LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 57
A strangely chill atmosphere enveloped the hall.
This meant that the acting demonstrated by Joo Seo-yeon just moments ago was impressive.
Regardless of whether it was good or bad, the synchronicity was suspiciously perfect.
‘Did she practice with a few people?’
Director Bae Jin-hwan, who thought this carelessly, slapped his cheek with his palm.
What on earth was he thinking about seeing that child?
Anyway, it seemed that he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
Looking at the actors’ eyes, desperately lost, meeting each other’s gaze.
“…Did I make a mistake?”
When Seo-yeon, slightly downcast in that atmosphere, spoke up.
“No!”
“Absolutely not, right?”
“Seo-yeon is just too good; everyone is shocked.”
“Yes, yes, that’s right.”
Starting from the male actors to Jung Si-hyun, who plays Han Ye-hwa, quickly aligned their words.
Although she might be confused because of her styled appearance and actions, Seo-yeon was still a teenage girl.
There was nothing wrong with her acting.
It was purely that her performance was too chilling.
“Is that so?”
Of course, Seo-yeon wasn’t genuinely downcast.
She was just acting to test the waters.
Still, the tension was real.
Upon seeing their reactions, Seo-yeon secretly felt relieved.
‘Was it too much?’
No, but this level is appropriate.
Seo-yeon repeated in her mind.
She understood why they reacted that way.
Life role.
At least this role might fall into the category of Joo Seo-yeon’s life role.
‘To be precise…’
Rather than the character of Joo Seo-yeon, it was her past self.
A role resembling her former life.
“Um. First, let’s do a few more scenes.”
Director Bae Jin-hwan said that to lighten the mood.
Additionally, he wanted to see if the chill he felt from Seo-yeon was just an illusion.
He wasn’t the only one thinking that.
Other actors felt the same way.
“Can I go first this time?”
The one who raised her hand was Jung Si-hyun, portraying victim Han Ye-hwa.
She swallowed hard while looking at Seo-yeon.
‘So, that’s Joo Seo-yeon.’
Jung Si-hyun felt a little tense.
No wonder.
Her agency had one victim of Joo Seo-yeon.
“Come on, that’s really a bit too much.”
A woman speaking as she roughly tossed a fork through her salad at a restaurant.
Now in her mid-thirties, she boasted a smooth appearance without a wrinkle.
One of Korea’s leading talented actresses, Ha Ye-seo, said with frustration.
“Why suddenly return after ten years and go on a rampage?”
“You can just film again, right?”
“…Are you joking? How can this auntie play such roles now? I’d rather be Yeonhwa’s mother than the princess!”
Auntie, seriously?
Jung Si-hyun clicked her tongue internally.
Only someone who knows they don’t look like an auntie could say that.
She would surely get furious if teased like that.
“Anyhow.”
Having refreshed her mouth with a drink, she continued.
“So, you’re acting together with that kid this time?”
“Yes. I heard I’m cast as the villain this time, in the role of Cha Seo-ah.”
“Hmm, a villain.”
Ha Ye-seo recalled the younger version of Seo-yeon that she had seen long ago.
Her acting skills were crude, but she was a child actor unlike any other.
How did Ha Ye-seo feel watching Seo-yeon’s acting back then?
“It was chilling.”
“Excuse me?”
“Emotional acting not typical for a child. It felt like her emotions were out of sync. So, Jeong Eun-seon was really harsh on her.”
“I guess her personality wasn’t too great even ten years ago.”
“Leaving aside her personality, she was just an oblivious old lady.”
Could she say such a thing to a veteran actor?
She thought about it, but figured it didn’t matter if it was just the two of them.
“Anyway. Be careful.”
“Pardon?”
“If you don’t want to get cut down like me.”
Honestly, Ha Ye-seo wanted to act alongside Seo-yeon at least once.
A chance for revenge.
Well, of course. She definitely wanted to have her revenge for the past.
While chewing on cherry tomatoes, Ha Ye-seo looked at her junior.
Her acting skills were excellent, and she had a stunning appearance.
A future star with promising potential.
‘She definitely has talent, but she’s been coddled too much.’
Perhaps this movie could be a very good opportunity.
To break down walls.
After all, one needs to see the wall to break through it.
The genius child actor who made a return after ten years.
Ha Ye-seo had also quietly watched her first stage performance.
“Do well.”
So Ha Ye-seo said to her junior like that.
Jung Si-hyun rarely received encouragement from a senior, but she honestly had no particular thoughts about it.
No matter how well she did, she was still a teenage actress.
That’s what she thought, but seeing Seo-yeon in action felt completely different.
She realized she might end up a victim like her senior.
No, she might end up in an even more miserable state.
At least Ha Ye-seo hadn’t shared a scene with Seo-yeon yet.
But herself?
The role of Han Ye-hwa was the one that had the most scenes with Cha Seo-ah.
After all, it was her role as the victim drawn in by Seo-ah.
“Sounds good.”
The okay sign fell from Bae Jin-hwan.
The two’s acting.
It seemed like it would be good to practice the rhythm together once beforehand.
“Let’s see… it’s Scene 37.”
S# 37.
This time it was an intense part, unlike when she was a detective.
‘Was her previous performance really just luck?’
‘I need to see if it’s real or not,’ she thought.
The eyes of the actors focused on Seo-yeon.
Seo-yeon and Jung Si-hyun.
Two young actresses.
They stood facing each other in an empty space instead of at a table.
It was a bit too intense to act across a table.
In a place where the light didn’t shine properly.
Jung Si-hyun stood there, looking at Seo-yeon.
With long black hair that contrasted her pale skin.
When one looked into her eyes, it felt like the hazel eyes were gradually becoming more red.
