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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: An Overwhelming Performance
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"Ready, action!"
A wind machine whirred to life. The red shaman's robe Seojun wore fluttered gently in the breeze.
"It's been a while, little one. Look how deliciously you've grown. I should have devoured you back then."
Lee Jiseok said in a harsh voice, then cackled.
"But what is that inside you! The very thing I, myself, was after! I was waiting for it to ripen even more deliciously!"
The shaman's bell in Seojun's hand shook violently, letting out a sharp, clanging sound. Lee Jiseok's voice grew even harsher. To one side, the staff felt goosebumps rise at the sound.
"Who is that bastard who claimed you before I could?!"
Since Seojun had no lines, Lee Jiseok had to time his performance on his own.
Time for the 'child shaman' and the 'god' to converse. Yet, somehow, Lee Jiseok felt as if he could hear their conversation just by watching Seojun's expression.
Right now, as Seojun's expression showed a slight hesitation!
"Keuk!"
Lee Jiseok collapsed to the floor.
"Kuhuhuk!"
Here, the evil spirit's voice emerged, and Seojun looked at Lee Jiseok with a pitiful gaze.
Again.
It was only acting through facial expressions, yet Lee Jiseok felt as if he could hear the conversation between Seojun and the god.
Everyone held their breath. One of the staff members looked down at the script they were holding. The staff next to them peeked over to read it.
God: Wait. You must wait.
Child Shaman: But. That hyung. He's hurt. I have to heal him.
God: (Smiling) You are too soft-hearted. That is why I chose you. But still, you must wait.
"Wow. How is that possible?"
It was as if the lines of the god and the child shaman could be heard directly from Seojun's facial expressions.
"Beg! I said, beg! That child is soft-hearted; if you just ask, he will grant you peace! Like this! Don't you want to be at peace? Don't you want to go back to how you were?!"
To think he could convey so much with just his expression, Lee Jiseok felt his passion ignite even further. He, too, immersed himself in the role, down to his fingertips and toes.
Jangle!
The shaman's bell rang, and Lee Jiseok, who was lost in his performance as the evil spirit, Director Choi Daeman, who was staring intently at the monitor, and a few of the staff members saw it.
A golden aura emanated from the small child's body as he stood with the hanok behind him. The power of [Bell Dokkaebi's Teasing of Mr. Kim] was manifesting outwardly.
A pitch-black night.
That golden thing, shimmering like intense heat, enveloped Lee Seojun.
"Uh… uh…"
A staff member who saw it pointed at Lee Seojun without realizing, but even the staff who couldn't see the aura were so engrossed in Lee Seojun and Lee Jiseok's passionate acting that they didn't notice. Everyone held their breath, swallowing hard.
Finally, Seojun opened his mouth. It was his first line.
"I pray to the gods of heaven and earth."
At the sound of Seojun's voice, Lee Jiseok snapped back to reality and continued his acting.
"A humble being prays to you."
"GGRRRAAAAAAGHHH!!!!"
Lee Jiseok screamed as if he had truly become an evil spirit overcome with fear. The tremendous sound even caused some staff members to take a step back.
Was he seeing things? Along with the golden aura rising from Lee Seojun's body, something black seemed to be flickering from Lee Jiseok's body as well.
Director Choi Daeman rubbed his eyes. When he looked again, only the golden aura was moving vigorously.
"May that great spirit descend upon this body,"
Seojun flung the talisman from his left hand. Just like in practice, the dokkaebi's energy sent the talisman flying spectacularly. The staff member in charge, who had been watching the two actors in a daze, thankfully didn't miss the timing and pressed the switch.
Fwoosh!
As the fire ignited in a circle, the space where Lee Seojun and Lee Jiseok stood seemed like another world. Even though they knew it was coming, the staff members couldn't help but gasp.
"The power to burn away ignorant evil!"
With Seojun's voice, the golden aura lunged at Lee Jiseok.
"?!"
Genuinely startled, Lee Jiseok screamed and rolled on the ground. Even the staff who couldn't see the aura held their breath at his performance. It was as if he were truly on fire. It was chilling.
Jangle! Seojun shook the bell with both hands. The sound was so loud it echoed through the large courtyard of the hanok, making one wonder if the bell could even make such a noise.
