Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: A New Beginning (3)
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"You made an Instagram?"
"Yeah."
"What'd you post?"
"Nothing yet."
Seo Jaehyun's head suddenly poked in front of my phone in my hand.
His head, thrust forward out of nowhere, half-blocked the screen.
There was an empty profile. Not just the profile—nothing posted on the account at all.
"It's really empty. Total fresh account."
Seo Jaehyun turned to look at me.
"But what wind blew this sudden urge?"
"…."
Should I say it or not….
There wasn't any reason to hide it, really.
But announcing out of nowhere that I was going to be an actor with a blank account felt a bit lame.
Or more precisely, pretentious.
So I gave a somewhat vague answer.
"For… communication?"
"What are you, a celebrity?"
Seo Jaehyun's expression soured. Then, as if a new thought struck him, it changed.
"Ah, I got it. You got street-cast, didn't you?"
His face said he'd figured it out.
"So where'd you sign? They told you to make an account there."
"That's not it."
"Tch."
I'd unconsciously mimicked Choi Dongrak's tone.
But maybe the firmness got through.
Seo Jaehyun gave up pressing further.
And turned his gaze back to my Instagram account.
"Let me see… Profile pic, maybe a selfie for now…."
Seo Jaehyun trailed off, then changed tack as if he'd thought of something fun.
"Nah. I'll take it for you."
"Suddenly?"
"Yeah. Act like you're studying, natural-like."
I followed without much resistance.
I needed a profile pic anyway.
Propped my chin lightly, held a pen in my other hand, eyes dropped to the textbook.
Sunlight filtering through the window spread softly over the seat.
"Ooh… pretty natural?"
Seo Jaehyun snapped a few more shots in a row, and we checked them together.
"Whoa, looks like you're actually studying. This concept's super common, but it came out insanely natural."
There I was, side profile, studying so naturally.
As I moved my finger to pick the best one, Seo Jaehyun let out another low admiration.
"Your looks really carry everything. You take photos so well."
I selected one and uploaded it.
"Followers will pile up quick. Honestly, just selfies might do it. Once you get a bunch, you can snag ads or whatever. If you blow up, don't forget who took this?"
Seo Jaehyun said that, then flicked the camera on my phone again.
And called over Ji Hyunsu, who was behind him.
"Hey, hey… come here for a sec."
Pulled us three into one frame on the phone.
Click.
He took the photo.
"Account creation celebration."
And handed the phone straight back to me.
Wanting me to post it, I guess.
He didn't say it outright.
But I posted the photo without much thought.
A week later, followers hit 200.
Isn't that too many?
Most were school friends, with the occasional stranger.
Some seemed like my little sister's friends.
Anyway, I quickly lost interest.
Choi Dongrak messaged me. Said it was tough joining the club right now, but the vice president wanted to at least meet my face around winter break.
Hmm… No chance to prep a stage right away. And more than that, no space to practice freely.
Of course, I wasn't fixated solely on the theater club. That was just a bonus.
I was scouting various open auditions and drilling basics whenever I had time. Voice work, expressions, simple script reads.
My parents were off on overseas trips like it was routine, and my sister was coming home late a lot lately, hanging with friends.
Racing home right after school gave me a few hours of alone time.
Good thing my outgoing sister was rarely home.
I was practicing with a script at home right now.
Long story short, I was a bit shocked.
A decade-long gap.
No, actually, beyond that… a feeling I'd never had even in my past life.
It was just practice, sure….
Still, it went too well.
My old practice method was set in stone. Read the stage directions first, interpret the scene's emotions. Then deliberate each acting choice one by one.
Record myself on camera to check if it fit, revise.
If satisfied, drill until it sank into my body.
That structured process.
Someone might ask why not just immerse and let the body flow.
But back in college in my past life, I'd heard endlessly that the Method wasn't the most refined approach.
More precisely, a warning against thinking the Method was the pinnacle of acting.
I heard that, but… the real reason was I couldn't even if I wanted to.
Simply put, no talent.
Still, I could act. Through structured practice.
But now? Different.
…Why does immersion come so easily?
Abnormally so.
This was a problem in its own way.
Emotions wouldn't settle.
Unfamiliar experience.
Read the directions, and I instantly grasped the mindset behind the scene.
More like empathized.
Then the emotion wells up from my chest.
The intended vibe pops into my head.
Immerse, and suddenly the environment shifts—like the air changes.
Even aftereffects afterward.
‘…This is Method acting hangover.’
The script I was reading was from a drama Hwang Woobeom had directed long ago.
Now a blockbuster director with ten million viewers, but he'd done dramas back then, and this was one left from that era.
Already widely circulated. Famous, after all.
The scene I'd been mulling deeply lately: the protagonist's childhood moment of pathos.
Just a few lines of text, yet it sank in weirdly deep. The script was that good.
I wiped my tears and put the script away.
Grabbed my phone from the corner, ended the recording.
Sister'd be home soon… better wrap up.
Deleted the last video without checking.
