"...This is a bit tough."
Sigh...
Creak, creak.
Mansik's Theater.
From early morning, Mansik, wearing gardening gloves, was busily turning something on the stage.
Crick.
"Is it done?"
Standing a foot away, Mansik checked the equipment he had just touched. He had a satisfied look on his face.
Thinking about the performance that would be held on this stage soon, Mansik hummed a tune without realizing it.
Then,
"Hmm... My stage, with that guy and Gil Jun-ho performing together? I can't believe it."
His face showed that he couldn't believe it the more he thought about it.
Gil Jun-ho. His name alone would sell out a small theater like this immediately. Mansik was already worried about how he would handle the crowds that would come.
In his wandering years, Mansik had only ever seen a superstar like Gil Jun-ho on the silver screen. Now, he was going to bring that same superstar to his own stage. This was a gift to Mansik, who was on the verge of bankruptcy due to the constant defection of his actors.
Mansik shook his head in disbelief. He still couldn't believe it was real.
But more than that,
"What have you been doing here since the morning?"
The guy who had come into the theater asked from behind.
"Oh, you're here?"
Mansik's face lit up.
Mansik, who had been sitting cross-legged on the stage since early in the morning, cleaning and reorganizing the stage equipment, stood up.
In fact, he had been thinking about Junwoo all this time.
"Why are you doing that when there are employees here?"
"Go practice or just rest. You need to recharge your batteries. Go out and have some fun."
Mansik waved his hand as if to shoo Junwoo away.
Junwoo blinked his eyes in surprise at Mansik's sudden change of attitude.
Mansik turned his head away. He was secretly beaming with pride.
The boy's first performance on his stage a few days ago was something he could never forget.
It was a moment of awe. It was more than just support.
It was the thrill of discovering a hidden genius.
His growth was unbelievable at every moment.
Watching the boy's hidden passion for acting slowly blossom was Mansik's daily joy.
The boy would soon be standing in front of a large audience.
Money was not an issue.
Since falling in love with theater, Mansik had never wanted someone else's success more than his own.
All he could do was fix the stage.
He refurbished the stage for each performance. Mansik had loved theater for a long time.
He had studied the stage until he was sick of it. Even if he couldn't do it as well as the boy, he could at least use his budget to upgrade the current stage to the highest quality. He touched it, feeling the memories of what the boy used to do on stage every day from over his shoulder.
"How is it? It's not bad, is it?"
"Oh..."
Mansik scanned the stage with his hands on his hips.
"I didn't just stand by and watch what you've been doing all this time."
"Did you do this for this performance?"
"Yes. I made some changes."
I was honestly a little surprised. I had forgotten that Mansik had studied theater for a long time and operated a theater, as I had only ever seen him admiring me from the side.
"Did you want to change the stage?"
Seeing him go to such lengths, he seemed to have high expectations for the upcoming performance. Seeing him excited, Junwoo felt a little more at ease with the fact that he had been receiving help all this time.
"Yes. It's much better."
Hmm...
As Junwoo watched the neatly groomed stage, he thought to himself,
"I'll try my hand at it later."
Mansik was satisfied with the stage. He looked away and pondered something for a moment before turning around suddenly.
"But I have a question."
"What's the matter?"
"I just can't understand, no matter how much I think about it. You're willing to collaborate with Gil Junho on a performance, but why did you reject NK?"
"..."
"If you went there, you could have seen scripts written by truly acclaimed writers, and you would have had more opportunities to act the way you want. At least much more than here."
Mansik asked with genuine curiosity.
There was an indifferent tone as if theaters like his own didn't matter much.
"I never claimed to understand you before, but I'm genuinely curious this time."
"..."
After a few seconds of silence, Junwoo suddenly uttered a non sequitur.
"Well, I don't remember."
"Oh, come on. It's not because of me, is it?"
"Aren't you hungry? Let's go eat breakfast."
Junwoo stepped outside the theater.
"Whoa? Look at this kid; is this for real?"
"I'll have kimchi stew. How about you, sir?"
Swish swish.
"Hey, you...!"
Swish.
Mansik quickly swiped under his nose. What's this?
Perplexed, Mansik hurriedly chased after him.
***
The voices seeped out from outside the practice room.
Mansik, once again, stuck to the window like a cicada, peering into the small opening.
For the past few days, Mansik had been puzzled. It was about Gil Junho.
"Is he ambitious about the stage?"
The guy holding the script was saying something to Gil Junho.
