Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 029
Chapter Title: First Acting (1)
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“Anyway, that’s the Grim Reaper in this drama. So as the story goes on, he starts to awaken human emotions, creating tension between the female and male leads. I guarantee you, viewers won’t be able to help but love the Grim Reaper character. How could they not adore someone who’s endlessly clumsy but learns step by step like a baby taking its first steps? That’s why you’re perfect for it, Yeonwoo-ssi!”
“Not really feeling it.”
“...Then just humor me and do one camera test! I have a really sharp eye for this stuff. Truth is, I’m pushing for you because I see the potential, but if you can’t pull it off, even I wouldn’t be able to cast you no matter how much I like you. So just give it a shot for me.”
Curious about Min Writer’s bulldozer-like persistence, everyone poked their heads out to watch.
“Heading to camera test?”
Kwon Seonghyeon had wandered over at some point, looking intrigued as he alternated glances between Yeonwoo and Min Writer.
“Kwon Seonghyeon-ssi, help me out here. I’ve never acted before—what’s with the sudden...”
“Why not give it a try?”
Not you too, Brutus?
“It’s not like you’re losing anything, right?”
His bright smile was refreshingly cheerful.
“I’ve been worried about you hanging back by yourself. I won’t be able to keep an eye on you while I’m shooting. And wouldn’t it be fun to act together?”
*DING!*
Sure enough, an alert popped up above Kwon Seonghyeon’s head.
[Harvestable Lifespan: +30 days]
As expected from a top actor—Kwon Seonghyeon had the generosity befitting one. Just look at that boldness, casually offering up a 30-day chunk!
‘Acting, huh.’
This was an unexpected scenario.
Yeonwoo had stepped into this world, but only as an observer.
He hadn’t anticipated standing in front of the camera himself.
“Well, alright.”
Yeonwoo nodded.
‘It’s definitely not because I’m tempted by the lifespan. This is purely to avoid a penalty if Kwon Seonghyeon’s project flops.’
They’d drop it after seeing him once anyway.
He had no acting training and was just an utterly ordinary guy.
‘No idea what they’re basing their confidence on, but one look will change their minds.’
Better to show them once and be done with it than waste time arguing.
A single glance beats a thousand words, right?
“Get the camera and mic ready! No need for extra cameras since it’s just a test—main one only! And don’t forget the lights!”
Director Heo jumped up right away, calling over the junior staff to set up the camera.
Min Writer approached with sparkling eyes.
“How much of the content do you know?”
“Pretty much all of it.”
“Huh? All of it?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my god.”
Why the surprise?
“Writer-ssi. Yeonwoo-ssi doesn’t just know the story—he’s probably memorized the lines too.”
“Really, Yeonwoo-ssi?”
“Well... yeah.”
“How?”
“...?”
How? He just read it and it stuck.
‘Side effect of all that rote learning from childhood, I guess.’
What people commonly call a shaman—or more precisely, a mudang—requires a fair bit of studying.
It’s not like you just receive the “god” and call it a day.
At least, that’s what Yeonwoo’s mother, Lady Kang Yeonhwa, always said.
-To serve the gods, you must first learn to purify body and mind. And to use the power they bestow correctly, you need to master the proper methods.
With that, Lady Kang tossed a copy of Thousand Character Classic at young Yeonwoo.
-Memorize this first. It’s the foundation for spells and talismans. Once your power grows stronger, you’ll wield it without characters, but for now, start here. I’ll test you. Miss one, and it’s 100 won off your allowance per mistake.
That wasn’t all.
-To inherit our ancestors’ spirit and soul, you must also learn from the ancient sages. So memorize all these.
Not satisfied with Thousand Character Classic, Lady Kang added Elementary Learning and Classic of Filial Piety.
And that wasn’t the end.
Starting with Great Learning, she dumped a pile: Analects, Mencius, Doctrine of the Mean, Book of Poetry, Book of Documents, Book of Changes.
-Learning should be broad and varied. Knowledge is power, so don’t skip other religions’ teachings. Truth converges at the extremes—they’ll help you someday.
Buddhist sutras and a thick Bible came as bonuses.
-Of course, I’ll test you on these too. Mistakes mean allowance cuts.
Back then, Yeonwoo was still naively giving advice to visitors at Lady Kang’s shrine, pocketing small sums for himself.
Once she found out, she exploded in fury and cut off all his money sources.
The only thing left was his monthly 4,000-won allowance.
With allowance on the line, Yeonwoo had no choice but to grind through memorizing.
In other words, it was a survival skill.
‘That’s why my memorization got so good... Though I’ve forgotten most of it now.’
Point is, memorizing a drama script was no big deal.
“Oh, but we’re expanding the Grim Reaper’s lines a bit—can you memorize those on the spot too?”
Min Writer, eyes shining brightly, handed Yeonwoo what looked like a fresh script.
“We’ve added a ton overall. Thinking of you sparked all these ideas, so... the role’s beefier now. But the lines are longer— you okay with that?”
Sure enough, the Grim Reaper’s severely cut scenes had been restored and expanded.
“How about Scene 7?”
Scene 7 was where the Grim Reaper tracks down the heroine.
Having followed her traces to correct an error in the Death Registry, he finally finds her.
He tries to drag her off, but the hero intervenes.
‘The first clash between Kim Taehoon and the Grim Reaper...’
