How a Loan Shark Survives as an Actor Chapter 94

Chapter 94

 

Director Baek didn’t know what to say.

How many actors had he given NGs to over the years while releasing film after film into the world?

Too many to count.

It was something so familiar and natural to him, yet strangely, his words stumbled.

“What… was that just now?”

After hesitating for a moment, Director Baek asked.

For a second, he considered simply saying, “Let’s do it again.”

But when it came to filming, he couldn’t run away.

“I’m sorry.”

Yoo Seulho apologized immediately.

Well, the NG had happened because of him, so it was natural, but Director Baek quickly shook his head.

“No, I’m not scolding you. I mean, it’s not like you did well either… no, that’s not it. It was just different from what I expected….”

Director Baek rambled.

It had definitely been different from the script reading, but it hadn’t felt like a mistake either.

After listening quietly, Yoo Seulho asked,

“What kind of feeling were you expecting, Director?”

It was an extremely polite question.

“Uh….”

“If you tell me, I’ll do it again.”

His calm words flowed smoothly, as though he had prepared them beforehand.

He unhesitatingly looked for the problem in himself, yet somehow there was confidence in his demeanor.

Director Baek stared at Yoo Seulho silently.

For the first time, the actor had asked the director.

The actor who always brought a completed performance had come with empty hands.

‘…Heh, this brat.’

Realizing that Yoo Seulho’s empty hands were intentional, Director Baek let out a hollow laugh.

Shaking his head, he spoke quietly.

“Let’s talk, just the two of us. Ten minutes.”

“Yes, Director.”

Answering obediently, Yoo Seulho stood up and apologized to the surrounding staff and actors.

“Sorry. I’ll be right back.”

The sudden situation left everyone staring blankly at the two.

Some looked at Yoo Seulho with concern.

Director Baek was famous for never embarrassing actors publicly.

If he was specifically asking for a private conversation, it meant he had something he couldn’t say in front of everyone.

‘But was Yoo Seulho’s acting really so bad that he had to call him aside and scold him?’

Everyone was puzzled, but none of them could know what the director was thinking.

They could only hope Yoo Seulho wouldn’t get chewed out too badly.

 

***

 

“I’m sorry.”

Once they were alone, Yoo Seulho apologized again.

But this time, the reason was different.

“I got a bit cheeky, didn’t I? I wanted your attention, Director, but I didn’t know how else to do it.”

His playful smile and tone made Director Baek burst out laughing.

Seeing that he wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he’d deliberately changed his acting, the slight irritation he’d felt vanished immediately.

‘So he wasn’t making fun of me.’

Because Director Baek kept avoiding him, the actor had resorted to this.

Still…

‘He’s weirdly ridiculous.’

Acting all calm and respectable in front of everyone.

Yet the moment they were alone, he grinned mischievously like he always had.

He looked every bit like a man in his twenties.

‘He keeps defying my expectations.’

He’d thought it countless times lately.

Really…

He’d never met an actor like this.

“Seulho, don’t do this again. Other people’s time is precious too.”

“I know. I won’t do it again.”

“…And I’m sorry for avoiding you. You must’ve been frustrated.”

The fact that Seulho had gone this far said enough.

Scratching the back of his neck, Yoo Seulho replied,

“I wondered if there had been some misunderstanding. Or if I’d made some mistake.”

“Nothing like that. You know everyone praises you.”

“Yes. But you’ve never said it directly.”

He admitted he’d been confused because someone who had laughed and joked with him before filming had suddenly started walking right past him.

‘Tch.’

Director Baek couldn’t even defend himself.

If they’d always had a distant relationship, it’d be one thing.

But the two had maintained a friendly rapport with little jokes and playful teasing.

From Yoo Seulho’s perspective, Director Baek had simply betrayed him out of nowhere.

All he could do was apologize.

“I’m sorry. I had my reasons.”

“May I ask what those reasons were?”

After hesitating, Director Baek finally spoke honestly.

Things had already reached this point, and besides, there wasn’t really another option.

Yoo Seulho listened quietly to everything he’d been feeling and finally reacted at the end.

“I didn’t even know whether I was useful to you anymore.”

“Director, what are you talking about?”

Yoo Seulho frowned in disbelief.

Apparently caught off guard, he failed to hide his expression.

Furrowing his brow, he continued.

“The purpose of a director is making movies. Who becomes a director just to be useful to actors?”

“…!”

“This movie belongs to you, doesn’t it? The way you’re talking, are you planning to hand it over to me or something?”

Gone was the polite and composed tone.

He’d returned to his usual blunt way of speaking.

