I Will Live As An Actor - Chapter 84
I Will Live as an Actor Episode 84
The border light emits a faint light source as if representing a full moon. Dark darkness had already fallen on the streets of Gyeongseong. As if to express Baek Mu-yeol’s complicated feelings, a cricket chirps and an owl perched on a branch with cherry blossom petals looks at the two people with its eyes bright. They are Baek Mu-yeol and Kang Hee-soo.
“Go quickly.”
In response to Baek Mu-yeol’s question, Kang Hee-soo asks in a trembling voice.
“Can you come with me too?”
“The police under the command of the Japanese Government General of Korea have already stormed into the palace. It would not be possible if all the members of the Gyeongseong Uiyeoldan were caught. In any case, my true identity has already been revealed and I will not be able to leave Joseon. If I join you, even you will be identified.”
“still.”
“Come on! We have forgotten the oath we made together. Let us survive at least one of these tough and tough lives and bring back the spring of Joseon until the end!”
Baek Mu-yeol smiles as he holds Kang Hee-su’s slightly trembling hand. As a modern boy, he is quite different from his always confident and sly self. Baek Mu-yeol takes off the watch he was wearing on his wrist and hands it to Kang Hee-soo. And then he speaks in a calm voice.
“Use this to pay for your trip to Manchuria. I’m sorry I can only give you this. Thank you for everything. I wish we had met in a different way, in a better world.”
Baek Mu-yeol sends her away as if comforting her and turns around in a hurry. The place he was heading to was his original home. His family, which was one of the most popular people in Gyeongseong, is devastated as if a typhoon had already swept through it.
Not only is the gate broken, but there are blood stains on the dirt floor. Even in the middle of the night, you can see the police officers standing with their torches lit as if they were daylight. Chun-sam, whose entire body is covered in blood, looks at Baek Mu-yeol in shock. That look was like,
‘Why did you come here, Master?’
I think I do.
At that time, the assistant inspector (inspector) who was randomly beating Chun-sam walks over and checks Baek Mu-yeol’s face.
“You’re a big guy. I thought you abandoned your family and ran away from the bottom of Gyeongseong. I never dreamed you’d come back to your feet like this. I don’t need to expend any more manpower to chase you down. Do you know who I am?”
“He is not even a dog or a pig who has thrown away his pride as a Korean. So, you became a stooge for Japan and earned the title of assistant inspector general. Are you a little hungry? Assistant inspector Kim Dae-kyung. No, I should call you Hiroshi now.”
“He said he was fully aware of the organizational chart of the Japanese Government-General of Korea. It doesn’t seem like he was lying. I will watch closely to see how he can speak like that even in the face of death. However, if you want to live, there is a way to save you. If I tell you where Kim Sang-ok is even now. Report it to your superiors and try to take into account the circumstances. It would be better to be imprisoned and rot away in prison for a few years than to die under torture.”
Despite Assistant Inspector Hiroshi’s strong threats, Baek Mu-yeol has a relaxed attitude.
“Do you know? Even now, in Manchuria, countless comrades with the same goals as us are dying every day. We received news that our comrades in Fengwu-dong (鳳梧洞Fengwu-dong) engaged in combat with the Japanese Yuejiang. That is why even now, “In the basement of Seodaemun Prison, our comrades are going through hardships, suffering numerous tortures. How can we sell our comrades’ names just to live alone? So.”
In the following remark, Assistant Inspector Hiroshi raises his club and hits Baek Mu-yeol on the shoulder.
“You can catch me, but you won’t find out anything, dog of Japan.”
* * *
A month ago.
“In the case of Baek Mu-yeol, the male lead, I will give in and understand if he goes to Jang Young-guk. However, is there a need to make the female lead a newcomer as well?”
In response to actor Lee Chang-hoon’s question, playwright Jeong Yong-dae briefly nods his head. I don’t know why Lee Chang-hoon is worried. Aren’t they both rookie actors? Actor Jang Young-guk is the one who heated up last year, so it is a good choice for the sake of topicality. However, the latter could not be guaranteed. Moreover, isn’t he a child actor who has never appeared on a theater stage?
“Let’s read the play to the end.”
Jeong Yong-dae hands over the script without saying a word. As I read the script, actor Lee Chang-hoon’s eyes become more familiar. Soon a faint smile appeared on my lips.
