Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 66

“This movie, you say?” Even for Yeonwoo, who wasn’t particularly interested in cultural events, it seemed like a long shot. But this movie would give him wings? “My eyes don’t lie.” Kwon Seonghyun’s voice was filled with an inexplicable confidence.

“Ah.” Now that he thought about it, Kwon Seonghyun had his own kind of special talent. And everything Kwon Seonghyun chose turned into a box office hit. “The others aren’t bad either, but this one will suit Yeonwoo the best.” [But Yeonwoo has never been in love before, will he be okay? He’s a ‘MOTAE SOLO’ these days… You know, a total solo? Actor?]

“Hey…?” The enemy was within. Yeonwoo’s voice, his past suddenly exposed by Dongjaryeong, echoed emptily in the air. “Ah, that doesn’t matter at all. Research on the role is certainly necessary, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be based on experience.” [Really? He’s not just a total solo, but he’s also a bit cynical, so he’s never even had a crush… Tweet!]

“You’re awfully talkative today?”

“[Ah! Let go! Let me go!]

“Shut up. Be quiet. I’ll use the Exorcism Decree?”

“[Wow. You’re such a cheapskate…!]

Dongjaryeong, caught in Yeonwoo’s hand, thrashed about but soon calmed down. “You two seem to have a good relationship.”

“[Where?!]

“Where on earth do you see that?” Kwon Seonghyun chuckled at their simultaneous replies. “That’s exactly what makes you seem to have a good relationship. Anyway, Yeonwoo, you don’t have to worry about that. Or… I could help you.”

“Yes?”

“I heard you’ve never been in a relationship.”

“……” It was true, but somehow it felt like he was being subtly called out. “Tell me if you need help. I’d welcome it anytime if it’s Yeonwoo.”

“Yes… well… I understand.” If Kwon Seonghyun helped, the story would definitely change. Having someone covered in S-ranks by your side was like using another cheat code. ‘Romance, huh.’ It was definitely an unfamiliar genre. But like Kwon Seonghyun said, challenging it wouldn’t be bad for broadening his acting range.

‘Long-running in the entertainment industry isn’t my only goal.’ The important thing was recognition and influence. Becoming a master in one field wasn’t bad, but… ‘It’s better to keep the possibilities as open as possible.’ That’s why he was utilizing the composing and playing abilities he gained from the masters.

‘Choosing similar roles would only narrow down my options.’ Looking back, Kwon Seonghyun’s choice was right. In addition, Kwon Seonghyun told him various things about the project and the director. “It’s his first commercial project, but he’s only late to the commercial scene. He’s a veteran in the short film world, so he has a lot of dedicated fans. He’s also famous for drawing characters very delicately and vividly, to the point where the actor is really guided by the character. He’s also known for assigning roles that fit the actor perfectly.”

“His unique, deep emotional lines and excellent control of pacing make him famous for playing push and pull with the audience. He’s also known in other ways… but that’s not very important. Anyway, even though it’s an independent film, it has the power to mobilize an audience comparable to most commercial films.”

“He likes to dig deep into one topic, so Yeonwoo will have a lot to learn. He approaches the topic very delicately. He tends to portray things that could be cliché in a fresh way. Even if it’s romance, it won’t be too trite. Ah, be sure to tell me if you need help, got it?” There were some strange comments mixed in, but overall it was helpful information.

“You don’t have to give me an answer right away, so think about it.”

“……I understand.” It was definitely helpful to hear from Kwon Seonghyun, who seemed to have a Midas touch for knowing what would be a hit. ‘Romance…’

“Oh, and it would be good to go on a lighthearted variety show. Yeonwoo is still active on the radio, but there are restrictions because it’s late at night… You still need to show your face on screen periodically to help people remember you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. These days, variety shows are surprisingly good for getting attention. It’s short-term and better than something like a CF [Commercial Film, advertisement] to show who Kang Yeonwoo is.”

“I understand.”

“I’ll pick out a few good ones. Oh, and I also recommend an OST [Original Soundtrack].”

“An OST?” It was a top-tier proposal. It was definitely a drama OST…

“Yes. It’s a drama scheduled for the next quarter, and they asked about an OST through YouTube.”

“If it’s through YouTube…”

“That’s right. It means they don’t know exactly who Yeonwoo is.” Currently, Yeonwoo’s YouTube account was managed by the agency. Of course, that management wasn’t public, so it just looked like an ordinary person’s account.

“But they contacted you through that? What do they believe in?”

“All the songs Yeonwoo made were in the rankings? If they have ears, they wouldn’t miss such a gem. Do you know that Yeonwoo’s story is always mentioned in YouTube-related topics these days?”

“No.” There’s no way. Yeonwoo was too lazy to look for communities or anything. The only feedback he got was:

-헐. Hyungnim [term of respect]. It’s God God God again. I’m so honored to be able to work on this again…! This one will easily hit a million views too. The number of followers is increasing exponentially, so I’m very satisfied…!

