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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Hurdle
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"Jenny. What's that?"
"Huh? Oh, it's a picture that's been going around online. Cute, isn't it?"
"He really looks like a total angel."
Jenny's phone background was a photo of a brightly smiling child. Her friend couldn't take her eyes off it either.
"Send it to me, too."
"Okay."
Photos of Seojun in an angel costume began to spread across the globe through social media and the internet.
England.
Emma was sprawled on the sofa, staring at the blank, black television screen.
She didn't know why she was alive. She didn't want to breathe, think, or do anything at all.
She didn't know how she'd ended up this way. She just hated the foggy English weather, her small and dirty apartment, and her job. As the things she hated piled up, one day, all the things she liked had disappeared.
*Ding-*
Emma blinked. Having cut off contact with all her acquaintances, the only people who would reach out now were her parents.
The image of her parents, with sad eyes, begging her to at least answer their calls, flashed through her mind. She didn't want to move, but that weighed on her.
Emma reached out and grabbed the phone on the table.
"Sigh."
It wasn't her mom or dad. Her best friend had sent a photo. The kind of friend who would come over to help clean her place, hoping she would feel even a little better.
>So cute, right? You love cute things.
It was a photo of a little boy. He was wearing a cape with wings, his face lit up with a brilliant smile. Emma couldn't look away.
[The Baby Angel's Feather is activated.]
In that moment, Emma's mind went blank. Her thoughts, once stained black with depression and despair, making it impossible to think, were now clear.
It was indescribably refreshing.
"Haa!"
Without realizing it, Emma exhaled and looked around.
She saw a home filled with trash and dust. Before, just looking at the mess would make her feel suffocated, but now, she felt an urge to clean it all up.
For the first time in a long while, Emma smiled and got up from the sofa.
Well, it was time for a fresh start.
Lee Seojun's photo spread across the world at an incredible speed. And among those who saw it was Ryan Will.
"This is Jun, right?"
Jonathan showed Ryan a photo he'd received from a friend.
As it happened, Ryan had just returned from seeing *The Evil Spirit*, which had a limited release in American theaters.
Seeing Ryan's unusually serious expression, Jonathan hesitantly handed him the photo. Ryan looked at it in silence, then frowned and sat down at his computer.
[I think my depression got better after seeing this photo.]
[I saw the picture and had nothing but good things happen all day.]
[It's a photo that truly makes people happy.]
Ryan rubbed his face dryly and headed to his room. He started packing a large suitcase. Jonathan asked from the doorway.
"Where are you going?"
"Korea."
"Korea?"
"Come if you want."
He didn't know the reason, but it was a trip abroad. Jonathan quickly nodded his head.
"I'm coming! When are we leaving?"
"Tomorrow. You have your passport?"
"Yes. Uncle! I have it. I brought it with me!"
"But, what are we going for?"
"To meet Seojun Lee."
Ryan Will said, his face grim.
* * *
Ryan Will's arrival in Korea went unnoticed. Unless Marine Company released an article, there weren't many people who would memorize the names of film directors, unless they were behind several Hollywood blockbusters.
The two of them unpacked at their hotel and contacted Seojun and his parents. The couple, who knew he was coming to Korea but were surprised by how soon, gave him their address.
Seojun shook hands with Ryan Will. He was still very tall. He could also see Jonathan waving awkwardly from behind.
After a brief chat, Ryan Will got to the point.
"I have something to discuss with Jun for a moment."
"Oh, should we give you some space?"
Lee Minjun and Seo Eunhye prepared to leave. Jonathan, taking the hint, also stood up. Ryan Will shook his head.
"I don't mind if you stay."
"Me neither!"
Still, it seemed like an important conversation, so the three of them sat a little distance away from Ryan Will and Seojun.
Ryan Will looked at Seojun, who sat before him. Seojun, unable to guess why Ryan had come, could only let his eyes dart around.
Director Ryan began to speak.
"I saw *The Evil Spirit*, Jun."
"The Korean movie?"
"It had a limited run, but I was able to see it in theaters."
"It was released in America, too!" Seojun's face brightened, and Director Ryan nodded.
"I don't know much about shamans, but you did a good job."
"Thank you."
Seojun said, sounding tense. Ryan Will's expression remained stern and unyielding. His parents and Jonathan watched the two of them with bated breath.
