LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 39
Ten years ago, a child prodigy captured everyone’s attention.
Joo Seo-yeon.
“She definitely has acting skills. But stepping onto the stage is a whole other story.”
The director, Jo Do-yul, picked up his pen as he watched Seo-yeon step forward.
In front of him lay a notepad for evaluations.
The video was from the first audition, a free performance.
From just the video, it was clear that she was indeed an actress.
She performed accordingly, looking right at the camera.
In the video, ‘Hong Jeong-hee’ had her own interpretation as an actress.
However, it was well-balanced, neither excessive nor lacking.
So, despite several shaky elements, she passed the first audition.
“What about the script?”
“I guess she memorized it all.”
“Hmm.”
Seo-yeon’s script was placed on a chair.
It’s good to memorize all the lines, but it’s not essential.
Many actors perform holding the script during auditions.
So while her impression was good, it didn’t earn her any bonuses.
In fact, acting without a script and making mistakes is a bigger problem.
“Now, what should I show?”
The scene given for Hong Jeong-hee in the script is a hauntingly intense act from Act 3, Scene 6.
It’s a romantic scene between Baesung-hak and Song Min-seo, who share a sweet budding romance.
It begins from the perspective of Hong Jeong-hee, secretly observing them.
It’s a crucial scene; if Jeong-hee isn’t portrayed properly here, her character will die in the next act.
“Can I do this?”
“But, it’s been ten years since you last acted.”
“Drama and theater are different, right?”
Moreover, Seo-yeon’s experience in acting has been limited to only “The Moon That Hid the Sun.”
There’s no denying she has a fair number of shortcomings in terms of experience.
But…
“She has an aura.”
An aura that captures attention.
Raw talent.
As they all faced this fragment of brilliance…
Huff.
Seo-yeon’s performance began.
“Lies.”
With a smirk, she delivered a line.
The moment Jo Do-yul heard her voice, he felt chills.
Did she act so well?
No, it was because her voice came through so sharply.
“What the?”
Didn’t they say it was her first time in theater?
Looking ahead, the child prodigy, Joo Seo-yeon, was already gone.
She hunches her back.
Her long hair fell forward, creating an eerie vibe.
The beauty from her face vanished.
“Why, why is she smiling at someone like that? She’s never shown this side!”
What’s the difference between acting in theater and acting in drama?
That’s the method of expression.
Drama requires more emotional depth, with detailed performances being crucial.
You can zoom in on an actor’s face, catching every emotion.
The so-called natural acting.
It’s about infusing emotion into daily expressions and conveying it — that’s drama acting.
But what about theater?
“No way, no, no way! Could it be that I’m being deceived? That girl is definitely after my innocent oppa!”
Seo-yeon exaggeratedly clutched her chest, staggering around.
She moved like a woman struggling to keep herself steady in a dark alley.
While delivering her lines, her actions didn’t stop.
The essence of theater acting lies in physical expressions.
Exaggerated movements, yet similar yet distinct.
Unlike films or dramas, the emotions portrayed by an actor on stage are conveyed through their body rather than their face.
Hands and arms.
Legs, and the swaying of the body.
Along with that, she recited Hong Jeong-hee’s lines.
Her voice trembled but her enunciation remained intact.
Proof that she learned vocalization correctly.
Her voice also differed from when she first spoke.
A cracked, sinister woman’s voice.
“This is crazy.”
The actors who entered with Seo-yeon watched her performance, astonished.
The exaggerated actions felt completely natural.
As if anyone witnessing it couldn’t deny that she was indeed ‘Hong Jeong-hee.’
“Shall I sneak over too? Knowing that wearing a school uniform won’t make oppa reject me so harshly.”
This part wasn’t in the script.
Yet it naturally slipped into the lines.
Currently, Seo-yeon was dressed in a school uniform.
Meanwhile, Hong Jeong-hee was a college student in her twenties.
So, while her outfit might seem off, she conveyed it effortlessly.
A woman in her twenties portraying a teenager, attempting to approach an idol.
That alone was enough to showcase Hong Jeong-hee’s sinister nature.
“Was that intentional?”
Or was it improvised?
