Chapter 37: A Genius Amid Ruins – The Birth of an Unbeatable Duo

“Hic… sob…”

On a ruined street, a young boy burst into tears in front of the collapsed remains of a building.

“Waaaaah… Mom, Dad…!”

Staggering, the boy stood up with a tear-streaked face and walked toward the pile of rubble where his parents had been.

“Mom… Dad…”

Tears streaming down, the boy reached under the massive stones.

He tried desperately to lift them, but of course the stones didn’t budge an inch.

“Ugh… hic…”

Yet the boy didn’t give up. No, he couldn’t give up.

In this sudden catastrophe, his parents were the only thing he had left to cling to.

So he kept trying to move the stones until blisters formed on his hands and blood began to flow.

“Hey, kid.”

A passing man tapped the small boy on the shoulder and spoke.

“Hic… Who…?”

“What are you doing? Instead of running away quickly…”

“Hic… Mom… Mom and Dad…”

“So your mom and dad are under there?”

The boy nodded at the man’s words. The man looked at the tear-filled eyes and spoke coldly.

“If ordinary people were crushed under that, they’re probably already dead. Give up, kid.”

“Gasp… No… they’re not dead…!”

At the man’s death-sentence-like words, the boy screamed in denial.

But no matter how much the boy shouted, the fact that his parents were dead didn’t change. The man sneered and said,

“In a situation where monsters could attack anytime, anywhere, there are still people who can’t let go of the already dead. What a lucky life.”

“Sob… uwaaa…”

The man’s icy words stabbed into the boy’s heart. The boy could only cry silently.

“Hey, take my advice. If you want to survive long, you’d better drop that attitude.”

The man said that while looking around.

“This world isn’t kind enough for someone with that mindset to survive.”

At those words, the boy looked up at him with tears streaming down his face.

The man’s gaze wasn’t on the boy; it was directed far away.

A sharp, hostile gaze, as if watching for some enemy.

And with that, the cut ended.

“Cut—!”

Director Jo Jaesik quickly shouted.

“Wow, both actors—your acting is no joke!”

“Ahaha, thank you.”

“Thank you.”

At the director’s praise, the man who had been wearing a cold expression instantly switched to a bright smile.

Myungwoo also smiled and glanced at the man.

‘He acts well.’

This project wasn’t exactly easy to understand.

Jo Jaesik’s new film, <The World Turned Upside Down in an Instant>, wasn’t just another ordinary disaster movie you’d see in Korea.

It was a story about monsters suddenly appearing in a peaceful world, destroying everything, and a man fighting them—a sort of apocalypse tale like you’d find in a web novel.

And it was completely original—no source web novel or webtoon. 

A bold new attempt by Jo Jaesik alone.

Because of that, the actors had very little knowledge or experience with this genre.

Yet they were delivering acting of this level.

‘Well, it’s Director Jo Jaesik. Of course he picked well.’

Every movie he made was at least a moderate hit, sometimes a massive blockbuster, so his eye for actors was famously strict.

Especially since he was challenging a new genre, he must have poured his heart into this casting.

“By the way, I heard the rumors, but… Myungwoo-gun, your acting is incredible?”

Jeon Siho, who had been chatting with the director, looked at Myungwoo and grinned.

“Ah, thank you, senior Jeon Siho.”

“Ahaha, no need to be so formal. Just call me Siho hyung.”

Jeon Siho laughed heartily and patted Myungwoo’s shoulder.

‘Nice personality.’

He seemed lively and very friendly.

Myungwoo smiled back and nodded.

“Yes, Siho hyung.”

“As expected of someone the director picked? Actually, I’m a bit close with Director Jo, so I heard the behind-the-scenes story of your casting.”

“Oh? What is it?”

Myungwoo had been quite curious about that himself—his own casting story.

“Well, the director apparently agonized a lot over who to cast while planning this movie. Because of his personality, he wouldn’t use anyone unless they were a perfect fit.”

“Yes.”

Myungwoo had heard rumors about Jo Jaesik’s perfectionism.

He was famous for putting as much effort into choosing actors as he did into directing.

“But then he saw you on TV. You acting brilliantly in <Black and White Mask>.”

“Ah.”

That made sense—when the casting call came, <Black and White Mask> was still airing. Myungwoo nodded, finally understanding the backstory.

“The moment he saw you, he just knew. ‘This kid absolutely has to be in my movie.’”

“Haha, really?”

“Yeah. He contacted you right away and locked in the casting. How strongly must he have felt it to confirm without even an audition?”

“Ahaha, I feel good hearing that.”

“Of course. And now I’m not the only one who thinks so, right?”

At Jeon Siho’s words, Myungwoo glanced around.

People who had been looking at him with unfriendly eyes right until filming began were now staring at him with completely changed attitudes.

“I thought, how good could a kid be…”

“Did you see that just now? The moment filming started, he grabbed the emotion and burst into tears—wow…”

“There was a reason the director brought him.”

