The Weight of the Spotlight
When had it started? Sunwoo had naturally stopped thinking about winning. It was inevitable. Even setting aside the others, the wall that was Hyeseong felt far too massive to overcome. Especially after he had gained the ability to see not just the colors, but the very picture of a performance, that feeling had only deepened. He had come to realize just what a beautiful painting Hyeseong was as an actor.
'It’s as if he has the same eyes as I do.'
It was truly phenomenal that Hyeseong could deliver such performances without actually possessing that same sight. How much trial and error must he have gone through to reach that level? It was beyond anything Sunwoo dared to fathom.
And Yeonwoo was another reason Sunwoo couldn't easily covet the top spot. A psychopath. Her acting, born from an emotional spectrum entirely different from that of an ordinary person... it possessed a unique quality that was difficult for a normal person to even mimic. Setting aside her technical skill, the very unique color palette her performance created was undeniably captivating.
In Sunwoo’s own estimation, he had nothing special to boast about compared to them. Thanks to his absurd ability to see Color Bubbles, he could relatively easily find the performance closest to the "correct answer," but that was all.
So, even today, he had assumed the top spot wouldn't be his.
“Please, come up to the stage!”
When he heard Lee Mubeom’s words, Sunwoo went blank for a moment. Being called up now meant… it meant he had taken first place.
He knew it. Even in his own judgment, his performance in this third episode had been near-perfect. It meant it wasn't strange for him to be first. Yet, the reason he felt so flustered was because Sunwoo always felt a sense of inadequacy regarding his own capabilities.
It couldn't be helped. From the moment he first started acting, Sunwoo had witnessed someone truly extraordinary.
Cha Doyoung. Looking back now, meeting him had been a monumental stroke of fate. Even after acting for such a long time and meeting countless people, he had yet to see anyone who felt like a true rival to Doyoung.
The problem was that Cha Doyoung was just too great. The more he learned about acting, the less he felt the distance between them closing. If anything, he only realized more keenly how immense and distant the level of acting was, represented by that brilliant light that flowed from Doyoung—like the sun itself.
The reason Sunwoo’s head didn't swell even when people praised him as a genius was entirely thanks to Doyoung. Having seen Doyoung’s acting, he couldn't be shameless enough to puff out his chest and think of himself as a genius.
“You seem not to have expected this.”
Lee Mubeom looked at Sunwoo, smiling gently. Sunwoo nodded honestly.
“Uh… yes. Honestly, first place feels too undeserved, so I couldn't even imagine it.”
“Is that so? To my eyes, it was a truly excellent performance. You know you acted well, don’t you?”
“Um… I did the best I could.”
“It seems so. That must be why the scores came out this way. Sunwoo-ssi, your total score is 96. 86 points from the judges, and… 10 points from the audience.”
“10, 10 points… you said?”
Sunwoo’s eyes widened. It wasn't just Sunwoo. The audience watching and the other contestants were whispering in surprise.
“Isn't this the first time a 10-point audience score has appeared?”
“Exactly. With so many people, it’s really not easy to get an average of 10 points…”
“Wow, that’s incredible.”
At Minhee’s words, Hyeseong nodded in honest admiration.
“It means the viewers were that impressed.”
It was just as he said. In a way, receiving a perfect score from the audience might be more welcome to an actor than the judges' scores. It meant the public rated him highly. After all, isn't the most important thing for an actor the recognition of the public?
Lee Mubeom opened his mouth.
“Even humility can be poison if it’s excessive. Sometimes, you need to know how to praise yourself and stand tall.”
“……”
Sunwoo bowed his head in silence. Lee Mubeom swallowed a smile as he watched Sunwoo. He was such a good kid. Usually, someone with that much talent at that age would be running wild, unaware of how high the sky is… but to still be able to examine his own shortcomings.
'In time, he will surely become a great actor.'
That was why it was all the more necessary to point it out. Arrogance wasn't the only thing that held a person back.
“People are telling you right now. That you, Sunwoo-ssi, are doing very well.”
Sunwoo quietly looked into Lee Mubeom’s eyes. The thought that he was still lacking hovered in his mind, but he couldn't voice it. For one, Lee Mubeom was telling him to have confidence, so he couldn't say such things, and besides,
“Sunwoo-ssi… you are very radiant.”
Just as he said, in Lee Mubeom’s eyes, Sunwoo… was truly shining.
