I Acted Once, and Now They Call Me a Genius - Chapter 160

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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 160

…It’s disappointing.

Disappointing, and disappointing again.

“So disappointing!”

“Ah, you scared me. Why are you making a fuss again!?”

Da-yeon patted her startled chest as she watched Da-sol suddenly start yelling.

Da-sol paid no attention to Da-yeon and stomped her feet on the blanket.

“[Red Zone] was too short…! 9 episodes! It ended after just 4 weeks! What am I supposed to do now! Seon-woo doesn’t have an agency so he’s not appearing on any shows!”

“…Calm down. He’ll get an agency soon.”

“Right? Yeah. He has to.”

“Our Do-young needs to get an agency quickly too~.”

Da-yeon said that and soon smiled smugly.

“Well, he seems busy right now even without an agency.”

“…I’m jealous!”

Da-sol honestly admitted defeat.

Do-young was showing his face here and there even without an agency right now. It couldn’t be helped. From reporters to all kinds of broadcasts, everyone was looking for Do-young.

A genius actor who captivated Cannes upon debut.

And with his overwhelming visuals on top of that… the broadcasting industry couldn’t help but seek him out.

‘If only the stage was set for our Seon-woo too…!’

Yeah. It might be a little tough right now, but soon he’ll easily conquer Cannes and the Oscars!

Da-sol clenched her fist tightly, comforting herself with these thoughts.

And that’s when it happened.

#rlatjsdn2000 has posted.

“Oh!”

Da-sol’s eyes sparkled at the sudden notification.

It was Seon-woo’s SNS. Was he going to write some thoughts about [Red Zone] ending?

‘I wonder how long he wrote this time.’

Seon-woo was famous among fans for always posting long posts.

He seemed to make an effort not to exceed 3 lines when he first started posting, but gradually it went to 4 lines, then 5 lines, and these days… sometimes you’d scroll for a while and the post still wouldn’t end.

But,

#rlatjsdn2000: Hello, this is Kim Seon-woo.

I’ve successfully finished [Red Zone].

The time I lived as Yoon-seo taught me a lot as an actor. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who worked with me, and to all the fans who watched over and supported me despite my shortcomings.

Additionally, I have some new news to share with you today.

I will be working with Wild Entertainment from now on.

I think I’ll be posting Instagram posts in consultation with the company from now on.

It might be a bit difficult to write long posts by myself like before.

Still, I’ll try to coordinate well so that my feelings aren’t completely absent.

I will always do my best to not disappoint the interest and love you give me.

Thank you.

‘…Oh?’

This time, a shorter post than expected was uploaded.

But there was no time to be disappointed about that. That’s because quite big news had broken.

Seon-woo finally got an agency!

‘Wild… that’s amazing? Isn’t that where Yu Si-hun and Cheon Seol-ah are?’

The fact that Da-sol, who wasn’t very knowledgeable about this field, knew the name meant it was quite a major management agency.

…Well, this was largely because Wild often released their own making films and vlogs that became hot topics. But anyway, this was a situation where fans could applaud with peace of mind.

At least Wild was famous for managing their actors quite well!

‘…Though they can be a bit lunatic sometimes.’

Anyway, it was good news.

Still, there was one disappointing thing. She had thought that once he got an agency, he wouldn’t be able to post as freely as before. So fans also thought Seon-woo’s long posts were like a limited-time seasonal event that could only be enjoyed right now.

But to think it would be blocked so immediately.

She was feeling a bit disappointed… when that moment came.

A comment caught Da-sol’s eye.

A comment posted directly by Seon-woo himself.

rlatjsdn2000: Additionally, if there are those who prefer long posts like before, please leave a comment! I’ll suggest it to the agency!

‘…No, I don’t think that’s necessary.’

Da-sol’s smile became awkward.

And it seemed she wasn’t the only one thinking that.

Please restrain yourself, oppa

…I don’t think so

Well, long posts are good but I think short posts have their own aesthetic…

Hahahahahahaha their character is really solid

I like long posts too!

You’re the worst

For real, people asking for long posts should be made to write commentary every time Seon-woo posts an essay

Everyone was unanimously trying to dissuade Seon-woo.

Well, Seon-woo would probably feel a bit dejected seeing this… but it couldn’t be helped.

Wrong is wrong, after all.

‘But if this happens, will the next project come out soon too?’

A smile formed on Da-sol’s lips.

Now that he had an agency, it seemed unlikely there would be long periods of downtime. Of course, considering the buzz gained through [Red Zone] this time, it seemed he wouldn’t rest long even without an agency.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had truly entered the ranks of rising stars now.

Anyway, that was Seon-woo.

Now he could just quietly wait to see what his next project would be without any worries.

It was while thinking such thoughts.

Suddenly, she became curious.

…What kind of mood was Seon-woo in right now?

