CHAPTER 032: Not an Adjective, but a Verb
CHAPTER 032: Not an Adjective, but a Verb
“On the 27th—that’s the day Ryu Sunho appeared on Divine Investigation, isn’t it?”
“Ah…! That’s right. Come to think of it, there’s a scene in that video where he’s working in the fields and handing out drinks to the elders, and those were Mate Beverage drinks!”
The marketing team’s assistant moved the mouse and played the YouTube video.
In the video, Ryu Sunho took Mate Beverage drinks out of a cooler packed with ice and handed them to the elders sweating from farm work.
“What kind of kid is this?”
Of course, he meant it in a positive way.
Team Leader Park laughed as if it was ridiculous.
“We didn’t even request PPL, but he put our drink on display on his own… From our side, it cost us a single won, and it still translated straight into sales impact.”
“Seriously. And if you watch the video, he even came up with marketing ideas and sold out the turnips too… Doesn’t he have some kind of inborn talent for marketing?”
Team Leader Park shook his head.
“Talent? Sure, he probably has talent too. But this is consideration and sense. How many celebrities get dragged because they use competitor products while working as ad models? But look. This kid knows exactly what kind of ripple effect he has, and he knows how to look after the people around him.”
“They say empathy is intelligence too. So he’s smart?”
“Exactly.”
Team Leader Park crossed his arms and smiled.
“Where did a lucky charm like this roll in from?”
“In the end, choosing Ryu Sunho as our ad model was an excellent decision in every way. If you look at the comments on the ad video, there are tons of people asking for a next episode too.”
As Team Leader Park returned to his seat, he shouted,
“You said sales have been steadily trending upward since the ad went on air, right? Organize all that data and send it to me. I need to report directly to the executive director.”
A few hours later, Executive Director’s Office, 15th floor, Mate Beverage headquarters.
“So in conclusion, because of that kid Ryu Sunho, our Mate Beverage drinks received a huge benefit.”
“Yes, that’s correct. Since the ad went on air, we’ve overtaken Get Training and taken second place in the ion beverage market.”
As Team Leader Park flipped through the materials, his voice was full of confidence.
“In addition, because Mr. Ryu Sunho voluntarily exposed our Mate Beverage drinks in recent YouTube content, and because of the positive influence he showed in the video, our brand image is also being improved in a very positive direction.”
The executive director, looking satisfied, patted Team Leader Park on the shoulder.
“Good work. You got ahead of the curve with that ad model. This must feel rewarding for you too, Team Leader Park.”
“No, sir. This is all thanks to your eye for talent. Because you recognized Ryu Sunho’s true value and brought up an Exclusive Model Contract first, we were able to achieve results like this.”
“Hahaha, you’re good with pleasing words too.”
“I mean it, sir.”
The executive director, who had been laughing pleasantly, suddenly sharpened his gaze.
“If the water’s starting to flow in, you can’t stop rowing.”
“You’re absolutely right. I believe this is the golden time for growth.”
“I’ll support you as much as you need. Now that Ryu Sunho has become the image of our brand, run an additional campaign. If possible, do it in a way that binds Ryu Sunho and our Mate Beverage even more tightly, so we can raise brand loyalty.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Good. Then move quickly. If you miss the timing, it’ll float away. And in my opinion, that kid is going to become an even bigger star, so propose a renewal on good terms. Don’t let anyone snatch him away—offer him bold conditions.”
Back at his desk, Team Leader Park shouted with a grin,
“Contact Ryu Sunho’s agency and set up a meeting as soon as possible!”
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Team Leader Jo Sehun was out on location because of Park Juwon’s filming schedule.
While he was in the middle of talking with the staff, a call came in from an unfamiliar number.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Team Leader. This is TvM writer Jeong Gaeul.”
“Ah, hello. Writer Jeong Gaeul.”
Team Leader Jo Sehun straightened up in his seat in an instant.
If it was writer Jeong Gaeul, wasn’t she a key member of PD Yeom Jaeho’s circle, that heavyweight in the variety world?
“I wanted to ask you something about Sunho.”
“……!?”
He was thrown off for a moment.
He assumed this would be about Park Juwon.
