Translator: Dreamscribe
It was a predetermined matter. Just before diving into the past shoot of ‘Iyota Kiyoshi,’ Woojin, who was looking at about nine homeworks, had only one thought in his mind.
‘Kiyoshi. And Corporal Jin Sun-cheol.’
Role synthesis. And the timing marked in the scenario. Kang Woojin intended to synthesize Kiyoshi and Corporal Jin Sun-cheol in this scene. He planned to mix them.
Why Corporal Jin Sun-cheol?
Simply because it seemed the most natural. Moreover, Corporal Jin Sun-cheol has dual personalities. In terms of summons, there were two guys: a timid one and a rough one. With that logic, Corporal Jin Sun-cheol alone could be split into two roles. In reality, the inner image Woojin felt of Corporal Jin Sun-cheol was that of two people standing.
So, let’s mix Kiyoshi with the timid one.
Corporal Jin Sun-cheol was cunning. Both personas were the same. However, as time goes on, the timid one becomes several times more vicious than the rough one. That nature didn’t gradually grow while on the ‘Island of the Missing.’ The timid one was cunning from the start. He just pretended not to be.
Mixing such a guy with Kiyoshi.
Kang Woojin had already tried it. He wasn’t worried. However, what would others think when they saw this performance? How would the acting appear? What about the public? The actors? The director and all those countless staff members? When the slate clapped in front of him, Woojin felt another kind of excitement.
‘If it’s an NG, we can just redo it. The judgment is up to others. Yeah, let’s give it a shot.’
The acting itself was always fascinating, no matter the role. Kang Woojin had developed to the point where he enjoyed experiencing and possessing the world each role had. But now, a different kind of anticipation was budding. It felt like showing a new product to customers for the first time.
That was it.
“Ready- Action!”
This time, the scene’s acting was faintly tinged with Kang Woojin’s touch.
“It’s creepy, doesn’t his face look unpleasant whenever you see him? He’s like a robot.”
Of course, the void space power still played a significant role in Woojin’s incredible acting. It was almost 90% or more. Kang Woojin didn’t deny that. He needed it. Unfortunately, if he stripped away the void space now, there wouldn’t be the current Kang Woojin. So, he planned to keep using it.
But he must not forget the mindset of being the master.
It didn’t matter if the void space didn’t think that way. It was an issue of Woojin’s attitude. In that sense, the newly instilled ability of role synthesis was positive. It created a focal point for the master attitude for Kang Woojin. Like if I cook. Then I am the chef. It awakened this subjective attitude. Whether it was subconscious or not.
“Don’t look at me so disgustingly. React. Huh?”
Is that so? React? The actors, the director, everyone was watching. The camera was right next to Woojin. Kang Woojin, already fully Kiyoshi, effortlessly summoned the timid persona of Corporal Jin Sun-cheol. To be precise, his timid persona. The summoned entity immediately obeyed the master’s command.
The synthesis of the two summoned beings happened in the blink of an eye.
While maintaining the dry foundation of Kiyoshi, but on top of it was layered the cunning timidity. Thus, a truly peculiar character was born. A man carefully walking over a drought-stricken mind. Crunch, crunch. Though trembling, the endlessly parched ground stretches on, and the walking man, though quivering, doesn’t stop walking.
Fear and emptiness coexist.
“Stop, stop it. Don’t, don’t do it. I-I’m scared. Don’t hit me. I-I gave you the money.”
The peculiarity was also evident in the diction rolling out of Woojin’s mouth. His eyes, nose, and mouth. The expression was the same. The tight forehead, flat facial muscles, the nose and mouth with little movement. However, in Woojin’s eyes, the synthesized persona rippled.
He threw it. So, what do you guys think?
Kiyoshi scrutinized the nine ‘homeworks’ who were bullying him one by one. The one who showed the biggest reaction was Shinnosuke, who had just slapped him. He flinched and froze. Was he flustered? Or scared? Looking closely, all nine had similar expressions. Kang Woojin, or Kiyoshi, called out Corporal Jin Sun-cheol.
In an instant, his face returned to its original state.
There was almost no gap. It was a grotesque transformation. Back to the original Kiyoshi, he gazed dryly at the nine. His task was done, and now it was their turn.
But Shinnosuke lost his composure.
“······Ah.”
Then, barely grasping the situation, he struggled to deliver his next line.
“You did well, didn’t you? What’s this? So you can do everything if ordered?”
