TBM Vol 1 Part 2

A familiar voice pierced through his hazy consciousness. Il-seo stirred, while his body jerked awake. The lethargy from his short nap left his limbs weak. Rubbing his dry eyes, he slowly raised his upper body. Manager Choi Kyung-hyun, who had just finished parking, gave him a concerned look.

“I got here early. Do you want to sleep a little longer?”

“It’s okay. Hyung, can I have some water?” Kyung-hyun grabbed a water bottle from the floor of the passenger seat and handed it to him, which was already open.

“You were dozing off at the shop. Didn’t you get any sleep last night?”

Il-seo nodded with a faint smile, tilted his head back, and gulped down half the bottle. He’d barely slept an hour. When he wasn’t reading the script, he spent the night fiddling with the pages, changing his mind about accents and expressions with each toss and turn. It felt as though he was lost in the lines themselves.

“I’ll head home early. I’ll go check out the atmosphere.”

“Okay, call me when you’re done.”

“Alright. Rest well.”

Il-seo paused before getting out of the car, leaning slightly towards the driver’s seat. His lightly styled hair fell over his brows as he bowed his head.

“Hyung, thank you.”

Startled by the sudden gratitude, Kyung-hyun laughed awkwardly. “What’s all this about?”

Il-seo, with his ears reddening, replied softly, “I could’ve come by myself, but you waited for me… Anyway, thank you.”

“What are you saying? This is my job. Do well, and don’t be nervous!”

Kyung-hyun smiled, waving his hand in a reassuring gesture. He watched Il-seo’s back as he left the car and walked into the building, and let out a low sigh without realizing it.

He’s such a pitiful guy, Kyung-hyun thought. 

He had received a call from CEO Kim earlier that morning. Apparently, Il-seo had gone straight to the shop without stopping by the company and was heading to the script reading. 

Annoyed by the news, Kyung-hyun had hurried to pick him up, barely awake himself. When he arrived at Il-seo’s house, he found him with wet hair, already getting ready. “What’s wrong, hyung?” Il-seo had asked him with his raised eyebrows. Kyung-hyun had simply patted his dry hair back.

Kyung-hyun, who typically worked as a road manager for mid-level actors, found himself growing fond of Il-seo. Since Il-seo didn’t have many projects, he didn’t have a dedicated manager, so when needed, any available company manager would help him out. Kyung-hyun ended up being the one assisting him most of the time, and over the years, they’d naturally become close.

He wondered if there was anyone as determined as Il-seo. The actor had the looks, and his acting skills were solid, but luck had never been on his side. Perhaps that’s why this particular casting opportunity, after such a long stretch of being an unknown, had secretly touched Il-seo.

The script reading was a significant event, where renowned actors gathered together for the first time to collaborate. Considering it was a project by Director Chae Geum-soo, reporters were bound to be present. Kyung-hyun couldn’t bring himself to let Il-seo go alone.

Despite being cast as Haru, rumors began to spread about the casting process. It was rumored that Director Chae often sought sponsorship from unknown or newcomer actors in exchange for roles. People within the industry were starting to speculate about Il-seo, and last night, an article announcing his casting had hit the main page of a major portal site.

The problem was that the criticism directed towards Director Chae had quickly shifted toward Il-seo. From the moment he left the shop until they arrived at the reading, Il-seo had been calm, with his unchanged expression. He may have been aware of the internet gossip, but he showed no reaction. Even when public opinion was against him, he remained unwavering.

This ability to maintain composure, to hide his emotions, was both a strength and a cause of concern for Kyung-hyun.

“I don’t know,” Kyung-hyun muttered to himself, leaning back on his seat. Just thinking about those sarcastic comments made him feel as though he was betraying Il-seo.

—

Il-seo’s pale face grew even more rigid. It had been ever since one of the production staff showed him to his seat, placing a name sign beside it:

“Jang Tae-hyun’s Role – Sa Seung-yeon.”

Il-seo stared intensely at the name on the sign next to him. He moistened his dry lips with his tongue and wiped the cold sweat forming under his palms onto his pants. He tried to focus on his lines, but his vision blurred, making it hard to read.

Out of habit, he reached out for his drink on the desk, but all that echoed was the gurgling sound of the straw sucking in air. The reading hadn’t even started, and his drink was already empty. He put down the cup of ice with a frustrated expression.

Once the staff and crew settled in, the actors started to arrive. Il-seo found himself unable to sit properly as senior actors streamed in, greeting one another. Since he had only filmed a few web dramas, most of the faces were unfamiliar to him. Seeing actors he had only watched on TV or in films, he finally realized the magnitude of the project he’d been cast in.

Unlike Il-seo, who was becoming increasingly tense, the set was lively. Actors who knew each other from previous projects, plays, and musicals gathered around, chatting about their recent work. Many of them had collaborated with Director Chae Geum-soo and Writer Lee Jo-yoon before. As the seats filled, Il-seo greeted the people around him, but after that, no one spoke to him. Occasionally, some actors would glance his way during conversations, and all he could do was bite his lips and smile awkwardly when their eyes met.

The faint commotion outside gradually grew louder. Soon, a tall man, almost as tall as the doorway, strode in, capturing everyone’s attention. A pleasant tension spread through the room.

“Hello.”

