Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Cheongsong Troupe Audition
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"Good call."
Seonjun didn't look surprised at all.
Seonwoo, who had braced himself to make a solemn declaration, suddenly felt embarrassed for no reason.
"...You saw that coming?"
"Yeah."
"How?"
"How what? Every time we talk about acting, you get this distant look in your eyes. How could I not notice?"
...Had he really been making that face?
As Seonwoo scratched his head awkwardly, Seonjun spoke up.
"You want to try acting, which means you want to become an actor, right?"
"Movies, dramas, doesn't matter. As long as I can act."
"You know it's a tough road?"
Seonjun gazed at Seonwoo with deep-set eyes.
"Sure, they called you a genius, but that doesn't mean you're a finished actor right now. You'll need to put in a ton of effort and gain a lot of experience."
"I know. I'm not doing this thinking I'll make it big overnight. I just love acting and want to do it."
"Even if it means spending years as a nobody?"
"..."
That was harder to answer.
He wanted to say he'd be fine as a nobody forever because he loved acting... but honestly, that ignored reality too much.
"You gotta give it a shot first, right?"
"Yeah, fair enough. I just wanted you to know. I've seen too many people around me waste their youth on it."
"...Hang on, you're the one who told me to act in the first place. Why keep scaring me off?"
"Gotta warn you ahead of time. Anyway... I've scared you enough. Want some encouragement now?"
"Hit me with it before I lose my nerve."
"No idea how long it'll take, but... you'll make it in the end."
His voice carried an oddly firm conviction.
"The emotional depth you express... you can't get that with effort alone. You're starting way ahead of the pack."
That much made sense.
The color orbs were basically a superpower, after all.
They practically transplanted the soul of the role right into him. No wonder Seonjun called him a genius.
But he couldn't rely on that alone.
Acting wasn't just about emotional lines.
And sure enough, Seonjun nailed it.
"Still, you'll need to learn the basics—timing, voice work, reading..."
"Where do I learn that?"
"Can't exactly tell you to enroll in college now... so two options: acting academy or a troupe."
"Which one do you recommend?"
"Troupe."
It was almost instant.
Instead of answering, Seonwoo just stared at Seonjun, wondering why he was so adamant about a troupe.
"They won't give you formal lessons or anything. But I think the best education for an actor is watching great performances. And troupes... they're full of hidden monsters you won't find anywhere else."
"Learn by watching?"
"Yeah. I can introduce you to one if you want. Friend of mine runs it—pretty solid place. What do you say? Wanna go?"
No need to think it over.
Troupe life wouldn't be easy. Competition, all sorts of hardships...
But he was just starting down this new path.
"Yeah. I'll check it out."
He'd never planned on taking the easy road anyway.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ You never know what life has in store.
Just days ago, he was suited up, hopping from interview to interview. Now here he was, in the theater district of Daehangno.
Seonwoo was at the troupe Seonjun had recommended.
Cheongsong Troupe.
Seonjun had called it "pretty good," but after a quick search, Seonwoo knew it was way more than that.
It was one of the hottest troupes in the country right now.
For starters, the cast was insanely young.
The oldest actor was in his thirties, they said.
They went for trendy scripts aimed at young audiences.
And they even ran their own theater.
He'd thought all troupes had theaters, but apparently that was rare.
Made joining a real challenge.
You had to pass a test.
That's why he'd prepared a piece for the audition...
"Hello. You're Seonjun's little brother, right?"
"Hello."
But a problem cropped up.
Seonwoo bowed politely and fell silent.
A skinny middle-aged man with curly bobbed hair stared at him.
Park Jiwan, leader of Cheongsong.
And the issue?
"Seonjun gave me a heads-up. You want to really try acting, huh?"
Jiwan clearly wasn't thrilled about Seonwoo.
Eyes that darted away instead of meeting his, shoulders rising and falling with sigh-like breaths, head tilting subtly aside...
Familiar sights from job interviews.
Just like the interviewers.
'What's his deal?'
What could be so off-putting already?
