The actor who played ‘Baesung-hak’, Min Se-ho’s departure was swift.
At a time when no issues had arisen, I wondered if they would really let him go, but it seemed Jo Do-yul and the production team were set on finding another actor.
“There seem to be too many tangled people.”
“If even one person goes off the rails….”
I probably had no idea what kind of debates were happening in my absence.
With just a little over a month left until the start of the play.
The only option for a decision was now.
“Typically, the preparation period for a play is between a month and three months.”
In other words, they generally set a base of 6 to 12 weeks.
Anything longer is just too long, and anything shorter is simply too short.
Given that, it’s not that hard to let an actor go when rehearsals haven’t yet started.
Of course, this is assuming there’s another actor ready to step in.
“…It’s Sim Cheong-seok.”
And Jo Do-yul quickly found an actor well-suited for the role of ‘Baesung-hak’.
Sim Cheong-seok.
A man who had already taken on multiple leading roles in Jongno.
“Wow, is Cheong-seok really going to be in this?”
“Isn’t this his first romance act? I’m really looking forward to it.”
When he first appeared in front of the gathered cast, the staff screamed in surprise.
Seo-yeon was gazing at him, tilting her head slightly.
“Definitely a handsome guy.”
But I wonder how well he fits into ‘Eyes Closed’.
The former ‘Baesung-hak’, Min Se-ho, was your typical refreshing male beauty.
To be honest, he didn’t leave an impression that one would notice from five paces away.
Just looking at his appearance, he was the very embodiment of an innocent young man.
“Which is probably why Sword Master Pyo didn’t realize it.”
Even if he did realize it, he’d probably think something had gone wrong.
Didn’t someone say?
That longing is the emotion farthest from understanding…
“Alright, let’s have a brief introduction among the actors today. You all know that rehearsals start tomorrow, right?”
The one who said this was Lee Hyeong-hak, the stage director.
With a friendly smile, he gestured to the assembled actors.
There were fifteen in total.
Three leading roles and two multi-talented actors made for a sizable cast.
‘This kid….’
‘Isn’t that the child from the old Taesumdalt?’
And among the gathered actors, the one receiving the most attention was undoubtedly Seo-yeon.
It’s only natural.
She was the child actor who had vanished ten years ago.
None could have imagined she would appear in a place like this.
The most burdened were the two actresses who also played the role of Hong Jeong-hee.
Having already seen the audition videos, it was inevitable there would be comparisons.
‘Is she really suited for that part?’
Isn’t she too incredibly beautiful to play Hong Jeong-hee?
Both actresses had some confidence in their looks as actors, but Seo-yeon felt like she was on an entirely different level.
Not to mention her presence.
Even during encounters with various actors in Jongno, there was a clarity of presence I had never felt before.
The kid who won a teenage actor award at such a young age.
The potential for a top actor is no mere exaggeration.
‘Why is such a kid here?’
While it was burdensome, it raised a lot of questions.
Why did Seo-yeon choose to audition for this play?
Even though it had been a long time since her return, surely there were better opportunities available if she wanted?
Amid these questions, everyone’s gaze was drawn to Seo-yeon.
“Ahem.”
Someone cleared their throat softly.
“Hello, I did well on the audition. I’m Park Hee-jun, playing Baesung-hak. I hope to work well with you as Hong Jeong-hee.”
The first to greet Seo-yeon was Park Hee-jun, one of the actors for the Baesung-hak role.
He was the oldest here and a seasoned actor well-established in Jongno.
“Should I call you senior? Considering your debut year….”
“You can call me however you’d like.”
“Oh, is that okay? Then I’ll go with that.”
No matter how long one has been acting, there was no one here whose debut preceded Seo-yeon.
Though stage acting and drama acting are different, it doesn’t mean they couldn’t switch spots.
It’d be wise to make an early impression on an actor with a bright future.
“Cheong-seok, you should introduce yourself too. After all, we’ll be sharing the same part.”
In a playful tone, Park Hee-jun said this, and Sim Cheong-seok slowly nodded.
Seo-yeon looked at him and couldn’t help but think, “Isn’t he a bit too young?”
“Nice to meet you.”
That was it.
Not much to say and a stiff impression.
That was Seo-yeon’s first impression of Sim Cheong-seok.
*
Rehearsals basically lasted three hours each day.
Naturally, some afternoon classes had to be skipped.
“I got the teacher’s permission.”
When I said this with a V-sign, Lee Ji-yeon looked at me in disbelief.
“No way. You dragged it out when I asked.”
“But I think she actually liked it?”
“I’m seriously frustrated. I never realized how important one hit work could be.”
Lee Ji-yeon grumbled about it.
Still, she was the pride of Yeonhwa High School.
The presence of a celebrity was a massive boost for promotion at this private high school, and as Lee Ji-yeon was currently starring in a cable drama, she was one of the school’s most important figures from that perspective.
‘In fact, I got permission so quickly because of Lee Ji-yeon.’
Thanks to her successful promotion, the school was willing to actively support my entertainment activities.
But I refrained from mentioning it.
If I did, she would undoubtedly feel triumphant.
“By the way.”
At that moment, Lee Ji-yeon seemed to recall something and took out her smartphone.
“What’s up?”
“Do you know this?”
I wondered what she meant and looked at the screen of her smartphone.
