Chapter 59: Acting is a Lifeline

It was nearly 6:00 PM, about one hour past our scheduled meeting time, when I finally arrived at the restaurant where Jeong Yun-woo was waiting.

“You said you were almost here.”

“Sorry. The audition ran a bit late.”

“For *The Killing Recipe*?”

“Yeah.”

As soon as I sat down and began flipping through the menu, Jeong Yun-woo snatched it out of my hands.

“I already ordered. You eat the tofu kimchi every time we come here anyway.”

“Good call. What about the soju?”

“Just one bottle. I’m not mixing it with beer because I’ll get bloated. So, are you really doing *The Killing Recipe*? You should’ve just done the same project as me.”

“Forget it. If I decided to do it, I have to see it through.”

Just like before my regression, Jeong Yun-woo had decided to film the drama *Happy World*, the same project we had worked on together in the past. It felt like only yesterday that he mentioned auditioning, yet he was already back with an acceptance.

“What’s the role? Who are you playing?”

“Me? The murderer.”

“You’re playing that?”

“Why? Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

“No, that’s not it.”

The murderer was the role I had played before my regression. It seemed that since I was no longer appearing in *Happy World*, our roles had shifted. Seeing the future change just because I stepped out of the picture made me think.

‘It wouldn’t be bad if that guy was dropped from the drama entirely.’

“I was just wondering how someone as faint-hearted as you could kill anyone,” I said.

“It’s acting! Just acting. Besides, the script is incredibly fun. I have a feeling it’s going to be a huge hit, just like *The Prosecutor’s Revenge*. I’ve got a real gut feeling about this. A real spark.”

Jeong Yun-woo raised his soju glass high.

“With this, I shall become a superstar!”

“Sure, sure. Go ahead.”

In reality, while Jeong Yun-woo didn’t quite reach superstar status, this drama would propel him into the ranks of popular actors in their 20s. If nothing went wrong, *Happy World* would be released sometime between next winter and the following spring. By then, his position would be vastly different from what it was now.

In this industry, one could oscillate between heaven and hell in less than a year. The same applied to me.

I asked Jeong Yun-woo the question I was most curious about.

“Is the casting for *Happy World* finished?”

“Yeah, mostly? They said all the major roles are filled. But I don’t know much about the other cast members.”

“What about Cheong-hwan?”

Jeong Yun-woo narrowed his eyes, clearly wondering how I knew that. He picked up a piece of salmon sashimi that came with the tofu kimchi and popped it into his mouth before asking.

“What the… who told you?”

“I guess I’m right. I just heard a rumor.”

“A rumor? Everyone’s being super careful because the casting is still under embargo. Whatever. If you know, don’t go spreading it. I don’t want to get dragged into anything.”

“Got it. And you too—even if I said it was Cheong-hwan, you should have just feigned ignorance. Why did you admit it so easily?”

Jeong Yun-woo was far too trusting, then and now. That incident I couldn’t quite remember was undoubtedly caused by his indecisive personality. Even at my confrontational tone, Jeong Yun-woo just laughed like an idiot.

“Ahaha, is that so?”

I couldn’t tell if he was laughing because the salmon was delicious or because he really was a fool. When I stared at him with an incredulous expression, he finally shook his head and replied.

“You’re right. Hey, I’d be careful with anyone else. But I figured it was fine with you.”

“Why me?”

“Man, do I really have to say it? Just pour a drink for your older brother. You were even born later than me.”

I intentionally filled his glass to the brim, then took a bite of the tofu kimchi he hadn’t even touched yet.

***

I parted ways with Jeong Yun-woo around 10:00 PM. We had finished cleanly with just one bottle of soju between the two of us. Neither of us insisted on staying longer. As a rookie who was doing quite well, Jeong Yun-woo’s entire afternoon schedule for the next day was packed.

— Your older brother is quite popular, you know!

Of course, Jeong Yun-woo wasn’t the only busy one. Since the filming for *The Exorcist* was almost finished, I was gradually getting busier with magazine shoots and interviews.

