NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 179

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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 179. The Play “Mirror” Begins

 

Im Seong-su stood at the entrance hall, getting ready to leave from early morning.

 

 

 

“Daughter. Today’s the day. You absolutely have to come.”

 

“Oh, come on. I already said I would.”

 

 

 

Im Seong-su’s daughter simply couldn’t understand her father.

 

 

 

When she was in middle school, she had received audience tickets for variety shows her father was in charge of and went to see them a few times with friends, but this was the first time he was earnestly pleading with her to come see a play in Daehangno.

 

 

 

And he’d been doing it constantly for several days now.

 

 

 

Even as Im Seong-su closed the front door, he said once more.

 

 

 

“Listen, I’m telling you this for your own good. Make sure to come with a close friend.”

 

 

 

Beep beep─.

 

 

 

Hearing the sound of the door lock engaging after her father left, his daughter kept tilting her head in confusion.

 

 

 

“So what exactly is…?”

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the actors who had arrived early in the morning checked the props and stage equipment and gathered in the 2nd floor office.

 

 

 

“Wow. Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t be nervous, but I’m already shaking like crazy.”

 

 

 

As Woo Seong-sik slapped both his cheeks with his hands while speaking, Kim Jun-su looked at him.

 

 

 

“What are you nervous about? We practiced a lot, so we just need to do it like we rehearsed. Hic!”

 

“Hey, you’re hiccuping?”

 

“Ah, no, why is this suddenly happening? Hic!”

 

 

 

Watching Kim Jun-su like that, the friends burst into laughter.

 

 

 

Yeon-woo looked at Kim Ju-hyeong and asked.

 

 

 

“How do you feel? Today’s the day your play gets staged for the first time.”

 

“I don’t know. I still can’t believe it at all. But what if no audience shows up and it’s completely empty?”

 

 

 

At Kim Ju-hyeong’s words, Yeon-woo grinned.

 

 

 

“That’s why you guys need to get out there and work hard from now on.”

 

“I’m totally ready!”

 

 

 

Woo Seong-sik slapped his thigh and stood up from his seat.

 

Watching Seong-sik like that, Yeon-woo encouraged the kids.

 

 

 

“Walk-in purchases will be the first and last today, so let’s work hard promoting today. From tomorrow, it’ll probably be sold out for sure.”

 

 

 

The kids nodded at Yeon-woo’s words.

 

 

 

It wasn’t arrogance at all. Since it was a small theater with less than 200 seats, from tomorrow when word spreads, this place would be packed full with just Jin Yu-han’s fans alone, never mind Yeon-woo.

 

 

 

‘That’s why I asked the company in advance.’

 

 

 

From tomorrow, reservations would be made online through ticketing sites.

 

 

 

So today was the only day they could meet audience members who came purely to see the play without knowing that Ryu Yeon-woo and Jin Yu-han would appear.

 

 

 

Since Yeon-woo and Jin Yu-han couldn’t walk around outside, today’s audience solicitation had to be left entirely to their friends.

 

 

 

“Alright. Let’s go out.”

 

“Okay.”

 

 

 

The friends went outside carrying bundles of flyers.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Numerous couples came to Hyehwa-dong to enjoy dates.

 

 

 

Song Ju-ah, who had been working as a reporter for three years, was so busy with her hectic work life that she could barely remember when she’d last had a proper date.

 

 

 

“But why a play? Aren’t we watching a movie?”

 

“It just reminds me of when we first started dating, and it’s nice.”

 

 

 

She nodded at her boyfriend’s words.

 

 

 

“That’s true, we used to watch plays quite often before graduation.”

 

 

 

Actually, she didn’t even know what plays were showing in Daehangno today.

 

 

 

Since the purpose wasn’t the play but to go on a date, they had come to Daehangno without any plan, intending to buy walk-in tickets for whatever play looked interesting.

 

 

 

When Song Ju-ah and her boyfriend turned the corner and entered the alley where the small theater was located, they saw a long line of people waiting.

 

 

 

“Wow. There are still a lot of people who watch plays.”

 

“Right. It looks like about 30 people are in line.”

 

“Hmm, what should we do? Should we try somewhere else or just go eat?”

 

 

 

Just then, a man approached them holding flyers.

 

 

 

“Are you here to see a play by any chance? There’s a new play called ‘Mirror’ starting today further inside. Please come see it!”

 

 

 

Song Ju-ah took the flyer the man handed her and looked it over.

 

 

 

“It’s an evening performance. There’s still quite a bit of time left, but can we buy tickets now?”

