If It's a Different Performance, I Can Show You

"...What did you just say?"

Those were the first words out of Yang Ha-rin. The tone was bleak as wind skimming a field of grass, and still Sua only tilted her head.

"Yes?"

She wasn't asking because she had failed to hear. Her face was simply that of someone who could not understand why Ha-rin was asking at all—and that, by itself, was reason enough for Ha-rin's temper to climb higher still.

"I mean, do you actually understand the words that just came out of your own mouth."

"Hm?"

Only then did Sua carefully walk back through what she had said.

—I bet you startle yourself in the mirror sometimes.

Right. She hadn't answered wrong. Sometimes that really was the case.

"Yes. I understand it perfectly."

"..."

And then, all at once, Sua looked back on how she had ended up here. I'd been browsing the notices, same as always. After gaining the Special Privilege, she had fallen completely into the pleasure of combing through casting calls and downloading scripts. It was only natural, once she thought about it. She had realized that acting by way of the Special Privilege was, in actual skill, quite solid—and when a script's story was fun, living through it was fun too. Then this one had caught her eye. The short film Sword. It looked interesting, so she applied. That really was the whole of it.

"..."

Ha-rin narrowed her eyes, as if the whole display were laughable.

What's she trying to pull? A contest of nerves?

Yang Ha-rin was not dull enough to be taken in by words like those.

"Hold on."

Someone tapped Yang Ha-rin's arm. Laying a hand on the perpetually high-strung Yang Ha-rin was a poor idea, but the situation being what it was, the hand had gone out before he could stop it. None other than Director Park Joon. He dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Ha-rin. She's the last one. Let's just watch a little acting and send her off. There's nothing to gain from raising our voices."

"Mmm."

In the end, Yang Ha-rin nodded too. However rude a person she had run into, she herself was someone who would have the Rookie of the Year in her grasp. A mere interviewee was on an entirely different level; a battle of wills was beneath her to begin with. Getting into an argument would only disgrace her.

The face is decent enough. Is she doing all this on the strength of that alone?

Having smoothed her expression in the meantime, Yang Ha-rin spoke again.

"Introduce yourself. Keep it short. Just the point."

"Huh? A self-introduction? I didn't prepare anything like that..."

"...?"

Yang Ha-rin stared at Sua as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Close to a hundred interviewees had come through today, and this type was a first. Every last one of them had been rattling off anything they could think of, desperate to look good in front of Yang Ha-rin.

Does she truly not know? Or is she copping an attitude?

The interviewee's face was blank in a way that called a mannequin to mind, and because of it her intentions were impossible to read. Ha-rin thought that if even this was deliberate, it was a very high-level game. She held on to her patience and explained once more.

"Just explain it lightly. Anything."

"I'm Lee Sua."

Ha-rin nodded and inclined an ear, but astonishingly, nothing followed. The introduction was already over.

"...You said your name, and that's the end?"

"Yes."

The composure Ha-rin had been maintaining stiffened, just a little.

Nothing but a name? That's something only a master director would pull...

Did the girl have some credit Ha-rin didn't know about? She opened her eyes wide and looked over Sua's application.

It's blank. There's nothing. Not a single credit to her name.

The more she turned it over, the more absurd it became. This was not some college club shooting a class project. This was a casting for a co-lead who would stand shoulder to shoulder with Yang Ha-rin, a name already counted among the strongest contenders for Rookie of the Year. Wasn't that why every interviewee today had looked desperate? And yet a complete newcomer, with no career at all, was picking a fight by offering nothing but her name.

"Right. Looking at your credits, I suppose there really was nothing to say besides your name. And you seem to be missing quite a lot."

It was a remark that pointed at her attitude outright. Sua, as if something had only just occurred to her, nodded instead.

"Yes. That's right. So there was something I wanted to ask."

"Hm?"

"The role of Wi Ji-hye. Could I audition with that?"

From Sua's side, it was a genuinely innocent question. Wi Ji-hye was Compatibility A, and Ha-ryeong was Compatibility B. Naturally she wanted the role with the higher score.

"...What did you say?"

From Yang Ha-rin's side, it was the sort of thing that could only twist her face.

She wants my role? What on earth is she standing on?

Was she bringing up Wi Ji-hye simply to pick a fight, or did she truly have confidence in the part? Either way, it did not feel sane. Not unless she had lost every last scrap of fear. Ha-rin was close to considering splashing the water in her cup across the girl and throwing her out on the spot. But she couldn't. She was Yang Ha-rin, the actress who would take this year's Rookie of the Year. So she asked, holding her composure as tightly as she could.

"You're a newcomer with no career, aren't you?"

