Note: Seung-tae -> Seong-tae; a few minor changes applied but should not affect the reading flow.
Thud.
Placing his bag on the desk, Han Seong-tae began organizing his belongings.
He assigned roles and set the upcoming schedule.
After finishing all the additional classes, it was finally time to go home.
Buzz.
While he was packing his things, his smartphone vibrated, signaling a text message.
—I’m waiting on the first floor right now.
Buzz.
—I’m starving, hurry up!
Buzz.
—Dude, I’ve got the company card today! Let’s go grab some real meat!
Reading Kim Min-seok’s messages filling up the top of his phone screen, Han Seong-tae let out a little snort of laughter.
Sometimes he wondered if Kim Min-seok cared more about food than about acting.
—On my way down now.
—Okay, hurry. I’m about to die of hunger.
Smiling at Kim Min-seok’s playful texts, Han Seong-tae slung his bag over his shoulder and got up.
All he had to do now was head to where Kim Min-seok was waiting.
“Seong-tae.”
When had he come so close?
Just like last time, Park Chang-sik appeared with two other students, blocking his way.
“Heading home?”
His voice was friendly, but when Seong-tae looked at him, he saw a sharp glint in his eyes.
Seeing that look, Han Seong-tae wondered:
Why is he so determined to get at me lately?
He’d never really clashed with Park Chang-sik before.
Back in school, Han Seong-tae had kept mostly to himself.
They’d walked different paths, and the number of times they’d ever talked could be counted on one hand.
Nothing had changed recently, either.
Unless it was Park Chang-sik who came over first, Seong-tae never really spoke to him at all.
“If you don’t have other plans, come hang out with us. The others—”
“Sorry, I already have plans.”
“Didn’t you say you had plans last time, too?”
At Seong-tae’s response, Park Chang-sik’s expression briefly twisted.
With a sigh, as if he found this really unpleasant, he glanced around before speaking again.
“Seong-tae, I get it. You’re not a fan of me. But do you really have to make it so obvious? Even I get hurt when someone’s that blatant.”
“What do you mean—”
“Look at this. Even now, you’re lying, saying you have plans when you don’t. Do you really hate being around me that much? It stings, man.”
He sounded offended.
“Yeah, this time you really crossed a line,” one of his friends chimed in.
“Right? Seong-tae, I never saw this side of you before. If you act like this, how do you think that makes Chang-sik look?” another added.
“It’s fine, guys. Don’t blame Seong-tae too much,” said Chang-sik, turning back to them.
Watching them talk, Seong-tae just blinked.
Seeing how obviously staged this was, he couldn’t help but think:
They’re full of crap.
He rarely swore, but they were driving him to it.
With a deep sigh, he turned to face Park Chang-sik again.
In moments like this, it was clear Chang-sik could really act. Look at that innocent expression. Who wouldn’t buy it?
“Sorry, but I seriously have other plans. Let’s talk later.”
Han Seong-tae didn’t want to stick around any longer.
He noticed Park Chang-sik’s brow furrow, but he didn’t particularly care.
He brushed past Chang-sik. He heard them grumbling behind him, but he ignored it.
They didn’t affect his life. No reason for him to pay them any attention.
“Hey, you made it.”
Once he reached the first floor, he saw Kim Min-seok waiting in the lobby.
“What’s with the look on your face? Did something happen upstairs?”
“It’s nothing. I’m just hungry, so let’s go eat.”
“Alright then, let’s go.”
Kim Min-seok only looked puzzled for a moment before throwing an arm around Seong-tae’s shoulder in a friendly gesture.
Seeing him being so casual, Han Seong-tae broke into a smile.
Yes, it was definitely easier being around Kim Min-seok. Spending time with someone like Park Chang-sik—who clearly had some shady intentions—felt like a waste.
Together, they headed off to a restaurant.
“So, are you sure you’re okay with playing the clown (Pierrot) role? I heard it’s pretty challenging.”
Midway through their meal, Kim Min-seok brought it up.
Han Seong-tae nodded calmly when the subject of his assigned part came up.
“Ah, that… I think I’ll be alright.”
“What do you mean ‘think’? If you just half-ass it, people will laugh at you. Or worse, you’ll just embarrass yourself.”
In response, Seong-tae shrugged.
He might not have any natural talent, but he had more than two decades of acting experience under his belt.
And now he had the God of Acting on his side.
It would be weirder if he didn’t feel confident.
“All I can do is my best. I mean, what else is there? If I really put in the work, I’ll do okay.”
“Yeah, that’s the kind of answer I expected from you. But seriously, take it easy sometimes. The way you practice—I wouldn’t be shocked if you collapsed any minute.”
“I’m not that bad,” Seong-tae said with a slight laugh.
Sure, he’d been practicing hard, but he wasn’t skipping rest altogether.
He was still human, after all. He did take breaks now and then.
“How about you?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you got a part, too. Think you’ll do well?”
Han Seong-tae smoothly steered the conversation toward Kim Min-seok.
