Chapter 8

Ex-Internet Celebrity Becomes Top Star - Chapter 8 (8/110)

8

Just how much of a ruckus had he caused in every direction?

To the point where Rowoon had to bear the karma of the original body.

‘If this continues, I won’t even be able to get cast and will just fail, right?’

If it ends with just failing, that would be fortunate.

His life was on the line!

‘Well, I guess even I would find it hard to believe easily.’

It’s practically impossible to develop decent acting skills within three days.

Still, even so.

How could there be absolutely no one willing to help?

Even the person who first answered the phone thought he was a scammer!

A situation where he couldn’t get help from anywhere.

Just as he was starting to seriously worry.

There was someone else who found the situation even more serious.

It was utter chaos.

The constant notifications from the observers making sarcastic comments and Cheonghua, who was acting as if the world was collapsing, saying things like humanity was lost.

Judging by their reactions, it felt like the end of the world was D-1.

Of course, Rowoon was also in a serious situation, with death looming, but he was curious about why Cheonghua seemed even more anxious.

It sounded like a famous line he had heard somewhere...

But it did make sense.

Weren’t Cheonghua and he a shared fate?

However, the content of his lament was a bit strange.

Cheonghua, who had been rambling about something incomprehensible, suddenly snapped back to reality.

“An opportunity? Me?”

How could I, who was brought back from the dead, be an opportunity?

“Huh...?”

It seemed he had been repeating “Huh...?” for a while.

“W... What?”

“...?”

Cheonghua looked very serious.

While there are many beings who don’t care about descendants or future generations,

There are also many who continuously watch over and care for them.

Some try to appear in their descendants’ dreams to give them lottery numbers.

Others give up the chance to accumulate merit and use their power to protect their descendants.

There are also those who try to repay favors they received in life or those who never forget their grudges.

According to Cheonghua, Rowoon was a rare opportunity.

Then, with a solemn look, Cheonghua disappeared.

‘...Is this real?’

It seemed genuine, given the constant “Hmm” and “Ahem” messages from the observers while Cheonghua was speaking.

A few hours later, Cheonghua really did bring a helper.

“Huh...?”

“...Is it really okay?”

Given the former owner’s notorious reputation, the news of someone willing to help was like a rain in a drought.

But... is it really okay?

To receive help from those high and mighty observers in the sky?

Despite his confusion, Rowoon nodded at Cheonghua’s explanation.

‘So, I might be able to get help from those observers in the future?’

The assistance of divine beings.

Rowoon was already feeling both amazed and excited.

Cheonghua proudly mentioned setting some conditions and let out a strange, satisfied laugh.

In any case,

After that, Rowoon really did receive the training he had longed for.

Right in his dreams.

With Cheonghua’s guarantee, there was nothing to worry about.

‘It’s a bit tough, but it’s fun and amazing.’

Eat, sleep, wake up, and fall asleep again. Fall asleep again, sleep, and sleep some more.

Rowoon learned ‘acting’ in the dream space, non-stop.

‘To be more precise, it was more like experiencing someone else’s life rather than just acting.’

Acting means expressing a character through a performance.

Whether through actions, or through the tone and expressions that reveal a character’s personality.

In a way, it’s a form of imitation.

The level of acting depends on how well and realistically this imitation is shown.

If an actor can make the audience feel like they are the character itself, it can be considered excellent acting.

‘The elements that make up a character are countless. How I express them can make the character come to life or appear flat and monotonous.’

In just two days of training, Rowoon experienced and lived many lives.

Or rather, he became those people and lived their lives.

‘At first, I thought I had gone mad when I suddenly found myself in Joseon-era Seoul.’

The first time he experienced acting... it was incredibly fun!

Sometimes as an old, old man.

Sometimes as a young, innocent child.

Sometimes as an animal, not even human.

Living one life and then moving on to another.

It was a miraculous training method that only a god could achieve.

Experiencing someone else’s life had more depth than any teaching.

The background of the character’s life, relationships with other characters, values, and ways of thinking.

