Chapter 7

6. Watching a Play

On the weekend, I decided to watch a play for the first time in a while. I wanted to go with Tae-woo, but I couldn't leave Taesang alone, so I decided to leave him at home. Tae-woo said he was disappointed not being able to see the play, but he couldn't hide his smile completely. It seemed he was quite happy to spend time with Taesang.

"MiTube is going to create a Taesang channel. Should I buy a camera when I go home?"

While heading to the meeting place with my friend, I looked for a camera. There were so many types that I couldn't choose which one was good. I had never filmed videos myself, even when I was acting. Where should I ask about this kind of thing? In the past, I just had to tell my manager what I needed, and he would take care of it. Now, as I tried to take care of everything myself, I realized nothing was easy.

'Maybe I was just a pretentious smart guy.'

I never thought I was unintelligent. I got into the prestigious Y University without attending any cram schools, just by studying textbooks and problem sets. I learned foreign languages by taking online courses. Although I later received pronunciation corrections from native speakers, I had become quite fluent in Chinese and Japanese through self-study.

'If it's not for acting, I know almost nothing. I don't even know how to use social media. Was it because Yoonseok was too competent? Or was I too lazy?'

Before joining an agency, I did everything on my own. I didn't want to ask my parents for money, so I worked all summer to rent a room. During the semester, I tutored, served, and even did voice-over work for guide recordings. I did everything myself until Yoonseok started taking care of things for me. At some point, it became natural to rely on others for everything except acting.

'This time, I won't do that. I should take care of Yoonseok and Jujoo too.'

I hadn't thought about Jujoo in a long time. Her real name was Lee Ju-hee, and her hobby was collecting dolls. She not only collected dolls but also repainted their faces to her liking. She mainly fixed Jujoo dolls, and she would repaint them whenever she had free time, which is why she got the nickname Jujoo.

'Ah! My tea sets. How I miss them. I can't even find them now.'

Thinking about Jujoo's doll collection reminded me of the tea sets I had collected over the years. Many were masterpieces, and some were expensive tea sets sent by overseas fans. I also had quite a few guitars and violins that were more expensive than the tea sets, but among the things I left behind, the tea sets were the most regrettable.

*

I arrived at the station where I needed to get off. It was a weekend afternoon, so there were a lot of people. Tae-ju, with his tall stature, checked the entrance and walked straight with a straight posture. With his handsome face and well-proportioned body, Tae-ju attracted many people's attention, but he didn't notice at all. He had quickly adapted to the situation where people didn't recognize him, even though he had only been back for a few weeks. The idea that he was just an ordinary person who hadn't debuted was firmly planted in his mind. He no longer bothered to wear sunglasses and masks, which he used to habitually carry.

Tae-ju bought quite a few items at the garden shop. Among the skincare products were smooth skin cream, moisturizing skin cream, and transparent skin cream. He also picked up hair supplements and various things that could help his appearance. Although he already had a face that attracted attention, it had improved even more. However, because people didn't swarm him like before the regression, he hadn't fully realized how good his appearance had become.

"Hey, you. I get it now. You're radiating some kind of halo. Did you eat something good?"

"I didn't eat it; I gave it to my skin."

"Wow. Uncle, Uncle, cut it out with the old man jokes."

"Like this, boom!"

Pretending to hit him, Tae-ju made Eun-hyuk flinch. It had been a long time since they met, but it felt like they had seen each other yesterday. In reality, it had only been a few weeks for Eun-hyuk.

"Why a play all of a sudden? You never cared about that stuff. I could understand a live house, but a play?"

"Just. I like plays more these days."

Actually, it was a play featuring the teacher who had taught him at the acting school. He was already familiar with the basic training, so he could practice on his own. But acting was more fun when done with a partner. It was more efficient too. So, he looked up the teacher who had taught him the basics of acting before the regression. He called the school to ask if the teacher's class had any openings. The response was that there was no such teacher. Tae-ju was disappointed because he didn't want to attend an acting school unless it was with Mr. Park Jae-sung.

