Chapter 6

Concept (2)

Kang Woojin recalled the person he was currently on the phone with, Song Man-woo PD, whom he had met yesterday on 'Super Actor.'

'Nothing particularly memorable, though.'

The only clear thing was that he had a beard? And that he was a big-shot PD. Of course, this information came from his friend, Kim Daeyoung. Anyway, there were few reasons for the big-shot Song Man-woo PD to call Woojin.

Or rather, there were none. But why did he call?

At that moment.

'Ah.'

A fleeting thought crossed Woojin's mind. Could it be a request to participate in the second round of 'Super Actor'? He didn't know the internal workings of the show, but since Song Man-woo was a judge, it was a possibility.

'Troublesome.'

The only fortunate thing was that Woojin no longer felt ashamed of yesterday. He knew his acting wasn't trash. Soon, Woojin, who had been scratching his chin, cleared his throat.

'For now, it's better to maintain the act.'

As he did, a very dry tone of voice came out.

"Shouldn't you tell me the reason first?"

Song Man-woo PD's response came immediately from the other end of the phone.

"Oh, right."

"I already told the main PD that I won't appear on 'Super Actor.'"

"No, no, this is a different matter. Completely different."

"Then what is it?"

"Hmm— It's a bit awkward to discuss over the phone. I'd prefer to see you in person, if possible. Would that be difficult?"

Oh, that's a bit awkward. As Woojin muttered to himself, Song Man-woo PD continued.

"You said you're a designer, right? What time do you usually finish work? I assume it's often late for designers."

"No, I recently quit my job."

"......I see."

I see? Why did 'I see' come out here? The answer to this came from Song Man-woo PD.

"You've made up your mind, haven't you?"

What Song Man-woo PD meant was whether he had decided to make his presence known, but Woojin was momentarily stunned.

'What mind? What is this uncle talking about?'

He couldn't understand at all. The clear difference in perspective was the reason, and Woojin maintained a solemn silence.

"......"

"Anyway, if you've quit your job, wouldn't it be fine to meet today?"

Correct. Woojin was currently unemployed, and he had plenty of time.

But.

'Taking it too easily might not look good.'

Woojin maintained his act nonchalantly.

"4 PM. That's the only time I'll be available."

Song Man-woo PD on the other end of the phone quickly accepted.

"Okay! 4 PM! The place is a bit inconvenient, but there are a few others. Can you come if I send you the address?"

"Who else is there?"

"A few other people involved."

"That's fine."

"Thanks, I'll send you the address. See you at 4."

"Got it."

-Click.

The call with Song Man-woo PD ended. At the same time, Woojin checked the time. It was around 8:30 AM. There was plenty of time until 4 PM, and Woojin muttered to himself while looking at his phone screen.

"But how famous is this Song Man-woo PD?"

He had heard from Kim Daeyoung that he was a big shot, but Woojin, who had little interest in the entertainment industry, couldn't gauge it.

-Swoosh.

He searched for Song Man-woo PD on a search engine. The results were quick, and Woojin was equally quick to be surprised.

['Entertainment News] Top actors line up for SBC's top PD, Song Man-woo PD's next move / Photo

['Stars meet! Buzz among netizens as Song Man-woo PD and Park Eun-mi writer team up']

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·

·

The articles spanned dozens of pages, and even a cursory glance revealed his formidable presence. Thanks to this, Woojin, who had his mouth agape, muttered.

"......Is this the person who asked to meet me?"

Why? Why did he call? Then Woojin's interest quickly waned. There was no point in overthinking it.

"I'll find out when I go."

With that, Woojin gently pushed Song Man-woo PD's thoughts to the back of his mind.

-Swoosh.

He put down his phone and picked up a script. There was plenty of time until the appointment, so he intended to read the script. Woojin had finished reading 'Elegant Eldest Daughter' yesterday and was currently reading 'Gangster Prosecutor,' already halfway through.

-Flip, flip.

It was strange.

"This is... actually kind of fun."

Lying down, Woojin found reading the script very enjoyable. This was definitely unusual. Normally, Woojin didn't watch much TV, and he had no interest in dramas or movies.

Even when he did watch, he usually stopped halfway.

But reading the script was different. His concentration was high, and his speed was fast. It was dozens of times more enjoyable than watching a video.

"Was I naturally suited to reading?"

Or maybe it was because of the bizarre subspace that suddenly appeared. Whatever the reason, Woojin increased his speed in reading the script. By around 1 PM, he had finished reading all the scripts and scenarios he had received.

Of course, he couldn't remember every detail of the works, but he had a good grasp of the general context. Then Woojin,

"Hmm—"

With his arms crossed, he chose a character from one of the works he remembered.

Then.

-Poke!

He stabbed the black rectangle to enter the subspace. This process was now quite natural.

"Let's see."