As the guy gestured to the floor of the practice room, Gil Junho, who had been listening intently, blinked as if realizing something.
"...Or is he crazy about something else?"
It was a sight not easily witnessed. If others were to see it, they might think who is teaching whom; it probably looked like a scene from a performance.
Honestly, I thought he would only come down on the day of the performance. After all, he's not an ordinary actor.
But to go to such lengths.
Gil Junho had recently arranged accommodation nearby for him and Junwoo to practice for the performance.
"I thought he would tell me that he's coming later."
He arrived at the theater before Mansik, even though the sun had not yet risen. He showed no signs of fatigue.
In fact, he looked happy.
He seemed to enjoy working with the boy and talking about acting, not just for the sake of practice.
Moreover,
"Why isn't that Mister leaving?"
Junwoo, dressed in a uniform, whispered as he adjusted the curtains.
"I don't know either."
Mansik also lowered his voice.
Furtively.
Even though it was past midnight, Gil Junho, who occupied a seat in the audience, showed no intention of leaving.
A man holding a script was talking to Gil Jun-ho.
As the guy gestured to the floor of the rehearsal room, Gil Jun-ho, who had been listening intently, suddenly widened his eyes as if he had realized something.
It seemed like he had an immediate curiosity to satisfy as he flipped through the pages.
"Is he always like this?"
"Always?"
"Does he always have that constipated expression when practicing with you?"
"Yeah, sometimes."
"I thought he would be really stiff, but he's actually quite friendly."
Gil Junho kept doing that, and as soon as Junwoo finished work, he ran over to him.
That scene continued for several days.
Mansik was well aware of Gil Junho's fame and the rumors that followed him.
He was known for his ability to captivate viewers with just a few scenes. Anyone who crossed paths with Gil Junho, regardless of their experience, would bow their heads and beg him to watch their own acting.
And now, that very Gil Junho was following the boy around like a puppy every day the theater was open.
"This is different from what I saw at the agency..."
Mansik had finally realized that the boy had been holding back his true potential at the agency.
He overheard Junwoo making excuses later as if tired of explaining himself.
"No matter what I say, it won't come out the way I interpret it. You have to find it out for yourself."
Despite that, he didn't seem to be offended at all.
"Ah..."
He nodded his head with a serious expression as if he had just understood something.
All of this was just a spectacle to Mansik.
***
A week before the performance.
Preparations reached their final stages.
Mansik rubbed his chin as he reviewed the website on the computer.
"Hmm..."
There was one issue.
The performance information is updated by the publicity team.
The stage background, character introductions, and a carefully crafted poster adorned the website and the director's notes.
Naturally, the response was sensational.
The reason for the heated discussion among fans was the uploaded profile of Gil Junho.
Gil Junho, who had only starred in films by master directors, suddenly appeared on the stage of a theater.
- I finally got to see Gil Junho after several months, but why is it in a small rural town?
- I was curious because there were no reviews or anecdotes about his appearance, but am I finally going to see Gil Junho in person?
-I actually think it's good. With Gil Junho's vocal skills, he'll chew up even a small theater.
Attention was focused solely on Gil Junho.
Was it a good thing? Thanks to that, the real issue was being buried.
-By the way, has the casting for the other role been finalized yet?
-Did you thoroughly check the skills of the child actors, and is it true that Gil Junho withdrew from the discussion?
-Haha, just let Gil Junho do it alone. His presence wouldn't matter anyway.
Silence.
One of the lead actors had not been cast yet.
With the performance just a week away, Mansik started feeling the pressure. He couldn't go on stage without any prior information about the actor.
Mansik walked with a heavy heart.
He realized he had been so focused on his excitement that he hadn't even bothered to ask the boy what he was thinking.
He thought he was doing what was best for the boy, but now he felt ashamed of himself.
Dawn. Seeing the lights inside the theater, it seemed like he was there.
"...!"
Entering without worry lasted only a moment; every pore on Man-sik's face widened.
"Wow..."
Admiration escaped involuntarily.
"This... Is this really my theater?"
Junwoo, who was doing something at the edge of the stage, looked up at the sound.
"What brings you here at this time?"
"This... What is all this?"
"Why? Don't you like it?"
Not liking it? He couldn't continue speaking.
The small theater with only an oval stage was completely optimized for the performance. It was like a miniature version of the Seoul Arts Center. That's right. He must have been reading all those books on directing for a reason. He must have personally reassembled and touched all the equipment on the stage.
Even though there were no expensive sets added, how did he create this atmosphere?
Talent is talent, indeed.
