Chapter 3
Chapter 3
It Was a Past Life
The Genius Actor Was a Martial Arts Spy in His Past Life
Captain Kim tilted his head at Baek Seungchan’s strange words.
“You mean it wasn’t a dream? Seungchan, what do you mean by that?”
But soon, Kim Sungho nodded.
“True, you did such realistic acting, no wonder you’re exhausted.”
He himself had once dreamed of becoming an actor and had spent time in a theater troupe.
Although he had never performed as brilliantly as Baek Seungchan, he had seen senior actors deliver jaw-dropping performances.
That senior, now a famous actor, would always look exhausted after leaving the stage with such chilling acting.
“Take a seat for a moment and rest.”
Captain Kim led Baek Seungchan to a chair placed on the side of the set.
“Wait a moment, I’ll go grab some snacks from the car. Sugar is the best in moments like this.”
He remembered that his senior had always eaten chocolate after performing shocking, realistic acting.
Kim Sungho quickly left the classroom as if he were a manager.
“Phew…”
Sitting in the chair, Baek Seungchan began to calm his breathing.
‘A past life…’
It wasn’t just a dream. It was a past life.
Something he had thought only appeared in movies or novels had actually happened.
Although it was confusing, the feeling of disorientation didn’t last long.
Baek Seungchan quickly regained his composure.
‘Thinking about a past life, this is nothing…’
The martial arts world was a place where life and death hung in the balance every day.
In such a place, Cheonmyeong-gwi—or rather, Baek Seungchan—always stayed calm.
The reason he could perceive the situation so quickly and remain composed now was thanks to memories of his past life.
‘Nothing has changed just because I remembered my past life. I’m still Baek Seungchan.’
He steeled himself. Even if memories of his past life surfaced, what mattered now was his family and reality.
At that moment, the assistant director entered the classroom and approached Baek Seungchan.
“Wow, actor-nim. That acting was incredible.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Actor-nim?”
Suddenly, his title had changed from an extra to an actual actor.
“Here, take this.”
The assistant director handed him a sheet of paper.
“A script? Why me?”
“Well, your role just changed a moment ago, so you need to memorize the lines too.”
“My role changed?”
“Yes, the director wants you to perform the role exactly as he envisioned it.”
“But what about the person originally playing this role?”
Baek Seungchan worried that he might have ruined someone else’s part by stepping in.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry. That person originally tried it because of a last-minute substitution, but they weren’t good at it, so we decided to change actors.”
“Oh, I see.”
Hearing that, Baek Seungchan felt relieved.
“Anyway, read the script.”
“Yes.”
He nodded and began reading.
It was the scene where Nam Siwoo—the protagonist—was being bullied by delinquents.
“There are three scenes total, but they aren’t long,” the assistant director explained.
As he said, there were only a few simple actions and lines.
“How long will it take to memorize? The director asked me. Thirty minutes, maybe?”
“No.”
“Oh, right. Shall we take an hour, just to be safe?”
The assistant director nodded.
Though the script was short, it wasn’t simple. Baek Seungchan had to understand the scene, memorize his lines and actions, and respond appropriately to the other actor’s lines.
“No, you can start right away.”
“Right, start immediately… okay?”
“I’ve memorized it all.”
Baek Seungchan’s confident answer widened the assistant director’s eyes.
During the brief break, Nam Siwoo went straight to the restroom.
He locked himself in a stall, calmed his breathing, and recalled Baek Seungchan’s performance.
That deadly gaze. That atmosphere.
At that moment, Nam Siwoo instinctively felt he could actually die.
Even knowing it was impossible, the fear lingered.
His heart still pounded, and his body trembled slightly.
“Good thing I didn’t drink too much water.”
Calming himself a little, Nam Siwoo exhaled.
He buried his face in his hands, trying to steady his racing heart.
Then, he heard his manager’s voice outside.
“Siwoo, we’re resuming filming. Do you want to ask for more time?”
“No! I’ll be out in a second!”
Nam Siwoo replied quickly.
Still, when he tried to leave, his feet felt rooted.
It was Baek Seungchan’s terrifying gaze, burned deep into his mind, that kept him frozen.
‘Idiot, that was just acting. He won’t actually hurt me…’
Nam Siwoo repeated this to himself and summoned courage.
“And I got praised for the first time.”
After the previous scene, most people had complimented Baek Seungchan’s acting, but Nam Siwoo also heard that his own performance wasn’t bad. He wanted to feel that praise again.
Though he debuted as an idol, his childhood dream had always been to become an actor.
“Okay, let’s go.”
He took a deep breath, stepped out of the stall, and finished his business before heading back to the set.
“Gulp…”
Seeing Baek Seungchan waiting with a frown made him flinch, but he clenched his fists and steadied himself.
‘It’s just acting. I’ll do well and get praised again.’
He didn’t look Baek Seungchan in the eyes this time.
As Nam Siwoo entered the classroom, Baek Seungchan frowned.
‘What’s wrong with him now?’
Nam Siwoo’s overly cautious demeanor was like someone afraid of punishment.
‘This guy, and that guy…’
Baek Seungchan sighed. He wasn’t the only one acting strangely.
Turning to the side, he noticed the original delinquent actor staring daggers at him.
