NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 173
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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 173. Theater Set Composition
In the subsequent match, Jae-yoon from N-Boys ran around awkwardly for a while before eventually being substituted, and with their defensive balance collapsed, the N-Boys team was pushed into a disadvantageous position and conceded the clinching goal.
“We actually won…”
The AXIS members cheered as they climbed onto the makeshift award platform that the production crew had hastily set up.
“Hyung, thank you so much.”
“Don’t mention it. It was fun playing after such a long time.”
“You were limping slightly after that tackle earlier, are you okay?”
At Dong-ha’s question, Yeon-woo grinned.
“Yeah. Very refreshing.”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, I’m perfectly fine.”
Jae-won, who had scored the own goal today, bowed his head.
“Yeon-woo hyung. We’ll go play our next match now.”
While futsal was being played outside, apparently the girl groups’ rhythmic gymnastics competition was taking place inside.
Now the idols who participated in futsal had to go into the indoor stadium for the next event.
“Alright. Don’t get hurt. Let’s all have a meal together later.”
“Ooh. Really?”
“Of course.”
The outdoor match concluded like that, and the other idol team members went into the indoor stadium.
Then Kim Hang-gon PD, who had been directing the filming set, approached Yeon-woo.
“Actor Ryu. I heard from the staff that there was an accident during the match. Are you alright?”
“Oh, it was nothing serious. I wasn’t hurt at all. Actually, it might be dramatic and good content for broadcast.”
“Oh really? I’ll have to review the footage after we finish filming today.”
Hearing Kim Hang-gon PD’s words, Yeon-woo smiled lightly.
“By the way, do we need to vacate this outdoor stadium right away? I was thinking of having a meal with the fans in the spectator seats before leaving. We’ll clean up thoroughly afterward.”
“No problem at all. We rented the whole place for the entire day, so feel free to use it as much as you want.”
“That’s a relief. PD, let’s meet again if there’s an opportunity to work on variety shows together. Thank you for taking special care of us today.”
When Yeon-woo bowed politely, Kim Hang-gon PD’s mouth stretched into a wide grin.
From Kim Hang-gon’s perspective, just building connections with Ryu Yeon-woo was an incredible windfall.
Since he was a star whose image hadn’t been overexposed in the broadcasting industry, even just a phone connection rather than an actual appearance would practically guarantee viewership ratings for that episode.
As soon as Yeon-woo finished talking with the PD, he headed toward the spectator seats where Woo’s had gathered.
“Yes, Min-su hyung. The weather isn’t as cold as expected, so let’s just eat outside. Please bring what we prepared.”
– Understood. I’ll come now.
He called Kim Min-su to request the lunch boxes they had prepared, and soon he came carrying large boxes filled with lunch boxes along with LN Entertainment’s security team staff.
“Everyone. The weather’s nice, so shall we all eat here together?”
As Yeon-woo took a seat in the center of the spectator area, the fans’ eyes lit up.
“Together?!”
“Yes. I’m not participating in any other matches anyway, so I thought I’d have a meal like we’re on a picnic together before heading home.”
“Wow.”
“Ah, I’m so glad I took the day off work. I have no regrets in life…”
As Kim Min-su and the staff distributed lunch boxes ordered from a famous family restaurant, Yeon-woo, who was sitting with the fans, said:
“Min-su hyung and the security team staff should eat together too.”
“We can eat separately, it’s fine.”
“Come on, why? If you eat together, the security team won’t need to do separate bodyguard work either.”
“…Oh, sh-should we?”
Kim Min-su, who had followed the elite path of boys’ middle school – boys’ high school – military – engineering college, awkwardly took a seat among the fans who were mostly women in their twenties.
Yeon-woo plopped down among the fans and ate together while chatting naturally.
Since Yeon-woo originally had a diverse fanbase, it wasn’t just women who attended today.
“Hyung! I really watched ‘Master Plan’ 10 times!”