The boy's words made Mansik feel ashamed of himself. He had always believed that a play was all about the actors' performances, from beginning to end.
"I just added a little to what you had already done."
"..."
Mansik felt embarrassed to think about how confidently he had been acting just a few days ago. He wished he had kept his mouth shut.
'If only I had been on a stage like this...'
Mansik was standing still, lost in thought, when Junwoo, who was adjusting the floor lighting, smiled and wiped his sweat away.
As he brushed his wet bangs away,
"..."
Mansik became bewildered once again.
"Were you always this handsome?"
"...?"
"Why do you always cover that handsome face of yours?"
Junwoo scratched his head. He had always worn a hairstyle that covered his eyes, except when he was in costume for a play in his previous life. He had never really thought about it. It didn't fit with his previous life's profession to show his face.
Then, Junwoo noticed something.
He saw that Mansik's face still showed some worry.
'I guess you've been worrying a lot. I'm a little sorry.'
Seeing him floundering and unable to say the obvious, he couldn't help but laugh, even though it was inappropriate for the situation. It was a sign that he cared about himself.
Junwoo, who had entered the theater alone earlier, had already sorted out all of his thoughts.
"..."
The performance will be on a whole new level from the time when there were barely twenty people.
He anticipated that word of mouth about himself would spread in some way through this incident.
However,
"I don't feel particularly awkward at all."
I've already come too far.
Reflecting on it, he was so angry at himself for suppressing himself for so long.
Mansik's words about living a lifetime in hiding stuck in his mind.
It's his second chance at life; how should he live it?
Mansik, who knew nothing, cautiously spoke up.
"...But, you know, I forgot to mention, are you really okay?"
"I'm fine. Please don't worry about me, sir."
"?"
How did he know? Occasionally, he seemed more mysterious than a ghost.
"If that's really the case, there are ways not to disclose your profile. You could go for a mysterious concept or something like that."
Mansik said in a playful manner.
"What did I just say?"
There was no way such a concept existed. The boy spoke calmly.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
"It doesn't matter? I mean...was it really that easy to solve? That could go viral on YouTube, or even the news. The interview video will be all over the place."
"I don't know. It would be worse than death."
"...Are you serious?"
Junwoo turned to Mansik. He could tell from his eyes. He wasn't making a decision for Junwoo's sake. The boy really seemed to have made up his mind.
"Let's go. It would be a shame if it just got buried now."
At that moment, it wasn't just Junwoo who had made up his mind.
The boy's determination and aura were palpable. Mansik felt a sudden urge to bet everything he had on this boy.
Mansik, who had become quite serious, said.
"Just focus on the stage and don't worry about anything else. I'll take care of the rest. I'll make sure that you won't have any problems because of the play at my theater."
***
Upon returning home, Junwoo gazed at his reflection in the mirror.
"It's a bit long."
He ran his fingers through the hair, which cascaded down, even curling around his eyes.
Junwoo pondered. It was something he had never thought about before.
"Hmm..."
A few days before the performance.
Mansik was busy.
Frankly, he wasn't worried about the stage at all. No, he wasn't concerned. He was only excited to see what kind of stage would come out. Mansik couldn't wait to see the boy on stage who would create chemistry with Gil Junho.
I'll leave that to him, and I'll do my job.
In fact, this performance had to be a lot of work.
It was the first time that so many people had gathered at his theater. In addition, if he wanted to be prepared to be noticed by the media, there were many things he needed to prepare in advance. Mansik was already certain. The boy's presence on stage would not go unnoticed.
Mansik spent several days tidying up any elements that could interfere with the stage. He prepared posters, tickets, and banners of the highest quality, and he also blocked out any potential criticism that the theater could be called a "country theater."
Mansik ensured everyone was on the same page, from the other actors and extras to the lighting, directing, costume, and equipment teams, as well as the staff that Gil Junho brought in from his agency. He wanted to make sure that there were no behind-the-scenes gossip or problems that could dampen the team's morale.
This was possible because Mansik was passionate about theater. It was something he had always done.
"It's a bit tough this time, though."
And,
Soon, new news appeared in the bustling community of Gil Junho fans anticipating the upcoming performance.
-Hey, did you see the lead actor's profile?
-Yeah, a rookie, I think. It's my first time seeing him.
-It must be a publicity stunt for an NK trainee.
The official website of the main theater.
Junwoo's profile picture, with his hair neatly cut and his face clean-shaven.
The information section has no prior works or awards listed. Only the name "Han Junwoo" was filled in.
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