Mr. Park Jae-sung, who had taught Tae-ju the basics of acting, was not yet a teacher at the school. He was still performing on stage with a theater group in Daehak-ro. Tae-ju was lucky to remember the name of the theater group where the teacher had once been. When Tae-ju started taking acting classes, the teacher had already retired from the stage and was only teaching.

He was excited to finally see the teacher's performance on stage, which he had never seen before. They often said that good teachers weren't necessarily good actors, but everyone who knew the teacher praised his acting. They regretted that he had retired from the stage at such a young age. This year was his last year performing on stage.

It had been a long time since Tae-ju had been to Daehak-ro. Since he had become popular with his first drama, it had been a long time since he had been in a crowded area. Walking among people on such a bright afternoon felt good, and a soft smile appeared on Tae-ju's face.

"Hey, put this on."

"Huh? What are you doing?"

Eun-hyuk suddenly wrapped a scarf around Tae-ju's face. Surprised, Tae-ju got some scarf fibers in his mouth.

"I really don't want to say this, but your face is a burden. Can't you see all the attention you're getting? You're so dense."

"What attention? I'm not a celebrity; why should I care?"

Eun-hyuk hit his chest in frustration. From the moment they met at the meeting place, Tae-ju's face had been glowing, making him look unusually radiant. He knew Tae-ju was handsome, but he hadn't realized how strong his presence was among so many people.

After spending six years in middle and high school together, Tae-ju was so familiar that Eun-hyuk hadn't noticed the change. But as Tae-ju approached, dominating the surroundings, Eun-hyuk wondered if this was really the Tae-ju he knew. He saw people staring blankly at Tae-ju's face as he approached. Some even took photos with their smartphones. Even though he knew Tae-ju was just a friend he had eaten lunch with recently, he found himself reaching for his phone to take a photo.

Tae-ju didn't seem to care, but Eun-hyuk felt very uncomfortable. He knew people weren't looking at him, but the constant attention made him uneasy. Tae-ju's smile annoyed him. He thought covering Tae-ju's face with a scarf might reduce the attention. He wrapped it around more roughly because he was annoyed by the height difference, but it did make things a bit better.

*

The theater had fewer than 100 seats and a cast of only five.

It was a human comedy about a middle-aged man who, after receiving a terminal diagnosis, gradually fulfills his wishes during his remaining time.

"Sniff."

His eyes were watering. Mr. Park Jae-sung's performance was truly exceptional. It was on a different level from the brief glimpses he showed during class. His emotion, delivery, eye movement, and subtle expressions were flawless. It was a masterpiece. If he had to rate it, he would give it the highest grade without hesitation.

"Sniff."

Eun-hyuk, sitting next to him, was sniffling. The play had hinted at an unhappy ending from the middle. By the time the man met his predetermined end, Eun-hyuk was sniffling, and he continued to do so even during the curtain call.

"Stop crying. If you don't, you won't have time to greet the actors."

"Sniff. Can we take a photo?"

"Sure."

'Regressing once was worth it.'

Perhaps because he was satisfied with Mr. Park Jae-sung's performance, the regression that sometimes woke him up in the middle of the night didn't seem so bad. If someone had asked him before the regression if he would want to see this play again after going back, he might have hesitated.

"Mr. Park Jae-sung. I enjoyed the play."

"Thank you."

"Can I take a photo with you?"

"Of course."

It was bittersweet to talk to the teacher as if meeting him for the first time after so many years. Although he was the only one who remembered the time with the teacher, he was happy to see the teacher's excited face after the performance. The teacher was doing fan service despite not having properly wiped the sweat from his heavy stage makeup, which made Tae-ju laugh. The teacher used to wear a suit for physical classes and keep his hair neatly in place, but now he looked different.

Click.

"Thank you. Your acting was really great."

"Haha. Thank you."

He had never taken a two-shot photo with the teacher before. There were group photos with students, but this was the first time he took one separately. It was amusing to ask the teacher for a photo as a fan.

He had received so many photo requests from others that he couldn't remember them all. But this was the first time he had asked someone else for a photo and taken one together. And the person was the teacher he most respected, Mr. Park Jae-sung. He felt he would never forget this fact until the day he died.

The way back was light-hearted. The disappointment of not being able to register for the acting class was gone, thanks to the teacher's performance.

