Aura of a Genius Actor

༺ Leaving Work Scene ft. Office Escape ༻

“Mr. Park, are you aware that Assistant Team Leader Yoon left the company without notice?”

“Yes. You’re probably worried about it, team leader.”

“This is a headache. Why don’t you cover Mr. Yoon’s work for now?” 

“…Of course we have to share the workload in situations like this. However, covering everything by myself might be difficult since the lines I manage are already operating at full capacity. Can you coordinate it if I divide the work appropriately, team leader?”

“…Alright.”

Park Joo-won smiled. 

Unfazed by the team leader’s unreasonable request, he quickly suggested an alternative. 

“What? Why is that shipment going there…? You need to bring it back. Redirect the other shipments? Haha… I’d like to help with that, but the department head is paying close attention to logistics these days. If we get caught, both of us will have to report to him. Yes, please sort it out and call me back.”

Even his approach to handling the mistake of another team leader in the scene captured earlier was different.

It was a polite refusal.

Although he was smiling, it gave off an unyielding feeling.

After hanging up the phone, he let out a slight sigh with a smile, then turned back to his monitor.

It wasn’t a real smile but a default, artificial one.

Seeing that expression, Park Jinhee was reminded of a team leader from another department.

There were always people like that in every company. Always smiling, not raising their voice, and yet smoothly managing to get work done their smoothly and on time — a so-called ‘competent’ employee.

Smiling, yet not seeming happy. That person didn’t seem harmless or easy to approach.

How did a 25-year-old know such a business-like smile?

Then came the final scene of the Mask phase.

“Deputy Manager, I don’t understand this.”

“It’s in the manual, page 3, item 15.”

“Oh no, the program froze!”

“If you don’t touch it for more than 5 minutes, you’ll need to re-authenticate for security.”

“We’ve got a call from the Daejeon factory!”

“When you’re already on the phone with someone else, ask for their department and name, then message me. I explained this yesterday as well. This is the protocol for when we get calls from related departments during work.”

Oh no—

The new employee backed off at his stern look.

For someone who was always smiling, switching to a blank expression had more impact compared to when an ordinary person became angry.

As the new employee quieted down, Park Joo-won removed his hand from the phone and continued his call. This concluded the third scene of the mask phase.

When Yoomyeong hung up the phone with a click, the tension in the studio dissipated.

“How was it, Director?”

“Uh… Good. It’s like seeing the epitome of a business-like smile. Have you worked in an office before?”

“No, haha. The image of a working office employee is a common cliché.”

Of course, he had never worked in an office.

But Yoomyeong, who had played countless roles as an extra office worker, used to observe bank employees at work all day to understand the essence of being an office worker. 

And when he was short on living expenses and took delivery jobs, he would keenly observe the scenery from the offices.

That was the first virtue of an actor.

Observation.

It was the ability to take an interest in various people, to contemplate their actions and the emotions that provoked those actions.

“The concept of a business-like smile seems relatable, but the key is whether it’ll look distinctly different from a real smile on camera. We’ll have to see it.”

“Let’s give it a try.”

Thus, the hours-long shooting of the mask phase concluded.

What remained was the scene of Park Joo-won transitioning from being an office worker to a person after work.

“Set up for the transition scene!!”

Following the director’s instruction, a large prop rolled itself to the center of the office set.

Dominating the center of the large office set was Hyunseong’s new car, <Crude>.

*

Tick— tack— tok—

They shot a close-up shot of the clock’s second hand as it ticked…

17:59:58

17:59:59

18:00:00

And clicked into place exactly at 6:00 PM.

Deputy Manager Park Joo-won stood up precisely at 6 PM, picking up his bag.

At that moment, everyone in the office froze.

On the screen, everything except Park Joo-won was to be greyed out, indicating that the post-work office was no longer his reality.

Beep— 

When he pressed the remote in his hand, the Crude’s headlights blinked once as if the car was opening its eyes.

