Chapter 6. Unbelievable

Beauty.

This nickname has been attached to Han Na-rae's name whenever it was mentioned since her debut.

This nickname carried a dual meaning: it referred to her appearance being as beautiful as a sculpture and, at the same time, suggested that her acting was so poor that she seemed like a sculpture rather than a human.

That was the case.

Han Na-rae has been an actress embroiled in acting controversies for nearly a decade since her debut. This was partly due to her background as a model and the fact that her acting skills did not improve much over the years.

There is a saying that if you are pretty, you can't act.

Of course, it's just a saying. There are quite a few actors who possess heavenly beauty and still deliver top-notch performances.

Even Han Na-rae, who had long been plagued by acting controversies, eventually showed top-notch acting and proved the saying wrong.

It all started with her mesmerizing villainous role in the melodramatic series "My Wife Left."

Since then, Han Na-rae's acting has generally received positive reviews.

While some critics noted a difference in her acting when playing villains versus other roles, it was no longer to the extent that she faced accusations of poor acting.

Most importantly, her acting in villainous roles was truly exceptional.

This led to her being nicknamed "Mad Woman." Her portrayal of villains was so intense that it resembled a madwoman.

She won the Best Actress award for her role in "My Wife Left," which marked the first time her acting was recognized after her debut. In an interview, she revealed the turning point that improved her acting.

"As soon as I read the script for 'My Wife Left,' I was immediately drawn to the role of Oh Ji-eun. I wanted to play this role, and I felt I couldn't do without it. But the problem was that I didn't think I could properly handle the role with my current skills. You know, poor acting. So, after discussing with my agency's CEO and manager, we found the answer."

"What was the answer?"

"It was to change my acting method."

"Acting method?"

"Yes. After debuting on screen at 20 after working as a model, I appeared in many productions, but I always felt something was lacking. It was like wearing a suit that didn't fit and wandering the streets all day. It always felt awkward and uncomfortable, and that was reflected in my acting."

"Did the awkwardness and discomfort disappear after changing your acting method?"

"Yes. It was a bit of a fluke, trying different things, but ultimately it worked out well. I found out how to act and what kind of role suited me."

Ten years later.

Starting from 2009, Han Na-rae's potential began to shine.

After playing the role of Oh Ji-eun in "My Wife Left," she no longer faced acting controversies.

Even without Ahn Si-hyun's interference, Han Na-rae would become a good actress, excelling in realistic villainous roles.

Ahn Si-hyun wondered if giving acting advice to an actress who would win the Best Actress award was meaningful. He was cautious, as his advice might create a butterfly effect, changing the future where Han Na-rae wins the award.

Most importantly...

'There's no particularly good memory anyway.'

Before the regression, Ahn Si-hyun and Han Na-rae only met once.

They appeared together as guests on a talk show special for actors from the Theater and Film Department of Daehan University.

At the time, Ahn Si-hyun was just beginning to earn the nickname "Master Supporting Actor," and Han Na-rae was rising in popularity after her role in "My Wife Left."

When they met in the hallway of the broadcasting station, Ahn Si-hyun greeted her, but Han Na-rae only nodded slightly in response.

However, once the filming started, she consistently smiled and showed a desire to become friends.

Of course, they never became friends.

She disappeared as soon as the filming ended, and they never crossed paths again.

It's common for entertainers to have different public and private personas. Han Na-rae's behavior could be seen as image management.

However, it was clear that there were no good memories.

After much deliberation, Ahn Si-hyun made a decision.

"There's no quick way to drastically improve your acting skills."

"But, senior..."

"In my case, I had been involved in theater since middle school, and I practiced relentlessly during the summer to prepare for auditions. I was so determined that I shaved my head and fasted for days before going to auditions. Are you taking acting lessons?"

"Yes, for about three months. It's a minor role, but I thought I should at least be prepared."

"Then try your hardest. If you're not completely talentless, effort won't betray you. I'm sorry if my answer wasn't what you expected."

Ahn Si-hyun stuck to the conventional advice.

Honestly, he didn't want to get more involved with Han Na-rae. Apart from the memories before the regression, the most important thing for the current Ahn Si-hyun was to succeed as an actor.

He didn't have the luxury to meddle unnecessarily.

Despite not getting the expected answer, Han Na-rae smiled brightly and bowed.

"No, senior! I must have been thinking wrong. I'll try my hardest, as you said. I'll work hard without regrets!"

Han Na-rae clenched her fist tightly.

Before the regression, she seemed arrogant and rude, but now, at just 20, she appeared cute and innocent.

Ahn Si-hyun felt a sense of freshness from her new demeanor.

'Maybe if we have a connection, there will be a day when I can help her.'

* * *

The meeting with Han Na-rae quickly faded from Ahn Si-hyun's mind. He wasn't relaxed enough to worry about someone he had no connection with before the regression.

The first script reading for "I Am a Spy" was set for March 18th.

To clear his head, he went to the theater, school, or arcade, but otherwise, he focused on practice.

Ahn Si-hyun and Kim Jin-mo woke up early, ran a few laps in the park, and did vocal exercises before the sweat dried. Sometimes they practiced lines with each other in an empty park.

Running and vocal exercises.

This was a routine Kim Jin-mo had followed since high school and one that Ahn Si-hyun always suggested they do together. It was essential for maintaining the stamina needed for grueling shooting schedules and for delivering good performances.

Kim Jin-mo drank the barley tea he had brought and laughed happily.

Morning exercises with Ahn Si-hyun were enjoyable.

