Chapter 37: Preparing for a Comeback (1) (Revised)
Chapter 37: Preparing for a Comeback (1) (Revised)
If I had to pick the most uncomfortable thing about going to school, it was the fact that the classes were segregated by gender.
I would have felt more at ease in a co-ed class, but being in a girls-only class was actually more awkward.
"Does anyone have a spare pad? Ugh, I can't believe I forgot."
"Geez, of all the things to forget."
"..."
Whenever I hear conversations like this, it’s hard to know how to react.
I’ve lived as a girl for seventeen years now. I’ve adjusted well enough, and the disconnect between my body and mind has vanished. Yet, for some reason, I still find it difficult to get used to this kind of atmosphere.
In my past life, I would have been indifferent to it.
I’m bored.
Perhaps because of that, in the three months since I entered high school, I haven't made a single friend.
Why is that?
There’s no one else with a personality as gentle and kind as mine.
"You could just try talking to them first, you idiot."
When I vented these frustrations to Lee Ji-yeon during lunch, she shifted the lollipop in her mouth from side to side and looked at me with pity.
"Whenever I try to talk to them..."
"Yeah?"
"...They run away."
"Hmm."
Ji-yeon looked like she understood.
"With a face like yours, it’s no wonder they’re intimidated."
Is my face intimidating?
And what’s with "a face like yours"? Ji-yeon has a tendency to be a bit too prickly sometimes.
"Anyway, that’s not what’s important."
"It is important."
"More importantly, tell me about those two projects you said you were thinking of doing."
"I’m telling you, it’s important!"
Ji-yeon didn't seem to care about my social life at all; she hadn't forgotten what I mentioned this morning. How cold.
I pouted and spoke.
"A play."
"Huh?"
"I’m going to audition for a play held at a small theater in Jongno."
Ji-yeon blinked at my words. Her gaze seemed to ask if I was being serious.
"...Should I pull some strings for you? If I put in a good word, I can get you something decent."
It was a rare moment of kindness from Ji-yeon. That was how strange the word "play" sounded to her.
"I mean, what about school?"
"The performance period overlaps with summer break, so it’s fine."
I can practice while attending school, and I plan to get permission from the school to some extent.
"And you said there were two things? What’s the other one besides the play?"
"That’s something I can only do if I do the play first."
"What are you even talking about?"
Ji-yeon looked at me as if I were joking. But what could I do? I was being perfectly serious.
The first project after a comeback is important.
After passing through puberty, I felt my emotions and mind reaching a state of stability. The process wasn't easy, but in the end, it was resolved well. It was around then that I decided to return to acting.
It was the spring I had just entered high school. Since then, I had been contemplating my comeback piece in many ways.
What would be good?
I possessed knowledge from my past life, so I knew for the most part which projects would succeed and which would fail. I’m the type who can’t even remember what I learned in class yesterday, but these things came to me with eerie clarity.
There were several options that came to mind immediately.
More than anything, the role I play is what matters.
Since it’s my first project after a comeback, it needs to be something impactful. Among those, the number of projects that cast through auditions is small, and most of them are lyrical, slow-paced works.
Hmm.
After much deliberation, I settled on one. However, there was a prerequisite for that one choice. That was the play I had selected.
But...
"?"
I glanced at Ji-yeon. Feeling my gaze, she tilted her head in confusion.
The one thing that bothered me was the aftermath of me taking a role—the ripple effect it would have on people like Lee Ji-yeon or Jo Seo-hee.
Especially Lee Ji-yeon.
Originally, Ji-yeon was supposed to be bombarded with criticism because of a certain incident. After that, she was meant to fade into obscurity before leaving the industry forever due to a voice acting controversy.
However, because I took the CF that would have brought her that criticism, she was growing steadily and without issue. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before she landed a lead role in a popular drama.
...Things really worked out too well for her. No, it’s a good thing she’s doing well, but...
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...Nothing."
I looked away from Ji-yeon and checked the date on my smartphone. If things followed the original timeline, her time was running out. Is it okay to just leave things as they are?
Complex thoughts swirled in my head.
"Lee Ji-yeon."
"Yeah?"
"Um, do you want to come over to my house sometime?"
"Your house? Sure, why not."
Ji-yeon answered nonchalantly. Anyway, I’ll figure out what to do about her then. The problem now was my comeback.
The play audition in Jongno.
Unless it’s a youth play, they rarely cast teenage actors. But if it’s me, I can make it happen somehow.
The title was probably...
A play called Close Your Eyes.
In my past life, it was a play that garnered a lot of attention for various reasons. Not only did it gain its own popularity, but the actor who appeared in it later starred in a movie, which became a huge sensation.
Yes, this is perfect. Especially considering what will happen afterward.
*
She’s having weird thoughts again.
Lee Ji-yeon watched Seo-yeon’s retreating back as she headed to her classroom as soon as lunch ended without giving a proper explanation.
A play, huh.
Honestly, there were many things that puzzled her. Why a play all of a sudden?
If she used the title "Princess Yeonhwa from Taesumdal," there were still plenty of places that would take her. Of course, since she had been on hiatus for ten years, she would need to prove herself. But Ji-yeon didn't think for a second that Seo-yeon would fail such a simple test.
