CRANK 2

The agency said they were currently planning a new boy group. They said there was exactly one spot left, a spot for someone to be in charge of the visuals. They promised that if I signed now and lived as a trainee for just three months, they would have me debut immediately.

I had no choice. During the few months I had wasted auditioning, my mock exam grades had plummeted.

Well, it wasn’t like I had some grand dream of acting anyway. Whether I was an actor or an idol, I could just make a living selling my face.

And so, I debuted as an idol.

The problem was that the agency was extremely… experimental. I had to pull off all sorts of concepts. It was a “turn-of-the-century” concept that couldn’t even be compared to idols these days. Our lyrics always shouted about utopia, or the idea. Sometimes I fell in love with an AI, and often I was trapped in a world of zeros and ones.

Naturally, it flopped hard.

Still, the reason we were able to release up to a third album was only because the parent company of our agency was a major one. — I often thought, how much better would it have been if the agency were small and mid-sized so we could have stopped at the first album — When we flopped for the third time, the agency finally gave up on the idol business. We were their first and last idols, and their first and last failure.

They gave us two options. Either renew our contracts as actors, or terminate the contracts as they were.

We had debts piled up from our trainee days. Since we had failed, those debts naturally remained, and if we terminated our contracts now, those debts would become our individual burdens. Of course, the debts were still valid even if we renewed our contracts as actors.

The agency probably thought that the chances of collecting the debt were higher if they turned us into actors. They had plenty of top actors, so sliding us in to sell us as a package wasn’t difficult. Perhaps they held onto the hope that we might somehow hit the jackpot. Or, they might have actually felt sorry for us.

Out of the six members, four terminated their contracts. Of the four who left the agency, one was doing quite well as a musical actor, two were living as ordinary citizens, and one was receiving donations on an internet broadcast.

The only ones who became actors were me and one other member.

Starting as the younger brother’s friend of the main character, then the neighbor’s son, the psychopath who gave the main character trauma, and the beautiful first love who died of an illness at a young age. My screen time gradually increased, and my acting skills were in full swing.

Then, finally, it blew up. With the role of a pathetic… cat shifter who was devoted to the main character.

At first, I became popular for my appearance, which looked exactly like a cat, and after that, my acting ability drew attention. “Sunset Beach Angel,” which no one had known, hit #1 on real-time search queries, and a video compiling the clips of me acting as a supporting character reached 3 million views.

Six years after my debut, I earned the title of “Face Genius.”

🍋🍁

I had to put on a smile once I sat in my seat. There were dozens of cameras at the awards ceremony, and there was an audience in the back as well. It would be troublesome if my expression stiffened for a moment and a “fancam” caught it.

“Mr. Hoyoon. Are you presenting today?”

Shin Yuhye, an actress sitting at the same table, started a conversation. I had a connection with her from appearing in a drama together the year before last.

“Yes, the Rising Star Award.”

I smiled slightly and looked around. Other tables were occupied by people who had appeared in the same movie, but our table was different. It was a table for those who hadn’t shot a movie this year but were attending to present an award.

“Ah, it’s customary for last year’s winner to present the award.”

“How about you, Ms. Yuhye?”

“I’m up for the Female Excellence Award. I didn’t necessarily have to come for this, but…”

Shin Yuhye lowered her head slightly and whispered.

“I’m going into a movie soon, so I wanted to make an appearance to get noticed.”

She flashed a grin.

“Still, I’m glad Mr. Hoyoon is here. I was so worried I might just be sitting there all by myself.”

“Same here, me too.”

It really was a relief. If it weren’t for her, I would have been sitting there blankly like a lone duck. We chatted about our recent status and memories of the drama we had worked on before.

“Aren’t you starting to crank in soon, Mr. Hoyoon?”

“Yes, just a few days from now.”

“Is it another one by Director Cheon?”

“No. It’s someone who is debuting as a director.”

