Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Overwhelmed by Presence
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The reactions from the Cheongsong Troupe members to Seonwoo's casting were roughly like this.
"He was definitely good, that's for sure."
"But isn't a supporting role too soon, no matter how you look at it?"
"Honestly, his acting was seriously impressive. I couldn't believe he'd only been at it for less than a month."
"True. Still, he doesn't have much stage presence yet..."
Everyone still seemed to lack full confidence in Seonwoo.
It wasn't outright hostility toward him, but the atmosphere wasn't exactly welcoming either.
Seonwoo was the one who had to prove himself now.
Prove that his landing the Seungdo role wasn't some fluke.
The problem was the lack of time.
He had about four days. Even if Seungdo's lines were limited, it wasn't generous.
The silver lining was that he had a reliable ally on his side.
"Not easy, huh?"
Clean Ivy League cut framing a refreshing face.
This guy, who somehow looked like he belonged in a sports drink ad, was Eunseok—Seonwoo's key supporter.
"Sorry. Because of me, you're stuck prepping on such a tight schedule..."
"Nah. If anything, I got this shot thanks to you, senior."
"Huh. Guess that's true."
The moment Seonwoo passed the audition, Eunseok had shown up, offering to help him nail Seungdo perfectly.
It wasn't entirely selfless, either.
Eunseok had felt guilty about bailing mid-run for his movie gig.
Fortunately, Seonwoo was picking up on his guidance quicker than expected.
"But seriously, you're incredible. How'd you memorize all the lines already?"
"They're not that long... Compared to nailing the details, memorizing's the easy part."
"Plenty of people struggle with that."
True enough.
But it didn't really hit home for Seonwoo.
He'd never struggled with memorization, not since he was a kid.
Eunseok smiled warmly at him, then spoke in a more pointed tone.
"Truth is, the real challenge is something else."
"...What's the toughest part?"
"Cha Doyoung."
A question mark popped into Seonwoo's eyes.
It was an unexpected answer.
Was Doyoung prickly during rehearsals or something?
But Eunseok just grinned mysteriously and dodged.
"You'll see once you act with him."
That moment arrived sooner than expected.
Doyoung had come by to run lines.
Eunseok, who'd been coaching Seonwoo up to that point, greeted him awkwardly.
"Oh, Doyoung's here?"
"..."
"...Sorry, won't bug you."
The air grew thick.
Caught in the middle, Seonwoo could only roll his eyes, speechless. Doyoung approached him quietly.
"Seonwoo."
"Yes."
"Wanna run lines?"
"Ah, sure! Let's do it!"
Seonwoo shot to his feet.
It was the event he'd been looking forward to most.
He was dying to know what it felt like to act alongside Doyoung.
That color that didn’t just stain him but the entire stage—what would it be like up close?
But,
"You're not here to confess your sins. You're here to foretell them."
The instant Doyoung delivered his line right in front of him, Seonwoo got what Eunseok meant.
A golden wave pouring from Doyoung threatened to sweep him away.
His vision, his mind—everything drowned in the hue Doyoung exuded.
He knew the guy's acting was top-tier, but facing it head-on like this... even opening his mouth felt impossible.
And that wasn't the only issue.
'My color...!'
Doyoung's color was overwhelming Seonwoo's.
More precisely, it was burying the color of "Seungdo"—the one Seonwoo had painted by bursting his color orb.
And Seonwoo instinctively grasped what that signified.
The Seungdo he'd portrayed was losing its color, getting smothered.
His presence was fading under Doyoung's sheer force.
Maybe that's why.
"Your acting isn't quite matching what I saw before."
"...Sorry."
"Let's take a break."
Their first joint rehearsal ended in disaster.
Not even proper acting—just total failure.
As Doyoung left with a hint of disappointment, Seonwoo slumped back down, strength drained.
Eunseok grinned down at him.
"So? Get what I was saying now?"
"...Yeah. Crystal clear."
"Eh, holding your own this much is solid. Everyone blanks out first time with Doyoung. Even I did."
Eunseok shrugged.
"Acting with him, I still feel like he'll devour me if I slip."
