Don't Trust the Script. Trust the Actor Gallery

"What an unsightly sight."

Lee Se-rin stared at Kim Chan-uk with pure disgust in her eyes.

"L-Lee Se-rin, sunbae-nim."

Kim Chan-uk shook his head as if he had only just regained his senses at her sudden appearance.

"It seems there's been a misunderstanding. It's not what you think. We were simply exchanging feedback, and..."

Even a senior actor of her stature seemed uncomfortable for him. What a slimy bastard.

Sensing the situation turning against him, Kim Chan-uk flipped on the bright, signature idol smile as though nothing had happened.

"Looks like everyone has misunderstood. I must have gotten a little too excited about wanting to give feedback to the supporting actors."

Excuse me?

Kim Chan-uk kept talking without a shred of shame.

"Maybe it's because I went through my own days as a minor actor, but my heart went out to them."

Bullshit. I know perfectly well that his idol name value got him the lead role in his very first debut drama.

Contrary to my inner thoughts, the staff began murmuring at Kim Chan-uk's sudden "good deed."

"Haha, that's true." "Yeah, everyone got too worked up." "It's so heartwarming how Chan-uk gives such nice feedback."

Nothing to be done about it. For the staff, this was simply part of social life.

Kim Chan-uk smiled as he looked at me and Mr. Bang Jong-su.

"Please don't take it too much to heart, everyone. They say good medicine is always bitter, right? Haha."

Kim Chan-uk smoothed the situation over as if it had all been a simple misunderstanding. As expected, the bastard was a master at manipulating public opinion.

"Then shall we get back to rehearsal!"

Watching Kim Chan-uk's vigorous smile, I stepped down from the stage.

"Hoo."

At my sigh, Lee Se-rin shook her head.

"Why are you wasting time with the likes of him?"

"Because he was blaming others for his own inability to act. I couldn't just let it slide. You would have done the same, right? If you want to praise me, feel free."

I smiled triumphantly, and Lee Se-rin narrowed her eyes.

"Me? Are you dreaming?"

Lee Se-rin leaned forward, lightly poking my chest with her long finger as she spoke.

"When you can't even take care of your own business."

She had hit the nail on the head. It hurt!

"You're right. Haha..."

"Even so."

At my words, Lee Se-rin thought for a moment before speaking.

"Even so, you did well."

"What?"

Lee Se-rin smiled.

"It's only natural for the acting teacher who instructed the great actress with the greatest talent and beauty the world will never see again—Lee Se-rin."

Ah, so I really am being praised right now. ...Lee Se-rin. Her self-confidence is tremendous except when it comes to acting.

As I stood there dazed by her compliment, Lee Se-rin quickly returned to her cold expression and waved me off.

"What are you staring at? Go do what you need to do."

I was catching my breath behind the stage for a moment.

"Hoo."

What was I thinking, charging in like that?

No.

To let my benefactor be treated that way and just let it slide? In this newly gained life, I had vowed never to live servilely.

If I was going to live like that, what was the point of my regression?

"You did well. Good job, Kim Doyun!"

It was while I was praising myself that it happened.

"Actor-nim Kim Doyun!!"

"Mr. Bang Jong-su?"

Mr. Bang Jong-su came running up to me, completely out of breath.

"What about the rehearsal?"

"Actor-nim Kim Chan-uk requested a thirty-minute break, so that's what we're doing."

Kim Chan-uk really never changes.

"But why are you panting so hard?"

"I was looking all over for you, Actor-nim... Ha... Hoo."

"For me?"

"Yes!"

Mr. Bang Jong-su, still panting, took a sip of the water I handed him and finally caught his breath.

"So why did you..."

Before I could finish, Mr. Bang Jong-su grabbed my hand.

"No, Actor-nim! Why did you do that earlier!"

"Earlier?"

He must have been talking about when I charged at Kim Chan-uk.

"It's fine. It's not like I said anything wrong."

"It was something I could have just endured..."

Mr. Bang Jong-su's face was filled with unbearable guilt.

"If something like that happens in the future! You must never step forward.... Actor-nim Kim Chan-uk is very popular and has many fans. If any bad rumors start spreading......"

