The Genius Actor Who Lives Twice - Chapter 5

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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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Episode 5

The children found it engaging enough that they began settling onto the floor, their eyes lifting toward the table.
The fundamental rule of Puppet Theater is that the puppeteer must remain invisible.
Ki Jun cleared his throat, then bent low behind the table, keeping himself completely out of the children’s sight.
Their gaze fixed on the empty surface of the table.
But it lasted only a moment. The children seemed to lose interest and began to rise.
Then—

“I am the mighty Tiger!”

At the sound from beneath the table, the children’s attention snapped into focus.

Pop!

A Tiger Puppet suddenly appeared above the table.
Its stubby little arms flailed about wildly as it strutted shamelessly across the surface.

“Nobody can beat me in a fight!”

The rough, gravelly voice suited the tiger perfectly.

“But I’ve heard rumors that some beast called a Lion is stronger than me?”

At this, the children erupted as if they’d been waiting for just this moment.

“Yeah! The Lion is stronger than the Tiger!”
“No way! If the Tiger bites, the Lion would hurt too!”
“The Lion wins!”
“That’s not true!”

While the children cried out their opposing views, Ki Jun worked the Lion Puppet into his other hand.

“I am the Lion! I am stronger than the Tiger!”

At the Lion’s entrance, the children burst into cheers.

“It’s the Lion!”
“Fight! Fight!”

Their eyes sparkled with delight.

“What? You think you’re stronger than me?”
“Of course! The Lion is king of all beasts—that makes me the strongest, obviously!”
“No—the Tiger is the king of all beasts!”

Everyone had become completely absorbed in the Puppet Theater.
Not just the children, but the Nun and the Priest as well, and even the volunteers who’d prepared the meal.
All of them stood quietly behind the children, watching the performance unfold.
Among them was Kim Hyun-deok, who made regular visits to this place.

“It seems there was a puppet show today.”
“No, he’s a volunteer.”
“A volunteer?”

Kim Hyun-deok’s gaze returned to the puppets.
The puppet’s mouth moved with perfect precision each time he spoke.
The arms swung in flawless synchronization, without the slightest misalignment.
And the way he created two entirely different characters through voice alone.
Kim Hyun-deok’s eyes began to shift, growing more intent.

“Looks like you’ve worked in Puppet Theater for quite a while.”

And indeed, the Puppet Theater performance happening now was polished enough to stand as a professional production.
He deliberately modulated his speech for the children’s comprehension, simplifying the personalities of the Tiger Puppet and Lion Puppet.
He guided the story in a way children could understand, yet never let it lose momentum or bore them.

“Who thinks the tiger is stronger?”
“Me!!!”
“Who thinks the lion is stronger?”
“Me!!”
“Me!!”

Even audience engagement, expertly orchestrated.
You could smell the professional tradecraft in it.

‘I should ask him if he’s thought about becoming an actor once this is over.’

Judging by how skilled he was, he was probably older than ideal, but his voice tone was good—with proper development, he could make a solid middle-aged character actor.

“That won’t do. Let me show you the taste of my fists!”
“Hah! Bitten by my teeth and you’re done for!”

‘Is it okay to have fighting scenes in a Puppet Theater show for children?’

The Nun seemed to share the same thought, rising from her seat.
Just as the Tiger Puppet and Lion Puppet were about to fight.

“Come eat!”

The cry of an elderly woman rang out, and a small puppet suddenly popped up between the Tiger and Lion puppets.
It was a puppet dressed in a nun’s habit.

“Oh, it’s the Nun!”
“Ah, hello!”

The two animals that had been growling moments before shifted their voices to sound flustered, as if they’d never done such a thing.

“You two weren’t actually fighting, were you?”
“Oh, no, ma’am.”
“We would never fight! Hehe.”
“That’s right—fighting won’t do. I’ve made food, so come eat it now.”

The two puppets slinked backward and disappeared beneath the stage.
And at last, only the Nun Puppet remained.

“Did everyone see? Fighting isn’t allowed!”

The children quickly lost interest, finding it dull, but the adults were thoroughly satisfied.
Ki Jun had started the Puppet Theater in the first place just to buy some time, and now it was lunch hour.
Kim Hyun-deok, who had been watching the performance, was struggling to contain his bursting laughter.
It was laughter on two levels.
One was the laughter that erupted when the Nun suddenly appeared on stage.
The other was laughter born from the realization that he’d found talent.

‘This guy’s got real skill.’

It seemed improvised, yet he had this kind of sense for it.
Click.
The Nun flipped the fluorescent light on and stood before the desk.

“Well, you all saw the Puppet Theater performance, didn’t you? No fighting, okay? The Tiger and Lion have gone off to eat, so let’s go get some lunch too.”

With that, the Nun led the children to the cafeteria, and the other volunteers followed behind them.
Only Kim Hyun-deok and Ki Jun remained in the room.
Kim Hyun-deok pulled a business card from his wallet and approached the desk.
In that moment, the coat lying on the desk flipped downward, and the man who had performed the Puppet Theater turned around while putting on his coat.

‘His height is decent.’

Kim Hyun-deok spoke as he watched the man’s back.

“Hello. I’m Kim Hyun-deok, the representative of Nabi Actors, and I—”

He turned slowly to face him.
Eyes like a young deer’s, crimson lips, a high-bridged nose, and a serene gaze.

“. . . !”