Seojun swallowed hard. Ryan probably hadn't come all the way to Korea just to praise him.
"But."
"Yes."
"Do you remember our audition?"
"Yes."
Seojun nodded. When he'd gone to America with Uncle Huisang to sign the contract, Director Ryan Will at Marine Company had said:
"I don't care what race an actor is, but an actor who can't act will never be in my movie."
With those words, he had given Seojun a short script and held an audition. As expected, Seojun passed and even signed a contract.
"At that time, I thought the unusual atmosphere I felt from your acting was the aura of a villain."
Seojun looked into Director Ryan Will's eyes.
His first villain role. Hearing that 'William' was a villain, Seojun had postponed the audition and searched the library.
But he couldn't find any suitable abilities in the first door, nor the second. It was clear he wouldn't find any in the third door that had just opened, either.
In the end, Seojun had used [Bell Goblin's Teasing of Mr. Kim] for the audition.
For Seojun, who had a 'Good' alignment, 'evil' was nothing more than a prank. A witty prank that even the target could laugh at.
So, during the audition, Seojun had acted while channeling the goblin's energy, which produced the most plausible atmosphere. He thought that alone would be enough.
"But after seeing *The Evil Spirit*, I realized that wasn't the case."
Seojun's eyes wavered. He'd had a feeling. That nagging sense ever since the audition ended. The one single problem. Ryan Will was here to point it out.
The atmosphere was tense, and the parents and Jonathan just listened quietly to their conversation. The couple thought to themselves. It was a bit early. No, for a child who was almost seven, it was far too early.
But they believed that Seojun's talent, his abilities, and his effort were different from those of ordinary children. He was a son who could overcome such a trial. They had faith in him.
Jonathan, who had seen both the audition and *The Evil Spirit*, bit his lip. He hadn't realized the flaw that both his uncle and the young Jun were aware of. He still didn't understand. He would have to analyze and study even harder in the future.
"If you only appeared in a single scene with that villainous acting, people wouldn't notice. Like me, they would just mistake that unusual feeling for a villain's aura. But 'William' doesn't just appear in one scene. He'll show up throughout the movie, and since it's a series, there's no telling how many films there will be. Then people will realize. The fact that the 'William' you're playing isn't a villain."
Ryan Will recalled *The Evil Spirit* he had seen in the theater. The aura he had felt from Seojun, beyond the golden CG.
"The unusual energy I felt while watching *The Evil Spirit* gradually transformed, becoming warm and magnificent. It was unusual because I had never experienced it before, but it was undoubtedly 'Good'."
Seojun had nothing to say. Director Ryan Will was right. No matter how he tried to dress it up, [Bell Goblin's Teasing of Mr. Kim] was a Good-aligned skill.
"Now, people who've seen *The Evil Spirit* will get that same feeling when they watch your portrayal of 'William'. A villain who seems kind. And they'll find that strange. That's not the 'William' I want."
Ryan Will sighed in spite of himself. If that were all, people who hadn't seen *The Evil Spirit* might have perceived Seojun's 'William' as a villain.
In *Shadowman 2*, which was about to start filming, he could somehow get by. Then, as he got older, experienced more roles, and broadened his acting range through more diverse experiences, he would have been able to perfectly portray a villain in the subsequent *Shadowman* series.
At least, that had been Director Ryan Will's plan.
The reason he'd considered such a young child with little acting experience for the role of 'William', and the reason he'd uncharacteristically lowered his standards for William's performance in *Shadowman 2*, was because of that plan.
"But the show you were on became a problem."
"A show?"
At the unexpected turn, everyone leaned in to hear what Ryan Will had to say.
"The one where you wore the angel costume. That show was screenshotted, and your photo has spread all over the world."
Seojun tilted his head. That was a problem? Wasn't it better for his face to be known?
"Unlike a movie like *The Evil Spirit*, which you have to sit through for two hours, a photo embeds its image in your mind in just one second. And its reach is incomparable to a film's. In places without movie theaters, in places where *The Evil Spirit* isn't subtitled, that photo will spread through phones, computers, and even printed copies. Plus, people can look at it again and again, whenever they want."
The moment he saw the photo Jonathan brought, Ryan Will understood the problem.
