Bedroom Genius Actor - Chapter 69

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 69

Oh Jin-woo entered the acting world at the age of 20.

To be precise, he joined a theater troupe.

“I want to try acting.”

“Acting…? How old are you?”

“I’m twenty years old.”

“So are you from a theater or film department or something?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then what are you doing now? Are you in college?”

“That’s not it either!”

“What the hell is this guy doing?”

Oh Jin-woo joined the theater troupe with nothing but a dream to try acting, despite knowing nothing about it.

He wasn’t recognized from the start.

Rather, he was treated as someone who started acting because he had nothing else to do.

“Let’s just kick him out. He can’t do anything properly.”

“These days, even high school students who are good at acting are overflowing. Why did we even accept a guy like that?”

Still, only Director Eom Chi-yong recognized Oh Jin-woo.

“That’s right, whether it’s singing or acting, there are plenty of kids who are good at it from a young age. But I’ve never seen anyone who loves acting as much as he does.”

Every day, he practiced without getting proper sleep, polishing himself to appear in even a single scene.

And there was another guy who grew alongside Oh Jin-woo while watching him.

“I can do it too…!”

Unlike Oh Jin-woo, this guy was from a theater and film department, a high school student who had even appeared in web dramas – Cha Seon-jae.

Despite being from an elite background, Cha Seon-jae worked just as hard as Oh Jin-woo.

The two were like rivals.

“Hehe, Oh Jin-woo. You saw my acting today, right?”

“I saw it. You were damn terrible, weren’t you?”

“What??? Then you. The director told you not to show it if you were going to do it like that.”

“He said you have great potential for growth, so practice more and show him again.”

“There’s no way that’s true???”

The two bickered but grew together.

Of course, it was Cha Seon-jae who first began to show results.

“The role of Lemit this time goes to Cha Seon-jae.”

“Oh!!”

“Seon-jae finally!!”

“Congratulations.”

While Oh Jin-woo hadn’t been at it for long, Cha Seon-jae already had a lot of experience.

“How’s that? I got ahead, didn’t I?”

“…Just wait a little. I’ll catch up to you soon.”

Even so, there were no hurt feelings between the two.

Both were pure meritocrats, and even if they weren’t chosen, it was simply because their skills were lacking, so it couldn’t be helped.

But that didn’t mean there was no sadness.

“…”

The day Cha Seon-jae first stood on the theater troupe’s stage, Oh Jin-woo sat alone in the back row and shed tears.

It wasn’t because he felt wronged or angry. It was just competitive spirit and frustration at his own lack of skill.

Director Eom Chi-yong sat down next to Oh Jin-woo, who was crying like that.

“You’re crying.”

“…I’m not crying.”

“Your eyes are brimming with tears, so what do you mean you’re not crying?”

Director Eom Chi-yong roughly pulled out a few tissues and handed them to Oh Jin-woo.

“How was today’s stage?”

“Seon-jae… did well.”

“Do you think you would have done better if you had been on that stage?”

“…No.”

“Then what should you be doing now?”

Oh Jin-woo said calmly.

“Practice.”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it. What was it that your opponent did better than you? And also.”

Director Eom Chi-yong tapped Oh Jin-woo’s chest.

“What you’re better at than him.”

“What I’m better at…”

“Can’t find it? Should I tell you? That Seon-jae kid’s acting is stiff and boring. It’s completely theoretical and textbook-like, with no bouncy flavor. On the other hand, you’ve been rolling around on the ground, so you have that bouncy flavor. And…”

At those words, Oh Jin-woo’s eyes widened.

“Ah, no. I think that’s enough for now.”

“Are you feeling guilty because it sounds like I’m badmouthing him?”

“…It’s not that. I think I understand something. My strengths.”

“Really? Then go. To practice.”

“Yes…!!!”

With those words, Oh Jin-woo rushed out from backstage.

And he practiced.

What Oh Jin-woo came up with there was ad-libbing.

It was the day Oh Jin-woo found his own path.

.

.

.

After that day, Oh Jin-woo grew tremendously and achieved great success, becoming an incredible actor.

Cha Seon-jae also grew into a pretty decent actor, but he couldn’t compare to Oh Jin-woo.

But at some point, there was a time when Cha Seon-jae’s skills grew tremendously.

A time when he showed such tremendous growth that he seemed like he could become an actor superior to Oh Jin-woo.

And.

A year later, Cha Seon-jae was found dead at home.

That was the story from 9 years ago.

“…”

Oh Jin-woo saw Cha Seon-jae overlapping with Kim Ji-hu.

That guy who loved acting more than anyone else.

And.

‘What is this feeling…’

Actually, the reason he seemed to overlap with Cha Seon-jae wasn’t just because he loved acting and responded well to his ad-libs.

An anxiety that something might disappear.

There was a strange anxiety he felt even though Kim Ji-hu was clearly working hard and doing well at acting.

‘This guy too, surely not…’

An actor who suddenly appeared and showed tremendous skill. Moreover, one who had some connection to ‘Park, the President’.

Oh Jin-woo swallowed dry saliva.

‘This guy too…, surely not.’

***

‘I got praised by the director…! And recognized by Oh Jin-woo!! And by the staff too!!’

Kim Ji-hu was in a very good mood.

He was especially happy because it wasn’t just a result achieved through his synchronization ability, but one obtained by incorporating his own thoughts well.

‘Of course, it’s not like I’ve only been watching works for a day or two…! My thinking was right!’