"How'd you get past it?"
"Nothing fancy."
Eunseok held up his palms.
"Just focus on your own acting."
"My acting?"
"Yeah. Forget trying to outdo Doyoung or not getting eaten. Zero in on one thing: how you're supposed to act right now."
Seonwoo nodded.
Solid advice.
His jumbled thoughts settled a bit.
He realized he'd been carrying more pressure than he thought.
Couldn't be helped.
The whole troupe was watching him now.
Acting well was great, but he'd started because he loved the act itself—not to prove anything.
Seonwoo gazed at Seungdo's color orb floating above his palm.
'...Don't overthink it.'
He just needed to focus on his acting. On Seungdo.
That was it.
As he reined in his mind, Doyoung returned.
"Seonwoo. Ready for another go?"
"Yes. All set."
Seonwoo stood.
He faced Doyoung's impassive expression.
He wanted to shine.
To wield a presence that dominated the stage and audience like Doyoung.
Acting like that... it'd be pure ecstasy.
But that wasn't the goal right now.
"You're not here to confess your sins. You're here to foretell them."
The Priest's color flooded the stage once more.
A golden tsunami bursting forth.
In response, Seonwoo burst Seungdo's color orb.
"...I intend to kill someone."
The goal was simple.
Don't get swept away by that wave, no matter what... and paint himself with it.
Coat himself in Seungdo's color.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'Guess he's human after all.'
Eunseok chuckled inwardly.
Seeing Seonwoo hit the wall right after facing Doyoung reminded him of his younger self.
No one in Cheongsong had escaped that feeling.
It was inevitable when up against Doyoung.
An overwhelming talent that screamed unfair.
That's why he'd wanted to see Doyoung and Seonwoo clash.
He figured Seonwoo had the chops to stand comparison.
But as expected...
'Experience gap's a killer.'
Doyoung wasn't just talented.
He was a fully forged actor, experience piled on since his teens.
If not for his loyalty to Cheongsong, he'd be a star by now, no question.
No matter Seonwoo's raw gift, spreading wings against that was tough.
Even accounting for it,
"He's seriously impressive."
"...Seonwoo?"
"No, Yechun."
Yechun had wandered over to watch and chimed in.
"First time acting, and he's keeping up this well... that's not everyday stuff."
"Yeah. Amazing, especially with no time to even memorize the script."
Sure, he'd flopped a bit in front of Doyoung...
'...But that's no big deal.'
Weird if anyone didn't wilt before Doyoung.
Seonwoo was giving near-max effort given the spot he was in.
The worry was that "max effort" wouldn't cut it on stage.
He had to overcome it somehow.
Eunseok tsked to himself—
"...I intend to kill someone."
The moment Seonwoo's mouth opened, the other troupe members watching zeroed in.
It felt subtly different. The Seonwoo who'd seemed crushed before Doyoung was now fully immersed in Seungdo.
You could feel it. The stage air, once orbiting only Doyoung, now flowed toward Seonwoo too.
"I'll kill the one who murdered my family. How will you punish this sin?"
Seonwoo poured out the emotion, gazing at Doyoung with a face on the verge of collapse.
"How... will you punish me?"
And in that instant, Eunseok—no, every troupe member—felt it.
'...Whoa, check this guy out?'
Hard to believe it was the same kid wilted moments ago.
Doyoung still dominated, sure. But Seonwoo, who could barely spit lines before, was now holding his own decently?
Grown that fast?
Eunseok had given advice: ignore the pressure, focus on your own acting.
But did people really flip and evolve on a single tip like that?
If so, I'd be a legend by now!
'...Take it back.'
Eunseok whistled inwardly.
'Not human. Monster.'
And Doyoung surely noticed.
A full smile lit his face as he looked at Seonwoo.
"Nice."
"...Was it okay?"
"Yeah. Wanna run the next scene?"
"Yes! Let's go!"
Seonwoo answered briskly.
Watching the two sync up weirdly well, Eunseok muttered,
"...At this rate, he'll outshine me."
Eunseok was genuinely a little uneasy.