The Genius Actor Who Lives Twice - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 16

“Let’s go with Yeon Gi-jun.”

Kim Suk-hyun told Director Choi Il-hyung over the phone. Once the call ended, she settled into her chair.

“But he’s a newcomer—are we really sure about this? What if he’s completely different once we’re on set?”
“It should be fine. He has excellent Stage Presence.”

Seong-su answered with confidence.

“He really is impressive.”

Kim Suk-hyun turned to look at the monitor.
Gi-jun’s audition footage played across the screen.
Even a screenwriter doesn’t fully grasp every nuance of the characters they create.
A character born from a writer’s imagination gets reinterpreted by an actor, refined through script readings and filming, shaped in consultation with the director—only then does it truly come alive.
But watching Yeon Gi-jun perform, she felt none of that would be necessary.
The character was already complete.
Could there really be an actor so perfectly suited to the role of Haneul?
Even his costume fit the character flawlessly.
Despite wearing makeup that looked like stale broth, his handsome face was exactly what Haneul should be.

“And his voice—incredible. When he acted, I genuinely thought he was a real person. There’s probably no one his age who could pull off something like that….”

As Seong-su went on, Kim Suk-hyun let his words drift past her ears, turning her attention instead to the file Director Choi had sent.

“His voice really transforms when he’s acting….”
“I got it. We’re casting Yeon Gi-jun.”

Kim Suk-hyun took a sip of her tea and continued.

“But I’m curious what he’ll show us on set.”

If Yeon Gi-jun truly delivered the role of Haneul the way he had in the audition….
It could elevate the entire production to another level.

* * *

Three weeks after the audition.
The results for finally came through.

-Hello. This is the production team.

I couldn’t believe how tense I was up to that point.

-Congratulations on passing the audition.

When I read that, I let out a sound I couldn’t suppress.
Honestly, the only things different from before were the Regression and the scar disappearing, so I never expected to pass so quickly. Judging by Representative Kim Hyun-deok’s reaction when we signed the contract last time, I guess my skills really are better than I thought.
I kept smiling as I read the next message.

The message clearly said to dress comfortably, yet Kim Hyun-deok had dressed me up completely.
He’d taken my measurements when I filled out my profile last time and bought clothes to fit.
I didn’t pay attention to fashion, but later I realized they were all designer brands.
This man would’ve done well in life even if he’d never touched the arts.
Since he’d gone to the trouble, it seemed only right to wear what he’d prepared.
Tailored slacks that fell perfectly against my body, worn with an oversized blazer.
Two shirt buttons undone, and dress shoes on my feet.
A thin watch on my wrist and a single ring on my index finger.
On top of that, I’d had my hair done at a salon this morning, creating that deliberately tousled look.
Anyone would think I was heading to a photo shoot, not a film meeting.

“This doesn’t exactly look like casual wear….”
“Last time you deliberately dressed scruffy to match the character, remember? This way creates a sharp contrast in image, which works better.”

I suppose so.
Kim Hyun-deok glanced over at me as the car stopped at a red light.

“Besides, I’ve been wanting to dress you up like this at least once.”

Fair enough. Kim Hyun-deok had given me several pieces of clothing over time, frustrated at my habit of wearing only comfortable clothes.
I’d briefly wondered whether to sell them secondhand, since they were all luxury brands, but then I heard that designer pieces appreciate over time and abandoned the idea.

“Go out there and do well.”

Kim Hyun-deok dropped me near the Baekya Film building.
As I walked, I caught my reflection in the building’s glass and paused for a moment.
The fact that there was no scar on my face felt genuinely moving.
I stepped inside Baekya Film.

“Hello. I’m here for the meeting today.”
“Oh, is that so? Director Choi is just going into a meeting now. Would you be able to wait a moment?”
“Of course.”

I sat in the chair the staff member showed me to.
Before long, the assistant director and Choi Il-hyung emerged through the door.

“This way, Gi-jun.”

I stood and followed them into a room set aside in the office.

“Wow, you look completely different from last time—I almost didn’t recognize you!”
“Oh… thank you.”

Director Choi, the assistant director, and the entire staff were smiling as if something had put them in good spirits.

“You got the script file, right?”

I’d already received the script via text message.

“Yes, you sent it a few days ago, and I read it with great interest.”
“Already? That was fast. Here, take this while you’re at it.”

Choi Il-hyung handed me a bound script.
In the corner of the script, large letters spelled out “Shipwreck,” and beneath that it read “Actor Yeon Gi-jun.”

“I didn’t call you just to hand this over. I wanted to discuss how you’d approach the role of Haneul.”

I’d anticipated this and prepared something in advance.
I opened the notes app on my phone where I’d written everything down beforehand.