At 6:00 AM the next day, I took the car my manager brought for pickup, went straight to the shop for makeup, and then headed to the interview site for fashion magazine B. The shoot was conducted in a more relaxed atmosphere than my previous pictorials, and after a brief session, a joint interview with the three lead actors followed.

After routine questions for Choi Geon-hyeong and Seon Ji-yun regarding their acting experience and how their mindset changed over their careers, it was finally my turn.

“Jeon Yeo-hu, I heard you debuted with a TAM advertisement last year. May I ask when you first started dreaming of becoming an actor?”

“I’ve dreamed of becoming an actor for a very long time. The dream was always there, but I was afraid of what would happen after I achieved it, so I kept hesitating. I ended up majoring in acting in college. It was only after I tested my potential there that I decided I truly had to become an actor and started auditioning.”

Since there was no need to delve into the full truth of my dreams, I mixed the facts appropriately for the interview. It was an interview filled with standard questions for a rookie—the kind of questions no one would look up unless they were already a fan. Still, when talking about the drama, I was able to share various behind-the-scenes stories, which I thought would be quite interesting.

“Then, for our final question, I’ll ask all three of you what ‘acting’ means to you, and we’ll wrap up the interview.”

The interviewer threw out the cliché final question and looked at Choi Geon-hyeong. After Choi Geon-hyeong and Seon Ji-yun gave their answers, it was my turn. I pondered the question for a long while.

I sifted through my thoughts, wondering how much of my sincerity I should reveal, what answer wouldn’t be mocked, and what would garner the most favor from the public. But in the end, the answer that came out was exactly what I believed.

“Acting is…”

***

March 20XX.

*The Prosecutor’s Revenge* came to an end. It concluded as the number one drama of the first half of the year, boasting an impressive average viewership rating of 13.2%.

On the day the final episode aired, I arrived at the restaurant for the wrap party. As soon as I walked in, Ju Tae-gang stood up with a wide grin and opened his arms.

“The man who treats acting like a lifeline! Actor Jeon Yeo-hu has entered the building!”

“Whooo-!!”

“I knew this would happen…”

The reason Ju Tae-gang and Jeong Yun-woo had pestered me to attend, even after I said I might not be able to make it, was for this nonsense. The culprit was the magazine interview I had done for *The Exorcist*, which was released during the same week as the final episode of *The Prosecutor’s Revenge*.

Indeed.

“Acting is a lifeline! Acting is a lifeline! Acting is a lifeline!”

“Yeo-hu, over here at this table!”

“Did you call me here just to do this?”

“What? You’re the one who said it.”

My answer from the interview had become a meme and was circulating through every online community.

+

[The Mindset of a Recent Rookie Actor.jpg]

Actor Jeon Yeo-hu. Despite becoming famous for controversy before his work, he maintained a composed attitude. His eyes, filled with a confidence rare for a rookie and a deep respect for others, offered a glimpse into his sturdy character. Even the other actors who filmed *The Exorcist* with him were full of nothing but praise. What exactly made Jeon Yeo-hu so resilient?

— I think I first thought about acting in middle school. I was given a very small role on stage, and it was so much fun.

His long-standing dream was finally realized at 25 years old. His drama debut, *The Prosecutor’s Revenge*, never lost its number one spot in ratings since it started airing and concluded on a high note, ranking top in buzzworthiness.

In the meantime, the two TAM advertisements Jeon Yeo-hu filmed easily surpassed 4,000,000 views, becoming the representative ad videos for the company. These ads resulted in a 100,000-subscriber increase for the company’s video platform.

The comments section of the advertisements is filled with praise for his natural expressions and handsome appearance. How does he feel about this?

— I love it, of course. I’ve looked in the mirror and thought I was handsome a few times, but it feels different when other people say it. Even though it was a short, drama-style ad, I gave it my all, so I’m really grateful to those who praised my acting. I was especially encouraged by people who left comments mentioning specific minutes and seconds they liked.