Mr. Bang Jong-su looked at me with deep worry in his eyes.

'He really is a good person.'

I smiled and answered.

"Don't worry. I'm not crazy enough to charge in everywhere. And if it hadn't been you, Mr. Bang Jong-su, but someone else, I wouldn't have been perceptive enough to intervene."

At my words, Mr. Bang Jong-su lowered his head shyly.

"Why are you being so good to someone like me, a mere extra..."

That's obvious. Because you're a truly grateful person. I like stories where good people and people who put in the effort get good results.

"Haha. I just somehow took a liking to you, sir."

At my words, Mr. Bang Jong-su's eyes welled up with tears as suppressed emotions flooded out.

"Thank you. In my twenty years of acting life, you're the first person who's ever treated me this well, Actor-nim."

"Haha..."

It felt like the surrounding gazes were starting to focus on us.

Why are you crying all of a sudden? It looks like I made you cry.

Soon, Mr. Bang Jong-su stared at me with intense, teary eyes as if he had come to a firm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠decision.

"This Bang Jong-su was already grateful to you, Actor-nim. But from now on, I will sincerely follow Actor-nim Kim Doyun! If there's any way I can be of help, I'll assist you with anything!"

"Haha, I didn't do it hoping for that."

"I don't know if there will be anything I can help with, but..."

At Mr. Bang Jong-su's words, the corners of my mouth lifted.

"Then you really promised? I refused once, right? And you accepted?"

Mr. Bang Jong-su pounded his chest with his fist as he answered.

"Bang Jong-su, the twenty-first generation sole descendant of the Bang family! I never speak two words with one mouth!"

I firmly took his hand and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠replied.

"Ahaha. Then I'll be counting on you."

I had only meant to repay a favor.

'But this is sir who approached me first?'

The fraudulent seasoning of movies. I had recruited Mr. Bang Jong-su, famous as the supreme pinnacle of luxury supporting actors whose value surpassed even future leads.

This would definitely be helpful.

After rehearsal ended that night, I collapsed onto the bed, so exhausted I felt like I might pass out at any moment.

"Helping out at the food stall on top of everything really isn't easy."

My body was at its absolute limit.

'Still, it's helpful though.'

Maintaining the senses of a worn-out part-timer was essential for immersing myself in Sang-cheol.

I pulled out my flip phone and stared at it.

"Three days left."

There were three days remaining until the final rehearsal where Sang-cheol would appear. After today's events, I made a firm resolution.

Even though it was a supporting role—no, precisely because it was a supporting role—I would prepare acting so perfect it would reduce the lead, Kim Chan-uk, to an ordinary performer.

'I think it's not bad as it is now.'

Through the three-day method acting camp with Lee Se-rin, I believed I had taken another step closer to Sang-cheol.

However.

"It was difficult without the Director's Vision."

During those three days with Lee Se-rin, I hadn't been able to use the Director's Vision. Because of that, I couldn't achieve complete immersion as Sang-cheol.

In contrast, Lee Se-rin had entered a state of perfect immersion simply by spending three days on stage, without anything like the Director's Vision.

'So she really is a genius.'

I gritted my teeth. In this life, I had no intention of admiring the talent of geniuses.

I would pour out everything I possibly could.

'Gallery.'

I began writing a post.

Until now, I had only received minor advice. But this time was different.

Not long after I posted it, comments began exploding in.

They were throwing in jokes, but it was obvious they were dying to give me advice.

Good. This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should be more than enough...

That was when one comment caught my eye.

Dracula was under heavy fire. But he ignored it all and continued.

While everyone was piling on Dracula...

Three characters? Did he mean Min-woo, Ha-rang, and Sang-cheol?

I couldn't believe it. Perfect immersion in just a few days? Not one character, but three?

But the link Dracula attached clearly showed Ha-rang, Sang-cheol, and Min-woo. His acting was so complete that his original appearance was unrecognizable.

It was clearly one person playing multiple roles, yet it was impossible to believe they were all the same man.

"This is the pinnacle of method acting." I swallowed hard.