Boys' High School Bedlam
A boys' high school. The air thick with the stench of sweat, a furnace of unspent youthful energy bubbling over. Teenagers bursting with curiosity and vigor were, naturally, at the perfect age to be obsessed with celebrities.
"Hey, you lot, sit up straight! You all know this, right? We pulled strings to get someone here for the career counseling session."
In a setting where they'd scream for anyone who'd even briefly appeared on TV, the student advisor announced:
"It's actor Lee Tae-gyu. Actor, over here... Aigoo, hey, quiet! Quiet!"
Lee Tae-gyu, the actor lately blowing up with all sorts of memes, was exactly the kind of presence to ignite deafening cheers in this auditorium.
Oooooooooh━━!
Ears ringing from the roar, Tae-gyu followed the advisor's guidance to the podium and opened his mouth toward the mic.
·······Hello, I'm actor Lee Tae-gyu.
Fresh waves of cheers and applause crashed through, punctuated by bellows from a few particularly loud-voiced boys.
"Just cum inside!"
"I'm a fan!"
"Tae-gyu Bridge! Tae-gyu Bridge!"
Laughter erupted wildly across the hall right then.
Gulp.
Tae-gyu chose his words carefully. To say it didn't faze him would be a lie. This wasn't mere nerves.
It was about authenticity.
He glanced briefly at Team Leader Jang below the podium, who was watching him, recalling their earlier talk.
'A speech? You serious?'
'I want to. But I'm not sure if I can pull it off...'
'Nah, no one's expecting some profound TED Talk. Don't sweat it.'
'You think it'll be okay?'
'What's there to worry about?'
'Whether I can give real advice to kids dreaming of acting.'
'Nobody's asking for that level.'
'Really?'
'Just say stuff like "Live life hard," "Don't give up on your dreams," or "This is how I got through tough times." That's plenty. They're high schoolers—they'll hear it differently coming from you.'
'Well, if it's that... sure, I'll do it.'
'Okay. OO Boys' High?'
'Yeah.'
'Perfect.'
So, knowing full well he'd climbed here not on "real" acting but on dokkaebi fire, something nagged at him.
He'd been practicing on his own, from the acting manual from writer Kwak In-ho to tips from Cheon Yoo-seong, but calling himself an "acting expert" still felt off.
- Honestly, I'm not great with words.
Toward the high schoolers gazing at him with sparkling eyes, Tae-gyu decided to spin it differently.
"But to tell you how crucial your age is right now, and why choosing a path matters, I'll share some stories from my short time in the industry."
His own past of wandering without purpose... The chance encounter with writer Kwak In-ho that set him on track... The struggles he'd witnessed up close from Kwak In-ho and PD Ji Cheol-geun... Experiences trekking to Gangwon Land Casino and prison for roles... Han Joo-hyuk's relentless acting research... Director O's near-retirement over "mediocre talent"... Seol A-yoon's insane performance... How treatment improved with rising fame... In under a year, he laid out the tales around him matter-of-factly.
He skirted anything harmful, so no juicy gossip, but even so, the teachers flanking him nodded appreciatively, riveted.
Of course.
Not many boys in a high school crowd paid close attention.
But.
"·······Any questions?"
The yawners who'd zoned out the whole speech shot hands up the second it ended, unleashing their true selves.
"Have you seen Seol A-yoon?"
"Just cum inside, come on, just once?"
"Who's the best fighter in the industry?"
"Actors make bank?"
"Prettiest actress you've met IRL?"
"Tae-gyu Bridge! Tae-gyu Bridge!"
"I'm in [TaeGyuFanClub]!"
"Hey, quiet! Quiet!"
Like hairless baby monkeys, they spewed their curiosities unchecked—kids who'd seen gamblers and cult leaders online now venting firsthand reactions guerrilla-style.
"Just cum inside!"
"Hey, who said that! Quiet down, you punks, in front of an actor... Quiet!"
Boys' high auditorium specialty.
With the whole grade crammed in like a marketplace, anonymity let anyone yell anything untraceable.
"········Sex!"
"Whoa, who just—I'll find you for sure."
The one psycho per class started unleashing their quirks.
Hm.
Tae-gyu scanned the hall calmly.
Even teachers couldn't fully hush it.
But no need to force quiet.
That's why he'd come—to feel that blazing dokkaebi fire from love-starved high school boys.
'Time to start.'
In that sense, he'd arrived with a way to achieve his goal and tidy up the chaos perfectly.
Whoosh.
Tae-gyu pulled out his phone, nodded at the morning approval text.
Yes.
Armed with a weapon from his past to bend these maniacs to his will.
'Two birds, one stone.'
This bait would snag the intense dokkaebi fire needed for his movie role too.
And so.
"Me! Me!"