The main content of the screenplay was as follows. Baek Moo-yeol, Joseon’s greatest lover, lures women by spreading numerous rumors of love affairs. The person he finally met was Misaki, the only daughter of Terauchi Arasuge, the General Superintendent of the Japanese Government-General of Korea.
With her help, the Uiyeoldan’s assassination operation was easily successful, but in the midst of it all, Baek Mu-yeol falls into an unknown atmosphere with another woman, a member of the Uiyeoldan named Kang Hee-su. When Misaki found out, he became jealous and told Baek Mu-yeol’s identity to the superintendent.
“There are two female protagonists?”
“That’s right. In fact, in the pamphlet known to the audience, the name of the female protagonist, Yeon-su, and Park Sang-ah are listed as supporting characters. But in reality, there are two people. The last woman chosen by Baek Mu-yeol, Joseon’s greatest paratrooper, will be Jinju In-gong. It will be.”
This is a theater planning method that was often used in the past. This is the case with all works, but in the case of theater tickets as well, the name must have value to become a hot topic and increase sales, so who the lead actor is is also very important.
Moreover, Park Sang-ah was an actress who appeared in similar roles in morning dramas after leaving theater in the past. No matter how you look at it, it would be even more topical to include Yeon-soo, who was recently popular with a historical drama, rather than Park Sang-ah on the list of female protagonists.
At that time, actor Lee Chang-hoon flips through each page of the script and tilts his head.
“Is it the last chapter yet? It didn’t say who to choose.”
“We plan to finish it while rehearsing. I am not yet fully mentally prepared for the part. In fact, the most important thing is Baek Mu-yeol’s heart. So, I plan to ask actor Jang, who will play the role of Baek Mu-yeol, for his opinion.”
Playwright Jeong Yong-dae elaborates, recalling the face of England.
“If you were Baek Mu-yeol, who would you choose between Misaki and Kang Hee-soo?”
* * *
As time passes, the stage becomes a courtroom. Judges dressed in judicial uniforms sit at the head of the jury while the jury is crowded. Baek Mu-yeol sits across from the head of the table, wearing a blood-stained shroud.
He raises his head towards the head of the table. His eyes are bright and he stands upright with his shoulders straight. There doesn’t seem to be any shame or fear whatsoever. Rather, he shouts in a relaxed manner.
“Why are you standing there wearing the name of the Japanese and wearing a court uniform, even though you are a Korean? Now I see that the Japanese dog was not me, but you in the court uniform. The court uniform, which should be fair and pursue justice, has softened. “Are you not at all ashamed of losing?”
The judge sitting at the head of the court looks at the criminal with eyes full of anger. He was simply called the Parakho of Joseon.
However, if you look at the actions he has done, he is as good as any independence fighter. Not only did they covet the wives and children of high-ranking officials of the Japanese Empire and cause all kinds of disorderly conduct, but they also stole confidential information that was happening within the Japanese Government-General of Korea.
“What did you do with the documents? I need to know. It must have been written for those who have already left my hands and are running towards the wilderness of Manchuria. If you want me to confess the past about the women I have met, I will gladly tell you. Misaki, who is sitting in the jury box over there. (みさき) is the only daughter of Terauchi Arasuge, Resident-General of the Japanese Government-General of Korea, and a woman who loved me passionately.”
Baek Mu-yeol looks at the woman in kimono in front of him. She was the child of the Governor-General of the Joseon Government-General, which was established based on the Eulsa Treaty of Korea. Baek Mu-yeol is a man who has met many women on the streets of Gyeongseong. What is unique is that the partners are all Japanese women.
Because of this, many people refer to Baek Mu-yeol as a Japanese dog. However, there is another reason why he embraced Japanese women so much.
“Thank you. Misaki, you worked hard to create the brightest day in Joseon, and I will never forget your love.”
Misaki, who was sitting in the jury box, looks at him with complicated feelings. In fact, I still have a deep love for him. However, when he saw Baek Mu-yeol walking around with Kang Hee-soo, his unbearable anger turned into jealousy. Now that I am in court wearing a prison uniform that is torn like rags after all the hardships I have gone through, it is already too late to regret it.
The judge orders Baek Moo-yeol to reveal the independence fighters who had secret connections with him. This is because there are still countless people running around the streets of Gyeongseong who received information from Baek Mu-yeol. In particular, Kim Sang-ok’s whereabouts are being closely monitored by the Japanese Government-General of Korea.