But Ryu Sunho?
A rookie who hadn’t even debuted for a year was drawing PD Yeom Jaeho’s circle this quickly?
“Ah, yes. What are you curious about?”
“Sunho—does he happen to be good at English?”
“English?”
Jo Sehun’s mind spun quickly.
Had he ever seen Sunho use English?
He didn’t think so…
‘Ah, right.’
He remembered what Ryu Sunho had done when a staff member from Weplex’s global team visited.
“He’s probably quite fluent. Sunho personally came up with the English title for ‘ ’.”
“……!”
On the other end of the line, he heard a sharp intake of breath, as if she was startled.
That made sense. Among broadcast writers, they’d seen the English title ‘ ’ and marveled at how perfect it was.
They concluded it had to be the work of a top Weplex talent—yet it turned out to be Ryu Sunho’s work.
Writer Jeong Gaeul was stunned, but then, as if confirming her own judgment had been right, she curled her lips upward.
‘If he has that kind of sense, he’ll be good at conversation too, without question.’
But the filming location still wasn’t confirmed.
There was always the chance it could suddenly change to a region that wasn’t English-speaking.
To prepare for that, she asked one more thing.
“Then… other languages?”
“Other languages?”
Team Leader Jo Sehun scratched his head.
No matter how exceptional Ryu Sunho was, there was no way he’d had time to study other countries’ languages too.
Instead of answering with a baseless guess, he wrapped it up with a safe line.
“I’ll ask Sunho directly and get back to you.”
Maybe it was Weplex’s influence, but it seemed like he was starting to gain recognition overseas too.
Accordingly, several language slots in the system were unlocked.
▶English LV.5
▶Japanese LV.1
▶French LV.1
▶Spanish LV.1
▶Russian LV.1
▶Arabic LV.1
…
English was something I was already good at, so it didn’t hit me that hard, but learning other languages too was pretty satisfying.
When I tested it, I was at a level where everyday conversation was possible without trouble.
My pronunciation and intonation weren’t good enough to act in those languages, but it felt like, even if I got dropped into that country, I wouldn’t starve to death.
‘Languages can be learned, but it’s nice to save time.’
After spending a good time with my family in my hometown,
I returned to Seoul and went straight to Teacher Jo Sangdeuk.
Rather than relying only on stats, I thought that if I properly understood the concept of acting and internalized it in my body, I might be able to act more deeply.
“Acting expressed through the body… There’s a way.”
“How do I do it, Teacher?”
“It’s simple. Don’t act with adjectives—act with verbs.”
“……Pardon?”
Seeing that I didn’t understand, Teacher smiled in satisfaction.
“Try saying the line ‘Please love me’ ‘sadly.’ How would you do it?”
Sadly…
It was an abstract feeling, but I tried to put emotion into it.
I let my shoulders droop, made my voice tremble slightly, and spoke the line with hollow eyes.
“Oh… You’ve improved a lot, indeed. Then say the same line again, but this time, ‘beg’ the other person.”
“……!”
‘Beg.’
The moment I brought that word to mind, the image became concrete.
I bent my upper body deeply, reached out desperately, and my movements expressed a frantic attempt to grab hold of the other person.
“Yes! That’s it!”
Teacher clapped his hands.
“Adjectives have no substance. They’re abstract. But a verb like ‘beg’ has a clear goal and action. That vivid picture makes the body move like it’s alive.”
“That’s true.”
“Same thing—try eating a meal ‘sadly’ and ‘delicately.’ You’ll only get mechanical acting. But imagine a condemned man eating his last meal and ‘accepting death.’ How is it? Which one feels like real emotion and expression—do you get it?”
At Teacher’s words, it felt like my head was clearing.
As I repeated it to myself, I called Jeong Dogyun’s movements back to mind.
Up until now, I’d been trapped inside the adjective ‘withdrawn.’
But now I thought in verbs.
I ‘hide’ from the gaze of the world.
I ‘crumple’ myself smaller and smaller.
I ‘burrow’ into the dark.
And unlike before, when I’d expressed things mechanically, I could now express a deeper, more desperate depression with my body.
“As expected… your understanding is perfect. Sunho, you’re going to become my greatest masterpiece.”
