Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening ~ Additional chapter for today. Thank Karfin2422 and LordOzzy for this chapter. Enjoy!
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Klein nodded. "I know about it, but I'm not very familiar with it. Could you explain it to me, Teacher?"
While Klein had learned about the Acting Method through Roselle's diaries, he was far from an expert, still fumbling his way through it.
Now that he had Evah as a convenient teacher, Klein wasn't about to play humble. He'd ask what he needed to—otherwise, what was the point of calling him "Teacher"?
"I'm not exactly an expert on the Acting Method myself, being a newbie Beyonder and all. But the way I see it, acting is like method acting in theater. You fully immerse yourself in a role to gain some kind of recognition or power. The name of the potion is the role you're meant to embody," Evah said, scratching his head as he shared his take on the Acting Method.
He could've just parroted the exact explanations from the original Lord of Mysteries, but that wasn't necessary. Evah always kept his persona in mind: a scion of an ancient lineage with access to esoteric knowledge but still a novice Beyonder. A newbie didn't need a profound grasp of the Acting Method—just a general understanding that was on the right track.
Klein's brow twitched at Evah's self-description as a "newbie Beyonder," though he wasn't particularly surprised. He'd long suspected Evah was a transmigrator, and this just confirmed it.
"But there's one critical thing…" Evah's expression suddenly turned serious as he looked at Klein. "No matter what, you have to remember: you're only acting as the role, not becoming it."
Klein froze. He'd been thinking that Jack's understanding of the Acting Method wasn't particularly deep, but this hit him like a bolt of clarity.
The Acting Method—acting. It was about playing a part, not losing yourself in the role to the point of forgetting who you were.
Otherwise… loss of control would be imminent.
"The Beyonder world really is full of dangers…" Klein exhaled softly, then looked at Luo Lin with genuine sincerity. "I understand. Thank you, Teacher."
This "Teacher" was heartfelt.
If his earlier calls of "Teacher" were like jokingly calling a roommate "Dad" to get them to grab takeout—carrying a hint of respect but not much—now Klein felt a genuine respect for Evah.
Though their teacher-student relationship had been established casually, there was no doubt that Evah was teaching him earnestly.
"Hey, you're getting all serious on me. I'm almost embarrassed…" Evah scratched his head, showing a touch of feigned awkwardness. He stammered, "I was just kidding earlier. We're such good buddies, so teaching you some stuff is only natural. Making you call me 'Teacher' was like asking you to call me 'Dad'—uh, you probably don't get that one."
Klein couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. He kindly pointed out, "Is there a chance this is only our third meeting?"
Honestly, Klein kind of admired Evah's laid-back vibe. The guy gave off the impression that he'd be scammed the moment he stepped into the real world—a kind of pure, college-student naivety.
Evah, of course, knew what Klein was thinking. This was the exact effect he'd crafted. For a good guy like Klein, a persona that was impressive in other areas but innocent and in need of looking after was the perfect way to close the distance between them.
But knowing didn't stop him from leaning into the act. He put on a dead-serious face and countered, "You don't get it. It's called hitting it off at first sight. I don't know how to explain it, but the moment I saw you, I felt you were… familiar, like meeting one of my own kind."
Toward the end, he let a hint of confusion and melancholy slip into his expression.
Klein paused, his lips pressing together. For a moment, he fell silent.
A few seconds later, he broke into a smile and steered the conversation forward. "So, does me calling you 'Teacher' still count?"
The unspoken question was whether their teacher-student relationship still held.
"Well, I'd kind of like it to count. It's my first time being a teacher, you know!" Evah said, blinking with a mix of sheepishness and excitement.
Joking aside, who wouldn't want to be someone's "Dad"? And a teacher was just another kind of "Dad," wasn't it?
Klein wasn't surprised by this. He gave a wry smile and said, "Teacher, do you have any plans for my studies going forward?"
Evah's eyes lit up. He coughed lightly, a touch of pride creeping in but tempered with feigned restraint. "How about you come by once or twice a week to study? I'm just a newbie Beyonder, but I know a decent amount. It should be enough to teach you, and it won't interfere with your work."
At the mention of his work, Klein's expression grew a bit odd. He looked at Evah and asked tentatively, "Do you know what I do for work?"
"Sure, you're a historical consultant for a security company, right?" Evah said, looking puzzled. "You told me last time." His acting was so convincing it seemed he genuinely knew nothing else.
Klein went quiet for a few seconds, then said, "Teacher, do you know about official Beyonders?"
Evah nodded. "Yeah, Nighthawks, Hivemind, Punishers... I heard about them when I was in Backlund."
"What's your opinion on official Beyonders?" Klein pressed.
"Probably a bunch of good people? Though I heard the Punishers are pretty harsh—if they catch you, you're locked up for good. The other two seem okay. As long as you're not committing crimes, even if you get caught, there's a chance to go out," Evah said, his face taking on a thoughtful look. Then he frowned, puzzled. "Why're you bringing them up? You didn't get on the wrong side of official Beyonders, are you?"
Klein let out a relieved breath at this response, then coughed lightly. "Is there a chance… I'm an official Beyonder?"
This wasn't something to hide. Being an official Beyonder wasn't shameful, and Klein had a plan. Evah's overly trusting nature and lack of caution or secrecy could land him in trouble with official Beyonders someday. It's Better to arrange for him to become an informant now— that way, even if he got caught later, he wouldn't end up locked behind Chanis Gate.
"Huh?" Evah's face was the picture of shock. He pointed at Klein, uncertain. "You? An official Beyonder?"
"Technically, a Nighthawk," Klein corrected.
Evah's expression turned bewildered and complex, like a squirrel whose nuts had been stolen. After a long pause, he glanced at Klein, visibly deflating. "So… you're here to arrest me?"
"Why would you think that?" Klein said, half-laughing, half-exasperated. He put on a serious look. "I'm just asking if you'd be willing to be my informant. That way, even if the officials find you later, you won't get locked up."
"You can do that?" Evah's face lit up with a "today I learned" expression, fully embodying the naive college student persona. He nodded eagerly. "Sure, sure, I'm in!"
"Alright, I'll test the waters with the captain in a few days. If it goes smoothly, we should be able to get your informant status sorted," Klein said, nodding.
As a recent addition to the Nighthawks, he'd need to wait a bit before proposing an informant.
(End of Chapter)