The most uncomfortable thing about attending school was the gender-segregated classes.
If we had co-ed classes, I would have felt more at ease, but the separation made it awkward instead.
“Anyone have any spare pads? Ah, I totally forgot this.”
“Oh come on, there are other things you could forget.”
“……”
It’s really tough to react when I hear conversations like these.
Seventeen years of living as a woman, and I’ve adapted well. There’s no longer a disconnect between my body and mind.
Yet, weirdly enough, I still find such atmospheres difficult to navigate.
If it had been in my past life, I would have been completely unfazed.
Yawn.
For some reason, three months into high school, and I still hadn’t made a single friend.
What’s up with that?
There’s no one as gentle and kind as me!
“Just talk to them first, you idiot.”
I confided my worries to Lee Ji-yeon during lunch, and she shook her lollipop back and forth, looking at me like I was ridiculous.
“What do you mean you want to talk first?”
“What happens then?”
“…They run away.”
“Ugh.”
Ji-yeon looked like she sort of got it.
“With that face of yours, it’s definitely intimidating.”
Wait, is my face intimidating?
What’s with the whole “face” comment anyway? Sometimes Ji-yeon tends to be overly blunt.
“Anyway, that’s not really important.”
“It is important.”
“Now tell me what those two things you mentioned earlier are.”
“That’s important!”
Ji-yeon didn’t seem to care about my social life and promptly asked about what I had mentioned in the morning.
This is just too much.
I pouted and replied.
“It’s a play.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m going to audition for a play happening at a small theater in Jongno.”
Ji-yeon blinked at my words, her eyes widening in surprise.
It was like she was genuinely questioning my seriousness.
“…Should I ask for a favor? If you handle it well, you might snag a good role.”
A rare display of kindness from Ji-yeon. It seemed that the idea of me doing a play was pretty unexpected.
“Then what about school?”
“The performance coincides with summer vacation, so it’s fine.”
I can practice while attending school, and I’m planning to get some approval from the school too.
“And you mentioned there were two things? Aside from the play, what’s the other one?”
“That one can only happen if I get the role in the play.”
“What does that even mean?”
Ji-yeon gave me a look that suggested she wasn’t amused, but what can I do? I’m being serious here.
Return to acting means my first project needs to be important.
After puberty, I started to feel that my emotions and mind were settling down.
Though it wasn’t easy, things ultimately ended up resolving well.
Deciding to return as an actress happened around that time.
Spring, when I just entered high school.
From then on, I’ve been mulling over what my first project back should be.
What would be good?
I have knowledge from my past life, and I know quite clearly what kinds of works will succeed or fail. It’s ironic that I can barely remember what I learned in class yesterday, yet this subject is extraordinarily vivid in my mind.
A few options sprang to mind right away.
Getting a meaningful role is more important than anything else.
Since this is my first work back, it definitely needs to make an impression.
Audition-worthy roles are scarce, and most of them are emotionally-driven pieces.
Hmm.
After plenty of thought, I reached a conclusion.
However, there was a prerequisite that needed to be met.
That is the play I chose.
But.
“?”
I glanced at Ji-yeon, who, feeling my gaze, tilted her head in confusion.
One nagging concern was the fallout from me snagging the role.
Ji-yeon and Jo Seo-hee come to mind.
Especially Ji-yeon.
She ended up with bad reviews and vanished from the industry after that.
I, on the contrary, had taken the CF that provided her with those reviews and managed to grow smoothly.
At this rate, securing a leading role in a popular drama shouldn’t be too far off.
…It all seems to be going too well.
Well, it’s great that Ji-yeon is doing well, but…
“What’s with that look?”
“…Nothing.”
I stole a sideways glance at Ji-yeon and checked the date on my smartphone.
She should be running out of time if you think about it.
Is it okay to just sit around like this?
Confusion swirled through my mind.
“Ji-yeon.”
“Yeah?”
“Um, how about visiting my home sometime?”
“Your home? Sure.”
Ji-yeon answered nonchalantly.
Anyway, I’ll figure it out regarding Ji-yeon later.
The main issue is my return to acting.
“An audition for a play in Jongno.”
Most teenage actors aren’t picked for roles unless it’s not a youth play.
But if it’s me, I’m sure I can pull it off.
The title must be…
“Theater piece titled Close Your Eyes.”
It was a controversial work in my past life.
It gained some popularity, and later on, actors from the play appeared in films, creating quite the buzz.
Yes, this is perfect.
Considering what will unfold later.
*
“What’s this nonsense I’m hearing?”
Ji-yeon wondered as she watched Seo-yeon’s back as she returned to her class right after lunch, without explanation.
The play, huh.
There were plenty of questionable aspects.
Why suddenly a play?
The Moon That Hid the Sun, Yeonhwa. That title can still draw attention.
Sure, having taken a ten-year break, it would definitely require some verification.
But I don’t think Seo-yeon wouldn’t pass even such a trivial check.
