Chapter 68
Chapter 68
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Do You Want to Be Number One?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
68
Do you want to be first?
It was a tough question for Seonwoo to answer.
Of course he wanted to be number one. But right now, the kind of evaluation Seonwoo craved wasn't something like "You're the best."
What mattered to him was something else entirely.
How did my acting come across?
Did he shine?
The truth was, he already knew the answer.
He probably hadn't. That was the kind of character Kim Seonwoo was. From start to finish, he never once shone.
In a way, it was similar to the Mute.
The Mute who hadn't held a single color.
But in his final moments... the Mute showed that he would take on some kind of color, wrapping things up that way. The longer the time he'd spent without any hue, the more dramatically that hint of change came alive.
Kim Seonwoo was different, though.
It couldn't be helped since the story had only unfolded through episode one, but Kim Seonwoo had shown nothing but a gray, sunken demeanor the entire time.
Acting.
To Seonwoo, acting was something vibrant and colorful.
Dressed in every hue, sparkling brightly... yeah, like a Christmas tree—an art form.
From that perspective, this first episode was a chance for Seonwoo to show the appeal of acting as he saw it... and he'd never gotten even one.
And things probably wouldn't change going forward.
But about that acting...
"That's the impression I got. Seonwoo, you're... a really good fit for dark tones."
Seong Junil offered that assessment.
The way he looked at Seonwoo, his eyes were burning fiercely.
He must have been quite impressed, speaking with such fervor it was almost like spit was flying.
"More precisely, when you give off that feeling of being sunk into something... all of Seonwoo's charms come alive in this overwhelming way. Like everything's falling into place, you know?"
A bit of a rambling explanation.
But it couldn't be helped. Seonwoo's acting today had hit Seong Junil like a shockwave.
That endlessly sunken vibe, like he'd cast everything aside, giving off a drowsy, quiet sentiment.
It was an emotion so hard to even grasp, let alone act.
The sight of Seonwoo pulling it off effortlessly, something most actors wouldn't even attempt... even left Seong Junil stunned.
Acting like that in just your first year?
"What you acted out today wasn't an emotion—it was the concept itself. Not melancholy or despair... just pure emptiness. I couldn't look away the whole time."
"...Thank you."
Seonwoo bowed his head.
For some reason, it made Yeonwoo's feelings suddenly click for him.
Even while receiving praise... it didn't feel all that joyful.
If anything, it left a bittersweet taste. Like they were saying Seonwoo suited gray better than vibrant colors.
Seonwoo clenched his fist.
It's fine.
So what if gray suited him right now?
If he lived each day painting on as many colors as possible, as vibrantly as he could... maybe someday he'd hear those words.
You shine so bright.
You're the type who suits something really colorful.
"Exactly. Your acting today would make for a solid portfolio piece on its own. When directors are casting for dark roles, I bet Seonwoo's name pops into their heads at least once."
Unaware of Seonwoo's inner thoughts, Yoo Miyeon chimed in with a serious expression.
"It's like... you've got your own distinct character now."
"......"
This time, he couldn't even muster a thank you.
He was a little scared that if he wasn't careful, he'd end up pigeonholed as "Kim Seonwoo = dark role specialist."
That was when it happened.
Lee Mubeom, who had been quietly listening to the judges, peered intently at Seonwoo's face and spoke up.
"Seonwoo, what do you think about the character Kim Seonwoo right now?"
He'd heard a similar question before.
During script reading, PD Park Myungjin had asked if he hated Kim Seonwoo.
Lee Mubeom wasn't quite going there... but Seonwoo's gaze still sank.
For some reason, in this moment, he felt like he had to answer properly.
This wasn't the time for simple likes or dislikes.
Rather...
"When the cloudy days drag on, eventually you just end up waiting for the clouds to part."
Seonwoo slowly parted his lips.
Then he looked straight at the judges.
Not with the hazy eyes imposed on Kim Seonwoo, but with ones sparkling like they held the sun.
"I hope Kim Seonwoo's days clear up someday too... That's my honest wish."
He knew now that hating Kim Seonwoo wasn't the wrong answer.
But was the right one "I like Kim Seonwoo"?
No, that wasn't it.
Even Kim Seonwoo himself didn't like Kim Seonwoo.
To put it precisely, Kim Seonwoo held no feelings toward himself at all. No like, no dislike.
How could anyone affirm a man who was like a walking corpse?
All he could do was worry and cheer him on.
"...A good answer."
Lee Mubeom finally smiled softly.
Talking about the role like it was a real, living person. It might seem odd to outsiders, but for actors, this was the most vital quality.
If the actor doesn't treat the role like a person, how could the audience feel the acting come alive?
"Thanks to that mindset, even covered in ashes, the character Kim Seonwoo... shone through."
"...?"
Shone?
When? In what moment?
Unfortunately, Seonwoo never got the chance to clear up that doubt.
"We'll announce the scores. Judges' score: 83 points. Audience score: 8 points... Total: 91 points."
