The next day.

Yooil was on the set of “Singin High.” He was bewildered by the flood of follow requests and messages on ShaStar that had come in since morning. Following Brion’s guidance to navigate ShaStar, Yooil lifted his head at the sound of a lively knock on the door.

“Hyung!”

Then came a voice as cheerful as the knock.

It was Kim Harang.

After briefly greeting Yooil, Harang sat down on a chair in the corner.

“Hey, I heard you did a solo shoot yesterday! Of course, I’m sure you did great.”

And then, he quickly took out his phone and successfully followed Yooil on ShaStar.

During breaks, the staff passing by the waiting room, seeing Kim Harang visit, would often add a comment or two.

“When did you and Yooil get so close, Harang?”

“Eunho might feel left out, you know?”

“Ah~ Eunho hyung only feels left out when someone steals his snacks!”

From what they had observed so far, Kim Harang and Ji Eunho were quite different.

To begin with, Eunho was less talkative. Despite being alumni from the same school as Yooil, they had hardly ever conversed.

Moreover, Eunho was juggling an even more incredible schedule than Harang. It was usual for him to arrive just in time for the shooting to begin.

“Hyung, come hang out at our practice room later! The guys want to see you.”

“…Black Sea members know about me?”

Harang answered with a bright smile.

“I talk about hyung all the time. They feel like they already know you.”

“…Thank you.”

* * *

Meanwhile, the assistant director setting up the shooting site was beaming with excitement.

‘Finally, it’s time to shoot this scene.’

The acting Han Yooil had shown during the audition as ‘Seon Gihyeon.’

It was the scene where Seon Gihyeon and Lee Taewoo have a major confrontation.

‘…’

Ji Eunho, who was playing Lee Taewoo, seemed slightly nervous. Until now, most of his scenes involved him sleeping on the desk or casually talking to other characters from a distance. Especially with Han Yooil, he had hardly ever had direct, face-to-face acting encounters.

What worried him the most was something else. He felt a disconnect between what he felt while delivering the lines and ‘the actual emotions and thoughts hidden beneath the actual dialogue.’ In other words, Eunho was concerned about properly expressing the subtext of his lines.

‘Let’s just do it and see.’

He steadied his mind as he saw Han Yooil exiting the waiting room.

Once all the actors were ready, the red lights on sound and camera were on.

“Take 51, shot 1, action!”

Director Kim Kyuoh sharply called out, headset on.

“Action!”

In the empty clubroom.

Seon Gihyeon and Lee Taewoo, assigned for cleaning duty together, each held cleaning tools and were sweeping the dust.

“…Hey.”

Taewoo, sweeping the dust, slowly straightens his back and then speaks again to Gihyeon.

“Why do you always wear that damn expression?”

But Gihyeon, pretending not to hear, continues to sweep the floor.

“Hey! Can’t you hear me?”

Seon Gihyeon’s eyes, grown cold, look at Taewoo.

Even without speaking, it’s as if he’s saying, ‘Why are you talking to me like that?’

Taewoo, feeling even more irritated, glares at Gihyeon. Then Gihyeon’s lips part.

“Because it’s worth it.”

“What?”

“That’s how it is.”

The cleaning tools Lee Taewoo was holding fell to the floor. Seon Gihyeon, listening to the broom and dustpan clatter, didn’t seem startled.

“I don’t think I said anything I shouldn’t have.”

“Ha.”

Hearing that line, for a moment, Lee Taewoo felt genuinely infuriated, forgetting that all this was just acting.

“…Do you hate me that much?”

A mixture of irritation, injustice, and the anger of a situation out of his control.

And a faint sadness laced with the underlying thought, ‘What did I do to deserve this?’

Yet, Seon Gihyeon remained unblinking.

“Alright. I’ll be honest.”

Seon Gihyeon, who had been avoiding eye contact with Taewoo until just then, now looks him straight in the eye.

Taewoo unconsciously steps back.

“I dislike you.”

Seon Gihyeon continues, his expression cold.

“Making noise as if you own the place, ruining the class atmosphere we barely maintain, disrupting those who want to study. …This exam might mean nothing to you, but not to me.”

Lee Taewoo’s eyes blaze as he listens to Seon Gihyeon.

He has to work part-time due to poverty. Therefore, he can only sleep during the day.

He has never had a moment to relax. He’s always short on money.

He has to participate in singing contests for money, while others join for fun.

That’s truly, utterly miserable.

“Must be nice, being so well-off.”

Lee Taewoo takes steps closer to Seon Gihyeon.

“Never faced any hardships or difficulties in life, huh? How comfortable it must be. Just looking down on everyone from your high place, with that disdainful expression?”

Seon Gihyeon’s expression wavers.

“…What?”

Wow, so he does get shaken?

Lee Taewoo thinks to himself.

He leans in close to Seon Gihyeon’s face and continues with a smirk.

“Why? I don’t think I said anything I shouldn’t have.”

Lee Taewoo, giving back Seon Gihyeon’s own words, turns and heads for the door.

Seon Gihyeon, lips bitten and fists clenched, slowly speaks.

“You… know nothing.”

Bang.

The door closes as soon as the words are uttered.

It’s the sound of an insurmountable wall being erected between the two.

.

.

.

“…Cut!”

At Director Kim Kyuoh’s shout, the staff, who had been holding their breath, all exhaled deeply.

