The Weight of the Spotlight
Scroll, scroll, scroll.
The scroll bar keeps climbing. The people in the chat room had long since stopped caring about what others were typing. Part of it was because they were too busy typing their own thoughts, but mostly, it was because the speed of the chat was impossible to follow with the naked eye.
It couldn't be helped. They felt as if they had been toyed with by Ryu in real-time, trapped in a cycle of false hope. The terror felt when Seo Jinwook opened the door and the despair when Yoo Jieun’s blood splattered against the wall were at a level that felt like it would leave genuine psychological scars.
Everyone seemed to have taken significant mental damage. It couldn't be helped. After spending three episodes building a narrative where you had no choice but to root for Yoo Jieun, nobody expected her life to be snuffed out in such a cruel and desperate way. Did they already know she was going to die? That was exactly why it was even harder. Because they knew from the start, they had poured even more sympathy into her. And the deeper that sympathy, the greater the shock and sorrow of the end.
Of course, there were still those focusing on other things.
Just like that, eyes were drawn to Seo Jinwook as well. It couldn't be helped. He had contributed to the climax of the third episode just as much as Jieun had. And naturally,
Talk about Kim Sunwoo was inevitable. The moment he screamed, everyone watching felt a chill run down their spine. Sunwoo had long since ceased to have trouble with simple emotional expression. It was just that he hadn't had the proper opportunity to show it until now; he was always ready to explode if the stage was set. And this was simply that opportunity.
As the audience's reactions exploded, the faded-out screen slowly illuminated the actors. Seven participants, excluding the eliminated Yoo Jieun. The camera brushed past their tense faces and turned toward the judges. And at that moment,
Laughter erupted in the chat room. The way Seong Junil’s lips kept twitching showed exactly how much he adored the participants. It was a stark contrast to Yoo Miyeon and Lee Mubeom, who were relatively better at hiding their emotions.
—"I enjoyed the great acting. I can feel that everyone has incorporated the feedback from last time, which is wonderful. Especially you, Jieun."
Seong Junil called for Jieun. Unlike the others, Jieun, who had been sitting separately in the audience, jumped in surprise and looked up.
—"I’m sorry. Honestly, I never imagined you would do this well, Jieun."
—"Oh, u-uh, yes! W-was I good?"
—"Yes. It was beyond my expectations. Don't you know it yourself?"
—"......I don't really know."
—"Then you should start knowing from now on. Your acting is alive. I hope you keep doing it like this in the future."
—"Y-yes, yes...!"
Jieun nodded, her ears turning red. She looked as if she hadn't even expected such praise.
As they said, Jieun looked quite choked up. Perhaps Seong Junil’s words resonated with her that deeply. Unfortunately, there was no time to think about it further. Lee Mubeom was opening his mouth.
—"As Seong Junil said, it was good acting."
—"It is very regrettable that we have to let some of you go, but this is something we must address."
—"But before that, I will tell you in advance how many people will be eliminated today."
—"The number of people to be eliminated today is..."
—"Three."
Three. The participants' complexions turned pale. It was a larger number than expected. But it was unavoidable. [Room] is a six-part drama. It meant they needed to thin the herd in the fourth episode. From the remaining four, the people advancing to the fifth episode would be decided, and the filming of the fifth episode would be the real final. The sixth episode would be the final shoot to honor the winner.
Even knowing that, it was impossible not to feel a tightness in the chest. Previously, they were picking two out of ten, or one out of eight... but today, it was three out of seven. Almost half the group would have to drink the bitter cup of elimination.
—"Everyone looks tense," Lee Mubeom smiled. "I know how you feel. The anxiety that if you take one wrong step, you'll fall... and that you might never be able to come back... I had that too."
Considering he hadn't stepped down from the top star position even once since his youth star days, it was a very profound statement. Lee Mubeom looked at the participants with kind eyes.
—"But you don't need to think like that. It's okay to stumble. It's okay to fall. No, to be precise... it's impossible for life to go on without stumbling. So, I hope you don't dwell too much on today's results."
At Lee Mubeom’s words, comments saying "Wow" flooded the chat room. The participants also looked somewhat moved. But that didn't mean the tension could be erased from their faces. Because that, too, was impossible in a way. Watching them, Yoo Miyeon opened her mouth.
—"Additionally, I will inform you of the order of today's evaluation. We will evaluate in the order of 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 7th, 6th, 5th, and 4th place. First, we will announce 3rd place. Lee Yeonwoo, please come forward."
Yeonwoo walked up to the stage. She wore her signature confident yet likable smile. Seeing her, Seong Junil smiled.
—"Yeonwoo, let me ask you one thing."
—"Yes, go ahead."
—"What do you think I'm feeling right now?"
An abrupt question. But Yeonwoo smiled relaxedly.
—"Hmm, I think you're a bit curious about me."
—"......Correct. To be precise, I'm very curious about what's inside your head. Yeonwoo, you're always observing people, aren't you?"
—"No comment."
—"That's fine. I can already see it all. This is acting that couldn't be shown unless you were always observing people. How many details do you pack into a single cut... I've truly never seen an actor who acts with such precision."
Seong Junil’s expression was serious. It felt almost like he was paying his respects.
—"Every actor knows. How tiring and exhausting it is to bring out such details. Watching your acting... I think I know how much you love acting. I express my sincere respect for that heart."
—"......Thank you."
For a moment, Yeonwoo seemed to have a bitter expression, but that was probably just an illusion. Yeonwoo’s evaluation ended that way. Next was the 2nd place. And at that moment, the person caught on camera was, in a way, a bit unexpected.
—"Jung Hyeseong, please come up to the stage."
—"Yes!"
The second runner was Hyeseong. It meant Hyeseong was 2nd place. As Hyeseong walked to the stage with a bewildered expression, Yoo Miyeon smiled at him.
—"Honestly, it’s always embarrassing to evaluate you, Hyeseong. Truthfully, there are times when I think, 'Isn't he better than me in some aspects?'"
It was hard to believe that a great actor who had even swept the Best Actress awards would say that. It meant Hyeseong’s acting was top-tier. Seong Junil nodded as well.
—"I always feel this, but it’s hard to find flaws in your acting. It feels like the technical side is already complete, and the result just depends on how well you fit the role. So, the only thing I want to say to you is this: Don't be afraid, just keep doing what you're doing."
—"......Thank you!"
It must have been praise he had heard until he was sick of it while appearing here, but every time he heard that praise, Hyeseong’s face was filled with emotion. Should I say he looked like a puppy who had received a surprise gift from its owner?
It was natural for such a chat to come up. It was visible that this person was truly sincere about acting, and yet had lived without receiving even such trivial recognition. People now started to guess who 1st place was. But that guessing didn't last long. Before they could even properly guess, Lee Mubeom’s mouth opened.
—"Kim Sunwoo."
—"......Yes?"
Lee Mubeom smiled.
—"Come up to the stage!"