In the endlessly dark subspace, Woojin moved to the four white rectangles. He chose the second one.

-[2/Script (Title: Elegant Eldest Daughter Part 1), E-grade]

-[*This is a highly complete drama script. 100% reading is possible.]

'Elegant Eldest Daughter,' which had ended in a flop. Soon, new text appeared below the white rectangle. The feeling was similar to when he read a side script.

However, there was a difference.

-[2/Script (Title: Elegant Eldest Daughter Part 1) selected.]

-[Listing characters available for reading (experience).]

-[A: Shim Hyung-woo, B: Jang Tae-san, C: Choi Gi-sub, D: Go Doo-seok...]

There were many characters available for reading. At least eight were visible. This was natural. It was a full script, so there would be more characters than in a side script. Here, Woojin realized one thing.

"Of course, only men are possible."

The gender had to be the same. Woojin also acknowledged this. Suddenly becoming a woman was as undesirable as suddenly dying.

Then.

-Swoosh.

Woojin touched the name he had decided on in advance from the list of characters. It was at the end. Suddenly, a female voice echoed throughout the subspace.

A calm, robotic voice.

["'J: Cafe Male Barista' reading preparation..."]

The reason for his choice was simple. The role would have very little dialogue. It was just an experiment, after all.

Woojin waited silently,

"......"

The female voice returned quickly.

["...Preparation complete. This is a highly complete script or scenario. The implementation rate is 100%. Reading begins."]

Woojin was then sucked into a large gray space.

Afterward.

Woojin, who had been in the subspace, returned to his studio apartment.

"Huff—"

He sighed, brushing his short hair back. There was no tension or panic in his expression. He wasn't dazed or confused. His brain functioned normally.

Unlike the side script, it was clear. He had adapted.

"Why was I so dazed at first?"

Woojin, with his arms crossed, tilted his head. After all, whether in the subspace or in his studio apartment, both were part of the same reality. Both were directly experienced by Woojin. So why was he like that yesterday? At this point, Woojin roughly figured out the answer.

"Well, it was probably because my body rejected it at first."

He slowly assessed his current state. From his brain to the depths of his heart. He could feel it vividly, having experienced it firsthand.

"I remember every line of the 'Cafe Male Barista' without missing a single one."

He remembered even the few lines perfectly, as if he had memorized them thousands of times. It was like they were etched in his mind. This wasn't just memorization due to the short length.

Of course, the same applied to the other aspects.

From the character's five senses to emotions, thoughts, and feelings, everything about the 'Cafe Male Barista' chosen by Woojin had seeped into him. This was the same as with the side script. There was no process of digestion; he adapted and accepted it.

Like a transplant without rejection.

In other words, the 'Cafe Male Barista' had been transplanted into Woojin. This was more like possessing a role rather than acting.

Then.

"......Wow."

Woojin marveled anew at the abilities of the subspace. Even if he didn't become an actor, the value of experiencing anything in the subspace was high.

Isn't that right?

He would have to keep using it to find out, but if there were no conditions, he could experience anything. Depending on the script or scenario, he could fly in the sky or use magic.

'Of course, it's short and temporary depending on the role, but I can still act. While I'm at it, why not aim for a top star?'

At that moment, Woojin's mind was filled with the idea.

'Why not live a completely different life? It would be so much fun.'

His mind was now brimming with thoughts of acting and becoming an actor, something he had never even imagined before. In that state, Woojin picked up the short scenario 'Detective Agency' and muttered.

"Still, I should check this 'B-grade'—"

Woojin glanced at the clock. The appointment time was approaching, so he said,

"I'll take a shower first."

A few hours later, around 4 PM.

Woojin arrived in front of a large building near Samsung Station. He was dressed the same as yesterday: a padded jacket and jeans. He looked up at the towering building.

"It's really tall, five floors, right?"

Woojin entered the building lobby and checked the information sign at the entrance. Floors 5 to 7 were occupied by the production company 'C-Blue Studio.'

This was Woojin's destination.

He had checked online, and C-Blue Studio was a large production company in Korea.

"Well, whether it's big or small, it doesn't really matter to me."

Woojin muttered to himself and cleared his throat. He then called Song Man-woo PD. The call was answered quickly.

"Ah, Mr. Woojin. Have you arrived?"

"Yes, I'm on the first floor."

"I'll send someone right away."

A few minutes later, a young woman approached Woojin.

"Are you Mr. Kang Woojin?"

She was an assistant director. Soon, Woojin followed the assistant director to the 5th floor of C-Blue Studio.

Then.

"The PD is inside."

The assistant director gestured to the door of a conference room, indicating he should go in. Woojin, recalling his act, opened the door without hesitation.

-Creak.

The conference room was quite spacious. In the center was a U-shaped table, and about five or six people were seated there, all looking at Woojin, who had just entered.