Whispers full of completely different evaluations from before.

Myungwoo looked around at them, then fixed his gaze on Jeon Siho.

‘Did he help turn the mood?’

Of course—he was experienced enough to be cast in a Jo Jaesik movie, so he must have noticed the bad atmosphere toward Myungwoo.

That’s why he stepped up right after the first shoot to lighten the mood and let Myungwoo know.

Myungwoo gave Jeon Siho a grateful smile.

‘No wonder Yoohee praised him so much…’

Jeon Siho nodded inwardly as he looked at Myungwoo.

In fact, Jeon Siho and Lee Yoohee were the representative top-actor couple of the entertainment industry. 

Everyone who followed celebrities knew it.

So naturally, he knew Yoohee’s hobbies very well.

He recalled what an excited Yoohee had told him last year.

“Siho, it’s insane, insane!”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Yoohee?”

“It’s insane—I discovered a truly insane actor!”

“Wow, if even you react like this, he must really be insane.”

His girlfriend Lee Yoohee never reacted this strongly to just any actor.

Even if it was someone she thought she could nurture, she never showed this level of excitement for mere talent.

“Yeah, seriously insane… I wasn’t satisfied with the boy role in my drama, so I scrapped it and went to Hyoyeon’s academy looking for a replacement, right?”

“Yeah, and?”

Because they’d been dating for years, Jeon Siho also knew Park Hyoyeon—Yoohee’s best friend and the director of the acting academy.

“I asked Hyoyeon if she had any good child actors, and suddenly she recommends a kid who’s only been acting for three days!”

“What? Three days?”

“Yes! Isn’t that ridiculous? I reacted the same way at first. I thought she was joking.”

Three days. It really was absurd.

But if a child who had only been acting for three days satisfied both Park Hyoyeon and Lee Yoohee’s eyes…

Jeon Siho’s curiosity about the child began to grow.

“So?”

“So I thought, if Hyoyeon is recommending him that strongly, there must be something, so I watched…”

“Uh-huh.”

“Honestly, I thought even if he just started three days ago, he’d only have a bit of talent? So I watched without much expectation.”

“And?”

“But when I had him act once… wow…”

Yoohee’s face lit up with joy just remembering it. Jeon Siho burst out laughing at her expression.

“Ahaha, look at your face. It must’ve been insane.”

“Yeah. Seriously, his vocalization, emotion, facial acting—everything was incredible… I was completely overwhelmed for a moment.”

“Wow, you felt overwhelmed?”

Hearing that from top actress Lee Yoohee genuinely shocked Jeon Siho.

Her acting skill truly had no equal.

“Yeah, well, of course it wasn’t his absolute best effort, but he was still acting sincerely—and I got pushed back?”

“Wow… that’s impressive. And he’s a child actor, so he’s young, right?”

“Yeah. That’s what’s even more amazing. He’s only ten years old now.”

“A ten-year-old did that level of acting?”

Hearing the age, Jeon Siho’s eyes widened even more in surprise.

“Yeah, isn’t it insane? So I confirmed him on the spot and called the writer. I felt like I absolutely couldn’t let him go.”

“That makes sense.”

“Watch the drama he films later. I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, got it. What’s the kid’s name?”

“Kang Myungwoo.”

After that conversation, when <Black and White Mask> aired and Jeon Siho saw Kang Myungwoo’s acting alongside Yoohee, he thought to himself:

This kid is definitely a genius.

A ten-year-old who’s only been acting for three days has this level of skill—does that even make sense?

It really didn’t. This wasn’t something you could simply call talent.

How could a ten-year-old act with such seasoned skill?

Park Hyoyeon had no reason to lie to Yoohee, so the “three days” part must be true as well.

If a child like that could act at this level, there was only one conclusion.

A genius.

That kind of talent could only be explained with the word “genius.”

‘Back then, I secretly wished I could work with him someday.’

Filming together with a child of this caliber would be amazing.

Jeon Siho smiled as he recalled the old memory.

‘Seeing him in person, he’s even more incredible. Now I understand why Yoohee reacted like that.’

If Myungwoo had given his absolute all, Jeon Siho would have been helplessly pushed back.

No—if he hadn’t been mentally prepared after hearing about it in advance, he would’ve been the one left gaping in shock like everyone else.

‘I really owe Yoohee one.’

If she hadn’t told him, he might have made a fool of himself despite being called a top actor.

Thinking that, Jeon Siho looked down at Myungwoo.

“We’ll be filming a lot of scenes together from now on, so let’s do great, Actor Kang?”

He said that and held out his fist.

Myungwoo smiled brightly, clenched his own fist, and bumped it against Jeon Siho’s.

“Please take care of me too, Siho hyung.”

At that moment, the strongest acting duo of <The World Turned Upside Down in an Instant> was born.