Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 16

신이 내린 탑스타 016. 매니저인가 연기자인가 (1)(16/401)

016. Manager or Actor (1)

2021.11.16.

No one would care about a manager, let alone an actor. Yeon-woo’s hand moved swiftly across the notepad. To an outsider, it would seem like ordinary note-taking with a pen. However, what happened next was anything but ordinary. Sizzle… The paper in his palm turned to ash in its original form. With a light shake, the black ash vanished into the air as if absorbed. ‘First, one down.’ Yeon-woo snapped his fingers. Instantly, [Kieeeek!] a thought-form that had been growing, threatening to devour Writer Min’s shoulders and head, twisted and shrieked grotesquely. [Uh, uhhh?] The effect was clear. The mass of thought-form, which hadn’t budged despite the child’s efforts, caught fire on the spot. There were no flamboyant flames, only silent but unquenchable infernal flames that burned the target. The small hole in the large body gradually grew, and finally, [Kieeeek…!] the thought-form attached to Writer Min let out its last death cry and was completely annihilated. And at the same time.
-Ting!
[You have successfully harvested lifespan.]
[Lifespan harvested: 27 days]
Nearly a month’s worth of lifespan came in at once. ‘This is more like it.’ A satisfied smile naturally appeared on his lips. [Wowwww…?] The huge thought-form that she had been struggling to shake off was annihilated without even putting up a proper resistance. The child stared blankly at Yeon-woo with sparkling eyes, as if looking at someone incredibly amazing. [You said you didn’t want to, but your skills are still as good as ever? Your spirit control seems even more refined than before?]
Anything changes when life is at stake. [She’s looking at you like you’re a total hero, man. She must think you’re amazing.] Yeon-woo smirked. Misinterpreting the smile, the child quickly hid behind Writer Min again. And…
‘Hmm?’ Yeon-woo’s eyes met Writer Min’s. Right on target. He didn’t know how long she had been looking this way, but the way she was staring with wide eyes didn’t bode well. ‘I don’t remember sensing any special energy from her…’ Writer Min must be feeling lighter in her shoulders and head by now. A thought-form strong enough to affect a human not only gnaws at the mind but also influences the body. The fatigue and exhaustion he had initially felt from Writer Min, who had been weighed down, were gone. ‘Well, she probably won’t connect it to me.’ Of course. Who in their right mind would think that someone had dealt with a thought-form so easily in this place? No. In the first place, most people can’t even comprehend the existence of thought-forms. Even if there are people who believe in them, they wouldn’t think that someone could perform exorcism so quickly. As expected. Writer Min soon turned her gaze elsewhere. However, Yeon-woo felt another piercing gaze. ‘Why is that guy acting like that again?’ The owner of the fiercely burning eyes. It was Lee Deok-chun, whose corny name and terrible acting were memorable.