 

 

 

Most walk-in ticket sales open 1-2 hours before the performance starts.

 

So to secure good seats with walk-in purchases, you had to wait in line.

 

 

 

However, the man handing out flyers nodded enthusiastically.

 

 

 

“Yes! It’s only possible today. Starting tomorrow, you’ll need to book online, but since today is the first day, we’re only selling tickets on-site!”

 

 

 

Hearing the man’s words, Song Ju-ah looked at her boyfriend.

 

 

 

“What should we do?”

 

“Hmm. Should we watch it? We don’t mind seeing any play anyway. It’s not like we came specifically to see this one.”

 

 

 

As her boyfriend pointed to the long line, Song Ju-ah nodded.

 

 

 

“Yes. We’ll come watch it.”

 

“Thank you! You absolutely won’t regret it! Please follow the map to find the location!”

 

 

 

After the man left, Song Ju-ah looked at the flyer again.

 

 

 

“Hmm, it’s really cheap? Only ten thousand won.”

 

 

 

Among Daehangno plays, there are actually quite a few that you can see for ten thousand won.

 

However, that’s when you get weekday tickets with online booking discounts, and most performances have quite high regular prices.

 

 

 

And today is Sunday.

 

 

 

“There aren’t even any actor names written on the flyer. It must be a not very famous theater company.”

 

“Ah, what does it matter. The timing is perfect too. Let’s buy tickets and go eat. I want rose tteokbokki!”

 

 

 

Woo Seong-sik, who had turned the corner of the alley, excitedly ran to Kim Jun-su.

 

 

 

“Hey! I just sold two tickets! It was a couple and they said they’ll definitely come!”

 

“I sold six tickets though?”

 

“Really?”

 

 

 

Just then, a man with yellow-dyed hair who had been staring at Woo Seong-sik and Kim Jun-su approached them.

 

 

 

“Are you promoting a play?”

 

“Ah, yes! Please take this.”

 

 

 

When Kim Jun-su handed over a flyer, the man took it, skimmed through it, and chuckled.

 

 

 

“Ah, yes. Good luck.”

 

 

 

Then he turned around and whispered with other men behind him.

 

 

 

“Hey. Look at this play.”

 

“Where?”

 

“You know, Myeongseong Theater Company.”

 

“Didn’t that place go under? Senior Jae-ho said they weren’t even operating when he joined as the youngest member.”

 

 

 

Then they looked at the flyer and laughed among themselves.

 

 

 

“The theater company name is New Star. Must be some provincial hicks who came up to do a play.”

 

“That’s hilarious.”

 

 

 

Then they threw the flyer on the ground and the yellow-haired man and his group disappeared around the corner.

 

 

 

Seeing this, Woo Seong-sik ran over and picked up the discarded flyer.

 

 

 

“Hey, if you’re going to throw it away, don’t take it in the first place.”

 

“Are they from another theater company? I want to beat up that yellow-head.”

 

 

 

Seeing Kim Jun-su’s slightly angry face, Woo Seong-sik laughed.

 

 

 

“Hey. This small grassland just has little mice running around, but we know what’s going to appear here in just a few hours. Two of them, even.”

 

 

 

Kim Jun-su thought of Yeon-woo and Yu-han who would be in the office and nodded.

 

 

 

“Lions? Tigers?”

 

“No, tractors. They’ll plow through this entire grassland.”

 

 

 

Hearing Woo Seong-sik’s words, Kim Jun-su nodded.

 

 

 

“You’re right. But did you eat something wrong? Why are you saying sensible things today?”

 

“What are you talking about. You’re the one hiccupping pathetically because you’re nervous.”

 

 

 

When Kim Jun-su glared at him, Woo Seong-sik changed the subject.

 

 

 

“What’s Yuri Sister doing? Did you tell her to come today?”

 

“No, she’s been busy preparing for job hunting lately. I told her to come next Saturday when we’re doing a special performance just for family and acquaintances.”

 

 

 

Woo Seong-sik nodded.

 

 

 

“She does know that Yeon-woo and Yu-han are performing together, right?”

 

“Of course. Otherwise, she never would have understood spending these past few months just practicing without being able to go on dates. Still, I made her promise absolutely not to tell anyone.”

 

 

 

He remembered Hong Yu-ri’s words in the car on the day they went to the pension, saying her top favorite was Ryu Yeon-woo and second favorite was Jin Yu-han.

 

 

 

“Oho. Yuri Sister will be the happiest one.”

 

“Why? Because I’m going on stage?”

 

“…Huh? Well, y-yes, that’s right.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Thanks to his friends’ efforts, the audience seats began to gradually fill with people.

