Aura of a Genius Actor

The cast was in the middle of changing costumes when someone walked through the door.

Everyone froze.

"Hugo Viard?"

"...I'm not hallucinating, am I?"

Hugo Viard.

French theater director and film director.

Ordinary people might not recognize the name, but anyone serious about studying acting certainly would.

He had begun as an actor in his twenties before transitioning to directing in his thirties. Across numerous productions, he had helped cultivate countless great performers.

His book Reality Acting Theory had been adopted as teaching material by acting schools around the world.

One of the most influential figures in the field of acting had just walked into their dressing room.

Yu Myeong, Ryu Shin, and Chu Se Mi stared at him with their mouths open.

Only Seol Su Yeon failed to recognize him and quietly glanced around, trying to gauge everyone else's reaction.

"It's really him. He watched our performance..."

Baek Yi Shin, who had escorted him in, confirmed the fact with visible tension.

Hugo strode directly toward one person.

Then he asked in English.

"Would you like to come with me?"

It was Ryu Shin.

"Really? I can't tell."

Ryu Shin answered casually.

They were at his apartment.

The woman sat on the edge of the bed.

Ryu Shin sat on the floor with his back against it, taking a sip of beer.

"Mom told me to bring you some side dishes."

"I barely eat at home anyway."

"You should move into the company housing. There's a cafeteria there."

"No thanks. Too much trouble."

The woman nagging him had the same delicate, beautiful features as Ryu Shin.

Unlike him, however, her face was filled with mischief.

She was Seo Hyeon Hwa, his older sister.

"So why you?"

"It's kind of embarrassing to explain myself."

"You already said you'd accepted embarrassment the moment you started acting with Yu Myeong again. As long as your acting improved, nothing else mattered."

"That's different."

She lifted her foot and pressed it into his back.

"Hey. Get your foot off."

Ignoring him completely, she leaned forward.

"What happened? Tell me."

Ryu Shin recalled his private conversation with Hugo.

"That actor. You want to beat him, don't you?"

"..."

"I can't guarantee I'll help you win. But I can help you draw."

"...How?"

"So you do want to beat him."

Hugo had smiled as he struck directly at the heart of the matter.

"You're not a genius."

"..."

"Everyone else might call you one. But you don't believe that yourself, do you?"

Ryu Shin remained silent.

"And you're right. If a genius is someone who produces results beyond their effort, then you're not one. You've simply worked that hard."

"...That's true. I'm not a genius."

"Anyone can become a good actor without being a genius."

Hugo's smile faded.

"But becoming a great actor is different."

"..."

"You have to evolve beyond your limits. Unless you're overflowing with talent like that friend over there and can do it alone, you need guidance from someone who understands the process."

He pointed toward the stage.

"I can teach you."

As Ryu Shin finished recounting the conversation, Hyeon Hwa let out a low whistle.

"So basically, you can't catch up to Yu Myeong through your own efforts alone? Take coaching? Wow. That must have shattered Seo Ryu Shin's pride."

"My pride was shattered a long time ago."

He laughed softly.

"There wasn't a single thing he said that was wrong."

"...You've had a rough time, haven't you?"

The moment she heard him, she understood.

Since childhood, her younger brother had never backed away once he set his mind on something.

He was the type who would fight tooth and nail to avoid being outperformed by adult actors.

How much must he have been forced to confront his own shortcomings before he could acknowledge them so calmly?

"I just learned my place. Don't misunderstand."

Ryu Shin stared at his beer.

"I think I'm a good actor."

Then he smiled.

"But when you face real talent, there's a gap you can't ignore."

"So that's your conclusion? Some people are born with talent you can never reach no matter how hard you work?"

"As if."

This time, it was not the expression of Seo Ryu Shin the younger brother.

It was the expression of actor Ryu Shin.

"If someone is impossible to beat alone, then you get help."

His eyes gleamed.

"He's right."

"..."

"I'm going to follow him for a while. If he's one of the best acting coaches in the world, there's bound to be something I can learn."

He wasn't discouraged.

He wasn't defeated.

He had accepted reality exactly as it was and begun searching for a way to overcome it.

Seeing that stubborn determination, Hyeon Hwa smiled proudly.

"So when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow. As soon as everything's wrapped up after the final performance."

"That soon?"

"When it's time to convince Mom and Dad, help me out."

Dream Enter.

Ryu Shin's agency was, in reality, operated by his parents.

Because they worked in the industry and because both siblings had been exceptionally attractive from a young age, Hyeon Hwa and Ryu Shin had debuted early as child actors.

Hyeon Hwa eventually lost interest in acting and joined Dream Enter after graduating from college.

Ryu Shin, meanwhile, had never strayed from the path.

"Mom finally thinks you're about to start making real money..."

"I'll set you up on a blind date."

Her eyes lit up.

"Seriously?"

"For his sake, it'd probably be best to hide your violent tendencies."

"Want to die?"

Her foot immediately drove into his back again.

"This is an encouraging massage for your final performance."

"Cut it out..."

His back felt impossibly broad.

When had he gotten so big?

The final performance ended.

Applause thundered through the theater.

Twenty performances.

Eight thousand seats.

Every single one sold out.

It was an unprecedented success, praised almost universally.

