NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor

After the film screening, Yeon-woo, Director Park Chan-hong, and Seo Ji-eun attended various events, including a signing session. They then returned to their hotel to freshen up before heading to the evening banquet they had been invited to.

“Director, the gentleman walking towards us is Nicolas Schueller, the founder of the French cosmetics company Bellis.”

“Hmm, you really are something.”

Director Park said, nodding as he repeated the name several times to commit it to memory. He then shook hands with the approaching elderly gentleman.

“Director Park? I found your film deeply moving. It even brought tears to this old man’s eyes.”

“Mr. Schueller, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“Oh, I heard you came from Korea, but you know who I am? The honor is mine.”

The banquet was filled with influential figures from various industries, as well as young entrepreneurs and politicians looking to expand their networks. Director Park was amazed by Yeon-woo’s ability to identify and inform him about each person they met, showcasing his impressive memory and information-gathering skills.

Seo Ji-eun, meanwhile, had quickly made friends with other actors and was chatting in a corner of the banquet hall. Yeon-woo observed Nicolas Schueller, recognizing the significance of his presence.

‘Bellis is the main sponsor of this year’s Berlin Film Festival,’ Yeon-woo thought.

Standing beside Director Park, Yeon-woo extended his hand to Nicolas.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chairman. I’m actor Ryu Yeon-woo.”

Nicolas’s eyes widened at Yeon-woo’s flawless French.

“Oh, it’s a pleasure. The name Jay is still fresh in my mind. I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Your French is quite impressive.”

“France is the cradle of cinema. As an actor, it’s only natural to study French,” Yeon-woo replied.

Nicolas’s face lit up with a smile.

“Haha, do you really think so? I like this young actor very much.”

The term “cradle of cinema” (Le berceau du cinéma) is often used by the French to describe their film industry. Although the Lumière brothers in France invented cinema in 1895, the global film industry has since become dominated by Hollywood, which has only strengthened the French pride in their cinematic heritage. Yeon-woo’s comment struck a chord with Nicolas, known for his love of films.

Director Park, who couldn’t understand French, watched the exchange with curiosity, noting Nicolas’s satisfied expression. After a few more words, Nicolas excused himself to meet other guests, leaving Director Park to turn to Yeon-woo.

“But what’s the point of all this? It’s my first time attending an international film festival. I thought all I had to do was make a good movie.”

Yeon-woo smiled at his words.

“Of course, our primary focus is on our films. However, it’s better not to face discrimination just because we’re from Asia. Building connections can help ensure we start from the same line.”

“You’re right. Sometimes you sound like a seasoned politician. Actually, it’s hard to believe you’re just twenty years old.”

“Director, I’m twenty-one now. I aged a year when the new year began,” Yeon-woo replied with a chuckle.

Director Park laughed and shook his head.

“Twenty or twenty-one, it’s all the same.”

After spending the previous night shaking hands with numerous industry figures, Director Park woke up feeling like his arm was about to fall off.

“Politics isn’t for everyone. It’s physical labor.”

He marveled at politicians who shake hands and bow thousands of times during election campaigns. Reflecting on Yeon-woo’s performance the previous night, a smile crept onto Director Park’s face. It was like seeing Pierre Choi from “Master Plan” in real life.

Yeon-woo had moved effortlessly through the banquet hall, engaging with key figures and lighting up the room with his presence. His command of multiple languages was nothing short of impressive.

The phone in the hotel room rang, and Director Park answered it.

“Hello, this is Park speaking.”

[Director! We’re going sightseeing in Berlin. Would you like to join us?]

Seo Ji-eun’s cheerful voice came through the receiver. Director Park smiled but rotated his shoulder and massaged his neck before replying.

“No, I’m too tired. I’ll rest in my room. You young folks go ahead.”

[Okay, Director. We’ll bring you a gift!]

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***

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When Yeon-woo finished getting ready and went down to the lobby, Seo Ji-eun and Kim Min-soo were waiting for him.

“Yeon-woo, these gentlemen are the bodyguards assigned to us by the film festival,” Min-soo said, pointing to two men with sturdy builds and tall statures who bowed slightly in the Asian manner.

‘Hmm? That mark…’

Noticing the tattoo on the bodyguard’s neck, Yeon-woo extended his hand for a handshake.

“Thank you for your service today. You must be from the SEK.”

The burly man’s eyes widened as he shook Yeon-woo’s hand.

“Oh, how did you know? And your German is quite fluent.”

“I recognized the mark on your neck. With you here, we won’t have to worry about any danger today.”

SEK is a counter-terrorism unit under the Special Operations Command. The presence of such personnel indicated that the film festival’s organizing committee was taking their security seriously.

Yeon-woo and his companions got into the car and headed towards the bustling city center.

“Should we wear masks?” Seo Ji-eun asked.

Yeon-woo shook his head.

“With our bodyguards here, wearing masks won’t really hide our identities. Only Korean tourists would recognize us anyway.”

As expected, they were able to enjoy their sightseeing without being mobbed by fans.

“Hmm, even the Korean tourists aren’t approaching us.”

In Korea, they would have been quickly surrounded by fans asking for photos and autographs.

“Look behind us,” Yeon-woo said.

Seo Ji-eun turned to see the bodyguard behind them, scanning the passersby with a menacing gaze, ready to intervene if anyone got too close. The bodyguard in front was also keeping an eye on the surroundings.

