I Acted Once, and Now They Call Me a Genius - Chapter 108

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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 108

It’s not entirely uncommon for idol agencies to manage actors.

Sometimes their affiliated idols transition to acting, and it often happens that trainees they were developing naturally become actors instead of idols, leading to the creation of dedicated acting departments.

“But it’s rare for them to approach actors from the start.”

However, cases like this where they approach actors from the very beginning were uncommon.

When idol agencies form actor teams, it’s usually out of necessity due to unavoidable circumstances. From their perspective, they don’t particularly welcome having their resources diverted in that direction.

So why did they contact Seon-woo?

“Don’t tell me they’re trying to offer you an idol position?”

“…Does that even make sense? I’m twenty-seven now.”

“Well, it’s not like there aren’t idols who debut at an older age.”

Hye-seong chuckled as if just imagining it was amusing.

“I can’t picture it. Kim Seon-woo dancing on stage…”

“You don’t need to imagine it. That’s never going to happen.”

“Why? You’d refuse?”

“I might consider it depending on what they propose… but if they ask me to become an idol like you said, I’d obviously have to refuse.”

Seon-woo shook his head as if it wasn’t even worth considering.

“I didn’t start acting because I wanted to become an idol.”

“That’s true. And they probably didn’t contact you about becoming an idol either. Why would they want to pull someone who’s currently rising as an actor into that field? But if it’s KS, it’s definitely a good deal. Even if they don’t have much experience managing actors, the company itself is huge.”

“…That’s true.”

KS was one of Korea’s top three representative agencies.

Even if the film industry wasn’t their main stage, their influence would be hard to ignore.

“Just meet with them once and hear what they have to say.”

Just as Seon-woo’s worries were about to deepen, Hye-seong spoke quietly with a smile.

“Don’t try to decide too hastily. You never know when or where good connections and opportunities might arise.”

“Yes. That’s what I should do.”

“Good, good. Still, isn’t it great that there’s a place specifically calling for you?”

“I was lucky.”

“Luck is also a skill.”

That’s when it happened.

Jin-wook interjected between the two, opening his mouth.

His voice was heavy and gloomy.

“…But do you really have to have this conversation while grabbing my cheeks?”

“Yes!”

Hye-seong nodded cheerfully.

Jin-wook frowned.

“…This is really driving me crazy.”

* * *

[One Room] was over.

Well, to be precise, Seon-woo’s [One Room] was over.

Hye-seong and Yeon-woo still had the journey of the final episode ahead of them.

‘I wonder what kind of ending it will be.’

The opponent was Ryu.

He surely wouldn’t have prepared an obvious and clichéd ending.

But for now, it was impossible to gauge.

Well, there was nothing Seon-woo could do about it right now. Since he had left [One Room], the script was no longer being shared with him.

He would just have to wait like any other viewer.

Of course, that didn’t mean Seon-woo was just waiting around doing nothing.

Seon-woo sequentially resolved the meetings with agencies that he had been putting off.

And this was more than Seon-woo had expected…

“We create annual revenue roadmaps for each actor.”

“You’ll find few places that offer better settlement rates than us.”

“Settlement rates? Of course they’re important! But what’s more important is ultimately what kind of work we bring in. Seon-woo, don’t you want to shoot commercials?”

It was extremely commercial.

It was similar no matter which agency he went to. Every single one only talked about how to land projects, how to raise his market value, and how to secure commercial deals.

Money, money, money.

Nothing but talk about money.

It was an unavoidable reality.

From the agencies’ perspective, it was natural to consider such business aspects.

Actors would often welcome such attitudes more.

But just as he was growing tired of seeing agencies busy talking about money…

“Ah, Mr. Kim Seon-woo. Nice to meet you. I’m Director Kim Ji-hun from KS Casting.”

“Nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Kim Seon-woo.”

He met with the director from the aforementioned idol agency, KS.

Kim Ji-hun was a man who looked like the epitome of a successful young professional. Neatly slicked-back pomade hair with intellectual horn-rimmed glasses. A solid build that suited his suit…

Seon-woo was inwardly impressed.

This was what you’d call a major agency indeed.

He had a different aura from people at other agencies. You could tell he was managed almost to celebrity standards.

“Were you surprised when we contacted you?”

“Well, it was a bit unexpected. I didn’t know KS managed actors too.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Actually, our entertainment company only recently started taking a proper interest in the acting side. But now it’s different. KS is now thinking of making real investments in the film industry.”

“May I know the background behind such a sudden decision?”

“Oh ho.”

Kim Ji-hun struck his palm with his fist, his eyes sparkling.

He seemed surprised that such a conversation would come from Seon-woo.

It was understandable. Most actors lacked experience in social situations, and above all, they tended to be deaf to such business-related topics.

‘They said he graduated from Seoul National University.’

Was he really that different after all?

This was good. Thinking they could communicate properly, Kim Ji-hun opened his mouth with an even deeper smile.

“There’s a lot of talk these days about how tough the film industry is. Yet actors’ fees are rising even higher. Do you know why?”

“Isn’t it because of OTT? Now we can target viewers globally rather than just domestically, so the expected profits would be higher too.”

“Exactly. Then what’s most important in that situation? Acting ability? Visuals? Well, they’re all important. But I think there’s something even more important than that.”

Kim Ji-hun snapped his fingers.

“Marketability.”

“…Marketability.”

“To put it more elegantly, it would be star quality. Stars are ultimately people who have the most marketability.”

Kim Ji-hun looked straight at Seon-woo.

