NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor

– Bzzzz. –

The day after finishing the CF shoot, Yeon-woo was working out at home when his smartphone buzzed.

[Director Hwang Min-kwon]

Yeon-woo checked the screen and answered the call.

“Yes, Director.”

[Ah, Ryu Yeon-woo. The audition for our drama is next week.]

Come to think of it, they had mentioned holding auditions for supporting roles soon.

“Time flies, doesn’t it?”

[Yes. So, I was wondering if you could attend the audition in person…]

Listening to Director Hwang’s words, Yeon-woo shook his head slightly.

“No, please leave it to you and Director Jung. Since you’ve been planning this story for a long time, I’m sure you’ll pick the right actors.”

[Got it! Understood.]

Since the relationship had been established by Yeon-woo’s choice from the start, the production team was quite mindful of his opinions.

‘If they can’t exercise their discretion as directors because they’re too conscious of me, the results might suffer.’

Too many cooks spoil the broth. Similarly, if an actor exerts too much influence, the project can fall apart. With Director Jung Yohan and writer Kim Jin-joo alongside Director Hwang, it was best for Yeon-woo not to interfere with the future direction.

After ending the call with Director Hwang, Yeon-woo was about to resume his workout when his phone rang again.

“Hmm?”

This time it was Kim Junsoo.

“Hey, Junsoo.”

[Hey! You moved, right? Why didn’t you invite us over?]

Yeon-woo scratched his head at the grumbling voice on the other end.

“…Ah, I forgot because I’ve been busy with shoots.”

He had planned to invite his friends over for a small housewarming, but with back-to-back YouTube variety show shoots and CFs, it had completely slipped his mind.

[We’re meeting up tonight. Can we come over?]

Yeon-woo nodded as he answered.

“Sure, come over. Since you’re gathering, I’ll contact Jin-yuk hyung too. He might be busy, but since he lives nearby, he might be able to come by at night.”

[Awesome! I’ll bring Seong-sik and Joo-hyung along!]

After hanging up, Yeon-woo looked around his house. There wasn’t much to clean since he hadn’t brought in many belongings. If his family hadn’t come over last weekend to stock the fridge with side dishes, it would still be empty.

“Life seems pretty much the same in this life and the last…”

The only difference might be his dedication to acting in this life.

Shaking off his thoughts, Yeon-woo tried calling Son Jin-yuk, but he didn’t answer, likely because he was busy.

‘Hmm, does he have a shoot?’

Just then, his smartphone buzzed again.

“Is today some special day? Calls keep coming in.”

Expecting it to be Son Jin-yuk, he checked the screen but saw it was Seo Ji-eun.

“Hey, Ji-eun noona.”

[Ah! Yeon-woo.]

Seo Ji-eun’s voice came through the phone.

[So, um… there’s something…]

“Hmm, why are you beating around the bush? Did you get into trouble?”

[No! What trouble could I possibly get into?]

“Then what is it?”

Seo Ji-eun hesitated before continuing.

[I recently filmed a variety show. Somehow, I ended up talking a lot about you…]

“Oh, you wanted to give me a heads-up? I’ll watch it. When does it air?”

[Tonight at 9 PM! On KBC Channel 2.]

Yeon-woo chuckled and rubbed his cheek.

‘Telling me on the day itself, huh?’

Since his friends were coming over tonight, they could all watch the show together while ordering some food.

“Got it. I’ll make sure to watch it live. You didn’t badmouth me, did you?”

[Of course not! Thanks for watching! Hehe.]

“Did you have fun filming the show?”

[I’m totally a variety show type!]

Yeon-woo nodded, agreeing with her. Given her cheerful and sociable personality, he had always thought she would do well on variety shows.

After exchanging some pleasantries, Yeon-woo ended the call and looked around.

“Ah, here it is.”

He pulled a script out of a drawer.

「White Blood」

Holding the script, Yeon-woo headed upstairs.

‘Having an acting practice room at home is really nice.’

He planned to study the supporting characters in his next project, 「White Blood」, in the practice room.

