* * *
I checked the stats of all the freshmen here, but aside from Do Gyeoul, not a single one had a concentration rating of B grade or higher.
‘But it’s hard to expect that Do Gyeoul would acknowledge me.’
Just from the way she’s looking at me now, there’s a subtle hostility in her expression.
Yeah. Since I came up here with the top student, they’re probably wondering who the hell I am.
“Suit yourself. But if it’s not a play, you’d better choose something you’re really confident in.”
The professor standing before me had a concentration stat of A+, no less.
That means…
‘That means I have to be acknowledged by the professor.’
I suppressed a small laugh that almost slipped out.
‘I’m glad the first mission is an easy one.’
I was confident that I could succeed right away.
I jumped straight into the performance without any explanation. The key was making the audience speak for themselves.
‘If Do Gyeoul is an actor who knows the stage…’
Right, I was an actor who understood the audience.
There were countless days during my time in the theater troupe when I couldn’t stand on stage as an actor and could only watch from the sidelines.
‘But thanks to that, I learned exactly which scenes immediately drew reactions from the audience.’
Originally, observers are the ones who can figure this out best.
‘Fortunately, I happen to know a movie that was insanely popular around this time.’
A total audience of 7 million.
Rating: 9.2.
Not only did it win Best New Actor awards for its two leads, as well as Best Screenplay and Best Original Score, but the film also garnered endless mentions from both critics and the public—making it feel like it easily surpassed the 10 million viewer mark.
The opinions of famous critics have been circulating on the Internet for quite some time.
@Seonwoo Seonwook
A bittersweet time machine that perfectly brought everyone back to the days when they were all there.
Becoming an adult is, sadly, a humble thing—nowhere near as brilliant as those dazzling beginnings.
Reposts: 22k
Quotes: 2,234
Likes: 9k
‘Good. There couldn’t have been a better choice of piece than this.’
The room was a bit chaotic due to the attention still focused on Do Gyeoul, who had just returned to her seat.
‘So I guess I have to steal attention again.’
I slowly lifted my right foot and stomped it down with a loud thud.
Thump!
A short echo spread far away. The chaotic atmosphere of the lecture room suddenly calmed down, perhaps because they were startled by the loud noise.
And naturally, it created the impression that I was startling someone in front of me.
Tiring-!
System
[40]% of the audience has started to focus on you!
Current audience: 38
As I began my full-fledged performance, a status window appeared before my eyes.
‘40%?’
That meant not even half of the audience was truly watching and focusing on me. Not even half.
But…
‘It was good.’
There was nothing to worry about.
Because I was certain I could get 100% of the audience to focus on me.
* * *
Do Gyeoul briefly turned her gaze to look at the audience.
The looks of admiration and envy directed at her had become so familiar that they no longer stirred any emotion.
‘It’s petty…’
Gyeoul was simply a little annoyed by the freshman who had come up on stage with her.
Who in the world was she to be standing shoulder to shoulder with Myeong Jeha, the runner-up, sitting right over there?
It was at that moment. With a loud thud, Yeoreum drew everyone’s attention and opened her mouth to deliver her first line.
“You… want to do me a favor, don’t you?”
Gyeoul, who had felt nothing until then, couldn’t help but hesitate for a moment.
‘…Her vocalization?’
It was a point that anyone with significant acting experience would immediately recognize.
‘Without even a microphone…’
Even though it was just an ordinary line, the voice that rang powerfully through the lecture hall—without a microphone—sounded like that of a seasoned stage actor.
It seemed she wasn’t the only one who felt it—Myung Jeha, sitting in the front row, also turned his gaze toward the podium.
‘He was just staring at his phone when I was acting.’
Before she knew it, a surge of emotion welled up in her throat.
Han Yeoreum smoothly recited the next line, stepping forward as if walking toward a clear destination.
As if the platform were a wide, open schoolyard.
“No, but it looks like you really want to listen….”
With just two lines of dialogue, Gyeoul realized exactly which piece Han Yeoreum was performing.
‘Of course I’d know.’
Because Han Yeoreum was perfectly recreating the performance of the actor who had played the lead role.
Gyeoul had studied the role as well, so there was no way she wouldn’t recognize those details. A sudden curiosity arose.
“Suit yourself. But if it’s not a play, make sure it’s something you’re really confident in.”
It was a work that had only recently been released. Geum Bitgang had clearly emphasized that it had to be something she was confident in.
Nevertheless, there had to be a reason for choosing her most recent work.
‘…Why did she choose this one? Out of all those works, why this one in particular…?’
It didn’t take long for Do Gyeoul, who had been listening to the lines, to realize why Han Yeoreum had chosen this piece.
A Korean version of a high-teen drama depicting the clumsy first love of a twenty-year-old.
Since the trailer had been played all over the place, there was probably no one here who didn’t recognize this scene.
Intube
@Movie Trailer Subscribers: 2.1K
[Freshman Welcome Event Preview] 1:53
Views 30K
-If you watch it at twenty, it’s my story; at thirty, it’s our story. (1.2K likes)
-I went to the theater and sobbed my eyes out… Maybe it wasn’t my first love I missed, but rather my own innocent self from back then, haha. Anyway, it’s been a while since such a masterpiece came out! (800 likes)
-The OST that plays during the ending credits is really… ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ It truly makes you feel like a college student from that era (522 likes).
