LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 49
The Moon That Hid the Sun.
Ten years ago, it was a work that surpassed 40% in viewership ratings, causing a huge impact.
That year, all the awards went to the actors involved in The Moon That Hid the Sun.
But that was all ten years ago.
Now, it has become a drama only remembered by those chasing the nostalgia of the past.
However.
“…….”
Kang Se-hyun, who played ‘Alex’ in the play ‘Under Sneetch,’ found this situation hard to believe.
“Wow, look at this. This is insane, right?”
“Joo Seo-yeon? Did she just mention ‘Close Your Eyes’?”
“Is this for real?”
All the actors and staff were chattering.
But it didn’t reach Kang Se-hyun’s ears.
He was lost in watching a variety show playing on his phone.
「Seo-il, you’ve really grown unrecognizably.」
「That’s what I wanted to say.」
A young man who has grown tall.
And a girl who has blossomed beautifully.
The gray nostagia of the past colored itself, blooming vividly.
It was hard to believe the background was a clumsy set made of paper.
「Shall we walk together after a long time? Seo-il.」
「Of course, Your Highness.」
「Hmm, you can call me Hye-wol now.」
「Excuse me? What are you talking about?」
「Seo-il, it makes me sad when you say that. We’re close, right?」
With a smirk, Lee Hye-wol’s smile was so beautiful it could make you sigh without realizing it.
The sight of high school students wearing uniforms nearby didn’t bother him at all.
Everyone watching this broadcast must have felt the same.
Park Jung-woo.
A genius in acting who inherited his father’s talent from a young age.
His acting skills were renowned, as he rarely had to take a NG during shoots.
Aura.
He was born with a sparkle destined to become a star.
So, it was understandable that he drew in gazes like this.
But.
‘Joo Seo-yeon.’
The one who captivated Kang Se-hyun’s attention was none other than Joo Seo-yeon.
The child actor making a dramatic comeback after ten years.
Her narrative struck into everyone’s hearts, and what about her acting?
It was on par with Park Jung-woo’s.
No, in fact, it was even better here.
As if watching a play, yes, a play.
Seo-yeon’s movements were closer to a play than a drama.
That’s why it felt so natural.
If it hadn’t been for someone like Park Jung-woo, they wouldn’t have been able to keep up with Seo-yeon’s acting.
‘Is it this good?’
Turning improvisationally, they showcased scenes from the drama as a play in the auditorium.
The failure of ‘See the Past, See the Memories’ was somewhat due to its obsession with ‘drama acting’.
Reenacting famous drama scenes at school just doesn’t have the same flavor.
The actors’ skills.
The filming style.
There was a world of difference from on-site drama shoots.
Joo Seo-yeon understood that.
So, she turned it into a play.
‘And the students around too.’
The drama club at Yeonhwa High School was quite skilled.
They had earned that reputation.
But since reenacting a drama and directing a play are different, their skills didn’t stand out.
But as Seo-yeon naturally led the play, the students’ movements changed naturally.
One actor led the play.
Even with Park Jung-woo as a support, it felt unreal.
“This is crazy.”
In response to an actor who was watching the variety show, everyone agreed.
Even the students in the auditorium who were initially bored became engrossed in the play.
Captivated until the reenactment of episode 8 concluded.
“Se-hyun.”
“……uh.”
A fellow actor next to him spoke.
“Is it just me, or are we in big trouble?”
“…….”
Naturally, the tickets were limited, so the play wouldn’t be a failure.
That would be the case.
But.
‘The specter of the past…’
It was clear that the attention that should have been on ‘Under Sneetch’ had all shifted to ‘Close Your Eyes’.
For Kang Se-hyun, who was rising on this foundation, it felt like a terrible nightmare.
A strange unease tightened around his neck.
*
“……Seo-hee?”
Jo Seo-hee’s manager, Shin Yoo-kyung, watched Jo Seo-hee, her expression hard as she stared at her smartphone.
If there was power in her gaze, her cellphone would have vanished without a trace.
