Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Golden Ticket
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‘...What an entertaining guy.’
Sung Junil smiled.
It felt like he had come to a theater rather than a competition.
The participants were cheering like real audience members. That was only possible because the stage was so masterfully crafted that it made everyone forget it was a contest.
Maybe ordinary viewers would focus on Seo Jinwook after this performance.
His acting was certainly more stimulating.
But anyone who truly knew acting would notice Seonwoo.
In the end, Seonwoo was the one who had created the entire stage.
He had tamed Seo Jinwook’s momentum and brought out the unique colors of the other actors. It was all thanks to Seonwoo.
‘A guy who keeps drawing my eye.’
He recalled the conversation Seonwoo had shared with Seo Jinwook.
He didn’t blame Seo Jinwook. He understood well the hardships and impatience of struggling unknown actors.
Even among debuted actors, all sorts of dirty tricks went down just to snag a bit more attention, so that was nothing—practically cute.
It wasn’t that Seo Jinwook was lacking; it was better to say Seonwoo was exceptional.
His attitude toward acting was rock-solid, perfectly grounded.
Watching him even made Sung Junil reflect on his original resolve.
So,
“That was a great stage. I could see Kim Seonwoo working his tail off right in the middle.”
Sung Junil deliberately kicked off the judges’ feedback by talking about Seonwoo.
He wanted to give proper credit where it was due. Plenty of people would leave without realizing Seonwoo’s contributions if no one spoke up.
Since Seonwoo had given up the starring role, Sung Junil wanted to crown him the real protagonist instead.
“Exactly. Watching his prelims acting, I figured he wouldn’t be great at supporting others... but nope, not true at all?”
As if reading his mind, Yoo Miyoung chimed in seamlessly.
Sung Junil shot her a subtle smile. He’d filled her in on what happened between Seo Jinwook and Seonwoo, so she must have come away with a strong positive impression from his performance too.
That explained why her famously stern expression was unusually soft today.
“He really held the center together. I remember Seonwoo hasn’t been at it that long... but just from today, he seems like someone who’s been grinding in the field for years.”
“Thank you.”
Seonwoo felt a little thrown.
He hadn’t expected praise like this.
He’d braced himself for less attention this time, having dialed back his own intensity from before.
Of course, the other teammates got their share of praise too.
Hyungbin and Sion were more stable than in the prelims, and as for Seo Jinwook...
“You know you’re an energetic actor, right?”
“Yes. I know.”
“But do you also know that energy isn’t always a strength?”
“...Pardon?”
“Without Seonwoo, your performance today would’ve flown off the rails on its own.”
Busted.
And Sung Junil was the one who’d laid it out.
It wasn’t out of personal dislike for Seo Jinwook’s “I’ll survive alone” attitude. He just knew that mindset wouldn’t sustain a career in acting.
“Acting isn’t a solo act. It’s a group effort.”
“Yes... I understand.”
Even Seo Jinwook had no choice but to back down in front of Sung Junil.
The moment Seonwoo inwardly sighed at his deflated nod, Lee Mubeom spoke up.
“Kim Seonwoo.”
“Yes.”
Caught off guard by the sudden call, Seonwoo whipped his head around in surprise.
Lee Mubeom gazed at him steadily.
“As an actor, moments like that come up all the time. When the acting you want to do clashes with the acting you have to do. Today, Kim Seonwoo, you did what you had to. You gonna keep doing that from now on?”
“...Desire matters, but I think duty comes first.”
“Even if sticking only to duty means you never get to do the acting you truly want—for your entire life?”
Seonwoo was at a loss for words.
He’d never really thought that far ahead. He pondered it. If push came to shove like that, what would he do?
The answer came surprisingly easily.
“I just like acting, period.”
It might’ve seemed a bit off-base.
But that was Seonwoo’s honest truth.
Even while propping up Sion and Hyungbin this time, he hadn’t seen it as a loss or sacrifice on his part.
He was just trying to make a better stage.
And if certain acting was needed for that? Then do it.
“Today’s acting was enjoyable too. If I could always perform like this, I wouldn’t want for anything more.”
“...I see.”
A faint smile finally tugged at Lee Mubeom’s lips for the first time.
“That’s a fortunate mindset for you.”
Lee Mubeom had seen countless actors over the years.
Including plenty who wrecked the set’s vibe and tanked the work’s quality over petty scene-grabbing egos.
Their motivations were always the same.
Selfishness in their hearts—not the craft.
Craving stardom over artistry.
But Seonwoo showed no trace of that. It wasn’t even well-hidden. He genuinely loved acting—it shone through.
How could he not smile at that?
“Hold onto that heart forever.”
“Yes, I’ll keep it in mind.”
The judges’ feedback wrapped up there.
Golden tickets and dropouts hadn’t been decided yet. That would come after all teams performed.
Seonwoo stepped offstage with his teammates and clapped a hand on Sion’s shoulder.
“Good work, Sion.”
“Y-Yes...! Thank you!”
Sion replied in a voice that trembled just a little.
He’d been pretending otherwise, but it must’ve been terrifying. With all those eyes on them—and giants like Lee Mubeom right there.
On the way back to their seats, the Cheongsong Troupe members flashed thumbs-up. Seonwoo smiled to himself at the quiet praise.
‘This has to count as a win, right?’