"...Thank you!"
Seonwoo bowed deeply.
Yeonwoo had 95, Hyeseong 94... so he was tied for third with Jaewon.
He wasn't thrilled with the ranking, but Seonwoo didn't dwell on it. What lingered in his ears wasn't the placement, but that one line from Lee Mubeom.
That Kim Seonwoo had shone.
...What did that mean?
* * *
"Today's eliminated contestants... Park Munhyeon with 84 points and Justin Oh with 81."
"Those who are eliminated will film their death endings for Room 2 and then fully exit the program."
"You've all worked hard. We judges sincerely cheer on the acting careers you'll build from here."
The eliminated were decided.
Munhyeon and Justin.
With Room 2 filming still ahead, it wasn't an immediate goodbye.
Even so, some were already tearing up.
Surprisingly, Minhee was one of them.
"Whoa, sis! Why are you crying? For me? 나 위해서? It's so touching?!"
"...Shut up. I told you not to use English!"
They'd bickered constantly, but affection had snuck in somehow.
Well, even that shouting matched daily faces—bound to breed some fondness.
Seonwoo turned to Munhyeon.
Due to his serious nature and age gap, they hadn't interacted much, but Munhyeon had quietly anchored them as an elder.
Hearing he was leaving... it left an odd emptiness he couldn't shake.
"...You worked hard."
"Hard? Nah, just stacking good memories."
Munhyeon smiled gently.
"You think I ever imagined, at my age, ending up here acting in a drama? Honestly, even this moment doesn't feel so bad."
"...I see."
"Still, my wife and daughter are probably bawling right now. I'll go comfort my crybabies at home, so you head back too, Seonwoo. Your parents are here, right?"
"Yes. See you at the dorm later."
"Alright, alright."
Yeah, couldn't keep his parents waiting too long.
Seonwoo felt a fresh wave of tension.
How had they seen his first real work? He'd shown other acting on , but this was the first time something was fully edited into a proper piece.
He was curious.
What had they thought watching him act?
Had they felt good about supporting it? Moved? Or still worried...?
"Son!"
Seeing his mother made one thing clear at least.
No worries there. Her face was... bright, somehow.
"Oh, Mom. Where's Dad?"
"Pulling the car around now. Parking lot's packed, so it's taking a bit. Hungry? Let's eat."
"Yeah. What do you want?"
"We should eat what you want. With all the dorm life and filming, you're probably not eating right."
"......Not really craving anything."
"Then think fast before Dad gets here."
In the end, they settled on Pyongyang cold noodles.
Youngsik, arriving by car, grumbled it wasn't enough and pushed for something heartier, but they compromised by ordering generous galbi ribs on the side.
Only once seated at the restaurant did the real talk begin.
"You were cool out there, son."
Jeonghee smiled warmly.
"Honestly, I worried a ton when you said you wanted to act... but watching you, I started thinking my fears were pointless."
"Exactly, stop worrying about Seonwoo already. When has he ever gone astray? Kid always handles his stuff without being told."
"But when a steady kid like him suddenly wants to act, of course I'm worried. If it was Seonjun, I'd shrug it off, but Seonwoo always stuck to the straight path."
The straight path.
Seonwoo nodded inwardly at Jeonghee's words.
He'd always been the worry-free son.
And that was partly Seonjun's fault.
Seonjun excelled at studies, art, sports... everything. From childhood, he'd gotten tons of parental expectations as a golden child. The problem was his wild streak.
Seonjun never listened to his parents.
Always top of the school since elementary, he could've picked any college major... but he used a short film shot on his phone with friends as his portfolio and jumped straight into film studies.
Jeonghee and Youngsik had sighed endlessly back then.
That was why Seonwoo had stuck doggedly to steady studying.
Couldn't let both sons run wild—parents wouldn't cope. He had to lighten their load...
And it ended up like this.
He felt sorry toward his parents.
Both sons walking the arts path in the end.
But,
"At first, it was like... well, can't be helped. But seeing you today, I thought you were right to pursue acting."
Jeonghee confessed outright.
Seonwoo's expression turned puzzled.
"...Really? Wasn't the character I played today too drab?"
"Drab as heck. Just like your old self."
"......"
Totally unexpected fact-bomb.
He knew he'd been drab back then, but hearing his parents confirm it stung with embarrassment.
"That's when your other stages came to mind... and seeing how much brighter you've gotten lately, it hit me harder. Yeah, this kid's meant for acting."
"...Your dad's enjoying your recent self too."
Youngsik added.
"No need for long talks. It's just... pretty great."
Pretty great.
Seonwoo scratched his head, embarrassed, at a loss for words.
That was when,
"Three cold noodles here, right?"
"Yes, right here."
The server arrived like a savior with the noodles.
Youngsik chuckled.
"Let's eat first. Talk after."
"Okay."
Seonwoo nodded and slurped some noodles.
The taste of Pyongyang cold noodles after so long was, well...
warm.