Chapter: 37
I was somewhat aware of it.
Seven Live’s third generation.
One character that was supposed to occupy one of those spots was inexplicably absent.
The third generation of Seven Live was themed around non-humans.
They typically featured characters you’d expect to see in fantasy settings.
And the missing character was Ramiel, the “Harpie Princess Who Can’t Sing.”
Honestly, if you looked at her appearance, she seemed more like an angel than a harpy.
To be honest, I thought she was an angel at first too.
Especially since Ramiel was exceptionally popular among the third generation.
Her voice was incredibly sweet, and she had outstanding broadcasting sense.
She quickly rose to a position known as a big company, so to speak.
For the record, despite her concept of being unable to sing, she could surprisingly handle it quite well.
As is usual with RP, she followed the basics, but she didn’t behave in ways that were inconsistent with her setting.
Her main content revolved around interaction broadcasts.
She was known for being a good listener and had a particular flair for conversation, which made her quite popular.
“……”
“Joo Su-yeon, why are you acting like that?”
I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a possibility of a ‘what-if,’ but the world was indeed cruel.
How could this be happening?
“I had desperately tried to deny the thought that it might be true.”
I looked at Lee Ji-yeon, who was staring blankly at me.
The first hint of confusion occurred when I attended the voice acting academy with her.
She was fine with general vocalizations, but there was a problem when it came to voicing for animation dubbing.
It was a youthful voice, but one that I definitely recognized.
Moreover, when she called out, “Joo Su-yeon?”
I would just collapse.
Was I, at that moment, knowingly denying something?
Why was it exactly Lee Ji-yeon?
I couldn’t accept that Ji-yeon was Ramiel, the angelic character.
Where did that Ramiel go, who listened attentively to my worries and comforted me?
‘Something’s definitely wrong.’
There’s a saying about red pills.
It’s a term for when seeing the true face of a Vtuber shatters the fantasy.
Honestly, did my fantasy really break? Not quite.
The Lee Ji-yeon in front of me and the Ramiel I knew were, in fact, entirely different people.
On that note, I was just thinking that one day I might get to meet Ramiel when my Oshi graduated suddenly, leaving me in complete darkness.
“I wanted to see it properly this time.”
The emotions I had towards Vtubers in my past life were of the ‘unknown’ kind.
It was something that wasn’t reality but a fantasy; from those who sincerely embraced it, I felt something I couldn’t put my finger on.
As someone lacking normal emotions, that’s the only way I could express it.
Even though I got to see it in real time, most of it was just rearranged snippets, short clips.
“So this time, I wanted to feel that unknown I hadn’t experienced back then.”
I felt somewhat melancholic.
Some might say I’m being dramatic about this, but to me, it was of utmost importance.
In many ways.
“Joo Su-yeon.”
“~~~!!”
Suddenly hearing a familiar whisper in my ear made me shudder and plop down onto the bench.
Thank goodness it was a bench; if it had been an ordinary chair, I would have toppled over.
I covered the ear where I heard the whisper and, unusually flustered, said, “W-what are you doing?”
“If I keep calling you and you don’t respond, that’s on you, isn’t it?”
Hmph, Ji-yeon crossed her arms and squinted at me as if my reaction displeased her immensely.
“Ever since we were kids, whenever I use this voice, you get all startled. Is it really that bizarre?”
“…N-no.”
Her gaze seemed to probe whether my words were genuinely true.
Unlike before, it felt like she caught on to something, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Avoiding Ji-yeon‘s gaze, I added, “I don’t dislike it.”
And I truly meant it. I was genuinely taken aback, but not in a bad way.
Everything else might have changed, but that voice remained exactly the same.
“Though, I thought there might be a chance a voice like that existed somewhere else.”
That thought was now out the window.
The Ramiel of this world had indeed become an angel…Well, a harpy, to be more precise.
“Hmm.”
Ji-yeon looked me up and down, then cleared her throat like she was debating whether to use that voice again.
In the end, she nodded.
“Okay, but more importantly, I’m curious about something else.”
“Curious about what?”
“About the audition for the play. When exactly is it?”
Ji-yeon had always taken an interest in my return.
So, it was only natural she’d be curious since I hadn’t been quiet about my reactions lately.
“Next Monday.”
“……Huh?”
Ji-yeon looked at me as if processing what I meant.
“It’s right next Monday.”
If the timing didn’t line up, I planned to inform the teacher and figure things out, but luckily it didn’t seem necessary.
The audition was set to begin late in the evening.
*
In Jongno, Daehangno, many artistic institutions including theaters came together.
Performances were lively, and various troupes or clubs actively engaged in theatrical activities.
And here was where I had my sights set on a play audition today.
I couldn’t say for sure how things used to be, but nowadays, you could easily apply online.
Typically, actors are assessed in two phases: the first and the second.
The first stage involved submitting a video of a free performance accompanied by a brief profile.
“Thank goodness I didn’t fail the first round; that would’ve been a disaster.”
It had been a while since I performed for others, so I was indeed nervous.
Moreover, I had to shoot it alone without a scene partner.
“I’m sure it’s around here… Ah!”
Then the second phase was the face-to-face audition.
The location was a rehearsal room in Daehangno.
