abcnovels
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
I checked the paper that writer Cho Seokwon gave me again.
——
Role 1: Japanese police officer loyal to Japan (police during the Japanese colonial period)
Role 2: A Japanese police officer who realized Japan’s true nature and decided to help the Korean people (police during the Japanese colonial period)
Important 1. Realism of characters
Important 2. Realism of dialogue
Ambassador: Freedom
——
In free acting, it is important to know how skillfully the applicant demonstrates the prepared script.
However, this free performance was a bit unique.
‘No. Rather than being unique… It’s a bit different. Because it’s half free acting and half improvisation.’
There was even a difficult condition called ‘realism’ attached to it. It’s a very challenging audition.
‘But for me, there is no easier acting.’
Under these conditions, I am confident that I can work with any actor. Still, there was something that bothered me.
‘Role 2, Japanese Sunsara who decided to help the Korean people…’
If Kang Hoshin was a person who was loyal to Japan from beginning to end, I would have to play role 2 myself.
However, if Kang Hoshin was a police officer who was loyal to Japan and then returned to Joseon.
I wasn’t confident that I would mess up this audition.
“As you know, I attach great importance to historical research. Of course, when creating a work, there are some aspects that have to be given up due to factors such as popularity or production costs…”
Author Jo Seokwon thought for a moment and then continued his words.
“Anyway, the ‘Japanese police officer’ was a supporting role that I paid quite a lot of attention to. So I brought these conditions. I hope you two have studied a lot.”
After he finished speaking, writer Jo Seokwon looked at Lee Homin, clasping his hand.
“First, let’s look at Lee Homin’s acting.”
“Yes? Ah, yes…”
Lee Homin spoke in a somewhat unconfident voice. However, Lee Homin is also an actor of 10 years. He soon began to skillfully perform the act he had prepared.
“Great Japanese Empire! Under orders from His Majesty the Emperor…!”
Lee Homin shouted loudly, his neck bloodshot.
“Whoa…”
However, as soon as he saw Lee Homin’s acting, writer Jo Seokwon sighed.
It was a sigh so small that normally no one would have heard it. However, in this small room with only four people, the sighs were louder than expected.
Lee Homin smiled awkwardly and asked writer Jo Seokwon.
“Now, writer. If there’s any problem…”
Writer Jo Seokwon waved his hand.
“Just give it a try. I’ll take a look and see what you’ve prepared.”
“… yes.”
After a while, Lee Homin’s acting started again. This time, the acting is a bit exaggerated and somewhat burdensome.
“The death of the Japanese Empire!! It is law and tradition!!! The Koreans who don’t listen to me…!”
“I can’t believe I did something like this…”
Lee Homin was playing a typical Japanese police officer.
To be honest, by my standards, Lee Homin’s acting was ‘okay.’
‘But… something feels awkward. No, should I say it’s a bit lacking…?’
Suddenly, the acting of other actors I saw during the reading of <Dreams of the Rising Sun> came to mind.
The acting of the actors I saw at that time was ‘their own acting.’ It was a performance that brought out his own feelings that no one could imitate.
However, there was nothing special about Lee Homin’s acting. Is that the stereotypical acting that seniors talked about at company dinners?
“Evaluate first… Should we do it now, PD?”
After a while, when Lee Homin’s performance was over, writer Jo Seokwon asked producer Na Jinho in a voice full of disappointment.
“Hmm…”
Producer Na Jinho pondered for a moment, then looked at Lee Homin with a slight frown.
It seemed like he was just staring at me without much effort, but his eyes were quite harsh.
‘As expected, a PD with 20 years of experience has a different force.’
It was a completely different feeling from when I saw PD Kim Mansoo. If PD Kim Mansoo felt like the handsome guy next door, then PD Na Jinho felt like a scary detective.
Producer Na Jinho looked at Lee Homin in silence for a while, then pointed at me and said.
“I will even look at it later let’s evaluate Kang Jinseok’s acting first. If we do the evaluation first, it may interfere with the acting. What do you think, author?”
“I guess so. All right. Then, Mr. Kang Jinseok, let’s take a look at the performance you prepared right away.”
“Yes, I understand!”
After answering confidently, he closed his eyes slightly and collected his emotions.
And he slowly tries to play a ‘real’ Japanese police officer.
My vision became blurry and a scene began to appear.
——
“My son. Do you understand? I was born and raised in Joseon, but you were born and raised in Japan. So always remember that you are Japanese.”
“Yes, father.”
“Soon, Joseon will become a Japanese colony. Then, you go there and become a military police officer. I’ll tell people I know in advance.”
“All right.”
“Okay. And always think. Your grandfather in Joseon called you ‘Kang Hoshin’, but you are ‘Nakamura Chisuke’. I say it again. Born in Japan, you are ‘Chisuke Nakamura.’”
——
In a typical Japanese garden, Kang Hoshin and his father, both wearing military uniforms, are sitting across from each other.
At first glance, the garden, which had a pond and small pine trees, looked like a fairly wealthy house.
What was surprising was that I could understand them even though they were speaking in Japanese.
‘By the way… Kang Hoshin was originally Japanese. He was originally a soldier too.’
Of course, I thought he was Korean, but it seems I was wrong.
After a while, another scene appeared.
——
“Hey, Nakamura. I heard you beat up more than 30 Koreans today?”
“You lost. I just trained the Koreans. For uncivilized Koreans, training is more important than education.”
“You really think the same as Japanese people.”
“What are you saying? I am purely Japanese.”
“Hey, your father is Korean. What if I was born in Japan and my father is Korean?”
“…He is just as loyal to His Majesty the Emperor as we are. Father too.”
