Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: First Scene Performance
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Once Professor Im Se-hee had entered all the students' names and hit enter, the group assignments were finalized. A brief commotion broke out as everyone shifted to their new seats.
"This semester, you'll be sticking with these groups~!"
I scanned the teammates I'd be sharing the Scene Acting class with this term.
A guy from my year—decent enough, not too close but no bad blood either. A female underclassman I didn't recognize, probably a freshman. And...
'Seo A-ra? In my previous life, she wasn't in my group.'
It was odd how things kept differing from my memories, but then again, I'd come back to change the regrets of my past. It made sense that some things would shift.
The classmate and underclassman fumbled awkwardly through introductions. Seo A-ra stayed silent. Technically the oldest here, I broke the ice first.
"Nice to meet you all. Long time no see. Hope you've been well?"
Only then did they finally open their mouths.
"Uh, hey."
"Ah, hello, sunbae."
Even amid this, Seo A-ra just gave a quiet wave. For a moment, it felt like I was coming off as the nagging elder.
'Adults are supposed to greet first... Oh right, I'm the same age as them now?'
'Seo A-ra's always been impossible to read, both in my past life and now.'
Even after decades, the memory of her was vivid. And there was a reason for that.
For starters, despite being a female classmate, she'd enlisted in the military like me, making her a second-year too.
Unlike most of our female peers, who were now seniors prepping for graduation, Seo A-ra had already started building her career with frequent leaves of absence from this point on. It was a common path for standouts in the Film Department. And above all, while I was the absolute bottom of our class year, she was the undisputed top. Polar opposites, basically.
A group with the department's top and bottom student. Even my classmate looked dazed by the bizarre lineup.
Anyway, class went on.
"The handout is the scene you'll perform today~."
Discussion time began. I peered at the printout passed down from the front.
It was a webtoon riding a wave of popularity lately—a fantasy crime investigation series from Four-Leaf Clover. It even got adapted into a drama later on.
'This matches my memory. Makes sense; they probably just pulled the first lesson forward.'
'Professor Im Se-hee... I didn't realize in my past life, but she's got real insight. The drama adaptation announcement is ages away, yet she picked this.'
Even a quick glance showed characters with sharp personalities and endless interpretive potential.
But the freshman girl and my male classmate looked stumped. The Film Department split into acting and directing majors.
Acting itself divided into theater like musicals and plays, versus media like dramas and films.
Scene Acting covered every subfield of performance.
Not just Henrik Ibsen or Anton Chekhov, but movies, dramas—even trendy webtoons like this.
It wasn't a textbook drama or film with established actor references.
For your average first- or second-year, it was understandably daunting. Webtoons or novels demanded pure personal interpretation.
Of course, even as a second-year, my case was different.
'How many years did I grind on that pro show?'
Shocking TV: All Stories of the World. It reenacted incidents from across time and globe.
As a reenactment actor, I'd fought Mongols as a Goryeo warrior.
Or exorcised a cursed doll as a 20th-century South American shaman.
Even played the founder of Pineapple, the iconic smartphone innovator.
No era or genre was off-limits. My head was stocked with references for nearly every scenario.
I glanced at my struggling teammates, then across at Seo A-ra.
Big eyes with a touch of charm. Her defined features cast shadows that sharpened her overall impression.
But those deep eyes above all. Their secretive gaze drew you in effortlessly.
'This probably isn't tough for her either.'
A monster who'd swept national youth monologue contests and musical competitions before even entering J University. Famous since her arts high school days.
Top of her class on admission, and she held that spot through graduation in my past life.
Naturally, she rocketed to top-star status post-graduation.
The issue? She vanished from the peak for some unknowable reason. Biggest scandal in the industry at the time.
My teammates were hitting their limits and turned to me for input.
"So, how should we handle this?"
"Tch. The protagonist's power feels too vague, right? What do you think?"
The webtoon's title, quoted in the handout: Your Desires Are Visible. A protagonist gains a special ability after an accident.
As a detective, he uses it to solve cases. I murmured softly.
"Reveals the greatest desire of anyone they touch..."
Exactly that: the deepest yearning harbored by whoever the protagonist touches.
And it wasn't limited to the living. It showed victims' lifelong dreams, short-term goals, even momentary urges.
After sorting my thoughts, I spoke up.
"It's definitely tricky. The key is acting the protagonist after seeing someone's desire. Not some one-note reaction—restrained internal performance is crucial."
"??"
"Huh? No idea what that means."
Since it peered into the most personal depths, reactions could range from empathetic heartbreak to disgusted frowns at raw greed. Solid work, I nodded. Then my scalp prickled.
Lifting my head, Seo A-ra was staring at me with an inscrutable look.
Seo A-ra suddenly turned toward one male student's words.
"It's definitely tricky. The key is acting the protagonist after seeing someone's desire. Not some one-note reaction—restrained internal performance is crucial."
She racked her brain trying to place him. A faint, hazy memory.
