I Acted Once, and Now They Call Me a Genius - Chapter 113

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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 113

“You look like you’re wondering why I’m here.”

“That’s exactly the expression. Why are you here, senior?”

“Well…”

“Min-hee!”

That’s when it happened.

A petite woman came running breathlessly from the direction of the production company building where the audition venue was located.

“Where did you suddenly go like that… Gasp! S-Seon-woo?!”

“Ah, yes. I saw Seon-woo so I just came over. Say hello. This is my manager. Her name is Seul-gi.”

“…Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Seon-woo.”

“I-I’m Yi Seul-gi!”

When Seon-woo extended his hand, Seul-gi grabbed it with a grateful expression and shook hands.

Then she subtly hid behind Min-hee. Min-hee let out a hollow laugh seeing her like that.

“…What are you doing?”

“I have a bit of a phobia of handsome men…”

“I don’t think he’s handsome to that extent.”

“Ahem. Dissing me to my face is a bit much.”

“Ah, sorry. My inner thoughts slipped out.”

Min-hee grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

“But don’t tell me you came to audition for [Red Zone]?”

“Yes. From what you’re saying, it seems you did too, senior.”

“Yeah. My agency showed me the script this time too. It’s for the So-hee role.”

“So-hee… That’s my colleague.”

“Colleague? …Are you auditioning for Yoon-seo?”

“Yes.”

Seon-woo nodded.

So-hee. She was an intern who appeared as an almost omnipotent elite role in the work. You could call her a medical school version of Hermione.

Opposite to Yoon-seo who constantly showed a flustered appearance, she was a role that continuously displayed excellence above anyone else.

But,

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…No, I just never imagined you in the Yoon-seo role.”

“Why? Doesn’t it suit me?”

“Rather than not suiting you, it’s a bit unfamiliar. The character is very different from [One Room], isn’t it?”

“Well, that’s true. But you’re similar, senior. Na Min-hee was also a doctor in [One Room].”

“That’s right. My agency recommended this work for that reason too. They said I’d suit a doctor role well.”

That was certainly true.

When she appeared wearing a doctor’s coat in episode 1, Na Min-hee’s appearance had quite a doctor-like atmosphere.

Intellectual roles suited her quite well.

“If today goes well, I might become colleagues with you, senior.”

“Ha, give it your best shot. Then I’ll let you be fake colleagues for a bit.”

Min-hee chuckled and shook her head.

They entered the production company for now. As they entered in front of the audition venue, several people were already waiting in the hallway.

And some of them glanced at Seon-woo and Min-hee, their eyes sparkling.

“Oh, those two over there… Aren’t they the people from 【I Am an Actor】?”

“That’s right. Kim Seon-woo and Na Min-hee.”

“They came together. Did they sign with the same company?”

“Hmm, it seems like it.”

They were showing quite a lot of interest in the two.

It was understandable. 【I Am an Actor】 was receiving quite a lot of attention from actors as well as the general public.

If 【I Am an Actor】 succeeded and became a seasonal show, it would create another route for actors to make their faces known to the public.

And 【I Am an Actor】 had successfully concluded through the activities of Seon-woo and various other actors. At this rate, it was almost a foregone conclusion that season 2 would come out.

Thanks to that, the gazes toward the two weren’t too bad.

They had achieved something that would be helpful to all actors, so there was no reason to view them unfavorably.

But there are always exceptions everywhere,

“Hey you, what role are you auditioning for today?”

A man looked at Seon-woo and asked.

Hey you. At this address he’d never heard before, Seon-woo blinked for a moment, then the man frowned and opened his mouth.

“Why aren’t you answering? I asked what role you’re auditioning for.”

“Ah, I came to audition for the Yoon-seo role.”

“…Ha.”

As soon as he heard those words, he openly sighed.

“I’m screwed.”

“…Excuse me?”

“No, don’t mind it. It’s just that our roles overlap, and I don’t have confidence I can win.”

“…”

Seon-woo was momentarily speechless.

He didn’t know whether to feel bad or good about this.

He was just dumbfounded.

As he stared blankly at the back of the man who just said his piece and left, Seul-gi, who was beside him, whispered quietly.

“Don’t feel too bad about it. You know all kinds of people gather here.”

“…Rather than feeling bad, I’m just a bit surprised.”

“That’s understandable. I’m a bit surprised by this too.”

Min-hee nodded.

“There are definitely a lot of crazy people in this industry.”

Though that’s not usually what they mean by crazy people.

As Seon-woo was suppressing a hollow laugh,

“Na Min-hee. Please come in.”

“Ah, yes! I’ll go first and come back.”

“Yes. Fighting.”

Min-hee was called into the audition room first.

Thanks to that, only Seon-woo and Seul-gi remained in their seats. Seul-gi rolled her eyes around awkwardly, then carefully opened her mouth.

“Um, Seon-woo sir.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Haven’t you found an agency yet?”

“Well, I’m planning to think about that slowly.”

“Oh… Ah, sorry. I was just curious since you came alone without a manager.”

“It’s fine. That’s understandable.”

While answering, Seon-woo thought to himself.

Is coming without a manager really that noticeable? The other actors here also seem to be alone without managers for the most part.

Perhaps Seon-woo’s perception had changed.

Just before entering here, he had given autographs to several people before coming in.

In terms of recognition, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had now risen to the level of a half-actor, half-celebrity.