It’s where Kim Taehoon, gradually warming to So Yeojin, sharply conflicts with the duty-bound Grim Reaper.
‘The scene Lee Deokchun botched.’
It needed the Grim Reaper’s icy, charismatic presence to counter Kim Taehoon’s fierce aura.
-You. Dare. To. Interfere. With. Me!
Thanks to Lee Deokchun’s recitation worse than a textbook reading, the Reaper ended up just glaring intensely before vanishing.
Rumor had it Min Writer had ripped into him over it and overhauled the scene.
The revised version Yeonwoo received had massively expanded it.
“You’ll see, but it’s different now. More content... Anyway, it’s just for feel, so no need to memorize it all now. The core hasn’t changed much—just match the nuance roughly...”
“It’s fine.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve got it all.”
Min Writer’s eyes went wide.
“All of it? Already?”
“Yes. The rest seems unchanged—just the new parts, right?”
“Those new parts aren’t short either. You really memorized them?”
“Yeah...”
“Min Writer, just have him do it—you’ll see.”
Director Heo, who’d been watching with murmurs of “Heo,” “Cham,” and inexplicable admiration, chimed in slyly.
“Oh, good idea. Yeonwoo-ssi, ready now? Need time to get into the emotions...?”
“No need.”
“Seriously?”
“I told you, Writer-ssi. Yeonwoo-ssi’s no ordinary guy.”
Kwon Seonghyeon, who’d been observing, joined in.
“Mind if I play opposite Yeonwoo-ssi?”
“You, Seonghyeon-ssi? For a camera test?”
“If Yeonwoo-ssi does it, we’ll sync up anyway. Think of this as practice.”
“Fine by me, but...”
“Thanks for approving.”
Kwon Seonghyeon smiled brightly and strode over.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then, per Writer-ssi, Scene 7—action.”
Kwon Seonghyeon took position opposite Yeonwoo—for their characters’ first face-off and standoff.
“Alright then!”
*Clap!*
Min Writer clapped instead of a slate.
“You—who are you?”
Kwon Seonghyeon, who’d been smiling warmly, had become chaebol heir Kim Taehoon.
Arrogant, unacquainted with defeat, living a life of constant success.
He saw spirits, but they never shook his ironclad mentality.
Except one.
So Yeojin was different.
Natural hostility surged toward anyone trying to take her.
“And what are you?”
A flat, chilling voice slipped out in response to Kim Taehoon’s question.
With his outstretched arm gripped, only his eyes slid to meet Kim Taehoon’s gaze.
“What gives you the right to look at me and grab me?”
Eyes utterly devoid of emotion, mechanical.
“You’ve seen plenty of ghosts so far, but you’re unusual. Unaffected even when I grab you. What, got some status or something?”
“None of your business.”
But it didn’t take long for the near-nonexistent Reaper’s emotions to flicker awake like white flames.
“We’ll see about that. That woman’s mine—no touching.”
One corner of Kim Taehoon’s mouth curled up.
The Reaper’s brow twitched faintly at the sight.
Cracks began forming, bit by bit, in the winter-ice chill.
“You dare, puny human... interfere with the underworld’s affairs...?”
Low tone.
But the contempt and scorn within rang clear.
*You, of all things.*
His lips moved ever so slightly—mocking, belittling—revealing utter disdain for Kim Taehoon.
“I’ll let it slide once, since you’ve got some skill. Interfere in underworld business again, and I’ll hasten your death.”
“You seem to have a habit of making easy things complicated. Didn’t hear me? Hands off my woman.”
Kim Taehoon growled.
“Ha.”
Suddenly, the Reaper let out a short laugh.
Expressionless, dry.
That single, restrained chuckle conveyed utter absurdity perfectly.
Regaining icy composure, the blank-faced Reaper easily shook off Kim Taehoon’s arm.
*Swish.*
His eyes merely brushed past without a word.
But.
“...I told you. You’re not taking her.”
Kim Taehoon’s lips twisted into a feral smile.
He flicked his hand, halting the Reaper’s approach to So Yeojin.
His clear target had vanished in an instant.
“You—you dare... interfere?”
The Reaper’s head turned slowly.
Gone was the calm; white flames blazed fiercely in his eyes.
“Do you have the guts to bear the karma of obstructing the underworld? Wonder if you’re ready to burn in hellfire. Once I find your Death Registry entry, you cease to exist in this world. And still, you dare interfere?”
“Talky. I’m protecting my woman—what’s it to you?”
If eyes could kill, Kim Taehoon would’ve been shredded hundreds of times.
The Reaper’s rage was cold yet intensely furious.
His lofty pride restrained emotional displays, but irritation at obstruction by a lesser being pierced through vividly.
That subtle emotional tension highlighted the supernatural Reaper.
“Why just scare me—why not find her yourself? Can’t the great Reaper lord manage that? Tied up by a mere human’s trick. Maybe you’re not all that.”
“This is your last petty trick. No idea what you pulled, but you’ll regret it. Underworld laws are inviolable. You’ll pay dearly.”
“Can’t wait. Give it a shot.”
It was the moment their prides clashed ferociously.
No raised voices, but subtle shifts in expression, speech pace, tone, and gaze conveyed the intensity fully.
Silent, yet the blades crossing within were razor-sharp.
And.
“Cut!”
The director’s cut sign rang out.
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