Cut
The director, who had been staring at the camera with a serious face, sent an OK sign with a bright voice.
“Good work, everyone!”
“Good work!”
As soon as the director’s words ended, the people there quickly stood up and exchanged greetings with each other.
“Wow, everyone, great job!”
That was no exception for one actor.
“Huh. Senior Han Minwoo, good work!”
“Senior, you worked hard!”
A man with a friendly smile, whose appearance was somewhat lacking to be generally called an ‘actor,’
greeted those around him, and others greeted back in return.
“Good work, senior!”
“You worked hard until the last shoot!”
Many others also greeted the man.
The man smiled and accepted each of their greetings one by one.
“Really…… Senior Han Minwoo has such a great personality. Greeting everyone from extras to part-timers one by one, and accepting them all.”
“Yeah. Is that why he’s been running long in this industry for 30 years?”
“He’s an amazing person.”
On one side, a few people started talking about the man, Han Minwoo, watching his actions with admiring eyes.
“It’s not just his character; his acting is great too.”
“Right. He even matches the eyes of those picky directors.”
“That’s why so many places call for him.”
“But what does it matter? His face is lacking, so he’s stuck with supporting roles forever.”
Suddenly, another person joined their conversation with a somewhat sharp tone.
They glanced at Han Minwoo again.
Regardless of how impressive Han Minwoo’s other points were, his face alone…
“What? Did I say something wrong?”
The man who joined late pointed to several other actors on set and said.
“Look over there. Their careers are much shorter than Actor Han Minwoo’s, and their acting skills aren’t that different, but just because they have good-looking faces, they’re securing lead roles.”
“Hey, watch your words.”
“Yeah. What if those people hear you……”
Seeing the original group shrinking back, the intruder snorted.
“Hah, they can’t hear, but Actor Han Minwoo can?”
At his sharp point, the others lost their words.
“See, what does it matter rolling in the acting world for 30 years? You couldn’t get a lead role, so even kids like you treat you like this.”
To the man’s continuing sarcastic words, one woman from the original group stepped forward, upset.
“What? Kids like you? Hey, aren’t you ignoring Actor Han Minwoo just the same?”
“Well, at least I didn’t pretend to say nice things like you while actually looking down on the person.”
“Hah, hey, do we not know that Actor Han Minwoo can’t get leads because his face is severely lacking? We were saying separately that there are points worthy of respect!”
“Then why worry about others hearing earlier, but not worry about Actor Han Minwoo?”
“That’s unavoidable. No matter how long the acting career, it’s a fact that those people are higher up than Actor Han Minwoo. Whose feelings should we care about more?”
The woman said with a brazen face.
And that wasn’t entirely wrong.
Far away, Han Minwoo, greeting others, showed a bitter smile inwardly at their conversation.
Honestly, he was angry too.
But I can’t create a personality controversy, so let’s endure…… Sigh.
30 years of acting experience, outstanding acting skills.
A career built through thorough self-management.
But the most important thing for an actor, not having a handsome face, meant the roles he took were at best significant supporting ones.
Minwoo brushed his face once.
When he first entered the acting world, what did everyone say about his face?
You’re not handsome, but you have a distinctive look.
This role would be perfect for you.
What?
Plastic surgery?
Nah, why get surgery?
Being born with such distinctive features is a blessing.
In fact, when he started acting, he urgently needed money.
Because of his parents who couldn’t fulfill their guardian roles at all.
Even in such circumstances, choosing the path of acting was Minwoo’s last pride, and fortunately, his face
received comments of being ‘distinctive’ and smoothly established him as an actor.
In the beginning, he didn’t wish for more than that.
As he continued to hone his acting skills, before he knew it, he had become a ‘supporting actor who acts well, with a distinctive look even if his face is a bit lacking.’
10 years, 20 years, and 30 years acting, aging as much as possible, building experience.
Yet, he could never go beyond supporting roles.
Still, Minwoo had no major complaints about his acting life…
In fact, how could there be none?
Fuck, that damn face.
Yeah, in truth, if he had abandoned the ‘distinctive supporting actor’ position early and gotten plastic surgery or something, he wouldn’t have heard such talk.
But he loved acting, and money was urgent, so he took whatever came, and his image had solidified as the ‘distinctive supporting actor.’
Image is very important to an actor.
In the end, that image robbed Minwoo of the opportunity to change the firmly embedded image once all problems were resolved.
Sigh.
If my face had been handsome from the start.
Or if I had talent enough not to need to build acting skills and experience that way.
Or if money wasn’t so urgent……..
Then what would my acting life have been like?
With this much effort, couldn’t I have gotten the top actor title long ago?
He recalled the awards on his home display shelf.
Every single one was a supporting actor award.
Supporting actor award.
Fucking supporting actor award.
As if nailing it with ‘This is as far as you go,’ every plaque had only ‘supporting’ engraved.
Sinking into such bad thoughts, Minwoo came to a place with no people and then,
THUD!
Punched the wall with his fist.
“Damn face talk…….”
It wasn’t the first or second time hearing it, but every time, the stories about his own face inevitably made him feel bad.
Minwoo lowered his head and clenched his throbbing fist tightly.
Face, yeah, that damn face.
If his face was really handsome, would his life have been different?
Could he sit in the position of a truly successful top actor, without hearing such crap and not just supporting roles?
…….
It’s pointless talk now.
As Minwoo barely organized his thoughts, cars passed quickly in front of his eyes.
And in that moment, he spotted a child crossing the road without seeing the signal.
Instantly, before thinking, Minwoo’s body moved.
The car and child rapidly approaching Minwoo’s eyes, quickening breath.
SCREECH-
The child’s body pushed away by a hair’s breadth.
THUD!