“Since the guys won’t be here until after seven, I have about four or five hours.”

Although it was still uncertain who would be cast through the auditions, detailed analysis of the characters in advance would allow him to create good synergy with whoever came on board.

“Let’s start with Ella.”

Yeon-woo immersed himself in the script.

The protagonist of 「White Blood」, Jung Do-jin, embarks on a journey to save his younger sibling, encountering various allies along the way. The first of these allies is a character named ‘Ella.’

‘While all roles are important, this one needs to be cast perfectly.’

Ella is described as being around sixteen years old, so they would need to cast a child actor.

Yeon-woo familiarized himself with the script of his first encounter with Ella and closed his eyes. He mentally revisited the scenario, focusing deeply before opening his eyes again.

The acting practice room in his house transformed into a medieval village with red roofs and cobblestone streets.

Since most of the acting for this project would be done on a chroma key set, he needed to practice immersing himself by overlaying reality with his imagination.

He imagined a fountain in the center of the village square.

“Mister! Over here! The iron horse you rode in on!”

Turning around, he saw Ella frantically waving.

Do-jin changed direction and headed towards Ella, who led him through an alley.

“It’s in that stable!”

Entering the building Ella pointed to, Do-jin found the maglev bike he had seized from a ‘Level 3 White Blood Soldier’ while passing through the Fibula region last year.

As he hurriedly mounted the bike and tried to start it, Ella quickly hopped on behind him.

“What are you doing? Why are you following me?”

“Take me with you!”

Do-jin frowned at Ella’s sudden demand.

“I’m in a hurry. I don’t need extra baggage.”

“Hey! I fed you! I should at least get my money’s worth.”

– Vroom. –

The White Blood Soldiers had already caught up, breaking through the stable walls. There was no more time to waste. Reluctantly, Do-jin started the maglev bike.

– Bzzzz. –

Just then, his smartphone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him out of his immersion. Instead of a maglev bike, he found himself sitting on a stool in his practice room.

“Phew, this kind of acting requires a higher level of immersion, making it twice as exhausting as regular acting.”

Shaking his head, he picked up his buzzing smartphone.

“Yes, Jin-yuk hyung.”

[Hey, you called earlier?]

Since Jin-yuk hadn’t answered earlier, Yeon-woo hadn’t left a message, assuming he was busy.

“Are you busy? Junsoo and Seong-sik are coming over tonight, and I was wondering if you could join us.”

[No, I was just taking a nap. So, is this a housewarming party?]

“Not exactly a grand housewarming.”

[Alright. I’ll come over later. It’s been a while since I saw the kids.]

After ending the call, Yeon-woo stood up from the stool.

“Hmm, since I have guests coming over, it’s better to cook something rather than just ordering in.”

He went downstairs and opened the fridge, finding some pork and aged kimchi his mother had packed for him.

‘How about aged kimchi stew? The guys probably haven’t had homemade food in a while since moving to Seoul.’

His friends, who mostly relied on cafeteria food or deliveries, would likely miss home-cooked meals.

‘That’s also why I started cooking in my previous life.’

Dishes like aged kimchi stew or braised mackerel were common when living with family but rarely ordered for delivery.

Yeon-woo rolled up his sleeves and took out the ingredients from the fridge.

‘First, I’ll prep the ingredients. Come to think of it, I haven’t checked what spices I have.’

Opening the pantry, he found that he had all the basic spices he needed.

With plenty of time before his friends arrived, he leisurely started cooking. While he was preparing, the doorbell rang.

“Are they here already?”

Curious, he checked the security camera and saw Son Jin-yuk waving.

He opened the door and went to greet him as Jin-yuk yawned and walked in.

“Yawn. Why am I so sleepy even during the day?”

“Hyung, why are you here so early?”

“I’m bored.”

As they entered the living room, Jin-yuk sniffed the air, likely catching the scent of the aged kimchi.

“What’s that smell? It’s making my mouth water.”

“Oh, I’m preparing aged kimchi stew with pork for the guests.”

