NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 286

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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 286. Grass Green and Green Are the Same

Walking along the path where a light drizzle was falling, I blankly stared at the raindrops flowing down along the edge of my umbrella.

 

On rainy days, that distinctive scent rising from the wet asphalt calms the mind.

 

Ryu Yeon-woo hesitated for a long while before opening his mouth.

 

“Is it not possible?”

 

At those unexpected words, Son Jin-wook slightly lifted his umbrella to look at Ryu Yeon-woo walking beside him.

 

By now, he understood this young man’s way of speaking to some extent.

In times like this, you just need to wait patiently.

Then, as if having organized his thoughts, he moved his lips slightly and continued speaking.

“···Can’t I just live doing what I want to do?”

But it wasn’t Son Jin-wook who answered—it was Jung Cheol-min, who had been walking behind the two of them.

“No, it’s okay. You deserve it enough.”

And she added, looking at the backs of the two men who were as tall as bamboo poles.

“How does our team play?”

Then Ryu Yeonwoo and Son Jinwook, who had been walking ahead, simultaneously turned their heads to look back and said.

“Until my heart bursts.”

Jung Cheolmin nodded his head in satisfaction at the sight and asked again.

“Even if you think the path you’re taking now is a detour, if you’re enjoying it, then it’s the right path. When a ball leaves your hand and heads toward the goal, does it fly in a straight line or how does it fly?”

Ryu Yeonwoo turned around at Jeong Cheolmin’s question.

Through the rain that blurred the entire world, Ryu Yeonwoo turned back with slightly wet hair, and his figure seemed to shine more vividly than any other subject in the surroundings.

And he slowly opened his mouth to answer.

“···tracing a parabola.”

Just then, a cheerful shout pierced through the streaks of rain from far away.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Phew, you all did well. Everyone.”

Jung Cheol-min put down his umbrella and embraced Yeon-woo and Son Jin-wook.

It was also the first work filmed together with Saebyeol Media, and considerable effort was put into training to develop basic basketball skills during the preparation stage.

Watching Jeong Cheol-min like that, Yeon-woo nodded and replied.

“You’ve had the hardest time of all, teacher.”

There’s more than a 12-year age gap between her and the other actors, yet she kept up with the same pace during rehearsals and filming, which must have been incredibly challenging for her.

The sound of applause from the staff celebrating the end of filming could be heard nearby.

“That’s a wrap on ‘Parabola’!”

***

“Okay!”

 

The large restaurant was bustling with activity.

 

This was a wrap party gathered to commemorate the crank-up of 「Parabola」.

 

At the table where the actors had gathered, Dong-ha, the youngest, was diligently grilling meat.

At the table where the actors had gathered, Dongha, the youngest member, was diligently grilling the meat.

“That’s right. Since only my filming portions ended early, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you all. There hasn’t been any album release lately either…”

“I just rested at home.”

 

Then Jeong Cheol-min picked up a piece of meat and spoke up.

 

“If it’s not your active period, why didn’t you go on a trip or something?”

“This kid, he’s become a real actor, hasn’t he?”

 

It had been quite a long drama to film.

 

Several months had passed since deciding on the title 「Parabola」 through an internal competition, and during that time, Yeon-woo had filmed and released the movie 「Moon」.

 

If we set the baseline to when they had only vaguely planned to film a ‘sports drama’ before the title was decided, we’d have to go back to around the time they had just created 「Saebyeol Tube」 and were filming the YouTube variety show 「Saebyeol Family」.

 

‘Of course, we weren’t filming continuously during that entire period…’

 

Since all the cast members belonged to Saebyeol, there was no delay in the casting stage, but coordinating schedules was difficult because each one was such a busy actor.

 

It took a long time to prepare the script, from deciding on the genre to finding a director and writer, and they also devoted a lot of time to basketball practice.

 

‘And I’ve laid several groundworks too.’

