Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 45

45. Million-Dollar Showpiece

Rembrary pondered for a moment before nodding.

Representative Im told Rembrary to follow him.

They went to another practice room.

About fifteen people, still looking young, were gathered there, with an acting coach in comfortable sweats standing in front of them, holding a stack of papers.

“Representative? What’s going on?”

The acting coach, who had been gently correcting the trainees, smiled and approached Representative Im upon seeing him.

Representative Im gently nudged Rembrary forward, saying,

“Let him join the class today.”

“Woo Yeon-woo… is it?”

The acting coach recognized Rembrary immediately and murmured,

“Are you planning to have him act?”

“He has the right look.”

The acting coach immediately understood Representative Im’s meaning.

“That’s true. He photographs well, but he’s even more striking in person.”

However, even while praising him, the acting coach’s expression was ambiguous.

Rembrary sensed that the acting coach didn’t particularly like him.

In fact, the fifteen or so people standing nearby had similar expressions.

It was understandable. Those gathered here were trainees aspiring to become actors, and they were pouring all their effort into honing their skills to achieve their dreams.

So, when Representative Im brought in a somewhat known idol and announced he was going to try acting, they couldn’t help but be wary.

Rembrary, oblivious to these undercurrents, simply assumed that the trainees glaring at him were trying to assert their seniority.

“Representative, are you leaving?”

“No. I’m going to watch Yeon-woo act for a bit. To see if he has any natural talent.”

The trainees’ expressions soured even more when Representative Im called Rembrary by his first name in a friendly manner and even had a chair brought in to sit and watch.

They wondered if the agency was not only pushing the idol into acting but also backing him at the corporate level.

The acting coach, sensing the trainees’ feelings of resentment, forced a smile and said,

“If it’s his first time acting, there’s not much to see. Perhaps watch him later, Representative.”

“No. I need to see it now.”

Representative Im smiled, and the acting coach’s expression tightened slightly in response. However, like a true professional, he quickly composed himself with an indifferent smile and said to Rembrary,

“Do you have any acting experience?”

“No.”

The acting coach recalled Representative Im’s explanation that Rembrary had lost his memory and said,

“Ah, I see.”

He nodded.

In his current state, having experience or not was irrelevant.

“I asked a pointless question.”

Muttering to himself, the acting coach walked to his bag placed in front of the large mirror and picked up a yellow file next to it.

He took out two sheets of A4 paper from the file and handed one to Rembrary.

Rembrary looked down at the paper. It was a short script, easily grasped at a glance.

Moreover, although the lines were brief, they conveyed a range of emotions within one page.

“Sang-hee.”

The acting coach then called out one of the trainees. Upon hearing her name, a trainee who was petite but had a cute, delicate face came forward.

“Please be his scene partner.”

The acting coach entrusted the remaining script to the trainee and stepped back.

The trainee glanced at Rembrary and skillfully read the first line of the script.

“Do you think you’re so great?”

Her voice was quiet but laced with anger.

Representative Im, who had been quietly observing, made an ‘oho’ expression.

The acting coach, noting Representative Im’s reaction, also smiled slightly.

Among the fifteen students, the acting coach considered two to be particularly talented, and the trainee who had stepped forward was one of them.

Since things had unfolded this way, the acting coach seized the opportunity to showcase one of his trainees to Representative Im.

Unaware of these hidden agendas, Rembrary read his line.

“Why are you saying that?”

His voice was indifferent, and Representative Im nodded, thinking, ‘Not bad.’

Conversely, the acting coach’s face tightened. It wasn’t because Rembrary, the idol, was acting better than expected.

It was because he spoke indifferently despite the script clearly indicating ‘(sadly).’

The trainee playing the partner secretly sneered but delivered her line in an angry voice according to the script.

“Do you have to ask because you don’t know?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.”

This time, Rembrary’s voice was also indifferent. Representative Im thought again.

‘He’s delivering it more naturally than I anticipated.’

The acting coach’s face twisted even further.

It was because Rembrary ignored the ‘(sadly)’ indication again and recited his line.

After the short script exchange ended.

Representative Im smiled with satisfaction, thinking that Rembrary was acting better than he had expected.

Of course, the duration of that smile was short-lived.

As soon as he saw the original script that the acting coach had handed him, the smile vanished from Representative Im’s face.

The acting coach said, half gloating and half dumbfounded,

“You said it’s his first time, right? If he learns well, he might be average. His voice is naturally pleasant, so it probably won’t be terrible… but he’s ignoring the script’s directions completely.”

“…”

“But he has a lot of nerve. Usually, people’s voices tremble or they can’t control their breathing when they act in front of others. The lines were short, but there’s no vibrato in his voice, or should I say, no affectation?”

Representative Im nodded.

He seemed to understand what the acting coach was saying.

Clearly, Rembrary wasn’t acting according to the script.

Compared to the script, which was full of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, Rembrary’s lines were all delivered in a flat, indifferent tone.

However, that indifferent delivery felt surprisingly natural.

Representative Im smiled with satisfaction.

“This is good enough.”

After all, what he expected from Rembrary wasn’t a talented actor with outstanding acting skills.

The agency had plenty of veteran actors with acting prowess.

What Representative Im expected from Rembrary was a star actor with a large fan base.

Moreover, it was easy to package the acting skills of someone like Rembrary, who could deliver lines naturally.

If he only chose roles that suited him, he could easily create the illusion that he was a good actor.

For his first acting attempt, this was more than satisfactory.

Representative Im decided to take Rembrary to see his friend.

* * *

The next day, Rembrary came to the agency and took classes with the acting coach.