“Wow, damn…”

The assistant director looked back and forth between Ji Eunho and Han Yooil. The scene was even better than expected.

As Yooil and Eunho approached the monitor for monitoring, Kim Kyuoh grinned and spoke.

“Eunho, it seems much better than during the reading, doesn’t it?”

“…Thank you.”

Ji Eunho, too, had to admit upon monitoring. The footage dispelled all the worries he had before shooting.

Yet… a strange feeling lingered.

‘Why?’

“Looks great! Let’s just shoot each of your close-ups now. Keep it up.”

Afterward, as Ji Eunho repeatedly acted alongside Han Yooil, he realized something.

‘Ah.’

The complex subtext that had been difficult to grasp now seemed to come naturally. It was because of the actor delivering lines right in front of him. Han Yooil responded instantly every time Ji Eunho altered his performance subtly. It was an immersive act that left no choice but to engage fully, something only possible with a solid foundation of acting skills and composure. Eunho’s previously incomplete performance had naturally improved thanks to this.

“…Impressive.”

He knew Kim Harang liked this actor. Despite his short career, all his works had received positive reviews.

Lost in thought, Eunho was guided by the production staff to a temporary waiting room.

“The next scene involves both of you, so please rest here!”

The current filming location was a bit far from their respective waiting rooms, necessitating this arrangement.

The atmosphere was awkward, being left alone for the first time. Glancing over, Eunho noticed Yooil staring seriously at the wall.

‘He must be memorizing his lines for the next scene.’

Eunho also recited his lines silently, fingers folding and unfolding. The silence was broken by Yooil.

* * *

Since entering the waiting room, Yooil had been conversing with Brion.

【Black Sea’s Ji Eunho is the leader. He’s 25, four years older than the youngest member, Kim Harang. He’s also one of the most popular members. Black Sea’s fan name is ‘Coral’…】

‘Fan name?’

【It’s a nickname for the fans. Yooil, you might also decide on a nickname for your fans later.】

‘…I’m not even an idol?’

【Nowadays, actors often have fan names too, which help strengthen the bond between fans and celebrities. Furthermore…】

‘Enough. Got it.’

After a brief silence, Brion spoke again.

【Yooil, the next scene is a singing scene. It might be good to prepare in advance.】

The upcoming scene was where the leads sing for the first time, solidifying the identity of the musical web drama.

【The shooting aims to capture live sound as much as possible, though dubbing will be essential, so don’t be too stressed.】

Might as well do it right.

Yooil looked at Eunho. His brown hair covered half his face as he bowed his head, reciting his lines while folding and unfolding his fingers.

“Do you mind if we practice together?”

“!”

“If you’re busy, feel free to decline.”

“No, that’s fine.”

Eunho quickly responded and looked down at his script.

[S#54. Schoolyard+Clubroom (Day)

Seon Gihyeon starts singing (2. Winter Sprout) quietly as if reciting in the clubroom.

Then Lee Taewoo, alone on the schoolyard dribbling a basketball, continues the song.

The last verse is sung together, ending the scene with Gihyeon and Taewoo seemingly leaning back against each other, though in separate spaces.]

The shooting team’s continuity might have been much more complex, but this was all that was noted in the script for the first ‘singing scene’.

Eunho, looking at the script, took out the music score attached to it.

“You’re going to sing too, right?”

“Of course.”

Yooil nodded and lightly warmed up his voice.

Then he started singing as if to say, here we go.

[When I look in the mirror

Tears keep flowing]

“…!”

The voice was clean and clear, comfortable to listen to, with a softness in its tone.

Eunho’s eyes, half-closed, widened in surprise.

[The world is vast,

and I only lose my way]

“…He’s good.”

It was a professional level of skill. A vocal style more suited to musicals than idol songs.

It was surprising, even if he had received training.

Ji Eunho followed Han Yooil’s lead, singing in his turn.

[In the mirror I see

a meek and small child]

Eunho’s voice wasn’t particularly loud but had a deep resonance that was his strength.

Next was the part where they both sang in harmony.

Yooil, recalling the practice sessions he had with Brion, sang each note carefully.

[The winter is too cold,

and I can’t fall asleep yet]

As Eunho’s voice solidly supported the harmony, Yooil layered his melody on top.

[And I can’t fall asleep yet]

“…”

The music ended.

Eunho, his eyes fixed on the music score, thought,

‘Nice.’

It was a good song, even if you disregard the fact that it was part of a drama soundtrack or a musical piece.

Eunho, with his eyes half-closed again, spoke in his slow manner.

“…You’re quite good.”

“Not really.”

Yooil knew that without Brion, he wouldn’t have been able to enhance his vocal abilities and rhythm sense so effortlessly.

【Just leave it to me in the future, Yooil.】

‘…’

* * *

The effect of practicing the song in advance was clear. As the filming of the singing scene wrapped up smoothly, the set was filled with a warm and cheerful atmosphere.

“Ah, it’s great we didn’t have any delays.”

“Great work, everyone~”

“Both of you were amazing!”

“Hope the drama does well so we can send the actors on a trip together~”

Yooil listened to the staff’s half-joking, half-serious conversation and smiled quietly.

Despite the long filming period for a web drama, time flew by quickly.

Finally, the end of the semester had come to Moonmyung University.

With Yooil’s release from assignments, the release date of “Sing in High School” was fast approaching.