At the words of a boy who appeared to be a middle schooler, Yeon-woo asked:
“What’s your name? Did you come alone?”
“It’s Ju-hyeong. My mom is waiting in the parking lot.”
Hearing the fan’s name, Yeon-woo smiled as someone came to mind.
Do all Ju-hyeongs generally like movies?
“You have the same name as my friend. But you’ve been filming for quite a while, so your mother must have had a hard time being alone in the car all this time. Min-su hyung. We have extra lunch boxes, right?”
Since they had originally prepared generously, Kim Min-su checked the remaining lunch boxes and nodded.
“Yes, we do.”
At Min-su’s answer, Yeon-woo looked at the young fan.
“Call your mom and tell her to come in and have a meal together. Now that filming is over, the outdoor stadium should allow entry even without audience tickets. If anyone tries to stop her, give me your phone.”
“Really?! Yes!”
The young fan Ju-hyeong nodded and excitedly called his mother.
Meanwhile, fans of other idols who were entering the indoor stadium under staff guidance watched this scene through the green wire fence and burned with envy.
“···Wow. That’s amazing.”
“He has such a laid-back personality.”
“He’s an A-list actor now, but it’s amazing that he came out of loyalty to Achae University.”
“Right. Honestly, it’s a program where both celebrities and fans suffer all day long.”
***
Meanwhile, Ju-hyeong, who was an aspiring playwright rather than a young fan, was troubled by the stage composition that would be used for the play.
After sitting in various spots around the small theater and considering it from multiple angles with his friends, the conclusion they reached was ultimately one thing.
“Ah, I have no idea at all. When have we ever done something like this to know how?”
“Let’s wait until Yeon-woo or Yu-han comes.”
Everyone nodded at Jun-su’s words.
“What are you waiting for?”
And they were startled by the voice that came from behind.
“Ah, shit. You scared me. Do you walk around without making any sound?”
“Yeon-woo, when did you get here?”
Yeon-woo had habitually reduced his footsteps and came down, opening and closing the door silently, entering like a ghost.
‘Hmm, this is so ingrained in my body that it won’t change.’
Scratching the back of his head, Yeon-woo answered his friends.
“I had a variety show filming today, and I just came after finishing everything.”
“Ah. That futsal you mentioned before?”
When Yeon-woo nodded, Ju-hyeong asked.
“How was it? Did you do well?”
Then Jun-su and Seong-sik answered simultaneously.
“He must have done well.”
“He wins at sports somehow.”
At their words, Yeon-woo answered with a slightly aggrieved tone.
“What do you mean somehow? When you say it like that, it sounds like I’d cheat or something.”
“Your tactics and strategies are just cheating.”
Yeon-woo shrugged as if asking what they meant and changed the subject.
“But what don’t you understand? You said you’d wait until Yu-han or I came.”
“Ah, the stage set. We need to decorate it like a ship, right?”
The genre of the play that Ju-hyeong wrote this time contained elements of thriller, noir, and mystery.
However, due to the limitations of theater where everything had to be resolved on a limited stage, the background locations couldn’t be changed frequently.
Moreover, since it was a small theater company made up of amateurs, those limitations were even more pronounced.
That’s why they thought of a murder case that took place on a ship.
If the story unfolded in the isolated space inside a ship, there would be no need for location changes.
Yeon-woo, who had organized his thoughts, nodded and spoke.
“I’ve been thinking about that part since I went to America, and I have an idea.”
“Oh, as expected! What is it?”
“How about making it like a restroom?”
“Huh? A restroom?”
At the unexpected suggestion, his friends tilted their heads sideways.
They were supposed to decorate the stage like a ship, so what was this sudden talk about a restroom?
Yeon-woo thought it would be faster to show them rather than explain with words, so he went up on stage.
“Guys, each of you take a seat and sit down.”
At Yeon-woo’s words, his friends sat in the audience seats. Then Yeon-woo walked to the right end of the stage.