“Thank you, Teacher. Ah, and this is a gift.”
“What’s this?”
“Take the red ginseng when you’re tired, and the manuka honey is good for your throat. You use your voice so much when you teach, so…”
Teacher Jo Sangdeuk’s eyes welled up, and then, with exaggerated voice and gestures, he threw his arms around me.
“O sole mio! My son, my disciple!”
I barely managed to escape Teacher Jo Sangdeuk and opened the practice room door.
My head was filled with nothing but the lesson: act with verbs.
‘Hide, crumple, burrow…’
Still immersed in the character, the moment I stepped forward—
“……!”
A hallway that would normally have been quiet was packed with dozens of people.
The murmuring that filled the hallway stopped in an instant.
Then all eyes turned toward me at once.
What was this?
“It’s Ryu Sunho! It’s really Ryu Sunho!”
That one line was the signal flare.
The hallway, which had been swallowed by silence, instantly filled with loud cheers, and dozens of people began surging toward me.
“Wow, I watched ‘ ’! Your acting was seriously so good!”
“You’re the pride of our academy! We’ve heard so much about you from the teachers!”
“You look even more… wow. Your face is literally shining!”
Before I could even gather myself, I was surrounded.
Phones and notebooks thrust at me from all directions, and blazing eyes fixed on me.
I was flustered, but at the same time, it made me feel oddly ticklish.
In the place where I once grew my dream, people were now looking at me as their dream.
“Um… this… could I get an autograph…”
Someone shyly held out a practice notebook.
I signed it sincerely, and added one more line.
“I hope we meet on set someday.”
At my encouragement, everyone’s faces brightened, and they shouted “Fighting!”
Warm, positive energy passed back and forth—right at that moment, someone split through the crowd and strode up with a familiar face. It was Jeong Sihoo.
“Long time no see. Guess you’ve been too busy being a celebrity to even come to the academy?”
His tone was mocking, but I kept my eyes down and focused only on signing.
When I didn’t react, Jeong Sihoo raised his voice.
“Looks like you got a little popular and your head’s gotten big, but in this industry, it’s common to rise fast and burn out fast. You know the drama world and the film world aren’t on the same level, right?”
Not on the same level.
If Director Chae Wongi or Teacher Park Dusim heard that, they’d be furious.
I finished my last signature and handed the notebook back to its owner.
Only then did I turn my head toward Jeong Sihoo.
Jeong Sihoo, pleased that I finally reacted, spoke with a smug expression.
“I’m joining Director Yoon Gyeonghwan’s film. You know the one that pulled six million viewers last year, ‘ ’, right?”
“Yeah. I know.”
“?”
I answered briefly and slipped away.
Maybe it was an unexpected reaction—Jeong Sihoo’s irritated voice came from behind me.
“No, I’m not asking because I’m curious—”
He wasn’t a little kid, and I had no intention of responding to childish provocation point by point.
More than anything, if it looked like I was doing some kind of dominance contest in front of people, there wouldn’t be a single benefit.
It would only damage my image.
‘What is he trying to do, showing that kind of malice in a place this crowded?’
Is it because he’s young.
Is it because his family is rich, so it doesn’t matter to him.
Either way, it feels like I can already see the hard road ahead of him.
A few days later.
—Sunho, Mate Beverage says they want to meet once.
A meeting request from Mate Beverage, passed along through Team Leader Jo Sehun.
I arrived at Mate Beverage headquarters at the scheduled time.
A staff member in a neat suit spotted me and guided me straight to a VIP meeting room.
After a moment, Team Leader Park Hyeonsik entered with a bright smile.
“Sunho, welcome! Things have been crazy lately because of ‘ ’—congratulations.”
“Thank you, Team Leader.”
After showering me with praise, he got to the point.
He took out a new contract and carefully slid it across the table.
“I’m well aware there’s still time left on the current contract. But we want to take our partnership with you longer, and more solidly.”
“……?”
“So we’d like to terminate the existing contract and propose a renewal under new terms.”
He let it hang for a moment, then spoke with a solemn expression.
“…So, how would you feel about signing again with a model fee of 2 billion won?”