‘Voice Acting Academy.’
Once upon a time, Seo-yeon also attended this place with Ji-yeon.
Of course, she dropped out halfway to learn different things, but it was a place she had been involved with for quite a while.
Ji-yeon was the same; even though she wasn’t going frequently lately, she occasionally stopped by, as far as I knew.
‘Sorcerer.’
Fortunately, there were no cases of sorcerers appearing in Ramiel’s broadcasts afterward.
Still, it was often mentioned by Ramiel, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of concern.
‘Who could it be?’
Could it be someone I know from the Voice Acting Academy?
Plus, judging by Ramiel’s attitude back then, it didn’t seem like it was just a casual friendship…
With that flicker of suspicion in my heart.
“Hello. I’m Han Da-young.”
And I was able to meet the person easily.
The first thing that crossed my mind was.
‘She’s tall.’
She was definitely a head taller than me.
And in other ways too.
‘Not quite as big as Mom though.’
All in all, she was exceptionally large.
She looked at least three or four years older than us.
In other words, she was a college student.
‘An idol who also does vocal music?’
I momentarily stopped gazing blankly and searched my thoughts frantically.
I didn’t have much information.
In other words, this woman, Han Da-young, hadn’t been active in the entertainment industry.
She must have only been a Vtuber.
As for the Vtuber scene, when I tried to recall it, nothing came to mind.
If it wasn’t related to the entertainment industry, it was hard for me to think of it.
“You can speak comfortably.”
“Oh, really?”
“…”
She said it was okay to speak comfortably, but I didn’t expect her to drop the formalities right away.
Anyway, Han Da-young tightly stuck to Ji-yeon’s side and gently patted Ji-yeon’s head.
“Since Ji-yeon has a bothersome personality, I thought it was a lie when they said we were childhood friends.”
Saying that, Han Da-young winked at me.
What, is she showing off?
“Ah, unnie.”
Ji-yeon looked at Han Da-young with an annoyed expression.
This was a refreshing sight.
It’s not like I’m saying this lightly, but Ji-yeon often looks out for me.
Because of that, it was the first time I saw Ji-yeon being treated like a kid since we’ve known each other.
“Then, shall we go inside and talk? You said you came because of singing, right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I hope it helps.”
With that, her bright smile gave off a mature vibe of an older sister.
Now that I think about it, her impression was quite gentle, leaving a very good impression.
Once we entered the academy, we had a brief conversation.
First of all, it was indeed Da-young who helped Ji-yeon to become a Vtuber.
However, Ji-yeon didn’t feel the need to mention that she was Ramiel, or that she claimed to be a sorceress.
“Ji-yeon had been busy lately because she asked for help.”
“Well, I did get a lot of help from unnie.”
Ji-yeon said that and glanced at me.
That was a rare sight of Ji-yeon being cautious about my feelings.
Could it be that she’s feeling shy…?
“Oh my, is Ji-yeon feeling shy?”
“Ah, no, I’m not!”
“Oh, really.”
Saying that, Da-young hugged Ji-yeon tightly.
That was oddly friendly.
Ji-yeon didn’t look like she disliked it either.
And then they started talking about something only they understood.
It seemed to be about their preparations for being Vtubers, but I didn’t really mind.
I wasn’t interested in hearing the details about Ramiel’s red potion anyway.
But.
“…”
What should I even say about this?
It was such a strange feeling.
‘My friend.’
I had recently become somewhat closer with the class president, but still, the only one I could definitively call a friend was Ji-yeon. Yet here, Ji-yeon and Da-young were chatting away, sharing their little secrets.
‘…’
I couldn’t help but feel a twitch at my lips.
Somehow, it reminded me of an emotion I had felt before.
When Ramiel was held in the arms of the sorceress.
“Oh dear, unnie, stop it.”
Yeah, that kind of comment made my heart burn with anger.
My hands trembled slightly.
Jealousy!!
It was a very unfamiliar feeling to me, similar to the emotion I used in Cha Seo-ah’s acting.
Moreover, the new character I was trying out, Joo Ha-rin, likely felt the same way.
‘Oh, so this is what this emotion feels like.’
No, it was probably more intense for her.
According to her setting, Joo Ha-rin had a crush on the male lead, Kim Si-hwan.
