I Acted Once, and Now They Call Me a Genius - Chapter 18

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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 18

Before he knew it, the audition day had arrived while receiving special training.

Perhaps it was thanks to Min-hee and Hye-seong’s consistent care. Fortunately, Seon-woo was able to prepare for the audition safely without injuring his throat.

That wasn’t all. Thanks to his voice projection itself becoming more solid than before, the stability of his acting also felt much better than previously.

Without their help, he might not have been able to properly audition, let alone grow like this.

“I helped you because you worked hard.”

At Seon-woo’s words of gratitude, Min-hee shrugged her shoulders as if it was nothing.

“And if I left you alone, you would’ve gotten vocal nodules. How could I just leave that be? Seriously, stubborn guys like you who practice foolishly are such a headache. I can’t take my eyes off you.”

“…I only had practice to do.”

“Don’t talk back.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Right. Just obediently say you were wrong.”

At Min-hee’s tough tone, Seon-woo smiled silently.

Watching such Min-hee, Hye-seong clicked his tongue.

“Geez, Min-hee speaks so harshly even when saying one word. In my opinion, you shouldn’t have become an actor but a soldier instead.”

“If you keep making me out to be such a scary person, I might actually become scary, oppa.”

“…Ah, okay. I get it.”

Senior Hye-seong took a step back with a slightly startled face.

Then he soon looked at Seon-woo with a playful expression.

“By the way, Seon-woo. Shall we check your throat condition today? Gwak-gwak-gwak Bak-bak-bak Dak-dak-dak!”

“…Gwak-gwak-gwak Bak-bak-bak Dak-dak-dak!”

“Okay, you’re in good condition.”

“Oppa, that training method… is it really proper?”

“Ah, it is! I fixed both my pronunciation and voice projection with this!”

Looking at Min-hee’s suspicious gaze, Hye-seong jumped up as if feeling wronged.

Seon-woo smiled bitterly.

Actually, he too had initially wondered what the heck this was. He thought maybe they were trying to tease him, but…

‘The effect was surprisingly good.’

His poor pronunciation and weak breathing were completely overcome through this training method.

Even when delivering lines, he felt like the character’s essence spread much further than before.

The problem was that this practice method looked a bit ridiculous… but if it helped with acting, what couldn’t he do?

“So how is everyone feeling? Are you confident about today’s audition?”

Hye-seong looked around at everyone with a round, cheerful smile.

Min-hee shrugged her shoulders.

“Why are you asking something so obvious? If it works out, it works out. If not, then it doesn’t.”

“And then you’ll drink yourself silly if you fail.”

“I never said I wouldn’t drink.”

“Right, right… What about you, Seon-woo?”

“I…”

Seon-woo hesitated for a moment.

The more he prepared for the audition, the more ambitious he became.

It couldn’t be helped. The more emotion and time you pour into a role, the more your heart grows attached to it.

Rather than wanting to play the lead role… it would be better to say he wanted to act as Hee-jae.

And because of that, he was also getting a bit anxious.

Could he really have this? Could he really do this? These thoughts kept coming to him.

Seon-woo answered honestly.

“I’m a bit scared. I wonder if I can really do it.”

“You can’t think like that! You can’t lose your spirit just because it’s a lead role!”

Hye-seong waved his arms and shook his head.

“I’ve always told you. What is acting?”

“…Presence?”

“That’s right. Even in fights, if you start thinking you’ve already won, you usually do win, right? Without presence, even what should work won’t work!”

Seon-woo nodded. He thought he understood what he meant.

Even when going to job interviews, once your confidence was broken, it was nearly impossible to recover from it.

Seon-woo clenched his fist.

Alright. Let’s build up that presence.

I’m going in there full of fighting spirit.

It was when he was steeling his resolve like this.

“Huh? Jae-won oppa?”

Min-hee’s eyes widened.

Jae-won? That’s a familiar name, Seon-woo thought as he turned his head… and a tall man who looked to be about 190cm appeared from the door.

He was a man with looks that would surely draw the attention of passersby.

His tall height was one thing, but his body was filled with muscle… and he even had a pretty face that didn’t match his physique – nothing about him was ordinary.

“Oh, Min-hee. Long time no see. Senior Hye-seong is here too.”

“Hyung, I’m here too!”

“Right, right, long time no see. Ye-chan.”

And on top of that, an unexpectedly deep, cave-like voice.

Seon-woo gulped. He was someone who made the person across from him feel nervous. Should he say that a different kind of charisma from Do-young was overflowing from him?

And only then did Seon-woo realize where he had heard the name Jae-won before.

It was the person Hye-seong had mentioned before. The senior who traveled between Cheongseong and construction sites every quarter to do theater.

Jae-won looked over at Seon-woo.

“I don’t think I’ve seen this person before.”

“Hello. I’m Kim Seon-woo. I just joined the troupe!”

“Joined? There hasn’t been a recruitment period since Ye-chan’s time, has there?”

“Hey, quiet down and sit. But why are your hands like that? Are you hurt?”

