The Face Genius Actor

Episode 051

After finishing the shoot.

We quickly moved to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport.

Fortunately, we were able to return home more comfortably than expected.

However, due to the significant mental fatigue from the 1 night 2 day trip, I couldn’t think about anything else.

So after helping the And You filming team unload their luggage, we quickly exchanged greetings.

“Good work everyone!”

“I’ll contact you again in the morning!”

“Get home safely, Actor!”

“Everyone worked hard, thank you!”

After arriving home and falling into an almost unconscious sleep, I received a late evening call from Kim Bo-mi.

-Actor! I heard from Jin-ah! I heard you had a tough time there?

“It ended up that way somehow. But I’m glad the shoot finished safely.”

-I heard your performance was amazing! Even the editor from And You called and couldn’t stop praising you! Said you’re not just a pretty face!

“Really? It seems a lot happened while I was deep in sleep.”

-How you anticipated the issues with the outfits they had ambitiously prepared and even introduced a new piece…. You’re truly more amazing the more we learn about you.

“I was lucky. I’m glad And You viewed it positively.”

-Writer Im Seung-yeon also contacted us separately to say the shoot with you was great, and to definitely contact her if another opportunity arises. You’re so popular!

The incident in Guam must have been quite impactful.

The evidence was Kim Bo-mi continuing to shower praises over the phone.

Even I thought this morning’s events were truly spectacular.

It felt like we had filmed a thriller movie.

After over an hour of praise, Kim Bo-mi informed me of the date and time for the And You interview and hung up.

* * *

A few days later, I conducted the And You interview at a quiet cafe.

As expected, this special feature wasn’t just about my photo shoot.

An interview fitting the special feature was also prepared.

Fortunately, the interview wasn’t as difficult as the photo shoot.

This was because the bond with Celia had grown stronger after experiencing a major incident together in Guam in a short time.

Thanks to that, I was able to conduct the interview in a comfortable atmosphere.

The interview content itself wasn’t difficult, so it wrapped up smoothly like sailing with the wind.

Compared to the News Economy days, the interview felt almost too easy, to the point where it felt somewhat empty.

After finishing the interview, I chatted with Celia.

“Thank you for your hard work, Actor.”

“You worked harder, Editor. You were running all over Guam city after all.”

“Not at all. I received a lot of help from you this time. I learned quite a bit working together.”

“Did I teach you anything?”

“Hmm…. That there are good celebrities in the world too? Something like that?”

“Ah. I’ve heard there are often unpleasant experiences during photo shoots. Is that why I got this opportunity this time?”

“Yes. That’s how I had the honor of working with you. Thinking about it again, if it wasn’t for you… I shudder to imagine what might have happened.”

“I was also really happy to participate in this special feature.”

“Ah. There’s one thing I wanted to ask.”

“Go ahead, Editor.”

“Would it be alright to include in the special feature how you anticipated the issue with otoño and introduced NM?”

“In the special feature?”

“Yes. After hearing about what happened in Guam, the Editor-in-Chief cautiously asked if we should include it.”

“The And You Editor-in-Chief…”

“Yes, the Editor-in-Chief.”

I was surprised that the Editor-in-Chief made such an unexpected suggestion and thought for a moment.

Including this in the special feature as Celia suggested wasn’t a bad idea.

It could be advantageous in securing a fashionista image.

But there was one thing that bothered me, so I brought it up.

“Since otoño’s issue hasn’t been legally confirmed yet, I’d prefer if we only included the part about introducing NM, omitting the otoño part.”

“Hmm…. That would be better, right?”

“Yes. It could get tiresome if otoño side decides to make a fuss about this. Sometimes indifference can be the most powerful weapon.”

“That’s true. We avoid stepping in poop not because we’re afraid of it, but because it’s dirty. Anyway, I understand. I’ll only include the part about recommending NM in the special feature.”

The conversation concluded, and Celia once again expressed her gratitude.

Finally, the work with And You, which had more impact than expected, was wrapped up.

* * *

Meanwhile, as the work with And You was in full swing.

“I Will Cast Love” had aired up to episode 12.

Episode 12’s ratings easily surpassed the 15% mark, recording 18.3%.

Considering that “I Will Cast Love” originally ended in the mid-15% range, this could be considered better than expected.

It was clear that once again, an unexpected positive change had occurred due to the variable that was me.

It was an extremely joyful thing.

As the ratings increased, people’s interest became almost tangibly intense.

[MountainMan][23:13] Second son! I enjoyed watching the drama today too! So what’s happening with Hee-joo?

[Si-joon][23:14] If I tell you that, won’t the next episode be less interesting?