The trainees glared at him unpleasantly, but Rembrary didn’t pay them any attention.

Eventually, the trainees grew tired of it and just went about their own business.

As they were doing that, around lunchtime, Representative Im came and called Rembrary.

“Yeon-woo, can you spare some time?”

Then, he called the agency’s stylist to change his clothes and apply light makeup, and then he took him out, saying they were going out for a bit, and put him in the car.

“Where are we going?”

“To my friend’s house. Don’t be nervous.”

Why was he making him wear special clothes and makeup just to go to a friend’s house?

Rembrary was puzzled but remained quiet for the time being.

They arrived at the second floor of a building without a sign.

There, he saw someone about Representative Im’s age whom he had never met before, but the person approached with a smile as if they had made an appointment in advance.

“You’re here early.”

“I thought we could eat together while we’re here.”

“Is this him? Wow, he looks even better in person. I was completely blown away when I saw the photos. How can he be even more handsome in person?”

“He has the right look, right?”

“The best. Truly the best.”

Puzzled by their words, Rembrary stared blankly, and Representative Im pointed to the person his age and said,

“This is Writer Shim Kyung. You know, the famous… Ah, you wouldn’t know.”

“Why not? He might know.”

“Yeon-woo lost his memory.”

“What?”

“Keep it a secret.”

After briefly explaining to Shim Kyung, Representative Im continued the introduction.

“He’s a very famous drama writer. And my friend.”

“Why did he lose his memory? Was he injured? Is it okay for him to continue his entertainment activities?”

To Shim Kyung, who kept asking questions, Representative Im said he would tell him later and added,

“Yeon-woo has the right look, but he doesn’t have any acting experience. He was an aspiring actor, but he debuted right after joining our agency. I’m telling you in advance, he’s honestly not a very good actor.”

“It’s okay, he doesn’t have to be good at acting.”

“No, but he’s not terrible either.”

“Then?”

“You said he doesn’t need to have acting skills. I brought him here so you can see him in person and decide.”

At Representative Im’s words, Shim Kyung said,

“Ah, I see.”

And nodded.

‘Am I supposed to act here?’ Rembrary thought in panic as he listened to their conversation.

All his acting experience consisted of reading a few very short scripts yesterday.

He had a two-hour class at the agency today, but he only practiced pronunciation and articulation.

But when Representative Im said to decide after seeing him in person, he became nervous.

“Um. Then, can you try wearing this?”

However, instead of testing his acting skills, Shim Kyung went into a small room attached to the office and brought out a black cassock [a long, close-fitting garment worn by clergy or members of a church choir].

When Rembrary went inside, put on the cassock, and came out, Shim Kyung said,

“Wow. Good. Wow. The best?”

He kept exclaiming in admiration and then requested,

“Can you show me that vibe like in a pictorial?”

“A vibe like in a pictorial?”

“You know, like that pictorial taken in a coffin. Sacred yet decadent-”

He didn’t know about decadent, but he was confident in the sacred feeling.

Rembrary quickly put his hands together and made the expression he used when praying. Back when he was a novice priest, he had to maintain this expression even when he was sleepy to avoid getting scolded, so making this expression was his specialty.

Shim Kyung, who had been muttering exclamations, suddenly became quiet.

Representative Im also didn’t say anything.

Rembrary half-closed his eyes and recited a prayer very quietly under his breath, then lowered his hands and turned to look at Shim Kyung.

After a long time, Shim Kyung raised both thumbs and shouted.

“The best! A million-dollar showpiece! This image is all I need!”

* * *

Afterward, throughout the meal, Shim Kyung kept praising Rembrary as the best.

In a slightly strange way.

“Was I good at acting?”

“Oh my, why would Yeon-woo need to act?”

“Pardon?”

“The supporting actors can handle the acting. Yeon-woo is a visual masterpiece. He’ll be a walking advertisement.”

“A visual masterpiece?”

“It’s okay. Not just anyone can be a visual masterpiece. This is also a talent, you know? How many people become just background noise even if you put them on screen?”

“?”

“Yeon-woo, trust me. I think you’ll become the best visual masterpiece in the world.”

Rembrary couldn’t understand whether Shim Kyung was praising him or subtly criticizing him for his lack of acting ability.

‘Representative Im is smiling, so it must be a compliment…’

Representative Im chuckled as he sipped his cider and said to Shim Kyung,

“He lost his memory, so he’s a bit lacking in common sense? Take good care of him on set.”

“I haven’t signed the contract yet, you know?”

“Should I take him back?”

“I mean, sign it quickly.”

“Is the filming confirmed? What about the other actors?”

While the two were talking, Rembrary quietly ate his food.

He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he sensed that things were progressing favorably.

“I have someone in mind for the male lead. But their schedule doesn’t quite align.”

“Who is it?”

“Maeng Woo-shin.”

However, while eating, Rembrary was surprised by the unexpected name and stopped eating.

Rembrary stared at Shim Kyung with wide eyes. Was he talking about that attention seeker?

“Visually, our Yeon-woo will completely overshadow him.”

“Why, Maeng Woo-shin is also handsome? He’s quite good-looking in person.”

“Still, he can’t compare to Yeon-woo. He may not have much going on upstairs [referring to intelligence], but he’s got a lot going on in his face [referring to looks]. Ah, sorry, Yeon-woo.”

“…”

“But the male lead is a priest, right? Maeng Woo-shin’s image doesn’t really fit, does it? He’s always played roles like team leader or director.”

“But sometimes I see something, what is it, he also has a crazy glint in his eyes. That’s the image I need right now. Craziness.”