They'd just met. And Seonwoo was here on Seonjun's referral. He'd never expected this reaction.
'...Did that idiot Kim Seonjun say something weird?'
No clue.
Uncomfortable opening his mouth, he sat quietly. Jiwan spoke without even looking at his face.
"Any acting experience?"
"Once."
"...Once?"
Jiwan's expression hardened.
He let out a sigh.
"Alright, show me what you got. Do a free performance. I'll judge from that."
Seonwoo could read Jiwan's mind easily.
He didn't like him. Wanted this over quick.
That lit a fire under him.
'...Can't freeze up now.'
He had to show them.
Change the vibe.
He'd prepared an acting piece.
First time performing for someone other than Seonjun. Stomach churning a bit... but forget it.
Forget everything.
Hypnotize himself that it wasn't there.
Jiwan's bored face.
The pressure of the moment.
Worries about his acting future.
All gone.
Focus only on the script's character and world.
The emotions and thoughts the role would feel.
And... this.
Seonwoo looked ahead.
A rosy color orb floated there.
The one he'd prepared for this audition.
No stronger ally.
Seonwoo burst the color orb.
"Why is your depression my fault?"
And it dyed him.
In rosy hues.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Did Jiwan really dislike Seonwoo?
Yes, he did.
But it wasn't entirely Seonwoo's fault.
It started with Seonjun's call.
Cheongsong wasn't some place you could join on a whim. They selected through regular tests.
But Seonjun called out of the blue, asking to slot Seonwoo in.
Not even a request.
My little bro's a genius. He'll go big someday, so don't regret it—take him under your wing when you can. It'll help your troupe too.
Seonjun was provoking him.
Not "got a spot?" but "don't regret it, train him"?
'That lunatic...'
But it was effective bait.
Those brazen words piqued Jiwan's curiosity.
Seonjun talked nonsense sometimes, but never lied.
Especially about films.
And he was calling someone a genius.
Hard to ignore.
So he figured, fine, see the face.
But the moment he saw Seonwoo, Jiwan's expectations crashed.
'Boring.'
Handsome, sure, but no color to him.
A big issue. For actors, "color" meant talent and value.
"Any acting experience?"
"Once."
"...Once?"
That sealed it. Jiwan deflated completely.
Sending a kid with one acting gig as a "genius"?
That psycho Kim Seonjun...
Last shred of curiosity about Seonwoo vanished.
Still, he asked for a performance out of basic courtesy...
"Why is your depression my fault?"
"...!"
The instant Seonwoo delivered the line, Jiwan's eyes changed.
'What the?'
The person transformed.
Just moments ago, Seonwoo had been dull, almost drab... now he felt like summer-night youth drama material.
'No real experience, huh?'
Seonwoo was playing Jeongdae.
The always gentle, kind boyfriend.
Who always smiled softly at his girlfriend, but finally explodes in a relationship where he has to keep accommodating.
This was that part.
How'd he know it so well?
Cheongsong had produced and performed it.
"Answer me. Why am I always responsible for your moods? Because I'm your boyfriend? Is that what a boyfriend is to you?"
This scene split actors sharply.
Expressing the love still there, mixed with unbearable frustration and raw pain? Not easy.
And now, Jiwan thought:
"Fine, then I'm done. Your boyfriend."
Who in Cheongsong could play Jeongdae tastier than this?
'...This is fun.'
Jiwan's lips twitched with excitement.
A presence that made him swallow hard.
Not watching acting—watching a heartbroken boyfriend for real.
How, from a guy with no experience?
Incomprehensible.
...But that's what makes a genius.
Yeah, genius.
Now he got why Seonjun made such a fuss.
"...Seonwoo."
Jiwan steadied his breath and called.
Seonwoo slowly turned to him.
"Yes."
"When can you start?"
"Uh... today works."
"Perfect."
Jiwan extended his hand.
Seonwoo's bland first impression was already wiped from his mind.
"Looking forward to working with you."
The whole pumpkin had rolled in on the vine.