 

It took a long time to prepare the script as we had to decide on the genre first and then find a director and writer, and we also devoted a lot of time to basketball practice.

‘And I’ve laid the groundwork in several places too.’

The follow-up variety show “Parabola – Training Camp” was also scheduled, and the friendly match with the celebrity basketball team ‘Fast’ had not yet been released on YouTube.

 

For promotion, they had also used connections with Netflix to secure support, and the final episode of “Survival Island” was also approaching.

 

When listed one by one, there were quite a few activities related to “Parabola”.

 

“Now that filming is finished, we’re just waiting for the results.”

 

At Yeon-woo’s words, the actors who were eating meat nodded their heads.

 

“It needs to do well. I heard SBC’s Daytona is going up against us in the same time slot?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

 

Yeon-woo nodded at Jin-wook’s words.

 

In fact, while the other actors might think the matchup was unfavorable, it was Yeon-woo himself who had intentionally chosen this head-to-head confrontation.

 

“I really hope we beat them.”

 

At Jin-wook’s words, Yu-han, who had been quietly picking at his meat, nodded.

 

“Me too. That drama is directed by Jo Hun-gwang.”

 

Watching their reactions, Dong-ha, who was grilling meat, tilted his head.

 

“Do you all have some kind of bad blood with that director?”

 

The one who answered was Director Kim Han-su, who had been listening from the next table.

 

“That person is… even as a fellow director, he’s quite problematic.”

 

Hearing Director Kim Han-su’s words, Yeon-woo recalled the contents written in the report.

 

‘They said he’s a guy who cleverly sexually harasses only rookie actresses and junior staff, so his reputation among actors is rock bottom.’

 

Birds of a feather flock together, perhaps.

Really, how Baeksol had the talent to pick out only these kinds of scumbags was beyond understanding.

 

“His behavior is disgusting, but it’s at an ambiguous level that’s hard to prosecute as a crime, and since it’s such a closed industry, the atmosphere is that victims just hush it up and let it slide…”

 

Yeon-woo nodded at Jin-wook’s words.

The report he received from Hae-woon had said the same thing.

 

But there was no need to think about it in a complicated way.

 

It wasn’t to punish someone or for the sake of justice – it was just an obstacle in the path he was already taking.

 

Obstacles should be removed.

 

“We just need to crush them. Face them head-on with dignity and smash them with viewership ratings.”

 

At Yeon-woo’s words, who had been quietly listening, the actors’ attention focused on him.

 

And soon Cheol-min laughed heartily.

 

“Hahaha, right. How does our team play?”

 

Everyone chuckled at the suddenly quoted drama line.

 

“Until our hearts burst.”

 

***

 

Meanwhile, at that moment, it wasn’t only the “Parabola” team that was drinking and talking about their opponents.

 

Director Jo Hun-gwang was also raising his glass with Lake Film’s CEO Jung Yang-gi in a private room in Gangnam.

 

“Haha, you worry about everything, hyung. No matter how well Ryu Yeon-woo is doing these days, we have Yoon Seung-seol. Seung-seol never falls short in name value domestically.”

“These days that Survival something is so popular among young people…”

 

Then Jo Hun-gwang roughly threw back his drink and cut him off.

 

“Ugh, did these bastards water down the alcohol? Why is it so bland? Ah, hyung. Don’t worry. Our production budget is more than six times theirs. You know that in this industry, when you crush them with money, the effects show accordingly.”

 

As Jo Hun-gwang spoke, he looked Lake Film’s CEO Jung Yang-gi up and down.

 

‘What is this idiot worried about some worthless cable drama for? Anyway, these parachute guys who dropped from the sky are all chicken-hearted.’

 

In Jo Hun-gwang’s view, CEO Jung Yang-gi was nothing more than a figurehead and puppet president.

 

Behind him, he had learned directly and indirectly over the years, was a mysterious force that had been investing variously in large and small movies and dramas.