"Ah, it feels so good to sweat together. If we had done this earlier, it would have been great."

"Phew, phew. You're right. We should have started earlier. You're in great shape, but I'm dying. It's so tiring."

"Tsk, tsk. Let's build up our stamina before the shoot starts. Once filming begins, stamina is essential. It will be different from theater."

"Hmm. I see."

Both had been in the theater club in middle and high school and continued with theater and club activities in college.

However, their positions were quite different.

While Kim Jin-mo always played the lead roles in the theater club and club activities, Ahn Si-hyun was always a supporting actor. Sometimes he even played minor roles due to losing in competition.

Therefore, he didn't fully realize the importance of stamina. He lacked the experience to understand how crucial it was for acting.

It was only after he became a standout supporting actor that he realized the importance of stamina and started exercising regularly.

This time, he started earlier.

"To maintain focus during a tight shooting schedule, stamina is essential. I also need to exercise to stay healthy."

While his acting skills from before the regression remained, his vocal techniques were not the same. The vocal techniques he trained after his military service and the ones he needed now were completely different.

Moreover, he was not yet accustomed to freely using his facial muscles.

In fact, the most challenging part of preparing for the "I Am a Spy" audition was using and developing his facial muscles and vocal techniques.

With the limited time, he had to rely on the 20 years of experience he had accumulated.

If his vocal techniques and facial muscle control were the same as before the regression, the competition with Song Myung-hyun would have been decided in the first assigned acting scene.

Both required thorough training.

He wanted to establish a basic framework before the shoot started so he could perform the role of Lee Soo-chul as he interpreted it.

"I have plenty of time. Two months is more than enough."

He had plenty of time.

He took a leave of absence from college to focus on his debut work. When he went to the theater to help, Choi Jung-soo kicked him out, telling him to practice more.

There was no one to hang out with at school since it was the start of a new semester.

What else could he do with his free time but practice?

"Shall we go to the karaoke room today?"

"Sure."

Ahn Si-hyun and Kim Jin-mo headed to the karaoke room.

Since it was a film, they couldn't practice at the theater, and since he was on leave, he couldn't practice at school. Practicing at home was also difficult because he had to control his volume.

So, they practiced at home to a certain extent and then went all out at the karaoke room.

"I should sign a contract with an entertainment agency after this shoot, at least for the practice space."

Ahn Si-hyun already felt the need for an entertainment agency.

From schedule management to makeup, settlement issues, and project selection, a contract with an entertainment agency was essential to focus solely on acting.

He had already decided which agency to join, both before the regression and now.

However, not now.

"I don't want to sign a contract like before the regression."

Before the regression, Ahn Si-hyun signed a contract under favorable conditions, not because of his own abilities but due to the halo effect of Kim Jin-mo. As an actor, he couldn't even imagine such good conditions without being Kim Jin-mo's friend.

While he did establish a solid position as an actor later, it was a future event. It was a fact that Kim Jin-mo helped him survive the unknown period more easily.

This time, he wanted to secure good contract terms based on his own abilities, not Kim Jin-mo's help.

A perfect performance of the role of Lee Soo-chul.

That would create the contract terms he wanted.

Until then, he was willing to endure the inconvenience.

* * *

March 18th.

By the time Ahn Si-hyun's hair, which he had shaved, had grown a bit, it was the first script reading for "I Am a Spy."

Ahn Si-hyun and Kim Jin-mo prepared to head to the film company early. They followed their routine, exercised, came back, showered, shaved, and dressed in clean shirts.

They took the subway to Chungmuro.

Their destination was the film company "Hyeinwon."

This film company, named after the reverse of the company representative's mother's name, occupied a four-story building, befitting its reputation as one of the three major film companies in Korea.

"Hello, we're here for the script reading."

"May I have your names?"

"Kim Jin-mo and Ahn Si-hyun."

"Actors Kim Jin-mo and Ahn Si-hyun. I've confirmed. I'll guide you to the conference room."

They followed the desk staff to the conference room.

With 30 minutes left until the script reading, no one had arrived yet.

"Looks like we're the first to arrive?"

"We came 30 minutes early. Should we practice before the seniors and production team arrive?"

"Sure. Scene 25?"

"Okay, let's do Scene 25."

Scene 25.

Kang Seok-woo visits the village to find a dispatched agent and has a brief conversation with Lee Soo-chul. During this conversation, Kang Seok-woo vaguely suspects that Lee Soo-chul might be the dispatched agent due to a minor habit. This becomes the motivation for narrowing down the包围圈 around Lee Soo-chul later on.

Scene 25 was one of the few scenes where they could practice together.

Before the script reading began,

They practiced the lines for Scene 25, trying to ease their nerves before the first script reading of their debut work.

How much time had passed?

A man opened the door and entered.

Ahn Si-hyun and Kim Jin-mo immediately stood up and bowed.

"Hello, senior! I'm Kim Jin-mo, a new actor playing the role of Kang Seok-woo. Please take care of me!"

"Hello, senior! I'm Ahn Si-hyun, a new actor playing the role of Lee Soo-chul. Please take care of me!"

Ahn Si-hyun was cautious as he greeted the man.

It wasn't just because the man was a senior actor with five years of experience.

"Stop with the pleasantries. Just don't hold us back. Tsk. I don't understand how such inexperienced actors got cast."

There was no mistaking him.

A future actor who would draw over ten million viewers twice and then quietly disappear a few years later.

Ryu Seung-woong.

He was the worst personality in the film industry.