Chapter 53
Gil Bo-young had the ability to analyze a character's story and cause-and-effect just by looking at the short synopsis and the few lines of script used for the audition, and then create delicate emotional expressions from them.
Director Park Jun-beom said he had been genuinely amazed by her ability.
“Th-Thank you··· I-I never thought I would hear such wonderful words···.”
Gil Bo-young was genuinely moved by Director Park's storm of praise, and before she knew it, tears had filled her eyes.
“No, I'm the one who's grateful. I was really, really thankful and touched that you acted out my character so delicately. That's why I wanted to ask you something. Would it be okay if I offered you another role?”
Startled by Director Park's unexpected offer, Gil Bo-young hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“Another role··· What kind of role···?”
“The Crown Princess.”
There was a strange strength in Director Park's voice.
“The Crown Princess···?”
“If you look at the amount of screen time, the Crown Princess actually has almost more scenes than Concubine Seo. But she has very few lines, so she can easily feel like a background character among the other characters. However, I think that role is exactly the kind that should be played by an actor who is good at acting.”
Director Park explained that although the Crown Princess might seem like a background character in some ways, she had to constantly give her own reactions while the other actors were acting.
Because of that, even experienced veteran actors would find the role difficult.
“Besides, do actresses these days even care about things like that? Rather than wanting to act, they only want to appear on screen as much as possible, and if a project doesn't have lots of lines, they don't even want to look at it···. Ah, I'm not trying to put down actresses··· Ahem···.”
Gil Bo-young remained silent for a moment after hearing Director Park's explanation, then opened her mouth again.
“Actually, when I read the proposal, I was interested in the Crown Princess role···.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Like you said, it could look like a background role, but the Crown Princess's situation and emotional line throughout the story are incredibly complicated. I felt like there wouldn't be a single reaction that I could just let pass by. Since the reactions themselves are literally emotional acting, I thought that whoever took the role would have a really difficult time.”
“As expected, I thought someone like Bo-young would recognize the true value of that role.”
Director Park spoke toward Gil Bo-young with admiration.
After a brief silence, he opened his mouth again.
“That's why I want you to play the Crown Princess, Gil.”
Gil Bo-young hesitated without giving an answer.
Seeing her hesitation, Director Park grew anxious and spoke again.
“I know why you're hesitating. You failed the role you actually auditioned for, and it looks like you're being given a role that anyone would consider inferior to the one you originally auditioned for···.”
Director Park knew better than anyone that, although it might seem like a trivial matter, there was almost nothing more humiliating for a proud actress.
So he spoke carefully.
“No, that's not a problem. And I don't think the Crown Princess role is inferior to Concubine Seo's role. It's just···.”
She paused for a moment before continuing.
“I'm worried about whether I can do it well···. Like you said, this really isn't an easy role, and if I let my ambition get the better of me, I might end up ruining the role···.”
At Gil Bo-young's words, Director Park smiled in relief.
“Gil, isn't that a little too much humility? Haha.”
With Gil Bo-young being the final person cast as the Crown Princess, all casting for the movie Blue Sun, Red Moon was finally complete.
Even as quitting time approached, there was still no reply from Gil Bo-young.
I had already been worried because Gil Bo-young had failed the audition, so I kept checking my phone over and over, afraid that I might miss her reply.
Eventually, just as I was about to press the call button and call her first out of frustration, my phone vibrated.
It was Gil Bo-young.
“Hello? Noona?”
“Sorry for contacting you so late. By any chance, is it still okay to watch a late-night movie?”
For some reason, Gil Bo-young's voice on the other end sounded slightly excited.
“Of course.”
After deciding to watch a late-night movie, I headed to a coffee shop near the theater where I was supposed to meet Gil Bo-young.
I sat by the window on the second floor of the coffee shop and waited for Gil Bo-young.
As I looked out at the streets lit up by neon signs, I suddenly fell into deep thought.
<I'm thinking of formally offering you a position on the planning team.>
<You're a born planner.>
Han Tae-sung's words from earlier that day kept echoing in my ears.
The more I thought about them, the heavier my heart felt.
My ability to solve problems that occurred on a movie set was something I had built through twenty years of firsthand experience working in the film industry.
But predicting whether a movie would succeed, and accurately identifying which directors, actors, and scripts would succeed in the future, was something I could do because I was a regressor.
No, it was simply an ability I had happened to gain.
I couldn't really call it my own ability.
'Hey, Min Gi-baek. Get a grip.
This is a second chance at life given to you by the heavens!
So what the hell are you hesitating about?
You don't have time to worry about some pointless guilt at this point.'
“Gi-baek, you came early.”
Gil Bo-young's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
Gil Bo-young had approached without me noticing and was smiling at me.
“Noona, you're here?”
We sat facing each other with our drinks and continued our conversation.
“I'm glad your expression is brighter than I expected, Noona. Honestly, I was a little worried after seeing the audition results.”
“So you asked me to watch a late-night movie to cheer me up?”
Instead of answering, I simply smiled.
Gil Bo-young spoke with a slightly excited expression.
“I have something to tell you.”
“Oh, I have something to tell you too, Noona.”
“Really? What is it?”
“You go first.”