“Oh, a steel beam fell at the construction site. It’s fine. It doesn’t interfere with my acting.”

“…You got hit by a steel beam?”

He was an extraordinary person in many ways.

Seon-woo quietly observed Jae-won without making it obvious.

‘So this person is my biggest competitor.’

His intuition told him.

This fight was honestly going to be quite difficult.

At first glance, he was too strong an opponent.

But Seon-woo recalled Senior Eun-seok’s advice.

—Focus only on your acting.

Right.

Other people’s acting wasn’t something he could control. Seon-woo’s job was simply to show his best.

As he was steeling his resolve like this, the audition quickly began.

This was his first time watching Cheongseong’s official audition.

Seon-woo watched each person’s acting one by one.

“M-m-me? I really don’t know anything at all?”

Ye-chan displayed his usual cunning acting as always,

“…Thank you. But, I don’t think I want to live either.”

Min-hee, who was auditioning for the role of Ye-bin, transformed into a surprisingly depressed person,

“Are you really confident? That you can erase all of one person’s pain?”

Hye-seong’s fairy acting was… absolutely admirable.

The way he seemed comical one moment then suddenly radiated mysterious intimidation the next… his skills were truly tremendous.

And Seo Jin-wook naturally came to audition as well.

He auditioned for the role of a thug who was obsessed with Ye-bin and engaged in threats and stalking, and he boasted perfect synchronization that couldn’t be criticized.

His acting ability was good too.

‘He’d be a decent actor if he just kept his mouth shut and only acted.’

Well, now wasn’t the time to worry about Seo Jin-wook.

Seon-woo focused his gaze on the stage.

Soon… it was time for the auditions for the lead role, Hee-jae.

There were five actors total who applied for the role of Hee-jae.

Seon-woo watched those actors’ performances.

And his impression of them was…

‘…If I do well, I might have a chance?’

Of course, in terms of acting stability, they all definitely seemed more experienced than Seon-woo.

Their lines, gestures, expressions, and even eye movement were all polished.

But Seon-woo also had advantages he could present against them.

Through the power of Color Orbs… delicate and intense Emotional Lines.

The others’ colors didn’t feel consistent yet.

Yellow one moment, sky blue the next, then blue… changing from time to time.

This happened because they couldn’t establish a Base Color. To put it more simply, it meant they hadn’t fully understood and digested ‘Hee-jae.’

Actually, this was a natural phenomenon.

Characters aren’t something you can understand overnight. Even though they were given two weeks, that probably wasn’t enough time.

But Seon-woo was different.

Seon-woo could absorb a character’s color in an instant through the Color Orb, needing not 2 weeks but 2 minutes—no, even 2 seconds would suffice.

He could perform with much more vivid and distinct colors than others, much faster.

If Ji-hwan gave him high marks in this area, he could win.

That’s what he thought.

…But a moment later, when Jae-won stepped onto the stage,

“What should I… what should I do? How exactly do I make you want to live?”

Seon-woo couldn’t help but let out an involuntary groan.

Just one line—hearing just one line was enough to understand.

How he had been able to challenge Do-young all this time. Why the other seniors had warned him to be careful.

He was a monster.

Seon-woo could tell. Jae-won had already finished analyzing how to portray Hee-jae.

While others still seemed uncertain about what color their Hee-jae should take on, Jae-won’s Hee-jae was already shining with incomparable clarity.

Dyeing the stage with a red color like spider lilies.

The energy he possessed as an actor was at an overwhelmingly superior level.

Seon-woo found himself opening his mouth unconsciously.

Had he ever dyed the stage to such an extent even once?

It was the moment when his thought that he could win instantly withered away.

He wanted to deny it, but that was reality.

This was an unwinnable fight.

He had no choice but to acknowledge it. That man standing on stage was… someone who was several steps ahead of him in every field.

—See, I told you it would be difficult.

It felt as if someone was whispering that in his ear.

But Seon-woo clenched his fists.

Come to think of it, since he started acting, nothing had ever gone against his wishes. Joining the Theater Company, landing Seung-do’s role… everything had flowed smoothly.

But you can’t always win.

Sometimes you have to go to interviews knowing you’ll fail.

Hadn’t he told everyone that? That there are processes more important than results—he had boasted about it so smugly.

Now it was time to live up to his own words.

“Next, Kim Seon-woo.”

“Yes.”

Seon-woo stepped onto the stage.

It still felt like the red color of the spider lilies that Jae-won had painted on the stage remained.

He didn’t know how much of this lingering atmosphere he could dispel, but… he had to try somehow.

“Seon-woo… let’s try acting scene number 7.”

“Yes.”

As soon as the Director’s order fell, a Color Orb rose up as if it had been waiting.

Seeing that Color Orb shining brightly, Seon-woo smiled. Right. Winning or losing, I’ll think about that later.

For now, let’s act.

Let’s show what color his Hee-jae has.

Seon-woo clenched his fist.

The Color Orb burst forth, and everything about him was being dyed.

Gradually, in pink.

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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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