It would be edited in the final version so that the Crude was going to be summoned into the office the moment he pressed the remote.

In front of the car that now dominated the center of the office, Park Joo-won underwent a small transformation.

He leisurely loosened his tie and unbuttoned two buttons, briefly revealing a dark green lining.

Then, he unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up twice, revealing more of the green lining and altering his previously overly neat appearance.

‘Waah, he loosened his tie and rolled his sleeves up!’ 

Park Jinhee’s face turned red, but no one fortunately noticed her expression because everyone’s attention was captivated by Yoomyeong’s every move.

Swoosh— 

He ran a hand through his neatly combed hair, messing it up.

The carefully styled hair fell loosely over his forehead as the wax’s hold loosened. And then,

He took off his glasses.

The moment the glasses, which seemed to complete the ‘mask,’ were removed, his expression changed dramatically.

His previously stiff eyes became lively.

Then, the corners of his mouth slightly curved upwards.

Even that slight angle change brightened his expression, like a puzzle piece finally clicking into place and revealing a genuine smile.

‘Incredible…’ 

Seeing that brief transformation, Jinhee leaned against the wall beside her. It felt as if her legs might give out. It was a touching moment, even for a fan…

At the same time, she could sense that this <Crude> advertisement would be a huge hit and would elevate her career at the same time.

Click— 

With an expectant, joyful smile, he embodied the relaxed smile of an adult man as he opened the door of the car.

After stretching his neck, he leaned deeply into the driver’s seat and started the car.

The dashboard, inspired by aircraft and targeting the analog preferences of adult men, lit up dazzlingly as he skillfully operated the gear.

“Cut—”

Everyone was speechless after the director called the cut and turned his attention back to the monitor.

Then, he looked at Yoomyeong and silently gave a thumbs-up.

Park Jinhee also raised her thumb.

Ordinary compliments couldn’t convey how they really felt.

*

“I’m ready.”

The office set was just a part of the huge studio. A considerable amount of space was reserved outside the office, and the back wall was meticulously covered with green fabric.

This was a scene that Park Jinhee felt must be included despite the cost and effort it took.

“Let’s do a final check to make sure we haven’t missed any office cuts.”

The director sat down with the assistant director and checked the script and storyboard carefully, ensuring that the office scene which would appear at the end of the 3-minute full version, was completed. 

Not a single cut of the Mask phase could be missed because the next scene would ‘destroy’ the so-called office beyond repair.

“All checked. We’ve secured the close-up insert of the clock, and nothing is missing.”

“Good. Let’s move on to the scene as he left work.”

Leaving Work.

The next scene had an ordinary name compared to what was actually going to be filmed.

“Mr. Yoomyeong, safety isn’t an issue since we’ve made the wall easy to break, and any props that the car might hit are made of styrofoam. This scene can’t be reshot, so don’t be startled by the vibration or impact. Just accelerate quickly and then slow down at the designated spot. The distance is short, so you won’t go very fast even with full acceleration.”

“Understood.”

At 6 PM, Park Joo-won made his switch as the entire office background turned gray.

The stifling outfit transformed with just a few adjustments, and a bright red sedan appeared in the middle of the office.

He would leisurely enter the car and literally break through the office before disappearing.

‘Ah… I wish I could film that scene myself.’ 

Every office worker watching this shoot must have thought the same.

Was there an office worker who hadn’t fantasized about blowing up the office and escaping?

Although it was just a set, that fantasy was about to unfold right before their eyes.

Park Jinhee also clasped her hands together.

‘Blowing it away with a bang…’

“Let’s go-!”

The jib camera rose with a whir.

The camera had to capture Yoomyeong’s expression right before the car broke through the wall, and a crane couldn’t be used for safety reasons. With only one chance for the shot, the cinematographer who was controlling the jib clenched the remote tightly, his face tense with concentration.

As the camera zeroed in on Yoomyeong, he fired up the engine with a rev. 

