Chapter 19

19. The Real Main Character Appears

"Thank you all for coming to see our Myeongseong High School's traditional and proud festival play."

"The Myeongseong Festival Play began with the first performance of Shim Cheongjeon, showcasing Korean traditional culture and..."

Two students, neatly dressed in their school uniforms, delivered the opening greetings to the audience.

"“Wow!”"

Clap, clap, clap!

The audience, who had filled the auditorium to the brim, responded with cheers and applause to the emcee's greeting.

Yeon Seung-hoon's eyes, gazing at the stage, were filled with nostalgia.

'It's been a while.'

Yeon Seung-hoon scanned the stage and the auditorium with a wistful look. Myeongseong High School was his alma mater, and since this auditorium had been there during his school days, it was quite an old building.

The auditorium, having undergone several renovations, was hard to recognize from its original appearance. Nevertheless, the scent of that day's festival, when he stood on that stage, still lingered strongly.

'Chun! What do I do, what do I do? I'm so nervous!'

He could almost hear his wife's voice from his school days, and his heart ached. This was the reason why, despite having had many opportunities, Seung-hoon had never visited his alma mater.

He felt the shadow of his long-gone wife and secretly wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye.

"Dad, I'm so nervous."

Yeon Se-ryun, looking at the stage with an excited expression, said. Seeing Se-ryun like this, Seung-hoon almost burst into tears.

But he managed to suppress his emotions and spoke to his daughter in a small but lively voice.

"Haha. Jin-hyuk only appears briefly at the end, so what's the big deal?"

"But still, it's really strange. Does that even make sense?"

"True, it doesn't, does it?"

As father and daughter had a cozy conversation in whispers, there was a small murmur in another corner of the auditorium.

"Hey, isn't that person No Hyun-woo?"

"Really?"

A person wearing a baseball cap pulled down low and a tightly sealed mask, looking suspicious to anyone.

As the auditorium lights dimmed, he took off the uncomfortable mask. However, it was dark enough that his identity couldn't be hidden.

A few people around him had already recognized him and were whispering.

'Oh, really. Because of my aunt, I have to come to a school play. What am I doing here?'

No Hyun-woo, an actor, a Hallyu star, a member of a well-known wealthy family, and Min Seo-yeon's sixth cousin.

In other words, Seo-yeon's mother and Hyun-woo's mother were cousins.

These days, being cousins doesn't feel as close as it used to, especially since they are maternal relatives, but Seo-yeon's and Hyun-woo's families were particularly close. How close? ...

'Aunt, I'm a top star, you know. And you want me to come to a school festival?'

'Yes, a top star, but a cute nephew. When I changed your diapers...’

'Ah! Aunt!'

'You brat. How long has it been since Seo-yeon acted? Even though it's a school play, you know she's not the type to do this. If you, a top star, cheer her on, wouldn't it be great?'

No Hyun-woo knew that Seo-yeon had secretly participated in the middle school drama club after returning to Korea. But he couldn't rat her out to his aunt here.

'No, Aunt. Even if I love Seo-yeon, this is...’

'I'm hanging up. You're a good pooper.'

That's how he ended up sitting here. No Hyun-woo stared at the bouquet in his hand.

'Damn. Did I buy it too big?'

For an actor who didn't want to stand out, the bouquet was large enough to draw attention. No Hyun-woo fiddled with the bouquet.

***

"Why, young master, you keep coming out to look at the scenery instead of studying."

"Good scenery inspires good writing, not just studying by clinging to books. Of course, you'd know if you studied, Bang-ja."

The audience chuckled at Lee Mong-ryong's smooth excuse. Students and parents seemed to relate to it from different perspectives.

'Not bad. That kid.'

No Hyun-woo was a bit surprised by the student playing Lee Mong-ryong. It wasn't a particularly colorful performance, but it was very skillful.

'But. It seems familiar somehow.'

The thought was fleeting, and he soon gave up on remembering. It wasn't that important.

"What's this trick now?"

No Hyun-woo's important character, Chunhyang, played by Min Seo-yeon, appeared. Hyun-woo's expression brightened.

Among the three brothers, No Hyun-woo, the eldest, had always envied friends with younger sisters.

Although they were maternal cousins, his aunt Sung-hee, who was like family, had a daughter, Min Seo-yeon, 15 years younger than him. From then on, he became a younger sister fanatic.

Of course, it was hard for his aunt to refuse, but if it weren't for Seo-yeon, No Hyun-woo wouldn't have postponed his schedule to sit here.

A child actor who had once been in the spotlight but quit acting and refused to even look at it after an incident.

But perhaps the five years abroad had changed something. When he learned by chance that Seo-yeon had started drama club activities after returning to Korea, he was surprised.

Seeing Seo-yeon act with his own eyes was the first time since the last drama she appeared in, when she was 6 years old.

Seeing his beloved younger sister act like this, the corners of Hyun-woo's mouth couldn't help but rise.

