Chapter 22: Let Me Admit It

༺ Let Me Admit It

༻

The owner of that exclusive-sounding voice was a woman.

The first thing that caught the eye was her neatly flowing hair that fell to her waist. Her clear and neat features were beautiful but also gave a cold impression. There was a mole under her left eye, like a teardrop.

‘Ah, it’s Seon Yu-ri.’

She was a child actor who played the role of Heesoo in ‘Paradise Diary’, receiving the love of the entire nation.

She had grown up well.

But what did she mean when she said that he pushed aside Seo Ryu Shin and entered?

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you know? Senior Ryu Shin left because he wanted to put you in the workshop.”

“Sorry?”

Come to think of it, Ryu Shin wasn’t here.

“I haven’t heard such a thing. Is it true?”

At Yoomyeong’s stiff tone, Hye-Seon stepped in.

“Yu-ri, why are you talking like that? No, this was originally a workshop for 20 people. When Yoomyeong decided to join the workshop, there were some concerns. Even if we can overcome the dissatisfaction of those who were dropped with the recommendation of the seniors, there are group compositions like 2 people, 4 people, 5 people, etc. and how are we going to adjust the 20?”

Yoomyeong listened to Hye-Seon’s explanation without answering.

“This one is Seon Yu-ri, the vice-chairman of Oedipus this year. Yu-ri, who was in charge of the workshop, was a bit upset with such a progress issue. Ryu Shin insisted on including you, but Yu-ri said it was difficult to proceed with 21 people. So, Ryu Shin said he would drop out since he had attended the workshop last year. Well, that’s how it happened. Her tone is usually like this and she is a principled person, but she doesn’t mean any harm.”

“Hye-Seon!”

“Yu-ri, you know it too. It’s not Yoomyeong’s fault. And we’re not the ones who lost out, so there’s no need to be upset.”

“No, it’s a big loss. We won’t be able to attend the workshop with senior Ryu Shin. We learn a lot not only from the instructors but also from talented colleagues. I cannot acknowledge that he is a better actor than Ryu Shin, no matter what recommendation the OB seniors made.”

Watching the two girls’ debate, Yoomyeong was rather cooling down.

‘I hope you get to experience the charm of Oedipus this time.’

Ryu Shin said.

It wouldn’t have been a sacrifice.

It was a sort of ‘investment’ thrown in the hope that Yoomyeong would feel the charm of Oedipus and join the next performance.

Investment involves risk. Ryu Shin voluntarily took on that risk. Whether Oedipus was worth it would be determined after he had experienced it, but Yoomyeong was not so cautious as to refuse such an investment for fear of causing a disturbance.

And with this degree of difficulty, Yoomyeong didn’t even think about giving up on the advice that Yoon Hansung wanted to give him.

His competitive spirit flared up.

“I will make you admit it.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not about who’s more talented than who, but I’ll make you admit that attending the workshop with me was also helpful.”

Yu-ri stared in disbelief at the man who suddenly showed up and shouted ridiculous stuff.

*

Shin Yoomyeong

—

Shin Yoomyeong

—

Shin Yoomyeong

—

The name of a person whose face she didn’t even know was something she heard quite often throughout the last semester.

Yu-ri did not like that.

—

Effort accumulates over time, and time builds reputation.

A genius who suddenly appeared without any effort cannot be acknowledged.

Seon Yu-ri had a personality that did not deviate from the norm.

She had such a neat personality that she would rather leave a test question blank rather than guess if she didn’t know the answer.

Because of that personality, the murmurs about her receiving special treatment for being pretty and talented hurt her self-esteem. The more that happened, the more Yu-ri gritted her teeth and worked hard. Even when applying to college, she insisted on taking the national university entrance exam instead of utilizing the special actor admissions.

When she joined Oedipus, she was very happy. It was the first group that recognized her not for her looks or title, but for being the hardworking actor Seon Yu-ri.

Famous child actors weren’t uncommon there. There were many people who worked and sweated as much as she did. And there were actors talented enough that she was proud to be creating a performance together with them.

One of them was Ryu Shin.

He was the person who came to the practice room first and left last. A more passionate actor than anyone else.

She had never said it out loud because of her personality, but she respected Ryu Shin very much. Especially in the aspect that he was never satisfied and kept on refining himself even though he was the best in Oedipus.

He changed a bit this year. He constantly showed interest in someone outside of Oedipus.

Yu-ri, who played Ophelia in the last performance of ‘Hamlet’, felt Ryu Shin’s gaze looking further than herself. Her pride was hurt, but if he was that good of an actor, she could acknowledge it.

However, it was only a student from another major who was just exposed to acting.

How much of a genius could he be that even Ryu Shin, who was considered a genius, the demanding Professor Lee Jae Pil, and actor Yoon Hansung, one of Oedipus’s prides, would sing his name?

Even as she tried to think that it must be justified, it was hard for Yu-ri to look at him without prejudice.

It was because the time he had built up seemed too insubstantial.

*

2:00 PM.

A gentle breeze broke the tense atmosphere.

Actress Lee Seon-ha. A mature actor in her 40s who supported the theater troupe <Comet>.

The calm, elegant woman with a bob haircut looked at her juniors with a meltingly warm smile.

“Hello.”

“Hello, senior!”

“Yes, it’s been three years since I last stood here. I was very sorry I couldn’t meet with you all because of the performances I was preparing for last and the year before.”

“We were too!”

What was the reason why the Oedipus workshop was famous?

