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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Smiling Face Mushroom
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He opened his eyes.
As Seojun shot up from the cot, Seo Eunhye, who had been reading a paperback, glanced at the clock. Not even ten minutes had passed.
"You really weren't sleeping?"
"It was meditation!"
It felt like a smile would naturally form whenever he saw his mom. Seojun tensed his face. *I can't smile. That would be a disaster.*
"Seojun Lee. It's almost time to shoot."
Jonathan, who had been listening to children cry all day, spoke from outside the tent, his face a mask of resignation.
"Yes. We're coming. Let's go, Seojun."
"Okay."
Seojun, tensing his face to keep from smiling inadvertently, took his mother's hand and walked out of the tent.
* * *
"Uwaaah! The poor mushroom!"
A burly mercenary was sobbing loudly, his face buried in the table. His equally large companions at the same table just shook their heads and drank their ale.
"What's wrong with him?"
A passing mercenary from another company, a familiar face, asked. The mercenary captain closest to him clicked his tongue and began to speak.
"We went to the mountains for a job, and there was a Crying Mushroom there. He was at the front of our group. The moment he stepped into the Crying Mushroom's territory, he burst into tears, so the rest of us were spared, but..."
"Since he can't be our tank, we can't take on any jobs, so here we are."
The mercenary nodded.
"A Crying Mushroom, you say... Even if it was a fully grown one, if he's crying like that, he should be fine by tomorrow evening."
"If that guy had been the one affected, he would've cried for half a day and been done with it..."
The mercenary captain shook his head, looking at the glutton at one end of the table who was shoveling food into his mouth without even looking up. As if sensing they were talking about him, the glutton raised his head.
"Captain! I heard Crying Mushrooms are delicious! We should have gathered some yesterday!"
"Gather them? The moment you step into their territory, you're too busy crying to gather anything. Still, some people manage to supply them, because they're incredibly expensive."
"You there."
A person interrupted the mercenaries' conversation. Judging by the brown cloth wrapped around their face and the large pack on their back, they seemed to be an herb-gatherer. Beside the herb-gatherer was a child who looked like an apprentice.
"Which mountain has the mushroom?"
The mercenary captain glanced at the herb-gatherer and held up one finger. The herb-gatherer tossed him a gold coin.
The herb-gatherer and the apprentice slowly ascended the mountain the mercenary captain had told them about. The ground was dotted with holes, and tall trees towered above.
It was a rugged mountain, with large boulders and tangled tree roots.
"Master! I told you not to just hand out gold coins like that! How do you even know if it's really a Crying Mushroom!"
"It's not a Crying Mushroom..."
"Yes, yes. An herb-gatherer must use the proper official name! I know. Smiling Face Mushroom!"
"That brute was definitely under an illusion spell. In a remote place like this, where you can't even find a mage, there's only one way to fall under an illusion spell."
"I know that much. Still, a single silver coin would have been enough!"
The herb-gatherer walking ahead stopped, and the apprentice fell silent. Just as the mercenary captain had said, three boulders came into view.
"It's around here."
"Let's search."
The two of them searched in a wide circle around the boulders for the Smiling Face Mushroom. With years of experience, the herb-gatherer's eyes spotted a small white dot.
It was the Smiling Face Mushroom.
"Found it."
"I'll get ready!"
The apprentice lowered the pack and took out a crossbow, tying a sturdy rope to the end of an arrow.
Meanwhile, the herb-gatherer slowly surveyed the Smiling Face Mushroom's territory and selected a tree.
The apprentice handed over the crossbow, and the herb-gatherer, having found a sturdy tree, fired it.
"A direct hit!"
The apprentice, avoiding the mushroom's territory, ran over and quickly tied the rope tightly to the tree. The herb-gatherer also tied the rope to a nearby tree.
Then, they attached another rope to the one stretched high like a clothesline and tied it to their own body.
"Be careful, Master."
"I will."
The 'Smiling Face Mushroom's Illusion Spell' was a magic that took effect when one entered its territory and saw its smiling face.
This illusion spell, which at most made one feel pity or burst into tears upon seeing the mushroom, was the Smiling Face Mushroom's only method of self-protection.
The Smiling Face Mushroom could be harvested as long as one didn't see its face, but unfortunately, all four sides of the mushroom—north, south, east, and west—were faces. There was no way to approach it without seeing one.
This herb-gatherer had learned a method from their former master.
The herb-gatherer took out a thick cloth and blindfolded themselves. Then, relying on the rope tied to the trees, they slowly advanced toward the Smiling Face Mushroom.
A month later, two Smiling Face Mushroom dishes—one large and one small—were served at the imperial emperor's table.
"I didn't know there would be a baby mushroom too! We got paid double! With this, all your debts are cleared, Master!"
The apprentice beamed, looking inside the pouch of shiny gold coins received from the merchant.
At the apprentice's smile, the herb-gatherer shoved a newly acquired debt collection notice into their own pocket.
* * *
Jonathan Will guided Seojun and Seo Eunhye to the filming location.
Jonathan took a small teddy bear from the bag he always carried on his shoulder and handed it to Seojun. This was already the fifth time he had given it to him.
He wished the shoot would just end already. Honestly, he didn't have high hopes for this kid, Seojun Lee. Even children older than him would start bawling once filming began.
Despite his wandering thoughts, Jonathan's mouth moved on its own.
