Today's scene was, overall, an episode where the characters were illuminated once again.
Episode 6.
The point at which the drama was exactly halfway through.
The moment Yeonseo found out the location of the Korean research institute's headquarters together with Hong Seha.
It begins as Adam arrives, as if he had aimed for that exact moment.
Adam, a childhood connection and someone she had thought dead, comes to find her, and Yeonseo is greatly surprised.
"...Adam? It's Adam, right?"
"Yes, it's me. Yeonseo. It's been a while. ...And who is this?"
"I'm Hong Seha."
"An outsider entangled with us isn't likely to have a good time, is it?"
At Adam's words, Hong Seha, who had been accompanying Yeonseo since Episode 3, smiled softly.
'An outsider,' how could he say such a thing.
"My parents were murdered by Espers. I have to catch those responsible."
"An ordinary human won't have room to intervene."
"But I have abilities in other areas. I have a good head on my shoulders, and I have plenty of money."
Making a circle with her fingers to signify money, Adam let out a hollow laugh at Hong Seha's words.
Hong Seha certainly had an air of nobility.
Though the clothes she wore were ordinary, her bearing alone gave off a feeling that she was different from ordinary people.
The staff who saw Jo Seohui's acting like that thought:
'So the rumors were true?'
'Ah, the rumor that she's the daughter of the Newlike Group?'
'There is talk of that, yes.'
'She feels like the best among today's performances.'
It was Seohui who had shown a somewhat shaky appearance, but now she felt relatively stable.
With that in mind, she glanced at Director Han Yegeon; he was watching the scene carefully.
Director Han Yegeon was an extremely sensitive director.
He was also a terribly exhausting director if you got on his bad side.
The staff thought Jo Seohui had gotten on Han Yegeon's bad side.
'He's been staring holes into Seohui since the previous shoot.'
'Her acting is fine today, so he probably won't say anything in particular.'
Amid such thoughts, the scene continued to flow.
Yeonseo and Seha, reunited with Adam.
To the two of them, Adam first makes a proposal.
"Come with me to America."
"America, did you say?"
"Yes, there are comrades there. If you're going to the Korean research institute you're talking about, wouldn't many be better than two?"
At Adam's words, Yeonseo quietly looked at him.
Hong Seha had a face that showed momentary concern.
Adam had a face that believed without doubt Yeonseo would follow him.
And during that brief moment of thought.
Footsteps began to be heard in the building where they were staying.
"Yeonseo, there's no time. We have to hurry. At this rate...!"
"I refuse."
To him gesturing to hurry, Yeonseo said so calmly.
Adam, who hadn't expected Yeonseo's refusal, opened his eyes wide.
"Don't tell me you're doubting me in this situation? Yeonseo! I'm on your side. Did you forget the conversations we shared when we were young?"
"I haven't forgotten. I remember everything Adam said and did all this time!"
"Then why!"
"I told you, I remember everything."
Yeonseo smiled faintly.
At that moment, there was a feeling that the momentum changed abruptly.
Arthur Diaz, who was facing her, and Seohui beside him felt it too.
As if she had become a completely different person.
An instantaneous change.
Though she was smiling, her eyes were not.
The precious person she had wanted to meet again and again.
Even though she had met precious Adam, who had greatly influenced her past self, Yeonseo was not very glad to see him.
And there was good reason for that.
"Why are you acting like we just met?"
"!!"
"We've already met, haven't we."
Pressing her lower lip with her thumb, Yeonseo smiled bewitchingly.
Twisted lips, pupils slowly sinking.
Redness.
It felt as if a vivid red hue was flowing from her entire body.
"Wearing a motorcycle helmet on your head, clad in a bike suit."
"That is..."
"Were you planning to say it wasn't me? But it's all the same?"
Weight, height.
And old habits visible in your actions.
All of that was telling her that he was the same person.
Though all the figures had changed minutely compared to the past, Yeonseo could recognize them all.
"How did you...?"
"Because I'm an Esper."
It wasn't a lie.
Adam had never imagined that Yeonseo would recognize him at a glance.
And for good reason—Yeonseo, who had faced him then, hadn't shown the slightest agitation.
"So you attacked without hesitation even though you knew it was me?"
"Adam."
To him speaking with furrowed brows, Yeonseo pressed both hands against her chest and said.