A smooth yet lively sound filled the air, and then… 

Yoomyeong stepped on the accelerator. The car’s engine roared as it gained speed, the sound of power unfurling. 

Without lifting his foot off the accelerator, he pressed down slowly but firmly.

The short distance from the center of the office to the wall quickly closed in, and…

Boom—! 

The wall, which was made of light material, burst outward with a scattering sound.

The onlookers swallowed back their cheers. 

The sight of the office walls shattering gave a vicarious thrill to those who spent their lives boxed within those very walls. 

Yoomyeong then stepped on the brake after reaching the space where the green screen stood, which would later be composited to a breathtaking sky and an open road with no traffic.

“Great! That’s a wrap for today!”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

*

“You’ve worked so hard, Yoomyeong!”

As Park Jinhee saw him off after the shoot, she found herself slipping back into fan mode. 

“Wow… I really… I realized today that I could become a fan all over again even though I already was one.”

“Was it okay?”

“Okay? That’s an understatement!! You can’t sell yourself short even in front of me, Mr. Yoomyeong!”

“Haha…”

Embarrassed by Jinhee’s fervent praise, Yoomyeong changed the topic.

“But team leader, about the Unmask scene we’re shooting in three days…”

“Yes, is there something concerning you?”

“Well… Deputy Manager Park Joo-won enjoys playing billiards after work, but…”

“Yes. Oh, do you not know how to play billiards? Are you worried about the pose?”

“It’s not that… I was wondering what you’d think about doing Korean traditional archery instead.”

“You know how to shoot an arrow?!”

Park Jinhee, surprised by Yoomyeong’s suggestion, imagined him pulling the bowstring with a cold gaze.

‘Omg, this is a must-see!’

“I learned for a scene in <The Late Goryeo Dynasty & the Early Joseon Dynasty>. I can’t guarantee that I’ll hit the center of the target, but I can manage the posture.”

“Wait, so there’s a scene where you shoot an arrow in <The Late Goryeo Dynasty & the Early Joseon Dynasty>?”

“Yes, it’s a brief but significant scene that triggers the storyline.”

“Oh my goodness. That’s valuable information… Thank you so much, Mr. Yoomyeong.”

‘Not at all, team leader.’

Korean traditional archery was rarely seen. Combined with its visual beauty on screen and the contrast with office worker Park Joo-won’s character, it would surely create a buzz as it also appeared in <The Late Goryeo Dynasty & the Early Joseon Dynasty>.

Park Jinhee was thrilled with the idea, or rather, the opportunity that Yoomyeong had handed to her. 

“Then please. I’m counting on you.”

“I’m sorry for the trouble of changing the shooting location.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem at all in exchange for good material.”

Then, Jinhee looked at ‘her actor’ once more.

It was almost unbelievable that they were talking so closely. His humble and considerate nature was almost too good to be true. After all, they said that rising stars were usually arrogant.

“Mr. Yoomyeong, I’ll be your fan for life.”

Jinhee smiled brightly, a smile she wouldn’t usually show at work.

*

The pristine white, wide-sleeved traditional Korean archery uniform fluttered in the autumn breeze, its bright cyan belt neatly tied around Yoomyeong’s waist.

The location set for outdoor shooting three days later was the first outdoor archery range selected for the Unmask phase, which was about to be filmed shortly. 

The concept of the Unmask phase was a bright and energetic life after work. However, Yoomyeong didn’t plan to portray Park Joo-won’s post-work life as merely bright.

It would be slightly different depending on the location, but all of them would be unmistakably alive.

He wanted to show Park Joo-won, who seemed like ‘grey,’ as he wore different colors in each scene.

And the colors Yoomyeong would wear in this archery field were wildness and restraint.

“Ready—”

Yoomyeong firmly gripped the grip of the bow with his left hand and clutched an arrow with his right.

Then, the camera started rolling.

“Action!”

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