Aura of a Genius Actor

༺ Do You Really Want to See It? ༻

{Rather than that, let me ask you. Why on earth did the “human’s” presence increase in just one year, and by more than what could be expected?}

Murmur—

The lights flickered more intensely than ever before.

{Is that true?}

{I haven’t verified the exact number, but if giving him 3 of my presence wasn’t enough to tie it, then there’s only one answer. His own presence has increased by more than one during that time.}

{How long has it been?}

{455 days.}

{Bring the life record of human Shin Yoomyeong!}

Upon the elder celestial judge’s command, a subordinate goblin hurriedly went off.

Shortly after, a lantern with a flame burning within was presented before them. The flame, a mix of red and blue energies, was likely the ledger containing the record of Yoomyeong’s life.

As the elder judge stared at the flickering flame for a while, Hye-ho anxiously asked.

{Exactly how much presence does he have now?}

However, the elder seemed too engrossed to hear the question.

Then, the sphere of light burst and seemed to communicate with the other lights. The ten lights surrounded the lantern and clung to it.

{It can’t be…}

{How is this possible?}

{That’s absurd…}

Though they tried to suppress their voices, their astonishment was evident.

It was clear that something unexpected had occurred.

Hye-ho was dying to know what happened, but she waited without rushing them.

After what felt like an eternity…

{The fairness of the life contract number 1538720 has been verified. The Celestial Judges acknowledge its validity. Hye-ho, you may return to the mortal world.}

{Please tell me the reason why his presence is like that!}

{We cannot tell you.}

Hye-ho’s beautiful face contorted in anger.

{Just as you didn’t explain to the human every single detail that could be disadvantageous to him, the circumstances of the human shouldn’t be explained in detail to you as well. Isn’t that fair?}

At that, Hye-ho’s rage subsided.

After pondering, she added one more question.

{Does this contract still hold the possibility of achieving my desired outcome? I believe I have the right to know at least that much.}

The elder judge quietly replied to those words.

{Yes.}

{Then that’s all I need.}

As Hye-ho accepted the result and quickly turned to leave, the elder judge asked once more.

{The most important thing for a spirit to become immortal is its life energy. What do you intend to do after giving away so much of your energy and merely obtaining a human body in return?}

{I also have no reason to answer that.}

With a courteous but firm bow, the silver figure left the garden hall.

The elder judge watched her departing figure with a mysterious gaze.

*

The casting director of <Showbiz Studies> received an email.

[To Director Lee Min-jung of <Showbiz Studies>. Attached is the profile and acting video of actor Shin Yoomyeong.]

It was the profile of an actor without a specified agency.

‘How did someone without an agency know about the drama’s schedule? And how did they know I was the casting director?’

Puzzled, she opened the email.

‘Let’s start with the profile…’

————————————–

Name: Shin Yoomyeong

Age: 24

Agency: None

Experience:

2003 – Gwanak University’s Changcheon, <Ambitious Dream> as President Nam

2003 – Gwanak University’s Oedipus, <Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde> as Jekyll and Hyde

2004 – Movie <Ballerina High> as the Phantom – Blue Film/In Production

Desired Role:

<Showbiz Studies> as Bohyung

————————————–

It was a simple profile.

Despite the short experience, he was truly independent without an agency affiliation.

Just saying that he was a student interested in acting didn’t quite cover it… considering that he was from Oedipus, a prestigious university theater club that had produced many talented actors that its name even remained in Min-jung’s mind.

She looked at his photo profile.

‘Wow…’

The photo was of remarkable quality, undoubtedly taken in a high-end studio.

He had a good expression… and he didn’t seem to be someone who was doing it as a hobby.

With that thought, she clicked on the last file.

[ActingVideo_ShinYoomyeong.wmv]

The attached sample acting video was played.

Yoomyeong had it filmed on the set of <Ballerina High> during a break, having asked Director Choi for a favor. The quality was distinctively better than the usual clips people sent in, which were filmed using digital cameras or camcorders.

‘Wow… it looks like it was filmed with professional equipment. But… are all these the same person?’

The video was a compilation of four clips, each with slightly different outfits. In some, he seemed to be in the middle of shooting, fully made up.

By facial features alone, it seemed like the same person, but the texture of his acting felt different each time, causing the casting director to tilt her head in confusion.

‘Is there an issue with the video or editing? Either way, his acting is quite impressive. But…’

The role he applied for already had a preferred candidate.

Should I consider him for another role? It would be a shame to miss out on such a fresh talent…

The casting director sent a text to the phone number listed on the profile.

[I’m the casting director for Showbiz Studies. Can we meet and talk as soon as possible?]

*

“Hello.”

At a coffee shop in Gangnam.

A male student greeted her politely. His face looked neat and clean.

That was the first impression Director Lee Min-jung received.

“It would’ve been better to meet at the broadcasting station, but I’ve been so busy, so I thought it’d be better to meet en route.”

“Yes, that’s fine by me.”

“But how did you hear about our drama? Since you even know the character name ‘Bohyung,’ it seems like you’ve read the script?”

She started by addressing the sensitive topic.

<Showbiz Studies> had a tight production schedule, so they only distributed the script to entertainment agencies. At that time, they had emphasized that there should be no leakage of the script.

If an actor without an agency had seen the script, could it have been leaked?