Because she’s a real actor.
A real actor. Ji-yeon chewed on those words and let out a sigh.
Ji-yeon was doing reasonably well in cable dramas lately, but whenever she saw Seo-yeon’s acting, she couldn't help but feel the gap. In the past, Seo-yeon had relied solely on emotional acting, but now her acting was rich and diverse even without "resorting" to that.
A genius.
That was the praise every acting instructor who taught her gave in unison. It was actually hard to understand why she had stayed away for ten years. Honestly, there were always plenty of projects she could have starred in.
"Anyway."
Ji-yeon watched the direction Seo-yeon had disappeared and turned around.
Did she say she had no friends in class? Well, that made sense. Seo-yeon gave off an aura that made it difficult for others to approach her.
A presence, one might call it.
She was a born actor, so ordinary people often found themselves unable to even open their mouths in front of her. Aside from herself, the people who probably talked to Seo-yeon the most were the convenience store clerks she visited.
Ji-yeon didn't understand why she spent so much time touring convenience stores, but it was natural she had no friends at school.
What is she even doing with those acting skills?
If she had just approached people first with a bright smile, she would have had a line of friends waiting for her every morning. But the reason Ji-yeon didn't offer that advice was simply because this was more comfortable.
A Ju Seo-yeon with lots of friends somehow didn't feel like Ju Seo-yeon.
*
Anyway, having made up her mind, Seo-yeon told Sua as soon as she got home from school.
"Mom, I’m thinking of making a comeback now."
"My daughter. You’re not just saying that because you don't want to study, right?"
"..."
For a moment, Seo-yeon couldn't answer.
Oops.
I should have answered immediately. Reflecting on her mistake, she continued as naturally as possible.
"Of course not. I’ll keep up with my studies."
"Hmm."
Sua looked at her daughter with a slightly suspicious gaze. Her daughter was always amazing, but it was too obvious how much she hated studying. Her grades had been decent until middle school, but her first high school midterms were a total train wreck. She hadn't even told her what her mock exam scores were.
The kid isn't stupid, though.
Sua thought for a moment but then let it go. Her daughter already had so much talent. It would be greedy to expect her to be good at studying on top of that.
How on earth does Mom take care of her skin?
And Seo-yeon, for her part, was inwardly marvelling at Sua. Sua was thirty-nine. An age where she should be called an "ajumma." But her appearance hadn't changed much from ten years ago. If anything, her chest seemed to have gotten larger. Just like her own mysterious physical strength, her mother’s appearance was the "mystery of the Orient" itself.
"Well, you have been resting for a long time. Are you really okay now?"
"Yes. I’m perfectly fine."
Seo-yeon said, striking a "strong" pose with both arms. At that sight, a clear voice rang out from below.
"Unnie, you’re funny!"
A cute little girl with black hair tied in pigtails. She was a small girl who looked just like Sua—or rather, Seo-yeon.
Her name was Ju Su-yeon. Seven years old. Since they shared the "Su" character in their names, her name and pronunciation were similar to Seo-yeon’s. Because of the ten-year age gap, Seo-yeon had spent a lot of time looking after her when she was younger.
"Then Mom will take Su-yeon and go grocery shopping. Food is in the fridge, okay?"
"Got it."
"Unnie, Su-yeon is going now. Bye-bye!"
"Yeah, bye-bye."
Seeing as Sua was taking her along, Su-yeon must have been whining about not wanting to stay home. Seeing her sister off, Seo-yeon watched Sua’s back as she closed the door.
Even though she said she was going back to acting, the reaction was just a simple "the time has come," which was a bit anticlimactic. She had put a lot of thought into it.
"Hmm."
Suddenly left alone, Seo-yeon sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. An advertisement featuring a woman with a familiar face was playing.
"Ack."
[Love as much as the dew.]
It sounded like a soju commercial, but it was actually for cosmetics. Regardless, cosmetic ads are typically filmed by the most beautiful men and women. The brand value must be high-end, and there needs to be a certain level of public recognition. In other words, a cosmetic ad was the ultimate indicator of a top-tier actress.
[With me, Seo-hee.]
The face of the woman speaking with a bright smile filled the screen. Seo-yeon knew they were around the same age, but she looked suspiciously mature. If you didn't know better, you’d think she was in her twenties.
Jo Seo-hee.
An actress who could undoubtedly be called one of the best among current teenage actors. Unlike the past life where she stumbled once during Taesumdal, she was an actress who had built a brilliant career over the last ten years. And the Jo Seo-hee on TV was an actress who had nothing but success ahead of her.
Cosmetic ads are so cliché. I’ll turn them down if I get offered any later.
Of course, Seo-yeon thought that as she mindlessly opened YouTube. A long, colorful list of Seo-yeon’s subscriptions appeared. They were VTuber broadcasts, which had recently begun to explode in popularity.
And among them, one thing caught Seo-yeon’s eye.
[The soon-to-be-revealed Seven Live 3rd Generation!]
Looking at the list that appeared, Seo-yeon narrowed her eyes. As expected—or perhaps, as feared.
One person who was supposed to be there was missing.