‘…How can someone make such an expression?’

The office worker’s mouth fell open weakly.

He felt utterly captivated. Even knowing that the characters on stage were merely playing fictional roles, the office worker feared for the boy’s life.

“You… you said you wanted to eat me.”

The sharp piece was still at the boy’s throat. Trembling, yet determined, the boy continued to speak.

“…”

Gulping quietly, the office worker swallowed. Every action of the boy was mesmerizing, impossible to look away from.

The boy spoke slowly.

“In a sleeping state.”

“What can I help you with?”

The vampire asked languidly. His face was relaxed yet sharp.

“Make me dream.”

“…What?”

A ripple crossed the vampire’s face at the unexpected request.

“I want to dream.”

“Dreams, huh? What kind of dream do you want?”

“That… I will tell you.”

The boy, having swallowed dryly, struggled to continue.

“Just make that into a dream.”

“There’s a limit to it.”

The vampire, showing his teeth, responds. His face seemed both annoyed and amused.

“How many times is it possible?”

“…Three times.”

After a moment of contemplation, the boy eventually nodded.

“Okay.”

The boy, whose hand had turned white from gripping the sharp stone, now set it down and smiled weakly.

“It’s a promise.”

The vampire didn’t respond. There was no need to.

All this was nothing but a peculiar situation created by his whims and indulgence.

The boy could die right now, and it wouldn’t be strange. The vampire had the power to turn the boy into dust with just a flick of his fingers.

‘…Annoying.’

Yes.

Simply because it was annoying.

Just indulging the boy’s odd request out of sheer annoyance.

The vampire thought this as he stood up and leaned against a rock.

Then, the boy turned his head towards the vampire.

“Henry.”

“…What?”

The boy said with a broad smile. At that smile, the vampire’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.

“My name is Henry.”

* * *

“Well done, everyone!”

“Yooil, you did great.”

“Let’s keep up the good work tomorrow!”

Han Yooil, having exchanged farewells with the staff, the director, and Jung Suho, headed home.

The subway was crowded. Aside from the fact that he had just finished a play, the scene was no different from any other day commuting to school.

【Yooil.】

‘Uh?’

【Would you like to see some of the SNS reactions during your commute?】

“…”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Yooil nodded. There was no reason not to look.

‘To be honest, I’m curious too.’

As Han Yooil nodded, another window appeared in front of him.

[@syo_love123

First review after the premiere of From the Ground: First of all, everyone must watch it!!!! Seriously, I thought it was insane, this role of Show seems to be the best ever, not just the acting but the dialogue, the character’s narrative, all impeccable]

┗ [@ssssyooo55

Wow, Show-love also watched it]

┗ [@godactsoo

Show-vamp was truly amazing… my knees buckled from the start;; The actor who played Henry this time was really good too]

┗ [@syo_love123

Right? I was surprised too, he was an actor I hadn’t seen before but he was so good]

┗ [@ssssyooo55

That’s why I made the account haha, please give lots of love to actor Han Yooil ~~~ @yool_actor]

┗ [@syo_love123 Huh?]

┗ [@godactsoo What?]

Reading the reactions on BlueChat brought up by Brion, Yooil tilted his head.

‘What’s Show-vamp?’

【Show refers to Jung Suho, and vamp stands for vampire.】

Brion added.

【…According to my research, you are currently referred to as ‘Yool’ in the community.】

‘Yool?’

【Yes, that’s correct.】

…So they’re calling me Yool, shortening my name.

Even this fleeting thought did not escape Brion.

【That’s correct. Would you like to see other communities too?】

As Han Yooil nodded almost unconsciously, other windows popped up instantly.

【- First review after the premiere of From the Ground】

As he focused on the title, the content of the post appeared below in sequence.

【[I only saw the poster and thought it would be calm, but it was not. More entertaining than I thought and it felt highly polished for a premiere? On the way back, I booked five more shows, including the last one.

– Show-vamp: I thought Show only did well in playful and witty roles, but I was wrong; Show is really good at acting. I think this is the first time he’s taken on such a role since his debut, and he was surprisingly perfect for it.

– Yool-Henry: Honestly, I was a bit worried before seeing it. A total newbie in his first work, especially paired with Show, I wondered if the difference would be too noticeable.. haha Honestly, I haven’t liked any of the newbies paired with Show before, so I was even more worried.

But now, I want to slap myself for doubting; Yool-Henry was insane.. His pacing was also good, I hope to see him more often]】

‘….’

Embarrassed.

Han Yooil glanced around and then cleared his throat quietly. His throat felt ticklish.

Below the post, there were numerous comments. As Yooil’s gaze lingered, Brion slowly displayed the comments.

【┗ 123 : Was he that good? It’s all praise for a newcomer.

┗┗ Poster : Yes, totally. I was a bit doubtful before going in, but after coming out, I couldn’t think of any other actor.

┗ 025 : I need to check it out too.】

┗ 367 : But doesn’t the role switch between Show and Yool for each session? I’m a bit worried about that.

