WeTried Translations
Translator: uglyidol
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became a Top Star by Only Playing Villains ◈
Chapter 10: So Who Is That, Then?
──────
Today was the long-awaited first day of filming for The Last Clue.
“Shall we go, Hansol?”
“Yes, hyung.”
How hard had we worked for this day?
Seongsu and I pulled ourselves together and headed to the first filming location.
Murmur, murmur.
The crew had already arrived and was setting up in the alley where the first shoot was scheduled.
Director-producer Park Yeong-won, who had been giving instructions to the staff, spotted me as soon as I arrived and came running over with a delighted expression.
“Oh, Hansol! You’re here early!”
“I guess I was extra conscious of it because it’s the first shoot. Ah, was I too early? I hope I’m not getting in the way.”
“Not at all! Since you’re here early, I’ll give you the filming directions right away. You’ve memorized the script, right?”
“Haha, of course.”
The first scene we would film was Scene 89.
It was the scene where Kim Minu, the serial killer everyone had thought was an ordinary flower shop owner, was exposed by the protagonist Yu Hyeju and fled.
After escaping the scene following a fight, the injured Kim Minu barely made it out of the neighborhood while bleeding.
“The scene with Ah-gyeong is scheduled for the afternoon. This morning, we’ll start by filming Hansol’s escape scene alone.”
“Yes, understood.”
“First, the route Hansol needs to take is...”
Even though I already knew everything, Director Park carefully explained everything from the escape route to the camera positions.
It was probably consideration because it was my first shoot.
“If the filming doesn’t go as well as you expect, or if the physical acting is difficult, you can use a stunt double. Don’t feel pressured.”
“Yes, thank you for your consideration, Director-producer.”
“It’s only natural. You can go get your makeup done now.”
Afterward, I moved elsewhere and received some simple makeup.
I changed into Kim Minu’s clothes and had fake blood and sweat applied to my forehead and beneath my eyes.
‘Oh.’
As expected from the team behind The Last Clue, which had gathered only the best of the best, the makeup artist’s skill was incredible.
Before I knew it, there was a man in the mirror bleeding so heavily that he looked like he urgently needed an emergency room.
“Wow, you’re really amazing at this.”
“Haha, I’ve been doing this for ten years now. Ah, the fake blood and sweat are sticky, so don’t touch them with your hands.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Once my makeup was finished, I headed outside and found that the set was fully prepared.
After confirming my perfectly made-up face, Director-producer Park smiled in satisfaction, then clapped loudly once for everyone to hear.
“All right! Everything’s ready, so let’s officially start production!”
Crank-in.
It was film and drama slang for the start of a production shoot.
Some people held a ritual to pray for a project’s success when starting production, but Director Park simply met the other staff members’ eyes and called out modestly.
“Thank you all for joining us again on this project! I feel reassured because you’re all here!”
At that moment, I understood why Park Yeong-won was a star director-producer.
Gentle charisma.
Director-producer Park had the ability to embrace everyone with kindness and courtesy.
“Let’s have fun with this shoot too! All right, let’s begin!”
“Waaaaah!”
Everyone here was a veteran who had worked with Director-producer Park on multiple projects.
As though they were accustomed to it, they cheered and gave the okay sign.
“Stand by!”
“Camera, lighting, and audio are all clear!”
Busy, yet flawless.
Smiling, yet cool-headed.
Everyone here was a professional doing their absolute best at their job.
Then I had to do my best too.
“Scene 89! We’re rolling! Ready...”
As Director-producer Park called for ready, I settled into the emotion.
And then...
“Action!”
The instant the word action rang out, I became someone else.
From actor Lee Hansol...
To psychopathic serial killer Kim Minu.
* * *
Scenes 89 through 92, which we were filming today, were chase scenes.
Kim Minu, whose identity had been exposed, fled the neighborhood, while Yu Hyeju chased after him.
Kim Minu ran through narrow alleys like those in a hillside slum, somehow managing to shake Yu Hyeju off.
