NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 43

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 43. NG

“Yeon-woo! Your speech pattern was such a perfect match for Pierre Choi. The moment I first heard it, I thought ‘this is exactly how Pierre would speak in the scenario.'”

“Really? Thank you. Now you’ll be appearing after break time ends, right? Our deer sister.”

 

At Yeon-woo’s words, Han So-hyeon grinned and made a V sign with her hand.

 

“Look forward to it! I really love this role too, so I prepared hard for it. I’ll show you deer Jennifer’s bewitching seduction.”

“Haha. I’ll look forward to it.”

 

After break time ended, the script reading resumed.

 

Han So-hyeon, as she had confidently promised, acted with a calm and slow speech pattern that was the complete opposite of her usual bright and bubbly image, delivering bewitching lines.

 

This side of Han So-hyeon was so different and new that even Yeon-woo’s eyes widened as he stared at So-hyeon.

 

After that, the latter half of the reading proceeded smoothly, and today’s full script reading concluded with everyone getting a sense of each other’s acting tendencies and dialogue chemistry, looking forward to when actual filming would begin.

 

 

A month after the script reading ended, actual filming began.

Filming was so busy that Yeon-woo didn’t even attend his university entrance ceremony.

 

Yeon-woo, who had submitted his leave of absence application for the first semester of his freshman year right after enrollment, had concentrated on filming for a month and had already shot almost all the early scenes of the movie.

 

Ryu Yeon-woo was looking at the monitor alongside Ma Seok-do.

 

On the monitor in front of them, Han So-hyeon was giving a passionate performance.

 

 

“Oh my, am I not doing this right?”

 

The golf ball traced a shallow arc before falling powerlessly.

 

Jennifer, with her long straight hair swaying left and right as she tilted her head, was swinging with an awkward posture at the golf driving range.

 

Park Gang-woo, showing interest in such Jennifer, approached her.

 

‘Deer’ Jennifer was intentionally approaching to switch Park Gang-woo’s smartphone SIM card.

 

“Miss, shall I teach you a bit?”

 

Park Gang-woo’s sleazy voice could be heard as he handed his golf club to his subordinate in a black suit standing behind him and struck up a conversation.

 

“Oh my, that would be great for me. I definitely learned it, but… it’s not working well?”

 

She sexily licked her lips while leaning on the golf club against the ground, subtly showing off her curvaceous figure.

 

Park Gang-woo, with the corners of his mouth raised, came over to Jennifer’s tee and enjoyed harassing her under the guise of posture correction.

 

According to the investigation by ‘Junk Dealer,’ the information gathering specialist among the experts Pierre Choi had assembled, there were three things Park Gang-woo couldn’t resist.

 

Golf, poker, and women.

 

The role of the deer, who was in charge of one of the many stages in Pierre Choi’s operation.

To naturally approach Park Gang-woo and switch his SIM card with the one Kwak Ji-cheol had hacked.

 

Jennifer, who had naturally become close while practicing golf, took advantage of a water break to pull out Park Gang-woo’s smartphone with ghostly hand movements, switched the SIM card, and turned it on.

 

“Oh my, boss. You left your mobile phone here.”

 

Jennifer placed the mobile phone on top of the water dispenser and called Park Gang-woo.

 

“Hmm, look at my mind. Hahaha. The lady is so pretty that I’ve been walking around absent-minded.”

 

Park Gang-woo approached again, rolling his tongue with a sleazy pronunciation while talking about the lady.

 

Even looking at such a face, Jennifer smiled brightly with good humor.

 

This series of processes was being displayed through the monitor, with Pierre Choi and Kwak Ji-cheol watching from a small storage shed.

 

“Cut. Let’s take a short break and go again.”

 

Director Park Chan-hong’s flat, dry words could be heard.

 

Ryu Yeon-woo sighed, and Ma Seok-do patted his shoulder, stood up, and stretched.

