NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 263

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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 263. Failed Last Shot, Successful Last Pass

The staff watching the game had become absorbed in the match without realizing it.

 

Initially, only some staff members were interested in seeing actors they rarely got to see in person, while the rest just thought of it as part of their daily filming work and had no interest in the game itself.

 

After all, since both teams were amateurs playing against each other, it was difficult to expect particularly high-level play.

 

Moreover, from what they had heard beforehand, there was quite a skill gap between the two teams, so they thought it would be a one-sided game.

 

However, the flow of the game was going differently than the staff had expected.

 

“What’s with this tension? There’s less than a minute left and it’s still completely neck and neck?”

 

The score gap that had been wide at first gradually began to narrow, and the score that had never been reversed once since the game started was finally reversed for the first time with just dozens of seconds left before the end.

 

Now it was difficult to predict which way the momentum of victory would lean.

 

The sight of the actors high-fiving each other and running back to the court already created the illusion that they were filming a drama.

 

The Camera Director captured that scene while exclaiming in admiration.

 

“Wow, the refreshing feeling is killer. It’s like someone put a sky-blue filter on just this camera. This drama is going to be a hit, isn’t it?”

“We haven’t even started filming yet. Senior Jun-seong is handling the filming for this drama, and I think he said it starts next month?”

“But you can tell just by looking whether it’ll be a hit or not. How many years have I been eating rice at the broadcasting station?”

 

Having lived with a camera for over ten years, he could intuitively feel how well the actors’ visuals worked together.

 

As a result, he could now distinguish whether something would work in the market or not.

 

While the staff were predicting the success of this drama, Yeon-woo and his members hurried back to set up their defensive formation.

 

They could see the opposing players bringing the ball down.

 

***

 

Swish─.

 

The net swayed.

 

Unfortunately, it was our net that swayed, not the opponent’s.

 

20 to 21.

Just seconds after taking the lead, they were reversed again.

 

They immediately went for a fast break, but a turnover occurred and the ball possession went back to the opponent.

 

‘If we get scored on one more time like this, it’ll be a 3-point gap. If Yu-han’s 3-point shot works, we could tie for a draw, but that’s too much of a gamble. And there’s not much time left either.’

 

To win this game, they had to bet everything on one winning move and focus.

 

As Yeon-woo crossed the half line and came down to their formation, he stuck close to Jeong Cheol-min and whispered.

 

“Teacher. If I give you a signal, please run straight toward the opponent’s goal post.”

“Toward the opponent’s goal post? What about the opposing attacker I’m covering?”

“Don’t mark him, just run straight there.”

 

Since Yeon-woo’s judgment had never been wrong during the game, Jeong Cheol-min tilted his head but answered that he understood.

 

Yeon-woo glanced at the green numbers on the electronic clock above the goal post.

 

’30 seconds left now. Somehow I have to block the shot and then launch a counterattack.’

 

No matter how much the opponent tried to stall for time, they couldn’t hold out for more than 24 seconds. Within that time, they had to attempt at least one attack and at least hit the rim.

 

‘The opponent will probably try to use up all the time. Then what’s left is at most 6 seconds.’

 

Yeon-woo looked at the area under their goal post. Son Jin-wook was in a low stance with both arms spread, blocking the under the basket area.

 

‘We have the advantage for rebounds.’

 

He could see Jae-yoon from N.Boys crossing the half line, slowly dribbling the ball as he came in.

 

Dong-ha, who was covering Jae-yoon, immediately blocked his path, but the opponent with a 1-point lead was in no hurry.

 

Jae-yoon leisurely killed time, looking left and right once each before passing to an open space.

 

The opposing player where the pass flew was Yang Yoon-jae, whom Yeon-woo was marking.

 

The red number 3 appeared on the scoreboard above the goal post.

 

The green numbers on the stadium clock showed the elapsed game time, while the red numbers showed the attack time remaining for the opponent.

