Aura of a Genius Actor

"It's Bohyeong, isn't it? That's definitely Bohyeong, right?"

"He really listened... to what I said..."

So Jin murmured blankly to herself.

Half of it had been selfishness—she simply wanted to see Bohyeong again.

The other half came from the instincts she'd developed after years of running the fan club. Whenever you hit a wall, she'd told him, use Bohyeong.

She had never imagined he would actually take her advice.

Of course, what So Jin and the members of God Named loved wasn't the fictional character Bohyeong, but the actor Shin Yu Myeong himself.

Even so, who wouldn't want to see their favorite actor return to the character he loved most?

And judging by the reactions on screen, it wasn't just the people who already knew Bohyeong.

Even those seeing him for the first time had completely fallen for him.

"Who do you think can offer me the most tempting bait?"

That bright, refreshing smile.

Not his usual composed smile, but the one that left every older sister watching him utterly wrapped around his finger.

Another one had just fallen under his spell.

"I'll write you a script! I'll write one!"

"Eva just said she's going to write a script for Yu Myeong, right? Wow..."

"Tissues! Hurry, tissues! I need to wipe my tears before I properly appreciate this!"

Eva wasn't the only one getting excited.

When George and Natalie joined the competition to recruit Yu Myeong, the atmosphere became even more electric.

Watching it all unfold, the Gold Members couldn't agree.

"Honestly, Natalie's class looks good too. She recognized Yu Myeong from the very beginning and supported him all the way. Besides, she's an incredible actress."

"No, Eva! He should join Eva's class! That foreigner has serious God Named energy. She's completely fallen for Yu Myeong."

Then Derek made his offer.

"From now on, whenever people search Derek McCurdy, Shin Yu Myeong's name will appear right beside mine."

"...Holy..."

"He's insane..."

"Completely insane... but he's the best."

"So unbelievably sexy..."

"Derek! Derek's class!"

The debate ended instantly.

Once Yu Myeong chose Derek's class, the Gold Members looked at one another again.

"What even is this..."

"I want to kneel before the version of myself who joined Yu Myeong's fan club two years ago."

"Do you think all the judges are going to end up joining our fan club too?"

"No way..."

They thought that had been the climax.

Then, at the very end of Episode 9, they were stunned all over again.

It happened during Derek's first lesson.

The exercise was called "Walking Twice."

"...Is that Yi Bang Won?"

"No... I don't think so..."

"Wait..."

"Could it be... Yu Myeong's version of Jeong Mong Ju?"

"AHHHHHHH!!"

Bohyeong from Entertainment Studies.

Jeong Mong Ju from Late Goryeo, Early Joseon.

Two of Yu Myeong's previous roles had appeared in the same episode of Casting Vote.

The instant the broadcast ended, they frantically turned on the internet.

Every major portal site's front page was overflowing with news.

The fan café had already descended into complete chaos.

Entertainment Studies Invades Casting Vote? Yoon Bohyeong Captivates American Viewers

Derek Class's First Assignment, "Walking Twice": Shin Yu Myeong Performs Jeong Mong Ju. How Far Will His Challenge Go?

Once again,

Korea had exploded.

"Bohyeooong..."

Eva groaned, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the notebook in front of her.

The pages were filled with frantic, illegible scribbles.

"Ahhh... A script worthy of Shin Yu Myeong and Derek..."

"What should I write?"

"What can I write?"

It wasn't that she lacked ideas.

Quite the opposite.

Her mind overflowed with inspiration.

But every concept she managed to pull out somehow felt inadequate for those two.

Then she'd think of an even better scene she'd rather see them perform, throw everything away, and start over.

It had only gotten worse after Episode 9 aired yesterday.

"...Maybe I'll watch it one more time."

Eva replayed the recording.

She had already lost count of how many times she'd watched it since last night.

"...So I'm the one making the decision?"

Ahhh... Yu Myeong is going to be the death of me...!

Ever since Episode 9 aired the previous evening,

the "Yoon Bohyeong Virus" had begun spreading across America.

Eva knew it was merely one of Yu Myeong's roles.

Everyone else assumed that was simply what Shin Yu Myeong was like.

What...? I was just watching TV and suddenly my heart skipped a beat...