 

The staff hadn’t yet expressed their complaints because Yeon-woo had always been friendly and pleasant since filming began, but they were gradually getting tired as progress wasn’t being made.

 

Cinematographer Kang In-chan, who had worked together since the previous project, also came over and quietly massaged his shoulders as if to encourage him.

 

Even such kindness felt burdensome to today’s Yeon-woo, whose mental state was unusually shaken.

 

‘What should I do. Isn’t there something more creative?’

 

This scene had been reshot all morning.

 

The reason this scene was being reshot was none other than Ryu Yeon-woo’s consecutive NGs.

 

From 「Summer’s Closet」 to 「Spring Lover,」 and even commercials, Yeon-woo, who had usually nailed scenes in one take with almost no NGs, was struggling.

 

Actually, it wasn’t entirely Yeon-woo’s fault—it was a problem with the script.

 

As Director Park Chan-hong had requested during the script reading, he was a director who praised and greatly valued actors’ autonomy and on-set improvisation.

 

The scene where they were watching pre-filmed footage of Jennifer and Park Gang-woo as if they were hacking and monitoring CCTV in real-time was entirely ad-libbed.

 

The script only said ‘Pierre Choi and Kwak Ji-cheol exchange conversation while looking at CCTV.’

 

Director Park wanted free-flowing dialogue from actors who had become one with their characters on set, which became a great ordeal for Yeon-woo, who was the type to diligently analyze stage directions and act conscientiously.

 

Ah, am I too lacking in creativity?

 

As the director’s okay sign continued not to come, Yeon-woo began to blame himself for living only diligently in both his past and present lives.

 

“Everyone, let’s eat lunch and then continue!”

 

The assistant director’s shout could be heard announcing that they would stop filming and take a short break, and since it was almost lunchtime, they would eat first before starting again.

 

Even as he trudged along to eat lunch, Yeon-woo continued to worry.

 

“It’s okay, Yeon-woo. Straighten your shoulders. Meeting the director’s expectations is never easy.”

“Right, what was actor Bae Seong-woon’s longest record in the previous work? 4 days?”

“It was 5 days. 5 days for that one scene in the car.”

 

Staff members passed by, cheering Yeon-woo on to stay strong.

 

They deliberately chattered loudly for Yeon-woo to hear, saying the previous work was worse and that half a day was nothing, but their comfort didn’t really get through to him.

 

Ma Seok-do sat down heavily next to the dejected Yeon-woo, holding a food tray he had gotten from the catering truck.

 

“Kid, it’s okay. I was terrible at ad-libbing when I was a rookie too. And this scene’s ad-lib is way too long.”

“You’re right, Seok-do hyung. It’s so hard. Sigh.”

 

Yeon-woo had to carry the scene for almost 20 seconds or more with ad-lib alone while looking at the screen.

 

Due to the nature of his role, Pierre Choi had to lead the conversation.

 

“Yeon-woo, think about it more simply. Like when you’re late to school and get called by the teacher to make excuses. The lies you instantly make up and blurt out are also ad-lib.”

 

In fact, Yeon-woo had lived regularly and diligently when growing up as an orphan, during his agent days, and even after being reincarnated to live a different life.

He had never even been called by a teacher to tell lies.

 

He reluctantly nodded at Seok-do’s advice, which he couldn’t really relate to.

 

Since he first started acting until now, Yeon-woo had relied too much on scripts, acting only through perfect analysis and thorough practice.

 

That diligent consistency, which had been more earnest than anyone else’s, had become Yeon-woo’s stumbling block.

 

Yeon-woo didn’t eat and went to a corner of the filming set to worry before making a phone call.

 

The phone connected after only a few rings.

 

– Oh, hey. Yeon-woo.

 

A voice could be heard through the receiver, seeming to mumble something while speaking.

 

“Are you busy, teacher?”

– No, ahem, hmm. I was eating jjamppong with Teacher Kim.

