Chapter: 36
What bothered me most about attending school was the gender-separated classes.
If it had been co-ed, I think I would have felt more at ease, but being split only made things awkward.
“Does anyone have any spare sanitary pads? Ah, I totally forgot about that.”
“Oh please, forgetting that is a whole different level.”
“…….”
In situations like these, where conversations are way too personal, it’s really difficult to react.
Seventeen years of living as a girl, and I was quite used to it, though the dissonance between my body and mind had finally faded.
However, I still found myself struggling to adapt to these strange vibes.
Strangely enough, if this were my past life, I wouldn’t have cared one bit.
‘So boring.’
Perhaps that’s why, three months into high school, I still hadn’t made a single friend.
Why was that?
There aren’t many who are as gentle and kind-hearted as I am.
“You should just start a conversation, you idiot.”
During lunch, I poured out my worries to Lee Ji-yeon, who wiggled the lollipop in her mouth, looking at me like I was pathetic.
“If you want to talk first.”
“And then?”
“They run away.”
“Hmm.”
Ji-yeon seemed to get the idea roughly.
“Looking at your face, I can see why they might feel intimidated.”
‘Is my face really that intimidating?’
More importantly, “face”? What does that even mean?
Sometimes Ji-yeon has a tendency to be overly blunt.
“Anyway, that doesn’t really matter.”
“It matters.”
“More importantly, tell me what those two things were that you mentioned earlier.”
“It’s important!”
Ji-yeon clearly didn’t care about my social life, asking about what I had mentioned in the morning.
Seriously, how rude.
I puffed up my cheeks and said, “A play.”
“Uh?”
“I’m planning to audition for a play happening at a small theater in Jongno.”
Ji-yeon blinked at my words, as if questioning whether I was being serious.
“…Do you want me to ask around? If you do well, you might get something good.”
Ji-yeon’s rare kindness seemed to stem from how oddly shocked she was about my interest in acting.
“Wait, what about school?”
“The performance dates overlap with summer vacation, so it’s fine.”
I could practice even while attending school. I was thinking of getting some permission from them too.
“And you said there were two options? Besides the play, what’s the other one?”
“That one is reliant on me getting a role in the play.”
“What kind of nonsense is that, really?”
Ji-yeon shot me a look that said “don’t joke around.”
But what could I do? I genuinely meant it.
‘The first project after my return is important.’
Having gone through puberty, I could feel my emotions and mind stabilizing.
Though the process hadn’t been easy, in the end, it could be resolved.
It was around when I entered high school that I decided to return to acting.
From that spring onward, I’d been pondering my first comeback project.
‘What would be good?’
With my past life knowledge, I mostly knew what kinds of works would succeed or fail. While I struggle to remember lessons from class, when it comes to this, things were oddly clear in my mind.
Just thinking of a few options sprang to mind.
‘More than anything, the role I can take is essential.’
Since this is my first project after returning, it must make a considerable impact.
The number of works chosen through auditions was limited, and most were lyrical dramas.
‘Hmmm.’
After this deliberation, I came to one conclusion.
However, for that one conclusion, there were prerequisites.
It was the play I had chosen.
But.
“?”
I glanced at Ji-yeon.
Feeling my gaze, she tilted her head in confusion.
What caught my attention was the aftermath of me landing a role.
Someone like Ji-yeon or Jo Seo-hee.
Especially Ji-yeon.
She had initially received so much criticism, so much that she became obscure for a long time after that, before vanishing into oblivion over issues related to voice acting.
Yet somehow, I was managing well using the CF she once got railed for.
If things continue like this, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to be cast in a major drama.
……Things were turning out too well.
I mean, I’m glad things are looking up for Ji-yeon, but…….
“What? Why are you staring like that?”
“……No.”
I ignored Ji-yeon as I looked at the date on my smartphone.
At this point, her own time was nearly up.
I began to wonder if it was alright for me to stay like this. A flurry of complicated thoughts swirled in my head.
“Ji-yeon.”
“Yeah?”
“Why don’t you come over to my house sometime?”
“Your house? Sure.”
Ji-yeon replied casually.
Anyway, I would figure out the details about Ji-yeon when that time comes.
The pressing matter was about my return.
‘The play audition happening at Jongno.’
Usually, teenage actors like me were hardly ever picked, unless it was for youth plays.
But if it’s me, I could probably manage something.
‘The title might be…’
It’s a play called “Close Your Eyes.”
In the past life, it was a controversy magnet.
It garnered a reputation, primarily because an actor who starred in it later made waves in films.
Yeah, this would fit perfectly.
When I start considering upcoming events.
*
‘Another weird thought is brewing in me.’
After failing to properly explain myself, Ji-yeon watched Seoyeon’s back as she returned to her classroom when lunch was over.
‘A play, huh.’
Honestly, there were many doubts swirling in my mind.
Why the sudden interest in theater?
With “The Sun Hidden by the Moon” as my calling card, I could still get plenty of opportunities.
Sure, ten years had gone by, so undergoing some verification was a must.
But I didn’t think Seoyeon would fail even that simple test.
