I Acted Once, and Now They Call Me a Genius - Chapter 29

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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 29

 

We survived…!

 

Seon-woo clenched his fist tightly.

 

We did it. We were acknowledged. Everyone can stay in This Place.

 

But unfortunately, at this very moment, he couldn’t freely express that joyful feeling.

 

“Ah…”

 

“This is as far as we go.”

 

Someone surviving meant there were also those who couldn’t.

 

The 48 eliminated contestants had now lost even their last hope. With dark expressions, they stared blankly at the screen in disbelief.

 

Seong Jun-il’s voice quietly echoed through the Studio filled only with silence.

 

【 Thank you all for your hard work. 】

 

【 With this, we conclude the first main round. 】

 

It was a plain verdict without any clumsy consolation.

 

There were no more variables to expect.

 

Some burst into tears, while others smiled bitterly.

 

Watching them, Seon-woo realized anew.

 

‘This is reality.’

 

They were walking on a slope where one wrong step could lead to a fall.

 

The irony that a place where people gathered to chase dreams was more realistic than anywhere else.

 

His clenched fist was now soaked with sweat.

 

Only now did it feel real. That this opportunity given to him could really disappear like a mirage overnight.

 

Yes, as if such a miracle had never existed from the beginning.

 

‘…No, I won’t let that happen.’

 

Seon-woo steeled his resolve.

 

He would survive.

 

He would endure somehow, even if he had to grind up his flesh and Bone-in.

 

This was the Lifeline he had finally grasped.

 

He couldn’t let it slip away.

 

Absolutely not.

 

* * *

 

‘Lucky.’

 

The first main round filming had ended.

 

And Im Yeong-do’s expression looked more relaxed than ever.

 

It was thanks to his intuition. The feeling that this program could sail smoothly.

 

‘There are more good characters than I expected.’

 

For reference, the good characters he was referring to didn’t mean good actors.

 

Fundamentally, this wasn’t a drama but a variety show. In the end, characters that viewers would find entertaining had to appear.

 

Face, story, personality. Whatever it was, as long as there was a point that could appeal to viewers.

 

And these participants had come with much more diverse appeal points than Im Yeong-do had thought.

 

An elderly man trying to challenge the dream he had only gazed at in his youth, now at the twilight of his age.

 

An unknown actor who had devoted his entire life to acting but had never once seen the light.

 

Young people who had just started acting and found everything purely joyful, and passionate youths who pursued acting while even doing construction work…

 

These were characters hard to find in typical audition programs.

 

Their very existence would become a powerful hook to captivate viewers.

 

Of course, having hooks alone couldn’t make a program successful.

 

To keep the captivated viewers glued to the screen, there had to be someone with that kind of charm.

 

A star who could make viewers fall for them.

 

“Fortunately, we meet again, Seon-woo.”

 

“Yes. It’s so good to see you again, PD.”

 

And what Im Yeong-do was interviewing now was one of those star candidates.

 

Kim Seon-woo.

 

Im Yeong-do slowly examined Seon-woo’s face. He had always thought he was quite handsome, but today, beyond handsome… he looked beautiful.

 

Perhaps it was because his personal feelings were heavily involved.

 

Today too, Seon-woo had created a very beautiful scene.

 

“Today was quite touching. Both with Hyeong-bin and the way you took care of Si-on… it was quite heartwarming. It couldn’t have been easy to care for them, that’s impressive.”

 

“Not at all. I just did it because I wanted to.”

 

Seon-woo waved his hands dismissively.

 

He could show off a bit more, but he really doesn’t seem to care much about that.

 

Im Yeong-do questioned himself for a moment.

 

Does he know that kind of thing appeals to viewers and is doing this on purpose?

 

‘…No, that’s not it.’

 

Im Yeong-do had seen many people while working as a PD.

 

Seeing through shallow pretense was nothing to him. Seon-woo was sincere. That made it even better. Someone who helps others without calculation, following their heart… wasn’t a character you could commonly see in today’s society.

 

Rather than good…it felt more like pure, I suppose.

 

Though it didn’t feel naive either.

 

Anyway, he was charming.

 

And that charm would surely reach the viewers as well.

 

Im Yeong-do’s lips curved upward.

 

“Your acting style has changed a lot from last time too. How did you manage to do supporting role acting there again?”

 

“Well… I thought that kind of acting was needed for the situation.”

 

The answer was disappointingly simple.

 

A tone as if it wasn’t difficult at all.

 

Im Yeong-do couldn’t help but be amazed again.

 

He had once dreamed of being an actor himself. He knew better than anyone that acting wasn’t something that just came out when needed.

 

But it was actually good.

 

‘A genius who only he himself doesn’t acknowledge.’

 

It was a character he had felt before.

 

He had stubbornly insisted that he wasn’t a genius. It seemed that attitude still hadn’t changed.

 

How the viewers would taste this… he was already looking forward to it.

 

“Were you aiming for the Golden Ticket from the beginning?”

 

“Yes. That’s right.”

 

“There are really many teams. Honestly, recording at least 2nd place among all these teams is quite difficult… Were you confident?”

