【[@jinnnny Seeing Yool getting more attention lately, seems like he’s become quite famous.]

[@jinnnny Instead of wasting your time hating, you should sleep more.]

┗ [@yuulll_33 Lol, seriously.]

┗ [@dbdlf_tkfkd Seems like someone has too much time on their hands.]

┗ [@1_yull123 If you have that much time, give some to me, geez.]】

As Han Yooil was looking at the BlueChat posts that appeared on the semi-transparent screen, he tilted his head in confusion.

‘…Hating?’

【‘Hating’ means to be an anti-fan.】

‘Aha.’

It was still a novel world to him. Yooil shrugged his shoulders and then reopened his laptop. The report he was working on popped up immediately. The deadline for the midterm substitute report was tomorrow.

Woojin glanced at Yooil, who was focused on his assignment, through the rearview mirror.

“Yooil, don’t you get carsick? You’ll ruin your eyesight if you keep that up.”

Yooil replied with a small laugh to Min Woojin’s words.

“I’m just finishing up. The assignment is due tomorrow.”

“That sounds tough…”

Mumbling more to himself, Min Woojin then asked a question he had been curious about for a while.

“Yooil, do people recognize you at school?”

“Sometimes?”

Indeed, more people had been taking photos of him or asking for selfies compared to the start of the semester.

‘Now that I think about it, it has been increasing lately.’

Especially after the daily drama started airing, the number of people recognizing him in places like the subway had begun to grow, regardless of age.

At Yooil’s words, Min Woojin frowned slightly.

“Ah~ You’re just being modest! Wait and see.”

Things would intensify once <Sing in High School> started airing.

No manager wouldn’t want their actor to succeed, and Min Woojin strongly believed that ‘Han Yooil is bound to rise in popularity.’

Despite Yooil’s dry responses every time they talked about it, Woojin never mentioned it out loud…

Min Woojin shook his head and refocused on the road.

‘We’ve got plenty of time till we arrive.’

Woojin yawned and slowly pressed on the gas pedal in time with the traffic signal.

Today was the third filming day for Sing in High School. The actors were a bit awkward during the first shoot, but it seemed less so from the second one onwards.

Even as he entered the parking lot, Han Yooil was fully engrossed in editing his report.

“Alright! We’ve arrived~”

“Thanks, Hyung.”

“Okay, I’m going to buy some drinks and come in!”

Min Woojin waved cheerfully and headed towards the convenience store.

* * *

“I always notice this, but Yooil, your skin is really amazing.”

“Yeah, but you know, good skin is something you’re born with.”

“Yeah, it’s really true.”

Yooil listened to the somewhat embarrassing compliments from the makeup team while getting his makeup done. After finishing his hair setting and putting on glasses, in the mirror sat Seon Gihyeon – a sensitive yet prickly honor student.

“By the way, Yooil, you go to the same school as Eunho, right?”

A makeup artist, packing up her tools, asked with sparkling eyes. The other staff around also started chiming in.

“Wow~ A prestigious university~”

“Oh, then have you two met before?”

“No, I haven’t met him at school yet.”

Knock, knock.

Just then, there was a knock on the door of the waiting room.

Before Han Yooil could ask who it was, the door cracked open slightly, and a familiar voice was heard.

“…Can I come in?”

Through the gap in the door, Kim Harang’s platinum blond hair and pale face were visible. As Yooil nodded, Harang entered the waiting room with a bright face.

“I’m sorry to barge in like this. I hope I’m not interrupting your break.”

“Not at all. It’s fine.”

Kim Harang, who took a seat, looked at Han Yooil with wide eyes.

“It’s not for anything else… I wanted to practice acting with you.”

“With me?”

“Yes!”

Yooil realized in that moment why Harang was so popular. Even without stage makeup, there was something about him that sparkled.

‘An idol is truly an idol.’

【Kim Harang is the youngest member and main dancer of Black Sea, and one of those called the ‘visual members’…】

‘Alright.’

Han Yooil nodded and responded.

“I’m okay with it.”

“Wow! Really? Just wait a moment. I’ll go and tell my manager I got permission and come back!”

Yooil quietly watched Harang hurry out.

Not long after, Harang reentered the waiting room with two cups of coffee and a script in hand.

“Hyung, you’re okay with Americano, right? I remembered you liked it, so I got you Americano!”

“I like it.”

As Yooil took a sip of the Americano, Kim Harang started to speak.

“By the way, I saw you in ‘How We Ended Up’.”

“Was it a drama you usually watch?”

“…Not really! I saw it in a clip on OTube.”

Harang continued with a bright smile.

“Thank you for agreeing to help me with the acting practice. Actually, it’s my first time shooting a drama, so the agency is quite worried.”

“You’re doing well though.”

“No, no! If you say that elsewhere, I’ll get in trouble!”

Kim Harang widened his eyes at Han Yooil’s words.

“Today’s shooting starts from scene 34, I think.”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“Shall we start from there? You’ve memorized all the lines, right?”