They had used 21 of their 24 seconds stalling for time, and now had 3 seconds left.

 

Yang Yoon-jae acted like he was going to charge forward, then stopped his movement and jumped backward while throwing the ball.

 

At the same time, Yeon-woo ran forward, jumped, and stretched out his hand.

 

Tick─.

 

The ball shot from Yang Yoon-jae’s hand slightly touched Yeon-woo’s fingertips.

 

‘Got it!’

 

Immediately, Yeon-woo looked to the right.

 

“Teacher Cheol-min!”

 

Receiving the signal, Jeong Cheol-min immediately left the opponent he was marking and started running forward.

 

This was what Yeon-woo had instructed when crossing the half line.

 

Thunk─.

 

The ball that had its trajectory altered by Yeon-woo’s fingertips hit the backboard and fell down.

 

Son Jin-wook, who was waiting under the basket, jumped up to catch the ball and wrapped it with both hands.

 

As Son Jin-wook came down to the floor and looked ahead, he could see Jeong Cheol-min already running past the half line.

 

Time remaining: 4 seconds.

 

This was the final counterattack fast break.

 

“Hup!”

 

Son Jin-wook immediately threw the ball toward Jeong Cheol-min.

 

Cheol-min, who had run ahead, barely managed to catch the ball flying in a high arc.

 

‘Time!’

 

Jeong Cheol-min immediately looked at the scoreboard above the goal post. 3 seconds.

 

He could see the opposing defenders running at full speed from behind.

His heart was pounding.

 

Even though this wasn’t a tournament and they weren’t playing for anything at stake, he felt nervous thinking that the final outcome of the match was in his hands.

 

Jeong Cheol-min immediately got into position and threw the ball.

 

Whoosh─.

 

The final shot fired from Cheol-min’s hand flew through the heated atmosphere of the gymnasium.

 

But perhaps because he shot too hastily, the ball cut through the air.

With this trajectory, it was clear it would fall short of reaching the rim.

 

‘Ah…’

 

Just as Cheol-min’s face was colored with regret, a figure could be seen running from the side at lightning speed and jumping.

 

The red numbers on the watch displayed 2.

 

Tap tap tap─.

Thud─.

 

It was Yeon-woo, who had signaled Cheol-min to run and then ran at full speed looking only ahead, not even glancing to see whether Yang Yoon-jae’s shot went in or whether Son Jin-wook succeeded in getting the rebound.

 

From the beginning, if Yang Yoon-jae’s shot didn’t go in or if Son Jin-wook failed to grab the rebound, their chances would be zero, so he ran focusing only on the one possibility for victory.

 

And the moment the red numbers displayed 1, Yeon-woo jumped and caught the falling ball in mid-air, then extended his right hand and pushed it forward.

 

Alley-oop.

An aerial move where a jumping player catches the ball in mid-air and immediately throws it again.

 

Swish─.

Beep─!

 

The ball passed through the net just as the whistle signaling the end of the game echoed.

 

Wooooah─!

 

At the alley-oop buzzer beater that exploded just before the game ended, not only the variety show team but even Coach Jung Dong-seok, who had been watching from a corner of the gymnasium, raised both hands and shouted.

 

And at this moment, the most excited person wasn’t Yeon-woo who succeeded the buzzer beater, nor the teammates running over cheering.

 

“Th-that was incredible. This is definitely going to get ten million views on YouTube…”

 

The PD of the follow-up variety show, which didn’t even have an official name yet, seemed to have a flower field blooming in his head as he envisioned a rosy future.

 

His body was trembling.

 

‘…This is certain. Even if the drama doesn’t do well by any chance, the follow-up variety show will definitely be a hit.’

 

He was already going crazy with curiosity about the viewers’ reactions.

 

 

Meanwhile, the celebrity basketball team ‘Fast’ each had plans to use this friendly match as a platform to shine, but those plans had turned to bubbles as they stared blankly at the scoreboard indicating the game’s end.

