Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 440: Miso (2)

What Oh Bok-Hee was about to do was provide acting guidance.

Acting guidance involved the PD instructing actors to perform according to the PD's vision for the drama, and Oh Bok-Hee was famously strict in her acting guidance.

Nonetheless, ever since arriving on the set of Hwaranjeon in Gyeongju, she had not done this yet. This restraint stemmed from an incident during her previous project, The Magic Lamp.

While giving acting guidance to lead actor Choi Tae-Woong, a heated argument escalated into a near physical altercation and almost derailed the drama's production.

Although the conflict arose from Choi Tae-Woong neglecting script rehearsals and relying on his popularity, the blame fell entirely on Oh Bok-Hee..

To avoid such issues, Oh Bok-Hee had promised Choi Sang-Byung to minimize acting guidance when she took on Hwaranjeon. Yet now, the infamously strict Oh Bok-Hee was about to break that promise.

Geum Eun-Dong rushed over and grabbed Oh Bok-Hee. "Mrs. Oh! P-Please wait a moment!"

Oh Bok-Hee tilted her head. "What's wrong, Eun-Dong? Is there a problem?"

"Yes, there is a problem! Even if it's just for the child actors, what are you going to do if you upset the S-class actresses? If anything goes wrong during your guidance, the department head and the president will show up here immediately to discipline you!"

Oh Bok-Hee replied calmly. "Discipline? Go ahead. They can take my liver while they're at it!"

"Mrs. Oh!"

Laughing playfully, Oh Bok-Hee covered her ears. "Don't worry. I have no intention of meddling with the S-class actresses. They're doing fine on their own, aren't they? I just want to guide the child actors since they've never acted in front of a green screen before."

Geum Eun-Dong asked skeptically, "Are you sure?"

"What is it? You don't believe me? Should I go ahead and guide the actresses instead?"

"W-What kind of scary joke is that?"

Oh Bok-Hee chuckled. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'll only guide the CG scenes with the child actors. So you can relax."

"Sigh~ Fine. I'll inform the staff about it."

Oh Bok-Hee patted Geum Eun-Dong on the shoulder and headed toward the set.

Watching this unfold, Yoo-Jin tilted her head in confusion. "Oppa, why is it a problem if Mrs. Oh provides acting guidance?"

"It's because Mrs. Oh's acting guidance is notoriously strict. She knows the script inside out and provides guidance accordingly, but some actors feel she nitpicks too much and would get defensive."

Actors generally disliked being guided by directors. To them, it was a matter of pride as acting was their profession.

Yoo-Jin looked puzzled. "Isn't that a good thing? It can help actors improve and work on their weaknesses. Miso's never acted in front of a green screen before, so wouldn't it be helpful?"

I trailed off and glanced toward the set. "If everyone thought like that, there'd be no fights. Acting is a personal art, so proud actors often hate being guided. Anyway, it's a relief she's only guiding the child actors..."

Nevertheless, Lee Tae-Yeon was not the type to let anyone guide her daughter's acting without making a fuss.

It seemed like a commotion was brewing.

***

At the center of the set, one side was draped with a greenscreen, and a luxurious silk cushion was elegantly placed.

Miso lay on it while reviewing her script and Choi Ji-Yung was going over the script with her. About two meters away, other royal family members sat while waiting for their turn.

Oh Bok-Hee greeted the actors busy with preparations and then sat next to Miso to begin her acting guidance. "Miso, you know the fireflies will be added later with computer graphics in this scene, right?"

Miso lying under the blanket sat up abruptly. "Yes! The script says the fireflies sent by BiHyungRang will come through that window and surround my body!"

Miso pointed to one of the windows and enthusiastically explained the fireflies' movements aloud.

Seeing Miso's sparkling eyes, Oh Bok-Hee smiled with satisfaction. "That's right. So Miso, just pretend to be dead until you get the signal, then open your eyes."

"But I won't see the signal if my eyes are closed. Hmm~ How about I open my eyes when the Second Queen falls to the floor in front of me?" Miso suggested innocently as she tilted her head.

Oh Bok-Hee's expression grew even more pleased. "Miso, you've really read the script thoroughly, haven't you?"

Miso set down her script book and spread her hands wide. "I did! Mom said Miss Han worked super hard on it and I should read it carefully. I've read it ten, no, more than twenty times!"

Oh Bok-Hee's face lit up as if she found Miso absolutely adorable. "Really? Wow, Miso, you've done a great job."

Miso gave a seated bow with a playful smile. "Hehe, thank you!"