When Sunwoo’s evaluation ended, the chat room was scrolling quite quickly. There were people who were touched, and people who found the atmosphere puzzling. Unless one had been watching I Am an Actor closely, not many people knew that Sunwoo was under such stress.
The atmosphere was good in many ways. No one questioned Sunwoo taking first place; rather, the atmosphere was one of pure celebration. If an industry insider were watching this chat room, their eyes would surely be sparkling. He was performing this well, and not a single person had a bad word to say about him. What did that mean? It meant that the image of Sunwoo as a person was being firmly established in a completely positive light. If they understood that value, it wouldn't be strange if they were dying to get in touch with him right away.
But the chat room couldn't keep talking about Sunwoo forever.
—We will call the next participant.
The evaluation was already underway. According to the order revealed earlier… the person to be called now was 7th place. It meant an eliminated contestant.
And,
—Bang Hyungbin-ssi. Please come up to the stage.
The first name called was Hyungbin’s. Hyungbin rose to his feet. Had he expected his name to be called? His face looked more relaxed than expected.
Seong Junil looked at Hyungbin and spoke in a soft voice.
—I’m telling you this just in case, but Hyungbin-ssi, you did well. It’s just that others did better.
—Yes. Thank you. Just being able to come this far… I think it’s something I should just be grateful for.
—Is there anything you want to say last?
—…Honestly, even while filming this, I still had a lot of worries. I doubted whether I could do it… and especially since everyone around me was so cool, there were times when I secretly wondered if I was in a place I shouldn't be.
The judges watched Hyungbin in silence. Hyungbin smiled quietly at them. It wasn't a forced smile. It was a smile from the heart.
—But now, I can say it clearly. Whether this is a place I belong or not, whether I can do it or not, I’ll think about that later. For now, I just want to act. I will act. So, please look forward to me in the future!
Hyungbin bowed his head abruptly.
Those who applauded Hyungbin now began to worry about the next eliminated contestant. It was the moment when it felt real that the end of the program was near. They were all actors who wouldn't be lacking even if they were acting in the field, and now the moment had come where they had to worry about survival.
Who would be eliminated? Just as questions filled everyone’s eyes, Lee Mubeom’s mouth opened.
—Song Jaewon-ssi.
—Yes.
—Please come up to the stage.
And, he called Jaewon’s name.
It was a shocking result. Not that others were eliminated instead of Jaewon, but the image of Jaewon being eliminated itself felt shocking. It couldn't be helped. Jaewon had a vibe that felt like a protagonist from the start. From his handsome face to his steady personality and solid acting skills, he felt like he had no weaknesses. From the viewers' perspective, many hadn't even considered his elimination.
But Jaewon didn't seem to be that way. On his face as he climbed the stage, there was no sign of surprise or anything of the sort. Rather, he was accepting the result calmly. There was no regret on that face.
It seemed Seong Junil saw that too. He looked at Jaewon with a strange expression.
—You are calm.
—It was fun. It was a good opportunity, and I even got to act on a public broadcast network I had always only thought about. It’s a shame I couldn't go to the end, but…
Jaewon’s eyes sparkled.
—There’s also something I’m looking forward to. Actually, I wanted to try acting out a death scene once.
—Huh…
Seong Junil swallowed a dry laugh. At the same time,
All sorts of fan-girl/boy chats began to rise. It would have been natural for voices of regret to emerge, but because he himself was so calm, the viewers were also taking it in stride. Thanks to that, they soon began to talk about who the next eliminated contestant would be.
Overall, the atmosphere was supporting Minhee. The camera began to show Minhee and Jinwook alternately. Minhee looked a bit nervous, but she still seemed composed, and Jinwook was…
He was shaking. Whether he was conscious of it himself, he was trying to endure the trembling by gritting his teeth… but his body was shaking so much that it was impossible to pretend not to see it. The audience naturally had to become solemn. Because they could feel it through that trembling. How desperately the person named Seo Jinwook was approaching this position right now. How drenched in fear he was.
Even Minhee was looking at Jinwook with a slightly surprised expression. It seemed she hadn't imagined that Jinwook would show such a side. And, it was then.
—Na Minhee-ssi.
Yoo Miyeon called her name, and in an instant, the atmosphere reversed. Minhee turned her head with a stiff face, and Yoo Miyeon opened her mouth in a low voice.
—Please come up to the stage.
The last eliminated contestant was… Minhee.