Chapter 30: Jae-hoon’s Little Lesson in Dialogue

Unlike films, South Korean television drama script readings usually require repeated polishing of dialogue and character interaction, ranging from three sessions to as long as two weeks or even a month.

Today was Kang Jae-hoon’s second time attending the script reading. The central air conditioning at the SBS studio seemed even colder than yesterday. Kang Jae-hoon rubbed his goosebump-covered forearms and received the revised script from the stage manager.

Upon entering the conference room, he noticed that the nameplate for Park Hyung-sik had been swapped with the one for Krystal Jung. Krystal was currently sitting in the seat next to his, wiping the edge of the table with a wet tissue. When she saw Kang Jae-hoon approaching, she gave a slight nod.

"Morning."
"Morning."

Kang Jae-hoon didn't think much of it; he returned the greeting, pulled out his chair, sat down, and opened the revised script to read. As the actors gradually arrived, the second script reading for *The Heirs* officially began.

...

By the time the reading reached the seventh scene, the rustling sound of Kang Jae-hoon marking his lines was more consistent than the hum of the air conditioner. However, he noticed that Krystal kept turning her head toward him between page turns. At first, he thought it was because the air conditioning was too cold. It wasn't until she tucked her stray hair behind her ear for the third time—at an angle that offered a perfect view of his open script—that he realized otherwise.

When the break signal sounded, Kang Jae-hoon finally couldn't help but turn his head. "Is there something on my face?"

The toe of Krystal’s rounded shoe bumped hard against the table leg, and the straw in her cup stirred a vortex in the bottom. "N-no..."
"Then why?"
"Y-your... the way you annotate... it's different from what the acting coach taught."

Kang Jae-hoon stared at her evasive eyes and pushed the script half an inch toward the middle. "Do you need to see it?"
"Just... learning how a scene partner prepares."
"Be my guest."

With that, Kang Jae-hoon glanced at her script annotations. It seemed... all the SM idols had the same acting coach. The way Krystal marked emotional beats in her script was identical to Im Yoona’s, using different colored markers to indicate the emotions of the lines. This method was simple and blunt. It allowed actors to instantly grasp the emotion behind a line. While it might fall short for films requiring subtle details, it was more than enough for acting in an idol drama.

"Do you even study the body language of your scene partners?" After looking through Kang Jae-hoon’s notes, Krystal’s eyes were filled with surprise, and she unconsciously used honorifics.
"My teacher said a good actor must thoroughly digest the entire script, not just their own role."

Kang Jae-hoon hesitated, leaving the second half of his thought unspoken: *In the event that Lee Min-ho encounters a special situation and cannot continue filming, Kang Jae-hoon, being fully prepared, would have a chance to secure the role.* After all, a soldier who does not want to be a general is not a good soldier; he had ambition in his career as well.

"What does this triangle symbol mean?" Kang Jae-hoon turned to find her pointing to a line of Lee Bo-na’s dialogue beneath a wavy line.
"It represents a shift in tone."

Krystal was a bit confused; the line was, "You can't even remember my birthday!" She truly couldn't imagine how this line could have a shift. Under normal circumstances, shouldn't one just shout it?

"If you only use an angry tone, it sounds like a common argument."
Krystal reflexively asked, "Then how should it be read?"
"Use a high pitch for the first half to create pressure, lower your voice at 'birthday,' and soften the last three words."

Seeing her bewildered expression, Kang Jae-hoon explained, "You have to make people hear the sense of grievance, not just petulance."

In truth, this wasn't just a matter of lines; it involved character understanding. Kang Jae-hoon flipped the script to the page where Lee Bo-na first appears and tapped his fingertip twice beneath, "Shut up, come with me right now!"

"For example, here. The original script calls for a continuous reading, but change it to: 'Shut! Up! Now—'" He increased the force of his taps with every word. "'Right! Now! Come! With! Me!'"

