I Acted Once, and Now They Call Me a Genius - Chapter 265

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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 265
[Entertainment] Cheongseong peaks at 170,000, total concurrent viewers near 250,000… Theater Competition launches successfully
The new variety-format theater project Theater Competition drew over 250,000 viewers from its first live broadcast, signaling a successful debut.
This live featured theater troupes with distinctly different styles—Cheongseong, the National Theater Company, Manwol, Yuri Sung, and Haemu—each taking the stage. The production that generated the most buzz was Cheongseong’s “Can We Break Up?” With high-profile actors like Kim Seon-woo, Cha Do-young, and Na Min-hee, Cheongseong recorded overwhelming viewership early on, and after the midpoint, the explosive acting chemistry of the cast succeeded in drawing back viewers who had turned away.
The National Theater Company also left a powerful impression. Han Gi-ju in particular overwhelmed audiences with his weighty acting skill, eliciting responses of “The National Theater Company truly lives up to its name.”
Since the broadcast, reactions online have continued: “I didn’t know theater could be this entertaining,” “I came to see the actors but left after watching the stage,” “I want to see an actual live performance.”
There is growing interest in whether Theater Competition can transcend mere competition and become an opportunity to reintroduce the public to the charm of theater.
‘The articles are already everywhere.’
Da-sol scrolled through her phone with a smile.
Seeing it reported like this made it feel even more satisfying.
170,000 from the very first live performance.
It was an unexpected number. Surely the organizers hadn’t anticipated such figures either?
This was neither a conventional variety show nor an idol showcase.
They had drawn this enormous crowd for a theater live broadcast. And only from a single troupe, Cheongseong.
‘…How extraordinary.’
It was impossible not to be amazed.
Everyone who heard this news must be feeling the same way. Had theater ever attracted this much attention in the twenty-first century?
Probably not, even globally.
Da-sol closed her eyes.
And recalled that final moment she had witnessed directly from the audience seats.
—We’ll get through it all together.
A warm, gentle voice.
Just hearing it brought comfort to the heart. And yet listening to that voice… her chest grew so heavy.
To think that a couple so full of affection and trust for each other had become two people speaking of such a barren parting… simply imagining it brought sadness.
Especially in that moment after the line ended, when the empty living room came into view,
The emptiness she felt then….
“Sigh….”
Da-sol found herself unsettled again.
She turned her attention back to her phone screen.
The article’s comments were in chaos.
KimO-hyun: Didn’t think much when they said theater live, just turned it on, but ended up watching to the end.
ParkO-jun: First time watching theater—is it always this entertaining?
ChoiO-woo: Still thinking about that empty living room in Cheongseong’s final scene.
YunO-jin: Cheongseong seems to have really landed with first-time theater viewers.
SeoO-ho: I’m gonna binge-rewatch all the other troupes now lol theater is seriously so fun
HanO-yun: Has anyone seen National Theater Company’s “Empty Room”? Han Gi-ju was absolutely insane.
└OhO-bin: Yeah I did, his acting ability alone gave me chills for the first time in forever
Just from reading the comments alone, you could feel how excited people were.
Of course, not all of them were reacting to Cheongseong’s performance. The latest comments showed that the National Theater Company’s performance was equally impressive.
But what mattered was that people were excited.
Theater had captured people’s hearts.
Most of the viewers who came initially were probably driven by curiosity.
The sudden idea of featuring theater as a terrestrial broadcast variety show was novel, and the appearance of famous entertainers like Seon-woo was certainly intriguing.
But now, was that what people were talking about?
No.
People were talking about nothing but theater.
It meant Theater Competition had concluded successfully.
‘Seon-woo must be loving this.’
Da-sol remembered well how devoted Seon-woo was to Cheongseong.
How he enjoyed himself on stage. How happy his expression was when his name was called at the curtain call.
So Da-sol couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by this result.
She could imagine how proud Seon-woo must be feeling right now.
Of course, separate from that, his theater performance today had been genuinely wonderful.
As if his years of working solely on broadcast stages had been a lie, Seon-woo on stage shone freely.
‘Honestly, he’s gotten even better.’
True, his earlier work as a newcomer had had a certain freshness to it.
His emotional lines had been rougher then, which gave it a raw quality all its own.
But comparing the level of acting alone, the Seon-woo of then and the Seon-woo of now were barely worth comparing.
‘He’s always so dedicated, though.’
With each new role, even within the same role, Seon-woo showed constant improvement.
So it wouldn’t be strange if he’d become an entirely different actor.
And it seemed like others had noticed the same thing.
KimSeonwooGuardian: Kim Seon-woo seems to be best at silent acting lol you can see exactly what Jun-seo is thinking even without any dialogue
CheongseongFan: Still thinking about Choi Yu-ran’s failed smile. I realized love could fade like that.
BonsaiTree: In the scene where Choi Yu-ran and Kim Seon-woo face each other, I couldn’t breathe. You could see both their emotions crumbling in different directions.
JoAra: Na Min-hee and Jeong Hye-seong didn’t try to stand out—they felt like they were stabilizing the stage. You need actors like that to make the leads shine.