 

“Well… I don’t think I did it because I thought I could definitely do it.”

 

Seon-woo answered honestly.

 

Even while preparing, there were several times when he thought the Golden Ticket would be difficult with how things were going.

 

It was only because he found ways to handle the stage well here and there, otherwise the Golden Ticket would have really been difficult.

 

“I just wanted to challenge myself. I thought I had to challenge myself.”

 

“If a similar situation arises in the future, do you intend to continue doing so? Do you plan to stick to good acting rather than winning or losing?”

 

“Before I answer that question… may I ask you something first?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Im Yeong-do nodded readily.

 

Seon-woo looked at Im Yeong-do and hesitated for a moment. It might sound a bit aggressive.

 

But it was something that needed to be said.

 

Then I have to say it.

 

“If you can’t win just because you tried to do good acting… what kind of acting does the winner of this program do?”

 

“…Haha.”

 

He got hit hard.

 

Im Yeong-do let out a hollow laugh. Even he hadn’t been able to think about that part. Seeing Im Yeong-do like that, Seon-woo naturally added more words.

 

“I’m grateful to you, PD.”

 

“For what?”

 

“I was in a really hopeless situation. The path to becoming an actor wasn’t as visible as I thought it would be. Then this program appeared at just the right time… I felt like I could breathe again.”

 

He hadn’t expected to hear such words of gratitude suddenly.

 

Those two eyes looking straight at him were filled with sincerity. Im Yeong-do thought for a moment. It felt like it had been a really long time since he’d seen eyes like that.

 

That was also the reason Im Yeong-do was keeping an eye on Seon-woo.

 

He believed it wasn’t just him who liked those kinds of eyes.

 

The viewers too… he was confident they would definitely look fondly upon this man.

 

Thanks to that, he gained confidence again.

 

The confidence that this guy would be worth focusing on properly.

 

That was why.

 

That day, every single participant who was interviewed after Seon-woo had to hear the exact same question without exception.

 

—What do you think about participant Kim Seon-woo?

 

The participants’ surface reactions to that were as follows.

 

“Ah, that guy was good. It was really impressive.”

 

“Handsome? That’s about all I know for now.”

 

“…Who is that?”

 

“He seemed like a pro.”

 

But their inner thoughts were more complicated than that.

 

Why were they suddenly asking about Kim Seon-woo during their interviews?

 

Some people passed it by without much thought, but those who questioned it could soon get their answer.

 

The PD is paying attention to Kim Seon-woo.

 

Unless he had some intention of supporting him, there would be no need to ask such questions.

 

Anyone who realized that much… would naturally have this thought come to mind next.

 

‘Kim Seon-woo… what’s with this guy?’

 

* * *

 

“To everyone’s safe survival!”

 

That night, Seon-woo and his team members had a modest party in the common lounge.

 

Well, calling it a party was a stretch since all they did was share snacks and beverages bought from the convenience store.

 

For reference, Seo Jin-wook did not participate.

 

They had tried inviting him just in case, but he curtly declined, saying he wanted to sleep early.

 

‘Well, he’s not the type to participate in this kind of thing anyway.’

 

He hadn’t expected it from the start.

 

Seon-woo gulped down his ion drink and picked up some dried squid. Hyeong-bin looked at the non-alcoholic drinks spread on their table with a sad expression.

 

“On a day like this, it should be beer…”

 

“Do you like alcohol?”

 

“Not to the point of drinking alone, but I do like drinking in this kind of atmosphere. Do you drink well, Seon-woo?”

 

“…Well, I drink.”

 

“What’s your alcohol tolerance like?”

 

“Uh… I’ve never really drunk enough to get drunk.”

 

“Oh my, you haven’t enjoyed alcohol much yet.”

 

No, that’s not it.

 

But Seon-woo didn’t bother to explain. What would be the point of saying he doesn’t get drunk easily?

 

“Let’s have a drink later when we get out of here. I’ll buy.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

Seon-woo nodded and glanced over at Si-on.

 

“Si-on, let’s hang out together later when we get out. Hyung will… what do you like, Si-on? Chicken?”

 

“I really love chicken!”

 

“Alright, I’ll buy you chicken. But no boneless. It has to be bone-in.”

 

“Oh… Yes! I like bone-in better too!”

 

Si-on’s face lit up as he nodded.

 

Hmm. He certainly received a good early education.

 

It was the moment when Seon-woo was about to pat Si-on’s head with a pleased smile.

 

“Seon-woo! There you are!”

 

“Seon-woo hyung!”

 

Familiar voices could be heard.

 

When he turned his head, Hye-seong and Ye-chan were there. Hye-seong smiled cheerfully and greeted Hyeong-bin and Si-on as well.

 

“Hello? You’re Seon-woo’s team members, right?”

 

“Oh, yes. Are you fellow troupe members by any chance?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. We enjoyed today’s performance!”

 

“Me too! Didn’t you play the doctor role?”

 

“Oh, you remember. I’m so touched!”

 

“Come on, it’s because your acting was so good!”