——
The next scene was a conversation between Kang Hoshin and another Japanese soldier who came to Joseon.
‘The emotions felt in this scene… are nothing. ‘Are you exactly proud of it?’
It was somehow different from the Japanese police officer I had vaguely imagined.
Until now, I knew that Japanese police officers during the Japanese colonial period harassed Koreans to kill time or for their pleasure.
But Kang Hoshin was different.
To Kang Hosin, Joseon people were just lowly and uncivilized people. And he thought it was his ‘fate’ to change those Koreans.
Of course, he is not destined for himself.
It was all just fate for the glory of Japan.
Because of that, he was able to treat Koreans more cruelly and ruthlessly.
What Kang Hoshin said, how he moved, and what expressions he made were all engraved in my mind.
——
“Father. Why did you move from Japan to Joseon? What should I do with all that money?”
“Hmm… I just left it all behind. As I got older, I wanted to come to your side.”
“…Did something happen in Japan? Just say the word. I am a member of the Imperial Army!”
“No. Don’t worry about it, just do what you’re doing now, raise Japan’s status by being loyal. Everything will be fine with you.”
——
Kang Hoshin is seen wearing a much more colorful military uniform than before.
In contrast, Kang Hoshin’s father was much thinner than when he first saw him. He is not thin because he has not been able to eat, but rather looks like he is sick.
Currently, Kang Hoshin doesn’t feel anything other than concern for his father.
After a while.
The possession gradually reached its climax.
——
“Oh, no, what do you mean? You can’t heal my father?”
“Hey Nakamura. Your father is Korean. How can we treat someone like that here?”
“Don’t talk nonsense! My father is Japanese. I’m Japanese too! And your father’s illness can’t be cured just by giving him medicine!!”
“Nakamura! That’s bullshit, how dare you say such nonsense to me?! I will hand you over to a military court for contempt of superiors! If it were a wartime situation, you would be summarily executed for insulting your superiors! so consider yourself lucky!”
“Kawasaki! I served in the Imperial Army for over 20 years. I also made a contribution to the war against Russia!! How could you do that to my father!”
“Are you just mentioning your major? I am the one who received the title of Baron directly from His Majesty the Emperor! How dare an uncivilized child born from the seeds of Joseon people dare to challenge me…!”
“···You bastard!”
——
‘This···?’
The situation has become very urgent.
Kang Hoshin came to the hospital, carrying his father on his back, lost in thought. Although his father’s face was not visible, his condition seemed serious as his arms were drooping.
In front of Kang Hoshin was a man who appeared to be a Japanese doctor. The doctor ridiculed and insulted Kang Hoshin’s father, pointing a point at Kang Hoshin and screaming.
In the end, Kang Hoshin, who could not control his anger, hit the doctor on the chin with his fist.
The scene changed again.
——
“Nakamura. Come back again.”
“···.”
“My father passed away two years ago. I’m sorry.”
“···.”
“And as you may know from rumors, there will be a movement of troops due to the recent March 1 incident. It looks like the governor will probably change. So that you know.”
——
The prison uniforms, thick iron bars, and the dark and damp atmosphere indicated that this was a prison.
There was no significant change in Kang Hoshin’s expression as he came out of prison.
But his mind was a mess of complicated emotions.
He was so angry at Japan for abandoning him and his father, who had been loyal to Japan.
Disgust for his past, when he risked his life and went into battle for Japan.
The mixed emotions gradually turned into a sense of betrayal toward Japan. At the same time, I felt sorry for Joseon.
——
“I heard that the locals held my father’s funeral on their behalf. These are funeral expenses, please accept them.”
“I won’t take your money. Even if you chew on it, it won’t hurt. go away.”
“If you don’t want to take it, I’ll leave it here. And although I’m late… I’m sorry.”
“···No matter how much of a Japanese stooge you are, your father was our friend. I just did the bare minimum. Well, he was also on the Japanese side, but he was a Korean after all.”
“Thank you for calling my father a Korean.” I’m serious. And I would be grateful if you told me that I am also Korean. “It may be difficult to forgive, but.”
“…If you want to thank Insook, say it to Insook rather than to us. Because he continued to nurse your father.”
“If it’s Insook…?”
“It’s Lim Insook, you don’t know him. “I’ve never met him before.”
“Yeah, I see. Then where is that child named Lim Insook? “he owes him a thank you.”
“He went to the March 1st Movement and was arrested.”
“He was arrested while participating in the independence movement?! Well, so what happened? Insook!”
“You know best. Isn’t arresting independence activists your specialty?!”
——
‘Ah···.’
Now I could understand everything. From why Kang Hoshin became a Japanese police officer to why he wanted to apologize to someone named Lim Insook.
And why, despite being loyal to Japan to the core, he initially introduced himself not as ‘Nakamura’ but as ‘Kang Hoshin.’
‘In the end, he became a Korean···.’
I realized that now.
Woe!
The possession has completely ended. It felt like I had been possessed for quite some time, but in reality, the time that passed was only a moment.
“Whoa… ”
I took a deep breath and composed my mind. Despite that, the mixed feelings of ‘Kang Hoshin’ still lingered in my heart.
He closed his eyes gently and took a few more deep breaths before he finally calmed down.
‘What writer Jo Seokwon demanded was realism. However, that doesn’t mean you can only act 100% realistically. ‘I need to mix in some drama-like acting to satisfy the producer.’
Now I could play any Japanese police officer.
From a police officer who viciously treated the Korean people to a police officer who was disappointed in Japan and decided to help the Korean people.
He looked at producer Na Jinho and writer Jo Seokwon in turn.
“Let’s begin.”
My voice now resembled that of Kang Hoshin, who first arrived in Joseon.