Kim Rina stared blankly at Han Seongtae.
Han Seongtae, who was acting the role of the martyr Ahn Jung-geun, one of the parts in “Time of Revolution.”
Watching him sing and speak his lines, Kim Rina wore a curious expression.
‘He’s really good.’
She had seen Han Seongtae’s performance in Race Start.
She had thought that was a decent performance, too.
Nothing can stop us.
We will lay bare your crimes one by one.
The more Han Seongtae’s acting continued, the more Kim Rina felt goosebumps.
Her mother had been a musical actor.
She wasn’t a globally renowned musical actor, but she was a veteran who had worked as an actor for a long time.
Having grown up watching her mother, Kim Rina also nurtured a dream of being a musical actor, and she worked diligently to realize that dream.
Because there was much she had seen and learned, she had the eyes and ears to tell good from bad.
‘There’s power in his voice.’
Han Seongtae is good.
Setting aside the simple question of whether he sings well or not,
His voice, his expressions, his acting with all of that included had a persuasive force that could move people.
“Wow… Is this what being trained looks like?”
“Doesn’t he sing really well, too? It just tugs at your heart.”
“Exactly. I’m so glad I applied.”
She heard her classmates whispering beside her.
She could fully understand how they felt.
She herself, watching Han Seongtae’s acting, felt as if her chest were swelling. Why would it be any different for others?
“…This should be enough to show, right?”
At Han Seongtae’s voice as he finished the scene, Kim Rina felt regret.
She wanted to watch and listen a little more.
Time isn’t infinite, and it’s not as if Han Seongtae could go on acting forever.
“Then shall we start practice now?”
Her regret didn’t last long.
Throughout today’s practice, she’d be able to keep watching his acting.
As he turned the script and spoke, a small smile hung at the corner of Kim Rina’s mouth.
“I… I think I’m going to die!”
One of the first-years grabbed at the hem of Han Seongtae’s pants, begging him to spare her.
Seeing her say she couldn’t go on, Han Seongtae beamed.
“People don’t die that easily.”
His voice was very gentle as he removed the hands clutching his pants.
A soft voice.
Even so, the first-year facing him wore a face filled with fear.
“P-please!”
“Judging by your voice, you still sound full of energy. Let’s practice this scene here, too.”
“N-no!”
Led up by Han Seongtae’s hand, her face was colored with despair.
She staggered, saying she really couldn’t do it, but with Han Seongtae’s help she was able to continue practicing more.
‘This level and you say it’s hard?’
On stage, watching people staggering, Han Seongtae let out a sigh.
How long had they been practicing for them to be tired already?
“This much practice is basic for everyone.”
No matter how much you don’t want to practice, Han Seongtae had no intention of leaving alone those who played up their fuss to avoid practice.
If they were working on different productions, maybe.
“Let’s just try a little harder. What we’re practicing now will be a huge help when we get on stage later.”
“…”
To his lively words, no answer came back.
Even from the class rep who’d called him here, never mind the first-years, there was no reply, which left him a little disappointed.
[‘The One Who Made Laughter in Tragedy’ is confused, saying he doesn’t know what he’s looking at.]
[‘The One Who Defined His Era’ looks at you and falls silent, as if at a loss for words.]
Even to Han Seongtae, who was practicing, the gods’ messages didn’t appear.
Practice and more practice.
Han Seongtae threw himself into practice, doing the very best he could.
“S-stop! I can’t. I can’t do any more! Let’s take a short break!”
At that, Ahn Jae-woo waved the white flag.
“How long have we practiced for you to be asking for a break already?”
“Hey! It’s already been two hours since we started! No matter how important practice is, don’t we at least need ten minutes?”
Had two hours passed already?
At the class rep’s words, Han Seongtae tilted his head and checked his smartphone.
“Hm…”
Just as Ahn Jae-woo said, more than two hours had flown by.
Honestly, Han Seongtae had no problem practicing more.
He even thought the others could keep practicing.
[‘The One of a Thousand Faces’ says not everyone can do it the way you do.]
[‘He Who Lives by Speed and Dies by Speed’ shows strong conviction that you’re unusual.]
Even the gods of acting said that thought was mistaken.
Quickly scanning the messages, Han Seongtae raised his head and surveyed the others’ condition.
‘They do look very tired.’
Unlike Han Seongtae, who was not only fine but brimming with energy, everyone else was exhausted.
[‘Founder of Jeet Kune Do’ advises that muscles need rest to grow.]
Even the god of acting who usually pushed him to train was now recommending rest.
At that point, even Han Seongtae couldn’t insist on more practice.
“Then let’s rest for just ten minutes and start again.”
“Yaaawn!”
“Finally, a break.”
“I thought I was going to die.”
No sooner had Han Seongtae finished speaking than people plopped onto the floor.
Maybe they didn’t even have the strength to make it to a chair.
Seeing some even lie down, Han Seongtae could only let out a hollow laugh.
