Chapter 17: Expression of Neutrality

Chapter 17: Expression of Neutrality

༺ Expression of Neutrality ༻

‘That kid...’

Seated at the very back of the audience, Cheol-joo grimaced every time Yoomyeong appeared on stage.

After failing to regulate the duration against Jun-han’s advice and despite his numerous hints on emphasizing balance, Yoomyeong seemed determined to sweep the stage.

Thinking that he should tell Yoomyeong to restrain himself during the remaining two performances, Cheol-joo rushed out of the auditorium as soon as the performance ended.

Clap, clap, clap—

Applause seeped out from the cracks in the door.

There were quite a few spectators, and neither the actors nor the staff made any fatal mistakes. Thinking that this might be one of the best yet, Cheol-joo wore a proud smile.

That’s when it happened.

Bang—

Someone pushed the door open even though the lights in the auditorium weren’t turned on yet.

“Senior Lee-shin!”

He bowed to his senior with a bright smile.

“Oh, oh? Yes, Cheol-joo. I enjoyed the show.”

The senior seemed unusually excited.

Was the performance that good? Restraining his shoulders from lifting slightly, Cheol-joo tried to maintain a humble expression as much as possible.

“By the way, Cheol-joo. I want to ask you something.”

“Yes. Ask me anything, senior.”

‘Is this finally a scouting offer?’

Vowing not to nod too quickly, Cheol-joo respectfully fixed his gaze on Lee-shin.

Sweat clung to his hands.

“The actor who played the role of President Nam, what department and year is he? Does he have any acting experience? He’s serious about acting, right? There’s no way acting of that level could be just a hobby. He’s aiming to go professional, right?”

Cheol-joo’s expression hardened.

Without even realizing Cheol-joo’s changing expression, Lee-shin continued to bombard him with questions. With each new question, Cheol-joo’s face darkened further.

“He’s from the business department, year ‘00. This is his first acting role. Seeing that we haven’t had a specific discussion about his career path, it might just be a hobby. He’s quite good though, isn’t he?”

“It’s his first time acting? Wow... so he’s not affiliated with an agency or anything like that? And, quite good? It’s more than that. Cheol-joo, seriously... he should have been the lead role—”

“...”

Oops.

Lee-shin finally noticed Cheol-joo’s reaction and the visibly awkward expression on the other person’s face. He made a mistake.

As a director, he might have influence over that actor.

“Ah, right. Changcheon, that’s it. Yes, seeing that you even gave a role of that level to a first-time actor, you sure have an eye for talent, Cheol-joo. I’m planning to invite that guy to join. If he hesitates, please put in a good word for me. I’m counting on you!”

“Ah, yes, senior. I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Cheol-joo, finding it harder to maintain his composure, hastily excused himself.

Lee-shin ran backstage.

*

“Hello, Yoomyeong. I’m Baek Lee-shin from Changcheon, class of ’90. Nice to meet you!”

While waiting, Lee-shin was able to regain some of his composure and greeted him calmly.

‘Why is this senior...?’

Yoomyeong bowed his head with a slightly bewildered look on his face.

He knew Baek Lee-shin as well. He’d seen him in the club. In his past life, there was a time when he sat in the same seat at a drinking party with his seniors. Of course, Baek Lee-shin would have forgotten him the next day.

He remembered him as someone with a keen eye and a bit of a difficult personality. But who was this smooth, friendly guy with a nice smile who was casually calling him by his name?

“Hello, senior. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I enjoyed the performance. You seem to be quite talented. Are you considering a career in acting? Have you ever heard of July?”

‘He is quite talented—’

Lee-shin tried to pick his words carefully to avoid sounding too eager, but his ambition clung stickily in between the sentences, impossible to hide.

“Yes, of course. Any aspiring actor would know July. It’s a great theater troupe.”

“Ah, are you interested? Do you want to give the audition a try?”

Lee-shin’s true intentions eventually came out.

Yoomyeong was a bit taken aback.

July. It was a theater troupe with Seo Ryu Shin as its headliner. It was a good place. It was one of the top three theater troupes in Daehak-ro and one of the few groups that could sustain itself with just their regular performances.