She’s a real actress, after all.
A real actress.
Ji-yeon mulled over that thought and let out a sigh.
Even though she’s doing reasonably well in cable dramas recently, the difference between her and Seo-yeon’s acting was undeniable.
While Ji-yeon relied on emotional performances, Seo-yeon’s acting now was colorful enough to shine through without needing to force that.
A genius.
That’s what all the acting instructors used to say in unison.
To be honest, it’s hard to believe that she took a ten-year break.
Honestly, there were plenty of opportunities to participate in numerous works.
“Anyway.”
Ji-yeon looked at the direction Seo-yeon had vanished.
Didn’t she mention she had no friends in class?
Well, I suppose that makes sense.
Seo-yeon does give off a vibe that makes it hard for others to approach.
Presence, I guess you could call it.
Being a born actress, most normal people struggle to say anything in front of Seo-yeon.
Aside from herself, the people who probably talked to her the most are the convenience store workers she visits.
I don’t get why she roams around so many convenience stores; it’s no wonder she has no friends at school.
What’s holding her back from acting?
If she had just smiled brightly and made the first move, friends would have been lined up every morning waiting for her. But Ji-yeon didn’t bother giving such advice, probably because she found the way things are comfortable as they are.
Having lots of friends is, in a sense, not ‘Seo-yeon-like.’
*
Anyway, now that I’ve made up my mind, Seo-yeon came home after school and immediately told Suah.
“Mom, I’m thinking of making a comeback.”
“Our daughter isn’t saying this because she’s tired of studying, right?”
“……”
In that moment, Seo-yeon couldn’t respond right away.
Oh no.
She should have replied immediately.
Feeling regret over her mistake, she tried to continue in the most natural manner possible.
“Of course not. I will keep studying.”
“Hmm.”
Suah looked at her daughter with a slightly suspicious eye.
She’s always been exceptional, but it was apparent she really despised studying.
Her grades until middle school were decent, but her first midterm in high school was an absolute disaster.
She wouldn’t even tell her how she fared on mock exams.
She’s not dumb, though.
Suah pondered but decided to let it slide.
After all, her daughter already had way too much talent as it is.
Expecting her to study on top of that might be asking for too much.
How on earth does Mom manage her skin care?
Seo-yeon marveled at Suah.
Suah, at thirty-nine, is at that age when people start calling her ‘auntie.’
Yet, her appearance hasn’t changed much from ten years ago.
If anything, her bust seems bigger.
Suah’s looks are a mystery as enchanting as an Eastern fairytale, just like her extraordinary strength.
“Yeah, it’s been a long break for you. So, are you really okay now?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
Seo-yeon said and struck a silly pose with both arms raised.
Just then, a cheerful voice chimed in from below.
“Sis, you’re funny!”
A cute little girl with black hair tied in pigtails.
Seo-yeon—or to be specific, she looked just like Suah—had a little sister.
Her name is Joo Su-yeon, and she is seven years old.
There’s a ten-year age gap, which meant Seo-yeon had to take care of her quite a bit when she was younger.
“So, Mom will take Su-yeon out for some shopping. Is dinner in the fridge?”
“Got it.”
“Sis, I’m off! Bye-bye!”
“Okay, bye!”
Given that she insisted on going, she probably was whining about not wanting to stay home.
As Seo-yeon waved Su-yeon off and watched her mother’s back as she closed the door behind her, she felt a little deflated.
Even though she said she was returning to being an actress, their reaction made it feel as if her point had landed flat.
She’d put in genuinely hard work into that decision.
“Hmm.”
Suddenly left home alone, Seo-yeon plopped down on the sofa and switched on the TV.
Immediately, a commercial featuring a familiar face came on.
“Ugh.”
“Love like morning dew.”
It seemed like a soju ad but was actually a cosmetics commercial.
Anyway, cosmetics commercials are the kind featuring top-tier pretty boys and beautiful girls.
Moreover, the brand value is luxurious, and it has to have decent recognition.
So, this cosmetics ad was a strong indicator for any A-list actress.
“Together with Seo-hee.”
A woman beamed, smiling brightly in the ad.
She certainly looked like she was around Seo-yeon’s age, but her face was suspiciously mature.
If you didn’t know any better, you’d think she was in her twenties.
“Jo Seo-hee.”
One of the few top actresses among the currently teens on the scene.
Unlike the past life where she stumbled in The Moon That Hid the Sun, she’d built a glamorous career over the last ten years.
And now, she was a rising actress destined to climb even higher, featured on the TV screen.
Honestly, I should probably turn down any cosmetics ads I get later.
As Seo-yeon casually thought that, she switched on YouTube.
The screen filled with her impressive playlists.
Specifically, it was the Vtuber broadcasts that started to gain popularity.
Then, one caught her eye.
“New 3rd generation announced for Seven Live soon!”
Seeing the lineup, Seo-yeon squinted.
This is no surprise, however.
Because one individual who should have been there was conspicuously missing.
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