"That's right."

"You can't have failed to know that Wi Ji-hye is my role. A question like that should be asked after you've proven something, don't you think? If you had even a shred of sense."

"No, please don't misunderstand."

Sua answered, perfectly calm.

"I really was just asking. That role is the one I'm most confident in."

"...Crazy bitch."

The words had escaped before Yang Ha-rin knew it, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. She was facing a situation she had never once experienced, and so the words had shot out without ever passing through reason.

For me to say something so utterly without class...

No. Perhaps even this had been drawn out of her. Had the other party provoked her on purpose, aiming to crack Yang Ha-rin's dignity, and had she fallen for it splendidly? If so, didn't that mean she had lost the battle of wits?

"Mm..."

Yang Ha-rin steadied her breathing.

"You're not very much like a newcomer. Not the ordinary kind."

"I've been hearing that a lot lately. All of a sudden."

"..."

Even words that looked like a meek admission landed differently coming from her. Not a single exchange yielded. Before long, Yang Ha-rin smiled as well. Once she had crossed that uncanny valley of displeasure, she felt oddly amused instead. Now she was even interested.

This interviewee. What kind of person is she, exactly?

"Well, fine. I won't scold that attitude for the moment."

"Um... thank you...?"

"But there is one thing you should keep very firmly in mind. There will come a moment when that attitude becomes a very large problem. When do you suppose that is?"

"...When?"

"When your acting is mediocre."

Yang Ha-rin's voice had gone rather serious.

"If your skill is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠terrible, I have no reason to be displeased. I can simply send you home. We'll never see each other again."

"Mm..."

"If your skill is excellent, I won't be displeased either. I'll just take it that you have confidence to match your ability. But."

Ha-rin fixed Sua with a fierce, unblinking stare.

"...It's the mediocre ones, especially, who carry so much baseless pride. If you're that sort, be prepared. I will use every means at my disposal to make you answer for today's rudeness."

Terrible skill was fine. Excellent skill was fine. But if someone had gotten cocky on mediocre skill, she meant to see that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they paid for it, one way or another. Cold sweat beaded on the brow of Park Joon, who knew exactly how vicious Yang Ha-rin could be.

Had those words struck Sua as something rather frightening?

"..."

Sua held her silence for a long while. Just as the corner of Ha-rin's mouth began to lift—

"I'm sorry, but could you say that once more? I don't quite... I really can't understand it at all..."

"...So she simply isn't in her right mind."

Yang Ha-rin turned her gaze on Park Joon.

"I think I ought to apologize to you for this, Director Park."

"Uh—wh-what? Why all of a sudden..."

"I've wasted your precious time dealing with someone who isn't in her right mind, so of course I should apologize. As you said yourself, Director, I should have glanced through the interview and sent her off."

Park Joon could do nothing but fidget, anxiety written all over him. He had seen Yang Ha-rin in a sensitive mood more times than he could count, but this was the first time she had shown displeasure to this degree.

"I'll bring a cup of coffee. We'll continue the interview after that."

With that short remark, Ha-rin left the interview room.

After Ha-rin was gone, Park Joon came up to her with a look of horror.

"You—why on earth did you do that?"

"Yes?"

"That person is Yang Ha-rin. Yang Ha-rin! You know who that is!"

"Ah. Yes. Yang Ha-rin."

Sua only nodded, silent. She did know who Yang Ha-rin was, roughly. Even just recalling the chatter in the group chat was enough for that much—a former idol, a strong contender for Rookie of the Year. Something along those lines.

Park Joon spoke with a stiff face.

"Yang Ha-rin's real personality ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is extremely sensitive."

"It seems that way. What do I do."

"If it seemed that way, you should have been even more careful! How could you provoke her the whole time after walking into the interview room? I've never seen Ha-rin that furious! The situation has gotten serious!"

"...Living life, I've found it doesn't really go the way I want. I'm kind of used to being treated like this now."

"No—what is this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠person even saying...?"

Park Joon tried to explain and could not finish. Sua's eyes were truly innocent—the face of someone who had never once put a lie in her mouth. A person he could not get a read on at all. Thinking so, Park Joon let out a long sigh, and gave up on the explanation along with it.

"Fine. We'll say that's how it is. In any case, it's a fact that Miss Ha-rin's mood has turned extremely foul. Which means the interview you're about to face just got a great deal harder."

"That's still all right."

"...Hm?"

"It'll probably be fine. Just let me act."