At that moment, Baek Mu-yeol takes a step towards the audience. The way he scans the crowd seems to penetrate the hearts of the judges and the people who enjoy affluent lives under the Japanese.
Under the eerie gaze, Baek Mu-yeol proudly raises his head. This truly shows the spirit of an independence fighter. As he takes a deep breath, as if enjoying the coming spring day, a roar comes out of his throat.
“The actions taken to find spring in Joseon look up to the sky and have no shame whatsoever.”
He smiles and tells the judge.
“You can put me to death.”
* * *
The audience sitting in the audience is looking at the stage, trying to cover their mouths with their sleeves. A mixture of sadness and anger flowed through the audience’s gaze. On stage, Baek Moo-yeol is being tortured. I can’t help but feel a pang in my heart because it seems to show the hardships of real independence fighters in the past.
“This is truly a poisonous species. Not only has all the fingernails and toenails been pulled out, but even the joints of the fingers have been cut off, so it is so tough. Is this really the Parakho who is famous in the Gyeongseong area? Of all the so-called members of the Uiyeoldan I have ever met, he is the most stubborn. “It’s the same guy.”
A guard sprinkles water on Baek Mu-yeol, who has lost consciousness. Baek Mu-yeol comes to his senses and glares at the guard with his molars clenched. The guard, as if he was fed up with the momentum, spits out and turns around. Just then, another guard enters the torture room to change his turn.
“What about Souji? Did that guy talk?”
“Don’t say anything, that guy doesn’t say a single word. I didn’t cut off his tongue, but even if I pulled out his fingernails or cut off his fingers, he wouldn’t even make a moan. Right now, I need to find out where the remaining venom from his mouth is hiding.”
At that moment, Baek Mu-yeol’s eyes open as big as a flower lantern.
“Where did you get that watch!”
The new guard looks at Baek Mu-yeol with a puzzled gaze.
“You mean this watch? Now I see I wasn’t dumb. Why do I want a watch while I’m dying?”
Baek Mu-yeol’s pupils are shaking violently as if there was an earthquake. This is because the watch the guard was wearing was none other than the watch he gave to Kang Hee-su.
Not only the scratches on the outside of the watch, but even the engraving of one’s own hamja is clearly visible. The guard sees the change in Baek Mu-yeol, who had been calm until now, and speaks as if he is bragging.
“It was worn by a woman who was a member of the Uiyeoldan who was captured a few days ago. She was truly a sweet woman. I wanted to keep the watch as my concubine, but how could I have such a cruel bitch as my concubine? She kept the watch in her bosom, so she took it from me. ”
“What happened to that woman?”
“If he had had a poisonous tumor like you, he would have lived a long time, but his body was weak and after being whipped a few times, he just collapsed.”
“So what happened!”
“I don’t know what happened, but he was already buried under the back porch. But where did this bastard raise his voice?”
The jailer whips Baek Mu-yeol again. Baek Moo-yeol, who was tied to a chair and struggling with harsh beatings with his eyes wide open, musters up all his strength and bites the guard’s wrist with his mouth.
This was because it was difficult to look at the wrist on which he was wearing his watch. The guard screams and eventually pulls the trigger on Baek Mu-yeol’s head.
bang!
The stage goes dark with the sound of a gunshot.
-If people like me pile up one by one and turn into dust, crumble, and mud, spring will someday come to this dry land of Joseon, using that nourishment. So, in the next life, let’s have a conversation over a cup of coffee with me. At that time, Joseon will also be filled with the scent of spring. I, Baek Mu-yeol, will only look at you for the rest of my life. So don’t be sad. I don’t want to leave you with only painful memories.
The stage brightens again with Baek Mu-yeol’s calm voice. That place is Gyeongseong Street. There are no Japanese people wearing geta, and there is no building of the Japanese Government-General of Korea in sight. On a sunny street in Gyeongseong, there stands a so-called modern boy in a black suit and fedora.
He is looking at his watch and adjusting his clothes as if waiting for someone. Soon, a woman gets off the rickshaw. The woman who got off the rickshaw is Kang Hee-su, dressed in a pure white hanbok. She shyly extends her hand towards Baek Mu-yeol. Just as he is about to hold her hand and start walking together.
Baek Moo-yeol gives a calm yet sorrowful gaze to the audience.
“There”
and
“Has the spring of Joseon arrived?”
The play is over.