The same sentence, with just a bit of technique, immediately took on two different meanings. Krystal wasn't slow; she immediately heard that Kang Jae-hoon’s version was superior to the original, making the character more three-dimensional.

"But... don't we need to report changes to the writer if we change lines on set?"
"It's just a tonal adjustment; I'll request it before the formal shoot."
"Do you always study your scene partners like this?"

Kang Jae-hoon’s eyes curved slightly, and his mouth pulled into a subtle arc. "Because the lines in idol dramas are so straightforward, only the way you pronounce them can hide your acting." All his little tricks were poured into this.

Krystal suddenly noticed that when Kang Jae-hoon smiled, dimples appeared on his left cheek first. The humming of the central air conditioner suddenly became clear, and the friction of the stage manager moving chairs sounded like background noise turned down in volume.

"Want to try?" Kang Jae-hoon pushed the revised script two centimeters toward her.

Krystal snapped back to reality, grabbed the script in a panic, and almost knocked over her iced Americano as she stood up. Kang Jae-hoon sopped up the spilled coffee with a tissue and looked up to find her already posed in an ending stance like a music show performance.

"Sh-shut up!" Krystal’s trailing note wobbled by a half-beat. "Now... right now... come! with! me!"
"The explosive energy is enough, but your facial expression management needs to keep up."
"How do I do that?"
"Don't widen your eyes; try clenching your back molars."

Krystal bared her teeth at her phone’s front-facing camera and suddenly laughed at herself.

The break ended. Kim Eun-sook happened to see Krystal baring her teeth at her phone. The nineteen-year-old girl hurriedly locked her screen and grabbed her script, sitting up straight.

...

Soon, the second half of the reading reached the confrontation scene.
"I heard honor students love to meddle in other people's business?" Kim Woo-bin knocked on his shoulder with a roguish air.
Kang Jae-hoon remained calm, his voice as steady as a scanner: "I heard nouveau riche kids love to bluff."
"Bluff? Ha—"
"Hey! Choi Young-do—"

Krystal’s first syllable cracked with a tiny, cutesy tone, but she quickly clenched her back molars to regain her strength, enunciating clearly: "Do. Not. Dare. To. Bully. My. Chan-young."

Kim Woo-bin slammed his script onto the table. "An ordinary person like Yoon Chan-young..."
"—is not for you to judge!"

Kim Woo-bin was caught off guard by Krystal’s rhythm, which disrupted his intended emotion. The conference room went quiet for two seconds before he grumbled, "Did Bo-na eat gunpowder?"

"Haha—" The room burst into laughter.

Line technique isn't just about changing tone or phrasing; stealing the rhythm of your opponent's dialogue is also a skill. Clearly, Krystal’s capabilities in delivery had improved instantly after ten minutes of Kang Jae-hoon’s coaching.

After the echoes of laughter faded, Kim Eun-sook looked at Krystal. "Bo-na’s explosive energy has improved. Keep this state until we start filming."
"Yes."

Having gained the writer’s approval, Krystal’s entire aura seemed to glow with newfound energy, lasting until the end of the day’s script reading.

"Our Bo-na sounds like she changed her vocal cords today." Kim Ji-won held her script to her chest and looked at Kang Jae-hoon with a smile. "Did the master lead the apprentice through the door?"
"She had good intuition herself." Kang Jae-hoon lowered his head to tidy his stationery. "Sitting here again tomorrow?"
Krystal tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "The writer-nim said it’s easier to get into character if the scene partners sit closer."
Kang Jae-hoon zipped up his backpack. "Alright, see you tomorrow then."
"Um... have you taught anyone else?"
Kang Jae-hoon paused in his tracks. "Yes, you should know her."
"Who?"
"Im Yoona."

Krystal’s fingers, which had been arranging her bangs, froze at her temple. The cold wall of the ice water cup Kim Ji-won handed her pressed against the back of her hand, and the chill crept up to the corners of her mouth, freezing the slight curve of her smile into a straight line.