How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor Chapter 81

Chapter 81

 

“Ah, sorry.”

My mind was still elsewhere, but I quickly opened my mouth.

Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed to be time for introductions.

“Oh my, Seulho. Are you that nervous?”

Director Baek laughed and eased the mood.

I thanked him with a glance and stood up.

“Hello, I’m Yoo Seulho. In this project, I’ll be playing Dogeon, Yeonhee’s boyfriend.”

I added the usual lines… that I still had a lot to learn but would do my best, and that I hoped everyone would point out anything I lacked right away.

‘It’s better to play it by the book in situations like this.’

Trying to stand out in front of a room full of seniors would only make me look foolish.

“And with that, introductions for the three leads who’ll carry our movie are complete. Everyone, please give them a big hand!”

At Director Baek’s words, everyone applauded loudly.

‘I’m not really the lead, though.’

Dogeon played a huge role in Yeonhee’s emotional journey, but at its core, the movie was about Yeonhee and the male lead’s romance.

There was no way Director Baek didn’t know that.

‘Thanks.’

I appreciated his consideration in publicly elevating my position.

The best way to repay that kindness was with an acting performance I wouldn’t be ashamed of.

“We’ve got plenty of time, so don’t be nervous. If something doesn’t go well, just think about doing it over. Alright then, let’s begin.”

At Director Baek’s words, I let out a breath.

‘Whew.’

If I’d realized it sooner, I’d have had plenty of time to practice this new version of Dogeon.

Though regret lingered, I strangely began to feel excited.

The uncertainty that had gripped me moments ago had vanished.

‘Hurry up…’

I wanted to act.

 

***

 

“Scene 1. Office interior. Employees are busy at their desks in a bleak office.”

Usually, the stage directions during script readings were read by junior staff members.

But this time was different.

“The sounds of keyboards, phone calls, and rustling documents overlap. The camera slowly moves and captures a woman.”

Wearing glasses, Director Baek read every word with care.

Perhaps because he read the stage directions so earnestly, it became easier to picture the scene.

“Yeonhee stares expressionlessly at a report. Beside her, a younger employee looks at her nervously.”

I glanced to the side.

Bae Dain was looking down at her script without a trace of expression.

The actress who’d been trembling with nerves earlier was gone.

Only Yeonhee remained… the woman mechanically dealing with an endless workload.

“Page three. The unpaid receivables and accounts receivable are switched. I told you to check it three times before submitting. Didn’t you?”

Bae Dain pointed out the mistake in a cold voice.

The actor playing the subordinate who’d submitted the report answered.

“I’m sorry…”

“Be more careful next time. I marked the mistakes, so take it back. Start by reviewing the classifications in the income statement and balance sheet. Make sure nothing’s missing.”

“Yes…”

The report was bad enough to make any supervisor angry.

And yet Yeonhee never raised her voice.

She merely stated what needed to be said in a mechanical tone, highlighting her cold personality.

‘She’s good.’

This was my first time properly seeing Bae Dain act.

Compared to what I’d seen during the beer commercial shoot, her performance was incredibly stable.

I could tell at a glance how much she’d practiced.

Sneaking another glance around, I saw satisfaction on the faces of Director Baek and the staff.

“Seunggeon rushes into the conference room and accidentally bumps into Yeonhee.”

The reading continued smoothly.

Scene after scene followed… Seunggeon and Yeonhee meeting at work, clashing over a project they’d been assigned together.

Impressed by Yeonhee’s icy demeanor, the male lead asked one of her coworkers:

“Is Assistant Manager Yeonhee always that cold?”

Duho hyung delivered the line with an easygoing tone.

His character, Seunggeon, was a project manager at a construction company.

Because he constantly had to manage people and deal with complicated worksites, he naturally had a relaxed personality.

“Yeonhee just doesn’t give people an opening.”

“Tell me about it. When I found out she was going to supervise me, I couldn’t sleep at night…”

Yeonhee’s coworkers whispered among themselves.

Unbothered by being the only man among a group of women, Seunggeon listened with interest.

“But she’s not a bad person. She’s competent and sharp. As a coworker, she’s the best.”

“Right! She never gets angry, even when I mess up. Though she never praises me either…”

Listening to them, Seunggeon gazed through the glass conference room at Yeonhee.

Curiosity filled his expression.

No one would mistake that look for one directed at a mere business partner.

His faintly excited smile froze.

“Huh? What did you just say?”

Through her coworkers, he learned that Yeonhee had a boyfriend.

And that they’d been together for ten years.