'You're doing well. My sister. You're doing great.'

He didn't know why her heart had changed, but now that it had, if Seo-yeon wanted to, or if he could persuade her, he wanted to pull her into acting.

'She's such a good actress.'

Moreover, she had charisma. Seo-yeon.

It wasn't just because she was his beloved younger sister. No Hyun-woo was a professional, and objectively, Seo-yeon shone.

"Bro, that's Chunhyang. Isn't she good?"

"Your sister? She's pretty good. Her mask is good too."

"Right?"

Like a father who can't help but boast about his beautiful child, No Hyun-woo proudly talked about Seo-yeon to the manager next to him and smiled contentedly.

Meanwhile, Yeon Seung-hoon, sitting on the opposite side of the auditorium, was also surprised by Min Seo-yeon.

'She has potential.'

Seung-hoon also saw the potential of an actor in Seo-yeon. Her appearance was beyond question, and her acting was top-notch. Most importantly, she had a surprising charm.

Unlike his daughter Se-ryun, who hid shadows in her brightness, Seo-yeon hid passion in her cold exterior.

That's how Seung-hoon saw Min Seo-yeon. Seung-hoon checked Seo-yeon's name, who played Chunhyang, several times in the play brochure.

As Seung-hoon followed Chunhyang, who had captured his attention from the beginning, the play had already moved into the second half.

***

"Good job, everyone. Well done!"

Mr. Park Dong-cheol looked at the students who had finished the first act with a pleased expression.

"Of course, it's Do-hoon. Actors are different, after all. Haha."

Mr. Park Dong-cheol, laughing happily, turned his gaze to Min Seo-yeon.

"Seo-yeon did a great job too."

As evident from her assigned role, Min Seo-yeon was also a key figure in Mr. Park Dong-cheol's radar.

Before the smile on Mr. Park Dong-cheol's face had even faded,

"Ah! Ow!"

Lee Young-joon started rolling on the floor of the green room, screaming.

"What, what? What's wrong with Young-joon?"

Mr. Park Dong-cheol and the students rushed to Young-joon's side.

"Ah, teacher. My stomach hurts so much—."

Young-joon, complaining of pain, started crying.

Although the character Byun Hak-do, played by Young-joon, hadn't appeared yet, his acting was already over.

"Hey, call the school nurse, the school nurse!"

Mr. Park Dong-cheol was clearly flustered.

The second act was about to start, and Byun Hak-do needed to appear. What was this?!

The school nurse, who quickly arrived, hurriedly examined Young-joon.

"Student, student, try to stay calm. Can you describe your symptoms?"

"Ah... It hurts. It hurts so much... Sob."

Young-joon was in so much pain that no one could touch him.

"Teacher, we need to call 119. If the pain is this severe, it could be dangerous."

"Ah! Yes, yes..."

Mr. Park Dong-cheol's words trailed off.

119? Then, what about the play?

"Ah, hello. This is the waiting room of Myeongseong High School auditorium. A student has collapsed!"

The school nurse quickly made the call.

Mr. Park Dong-cheol's head went blank.

Byun Hak-do was a key character in the second act. How could Chunhyangjeon be possible without Byun Hak-do?

Cancellation was not an option. The influential parents, external guests, and the principal were all present. How could they cancel a play they had prepared so much for?

There were no unavoidable circumstances. Those who failed to prepare were pitiful. Everything was judged by results. Losers were just losers.

The words he often preached were now coming back to him.

While waiting for the ambulance, Mr. Park Dong-cheol glanced at Young-joon, who was in pain, and wiped his frozen face.

'What can I do?'

There was no answer. This was impossible.

"Teacher."

Min Seo-yeon had approached Mr. Park Dong-cheol.

"If Byun Hak-do's role, Woo Jin-hyuk can take over. We're in the same class, and we practiced together. Jin-hyuk knows all of Byun Hak-do's lines."

That's absurd. What kind of absurd...

Huh?

Mr. Park Dong-cheol's gaze, which had been directed at Woo Jin-hyuk, stopped. Jin-hyuk, dressed as the Damyang magistrate, met his eyes.

He was sitting there, looking like Byun Hak-do.

So, the costume.

Woo Jin-hyuk was the Damyang magistrate. Byun Hak-do was the Namwon magistrate. The costumes were the same.

"His costume is almost the same as Young-joon's."

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Mr. Park Dong-cheol's head. A student who knew all the lines and wore the same costume as Byun Hak-do.

He knew about Jin-hyuk's quick thinking, so Seo-yeon's words about knowing the lines were likely true. He had already seen Jin-hyuk's acting skills with his own eyes.

The role of the Damyang magistrate was just a few lines. The lines could be given to minor characters like the Suncheon governor or the Gurye magistrate.

It all fit perfectly.

The only issue was that the replacement was someone he disliked, but the situation was too urgent to care.

"W