“Hey, Hye-jin! Could you look a bit more this way when you speak? I can’t see your face well.”
The serious stage practice had begun.
In the process, they were literally chewing, tearing apart, and savoring the script for interpretation.
Going through a reading process was just the basics.
The roughly six weeks of practice aimed to achieve the goal of ‘not making mistakes during the performance.’
A perfect stage.
That was the most fundamental requirement for a play.
“Seo-yeon.”
“Yes.”
Assistant director Kim Cheong-woon furrowed his brows as he looked at the girl in front of him.
Typically, the guidance for acting in theater is taken care of by the assistant director.
So, having seen many actors until now, Cheong-woon found Seo-yeon special among them.
The genius child actor Joo Seo-yeon.
The ability of the actor he had simply recognized was far beyond his expectations.
Mostly in a good way.
“There’s still a feel that’s a bit closer to drama acting, but you definitely ride the emotion line well.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“But I think it would be better if your movement improved a bit more. Your gaze and actions are really good, you know?”
“Movement? Exactly where…?”
Wondering if there was somewhere lacking in her movement, she asked.
“You know that part where you’re monologuing while looking at Sim Cheong-seok? Can you cross the stage a bit more?”
“Isn’t that too wide of a movement for a monologue?”
“That’s how intense the emotion appears. And please treat the monologue as if you’re having a conversation with the audience.”
As if conversing with the audience.
Upon hearing that, Seo-yeon nodded her head.
‘Did she understand?’
Such parts can’t be easily understood just by words.
No matter how much Seo-yeon is…
“Okay! Let’s give it a go.”
With Kim Cheong-woon’s words, Sim Cheong-seok approached nearby.
“Alright then.”
As he spoke, Seo-yeon calmly grabbed her emotions.
The girl stalking idol Baesung-hak, Hong Jeong-hee.
As she breathed out, reading the surface of his emotions…
‘…It’s amazing every time I see it.’
Method acting.
They say that, but what Seo-yeon was doing now was different.
A trace of ‘Seo-yeon’ lingered slightly.
When asked about it, Seo-yeon replied,
“Since it’s just practice now.”
“I’ll do it more properly during rehearsal.”
Seo-yeon added.
‘What will it be like if she does it properly from there?’
The acting of Seo-yeon that Cheong-woon had watched long ago in the drama.
Recently, Cheong-woon had rewatched that drama. The acting was profoundly emotional, perhaps too much for a child to display.
That might be Seo-yeon’s greatest strength.
But paradoxically, such emotive acting doesn’t necessarily become a strong point in a play.
Seo-yeon’s emotional acting is very detailed; its true value only reveals itself when the screen is zoomed in. But that’s all information not visible on stage.
Depending on the audience, it might not be properly seen, and conveying those fine emotions might be harder than expected.
So, gestures and moving movements to express that were important, but this conflicts with method acting.
If one becomes completely immersed in the stage character, those gestures or actions will inevitably come off somewhat awkward.
In the end, a certain level of ‘theater technique’ must inevitably be incorporated.
Seo-yeon’s practice was about blending that as naturally as possible.
“I can’t believe it. Why on earth! Why is oppa dating a girl like that?”
Seo-yeon’s lines were clearly conveyed as she looked at the audience.
Kim Cheong-woon listened from the audience, watching Seo-yeon’s naturally moving feet.
It was the movement he had ordered.
The monologue also nicely captured the feeling of talking to the audience.
“How was it?”
“It was very good.”
After finishing the performance and returning, Kim Cheong-woon gave Seo-yeon a thumbs-up.
It’s a joy to see a talented actor.
However.
‘There’s something weirdly off-putting about it.’
Cheong-woon pondered whether to mention it.
In truth, it wasn’t something major to point out.
Rather, it felt complete just as it was.
“First, I need to see the other actors, so please take a little break.”
“Yes.”
At those words from the assistant director, Seo-yeon subtly stepped back.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
Cheong-woon’s reaction seemed strange.
But if it was wrong, Cheong-woon would have mentioned it first.
“……”
After a moment of contemplation, Seo-yeon approached Sim Cheong-seok, who had just been on stage with her.
“Oh, that?”
He said as if he understood immediately.
“There’s no problem, but it has a certain feel to it.”
“What do you mean?”
In response to Seo-yeon’s question, Sim Cheong-seok sat down, crossing his legs.
He pressed his temples with his thumb as he pondered how to express himself.
“You lack affection.”
“…What?”
“Think about it carefully. Why is Hong Jeong-hee stalking Baesung-hak?”
“Oh.”
Seo-yeon finally realized what he meant.
“The obsession, inferiority complex, and disdain for Song Min-seo; those elements are clearly conveyed, right? But the affectionate feelings towards Baesung-hak don’t come across strongly.”
“Right, I see.”
“Honestly, I don’t think that’s essential for this play. If you bring in too many awkward elements, it might just end up flat.”
It’s better to emphasize the dark emotions Seo-yeon currently portrays.
Sim Cheong-seok was saying that.
Or perhaps, it could be interpreted as ‘You’re doing well enough as it is.’
The vibe felt different than when he poked fun at her previously.
“…Why are you staring?”
“I’m not staring. This is just my usual expression.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Seo-yeon’s stubbornness made Sim Cheong-seok chuckle.
“Anyway, you’re doing just fine, so don’t worry about it.”
Just fine.
That was correct, but Seo-yeon’s pride felt wounded.
Especially because Sim Cheong-seok’s words were unexpectedly considerate, it made her feel worse.
‘But.’