 

Every time he succeeded with projects they invested in, he would be invited to a certain villa as a reward, and it was truly a scene of wine pools and meat forests.

 

‘Hehe, with overseas location shooting, Yoon Seung-seol as the lead, and all the money poured into production, there’s absolutely no way it can fail. What? A basketball drama? Aside from that kids’ toy-like drama those cable guys are doing, there’s nothing particularly noteworthy in the same time slot.’

 

Just thinking about being invited to the villa made Jo Hun-gwang feel his body heating up already.

 

And he looked at Yang-gi with cold eyes.

 

“Hyung, you just focus on promotion. When you throw money around, nothing shows effects as clearly as advertising.”

 

***

 

Meanwhile, time passed and they were now one week away from “Parabola’s” broadcast.

 

That also meant it was the day the final episode of “Survival Island” would air.

 

“Yes, since she said she gave it her all without regrets, there should be good results.”

– Anyway, I deliberately prepared only foods that wouldn’t upset her stomach that morning so she could eat something light before going, but this girl had to insist on eating pumpkin taffy of all things, something she’d never eaten in her life…

 

While listening to his mother’s rapid-fire complaints over the phone like a machine gun, Yeon-woo quietly responded with appropriate acknowledgments.

 

“Still, it’s a relief that she was able to take the exam safely.”

 

Two days ago, his younger sister So-hyeon had taken the college entrance exam.

 

‘It feels like just yesterday that little one was grumbling with her mouth going a mile a minute about wanting to go to karaoke with her friends, and now she’s about to become a college student.’

 

He realized anew that quite a long time had passed, enough for the time he’d lived in this new life to feel natural now.

 

“I’ll call So-hyeon separately and tell her to come up to Seoul soon. She must have had a hard time as an exam student, so I should at least buy her a meal.”

– Yes. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?

“I’m perfectly fine. Mother, you’re watching ‘Survival Island’ that’s airing these days, right?”

– Of course I am. What if you get hurt filming something like that? Every time I watch it, I keep worrying and tell your father…

 

Yeon-woo broke out in a cold sweat as the machine gun fire continued again.

 

‘Hmm…’

 

It seemed like he shouldn’t have brought up the topic.

 

“Anyway, the final episode airs today. Well, after it ends, I’ll be going straight into a drama on the same broadcasting station.”

– Yes, you know Aunt Eun-seong, right? She was saying that since it’s airing right after on the same broadcasting station, the schedule worked out well because it’ll be easy to continue watching the drama.”

 

Yeon-woo nodded at his mother’s words.

 

Of course, it wasn’t that the schedule worked out well, but rather that he had thoroughly orchestrated it to turn out that way, even appearing on an unplanned survival variety show.

 

If general viewers felt that way, then it was a success.

 

Yeon-woo finished his call with his mother and spent time cleaning the house.

 

Today he had made excuses about being tired and said he wouldn’t attend the weekly Survival Island viewing party.

 

‘Hmm, even I think that if they see the final episode’s booby traps and rope action, there’ll be a flood of questions, so I just shouldn’t go.’

 

He thought it would be better to avoid it since it would likely become troublesome.

 

Ding-dong—

 

Just then, the doorbell rang.

 

‘Hmm? Did Mother send some side dishes by delivery? No, for a delivery, it’s already past evening time.’

 

When Yeon-woo approached the wall pad to check who was at the entrance, he saw unexpected people on the screen.

 

– Yeon-woo, I brought calamansi juice in case you were tired. Let’s watch Survival Island together.

– Oppa. Please open the door!

 

He could see the neighbor and his guests.

 

The actors including Son Jin-wook and Han Byeol, and behind them, Manager Kim Min-su and CEO Jeong Hyeok who were grinning.

 

The problem was that those neighbors and guests were standing in front of his house.

 

“Hmm, oh no…”

 

It seemed like it would be difficult to escape the swamp of questions today after all.

 

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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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