NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor

“So, what do you think?”

“Each house has quite a different layout.”

They had come to see a house for sale in the neighboring building, and its structure was significantly different from Son Jin-yuk’s house.

“Since this is the top floor, you won’t have to worry about noise if you practice acting in the loft.”

“That’s great. I’m glad I contacted you. I’ll take this one.”

The real estate agent, who had been observing from behind, approached with a gleam in his eye.

“As expected, actors have an excellent eye. Would you like to proceed with this house?”

“Yes, please.”

“Then, as discussed, I’ll handle all the miscellaneous tasks.”

The man smiled and bowed politely. Indeed, the person Son Jin-yuk had introduced was different from a typical real estate agent. Catering primarily to high-profile figures in politics and entertainment who valued privacy, Yeon-woo’s only task was to decide if he liked the house. The agent took care of everything from the contract and acquisition tax to the moving process, handling everything swiftly and neatly.

A few days later, after receiving the settlement from ‘Sketch’ and paying the remaining balance, the real estate agency promptly took care of cleaning and arranging suitable furniture so that Yeon-woo could move in immediately.

“This is the power of money.”

The day after the move was completed, Yeon-woo opened the door and entered his new home, nodding in approval. He had moved dozens of times, both domestically and internationally.

‘Living in designated safe houses was actually more convenient.’

After entering the country, if he judged that he was being monitored, he couldn’t enter the safe house and had to rent a short-term residence like a normal student or businessman, so he was well aware of the hassle of moving.

“This is the most comfortable move I’ve ever had.”

Yeon-woo passed through the modern living room and climbed the stairs. The first place he checked was the acting practice room installed in the loft. Although he rarely felt envious of anything, he had to admit he was envious when he saw the acting practice room in Son Jin-yuk’s house.

Opening the transparent door and entering, he found sound-absorbing walls and a white horizon setup that one would expect to see in a studio. There was also simple recording equipment and a field monitor like those used on set.

“Perfect.”

With this equipment, he could easily check his performance in real-time after practicing. Smiling with satisfaction, Yeon-woo left the acting practice room and went downstairs. After exploring every corner of his new home, he sat on the sofa and scrolled through his smartphone.

“Hmm, I should at least invite my family and friends over, even if I don’t have a grand housewarming party.”

He realized that he had never invited anyone to his home in his previous life.

“Well, of course. My residence was a classified matter.”

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“Producer Kim, how’s the casting going?”

“Ah, Manager. I’ve already put in several requests. Not just us, but other networks are probably eyeing him too. He’s not appearing anywhere right now.”

“Seriously, why is that young guy playing hard to get? Tell his agency that if they don’t want to make an enemy of Han Young-hoon in this industry, they should get Ryu Yeon-woo to appear on our show.”

Team Leader Kim sighed deeply at Manager Han’s words. The problem with Manager Han, who had started his career as a PD back when terrestrial broadcasters dominated the industry, was that he looked down on celebrities. The thought that such a person might soon become the head of the variety department made Team Leader Kim sigh even more.

“These days, with OTT services and internet platforms booming, our influence has significantly decreased. Even if we push hard, they’ll probably just snub us. And with Ryu Yeon-woo’s current momentum, what could his agency possibly be afraid of?”

“Kid, I’m telling you to push that hard. It won’t mean anything unless it’s his first appearance.”

Even if they managed to cast Ryu Yeon-woo, it wouldn’t actually be his first appearance. He had already appeared on a variety show after wrapping up ‘Summer Promise’. Following the massive success of ‘Sketch,” JNBC’s sub-channel had been re-airing ‘Summer Table, which had been scheduled and rebroadcasted as a follow-up variety show.

This has become an annual event. Last year, when ‘Master Plan’ and ‘The Star Beyond the River’ were hits, they had similarly re-aired dramas and variety shows featuring Ryu Yeon-woo. Despite the disgraced exit of ‘Ahn Jun-ho,’ who had been involved in a drug scandal, the edited versions of ‘Summer Promise’ and ‘Summer Table’ still drew viewers. With lead actors Son Jin-yuk and Han So-hyeon, along with Ryu Yeon-woo, who had grown into a notable actor, it was no surprise that the re-airings garnered high ratings.