 

And Hyeong-bin was displaying his incredible affability, quickly becoming friendly with Hye-seong.

 

Is this what a company employee’s social skills are like?

 

As he was watching the two of them, Ye-chan approached with an excited expression and leaned on the table.

 

“I really had no idea that hyung could do this style of acting so well today. I just thought he was a character actor…!”

 

“…I have been cast in quite a lot of intense roles so far.”

 

Indeed, both Seung-do and Hee-jae were characters with quite strong personalities.

 

As such, there was a need to focus on expressing his own color rather than ensemble acting with others.

 

From Ye-chan’s perspective, it could certainly be unexpected.

 

But apparently Si-on didn’t think so.

 

Si-on, who had positioned himself in front of Ye-chan, crossed his arms and shook his head firmly.

 

“Seon-woo hyung is good at any kind of acting.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

“I said Seon-woo hyung is good at any kind of acting. He’s not just good at character roles or anything like that.”

 

“No, I didn’t say that because I didn’t know that…”

 

“But you just said you really didn’t know earlier.”

 

“No, that wasn’t what I meant literally in context! And you! How long have you known Seon-woo hyung? Have you ever seen Seon-woo hyung act in other styles?”

 

“You don’t necessarily have to see it with your own eyes to know.”

 

“But this kid…”

 

Ye-chan, who had been outargued by a child, looked back at Seon-woo with an aggrieved expression.

 

A face that said, what is this kid? Instead of saying anything, Seon-woo chuckled. They seemed to have surprisingly good chemistry.

 

That’s when it happened. A hand landed on Seon-woo’s shoulder.

 

“Seon-woo.”

 

“Oh, Jae-won sunbae.”

 

I wondered who it was, but it was Jae-won.

 

He opened his mouth with his usual indifferent expression.

 

“I watched your performance well. You did great.”

 

“You too, sunbae. Your team members as well – everyone’s acting was incredible, wasn’t it?”

 

I was being sincere.

 

In fact, as soon as I saw Jae-won’s team perform, I was certain enough that the Golden Ticket would go to them.

 

Well, Min-hee’s team was impressive too, but rather than the overall stage being good, it was Min-hee and one other person whose acting was amazing.

 

In fact, only those two survived from that team.

 

But where is Min-hee and what is she doing right now? Just as I was thinking that,

 

“Yo, Min-hee. You’re here?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Min-hee appeared.

 

But it was strange. For someone who survived, her expression wasn’t very good, I’d say.

 

Hye-seong seemed to notice it too.

 

“Oh my, what has our Her Majesty so troubled again?”

 

“I’m not troubled. I’m just tired.”

 

“Come on, you do seem troubled though?”

 

“I said I’m not!”

 

When Min-hee shouted loudly, only then did Hye-seong flinch in surprise and back away.

 

Hye-seong, deflated, whispered to Seon-woo.

 

‘Why is she taking it out on me?’

 

‘Don’t provoke her. She looks like she might really explode if you do something wrong.’

 

Seon-woo whispered back and thought.

 

Thinking about why her expression was so bad… the only thing that came to mind was that her team members had been eliminated.

 

Well, one might say what’s the big deal about people you just met today getting eliminated… but didn’t Seon-woo himself care tremendously about Hyeong-bin and Si-on right away?

 

And that’s when it happened.

 

Min-hee pointed behind her and spoke.

 

“Oh, and say hello. This is Yeon-woo. She’s my roommate.”

 

Yeon-woo.

 

Seon-woo’s eyes sparkled when he heard that name.

 

She was someone he had been curious about anyway. Ever since he saw her acting with Min-hee, he had been wondering what kind of person she was.

 

When it came to the details of acting… she wasn’t inferior to anyone he had seen, not even to Do-young.

 

He was curious. What kind of person could act like that?

 

She seemed like she would be one of the most difficult competitors in this program.

 

And it seemed she was curious about Seon-woo too.

 

Yeon-woo extended her hand with a bright smile.

 

“Hello? I watched your acting! I’m Yeon-woo.”

 

“Yes, I’m Kim Seon-woo…”

 

Seon-woo, who was about to take her hand and greet her, suddenly froze as if he had turned to stone.

 

He couldn’t help it.

 

Right now, before Seon-woo’s eyes, a phenomenon that was difficult to understand was occurring.

 

Until now, there were exactly two cases when Seon-woo could see colors.

 

The first was when he thought of a character he would act.

 

The second was when he saw someone who was acting.

 

There were no other cases. He practically never saw colors in everyday situations.

 

Right. That should definitely be the case…

 

“Huh? Are you okay?”

 

“Oh, ah. I’m sorry. Something just came to mind for a moment.”

 

This woman was different.

 

When she spoke, when the corners of her eyes curved, when she tilted her head, in every single moment, something like sky-blue light flowed from her entire body.

 

If this had been on stage, he would have admired it as quite natural acting.

 

The problem was that this wasn’t on stage.

 

Right now, this was just ordinary daily life.

 

This wasn’t a situation for acting.

 

“I’m Kim Seon-woo. Please… take care of me.”

 

What is this person?

—————
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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