┗┗ Poster : That’s why many are saying they’ll decide after seeing the reviews tomorrow.

┗ 156 : I also went to see it, haha

┗┗ 156 : I booked thirteen more as soon as I left the theater

┗┗ 367 : Isn’t this a 20-session play?

┗┗ Poster : No, it’s 15 sessions…

┗┗ 367 : ?

┗┗ 146 : ?】

.

.

.

– The next station is SeongX, SeongX Station.

Engrossed in the community feed, Yooil only realized he had arrived near his home when he heard the announcement.

Stepping lightly, Yooil got off the subway. Despite his body feeling tired, his mood was uplifted. It was one of those nights when even the cold wind felt refreshing.

* * *

Meanwhile, in NVB’s private practice room.

Kim Harang sat facing a middle-aged man. Contrary to the cheerful yellow color of the wallpaper, the atmosphere was very grim.

“Why did you do that… huh?”

“You should have listened to me earlier.”

“How could you… even if that’s the case!”

Kim Harang bit his lip as he continued with a trembling voice, his eyes slowly welling up with tears.

The man, looking calmly into Harang’s eyes, clapped his hands.

“…Hmm, good.”

The man nodded in satisfaction. Only then did Kim Harang lower his head and wipe his tears.

The person sitting across from Harang was a trainer who had been responsible for Black Sea’s acting lessons for a long time. Having watched Black Sea since their trainee days, he praised Harang sincerely.

“Harang, you’ve improved a lot. Not bad.”

“Hmph, I don’t know about that.”

“No, no, just focus a bit more on your diction and you’ll be fine.”

Despite the trainer’s comforting words, Kim Harang didn’t look entirely satisfied.

The truth was, he wasn’t confident in his acting. He had started as an idol because he loved singing and dancing. Acting was fun in its own way, but he had never considered himself suited to be an actor.

Of course, with Ji Eunho, a student from the prestigious Moonmyung University Acting Department and the leader, being the main character of the drama, Harang’s role and scenes in the web drama wouldn’t be significant.

‘…But it’s still a burden.’

Casting Harang alongside Ji Eunho was also a signal from the company that they were taking Harang’s acting career seriously.

“Hey, Kim Harang! What’s with you? Confidence is your weapon.”

“There are so many people who are good at acting. Like Eunho hyung. What if I’m compared too much to him?”

Hearing this, the trainer playfully laughed and said,

“Hmm~ It’s okay~ Don’t worry, Harang. The company won’t have that high expectations of you.”

“Hey? Teacher, are you saying you’re disappointed in me?”

As Harang was playfully arguing with the trainer, he belatedly took out the script handed to him by the director. The cover of the script had the title boldly printed on it.

[Sing in High School]

It was set to be his debut drama.

* * *

“Is this the place…?”

Jin Hayoung loitered in front of the theater, her steps drawn irresistibly towards the building as she saw the large image of Han Yooil.

Entering the lobby, Hayoung gazed at the casting board featuring two faces: the pale, expressionless face of Han Yooil and the picture of Jung Suho with his deep features and a somber expression.

“Oh my.”

Surprised by her own exclamation, Jin Hayoung quickly looked around. But within a few seconds, her gaze returned to the casting board.

‘That really is our Yooil.’

The idea that her nephew was performing here was still surreal. It felt like only days ago he had mentioned starting acting, and now here he was, taking on a leading role!

She glanced at the ticket in her hand. Yooil had gifted her a ticket for the second week’s Wednesday show, specially arranged considering Hayoung’s work schedule.

After taking a few pictures of Han Yooil’s face on the casting board, Jin Hayoung followed the usher’s directions into the theater. The show was about to start in about ten minutes, and many people were already seated, waiting.

Today, her nephew was to become a ‘vampire’ on stage. Hayoung blinked and looked around. The audience filled the seats. She turned off her phone and looked at the stage with a nervous expression.

“The play will start in 5 minutes! Please let us assist you to your seats~!”

As people started lining up and entering, Jin Hayoung bit her lip slightly.

‘Oh my, my heart is racing.’

She felt more nervous than the actor who was about to perform. Jin Hayoung clasped her hands together and focused on the stage.

The stage was set with structures resembling building debris scattered around. A monochrome stage as if covered in ash-gray dust. It was a stage that exuded a cool and desolate atmosphere. Even to Jin Hayoung, who rarely watched plays, the meticulous stagecraft was evident.

She took deep breaths, trying to calm her trembling heart.

Meanwhile, the house music faded, and a lyrical piano piece began to play. The lights illuminating the audience dimmed.

Two shadows started to appear on the stage. Jin Hayoung blinked.

The lying figure became increasingly distinct, and familiar features soon caught her eye.

“…!”

It was Yooil.

On the stage, Yooil opened his eyes as the vampire.

“Am I alive?”

The vampire spoke with an expressionless face.

Watching him, Jin Hayoung’s mouth slightly opened.

The joy of seeing her nephew was soon eclipsed as she found herself getting more and more immersed in the play.