NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor

In the following match, Jae-woon from N-Boys stumbled around a bit before being substituted, and with their defensive balance disrupted, the N-Boys team was pushed into a disadvantage and eventually conceded the decisive goal.

“I can’t believe we won…”

The Axis members cheered as they climbed onto the makeshift podium hastily prepared by the production team.

“Hyung, thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing. It was fun to play after such a long time.”

“You were limping a bit after that tackle earlier. Are you okay?”

Yeon-woo grinned at Dong-ha’s question.

“Yeah. I feel great.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, I’m perfectly fine.”

Jae-won, who had scored an own goal today, bowed his head slightly.

“Yeon-woo hyung. Well, we’ll be heading off to our next game.”

Apparently, while the futsal was going on outside, the girl groups were having their rhythmic gymnastics competition inside.

Now the idols who participated in futsal needed to go into the indoor arena for the next event.

“Alright. Be careful not to get hurt. Let’s all have a meal together later.”

“Oh, really?”

“Of course.”

As the outdoor games concluded, the other idol team members headed into the indoor arena.

Then, PD Kim Hang-gon, who was directing the scene, approached Yeon-woo.

“Mr. Ryu, I heard from the staff that there was an accident during the game. Are you alright?”

“Ah, it was nothing. I wasn’t hurt at all. In fact, I think it might make for some dramatic content if we include it in the broadcast.”

“Oh, is that so? I’ll have to review the footage when we’re done filming today.”

Yeon-woo smiled lightly at PD Kim Hang-gon’s words.

“By the way, do we need to clear this outdoor field right away? I was thinking we could have a meal with the fans in the stands. We’ll clean up thoroughly afterwards.”

“That’s no problem at all. We’ve rented the entire place for the day, so feel free to use it as you like.”

“That’s great. PD-nim, let’s meet again if we have a chance to work on a variety show together. Thank you for taking such good care of us today.”

As Yeon-woo bowed politely, PD Kim Hang-gon’s jaw dropped.

From Kim Hang-gon’s perspective, just building a connection with Ryu Yeon-woo was an incredible windfall.

Given that he was a star whose image hadn’t been overexposed in the broadcasting world, even a simple phone call, let alone an appearance, would practically guarantee high ratings for that episode.

And as soon as Yeon-woo finished his conversation with the PD, he headed towards the stands where his fans were gathered.

“Yes, Min-soo hyung. The weather’s not too cold, so let’s just eat outside. Please bring what we prepared.”

– Understood. I’ll be there right away.

He called Kim Min-soo to request the prepared lunchboxes, and soon after, security staff from LN Entertainment arrived carrying large boxes containing the meals.

“Everyone, the weather’s nice, shall we all eat together here?”

As Yeon-woo took a seat in the center of the stands, the fans’ eyes lit up.

“Together?!”

“Yes. I’m not participating in any other events anyway, so I thought we could have a picnic-like meal together before I head home.”

“Wow!”

“Ah, I’m so glad I took a day off. No regrets in life…”

As Kim Min-soo and the staff distributed the lunchboxes ordered from a famous family restaurant, Yeon-woo, seated among the fans, said,

“Min-soo hyung and the security team should join us too.”

“We can eat separately, it’s fine.”

“Come on, why? If you eat with us, the security team won’t need to guard separately.”

“…Ah, well, should we?”

Kim Min-soo, who had followed the elite path of all-boys middle school, all-boys high school, military service, and engineering college, awkwardly took a seat among the fans, mostly women in their 20s.

Yeon-woo plopped down among the fans and started eating, chatting casually.

Of course, given Yeon-woo’s diverse fan base, not all the fans present today were women.

“Hyung! I’ve watched ‘Master Plan’ ten times!”

Hearing the words of a boy who looked like a middle school student, Yeon-woo asked,

“What’s your name? Did you come alone?”

“I’m Ju-hyeong. My mom is waiting in the parking lot.”

Hearing the fan’s name, Yeon-woo smiled as it reminded him of someone.

Do all Ju-hyeongs generally like movies?

“You have the same name as my friend. By the way, we’ve been filming for quite a while. Your mother must be tired waiting alone in the car. Min-soo hyung, do we have any extra lunchboxes?”

Since they had prepared generously, Kim Min-soo checked the remaining quantity of lunchboxes and nodded.

“Yes, we do.”

Hearing Min-soo’s reply, Yeon-woo looked at the young fan.

“Call your mom and tell her to come in and have a meal with us. The filming is over now, so entry to the outdoor field should be possible without a pass. If anyone stops her, just have her hand the phone to me.”

“Really?! Okay!”

The young fan Ju-hyeong nodded excitedly and called his mother.

Meanwhile, fans of other idols who were being guided into the indoor arena by the staff looked on through the green wire fence, their hearts burning with envy.

“…Wow. This is amazing.”

“He’s so down-to-earth.”

“It’s amazing that he even graduated from the Arts and Physical Education College out of loyalty, even though he’s an A-list actor now.”

“That’s right. Honestly, both the celebrities and fans work so hard all day long on this program.”

===

**

===

Meanwhile, Ju-hyeong, an aspiring playwright rather than a young fan, was deep in thought about the stage setup for the play.

After sitting in various spots in the small theater and considering it from multiple angles, the conclusion he and his friends came to was ultimately the same.

“Ah, I have no idea. How would we know when we’ve never done this before?”

“Let’s wait until Yeon-woo or Yu-han arrives.”

Everyone nodded at Junsoo’s suggestion.

“What are you waiting for?”

They were startled by the voice from behind.

“Oh, geez. You scared me. Do you always move around without making a sound?”

“Yeon-woo, when did you get here?”

Yeon-woo had come down habitually reducing his footsteps, opening and closing the door silently, entering like a ghost.