"The power to extinguish its very source!"
The golden flames intensified. Fortunately or unfortunately, he had been worried it would look awkward acting as if he were burning without any actual fire, but the apparition moved vigorously, just like flames.
"Thanks to you, I think I'm starting to understand how to handle souls!"
Lee Jiseok delivered his line and looked with weary eyes at the golden aura rampaging around him.
Is this thing real? A ghost, like they say appears in movies destined to be hits? A will-o'-the-wisp? Having accidentally guessed correctly, Lee Jiseok collapsed to the floor as the apparition vanished right on cue. Seojun sank to the ground.
It was over.
"Cut."
Director Choi Daeman, who had been clenching his fists and staring back and forth between the monitor and the set, finally spoke. Then he shouted loudly.
"OK!"
Just as Lee Seojun and Lee Jiseok were about to speak to each other, the assistant director unconsciously brought his hands together.
Clap—
Clap-clap—
Clap-clap-clap!
"Wooooah!"
Applause erupted from among the staff.
"For now, shall we take a break?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"No. I've never seen such incredible acting before."
Seojun and Lee Jiseok roughly brushed off the dirt and dust and found spots around the monitor. Director Choi Daeman and the assistant director also sat down in chairs.
"Let's watch it first, then we'll talk."
Director Choi Daeman showed the two actors the footage they had just filmed.
"You'll have to imagine the evil spirit's voice and the god's voice as you watch."
Just as Choi Daeman said, there were empty spots in the middle of the performance without dialogue, but the screen felt completely full with just the two actors' voices and movements, so it didn't feel awkward at all.
Lee Jiseok watched the screen intently, but he couldn't find a single trace of a ghost. *It must have been a hallucination,* he thought.
After the video ended, Lee Jiseok smiled and said.
"We might not even need the lines, huh?"
"I agree. You both did so well. If there's ever a chance to release this footage later, I definitely want to."
"Seojun acted so well… Seojun, are you asleep?"
"…Huuuh?"
Seojun's eyes were half-closed. The adults laughed. He was still only six years old. It was understandable that he'd be tired after such an intense performance. Director Choi Daeman spoke.
"That's enough for today. Go get some sleep."
"But the bust shot… we have to film it…"
"We got it in one take, so we can shoot that tomorrow. We'll be filming here until the day after tomorrow anyway."
"That's right. I think I worked too hard today, too. I'm tired, so I should get to bed early."
With both the director and actor Lee Jiseok saying so, Seojun rolled his eyes thoughtfully before nodding.
"Then I'll go to bed first. Good night."
"Get plenty of rest!"
Kim Heesang, who was sitting behind Seojun, lifted him up. Cradled in Kim Heesang's arms, Seojun fell asleep almost instantly.
"Wow, Director. Look at this. My hands are shaking."
Lee Jiseok, who had been pretending to be composed in front of the child actor, leaned back against his chair and held up his hands as soon as Seojun was gone.
Director Choi Daeman, who had noticed Lee Jiseok's state from the beginning, laughed. The assistant director went to inform the staff that filming was over for the day.
"I seriously thought Seojun was going to devour me."
"You seemed almost on par."
"On par? If I'm on par with Seojun, that's a big problem."
For someone calling it a big problem, his expression was bright. Lee Jiseok spoke cheerfully.
"It's been a long time since I've had this much fun on a shoot. I feel like I just acted without any other thoughts. Truly becoming an evil spirit, becoming Soohyuk. Being terrified of the god. And… burning."
Speaking of fire, he remembered the aura from before. Was it really just a hallucination? Lee Jiseok rubbed his ankle, where he had felt a searing heat at that moment.
"Me too…"
Director Choi Daeman touched the corners of his mouth, which were trying to curl up into a smile on their own.
"I'm also excited and my heart is pounding, wondering how I should edit this."
If he could recreate the golden aura exactly as he had seen it earlier, he might be able to produce a scene even more magnificent than he had anticipated.
The two men, each thinking he was the only one who had seen the aura, laughed heartily.
"That's right. You'll be the first one to see the final cut, Director. Ah, really. Even though I'm in it, I can't imagine what kind of movie this will turn out to be."