It was strange. Even while discussing numbers, products, and business, his eyes were sparkling.

This was probably his dream.

Gradually raising those numbers must be incredibly enjoyable for him.

“KS can make you into a star.”

“…”

“Not just a star, but a global star.”

Seon-woo was impressed.

Even the word “star” wasn’t something you could easily say, yet Kim Ji-hun’s eyes showed no hesitation even when talking about global stardom.

“You seem very confident.”

“I was the one who suggested bringing you to KS.”

Kim Ji-hun smiled.

“I could see it, you know. Kim Seon-woo’s potential. And how attractive the results would be when that potential meets KS’s branding.”

“…Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”

“Not at all. But… I’d like to ask you something too. Please take a good look at us.”

Kim Ji-hun spread his intense gaze and subtly presented some documents.

“This is the contract you would use if you decide to sign with us. Please read it carefully and think it over.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The meeting with KS ended like that.

It was subtly different from the other agencies.

While other agencies tried to entice him with good treatment and favorable contract terms… KS’s confidence that they could make him a star stood out the most.

‘But in the end, it all sounds like talk about money.’

Maybe that was natural.

Everyone was doing this to make a living, weren’t they? It’s not like acting was done for free, so talking about money was natural in a way.

But why didn’t any of those words particularly excite him…

‘Am I thinking too naively?’

Seon-woo decided to think it over slowly.

There’s a saying about rowing when the tide comes in… but there’s also a saying about taking detours when you’re in a hurry.

He needed advice for now.

He needed a senior who could tell him the wisest way to handle this situation.

The problem was that Seon-woo didn’t really have such a senior.

If he had to count people who had properly debuted, there were Do-young and Eun-seok… but those two hadn’t built up enough experience to give advice on such matters either.

The other seniors at Cheongseong weren’t even worth mentioning.

‘I have no one to lean on.’

It was exactly on the day he was thinking this.

A text came from an unexpected person.

Seong Jun-il: Seon-woo, are you free today?

* * *

As soon as Seon-woo received Seong Jun-il’s text, he immediately rushed to his neighborhood.

He didn’t know what Seong Jun-il’s business was, but it didn’t matter.

Seon-woo had urgent business with him anyway.

And fortunately,

“Hmm~ I had a feeling, and sure enough. I knew those hyenas would start circling already.”

“Hyenas…?”

“Not all of them are like that, but here, here, and here need to be filtered out.”

Seong Jun-il pointed at several agencies that Seon-woo had shown him.

“This place is famous for exploiting actors. There are even rumors that the CEO has connections with gangsters.”

“…Connections with gangsters?”

“What, did you think that only happened in dramas?”

“It’s not that… I thought that kind of thing only happened in the old days.”

“No matter how much the world develops, there are always scumbags. They just hide more cleverly.”

Seong Jun-il let out a sigh.

“And to guys like that, you’re the perfect prey.”

“Me?”

“Of course. Thanks to 【I Am an Actor】, your recognition has skyrocketed, and your acting ability is good too. But you have no experience. Could there be a more perfect talent to exploit?”

And this was the reason why Seong Jun-il had once told Seon-woo ‘Come to my agency.’

A kind of warning that since he was watching over Seon-woo, anyone approaching with strange intentions had better think carefully.

Nevertheless, flies still swarm around.

“Well, KS isn’t bad though.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Their capabilities are solid. Of course, they haven’t really made their mark in the film industry yet… but there’s something called influence that comes from size, you know? Their sheer bulk would be enough to cover any lack of know-how. It’s an option worth considering.”

“…They certainly seemed incredibly confident.”

Seon-woo nodded.

Kim Ji-hun’s gaze still flickered before his eyes.

Those eyes armed with conviction and confidence… had such a special quality that they could probably captivate most people in an instant.

But why was it?

Despite all that, why wasn’t Seon-woo’s heart racing at all?

“You don’t like KS either, do you?”

As if reading Seon-woo’s mind, Seong Jun-il soon smiled with narrowed eyes.

Seon-woo honestly admitted it.

“It’s not that I don’t like them… I just don’t feel excited.”

“That’s the same as not liking them. What did you dislike so much?”

“He said he would make me a star.”

“…You didn’t like that?”

“It’s not that I dislike becoming a star… I think I disliked the idea of aiming for that.”

Seon-woo slowly added.

“Now that I think about it, when I was talking with him… we didn’t discuss acting at all.”

“…Huh.”

At those words, Seong Jun-il couldn’t help but smile.

There’s a common mistake that newcomers who’ve just gained popularity often make. Getting greedy.

It’s natural.

Popularity usually comes with temptation. The greater the popularity, the greater the temptations one inevitably faces – that’s the nature of this industry.

So Seong Jun-il had been secretly worried.

He didn’t know what sweet words those snake-like people from agencies might have whispered in Seon-woo’s ear.

Maybe Seon-woo might get carried away with false hopes too.

That was why he had asked to meet today.

He believed Seon-woo wouldn’t be like that, but just in case he showed signs of wavering, he felt he needed to help him stay centered as a senior.

But,

‘It seems my worries were unnecessary.’

A calm smile spread across Seong Jun-il’s lips.

It was so typical of Seon-woo, who had always focused only on acting throughout filming.

Yes, this is right.

What an actor should focus on should be acting, not popularity or profit.

He was so admirable it made him reflect on himself.

It had been so long since he’d seen a junior with such a properly grounded mindset.

This won’t do.

“Seon-woo.”

“Yes?”

I can’t just leave this alone.

“Are you… interested in auditioning by any chance?”

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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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