The thought of filling in the gaps where Oh Jin-woo lacked consistency was the answer itself.

This was probably an achievement he couldn’t have thought of if he hadn’t watched all of Oh Jin-woo’s previous works as the ‘Armchair Reviewer’.

But various things Kim Ji-hu had done combined to create this achievement.

‘Maybe because this feels like my first proper achievement, it’s even more satisfying.’

Kim Ji-hu was about to head home after finishing filming.

“Kim Ji-hu, do you have a moment?”

Just then, Oh Jin-woo stopped Kim Ji-hu.

“Yes?”

“Do you happen to take any medications?”

“Medications…?”

“Tell me about everything including headache medicine, vitamins, all of it.”

Kim Ji-hu was puzzled by the sudden question.

However, there wasn’t much to think about.

“I don’t have any.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t take medications like that. Not even vitamins… Come to think of it, my manager did tell me to take vitamins…”

“…”

Oh Jin-woo furrowed his brow.

“You’re not lying, right?”

“No. I wouldn’t lie about something like this…”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Kim Ji-hu looked at Oh Jin-woo with a strange expression.

“But why are you asking about that…?”

Oh Jin-woo glanced around before speaking.

“It’s related to Park, the President.”

“What?”

“Let me tell you one thing. Any food or medicine given by someone who seems related to Park, the President, or anyone suspicious – never consume them.”

“I… understand.”

Oh Jin-woo let out a slight sigh of relief as he spoke.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

Kim Ji-hu watched Oh Jin-woo turn around and quietly spoke up.

“W-wait a moment…!”

“Yes?”

Kim Ji-hu spoke with a determined expression.

“Um… uh… well… no…”

“…”

“No… well…”

“…Please speak.”

Kim Ji-hu clenched his fists tightly.

“Th-thank you for worrying about me…”

Kim Ji-hu spoke as if it were something trivial and bowed his head.

Oh Jin-woo chuckled at those words.

“Not at all. We should all help each other and live together. And.”

Oh Jin-woo added to his words.

“Be careful. The entertainment industry isn’t just a bright place. No, precisely because it’s bright, there are inevitably darker places.”

“Thank you… for the advice.”

“Well, you seem to have many good people around you, so you’ll probably be fine. I’ll be going now.”

Oh Jin-woo was about to leave after those words, but.

He paused.

He stopped for a moment and turned his head.

“And your acting was good today.”

Oh Jin-woo left that brief compliment and departed.

***

Time passed quickly.

After that day, Oh Jin-woo performed excellent ad-libs as if all his concerns had disappeared, and Kim Ji-hu responded with his own ad-libs accordingly.

While filming was going well.

“President, you seem very busy these days…”

“Ahaha… I’m trying to hand things over to others as much as possible, but I’m currently taking care of Ji-hye. Since we made a contract, I should do well by her.”

Kim Ji-hu was having a meeting with Baek Do-kyung after a long time.

“But what made you want to have a meeting, Ji-hu? Is there some problem with filming…”

“No… well, there’s Ji-hye’s matter and other things. How is Ji-hye doing?”

“Ji-hye was already first-class in terms of skill. Right now we’re just working on her fundamentals again and working on a single album… I think it’ll go well. Haha.”

Baek Do-kyung spoke confidently, which was reassuring.

Kim Ji-hu gradually got to the main point.

“And I heard a little about ‘Park, the President’ from Oh Jin-woo…”

Kim Ji-hu had already briefly told Baek Do-kyung about Park, the President.

In addition to that, he elaborated on what Oh Jin-woo had said.

“…Small but famous actors or singers. And medicine or food.”

Baek Do-kyung listened to those words, thought for a moment, then spoke.

“I think I might have some idea. There was something that was popular in the industry before.”

“Popular?”

“Ji-hu, have you ever heard of medicine that increases concentration, things like that?”

“Uh… the ones that high school parents bought for their kids…”

“There was a time when that kind of thing circulated in the industry too. Of course, it was quickly sorted out. But there was something strange about it.”

“Strange how…”

Baek Do-kyung spoke with a quite serious expression.

“The people who took the medicine didn’t know who gave it to them.”

“What?”

“There were deliveries, quick service, letters, water delivery, and various other methods used, but it was impossible to find out where or who sent them.”

Baek Do-kyung shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, since such incidents stopped happening, it was quietly buried and forgotten, but thinking about it, that was the strangest part.”

“Th-then it just ended there, didn’t it?”

“That’s true, but what if we think about it the other way?”

“The other way…”

Baek Do-kyung raised his index finger.

“What if it’s still continuing but we just haven’t discovered it?”

“Uh…”

“What if they’ve already found a transportation method that won’t get them caught?”

“Ah.”

Baek Do-kyung’s point was this.

Through that experience, they figured out an efficient distribution method, and using that method, it’s still happening now.

Baek Do-kyung let out a small sigh.

“Since you’re telling me this, Ji-hu, you want me to investigate, right?”

“That’s… right.”

When Kim Ji-hu answered hesitantly, Baek Do-kyung smiled.

“Of course I’ll help you. But when your current work is sorted out, please tell me. Why you’re chasing that person. It seems like you’re pursuing this too deeply for it to be just because of Ji-hye.”

It felt like he’d hit the nail on the head.

He had told Oh Jin-woo, but hadn’t told Baek Do-kyung yet.

“Yes… I’ll tell you everything.”

Since they were on the same side, Kim Ji-hu planned to tell him everything. Even more than what he’d told Oh Jin-woo.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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