It looked like a very simple scene when written out, but the reality was different.
A chase was also a form of action.
Action, or physical acting, was more difficult than people thought.
That was why Director-producer Park had chosen Scene 89 as the first shoot.
It was useful for managing the actors’ condition later if they filmed the high-energy scenes first.
‘It’s fortunate that Hansol has attended action school.’
Director-producer Park had originally planned to make extensive use of a stunt double for this chase scene.
But Lee Hansol, who had experience at an action school, wanted to handle the chase scene himself.
‘Hansol is secretly a cheat-code character.’
An actor skilled in emotional acting who also had action experience was rare.
Director-producer Park watched Lee Hansol fondly and focused on filming.
Then...
‘Oh...!’
Once filming began, Director-producer Park’s smile grew wider.
Lee Hansol’s action performance was far better than Director Park had expected.
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
Legs running frantically.
「Huff... huff...」
Ragged breaths being drawn in and forced out, despite not having actually run very far.
Even the desperate sight of him climbing over alley walls to escape the pursuit somehow despite his injured body.
“Wow...”
Most of the staff had seen Lee Hansol’s acting ability at the previous table read.
Still, there had been a small amount of doubt toward him.
No matter how well he had acted during the reading, Lee Hansol was an unknown actor with little practical experience.
They had thought that he might make many mistakes during the actual shoot.
But...
“Hansol is practically flying out there.”
“What is this, on his first shoot...?”
Lee Hansol was the type who was even stronger in the real thing.
When Lee Hansol’s unique emotional acting combined with dynamic movement, Kim Minu felt so vivid that it was as though he had ripped his way out of the script.
As the staff marveled, Lee Hansol continued his impassioned performance.
「You fucking bitch...!! Huff... fucking... Fuck!!!」
The flower shop had been Kim Minu’s sanctuary.
It was where he truly lived, and where he could indulge in his hobby of murder.
But Detective Yu Hyeju had discovered his identity, and everything was over.
From now on, he would have to spend the rest of his life running from the police.
「Because of that goddamn bitch...!! I’ll kill her...! I’ll definitely kill that fucking bitch...!」
His regret at no longer being able to hide his identity and enjoy murder.
And...
His hatred and fury toward Detective Yu Hyeju, who had dared to discover his identity.
Kim Minu’s face, twisted horribly with malice...
Grit.
Was the very image of an evil spirit so terrifying that one would fear seeing it in a dream.
“...”
“...”
Looking at that horrifying face, the staff could no longer even remember Lee Hansol’s usual plain, unremarkable features.
That was how deeply Lee Hansol had immersed everyone in the situation.
「Haa... haa... Where should I go...」
Having barely escaped the alley, Kim Minu looked around as he considered where to run.
At that moment, an extra couple passed by him.
The two spotted Kim Minu, breathing heavily with blood pouring from his head, and stared at him in shock.
Then...
「What the fuck are you looking at, you bastards? Is this a show? Get lost!!!」
「...!」
With nothing left to hide, Kim Minu poured his vicious malice and rage onto complete strangers.
Kim Minu had spent his entire life wearing the mask of an ordinary flower shop owner, but...
The moment his identity was exposed, he no longer needed to wear that mask.
「Huh, huuh...!」
The extra couple had originally been meant to say something like, “Let’s go, oppa,” but they could not bring themselves to speak. They fled with pale faces instead.
Lee Hansol’s overwhelming acting had genuinely terrified them.
Normally, it would have been an NG, but their response was better than expected, so Director-producer Park continued filming.
「Fuck, this is pissing me off. Should I just kill them all?」
Kim Minu’s eyes gleamed as he watched the fleeing couple’s backs.
Shing.
He soon pulled a bloodstained knife from his pocket and muttered ominously.
「...Yeah, fuck it. I’ve been exposed anyway. Before I’m caught, I should kill as many as I can.」
Now that his identity had been exposed, it was only a matter of time before he was caught.
Murder was the only hobby in Kim Minu’s life that brought him pleasure.
