Aura of a Genius Actor

༺ Presence ༻

Director Son took the paper and scanned it with his eyes.

‘Hmm…’ 

The hastily written script in just five minutes had an unexpectedly impressive quality. It seemed as though the rookie actor had studied playwriting extensively. 

And the lines he wrote belonged to the character of a madman.

Crying, anger, madness—these were the three main themes of auditions. This was because these were the kind of performances that could make a strong impression in a short amount of time. 

But to perform the same lines three times and in three different ways… was it a demonstration of different types of madness?

The intrigued director straightened his back and leaned against the chair.

“Let’s begin.”

Yoomyeong momentarily closed his eyes and held his breath.

White wallpaper and a table with rounded corners. Across from him was a doctor wearing a white gown, their eyebrows furrowed.

Based on the image Yoomyeong had created, the place would temporarily transform into a counseling room within a psychiatric ward.

One, two, three, four— 

As he held his breath for more than 30 seconds, his face gradually turned red.

Puha—

He exhaled forcefully and opened his eyes, his eyes bloodshot from the breath-holding.

“Doctor!”

A sharp call.

He appeared to be around 10 years old, and he quickly rocked his body back and forth in a childlike manner. Then, he stammered while picking up his words.

“P-please… send me home. My mom… my mom’s going to kill my dad today! I saw her secret diary. She had been planning it for a long time!”

Ha— Ha— 

His eyes wandered aimlessly.

The gaze that briefly rested on the director passed through objects, doors, ceilings, and the ground beneath in a disoriented manner. 

Meanwhile, whimpering sounds were interjected between his words. 

Then, his actions suddenly came to a halt, and he spat out words like a machine.

“I hid a small recorder in my son’s room, and the thumping sound keeps him from sleeping every night. I’m going to have him admitted to a mental hospital on the grounds that he’s hearing things to eliminate any witnesses. And on February 11, 2005, I will sprinkle white powder on the dinner table when his father comes home from work.”

His fingers tapped the table rapidly as if he were using it as a cue to replay the memory. His fast-paced voice, devoid of emotion, continued.

“After wrapping him tightly in a blanket, I’ll move him to the veranda without leaving any traces, and then… Ahh!”

After the rapid and emotionless string of words, a sudden scream pierced through.

The two people who had become the audience were startled.

When another scream erupted, the actor, as if trying to shake off the sensation like an electric shock, thumped his head with his hand.

Then, he stared at the director.

“Re-really… please, doctor. Send me home… if you don’t, my dad will die and my mom will be p-punished. Please, please, doctor…”

His tone became increasingly distorted at the end.

The behavior of not looking at the other person while maintaining eye contact and his fixation on the word ‘doctor.’

It was the behavior of a patient with developmental delay accompanied by schizophrenia.

Thud— 

All of his movements suddenly stopped, and he closed his eyes again.

Yoon Hansung, who had momentarily stopped breathing during the intense performance, exhaled and trembled. 

Just like when he portrayed Kim Young-do in the past, Yoomyeong’s acting instantly drew viewers into the twisted mental state of the character, making them hungry for more.

His ability to immerse himself so quickly was indeed remarkable, but Hansung had expected this much after reading the lines earlier. He knew that this rookie actor was talented.

Now, what remained were the other two portrayals.

Hansung looked across the table at Yoomyeong, trying to relieve the goosebumps he felt. Then, Yoomyeong slowly opened his eyes.

Unlike a little while ago, his eyes were noticeably calmer.

Excessively so.

*

Director Son was quite impressed by Yoomyeong.

However, he wasn’t as impressed as Hansung.

He has been working in the industry for a long time. He had worked with many great actors and saw quite a few so-called ‘geniuses.’

‘Did Hansung say that it’s only been 3 years since he started acting seriously…?’

The actor certainly had the qualities of a rookie actor with genius potential.

His strong determination showed as he remained unfazed by the sudden test thrown at him.

His creativity shone through as he effortlessly improvised lines within ten minutes and delivered three different variations.

Moreover, he had a remarkable ability to immerse himself quickly in an unfamiliar environment.

However, such actors weren’t unheard of.

What came next?

Blink— 

The actor’s eyes, which had regained their composure, were calm. And then, his lips parted.

“Doctor, please send me home. My mom is going to kill my dad today.” 

Hmm?

Director Son raised an eyebrow.

The tone was that of an adult, much older than about ten years. 

The words were filled with sincerity, each syllable pronounced with determination. 

Could this be the performance of a ‘sane’ person forcibly admitted to a mental hospital?

“Mom’s been secretly keeping a diary, and I happened to peek into it. It was a meticulously planned scheme she had been working on for a long time.”

He spoke as if confessing, revealing a secret and sharing them.

“I hid a small tape recorder in my son’s room and kept him awake at night with the thumping sound. I’m going to have him admitted to a mental hospital on the grounds that he’s hearing things to eliminate any witnesses. And on February 11, 2005, I will sprinkle white powder on the dinner table when his father comes home from work. He will become intoxicated. After wrapping him tightly in a blanket, I’ll move him to the veranda without leaving any traces, then push him off and scream in terror.”

The pauses in his lines were different. 

The speed and tone of his delivery were calm. 