“Ha.”
Usually, Jo Seo-hee would be sitting with a lethargic face in the van, but today her face was vibrant.
Of course.
The variety show playing on the smartphone.
She couldn’t watch it live, obviously.
She hadn’t cared before.
However, she had heard ‘rumors’ and belatedly checked it out.
“It’s happening.”
Park Jung-woo, he didn’t matter to her.
It was a man she had met several times.
In the past, she would have felt completely overshadowed, but not now.
The princess of a daily drama, that title no longer applied to her.
Actress Jo Seo-hee.
Standing proudly with that name, her position was as solid as Park Jung-woo’s.
Her intention to one day step over him remained unchanged.
“Joo Seo-yeon.”
The girl who dealt him a defeat.
That girl had appeared, dazzlingly.
Making her first public appearance in ten years.
Not to mention, reenacting episode 8, which had once caused controversy alongside Park Jung-woo.
She attracted everyone’s attention and conversation.
‘She’s way better, waaaay better.’
Technically and dramatically.
The past Joo Seo-yeon had been the embodiment of Yeonhwa Princess.
But that was due to her acting traits.
Joo Seo-yeon’s acting skills that hadn’t shown on screen were definitely at a beginner’s level.
But what about now?
“Did the theater ticket reservations work out?”
“Uh? Hmm! Of course it did!”
The staff of her agency had all jumped in to secure tickets.
So much so that the buzz surrounding the production of ‘Close Your Eyes’ was off the charts.
Not to belittle theater, but it’s rare for people to be talking about it like this.
There were even those who were getting into theater for the first time with ‘Close Your Eyes’.
Many existing theater fans were grumbling about not getting tickets because of that.
The impact an actor can bring.
To catch this wave, the theater community was buzzing with excitement.
They felt a desire to expand the theater scene even a little with this opportunity.
“Sis, how many scripts do I have waiting for me?”
“Hmm, let me see? There were quite a few.”
“I need to take a look at them all.”
The reserved ‘Close Your Eyes’ play.
Jo Seo-hee wanted to see Seo-yeon’s acting clearly from there.
The acting she showed in the variety show.
It would surely be above that.
Jo Seo-hee smiled sharply.
If she had appeared just like in the past, it would have been disappointing.
So amazing.
I can’t take my eyes off it.
Jo Seo-hee thought as she watched Seo-yeon’s acting.
After rewinding the performance several times.
She slowly turned off her smartphone.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to take a break from filming.”
Of course, she decided to watch until ‘Close Your Eyes’.
Jo Seo-hee gazed at the tall buildings reflected in the van’s window.
The ads with her face on them.
Various ads caught her eye.
If it were that girl, she’d quickly have her face plastered there.
Just thinking about that made Jo Seo-hee extremely happy.
Her reunion with Joo Seo-yeon.
*
“Alright, we’ve decided to change our venue!”
“No way, really? Can that be done?”
“It’s the higher-ups’ decision. Apparently, this time the impact is not ordinary.”
They say the number of people about to be introduced to theater for the first time through ‘Close Your Eyes’ is immense.
As proof, the reservations opened a week ago and sold out in just a few minutes.
It was announced as 30 minutes, but it actually ended much sooner.
It’s rare for theater tickets to sell out this fast.
The main audience demographic was mostly female.
But things were different now.
The gender ratio was almost even.
And the age range was diverse.
Of course, most of them were coming gathered by the buzz surrounding Seo-yeon, but even if just a few stuck around, it would be a big boon.
Asking them to enjoy the theater would be more than enough.
“They say they’ll soon open secondary reservations. The venue will be the Jongro Grand Theatre that was supposed to be used by ‘Under Sneetch’.”
“Excuse me?”
At Jo Do-yul’s words, Sim Cheong-seok thought he must have misheard.
“Under Sneetch, you mean?”
“Yes, you know? Oh, don’t worry, that venue isn’t particularly small. Though it may be a bit smaller than this one, it sounds like they decided it’s a good fit considering timing and location.”