Of course, among them,

"Mr. Kang Woojin, nice to see you again."

Song Man-woo PD, with his beard, was there. He greeted Woojin with a warm smile, sitting in the middle of the six people, befitting a top PD.

At that moment.

"!!!"

Woojin was inwardly startled.

'What the—! Hong Hye-yeon?'

The top actress, Hong Hye-yeon, caught his eye. What is this? Hong Hye-yeon is here?? Woojin desperately wanted to rub his eyes and shake hands with her, saying, "Nice to see you again." But he held back. He really, really held back.

In the tough act, there was no room for rashness.

Thanks to this, even though he made eye contact with Hong Hye-yeon, Woojin maintained a blank expression. Song Man-woo PD's voice was heard next.

"Is it a bit overwhelming with so many people here?"

Well, if you had told me Hong Hye-yeon was here from the beginning, that would have been different. Woojin grumbled inwardly but outwardly reacted nonchalantly, as if it didn't matter.

"There must be a reason."

Woojin then muttered dryly.

-Click.

He pulled out a nearby chair and sat down. He thought it would be good to cross his legs. Woojin, trying to appear relaxed, casually scanned the people on the opposite side. He skipped over Hong Hye-yeon, as he was nervous. A middle-aged woman with long permed hair and other men were staring at him intently.

It felt like sitting on a bed of thorns.

At that moment.

"Hmm— Mr. Woojin."

Song Man-woo PD, sitting opposite Woojin, leaned forward slightly. His expression was serious.

"To get straight to the point, I'm very curious. The others are too. Mr. Woojin, you must have a monologue or two, right? I'd like to hear some lines. Yesterday, it wasn't dialogue-focused."

A monologue is when an actor delivers lines without a counterpart. They are usually long. Therefore, aspiring actors often memorize at least one monologue for auditions.

However, there was no way Woojin could have prepared one.

'Monologue? What the heck is he talking about?'

After all, he had only started acting a day ago.

'Here, I should... just keep quiet.'

Thanks to this, Woojin's choice was silence. Then, Song Man-woo PD proceeded with the matter.

"Or you can read this. You can interpret it however you like."

-Swoosh.

Song Man-woo PD slowly pushed a black tablet toward Woojin. The tablet screen displayed about ten lines of text.

These were the lines for a monologue.

Regardless, they were now asking Woojin to act. Perhaps this was the first step in his acting career. Understanding this, Woojin's face remained expressionless, but his mind was filled with anxiety as he looked down at the tablet.

'Damn, it's not showing up.'

Unlike the script or scenario, there was no black rectangle next to the tablet. It was the gateway to the subspace. This was a problem.

After a moment of thought, Woojin felt a sudden loss of motivation. Well, there might be a way if he looked for it, but...

'Is it really necessary to go that far?'

He didn't need to risk his life for the act. The world was wide. He could have gone to Australia for a working holiday. Soon, Woojin looked down at the tablet and muttered to himself.

'Forget it, I'll just mess around and go home.'

Woojin's mouth opened.

"Today, I was walking down the street when a cat suddenly attacked me. I didn't do anything, but from its perspective, there must have been a reason..."

At that moment.

"Huh?"

"......?"

"???"

Everyone, including Song Man-woo PD and Hong Hye-yeon, frowned at Woojin's casual delivery of the lines.

The reason was simple.

Woojin's acting was terrible. It was so bad that everyone was taken aback.

Especially.

'What, what is this?'

Song Man-woo PD, who was facing Woojin, was the most affected, his eyes full of confusion.

He was in a state of confusion.

'Worse than an aspiring actor... completely different from yesterday??'

It was extremely negative. It was embarrassing to even call it acting. It was more awkward than reading a textbook. If this were a formal audition, he would have been cut in less than five seconds.

At that moment, Woojin was still delivering the lines calmly.

"So, I grabbed it. It resisted fiercely. But still..."

He was incredibly brazen.

But Woojin continued the terrible acting without any change in expression. The more he did, the more confused Song Man-woo PD became. Why? Why? What am I seeing? Is this the same person I saw yesterday?

At that moment.

-Swoosh.

Woojin's gaze met Song Man-woo PD's, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction.

'Everything's messed up, can't you just let me off?'

But.

"......!!!"

Song Man-woo PD, who made eye contact with Woojin, suddenly opened his eyes wide. The top PD had somehow come to a realization from Woojin's gaze.

'So... you're acting like you can't act right now.'

It was a seriously flawed realization. Or a delusion.

Soon, Song Man-woo PD raised his hand to stop Woojin's acting and asked cautiously.

"Mr. Woojin, can I ask why you're showing us acting that you can't do?"

Woojin, who had slightly paused, stared at Song Man-woo PD with his beard for about ten seconds. Then, with a blank expression, he replied in a low, calm voice.

"Because you asked me to act without any explanation or context."