"Alright then. From that point on, focus on your hand movements. Imagine a firefly in your hand and gently cup your hands around it..."

Before Oh Bok-Hee could demonstrate, Miso brought her hands together and stared warmly into the space between them. "Like this?"

Miso's expression softened into one of tender affection as though greeting an old friend.

When Miso transformed into Princess Yu-Hwa in that instant, Oh Bok-Hee couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "Wow~ That's great! But could you express it just a bit more affectionately? Like you're looking at someone you love?"

Oh Bok-Hee showed a bit of ambition and gave Miso a more detailed direction.

Miso pondered briefly before asking, "Then can I imagine it's Mom and Uncle Yoon-Ho Fireflies in my hands?"

"Mom and Uncle Yoon-Ho?"

"Yes! I love Mom and Uncle Yoon-Ho the most in the whole world."

Miso declared her feelings loudly and without a hint of embarrassment for everyone to hear. Moments like these left me feeling both grateful and a little sorry. With the growing number of actors under Team Jung this year, I hadn't been able to spend as much time with Miso as before.

Oh Bok-Hee nodded. "Alright. Do it just like that."

Just like that, Oh Bok-Hee abruptly ended the acting guidance.

'Why is she finishing so early?' I wondered.

The Oh Bok-Hee I knew would usually push an actor for over ten minutes during guidance. But with Miso, she was as gentle as a kind aunt.

That's when it dawned on me that Miso had grown enough to earn the recognition of even the notoriously demanding Oh Bok-Hee.

Yoo-Jin tilted her head. "Oppa, she doesn't seem strict at all."

"That's because Miso's so well prepared. I bet she's the first actor to pass so smoothly under Mrs. Oh."

Yoo-Jin looked at me skeptically with half-closed eyes, clearly unconvinced.

Just as I started feeling a bit defensive, Oh Bok-Hee moved over to Yang Yi-Ji. "Yi-Ji, the scene we're about to shoot is a tricky one. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know."

Pointing to the scene and the set, Oh Bok-Hee began giving instructions. "Good. Princess Jeong-Hwa should look scared with her eyes darting around. Occasionally, she should glance at Miso lying in the bed as if hoping she'd just die. It's a bit complex, but don't get too nervous."

Yang Yi-Ji quietly listened before tilting her head. "But Mom said this isn't my scene, so I could take a break."

"No, your face will appear in the wide-angle shots. You can't look absent-minded. Even if it's brief, you need to fully immerse yourself in the scene."

Oh Bok-Hee explained the emotional flow, gaze direction, line tempo, and even the stage directions for the passing scene. @@novelbin@@

Only then did the astonished Yoo-Jin nod. "Whoa~ She's no joke."

"See? I told you so."

"I totally agree!"

At that moment, Lee Tae-Yeon, who had been watching, finally stepped in as Oh Bok-Hee's acting guidance dragged on.

"Mrs. Oh. I've been coaching my child's acting, so you don't need to go this far."

Oh Bok-Hee fixed her gaze on Lee Tae-Yeon. "Listen here, Ms. Lee Tae-Yeon."

Oh Bok-Hee always addressed her as "Ms. Tae-Yeon" with the utmost respect, but she suddenly adopted a formal and distant tone. This abrupt change left even the confident Lee Tae-Yeon speechless and flustered.

"W-what did you call me Mrs. Oh?"

"Are you here as a mother or as Actress Lee Tae-Yeon?"

"Why are you asking that?"

"If you're here as a mother, I'll have to ask you to leave the set."

Their gazes clashed in the air with sparks practically flying. As Oh Bok-Hee and Lee Tae-Yeon argued, Yang Yi-Ji flinched and lowered her head.

At that moment, Oh Bok-Hee spoke to Yang Yi-Ji. "Lift your head, Yang Yi-Ji! Right now, you're not here as Lee Tae-Yeon's daughter. You're here as an individual actor!"

Even while clashing with Lee Tae-Yeon, Oh Bok-Hee treated Yang Yi-Ji not as her daughter but as her own actor.

Oh Bok-Hee began addressing Lee Tae-Yeon as if she were just another layperson with no understanding of acting. "Yi-Ji has great potential. But if her mother keeps interfering like this, Yi-Ji will never be able to reach her full capabilities."

"W-what did you say?"

Though Lee Tae-Yeon's face twisted in anger, Oh Bok-Hee continued without hesitation. "So step back from this final scene. I need to bring out all of Yi-Ji's potential right now!"

When Oh Bok-Hee raised her voice and locked eyes with Lee Tae-Yeon, she glared back fiercely.