Other broadcasting stations were in a similar situation. May, with its many holidays and family-oriented themes, was a tough month for ratings despite various special programs. In such a timing, securing Ryu Yeon-woo would guarantee high ratings for any variety show, making the casting war inevitable.

Broadcasting network officials weren’t the only ones wanting Ryu Yeon-woo’s participation in activities outside of his projects; fans were clamoring for it too.

─ FeedMeBarkingDog(dancin***): Yeon-woo hyung! Please do just one schedule. We need content to fangirl over, woof woof.

└ YejiYeonWoos(dPwlxx3): Our oppa is busy with his university studies. Please be patient.

└ SamdoNavalCommander(leesoons): And that university is Korea University.

└ JustRealKiki(fdzzfdz): For real, lol.

─ EarlyMemberOfWoos(wkdwod): If you think about it, our actor has been working so hard. He did four projects in three years since his debut, and all of them were hits. Isn’t that insane?

└ SpeedWagon(sppee***): If you include variety shows and cameos, it’s six.

Meanwhile, Yeon-woo, who was unpacking his few belongings after inspecting the house, heard his smartphone ring.

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“Ah, Yeon-woo. Are you at school?”

“No, I finished my classes for today. I was just unpacking.”

“I heard you moved. Congratulations.”

Yeon-woo chuckled as he looked around at the luxurious house, something he had never experienced in his previous life.

“Thank you. Thanks to your help, I achieved my dream of owning a home.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I contacted you because of the additional shoot for the Ihan Technology commercial we discussed.”

“Ah, you mentioned releasing a new version for Patriots and Veterans Month. I remember.”

“So, while we’re shooting the commercial, we were hoping to schedule another activity, preferably a variety show.”

Yeon-woo nodded at Team Leader Jung-hyuk’s words. Since starting the shoot for ‘Sketch’, he hadn’t participated in any activities outside of his projects. After that, he had resumed his studies, so aside from a music show appearance, he hadn’t been active.

With fans eagerly waiting for him, it seemed like a good idea to participate in some activities.

“Sounds good. The timing is perfect since midterms just ended at the university.”

“Then, if you’re free now, would you like to attend a meeting? Manager Kim Min-soo will be there shortly.”

“Sure, I’ll be there.”

After ending the call, Yeon-woo quickly prepared to go out. Since he didn’t have much to unpack, there wasn’t much left to do in the house. The new house was closer to the agency’s office, so it wasn’t long before Manager Kim Min-soo called, and Yeon-woo went downstairs.

“Min-soo hyung, you got here really quickly.”

“It’s nice that it’s close by. I used to drive you to Son Jin-yuk’s house often, but congratulations on your new place.”

Yeon-woo smiled and got into the car. It wasn’t long before Min-soo’s car arrived at the office building. They took the elevator to the planning team’s meeting room, a place Yeon-woo had visited before. As they entered, the planning team members, who were having a casual meeting, greeted Yeon-woo warmly.

“Yeon-woo, it’s been a while since we last saw you in person.”

Team Leader Jung-hyuk greeted him, and Yeon-woo smiled. It had indeed been a while since they last met in the CEO’s office with Director Hwang Min-kwon and Director Jung Yo-han after returning from Berlin. It had already been three months since he resumed his university life.

“Yes, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Oh, you know, the usual. Please, have a seat.”

As Yeon-woo sat down, a PR team member projected information about several variety shows onto the screen.

“Honestly, almost every variety show has made a casting request.”

“Indeed, there are quite a lot.”

Yeon-woo nodded, seeing the screen filled with the names of various programs.

“However, after internal discussions, we’ve narrowed it down to a few options.”

The PR team member operated the remote, and the screen transitioned to show only four options.