“Can that actually be happening?”
Jo Do-yul shrugged at Sim Cheong-seok’s words.
It was something he had never experienced before.
A very unusual occurrence.
It was probably because ‘Under Sneetch’ was opening a few weeks after ‘Close Your Eyes’.
“Wow, is this what it means to be a star? I can’t even tease anymore.”
“Oh, but where’s Seo-yeon? I heard she came out today?”
Sim Cheong-seok glanced briefly at Jo Do-yul’s words.
“Not sure, but I heard a friendly guest has arrived.”
“A friendly guest?”
Given the nature of this event, they needed to be extra careful regarding Seo-yeon’s personal safety.
The area around the theater was filled with journalists.
“Well, it should be fine. She’s stronger than me anyway.”
“Excuse me? What nonsense…”
“I’m serious, I am!”
Sim Cheong-seok remembered the arm wrestling match he had with Seo-yeon recently, which had been a joke.
Thinking back to that, his arm still ached.
Like he had arm wrestled with a gorilla.
“Anyway.”
Sim Cheong-seok thought about the audience-drawing power that an actor possesses.
He thought he could see it in full display this time, but…
“Really, she always exceeds expectations.”
Even Sim Cheong-seok didn’t see this coming.
*
“Is there a reason you suddenly decided to return this time?”
A woman in a neat suit asked, looking across at the girl sitting opposite her.
Long black hair, reddish-brown eyes.
Jo Seo-yeon, who had caused a stir this time, was sitting down for an interview with a woman.
This was a significant occasion since she had turned down all interviews until now.
“I’ve been thinking about it. I just hadn’t found the right role.”
“A role for your comeback, right?”
“Yes.”
“Did you prepare for this variety show in advance?”
At this woman’s questions, Seo-yeon shook her head.
“Actually, my friend helped me. Originally, Yeonhwa Princess was supposed to be my friend’s role.”
“So she gave her role to you, huh?”
“Yes.”
“That must have been a tough decision. You really have a good friend. That actress must be…”
“It’s Lee Ji-yeon. She’s been on cable recently…”
Typically, internet journalists tend to write articles recklessly.
However, Seo-yeon trusted the woman in front of her.
There was reason for that.
“I think many fans have been waiting for your return. Would you like to say something to them?”
The woman smiled as she spoke.
Seeing her smile, Seo-yeon returned it.
“Yes.”
Seo-yeon replied, unfolding a white cloth in her hands.
It was something she had just been handed by the woman.
It was a somewhat worn, white garment.
Old, yet well-maintained.
“……all this time.”
The garment still had the name ‘Joo Seo-yeon’ written on it in clumsy handwriting.
It was familiar.
Seo-yeon’s first autograph.
She never imagined she’d see it again.
“Thank you for waiting.”
Seo-yeon’s first fan.
At those words, the woman with the bob haircut wiped away tears with a handkerchief.
Han Sun-ah.
Now grown up and a reporter, she was facing Seo-yeon.
“I’ll write a fantastic article.”
“Yes. I believe in you.”
At Seo-yeon’s words of trust, Han Sun-ah nodded her head.
Of course, she also kept the garment that she had once given to Seo-yeon safely.
It was a treasure that supported her through difficult times.
“Oh.”
At that moment, Seo-yeon seemed to recall something and asked.
“By the way, do you know what the article title will be?”
“Of course.”
Sun-ah shared the article title she had been thinking about for a long time.
An homage for the star she had been waiting for since long ago.
“Rising Star.”
A term that denotes stars that are currently emerging and will rise further in the future.
<Rising Star, Joo Seo-yeon. She Returns>
Sun-ah’s article would rise to the top of entertainment news.
Receiving the most comments and opinions exchanged.
Then, two weeks later.
“Alright, line up, everyone!”
“No tickets reselling! You must verify your ID!”
The play ‘Close Your Eyes’ opened with countless eyes on it.