– Wow, wow? Did you see that? That guy almost flew away!
(Background noise)
– Oh~, is it because she’s a high school girl? That ‘1st Division 3 High School Girl’ kind of thing?
It appeared to be a video of someone who seemed to be a YouTube streamer.
The video wasn’t long.
About a minute or so.
The problem was the two figures appearing in it.
The quality wasn’t great, so I couldn’t see clearly, but there was a tall high school girl with long black hair.
And a woman partially dragged along by the high school girl’s hand.
– I guess the club guard scared someone off, huh? But this guy is really flying?
– Ah, she looked this way. I might stand out too.
The comments on YouTube exploded.
People claimed it was staged.
Many also questioned the necessity of staging something like this.
After all, if it was manipulated, the club would certainly file a complaint.
– I’m a current fitness trainer. Looking at the physique, she seems to weigh around 50kg, so it’s impossible.
n That’s obvious even without being a trainer.
n I’m a high school girl, and I’m pretty much expected to handle that these days.
n “Got to” => “돼”
Later, various opinions emerged.
Largely, the most recommended view was that it was nonsense.
The YouTuber seemed to be going on about unfairness, but not many believed him.
“Is this you?”
“…….”
“Don’t avert your gaze, Joo Seo-yeon. Isn’t that what you were talking about before?”
Lee Ji-yeon soon tucked her smartphone back into her pocket, clicking her tongue.
“You were well-hidden when you filmed this. Looks like you made your comeback to YouTube faster than the play. That guy has over 500,000 subscribers. He’s got quite a bit of recognition, you know?”
“I didn’t know.”
Lee Ji-yeon’s words made me feel wronged.
How would I have known someone would be filming in that situation?
‘I was well-hidden in the alley.’
I hadn’t felt any prying eyes, and yet, I got unlucky and was caught by a YouTuber.
Yet, watching the video, it seemed that not many noticed me.
If there had been any major uproar, Min Se-ho would have likely known by now.
“Hmmm.”
Lee Ji-yeon looked at me, seemingly piercing through me.
As if wondering what kind of trouble I was up to out of sight.
“Just to be sure, you haven’t met that woman again, have you?”
“No.”
“Good. There’s no benefit in getting involved with troublesome people, so be careful.”
Just hearing her say that made her sound like a mom.
Thinking of it made me a bit anxious.
Hearing the word ‘mom’ made me instantly think of my real mom.
‘What if mom happens to see this?’
Seo-yeon’s mother, Su-ah, was known to enjoy watching YouTubers.
So she might end up watching if it becomes a topic of discussion.
If she did, I’d be inundated with complaints for at least a couple of hours.
Just the thought made my body shiver.
“Joo Seo-yeon.”
“Yeah?”
“About that promise we talked about before…”
What promise did we talk about?
I racked my brain to recall, and finally remembered.
“Oh, coming over to my house?”
“Yeah. Once you start acting in the play, it might be hard for a while, so is this week okay?”
“Yeah.”
Though rehearsals had just started today, this week should be fine.
Coincidentally, my parents said they were taking my younger sibling shopping that day.
‘That day… I should do well.’
I gave a quick glance at Lee Ji-yeon.
While I was relieved that things were going smoothly, part of me wished she’d do it out of hobby.
*
“Alright, it officially starts today, so let’s all keep our spirits up.”
Rehearsals for the play would begin once the afternoon classes wrapped up.
So, I could hurry over and still arrive on time.
Of course, I’d have to skip some classes during the performance, but that’s a future concern.
‘Joo Seo-yeon.’
Typically, the acting guidance for the play is handled by the assistant director.
Kim Cheong-woon, the assistant director, squinted his eyes as he looked at Seo-yeon, the late-arriving high school girl.
‘I wonder if she’ll be okay? Her acting skills seem promising.’
There was some unease in his feelings.
The audition was brilliant.
He was present then, so it was entirely reasonable that Seo-yeon got the part of ‘Hong Jeong-hee’.
‘But that’s separate from her character.’
A talented child actor.
Considering she was still a teenager, there were many potential pitfalls.
Though she had gone through puberty, the emotional aspect still lingered.
“First, let’s observe the performance of the Baesung-hak role, and later we’ll focus on matching the breath between Cheong-seok and Seo-yeon. Is that okay?”
“Sure.”
A few short responses could be heard.
Sim Cheong-seok, Joo Seo-yeon.
Both showed limited expressions and subdued emotional portrayals.
‘Oh dear, what a mismatch.’
It seemed this batch of actors was quite stoic.
I really wonder if this will work out.
Such thoughts crossed my mind.
But Seo-yeon herself had no such worries.
She felt no need to talk much; in fact, it felt quite liberating.
Furthermore, right now, Seo-yeon was lost in deep thought.
‘If it’s Sim Cheong-seok….’
Seo-yeon watched Sim Cheong-seok, who was loosening up, narrowing her eyes.
Since the first time she saw him, he felt familiar.
But looking closely, it was indeed someone Seo-yeon recognized.
‘Surely… he was the hot topic from that OTT drama later on.’
Outstanding acting skills.
Plus, a handsome face. He had become a star overnight.
But the reason Seo-yeon remembered him was for another cause.
He was the unfortunate actor who passed away just before the last episode of that drama was filmed.
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