‘She’s a true actress.’
Digging through those words, Ji-yeon let out a sigh.
Despite Ji-yeon doing fairly well in a recent cable drama, when she watched Seoyeon’s acting, a palpable difference came through.
Whereas Ji-yeon’s acting used to rely solely on emotional expression, Seoyeon’s performance was colorful enough to not need to force it.
A genius.
That was the phrase all the acting instructors she had trained under had praised her with.
Honestly, it was baffling that she had been away for ten years.
There had always been projects she could have joined at any time.
“Anyway.”
Ji-yeon turned to see where Seoyeon had disappeared.
Hadn’t Seoyeon said she didn’t have any friends in class?
Well, that made sense.
Seoyeon gives off a vibe that’s hard to approach.
Presence, I suppose.
Being a natural-born actress, ordinary people often find themselves speechless in front of her.
Probably the most interaction she has had outside her acting career is when she’s talking with the clerks from the convenience stores she frequents.
I really don’t get why she goes around so many convenience stores, but it makes sense she doesn’t have friends at school.
‘What on Earth is she doing when she takes a break from acting?’
If she’d smiled a bit and approached others, friends would have been lining up for her every morning. But Ji-yeon withheld from giving that advice, likely because it was easier this way.
Having a plethora of friends doesn’t really seem like Seoyeon.
*
Anyway, with my resolve set, Seoyeon rushed home right after school to share her news with Sua.
“I’m thinking about making a comeback now.”
“Our daughter, are you sure you’re not just saying that because you don’t want to study?”
“…….”
In an instant, Seoyeon couldn’t respond to that.
‘Oh no.’
She should’ve answered immediately.
Regretting her slip-up, she continued as naturally as possible.
“Of course not! I’ll keep studying steadily.”
“Hmm.”
Sua looked skeptically at her daughter.
Although she always thought her daughter was brilliant, it was painfully obvious she didn’t like studying.
Her grades had been decent until middle school.
When it came to the first midterms of high school, they were practically in shambles.
She wouldn’t even share her mock exam scores.
‘The girl isn’t actually lacking in intelligence, is she?’
Even though Sua contemplated that, she chose to let it slide.
Her daughter had already been graced with so many talents.
Expecting her to also excel at studies might be pushing it a bit.
‘How does mom even take care of her skin?’
Meanwhile, Seoyeon couldn’t help but admire Sua’s appearance.
At thirty-nine, Sua was at an age where people would start calling her “auntie.”
Yet, her looks hadn’t changed drastically in ten years.
If anything, her chest seemed to have grown.
Just like her incredible strength, Sua’s appearance was an enigma of Eastern beauty in its own right.
“So, sweetheart, you’ve been away for a long time. Are you really ready for this?”
“Yes, I’m totally fine!”
Seoyeon declared, flexing her arms in a mock pose.
To which a clear voice echoed from below.
“Sis, you’re so funny!”
A cute little girl, with black hair tied up, who resembled Seoyeon, peered up at her.
That was Joo Su-yeon, her younger sister, aged seven.
Since the names were alike, it was quite the coincidence, but their ten-year age difference meant Seoyeon had spent a lot of her childhood taking care of her.
“Alright, then Mom’s taking Su-yeon to do some grocery shopping. Is there food in the fridge?”
“Got it!”
“Bye, Sis. See you later!”
“Yeah, see you later!”
Probably, Su-yeon whined about not wanting to stay at home again, hence why she got taken along.
As her mother stepped out, Seoyeon watched Sua’s retreating figure, feeling a bit deflated.
Despite announcing her interest in acting, the response wasn’t quite the excitement she expected.
She had really put thought into this.
“Hmm.”
Left alone, Seoyeon slumped onto the sofa and turned on the TV.
She was met with an advertisement featuring a woman whose face was oddly familiar.
“Ugh.”
“Love it like dew.”
Though it sounded like a soju commercial, it was actually for a cosmetics line.
Anyway, cosmetic advertisements typically starred the most attractive models.
Moreover, the brand is a luxury one, requiring a reasonable level of brand recognition.
Thus, being featured in such an ad was the mark of a major actress.
“With Seo-hee.”
A smile lit up the woman’s face as she spoke.
She looked close to Seoyeon’s age but too suspiciously mature for that.
If you didn’t know better, you’d think she was in her twenties.
‘Jo Seo-hee.’
One could argue she was among the best young actresses of the present.
Unlike the past life, where she stumbled during her time in The Sun Hidden by the Moon, she’d now enjoyed a brilliant career over the last decade.
And she had a bright future ahead, as the TV showcased Jo Seo-hee.
‘Those cosmetics ads… I’ll have to decline if I get an offer.’
Of course, watching her reminded Seoyeon to turn on YouTube.
What followed was a display of her stunning play history.
It was her line of Virtual YouTuber broadcasts, which had started to gain steam.
Among them, one stood out to Seoyeon.
“Coming soon! The third generation of Seven Live!”
As she furrowed her brow over the list displayed, Seoyeon thought, naturally.
Someone who should have been there was conspicuously missing.
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