Handsome in that dime-a-dozen Film Department way—no strong impression.
'One of the guys from my year, maybe...'
Still couldn't pin him down. Anyway, his words had her full attention now.
The other two blinked like they'd heard gibberish. But at her level, she got it.
'Who is this guy? How'd he nail the core detail right off the bat...?'
He'd zeroed in on the exact nuance needing focus. Faster than her, even. Too precise for luck—pure experience or instinct.
Someone with that insight should've stuck in her memory.
But... nothing. She rarely paid guys much mind anyway.
"So, who does the protagonist?"
"Yeah... I'm not confident."
The protagonist was male, but gender didn't have to match.
The underclassman girl and classmate glanced her way. They figured she was perfect for it. But.
"I'll do it."
Yoo Ha-jin spoke up.
"You?"
"Protagonist's a guy anyway. And you said you're not confident."
"Well, yeah, but."
"Female lead's tough too. Better than putting the underclassman through it—don't you think Seo A-ra should?"
"Still, you as protagonist...? Hmm... Won't that be rough?"
They worried he'd botch it first try, souring the prof's impression.
The girl wavered between the seniors. Then Seo A-ra chimed in.
"I'm fine with it."
"Huh? For real?"
"Yeah."
"Oh? Uh, sure. If A-ra says so."
For some reason, a spark of curiosity flickered in Seo A-ra.
Discussions wrapped, presentation time arrived. Professor Im Se-hee picked order by "random" whim.
"Shall we draw randomly? Group 4? Ready?"
"U-Us!?"
"Yes, come on up~."
No time to prepare—they were first. Amid slight panic, Yoo Ha-jin whispered.
"It's fine. Relax. Just have fun with it."
Professor Im Se-hee directed the class.
"Everyone does the same scene. I'll give each group a mission for differentiation.
Twice total: first your pure interpretation, then with my mission. Got it?"
Her gaze briefly caught Yoo Ha-jin.
It felt like unwrapping a gift—not knowing if it'd delight or disappoint.
She hoped her sore thumb would shine. Still, she prepped a tough mission to test limits.
Not just the prof—every eye was on them. First up, plus top student Seo A-ra and bottom-feeder Yoo Ha-jin together.
Kim Jin-su, who'd mocked Yoo Ha-jin as "trash lid" earlier, smirked with chin raised, waiting for the crash. Grin included.
Group 4's performance began.
"Mr. Ma Yong-seok, you're the victim's cousin, correct?"
"Yes."
Firm, unshaken tone. Immersed in character instantly.
Kim Jin-su's smirk vanished the moment Yoo Ha-jin started.
'Wh-What's this?? Is that really the trash lid Yoo Ha-jin I know...? No, no need to freak. He'll peak early and flop.'
But Kim Jin-su's wish didn't come true.
"I'm Baek Cheol-jin, investigating the case."
Casual handshake, indifferent air. Professor Im Se-hee's eyebrow arched.
'Huh? Is he...??'
His pupils dilated slightly.
'Coincidence?'
Too perfect for that. The underclassman spoke next.
"I-I only worked with him a few months..."
"Relax. Just routine questioning."
Reassuring hand on her arm. Natural contact for power use. Spot-on protagonist depiction.
Once more, Yoo Ha-jin's eyes blurred. Staring through her, to another realm.
Consciousness elsewhere—masterful via pupils and subtle facial muscles.
The real highlight followed. Hiding true feelings post-desire reveal, body language shifted nuancedly.
Slight distance from cousin, face stiffening in flashes.
Subtle sorrow with colleague.
Facing raw, personal yearning—empathy or discomfort shone through internals.
Chills.
Unbelievable realism. Professor Im Se-hee stared at her transformed student of two years.
Her eyes turned deadly serious unconsciously. Couldn't dismiss as "just good."
'That detail he nailed on his own... was my second-mission plan.'
She'd planned to highlight differences pre- and post-her tips. Better lesson for watchers.
No need now. Group 4—no, Yoo Ha-jin—found the optimal path instinctively.
'Beyond sense—needs experience. What'd Ha-jin do these two years?'
Honestly, even guiding him daily, she doubted matching it. Seo A-ra whispered in his ear.
"You've been spacing out more lately? Rushing the comeback?"
Worry laced with doubt. Nuanced shift handled deftly. But post-Yoo Ha-jin, impact muted.
Im Se-hee's eyes swept others. Newer students gawked, impressed. Classmates, though...
"Him? That's Yoo Ha-jin?"
"Trading lines with Seo A-ra and not folding?"
"Not folding—he's outshining her, isn't he?"
Muttering in awe or jaws agape.
Seo A-ra, mid-performance.
'Just this glimpse... better than most actors I've shot with.'
Web dramas, indies, even drama supporting roles.
Yoo Ha-jin outclassed them all. Fact.
'Way better. By a mile.'
Thump-thump.
Her quiet actor's heart raced wildly, unbidden.