Chapter Ninety-Nine: A Man and Woman Consoling Each Other

"Yes, then I will trouble you, Senior Eun Ji-won." Chen Zhe was slightly surprised to hear Eun Ji-won’s words, but he quickly adjusted his expression and bowed politely to express his gratitude.

Chen Zhe felt quite grateful that Eun Ji-won was willing to go out of his way to support him. In truth, their relationship was merely that of a well-acquainted senior and junior. Unlike his relationship with the members of Girls' Generation or IU, Chen Zhe was especially thankful that Eun Ji-won would come to support him during his debut stage.

After everyone had rested and chatted for about half an hour, the production crew resumed operations. The actors split up to film different scenes.

Chen Zhe was to film a solo scene: Yoon Yoon-jae standing in front of a full-length mirror, checking out his birthday gift.

"Cut! No, the feeling is completely off. Let’s do it again."

Just as Chen Zhe turned his body toward the mirror, Shin Won-ho called for a stop. He claimed the movement was wrong from the start and lacked the right feeling entirely.

"Cut! Still not right. Chen Zhe, the feeling is still off. Again."

This time, Shin Won-ho didn't interrupt immediately. He watched the performance to the end before calling "cut" to indicate that the take was still insufficient.

"Yes, I understand, Director-nim!" Although Chen Zhe felt his performance had been quite good, since the director said it wasn't good enough and needed a retake, he had no choice but to be obedient. As a pure rookie who hadn't even debuted yet, being compliant and performing diligently were the basic requirements.

"Still not working! Chen Zhe, what are you doing? Ah, get serious!" After two consecutive failed takes—one of which was because Chen Zhe had burst into laughter while looking in the mirror—Shin Won-ho’s brow furrowed so deeply it looked like the character "chuan," and his volume rose involuntarily.

"Yes, I understand, Director-nim! I am truly very sorry. Everyone, I’m sorry for the extra trouble." Realizing he had made a basic mistake by laughing, Chen Zhe felt embarrassed. Noticing the director’s furrowed brow, he quickly bowed to the staff to apologize.

"Chen Zhe, be serious this time. No more laughing!" Seeing Chen Zhe bowing to the staff, Shin Won-ho’s eyebrows finally relaxed slightly. He nodded, lowered his tone, and reminded him once more.

"Yes, sorry, I understand, Director-nim!" Hearing the reminder, Chen Zhe bowed again. The truth was, the laughter was an unnecessary mistake, but for some reason, seeing the knock-off designer backpack used as a prop reflected in the mirror made him unable to hold back his amusement.

"Alright everyone, get ready! Let's start filming!" Seeing the staff looking at him, Shin Won-ho clapped his hands to signal that it was time to get back into character.

***

Over the next four or five takes, Chen Zhe’s psychological pressure grew due to his repeated mistakes. His extreme nervousness led to all sorts of inexplicable "NGs"—tripping while turning, or turning in the wrong direction.

After the fifth NG, Shin Won-ho stood with his arms crossed, veins bulging on his forehead, looking as if he were about to lose his temper.

"Cut, cut, cut! Chen Zhe, what is wrong with you? You can't even film a simple scene like this? You’ve already flubbed it nearly ten times. Do you want the whole crew to stay here until dark?"

Looking at Chen Zhe, who was looking awkward and avoiding eye contact, Shin Won-ho’s anger erupted. He roared at him. After all, the previous birthday scene had gone so well that this current failure felt even more glaring.

"Why did I ever choose you? I actually thought you had potential. Do you even know how to act?"

"You performed so well in the last scene, so why can’t you get this simple movement right after so many tries? Are you messing with us on purpose?"

Thinking back to the previous scene, Shin Won-ho’s anger boiled over.

Under the weight of the repeated NGs, Chen Zhe was already self-reproachful. Shin Won-ho’s sudden outburst was like the final straw, causing his mental state to collapse as he fell into self-doubt.

"Director-nim, Chen Zhe is a first-time actor with no experience, and he’s just too nervous. That’s why he’s making so many mistakes. Let us talk to him; we’ll give you a normal Chen Zhe in a moment!"

At this moment, Eun Ji-won and Jung Eun-ji, who had finished their scenes, approached along with screenwriter Lee Woo-jung. Seeing the scene, Eun Ji-won quickly stepped in to mediate.

"The three of you, teach this kid how to act!" Seeing them intervene, Shin Won-ho suppressed his anger, though his tone remained sharp.

Knowing the director had cooled down slightly, Eun Ji-won winked at Jung Eun-ji, signaling her to go comfort Chen Zhe while he and the screenwriter continued to appease the director.

Receiving the signal, Jung Eun-ji nodded and walked over to pull Chen Zhe toward a corner of the set. Seeing Chen Zhe’s pale face and vacant eyes, she sighed helplessly. He really was still just a kid.

"Ah-Zhe, the director was just speaking in anger. You don't need to take it to heart!" Standing on her tiptoes, Jung Eun-ji gently patted Chen Zhe’s head, speaking in a soft, comforting tone.

***

Chen Zhe nodded silently without speaking, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the ordeal.

"Don't just nod at me. Listen to what I’m saying—do you hear me? Answer me!"

Seeing Chen Zhe’s pathetic, silent state, Jung Eun-ji’s temper flared. Letting her "tough Busan girl" aura loose, she poked Chen Zhe’s forehead firmly. The force was enough to make him lean back, but the sudden action snapped him out of his trance.

"Yes, I understand. I’m listening, Noona!"

Seeing the formidable Jung Eun-ji, Chen Zhe was reminded of a certain "devilish" sister, triggering a bit of PTSD and making him look quite timid.

"Hmph, you only listen when I force you!" After pulling her finger back, Jung Eun-ji scoffed, retracting her fierce aura and returning to her gentle tone.

"Actually, when I was filming earlier, I also messed up many times and was scolded by the assistant director. Once, it was even harsher than what the director just said to you!"

Seeing that Chen Zhe had finally recovered, Jung Eun-ji exhaled, secretly glad that the tactic she used on her own brother worked on him too. With a warm smile, she gently recounted her own filming experiences.

"Then, Noona, you..." Hearing this, Chen Zhe’s eyes widened, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how to phrase it.

"Actually, these things are nothing. We are all rookies without experience; it’s normal to have NGs. And it’s normal to get scolded when you have too many NGs."

"Besides, the directors are just speaking in the heat of the moment. Don't take it to heart. Don't doubt yourself, and don't add unnecessary pressure to yourself."

Seeing the expression on his face, Jung Eun-ji immediately understood what he wanted to say. She just shook her head gently, her voice remaining soft as she soothed his emotions.