After a few script readings, we finally approached the time for full-fledged stage rehearsals. We were currently engrossed in analyzing the script, but it was clear that we would soon become even busier.

Therefore, I didn't want to miss this opportunity.

"I’m coming in, okay?"
"Yeah."

I prepared some tea, glancing at Lee Ji-yeon as she took off her shoes and entered.

Although Ji-yeon often hung out with me at school, she didn’t come to my house often. We usually met outside, and I was the one who visited Ji-yeon’s house more frequently.

‘Good.’

I had been hesitating for a while, but seeing the announcement for the third generation of Seven Live had made up my mind.

At least I would try mentioning it once. Who knows? She might show some interest.

‘I don’t expect much since it might interfere with her acting career.’

But maybe, just maybe, she could do it occasionally.

"…Why do you have such a strange expression?"
"That’s harsh."

I frowned slightly as Ji-yeon cupped my face with her hands.

"You don’t show any expression, but it feels like you do. Are you having weird thoughts again?"
"Weird thoughts?"
"You sometimes have really wild ideas."

Anyone who heard this could seriously misunderstand.

Despite how I might seem, I am an entirely ordinary high school girl… well, except for not having any friends.

"Oh my, Ji-yeon, you’re here?"
"Hello."
"Hehe, really, Seoyeon wouldn’t know what to do without Ji-yeon."

Mom said this as she hurriedly put on clothes, saying she was going out to buy some fruit.

It seemed she planned to cut some fruit for us while we were hanging out.

"Your mom."
"Yeah."
"Her chest seems bigger."
"…No way."
"And she hasn’t changed since I last saw her. My mom would be sad to see her."
"Your mom looks young too."

Ji-yeon’s mom did appear quite youthful for her age.

"My mom puts in a lot of effort for that. I should ask your mom how she takes care of her skin later."

Even so, my mom didn't do much in the way of skincare.

She only put on a face mask occasionally before bed.

It was truly remarkable how young she looked.

It was probably because of my mom’s genes, wasn't it?

"So, what do you want to do now? Watch a movie like usual?"

Ji-yeon glanced at the large TV as she spoke.

We usually watched movies or dramas when we were together.

Not just for entertainment but also to observe the actors' performances, discuss them, or practice.

Ji-yeon was passionate about acting and would frequently ask me about it whenever she had free time.

Even though her acting career was now longer than mine.

"Today…"

I naturally turned on YouTube.

"…."

Then my fingers stopped there.

I had planned to casually say, "There's something like this these days," while showing a VTuber video.

That way, Ji-yeon would have a reaction, and from there, we could naturally…

Naturally…

…

‘This isn't easy.’

I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

I could feel Ji-yeon's gaze on me, wondering what was up.

This is weird, right?

If I suddenly show a VTuber video now, isn’t it strange?

"Get it together, Joo Seoyeon. Are you embarrassed by VTubers?"

I felt a bit like that…

Ji-yeon is a real extrovert who doesn't have any interest in things like anime.

Since I couldn’t predict her reaction, I couldn’t move my hands easily.

Was my modest hope for Ji-yeon to show just a little interest ending here?

"Joo Seoyeon."
"Oh, huh?"

Ji-yeon glanced at the YouTube page on the TV.

"…Why are there so many weird things in your algorithm?"

The YouTube account was, of course, logged in under my ID.

Naturally, it displayed things I often watched.

And among them, there were VTuber-related videos.

"This is it, VTubers."

Flinch.

I couldn’t answer and just flinched.

How did she know?

If I knew she knew, wouldn’t it be easier to bring it up naturally?

I opened my mouth to speak.

"You watch stuff like that?"

This was one of the top three scariest phrases to hear from a friend.

I closed my mouth again.

I just trembled as Ji-yeon let out a sound of realization.

"Was my phrasing weird? I was just curious."
"…Really?"
"What’s up with you? Your reaction is weird."

Ji-yeon laughed softly.

"Anyway, if there's nothing to watch, can I watch what I want?"

I hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding.

I watched Ji-yeon type something into the YouTube search bar and then closed my eyes tightly.

‘I failed….’

Thinking back, it was only natural.

"Hmm."

Ji-yeon flipped through channels and glanced at Seoyeon.

Seoyeon was biting her lower lip, with her eyes tightly shut.

It was a rare expression for Seoyeon, who seldom showed any emotion.

Ji-yeon let out a small laugh at Seoyeon’s face and stealthily checked Seoyeon’s YouTube search history.

Recently, Ji-yeon had been interested in Seoyeon’s areas of interest.

And as expected, most of it was related to theater.

Ji-yeon narrowed her eyes.

"Looks like she’s serious about theater."

It was hard to understand why Seoyeon had chosen that play as her comeback work.

Even when asked about it, Seoyeon only gave a vague answer.

"I need to do this for the next project."

That was all she said.

"Well, it’s Joo Seoyeon. She knows what she’s doing."

Ji-yeon didn’t worry too much about it.

They would know when the play was staged.

So, for now…

"VTubers?"

Various videos appeared in Seoyeon’s algorithm.

"Hmm."

It seemed to match something.

Ji-yeon had heard about them.

A friend from her voice acting school had mentioned it.

"It’s ultimately a voice-based job, isn't it?"