The first time acting in theater.
The proof lay in her blocking.
Blocking refers to the movement paths actors take while performing.
Seo-yeon, having no actual stage experience, naturally lacked in blocking.
But she was aware of it.
In her mind, she envisioned those movements; hiding in an alley while observing them and stepping carefully along.
While it may have been awkward for blocking, that made for a more impactful performance.
It duped the audience into feeling Hong Jeong-hee’s unstable psyche.
And what about her gaze?
The audience reads emotions through an actor’s body but desires to see their face.
Seemingly aware of this, Seo-yeon’s gaze naturally drifted towards a few judges.
“Just… just wait a little bit longer, oppa. I will surely…”
She shrank her body, turning away with short, hesitant steps.
As if she was stepping outside the stage.
And just like that, Seo-yeon’s performance as ‘Hong Jeong-hee’ concluded.
“…”
A strange silence hung in the air.
Jo Do-yul reflected. Did she lack experience because she focused on dramas?
Well, she might be lacking in experience. But the skill and talent that shone brightly outweighed that.
It was acting from a genius, clear even to a fool.
Her blocking was insufficient, and her gaze had slightly wavered.
Such issues could be easily corrected with a little guidance.
“Seo-yeon, may I ask how old you are?”
“Seventeen.”
“First year in high school?”
“Yes.”
A calm response.
It was entirely different from the Hong Jeong-hee persona a moment ago.
The faded light returned.
“Hmmm.”
Jo Do-yul looked at the paper for scoring, the pen in his hand.
Unbeknownst to him, words had spilled onto the paper.
‘First…’
‘Looks concluded, doesn’t it?’
Such glances were exchanged.
She suited Hong Jeong-hee better than any other actor seen today.
The faces of the other actors waiting behind her conveyed the answer.
An actor overshadowed by another can’t excel.
Tap, tap.
Jo Do-yul tapped the desk with his pen and nodded.
“Truly exceptional acting. Normally, I would have more questions…”
She had shown everything he wanted to ask through her performance.
How she viewed Hong Jeong-hee as a character.
And why she came dressed in a school uniform.
“There’s no way you could pass for seventeen with that acting. Did you keep acting during your break?”
“I attended an acting academy.”
“An acting academy? Oh, may I ask where…”
Thus, the other judges queried, and Seo-yeon responded calmly.
She seemed like a child devoid of emotions.
Though that thought crossed his mind, the performance she had just showcased was anything but.
Above all, Joo Seo-yeon had once been a child actor known for her ’emotional acting’ strength.
“Well then…”
Once all questions concluded, Seo-yeon returned to her seat.
The face of the next summoned actor went pale.
‘…What a shame.’
Seo-yeon wiped her face with her palm.
She thought she had acted well.
The judges’ reactions were positive as well.
Would it have been better to pour out more emotion?
Despite practicing countless times, amid the instructor’s and fellow actors’ feedback, some aspects still left her uncertain.
Having never performed in front of an audience before adds to this phenomenon.
Especially since she hadn’t seen any plays in her past life either.
‘I tried to obscure my movements as much as I could.’
Although it had been acting everyone marveled at, Seo-yeon recalled several mistakes from her performance.
And wanted to infuse more emotions.
However, if she had delved deeper into her feelings or executed method acting, the number of mistakes would have likely multiplied.
Just by mimicking emotional expressions with a mask, her performance had been sufficient.
Knowing that made her wishful.
‘I wonder, how will this play out?’
Seo-yeon felt nervous.
Among the praises for her acting, she noticed a woman quietly standing her ground.
Pyo Ji-woo.
She had been staring at Baesung-hak this whole time.
While everyone else aimed for attention, Ji-woo had yet to cast a glance at Seo-yeon’s performance.
And then…
For a brief moment, Ji-woo’s gaze turned towards Seo-yeon.
‘…Is she smiling?’
A sinister smile containing a strange, sharp emotion.
Pyo Ji-woo looked at Seo-yeon with that smile.
There was an undeniable will in her eyes, refusing to lose this role.
“Well then, finally, Miss Pyo Ji-woo.”
“Yes.”
