Aura of a Genius Actor

["I am Hera, sister and wife of Zeus."]

Andrea Moretti nearly dropped to his knees.

It felt as though he were committing a sin, stealing a glimpse into the world of the gods.

["If you judge this apple to be mine, then to you—a mere shepherd cast out from the royal palace—I shall grant the power to rule the most magnificent kingdom in all the world."]

An overwhelming presence.

The very queen of goddesses, Hera herself, stood upon a Roman stage and commanded the world.

A majesty so immense it seemed capable of reaching even the furthest seats of the amphitheater filled the Arena.

The format was the same as that day.

The day Moretti had first witnessed the performance.

Just as before, the goddesses argued, debated, and insisted that the golden apple belonged to them.

Yet the actor who had once portrayed the most beautiful goddess in the world had now become the most majestic goddess in existence.

Was this a miracle?

A mirage born beneath the blazing midday sun?

["Thank you."]

When the performance ended and Andrea's knees finally gave out beneath him, sending him collapsing to the ground—

The young man stepped down from the stage with light, effortless strides.

["It's a wonderful theater, Signore. I won't forget it."]

Strange.

He no longer seemed like the polite young man from before.

His eyes shone with imperious brilliance.

His gait was flawless.

Standing before the lingering dignity of a god, Andrea barely suppressed the urge to bow his head.

["Ah... w when will I be able to see your acting again...?"]

["Who knows. If fate allows, perhaps someday."]

And just like that, the young man disappeared.

Andrea never had another chance to see him in Verona.

{Only now are you realizing my greatness?}

On the train crossing into Austria, there were no other passengers in Yu Myeong's compartment.

Unable to hide his excitement, he lavished praise upon Miho.

That overwhelming aura which had dominated the vast Arena—

An experience so incredible it was difficult to believe even after witnessing it firsthand.

But Miho, as though mere admiration were insufficient, threw out a sharp question.

{The second day, the fourth day, and today. They were all one performance.}

The roles had changed, but it had been a single production.

Only three characters appeared.

Though the title was The Judgment of Paris, Paris himself was almost irrelevant amid the fierce battle between the three goddesses.

{Did you learn anything?}

Apparently Miho had intended to teach him something by showing each goddess separately.

Yu Myeong cautiously offered the one thing he had noticed.

"The center of gravity...?"

{Explain.}

"I felt like the center of gravity was placed differently in each role. Aphrodite, who emphasized feminine charm, curved her back like a bow to create a beautiful posture. Athena, who embodied the determination and strength of a warrior, carried a firm center in her waist."

{And Hera?}

"In her neck. She held it incredibly straight. Like it would break before it ever bent."

Oh?

Miho swallowed the impressed sound before it escaped.

A sharp observation.

Yu Myeong could only have noticed such a subtle distinction because he had been paying close attention to how Miho used the body while acting.

Not bad.

Very good, in fact.

But...

What Miho had intended to teach was something more fundamental than that.

Just as disappointment began creeping in, thinking he had failed to grasp the real lesson, Yu Myeong spoke again.

"And... there's something I've been wondering. Can I ask?"

{What is it?}

"Why did you leave those gaps between the lines? I mean, I was amazed that the rhythm never broke even during the silences. But it felt like there had to be a reason you deliberately chose that method..."

Across all three performances, Miho had used exactly the same timing.

When it was her character's turn to speak, she delivered the lines.

When another character should have been speaking, she remained silent and simply reacted.

Why not compress everything together?

Why perform even the empty spaces?

Miho nodded, apparently pleased by the question.

He hadn't fully understood her intention, but he had sensed where the core of it lay.

For a student, that was quite perceptive.

{Look at this.}

The fox spirit melted strands of silver fur and pulled screens out of the air.

One.

Two.

Three.

Even after seeing it many times, the sight remained astonishing.

Soon, the three completed screens displayed the three street performances.

Aphrodite on the first.

Athena on the second.

Hera on the third.

{Out focus.}

{Compose.}

The two commands followed one another.

The three screens overlapped.

And what emerged was—

Three characters acting within a single frame.

Aphrodite.

Athena.

Hera.

"...!"

At last, Yu Myeong understood.

The same performer had portrayed each character separately at different times.

Yet when combined, they fit together with impossible precision and became a single play.

"That's impossible..."

Though performed separately, the rhythm of the acting connected seamlessly, each line flowing naturally into the next.

The reactions matched.

The eye movements matched.

Everything matched.

As though three versions of Yu Myeong had stood in the same place and acted together.

A shiver ran through his body.

"H How is that even possible? Is it because you're a fox spirit?"

{I told you. When I act, I don't use my original abilities.}

"Then... how..."

Lowering her voice as though sharing a secret, Miho answered.

{Lesson Two. Know yourself.}

"..."

{You must know your own acting perfectly. If you understand exactly how you'll portray each role, then while acting one character, you can anticipate the others and match yourself to them.}

The words that came from Miho's mouth described a realm beyond imagination.

{Of course, reaching this level isn't easy. The point is to become conscious of your acting and make it part of yourself.}

"...Yes."

Yu Myeong answered weakly, thoroughly overwhelmed.

They traveled to Salzburg and visited each of the famous locations from The Sound of Music.

For Miho, who loved beer, they attended Germany's Oktoberfest and became intoxicated on varieties of beer unavailable in Korea.

And throughout it all, Miho's lessons steadily continued.

Then, in early November—

They arrived in Cannes, in southern France.