Imagining what kind of feelings she would have while watching the sweet moments between Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha was easy.
Annoyance.
Seo-yeon had never really understood what annoyance was in her life, but that was no longer true.
“Joo Seo-yeon.”
“…What?”
When I responded gruffly, Ji-yeon tilted her head slightly before bursting into a giggle.
“How are you going to sing?”
With that, she sat next to me.
Her innocent gaze made my face heat up for no reason.
It seemed my emotions were plainly visible on my face.
I covered my face with both hands.
‘Strange, unfamiliar emotions make me uncomfortable.’
I suppose unfamiliar things are hard to control.
It felt a bit like being restless and running about when I felt lively.
“W-Well, I have to.”
“You have to?”
“First, I have to pass the audition.”
Anyway, getting back to the main point, regardless of learning to sing, I needed to pass the audition first.
Dream Future was a drama focused on idol auditions.
Naturally, one had to possess idol-like qualities, including singing ability.
‘That’s why it’s hard to guess the outcome of the audition.’
By the way, I had sung at the audition venue.
At that time, the judges’ ambiguous expressions still lingered in my memory.
‘I-I might, fail.’
Because of the sense of crisis, I had been wondering if it was right to learn to sing.
Honestly, I came today not so much to learn to sing but to see the sorceress’s face.
‘…’
What I discovered was that Ramiel and the sorceress had quite a deep relationship.
Though not as much as me, they had known each other for at least five years.
I felt a bubbling sensation in my stomach thinking about how Ji-yeon had helped her during her idol activities, but seeing Ji-yeon smiling next to me for another reason made me feel a different kind of unease.
“Well then.”
At that moment, Han Da-young opened her mouth.
“Do you want to try singing a bit first?”
“W-What? Right now?”
Since it was a voice acting academy, the recording studio was nearby.
So it shouldn’t be difficult.
“Yeah, we need to know how much you can sing to help you.”
“But the audition…”
“Don’t worry.”
She smiled gently and said.
“You’ll definitely pass. Ji-yeon may lack in other things, but how much she praised Seo-yeon for her acting!”
“Ah, unnie!”
Hearing that, Ji-yeon squeaked.
Her words made me blush as well.
‘…But in other respects, she lacks?’
When I shot Ji-yeon a glare, she quickly averted her gaze.
That was the usual face I often made when teasing Ji-yeon.
And.
After that, when I sang a bit in the recording studio.
“…Ah.”
Han Da-young’s expression became complex and subtle.
That was the very face that the judges had shown me during the audition.
*
The audition for Dream Future went quite smoothly.
There were way more idols and actors applying than expected, and many had been preparing for it with enthusiasm.
Truly a rare genre, ‘youth romance.’
Perhaps because of its scarcity, it was positioned as a drama that KMB was actively promoting.
“So, who do you think should play the role of Song So-ha?”
The casting director, Shin Yoon, posed that question, causing the once lively discussion in the meeting room to fall silent.
It wasn’t because there was no suitable candidate.
Rather.
“I personally think Joo Seo-yeon would be great.”
The one saying that was the cinematographer, Kim Pil-seok.
While many nodded at his influential comment, some responded.
“But Seo-yeon’s singing….”
“Ahem, well, in a few months, if she gets some vocal training, that should be fine.”
“That’s a risk, isn’t it?”
At the very least, Seo-yeon had showcased her acting for both Joo Ha-rin and Song So-ha roles.
She chose Joo Ha-rin because she wanted to play it.
Song So-ha was a request from the judges.
Acting is just…
“It’s amazing.”
“Yes, I just saw Joo Seo-yeon’s acting for the first time, and I understand why Jung-woo praised her so much.”
At that, Park Jung-woo shrugged his shoulders.
Her acting had truly no flaws.
‘In fact, she’s even improved.’
More so than when I saw her in a variety show.
And it felt like her performance was richer than when she did theater.
Most of all, it felt very effortless.
Without using a method, she could convey that much.
That meant Seo-yeon’s acting skills had significantly improved.
“Balancing wise, Cha Na-hee… is correct, right?”
I pondered whether using ‘actor’ to describe an idol was appropriate, but one of the production team members said that.
Her acting was far inferior to Seo-yeon’s, but her singing was leagues above hers.
