Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: They Say I'm a Genius Just Because I Acted Once
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The next morning.
In conclusion, it seemed Jinwook had truly decided to go all out.
"Good morning."
"...?"
Morning.
Seonwoo shuffled into the shared kitchen with sleepy eyes, rubbing them blankly.
Jinwook was greeting him.
And with an extremely sullen expression, at that.
"G-good morning...?"
"..."
Instead of replying, Jinwook nodded curtly and left the kitchen.
As if he were fleeing the scene.
...If he's going to act like that, why bother greeting me in the first place?
Seonwoo's face twisted in confusion at the incomprehensible situation.
That's when a stifled laugh burst out from beside him.
Pfft...
"...Ah, this is hilarious."
It was Yeonwoo.
She was giggling, staring at the door where Jinwook had vanished. Seonwoo looked at her with a bewildered expression.
"...Do you know something? What's up with him?"
"Yeah? Of course I do. I told him to do it."
"You told him to?"
Seonwoo's eyes widened slightly.
Jinwook wasn't the type to obey so readily—what kind of leverage did she have on him?
Fortunately, Yeonwoo explained right away.
"He asked me to coach his acting. So in exchange, I made that request."
"To greet me?"
"Mm, that's part of it. More precisely... to act as kindly as possible toward everyone here?"
"...Wow."
A kind Seo Jinwook.
The very thought was nightmarish.
Seonwoo was struck anew by the realization that Yeonwoo was no ordinary person.
As if reading his mind, Yeonwoo poured milk into a cup and replied.
"Don't misunderstand. It's not just to mess with him."
"...If it's not to mess with him, then what?"
"Curiosity. I wanted to see how a normal person reacts when forced to act completely out of character."
"..."
"To find out if it's possible for someone to become someone else entirely. Think of it as a social experiment."
A very Yeonwoo-like answer.
There was something subtly twisted about it—her emotional wiring was definitely different from most people's.
He felt it every time like this.
This woman was fundamentally different from the rest.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...You're running social experiments—what's your end goal?"
"Winning, obviously."
"You want to win... because of ambition as an actor?"
"Huh? No? I have zero ambition as an actor."
With that, Yeonwoo flashed a peace sign.
What did that mean? As Seonwoo puzzled over it, Yeonwoo smirked.
"Two hundred million."
"...Pardon?"
"Everyone seems to have forgotten about the prize money at some point. Two hundred million won. It's not life-changing, but... it's not chump change either, right?"
Money, then.
In a way, a very Yeonwoo-like answer.
But one question lingered.
He hesitated a bit on whether to ask... but before he knew it, Seonwoo was already speaking.
"Yeonwoo, do you like acting?"
"Seonwoo, do you like breathing?"
"..."
A razor-sharp retort.
She seemed to have anticipated the question.
Yeonwoo calmly took a sip of her milk.
"That's what I came here to find out. How well I can breathe. And they pay me for it? Even better."
"...No plans to keep acting afterward?"
"Who knows? If it pays well, maybe. If chasing dreams means tanking my life, probably not. I have a real job anyway."
"A real job...?"
"Oh, I never mentioned it."
Yeonwoo rummaged in her wallet and pulled out a business card.
Complete with a wink.
The Hair Beauty Salon
> Yeonwoo | Designer "I'm a hairdresser."
"...First I'm hearing of it."
Seonwoo stared at her in surprise.
He'd thought he knew her a bit by now, but apparently, he knew nothing. It was disorienting.
Yeonwoo nodded understandingly and finished her milk.
"Makes sense. I never brought it up on purpose."
"Why not?"
"Mm... No need to, and later if the salon got free promo off my name, only the owner would be thrilled."
Was the owner getting thrilled a bad thing?
Her thought process was hard to follow in so many ways, but Seonwoo nodded anyway. Not his call.
Watching him, Yeonwoo tilted her head.
"What about you, Seonwoo? Why act? Just because you like it?"
"Yeah, pretty much. I like it, and... when I'm acting, I can become someone else. Someone shinier and cooler than me..."
"Hmm~."
Yeonwoo hummed and nodded.
"Then your current role must suck, huh? Room-to-let Kim Seonwoo is kinda gloomy."
"Can't deny that."
Seonwoo nodded honestly.
Whether it was a side effect of method acting or not, his usual lack of energy was wearing on him.
Doing what you love meant enduring what you hated too... but sometimes his mind would blank out, leaving him wondering, What am I even doing?
But,
"I still like it."
No lie.
"I fell for acting because the world felt more vibrant through it. But now..."
Seonwoo paused briefly.
As if double-checking if it was truly his heart speaking.
Then he met Yeonwoo's eyes with a firm gaze.
"I just like acting."
