Chapter 15: Starting from 1%

Chapter 15: Starting from 1%

༺ Starting from 1% ༻

“Seon-Ho, what image comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘serial killer’?”N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

“Uh, what? Uh... well... I guess there’s madness in their torn eyes, dark circles, um, and... unkempt hair that covers their eyes? Something like that, I guess?”

Seon-Ho stuttered in response to the unexpected question.

“Is that so?”

With that, Yoomyeong closed his mouth and the movie soon began. This film, which reconstructed the true crime story of ‘The Martian Serial Killings,’ was a work that Seon-Ho had been highly anticipating.

The 132-minute running time flew by in an instant.

As the credits rolled following the ending with a close-up shot of the lead actor, Seon-Ho finally unclenched his tightly balled fist.

“Phew...”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes! Totally. The directing, the acting, wow...”

“Who do you think the culprit is?”

“Well, I don’t know... Park Hae-il? I couldn’t find any proof, but there could be a twist, right?”

“Well, let’s put the actual identity of the culprit aside. Wouldn’t you feel strange if Park Hae-il was the culprit?”

“No? I’d think, ‘It was him after all!’ Ah...”

Only then did Seon-Ho realize the meaning of the question that Yoomyeong had thrown at him before the movie.

It was about the prototype of a serial killer.

“Seon-Ho, there’s no such thing as a mismatched role. There are only roles that can’t be digested.”

“...”

Leaving the engrossed Seon-Ho behind, Yoomyeong walked out.

It was 1 AM, right after the movie ended. The dawn air in May was refreshing.

Yoomyeong bought two beers at a nearby convenience store and sat down at a table placed outside the door. Seon-Ho followed him and sat down slowly.

“What’s the name of President Nam’s subordinate number 2?”

“He’s named Lee Cheol-seung.”

“Why did Lee Cheol-seung join under President Nam?”

“He had no skills or education and had no other way to earn a living, I think...”

“What did he do before that?”

“...”

“Why couldn’t he learn?”

“...”

“What does he think about President Nam?”

“Oh, well... a scoundrel who appears polished on the surface but is pitch-black on the inside...”

Seon-Ho remembered that Yoomyeong was playing President Nam and subtly glanced at him.

Yoomyeong continued with his questions, unfazed.

“Isn’t he a scoundrel himself? Why does Cheol-seung criticize President Nam internally? Does he still have some moral conscience? What about his relationship with subordinate number 1? What does he really think of Kim Cheolsu?”

The calm stream of questions stung.

— An actor taking on a role should understand the life of that role to an extent where they can portray it.

It was something the seniors often said.

He thought he had done just that and created a backstory. For a minor role, his story was very detailed. However, Yoomyeong’s questions were much more detailed.

Had he not seen the old, tattered script, one might think that Yoomyeong was needlessly nitpicking him.

“Start with 1%.”

“Pardon...?”

“The 1% similarity between you and the role. There must be at least one aspect where you think you are alike, isn’t there?”

Seon-Ho thought carefully.

“Uh... I think he and I have a soft heart.”

“In what way?”

“In this scene, subordinate number 1 and 3 lynches Kim Cheolsu while subordinate number 2 watches from behind. In this part, I think Cheol-seung might have felt some compassion for Kim Cheolsu. He couldn’t stop them, but he didn’t want to beat him either, so he chose to just watch. That’s what I think.”

“Oh, that’s a compelling interpretation. It’s remarkable that you read so much into such a short line.”

A blush appeared on Seon-Ho’s face.

It was the first praise he had ever received. The praise of a senior he admired uplifted the heart of the young actor.

“Good. Once you’ve empathized a bit with the role, you can gradually expand your horizon. Building upon the points you can relate to, add your imagination. What else is there?”

“He seems to be short and small in stature, so I think he might have a complex about it. It could have been sublimated into a desire for recognition and aggression?”

“Right. And what else?”

.

“After all, that content wasn’t in the original script. We added it because Hansang’s acting was somewhat better, but today, I noticed that Seon-Ho has improved a lot. It also fits his character better.”

“I’m not sure about that.”