It was a film everyone could emotionally relate to—even just through the trailer comments.
‘The audience… watches the play while being influenced by their own unconscious… and becomes immersed….’
And among those, theater is the stage that demands the most empathy from its audience.
‘The current setting is just right for…’
It was just like a scene straight out of the movie. There couldn’t have been a better setup for audience immersion. Han Yeoreum moved across the stage as if it belonged to her.
She had chosen a style of acting completely opposite to her own, which used to captivate the audience with expression alone from a single spot.
“Let’s skip class! Just this once!”
For an improvisation, it was an excessively clever choice. It was as if she had tirelessly studied the stage for this very moment.
Gyeoul glanced around the audience, feeling for the first time ever like the lead role had been taken away from them.
‘…Right now. Everyone…’
It was a completely different atmosphere from when she was acting just now.
‘They’re… smiling?’
Yeah. They were smiling. Even that Geum Bitgang.
“If you don’t skip, you’re a traitor!”
Han Yeoreum turned around. It was time for the iconic scene from the movie—the captivating moment of the female lead that left everyone in awe.
‘Slow motion… and then immediately following.’
Everyone smiled as they waited for Han Yeoreum’s next move.
‘Close-up.’
Gyeoul knew the scene as well.
It was that moment.
“Come quickly.”
Just like that scene in the movie.
It felt like Han Yeoreum’s face appeared vividly, as if it were etched into their eyes.
That fleeting moment, which would normally amount to nothing more than mimicking the same scene, same movement, and same lines as the original actor.
Gyeoul was certain.
‘…It looks the same, it’s definitely identical…’
Not a single person here would be thinking of the original actor.
‘…What the heck.’
It was as if the movie’s protagonist had always been meant for Han Yeoreum.
‘What is that?’
Gyeoul felt an indescribable sense of discomfort watching that scene.
Han Yeoreum, smiling brightly as she turned around, immediately caught her eye.
Sunlight streaming in through the open window shone on Han Yeoreum like a spotlight.
“Hey—! You’re doing great!”
“She’s the first love of Dae Yejong~!”
No sooner had Yeoreum finished her performance than applause erupted. Not even a moment of silence passed.
* * *
My heart beat wildly, imitating the sound of a drum.
‘Yeah. What I really wanted was…’
…it was exactly these eyes on me, this sound of applause.
The moment Professor Geum Bitgang fixed her gaze on me,
System
[100]% of the audience is focused on you!
Current audience: 39
The performance ended successfully.
▶Current Room Temperature (15℃) [F]
A status window popped up.
“Have you seen that movie? I watched it twice.”
“No, but I suddenly want to go see it.”
Everyone began chatting with the person next to them, reminiscing about the movie they had seen. As if Do Gyeoul’s performance just moments ago had already faded from memory.
‘Everyone probably went to the movies at least once after the college entrance exam.’
It worked perfectly. Unlike before, the atmosphere in the lecture hall was now full of energy.
Professor Geum Bitgang nodded silently and sent us back to our seats. But I could tell the professor was quite satisfied.
Because.
Tiring—!
「Mission: Capture Everyone’s Attention」
The first step to becoming a star! You’ve successfully made your mark among freshmen brimming with passion for acting.
Success Conditions
[You have been acknowledged by someone with a Concentration rating of B or higher.]
Reward
[Recognition] increases.
A [Random Skill Draw Ticket] is given.
〈Check Now〉 〈Keep〉
Because a window popped up, signaling that the first mission had succeeded.
“We speak with our expressions! We deliver with our voices! We express with our gestures! That’s what theater is. What you’ll need to learn going forward is how to command the space.”
Professor Geum Bitgang looked at me for a moment.
“Just like the acting a moment ago, you need to build a strong foundation, starting with your gait. So it doesn’t look awkward even if you’re sweeping across the entire stage.”
I put the random skill draw ticket into my storage and squirmed with excitement.
‘…Yeah, this is it.’
The version of myself I had longed for and intensely desired.
Thump, thump. The pleasant sound of my heart beating spread throughout my body.
‘If only everyone clapped a little louder.’
I didn’t show it on the outside, but deep down, a growing desire to be recognized kept bubbling up.
How long had it been since I felt this kind of recognition? Anyone could see that I got a much bigger reaction than even Do Gyeoul.
Even classmates in the front row started turning around and making eye contact with me, giving me a nod.
Do Gyeoul was among them.
‘Do Gyeoul, did you see that?’
I gave Do Gyeoul the same eye-contact greeting I’d given my other classmates.
‘The acting you were so busy stealing from me.’
Do Gyeoul, who had been quietly staring at me, turned away again without any reaction.
‘Manage your expression properly. I hate you too.’
Her clenched fist trembled, and then—something suddenly flashed through her mind.
Come to think of it, I think I saw something strange in the status window earlier.
Final Audience: 39
‘…Huh?’
As expected, the audience count in the status window had indeed increased by one in the middle.
Comments (0)