Affectionate acting.
“Ugh,” Seo-yeon bit her lower lip.
Then again, he spoke the truth.
Unconsciously, she had excluded those feelings.
‘I had been sensing it a little.’
Affectionate acting is a crucial part in dramas and movies.
One can’t simply avoid it, after all.
It was alright that Hong Jeong-hee was a bit lacking, but that wouldn’t necessarily be acceptable for future roles.
‘I’ll need to think about it.’
Given the ambiguous boundary of being male or female, such acting was even more challenging.
Acting with affection for others.
For Seo-yeon, who takes method acting as her forte, this was an unavoidable issue.
*
Seoul, Yeonhwa High School.
Known for its modern building and pretty uniforms, it was a school that high school students aiming for arts and physical education often attended rather than focusing solely on academics.
Among them, the drama club had both active actors and aspiring ones, making the level quite high.
“Ji-yeon! Oh, my dear actress.”
Song Da-yeon, the drama club’s advisor, fluttered over like a butterfly and grabbed Lee Ji-yeon’s hand tightly.
“…What’s the matter?”
“Oh come on, don’t be so cold.”
Ji-yeon frowned.
After urging her to come visit the drama club after a long time, they ended up in such a situation right away.
‘She’s definitely going to ask for something.’
Reading Ji-yeon’s expression, Song Da-yeon cleared her throat and continued speaking.
“I have good news for you. There’s a variety show called ‘Looking at the Past, Memories’.”
“I don’t know it.”
“…Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t.”
Is this variety show so unpopular?
Wondering about it,
“They’re filming it at our school this time. And what kind of show is it…?”
Song Da-yeon explained in detail what she had heard at a staff meeting to Ji-yeon.
Other drama club students listened with curious expressions.
“Are they recreating The Moon That Hid the Sun?”
“That’s right!”
“But what does that have to do with me…?”
“What are you talking about? Of course, it’d be great if you could play Yeonhwa!”
As Song Da-yeon said that and looked at the other students, they all seemed hesitant but nodded in agreement.
When naming the student with the best achievements, acting skills, and outstanding appearance in the drama club, it would undoubtedly be Lee Ji-yeon.
“Yeonhwa?”
However, Ji-yeon’s expression was strange.
This was another role she was quite familiar with.
‘Park Jung-woo is coming too?’
If that were true, the internet would go wild.
Especially since the high school’s name coincidentally was ‘Yeonhwa High School’.
It felt like a setup delivered from the heavens.
The rough outline was to recreate episode 8 of the original.
What did episode 8 entail? It was the reunion scene.
The episode where the grown-up Yoon Seoil and the grown-up Lee Hye-wol reunite was episode 8.
The viewership ratings exploded and received quite a bit of praise.
However,
‘There were a lot of criticisms, too.’
This was the time when actress Ha Ye-seo, who played Yeonhwa, was receiving harsh reviews.
Saying that the character Yeonhwa lacked presence compared to the child actors.
“It doesn’t quite fit.”
That evaluation hasn’t changed even now, and Ha Ye-seo often brings up those days.
It wasn’t easy being compared to child actors.
“Then I’ll do it.”
“Really?”
“However, would it be okay for my agency to bring someone along? I want to do my makeup properly.”
“Oh, of course, that’s fine.”
Ji-yeon nodded.
And then she smiled subtly.
It was also because a fun idea had just popped into her head.
*
A large van drove down the road.
Inside, a casually dressed man was sitting with a blindfold on, eyes closed.
“Jung-woo, we’re almost there, so it’s time to wake up.”
“……”
Too annoying.
That was the first thought that crossed Park Jung-woo’s mind.
Originally, he had no interest in the shoot.
“Please, please, just help me once! Do you have any idea how much I talked?”
It was a request from an acquaintance he had accidentally met during a previous shoot.
And since it coincided with his break, he decided to help.
“Looking at the Past, Memories is actually doing both drama and variety, right?”
“That’s right. It wouldn’t make sense if you just showed up as a guest and left without doing anything.”
“Ha, what am I even doing?”
“What else? You’re Park Jung-woo.”
Lately, the hottest actor around.
He already had his next film lined up.
Even a leading role.
It was a film backed by hefty investment, and the director was fantastic.
Everyone thought his life was a smooth path without any thorns.
“Now they’re doing The Moon That Hid the Sun, isn’t this variety show clearly going to flop?”
“Don’t be like that. Still, it’s a meaningful role for you.”
“…That’s true.”
Park Jung-woo nodded at the words of his manager, Ha Hyung-hwan, who had been with him for five years.
A meaningful role indeed.
‘What’s she doing now?’
In Jung-woo’s acting career, there haven’t been many experiences where he was profoundly moved.
The girl he met on The Moon That Hid the Sun was still vividly alive in his memory.
That acting.
That last retirement.
“……”
The image of the girl crying at the awards ceremony rose in his mind.
With an expressionless face, that dull kid.
The one who first shattered Park Jung-woo’s pride as a child actor.
The girl who cried before everyone as they looked at her.
Those joyous moments came back as well.
Sometimes, Park Jung-woo thought to himself.
Should he have persuaded her to act a bit more?
Would it have been better to tell her that taking a break like this was such a waste?
If only…
‘It’s all in the past now.’
As he pondered those thoughts, the van came to a halt.
He felt the gaze of his manager looking back.
“Jung-woo.”
“Yes.”
Wiping away the memories of that girl from his mind.
He slowly opened the van’s door.
At that moment,
The cheers of countless students erupted.
Tak!
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