115 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.115 #115. Otaku Kid The project I was participating in was titled [Love Rides the Waves.] It seemed more akin to a nerdy movie or anime title than a typical Korean drama. However, after scanning through some web drama titles, I realized that wasn’t necessarily the case. I figured the popular trend leaned towards such styles these days, and while burying my face in my phone map, I soon found myself at the meeting place. “Taemin!” A silhouette that felt unfamiliar now but I would need to get accustomed to soon. It was my manager in charge. “Oh, hello.” I bowed my head to greet him, but... “Are we shooting here?” There didn’t seem to be any cameras or anything else around. For a moment, I felt embarrassed, having expected a much larger set. “Oh, no! Of course, you need to get your makeup done first before shooting. Please, follow me.” The manager led me into a rather respectable building and took me up the elevator. As soon as the doors opened, a familiar scent hit— reminiscent of a department store's first floor. “Welcome~” As the automatic doors opened and we entered, a woman who looked like a salon director exchanged words with the manager and swiftly took me to a chair. “Nice to meet you. Your name is...?” “Oh, my name is Han Taemin.” “Yes~ Taemin. This is your first time using our salon, yes?” “Yeah…” Don't talk to me, don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me. Hair salon staff were my arch-nemesis. Even more so in this extravagant place that was already chipping away at my mental endurance. “Many other YM artists come here often~” “I see.” “But Taemin, your skin is really lovely. Even male idols often struggle with their skin.” Why does she have so much to say without being prompted? I just wanted to plug in earphones and watch Luca videos in front of me. At school, it was easy to refuse such conversations, but here, this was a place of business, a workspace. Powder and cream. Pencils and lipstick. Items I'd never thought would touch my face were now being used generously on me. “Wow... Taemin, you look so radiant!” The makeup session was close to completion, and my face in the mirror... well... To put it drastically, it was like a mythic item heavily enhanced. “Oh... thank you...” “We've finished for now, but I'll call the manager over for some discussions to wrap up.” “Yes...” Left alone for a very brief moment, I slowly turned my head from side to side. Is it really okay for a guy's lips to be this red? Even though it's my own face, it felt unfamiliar. Before long, I heard footsteps, and my manager was nodding vigorously at me. “Ah, as expected, your face really shines thanks to the skilled hands of the chief.” “Oh~ no, it’s been a while since I've had the chance to work with such a promising new face.” “We really have high expectations for Taemin.” The two exchanged compliments with each other as if I wasn’t right in front of them, making me wish I could disappear somewhere. “Let’s head to the shooting site.” The manager took me in his car, and sitting in the passenger seat, I fastened my seatbelt with a slightly uneasy expression. “How are you feeling, Taemin?” “Me? Uh... I think I'm okay.” “That’s good. Not nervous?” “A little nervous.” I wasn’t sure how much the makeup cost, but I felt it had better be worth the expense. “Oh~ you don’t need to worry. As we discussed, today might just be a simple walk-through.” Please say that’s true. If there were any unexpected requirements, I wasn't confident in my ability to handle them. The filming location wasn’t far, about a ten-minute drive. Once we parked and entered the alley, the setup was unmistakably a filming site, with all the equipment laid out. “All right! Cut!” The man presumed to be the director called out “cut,” and the actors and crew began to stir. “Director!” The manager pulled me into the crowd, leading me to the director. Before us stood the director, wearing a padded jacket, with an impressive and somewhat strict appearance fitting of his role. His eyes, visible through rectangular glasses, carried the stubbornness unique to a stern person. “Nice to meet you. I’m Director Jo Gyuhyuk.” “I’m Han Taemin! I look forward to working with you!” Understanding the dynamics between him as a director and me as an unknown rookie, I respectfully bowed deeply. “First, manager, please get him into wardrobe. I think it’s best to shoot right now and move on to the next part.” “Yes, understood!” The conversation ended there. The manager hurriedly retrieved the wardrobe from another staff member and brought it back. “Taemin, please go in and change into these!” ...School uniform, huh? I thought I'd never wear one again after graduation. Though, if Doa suggested something like a school uniform date, I had considered borrowing one. And the thought of Doa in a school uniform... Somehow... heh... -Knock knock knock “Taemin! Please hurry up!” “Oh, yes!” This wasn’t the time to be dawdling. After quickly changing into the uniform, a woman who appeared to be the stylist adjusted my outfit once I stepped out. “We’re ready to shoot!” The instructions were laughably simple and almost absurd in their simplicity. Just walk from the end of the alley to the lamppost with your hands in your pockets, they said. “And what about my expression...?” Walking was just walking, but how should my face express anything? “Just use your usual, laid-back expression. A bit of a blank one. I think that’ll do perfectly.” “Ah... okay...” “Just think of it as casually strolling down the street. Don’t stress too much.” As I was led to the end of the alley by my manager, I noticed other supporting actors getting ready to follow me. Judging by their appearance, it seemed like we were portraying a school drama's typical group of delinquents. Though I’m not a seasoned actor, I was an expert at walking with a nonchalant expression. At the cue signal, I slowly stepped forward. “Cut!” It ended in less than ten seconds. Is it really over? That quickly? Even if they wanted another take, this was something I could easily do ten more times. The director wore an enigmatic expression. The supporting actors and I stood idly, awaiting further instructions. “Han Taemin’s manager! Could you come over for a moment?” It was my manager being called, not me, and suddenly, I felt myself stiffen. Damn. If there’s a problem, I wish it were me getting scolded... But is there even anything to scold about here? Disliking the idea of someone else being reprimanded due to my mistakes, I waited for my manager with an apologetic expression. The manager approached with a rather serious look. I gulped. “Uh... Taemin.” “Yes?” “Could you do one line?” ...A line? They want me to act with spoken words? “Uh... which line is it...?” The director asked if you could deliver this one line. If it was anything challenging, it was absolutely out of my depth. If it required shouting or excessive action, I’d have to refuse. “Yeah, yeah.” “[That otaku needs to know their place.] That's the line." The line itself was perplexing, but the content and its context... Why is there suddenly aggression? Though they probably didn't mean it that way, a casually tossed stone can inadvertently harm an unsuspecting frog. And it seemed like that unfortunate frog was me this time. “What tone should I use for this...?” “The director asked for it to be as disdainful as possible, complimenting how your current demeanor perfectly suits the scene.” My manager earnestly explained how this was a great opportunity for me. “Try it out, and if the director doesn’t like it, they’ll handle it in the editing. Just do your best to capture that feeling.” It felt questionable, but it was just one line. I couldn’t just refuse outright, so I kept quietly reciting the line to myself before going in. That otaku needs to know their place. That otaku needs to know their place. That otaku needs to know their place. Right. They must mean using that annoyingly snide tone Luca uses during his skits. As the cue signal came in, I walked forward just as before. Reaching the lamppost, I turned my head slightly askew and glared at the camera with disdain. “That otaku needs to know their place.” Of course, the chances of otaku watching a web drama like this was slim, but just in case, I apologize in advance. Truly. Delivering a silent apology to those I’d never meet, I observed the director’s reaction. He seemed to be replaying the scene... “Wow... that's it.” ...Does that mean I did well?