“Ah… I went for a meeting with an agency, and while the representative briefly left their seat, I flipped through the scripts stacked on the table. I can’t say which agency… I apologize if I startled you.”

Min-jung sighed in relief.

As long as the script wasn’t leaked externally, it wasn’t a major issue. And thanks to that, she even landed a promising profile.

“Did you sign a contract with that agency?”

“No, not yet. I think it’s best to choose wisely, so I’m planning to take my time in deciding.”

The young man, who seemed mature beyond his twenty-four years, explained calmly.

More than his words, what caught her attention was…

His voice was soft yet also captivating.

“Do you have any ongoing projects?”

“Yes. The film shooting wrapped up about a month ago. We’re in the post-production phase now.”

“You’re listed as a college student who’s currently on a break. Do you have plans to return to school?”

“Not at the moment. I want to focus on acting right now.”

“Okay, that aside…”

Min-jung quickly moved on from the basic questions, jumping straight to the main issue.

“Why did you choose Bohyung?”

“…”

“You don’t seem delusional enough to aim for a leading role right off the bat, but you also don’t want to start off as an extra and work your way up slowly. Is that why you’re aiming for a significant supporting role?”

Director Lee was quite blunt.

“I found the character appealing, so I wanted to take on the role.”

Yoomyeong responded calmly to the harsh remarks.

Besides, that was the truth.

He chose the supporting role because of the ‘charm’ and ‘potential’ the character possessed.

He was curious about how much charm he could bring out if he, and not some other actor, portrayed Bohyung.

“You’re not very fun, huh.”

The casting director grumbled and then confessed.

“Actually, there’s already a strong candidate for that role.”

He distinctly remembered reading an article about auditions being held for the role he was interested in…

“So it’s a guaranteed role without an audition?”

“No. There will be an audition, but there are some complications. Unless there’s a huge gap in acting skills to the extent that the judges would be taken aback, it’s almost 99% decided.”

Upon hearing that, Yoomyeong laughed defiantly.

“Do you really want to see that kind of audition?”

*

Yoomyeong immediately opened his bag as soon as he returned home.

[Showbiz Studies] Episode 1 and Episode 2.

Two scripts were neatly tucked inside.

— Ah, these scripts shouldn’t be taken out.

— There’s a reason for that. Our writer is obsessed with ‘acting abilities’. Even in the drama’s content, it’s evident. The lead actor, Do-jun, has stellar acting skills. That’s the theme. They’ve been nagging me to find new, fresh talents based on their acting.

— Prepare this scene for the assigned acting. Also, prepare a free-acting segment, and you’ll be good.

— If this leaks, both your acting career and my career as a casting director are done. Got it?

Yoomyeong hadn’t considered the potential leakage of the script.

He might’ve gotten into trouble if he hadn’t been careful enough to say he read the script at the agency when Min-jung asked him.

‘I need to be more cautious from now on…’

Speaking of which, she was quite the character.

Even if things went well and he secured a chance to audition, he only expected specific scenes, not the entire episodes 1 and 2. How could she trust him so much…?

However, thanks to that, he felt like he’d gotten a treasure. Yoomyeong eagerly opened the script.

It was a show he had enjoyed and rewatched multiple times thanks to the power of the internet. The scenes were still fresh in his mind.

His heartbeat quickened as he imagined how the visuals in his mind would be described in the script.

Flip—

The first page of the script turned.

——————————————

#1 In front of the Star Entertainment Agency

A large, modern building. A low-angle shot (where the camera pans from below) to capture the imposing structure. The scene changes, and from a high-angle shot, a person who looks smaller and is wearing an ill-fitting suit is seen.

Hana: Wow… So this is the Star Entertainment Agency.

——————————————

Yoomyeong’s eyes were glued to the script.

The only sounds were his occasional swallowing and the rustling of pages.

Not long after, Yoomyeong, having devoured both scripts, finally took a moment to breathe.

Whew—

‘So, that’s what the script was like… It’s definitely interesting.’

Yook Mi-young, the writer, was well-known for crafting compelling characters. She was a popular writer, having produced three consecutive hits.

Especially the role of Bohyung.

Yoomyeong had only imagined how fun the role of Bohyung would be based on the lines and actions he saw in the drama, but the Bohyung within the script, not yet fully realized, was even more captivating.

From the script, Yoomyeong was able to infer three clues about the ‘character’.

— What the writer conveyed about the character through the passage.

[Bohyung rummages through the clothing collection bin with a curious face.]

— How other characters described him through their dialogues.

[That hat is from GuC, right? And those shoes are from DolC, aren’t they? But why does his outfit look so shabby…?]

— And the actions and words the character himself made.

[Hana! Our family went bankrupt and I was kicked out. sobs]

Combining these clues, the image of Bohyung that the writer depicted was very clear.

And it was noticeably different from the portrayal of Bohyung by the actor who played the role in the drama in terms of texture.

If he were given the brush…

‘I would bring out 120% of Bohyung’s charm…’

Even if they were given the same sample to draw, the outcome would be distinctly different depending on the touch of the person holding the brush and the quality of the paint they used.

He could feel the heat rising in his body.

With dedication to each line, Yoomyeong began to cultivate Bohyung’s character.

The audition…

Was in two weeks.

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