Chapter 140: There's No Such Thing As A Permanent Number One (1)

Yoo-Jin was not discouraged at all despite Kim Soo-Hee's suggestion for an acting test. Instead, she even showed a fighting spirit as she said, "I'll give it my best."

Kim Soo-Hee smiled coldly. "Being diligent and cute works when you're a student, but you need to be actually good as a professional."

Kim Soo-Hee's chilling voice left me feeling cold, as if I were standing in the middle of a Siberian plain.

"In that case, I'll do well!" Yoo-Jin responded in an upbeat tone.

"You have a good spirit. Now, go upstairs. Ji-Yeon has prepared the lesson room for you."

We headed to one of Lee Ji-Yeon's empty rooms on the second floor for the test. Lee Ji-Yeon's empty room on the second floor had full-length mirrors covering the walls and a yoga mat on the floor.

Soon, Yoo-Jin took her place in the center of the large room which seemed to be at least eight meters in length and width.

"Do you need the script?"

Yoo-Jin shook her head at Kim Soo-Hee's question. "No, ma'am. I've memorized it all."

"Hmm. You've got potential. Then let's start with Scene 23 where shaman Wol-Ah performs a ritual. You know it, right? Show me what you've got."

Scene 23 of

In the Name of God

featured Korea's top shaman, Wol-Ah, performing a ritual to change the fate of a client with a tangled fortune.

Yoo-Jin slowly took a deep breath and began to adjust her posture. After a few seconds, her shoulders began to tremble and she slowly started to bend forward.

Little by little, her waist bent as if she had aged 50 years in an instant.

The setting was that the shaman Wol-Ah appeared to be in her 80s despite being only 65 years old due to revealing many heavenly secrets she was forbidden to—just like Yoo-Jin right now.

I couldn't see her face with her back turned, but the way her waist was bent and her shoulders were drooping made her look exactly like an elderly person who had endured much hardship.

The result of Yoo-Jin's countless contemplation over playing the role of shaman Wol-Ah in the past few weeks was finally showing.

Even Lee Ji-Yeon, who was standing next to me, shared my astonishment as she continuously expressed her amazement.

"When did she prepare to this extent?" Lee Ji-Yeon asked in awe.

I was about to answer that I hadn't expected it to be this intense when Yoo-Jin started her performance.

『You bitch! How hard have I tried to correct your wicked ways! But all has been in vain!』

High and low tones alternated from Yoo-Jin's mouth, and the hysterical voice of an old person echoed throughout the room.

Yoo-Jin continued to curse into the air and raised her left hand. At the same time, she lifted her eyelids.

But Yoo-Jin's eyes showed no black pupils but only white sclera.

'

What's this?

' I thought to myself.

I was so startled I almost screamed.

With her eyes wide open and showing white only, Yoo-Jin had become a completely different person.

I barely managed to cover my mouth while Kim Soo-Hee and Lee Ji-Yeon found themselves so engrossed in her performance.

Yoo-Jin began to dance with her shoulders twitching and her eyes showing only white. Then she rhythmically lifted her heels and started to move quickly in a circle.

『Lord of Heaven, oh Lord of Heaven~...please hear me out~ Heavenly officials~ Earthly officials~...please listen to me~』

As Yoo-Jin's walking pace quickened, the speed of her chanting and the rubbing of her hands also increased. The echoing sound of the Okchoo Sutra was so intense it could cause tinnitus.

After performing Scene 23 for a while, Yoo-Jin finished her act with a whistling sound.

Whistle~.

A rough breath escaped from Yoo-Jin's slightly parted lips as she concluded Scene 23.

"

Huff

,

huff

. That's the end of Scene 23," Yoo-Jin spoke as she tried to catch her breath.

I hurried over to support the staggering Yoo-Jin. "Are you okay? Can you stand up?"

Yoo-Jin grimaced in pain and let out a groan. "Just a moment, oppa. My, my back...it hurts."

"Grab my hand and slowly straighten your back," I said as I extended my hand toward Yoo-Jin.

"Okay."

As Yoo-Jin slowly straightened her back, a cracking sound came from her bones due to being bent for so long.

Crack!

"Ouch! Be gentle!" Yoo-Jin cried out.

"Don't be such a baby," I teased her.

Yoo-Jin frowned and protested, "I'm not being a baby!"

I extended my right hand since Yoo-Jin's complaints didn't stop. "Here. Grab my other arm."

Yoo-Jin reached out both arms to grab my right hand. Meanwhile, I placed my left hand on her back to support her standing up.