"You should get some rest too, Jiseok. Tomorrow, we'll be shooting the bust and close-up shots."
"But, do you think I can perform at this level again tomorrow?"
Even he had to admit that he had poured all his energy into this shoot. Since it was a full shot, the camera hadn't been in his line of sight, which had allowed him to immerse himself more deeply.
But to shoot this scene again? And with the camera right in front of him? Director Choi Daeman laughed at Lee Jiseok's concern.
"It's okay if it doesn't turn out as well. The full shot alone would be perfect for the movie. Don't worry and just act comfortably."
"I can't promise 'comfortably,' but I will do my best."
The two men shared a laugh over the joke.
The next day.
Thanks to Seojun, who was full of mana and brimming with vitality, the bust shots and close-up shots turned out even better than the full shot.
At this unexpected result, Director Choi Daeman's smile stretched from ear to ear, while Lee Jiseok was completely drained.
"I can't do it anymore. I really can't."
The aura didn't appear, but because of Seojun's acting, which was even more overwhelming than during the full shot, Lee Jiseok had pushed himself harder than the day before to keep up. The moment he entered his room, he collapsed onto his futon.
Seojun came in holding the dumplings his grandmother had given him. Jiseok-hyung was sprawled out without even a blanket over him. It seemed playing a possessed character for several days was taking a toll on him.
"Jiseok-hyung, Grandma said to eat some dumplings."
"I can't eat. Seojun. Hyung is too tired. I think I'm getting old."
"But the dumplings are delicious."
Seojun took a large bite of a dumpling and mumbled.
Lying on the futon, Lee Jiseok looked at Seojun. Yesterday, he was dozing off after just one take, but today, after two, why was he so energetic?
That was because he had been mimicking a bat while emitting dokkaebi energy in all directions, but of course, Lee Jiseok had no way of knowing that.
Seojun ate the dumplings with gusto. *The meat dumplings are so good!* They were handmade dumplings, with filling packed by Seojun into dough that his grandmother had kneaded by hand. Seeing Seojun munching away deliciously, Lee Jiseok gulped.
He was exhausted, but the dumplings looked incredibly tasty.
"Give Hyung one, too."
"Here you go. This one is kimchi, and this one is meat."
"Give me the meat one."
Lee Jiseok also took a bite of a dumpling.
"Wow. This is really good, huh?"
"Grandma's handmade kalguksu is super delicious too."
"Is that so?"
While eating dumplings, Lee Jiseok and Seojun chatted about their favorite foods.
The final day of filming for the movie 'Evil Spirit'.
After today's shoot, all filming for the movie would be complete. The scene they were shooting today was also the one that would conclude the film.
"They said it was a pit for catching wild boars."
"Wild boars?"
Seojun, who was getting dressed and having his makeup done for the final scene, asked again. Beside him, Kim Heesang, who was sending a BananaTalk message to someone, spoke up.
"Apparently, wild boars have been showing up in the fields lately, so they dug a pit on a path the boars often use. They told all the villagers a week ago, but that kid just happened to come visit his grandfather four days ago."
"I heard that too. They said he grew up in this village, so he knew the area well. He'd often leave early in the morning, get meals from various places, and come back late at night, so they weren't too worried yesterday. If he'd been found any later, it would have been a disaster."
"They said he regained consciousness yesterday. Thanks to Seojun, he was found quickly, so once his leg heals, he'll be fine."
"Ehehe."
"I told your mom and dad everything about you running off alone. From now on, you have to stick right by Samchon's side."
"Okay."
Kim Heesang showed Seojun his phone screen.
>It was good that you saved Hyung, but you should have gone with Samchon!
>You're writing an apology letter when you get back!
>Hold Samchon's hand!
Seojun's shoulders slumped. Seeing Seojun's slumped shoulders, Kim Heesang scratched his forehead. Just as Kim Heesang was about to console the dispirited Seojun.
"Getting ready for rehearsal!"
"Okay!"
The previously slumped Seojun instantly perked up and headed to the set with a sparkling smile.
*I'll worry about the apology letter later. I need to get to filming!*
Watching Seojun practically fly off, Kim Heesang said with a look of bemused resignation.
"He must really love it. Acting."
With this shoot, filming for the movie 'Evil Spirit' came to a complete end.
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