The sarcastic-sounding remarks were exactly the kind of exchanges they’d had before filming began.

That familiar tone erased the distance Director Baek had felt from Yoo Seulho all this time.

“Who said I’d hand it over? Seulho, I didn’t expect this from you… You’ve got ambition.”

“Well, I don’t know. Is anyone more ambitious than someone who wants to strip male actors and film service scenes?”

“…You really never let anything slide. You’re so irritating.”

Director Baek glared at him.

But there was no fear, anxiety, or worry in his gaze.

Yoo Seulho casually guided the conversation back to normal and then extended his hand.

“Please take care of me from now on, Director. And if you’re going to praise me all by yourself, do it openly too.”

That joke made Director Baek laugh.

“Yes, yes, Mr. Perfect Seulho. I’ll do that.”

Laughing together, the two returned to the set.

Since it was the first time Director Baek had ever called an actor out privately for a conversation, everyone on set had been whispering nervously.

But when the two came back looking completely friendly, everyone was confused.

“Sorry for the delay! I’ll do it properly this time!”

Speaking energetically, Yoo Seulho quickly returned to his seat.

Bae Dain, sitting across from him, carefully asked,

“Seulho, what did the director say?”

“Nothing much. He asked me how my drink tasted.”

“Huh?”

“I’m the only one drinking soda right now. Director Baek said he can’t drink either, so he wanted to know how it tastes because he wants to drink that at the next company dinner.”

‘What kind of random answer is that…?’

Bae Dain stared blankly, unable even to laugh.

Then a strange sense of déjà vu struck her.

And suddenly, she remembered something from months ago.

“Sunbae, what did you and the director talk about?”

“I told him I’d teach him how to cook ramen next time, and he laughed.”

“…Excuse me?”

It was oddly similar to the joke he’d made during the beer commercial shoot.

At the same time, a helpless laugh escaped her.

“Were you always like this?”

“Like what?”

“Why are you so shameless? Are you some kind of con artist?”

Laughing, Bae Dain lightly punched his arm.

“How dare you tease your noona?”

Yoo Seulho simply shrugged.

“Pretty much.”

“Pretty much what?”

“Actors and con artists both fool people.”

“Those are completely different~.”

Honestly, he had a talent for deflating people.

Without realizing it, Bae Dain had already forgotten that Director Baek and Yoo Seulho had gone outside to talk.

Filming resumed immediately.

And this time, Yoo Seulho delivered the line completely differently.

“You think you’re in any position to tease me? You’re the guy who got rejected by Jihye.”

Gone was the faint sadness from before.

His laughter was pure enjoyment, free from hesitation.

He radiated such bright energy that it was hard to imagine from the Dogeon he’d shown until now.

The audience would understand immediately.

‘So this… is how he laughed before the accident.’

The contrast became overwhelmingly clear.

The difference from the previous take was so dramatic that the actor who was supposed to respond stuttered.

“W-What did you… Ah, sorry.”

The actor apologized immediately, startled.

Director Baek simply laughed and told him it was fine.

Rather than being annoyed by the NG, he looked delighted like a child.

The staff laughed helplessly.

‘I was wondering what was wrong before.’

Now that they’d seen this version, they understood the difference immediately.

‘No wonder Director Baek called him out.’

Everyone admired Director Baek’s eye for catching details others had missed.

At the same time, they were amazed that Yoo Seulho could immediately produce a completely different performance after a single talk.

‘This is a battlefield of geniuses.’

Oblivious to everyone’s thoughts, Director Baek grinned happily and continued the takes.

As expected, Bae Dain’s “laughing while crying” scene required numerous takes.

Finally, on take number eighty-seven, he gave the okay.

Bae Dain practically collapsed onto the table in exhaustion.

As everyone shouted,

“Good work!”

“See you tomorrow!”

and exchanged farewells, Yoo Seulho approached Director Baek.

“Director, how was my acting?”

He got straight to the point without hesitation.

Still, he lowered his voice considerably so Bae Dain, who’d gone through so many takes today, wouldn’t overhear.

‘Yoo Seulho’s acting…’

Just like throughout filming, it had been perfect.

It was like a completed sculpture.

Director Baek had been afraid that giving advice would only ruin it.

But he’d decided not to see Yoo Seulho as something to be corrected… or as someone threatening him.

If Yoo Seulho brought him a hundred, then all he had to do was think about how to turn that hundred into a hundred and one.

‘Direction for the scene… not correction.’

Perhaps…

It would sound something like this.

“Hahaha! I thought a god had possessed you, you brat!”