Throughout its run, Peter Pan had dominated entertainment news and culture sections alike.

The phrase "Peter Pan Syndrome" began to acquire a second meaning.

No longer merely a psychological term, it also came to describe the cultural phenomenon surrounding the play itself.

The number of visitors to Daehakro surged.

The longing left unsatisfied in people who failed to secure tickets transformed into interest in theater as a whole.

Complaints from stage actors that successful movie stars were invading the theater world disappeared overnight.

Theater Company July, in particular, found itself flooded with inquiries about future productions.

At Audius, the university theater club, applications poured in.

"Yu Myeong and Ryu Shin were members here?"

"Of course. They were incredible."

"Do they still come?"

"Sometimes."

"I want to become an actor like them!"

"Let's worry about getting accepted into Audius first."

Even though it wasn't the beginning of a new semester, students lined up begging to join.

At one point, a senior who was already about to graduate insisted on becoming a member, leaving everyone laughing helplessly.

Thus, Peter Pan left its mark in countless ways before finally closing.

"So... you're really not coming back?"

The head of July clasped his hands together and looked at them with sparkling eyes that seemed far too youthful for a middle aged man.

Yu Myeong smiled.

"If you invite me to company dinners, I'll stop by and say hello."

"A company dinner? Should we have one today?"

"Come on, Director. Today belongs to the cast."

"Ah... right. I suppose it does..."

After Baek Yi Shin's blunt reminder, the director retreated with visible disappointment.

Yi Shin then turned to the actors.

One by one, he shook their hands firmly.

When he reached Yu Myeong, countless emotions filled his eyes.

Yet he spoke only two words.

"Thank you."

"Thank you too, Senior."

Once they had gathered their belongings and stepped outside, Ho Cheol hurried over to take Yu Myeong's bags.

"I'll put these in the car. Should we leave through the back?"

"There'll be people there too. Let's use the front entrance today. We should thank everyone who supported us. Su Yeon, do you want a ride with us?"

"Yes!"

"Then I'll see you at the after party."

The moment they emerged—

Flash!

Flash!

Camera flashes erupted from every direction.

"Yu Myeong! How do you feel after the final performance?"

"What are your plans for your next project? Could we arrange an interview with Literary Daily?"

"You're building an undefeated streak. What's the secret?"

"Please look this way just once!"

As Ho Cheol and several July members struggled to hold back the crowd, Yu Myeong walked toward the car.

Just before getting in, he turned toward the sea of people surrounding July Theater and bowed deeply.

A tremendous cheer erupted.

[Do everything you want, Yu Myeong ♡]

[No matter where you go, we'll follow you — God Named]

Fluorescent handmade signs danced through the air.

It was a sight that would forever accompany his memories of Peter Pan.

Beer glasses collided brightly.

Only four people had gathered for the closing celebration.

The actors who had laughed and cried together for months.

"So it really ended."

"Good work, Noona."

"You too. Honestly, what were you thinking? Keeping your energy maxed out every day like that. People in their thirties don't recover the way they used to."

"You were still in your twenties last year."

"One year makes all the difference when the number changes from a two to a three."

Chu Se Mi grumbled, though her voice carried more affection than irritation.

Truthfully, no one was more grateful for this production than she was.

When she'd passed the audition, some people had sneered.

"Must be nice."

"Why did you work so hard for an audition?"

But after the production became a historic success, those same people had changed their tune first.

"Are you doing another show?"

"Want to join our project team in the second half of the year? We've got a female lead role that's perfect for you."

"Your acting improved so much. What exactly are you doing over there?"

The intensity of training had been incomparable.

The rehearsal hours had been longer.

There was no way her acting couldn't improve.

People developed at different rates, but one lesson had become clear.

Time never betrayed you.

Not if you knew how to fill it properly.

That, more than anything, was what she had gained.

"So you're really leaving?"

"...Yes."

"What about the language?"

"I've spoken English since I was young. If I want to work with actors over there, I'll need to learn French too. Though Hugo speaks excellent English."

"I see..."

Se Mi sighed.

"Korean fans are going to be disappointed."

The conversation drifted from Ryu Shin's studies abroad to Se Mi's next project.

Then to the news that both actresses had gained official fan clubs.

Then to the fact that Yu Myeong's and Ryu Shin's fan clubs had begun working together.

Eventually, as it always did, the discussion returned to Peter Pan.

"I wonder if I'll ever feel something like this again."

"Me too..."

"There'll be lots of wonderful productions in the future."

"Maybe. But there'll never be this production again."

"..."

The drinks kept flowing.

Laughter and tears blurred together.

A drink to forget the sadness.

A drink to celebrate each other's futures.

A drink to make up for all the alcohol they had avoided during the run to maintain their condition.

The gathering stretched deep into the night.

"Get home safely. I'll take Su Yeon."

"Let's all meet again."

"Hyung, make sure you contact us before you leave."

"I will."

By the time they finally said goodbye, it was past one in the morning.

Yu Myeong and Seol Su Yeon climbed into a taxi, both wearing masks that covered most of their faces.

After seeing her home, Yu Myeong turned to leave.

Then she called out to him.

"Oppa."

"Yeah?"

"...I like you."

"..."

"I don't think it was possible not to."

The confession was delivered with complete calm.