"...Even if it's colorless drudgery?"
"Yes."
Yeah.
That was Seonwoo's answer.
At some point, he'd come to love the act of performing itself.
Even if the character was drenched in gray despair, seeing them come alive through his performance... made him feel alive too.
That's why he could answer Im Youngdo's concern with "I'm happy."
"..."
Yeonwoo stared at him silently for a moment.
Since diving into method acting, Seonwoo's eyes had always been listless. But in that instant of declaring his love for acting, they sparkled brilliantly...
I wonder.
Yeonwoo's mind was structured differently from ordinary people's—alien, even.
She'd never envied them, never wanted to be like them, despite any discomfort.
Their hearts just made them irrational fools.
Love blinded eyes, ideals deafened ears, dreams halted backward glances.
Yet Seonwoo's gaze, for a fleeting moment, made her think otherwise.
Made her want to borrow those eyes, just once.
The world in them seemed worth seeing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Filming for Room-to-Let Episode 1 proceeded smoothly.
And PD Park Myeongjin's impression of it was,
Everyone's got their edge honed sharp.
Compared to their first meeting, everyone's acting brimmed with intensity.
They were throwing their all into leaving a mark on viewers—sometimes to the point of excess.
But Park Myeongjin didn't mind.
He knew rookies' passion could shine in ways mid-tier actors couldn't match.
Of course, letting that passion overrun everything would be a problem...
Watching them, it feels like working with pros.
A few were already delivering clean performances that belied their rookie status.
Hyeseong and Seonwoo, specifically.
It wasn't just Park Myeongjin's opinion.
The staff chimed in too:
"We'll be seeing those two around the industry a lot soon."
"Who knows? They might be huge stars by then—too big to spot casually."
"Nah, that's going too far."
Whether they'd become stars was anyone's guess. But everyone there was certain they'd be great actors.
Hell, maybe they already are.
Now it was Park Myeongjin's turn.
Time to show why he was YBS's ace PD.
Luckily, he had time.
Five days until Episode 1 aired. With live editing during shoots, delivering a film-quality finale wasn't out of reach.
Capture them with Episode 1.
He knew the skeptical eyes on Room-to-Let.
Even his reputation couldn't fully dispel them. Amateurs with no credentials making a drama?
Headlines like this didn't help:
—"A bad move"... PD Park Myeongjin pushes drama with acting newbies
—PD Park Myeongjin loses his mind? All-amateur cast shocks viewers
All implying he'd made a grave error.
Those in the know defended him somewhat, but even fellow directors called: "What's the point of such a risky gamble?"
Park Myeongjin had to prove it now.
That he could paint a beautiful picture with these actors.
Of course, if their basics faltered, limits would exist.
But thankfully, none bombed their scenes. With his polishing, a solid drama was feasible.
However,
Feasible isn't enough.
Park Myeongjin's goal was unchanged.
A "well-made drama" praised unanimously by critics and public alike.
That's why, after wrap, he skipped drinks and headed straight to editing.
He clapped, turning to the team.
"Alright, let's power through the finish!"
His mind raced.
"Let's make something that'll shock the world!"
No room for leisure.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Time passed, and mission day arrived.
The I Want to Be an Actor studio was decked out like a theater.
Rows of seats for the audience, a viewing screen on stage.
Jeonghee muttered from the bleachers.
"...It doesn't feel real."
"Tell me about it."
Youngsik chuckled dryly at her words.
"Acting skills grow this fast...?"
"Didn't you hear Im Beom? Called him a genius!"
"...Seonwoo's always been a quirky kid."
Youngsik nodded.
The couple still couldn't believe Seonwoo had made it this far.
More precisely, that he was this good at acting.
"Never imagined he had talent for it."
"...Yeah. He wasn't the artsy type."
"But variety shows showed not all actors are bubbly extroverts. Lots are introverts too."
"Seonwoo's not that introverted, is he? He was a bit gloomy before acting, though..."
"...Still, he's brighter since starting. I like that."
Youngsik nodded quietly at Jeonghee's words.
When had it started? Seeing the life drain from their second son's face.
Around college, probably...
They'd chalked it up to college blues.
Lifelong prep for uni, only to find it ordinary and disappointing.
But time passed, and he never brightened.
Sometimes, he seemed mechanical.
That's why they hadn't opposed his acting.
He shone so fiercely.
They couldn't bear to dim it.
"He looks great performing."
"...Right?"
"So full of life."
Youngsik nodded, smiling warmly.
Worries at first, but now each performance built anticipation.
Seonwoo on stage, sparkling as any character... like a true star.
Winning? Two hundred million? Success?
Didn't matter.
They had one hope today.
Their beautiful, proud, beloved second son.
What character would he be today?
How brightly would he shine?