A deep voice, smooth as moonlight over a dark cave, echoed through the space. Hearing that familiar voice, chills ran down Il-seo’s neck. The man walked in with long strides, offering friendly greetings to everyone he passed.

“Hello,” he said, high-fiving one actor who greeted him playfully. Even an actor known for his harsh personality, who had blatantly ignored Il-seo’s earlier greeting, broke into a smile upon seeing Seung-yeon. Seung-yeon playfully leaned his head on a veteran actor’s shoulder, drawing smiles from all those watching.

After chatting with the director and writer, Seung-yeon slowly made his way towards Il-seo’s table. Il-seo, who had been watching Seung-yeon, reflexively took a sip from his empty cup. The strange sound of air echoed once again. His fingers trembled as he set the cup down, nervousness seeping into every movement.

“Ah, this is my seat.”

A fresh, woody scent tickled Il-seo’s nose, followed by Seung-yeon’s deep, calming voice. Il-seo jumped to his feet. Their eyes met midair, and for a moment, one of Seung-yeon’s thick eyebrows arched in surprise at Il-seo’s sudden movement. But he quickly recovered, while offering a faint smile.

“Hello, I’m Sa Seung-yeon.”

“H-hello, senior. I’m Il-seo,” he stammered, his voice much quieter than he intended. His eyelashes fluttered as he lowered his head. The news of his casting still felt surreal. Even after seeing his name on the sign, he had doubted it was real, but seeing Seung-yeon in person made reality hit him like a wave.

Seung-yeon, who had been looking at Il-seo with slightly droopy eyes, sat down and opened his script. Il-seo followed the suit, his body stiff as he moved. Once the bustling room settled, Director Chae Geum-soo picked up the microphone.

“Hello, I’m Director Chae Geum-soo, the director of Temperature of Overflow.” He then glanced toward the reporters. “The casting announcement for actor Sa Seung-yeon will be made after today. I insisted on this timing. I’m not usually one to trust the press, but I appreciate about you keeping your word.”

The gathered reporters chuckled awkwardly. Director Chae, already making headlines due to the articles about Il-seo, was being half-serious. He handed the microphone to Seung-yeon, who briefly introduced himself.

“Hello, I’m Sa Seung-yeon, playing Jang Tae-hyun, a former gangster living in a small town in Temperature of Overflow.”

After Seung-yeon’s introduction, the main and supporting actors, including Il-seo, briefly introduced their characters and shared their hopes for the project. The script reading officially began as Director Chae signaled to start.

Il-seo took one last glance at the name ‘Haru’ printed on his script. Slowly, he steadied his thoughts and prepared to step into the role. Step by step, he walked the passage that connected his reality to Haru.

—

Bang.

Il-seo blinked, startled by the loud noise.

“You have to be a little crazy to be considered pretty.”

It was the scene where Jang Tae-hyun and Haru were fighting in a nightclub. According to the script, Jang Tae-hyun was supposed to roughly set down the glass he was holding and shout at Haru. Instead, Seung-yeon slammed a water bottle onto the table, startling everyone. The room fell silent as all eyes focused on the exchange of lines between Seung-yeon and Il-seo.

“Who’s ever looked at me kindly?”

Il-seo delivered the line with a laugh—small and hollow, almost like a snicker. There was no mention of laughter in the script, which caught the attention of both Director Chae and Writer Lee. Even Seung-yeon looked up from the script, sticking his eyes on Il-seo.

“Get out. Don’t bother me.”

Il-seo’s voice was calm, his smile indifferent, but his gaze was filled with emotion. He had agonized over how to convey the complex feeling of telling someone to leave while silently wishing they’d stay. It had been the most challenging part for him, but now he stared at Seung-yeon with a deep sadness, just as he had practiced.

For a brief moment, Seung-yeon held Il-seo’s gaze before turning back to the script, breaking the connection. Il-seo’s heart swelled slightly as he watched Seung-yeon read his lines.

Thankfully, the script reading concluded smoothly.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Director Chae Geum-soo said, as everyone clapped and exchanged greetings.

The temperature in the room had risen considerably as the session progressed, and the reading had gone on for a long time without a break. The sounds of people stretching and sighing with relief filled the room.

“Ha…”

Il-seo, too, let go of the anxiety and tension that had weighed on him throughout the session. He had worried that his inexperience might drag down the production, but he felt he had done his best and had no regrets. Now, all he wanted was to wash up and go to bed.

“Let’s take a group photo!”

At the prompt, the actors and production staff began moving to the space set up outside the reading room for photos. Il-seo quietly stood up and followed them, positioning himself in an appropriate spot. Just then, a large hand lightly rested on his shoulder.

“How far are you thinking of going?”

Seung-yeon, speaking softly but clearly enough for Il-seo to hear, grabbed his shoulder and pulled him closer to the center. Only then did the actors who were standing in the middle move aside, making room for Il-seo. Although Seung-yeon barely applied any force, Il-seo, still relaxed from the reading, swayed slightly and stumbled. Seung-yeon steadied him with a firmer grip on his shoulder.

Il-seo ended up sitting right next to Seung-yeon, in the center of the frame. The invited reporters snapped photos, and the main cast gathered to take more pictures holding their scripts. Il-seo was grateful that he had taken the time to stop by the shop earlier.