"Just cum inside, seriously just once?"
"······Sex!"
"Which bastard was that!"
The auditorium still a riot of noise.
Tap tap.
Mic feedback echoed from the podium.
- Here.
Tae-gyu's next words.
- Hands up if you want a video call... with actress Seol A-yoon.
Dead silence colder than death blanketed the noisy hall.
"···············!"
"···············!"
"···············!"
"···············!"
"···············!"
Soon, every hairless monkey baby's eyes rolled back.
Uwoooooooo━━━!
***
One week later.
Vrooom━━
Stepping from the massive van.
"Unnie, fighting!"
"It's gotta be noona's."
"A-yoon, no worries from me."
Seol A-yoon walked the underground lot with her team leader, cheered by the others, still wearing a baffled look.
"······Oppa, you get that stunt? I still don't know what it even meant."
"Hm."
"I mean, come on. Asked if I could video call, said what time works, then suddenly high school kids screaming... ugh."
The incident from a week ago.
Lee Tae-gyu.
First private contact, so she figured something up, but he'd shoved his phone at a hall packed with boys during his speech.
The pandemonium━━still baffling in retrospect. Her walking team leader interpreted it thus:
"Here's my take."
"What."
"That actor's the type to go all-in immersing in roles before auditions, right? Gangwon Land, prison—stories everywhere."
"Yeah?"
"Maybe this too?"
"Huh?"
"Like, showing off: 'I'm so successful I do high school speeches now, good influence on kids'—total mama's boy virgin vibe."
"No way a speech proves—"
"Exactly mama's boy stuff. When someone's desperate to impress, they brag every tiny thing."
"So... he's already deep in character? Role immersion?"
"Eh, who knows."
Team leader backpedaled when pressed.
"I'm not him. But can't think of another angle, so just tossing it out."
"Hold up."
Seol A-yoon tilted her head at him.
"If it's role immersion... means he's channeling the mama's boy virgin pining for the female lead this time?"
"Bingo?"
"So he thinks I'm locked as female lead already?"
"Hey."
Team leader grinned like it was obvious.
"Duh, you're Seol A-yoon."
Word was already buzzing: her vs. Joo Min-hee for the lead.
"Korea's conquered, Hollywood next for top star Seol A-yoon!"
"Cut it."
"Hollywood? You'd top the universe—"
"Aigoo, enough already!"
Team leader smirked at her playful shove amid his hype.
"Anyway, no nerves. Nail it."
"Okay."
He pressed the elevator button with her.
Click.
For the floor hosting director Yoon Chang-ho's lead audition.
***
Done.
━━━━Bam!
Ji Kyung-ho emerged from the private audition room, manager trailing.
"How'd it go, Kyung-ho?"
He answered with a grin.
Snicker.
"Knew it!"
"Why act all surprised? Embarrassing."
"Still! Yoon Chang-ho making even the great Ji Kyung-ho audition? Figured he'd nitpick or hassle."
"It's romance."
Ji Kyung-ho gave an obvious look at his manager shadowboxing the air.
Instinct.
He'd sensed it when his scene ended—the shift in director Yoon Chang-ho and judges' faces. Passed already.
"·········Some people still need to see it to get it."
Debut days onward.
Critics dismissed him as visual-only, but romance was his major.
Love acting.
Like 100 loves for 100 people, myriad loves in the world—and Ji Kyung-ho could portray most.
In other words.
He'd nailed this mama's boy virgin role, tweaking his past ones just right.
"Good work. Lunch?"
"Pass."
"Why."
"Got plans later. Drop me there."
"You again—"
Suddenly, their chat halted.
Bam.
Their rival emerged from the far bathroom.
'·········Lee Tae-gyu.'
Ji Kyung-ho sized him up.
Snicker escaped.
Pre-audition tension hid it, but up close, the guy's amateur flaws screamed.
'No need to worry after all.'
Real actors spot levels from gait and poise.
"Actor Lee Tae-gyu, you're up!"
"······Pardon? Oh, yes!"
Staff-guided into the room, Tae-gyu reeked of nerves—rookie vibes.
Thud, thud... Big strides but stiff as hell, eyes wide faking confidence but pupils shaky, overall green stench wafting.
Like a film school kid at interviews.
180 degrees from the cool demeanor at last Arena Short Film Festival.
Sneer.
Victory-drunk, Ji Kyung-ho tossed senior encouragement at Tae-gyu.
"Tae-gyu? Don't tense up, or it'll show."
"Uh, yes? Oh... thanks···"
Patted his deeply bowing shoulder.
'Won.'
As they brushed past en route to the room!
Thud... thud...
Tae-gyu's mutter from behind—utter nonsense he should've never heard—whipped Ji Kyung-ho's head around.
"━Pussy."
···········What?