Through dreams, Rowoon became many characters and accumulated direct experience.

Through this diverse experience, he also gained a new skill.

‘The method of immersion.’

He had a similar experience in his previous life.

‘So... it means being faithful to the concept, right?’

Actually, it’s a virtue for idols to have some acting skills.

For album photo shoots, music video shoots, and even photo calls.

There are many times when they need to be faithful to the given concept.

‘Acting... I had never thought about it before, so it seemed like a vague concept at first, but it turned out to be more fun than I expected.’

A completely new field he had never considered.

He was forced into it to survive.

Two days of continuous, practical acting training in his dreams.

It unexpectedly brought him interest and enjoyment.

‘I always wondered what would have happened if I had been born as someone else or made a different choice...’

While yearning for the affection of a family that never gave him a glance.

While watching the group he was in decline due to members causing trouble.

While being locked in a room and seeing his songs released under someone else’s name.

Rowoon always wondered what would have happened if he had made a different choice.

This dream class didn’t provide a clear answer to that.

But by living someone else’s life, Rowoon was able to somewhat quench his thirst.

‘It’s a shame.’

He discovered such an attractive field other than writing songs, and it was already too late.

Rowoon felt a deep sense of regret.

The dream-like, or rather, the experience in the dream, was only going to last one more day, which was already very disappointing.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t regret it.”

To avoid regret, it was time to sleep.

Rowoon closed his eyes.

And soon, the dream training began again.

* * *

“Are you really okay without me being there?”

The manager, looking worried, turned to Rowoon as he got out of the car.

Something he could never have dreamed of in his previous life.

The manager wouldn’t have even driven him here.

‘How does our manager survive in this world, being so kind?’

Rowoon answered the overly kind manager.

“I’m fine, hyung. I’m not a kid, you know.”

‘No, you seem more anxious than a kid right now...!’

Losing his memory and becoming gentle and diligent was good.

But being so innocent in this form.

In the past, his temper was so bad that he would have told the manager to go away, and the manager wouldn’t have worried, but rather been worried about him.

Now, it was the opposite.

‘How will this kid survive in the world being so innocent...’

“Still, isn’t it too early? The audition doesn’t start for another two hours. Are you really okay being alone?”

“I can focus better alone. I’ll contact you when it’s over.”

Look at him now.

In the past, he wouldn’t have waited even five minutes, let alone two hours, and would have been late.

‘He’s definitely doing this because he’s thinking about me waiting.’

Although he had only been taking care of the amnesiac Rowoon for a few days, the manager had already gotten a good read on him.

They parted ways, each thinking the same thing about the other.

‘Manager hyung’s expression was bad. Could he really have the vacant syndrome?’

Rowoon recalled the search history on his phone he had seen in the early morning.

But only for a moment.

‘Focus. The audition is important now!’

Rowoon looked down at the paper he was holding.

The thin synopsis was already worn out from constant handling, with notes and analyses scribbled all over it.

‘Can I do this properly?’

He needed to pass this to successfully complete the request.

And most importantly,

‘I don’t want to die without doing anything anymore.’

He didn’t want to be swayed by events around him and leave regrets, as he had in the past.

Three days.

A very short time to prepare properly.

When Cheonghua suddenly appeared, he asked.

Fortunately, he had negotiated with the heavens to add a stealth function, so there was no chaos in the crowded cafe.

“I’m nervous, but I’ve done my best.”

The efforts of the past four days flashed through his mind.

On the other hand, he thought,

-What if I had been given such an opportunity before I died?

It was a past event that couldn’t happen again.

But the regret still lingered.

Cheonghua, who knew what he was talking about, encouraged him with a gleam.

Yes.

It was a time when even regretting was a waste.

Soon, the best results would be confirmed.

Rowoon opened the booklet and began to focus.

* * *

In the space allocated for the audition, someone was pacing anxiously.

‘I need to find a decent actor.’

It was Kim Sung-ha, the director of ‘Ears’.

Currently, Director Kim’s mind was burning black.