"I'm the one who was hurt. Ah, and I thought you were a precious friend."
"Yeonseo."
"To think you were an Esper. How strange—you weren't an Esper back then."
"Listen to me."
"What are you aiming for? Ah, perhaps to take me to the American research institute? Or... Wait, let me guess."
The moment she said that, all the lights in the building went out.
It was because the Espers who had come to ambush them had cut all the electricity to the building.
Only eerily glowing red pupils indicated Yeonseo's position.
"Because you wanted me to go to the American research institute instead of the Korean one? Ah, so that's why you kept attacking while pretending to be from the Korean institute?"
At the same time she said that, Yeonseo suddenly appeared in front of Adam.
In an instant, Yeonseo's appearance looking up at him with wide eyes was terrifying enough.
Pupil constriction.
Opening her eyes wide indirectly showed what Yeonseo's current emotions were like.
Humans open their eyes wide as a means of expressing anger.
To intimidate their opponent.
And Yeonseo's current appearance fit that exactly.
At that moment, the outer wall burst and countless people poured in.
At the same time, Yeonseo distanced herself from Adam, and Adam also turned his back to dodge.
"...There's a problem. Eve didn't listen to me. Ah, yes. It seems she already knew."
Contacting someone via the walkie-talkie on his chest, Adam bit down hard on his teeth.
Unlike the always-kind demeanor he had shown, that twisted appearance was virtually demonic.
"Adam Rowell."
That thought was shattered by another Esper who had come for him.
A girl holding a long sword.
The strongest Esper of the Korean research institute, Shin Arin.
"I have been searching for you."
Yeonseo was already escaping the building with Hong Seha.
Korean and American pursuit teams would be following them.
And they had sent only one person here.
Their strongest available card.
"I remember, you're the girl who was by Yeonseo's side back then."
"Yes, I was there then. Though I wouldn't have known if Yeonseo hadn't told me."
"You're lacking compared to Yeonseo."
"Yes, I am lacking."
During that conversation with Shin Arin, Adam Rowell—Arthur Diaz—furrowed his brows inwardly.
The acting wasn't bad, but something about it was ambiguous.
'Hadn't she said it hadn't been long since she properly learned acting?'
Perhaps because of that, there was definitely an uneasy feeling.
Thankfully her role wasn't very large; if this dialogue part were long, it would clearly be particularly jarring.
'Will she be able to properly match the action choreography?'
He had already practiced matching choreography with Sora several times.
It wasn't too bad, but when facing Arthur, she still seemed to shrink back.
Considering that, her current acting was at a fairly decent level.
Rather, she deserved praise for doing well.
But could she act like that even when mixed with action?
As he was thinking that.
"But, you are my goal through and through."
Slowly, the motion of drawing her sword was extremely natural.
Beautiful as if the sword and body had become one, to the point of instantly captivating the onlookers' gazes.
"There's no need to be stronger than Yeonseo."
In the first place, Sora being by Yeonseo's side was not to target Yeonseo.
Because she honestly knew she was lacking to kill Yeonseo.
Rather, she had to stop the American research institute's actions to provoke Yeonseo.
She had stayed still before to find out who the culprit was, but now there was no need for that.
Gripping the sword, and sliding her left foot forward as if gliding.
She stepped forward with a slash.
With a humming sound of parting air, the swung trajectory was so clean.
So accurately, it lodged into Adam's side.
"Kuk!!"
"Ah."
Huh, wasn't he supposed to dodge this?
At the sight of Arthur collapsing while clutching his side, Sora froze with her sword extended.
"...It's faster than during rehearsal."
"Huh? Ah, y-yes?"
She hadn't realized.
Because her head went cold when she got into acting, she hadn't realized it was different from then.
Ah, perhaps.
"I-I asked Seoyeon to practice with me, so maybe I got calibrated to that... I-I'm sorry."
"..."
No way, to hit the body of a Hollywood top actor!
Could she get billed an enormous amount of money for this?
Narumi Sora bowed repeatedly and said.
Because she had seen Arthur speak without reservation about his dissatisfaction with Jo Seohui's acting before.
Action acting especially required chemistry, and if an accident occurred, it would cause delays in filming.
So Sora had asked Seoyeon to practice together several times before today's filming.