What did this actor do before acting? His charm is unreal...

Seriously... the expression on his face is hypnotic. He's arrogantly telling the biggest names in American cinema to beg him... and somehow he doesn't come across as arrogant at all.

Now I want to beg him too.

Male aegyo wasn't exactly a mainstream appeal in American culture.

And yet...

There was something about his expressions and the way he spoke that people simply couldn't stop watching.

Traffic to NamedGod.com shot upward in another dramatic spike.

As for Eva...

Anyone would lose their mind after seeing that.

...What kind of script could I possibly give an actor like him that I'd never regret?

She had seen his acting become even deeper during the graduation mission,

The Arizade Kingdom Murder Case.

Watching Yu Myeong breathe life into the world she had written—surpassing everything she had imagined—made her heart pound harder than ever.

For a creator,

seeing your fictional world become reality was a joy beyond words.

And when an actor brought that world to life in a form so close to perfection...

Could anyone understand how terrifying it became to write the next story?

What if this opportunity was her last?

That anxiety.

The crushing pressure to produce the best script she possibly could.

Those emotions weighed so heavily on her that she still hadn't managed to write a single page.

She logged back into NamedGod.com.

The fan site was crawling as usual, overwhelmed by another flood of visitors.

Every few seconds another post appeared.

Please let us watch Shin Yu Myeong's previous works too!

I've seen all of them already.

Hehe.

Through her "unnie," Eva had managed to watch Ballerina High, Entertainment Studies, and Late Goryeo, Early Joseon.

The only thing she regretted missing was Peter Pan.

As she continued escaping reality, a messenger notification popped up.

six: Eva. Today I've got the greatest gift for you.

evar: There's still something left?!

six: Hehe. This is the ultimate forbidden medicine. Whenever life gets difficult, watch this and everything melts away.

evar: That's exactly how I feel right now! T^T

"...Fifteen seconds?"

"So it's not from one of his productions?"

Tilting her head in confusion, Eva clicked the file that had just finished downloading.

The moment it began playing...

Every ounce of strength left her body.

"Unni!"

Oh... my...!!

"You worked hard today. Really."

"I'm proud of you for giving it your best again today."

Gooooooooood!!!!

After replaying the clip nearly twenty times,

Eva opened her Word document again.

The fire had returned to her eyes.

Whatever creative slump stood in her way,

she would overcome it.

She was going to write Yu Myeong the best script she possibly could.

Pandora's Jar

Zeus wished to repay humanity for receiving Prometheus's gift of fire with an equal measure of calamity.

At Zeus's command, Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths, fashioned the first woman from clay.

Her name was Pandora.

The gods each bestowed a gift upon her.

Aphrodite granted beauty.

Athena gave talent and clothing.

One by one, the gifts continued until Hermes bestowed the last ones:

falsehood,

flattery,

cunning,

and curiosity.

Pandora was then sent to Epimetheus to become his wife.

In Epimetheus's home stood a single sealed jar.

He repeatedly warned Pandora never to open it.

But curiosity—Hermes's gift—proved stronger.

She eventually lifted the lid just a crack.

Death.

Disease.

Jealousy.

Hatred.

Countless evils burst from the jar.

By the time Pandora hurriedly slammed the lid shut,

only Hope remained inside.

"That's the legend of Pandora. Most of you probably know the basic story."

"Yes."

"We're turning that into our performance?"

"It'll be heavily reinterpreted."

"The original Pandora is essentially a spy deliberately created by the gods and sent to humanity."

"But our Pandora..."

"...will represent humanity itself."

"The very first human..."

"The first human..."

Yu Myeong remembered Hugo's earlier words.

An angel.

A devil.

A human.

And Hugo had said Marta would be the angel while Priya became the devil.

Which meant...

"...I'm the human?"

"Ding ding."

"Correct."

Hugo nodded.

The contrast between Priya and Marta had certainly contributed to the idea.

But the true reason he had chosen this concept was Yu Myeong.

There were very few actors capable of portraying this role.

Perhaps only one.

"I've finished outlining it, but the final script isn't done yet."

"While I complete it, I want you three to practice one thing."

"Being expressionless."

"Expressionless?"

Marta couldn't hide her confusion.