However, that sinking ambiance was effectively interrupted by Jo Do-yul calling her name.
Staggering slightly.
Her walk alone evoked the image of ‘Hong Jeong-hee’.
“Beginning my performance now.”
After a few questions exchanged, Ji-woo began her act.
The questions and answers flowed forth without any bumps.
There was a strange air about it, yet no one present sensed her oddity.
Not even the person directly involved, Min Se-ho.
But one person did.
Seo-yeon recognized Ji-woo.
From ‘news,’ not from theater or film.
“Huff, …Lies.”
She leaned in, her flowing curly hair draping over her face.
Like seaweed soaked in water, it concealed her features.
What emerged from that veil were eyes gleaming with madness.
“!!!”
In an instant, Min Se-ho, playing Baesung-hak, felt chills run down his spine.
Her gaze was fixed sharply on him.
Was it because she played opposite him?
‘Method acting!’
Jo Do-yul sensed the tension rising.
In an instant, Ji-woo’s aura shifted.
A wave of chills spread, enveloping the room in darkness.
The setting of Hong Jeong-hee was typical of someone you might encounter in reality.
Thus it felt more unsettling and sinister.
There lay the fear that emerged from it.
If Seo-yeon’s performance centered on that sinister aspect, Ji-woo presented the discomfort.
It was as if she faced the real Hong Jeong-hee.
A fear so strong that one wishes to shun and shake it off.
“I need to find a way, a way to remove that despicable girl.”
Watching Ji-woo’s performance, Seo-yeon clenched her fists.
Yes, this was it.
It truly felt as though Hong Jeong-hee stood before her.
Method acting?
It could be described that way.
‘This performance guided her into the film industry.’
The madness lauded by everyone was real.
Pyo Ji-woo was the true stalker of Min Se-ho, who played Baesung-hak.
In fact, she wasn’t caught and had paced alongside him till the very end.
‘Simultaneously, her acting skills… are genuine.’
Her handling of the gaze and movements of theater were sophisticated.
Particularly, her blocking was more adept than Seo-yeon’s.
And why not? This wasn’t Ji-woo’s first foray into theater.
Only with the aspiration of acting beside Min Se-ho had she participated in multiple plays.
Of course, her performances in other plays were merely mediocre.
Those were never approached with sincere emotion.
But this time felt different.
Hong Jeong-hee was Ji-woo’s true desire.
If previously she was just practicing, then this was her essential goal.
“…That’s it.”
When Ji-woo’s performance ended, the surroundings froze in a different way.
The unexpected appearance of a dark horse.
The near-maniacal performance Ji-woo had just delivered.
Huff.
With satisfaction, Ji-woo smiled inwardly.
The judges wore expressions of contemplation.
‘This role, I am more suitable for it, right? After all, I am Hong Jeong-hee.’
She was aware of it herself.
This was a role bestowed by the heavens.
Fate intertwined her and Min Se-ho.
Thus, not even a genius child actress could thwart her.
With that resolve, she observed the brilliant child prodigy.
“…!”
Joo Seo-yeon.
When she saw the girl who dazzled just by being looked at, Ji-woo froze.
With an emotionless face, Seo-yeon stared straight at her.
In the shadow outside the spotlight, two glimmering red eyes were gazing at her.
A calm longing. A fierce unwillingness to back down.
That intense emotion rendered Ji-woo’s body rigid.
“Hmm, this is…”
Just as Ji-woo turned away, Jo Do-yul’s voice rang out.
“Both of you need to showcase one more scene together.”
A conversation among the judges.
Though their voices were low, Ji-woo stood close enough to hear.
Upon hearing that, she looked at Seo-yeon.
The previously expressionless curve of Seo-yeon’s mouth twisted.
A sneer.
A mocking smile directed toward Ji-woo, who had worn a victorious grin moments ago.
Imitating the smirk Ji-woo gave her earlier.
With that grin, Ji-woo bit her lower lip.
How dare a mere child attempt to steal the role that was destined for her!
She had undoubtedly assumed victory, so why?
‘Alright then, let’s compete.’
The gazes of Ji-woo and Seo-yeon collided in the air.
Naturally, neither was willing to yield the role to the other.