***

One week after the first script reading.
“Shooting will begin! Scene one, take one!” The official first day of filming for the drama began. With the staff’s resounding voice, the slate clapped crisply. Kwon Seong-hyun moved amidst dozens of onlookers. “Disgusting.” A cold tone spat out as if grinding his teeth. Kwon Seong-hyun’s first scene was crossing paths with ghosts without even acknowledging them.
“Seong-hyun acts well, right?”
“Yes, well…”
“It’s not just because he’s the actor I’m in charge of, but there’s no one as great as him. You can feel the tension building right from the first scene.”
“That’s true.”
He had felt it during the script reading, but Kwon Seong-hyun definitely had some kind of aura. “Seong-hyun will probably have very few NGs [no-good takes], so things will move quickly, but the overall shooting time will still be quite long. Seong-hyun said you can rest in the waiting room if you’re tired. Should I take you there?”
“No, I’m fine. It’s fun to watch. I’ll watch for a bit and then rest.”
Drama filming doesn’t happen at a fixed time. It usually moves very flexibly depending on the actor’s condition, the surrounding circumstances, the availability of filming locations, and various props. The shooting time can be short, or it can be endlessly long. That means the actors and staff get tired. He knew the manager was being considerate. It’s unheard of for a mere assistant manager to rest in a waiting room without a 담당 배우 [one’s assigned actor]. But.
‘Why would I leave my goldmine?’ It was an unnecessary consideration for Yeon-woo.
“Then feel free to watch. I’m just going to take a phone call…” While the manager slipped away, Yeon-woo scanned the set. [It seems like there are more than last time?]
“It’s probably because filming has officially started.”
[I guess so. There are always people who can’t stand seeing others succeed. Look at those sticky clumps of curses already, and it’s only the first day of shooting. Ugh. Disgusting.] Crackle!
As the child spirit said, the clumps of thought-form had grown bigger and more beautiful in the past week. ‘That’s all my lifespan, right?’ He couldn’t help but smile contentedly. “It’s a total thank you to me.”
[If you look at it that way, it’s not all bad… I’m losing my faith in humanity a little. If it’s grown this much in just a week, how many people must have twisted minds that wish others ill?]
“Why do you have faith in humanity?”
[Why, what, why! Can’t I have some faith in humanity too?!] The hamster in his pocket squeaked fiercely. Yeon-woo pondered for a moment. ‘He seems to be forgetting that he’s a ghost these days. Must be my imagination…?’ Stroking the hamster’s soft head with his fingertips, Yeon-woo said, “You’re in an animal’s body, so you can’t see it, but it’s not just curses.”
[Then?]
“You have to see desire as half of it.”
[Are you saying there are that many people trying to freeload off our actor’s work?!]
“Like you said, it’s Kwon Seong-hyun, after all. If there are people who envy and are jealous of someone else’s success, there are also people who try to leech off someone else’s success without lifting a finger, right?”
Either way, it was all the same thought-form to Yeon-woo. He just had to pick up the gold nuggets lying around on the ground.
“Cut!”
Then. A loud voice echoed through the set. [Huh? Looks like there was an NG. Wow? Looks like our actor caused it?]
The director rushed over to Kwon Seong-hyun. “Seong-hyun, that was great just now. Is there a problem?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ve prepared enough.”
Kwon Seong-hyun bowed politely. “No, what are you talking about? Seong-hyun not preparing enough? Where else is there an actor who films without NGs as much as Seong-hyun? Was it just a few times just now? That’s nothing, nothing. It’s just that the emotions weren’t quite there in the beginning…?” Director Heo glanced at Kwon Seong-hyun. He was endlessly sensitive and picky with people who gave terrible performances, but on the other hand, he was endlessly soft with people who gave two hundred percent of their role. One prime example was Kwon Seong-hyun.
“It’s not that.”
“Then can you tell me what’s causing it?”
“I’m sorry, but can you give me a moment?”
“Oh, sure. Of course! Okay, everyone, let’s take a break!”
Not even an hour had passed since the first day of filming had begun. But he didn’t hesitate to ask for a break. [That’s strange. Our actor is totally famous for going straight in one take without any NGs, but is he not in good condition today?]
“I don’t know.”
Whether Kwon Seong-hyun’s condition was good or bad, Yeon-woo honestly didn’t care. He just had to harvest the lifespan that sprang up like a cornucopia. But.
[Yeon-woo, the actor is coming this way?]
“What?” Yeon-woo, who had been choosing the biggest and most beautiful one, hurriedly turned his head. As the child spirit said, Kwon Seong-hyun, dressed to the nines like a third-generation chaebol [conglomerate heir], was striding towards him. ‘Why is he coming here?!’ An already imposing man, with the atmosphere of a third-generation chaebol, the drama role, formed an aura that would make most people kneel just by looking at him. That man was walking straight towards Yeon-woo.
“Yeon-woo, do you have a moment?”
[Of course! What’s wrong, actor? You don’t look good.] Before he could say no, the child spirit took the lead. “What’s wrong? Let’s hear it.” As Yeon-woo said that, the third-generation chaebol’s aura disappeared, and the usual dog-like man slowly opened his mouth.
“I can’t act the way I want to.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve practiced a lot, and I have a sense of the role, but I feel like something’s missing.”
“…?” Why are you telling me that? ‘What’s lacking in someone who has more than five fingers’ worth of acting-related skills?!’ This was like Michael Jordan asking a random kid how to dunk, Noam Chomsky asking about the alphabet, or Cha Bum-kun asking how to dribble. That’s how absurd it was.
“If I’m going to act, I want to act even more perfectly.”
“What does that have to do with me…?”
“The way you completely ignore ghosts even while seeing them. I’m curious about that.”
***

As expected, this man is strange. He was unusual from the first meeting, but now he seems to be even stranger. “So you’re saying you want me to teach you how to act? Are you serious?”
“No one but Yeon-woo can do it.”
Kwon Seong-hyun was very serious. “Normally, I would have been able to grasp the emotions just through image training. But not now. I believe Yeon-woo’s teachings will make my acting even more perfect.”
“……”
“It seems a little different from just ignoring people. I looked it up, and it said that souls appear in various forms. They appear in grotesque and terrifying forms, and they appear in disgusting forms. I want to know more about the emotions of a character who thoroughly ignores such a world while seeing it.”
He wanted to act a little better. He wanted to act a little more perfectly. This was Kwon Seong-hyun’s greed and ambition for acting, as the child spirit had said. ‘Amazing. Is that why he’s a top actor?’ He’s at the top, so he could be arrogant, but Kwon Seong-hyun has none of that. He must have pride in his own acting. But he bows his head to someone who is ignorant of acting for the sake of the acting he wants.
‘Hmm. Should I teach him?’ Kwon Seong-hyun’s words touched Yeon-woo’s past. It’s a memory that’s unpleasant to recall, but the top actor is asking for help, so what. “I’ve never taught anyone before, so I don’t know if it will work. I’ve never consciously paid attention to my attitude.”
“Ah……” Kwon Seong-hyun’s shoulders drooped as if he thought it was a no.
“But I think I can just show you how I usually live.”