"Yes."

"You'll be portraying gods and the first human."

"Beings untouched by corruption."

"Practice their expressionlessness."

Priya tilted her head.

"So..."

"Do you mean completely relaxing every muscle in our faces?"

"Hmm..."

"Priya."

"Show me."

Priya released every bit of tension from her face.

"No."

"That's not it."

"Marta."

"Your turn."

Hugo stepped toward her.

Marta also relaxed her muscles completely, letting the tension leave her eyes.

Still...

"Marta's closer."

"But that's not it either."

Then he turned toward Yu Myeong.

"It won't be easy."

"When I say complete expressionlessness, I don't mean relaxing your facial muscles—"

He stopped.

His entire body froze.

His mouth slowly fell open.

Th-That's it.

Exactly that...

Wait.

How did he do it?!

Standing before him...

was a being whose face had returned to perfect nothingness—

a face untouched by emotion itself.

"..."

The silence stretched on.

Finally, Yu Myeong spoke first.

"Director?"

"...Hm?"

"Ah..."

"Sorry."

"I got carried away for a moment."

His surprise quickly transformed into exhilaration.

Simply understanding what Hugo had wanted was remarkable enough.

But accomplishing it—

actually doing that—

was on another level entirely.

Still staring at Yu Myeong as though spellbound, Priya and Marta finally tore their eyes away and demanded an explanation.

"Director."

"What was that?"

"I don't know what he did..."

"But I know he definitely did something."

"What exactly was it?"

"Yu Myeong."

"You explain it."

Hugo looked at him with sparkling eyes.

The pressure was intense.

"...Well..."

"If you tell an ordinary person to stand perfectly straight..."

"...they usually can't."

Ask someone to assume a perfectly neutral posture,

and more often than not, they'll unknowingly stand crooked.

The leg they habitually cross.

The hand they favor.

The posture they work in.

The way they sleep.

Countless tiny habits gradually distort the body's balance.

Eventually,

their "normal posture" is no longer truly neutral.

"That's why proper posture has to be taught whenever you learn physical training."

"Your neck constantly tilts to the left."

"Straighten your back."

"Shift your weight slightly forward."

Learning genuine neutral posture felt incredibly awkward.

Your own body constantly tried to return to the distorted version it considered natural.

It took practice.

"Facial expressions work the same way."

"We all have facial muscles we use more often than others."

"Take Priya."

"She's always smiling."

"So even when she relaxes every muscle, the corners of her mouth still curve upward."

"...Ah."

Priya turned toward the rehearsal room mirror.

Looking at her own supposedly expressionless face,

she slowly nodded in surprise.

There were traces everywhere—

faint remnants of the expressions she wore every day.

"What you meant was..."

"...to eliminate all those habits until we reach a truly neutral expression."

"Right?"

Hugo nodded so enthusiastically he looked like one of those dashboard dog figurines with a spring for a neck.

"Ryu Shin told me I'd be shocked if I rehearsed with you..."

"...but this is ridiculous."

"How is it already finished?"

"...Well."

"I practiced."

"Why would anyone practice something like this?"

"Surely I'm not the only director insane enough to make actors do it..."

Hugo continued complaining in disbelief.

Yu Myeong merely smiled.

Because I have the best teacher.

Back in Italy,

Miho had demonstrated how gods from mythology should be portrayed.

As Yu Myeong practiced tirelessly to imitate even a fraction of that performance,

Miho had told him:

First,

discard every habitual expression.

Learn to create absolute expressionlessness.

Keeping the lips perfectly level,

maintaining flawless balance around the eyes and forehead through minute muscular control—

that alone wasn't easy.

But the truly difficult part...

was making it appear

as though he weren't controlling anything at all.

"...Sigh."

"Fine."

"Yu Myeong, help the others practice."

"I'm going back to finish the script."

Looking thoroughly dejected,

Hugo shuffled out of the rehearsal room.

Yu Myeong watched his slumped back and chuckled.

Then he turned toward Marta and Priya.

"Shall we begin?"

That evening,

after a long day of practice,

news outlets across the United States all reported the same story connected to Casting Vote.

It was a headline Yu Myeong already knew well.

The very same kind of news

that had once erupted back at Wonseong.