the two performances?”

“I see. Now I understand.”

Seeing it with his own eyes, even Seo Yi-soo couldn’t help but realize what the issue was.

It was because Seo Yi-soo’s acting was fundamentally based on Yu-hee.

During the performance, the one controlling Seo Yi-soo’s movements was a virtual personality constructed by Akashic Records.

For Seo Yi-soo, acting was more about intervening and controlling the actions of the virtual personality.

As a result, Seo Yi-soo didn’t know how he moved, what expressions he made, or what actions he took.

Trying to apply only the technical aspects he learned from his acting teacher.

He ended up cutting into the character traits of the virtual personality with rigid techniques.

Watching the video, Gil Hye-yeon remarked, “You probably interpret characters instinctively when you act. But trying to act based on thoughts instead of instincts led to the problem.”

Although Gil Hye-yeon didn’t know about Yu-hee’s existence.

She almost perfectly grasped Seo Yi-soo’s issues.

Her insight as an actress shone brightly in this aspect.

“So. Watch the video and figure it out with your own eyes. See what the character you instinctively interpret looks like.”

“Got it.”

Following Gil Hye-yeon’s advice.

Seo Yi-soo began to understand the characteristics of “Minseo” by watching the video.

What were Minseo’s habits?

How did Minseo smile and lift the corners of his mouth?

What kind of gaze did he have when looking at people?

This process could be called “character interpretation.”

However, Seo Yi-soo’s approach was completely different from other actors.

While ordinary actors sculpt characters by deeply pondering and wandering through the script.

Seo Yi-soo created answers through Yu-hee and understood the character’s traits by looking at the end result.

From an acting perspective.

Seo Yi-soo’s character interpretation was almost like cheating.

There was no need to struggle like others.

He could deliver a more realistic and profound character interpretation than anyone else.

Of course, Seo Yi-soo was unaware of this complex comparative advantage.

He simply said, “I see. So this is what Minseo was like.”

He was just happy to have a better understanding of the character he was portraying.

A while later.

Seo Yi-soo, who had roughly grasped Minseo’s characteristics, performed once again.

Focusing on the technique.

While making sure not to overlook the character’s traits.

And.

Shin Ji-hoo and Gil Hye-yeon, who watched the performance.

“…From an actor’s perspective, it’s sometimes like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sometimes when we see geniuses overflowing with talent to the point of being fraudulent like Lee Soo, we can’t help but feel a sense of deprivation.”

“I see.”

“I envy them. Such talent.”

“Well, aren’t you an incredibly talented actor yourself?”

Seo Isu’s acting talent was so impressive that one couldn’t help but admire it.

***

Gil Hye-yeon’s one-point acting lesson continued late into the night.

It was getting too late.

And since it had been a while since she had seen Seo Isu, Gil Hye-yeon didn’t want to part ways just yet, so she decided to spend the night at Seo Isu’s house.

“Come on. Hurry up and come in. This is my home.”

Of course, Seo Isu was thrilled by Gil Hye-yeon’s visit.

Wasn’t she the one who often contacted Shin Ji-hoo late at night because she felt so lonely?

Excited that Gil Hye-yeon would be staying over, Seo Isu was even considering ordering a special delivery food collection.

However, upon visiting Seo Isu’s house for the first time, Gil Hye-yeon seemed to be disgusted by something she saw.

“Ugh. What is all this?”

“Oh? Ah, those are containers from the delivery food. They were all delicious.”

“…Don’t act like it’s so obvious. Did you eat all of that by yourself?”

“Well, yes?”

After a brief conversation, Gil Hye-yeon learned that no matter how much Seo Isu ate, she never gained weight.

“You’re annoying.”

“Huh?!”

For the first time since becoming close with Seo Isu, Gil Hye-yeon uttered a sincere criticism.

Anyway.

That night, the two of them spent time together until late, enjoying Seo Isu’s special delivery food and lying on the same bed, chatting.

“Anyway, about Shin Ji-hoo.”

One thing to note was that no matter what topic they discussed, Seo Isu always brought up Shin Ji-hoo at the end.

“Look at this.”

Gil Hye-yeon smiled mysteriously.

“Isu.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you have feelings for your manager?”

“Feelings?”

“Do you like her?”

“Ugh?! What a terrible thing to say!”

“Haha. Why are you reacting like that? You’ve been talking about your manager all day.”

“Well, that’s… I just…”

At Gil Hye-yeon’s observation, Seo Isu pondered for a moment.

Then, she forced herself to speak.

“Well, I don’t know anyone here. The only person I talk to every day is Shin Ji-hoo. That’s why I talk about her so much.”

Because Shin Ji-hoo was the only person she knew.

That’s why she ended up talking a lot about Shin Ji-hoo.

Seo Isu made that excuse.

“Is that so? Is that the reason?”

“Whether it is or not!”

Seo Isu dismissed Gil Hye-yeon’s observation as worthless.

But…

“Anyway. So, about Shin Ji-hoo…”

That night, despite hearing Gil Hye-yeon’s observation.

“Shin Ji-hoo…”

“Shin Ji-hoo…”

“Shin Ji-hoo…”

Seo Isu didn’t stop talking about Shin Ji-hoo.

Relentlessly discussing Shin Ji-hoo throughout the night.

And Gil Hye-yeon continued to listen with a mysterious smile on her face.