SBC – Surprise Attack

KBC – Today’s Cooking

JNBC – Beyond Summer Table

Independent Production – Find the Fan

“The first one is SBC’s flagship variety show, ‘Surprise Attack.'”

Yeon-woo was familiar with this program. It had been airing for over ten years and involved guests and cast members splitting into two teams to compete in various entertainment games and sports.

“Are the other guests already decided?”

“If you participate, you would likely be cast as a solo guest.”

Yeon-woo nodded thoughtfully. It was a popular show with high ratings and had hosted numerous guests over the years. However, considering his primary goal of engaging with fans through activities outside of his projects, it didn’t seem to fit well.

“There are too many cast members, and it’s quite hectic. I’ll have to think about it.”

“Then the second option is KBC’s recently launched and well-received ‘Today’s Cooking’.”

This program involved following a famous chef, who was a well-known figure in the culinary world, and completing cooking missions.

“In your previous variety show, the clips of you cooking on the island are still popular. We thought it would be nice to show more of that side of you.”

It was true that this show could produce numerous clips that fans would enjoy. However, Yeon-woo scratched his head, looking troubled.

“The cooking I did before was something I occasionally make for myself, so it was doable. But honestly, cooking isn’t really my hobby, and I’m not that skilled at it.”

Living alone overseas for many years had naturally led him to learn a few dishes, but he wasn’t as proficient as his public image suggested.

“Come to think of it, there’s no MBS variety show on the list?”

At Yeon-woo’s question, Team Leader Jung-hyuk tilted his head and replied.

“After the CEO had a call with an MBS representative last time, he got a bit upset and said there was an unreasonable old-timer in their variety department. He told us to remove all MBS shows from the list.”

“Hmm, the CEO?”

It was hard to imagine the usually composed CEO Kim Joo-seong getting angry.

“And the third one is a three-episode variety show proposed by JNBC as a short project following ‘Summer’s Table’.”

『Beyond Summer’s Table』

Yeon-woo had already discussed this project with Son Jin-yuk and Han So-hyeon.

Yeon-woo opened the messaging app on his smartphone and touched the group chat.

[Son Jin-yuk, Han So-hyeon, Ryu Yeon-woo (3)]

─Han So-hyeon: I received a proposal for a variety show called 『Beyond Summer’s Table』.

─Son Jin-yuk: Yes, So-hyeon, what do you think?

─Han So-hyeon: I’m still concerned about Jun-ho.

─Son Jin-yuk: I actually met with Jun-ho last month and talked to him. It was an unfair situation. He just drank the champagne that was handed out at the party he was invited to.

─Ryu Yeon-woo: How did Jun-ho seem?

─Son Jin-yuk: He seemed to be doing better than expected. He moved to the countryside to help his parents with farming. He seemed at peace, probably because some time had passed.

─Han So-hyeon: Then, should we not proceed with this project? It feels wrong to shoot a sequel without him, and if it becomes a hot topic, Jun-ho’s incident will just be brought up again.

─Son Jin-yuk: I agree.

─Ryu Yeon-woo: I agree as well.

After reading the messages, Yeon-woo put down his smartphone.

“Son Jin-yuk hyung and Han So-hyeon noona have agreed not to proceed with 『Summer’s Wardrobe Beyond』.”

“Oh, I see. Understood.”

Team Leader Jung-hyuk seemed to have a rough idea of the reason and didn’t ask further.

─Son Jin-yuk: Here’s the address. Gangwon-do, Hongcheon-gun, Hwachon-myeon…

Yeon-woo looked at the address of Ahn Jun-ho that he received from Son Jin-yuk again.

‘I’ve figured out quite a bit about Baek Sol’s identity, and for Jun-ho’s sake, I should start investigating that incident soon.’

Yeon-woo looked back at the screen and tilted his head at the last item.

“What is ‘Other Production Company’?”

“Oh, number 4 is a YouTube channel. It’s a corporate channel run by the program production company, with a concept where stars surprise fans by fulfilling their wishes.”

After hearing the explanation, Yeon-woo smiled.

“I’d like to do the fourth one the most.”