How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor Chapter 30

Chapter 030 

 

“There’s nothing good to watch these days.”

The man grumbling while clutching a TV remote was named Noh Hamrak.

Even his name was unusual, and he had been deeply interested in acting since high school, to the point of joining the drama club.

At one point, he seriously considered pursuing acting as a career, but in the end, he chose an ordinary path because he didn’t think he could endure the harsh life of an artist.

He graduated from an average department and joined an average small-to-medium-sized company, but he still loved acting.

“This guy’s expressions are still awkward.”

His only hobby was sitting in front of the TV after work and critiquing actors’ performances.

Movies, dramas, web dramas, commercials… he didn’t care about the genre.

As long as someone was acting, he watched it all, whether the performer was famous or completely unknown.

How many young people these days still watch terrestrial television instead of OTT services and YouTube?

Noh Hamrak was passionate enough to watch broadcast TV religiously, all for the sake of seeing more acting, faster.

“I wish something new would come out already.”

He had developed the habit of complaining, something common among people who enjoyed criticism, but his love for acting was genuine.

Whenever he watched actors perform, all sorts of emotions stirred within him.

They were people standing proudly on a path he himself had never chosen—a path he had been too afraid to even properly attempt.

Inferiority and self-pity constantly tormented him, yet because they shared the common thread of loving acting, he couldn’t help but admire actors.

When he saw someone who acted well and brought a script to life, his heart pounded.

Even when an actor wasn’t particularly skilled but clearly passionate, he would mutter feedback to himself using the gentlest words possible.

And there was one actor he hated more than anyone else.

“Honey, are you watching that drama with Mr. Deadweight in it tonight?”

“…I guess I have to.”

I clenched my teeth as I answered my girlfriend.

Despite my words, my face was filled with nothing but negativity.

‘Ha. I don’t want to watch it.’

But I had to.

If I wanted to criticize it, I needed to watch it first.

‘I can’t sink to the same level as idiots who complain about something they haven’t even seen.’

Every performance of Yoo Seulho that I’d watched so far had been truly terrible.

No… beyond terrible. It was downright disastrous.

To properly criticize acting that awful, I’d watched every single project Yoo Seulho had appeared in without exception.

It was true that antis could be scarier than fans.

Even Yoo Seulho’s few fans only admired his face. They didn’t actually seek out his work.

And honestly, how could they?

If you watched his performances, becoming his fan was impossible.

‘Why won’t he just retire already?’

Still, my dislike for Yoo Seulho wasn’t simply because his acting was awful.

‘It’s not like he even likes acting…’

One actor could recognize another.

At least, that’s how I felt.

As someone who loved acting, I could tell.

Yoo Seulho had absolutely no love for acting.

‘He doesn’t enjoy it. He’s not even good at it. Then why does he keep being an actor?’

For most people, the future in that field was so unstable that they couldn’t even dare challenge it.

But for Yoo Seulho, it was probably the only stable future he had.

His situation was the exact opposite of mine.

And I hated that.

Tonight was the premiere of his new drama.

“Honey, want some popcorn?”

“No thanks. You eat it.”

I firmly rejected my girlfriend’s offer.

I was certain that watching Yoo Seulho’s acting would destroy my appetite.

Oblivious to my thoughts, my girlfriend hugged a bowl overflowing with popcorn and chatted away.

“This drama’s been making waves since the press conference. It’s been so heavily promoted that everyone at work was talking about it today. You know Jiyoung, right? She’s even going to her parents’ house to watch the live broadcast.”

“It’s that popular?”

“She’s a Woo Junseo fan. She’ll probably watch it to admire him and make fun of Mr. Deadweight’s acting at the same time.”

I shook my head.

“I seriously don’t understand why people like Woo Junseo. He’s obviously fake.”

“That’s because you’re a guy. Women love him. He’s kind, polite…”

“It’s all an act. I’ll admit he’s a good actor. But acting twenty-four hours a day is creepy, no matter who you are. People who have something to hide are usually the ones who act that fake.”

“There you go again. Whatever. Let’s just watch TV.”

Ignoring my girlfriend’s scolding, I continued talking about my philosophy regarding acting.

Then the clock struck nine.

After an endless stream of commercials, ‘Our Space’ Episode 1 finally began.

 

***

 

[“Mom, I’m heading out~!”]

A cheerful female voice opened the drama.

The camera swept across a sunlit living room before arriving at a young woman by the entrance, awkwardly shoving her feet into her shoes.

She looked exactly like a college freshman.

Her face glowed with excitement.

[“Mom! I said I’m leaving for school!”]

[“Good grief, you’re going to make me deaf. Did anyone tell you not to go? Hurry up already.”]

[“What? It’s your daughter’s first day of college, and you’re not even seeing me off? No goodbye kiss? No spending money? I’m hurt, really.”]

[“A kiss? Please. That last part was what you really wanted to say, wasn’t it? I’ll send you some later, so go already! You’ll be late.”]

[“Hehe, thanks~.”]

After flashing her mother an adorable eye-smile, she stepped outside.

The sky was clear.