To be honest, I didn’t know much about theater.
Unlike dramas or films, this was something I had never experienced in my past life.
The only reason I came to know about this play was because of subsequent connections.
“How many people will show up for a play audition?”
However, I couldn’t find much information even after searching.
Especially since the role I was auditioning for was a villain.
So, I vaguely thought there might not be a lot of competition.
Squeak.
As I cautiously opened the building’s door and stepped inside, I froze instantly.
‘……There are this many?!’
I knew it was a well-invested play.
So I heard the competition was quite fierce, but just glancing around, it seemed to exceed 50 people.
Female actors interpreting their roles were scattered in the building, dressed in costumes.
‘If this many made it to the second round, that means there were probably hundreds of applicants.’
I was a bit on edge.
Honestly, I didn’t have much audition experience.
I had only gone through two auditions as a child actor.
Yet, this was my first time in a room with so many participants.
‘And as expected, they definitely are aspiring adult actors.’
Some were warming up their voices, having scripts in hand from the first audition, and others were honing in on their emotions.
Everyone was an actor, so their appearances were quite impressive.
“High school student?”
I heard someone mumble, looking at me unconsciously.
There wasn’t any age restriction for this role.
But considering the character’s age range, I needed to look slightly older, so I barely made the cut.
“Seriously?”
“A high school student, right?”
Their mixed gazes landed on me.
Questions about why a high schooler was here.
Caution.
And curiosity.
The good thing was that their focus didn’t linger long.
It seemed like they had no time to spare on someone else’s business.
‘Alright.’
I pulled out the script I had brought along.
It was a script I had read several times and was a bit worn out.
The same went for the others.
The scripts had been handed out a week ago. There was no time for half-hearted preparations.
Usually, auditions could even involve impromptu scripts.
The fact that they gave us a script a week in advance meant the judging criteria would be quite high.
‘……Okay.’
I took a deep breath.
I recalled the role I would be playing today and gathered my emotions.
Let’s skip the method…it wasn’t the time to overly drain myself of emotions yet.
‘Today, I’ll portray Hong Jeong-hee from “Close Your Eyes.”’
The play itself was lyrical and romantic.
However, Hong Jeong-hee was a character completely removed from romance.
She was a fangirl of the male lead, popular idol Bae Seong-hak.
An outcast in society, harboring intense possessiveness towards Bae Seong-hak.
In the later parts, when Bae Seong-hak develops a special relationship with the female lead, Song Min-seo, she assaults Song Min-seo.
Armed with a knife, no less.
‘Although the role isn’t major, it definitely leaves a strong impression.’
That’s why, looking at this character Hong Jeong-hee, I figured additional casting offers might come my way.
‘It’s a role that doesn’t match the method, after all.’
If I attempted to portray a character like this through method acting, it’d be evident that I’d get morose for days.
I closed the script and closed my eyes.
Slowly exhaling, I etched the character into my mind.
Through the emotions written in the script, I envisioned the character Hong Jeong-hee.
I had memorized all the lines.
Looking at the time, I still had a little while before the audition began.
‘Let’s practice once.’
After all, there were plenty around me reciting their lines.
So why not take a moment to reflect on the character of Hong Jeong-hee?
With that thought, I slowly opened my eyes.
*
The actors and aspiring actors gathered at the audition site frowned upon seeing a female student who entered late.
‘A high school student?’
‘How did she make it past the first round?’
Her attire was a school uniform, as it was common for auditionees to dress according to their roles.
This visually demonstrated how well they understood the character.
Yet a school uniform…
The age of Hong Jeong-hee wasn’t explicitly stated.
The only note was that she was “on break from school.”
It didn’t indicate whether she was a university student or a high school student.
‘Plus, her looks…’
Long black hair.
Contrasting with her fair skin.
Even seasoned actors were taken aback by her beauty.
Yet she was still in high school; her appearance looked like that of a seasoned actress.
‘But acting isn’t about just looks.’
‘No matter how pretty you are, it ultimately comes down to performance.’
Despite thinking that, the picture of the schoolgirl reading her script was like a work of art.
A tattered script.
At least it meant she had prepared somewhat.
‘But…’
‘Something feels familiar about her face, doesn’t it?’
The onlookers watching that girl couldn’t shake a feeling of recognition.
As if they had seen her somewhere before.
Could she be an actress who had already appeared on TV?
If she were a child actor, it wouldn’t be strange for her to be here.
‘But with looks like that, she should’ve made headlines, right?’
A high school student just starting her journey as an actor.
With her appearance, there’s no way she wouldn’t cause a stir on this narrow platform.
Tap.
The schoolgirl abruptly closed her script.
Had she finished reviewing it?
Just as that thought crossed my mind…
The schoolgirl slowly opened her eyes.
“……!”
The atmosphere didn’t suddenly shift.
It was calm.
Expressionless and composed.
It wasn’t exactly a face suited for acting.
Yet…
‘Acting, huh?’
Actors often have what’s called a baseline expression.
A face they use to start acting.
They layer emotions and expressions onto that baseline to perform.
And for veteran actors, they can convey emotions and acting using just that baseline expression alone.
‘No way…’
Yes, just like now.
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