Jerry, muttering like a drowned rat every time he handed over a song. And.

-Ting! [Multiple lifespan auto-harvest complete.] [Auto-harvested lifespan: 82 days]

-Ting! [Multiple lifespan auto-harvest complete.] [Auto-harvested lifespan:…….]

Or the occasional notification from the lifespan auto-acquisition system?

“They’re probably aiming for topicality too. The OST directly participated in by that famous talented YouTuber. It’s a very good way to raise expectations even before the broadcast. Of course, it’s not just the drama that benefits.”

“[Does Yeonwoo benefit too?]

Dongjaryeong, who was listening to the story, asked, and Kwon Seonghyun gave a playful smile. “Of course. If it’s revealed later that the composer who wrote the OST is Yeonwoo… it’ll probably create a huge synergy, right?” A good fisherman doesn’t just cast one line. A scenario of working secretly and revealing it later.

‘Not bad.’ Yeonwoo had a deep smile on his face.

***

When was the last time I lived so intensely?

‘…I don’t think there ever was.’ It was only natural, because his life wasn’t on the line back then! The instinct to survive was truly powerful.

“So you’re doing a movie, an OST, and the radio all at the same time?” It was a conversation that started with Jerry commenting that he seemed busy these days. Jerry’s eyes widened in shock at Yeonwoo’s answer.

“The radio is only for 2 weeks now. The movie isn’t even under contract yet, so not really. Just slowly working on the OST?” But even though he wasn’t officially doing anything, Yeonwoo was spending very busy days. The reason was simple. The intention to broaden his acting range was good, but recklessly challenging it and ruining it completely was worse than not challenging it at all.

‘No matter what, I need to get a feel for it before I sign a contract.’ The romance study that he started with that thought was surprisingly difficult.

-[Isn’t that obvious? You’re a total solo! Besides, you hated people!]

-…….

Dongjaryeong’s merciless truth bombs were very effective. In the end, Yeonwoo asked Kwon Seonghyun for help after much deliberation.

-I said I’d help you.

Kwon Seonghyun had promised to kindly teach Yeonwoo, who knew nothing about romance. ‘…It’d be a problem if he used strange methods.’ He was originally a bizarre human being, so he was worried that he might use strange methods. But… ‘I didn’t think it would be like this.’ It was his fault for temporarily forgetting that Kwon Seonghyun was always a human who exceeded Yeonwoo’s imagination.

-Watch all of this…?

-Yes. It won’t take long. About… a week?

-Yes? Does it take a week?

-It’ll be helpful. This is the best way to learn various emotions.

“But you look very tired? Um… How should I put it… You look like a zombie in a movie…”

“Hoo… You try watching movies all day long, except for eating and going to the bathroom.”

“Movies?”

“Who said cramming education was good… I wish cramming education was dead…”

The crazy thing was that the method worked very well for Yeonwoo. He couldn’t complain. That’s because,

-Ting! [Conditions met!]

[‘Intent Recognition (B+)’ is upgraded!]

An unexpected notification popped up. ‘Conditions met? Upgrade?’ He was momentarily bewildered by the absurd words. It was only for a moment that Yeonwoo’s mouth dropped open as soon as he checked the status window.

[Intent Recognition] [A]

-An ability that makes it easier to understand the other person’s inner thoughts. It allows you to infer emotions or thoughts through text or the other person’s expression. Especially in the case of text, it allows you to understand the content intended by the writer and is further maximized in estimating the purpose, direction, and emotions at the time of writing.

‘…It really upgraded?’ Intent Recognition, which was a B+ grade, had changed to A. Not only that, was it because he had been watching video media for 12 hours a day?

‘It allows you to infer emotions or thoughts through the other person’s expression…?’ It definitely wasn’t there when it was a B+ grade. It was still specialized in scripts, but a facial recognition function had been added. In addition, the ‘degradation of ability’ part had been deleted. It seemed to be because the area had increased as it was upgraded.

‘It happens like this too…?’ It was an upgrade he had never expected. There were times when he wondered if the stats were graded, but it turned out to be real. Then that means all the other stats can be upgraded too… ‘Crazy.’ This isn’t just a jackpot, it’s almost a scam. The stat correction is already enormous, but it even improves. Should I like this? Should I not? He was momentarily lost in thought, but it didn’t last long. He would have died if it weren’t for the system anyway. And it even gave him a jackpot, so it would be good for his mental health to think of it as a windfall.

It was surprising that the stats were upgraded, but what was even more surprising was something else. ‘Why do you keep smiling? I can see the tears and I know everything, why can’t you just show me your crying face?’ ‘Wouldn’t it be annoying and frustrating if someone you were close to suddenly couldn’t remember you? Why are you so affectionate?’ ‘Why are you giving money there? Are you crazy…? No, why are you being fooled when you know it’s a lie?’ Scenes that he didn’t understand while watching many movies began to make sense one by one.