Caught off guard by my own bursting emotions, and it showed raw. Had to be a mess.
To calm down, I sat at the computer desk, browsed open audition postings.
But the role I could nail best, and open audition to boot? Not happening easily.
Why I'd been combing postings for days.
Of course, agency auditions might be faster. Wasn't ruling that out.
Still, wanted to clash head-on at least once.
Awaken the senses.
Plenty of time left. First year high, 17.
Hadn't even decided to restart acting that long ago.
Clinging desperately makes things go wrong—I'd learned that once already.
Same as when I reined in my mind: tackle what I wanted calmly, step by step.
And even in an agency, I'd need auditions for desired roles.
Unless a proven box-office star with a filmography, you're proving yourself, not choosing.
More opportunities, sure.
Anyway.
While digging around with those thoughts, spotted something unfamiliar.
Not movies or dramas.
YouTube channels were making similar stuff these days. Short dramas, cinematic content.
Why it caught my eye: lots of roles fitting my age range.
Spotted the posting on Instagram. Popped up in hashtag search.
Good call starting Instagram.
Timing perfect too. Not too rushed. Time to prep more.
Taking DMs, so I formatted and sent without hesitation.
Song Eunha, writer for YouTube channel Everyone's Film, sat at her computer sorting audition forms sent for their open call.
Copy forms to docs, skim the senders' Instagrams for vibes.
Her junior beside her wheeled the mouse with the same bored look.
400k subscribers.
Not massive, but fun takes on high school and college tales had built a loyal fanbase.
Main viewers teens and twenties, naturally. Targeted them from the start.
But stagnation from similar content loomed.
Subs weren't complaining yet, but creators had to preempt.
Trend was obvious from growth curves.
Team conclusion: need a breakout hit.
Something guaranteed to pop.
Unleash the ace.
But without a way, it's just bluff.
Everyone's Film had their edge.
Connections.
Secured a connected actress for their content's female lead.
She had an agency already. No real filmography yet—trainee, basically.
But agency affiliation proved baseline: looks, acting classes.
Frankly, landing her at their scale wasn't easy.
And above all, she stood out.
Beyond trainee… destined to blow up.
That conviction from her looks.
Not just knowing her—agency saw benefits too.
Made sense. YouTube channels were perfect springboards for rookies.
So just cast the male lead… but that proved tricky.
Applications lacked standouts. Standouts.
Song Eunha sighed deeply.
No handsome actor who could actually perform….
"Why would someone like that apply here?"
Song Eunha replied soullessly.
"Have some pride."
"Strictly, it's self-objectification."
"This your channel?"
"Whoa… Back when we started, you said it was everyone's channel. Instill ownership."
Same college media content department seniors and juniors who'd banded together at first.
"Was drunk then."
"You said it with a spoon in the soju bottle."
Mindless banter, then the junior spoke.
"Just scout that guy."
"Cha Jinseong? He's not an actor."
Influencer Cha Jinseong.
Rose with fresh looks, boyfriend-look fashion.
"He seems into acting. And we can't always snag pros."
"It's the lead. The lead! Opposite Ji Eunseol! Levels gotta match."
"Ooh, sounded just like a drama writer there."
"Was it good?"
"Yeah. But saying it again, at Ji Eunseol's level, why here… Huh?"
Junior's words cut off mid-sentence, staring at the screen.
Song Eunha glanced over.
"What?"
"Senior, check this?"
Junior pointed at their screen, and Song Eunha wheeled her chair over.
On the monitor: one concept photo.
Instagram profile, obvious at a glance. That was their task, after all.
School uniform boy. Chin propped at desk, eyes on the book.
Posed but oozing everyday vibe… pure atmosphere shot.
Subject's looks centered it all, of course.
"Photo alone screams big-agency trainee, right?"
"Didn't they send via DM form?"
"Yeah."
"Why would a big agency…."
Why bother this route?
Junior nodded quick, but couldn't peel eyes from the photo.
Side profile alone screamed handsome. Very.
Of course, Instagram's all filters—no one knew better than them.
Song Eunha snatched the mouse, scrolled the profile.
One post.
"Seems like a real student."
The role they wanted: student.
Not fixated on exact age, though.
Ji Eunseol was 21, playing student.
Sole post: three guys together, school-shot vibe.
All three looked sharp. Sender Lee Minwoo stuck out most.
Definitely filtered, seeing this.
"Aspiring actor?"
Junior recited the form.
"Seventeen, just starting out. No filmog. No prior appearances. Account brand new."
"Huh."
Strip the Insta looks, all filters screamed reject.
But those looks were the issue.
"If real life matches even half… could be perfect."
Boyish charm with subtle maturity. Wouldn't clash as college kid or high schooler.
Fit studious good-son vibe, seductive character too.
Especially the latter.
"Fits too perfectly."
"If not a scam."
"Yeah. …We'll see at audition."
Song Eunha released the mouse.
Audition anyway.
Seeing the real deal? Easy.