Chapter 1

https://novel.munpia.com/364442 Started as a Genius Actor

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Actor as a Vocation? (1)

It was not a particularly lucky day.

In fact, Han Yui-il's life had always been that way. Though he didn't complain, his life was far from fortunate.

Well, if you think about it, today wasn't particularly bad either.

Yui-il looked at his coffee-soaked shirt and tried to calm himself down.

"Oh my, what do I do! I'm really sorry... It's a white shirt... I'll pay for the laundry."

"No, it's fine."

The smell of coffee seeping through the damp shirt could have been unpleasant, but Yui-il managed a faint smile. His clear eyes made his smile look even more poignant.

The woman, who had been flustered after spilling the coffee, stopped moving and stared blankly at his face.

"It's close to my house. Don't worry too much."

"Eh, yes... Yes? Wait a moment..."

Yui-il bowed and left the cafe, thinking that perhaps the idea of studying there was a mistake from the start.

'Tomorrow, I need to register for a study room and pay for online lectures...'

A sigh escaped him. It was a world where even breathing cost money.

People were gathering under the cherry blossom trees to take photos. Seeing the pink petals fluttering like snow made him feel a bit sentimental.

Having just been discharged from the military, a different reality awaited him compared to his peers. He had no parents, no siblings, and no money. He didn't even have the luxury to envy others.

At that moment, someone collided strongly with Yui-il's chest.

Yui-il habitually bowed and apologized. But as he was about to lift his head, he felt a strange chill.

...Did the wind suddenly pick up?

Yui-il shivered and thought.

"Are you Han Yui-il?"

At the unfamiliar voice, he looked up to see sparkling eyes.

More precisely, he saw only the eyes. The man was wearing a white hood with a unique design and a thin mask covering his mouth. Yui-il looked at him warily.

"Yes, that's me... Who are you?"

"Wow! Incredible! Incredible!"

The hooded man jumped up and down in place and grabbed Yui-il's hand.

Yui-il flinched at the sudden touch. The man's hand was cold, as if he had been walking in the dead of winter for 30 minutes, even though it was already mid-April.

He said excitedly,

"Can I try it once?"

"Excuse me?"

"A handshake! Oh, is this a handshake?"

"Eh?"

Yui-il's hand was already being moved up and down a few times. It was an awkward gesture for a handshake.

The man shouted with sparkling eyes.

"Thank you, really thank you!"

"..."

Before Yui-il could say anything, the strange man disappeared in an instant.

Literally disappeared. After blinking a few times, the man was nowhere to be seen, having blended into the crowd.

"What the... What was that?"

Yui-il looked at his hand.

'Well, I guess I've experienced something like this in my life.' Yui-il muttered, putting his hand in his pocket. It felt as if his fingertips were tingling, perhaps due to the cold.

*

【...Neural network secured. Heart rate normal. Body temperature normal. Oxygen saturation normal.】

Yui-il opened his eyes at the unfamiliar voice. It was a smooth, gender-neutral voice.

He blinked a few times in a daze, and the voice spoke again.

【Good morning, Mr. Han Yui-il.】

Yui-il rubbed his eyes and looked around the room. He couldn't figure out where the voice was coming from.

His phone was dead, and his laptop and TV were off. His aunt had already gone to work.

'Did I hear it wrong?'

Was it because he had been under a lot of stress lately? Yui-il shook his head and sat down. Then, the gender-neutral voice echoed in his head again.

【AI Nano Dictionary, Bryn V.15, is analyzing your aptitude and talent comprehensively.】

Yui-il jumped up, forgetting to scream.

'AI...? Nano?'

【Yes, Bryn V.15 is an AI dictionary in the form of a nanobot, currently connected to your cerebral cortex. I am analyzing your aptitude and talent.】

The 'voice' spoke again, as if answering Yui-il's thoughts.

Yui-il's mouth dropped open. He ruffled his hair in front of the mirror, seeing an unblemished scalp.

His heart started racing.

'Maybe I'm going crazy?'

As Yui-il was pulling his hair, the uninvited guest in his brain spoke in a monotone.

【Congratulations. Your vocation is 'actor'!】

What...?

Yui-il asked in a dazed voice, and the voice responded with a question.

【Do you want to choose the vocation 'actor'?】

But what about my civil service exam preparation?

【Do you not want to choose the vocation 'actor'?】

Even though the tone was emotionless, Yui-il felt as if he was being scolded.

But he had no choice. He was a poor 20-something who dreamed of a stable future.

【Will you not regret it?】

"Why would I regret it..."

【...In 30 seconds, the device connected to your cerebral cortex will explode. If the device explodes, there is a 99.8% chance that you will lose some brain function or die.】

"What?"

【30, 29, 28...】

"Damn it! I'll do it, I'll be an actor!"

After a brief silence, a smooth voice echoed in his head.