Because asking Arthur for such a thing had been burdensome.
Because of that, the actual speed of the movement had ended up changing.
"...It's fine."
"Huh?"
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"Nice. The acting just now."
Image management, image management.
Pressing the bulging vein on his forehead with his index finger, Arthur said.
Anyway, unlike his real personality, losing his temper at other actors didn't match 'Arthur Diaz's' image.
It was better to reserve such things for people like Ju Seoyeon or Jo Seohui, who 'grasped' their own acting.
More than anything, his pride was hurt that he couldn't match what he had done with Seoyeon.
'It was actually fine though.'
Arthur Diaz had honestly been surprised by Narumi Sora's acting that changed the moment she drew her sword just now.
'Completely different from practice.'
He narrowed his eyes and looked again at Narumi Sora, the trembling, lamb-like girl.
"So that was why her acting in
'There are those.'
People who do much better in actual combat than in practice.
I don't know the reason.
A dead end where failure is not allowed.
There are actors who display proper skill when pushed into such moments.
Narumi Sora is that type.
One who does several times better once in actual combat.
More than anything, the movement just now was faster than during practice, but this way was much better.
"Let's do it again with that. I'll try to match it. It'll be a bit difficult, but I'll manage somehow."
Hearing his words, Seoyeon, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head and said.
"Can't you just ask Mr. Oliver for the difficult action scenes?"
"..."
"? Why are you looking at me like that?"
At Seoyeon's gaze looking at him as if asking why he insisted on doing something he couldn't, Arthur gritted his teeth.
How can she say the exact same thing as that American woman?
Does she not know what empathy is?
"I'll do it."
"Ah, yes."
Seoyeon nodded at Arthur, who insisted stubbornly.
Anyway, just looking at his acting just now, Arthur's skill was beyond question, so leaving him alone should be fine.
'Then why did they bring Oliver?'
Didn't they bring him to do the action acting?
Then there's almost no reason to bring him... she had that thought, but Seoyeon decided to leave it alone.
More than that, she was also worried about Seohui.
"Sora was great just now, wasn't she?"
"I was a bit anxious, but the moment she holds a weapon, she becomes a different person."
"She's an action actress by nature. Strong in actual combat."
"That's the greatest talent an action actor can have. Being strong in actual combat."
"In that regard, she's similar to you, Seoyeon."
"Well, you, Seoyeon. You were amazing today too."
"I don't know how you change the atmosphere so abruptly."
Other staff members were also each heaping praise on Sora.
Action actors have many dangerous scenes, so if they get nervous during actual filming, it easily leads to accidents.
In that regard, Sora's talent is innate.
I felt it during
Seohui heard those words and was looking that way for a moment.
Seoyeon couldn't know what she was thinking.
Her expression was calm, and she didn't appear particularly bothered.
But somehow, it weighed on her mind.
It was something Seoyeon could tell because she had observed others' emotions for a long time.
Then, Director Han Yegeon quietly called Jo Seohui.
"Ah, Seoyeon, you can rest for a bit. I have something I want to talk to Seohui about for a moment."
At his words, Seoyeon nodded slowly.
Watching them converse a short distance away, Seoyeon briefly considered leaning in to eavesdrop but soon gave up.
Eavesdropping on a private conversation would be a bit... you know.
'She seems to constantly have something on her mind.'
That worry wasn't just because of
Seohui's worry had been continuing even before she started filming
'Since filming Lady of Gyeongseong.'
I think it started after watching the film, from when she heard the audience's reactions.
She definitely didn't hear bad reviews... but Seohui must have felt something different.
'I don't know.'
Others' emotions are unfamiliar.
Guessing based only on information she had 'mimicked' while not even knowing her own emotions well is too difficult.
If it were a large emotion, she could tell right away, but honestly there were many things too complicatedly tangled to know.
'For now, I'll have to watch a bit more.'
Thinking that, Seoyeon took out her phone from her bag.
Since the break would likely be a bit long, she thought she might play a game during the rest.
'Hm?'
But there was a record of someone having called during filming.
Wondering who it was, she checked.
"[Sim Cheongseok.]"
A rather unexpected person was listed as the caller.
The call had come roughly an hour ago.
Not long after filming had started.
And around thirty minutes ago, a text had come as well.
"[We're at the hospital now.]"
Those were the words.