He must be extremely happy, right?

* * *

Unfortunately, Seon-woo wasn’t in the purely happy state that Da-sol imagined.

As soon as filming for [Red Zone] ended… an indescribable depression and lethargy had overwhelmed him.

‘…Why?’

At first, it was a bit bewildering.

Ever since he started acting, he had felt some degree of regret whenever a project ended… but this feeling of being completely drained was a first.

There was one thing he could guess at.

‘Was it because Yoon-seo’s color was so comforting?’

The reason Seon-woo had auditioned for [Red Zone] was Yoon-seo.

More precisely, he had been drawn to his clear and beautiful color emission.

As such, after spending each day immersed in Yoon-seo’s colors and then trying to break away from them, the gap inevitably felt more severe.

Of course, there was one way to solve this immediately.

That was to burst Yoon-seo’s color bubble.

“…”

Seon-woo looked at the color bubble floating above his palm.

He knew all too well how euphoric this world would become again if he burst this color bubble.

But that’s precisely why he hesitated more.

Would it really be okay to immerse himself in a role not for acting, but simply for a change of mood?

When he first started acting, he had done that a few times, but now Seon-woo realized that could be quite dangerous.

Colors that dye a person inevitably leave their traces.

Just as the characters became tinted with the colors of those around them as the project progressed, Seon-woo’s mind would inevitably be stained with Yoon-seo’s color.

Perhaps this empty feeling Seon-woo was experiencing now was also the influence of those stains.

He instinctively kept craving Yoon-seo’s pure and good way of thinking. That perspective where everything in this world seemed more comfortable and beautiful was truly something to long for.

And because of that,

‘Let’s stop.’

Seon-woo just scattered Yoon-seo’s color bubble.

He knew. If he burst that, he would definitely feel good for the moment. This unpleasant depression would disappear too. But that would only be temporary pleasure.

He hadn’t started acting just to feel such pleasure.

That wouldn’t be respectful to acting.

‘I wish the next project would be decided quickly instead.’

But unfortunately, Seon-woo didn’t have any options yet.

Since the project had just ended, Park Du-ho had strongly recommended that he rest for at least a week.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand why he was told to rest, but given the situation, he couldn’t help feeling restless.

Normally he would have visited Cheongseong…

Hye-seong: Hahahahahaha When are you free, Seon-woo and Min-hee~? We should see your faces

Minhee: Why are there so many ㅎ’s, it’s annoying

Hyesung: Sorry. So when do you want to meet? haha

Min-hee: That’s still annoying

Hye-seong: When shall we meet!? >_【</p】

…Seeing Hye-seong’s messages like this, it seemed like he’d face something terrible if he visited carelessly.

It felt like everyone was lying in wait for him and Min-hee.

‘I’m too scared to go.’

This made visiting Cheongseong awkward too.

He had been prepared for this since the kiss scene was scheduled. He’d have to wait until this current excitement died down a bit before going.

In the end, Seon-woo went to Wild’s headquarters to find Park Du-ho.

He had hoped there might be other actors at headquarters, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

Actually, actors rarely had reason to be at the company building. Unless they had projects or contracts coming up, they usually just went back and forth between film sets and home.

…Just as he was thinking that,

“Welcome. What can I help you with, Actor?”

“…Senior?”

What Seon-woo discovered was Yu Si-hun dressed as a security guard.

Even though he was wearing a mask, the aura of a celebrity couldn’t be hidden by such things. Especially someone like Yu Si-hun who had a somewhat murky aura.

Yu Si-hun frowned at Seon-woo calling him senior. Then he tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.

“What? I think you have me confused with someone else.”

It seemed like he was absolutely determined not to reveal his true identity.

Should he be impressed by this? Seon-woo held back a sigh and spoke.

“I’m here to see the director. I want to discuss my next project.”

“Ah, I see. Then take that elevator over there and go up. The Director’s Office is on the 5th floor.”

“…Thank you.”

“Yes. May there be infinite glory in your future as an actor.”

But seriously, what kind of security guard acts like this?

What kind of drama was he planning to appear in that he was building up his input like this again?

Since asking wouldn’t likely get him an answer anyway, Seon-woo headed to the elevator for now.

When he entered the Director’s Office, Park Du-ho was deeply absorbed in reading through documents.

At first, he thought it might be work-related business, but it wasn’t. He was reading through various scripts.

Seon-woo cleared his throat.

“Director?”

“Yeah. Huh? Ah. Seon-woo. Come in…. What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Park Du-ho’s expression became strange as he looked up at Seon-woo.

Seon-woo shook his head.

“No. Why?”

“Your atmosphere seems dark? You’re like a completely different person. Are you sure nothing happened?”

“Ah.”

Seon-woo let out a groan.

He had thought he’d become much darker after [Red Zone] ended, but he didn’t realize it was noticeable enough to be spotted immediately.