“Oh, I see. It’s not that they don’t want to approach us, they can’t,” Seo Ji-eun said, nodding as she continued to browse the nearby shops freely.

Suddenly, Seo Ji-eun stopped and called out to Yeon-woo.

“Look at this! Isn’t it adorable?”

She pointed to a teddy bear inside a glass box. It was the Berlin Film Festival’s mascot, a white bear. The large glass box had a sign that read “1 EUR per game,” and it looked like a claw machine.

‘It’s rare to see claw machines in Berlin outside of the Christmas season,’ Yeon-woo thought. It seemed the festival had repurposed the machines used during Christmas for the event.

“But isn’t that the same bear the festival committee gave us as a gift when we arrived at Potsdamer Platz Theater?”

“No! It’s completely different. That one had a blank expression and raised its left arm, but this one is smiling and raising its right arm. And it’s cuter,” Seo Ji-eun insisted.

Yeon-woo scratched the back of his head, considering her words.

Yeon-woo had an exceptional eye for detail and a great memory, but he couldn’t see the difference Seo Ji-eun was pointing out. ‘The bear we got was from the official office, so isn’t this one a fake?’ he thought, keeping his doubts to himself as he pulled out his wallet.

He exchanged a euro for a token and looked at Seo Ji-eun.

“We have to win it from the machine. Do you think you can do it?”

“Well… I’ve never tried it before.”

Yeon-woo inserted the coin into the machine.

“It’s just like using a claw to grab something. If you try enough times, you should be able to get it.”

Seo Ji-eun took the first attempt.

“I think I’ve got it. Here!”

She positioned the claw right above the bear’s head and pressed the button. The claw descended perfectly, grabbing the head, but then it loosened and dropped the bear.

“Ah! What was that?”

After several more failed attempts, Seo Ji-eun glanced at Yeon-woo and stepped aside.

“Yeon-woo, you try. You’re good at everything.”

“Not sure about this… I’ve never done it before either,” Yeon-woo said, taking over the controls.

‘Hmm, bears are carnivorous mammals, so to catch one, you should probably aim for the neck from behind,’ he thought, knowing it wasn’t helpful but using his spatial awareness to position the claw. He aimed for a spot where the claw could grab the bear’s neck in one swift motion.

‘Now.’

Yeon-woo pressed the button, and the claw descended, grabbing the bear’s neck. It started to lift the bear.

“Yes! Got it!” Seo Ji-eun exclaimed.

But just as she cheered, the bear slipped from the claw and fell, landing headfirst and making it even harder to grab.

Yeon-woo scratched his cheek.

“Ah, we failed.”

“Ugh, this is hopeless.”

At that moment, a deep voice interrupted them.

“Haha, there you are. I was wondering where you went.”

Kim Min-soo, their manager, said with a smile as he approached.

Yeon-woo and Seo Ji-eun turned to see him standing there, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, which gave him an almost ethereal presence.

“Wow, Min-soo oppa, you look like you have a halo behind you,” Seo Ji-eun remarked, her eyes wide.

Indeed, the sunset behind Kim Min-soo made him appear even more striking. He approached with his hands raised, still wet from washing them, looking like a surgeon about to enter the operating room. The sunlight reflected off the water droplets, making his hands sparkle.

“This bear is in a tricky spot. Let me handle it. I have quite a history with claw machines,” Min-soo said.

Since his significant contribution during the tense moments of filming “Master Plan” in Paju, claw machines had become a secret hobby of Kim Min-soo.

Yeon-woo and Seo Ji-eun stepped back, giving way to Min-soo’s commanding presence. He approached the joystick and buttons with reverence.

“Hmm, this is a special case since the bear is upside down and stuck,” Min-soo said, positioning the claw above the white bear and deftly maneuvering the joystick. The claw spun as he manipulated it.

“You need to rotate it like this, and when the movement is maximized,” he explained.

– Click! –

He pressed the button, and the claw descended, spinning and perfectly gripping the upside-down bear’s body. Unlike previous attempts, the bear was lifted smoothly.

“Wow!” Seo Ji-eun exclaimed.

By now, a small crowd of German elementary school students had gathered around them, watching intently. The bear was gently transported to the chute and dropped in.

– Clunk! –

“Here you go,” Min-soo said, handing the bear to Seo Ji-eun.

– Clap, clap, clap! –

Seo Ji-eun clapped enthusiastically, even louder than she had during the end credits of “Sketch.”

“That was amazing! Thank you so much!” she said, hugging the bear tightly.

While Yeon-woo and his companions were engrossed in the claw machine, Director Park Chan-hong, who was resting at the hotel, was awakened by the ringing phone.

“Hmm, are they back already?” he wondered, thinking it might be Yeon-woo or Seo Ji-eun. He stretched and picked up the phone by his bedside.

“Hello.”

[Did I catch you at a bad time? Sir.]

“No problem.”

The deep voice on the other end made Director Park sit up straight. As the conversation progressed, he stood up abruptly.

“Really? Yes, I understand. Have a good night.”

Looking out at the setting sun from the hotel balcony, Director Park nodded deeply. The sunset seemed to stir his emotions, much like the scenes in his scripts.

“Whatever gifts Yeon-woo and Ji-eun bring back, I think my gift will be even bigger,” he said with a smile, recalling Seo Ji-eun’s cheerful promise to bring him a present before they left.