“Oh my, the script must be amazing then? Who is the opposing lead?”

“Sunbae Im Han. It’s not certain yet, but that’s what I heard.”

“Two male leads? That sounds interesting. I’ll look forward to it.”

The short break ended and the MC climbed back onto the podium.

“The second part of the SAW awards ceremony has begun. We have changed into a little more refreshing outfits this time.”

The MCs complimented each other while laughing. Even though they were reading a script, it was quite natural. I was having thoughts like, They picked a good MC, when Yuhye whispered again.

“By the way, Mr. Hoyoon, do you happen to know Woo Dobin?”

“…Yes?”

Without realizing it, I furrowed my brow. It was because I had heard the name of someone I had met in the hallway just a few minutes ago.

“How would I know that person?”

He did bring up my dark history by saying he was my fan, though.

“Right? It just looked like he kept glancing this way.”

Shin Yuhye tilted her head. Following her gaze, I indeed saw Woo Dobin.

Woo Dobin was sitting with his long legs stretched out wide. His half-slicked-back hair and the plain suit with no particular highlights suited him well. He was only wearing a shirt when I met him in the waiting room. Now that he had put on a jacket, his impression looked a bit colder.

However, unlike what Shin Yuhye said, he wasn’t looking in my direction; he was simply listening intently to the MC.

“…He’s not looking, though?”

“Hm? Is that so? I guess I was mistaken.”

The routine pleasantries ended and the second part of the awards began. Following Shin Yuhye, who had brushed it off, I turned my eyes back to the stage. At that moment, I felt a gaze pinned to my cheek.

Woo Dobin? I whipped my head around—but Woo Dobin was still staring at the stage with a nonchalant expression. …Was I mistaken, too? Well, it made sense; there was no reason for him to stare. Furthermore, if anything, I would have preferred a nod of acknowledgement, and there was even less reason for him to avoid my eyes like this.

“Next, we will have the Best Couple Award presentation.”

As the MC spoke, a staff member standing below the stage signaled to me.

“Ms. Yuhye. I’m off to present.”

“Ah, do a good job.”

I stood up and headed backstage. The Rising Star Award I was presenting was right after the Best Couple Award.

The staff handed me a sealed cue sheet. The name of the winner would be written inside. I mulled over the words I had practiced during rehearsal. The time given to me was barely over a minute. Say hello, talk about a brief update, talk about last year’s impressions, and announce the winner. That was it.

Presentations were usually done in pairs, but in my case, I was alone. It was the tradition of the Rising Star Award. Whether male or female, the award went to only one person, and the winner had to stand in the same spot as a presenter the following year. In other words, I was last year’s Rising Star.

Three years had passed since I gained the desirable nickname of “Face Genius.”

During that time, I filmed five dramas and one variety show. If the script was solid, I didn’t care if it was a supporting role or an extra. Thanks to that, I was able to build up a large filmography.

And finally, last year, I debuted on the big screen. It was that movie by Director Cheon Sa-hyeon. The movie hit 10 million viewers and was talked about among critics for its excellent artistry. It even garnered a fandom for the movie itself. It swept every award it could get, such as Best Music Director and Best Screenplay.

I won the Male Excellence Award and the Rising Star Award at SAW. The modifiers decorating my name changed from “acting idol” to “10-million-viewer actor,” and the nickname “Face Genius” changed to “Acting Genius.”

“Mr. Park Hoyoon. Please stand by.”

“Yes.”

I headed right under the stage. Having not had much experience with live broadcasts, my lips were parched. On stage, the actors who won the Best Couple Award were giving their acceptance speeches.

“…I will continue to work hard in the future. Thank you.”

Clap, clap— polite applause erupted. The four actors who finished their speeches neatly walked down toward me. Once they passed me, the MC would introduce the Rising Star Award presentation, and it would be my turn to go out. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my pants and cleared my throat so it couldn’t be heard.

“…Sunbae?”