“I knew you practiced a lot, but don’t you think this is a bit much? Aren’t you tired?”
“Huh? Uh, well… I’m used to it. If anything, when I practice like this, my body gets itchy later.”
“Wow… You’re seriously something. There’s a reason you were able to debut first.”
At Ahn Jae-woo’s words, Han Seongtae let out a faint chuckle.
For Han Seongtae, it was something he’d done his whole life, so he was very used to it, but to others, it wasn’t.
“How big do you plan to succeed, doing all this?”
“Because if I don’t do at least this much, I can’t succeed. I don’t have talent. So I have to work hard at least.”
“…”
“What?”
At Ahn Jae-woo’s steady stare, Han Seongtae tilted his head.
“Don’t say that anywhere. You might actually get punched.”
“What about it?”
“If someone who’s already debuted and is getting praised says he has no talent, then what are the ones who really don’t have talent, not even people? Sometimes, the ones who have it say more.”
Hearing Ahn Jae-woo’s words, a bitter smile touched Han Seongtae’s lips.
If he knew about Han Seongtae’s previous life, he wouldn’t say that.
Not wanting to bring up those circumstances, Han Seongtae answered with a smile instead.
“How do you think the kids are? Will they be okay on stage?”
“Mm… Well, I don’t think they’re bad.”
“Right? I picked and picked them at the MT. Especially that Kim Rina. She’s the real deal. Not quite at your level, but she acts well. And she sings well.”
“Seems that way.”
Listening to Ahn Jae-woo’s explanation, Han Seongtae looked at Kim Rina.
Having caught her breath, unlike the classmates who were still collapsed, she had opened her script and was practicing on her own.
Though she was clearly working hard enough to sweat beads…
‘She looks happy.’
Han Seongtae could see a smile hanging at her lips.
“Looks like everyone’s rested. Let’s start practicing.”
“As if we rested for long.”
“This much is plenty.”
“…Inviting you might have been a mistake.”
At Ahn Jae-woo’s muttered words, Han Seongtae lifted his shoulders in a shrug.
They began practice with the first-years.
A day passed, then two and before long, a week went by.
Second-years began showing up at the auditorium to join practice, which had been only first-years before.
“Hey, you heard the third-years are coming to help with practice today, right?”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“Ha… I’m sighing already. That senior’s coming too, right?”
“Why wouldn’t he come? It’s the perfect situation for him to brag.”
The mood in the auditorium wasn’t purely bright.
News that the third-years would come help with practice.
“What can we do. People are coming from outside to watch the musical, they say. I heard the professor asked the third-years again and again to prepare them properly.”
“Setting everything else aside, I just hope that senior doesn’t come. It’s not just the nagging. I can’t stand his showing off.”
“Still, won’t it be different this time? We’ve got Han Seongtae. In a way, since he debuted first, you could even call him their senior. Would they really act up?”
Hearing the kids whispering, Han Seongtae couldn’t help but sigh.
From the moment he came into the auditorium, their blatant gazes had followed him.
[‘The One of a Thousand Faces’ says it’s definitely grown bigger than when you were a first-year.]
[‘The One Who Made Laughter in Tragedy’ is looking forward to what you’ll show on stage.]
While he was looking over the gods’ messages…
“They’re here.”
“Ah, that senior’s here too.”
At the noise by the entrance, Han Seongtae rose and saw a group approaching.
Third-years from Korea University’s Department of Theater and Film.
They walked in at an easy pace, glancing around.
“Why aren’t you practicing? Are your brains missing? You think a musical is a joke?”
At the front of the third-years, one person was seen nagging at the nearby second-years.
The very person the kids had been whispering about when they heard the third-years were coming.
“Hey, hey. Park Hae-gun, don’t start like that already. You’ll scare the kids.”
“Yeah. They’ve just become second-years. The first-years are here with them. Boost them up.”
Behind Park Hae-gun, the other third-years laughed and grabbed his shoulders.
At their words, Park Hae-gun let out a deep sigh and turned his head.
As if searching for something, his eyes roamed and then fixed on Han Seongtae.
He came toward Han Seongtae.
“You’re him, right? Han Seongtae. Wow, a celebrity, right here.”
‘What’s with this guy…?’
Han Seongtae’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he looked at Park Hae-gun.
Walking up and talking out of nowhere like that felt rather rude.
“…Hello, sunbae.”
“Yeah, good. I’ll be in your care. Getting friendly with a celebrity. Really, you live long enough, you see everything.”
Patting Han Seongtae on the shoulder, Park Hae-gun curled his lips up.
Since when were they so close?
Han Seongtae glanced at the shoulder he’d patted, then raised his hand and flicked it clean as if dusting it off.
“Let’s practice, practice.”
Clap, clap.
Watching Park Hae-gun clap and shout, Han Seongtae let out a sigh.
He had a feeling today’s practice was going to be particularly rough.
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