Chapter 26: I Will Become An Actor

༺ I Will Become An Actor ༻

“…”

Her face flushed red.

Yu-ri wanted to crawl into a mouse hole because of the teasing from Yoomyeong, which reminded her of the comment she made on the first day. She hesitated, opening and closing her mouth, and then clenched her fists tightly.

‘I should be responsible for what I said.’

She resolved, realizing that her thoughtless comments had left her no choice but to offer a sincere apology.

“It helped a lot. The first-day assignment was very memorable, especially today’s play… I learned a lot… from watching it.”

At the sight of Yu-ri stutteringly confessing her true feelings, Yoomyeong had to laugh.

In reality, Yu-ri’s sharp reaction on the first day didn’t impact Yoomyeong much since he had a higher mental age. He had teased her just for fun, but he found it heartwarming to see his young friend admitting her mistake so candidly.

‘I think I might get addicted to teasing her…’

Suppressing the urge to tease her more, Yoomyeong smiled warmly.

“Should we drop the formalities?”

“…Pardon?”

“We’re the same age, right? Let’s be friends.”

Yu-ri was taken aback.

Despite spending the entire time pondering the right moment to apologize, Yoomyeong was the first to extend his hand.

“Don’t you… dislike me?”

“No, I like you.”

“Huh?”

Yu-ri was startled. What did he mean by that?

“I was a fan of Paradise Diary, especially of Heesoo.”

“Ah…”

Yu-ri’s heart raced for a moment, but then a strange sense of disappointment washed over her. She couldn’t quite understand why.

However, another comment was added.

“You acted really well. Despite being young, your skills were professional, so I supported you.”

Yu-ri’s heart raced once again.

*

‘Back then, actor Yoon Hansung said that. He said not to try too hard.’

{Oh, thanks for letting me know.}

‘Did you also know, Miho?’

{Yep. I thought it would naturally resolve over time, so I left it be.}

‘I see. I always tried not to get overshadowed by other actors, so I must have developed a habit of exerting my utmost energy. It felt relieving to hear that I looked good even without trying so hard.’

{You’re sharp… The workshop must’ve been fun, huh?}

‘Yes. The ambiance of Oedipus was nice, and there were many decent actors. I’m considering participating in the autumn performance.’

{Weren’t you planning on going straight to becoming a professional?}

‘I want to try it out together. There are still unresolved issues.’

Yoomyeong looked at the seat in front of him. In the driver’s seat was his father, and beside him, his mother.

After the workshop ended and with the remaining vacation, they decided to take a family trip for two nights and three days. Their destination was Daecheon Beach.

Jiyeon, his younger sister, said that she would come directly from Cheongju to Daecheon. Despite being on vacation, she couldn’t come home as a senior in her fourth year. She managed to carve out just this time for the vacation.

During this family trip, Yoomyeong had something to tell his family.

— I will become an actor.

In his past life, Yoomyeong’s declaration was like a bomb that had been dropped on their peaceful home.

His parents were kind and moderate people. They would’ve wanted to support their child’s dream, but they couldn’t approve of a vision that seemed too far from the reality of their son, who had lacked presence since childhood.

His father shouted, saying he couldn’t watch his son walk down a path that clearly led to unhappiness. His sister held onto him, urging him to reconsider. His mother, amidst the tense atmosphere, only watched her child’s every move.

The young Yoomyeong, despite knowing that their worries were another form of love, cried out in frustration and left the house.

After that, the family’s relationship was never the same. They awkwardly had meals only once or twice a year during the holidays.

“Yoomyeong, isn’t the back seat uncomfortable? Do you want a soda?”

“If it’s hot, I can turn up the air conditioning in the back.”

He heard the gentle voice of his mother and the seemingly brusque but considerate voice of his father. In his second chance at life, Yoomyeong realized how much he had lost.

Before Yoomyeong declared his path to acting, their family had been warmer than most households. He hadn’t lost it alone. He made all the family members lose that warmth, too.