"Huh? This is comfortable," Yoo-Jin commented as she finally managed to straighten her back with some ease.

"Lean against the wall and stay like that. I'll press down on your back a bit," I instructed Yoo-Jin.

As I spread my palm and gently pressed down on her back, Yoo-Jin's previously flustered face brightened up immediately.

"

Ugh

...wow~ This is really nice."

An exclamation of amazement escaped Yoo-Jin's lips.

"Oppa, have you gone for professional massage lessons before?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Then please do it often from now on. Wow, I feel alive."

"Sure thing."

Long drives often led to both talent agents and celebrities having tense muscles—which was why I had gone for professional massage lessons in my past life.

'

I remember Ju Yung-In used to really enjoy it when I massaged her...no, what am I thinking about right now? Jung Yoon-Ho. Snap out of it!

'

I shook my head to clear the stray thoughts and turned my gaze toward Kim Soo-Hee.

It was the moment to find out whether Yoo-Jin had passed her test.

Kim Soo-Hee quietly looked at Yoo-Jin and then asked in a sharp voice, "What exactly are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, how can you perform like this?"

Lee Ji-Yeon, who had been showing a worried expression at first, soon shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly with a smirk.

"What do you think, unnie? It seems like she's worth teaching, doesn't she? You said this was a test."

Kim Soo-Hee frowned. "Are you joking right now? It seems like there's nothing more for me to teach her."

'

Wow. Yoo-Jin actually received such high praise from the renowned Kim Soo-Hee.

'

I wanted to run around the neighborhood shouting that Yoo-Jin was an actress under my care. Thinking that it could help with her acting practice, I gave her recordings of documentaries on shamanism and materials on reading scriptures from movies and dramas. But I never imagined it would result in such a wonderful performance.

Kim Soo-Hee and Lee Ji-Yeon whispered to each other for a moment, then Kim Soo-Hee let out a sigh.

"Ji-Yeon, bring me some sweets. It's painful to see someone so young and pretty also being good at acting. I think I'm feeling jealous. I'm craving something sweet."

Lee Ji-Yeon glanced at me and shouted, "Assistant Manager Jung. Two cups of coffee. Make them strong and sweet!"

***

Sip!

While drinking her coffee, Lee Ji-Yeon poked Kim Soo-Hee in the ribs.

"Ouch! What?"

"So? Is it a pass?"

Kim Soo-Hee clicked her tongue as if astonished. "Hey. You know I hate obvious questions, right?"

"A rookie who has spent more time grilling hamburger patties than acting has completely charmed the great Kim Soo-Hee~," said Lee Ji-Yeon teasingly.

Seemingly annoyed by Lee Ji-Yeon who kept making eye contact and teasing her, Kim Soo-Hee turned her head away. "Charmed? Who's charmed!? Not me!"

"Anyway, please take good care of Yoo-Jin from now on. There must be areas where she's lacking, right? She's someone I cherish, unnie." Lee Ji-Yeon said earnestly with a smile.

Kim Soo-Hee finally gave in to Lee Ji-Yeon's persistent pleas and raised her hands in surrender.

"Oh, you're so persistent. Alright, fine. There are indeed a few things I can point out to help her improve in her acting."

I figured Kim Soo-Hee would be the best teacher to fill in the gaps in Yoo-Jin's experience. Moreover, following ongoing communication with Lee Sa-Rang and now the great actress Kim Soo-Hee, Yoo-Jin was gaining recognition and growing through the guidance of her sunbaes.

After finishing her conversation with Lee Ji-Yeon, Kim Soo-Hee turned her attention to Yoo-Jin.

"But do you happen to take acting lessons separately? If so, it might be better to continue with that trainer."

Yoo-Jin waved her hands. "No, I did have some lessons at the company last year, but I've been practicing alone as Yoon-Ho oppa instructed since then. He said the trainer at our company's acting style is different from mine so it wouldn't be of much help."

"Is that so?"

Then, Kim Soo-Hee glanced at me and asked, "Why did you think that way?"

"Yoo-Jin is the type who observes and imitates acting, but the trainer assigned by the company only emphasized the theory of acting."

"And this trainer, what's his name?"

"He is Professor Choi Hyun-Min."

"Suhyaejong's Professor Choi Hyun-Min?"

"Yes, ma'am."

In reality, all I did was just remove someone hostile toward Yoo-Jin. But as I added a plausible explanation, a glint appeared in Kim Soo-Hee's eyes as she looked at me.

