I Don’t Want to Play Villains Anymore - Chapter 9
The footsteps echoed.
And now, the final filming day has arrived. The scene that has been prepared continuously at the filming location and at home.
Despite researching with a tremendous amount of time, it was indeed…
“…it’s difficult.”
Scene number #35.
One of the highlights in the final part of the tranquil world’s story, Episode 1.
It’s a very important scene where the only Yeomra expresses emotions.
‘Did you say you would break the rules to save a soul?’
Nam Hae-jun decides to use divine power to save the dying female lead, Su-hee.
Just before the rules are about to be broken, Yeomra appears, expressing emotions and admonishing him…
‘This is really difficult…’
The essence of Yeomra’s emotions is a challenge to capture.
“Haneul, start getting ready.”
“Ah. Yes! Understood.”
The filming environment was still bustling.
Microphone checks, camera angle adjustments, lighting confirmations…
The staff were bustling around their places, out of breath.
Yet amidst all the noise, I quietly focused on the script.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way…’
Nothing else could be heard; only the script came into view.
My thoughts were fixed on the printed paper, yet my mind was replaying the same scene dozens of times.
‘…It’s very different from what I’ve done up till now.’
I didn’t want to admit it, but this scene was more challenging than any role I had taken on before.
Simply performing Neulno wouldn’t cut it.
Yeomra needed to convey reverence and tragedy beyond just being Neulno.
Scene number #35.
‘Did you say you would break the rules to save a soul?’
I muttered the script, refining Shin Sound’s lines.
Yeomra must remain calm yet firm.
Rather than expressing anger, the concept needed to burst forth with resolute reprimand from a deeper place.
Yes, the existence of Yeomra is akin to a representative of the gods.
One who adheres to the rules. And when those rules are about to be broken, one who appears first.
“Haneul, are you all set?”
Jung Hee-chang, the director’s voice echoed in my ears.
I nodded slowly and scanned the script once more, organizing the flow of emotions and preparing my breath.
The task at hand was whether I could entirely make Yeomra, as a character, my own.
“Alright, is everyone ready? Scene number 35. The story of the tranquil world. Episode 1 finale. The clash scene between Yeomra and Nam Hae-jun… action!”
As the filming start signal sounded, I quietly closed my eyes.
Bring forth.
What is the driving force behind Yeomra’s actions?
What is her primary motivation?
Yes. Yeomra is…
‘a being that maintains the rules.’
There’s no need to explode with emotions from the start.
A turbulent sea spitting out waves is not as frightening as a tsunami rising from a calm sea.
…
‘Again, the atmosphere has shifted.’
Jang Hyun-seong, who was about to act as Nam Hae-jun, shuddered as he looked at the changed Haneul.
Now the little kid who had just entered the filming location was freely plunging into emotions, creating a scene that was truly eerie.
“Nam Hae-jun. Answer me. What are you doing?”
Haneul’s voice was simply calm and composed.
But beneath that surface lay an unfathomable depth.
It seemed cool at first glance, but there was a force that firmly pressed down on something.
Even while being submerged, an immense presence overshadowed the screen.
Jang Hyun-seong almost forgot that he was reciting lines in front of him.
Perhaps he was overwhelmed by the opponent’s performance.
The Baek Haneul in front of him was no longer a five-year-old child.
Feeling foolish for thinking he was playing a sacred being, Haneul had completely transformed into the character of Yeomra.
‘Is this Haneul starting to use emotions…?’
Jang Hyun-seong desperately clenched his trembling fingertips into a fist.
As if frozen, he found it hard to produce words.
He instinctively felt a crushing sensation of his own weakened self.
‘This is not just ordinary acting… I’m being sucked into everything.’
He organized his thoughts and forced out his lines.
He had to gain control over his emotions. Being overwhelmed by the other’s presence would only crumble his performance.
“She… she must not d*e.”
Even uttering that one line tightened his chest with pressure.
Haneul’s eyes had turned cold. The unrealistically beautiful blue eyes shone with sharp light.
Those eyes seemed devoid of emotions, reflecting the judgment of a judge embodying a detached reason.
“What do you mean by her soul, Nam Hae-jun?”
Haneul’s voice slithered out like a serpent.
Yet in that voice lay the readiness of a fierce beast to pounce.
“Is it the will to live? Or your selfish desire?”
Jang Hyun-seong stifled his trembling breath and continued with his lines. However, his voice was completely absorbed.
As though caught in a daze, he had no choice but to follow Haneul’s voice.
“No… what I want is her happiness.”
“Happiness?”
The corners of Haneul’s mouth curled subtly. But it was not a smile; it was closer to a sneer.
“You are still making excuses for yourself. You will break the rules in the name of happiness.”
Haneul spoke in a cold voice, conveying his words clearly.
Those words seemed piercing thoughts aimed directly at Nam Hae-jun’s character.