Thus, it felt even more chilling.
Even before they started acting, it felt like Cha Seo-ah was standing right in front of her.
Gripping the script in her hand.
Jung Si-hyun pictured the scene in her head.
Taking a breath,
When she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.
Han Ye-hwa was in an alley.
She was running down the narrow alley, followed by rough footsteps.
The sound of footsteps echoing from afar grew louder.
「Hah, huff. Hah.」
Gasping for breath, Han Ye-hwa exhaled.
She tried to muffle her breath with both hands, but couldn’t hold back her hurried gasps.
「Why, why is this happening!!」
With a voice on the verge of collapsing, Han Ye-hwa looked ahead.
An alley blocked by heaps of garbage came into view.
The footsteps she had heard behind her were now silent.
Could it be that they just abandoned her?
As Han Ye-hwa, facing the wall, slowly turned her body.
Then.
At the entrance of the alley, a woman was staring at her.
What she was holding was a hammer.
A common tool.
But that tool was stained with something it shouldn’t have.
Red blood.
The hammer that had just struck her boyfriend lay in the woman’s hand.
「Why? Why are you doing this!!」
As she screamed like a wail, the woman finally began to move.
The woman was smiling.
As if she was delighted to have discovered the fleeing Han Ye-hwa.
If that were the case.
If only it were that case, she wouldn’t feel such horror.
「It’s just.」
The woman spoke, smiling.
The smile on her lips looked like horrible makeup smeared over a doll’s face.
「This place hurts.」
Her flat, emotionless voice.
「It’s so hard to look at.」
The woman’s footsteps picked up speed, gradually.
When Han Ye-hwa tried to catch her breath and back away, the woman was already standing right in front of her.
Her face was thrust close to Han Ye-hwa’s nose.
As if to read the emotions embedded in her eyes.
「Wouldn’t it be nice if it were this easy to understand?」
Fear.
Horror.
Those emotions were so clear it was easy to grasp.
「This way.」
The girl’s expression shifted.
Mimicking the look of terrified Han Ye-hwa.
It resembled that face.
A human face imitating fear.
It was atrociously unpleasant.
「This way?」
The fear-twisted visage.
It felt like looking at one’s expression through another’s face.
「I don’t know.」
The girl’s hand moved.
She was trying to lift the hammer.
With all her might, Han Ye-hwa pushed against the girl’s chest.
No, she had to push her away.
And after a struggle, she had to shake her off.
She had to continue the act.
But Jung Si-hyun froze upon seeing Cha Seo-ah looking down on her.
She was overwhelmed by that presence.
Despite her desperate struggles, she would be hit by the swinging hammer and faint.
That was how the scene should go.
“Stop right there.”
The dark alley turned into a brightly lit room.
Bae Jin-hwan wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded his chin.
“You both did exceptionally well.”
That compliment was sincere.
At least until the moment before Seo-yeon pinned Jung Si-hyun’s hand.
Until Jung Si-hyun froze just in front of Seo-yeon’s face.
Usually, he would provide feedback on mistakes, but this time it was a bit ambiguous.
If anything, he felt that he had underestimated Jung Si-hyun as an actress.
‘But.’
The actors pondered as they bemusedly looked at Jung Si-hyun, standing motionless.
‘The moment they came together, she didn’t stand out at all.’
When they were seated a bit apart, Jung Si-hyun’s acting deserved applause.
However, from the moment she was overpowered by Seo-yeon’s hand, the character of Han Ye-hwa completely vanished.
‘The play.’
‘Did the acting from the play truly help so much?’
It felt less like a script reading and more like watching a play.
Exaggerated, yet perfectly fitting for the villain, the beautifully synchronized performance of Joo Seo-yeon.
Because of her presence, the character Han Ye-hwa and the actress Jung Si-hyun completely faded away.
‘It’s true that the villain stood out in the scene, but.’
‘If it’s this overwhelming, it’s tough.’
Each actor wondered how they would have fared if they shared the same scene with Jung Si-hyun.
It wouldn’t be easy.
That level of pressure was something only the great actors who soloed the scenes could possess.
It had that much power.
‘I need to be careful.’
Especially the lead actor, Kim Dae-heon, playing Im Seung-cheol, solidified his resolve.
He too had never heard that he lacked acting skills.
‘But.’
Kim Dae-heon chuckled softly.
He was somewhat excited as well.
It was thrilling to think about how spectacular it would be when he stood on the same scene as that kid.
What kind of performance he would deliver.
That filled him with anticipation.
“…”
And then.
Jung Si-hyun, who had just acted alongside Seo-yeon, bit her lower lip.
She bowed her head while facing Seo-yeon.
Really, she felt ashamed.
“I’m sorry.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll do it without mistakes next time.”
Jung Si-hyun apologized to the younger actress, who was at least ten years her junior.
It was an introspection directed at herself.
If only she hadn’t made a mistake; it could have turned out to be a spectacular scene.
She ruined that.
‘Next time.’
She vowed not to make the same mistake again.
She wouldn’t ruin the performance Seo-yeon just showed.
‘…Hmm.’
Seo-yeon watched Jung Si-hyun and hesitated, her mouth trembling before ultimately sealing it shut.
It was hard to grasp what to say in such moments.
Should she console her?
No, isn’t it better to encourage her…?
“Fight, fighting.”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, no….”
Seo-yeon cursed her poor communication skills.
Seriously.
And then a week later, the play [Close Your Eyes] concluded its final performance.
She received a call from the cable channel she had asked Lee Ji-yeon about.
The show that had been airing for ten years on a game broadcasting station.
That was [If You're Going to Turn It On, Do It to the King].