[MountainMan][23:14] I’m really fine with it, but the aunties at the shop keep asking what’s going to happen

[Si-joon][23:14] It seems like you’re more curious than the shop aunties… or am I mistaken?

[MountainMan][23:15] You’re mistaken^^ I’m always busy serving the best food to customers

[Si-joon][23:15] So that’s why you came into my room to check the “I Will Cast Love” script for some recipe?

[MountainMan][23:18] That was the “I Will Cast Love” script? I didn’t know. But I couldn’t find the script for episode 13?

[Si-joon][23:18] I hid it well so no one would accidentally spoil it

[MountainMan][23:18] How meticulous… Our second son. By the way, when are you bringing Hee-joo home? I really want to treat her to a meal

[Si-joon][23:19] I told you before, senior Joo-yeon and I have just known each other since our theater days

[MountainMan][23:19] I know. So, are you coming to eat chicken kalguksu next week?

[BriefMan][23:19] What? Is someone coming over? And what’s “sacae”? Sake? Scammer?

Of course, just because it became popular doesn’t mean everyone watched “I Will Cast Love.”

In the case of our house’s “BriefMan,” he seemed too busy working in Paris to pay attention to such things.

It made me think anew that I should work hard to make my name more known.

[BriefMan][23:20] By the way, I heard you did a photoshoot with And You?

[Si-joon][23:20] How did you know about that? When you don’t even know about “sacae”?

[BriefMan][23:21] I heard it by chance since it’s fashion-related. I’m not interested in games at all

[Si-joon][23:21] “Sacae” isn’t “scammer”… it’s short for “I Will Cast Love”

[BriefMan][23:21] Ah, I see

[Si-joon][23:22] I was wondering how Dad knew gaming terms

[BriefMan][23:22] Yeah

Well… It seemed he hadn’t completely lost interest in my affairs.

Anyway, the response to “I Will Cast Love” was explosive enough for the shop aunties to show open interest.

Thanks to that, I was also receiving many good offers for commercials.

But it was time to start preparing for the next project.

So I was declining commercial offers and dedicating time to reading scripts.

After all, the most important thing for me was to find a good project and continue acting.

I was positively considering two projects.

One was a drama titled “Time Series.”

It was the most appealing among the main lead roles I’d been offered.

The story was about the protagonist’s ancestor obtaining a watch imbued with spirits from the late Joseon period, which is then inherited by the protagonist who becomes a modern-day exorcist.

I was curious about the opportunity to act as the main lead in a horror-fantasy genre I hadn’t experienced before.

However, since a domestic OTT platform was planning to exclusively air this show, its buzz couldn’t be guaranteed.

Even in my memory, “Time Series” didn’t perform well.

It was natural since domestic OTT platforms weren’t sufficiently established yet.

‘So if I choose “Time Series”… I should focus on showcasing my abilities as the main protagonist.’

Of course, if I appeared in “Time Series,” the performance might change.

But it couldn’t be guaranteed.

A project’s success wasn’t determined simply by one actor performing well.

This was especially true when the cause of success was directly related to the platform.

So the next project I was considering was a movie titled “Joseon Bandit, Kim Gae-ddong.”

This movie, depicting the bandit leader Kim Gae-ddong who protected Korean farmers in Manchuria in 1936, was guaranteed to be successful.

In my memory, it attracted 8 million viewers.

However, in this movie, I would have to play the supporting male role of “Death Ghost,” Kim Gae-ddong’s right-hand man.

I had no intention of insisting on main lead roles if I could appear in a good project.

But “Joseon Bandit, Kim Gae-ddong” was too centered on the main lead.

Death Ghost was a supporting role in name only; it was more like a minor role with slightly more lines.

In any case, choosing to appear in “Joseon Bandit, Kim Gae-ddong” when I could take on main lead roles wasn’t a good choice.

‘I guess I’m getting offered relatively small roles in movies since my acting skills haven’t been proven in film yet.’

Both “Time Series” and “Joseon Bandit, Kim Gae-ddong” had their pros and cons.

That’s why I was having trouble choosing a project.

I was considering whether to rest a bit longer and wait for another project when I received a call from Business Planning Team Leader Kim Bo-mi.

-Actor, do you know the singer Cindy?

I was inwardly surprised at the name Cindy but answered without showing it.

“Is there anyone who doesn’t know Cindy? I personally enjoy her music and listen to it often.”

Kim Bo-mi’s voice immediately brightened.

-Ah, that’s great. We got a call from Cindy’s side asking if you’d be interested in appearing in the music video for her new album’s title track.

I couldn’t hide my surprise and immediately asked back.

“Appearing in a music video?”

And so, my future was flowing in a direction I hadn’t considered at all.