 

 

 

Yeon-woo peeked out from backstage wearing a hat and mask to look at the audience seats.

 

 

 

“Hmm, the guys seem to be doing pretty well. Still, it’s more than half full.”

 

 

 

Jin Yu-han’s head also peeked out from behind.

 

 

 

“That’s true. How fascinating.”

 

 

 

But there was someone who looked at the same scene and had different thoughts.

 

 

 

“Yu-jin. This is the right place, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah. It’s definitely right.”

 

 

 

Checking her smartphone and tickets alternately, Im Seong-su’s daughter Lim Yu-jin nodded her head.

 

 

 

“My father is getting his salary properly, right? It’s the first performance and they barely filled a little over half the seats.”

 

 

 

As Lim Yu-jin and her friend settled into their seats, men’s voices could be heard from behind them.

 

 

 

“This is hilarious. Those guys were going around with flyers earlier, but how did they still manage to fill over half the seats?”

 

“Right. Ah, what a waste of time. Why did Senior Kyung-sik tell us to come watch something like this?”

 

“The level is probably obvious anyway.”

 

 

 

When Lim Yu-jin turned around, she saw a yellow-haired man and his companions acting cocky with their hands in their padded jacket pockets, snickering.

 

 

 

And in one corner of the audience seats, there was also a middle-aged man adjusting his glasses while looking around.

 

 

 

“Ho. So they constructed the stage set like this. It’s dark so I can’t see well, but there seems to be some kind of partition. Cheol-min, do you know what the play is about?”

 

 

 

It was Yoo Ho-cheol, the original owner of this building and Jeong Cheol-min’s theater company classmate.

 

Next to him, Jeong Cheol-min wore a hat and mask and shook his head.

 

 

 

“No, I don’t know either. I just sent two kids who are graduates from our academy.”

 

“That aside, Jeong Cheol-mae. This guy has become a celebrity now? Wearing a hat and mask and all.”

 

 

 

Yoo Ho-cheol tapped Jeong Cheol-min’s cap playfully while teasing him.

 

Looking at his friend, Jeong Cheol-min chuckled.

 

 

 

Since the two were so close in the theater company, the seniors used to call Yoo Ho-cheol and Jeong Cheol-min together as ‘Ho-cheol-min.’

 

 

 

“Hey man. If I take it off, people will recognize me right away.”

 

“You struck it rich by meeting one good student. This guy. I’m jealous.”

 

 

 

Then a circular light lit up at the left end of the stage and a woman came out.

 

 

 

“Oh, it’s Se-yeong.”

 

 

 

Kim Se-yeong, the actress Jeong Cheol-min had dispatched, opened with a bright and cheerful voice.

 

 

 

“Hello! Thank you so much for visiting our ‘Theater Company New Star’ today!”

 

 

 

Having been doing theater in provincial areas for several years, her ability to captivate the audience with a single phrase was quite impressive.

 

 

 

“Everyone. Our play has a boring-looking title, no actors’ faces on the poster, and it’s in this gloomy, out-of-the-way place—so why on earth did you come?”

 

 

 

Kim Se-yeong spoke in a playful tone, dramatically placing her hand on her hip.

 

The audience also knew that the woman on stage was joking, so small laughter erupted.

 

 

 

“But, despite all that, we’ll show you a gift-like stage that you’ll never forget for visiting our theater company! Now let’s begin the story. Ta-da!”

 

 

 

Boooooo─.

 

 

 

Along with Kim Se-yeong’s signal, the sound of a ship’s horn vibrated through the small theater.

 

 

 

And a beam of highlight fell on the right side of the stage.

 

 

 

Standing there was Ha Jae-hoon, who played the role of Sailor 1.

 

 

 

Like Kim Se-yeong, having done theater in provincial areas for a long time, his solidly trained voice projection echoed through the small theater.

 

 

 

“The ship is departing now. Is there anyone who hasn’t boarded yet?”

 

 

 

And he continued with his lines once more.

 

 

 

“Then we’ll close boarding now and the ship will depart!”

 

 

 

Then, further right than the sailor.

 

A voice came from the far right end of the stage.

 

 

 

“Me! Please wait a moment! I need to board that ship!”

 

 

 

Clack─.

 

 

 

The lighting brightly illuminated where the voice was coming from.

 

 

 

Jin Yu-han appeared on the small theater stage, raising his hand and urgently calling to the sailor to board the ship.

 

 

 

Instantly, the audience seats of the small theater began to stir greatly.

 

 

—————
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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