Despite being busy with their artistic activities, the seniors’ affection for their juniors was so strong that they would try to free up their time for the workshop. It was so they could share the precious experiences they had received from seniors when they were budding acting aspirants themselves.

Lee Seon-ha looked around at the students with a serene smile. One student was sitting a little apart from the others.

‘Ah- That must be the one Hansung and Jae Pil recommended.’

Her gaze lingered there for a moment.

[Listening]

“As it says in the program, today’s workshop is ‘Listening’.”

The reason she was able to establish herself as a major lineup for a long time in Comet, which was called the best theater troupe, was because of her ‘good listening’ ability.

Acting was often thought of as expressing a role well, but its more fundamental essence lay in listening. Even if it was a scripted line, truly listening to the other person’s words and sincerely reacting was the beginning of acting.

“Now, we are going to do a small experiment. From now on, please memorize these lines ‘quickly’ to the extent that the lines are immediately spoken when prompted.”

[A: Have you eaten?]

[B: No, not yet.]

[A: Then what should we eat?]

[B: Kimchi stew!]

It was a simple dialogue. It was so simple that there was nothing to memorize.

Nevertheless, the participants read the lines dozens of times as directed by their senior and ingrained them in their minds.

“I’ll be A, and you can respond with B’s lines when I speak.”

Lee Seon-ha descended from the stage and spoke to a student in the front row.

“Have you eaten?”

“No, not yet.”

“Then what should we eat?”

“Kimchi stew!”

“Great. You can do it like this.”

She recited the same lines to the next person with a pleased smile. That student also spat out B’s lines easily.

After repeating the lines with four people, it was the fifth student’s turn.

“Haven’t you eaten?”

“No, not yet… Huh?”

The student who responded mechanically noticed the change in the question only after a moment.

Lee Seon-ha, with a smile, moved to the next person. The next student was on high alert in case the lines changed again, but this time, they were the same.

After continuing with several people, the lines changed again without notice.

“Have you eaten?”

“No, not yet.”

“Then should we eat pizza?”

“Kim…”

The student trailed off.

Lee Seon-ha returned to the podium and started her story.

“Dialogue is a promised language, so when an actor becomes familiar with the lines, they might unintentionally stop listening to the other actor’s lines and react mechanically. In severe cases, some actors are busy memorizing their ‘next line’ while their partner is speaking.”

Some of them bowed their heads in embarrassment.

“We call this the ‘gray area’. A place where everything is safe, comfortable, and moderate. A state where my actions and the other’s actions are tightly intertwined, predictable. Acting in this state lacks ‘vitality’. In other words, it’s like playing a predetermined game of Go-Stop.”

The auditorium grew quiet.

“A good actor knows how to listen properly. Even with predetermined lines, when they fully listen to their partner and then say the next line from the heart, a ‘dramatic tension’ is created. It may sound like I’m boasting, but fellow actors often say it’s easy to act with me as a partner. It’s because I listen attentively, allowing them to deliver lines that come from their own sincerity.”

Lee Seon-ha made a confident, shrugging gesture. While her cuteness, unbecoming of her age, induced laughter, everyone was silently awestruck inside.

Isn’t ‘an actor I want to act with’ one of the highest compliments for an actor?

“So, today we’re going to practice listening. Lending an ear takes as much energy as speaking.”

Clap— Clap—

Lee Seon-ha refocused their attention with applause.

“So, the workshop we’re going to proceed with now is called [Contradiction].

*

“Whatever I say, respond by contradicting it. If I say, ‘Do you like apples?’ respond with ‘I don’t like apples’, ‘I prefer melons’, and so on. Even if it’s not a complete denial, as long as the meaning differs slightly from my lines, it’s fine.

This will allow us to practice listening to the other person’s lines and our quick-wittedness simultaneously. If you can, it would be better to use more developed sentences than simple negations.”

Ah—

the students nodded their heads.

Lee Seon-ha pointed out one student in the front, and he ascended the stage and faced her with a tense expression. With a slight smile, she threw the first question.

“Are we friends?”

“No, you’re my senior.”

A chuckle burst out. With a nod of approval, she immediately threw the next question.

“Where’s your hometown?”

“Cheongju… Uh.”

One student was easily eliminated.

“In such cases, you could respond with ‘What would you do knowing my hometown—’ or ‘I don’t really have a hometown’. You just have to not obediently agree with what the other person says.”

“Alright—”

“Next person, please—”

And so, the

[Contradiction]

workshop continued. Most of the students dropped out between the third and fifth rounds. They were still not used to it, and as soon as they were getting accustomed, they were stumped by Lee Seon-ha’s sharp questions designed to provoke contradiction.

The one who performed well was Seon Yu-ri. She calmly contradicted Lee Seon-ha’s questions in a better way compared to other students.

“Hello?”

“I’m not in a good mood today.”

“What’s your name?”

“I have no name to tell you.”

“Have you been told that you are pretty?”

“The shell isn’t important; it’s what’s inside that matters.”

Whoa—

Yu-ri’s answers drew a cheer of admiration from the members, and Lee Seon-ha also smiled at her warmly.

Finally, the ‘new face’ sitting in the farthest corner came out.

All eyes were filled with curiosity.

Seon-ha, also filled with curiosity, asked the first question.

“Who are you?”

“Well, who could I be? Do you happen to know?”

He easily countered Seon-ha’s words.

However, he didn’t stop there; he continued with a ‘question.’

‘Wow. This guy is not ‘performing a task,’ he’s ‘acting.’’

Lee Seon-ha calmed her surprised heart and answered his question.

With the same [Contradiction].

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