Park Joon looked at Sua as if he were facing some kind of monster, but Sua herself was thoroughly used to treatment like this. No—looking back on her life, it would hardly be an exaggeration to say nearly every moment had been like this. PD Choi Heewon, writer Lee Geumsuk, Kim Seonil, Seo Yeon-ju... they had simply taken an unusual liking to her. The difference between them and this moment was, probably, only this: Sua had not yet shown her acting.

The only thing I can really do is that.

She was turning the thought over when Park Joon spoke.

"Look, Miss Sua. The spirit is admirable, but..."

He let out a deep sigh.

"The truth is, today's interview is already a lost cause."

"Yes?"

"For one thing, Ha-rin's standards are extremely high, and even if you passed it would be a problem. The air is already like this after a few words—how badly do you think you'd fight once the cameras started rolling?"

"Mm..."

"When two leads fight, the people involved suffer, obviously, and everyone around them gets ground down with them. You're a newcomer on top of that. Once the people around you start resenting you, do you think you could handle it? You couldn't."

Sua scratched her head. She truly hadn't meant to fight. She didn't even particularly feel that they had.

"I'll still try the acting."

"Yes. You've come all this way, so of course you should, but... I'm only saying, if you don't get it, don't take it too hard. The world has plenty of chances, and this may be one you're better off missing."

"No. I'm not missing this one."

Did that mean her interest in the piece ran deep? No director disliked a reaction like that. Park Joon's expression eased, just a little. In a softer manner than before, he held out a sheet of paper.

"The rules for this interview. Read them ahead of time."

"Ah."

Sua read them. The content itself was simple.

"Reproduce the role I'm assigned, using any part of the script, but it has to be kept to ten minutes. Did I get that right?"

"Exactly. I'll be rooting for you."

This film was going to fall through anyway. Park Joon forced down the words hovering at his lips.

While she waited for Yang Ha-rin to come back, Sua suddenly realized something had changed. Enormously.

"Ack."

Right. Up to here, it was the same as she remembered.

What? The compatibilities all turned to F?

Sword was still Grade 2. In other words, it was still a work Sua absolutely had to place in her filmography. The problem was the compatibilities of the roles. Why had every one of them suddenly dropped...

Ah?

It didn't take her long to land on a guess.

Don't tell me—because of that conversation with Yang Ha-rin just now?

It was plausible. Whatever her intention had been, Sua knew Yang Ha-rin's mood had turned extremely foul. The bar for the interview had risen sharply because of it, and this, it seemed, was the result. And yet there was one thing that caught Sua's eye.

Wi Ji-hye. The unmistakable lead of Sword. This role was still Compatibility A. No—by now, this one was the only role still holding at A. Which made what Sua had to do perfectly clear. If she meant to be part of Sword, she had to win the role of Wi Ji-hye.

But the Wi Ji-hye role is Yang Ha-rin's...

Her head was already starting to ache. Wasn't the part she needed already Yang Ha-rin's? How was she supposed to take it?

"Urgh... what do I do about this..."

First, Sua experienced the script through several roles. The story of Sword itself was simple enough: Wi Ji-hye, greatest under heaven; Ha-ryeong, a disciple on borrowed time. Ha-ryeong wants to be taught Wi Ji-hye's ultimate technique. Wi Ji-hye never teaches it. Ha-ryeong's reverence turns, in the end, to hatred. A tale that could be folded into five lines and no more.

"The story's simple enough, but... mm. What do I do..."

Even if she passed as Ha-ryeong, the compatibility was F. Whatever else happened, it was certain to come back on her as a bad result. And things with Yang Ha-rin were already poor, so asking her to yield the role was out of the question. She was staring blankly at the interview conditions when it happened.

"Huh?"

All at once, something flashed through her mind like a light coming on. Sua experienced the script once more, and looked over the conditions once more. From where Park Joon sat, far across the room, it was a span of time no longer than an instant. She experienced the script again, and dug into the conditions again. When she had done it three times—

Found it. The answer.

Outside, Yang Ha-rin took a sip of coffee and let the words slip out. In her other hand she held her phone, already on a call with the CEO.

"The world is wide, and inspiration is a precious thing."

It was just after she ended the call and came back.

"..."

Yang Ha-rin faltered. She turned her head, just slightly, and took a careful look around. The familiar scenery of the interview room, Director Park seated at the long desk, even the oddball interviewee standing in the center—none of it was any different from before she had stepped out for air.

And yet.

What is it?

A feeling quite unlike before. Soon she knew the cause was Lee Sua. That oddball interviewee stood with a prop wooden sword in hand, preparing to act. No—more precisely, it had begun the instant Yang Ha-rin stepped into the room.

Only—

Ha-ryeong? Wi Ji-hye? No, Hwa-cheon?

Which role it was, she still could not tell.