This summer, Jeon Yeo-hu is awaiting the broadcast of *The Exorcist*, where he can truly showcase his skills as an actor.

(Omitted)

Finally, we asked them for their thoughts on acting. Jeon Yeo-hu’s response was particularly poignant.

— Acting feels like a lifeline to me. Honestly, reality is hard. There are far more things that don’t work out even when you try your best, and sometimes effort is met with betrayal. But the world I live in when I’m acting has a perfect beginning, middle, and end. When I work hard, there are people who recognize my effort, and it allows me to forget the harshness of reality. Acting is like a ventilator that extends my life. Haha, maybe I should call it an oxygen mask instead of a lifeline? So, I hope my acting can become an oxygen mask for those living through a difficult reality—supporting one another in a world where it’s okay to be imperfect, even if the pressure to not make mistakes occasionally weighs us down.

(Omitted)

*The Exorcist*, featuring three actors who serve as each other’s source of happiness, is scheduled to air in early August of this year.

–

– Too long. Someone give me a three-line summary.
└ To him, acting is a lifeline. An oxygen mask.
└ Thanks, thanks.

– LOL.
– He must really love acting. LOL. Isn’t he that actor who cried at the press conference? So cute.
└ Yeah, that’s him! Please show lots of love for *The Exorcist* airing in early August, starring the crybaby rookie actor Jeon Yeo-hu!

– I saw the magazine pictorial for this, and light literally radiates from his face.
└ Omigod, where can I see it?
└ It’s on the official site. Go check it out.
└ I just saw it and it’s insane. How did a face like that not appear in the world until 25? That makes no sense. He should have been cast via DM years ago.
└ If you read the full interview, it explains it, but you have to buy the magazine for that. T_T Anyway, it says he was scouted before. He just turned them all down because he hadn’t decided on a career path yet.
└ My man is even prudent.
└ You probably just like him because he’s handsome. “Prudent” my ass.
└ LMAO, that hit home.

[Check out Jeon Yeo-hu’s pictorial photos]
(Pictorial_Photo.jpg1)
(Pictorial_Photo.jpg2)
(Pictorial_Photo.jpg3)

–
– Wow, thanks. He’s so handsome. T_T
– A face that needs no justification for liking it.
– The fact that he wailed his eyes out with this face and made the news is the funniest part. LMAO.
└ I think he gained a lot of fans because of that. LOL.
└ Gained a lot of haters too, though.
└ Well, as long as he has both, he’s fine.
└ Usually, you need lots of haters to have lots of fans. LOL.

+

[Sigh, the interview really tugs at my heartstrings. Worrying about how to act well when it’s like a lifeline, and agonizing until 25 over whether he’s even allowed to do it… it’s just so… it’s just that. How can he be this perfect?]
–
2,000 Likes

[(Photo) (Photo)
The fact that he stood on a departmental theater stage because he felt like he’d die if he didn’t, but asked to have his name removed so he wouldn’t cause trouble, makes him seem so unreal. Rumors about him being eccentric must have been wild among his classmates. Like, there’s this insanely handsome but weird guy;;; But I LIKED the eccentric handsome guy.]
–
2,000 Likes
└ But seriously, if there’s a guy like that in your department, rumors would definitely spread in a weird way. Calling him a freak and stuff.
└ Freak? More like a guy who was a nuisance to his department.
└ Didn’t you read the interview? He said he only stood on stages where he sought understanding and permission, like for leftover roles or roles they couldn’t find actors for;;
└ So what? Do you know the full background? I was making a reasonable suspicion. LOL. You’re overreacting.

+

“Acting is!”

“An oxygen mask!”

Who would have thought that the article spreading everywhere would reach the eyes of Ju Tae-gang and Jeong Yun-woo, eventually becoming the toast for *The Prosecutor’s Revenge* wrap party?

Fuck.

“One more time! This time with lifeline!”

“Acting is!”

“A lifeline!”

I squeezed my eyes shut. I already regressed once, yet I wanted to turn back time again.

Is this what regression addiction feels like?