I Acted Once, and Now They Call Me a Genius - Chapter 247

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 247
“Oh, Seon-woo! Over here!”
“Hello, PD.”
A cafe in Ilsan.
Seon-woo quickened his pace toward Im Yeong-do, who was waving at him. Im Yeong-do grinned and handed him a coffee.
“I ordered yours ahead of time. Let me see—that’s right? I remember you always ordering Americano.”
“Yes, that’s right. Anything else leaves my mouth feeling dry, somehow.”
“That happens. When I was younger, I basically made it a rule to have something with sugar—but now that I’m getting older, that’s not so easy anymore. Sugar crashes hit me right away now.”
Im Yeong-do shrugged with a wry smile.
Then he glanced around the cafe with an odd expression. The moment Seon-woo had stepped inside, the interior had fallen nearly silent—remarkably so.
It wasn’t as though Seon-woo had dressed up deliberately. In fact, he’d pulled a hat down low over his head—and yet a celebrity’s aura couldn’t be hidden by a mere hat.
Already, a few people were recognizing him, their eyes narrowing as they leaned toward each other in confirmation.
Im Yeong-do, watching this unfold, smiled with genuine warmth and opened his mouth.
“Ahem—it feels like just the other day I first saw you, and now I’m overwhelmed. You’ve already become a star people can barely approach. Oh, that’s right—I forgot to mention. Congratulations on the award.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s a shame, really. I actually wanted to give you the Newcomer Award through ‘One Room,’ but it turns out the company internally categorized it as a variety show rather than a drama. If not for that, I could’ve been the one to give you your first award.”
He’d heard about this before.
It was genuinely disappointing.
Seon-woo hadn’t been fixated on that particular award.
He’d assumed that if someone won an award for appearing on “One Room,” it would be Hye-seong or Yeon-woo, not him.
“I feel like I’m complaining to you, but I’m sorry. I didn’t have the influence to make it happen.”
“Influence?”
“It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I don’t have that much pull within the company. Since the old days, I’ve had a reputation for only doing the programs I want to, so there are people upstairs who don’t really like me. ‘I Am an Actor’ happened to succeed reasonably well, or I probably would’ve been cast out long ago.”
“Still, ‘I Am an Actor’ wasn’t the kind of experiment everyone attempts. But thanks to that attempt, I was able to come this far. It’s all thanks to you, PD.”
“It’s not my doing. You’re the one who did well. But…words like that do give me strength. Which is why I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Im Yeong-do’s eyes lit up.
It was time to get down to business.
“Since you showed interest in what I mentioned…should I assume you came because you wanted to hear more?”
“Even if I wasn’t interested, I would’ve come if you called me.”
Seon-woo smiled.
“And to be honest…I am curious. A theater program…how exactly are you planning to pull this off?”
Ever since Im Yeong-do had brought up the theater program, Seon-woo had felt considerable interest stirring within him.
Not quite underground, but theater was genuinely obscure among niche cultures. How on earth was he planning to bring it into living rooms across the country?
“Well, people should always do what they’ve always done, shouldn’t they?”
Im Yeong-do played coy, shrugging his shoulders.
“It’ll be a competition format.”
“Theater? Like a theater version of ‘I Am an Actor’?”
If that were the case, then the offer to Seon-woo would likely be for a judge position, not as a performer.
But honestly, that would’ve been disappointing. He had no major objection to being a judge, but if he ended up in that role, he’d lose the opportunity to actually perform.
However,
“No, nothing that conventional.”
Im Yeong-do grinned.
Like a child hiding a accomplishment to show their parents later, he kept fidgeting with his hands as he began to explain.
“Seon-woo, I love theater. I want to revitalize this culture however I can. And…I think theater has more value than people realize.”
“That’s true.”
Seon-woo nodded in agreement.
Theater was indeed a compelling art form. Some might ask: when you can turn on the TV anytime and watch famous actors, why bother experiencing theater? But Seon-woo still found himself remembering the days when he performed at Cheongseong, and something warm would bloom in his chest.
The thrill and satisfaction of performing on a stage, sharing energy with audience members sitting just a few paces away, was unlike anything else he’d ever experienced.
It was incomparable to anything in his life.
“I’m thinking of holding competitions between theater troupes.”
So when Seon-woo heard Im Yeong-do’s proposal, his eyes couldn’t help but brighten.
He was beginning to grasp what Im Yeong-do was envisioning.
“We’ll recruit eight of the most prominent theater troupes in the country, starting with Cheongseong. Each troupe will perform and compete against the others.”
“That sounds exciting.”
Seon-woo nodded.
Just thinking about reuniting with the Cheongseong people again made his heart flutter. Though there was one thing that gave him pause.
“But can I even participate? I’m from Cheongseong, and my heart is still there, but I’m not actively performing with them right now…”
“That’s fine. The other troupes will have people in similar situations too.”
“That’s a relief then…I’ll definitely need to discuss it with the company first, but the concept sounds really appealing.”
“Ha, that’s great. Honestly, I’ve been wanting to see you perform theater for a while now.”
