Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Scriptwriter's Insight
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The biggest drawback of an actor audition program was its lack of mass appeal.
Unlike music genres that could be showcased on stage in just 3-4 minutes, even the most brilliant acting scenes had a hard time fully conveying their impact.
It couldn't be helped.
There was a limit to the emotional punch you could get from decontextualized clips of acting.
Im Youngdo agonized over it.
What if they just went ahead and filmed a survival drama?
And what if fans got to watch their favorite actors die off and get eliminated based on how the drama performed?
Wouldn't that give an actor audition its own killer hook?
It was entirely because of this idea that Im Youngdo had resolved to produce [I Am an Actor].
He believed it had real potential.
Of course, lingering concerns still gnawed at him.
The biggest one was the script.
In any drama, the writer's skill mattered more than the actors.
Especially in [I Am an Actor], where no one knew who would drop out each week—the scripts had to be crafted in real time, week after week, tailored perfectly to the circumstances.
How many writers in the country could pull that off?
And would any of them even take on something this experimental for a TV program?
Truth be told, right then, Im Youngdo's dream of launching a successful actor audition show nearly fell apart.
He just couldn't see a solution to the problem.
...But the person who ultimately let him keep dreaming was standing right in front of him now.
"......"
The room was lit only by pale moonlight and the glow of a desk lamp.
A man with short hair stared unblinkingly into a folder of documents.
He had a strange vibe.
Skin so pale it seemed he'd never seen the sun, paired with muscles chiseled like a statue—completely at odds with his pallor.
This guy, whose age was impossible to pin down amid his mismatched aura, was Im Youngdo's secret weapon.
He didn't know his real name.
All he knew was the man's pen name as a writer.
Ryu.
Anyone into dramas or movies knew the name.
He burst onto the film scene with his debut, sweeping Baeksang and Cannes awards—only to vanish like a mirage when directors and PDs bombarded him with offers.
Years passed, and he'd faded from memory, only to suddenly team up with some rookie director and dominate the film festivals again.
His erratic pace meant that even 20 years after debuting, he only had three works to his name.
'Hang on. So how old is this guy?'
No way he'd written his first at age 13 or whatever.
That put him at least over 40... but he didn't look it. Late 30s was pushing it; hell, you could say 30 and it'd fly.
...Must be the fitness keeping him young-looking.
Im Youngdo was seriously debating whether to start working out himself when—
"Interesting."
Ryu finally spoke.
His eyes stayed glued to the questionnaires from the TOP 10 contestants. Im Youngdo scratched his head sheepishly as he watched.
"......Yeah? I was kinda worried about it."
"Worried? About what?"
"The questions seemed too few. Just four—I wondered if that'd be enough to get a read on their characters..."
"Four visible ones, sure."
"...You're saying there are hidden ones?"
"Take a look at these?"
Ryu pulled out two sheets.
One from Song Jaewon, the other from Hyeseong.
"Compare the first questions?"
"First ones..."
Im Youngdo squinted at their answers.
[Song Jaewon] 1. I am __act____________or__. [Hyeseong] 1. I am ___a person who acts___. Im Youngdo nodded.
One claims to be an actor outright, the other just "a person who acts." Maybe that's the attitude they wanted to convey?
But it still felt like just one question at the end of the day.
Ryu gave a faint smile as he watched Im Youngdo mull it over.
"What do you see?"
"...A difference in confidence?"
"And?"
"What else am I supposed to see?"
"Look closer at the underlines."
Im Youngdo peered again.
And that's when he spotted another tell.
Jaewon's handwriting treated the underlines like they didn't matter—strokes punched right through them haphazardly. Hyeseong's, on the other hand, never crossed the line, like it was some sacred rule.
"...Does that mean anything?"
"Yes. One glimpse tells you ten. Whether they're bound by rules and structure... Now check this one's answer?"
[Seo Jinwook] 1. I am ____the winner here____. Im Youngdo let out a low hum.
The standout difference here was...
"...Not who they are, but what they do? Right?"
"Exactly. That's how you pinpoint it—what they value in life, their whole outlook."
Only then did it click for Im Youngdo why Ryu had prepped just four questions.