Seon-woo spoke honestly about it.

He said that after Yoon-seo’s acting ended, the empty feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away. Park Du-ho nodded without seeming particularly surprised by this.

“You’re going through a breakup.”

“…I suppose that’s one way to look at it.”

“It happens often. If you were deeply immersed in the role, the aftereffects are bound to be more intense. You need to get into a new project quickly. I was actually looking for projects for you to do.”

“Is there anything good?”

“Hmm….”

Park Du-ho scratched his head with an awkward expression.

That expression alone was answer enough. Seon-woo nodded, trying to hide his disappointment.

“Good projects don’t come around that easily, I suppose.”

“Well, it might just be that they don’t appeal to my taste. But nothing really strikes me, you know.”

“Could I take a look too?”

“Sure.”

Seon-woo took the script.

And how long had he been reading? Soon he could understand why Park Du-ho said nothing struck him.

How should he put it. The characters were all uniformly bland.

Usually, even if they’re plain, it would be nice if there were moments where they suddenly sparkled, but most of these characters didn’t even have that.

And there were too many where even the character development was sloppy….

“…Are my standards too high?”

“That’s understandable. Your first project was Writer Ryu’s work, and your second was Writer Yu Eun-jeong’s. Both are well-respected writers in this industry. Other writers just won’t have that same feel.”

“What should I do?”

“Actually, there’s no solution for times like this.”

Park Du-ho shrugged his shoulders.

“You have to wait. But there’s no need to rush. We’re constantly making contact with writers and PDs on our end… Actually, there’s some good news. Some pretty decent projects should be coming out soon.”

“How long might that take?”

“Well. If it’s short, maybe a month, but if it’s long, you might have to wait longer than that.”

“…Hmm.”

“Why. Getting restless?”

“Honestly, a little.”

Watching Seon-woo answer like that, Park Du-ho grinned.

How long had it been since [Red Zone] ended and he was already like this? He liked it. This passion of Seon-woo’s might be what made his acting even more special.

“Still, don’t rush. If you hurry because you hate resting, you might miss even better opportunities.”

“Yes. You’re right.”

“…Well, that said, I wasn’t planning to tell you to do nothing either.”

Park Du-ho smoothly pulled out a script.

It was an extremely thin script from the start. A short film perhaps? As Seon-woo took the script, Park Du-ho continued.

“Actually, there’s a proposal that came in specifically requesting you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. They said they’d like you to take it on.”

The script Park Du-ho handed over was for a music video.

He hadn’t expected this kind of proposal to come in. Seon-woo quietly read through the script. He didn’t really have high expectations.

A music video would be about 3 minutes at most.

There would be limits to the narrative and character that could be expressed within that time. He thought he probably wouldn’t be able to do any particularly remarkable acting.

But a moment later.

“….”

Seon-woo’s expression changed.

At first, he clearly hadn’t shown any particular interest, but at some point, he was completely absorbed in the script.

Park Du-ho smiled as he watched Seon-woo clench and unclench his fist.

It was a habit he’d often shown before getting immersed during [Red Zone] too. He didn’t know if it was some personal jinx or what… but at least right now, it was certain that Seon-woo was quite absorbed in this script.

‘How fascinating.’

At this very moment, Park Du-ho felt the shadow that had been covering Seon-woo disappear in an instant.

It was fascinating enough to amaze him even as he watched.

Just moments ago, the person himself seemed extremely depressed and lacking energy, making him wonder if he should feed him something delicious… but contrary to his worries, vitality was now circulating around him again.

Thanks to that,

“I’ll do it.”

“Good. I’ll convey that to them.”

When Seon-woo answered like that, Park Du-ho wasn’t particularly surprised.

Seon-woo’s face was already telling him everything about his feelings.

“And since you’re here at the right time, there’s one more thing I wanted to talk about.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s change your SNS account name.”

“…?”

Seon-woo looked at him with puzzled eyes.

His nickname was rlatjsdn2000. It was a nickname combining his name and birth year. He thought it was quite clean and pretty….

“Is it strange?”

“Yeah. It’s tacky.”

“…I thought it was modern.”

“It might have been modern about 10 years ago. Not now. It looks just like a fake account. There are probably many people who didn’t click on it thinking it was actually fake, right?”

“Hmm… Then what should I change it to?”

“I actually spent all day yesterday thinking about this.”

Park Du-ho chuckled and scribbled a nickname on paper.

His eyes showed confidence that Seon-woo would never be able to refuse.

“Look, how is it. Doesn’t it overflow with wit and sense?”

“….”

standing_cow_kim

Seon-woo’s expression became strange as he looked at the nickname written on the paper.

“Um, CEO.”

“Yeah?”

“Our contract… could we reconsider it?”

This doesn’t seem right.

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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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