Kim Hyun-deok found himself at a loss for words.
It wasn’t because he was handsome.
Well, of course he was extraordinarily handsome, but that wasn’t the primary reason.
The voice he’d heard earlier sounded like someone seasoned from years working in theater or Puppet Theater.
But standing before him was a face that appeared to belong to someone barely in their early twenties—radiating boyish charm.
And looking more closely, he possessed a thousand-faced countenance.
His features were soft and guileless, yet from another angle his eyes held a melancholy cast, as though sorrow lingered there.

“Yes, did you call for me?”

And his voice was crystalline.
When he’d heard only the Tiger and Lion voices before, they’d definitely sounded rough and gravelly.

‘All that was just acting?’

“Might I ask your age?”
“I’m twenty-one.”

This is a lifeline sent from heaven itself.
With that thought, Kim Hyun-deok gripped Ki Jun’s hand firmly.

“Would you happen to have any interest in acting?”
“Acting?”

He accepted the business card with an air of bewilderment—or rather, what appeared to be bewilderment.

“Nabi . . . Actors?”
“Yes. Your talent and voice are exceptional, and I’d like to extend you an offer to join our agency.”

Kim Hyun-deok softened his intimidating expression as much as he could while making the proposal.

“Ah . . .”

He appeared to be considering it for a moment.

‘Why would he hesitate? Does he already have an agency?’

Before long, Ki Jun opened his mouth.

“I’m currently preparing for the Acting Department entrance exam, and since I don’t have an agency or any formal training, I’m uncertain whether I can do well. I’m afraid I can’t give you an answer right now.”

A student preparing for the Acting Department, then.
Kim Hyun-deok’s lips curled upward.

“Is that so? That’s fine, then. Even if you say you haven’t had formal training, the foundation you already possess is solid. Besides, there are things I can teach you. I’m a graduate of the Directing Department at Korea National University of Arts.”
“Ah, I took the entrance exam there recently too.”
“Then you’re my junior.”
“I’ve only passed the first round, so I’m not sure what the results will be.”
“Ah, I see. I hope it goes well for you.”
“Thank you. But I’m not confident in my abilities.”

Wait—what?

“Since my acceptance is uncertain, a contract would be difficult to commit to.”

This was the first time Kim Hyun-deok had encountered such a case.
Most people who came to auditions were brimming with confidence, not the opposite.

“Well, then I should be going.”

The moment he turned to leave.
His shoulder was seized.
Kim Hyun-deok had grabbed Ki Jun’s shoulder.

“How about this—let’s do an audition at our company tomorrow, and if your skills truly aren’t up to it, we’ll forget the contract ever happened. The address is on the business card, yes?”

Anticipating refusal, Kim Hyun-deok pressed the business card firmly into his hand and left his seat.

“I’ll be waiting, so make sure you come.”

His acting talent aside, his character was impeccable too.
He must be busy preparing for exams, yet he was volunteering here.
Where else could such luck be found?
With that, Kim Hyun-deok headed toward the dining hall.
And Ki Jun was left alone.
Only after confirming no one was nearby did he allow himself a quiet laugh.

“It’s flowing so perfectly according to plan—I almost laughed right then.”

* * *

The day of the audition, Nabi Actors Office.
When I knocked, Kim Hyun-deok opened the door himself and welcomed me in.

“Ah, you’re here?”
“Yes, hello.”

I stepped inside the office.

“It’s a bit shabby, isn’t it?”
“No, well… shabby…”

I should have said it looked fine, but it was far too cluttered for that.
Sleeping bags scattered about, piled cup noodle containers, and convenience store instant food.

“This much is sufficient.”

Since this company would soon grow to extraordinary proportions, I decided not to mind it too much.

“You don’t have to mind my age—speak comfortably with me.”
“Is that so? You said you took the entrance exam a few days ago, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You learn a lot at university, and your skills can improve greatly, so it would be wonderful if you got in.”
“I think so too.”
“What did your acting instructor say?”
“Ah, I don’t have an acting instructor.”

Since I’d be working with Kim Hyun-deok for a long time, lies could easily unravel if we kept talking. It was better to be honest from here on out.
Being straightforward would serve me better.

“Then how did you practice acting?”
“I studied through various books and practiced on my own.”

Kim Hyun-deok ran his finger across his lips thoughtfully.
He was probably thinking that since I’d only seen Puppet Theater, I might just be good at voice acting like a voice actor.
I needed to temper his expectations.

“Well then, shall we see you act?”

Kim Hyun-deok gestured for me to sit on the sofa and pulled out a cushion for me.

“Usually we hold Auditions with drama or film dialogue, but you took the Acting Department exam with theatrical scripts, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then you’d be more confident with theatrical dialogue?”
“No, actually. I’m more familiar with film dialogue than theatrical dialogue.”

The theatrical dialogue I’d shown at the College Entrance Examination site was something I’d done back when I was auditioning for theater roles.
But over the past few years, I’d been attending far more film Auditions than theatrical ones, so film dialogue was what I knew best.

“So what dialogue are you going to do?”

Hmm.
A thought suddenly struck me as amusing.
Should I do ‘that dialogue’ here?

“I’ll perform something I wrote myself.”
“Original work?”

Disappointment flickered across Kim Hyun-deok’s face.
How much could dialogue written by a mere twenty-one-year-old really show?

“Yes, I have a piece that’s quite good, actually.”

The dialogue I was about to perform was from a work Kim Hyun-deok had created.
He’d succeeded as a Management Company CEO and later returned to directing, making films.
One of his films had earned critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival.
I wondered what reaction Kim Hyun-deok would have hearing dialogue from a film he would make in the future.
With that anticipation, I began to act.

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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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