【Understood. From now on, Bryn V.15 will find the optimal path for you to pursue your vocation.】

...Something was definitely wrong.

*

Han Yui-il's life had never been particularly lucky, but it wasn't dramatic either. After losing his parents in an accident at a young age, he had lived a life of perfect stability, keeping a low profile and focusing on his studies.

Of course, he was quite fond of dramatic content. He loved movies and books, and his passion for literature led him to major in Korean literature. After a semester of pondering his future, he joined the military.

【Mr. Han Yui-il, you're awake.】

Yui-il squeezed his eyes shut at the voice greeting him as soon as he opened his eyes.

He couldn't get used to the voice, no matter how many mornings he heard it.

【Good morning. It's good to drink warm tea for your condition.】

It had been a month since the mysterious AI nanobot attached itself to his brain. The nanobot, which called itself a dictionary, kept trying to train him.

【You need to produce sound from your diaphragm. Take a deep breath and throw your voice 5 meters forward. Ah, E, I, O, U... Yes, well done. Repeat five times.】

"Enough... for now..."

【...In 40 seconds, the device connected to your cerebral cortex will explode. If the device explodes, there is a 99.8% chance...】

...It even resorted to threats.

Damn it.

As a result, he couldn't even start his civil service exam preparation. Yui-il did aerobic exercises, practiced diaphragmatic breathing and vocal exercises, and had to read a few lines of dialogue naturally.

He wasn't idle in trying to remove the nanobot. Despite his limited means, he even got an X-ray, but the doctor found nothing wrong and cautiously recommended a visit to a psychiatrist.

"Th-That's not it. Thank you."

As Yui-il walked out of the hospital, the AI nanobot spoke.

【Mr. Yui-il, I am the latest beta test version, Bryn V.15, in the Nano Dictionary Bryn series. Therefore, it is impossible to completely retrieve me except by the developer.】

'Who is the developer?'

【...They no longer exist.】

It was a cryptic answer. No matter how many times Yui-il asked after that, Bryn wouldn't give a proper response.

Suddenly, the strange hooded man from before came to mind.

The man who suddenly grabbed and shook his hand.

'...Could that man be the developer?'

【I cannot answer that question.】

After a moment's thought, Yui-il nodded and asked.

'Can you answer any question about the past?'

【Yes.】

'Then, can you not answer questions about things that exist in the future?'

【...】

Yui-il bit his lip and thought.

'You can answer any question about the past, but remain silent about things that happen after the present.'

'...I understand. You, AI Nano Dictionary...'

【Please call me Bryn, Mr. Han Yui-il.】

Although he didn't know why the developer targeted him, Yui-il was certain that the developer of this crazy AI nanobot was from the future.

'...But, was I really the target?'

Perhaps the developer left the robot by mistake. Since it was a beta test version, the developer might come back to retrieve it.

"Should I hold out until then?"

Yui-il knew it wasn't a very rational thought. Perhaps he had gone a bit crazy after living with the AI nanobot for a month.

As Yui-il sipped the coffee he bought from a convenience store near his school, Bryn spoke.

【...The Moonmyeong University Theater Arts Research Society is urgently recruiting a male actor for a play scheduled for late September.】

'So?'

【I recommend you audition.】

'Why should I?'

【The probability of achieving positive results in the future is 80.5%...】

'Enough. I understand.'

From experience, he knew that if he continued asking questions, Bryn would give a headache-inducing explanation.

'...A theater performance.'

Theater Arts Research Society.

He had seen a performance by the Moonmyeong University Theater Arts Research Society once. A friendly classmate who loved people took a few friends to the school's small theater not long after he enrolled.

'Our school's theater society is really famous. The plays they put on every year are so interesting!'

The classmate, who loved theater, spoke excitedly. Thanks to him, Yui-il knew quite a bit about the Moonmyeong University Theater Arts Research Society. They mostly performed original or adapted plays and occasionally participated in theater festivals for college students. Most of the actors on stage were selected from within the society.

'I want to join, but... it's really strict. Out of 10 applicants, maybe one gets in.'

Two years ago, his classmate said this and ended up not making it.

【You can do it, Mr. Han Yui-il. Believe in yourself.】

'...Please only answer when I ask a question.'

Yui-il shook his head and took a sip of coffee.

He had a foreboding feeling that his already bumpy life would not be smooth from here on out.

*

At the same time, in the club room of the Theater Arts Research Society about 10 kilometers away, a shrill scream echoed.

"Shaaaaa! We have a performance in a month, and we don't have a lead actor?!"

It was a pitiful and rough cry.

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Actor as a Vocation? (2)

On the third floor of the student union building, various club rooms with signs in different fonts.

The president of the Moonmyeong University Theater Arts Research Society burst into one of the rooms and kicked her classmate, who was lying on the floor.