It was a set line. Despite the shock, Shinnosuke somehow managed to say it. Next was the handsome Ginzo’s turn.
“Yeah. This guy, Kiyoshi. You knew how to do it all along but kept quiet? It makes you more human, doesn’t it? Hey, Shinnosuke. Let’s make him do something else this time.”
“Hmm. How about getting angry?”
“Sounds good.”
“Ha, Kiyoshi. You’re pissed off now. Try getting mad at us.”
-Swoosh.
Kang Woojin’s arm moved immediately. The extended arm grabbed Shinnosuke’s collar right in front of him. Then Woojin yanked Shinnosuke’s face close to his own.
“Hey, trash.”
He changed again. The look in Kang Woojin’s eyes was completely different from just before. His dry voice carried an intimidation. In that moment, Shinnosuke felt an urge to free himself from the grip and run away.
‘Wh- what the hell is happening?’
Why did it feel like there was another person over Kiyoshi? Meanwhile, Kang Woojin’s lines continued.
“Who the hell are you to give me orders? Want me to coat you in cement and drop you in the ocean? Had enough of living?”
It was Lee Sang-man. Right now, Woojin had synthesized Lee Sang-man. But it didn’t last long. He used it as much as he needed and then ordered him to return. The scent quickly faded, and Kiyoshi released Shinnosuke’s collar, muttering in a soulless tone.
“Done.”
Shinnosuke couldn’t hide his shock.
‘Acting? Can something like this even be called acting?’
Ginzo beside him felt the same.
‘It’s like…multiple souls possessed him. It wasn’t just a change of expression, it really seemed like a different person.’
The other actors behind them were the same.
‘How many people just came and went??!’
They couldn’t make a clear judgment. It was overwhelming. Even though they were seasoned in the Japanese entertainment industry, what they had just witnessed was something they had never seen before. They forgot their positions as fellow actors.
They were the audience.
Of course, the audience wasn’t just the actors. The cinematographer who was shooting Woojin right beside him, the staff holding the boom mic to capture the actors’ voices, and the hundred or so staff members watching the scene.
The set was quieter than ever.
“······”
“······”
The ‘Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ production crew here had already forgotten they were in the middle of filming. It wasn’t different from watching a breathtaking theatrical performance. The lead was Kang Woojin. But it wasn’t just one character. How many were there? Then, some staff members couldn’t help but let out low exclamations.
“Wow······”
He’s an actor. That’s what a real actor is. So this is what acting is. The staff reached a unanimous conclusion.
Especially since they were Japanese staff.
They had only seen the prevalent atmosphere or acting style in this market. They had always seen either overly dramatic or stereotyped acting. To them, Kang Woojin’s performance was nothing short of revolutionary. Meanwhile, the assistant director with glasses, who had come to his senses, whispered to the motionless director Kyotaro, who was full of gray hair.
“Director~nim···should we, should we stop? It seems a bit off from the script.”
A bit off? No, it wasn’t. The assistant director subtly felt that he had hijacked the script. However, he couldn’t say that directly to the director, and Japan’s great director Kyotaro was just breathing with his face glued to the monitor.
“······”
About 5 seconds passed. Then director Kyotaro quietly opened his mouth.
“···No. Just proceed.”
“What?”
Although the Kiyoshi Woojin was portraying had certainly hijacked the script, to the great director Kyotaro, he was still ‘Iyota Kiyoshi.’
Only, he had become several times more intensified and dry.
“It’s not off track.”
It was merely a three-dimensional variation of Kiyoshi.
Later.
As the director’s signal didn’t fall, Kang Woojin and the other actors continued their acting. There was still some movement left in the scene. Then, director Kyotaro slowly lifted his head from the monitor and fixed his gaze on Woojin on set.
“Just one scene.”
At most, a few minutes. It might be shorter when edited. However, it was a performance that no actor in Japan could replicate, and it was a sight that even director Kyotaro, who had been a director for decades, saw for the first time.
Maybe.
“······”
At this moment, are we witnessing a new form of acting? director Kyotaro’s thoughts drifted to Woojin’s past. He couldn’t fathom what kind of life he had lived.
‘How much training and polishing did it take to deliver such an acting? He must have lived a life dedicated solely to acting. A life filled with endless self-torment, continuing before even the wounds had healed.’
Director Kyotaro was deeply moved by Kang Woojin. It was an admiration mixed with misunderstanding.
