Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: A New Beginning (2)
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I went to find Choi Dongrak.
There wasn't really any need for a reason to go see him, but this time was different.
I had a solid reason.
The theater club.
My goal of becoming an actor was set in stone. A dream I had failed to achieve in my previous life.
Well, technically I had the title of actor, but I never built a career worthy of the name or left any footprints I could proudly show off.
In the end, it was a failure. A conclusion I hated to admit but couldn't deny.
I wanted to make that dream come true here.
But it had been ten years. Even with my past life's memories intact, my senses couldn't possibly be fully preserved.
I had to build it all from the ground up again. Starting from the basics. Solidly.
That's when I thought of the theater club.
The biggest perk was that it let me get on stage.
It was a crucial factor.
A place where others' eyes were on you, where you were judged. A spot where every line, every breath, every glance was laid bare.
Opportunities like that didn't come around easily.
But... there was no way a club would let someone join smack in the middle of the semester.
That's why I went to see Choi Dongrak.
Choi Dongrak had joined the theater club. The directing department required an interview, and he'd passed with flying colors.
"They probably won't take anyone mid-semester."
Choi Dongrak's eyes widened briefly at my question before settling back into his usual calm expression.
"They start preparing steadily from first year, first semester, to perform at the festival in second year... so I doubt they'd recruit in the middle."
He trailed off, gazing at me steadily. His eyes gleamed sharply behind his glasses.
"But who knows if you show your face? I'll feel things out for you first."
"Really? Thanks."
Choi Dongrak let out a soft chuckle.
"Looks like you've finally decided to be honest, huh?"
"...What's with that tone?"
"Focusing on the little details instead of the message means you can't argue with the message itself."
"No, that analytical tone of yours..."
Choi Dongrak pushed up his glasses with a flick. His plump index finger came into view.
"It's a good look."
"... ."
"You finally seem human. Borrowing a line from the script I'm working on these days, it's like color finally seeping into a gray world."
He coughed awkwardly, as if embarrassed by his own words.
"...Nice phrasing."
"Can't use it in real life, though."
"Why not? Don't girls like that romantic stuff?"
Choi Dongrak froze. His resolute face visibly wavered.
"......I don't want to hear that from you."
Could I make it as an actor in this life?
That was my biggest worry lately.
Of course, a lot had changed compared to my previous life.
Being young again meant I had so much more time. Time was a precious asset you couldn't buy for any amount of money—a true blessing.
And above all, this face of mine.
No matter how much the profession of actor was dressed up in lofty terms like art and expression, it boiled down to standing in front of the public.
Anyone who claimed looks didn't matter much was either a romantic ignoring reality or someone deliberately denying it—like me in my past life.
But that didn't mean a pretty face solved everything.
A handsome face and a face that naturally blended into any role were worlds apart.
And no matter how good-looking you were, if your acting sucked, the public would tear you to shreds.
I'd seen it happen countless times before.
Well, it's not like I was aiming to be an influencer.
If I were overwhelmingly handsome, I'd get plenty of opportunities... but I'm not quite at that level, am I?
Honestly, I wasn't sure. Once you're good-looking, doesn't it come down to personal taste after that?
"You've finally admitted it, huh?"
I whipped around at the voice that popped up behind me.
I'd been brooding in front of the bathroom mirror at home, chin in hand, tilting my head, squinting, checking my face from every angle in deep contemplation.
Anyone else seeing it might've thought I was a bit weird.
...Too late for that.
"When did you get here?"
"Whoa, look at you jump."
It was my little sister.
About to enter second year of middle school.
Lee Dakyung.
She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching me.
I cleared my throat and said,
"...You come home and don't even say hi?"
Lee Dakyung smirked slyly with a wicked grin.
"Don't change the subject. I saw you all narcissistic, staring at the mirror."
No helping it since she'd already seen.
Though it wasn't narcissism like she said, since she'd caught me anyway, I decided to ask what I'd been wondering.
"Do you think I'm handsome?"
"...Whoa."
She pulled her chin back and grimaced like she'd heard something she shouldn't have.
"What kind of question is that?"
"I'm asking objectively."
"Why ask that, then?"
"Because I need to know?"
No sooner had I answered than her eyes lit up like exclamation points had popped over her head.
Soon, her lips curled into a knowing smile.
"Got a crush?"
"No. Just answer my question. Or no dinner."
"Whoa."
She let out a short gasp of admiration.
"If you're threatening me over this, how serious are you?"
Then she stepped closer, her footsteps light.
"Come out of the bathroom first."
I followed her out, and she rested her chin on her hand, circling me slowly.
Like a model agent appraising a prospect, she scanned me deliberately before speaking.
"Hmm... I've seen you too long to tell."
"Sigh."
"No, I mean it's hard to be objective."
As if not done yet, she held up a hand in front of me.
"Hold on."
She pulled out her phone with her other hand and tapped the screen a few times.
Searching for something.
After a short wait, Lee Dakyung held her phone screen up to me.
There was a photo of a man. A flashy pictorial shot under bright lights. His features were sharply chiseled like sculpture, his gaze piercing deep through the lens.
An incredibly glamorous-looking guy.
She held the phone screen next to my face.
Then she flicked her eyes back and forth busily, comparing us.
"Who's that?"
"Famous idol member. Top male idol right now— you don't know?"
"What's his name?"
"If female idols have Ria, male idols have Kim Shin."
No clue.
Maybe I needed the group name.
"Figured you wouldn't. He's not mainstream... but you know Ria, right? She's pretty well-known."
"... ."
Come to think of it, Kim Shin was unfamiliar, but Ria rang a bell.
Oh, right—she was the name that kept coming up among the guys.
Number one visual or something.
So Kim Shin must be the handsomest male idol.
Just then, Lee Dakyung voiced my exact thoughts.
"Anyway, he's known as the best-looking idol right now."
Aha.
So she was comparing me to the idol currently hailed as the most handsome for objectivity.
Logical, in its own way.
But even after staring for a while, she couldn't decide easily.
"Still can't tell. Hmm... it's a different vibe."
"What's different?"
"Kim Shin's super flashy handsome... while you, bro, it's a face that holds your gaze. Deep, maybe? Ugh, saying it out loud is cringey."
Lee Dakyung put her phone down.
"But idols get a makeup boost, so factor that in."
She didn't finish, but I got the gist.
Well, she probably didn't want to straight-up tell her real brother he was handsomer than a famous idol.
We were done talking, but she kept pacing in front of me, like she had more to say.
"Hungry?"
"No, I had a great idea. Wanna try it?"
"What?"
Her hesitation made me uneasy.
"You wanted an objective check on if you're handsome, right?"
"Yeah."
"Film a Reels with me?"
"No."
"Aww, come on! Let's get the public's opinion!"
"It'll just be your friends."
It wasn't the first time she'd asked.
I considered helping once, but shook my head after checking a few out.
Sure, in a world where self-promotion was key to chasing entertainment dreams, you had to do all sorts of things to get known...
But starting with a challenge Reels with your little sister? No.
And she'd roped me into it because a friend asked, trading on filming with me.
I shook my head firmly to the end.
Lee Dakyung grumbled for a while, then turned away with a sulky face when she realized I wasn't budging. Her footsteps dragged across the floor.
And that night.
I created an Instagram account.
Funny, after rejecting my sister's request to the end.
It was the result of reflecting on self-promotion.