‘Hmm, this is ingrained and won’t change.’

Scratching the back of his head, Yeon-woo answered his friends.

“I had a variety show filming today, just finished and came right over.”

“Ah, that futsal thing you mentioned before?”

As Yeon-woo nodded, Ju-hyeong asked.

“How was it? Did you do well?”

Junsoo and Seong-sik answered simultaneously.

“He must have done well.”

“He always wins at sports somehow.”

Yeon-woo responded to their comments, sounding slightly offended.

“What do you mean ‘somehow’? It sounds like I’m cheating when you put it that way.”

“Your tactics and strategies are basically cheating.”

Yeon-woo shrugged as if to say ‘what are you talking about’ and changed the subject.

“But what is it that you don’t understand? You said you were waiting for Yu-han or me to arrive.”

“Oh, it’s about the stage setup. We need to make it look like a ship, right?”

The genre of the play Ju-hyeong had written this time included elements of thriller, noir, and mystery.

However, due to the limitations of having to resolve everything on a confined stage, they couldn’t frequently change the background settings.

Moreover, being a small theater group composed of amateurs, these limitations were even more pronounced.

That’s why they thought of a murder case occurring on a ship.

If they developed the story within the isolated space of a ship, there would be no need for location changes.

After organizing his thoughts, Yeon-woo nodded and spoke.

“I’ve been thinking about that part since I was going to the States, and I have an idea.”

“Oh, as expected! What is it?”

“How about we do it like a bathroom?”

“Huh? A bathroom?”

His friends tilted their heads at this unexpected suggestion.

What did he mean by a bathroom when they were supposed to be decorating the stage like a ship?

Yeon-woo thought it would be faster to show rather than explain, so he went up on the stage.

“Guys, take your seats and sit down.”

As Yeon-woo instructed, his friends sat in the audience seats. Then Yeon-woo walked to the right edge of the stage.

“Let’s start by only shining a spotlight on the right side of the stage where I’m standing now. The other parts of the stage should be relatively dark so they don’t catch the eye.”

Clap clap─.

And then Yeon-woo clapped twice and his expression changed to that of a completely different person.

“The ship is about to depart. Is there anyone who hasn’t boarded yet?”

Then he spun around and this time raised his hand urgently.

“Me! Please wait a moment!”

“Yes, yes, show me your ticket.”

“I couldn’t buy a ticket because I was in such a hurry, but please let me board just this once. I’ll pay double the fare in cash right now. Please?”

“Oh, we shouldn’t do this. It’s against the law.”

Watching Yeon-woo alternating roles and delivering lines by himself while constantly changing positions, his friends realized that Yeon-woo was demonstrating the opening of the play in a one-man, two-role performance.

“Triple! I’ll pay triple, so can’t you make an exception somehow?”

“Ah, I guess there’s no choice. Get on board. We’re departing right away, so don’t stand on the deck, go straight down the stairs to the cabin.”

“Understood.”

Then Yeon-woo looked at his friends and spoke.

“So, this is how Jin Yu-han boards as the last passenger, and then we black out.”

Yeon-woo walked back to the center of the stage and spread out his hands.

“Here in the center of the stage, let’s place partitions like public bathroom stalls, matching the number of people on board, and attach doors to each.”

His friends nodded, seeming to understand what he meant.

“Oh! Then the audience will immediately recognize it as the ship’s cabins!”

In response to Seong-sik’s words, Ju-hyeong, the writer, shook his head.

“It’s not just that. If an actor closes the cabin door and exits to the back, they can immediately take on the role of stage crew.”

Due to the characteristics of small theaters where everyone has to play multiple roles, they need to manage not only the characters but also serve as stage crew.

When it’s not their scene to appear, they have to quickly run to operate the stage lighting or play the sound effects.

Usually, during blackouts, they would quickly change the stage set with practiced hands, but there was no one here skilled in stage management.

They had been worried about how to handle this, but with this method, even the novice members could manage it sufficiently.

“That’s right. And Mr. Jung Cheol-min, who runs the small theater, said he’d send two actors. They’ll work in sync with us going forward.”

Since Jung Cheol-min’s small theater couldn’t put on performances due to leak repairs anyway, there was no problem with manpower.

“Then what about your and Yu-han’s rooms?”

At Kim Ju-hyeong’s question, Yeon-woo walked to the front of the stage.

There are two people in this play who never leave the stage and continue acting throughout.

The lead actors, Yeon-woo and Jin Yu-han.

Yeon-woo, who had walked to the very front of the stage right in front of the audience seats, pointed to both sides of the stage.

“Let’s set up my cabin on the left and Yu-han’s cabin on the right, facing each other. With no doors or walls, so the inside is completely visible, just place a small bed and a locker.”

Kim Ju-hyeong nodded at Yeon-woo’s answer.

“So the audience will see a series of cabin doors stretching out behind your and Yu-han’s rooms.”

“Right. There are many scenes in the play where Yu-han and I go into our rooms and deliver monologues.”

His friends seemed to be visualizing the completed set.

“If we set it up like this, Yeon-woo and Yu-han’s rooms will be at the front of the stage, and behind them will be a row of cabin doors, making it completely symmetrical with the center as the axis.”

Hearing Woo Seong-sik’s words, Yeon-woo looked at Kim Ju-hyeong.

“Come to think of it, Writer Kim Ju-hyeong. Have you decided on a title for our play?”

“Yes. Coincidentally, it fits well with the symmetrical set. The name of this play is 「Mirror」.”

Upon hearing the title of the play, Yeon-woo looked around the small theater.

Although the seats were still empty, he could almost feel the audience’s intense gaze.

“Hmm, 「Mirror」… It suits quite well.”