"You're too good."
It was hardly a compliment, given Ryan Will's grave expression, so everyone just stared.
"That image of you has been cemented. Unless your acting is overwhelmingly powerful, people won't be able to separate your performance from the image in that photo."
In that moment, everyone remembered the story of the woman who started a new life after seeing Seojun's photo.
Ah, so that's it. No one had thought it was a serious issue; in fact, they'd thought it was a good thing. Only Director Ryan Will, who had been watching Seojun's acting closely, realized the gravity of the situation.
"It's not for nothing that a character from a previous work affects the next. The image from a project becomes the image for commercials. Once people see you a certain way, it's very hard to change their minds."
"...So I can't do the movie?"
At Seojun's question, Ryan Will furrowed his brow.
"Why aren't you saying you'll study how to act as a villain? You're a genius. You can do anything if you learn. A good image? Overpower it with your overwhelming acting skills!"
Seojun looked at Ryan Will with a dark expression.
The [Elf's Basic Breathing] he'd practiced since he first developed a sense of self had formed the very core of his being.
That core, like his very soul, was oriented solely toward 'Good', allowing him to use only Good-aligned abilities.
Even if he acted without using his abilities, his core, already filled with good energy (the mana of Goodness), would radiate that 'goodness' even when playing a villain.
Even if he stopped practicing [Elf's Basic Breathing] now, his alignment was already fixed as 'Good'.
"...What if I study and still can't do it?"
It was clear it wouldn't work. That's why Seojun had to ask.
"Then you'll be stuck playing similar roles for the rest of your life."
Director Ryan Will was merciless, even to a six-year-old boy.
"Mmm."
He didn't want that. A superstar had to be able to perfectly embody any role. It was one thing to be unable to take a role due to physical appearance, like a thirty-year-old playing a teenager. But Seojun wanted to master any role he was given.
As Seojun fell into thought, Ryan Will spoke.
"Let's practice."
"Practice?"
"I'll help you until you can do it. I've wanted you for the role of William ever since I saw you. If I was going to give up over something like this, I wouldn't have even considered making *Shadowman* in the first place."
Jonathan, who had heard about Ryan Will's persistence from his father, nodded. His father still shuddered when he spoke of him. 'That guy's crazy about movies!'
"Mmm."
Thank you, but... what can't be done, can't be done. Seeing Seojun hesitate, Ryan Will asked with an angry look.
"Are you not going to do it? Are you going to give up over this?"
Give up.
The word struck Seojun's heart like an arrow. Through his many lives, Seojun had never once given up on life. Even if he was to die just three days after being born, he lived earnestly. He lived with all his might.
Seojun's eyes shone.
"...I'll do it. I want to do it."
"Good."
With a satisfied smile, Ryan Will took a paper from his bag. It was a script densely packed with English text.
"It's a monologue. I wrote it for a villain your age. Let's start with this, step by step."
Seojun took the script.
"Don't worry. I think you'll be able to do it in just a few months."
Seojun, who had been downcast, nodded.
In Seojun's room, the private practice between Ryan Will and Seojun began. The voices of the two, sharing their thoughts, could be heard.
Outside the door, Lee Minjun and Seo Eunhye didn't know what to do. Jonathan was studying, jotting down Director Ryan Will's sharp advice on a piece of paper.
* * *
Seojun opened his eyes in the library. The library of the 'Good' alignment. He slumped down in front of it. Seojun let out a deep sigh.
He had been acting in front of Ryan Will all day, but the effect of [Elf's Basic Breathing] was immense. Not for a single moment did he appear 'evil'.
He lifted his head and looked at the two wide-open doors. A library he had already searched through completely.
"There won't be anything."
Seojun was disheartened.
For the first time in a while, Seojun looked at the book of his very first life. The book was still old and looked like it would crumble at any moment, but it was still readable.
Reading it again, it was a life so stifling it was frustrating. And yet, he had not given up.
Seojun was lost in thought.
There was the option of only taking on good roles. He could still become a superstar that way. But that would be giving up. It would be running away. Seojun closed the book.
"I have no intention of giving up either."
But what should I do? As he stared at the book of his first life and the library doors, Seojun unconsciously turned his head.
On the opposite side of the library of life's doors, he saw a pitch-black darkness.
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