This time, he would persuade them calmly. Even if they opposed, he would gradually prove himself with results.

Yoomyeong resolved to do so.

“Wow~ It’s the sea.”

The weather was exceptionally clear.

After parking the car at the condo and stepping out, the blue sky complemented by the azure waters offered a refreshing sight to behold. There seemed to be some busking performances happening at the Citizen Tower Plaza as it was buzzing with people.

Unable to bear the intense sunlight for even five minutes, Yoomyeong’s family entered a coffee shop across the street.

“Jiyeon, we’re sitting by the window in the coffee shop across the plaza.”

As his mother made a phone call, Yoomyeong gazed outside the window.

{The sea is wonderful!}

Miho sounded thrilled, humming in delight in his ear. Yoomyeong also reveled in the cool blue hue. When was the last time he saw the sea before his regression? Five years ago?

Suddenly, Miho started marveling at something else.

{Wow… The aura of that person walking over there…}

‘Huh?’

{What kind of person is that? It’s rare to see such a noticeable aura. They don’t seem like an actor, but their presence is so strong that I’d recommend they take up acting right now.}

The person Miho was focusing on approached closer.

They opened the door to the coffee shop.

Huh?

*

“Mom! Dad!”

“Jiyeon, over here! It must’ve been hot. Sit close to the air conditioner.”

“Yeah. You must’ve been tired, too. But who’s this person?”

Jiyeon tilted her head. Instead of her brother who was supposed to come, there was a handsome man sitting there with her parents. He had a good style… Who was he? Did her parents get charmed by a swindler?

“Why are you playing such an absurd joke?”

“Huh? Shi… Shin Yoomyeong? Wow?”

Jiyeon’s mouth dropped open.

She had heard that her brother had been discharged in February. However, being in her 4th year at a teacher’s college, Jiyeon was incredibly busy throughout the last semester. She had been so occupied that she couldn’t even visit home on Parent’s Day and had sent a flower basket instead.

So, this was the first time she was seeing her discharged brother.

Had he undergone some sort of transformation in the military? Who was this man? His voice was definitely Shin Yoomyeong’s, and upon closer examination, his face also… seemed right, but why did his aura feel so different?

“Call your brother’s name properly!”

Jiyeon’s mother slapped her on the back.

Shin Yoomyeong, Shin Jiyeon.

They were fraternal twins. Although they didn’t look alike, they were born at the same time and grew up together.

Their conservative parents always insisted that Jiyeon address him as ‘older brother,’ but when they were alone, she either called him by his name or ‘oppa.’

Yoomyeong chuckled at this familiar scene.

After their relationship had become somewhat strained, Jiyeon, who was born just five minutes later, had grudgingly started calling him ‘oppa.’ She must have wanted to mend their relationship by any means possible.

In this life, he wouldn’t let her suffer like that. He was already fine with being called ‘oppa’ for a lifetime.

“Seriously, what happened? Did you undergo some major transformation in life? How can someone change so much?”

Even as Jiyeon hunched over from the impact of the ‘smash’ on her back from her mother, she defiantly raised her question.

No matter how handsome her brother might be, to her, he often looked like an amoeba. However, this drastic change allowed Jiyeon to see him more objectively.

His fair skin, a style that obviously took effort, and the casual smile he wore. Even the female college students at the adjacent table were sneaking glances at him.

Wow, this was truly unbelievable…

“Mom, did you give him a huge allowance? All of his clothes look brand new.”

Her admiration didn’t last long as Jiyeon spotted another issue that seemed more important.

*

{You have a twin sister?}

‘Yes.’

{Ah… Now I get it a little bit. I wondered why you were born with such a weak presence.}

‘What do you mean by that?’

{Because you’re twins, the presence that should have been evenly distributed between the two of you somehow concentrated on one side. Didn’t your sister always attract a lot of attention from others since she was young?}

Indeed.