He would no longer be able to kill once he went to prison, so enjoying himself as much as possible before then was not such a bad option for him.
Shing.
With Kim Minu drawing his knife and chasing after the couple, Scene 89 came to an end.
“Cut!”
After calling cut and reviewing the footage on the monitor, Director-producer Park let out an exclamation without realizing it.
“...Ha, that’s insane.”
It would be good to film the chase scene from multiple angles, so they would do a few more takes, but...
What they had just filmed was already perfect enough to air immediately.
‘Hansol really is...’
As Director-producer Park watched Lee Hansol’s acting again, he had no choice but to revise his earlier thought.
Lee Hansol was not secretly a cheat-code character.
Emotional acting, action acting.
Everything about him was exceptional. He was openly a cheat-code character.
“Director-producer, was that okay?”
“Yes, Hansol! It was excellent! I think we just need a few more takes of the first running section from different angles!”
A few additional takes followed.
“All right! Okay!!”
Before an hour had passed, Director-producer Park gave the okay sign.
Considering Director-producer Park’s exacting nature and the difficulty of a chase scene, it was truly astonishing.
“This is a great start for the first day.”
“Hansol’s acting, seriously... It might be even better than at the last table read.”
You could not predict a project’s success from its first shoot.
But there was a feeling that came with a project that would do well.
Smile.
Once filming for Scene 89 ended, smiles appeared on the production crew’s faces.
They had that feeling.
That they might be making a project even better than the public expected.
“All right, let’s move on to the next shoot!”
“Great work! Waaaah!”
The production crew’s energy as they moved to the next shoot seemed ready to pierce the sky.
Thanks to their genius actor in the villain role, The Last Clue team had begun gathering momentum from the very first shoot, like pouring oil on a fire.
* * *
The chase scenes for The Last Clue were filmed in real residential areas and alleys with permission.
They had secured locations with as few people around as possible during a time of low foot traffic, but naturally, there were still people passing through.
“...What’s with all these people? Can I pass through?”
“Ah, yes! Please go right ahead! I’ll guide you.”
These days, if you blocked off a road because you were filming a drama, people would raise hell about how inconsiderate it was.
The assistant director of The Last Clue guided passersby through the area.
“Are they filming a drama? Can I take pictures?”
“Ah, sorry, but photos aren’t allowed because leaks could cause problems.”
Even if they tried their best to prevent leaks, there were limits.
While the chase scene was underway, several ordinary people passed through the filming location.
[Title: They filmed The Last Clue in my neighborhood today]
-I saw The Last Clue written on the actors’ scripts lol
A few of them posted what they had seen on online communities.
The Last Clue was one of the most anticipated productions of the second half of the year, with all sorts of star actors appearing in it.
Naturally, their eyewitness accounts quickly drew attention.
But...
-Oh, really? Did you see any celebrities then?
└Yeah, but it was an actor whose name I didn’t know.
└Must’ve been an extra.
└I don’t think so. I’d never seen him before, but his acting was insanely good.
What the witnesses unanimously talked about was not the leads, such as Shin Ah-gyeong or Jeong In-hwan.
-Right, I saw him too. I think he was in a villain role?
-I passed by and saw him. His acting was seriously fucking good. I only watched for a moment, but I got chills all over.
Some unknown actor in a villain role from The Last Clue.
The small number of witnesses lavishly praised the unfamiliar actor in the villain role’s acting as utterly insane.
-Lol, you’re all exaggerating so hard.
└I’m not exaggerating. You’ll get chills too when you see that guy act later.
-So are you saying he acts better than Shin Ah-gyeong and Jeong In-hwan? Lol.
└From what I saw briefly, he at least didn’t fall behind either of them.
-Who is this actor in the villain role that everyone’s making such a fuss over?
-How good could his acting possibly be?
Because the eyewitnesses’ accounts were so consistent, people gradually began to believe them.
And so, rumors about The Last Clue’s crazy(?) actor in the villain role began spreading to the public through online communities.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