“Yes!”

Harang replied brightly, put down his script, and looked at Yooil.

“But… I’ve memorized the lines, but I’m still not sure how to act them out. I did some reading with the acting teacher at the agency.”

He took a short breath and scratched his head.

“But I still don’t quite get it.”

“That’s surprising. When I read the script, I thought the role suited you well.”

‘The character’s lines don’t feel that different from your own way of speaking.’

Interestingly, Harang was the only character whose role name differed from the actor’s real name.

As if reading Yooil’s thoughts, Kim Harang smiled silently.

“Everyone seems to think that.”

Harang took a sip of his coffee and continued.

“In ‘Singin High’, Harang isn’t good at singing but is good at composing. He’s cheerful, has a good beat, and gets along well with the kids… I don’t think that’s much like me.”

Han Yooil recalled the scripts he had read. Although he mainly focused on analyzing Seon Gihyeon’s character, he had also spent time understanding the other characters.

“…When I first take on a character, I start by thinking about what their goals are.”

“Right! My acting coach said the same. Goals are the most important!”

Harang’s eyes sparkled at Han Yooil’s words, but then he hesitated.

“But to be honest… I’m not quite sure about ‘Harang’s’ goal here. If I had to say, maybe it’s ‘to have fun with friends’?”

Han Yooil nodded in agreement with Kim Harang’s words.

“I thought something similar.”

Saying so, Yooil flipped through the script and handed a section to Harang.

Harang looked at the script Yooil handed him.

[S#23

Harang, sitting in front of a monitor and MIDI equipment, answers a call.

Harang: Yeah, mom! Yes, I’m back from school and I’ve eaten. Huh? No, right now…

Harang glances at the monitor, then turns his head back. A bright smile soon appears on his face.

Harang: (cheerfully)…I was just hanging out.]

After reading the script, Kim Harang looked up at Han Yooil again.

His face still said he didn’t understand. Han Yooil, seeing Harang’s awkward smile, slowly continued.

“I don’t think ‘Harang’ is just a cheerful friend.”

“…Not just cheerful?”

“It seems like, despite being financially well-off, he’s significantly affected by the absence of his parents.”

In ‘Sing in High School’, Harang is the son of a wealthy family, growing up under a father working in the USA and a busy mother. He’s somewhat ignorant of the world and stubborn in his own ways.

But to Han Yooil, Kim Harang seemed not just a typical young master but a character with a strong desire for recognition and affection from those around him.

“In conversations with friends, this aspect subtly shows, especially here. Although he seems carefree and thoughtless, he appears to be a character who feels as much emptiness, if not more, than the other main characters.”

“!”

“Currently, he doesn’t seem to have close friends to confide in comfortably. So, I think that’s why Harang decided to participate in the music contest with his friends.”

Han Yooil added lightly,

“Of course, this is just my opinion, so please take it as a reference.”

“…”

Kim Harang, who had been staring blankly at Yooil, suddenly hung his head.

“…Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“It’s not like you’re feeling sick, right?”

…I really don’t want to be involved in rumors of a feud with a popular idol.

As Yooil’s worry deepened, Harang slowly lifted his head.

“It’s not that…”

Kim Harang’s face was slightly flushed as he looked at Han Yooil.

“I’m just embarrassed.”

“Excuse me?”

“…You’re not even playing this character, but you understood so much. I thought I had read the script thoroughly and practiced a lot, but…”

Kim Harang whispered, finishing his sentence,”It’s not enough.”

In fact, Harang hadn’t expected any substantial advice from Han Yooil initially. When he knocked on Yooil’s door, he was just hoping to get a bit closer to him.

Caught off guard by Harang’s unexpected remark, Han Yooil felt a bit flustered.

‘…What do I do now?’

If the tension when he first met Harang was 100, it felt like -100 now. Han Yooil quickly waved his hand, trying to maintain his composure.

“Not at all. You’re doing well enough.”

“I know my own skills better.”

As Han Yooil was breaking out in a cold sweat, wondering what to say, Kim Harang suddenly burst into laughter. Then, as if nothing had happened, he continued smiling.

“I really need to work harder from now on!”

“…!”

“I’m really going to work hard. Can I keep coming to your waiting room?”

His voice was so bright, it almost felt like the surroundings had lit up.

“…Of course.”

“If it bothers you, please tell me.”

Kim Harang joked and then looked straight at Han Yooil.

“And feel free to speak casually!”

“That’s…”

“You’re a senior actor.”

After a brief hesitation, Han Yooil spoke.

“…Then let’s both be comfortable. You’re the senior in terms of debut.”

Kim Harang laughed out loud and replied cheerfully.

“Got it, hyung!”

At that moment, voices of the staff could be heard from outside the waiting room.

“Actors, we’re ready to shoot~”

“Coming!”

Han Yooil and Kim Harang got up from their seats.

【…Achieved 10% of Phase 2 Goals.】

Along with Brion’s voice echoing in his head, Yooil headed to the set.