Im Yeong-do’s eyes sparkled.
“A good actor like you performing on stage is rare to witness.”
The affection in Im Yeong-do’s eyes was overflowing—but not affection for Seon-woo himself.
It was affection for the culture itself: theater, acting, all of it. Im Yeong-do was remarkably devoted to this world.
After parting with Im Yeong-do, Seon-woo headed straight to the agency.
He needed to discuss this matter with Park Du-ho. The moment Park Du-ho heard the proposal, he tilted his head slightly.
“A theater competition, huh.”
“What do you think?”
“From a business standpoint, I’d obviously say it’s not ideal.”
Park Du-ho shrugged.
Variety shows don’t make money. There’s appearance fees, of course, but they’re nowhere near the level of proper drama productions.
Unless it’s for promoting a film or drama, variety show appearances offer little tangible benefit.
However,
“But as your fan, I think it could be valuable experience. Putting together a performance on a tight schedule will create friction, and you’ll learn and grow from that. More than anything…you’d essentially be the most experienced person there, right?”
“Not necessarily. There are plenty of seniors with more experience than me.”
“But in the end, they’ll be relying on you. You’re the one with broadcast experience, and you’re the one currently achieving the most meaningful results.”
That was fair enough.
Seon-woo fell into thought.
“Still, I think it would help to have active seniors like Min-hee or Hye-seong on the program.”
Though if all of them appeared, the other active members of the troupe might lose their chance to be on screen.
Of course, that was something for Im Yeong-do to worry about.
It was then that a thought occurred to Seon-woo.
‘…Could PD be planning to recruit Do-young as well?’
Seon-woo’s hands clenched into fists.
He and Do-young hadn’t shared a scene together even once since “Confession.” Schedules had been difficult to coordinate, and besides, they’d both moved up in weight class to the point where it was nearly impossible to appear in the same project.
Without something like “Yeokjeok,” where they could be in different roles, working together was practically out of the question since they were both lead-level actors.
In that sense, if Do-young did participate this time, it would be an opportunity for Seon-woo to coordinate their performances after a very long time.
‘If it’s that senior, he’d definitely want to participate.’
Do-young had wanted to remain a theater actor.
Seon-woo couldn’t imagine him passing up an opportunity that would benefit not just Cheongseong but the entire culture of theater.
They might actually perform together again.
Seon-woo’s heart began to race. Already anticipating that possibility, he felt a flutter of excitement.
And then it happened.
“Ahem, but…Seon-woo.”
“Yes?”
“About what I mentioned before…have you given it some thought?”
He was asking about the contract renewal.
It was definitely time to make a decision on whether to renew. Seon-woo looked at Park Du-ho. He’d already given this matter considerable thought.
“Over this past year, I’ve felt that Wilde is definitely a good place. I’ve felt a lot that you genuinely care about me.”
“…Hmm, was it that obvious?”
“Yes. So let me be direct about it.”
Park Du-ho swallowed hard.
Seon-woo didn’t beat around the bush. There was no point in prolonging it.
“I’ll renew the contract.”
“Really?”
Park Du-ho’s eyes widened.
His expression of surprise looked rather fierce because of his appearance, but Seon-woo had long grown accustomed to Park Du-ho’s features by now.
Seon-woo nodded calmly.
“But I’d like to adjust the terms. First, let me address the executive director position. I’ve thought about this carefully…and I think I need to decline it.”
“Was it too much pressure?”
“Not exactly…it’s that even if it’s an honorary position, I feel like I’m not ready for that title yet. Instead…I’d like the opportunity to participate in the project planning you mentioned before.”
“You want to gain experience?”
“Yes.”
Seon-woo nodded.
“I think I need to gain more varied experience so I can bring more depth to my acting as an actor.”
“Fine with me. There’s no problem with that at all. In fact, I’m wondering if that’s enough…is there anything else you need?”
Park Du-ho felt slightly uneasy.
It seemed he had so little to offer Seon-woo. That’s why he’d come up with the executive director position in the first place—
But Seon-woo shook his head.
“No, not really. Well, if I had to say something…I’d like to study acting more seriously?”
“Study? What do you mean?”
“There are acting schools abroad that are well-established. I’d like to attend them when time permits.”
“Hmm…”
Park Du-ho nodded thoughtfully.
He knew Seon-woo had always been ambitious about acting, but he hadn’t expected him to be thinking about acting schools.
Yet it was positive. True, Seon-woo would lose time on projects while attending, but such investments were necessary to develop into an even better actor.
‘I made the right call bringing him on.’
Wilde had made a good choice.
But at the same time, Park Du-ho felt a twinge of concern. If Seon-woo was going to participate in Im Yeong-do’s program and prepare for the second parts of both “Red Zone” and “Yeokjeok,” and on top of that attend acting school…would he even have time?
Seon-woo had expressed a desire to be involved in the planning and production process whenever possible.
It was a situation where his hands would be full.
‘…Aren’t I going to end up looking like an exploitative boss?’
Isn’t he overextending himself too much?

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