However, Oh Bok-Hee didn't blink as she delivered her final ultimatum. "Decide now. Will you stay on this set as Actress Lee Tae-Yeon for the shoot, or will you leave as Yi-Ji's mother and confront me outside?"

The standoff between the two prideful women filled the air with palpable tension. It seemed like a physical fight might break out at any moment, leaving the staff around them sweating nervously.

Fortunately, Lee Tae-Yeon took a step back. "Fine! Do as you wish!"

Lee Tae-Yeon huffed in frustration and turned her attention back to her script.

At that moment, Oh Bok-Hee resumed her detailed instructions to Yang Yi-Ji as if nothing had happened. "Yi-Ji, there are a few things to keep in mind when acting in front of the greenscreen..."

Although Yang Yi-Ji seemed dazed for a moment, she soon focused on Oh Bok-Hee's words.

It became clear that choosing Oh Bok-Hee as the PD for Hwaranjeon was a wise decision.She was willing to confront even S-class actresses to improve the drama, highlighting the potential success of Hwaranjeon.

***

After providing detailed guidance to Jin Gong-Ju as well, Oh Bok-Hee returned to her seat.

Grabbing a megaphone, Oh Bok-Hee shouted with a tense expression. "Alright, let's get started! Props team, direction team, production team—move on my signals. Let's go! Episode 4, Scene 50. Ready~~ Action!"

With Oh Bok-Hee's call, the filming of Hwaranjeon began.

The court physician looked at Miso lying down after eating a poisonous mushroom and shook his head.

『Princess Yu-Hwa's soul... has already crossed halfway over the Sanzu River.』

At that moment, Choi Ji-Yung, playing the Second Queen, cried out in disbelief and pulled Miso into her embrace.

Miso pretended to be unconscious and limply leaned into Choi Ji-Yung's arms.

Choi Ji-Yung gently caressed Miso's face and spoke with heartrending emotion.

『Yu-Hwa, please wake up. I'll give you anything...anything at all. Just please open your eyes.』

However, Miso's chest remained utterly still.

That's when Choi Ji-Yung began to wail mournfully.

『Yu-Hwa, don't you hear me? I made an entire basket of flower rice cakes for you. I have a silk dress tailored just for you. So please... please... just open your eyes. I'll let you do whatever you want, so please...』

When Choi Ji-Yung's voice filled with anguish echoed across the set, the staff watched in solemn silence.

Then Miso's body suddenly went limp. Her slender arm fell onto the blanket, palm facing upward, and her neck, which had been struggling to hold upright, dropped lifelessly backward.

The stunned staff gasped and Yoo-Jin standing nearby grabbed my arm tightly, equally shaken.

To think a seven-year-old could convey death through her body so convincingly was astonishing. Every time I saw her, Miso's movements left me in awe. Each of her gestures was filled with precision and depth.

At that moment, Choi Ji-Yung held Miso in her arms and cried out in a high-pitched voice.

『Child! My child! No! Where do you think you're going, leaving your mother behind?』

Choi Ji-Yung's face flushed bright red. Veins stood out on her throat and a roar pulled from the deepest depths of her chest echoed throughout the set. Her heart-wrenching cries were laced with pain so raw it felt like her heart was being torn to shreds.

As the intensity escalated, the atmosphere on set grew increasingly tense.

Then, Choi Ji-Yung tilted her head to the heavens and wailed as if in a funeral dirge.

『Heavenly spirits... Oh heavenly spirits who watch over Seorabeol... I offer all the remaining years of my life to you. Please, I beg you, grant Yu-Hwa her life!』

Choi Ji-Yung's voice resonated powerfully, each word saturated with desperation. She then bit down hard on her pinky finger which had been rigged with a special effects device.

Fake blood began to drip from her finger in thick droplets.

Song Ji-Hwan, playing King Eumgalmun, shouted in protest.

『My Queen! No, this cannot be!』

However, Choi Ji-Yung pressed on, using her blood to draw a mysterious symbol on both her own forehead and Miso's.

This was part of the ritual depicted in the drama where she used the power of a goblin to transfer her lifespan to her daughter.

As Choi Ji-Yung etched the shapes with the dripping blood, tension among the staff reached its peak.

The terrifying brilliance of Choi Ji-Yung's frenzied performance was something young Miso would now have to mirror and continue seamlessly.

Everyone held their breath as they anxiously waited to see how Miso would follow such an intense display.

I, too, couldn't help but feel both nervous anticipation and excitement for what Miso was about to deliver her performance.