“…You’re making fun of me right now, aren’t you?”
“…What?”
“You already know what role they gave me.”
Kim Min-seok’s role?
At his words, Han Seong-tae thought hard. Then he remembered which part Kim Min-seok had been assigned.
“Oh, right. You’re ‘Passing Extra #1,’ right?”
“…Dude, sometimes you really know how to rub it in.”
“It’s not like that. I’ve just had a lot on my mind, so I forgot for a second which role you got.”
Seeing how upset Min-seok seemed, Seong-tae quickly tried to clear things up. Misunderstandings would do neither of them any good.
“Well, yeah, I guess I can’t blame you. You barely sleep as it is, so it’s a wonder your brain’s even functioning. For real, try to get some rest.”
Kim Min-seok spoke in a voice full of concern. Seong-tae only shrugged in response.
He’d been told to rest before, but he didn’t know how to slow down. So he couldn’t exactly promise anything.
“I’ll try,” was all he could say.
Seeing that, Kim Min-seok sighed and shook his head.
He received the script—both a printed version and a digital one via email.
He saved one copy on his smartphone then began jotting notes on the printed pages.
Acting isn’t something you can just do in a short burst.
He knew that just flipping through a script and practicing halfheartedly wouldn’t improve his acting.
Sure, someone with natural talent might need less time than someone without it. But they still needed to put in the work.
They only had two months until the play, but Han Seong-tae didn’t let himself get anxious.
Whisper, whisper.
Slowly, he flipped through the pages.
[“He Who Finds Laughter in Tragedy” remains silent.]
[“A Man of a Thousand Faces” blinks at your unwavering concentration.]
[“The Founder of Jeet Kune Do” observes you quietly.]
Messages from the gods flickered in his vision, but he ignored them.
He was completely focused on the script.
What is the first thing an actor should do when they get a script?
It varies from person to person, but to him, it was understanding the script’s overall structure—
Not just glancing at the character he was playing, but grasping the flow of the entire story, the relationships between the characters…
You have to see the forest, not just the trees.
The more I think about it, the more appealing this character is.
Maybe it was because he had memories of the future, but he was intrigued by this Pierrot role that everyone else avoided.
He wondered how his past self had failed to notice the role’s charm.
Then again, back then I didn’t have a choice in the matter.
He’d had no say in his part, so he ended up playing a beggar—essentially forced to take any role he could get because of his poor acting skills. Naturally, he never delved deeper into the clown role.
“If I add my own backstory to this, it could be really interesting.”
Just getting the script and practicing the stage directions wasn’t enough. To really get into a role, it helped to craft a personal narrative or background story for the character.
I have so many ideas—I can’t even choose.
With that in mind, there was a lot he could add to the clown. The current script only mentioned the ringmaster of the circus and the father of the main character, Yuna.
But from those two details alone, Seong-tae could create a backstory in which the clown lost his family, wandered around, and ended up raising Yuna.
He could already feel how fun it would be.
[“He Who Finds Laughter in Tragedy” is excited to see the story you create.]
[“A Man of a Thousand Faces” is a bit intrigued by your upcoming performance.]
[“One Who Defined an Era” smiles gently at you.]
And so the night went on with Seong-tae and the Gods of Acting.
Buzz.
Ever since a moment ago, he’d been feeling vibrations. Half asleep, Han Seong-tae rolled over.
Who the heck was interrupting his good sleep?
He twisted and turned a bit more before finally opening his eyes.
“…Ugh.”
He glanced at his smartphone screen, his face looking a bit dazed.
He blinked a few times, then answered the call.
“Why aren’t you picking up your phone!” came the voice on the other end.
“Ah… sorry. I was sleeping.”
“You pulled another all-nighter, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t bother hiding the fact he’d been up all night. Hearing the groggy sound of his voice, Kim Min-seok let out an exasperated sigh.
“Hey, do you even know what day it is today?”
“Huh?”
“Check the time!”
“What are you talking abo— …uh.”
At Kim Min-seok’s urging, Han Seong-tae checked the calendar and fell silent.
It was already closing in on 1 PM.
Normally, that wouldn’t matter—he had no classes today. But today was Thursday.
“I’m heading over there now, okay? I’ll be there in ten minutes, so be ready. Got it?”
“Oh, right. Sorry, I didn’t realize the time.”
“If you’re really sorry, then hurry up and get ready. And don’t even think about walking there today. I swear I’ll kill you.”
After hanging up, Seong-tae immediately rushed into the bathroom.
Thursday. Today was the day he was supposed to do the photo shoot for Kim Mi-so’s online store.
I was so focused on the script.
He’d been studying the script and practicing so much that he lost track of time.
He jumped into the shower.
The shoot was at 2 PM, and it was now 12:56. Time was tight.
[“The Founder of Jeet Kune Do” says that if you learn Jeet Kune Do, you can rise earlier in the morning.]
With that little message from the gods, Han Seong-tae’s day began.
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