Even though Jiyeon wasn’t particularly outgoing, friends naturally flocked to her side. That’s why, in elementary school, he was often referred to more as ‘Shin Jiyeon’s twin brother’ than ‘Shin Yoomyeong.’

In high school, classmates he didn’t even know would call him out. They would hand him letters, asking him to pass them to his sister.

Was she particularly beautiful? Yoomyeong wasn’t sure.

It’s difficult to judge one’s own sibling objectively, but she definitely wasn’t a striking beauty like Seol Soo Yeon or Seon Yu-ri. Yet, she always had a strong presence and was beloved, a point of envy.

So that was the reason.

{Having a twin sister probably saved you.}

‘What do you mean by that?’

{You two must have grown up very close, right? Having the same kind of presence beside you must have compensated for your weaker one. I still can’t understand how you managed to survive after you two separated, though.}

Ah…

That’s what his mom had said.

“When you

were

very young, you

cried so hard as if you would die when you got separated from Jiyeon even for a moment,”

his Mother had said.

Even though Jiyeon had been surrounded by her friends, she had never been bothered by it and had always come to her brother’s side to hold his hand tightly.

Yoomyeong, wearing his swimsuit, looked warmly at Jiyeon who was drenched from swimming and was returning to where they were. People often referred to their siblings as arch-enemies, but for Yoomyeong, who had lived 15 more years and returned, his younger sister was an adorable existence.

“What’s with that sappy look?”

“It’s been a while, so you look kind of pretty.”

“Ew. I heard you missed your family so much in the army. Haven’t you gotten over that? They say the ‘army disease’ goes away a month after being discharged.”

“Hehe.”

It felt peaceful.

He didn’t know how the atmosphere might change this evening, but he was determined not to lose this peace. Yoomyeong wrapped a towel around the shivering Jiyeon.

*

“What are you doing?”

“I want to become an actor.”

“Wow, is that really you? Did an alien inhabit your body or something?”

“Yoomyeong, that’s a bit…”

It was the reaction he had expected.

Having been through this once already, Yoomyeong began to calmly persuade his family.

“Dad. In fact, I did two performances last semester. I also attended an acting workshop during the summer vacation. It’s not just a passing phase; I sincerely believe that it’s my path. I still have a lot to learn, but an active actor also said that I have talent.”

He had evidence to persuade them this time around.

“An active actor? Who?”

Jiyeon interjected. The timing was impeccable.

“Yoon Hansung…”

“Yoon Hansung? The one I know? The lead actor of <Last Minute>?”

“Yes. He came to the workshop as an instructor.”

“He told you that you have talent?”

“Yes. He even gave me his personal contact information.”

“Wow… This is definitely alien-like…”

Ignoring Jiyeon’s mumbled nonsense, Yoomyeong continued his words.

“I understand that you’re worried because this path is less stable than getting a job and leading a typical working life. However, I feel that this is the only path that will make me happy.”

Seeing the earnest look in his son’s eyes, his father fell into thought.

Throughout the past semester, his son often didn’t return home until after midnight and would leave again early in the morning. He was worried, but seeing the determination in his son’s eyes, he thought that there must be something he was passionate about and left him be.

During summer vacation, unlike before, he jogged every morning and left the house promptly after lunch, returning drenched in sweat late at night.

— Honey, doesn’t it seem like Yoomyeong has changed a lot? Do you think he’s okay?

— Children change significantly as they grow. Let’s trust him and see.

More than anything, the face of the son he occasionally met looked more lively than before.

While he didn’t want to oppose something his son desired so much… the idea of a child who was always so unnoticeable becoming an actor was hard to grasp.

Yoomyeong’s father looked into his son’s eyes.

His son met that gaze head-on without flinching.

It was the gaze of someone that had matured considerably.

“We’re having a performance at school this autumn. Please come and watch. If you still oppose it after seeing it, I’ll reconsider.”

“We don’t know anything about plays or the like…”

Yoomyeong spoke firmly.

“Even if you don’t know, I’ll make sure you do.”

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