He didn’t know his name, but he had clearly been upset about losing the role.
If this were the martial arts world, blood might have already been spilled.
But Baek Seungchan ignored it. This wasn’t the martial arts world.
He understood, to a point. Losing a role could upset someone.
But if that person crossed the line, Baek Seungchan wouldn’t let it slide.
Then, the classroom door slid open.
Director Park Taeho entered, his face remarkably bright.
“Okay, everyone, let’s do our best.”
It was hard to believe this was the same man who had been stressed all day.
“You young people, just relax and do your best.”
He glanced around the classroom and then looked at Baek Seungchan, eyes filled with warmth.
“Ah, yes…”
Baek Seungchan smiled awkwardly. The affection from a middle-aged man, unlike anyone else, felt strangely intrusive.
“Then let’s start.”
Filming began.
Thud.
Baek Seungchan slowly walked to the center of the classroom.
His heavy footsteps echoed across the floor, and the classroom fell silent.
His gaze was cold and resolute.
“Hey, you think my words are meaningless?”
A low, rough voice tore through the air.
The set was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
“….”
Even the staff instinctively held their breath, mesmerized by his presence.
It was just a single line, but Baek Seungchan’s presence filled the room.
‘Even better than before.’
Director Park Taeho unconsciously swallowed.
This was a different dimension from earlier. The previous performance was rough, but now it was calm and overwhelming.
It wasn’t just acting—it had the depth of a veteran stage actor with decades of experience.
“Sorry…”
Nam Siwoo naturally immersed himself in his role.
Fear was real in his eyes, and trembling in his voice carried emotion.
His lines no longer felt awkward.
His gestures, expressions, and voice made him a truly frightened student in that moment.
“Cut!”
Director Park Taeho’s satisfied shout broke the silence.
The staff whispered in awe, praising Baek Seungchan’s acting.
“That guy is just an extra? Unbelievable.”
“I heard it’s his first time too. Really his first time? Totally natural.”
“First time and already like this? There really are geniuses.”
“Chills! Immersion was amazing.”
Most eyes were on Baek Seungchan, but some praised Nam Siwoo as well.
“Nam Siwoo also improved a lot. Especially his eyes were great.”
“Yeah, much more natural.”
Nam Siwoo’s shoulders lifted slightly. Praise for acting he had always wanted made him feel good and regain some confidence.
He hesitated a moment, then approached Baek Seungchan and nodded.
“Good work.”
“Yes, good work.”
Baek Seungchan lightly nodded, glancing at him with mild surprise.
‘Not bad at all.’
He had thought Nam Siwoo lacked talent, but seeing him in action proved otherwise.
‘His eyes are good.’
For Baek Seungchan, the most important part of acting wasn’t just dialogue—it was emotion, mostly conveyed through eyes and expressions.
Nam Siwoo’s clear eyes displayed emotion well, though nervousness slightly weakened his immersion.
Still, Baek Seungchan liked him.
‘Reminds me of Seoksam.’
Seoksam had been his subordinate in his past life. Less talented but hardworking and gentle-looking, much like Nam Siwoo.
“Do you have anything to say?”
Nam Siwoo asked carefully, noticing Baek Seungchan staring.
“No.”
“Okay, okay! Let’s take a short break before the next scene!”
The assistant director’s voice filled the classroom.
Baek Seungchan sat in an empty chair, and Nam Siwoo stayed inside, sitting two chairs behind him.
Meanwhile, Director Park Taeho pondered the next scene.
“Hmm, should we just use a stunt double?”
The next scene involved the angry delinquent slapping Nam Siwoo’s protagonist hard.
Originally, the extra playing the delinquent had stunt experience, so he could act safely. But now Baek Seungchan had the role, creating a problem.
If the slap went wrong and caused injury, filming would be seriously disrupted.
The production company had specifically warned to prevent any accidents.
“Why not let the original actor do the slapping?”
“No, the previous tension would be ruined if someone else hit suddenly.”
Although this was a web drama he took on as a favor, Director Park wasn’t willing to film carelessly.
“Then we’ll just film a double from behind.”
The assistant director was right. Ideally, both Nam Siwoo and Baek Seungchan’s faces should be visible, but under the circumstances, using a double was best.
‘I wish he could hit convincingly too…’
Director Park glanced at Baek Seungchan but didn’t expect perfection from a first-timer.
At that moment, Nam Siwoo got up and approached Director Park.
“Nam actor, what is it?”
“Director, wouldn’t it be better not to use a double?”
“Of course.”
Director Park nodded.
“Then let’s go with that. I’ll take the hit myself.”
“Are you sure? It’ll hurt.”
“Better to be realistic. It’s not like I’ll die.”
Normally, Nam Siwoo wouldn’t have said that, but now he felt a desire to challenge himself.
“Good, I like that passion. Let’s start with a rehearsal.”
Director Park smiled.
“Hit hard, just make the sound loud.”
Before the rehearsal began, Nam Siwoo approached Baek Seungchan.
“Just make it sound loud, okay?”
Baek Seungchan nodded expressionlessly.
As the rehearsal started, Nam Siwoo struck Baek Seungchan’s cheek with full force.
Smack!
The sound echoed through the classroom, startling the staff with its intensity.