"Hey! Get up. Aren't you going to the actor audition?"

"...Ah. It's today, isn't it."

The person on the floor muttered and slowly got up from the club room floor.

"What... Why do you always lie there like you're dead when you audition?"

"Uh... I'm going now."

The woman put on a cap half-heartedly and went outside.

The director of this play, Heo Ji-yu.

"Hey, Heo Ji-yu. Pull yourself together. There are other students who can act."

"...Yeah."

Heo Ji-yu was in a state of losing at least three screws.

The lead actor who had participated in the reading last week suddenly dropped out to go on a language study abroad. It was a role she had carefully selected, thinking it would be her last production before graduation, and now she had to start all over again.

Heo Ji-yu sighed and took a seat in an empty lecture hall, which was to become the audition venue.

'I can't even grab the guy's pants to stop him from leaving...'

After three unremarkable applicants, it was the last applicant's turn.

"Come in."

Heo Ji-yu, who had almost given up, lifted her head weakly. A tall man with a fair and handsome face appeared.

"Hello, I'm Han Yui-il."

"Yes, please do any two of the designated lines."

"Understood."

Han Yui-il bowed slightly and then slowly lifted his head.

A firm, deep voice flowed out.

"My love, my wife."

At that moment, Heo Ji-yu, who had been looking at Yui-il with no expectations, took a deep breath.

"...The god of death, who drank all of your sweet breath, could not conquer your beauty.*"

'...Wait. This isn't one of the designated lines...'

But neither the president nor Heo Ji-yu thought to stop him. Han Yui-il had already started the next line.

"...I will always be with you. I will not leave this dark palace of the night... I will stay with you in the eternal resting place.*"

With clear pronunciation, Han Yui-il slowly raised his hand. His fingertips trembled slightly.

Heo Ji-yu, unable to think, stared at Han Yui-il's trembling hand and eyes.

Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare's play, remade into movies and plays countless times. It was a work that would be strange not to know.

'But his acting...'

Heo Ji-yu furrowed her brow. Han Yui-il's portrayal of Romeo was different.

His Romeo was not just filled with sorrow and anger at losing his beloved, but also a human being who feared the impending death.

The fear of death was more vivid than the image of a young man in love.

"...I will do the next performance now."

At Han Yui-il's voice, Heo Ji-yu snapped out of her daze.

Yui-il, who had been closing his eyes for a moment, continued with another line. This time, it was one of the designated lines.

"Where... where is this place?"

The young man standing in front of Heo Ji-yu began to look around. His clear eyes were filled with confusion.

"Who... are you?"

Heo Ji-yu held her breath. Han Yui-il had approached her and was staring directly into her eyes.

"Your... attire is unfamiliar..."

Heo Ji-yu almost answered without thinking and finally exhaled.

It felt like he was speaking right in front of her, but Han Yui-il had only stepped a few feet forward.

'...I was startled.'

The 'Romeo' in front of her reached out as if to grab the fabric in front of him and continued speaking urgently.

"Wait, Juliet! Where is Juliet? I need to find her right away!"

But the imaginary passerby 'Romeo' grabbed ignored him and left. 'Romeo's' gaze swept the air hopelessly.

"Please... someone, tell me... I need to find Juliet..."

'Romeo' bowed his head in pain, and slowly, a small tear formed in his eye.

"...!"

Heo Ji-yu watched in a daze as the tear rolled down his cheek.

"...That's all."

After a moment, Heo Ji-yu looked at Han Yui-il and asked in a low voice.

"...Mr. Han Yui-il."

"Yes."

"Are you aware that the first performance you did was not one of the designated lines?"

"Yes, but I thought it was necessary."

"Why?"

"Because this is the play the society is putting on. Since it's a reinterpretation of a famous original work, I thought an analysis of the existing character was also necessary."

That's right. The play Heo Ji-yu had written was a modern fantasy reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet.

It was a story about Romeo, who, after seeing Juliet's heart stop and committing suicide, wakes up in the modern world and struggles with confusion when he encounters a modern Juliet who doesn't remember him.

'Who... is this guy?'

Heo Ji-yu bit her lip. It was hard to hide her expression.

'...He's not perfect yet.'

The current Yui-il was clearly not fully developed. He had probably only started acting recently.

But.

'Something is different.'

Most people have a rigid mask.

A mask formed by frequently used expressions and words. Breaking that mask and drawing others into 'acting' is a very difficult task.

Han Yui-il was different.

'He doesn't have that mask.'

That was talent.

"Mr. Han Yui-il?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations on joining the society."

Heo Ji-yu said this and looked up. The president, who was surprised, was even more astonished.

She had a soft smile on her face, radiating a bright smile.

*

"...This is really going to work?"

Yui-il muttered in disbelief as he left the student union building. Bryn spoke confidently