"You saw right through it. For people like Yoo-Jin, formal lessons don't necessarily improve their acting. Are you by any chance a graduate of a theater or film degree?"

"No, ma'am. I'm just a talent agent."

"Just a talent agent? No way. How could a mere talent agent know such things?"

In truth, I wasn't just a talent agent but a talent agent who has traveled back in time.

Kim Soo-Hee tilted her head with a puzzled expression but soon turned her focus back to Yoo-Jin.

"Well, let's set that aside. More importantly, Yoo-Jin. You're doing everything well, but there seems to be something missing."

"Something missing?" Yoo-Jin asked.

"Your acting, expressions, and voice are all good. But there's too much energy. Shaman Wol-Ah is an elderly woman, don't you know?"

"Ah. But I remember from a documentary that when possessed, the shaman's body is filled with energy."

Possession referred to the phenomenon where a shaman received a deity into their body during a ritual.

"The thought is right, but it's too much. It might be good to visit a real shamanic ritual site. The movements of the elderly differ significantly from those of younger people."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mrs. Kim."

"Oh, also. Is there a senior center near your house?"

"A senior center?"

Kim Soo-Hee's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Here's the thing. I'll give you your first assignment. Volunteer at a welfare center or senior center for just two weeks. If you're as observant as you seem, you'll be able to learn plenty."

Indeed, there was no better teacher than experience. It was quite a resonating statement.

Then, Kim Soo-Hee added, "Do you have any more questions? Anything you're curious about, anything at all. Since I'm graciously offering to teach you, I ought to at least answer questions."

Yoo-Jin glanced around hesitantly. The confident demeanor she had while acting was gone, replaced by a somewhat hesitant one.

I gently nudged Yoo-Jin's shoulder and encouraged her to be her usual self.

Then Yoo-Jin took a deep breath and spoke slowly to Kim Soo-Hee.

"...I'm anxious, Mrs. Kim."

Kim Soo-Hee seemed taken aback by the question. "Anxious?"

"Yes, ma'am. Sometimes, I'm overwhelmed by fear when I'm practicing acting alone. You know, wondering if it's okay to act this way or if what I'm doing is right."

Kim Soo-Hee scolded Yoo-Jin for fretting over such things. "That's totally normal. You think I'm never anxious?"

"You feel anxious too?" Yoo-Jin asked with a surprised expression which made Kim Soo-Hee shrug nonchalantly.

"Kid, it's not just me. Even veterans who've been acting for decades feel the same. They might look like they have it all figured out on TV but that's all bluff. You know Lee Sung-Jae from MBS? Even he has trouble sleeping the night before a shoot."

Yoo-Jin seemed surprised by the fact that Lee Sung-Jae, one of Korea's most esteemed veteran actors with nearly 60 years of experience, admitted to always feeling anxious and scared about acting.

"So don't let the anxiety defeat you; use it as your driving force. Sung-Jae oppa also said that the anxiety actually served as a good stimulant for him and prevented him from becoming complacent every day."

"Oh..."

Kim Soo-Hee's advice delivered in a seemingly indifferent but chic manner was as precious as silver and gold.

And Yoo-Jin was meticulously engraving every word onto her mind.

***

We agreed to have a lesson with Kim Soo-Hee once a week.

"Don't forget the assignment."

"Yes, ma'am."

Given Kim Soo-Hee's busy schedule, we unfortunately had to part ways for today. After seeing Kim Soo-Hee off, Lee Ji-Yeon led us to the parking lot.

"Let's grab a meal together, you two. I've made a reservation at a restaurant."

"Oh, let us treat you today."

"No need. You're guests at my place, so why should you pay? There's a good place nearby called

Hwaryong. It's quite famous but I'm not sure if you've heard of it."

'

Of course, I have.

'

Hwaryong was a premium Chinese restaurant in Hannam-dong that only served course meals starting at 100 thousand won. The Xiao Long Bao, Menbosha, and Peking Duck included in the course were exceptional and it was a place I often visited with Ju Yung-In.

It was a timely opportunity. After all, there was another matter I needed to discuss with Lee Ji-Yeon.

"Let's go, Ms. Lee. I'll drive," I replied.

"Oh, really? That would be great. I'm terrible at driving."

I took the driver's seat after receiving the car keys from Lee Ji-Yeon.

Before starting the engine, I checked my planner again to confirm the matter I needed to discuss with Lee Ji-Yeon.

The entry stating that Red Moon, the top drama production company producing

In the Name of God

, would go bankrupt two months from now still hadn't disappeared.