And, before even grasping the situation, Minwoo’s body flying after being hit by the car.
Fu… ck….
It hurts.
My body hurts too much.
My eyes are gradually closing.
BUZZING sounds from around.
“Oh my, what happened?”
“A child almost got hit by a car!”
“Good heavens! Kid, are you okay?”
People from around gathered toward the child pushed by Minwoo and crying.
In the midst of that, the only one paying attention to Minwoo was the driver who directly hit him.
Ha… haha….
Minwoo intuited it.
That he would die soon.
Yet even in such a moment, most people were concerned with the child, not him.
I’m… a supporting actor until the moment I die…..
A supporting actor, not the lead, that few people besides some pay much attention to.
Thus, without ever becoming the lead from the supporting position until the end, Minwoo’s life ended.
“Myungwoo ya?”
“Huh?”
Myungwoo blankly raised his head.
***
A familiar-faced woman was looking at him with worried eyes.
“Why are you like this? Suddenly quiet and sitting blankly. Is something wrong?”
No,
“Ah, Mom.”
His ‘Myungwoo’s’ mom was looking at Myungwoo with a worried expression.
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about something……..”
“Really? Did you have some worry?”
Myungwoo’s mom, No Yeonhee, still looked at him with a worried face.
“It’s no big deal.”
Myungwoo drew from his previous life’s 30 years of acting experience amid the suddenly surging memories of his past life and acted a nonchalant face.
Anyway, it wasn’t something he could talk about, nor something they’d believe if he did.
He reflexively looked at the calendar.
2025, 10 years later. Then,
Did a new life start right after dying?
Since he was exactly 10 years old, it seemed so.
“Mmm, then that’s a relief. You were silent in the middle of the birthday party, so I was worried if something happened.”
Right, birthday party.
Today was the occasion celebrating his 10th birthday.
Inviting close friends from school during the day to play, and at night, taking out the cake alone with Mom to celebrate.
Myungwoo ate the cake in front of him with a bright face.
Of course, unlike the calm appearance, his mind was enormously complicated.
That earlier was clearly……..
His previous life.
A life where he madly worked hard but could only take supporting roles due to circumstances and innate limits.
How did he immediately know it was his previous life? It was intuition, or something.
There was a something’s instinct that couldn’t be called a dream or delusion.
But knowing the memory was his previous life didn’t make the confusion he was experiencing disappear.
About 50 years from the previous life and 10 years from the new life mixed in Myungwoo’s head.
All.
My head…….
Naturally, Myungwoo’s head throbbed, and he frowned, clutching his head.
“Myungwoo ya, what’s wrong?”
Amid the chaotic mixing, this life’s mom No Yeonhee looked at him with an even more worried face than before.
Myungwoo looked at her and slowly closed and opened his eyes.
……For now, I need to pretend nothing’s wrong.
Even with a jumbled mind, he knew well that what he was experiencing was absolutely not ordinary.
If he told the truth, he definitely wouldn’t get good looks.
And he didn’t want to worry his mother needlessly.
“Ah, no, Mom. I was just thinking about something……..”
At Myungwoo’s evasion, No Yeonhee tilted her head.
Myungwoo acted as nonchalant as possible, drawing on his previous life’s acting experience.
“Myungwoo ya, if something’s wrong, tell Mom. Okay?”
She still seemed worried but felt a bit relieved.
Myungwoo smiled and shook his head.
“Really nothing. I want to finish eating the cake now.”
“Oh my, okay. Our son. Shall we eat quickly?”
Myungwoo turned his head to continue eating the cake and repeatedly thought inwardly.
Naturally, thoughts related to his previous life.
Another incomprehensible issue was why it suddenly came up now.
What made today different was, after all, it being his birthday turning exactly 10.
Continuing various thoughts, Myungwoo shook his head vigorously inwardly.
Whatever the trigger or reason for recalling his previous life, who cares?
None of that was important.
What was important was that in his previous life, he was crazy about acting.
Yet, due to the clear limit of his face, he couldn’t escape the supporting position.
Because of that, he suppressed the desire to become a lead and stayed in supporting roles.
And now, that limit was gone, while the desire remained intact.
While diligently eating the cake in front of him, Myungwoo glanced at the mirror hanging on one side of the room.
Though still young, a handsome face entered his view.
Large eyes exactly like his mother No Yeonhee’s, straight nose, neat lips.
Plus, fair skin, small face, slim jawline.
If he grew up like this, he seemed like someone who wouldn’t lose to anyone in terms of face.
If this is maintained…….
Rising to the top actor position wouldn’t be that hard.
Because he already had a past where his acting skills were overflowing with recognition.
Even if a new life was given, there was no option in Myungwoo’s mind like not acting.
Despite dedicating 30 years in the previous life, he couldn’t reach the top position…….
Now, he had become someone who could sufficiently achieve it.
Moreover, with all the acting experience from the previous life intact.
This time, I’ll rise to the position of the best actor.
Thinking that, Myungwoo grinned.
“Oh my, our Myungwoo, the cake must be delicious?”
No Yeonhee smiled warmly, seeing Myungwoo suddenly grinning.
Myungwoo smiled brightly without particularly answering.
“Oh, by the way, what do you want for this birthday?”
At No Yeonhee’s following words, Myungwoo fell into thought.
Birthday gift.
Come to think of it, he always said what he wanted toward the end of the birthday party, and the next day, Mother would buy it for him.
If he hadn’t recalled the previous life’s memories, he would have ordinarily asked for something like a toy this time too……..
A good idea came up.
Myungwoo looked up at No Yeonhee with sparkling eyes.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
At Myungwoo’s excited face, No Yeonhee also smiled and faced her son.
“I want to go to an acting academy.”