Going around alone had probably reached a level where it would seem strange instead.

‘It’s just a moment.’

But Seon-woo wasn’t getting carried away.

Popularity can never be eternal. Especially this kind of half-baked popularity goes without saying. Now wasn’t the time to get intoxicated by the feeling of having become something, but the time to somehow properly establish his position.

Seon-woo took a slow deep breath.

It was time to take the first step.

Let’s prove it.

That he now… was ready to become an actor.

* * *

“[One Room]?”

“Yes. Two people from there applied.”

“Interesting. Did they know each other and apply together?”

“No. They both applied through different routes. It seems like they just happened to overlap…”

“Hmm.”

At PD Han Jeong-hun’s words, writer Yu Eun-jeong made a curious expression.

“[One Room] was fun to watch. There weren’t really any acting holes either.”

“For rookies, they were all pretty good.”

Jeong-hun nodded.

Among film industry workers, there were probably few who hadn’t seen [One Room]. Regardless of artistic merit, that experimental composition itself couldn’t help but arouse interest among industry insiders.

In the midst of that, the fact that amateur rookies showed surprisingly tremendous performances also served as drinking snacks for them.

There seem to be so many unpolished gems in this field that never see the light.

Min-hee and Seon-woo were among those gems.

Gems that had been noticeable since 【I Am an Actor】.

And indeed,

“That friend could go to leading role level if she does well?”

After watching Min-hee’s acting for a moment, Eun-jeong spoke in a serious voice.

Jeong-hun didn’t deny it and nodded.

“Well, there’s still a slightly awkward feeling remaining… but that seems to be because she mainly hasn’t done broadcast acting. If an agency catches those kinds of details well, she’ll definitely become what you said, writer.”

“Yes. First of all, her visuals are too good. Should I say just looking at her face gives me inspiration? Kids with that kind of atmosphere are really rare these days.”

“Hehe, even though they say the 20s actor pool is in drought, it seems sprouts are growing here and there.”

Clean acting and beautiful appearance. Plus an easygoing atmosphere on top of that.

Just looking at her made Eun-jeong feel like a melodrama story for her next work was coming to mind.

Actors who give inspiration to writers aren’t common.

Thanks to that. After seeing Min-hee like that, naturally expectations for Seon-woo couldn’t help but rise.

“Are they both from Cheongseong theater troupe?”

“Yes. There are definitely many good actors from there.”

“…According to rumors, the protagonist of Director Yoo Chan-woo’s new work is a rookie from there.”

“Come on, but that’s going too far. No matter what, how could a rookie be the protagonist…”

“Right? I just heard such rumors.”

Eun-jeong shrugged and turned her gaze back to the script.

“Anyway, I’m curious. Just how good will this Kim Seon-woo’s acting be?”

“Me too.”

Just when the two were having that conversation, Seon-woo entered the audition room.

Perhaps because he had the experience of appearing on a competition program, he didn’t seem particularly nervous.

Eun-jeong’s eyes narrowed.

‘In One Room, he did quite gloomy acting.’

A deep actor.

That was the impression Eun-jeong had of Seon-woo.

So she understood why Seon-woo applied for the role of Yoon-seo.

An emergency doctor suffering from trauma. The character Yoon-seo had many aspects that could become quite deep.

‘But…’

Curiosity flickered in Yu Eun-jeong’s eyes.

Yoon-seo shouldn’t just be serious and dark. The essence of Yoon-seo’s character must contain a heart that wants to save people.

Did Seon-woo see through that?

If he saw through it… would he be able to properly express that sentiment?

“Please perform the designated acting part.”

The answer would be known soon enough.

Facing the judges’ doubtful gazes, Seon-woo gathered his emotions.

It didn’t take long. As if he had always been immersed in Yoon-seo, Seon-woo took one breath in and one breath out, then began his acting.

“Air, airway… airway secured. Oxygen first, then check blood pressure, and, and…”

Seon-woo’s gaze fumbled in front of him, repeatedly closing tightly.

It was as if he could actually see the imaginary patient before his eyes. At the same time, he looked like he didn’t know what to do because he was afraid to face that patient.

It could be felt. How terrified ‘Yoon-seo’ was.

And,

“Massive bleeding is, pressure, pressure hemostasis, then next is, next is…”

How desperately he wanted to save them.

‘…Oh?’

Yu Eun-jeong’s eyes widened.

What she wanted to express when writing the character Yoon-seo was quite simple. A good person. Someone gentle and kind, so tender that they get hurt too easily.

That was why she designated this part for the acting assignment.

Depending on which emotional line they focused on in this situation where Yoon-seo is terrified, it would serve as a criterion to judge whether this person could truly become ‘Yoon-seo’ or not.

In that sense, the Yoon-seo that other actors had shown so far was disappointing in many ways.

They employed all sorts of techniques to show off how well they could be immersed in panic, how well they could act out a state of terror.

But Seon-woo was different.

Even in his panicked state, he was trying somehow to face the patient…

Rather than the fear the patient gave him, he seemed more afraid of possibly losing a person’s life, and it could be felt that he desperately wanted to save them.

That heart that treasures human life so dearly could be felt clearly.

How?

She didn’t know. What kind of details he brought to life to convey such feelings – as a writer, she couldn’t easily explain it.

She could only feel and think.

This young man before her eyes right now…

‘…He’s completely Yoon-seo, isn’t he?’

She thought.

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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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