‘He prepared such acting for this short scene. Stopping this would be unthinkable as a director. This… this new form of acting must be known not only to Japan but to the world.’
And so, he made a decision. To spread this new form of acting. To spread the misunderstanding to the world.
A few minutes later, he shouted to the whole set.
“Cut! OOOK!!!”
With an enthusiastic signal, he stood up quickly and approached the actors on set. His steps were swift. Director Kyotaro gestured to the actors to show his approval and then grabbed Woojin’s hand, pulling him up.
“Thank you, Woojin-ssi.”
A sudden expression of gratitude. Director Kyotaro, with eyes full of warmth, spoke to Woojin.
“You’ve stayed with us through tough times in our film, and prepared an incredible performance for Kiyoshi.”
Woojin was a bit taken aback. The atmosphere suddenly turned strange. What’s this? Never mind, let’s just go with it.
He lowered his voice as much as possible.
“No, it’s nothing.”
Director Kyotaro, who was smiling faintly, released Woojin’s hand and spoke to the surrounding Japanese actors.
“I want to change the script with that cut just now. What do you all think?”
The actors nodded without saying much.
And then.
“You were going weren’t you because of low performance? Have any of you….. seen such acting before?”
Megan Stone, who had covered her mouth with one hand in shock, murmured to her team members amidst the silent staff.
“At least, I’ve never seen it before.”
“His face… changed several times in an instant?”
“Yeah. But Kiyoshi remained the same.”
“Was the second one madness? But it wasn’t rough.”
“Right, I felt it was purposeless madness.”
The chubby man with wide eyes rubbed his chin.
“A new acting method? But how on earth did he learn to switch multiple personas so quickly?”
Megan, who had swept her short brown hair back, looked around and continued.
“More than that, look around.”
The team members looked at the hundred or so ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ staff nearby. Dozens of staff members for the actors too. There were even some actors who had come to watch. Among them, the rookie actress Nakajo Kimi, who played ‘Misaki Toka,’ stood with her mouth agape. She seemed to have her brain frozen by Kang Woojin’s performance.
“A few lines, a short performance, and he captivated so many people. And it wasn’t even a grand scene.”
A smile spread across Megan Stone’s lips.
“He’s a star. This Korean actor will become the star of stars.”
Regardless, the filming picked up speed.
By lunchtime, the filming of the past scenes of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ had started in earnest and continued into the late afternoon. Whether it was due to Kang Woojin’s ‘role synthesis’ causing a stir or not, Director Kyotaro, along with the Japanese actors and the ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ staff, suddenly radiated enthusiasm.
There were many NGs from Director Kyotaro’s mouth.
“Cut, NG. Mihuyu-ssi, it’s good that ‘Amie’ is being fierce, but you were too angry. Show controlled anger.”
“Yes, yes! Director~nim. I’ll try again!”
While he gave direction to the acting form of the Japanese actors, he also revised the scenes on the spot if he felt any dissatisfaction with the directing aspects.
The actor who brought those revisions to the surface was just one person.
“······Kang Woojin.”
It was Woojin, as Megan Stone with her short brown hair had just muttered. The filming was undoubtedly revolving around him. With ‘Iyota Kiyoshi’ walking and talking in reality, it was no wonder.
Moreover, today’s Kiyoshi was even more three-dimensional than yesterday’s.
He seemed graspable at a glance yet was elusive. The Kiyoshi Kang Woojin was acting was both the exact one from the scenario and simultaneously breaking out of the scenario, spreading a smokescreen to the viewers. However, it was never excessive. This was evident to Director Kyotaro, the person in charge on set, and equally to Megan, who had spent quite a long time in Hollywood.
‘It’s not a rampage. It’s an explosion of growth. Plus, he knows how to handle the expanded character traits. While firmly maintaining the character’s essence… he only expands when necessary.’
‘Staying within bounds.’ This might seem easy, but it’s a technique that only seasoned actors can master, and the level of acting Kang Woojin was freely exhibiting was something Megan had never seen before.
‘A new species? Is he really an alien or something?’
He knows how to stand out as an actor. He also knows how to dominate the set and the world of the work.
In short, Kang Woojin was soaring right now.
Such a Kang Woojin had just muttered to himself softly. Of course, inwardly.
‘Okay- so this is how I should use it. I’m pretty much adapted.’
It was about role synthesis.
*****