ClearSky: I thought Cheongseong had only star actors, but the ensemble work was great. No one was overshadowing anyone—they all built the scenes together
ㅇㅇ: The chemistry in Cheongseong was amazing. When someone pushed forward, someone else caught them, when it got heavy someone made us laugh, then broke our hearts again.
eyesonyou: Why am I only just finding out about Choi Yu-ran? She’s the actor I searched for most today.
LollipopMaraSpice: Cheongseong had great cast balance. Star power, acting skill, freshness—they had it all. Definitely watching the next round.
Da-sol nodded as she read the comments on the Cheongseong fan account post.
There were many nicknames she hadn’t seen before, suggesting that many had discovered Cheongseong through this performance.
For an age of malicious comments, there were virtually no negative remarks about Cheongseong.
It was proof of how excellent their performance had been.
‘At this rate, they’ll definitely avoid elimination.’
In fact, Da-sol privately thought they could even hope for first place.
But without knowing what the other troupes had performed, she couldn’t judge too hastily.
There was indeed another troupe drawing praise.
The National Theater Company.
More precisely…
ㅇㅇ: What is Han Gi-ju? Even his breathing looks like acting.
TheaternextDoor: The National Theater Company didn’t earn the “National” label for nothing… feels like the acting world’s national team
StageDrawer: After seeing the scene where he can’t find the chair at the end, I have no words.
WhiteCurtain: I thought Yu Si-hun had insane stage presence too, but next to Han Gi-ju he looks so innocent lol
Theaterkid: Whatever else you do, you have to watch Empty Room!
Han Gi-ju.
His name continued to be mentioned even after the performance ended.
And a short clip was also spreading rapidly.
It showed an elderly Young-taek standing in the middle of a room, searching for something.
There was almost no dialogue.
Just reaching out, pausing, turning his head again.
Like a man who had forgotten why he’d entered the room at all.
Yet somehow that brief moment was deeply unsettling.
How memory loss manifests in the human body.
Han Gi-ju showed it with almost cruel precision.
The aged body and dimmed eyes.
And those two eyes, soaked in fear, as if grasping all of it dimly.
Da-sol murmured unconsciously as she watched the clip.
“I should watch that one too.”
Da-sol intended to make time to revisit all the other troupes’ performances. Cheongseong had truly kindled her enthusiasm.
“I hope Seon-woo keeps appearing in Theater Competition.”
Of course, that wouldn’t be easy.
He’d have dramas to film, movies to film, variety shows to appear on, commercials coming in.
Yeokjeok alone was on the verge of release, wasn’t it?
But human desire was always like that.
Once you get a taste, you want more.
After watching Cheongseong’s performance today, Da-sol felt it more clearly.
She wanted to see Kim Seon-woo perform as different characters on stage again.
“Just put something out already.”
Da-sol murmured.
The filming for Yeokjeok seemed to be done, but the movie still had a while before its release. So there was nothing new from Seon-woo to watch right now. Sure, rewatching his older works wasn’t terrible, but… that only went so far.
So this Theater Competition was somewhat welcome.
At least she’d be able to see Seon-woo’s new performances regularly.
It was in the midst of that thought.
A notification appeared at the top of her phone.
It was an alert from Seon-woo’s fan club bulletin board.
[Official] Movie Yeokjeok First Teaser Released
Da-sol’s fingers stopped.
“…What?”
The timing was too perfect.
She’d just been thinking she needed something new. And a teaser drops right now?
It seemed deliberate. Releasing the teaser now, when public attention was focused on Seon-woo, would give them maximum promotional impact.
Da-sol wasted no time playing the teaser.
Black screen.
First came the sound of wind.
Harsh, cold, a wind that seemed to carry the scent of blood.
The screen shifted.
A snowy night road. Soldiers holding torches. Bloody hands. Torn official robes. Burning tile-roofed mansions….
Multiple scenes flashed by rapidly.
Someone drew a sword, someone collapsed spitting blood, and beyond the dark palace corridor came the sound of low drums.
And then a man appeared.
Jeong Mong-ju.
He was on his knees.
On a bright moonlit night, soaked in blood, leaning against the bridge’s railing.
His face drenched in fear, as if feeling the final moment of life.
A shadow fell across him.
Seeing the billowing robe, Da-sol held her breath, and the camera slowly rose.
And the face was revealed.
Kim Seon-woo.
Utterly incomparable to the Jun-seo from just moments before on stage, trembling because he couldn’t hold onto love.
His eyes, his breathing, his expression… even his very presence was different.
Seon-woo, as Yi Bang-won, looked down at Jeong Mong-ju.
Without the slightest agitation.
With a face where even rage had gone cold and still.
A brief silence.
A silence that made even the audience hold their breath… and Seon-woo’s lips opened,
—I mean to destroy Goryeo.
“…!”
Goosebumps erupted across Da-sol’s entire body as the screen went black.
The teaser was over.
Da-sol stared at the black screen for a long time.
That man who had just been trembling before love, fleeing, barely managing to speak a single line… becoming this cold, terrifying figure was hard to believe.
The same face, the same voice, yet… feeling like a completely different person.
Her heart was racing. Just from that brief teaser, anticipation surged.
So Da-sol’s expression turned bitter.
“…Ah, I shouldn’t have watched.”
Now she desperately needed to see the full film.

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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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