"Hey, are you crazy? You suddenly called me out to watch a play, and you don't even watch TV."

"You'd complain even if I showed you. What do you think about acting?"

"Being a celebrity? You said you never wanted to be one, right?"

"Not a celebrity, an actor."

"An actor is a celebrity. Do they still make celebrities just based on looks these days? Even idols are good at acting now."

Seeing Eun-hyuk's harsh criticism of looks, Tae-ju's good mood sank. What was he thinking, trying to talk to a guy who only knew about girl groups and Battle Royale?

"But if you said you were in a movie, I might be a bit excited. Honestly, your looks are good."

"What do you mean by 'looks'? Your tone is weird."

"Your pretentious tone is even worse."

"Ah, really."

Talking with a friend who couldn't be serious was tiring. He just wanted to eat and go home.

"Hey, you there, the tall, handsome student. Wait a moment."

"Me? What's the matter?"

While deciding between a hamburger and a pizza, he turned around at the urgent call. A man in his mid-thirties, holding a phone in one hand and a woman's arm in the other, was approaching quickly.

'Did I bump into a woman? I don't think so.'

"Sorry."

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Thinking it might be a mistake, he was about to apologize. But he soon realized the man had a different intention when he pulled out a business card.

The man was the director of Triz, a well-known talent agency.

"Triz doesn't accept new talent, right?"

"Huh? Oh! Do you already have an agency?"

"No, I don't. But Triz is famous for not holding auditions for new talent and not easily accepting established actors."

"That's true, until now. But we've recently formed a new team for new actors and are holding auditions."

'Ah! So this is why Nam Ji-hyuk joined Triz. I wondered how a new talent could join Triz from the start. Well, it's not easy for someone so low-level to get such an opportunity. I thought the talk about Triz prioritizing character was just a rumor because of Nam Ji-hyuk.'

Director Kim Do-jin cleared his throat to get Tae-ju's attention, who was lost in thought after receiving the business card. The woman's eyes were not friendly. It was a rare date, and he had caused a commotion by trying to scout Tae-ju. He knew he would have to apologize later.

"Ah! Sorry. I'll audition. Can I contact this number?"

"Haha. Yes, yes. Contact us, and your name is? Lee Tae-ju? Mr. Lee Tae-ju? I'll give you detailed information when you call. The reason we're holding auditions for new talent this time is..."

"Director! I'll call you later."

Seeing the woman's face getting angrier, Tae-ju interrupted Director Kim Do-jin, who was about to give a long explanation. He tried to signal the man to pay attention to the woman, but the man, excitedly explaining, didn't notice until Tae-ju cut him off. He looked pale. The woman looked healthy, and he hoped she would be fine.

"Street casting still happens. I thought it was rare these days."

"I used to get it sometimes. I got a few business cards when I was in Hongdae."

"You were famous for your looks. You even had a fan club."

"Hey! I told you not to mention that fan club."

"Hehe. Anyway, it seems your looks are still working. You're getting street casting offers."

"It's not casting. It's an audition offer from an agency."

Tae-ju had received street casting offers quite often. Some people even came to his school, and some persistently called him. It was surprising that he hadn't debuted yet, given the number of offers he had received. He had no interest in being a celebrity, so the business cards he had received were probably gathering dust in his desk drawer.

"If you want to be a celebrity, how about SW? They're accepting actors these days."

"SW? Flower Girl?"

That was a typical Eun-hyuk comment, a fan of Flower Girl. It seemed he was hoping to see Flower Girl if Tae-ju joined SW.

Generally, people think they'll see other celebrities from the same agency often, but in reality, they rarely meet. Especially actors, who don't visit the company unless they have a contract.

Tae-ju only went to the company when signing contracts; otherwise, he lived in the practice room. He had a manager assigned from the start, so he didn't need to visit the company often. His manager took care of everything, from scripts to interview responses, and would pick him up and drop him off when needed.

"Listen to the new song they released. It's amazing."

"Ugh. Enough, enough."

Eun-hyuk's endless praise for Flower Girl made Tae-ju's ears hurt. Suppressing the urge to tell him that idols weren't that great in person, he walked to the hamburger shop.