NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor

“Are you not coming in?”

“Uh… yes?”

Taken aback, Han Hae-woon stumbled over his words.

“Come in. You’re the one from back then, right? The one who collapsed.”

“Ah… yes, that’s correct. I wanted to repay your kindness with a meal…”

“Is your body alright?”

“Thanks to you, it’s better now.”

Jeong Hye-min gestured for Hae-woon to enter the Pilates academy.

“Come in for now.”

Hae-woon, scratching his cheek awkwardly, followed Jeong Hye-min into the academy.

“Do you see the CCTV at the counter, facing the door? At first, I thought you were a suspicious person.”

Watching through the CCTV, Jeong Hye-min initially thought the man lingering in front of the academy door was a male student coming to learn Pilates. As it is more common for women to engage in such exercises, there are often people hesitating outside the door.

However, as it exceeded an hour, she began to wonder if he was indeed a strange person. Just as she was contemplating whether to report him, she took a closer look at the man on the screen and found his appearance oddly familiar.

“Oh, I’m not a strange person.”

Hae-woon took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over.

Jeong Hye-min read the received card.

“Han Hae-woon, Prosecutor at Busan Western District Prosecutor’s Office. You’re a prosecutor?”

“Oh, yes, that’s correct.”

Having unintentionally revealed his identity, Hae-woon scratched the back of his head.

Presenting himself to his past life’s wife felt quite awkward.

“But why did someone from Busan come all the way to Incheon that day?”

“Oh, I was investigating a case, so I was on a field investigating.”

In reality, the subject of the investigation was none other than Jeong Hye-min, his past life’s wife right in front of him.

“I see. I only made a phone call, nothing more. A meal is fine as a gesture of thanks.”

“Still, I want to repay you in some way…”

Wanting to say more to his past life’s wife whom he met after two years and eager to see his grown-up daughter, Hae-woon hesitated.

“It’s really okay.”

“But still, I feel uneasy in my heart…”

Jeong Hye-min, who had been pondering something while looking at Hae-woon, finally spoke up.

“Well then, let’s call it a meal. Can you give me a ride somewhere? You have a car, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Jeong Hye-min and Hae-woon closed the academy door and headed down to the parking lot.

She out her smartphone and made a call.

“Hey, Mom. Can you look after Hayun a bit longer? I might be a little late.”

After ending the call, Hae-woon asked Jeong Hye-min.

“Where are you going?”

“It’s quite close if you drive. I’ll explain on the way. Thank you for the ride.”

Driving as Jeong Hye-min instructed, Han Hae-woon’s expression hardened as he looked at the road signs. They soon arrived at their destination, and Hae-woon’s car came to a stop.

“Thank you. I can call a taxi for the way back.”

Jeong Hye-min said, getting out of the car. Hae-woon followed suit.

“Are you staying… long?” he asked.

“No, about 30 minutes,” Jeong Hye-min replied.

In response, Hae-woon opened the back seat door and put on his jacket.

“While I’m here, I’ll pay my respects to the deceased and give you a ride home. You mentioned it was just a phone call, but you saved my life.”

“…Alright then,” Jeong Hye-min said.

Leading the way, Hae-woon followed Jeong Hye-min. Initially, he had no idea that the place he was supposed to drive her to was a crematorium where his remains were kept.

Though brightly lit, the corridor exuded a chilling atmosphere. As they walked along, they saw numerous urns in the alcoves.

Standing in front of the brightest spot, where Baek Hyun’s urn was placed at eye level, Jeong Hye-min spoke.

Hae-woon silently followed, offering his condolences beside her. After a few minutes of silent presence, Jeong Hye-min spoke again.

“My husband did dangerous things for the country,” she began.

Hae-woon, overwhelmed, listened silently without responding.

“As a habit, he used to say that if he died, I shouldn’t hesitate to meet a good person again. Every time he said that, I wanted to sew his mouth shut.”

Hae-woon, startled by her icy tone, involuntarily silenced himself.

“Despite his loyalty to the country, all that came back was mere money. I didn’t need compensation like bereavement pay, I just wanted my husband’s body back.”

“His body…?” Hae-woon inquired, looking at the urns.

In a melancholic voice, Jeong Hye-min answered.

“They refused to disclose any information about the date and circumstances of his death. Thanks to that, I don’t even know when he died. I ended up visiting on his birthday instead of a memorial day.”

“…”

Upon reflection, it was the 23rd. Although the month was different, today was his birthday. Perhaps, since his death, a woman incapable of driving had been coming here by taxi or bus every 23rd.

What kind of belief could cause such pain to those around him? Seeing his past life’s wife grieving over his death, Hae-woon’s eyes unexpectedly welled up with tears, like a faulty faucet.

“…Are you crying?”