Just looking at that fact, Cha Na-hee was overwhelming for the role of “Song So-ha,” but.
“From the beginning, Joo Seo-yeon preferred the role of Joo Ha-rin, right? So I think that’s what suits her.”
“But.”
“It would be a waste.”
Jung-woo quietly observed the heated discussion in the meeting room, choosing not to intervene.
His words, being friends with Seo-yeon, could be perceived negatively.
‘It’s true that her singing was lacking.’
Seo-yeon had realized that too.
She had put in some effort into her singing.
It wasn’t so atrocious.
Simply, it wasn’t good enough to be the winner of the audition for the role of “Song So-ha.”
It felt like she was lacking something primarily because there was hardly any emotion in her singing.
‘But.’
Park Jung-woo recalled the audition.
Seo-yeon’s acting.
And the things she had prepared for this audition.
A week prior.
At the audition venue.
“I will! I’ll do it! I really want to!”
A lively girl dashed around waving her hands in excitement.
She resembled a puppy.
Specifically, a retriever; that kind of vibe.
‘Can a person’s atmosphere change like this?’
The judges all expressed that sentiment.
Before the audition began, she had been a woman of a cold impression.
But once she started acting, she became incredibly lively.
However, Jung-woo.
‘A deserted island.’
That feeling she had on the deserted island was what she channeled into her performance.
He realized it immediately.
Seo-yeon had looked just like that when she was madly running around in the jungle.
Accompanied by Joo Ha-rin’s lively acting.
“Why does it have to be me…”
A heart-wrenching voice.
Yet envy was tangible in her voice.
She had transferred some of the feelings used for Cha Seo-ah in The Chaser into Joo Ha-rin’s acting.
The judges nodded in agreement as they witnessed that performance.
It was undoubtedly different from anything they had seen in auditions so far.
‘Surely, there’s a stark contrast between idols and actors.’
‘There’s definitely a huge difference.’
When looking at one side alone, it didn’t seem to stand out.
But seeing them in comparison, the distinction was apparent.
“Ah, Seo-yeon. Have you memorized the script for Song So-ha’s role? If it’s alright, we’d like to see you perform it.”
“Song So-ha’s role?”
Seo-yeon nodded nonchalantly.
Of course, she had memorized all the scripts.
Then what happened next was Song So-ha’s performance.
‘Wow, both are really good.’
Among all the idols and actors who auditioned for Song So-ha, no one was as excellent.
“Well then, could we hear your singing for the last time? You know? This is a drama about an idol audition, so it’s crucial.”
“Ah, of course, I prepared for this.”
Seo-yeon said confidently.
That prompted a chorus of impressed murmurs from the judges.
However, that admiration did not last long.
“…Ahem.”
“Ah, thank you for your hard work, Seo-yeon.”
Complex gazes exchanged between the judges.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t sing.
No, could she not really sing?
The ambience felt just bizarrely awkward.
While her acting was superb, the singing was a bit ambiguous.
“Seo-yeon.”
At that moment, Park Jung-woo, who had been silent until then, spoke up.
All eyes turned to Jung-woo.
Was he about to make a critique?
Considering his previous behavior, the judges thought so.
‘No, he might just be trying to cover for her since they’re friends.’
If that was the case, it would be…
They all waited for Jung-woo’s words with that mindset.
“Can you dance?”
“What?”
His tone was convinced.
‘She wouldn’t have come to an audition with only her weaknesses.’
She knew she wasn’t great at singing.
…Though she seemed oddly confident in her vocal abilities.
But surely.
“If you’re an idol, singing isn’t everything. You should be able to dance too. Would that be fine with you?”
Dance.
Everyone gave puzzled looks at Jung-woo’s statement.
An actor dancing?
They had seen singers who acted, but not many actors who could dance.
“Yes.”
In response to Jung-woo, Seo-yeon nodded.
“I can do it.”
A hint of red washed over Seo-yeon’s face.
Jung-woo nodded at her and gestured to the staff.
Then, music, which they had heard repeatedly during auditions, started to play, and Seo-yeon rhythmically surrendered her body to the beat, slowly closing her eyes.
One, two.
As if measuring the tempo.
And then.
Seo-yeon slowly opened her eyes, and with the music, her dance began.
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