"Wow... so this is the place where the Cannes Film Festival is held."

The Lumière Theatre.

Looking at the red carpet permanently laid out for tourists, Yu Myeong imagined the great actors from around the world who had walked across it.

He strolled along the Walk of Fame, taking in the handprints left behind by stars.

After spending hours wandering through the city of cinema beneath the mild southern French autumn air, he suddenly froze before a poster.

Ballerina High

11.01 – 12.15

"What? Why is this here...?"

{Didn't they sell overseas distribution rights all over the place? Looks like France bought it too.}

"I guess so."

After checking the theater's location, Yu Myeong headed there immediately.

Sure enough, Ballerina High was playing.

The first film of his own he had ever encountered abroad.

Without thinking, he bought a ticket.

French subtitles ran along the bottom of the screen.

For the first time in a long while, he watched Ballerina High.

Perhaps because his acting had improved, he noticed small shortcomings here and there and committed them to memory.

The movie ended.

As he was leaving the auditorium—

"Excuse me... aren't you the actor who played Phantom?"

"Ah, yes. That's me."

"Oh my God. I was so moved by the film. Could I get your autograph?"

"Of course."

One audience member had recognized the actor he had just watched on screen.

Others nearby overheard and hurried over in surprise.

In an instant, a small autograph session formed.

The strange experience of foreigners crowding around for his signature left Yu Myeong both embarrassed and delighted.

A powerful figure in Cannes who had repeatedly insisted that Yu Myeong visit him whenever he came to France was now waiting impatiently.

"Hello. This is Shin Yu Myeong, Monsieur Vallon."

"Yu Myeong! You've arrived? I'll come pick you up immediately."

It was a meeting with Vallon Farugier.

"It was wonderful. London, Vienna, Salzburg, Verona, Rome... there were so many beautiful cities with such rich histories."

"France is even more beautiful. And besides, the wine is better, isn't it?"

Pouring expensive wine with practiced elegance, Vallon quietly displayed a touch of national pride.

"The aroma is incredible."

"I prepared it specially. Though I must say, your English seems to have improved considerably during your travels."

"Has it?"

Receiving lavish hospitality in Vallon's home, Yu Myeong finally asked something he had been curious about.

"How is Ryu Shin doing? It's already been more than four months since he went to Paris."

"Hugo calls me twice a week. First he shouts, 'That idiot! That blockhead!' Then five minutes later it's, 'Jesus, he's brilliant! He's my successor!' It's absolute chaos. Of course, Ryu Shin doesn't seem remotely interested in any of Hugo's nonsense about successors."

"Haha. That sounds exactly like Hugo and exactly like Ryu Shin."

"Whatever the case, he's doing extraordinarily well. Brize Theatre Company is one of Paris's finest companies. The fact that Hugo is mounting a production specifically with Ryu Shin as the lead tells you how highly he's regarded."

"That's great news. But isn't the performance in French? What about the language barrier?"

"The production is Ivan Turgenev's Mumu."

"Ah."

Yu Myeong nodded.

Then the protagonist would be Gerasim.

A deaf and mute serf.

A tragic man who realizes that someone of his station has no right to love and ultimately strangles the dog he cherishes most with his own hands.

I want to see Ryu Shin's Gerasim.

As Yu Myeong sank into thought, Vallon hesitated briefly before changing the subject.

"Yu Myeong. There's something I'd like to tell you."

"Please."

"Did you know that Seol Su Yeon is in Paris?"

Yu Myeong stiffened.

Seol Su Yeon was in Paris?

Why?

"When I went to Korea to watch Peter Pan, I met her as well. She was still working hard on rehabilitation, but her progress was slow. So I introduced her to a rehabilitation specialist who is quite famous in the ballet world."

"...I see. Thank you very much. But why didn't you tell me at the time?"

"She asked me not to. She said that if she saw you before leaving, her resolve might weaken."

Vallon continued, his expression deepening as though he understood something of their relationship.

"She said she would meet you after she succeeded in rehabilitation—or, failing that, after the three years she promised had passed. I greatly admired her determination, but it must be difficult. Since you've come all this way, I thought perhaps seeing her once..."

Yu Myeong answered quietly.

"I want to respect her decision. But truly... thank you. Thank you very much."

Looking at the young man bowing his head deeply, Vallon thought both Seol Su Yeon and Yu Myeong were remarkable.

The determination to keep a promise.

The trust to wait silently until then.

Neither came easily at their age.

It was possible only because both of them possessed unusual depth and strength.

And because Yu Myeong looked so sincerely grateful for the help given to her, Vallon deliberately brightened his voice.

"It's nothing! Though if you're really that grateful, perhaps you could grant me a favor."

"If it's something I can do, anything."

"There is a theater company I've supported for many years. Would you be willing to perform for the actors there? I think it might be an eye-opening experience for them."

It wasn't a difficult request.

Still, Yu Myeong hesitated.

Throughout the trip, it had always been Miho performing.

But allowing Miho to perform in front of Vallon and professional actors was different from performing for strangers on the street.

The impact would be far greater.

Even so—

He wanted Miho to perform on a proper stage at least once.

As he considered asking Vallon to ensure that no recording was made—

Suddenly—

The control of his body was taken away.

["I'll do it. I'd like to try performing Mumu as well—the production that actor Ryu Shin is preparing."]

{M Miho?}

Startled, Yu Myeong heard Miho whisper.

{It's a test. Everything you've learned so far. This time, you're the one acting.}