“A newcomer, and you’ve prepared quite thoroughly.”
“Since it’s my debut role, I wanted to portray it properly.”

Everyone feels a thrill when they’re starting out.
Even an actor who has regressed.

“So, shall we see what our newcomer has prepared?”

I spoke through my notes, one item at a time.

“First, I’m planning to lose some weight.”
“What are your height and weight now?”
“I’m 178 centimeters and 62 kilograms.”
“That seems fine as is, but what do you think, Director Choi?”
“There’s a scene where Haeul goes hungry for a few days, then eats pastries. If he loses weight, the visual will land better.”
“Then let’s go with the weight loss, as Director Choi suggests.”
“Understood. I’ll work hard at it.”
“Good—but don’t overdo it.”

Next came the discussion of acting.

“Your acting in the audition was good, but the character needs to shift drastically in the middle and final acts.”
“I’m already aware of that and preparing for it.”
“As time goes on, make him less pitiful and more raw—wilder. Let the character’s rough edge show.”

After we discussed scene interpretation, the most important matter arose.

“Typically, leads and supporting actors receive payment in three installments—advance, mid-production, and final—but…”

For Baekya Film, with limited funds and a small budget, deferring payment was only natural.

“That’s fine, Director. Since I’m a newcomer, you can pay me after filming wraps.”
“Thank you for understanding.”

From where I stood, knowing the film would be a success, it hardly mattered when I got paid.

“Filming should start soon, but how does your schedule look for the rest of this year and next?”
“I have nothing scheduled for this year. I think I’ll be admitted to university in March next year.”

The results weren’t out yet, but if I suddenly announced acceptance later, they’d have to rework the shooting schedule.
It was better to block out the dates now and, if it didn’t happen, pursue other auditions and film shoots instead.
And by being upfront about my availability, they’d be more considerate.

“Okay, I think we’ve covered everything. Assistant director, anything else?”
“No, sir. That was it. If anything comes up later, we can handle it through messaging.”
“I’ll coordinate schedules and send you the details later. Thanks for your effort.”
“Thank you.”

After bowing, I stepped outside.

* * *

Kim Hyun-deok had offered to drive me home, but I decided to run there for the sake of my weight loss regimen.
The moment I pulled my phone from my pocket and opened the map app, a message came through.
I assumed it was from Baekya Film or Kim Hyun-deok, so I checked quickly.
It was neither.

[Seong-su: Yeon Gi-jun~]

It was Seong-su from the Korea National University of Arts acting department, whom I’d met last time.
Seong-su, apparently unburdened by social awkwardness, had asked for my phone number after just a few exchanges of words.
Since I didn’t have much of a social media presence to begin with, handing over my number had been the mistake.

[Seong-su: Are you pretty busy these days?]

I was busy, definitely.
I was planning to run home from here, so I’d considered just leaving his message on read.

[Seong-su: Oh, you read it hahahaha]

Since we’d probably see each other often once school started, the polite thing was to reply.
I sent a message back while walking.

[Me: Yeah why? Something up?]

It wasn’t long before another message came from him.

[Seong-su: Nah just haha]
[Seong-su: Thought we could meet up once these exams wrap! lol]

I couldn’t figure out why he kept trying to get closer.
Seong-su sent a photo.

IMG-WA0033.JPG

A picture of a mint chocolate drink taken at a café.
……What kind of reaction was I supposed to give to that?
While I was pondering, another message from him arrived.

[Seong-su: Hey, I’m at Seokchon Lake right now. Wanna come over?]
[Seong-su: I’ll buy you something good from the café!]
[Me: Can’t, I’m too busy right now]

That seemed a bit cold, so I typed out a bit more.

[Me: I’m actually going into a project]
[Me: Gonna be swamped for a while, probably won’t have time to hang. Sorry]

I sent an apologetic emoji and tucked my phone back in my pocket.
I mean, sometimes hanging out with friends was fine.
But right now, I was in the middle of a production.
Analyzing characters, practicing scenes, memorizing dialogue, conditioning my body for the role—there was a mountain of work to do.
I couldn’t afford to waste time on things unrelated to the production.
Buzz—
Another message from Seong-su, probably.
I checked my phone to mute it completely.
And unavoidably, I caught sight of Seong-su’s message that had just appeared at the top.

[Seong-su: I have the Character Analysis Sheet for “Shipwreck”]

Wait. What?

[Seong-su: The one that Kim Suk-hyun personally! wrote!]

No. Hold on. How did he get that?

[Seong-su: Still can’t come? ㅠㅠ]

I called Seong-su immediately.

“I’m heading there right now!”

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