“Let’s start by shining a spotlight only on the right side of the stage where I’m standing now. Make the other parts of the stage relatively dark so they don’t catch the eye.”
Clap clap─.
And when Yeon-woo clapped twice, his expression changed to that of a completely different person.
“The ship is departing now. Is there anyone who hasn’t boarded yet?”
Then he spun around in place and this time raised his hand urgently.
“Me! Please wait just a moment!”
“Yes, yes, please show me your ticket.”
“I was rushing here and couldn’t buy a ticket, but please let me board just this once. I’ll pay double the boat fare in cash right now. Please?”
“Oh my, this won’t do. It’s against the law.”
Watching Yeon-woo continuously change positions and deliver lines alternately by himself, his friends realized that Yeon-woo was currently presenting the opening part of the play in a one person two roles performance.
“Triple! I’ll pay triple, so can’t you do something about it?”
“Well, it can’t be helped. Get on board. We’re departing right away, so don’t stand on the deck and go straight down to the ship interior following the stairs.”
“Understood.”
And Yeon-woo looked at his friends and spoke.
“Now, this is how Jin Yu-han boards the ship as the last passenger, and we’ll do a blackout.”
Yeon-woo walked back to the center of the stage and spread both hands.
“Let’s place partitions here in the center of the stage like the stalls of a public restroom, matching the number of people on the ship, and attach doors to each one.”
Then his friends nodded as if they understood what he meant.
“Oh! Then the audience will be able to immediately recognize that they’re ship cabins!”
At Seong-sik’s words, Ju-hyeong, who was the writer, shook his head.
“That’s not all. When the performers close the cabin doors and exit to the back, they can immediately take on the role of staff as well.”
Due to the nature of small theaters with few troupe members where everyone must play multiple roles, they had to serve not only as characters but also as staff managing the stage.
When it wasn’t their scene to appear in, they had to quickly run and operate the stage lighting or play sound effects.
Usually, when the lights went out, they would quickly change the stage sets with skilled hand movements, but there was no way anyone here was experienced with theater stages.
So they had been worried about what to do, but with this method, even the novice members could manage it sufficiently.
“Right. And Teacher Jeong Cheol-min said he’d send two theater actors from the small theater he runs. They’ll work with us and coordinate from now on.”
Since Jeong Cheol-min’s small theater also couldn’t put on performances due to leak repairs, there was no problem with manpower.
“Then what about your and Yu-han’s rooms?”
At Kim Ju-hyeong’s question, Yeon-woo walked toward the front of the stage.
In this play, there were two people who never left the stage and continued acting throughout.
The lead actors, Yeon-woo and Jin Yu-han.
Yeon-woo, who had walked all the way to the front of the stage right in front of the audience seats, pointed to both sides of the stage.
“Let’s install my cabin on the left and Yu-han’s cabin on the right, facing each other. With no doors or walls, just small beds and lockers so the inside is completely visible.”
At Yeon-woo’s answer, Kim Ju-hyeong nodded.
“So the audience will see multiple doors of cabins lined up behind your and Yu-han’s rooms.”
“Right. In the play content, Yu-han and I have many scenes where we go into our rooms and deliver monologues.”
His friends seemed to be able to see the completed set in their minds.
“If we set it up like this, Yeon-woo and Yu-han’s rooms will be at the front of the stage, and behind them the cabin doors will be lined up section by section, so it’s completely symmetrical with the center as the reference point.”
Hearing Woo Seong-sik’s words, Yeon-woo looked at Kim Ju-hyeong.
“Come to think of it, Writer Kim Ju-hyeong. Have you decided on the title of our play?”
“Yes. Coincidentally, it matches well with the symmetrical set. The name of this play is ‘Mirror’.”
Hearing the title of the play, Yeon-woo looked around the small theater.
Though the chairs were still empty, he somehow felt like he could sense the passionate gazes of the audience.
“Hmm, ‘Mirror’… That fits quite well.”
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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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