Truth be told, he’d felt confidence building throughout their own performance.
The way their four colors blended together was genuinely pleasing. At this rate, snagging a golden ticket seemed well within reach.
...But that lasted only a moment.
When the next team took the stage, a strange unease crept onto Seonwoo’s face.
‘...They’re pretty solid too?’
It was Hyeseong’s team.
As Cheongsong’s premier supporting ace, Hyeseong had shone from the middle, elevating the play’s stability to the absolute limit.
Sure enough, the judges showered him with praise.
“Hyeseong could head straight to pro work right now, no question.”
“I agree. Fifteen years in the troupe, right? Yeah... that time showed its true worth today.”
Nor was it just Hyeseong.
All the Cheongsong members drew strong reviews.
Yechun’s team hadn’t shone overall, but he’d gotten props for injecting vitality whenever the stage started flagging.
And Jaewon? No need to even mention.
“Man, that team’s... flawless.”
Even the watching contestants shook their heads in awe.
A total clique. Jaewon’s lineup was perfection incarnate—looks, talent, everything screamed working pros.
They each poured out their colors freely, yet nothing collapsed. It felt like watching true professionals at work.
But the team that truly captivated Seonwoo was elsewhere.
‘Senior Minhee...’
No need to belabor how captivating Minhee’s acting was.
But something else had seized his attention just as much—her teammate.
“I-It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!”
First impressions? Incredibly glamorous, maybe. Porcelain skin so fair and translucent, vivid flush, features in impossible harmony.
But what stood out even more... was the aura she radiated.
‘Is something like that... even possible?’
Her lines unleashed colors in every shape imaginable, sweeping across the stage.
Emotions in forms he’d never witnessed before.
Acting that detailed, no doubt.
Even Minhee’s presence momentarily dimmed before her flawless delivery.
‘This won’t be easy.’
Seonwoo let out an inward sigh.
Monsters lurked everywhere—not just in Cheongsong.
It hit him anew: surviving to the end here wouldn’t be a cakewalk.
‘Golden ticket... can we pull it off?’
A sense of crisis was starting to build.
Up until the judges’ rave reviews, he’d thought momentum was on their side for a golden ticket.
But now it felt like that wouldn’t come easy.
Did that anxiety show on his face?
Hyungbin glanced over, then sidled up beside him.
“Seonwoo.”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Nervous?”
“...Kinda feels that way.”
“Why get tense now? You were all confidence during the acting and feedback.”
Hyungbin chuckled.
Seonwoo’s worry was obvious: what if they didn’t get the golden ticket?
It felt oddly touching. Honestly, even without it, Seonwoo wouldn’t drop.
The judges’ fondness for him was plain as day. No way he’d be cut.
Yet here he was, on edge—for Sion and Hyungbin’s sake.
No golden ticket, and those two would likely be the dropouts.
‘Thanks a ton.’
At first, he’d even suspected ulterior motives.
Playing nice for the cameras?
But the more he observed Seonwoo, the clearer it became.
This wasn’t image management.
Genuine care—for them.
“...Thanks, Seonwoo.”
“Huh? What’s that out of nowhere?”
“I know full well you didn’t have to go this hard. You did it for us.”
“It wasn’t like that exactly... I just wanted a solid stage.”
“Sure, let’s call it that. Either way, I’m seriously grateful. So...”
Hyungbin met Seonwoo’s eyes directly.
“Even if we drop, don’t beat yourself up.”
“Don’t talk like that. You won’t.”
“Yeah, here’s hoping. But if it happens, let it go. Not on you.”
“R-Right!”
Sion, who’d been listening in, nodded vigorously.
“Thanks to hyung... I acted so well! It was awesome!!”
‘...’
Seonwoo fell silent.
They insisted it was fine, so pushing back felt wrong—and above all, he understood their feelings.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ << All teams have completed their performances. >> << Now it’s time to decide who claims a room... and who has to leave. >> << We judges deliberated each team with utmost care. >> << Who delivered the better performance? Who seems poised to become the better actor? We weighed everything—from present to future potential. >> << And the results... are these. >> That was when Sung Junil spoke.
Suddenly, a flood of names burst onto the screen at the back of the stage.
As the crowd stirred, Sung Junil continued.
⚙ ANNOUNCEMENT ⚙ << These are the dropouts. >> Dropouts.
The word sent everyone scrambling to scan the list for their own names.
Seonwoo was no different. He quickly ran his eyes down the fifty names on the screen. Then he swallowed hard.
Bang Hyungbin
Kim Sion
There they were.
He glanced at the two of them—yep, they’d spotted theirs too, their eyes flickering uncertainly.
And right around then.
⚙ ANNOUNCEMENT ⚙ << But not all of them are homeless just yet. >> << The four members of golden ticket teams are exempt from elimination. >> << And those golden tickets go to... >> Sung Junil clapped his hands.
And in that instant, four names on the screen began glowing gold.
The moment Seonwoo confirmed them, his expression shifted.
🏆 GOLDEN TICKET 🏆 Justin Oh, Ju Yeonho, Bang Hyungbin, and Kim Sion.
The names he’d been hoping for... were shining gold.
✨ SURVIVAL CONFIRMED! ✨ << Congratulations. You have survived. >> They got it.
The golden ticket.