Jin-yuk’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Oh, that’s my favorite dish!”

“Really?”

“Make a lot. I’ve been binge-eating lately since I don’t have any upcoming projects.”

“Haha, got it.”

Since there would be five men eating, Yeon-woo was already planning to make a generous amount.

Back in the kitchen, he was dissolving beef bone broth into a pot and adding the aged kimchi and pork shoulder when Jin-yuk walked in.

“Anything I can help with?”

“Just relax.”

“Let me be your assistant.”

Seeing Jin-yuk’s eagerness to help, Yeon-woo reluctantly gave him a task.

“Alright, could you make the seasoning paste?”

“Seasoning paste?”

“Minced garlic, soy sauce, red pepper powder, red pepper paste, cooking wine, and the ratio is…”

“…Hmm, I’ll just take a look around the house!”

Successfully shooing Son Jin-yuk out of the kitchen, Yeon-woo continued cooking. Just as he was about to finish, the doorbell rang again.

“Yeon-woo, your friends are here. I opened the security door for them. Should I open the front door too?”

“Yes, please. I’ll finish up the cooking.”

While Yeon-woo set the table for dinner, Son Jin-yuk went to the front door. As he opened it, Kim Joo-hyung, who assumed Yeon-woo was the one opening the door, froze in place.

“Gasp. S-Son Jin-yuk…?”

Kim Joo-hyung stood there, stunned, while Woo Seong-sik and Kim Junsoo greeted him with a bow.

“Hello, hyung! Long time no see!”

“Jin-yuk hyung, hello! I forgot to tell Joo-hyung you were coming.”

“You guys look more like college students now. Come on in, even though it’s not my house.”

Still in shock, Kim Joo-hyung was dragged inside by his friends, who had their arms around his shoulders.

“Wow, what’s that smell?”

As Yeon-woo finished setting the table, he walked towards the entrance.

“You’re here?”

His friends looked around the house in awe.

“Yeon-woo, your place is amazing.”

“It’s the same building as Jin-yuk hyung’s, but the layout is completely different.”

Yeon-woo smiled at their reactions and asked, “You haven’t eaten yet, right?”

“Nope. But what’s that smell? It’s making my mouth water.”

“I made pork and aged kimchi stew. The bathroom is over there. Wash your hands before we eat.”

Following Yeon-woo’s instructions, his friends headed to the bathroom and then to the kitchen.

“Wow, this looks amazing.”

The stew, with its vibrant red seasoning, tender pork, and well-cooked aged kimchi, was garnished with green onions and sesame seeds. A final drizzle of sesame oil enhanced the aroma, making their mouths water.

“Let’s eat. Jin-yuk hyung, please join us.”

Everyone sat down and started eating.

“Oh, the pork melts in your mouth.”

“Hey, try the aged kimchi. It feels like I’m back home.”

Watching his friends eagerly dig in, Yeon-woo smiled and took a bite himself.

‘Considering I made this on a whim with what was in the fridge, I think I chose the right dish.’

While eating, Kim Joo-hyung hesitated before speaking up.

“Uh, I’m a huge fan of yours, actor Son Jin-yuk!”

“Oh really? Don’t call me ‘actor.’ Just call me hyung.”

Kim Joo-hyung’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Being a movie buff, he couldn’t believe he was sitting at the same table and eating with Son Jin-yuk.

It made sense. While he had been surprised to see Yeon-woo and Jin Yoo-han, they were just rising stars. However, Son Jin-yuk was a famous actor Kim Joo-hyung had watched on TV and in movies since he was a kid.

“When the door opened, I thought my heart was going to jump out.”

Son Jin-yuk chuckled at Kim Joo-hyung’s comment.

“If you saw actresses like Han So-hyun or Seo Ji-eun, you’d probably faint.”

Hearing Seo Ji-eun’s name, Yeon-woo remembered something and clapped his hands.

“Oh, speaking of which, Ji-eun noona called earlier to say she’s appearing on a variety show tonight. She asked me to watch it.”