“What you seek is neither salvation nor sacrifice. It’s merely self-satisfaction to fill your own void. What you’re trying to obtain at the cost of other lives is nothing but an illusion.”
Jang Hyun-seong’s face hardened. His performance needed to exhibit despair and tranquility. Yet he felt pathetic for not being able to deliver that.
“No… I want… to save her. I want her to live… to live happily…”
“Yes. And what remains at the end of that happiness?”
Haneul’s words were intensely cruel.
Like a sharp blade scraping against the opponent’s tongue, the precise tones tore down the convictions of Nam Hae-jun.
“You are merely yearning for salvation for yourself. Under the guise of caring for her, are you still unaware that you are forcing your own choices?”
Haneul’s gaze was still cold. His words transcended mere criticism, embodying judgment.
“Nam Hae-jun. Answer me. Are you truly trying to break the rules for her? Or are you willing to sacrifice everything for your own greed?”
Jang Hyun-seong’s eyes trembled. His mind went blank, and his fingertips grew cold.
Haneul’s performance was overwhelmingly powerful. The emotional storm he created as Yeomra blurred the lines between reality and imagination.
Haneul’s emotions were amplifying Jang Hyun-seong’s performance.
If the previous scenario was synergy, this felt like an enforced extraction of emotion.
Haneul was forcing the emotions he desired onto Jang Hyun-seong.
“Answer me, Nam Hae-jun! Are you really going to break the rules that have been upheld for ages out of your selfishness?!”
Haneul’s voice filled the screen, echoing throughout. That voice wasn’t simply performing tranquility.
It was resolute and ruthless, as though filled with the authority of a judge.
Jang Hyun-seong felt a chill run through his entire body. Something was pressing down on him.
‘What is this…?’
The pressure radiating from Haneul’s performance was more than just the energy of a fellow actor.
It seemed to penetrate deeply into his emotions, provoking something within him.
Instinctively, Jang Hyun-seong felt as if he were being led by something aiming to forcibly draw out his emotions.
“That’s right! I’m selfish! Wanting to save her is just my own desire!”
The line he spat out, gasping for breath, perfectly conveyed the emotions of the character he was portraying.
But in that moment, Jang Hyun-seong realized: this was not acting.
It was a genuine feeling rising from deep within his heart.
“I want… to save that child! What is d*ath? What are the rules? What do they mean when I’ve lost my own land?!”
Jang Hyun-seong’s pupils were filled with tranquility and despair.
His fingertips trembled, and his voice grew increasingly rough.
“I just… I just want to save her. I don’t care if it’s due to my desire. If she’s alive, that’s all that matters!”
Breathing grew ragged.
Jang Hyun-seong felt as if his heart was about to burst.
As if he were literally pouring out all his emotions, his entire body was ablaze.
But Haneul looked at him, still maintaining a cruel gaze.
“Nam Hae-jun. You are indeed, in essence, turning a blind eye.”
The cold voice burrowed into Jang Hyun-seong’s chest.
Haneul slowly approached, deepening his gaze.
“Your desire to save her is at the expense of someone else’s life. Can what you seek truly be called salvation when it disrupts the balance of life?”
Jang Hyun-seong’s face twisted with despair.
Haneul’s words were shaking his very spirit.
It felt as if he had become Nam Hae-jun, entwined in every emotion.
“Yeah… perhaps that is true.”
Jang Hyun-seong inhaled deeply and lowered his head.
The reality that even his acting was being manipulated by Haneul hit him like a shock.
“But I… can’t give up.”
“You won’t give up?”
Haneul scoffed, sending down harsh ridiculed words.
“You still deny reality, don’t you? Nam Hae-jun, the stains of sin will always demand their price.”
Haneul’s voice was righteous yet clearly communicated that meaning.
However, those words became a catalyst that further strengthened Jang Hyun-seong’s performance.
His eyes ignited with a renewed passion.
“Yes… I don’t care what the price is. If it’s something I have to bear… I will accept it.”
Those words were the resolve of Nam Hae-jun, and at the same time, a boiling truth from deep within Jang Hyun-seong.
The crew, the staff, all held their breath, watching that scene unfold.
The energy emanating from the two actors was undeniably real.
Haneul slowly nodded.
“Then, you will witness with your own eyes where the path you chose leads.”
Jang Hyun-seong found himself momentarily speechless.
But soon, his gaze began to shine fiercely.
“I just need to confirm it with my own eyes.”
Yeomra’s words solidified Nam Hae-jun’s determination.
It felt like everything existed for that fleeting moment—a perfect performance.
“…Cut! Wow, this scene is flawless?!”
Before Jung Hee-chang’s ecstatic shout could be heard, the two of them continued to gaze at each other for a while.
“Hehe. Thank you for your hard work, Deumbae-nim!”
“…Yeah.”
The only one who seemed breathless was Jang Hyun-seong.