 

Jeong Cheol-min cleared his throat as he spoke, perhaps because the jjamppong broth was spicy.

 

The person who was most supportive to Yeon-woo at times like this.

 

Yeon-woo explained the current situation to Cheol-min in detail.

 

After hearing the full explanation, Cheol-min forgot about his jjamppong getting soggy and thought deeply.

 

After a long silence and contemplation, Cheol-min opened his mouth.

 

– Yeon-woo.

“Yes, teacher.”

– Do you remember the day you first came to me?

“With father? Oh, the day I went alone and took the acting test?”

– Yes, that’s right. That day when I had you do various tests, the acting you did wasn’t as refined as now, but it was raw acting without a script.

 

Yeon-woo was quietly listening to Cheol-min’s words.

 

– That day, when I mentioned a delinquent third-generation chaebol, you played that role, and when I mentioned a limping retired soldier, you played that role too.

“···Yes, that’s right.”

 

Cheol-min’s voice continued to come through the receiver.

 

– That’s when I was convinced you were a genius. How should I put it, you acted as if you had possessed yourself into being that kind of person. Some kind of… desperation, I guess.

 

The moment Yeon-woo heard Cheol-min’s last words, he flinched as if he had been struck in the head by something.

 

Life as Ryu Yeon-woo, which had become familiar by now.

 

Family members he now truly considered family.

Friends at school he worried about whether they were adapting well.

 

Actors and staff he had genuinely grown close to and bonded with.

Manager Min-su, stylist Ye-eun, and the many people around Yeon-woo.

 

The identity of Jeon Su-hwan and memories of his past life that had gradually grown distant.

 

Yeon-woo was happy with his current life, but his past life was also an element that constituted the present Yeon-woo and contained precious memories.

 

A covert agent trained to infiltrate anywhere.

A field agent trained to handle any situation.

 

“Teacher. I really can’t do without you. You’re the best.”

– Uh, huh? Hahaha. I guess it was helpful somehow. I’m glad, Yeon-woo.

“I’ll come see you right away when I go down to Daejeon.”

 

Yeon-woo said goodbye to Cheol-min and hung up the phone.

 

Yeon-woo made a determined expression and ran toward manager Min-su.

 

“Min-su hyung! Please do me a favor. Please, I’m begging you.”

 

 

After finishing lunch, the staff could be seen returning to their respective positions, checking the filming equipment and preparing for the afternoon shoot.

 

Min-su came rushing through the studio entrance, drenched in sweat and out of breath.

 

“Huff, huff. I got it.”

 

Min-su was gasping for air, having apparently run at full speed.

 

Yeon-woo put the items Min-su had brought into his pocket and grasped Min-su’s hands with both of his.

 

“Min-su hyung. Thank you so much. You’re the best manager!”

 

Hearing those words, Min-su was still gasping as if he might collapse, but a smile automatically formed on his lips.

 

Min-su silently gave a thumbs up, and Yeon-woo followed suit, giving a thumbs up before looking around the filming set.

 

Then he walked energetically to the center of the set and shouted loudly.

 

“I’ll do even better in the afternoon shoot! Please take care of me!”

 

At Yeon-woo’s sudden shout, the staff who had been checking equipment stopped what they were doing and looked at Yeon-woo.

 

Then the staff members smiled and each responded in turn.

 

“Fighting, our lead actor!”

“Pierre Choi. Let’s go!”

 

With that, the filming set that had been chaotic after the meal was organized and shooting resumed.

 

“Scene number 34. Ready, cue.”

 

With the Director’s words, filming started again.

 

Yeon-woo looked at the monitor screen playing and used Self-Hypnosis on himself.

 

‘I am Pierre Choi. The person who shows the duality of the con artist and big shots, Condorff and Lonnegan.’

 

With his gaze changed, Yeon-woo looked at Ma Seok-do who was sitting beside him, watching the screen.

 

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————