Even the sound “Ahh” was described quietly and without exaggeration.

The way he quietly narrated his mother’s diary had the director captivated, making him feel like he was indeed the doctor who was wearing a white coat and sitting across from him at the large desk.

And then, confusion began to set in.

The patient’s determination to insist on ‘going home’ was very strong. For that purpose, they could make up all sorts of stories and even believe them to achieve their goal. The probability of it being a falsehood or hallucination was 99%.

But what if it was real…?

If it was real and he hindered it, a family’s future would be turned upside down. What if he became an accomplice in that?

As this anxiety rushed in and Director Son raised his head, 

In that fleeting moment,

Yoomyeong’s eyes flashed and then returned to normal. 

Shiver— 

Director Son’s stomach churned.

“It’s true, Doctor. If you don’t let me go now, there will be one more corpse and one more sinner today. Please, even just for today. Please, Doctor…” 

The patient used polished words and spoke fluently. 

It was a behavior that would make anyone doubt whether he was indeed a ‘sane’ person who was forcibly admitted.

But then, the director realized something.

This person in front of him had prepared meticulously for this escape with a well-crafted script, extensive practice, and a situation to deceive the doctor. He was incredibly clever, and yet there was no doubt that he was truly a ‘patient.’ 

Director Son took a deep breath, surprised by how he almost fell for the act.

The patient’s eyes, which follow the doctor’s reaction intently, closed once more. 

*

“Doctor!”

It was the same line for the third time, but what Director Son felt was not a sense of déjà vu but the anticipation of another surprise.

“Home… home today! My mom… is going to kill dad… I’m scared! Mom’s diary, I saw it… saw it, but it’s a clever… clever plan she’s been planning meticulously for a very long, long time. Mom… haa, Mommy, nooo…” 

The way the patient spoke was strange. The director raised an eyebrow.

‘Is this some kind of word salad phenomenon (*word salad: A mixture of words or phrases that are confusing and difficult to understand)?’

Director Son had some knowledge of psychiatric concepts from working on previous scripts with characters from psychiatric settings a while back.

But the lines of the patient seemed different from the symptoms of word salad. 

Although he seemed to be rambling, the logic behind his words wasn’t completely lost. He used intricate vocabulary like ‘clever plan’ and ‘meticulous’ that you wouldn’t expect from someone with such a severe condition. 

Was he acting this way because he didn’t know better? Or…

Director Son gripped his knee, considering another possibility. 

“Doctor… I want to go home, home, home. Please…” 

And when the patient reached the final line, the director bit his tongue as his suspicion turned into reality. 

The patient’s tone and behavior were much more serious than the previous two, but upon closer inspection… 

The ‘glance’ he cast when checking for someone else’s reaction was not the behavior of a patient.

“My dad, will die, yes, he’ll die…”

He was just imitating.

This person was undeniably sane.

For some reason, he was awkwardly mimicking the behavior of someone with schizophrenia. 

What was his purpose?

Was there a reason he shouldn’t leave this place?

His muttering abruptly stopped and he blinked once more before closing his eyes. Then, the rookie actor opened them and locked eyes with the director.

Director Son got goosebumps.

‘Indeed…’

There was a reason why Yoon Hansung said that Director Son would understand why he recommended Yoomyeong once he saw him act.

If someone asked him if he had never seen such a talent in his 30 years of coaching, he would say no.

However, most geniuses had their own strengths and weaknesses. If Director Son was asked if he had ever seen someone at this age who could skillfully control their calculations regarding the script and their immersion in the role…

‘Hmm…’

Director Son clapped his hands, admiring Yoomyeong’s acting. 

Clap clap clap— 

Hansung stared at him in astonishment.

Director Son, known for his strict standards when it came to acting, rarely applauded anyone. This made it an even more remarkable moment.

“The first was a real patient, the second was a patient pretending to be a sane person, and the third was a sane person pretending to be a patient. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Your attention to detail is impressive. The ability to convey your intentions through acting without explaining them is a remarkable skill.”

Director Son was genuinely impressed.

“I personally liked the second one the most. The first had an impact and the third had a good idea, but the second one almost fooled me halfway through. But the calculated look you did that prevented me from being fooled was excellent.”

“Thank you.”

“You will become a really great actor. Among actors your age, your acting skills are exceptional. If you keep up the same level of dedication for about ten years, you could become a top actor in a league of your own.”

It sounded like praise, but there was a slightly ominous undertone to it.

“However, it doesn’t quite match the character in my script ‘for now.’”

It was Yoon Hansung who was actually surprised by the director’s judgment.

“Why is that?”

Hansung asked urgently.

“I’m embarrassed to say this, but I honestly don’t think I could perform at his level even if you asked me to. Director Son, what specific aspect caused you to make that judgment…?” 

Although his tone was polite, there was a hint of tension in his words.

Director Son chuckled awkwardly and pulled his chair closer.

“If we evaluate him based solely on his acting skills, then I acknowledge that Mr. Shin Yoomyeong has the potential to surpass actors with more than ten years of experience compared to him. However, what I envision for the character ‘Lee Bang-won’ requires…” 

“…”

“A presence that can overwhelm the audience even between his lines.”

Yoomyeong was taken aback by the use of the word ‘presence.’

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