 

22 to 21.

 

The final score indicated that instead of becoming a platform for them to shine, it had merely become someone else’s stepping stone.

 

***

 

After the game ended, the actors accepted the variety show PD’s suggestion to have a simple dinner gathering.

 

The PD looked extremely excited as he grabbed Yeon-woo’s hand and shook it vigorously.

 

“Ahh! Refreshing.”

 

Jeong Cheol-min gulped down the draft beer in his hand and set it on the table, exclaiming cheerfully.

Son Jin-wook, who was sitting next to him, grinned and asked Cheol-min.

 

“The beer? Or today’s game?”

“The game, of course. Winning so thrillingly feels like my chest has been cleared out.”

“But Jeong sunbae, how did you manage to see Yeon-woo running from there and make such an amazing pass?”

“Uh, huh?”

 

When a shot is taken but the ball falls without even hitting the backboard or rim, it’s called an airball.

 

There are about two moments of humiliation for basketball players: one is when you take a shot and the opposing center jumps up and swats it away like swatting a fly with a flyswatter – that’s a block shot, and the other is an airball.

 

In some ways, comparing the two, an airball is actually the more humiliating situation.

 

Of course, Jeong Cheol-min isn’t exactly a basketball player…

 

“Ahem, that was a shot though?”

“…”

 

Then from the opposite side, Yeon-woo smiled and raised his glass.

 

“Even if it was a shot, it came to exactly the right position for me to catch it. Since it’s between a shot and a pass, let’s call it ‘shootering.’ Shall we toast?”

 

When Jin Yu-han immediately raised his glass next to him at Yeon-woo’s words, everyone grabbed their own glasses.

 

“Hey, let’s join in too. Everyone fill your glasses.”

 

When the PD at another table saw this and shouted, all the other staff also poured drinks into their glasses.

 

“Actor Ryu Yeon-woo, who scored today’s winning goal, should say a few words.”

 

At the PD’s words, Yeon-woo looked around.

 

After the game ended, the actors had showered in the gymnasium and changed into the training clothes they had brought.

 

And since the filming crew usually wore flexible activewear because they had to move heavy filming equipment, everyone in the restaurant really felt like an actual basketball team.

 

“Alright. To conquering the nation!”

 

Conquering the nation when this wasn’t even a boys’ manga – the staff laughed at Yeon-woo’s quirky toast.

 

 

Since the company dinner started in broad daylight with the sun high in the sky after the game ended, it quickly finished by evening.

 

Jeong Cheol-min and Son Jin-wook seemed to be going somewhere else to drink more, but Yeon-woo took Kim Min-su’s car and headed home.

 

Yeon-woo looked at the message that had arrived from Han Hae-woon during the company dinner.

 

– Han Hae-woon: We found the homeless person.

 

The homeless person refers to Lee Hyeong-rak.

He’s the actual nominal holder of the slush fund created by Hwang-geum, who is presumed to have been eliminated from Baeksol.

 

He’s probably just someone who was used for a small amount of money, but someday Baeksol might try to recover the remaining funds by using this Lee Hyeong-rak person to transfer money overseas, so they need to keep watch.

 

While organizing these various thoughts, Kim Min-su’s car arrived at home and Yeon-woo took the elevator up.

 

After entering his home, he immediately headed to his studio and put on his headset.

 

“You’ve located Lee Hyeong-rak?”

– Ah, you’re here. As Team Leader mentioned last time, we found him near Seodaemun Station. Most of the homeless people all look the same – unwashed, with long hair, wearing hats – so it took time to identify him.

“That must have been tough. So did you make contact?”

– Not yet. Kim Su-hyeok is moving to the location and should be arriving soon.

 

When Yeon-woo connected the video to channel 2, he could see through the camera attached to Kim Su-hyeok’s clothes as he got out of the car and walked toward where the homeless people were.

 

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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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