The Original Ha Eun
Ha Yu-ri. The transfer student's face and name felt eerily familiar. The class's reaction made it clear she wasn't a celebrity. So where the hell had I seen her before? I racked my brain, combing through my memories. Gradually, her face began to overlap with Ha Eun from the movie. That's when it clicked. Want to Reach You—the actress who'd played the lead, Ha Yu-ri. In the future I remembered, she was the girl who'd landed the protagonist role in Want to Reach You. And now that girl had transferred here. Not just to my school, but my class.
"...Ah."
I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. The whole class and the transfer student turned to stare at me in confusion.
"What's up, Siyeon? Do you know her?"
It was the teacher's question. The transfer student tilted her head, looking my way. I deliberately avoided her gaze, playing it cool.
"...No. She just looks a lot like someone I know."
After her self-introduction, the transfer student took a seat at an empty desk in the corner of the classroom. Once the teacher left, the class swarmed her with questions.
"What made you transfer to our school?"
"Career stuff. I wanted to try out an arts high school for myself."
The back-and-forth between the class and the transfer student was utterly ordinary—but to me, it felt strangely alien. Ha Yu-ri. By now, she should have debuted in movies and become famous. But because I'd snatched that role, she was living as a regular person.
"......"
A dull ache started building in my chest. I'd grabbed the role without a second thought, never imagining it'd hurt someone like this. Sure, she'd never know the truth her whole life, but that didn't mean I could just brush it off.
I bided my time quietly until I caught her alone, then struck up a casual conversation.
"...Hey."
"Yeah?"
"You said you're an aspiring actress, right?"
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
"Overheard you talking to the others earlier."
I smoothly steered the topic that way and kept it going. Nice, natural.
"As an aspiring actress, you've probably auditioned for a bunch of stuff, huh?"
"...Yeah. Fell flat on all of them."
"What was the most recent one?"
Ha Yu-ri scratched her cheek sheepishly and answered.
"...Want to Reach You."
"Oh, the one with the press screening yesterday?"
"Yeah. Auditioned for the lead, but I didn't make it."
"The lead? So, the role Ruti got?"
I swallowed hard inside, probing her feelings.
"...If Ruti hadn't been there, you might've gotten it. Doesn't that make you resent her or anything?"
I figured she would, of course. Losing a role by a hair's breadth? Who wouldn't hold a grudge? But her reaction was the total opposite of what I expected.
"No way! Falling short in an audition is just my skill level. Sure, I was bummed at first. But after seeing Ruti's acting, I changed my mind."
Far from resentment, she seemed relieved it had turned out that way.
"I couldn't have played Ha Eun like that."
She accepted the situation with calm composure. That hit me like a dagger to the heart. The reason I could play Ha Eun perfectly was because I'd seen her version of Ha Eun in the future first. It was cheating. Hell, borderline fraud.
"You planning to keep auditioning?"
I wanted to make it up to her somehow. If she was still going for auditions, I'd quietly pull strings from behind the scenes to help her land a good role. But Yu-ri shook her head with a dejected look.
"Not for a while."
"W-what? Why not!?"
"Honestly, I thought I was pretty good at acting. But seeing Ruti perform... it made me rethink everything. Maybe I don't have the talent after all..."
Her face was full of despair, like she was about to give up on acting right then and there. My heart sank. I'd never dreamed my thoughtless actions could crush someone's dream like this. If she quit now because of me, I'd carry that guilt forever. And I couldn't let that happen. I had to help her hold on to her dream somehow. That's when a good idea struck.
After school, I secretly tailed the transfer student. Right after classes ended, she headed into a small restaurant in the nearby shopping district. Peeking inside, I saw her in a uniform, working part-time.
...Cute uniform.
I was stealthily watching her work when a familiar car pulled up by the roadside. Manager unni was in the driver's seat.
"Here are the clothes you asked for."
"Thanks."
I got in the car, changed into the outfit she'd brought, then stepped out and casually entered the restaurant.
Ding-a-ling.
As the door opened, every eye in the place turned to me.
"Hey, isn't that...?"
"Nah, no way."
With my cap pulled low, they were all second-guessing. I slipped into an empty seat. Soon enough, the transfer student approached with a menu.
"Can I take your or—"
"Hello."
I greeted her and subtly showed my face. She recognized me instantly and dropped the menu in shock. I picked it up from the floor and handed it back. She stood there stammering.
"R-Ruti? What are you doing here...?"
"Passing by and got hungry, so I stopped in. Total coincidence."
I played it off smoothly, acting like it was all just chance. Then I pretended to recognize her.
"Wait, aren't you Yu-ri?"
"H-how do you know my name?"
"You auditioned for the same movie as me, right? The director showed me your audition tape once. Your acting stuck with me."
She gaped at me in disbelief.
"My acting... impressed you?"
"Yeah. I referenced it the whole shoot."
First, I rebuilt her shattered confidence. Then I got to the point.
"Still going to auditions these days?"
"No, not right now..."
"Perfect!"
I clapped my hands softly, like it was meant to be.
"How about starring in a project with me?"
"With you, Ruti?"
Director Yang had recently pitched me a new project. I planned to recommend Yu-ri for the lead.
"I've been dying to work with you. If you're interested, could I get your number?"
I swallowed nervously. Felt like hitting on a stranger. My hand trembled slightly holding the phone. She hesitated a moment, then entered her number and handed it back.
"...If it's okay with you."
"Phew."
As I sighed in relief, a single teardrop hit the floor. Looking up, I saw her rubbing her eyes, sniffling.
"I... kept bombing auditions... thought I was done for... but you coming to talk to me like this..."
Suddenly, the mood turned into a tearful ocean. I hadn't expected full-on crying. I patted her shoulder to soothe her.
"See? That's Ruti for you."
"Should we say hi?"
People were starting to recognize me as attention gathered. If more crowded in, I'd be in trouble. I grabbed her hand and bolted out of the restaurant. The manager at the counter looked stunned.
"That kid's our part-timer...?"
"I'm home!"
The girl steeled her resolve and headed straight for the trash can upon returning home. Inside was an acting textbook she'd tossed recently. She fished it out cleanly and carried it to her desk.
'Unfortunately, you didn't pass this audition.'
The 27th rejection notice she'd heard. She'd been ready to call it quits. But her new encounter today reignited her determination.
'Your acting was so impressive, I still remember it.'
Praise from Ruti herself—no one else. Those words revived her wilted heart on the spot.
"Ruti praised my acting."
And not only that—she'd even invited her to work together first. She still couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality.
"Let's do this."
She gathered her courage to chase her dream again. But first, one thing to do. She opened her laptop and loaded a familiar portal site. Without hesitation, she typed on the keyboard.
"Day one starts today."