However, in this life, Yoomyeong had no intention of joining a specific theater troupe.

In his past life, he had been tied to a theater troupe for 15 years and had already learned everything he needed to learn from a group.

What Yoomyeong wanted was more freedom to choose the projects that he wanted to do regardless of whether they were plays or films and to act to his heart’s content.

“Senior, I am really grateful that you thought well of me. However, I don’t intend to join a theater troupe right now.”

“Why? If you want to build a solid foundation in acting, joining a theater troupe is...”

“...?”

“So, I’m really fine.”

As Yoomyeong walked away, Jun-han stared at his back in disbelief.

‘I shouldn’t be convinced by such words as a director... but he’s right. That’s some incredible mental fortitude.’

*

Cheol-joo sighed and strutted off the stage.

‘That cheeky bastard! Should I expel him from Changcheon?’

Cheol-joo had always lived a life in the spotlight.

In relationships where he was certain of his superiority, he could be generous to any extent. In fact, Cheol-joo had a reputation among his seniors and juniors for being considerate and humble, and he had a taste for such a reputation.

However, he had no immunity to situations where he was not receiving attention.

‘I guess I’m a born actor, after all. Directing isn’t for me.’

In denial of the emergence of a talent that greatly surpassed his own, Cheol-joo made excuses.

The excuse that, unlike actors, directors exist below the stage and therefore do not receive attention.

Underneath his subconscious, he forcefully suppressed the uneasy thought that he might lose even if he competed with that guy in acting.

‘July is a theater troupe that has always been second, and it has always been like that. The elite one is, after all, Comet.’

He spent the past two days mobilizing his greatest self-defense mechanism to rationalize.

He belittled July, saying that it was always mediocre, and shifted his ambition to ‘Comet’. It was the theater troupe at the undisputed number one spot, which he had been avoiding because he was nervous about the formidable actors that were stationed there.

In making that self-justification, ‘that’ scenery also played a part.

Seo Ryu Shin.

He was once again waiting in the front row.

This being the final performance, he held a bouquet of flowers in one hand.

‘That bastard... What’s with the flowers between men? It does suit him because he’s pretty, though.’

Seo Ryu Shin was in that spot yesterday as well. In other words, he had watched all the performances directed by Cheol-joo.

He was aware that Seo Ryu Shin saw him as a rival, but he didn’t think that it was to that extent...

Cheol-joo let out a sour smile.

‘It seems like the audience size will be similar to that of Oedipus... this will indeed be a legendary production.’

A large group of students flocked from afar. Cheol-joo watched the scene with satisfaction.

He thought that he could wrap up the show in a not-so-bad mood if only Shin Yoomyeong would not act out in the final performance.

.

.

.

Rush—

That group of students was the juniors of Yoomyeong’s Business Administration department.

“I saw the first performance on Thursday, and senior Yoomyeong’s charisma was totally crazy!”

“Right. He was so different from usual that I checked the program several times, thinking that it was someone else.”

The two female students at the front were openly dropping spoilers. Around 40 students quickly filled the front of the theater. They were a group.

“Oh, so this is a theater. It’s my first time here.”

“Be quiet. The lights are off.”

The bustling conversations were buried in the darkness, and the final performance began.

Act 1.

Act 2.

Act 3.

Rustle—

A few people flipped through the program they had been given as if they couldn’t believe it.

During the intermissions, they turned their heads to meet each other’s wide-eyed stares.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—

The Betty Hall resonated with a standing ovation at the end of the final performance.

Watching the actors’ curtain calls and the staff and director’s greetings that only existed at the last performance, the audience sent their generous applause.

Today, the curtain didn’t close even when the performance was over. It was a day when the audience could come on stage, greet the Changcheon members directly, and take pictures.

Click— click—

Congratulatory greetings, bouquets, and flashes were flying everywhere. Ryu Shin walked slowly among them, holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand.

Despite receiving greetings from here and there, Cheol-joo was aware of his movements.

Finally, Seo Ryu Shin approached him...

“Huh? Thank—”

...and passed him by.

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