“Can you believe it? She seems like someone who’d have zero interest in dating, but apparently she’s had the same boyfriend since school…”

“She gives off the vibe of someone who’d live alone with a cat.”

Unlike the giggling coworkers, Seunggeon sipped his coffee with disappointment in his eyes.

‘Guess I should get ready.’

It was finally time for Dogeon to make his first appearance.

Watching everyone else’s acting showcase like a spectator, I finally straightened up.

“That evening, Yeonhee returns home after a tiring day.”

Director Baek read the next direction.

“Yeonhee hides her exhaustion and opens the front door. Dogeon, who’d been sitting on the sofa, immediately gets up and walks over to her. His steps are somewhat awkward.”

From here on, it was my turn.

I put on one of the expressions I’d practiced over the past few days by copying various actors…

Then abandoned it.

‘…Let’s do it.’

Whether it became soup or rice, just try it first.

‘If something’s strange or lacking, Director Baek will tell me.’

Everyone gathered here was a professional.

If I made a mistake, someone would point it out.

And I’d fix it from there.

“You’re home?”

I relaxed my eyes and slightly lifted the corners of my lips.

This wasn’t an expression I’d practiced by copying others.

This was Dogeon… the one I’d built from scratch, existing only in my imagination.

“Yeah. Did you eat?”

“Already did. You worked hard.”

Smiling, I pretended to massage her stiff shoulders.

I wasn’t forcing myself to smile.

The smile came naturally and comfortably.

“Anything happen at work?”

“Haah, some lunatic’s been driving me crazy lately.”

“A lunatic?”

“You know the new headquarters our company is building? I have meetings with the construction company every day because of it. But this bastard keeps disagreeing with everything I say. Not once or twice either… Ugh, he’s so annoying.”

Yeonhee complained irritably.

It was a complete contrast to how she’d remained unmoved no matter what happened at work.

“That must’ve been frustrating. There are always one or two guys like that.”

“Yeah. He thinks he’s always right. What an asshole.”

I listened to her complaints with practiced ease.

After venting for a while, Yeonhee noticed the medicine bag on the table and froze.

“…You went to the hospital?”

“Yeah. Ran out of painkillers.”

“Why’d you go alone without saying anything? I told you not to take taxis.”

Her voice turned sharp in an instant.

The emotion hidden in her lowered voice was far heavier than the irritation she’d shown earlier.

“You should’ve called me.”

“You were working. How could I?”

“How many times have I told you I’d just take half a day off? What if something happened while you were traveling all that way by yourself–!”

“Yeonhee.”

As her voice rose, I quickly called her name.

The corners of my lips were still lifted.

But it wasn’t the warm and gentle smile from before.

It was simply a smile created to smooth things over.

A tired, familiar smile.

“I’m sorry, okay?”

“…No. I’m sorry. I guess work just exhausted me.”

Yeonhee rubbed her face.

I gently pushed her toward the bathroom.

“Go wash up.”

Urged along by me, she entered the bathroom and closed the door.

Bang.

At the same moment, the smile disappeared.

I stared expressionlessly at the closed door and let out a deep sigh.

“Haah…”

‘Fuck, I’m tired.’

My eyes were dry.

My knees ached.

My skin itched.

Ignoring my body, which found everything irritating today, I forced the corners of my lips upward again.

“Honey, I’ll leave your change of clothes out here~!”

A bright voice burst out of my mouth, making it hard to believe I’d just sighed.

“Thanks!”

Hearing her voice from inside, I kept smiling.

The natural, comfortable smile from before had vanished.

With the feeling that I was desperately holding something together, I slowly turned away.

“…Shall we take a short break?”

I was in the next scene too, but Director Baek suddenly raised his hand and called for a break.

‘What?’

This wasn’t the first time.

I’d experienced something similar during the script reading for ‘Our Space’.

But back then, the first episode had ended with my scene, so taking a break made sense.

This time, however, the timing felt strange.

‘Was I bad?’

I couldn’t remember how I’d acted.

I’d been so immersed that halfway through, I’d forgotten I was acting at all.

‘I should just ask.’

Rather than worrying alone, I decided it’d be better to ask Director Baek directly.

Just as I was about to stand…

“Seulho, you…”

Bae Dain spoke from beside me.

Turning my head, I saw the serious look on her face.

She looked so grim that it wouldn’t have been strange if war had broken out that very moment.

“What?”

“No, it’s just… Are you sick?”

“Huh?”

“No, no, I said that wrong. I mean… are you sick?”

“…Noona, you said you misspoke, but you asked the exact same thing.”

She whispered as if sharing a secret.

And I could only stare at her in disbelief.

‘What’s wrong with her?’