The streets were filled with people just beginning their day.

She put in her earphones and started walking.

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

The sounds of the street gradually faded until only the music she was listening to remained.

The bright energy unique to youth dramas radiated from her as she hummed along.

The university wasn’t far from her house.

After walking leisurely for a while, she spotted the campus.

A happy smile spread across her face as she entered.

♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

The upbeat song continued.

The screen quickly summarized her first day.

Nervously introducing herself to strangers.

Eating in the cafeteria with new friends.

Suppressing yawns during orientation.

And more.

[“I didn’t know orientation would last two whole hours. Ugh~.”]

When everything finally ended, she stretched dramatically and jumped to her feet.

Thud!

At that exact moment, she collided with a man passing behind her.

The belongings he was carrying scattered across the floor.

Their eyes met.

[“Ah! I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize someone was behind me! I’m really sorry!”]

[“It’s okay.”]

Startled, the girl immediately bent down to help pick up his things.

But the man gathered everything in an instant, bowed his head briefly, and quickly left the classroom.

[“Seriously, be more careful, Seo Yuna.”]

Seo Yuna watched his retreating back for a moment before flicking her own forehead.

The camera followed the man out of the classroom.

[“……”]

Wearing a cap pulled low over his eyes, he strode forward with long, hurried steps, as though he had no time to spare.

After leaving campus, he boarded a bus.

Though it was still afternoon, the bus was packed.

Gripping a plastic hand strap, he stared expressionlessly out the window.

The drama rapidly showed his day.

Hurriedly changing clothes upon arriving at his part-time job.

Emptying an overflowing trash can.

Bowing repeatedly to rude customers.

But unlike the girl’s day, which had been accompanied by bright music, there was no music at all during his scenes.

Creak. Thud. Tap. Beep.

Only everyday sounds filled the audio.

The noises grew louder and louder.

Just as the audience’s brows began to furrow…

[“……”]

All sound suddenly vanished.

The screen showed the man arriving home.

Too exhausted even to remove his shoes, he slumped down by the entrance.

[“Haa…”]

After rubbing his face, he looked around the house.

Not a single light was on.

The place was dark and lifeless.

The camera slowly zoomed in on his face.

There was no vitality there.

Only exhaustion and weariness.

Then…

Click.

The motion-sensor light at the entrance turned off.

He disappeared into darkness.

A few seconds later, white letters slowly appeared against the black screen.

“Our Space. EP 01.”

The real story had begun.

 

***

 

“The cinematography isn’t bad.”

Sitting on the couch, I nodded at my girlfriend’s comment.

“Yeah. It’s pretty good.”

Director Jang Mingu, who handled both the script and directing for ‘Our Space’, was someone whose skills I’d acknowledged long ago.

The opening efficiently contrasted the heroine’s and hero’s situations in the most straightforward way possible.

It met my expectations.

‘Cheerful heroine and wounded hero, huh.’

The setup was incredibly classic, which was a bit disappointing.

Still, terrestrial dramas tended to sell best when they embraced familiar formulas, so I didn’t have many complaints.

[“You don’t have to be that sarcastic!”]

The drama progressed smoothly into a conflict scene between the leads.

The two architecture freshmen finally had a proper conversation because of a group assignment.

Unfortunately, the topic immediately caused friction.

[“When was I sarcastic?”]

[“Just now! Right this second! You’ve been doing it this whole time!”]

The assignment topic was:

“A home where humans and animals coexist.”

Unlike the heroine, who raised a Border Collie in a two-story house in central Seoul, the hero was already struggling just to afford food.

To him, taking care of an animal felt overwhelming.

As a result, a few bitter remarks slipped out.

The heroine, who had been tolerating his uncooperative attitude all along, finally exploded.

[“What exactly is your problem? I was trying to–”]

[“Have you ever considered that you’re the one creating the problem?”]

[“Stop interrupting me!! Aaaah!!!”]

The heroine’s outburst was portrayed playfully.

Although it was technically a conflict scene, the direction kept things light enough that viewers wouldn’t feel overly stressed.

‘Both of them are good.’

I felt fairly satisfied.

The dynamic of ‘You psychopath! vs. You frustrating idiot!’ was practically a romance-drama staple.

Just as I’d expected from the opening, the story was predictable.

But the actors’ strong performances kept it entertaining.

‘Not that either of them needed worrying about.’

Personally, I wasn’t fond of Woo Junseo, but he was currently one of the hottest male celebrities around and a genuinely capable actor.

As for Choi Ran, she’d been acting since childhood and was practically a veteran.

‘The problem is that Yoo Seulho is going to stain all of this…’

Thinking that, another thought crossed my mind.

‘Wait. Is he even going to appear?’

For the past several years, he’d only been cast in useless roles, so I’d assumed this would be the same.

But after all the publicity and viral marketing, wasn’t it a little ridiculous if he barely appeared?

[“Forget food. I should just sleep first….”]

The exhausted male lead returned home after his disastrous argument with the heroine.

And then…

[“You’re still not dead yet?”]

A casual voice suddenly dropped from above his head.