One question opened the floodgates to countless others. He'd spelled out three examples, but Ryu probably pulled dozens... maybe hundreds... from them.
The man's entire thought process was on another level.
That's why, when Ryu said it earlier, it had hit different.
"PD-nim, is this guy sick or something?"
"...Huh? Why?"
"His answers are really unusual."
Im Youngdo hurriedly glanced at the sheet in Ryu's hand.
And groaned.
[Kim Seonwoo] 1. I am ___don't know___. 2. What frightens you? I don't know. 3. If you could have one wish granted? I don't know. 4. You're about to die. If you could leave one last message? Sorry. I really don't know. A sheet packed with "I don't knows."
Im Youngdo had found it odd too when he first saw it.
If it weren't Seonwoo, he'd have thought it was some protest stunt.
But he knew the kid—it wasn't like that.
"He probably genuinely doesn't know. That's why he wrote it."
Im Youngdo jumped in to defend him.
"No bad intentions, for sure."
"I know. That's what makes it a problem."
"...Huh?"
"This kid's half-dead already."
It didn't compute.
Why call a perfectly healthy guy dead?
Im Youngdo frowned uncomfortably. Ryu slowly traced a finger near his temple.
"One question, maybe. But he blanked on every one. Total non-response. Know what that means?"
"...What?"
"No interest in life, no drive, no spark—everything numb. Severe depression, total apathy... His mind's dead."
"...What?"
Im Youngdo's face twisted in confusion.
Forget the shrink-level diagnosis—depressed?
"You saying Seonwoo's got depression?"
"Yeah. Normally, someone this bad couldn't even function outside... Fascinating."
Ryu stroked his chin, eyes gleaming with interest Im Youngdo had never seen before.
"How's he even still alive?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ...In the end, I didn't answer a single question.
After staring into his own soul for hours, all Kim Seonwoo could come up with was "don't know."
Sure, you could call that an answer... but it still felt lacking.
Seungdo, Heejae, the Mute—he could've rattled off answers for any character he'd played. But his own? No clue.
This was a problem.
He could've forced something if he'd tried.
But Seonwoo didn't.
This was a questionnaire to know him—lying wasn't an option.
Fake answers were worse than none.
Don't know.
Best he could do right now.
He was a little worried, though.
He'd heard it'd go to the writer—what would they think? Rude, maybe?
'Lately, I've got a lot to stress over.'
Seonwoo gave a wry smile.
Not just the writer. The public reaction was an issue too.
After episode 1 aired, plenty of voices questioned his career history.
And today was episode 2.
'Room assignments... Public opinion won't shift much.'
But Seonwoo decided not to sweat it.
Worrying over the inevitable was a waste of energy.
Better to just enjoy it than fret.
...Or so he thought.
But episode 2 hit him where it hurt—in an unexpected way.
—Wants matter, but you have to prioritize what needs doing.
"Ooooh, Kim Seonwoo~."
—I just like acting.
"Damn, oppa's so cool!"
"Senior, I get it—cut it out..."
He hadn't noticed on stage, but watching as a viewer? Those lines were cringe city.
Hard to even look at himself straight.
Hyeseong chuckled, slapping Seonwoo's shoulder.
"What? You're just cool as hell!"
Seonwoo stayed quiet.
To him, it was pure secondhand embarrassment.
Then Minhee tilted her head, chin in hand.
"But man, you killed that acting back then too. Controversy's not dying anytime soon."
"...Yeah, nothing to be done."
Seonwoo shrugged.
She had a point. His performance in the room review was solid.
And it wasn't just acting.
Polishing Sion and Hyungbin's work... even Seonwoo had thought, 'How's this a guy with 6 months' experience?' It looked pro.
Hate commenters were probably raging harder now.
Obvious career faker.
But Seonwoo tuned it out.
He'd agreed with Im Youngdo—no proactive debunking on those rumors.
They were easy to clear up anytime if needed.
Just wait it out.
A bit frustrating, but whatever. Viral marketing, right?
Seonwoo sorted his thoughts.
Just hang tight.
Someday, all this attention would be his.
But then—
📰 new Kim Seonwoo classmate here. Regarding Kim Seonwoo's career controversy. That wait... might end sooner than expected.