Jeong Hye-min asked, surprised to see the usually stoic Hae-woon shedding tears.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just a bit emotional,” he replied.

“…Thank you. It’s comforting to see someone shedding tears for him.”

Seeing another person’s tears, Jeong Hye-min’s own emotions welled up, and tears formed in her eyes. After a while of mourning, she spoke again.

“Let’s go now. I appreciate your help today.”

“No, not at all.”

At the request of Jeong Hye-min to be taken to the building where the Pilates academy is located, Han Hae-woon steered the car in that direction. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked Jeong Hye-min in the back seat:

“Is the urn inside empty?”

“No, it’s not. My daughter and I placed a small bell and a notebook he always carried with him. The contents are incomprehensible, but it was a cherished item he always kept.”

Upon hearing this, Hae-woon felt the need to see that notebook.

‘Opening my own urn feels like grave-robbing, doesn’t it?’

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***

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After the guest house trip, while resting in his Seoul apartment, Yeon-woo received a call.

“Yes, team leader Jung.”

[Oh, Yeon-woo. This situation has become quite ambiguous.]

It was the troubled voice of team leader Jung Hyuk.

The only thing Jung Hyuk had to discuss with Yeon-woo was a historical drama he was considering for his next project.

“Did they reject me over there?”

[No, not at all. When I first called, they were very welcoming, but it seems another actor expressed interest in the same role.]

After a brief pause, Jung Hyuk continued.

[So, if you have no intention of giving up on either side, I would like you to consider auditioning.]

“If that’s the issue, I’m fine with it. Both my debut and my second project were cast through auditions.”

Although Ryu Yeon-woo was still a newcomer, his debut work set a record for the highest ratings on JNBC, and he had already finished shooting a leading role in Director Park Chan-hong’s film. In essence, he was the first choice for casting once the movie was released.

Broadcast station officials knew this, and Ryu Yeon-woo himself was well aware. Due to the lack of an audition culture among established actors in the domestic entertainment industry, Jung Hyuk, being cautious, hesitated to suggest an audition. However, Yeon-woo had no such reservations.

There was only one role, but if several people wanted it, it was only natural to compete for it.

[Nowadays, no shoots are scheduled, and I thought about an actor to consider along with Ryu. I think it might be Jin Yu-han.]

“I see.”

Ryu Yeon-woo had heard a lot about Jin Yu-han, an actor of the same age as him.

[Then, let’s proceed in that way. Thank you for your cooperation.]

“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

====

***

====

Team leader Jung Hyuk thought there might be a rejection from the other actor’s agency, but unexpectedly, the audition schedule was quickly arranged, and identical audition scripts were sent to each agency.

Yeon-woo received the script through his manager Min-soo.

The audition script included two acting tasks. The first was a scene where Seo Hee refuses her father’s intention to proceed with an arranged marriage at home.

Yeon-woo casually read the first lines of the script.

“If I must proceed with an arranged marriage, it would not be a demonstration that our household lacks such power in this influential land. Father, as a house of national merit, I believe we do not need to do such a thing. Please take this opportunity to reveal the magnificence of the Seo family through my marriage based on free will.”

In this scene, Seo Hee convinces his father by projecting his own goals onto the honor of the family, proving that he has the strength to allow a marriage of his choice. The comical scene highlights diplomatic qualities as he navigates through a conversation about a strategic marriage, even though he hasn’t firmly decided his feelings for the female lead, Hong Ui-yeon.

‘Since it’s not a historical drama and involves romance in a factional historical drama, a slightly comedic approach seems more fitting.’

Yeon-woo, while analyzing the script for Park Chan-hong’s film, developed a habit of interpreting lines subjectively. He carefully analyzed the intentions of the broadcaster’s planners and writers, incorporating his own feelings into the script.

“The problem lies with this guy.”

Moving on to the second passage.

“Why is there no detailed background explanation in the second passage?”

Yeon-woo wondered if the writer was hastily writing the script or if the lack of description was intentional for the audition.

“Problem is, this one.”

For the second passage, there was only dialogue, lacking the detailed description found in the first passage. Yeon-woo pondered on the meaning of the lines and how he should portray them.

“Why is this character so lacking in spirit and powerless? Why take a step back? If you take a step back, you usually have to take a thousand steps back.”

He tried to identify the context of these lines. The absence of narration and explanation left him guessing about the scene’s setting. It seemed to portray a confrontation between Seo Hee and the bureaucrats advocating surrender.

“How should I act this out?”

Yeon-woo thought deeply about it. He noticed the absence of detailed background information and decided to interpret the lines according to his own understanding of the character and situation.

“Hmm, this… Whoever’s idea it was, it’s a bit cunning.”

Yeon-woo chuckled as thoughts began to flow, and he started jotting down his insights beside the lines.