“Underling 2 was always a slightly different type of thug, right? That’s why Seon-Ho was cast for the role. I thought it would be a lost cause, but he even figured that out on his own. Isn’t that impressive?”

At these words, Cheol-joo’s face crumpled.

“He didn’t do that on his own.”

“Huh?”

“Shin Yoomyeong was involved. Didn’t you see Seon-Ho turn his head when I asked him if he figured it out by himself?”

“Did he? Even if he did, so what? It’s common for seniors to help with character development.”

“But he’s not a senior.”

Cheol-joo’s vague words made Jun-han ask.

“Shin Yoomyeong is from the year ’00, and Joo Seon-Ho is from ’02. That makes him a senior, right?”

“No. It’s his first time acting, too. He’s not in a position to teach his debut mate.”

‘Oh god, this guy again...’

Jun-han let out a deep sigh.

He knew that Cheol-joo was a bit rigid, but not to this extent. Anything related to Shin Yoomyeong seemed to make him defensive.

There didn’t seem to be any personal issues between the two.

If so, the reason for Cheol-joo’s attitude was probably...

Jealousy and wariness.

Having monopolized the lead role in most productions, Cheol-joo was evidently hostile to Shin Yoomyeong, who appeared to be a rising star that might outshine him.

The sharp-eyed Jun-han noticed it.

‘He would neither realize nor acknowledge this...’

Suppressing his irritation, Jun-han tried to reason with Cheol-joo.

“Even if Yoomyeong helped, he’s a novice, just like you said. He was probably just discussing it with his fellow debut-mate. Isn’t it commendable that they’re working hard like that?”

“...”

“You’re the director. Don’t sweat the small stuff and look at the big picture. You know that Seon-Ho suits that scene better when you consider their character’s coherence.”

Indeed, Jun-han was like a mother (assistant director) in this situation.

He gently persuaded his eldest son (director), who was wearing the title of a father, and successfully pushed his opinion through.

Joo Seon-Ho’s lines increased by four.

The problem was what came next:

“We need to reduce the weight of President Nam’s role.”

“What? Why?”

“Every time Kim Cheolsu confronts President Nam, he gets overshadowed. I’ve told him several times to tone it down, but he won’t change. This is a negative influence on the flow of the play, don’t you agree?”

Jun-han rubbed his head.

“He’s doing his role pretty well.”

“Matching the lead actor is also part of an actor’s skills. Is standing out alone considered good acting?”

“In this play, President Nam is the most ideologically opposed to the lead, Kim Cheolsu. The theme becomes more emphasized when President Nam is properly portrayed as the villain. If the lead actor appears overshadowed when confronting him, shouldn’t we work on enhancing the lead character rather than killing off President Nam’s character?”

“We only have three weeks left. Do you think that’s possible?”

“Wow. Choi Cheol-joo, why are you like this? I’m about to be disappointed in you.”

“What? What did you just say?”

The atmosphere froze instantly.

“Do you remember what you told me when you asked me to join the directorial team? You told me not to worry about the petty traditions and create the best production together, didn’t you? Why are you acting like this toward Shin Yoomyeong?”

“I’m just looking at the overall balance. Did I say anything wrong?”

“It’s not wrong to aim for a safe play instead of a remarkable one. But he’s doing well. Why are you trying to bring down someone who’s doing well to maintain balance? Wasn’t creating a good play rather than a safe one that avoids criticism our ultimate goal?”

Cheol-joo gritted his teeth slightly.

Jun-han was an assistant director who usually complied with the director’s intentions. Or rather, he was the type of actor who pretends to be, but later changes the outcome.

It was the first time that he had taken such a firm stance.

He softened his expression a bit.

“Then try it. If it doesn’t work, you’re responsible for balancing it.”

“...Alright.”

With a reluctant compromise, the meeting that day came to an end.

And after three weeks, the festival began.

KAIST Spring Festival Theatre Performance at Betty Hall.

May 26th to 28th [Hamlet] by the College of Arts and Drama Club, <Oedipus>

May 29th to 31st [Ambitious Dream] by the Central Drama Club, <Changcheon>

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