"This is for the shoot, so hold onto it."
"Okay!"
Holding the teddy bear in one hand, the three of them headed toward where the staff were gathered in a circle.
After a full day of shooting, the staff's expressions weren't great. It would have been different if they had something to show for it, but this was their fourth failed attempt.
Seojun and Seo Eunhye saw the staff surrounding a typical American house and the chromakey setup installed in a corner of the yard.
"The guardian can wait here. The actor will go to the director."
At Jonathan's words, Seo Eunhye gave Seojun a little wave.
"Do great."
"Okay!"
Jonathan took Seojun's hand and led him toward Ryan Will, who was intently studying the monitor.
He didn't know how many times he had checked it already, but he couldn't afford to be careless. Ryan, who was comparing the screen with the image in his mind, turned his head at Jonathan's call.
"Director. Actor Seojun Lee has arrived."
"He's here. Let's do this."
"Yes!"
Ryan Will got up from his chair and went to the yard with Seojun. He positioned Seojun in front of the chromakey structure that would become a wormhole through CG.
Seojun, examining the tape marks on the ground and his surroundings, looked up at the door from which Melissa would burst out. He could see it very clearly.
[Confirming the range of the Smiling Face Mushroom.]
The door Melissa would burst from, the installed cameras, Ryan's chair, and even the area where some of the staff were standing.
The places within Seojun's line of sight turned blue. When he turned his head, the blue area returned to normal.
'Since people only have one face, the range is only this big.'
Seojun nodded. It didn't matter, since the camera would be focused on his face anyway.
"You'll be here, playing with the teddy bear Jonathan gave you, and when Melissa calls, you look up."
"I know!"
Ryan laughed at Seojun's confident reply. Unlike the other child actors who would get intimidated and teary-eyed whenever he explained something, this little kid was bold. Even so, he didn't stop his advice.
"Barron will pull you, so don't be surprised."
"Hey, Jun."
From between a gap in the chromakey screen, Barron, dressed in green, waved. Even his fingers were covered in green fabric. Seojun waved back.
Seeing Seojun's relaxed demeanor, Barron wondered, *Maybe I can get my hopes up this time?* Ryan peeled the tape off the ground and stood up.
"It's okay to make mistakes, so don't feel pressured—no, don't worry. Tell me if you're cold."
"I'm okay!"
"Well, I'm not."
Letting out a dry laugh, Ryan returned to his seat.
A chilly wind blew.
As Ryan Will, settled in front of the monitor, raised his hand, the staff fell silent.
On the instantly hushed set, Seo Eunhye held her breath without realizing it, unable to even sit in the chair provided as she stood watching Seojun.
For some reason, she was worried about her son, who hadn't smiled since they'd left the tent.
'Is it because he's nervous?'
It was Seo Eunhye's first time on a movie set, too, so she didn't know what to do. Nara, who had finished her call and returned at some point, patted the anxious Seo Eunhye's shoulder. "He'll do great," she whispered softly.
Seojun, who had been examining the mushroom's range, turned his head to look at his mom and Aunt Nara standing side by side.
Seeing his mother anxiously clasping her hands, he wanted to smile to reassure her, but... *Nope. Can't do that. No way.* Seojun raised his hands and touched the corners of his mouth, which felt like they might curve up on their own.
The camera director looked at Ryan, and Ryan nodded back. Ryan shouted loudly.
"Ready!"
Inside the house, Melissa, gripping the doorknob tightly, took a deep breath. It was a line she had repeated countless times today.
The line was just one word. 'William!' But she had to convey all the anxiety and anguish contained within it.
Behind the chromakey screen, Barron also held his breath. Timing. What he had to get right was the timing.
Seojun held up the teddy bear.
* * *
A few months ago, Seojun had watched a documentary. Swalin Anum, a leading Hollywood actor famous for his masterful performances, spoke as he swept back his stark white hair.
[The foundation of acting, as I see it, is understanding. Understanding the character's history.]
'History?'
Seojun, who was studying acting by watching the documentary with his dad, tilted his head.
Lee Minjun stifled a laugh as he watched Seojun lying on his stomach on the floor, drawing worms in a large sketchbook with crayons.
He didn't know that the worm-like drawings were actually a mix of monster script, Hangul, and the alphabet, a script only Seojun could decipher.
[History sounds difficult, but it's simple. It's about understanding how a character was born and raised—their developmental process. For example, Venter, the protagonist of 'Soldier,' a film I was in...]
Swalin Anum talked about Venter's parents and his upbringing. He spoke about the reasons why he had to have such a personality and the motivations that formed the basis of his actions in the film.
[But there are characters for whom it is difficult to create a history. I'm talking about extras.]
[Even extra characters who pass by the main characters without a single line have their own stories. But there's no reason for screenwriters to create histories for such extras. They're busy. It's pointless.]
Swalin Anum, who had been smiling lightly, hardened his expression. When the middle-aged man with strong features turned serious, the atmosphere instantly became solemn.
[An actor must understand even the non-existent history of that extra.]
'How?'
Seojun, who had unknowingly dropped his crayon, tried to crawl closer to the television but was stopped by his dad. Even in his father's arms, he couldn't take his eyes off Swalin Anum's serious face.
[Create it.]
[There are plenty of clues. They are all in the script. You must analyze and understand even the smallest clue to create it.]
So, Seojun created one. The clues were the teddy bear, his mother, and a smile.
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