She didn’t pay much attention because it seemed to be a field where you could fail quickly if you weren’t talented.

But seeing Seoyeon’s reaction, it was… amusing.

She knew that Seoyeon often flinched at the sound of her own voice.

Even now, she seemed dejected, as if her attempt had ended in a colossal failure.

She could only assume it was something related to VTubers.

"Joo Seoyeon."
"…Yeah?"

Seeing Seoyeon looking dejected, Ji-yeon chuckled.

"It’s nothing."

She had just thought of something funny.

A few days passed like that.

Stage rehearsals had begun in earnest.

Even though Seoyeon had researched extensively, she found the experience quite different from drama.

The medium-sized theater had 600 seats.

When she heard the number, it didn’t seem like much.

But when she stood on stage, it felt larger than expected.

"Performing in front of so many people… it’s not my first time, is it?"

Then she remembered Snow White.

As she recalled, Seoyeon quietly surveyed the seats from the stage.

"Are you scared?"

As she stood there, a voice laced with amusement reached her ears.

When she turned her gaze, Sim Cheong-seok was smiling at her with his characteristic grin.

"No."
"Of course."

He smiled broadly.

With Sim Cheong-seok’s sharp appearance, his smile was almost feral, like a beast.

He didn’t seem to fit the role of Bae Seong-hak at all.

"But his skills are genuine."

His acting on this stage had been impressive.

He was indeed the theater's rising star.

"That level must have landed him a lead role in an OTT drama right away."

Without appearing in any minor dramas, he became one of the main characters in a major OTT drama.

In some ways, it was even more significant than when she played Princess Yeonhwa in The Moon That Hid the Sun.

At least she had auditioned, but Sim Cheong-seok hadn't even done that.

"Let me tell you."

Sim Cheong-seok erased his smile and spoke to her with a languid voice.

"If you can’t adapt to the stage properly, you won’t perform at half your ability. I’ve seen many who soared during readings but crumbled on stage."

He paused, as if recalling something, and added:

"Of course, I’m not talking about you. You definitely have a different vibe."

…A vibe?

When I squinted at his strange expression.

"Here’s a tip: treat the real thing like practice."
"Like practice?"
"In drama, you can do retakes, but not in theater. So relax and perform."

He said this, stepping closer to me.

"If you put too much effort into acting, you might make mistakes."
"But isn’t it normal to put effort and give your all in acting?"
"Well, that’s typical."

He leaned over and looked down at me, speaking.

"If you can."

This was… a challenge.

Seoyeon looked at him.

As she met his eyes, she tried to read his intentions.

Was it a provocation?

Or just curiosity?

She couldn’t discern his emotions.

Although Seoyeon was indifferent to her emotions, she was sensitive to others'.

This was largely due to her early experiences and accumulated ‘information.’

"Hong Jeong-hee is a crucial role."

He looked down at Seoyeon and spoke.

"Because she’s a villain?"
"Yes. A villain without presence might as well not exist."

Sim Cheong-seok shrugged.

"At least based on the script reading, I doubt that will be the case. And."

As other actors began to approach the stage, he leaned in and whispered into Seoyeon’s ear.

"I want to try acting properly once."

Wanting to act properly?

As Seoyeon looked at him with a questioning gaze, he offered a faint smile and moved away.

…He was a truly inscrutable person.

Yeonhwa High School.

A private high school with around 800 students.

It was known for having many students strong in the arts but was a little lacking as a college prep school.

Still, it was an average high school.

"We received a request to shoot at our school this time."
"Shoot?"

That was a sudden item on the agenda during the faculty meeting.

Shoot?

Were they going to film a drama?

The principal cleared his throat and continued as I looked at him, wondering.

"It's a show called 'Looking at the Past, Memories.'”

Was there such a thing?

Most had never heard of this variety show.

It was a program with low recognition and popularity…

"Oh, I know it. Isn’t it the variety show that airs at 5 PM on Sundays?"

Since it aired during the prime time on weekends, some people knew about it.

The principal sighed in relief at the positive reaction.

At least it had some recognition.

"If it goes well, it can be a good way to promote the school, right? I hear they’ll be reenacting a drama aired long ago? Is that right?"
"Yes, I understand it involves students recreating scenes from old variety shows or dramas."

But the teachers who knew about the show wore ambiguous expressions.

‘Can that really be promotional?’

Honestly, it wasn’t very entertaining.

It was only fun when a student acted exceptionally well or was a complete mess...

"Moreover, we’re lucky that a guest actor will be joining the shoot to help with the acting."
"A guest actor?"

Thinking that a guest actor on such a show wouldn’t be very famous.

"The actor is Park Jeong-woo. You all know him, right?"
"Wow, really?"
"Is Park Jeong-woo coming to our school?"

He had long abandoned the title of "son of a great actor."

He was now the most desired actor to meet for people in their 20s and teens in Korea.

That actor was Park Jeong-woo.

"So, the drama club… Teacher Song Dayeon is in charge, right?"
"Oh, yes."
"They asked us to select about ten students who can participate in the shoot. Is that possible?"
"Of course!"

Teacher Song Dayeon was confident.

No wonder, as the drama club included Lee Ji-yeon, who was currently starring in a cable drama.

Even if it was just in name, she was indeed a member.

‘Ji-yeon would definitely want to participate, right?’

Given her passion for acting.