Episode: 16
Normally, I don’t bother checking out a play’s leaflet when I go to see one.
But this time, I picked one up and checked it out.
[Dreams Come True]
With a title as cliché as they come, it included a brief introduction and some boasting about the play.
There was also a short introduction of the actors.
“Hm.”
But no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find the name “Lee Da-young.”
Unless my eyesight had already started to go bad, I was sure her name was Lee Da-young.
And the only play scheduled at this time was this one.
‘Or maybe she’s just a part-timer or something?’
Just as I was thinking this, I saw someone entering the staff-only waiting room.
I quickly grabbed someone to ask, and they confirmed that part-timers go to the staff waiting room while performers go to the performers’ waiting room.
So Lee Da-young must be a performer.
“It’s 10 minutes before the play starts.”
Still confused, I heard a voice announcing the play’s start time.
“Let’s go in.”
“…Do we really have to watch the play?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
“Yes, Manager.”
Maybe it was because she hadn’t slept much, but Eun Hee-ju didn’t look well.
“If it’s too hard, you can sleep during the play. We can always come back another time if we need to.”
“Come back another time…”
At that, Hee-ju’s expression grew complicated.
It was hard to tell whether she was pleased or not, like a child’s expression when they’re not sure how to feel.
“The seats are pretty comfy. Hehe, if it comes to it, you can even borrow my shoulder.”
“…!”
I joked, and as we were about to find our seats, something bumped into my shoulder with a thud.
Wondering what it was, I looked to the side and saw Hee-ju repeatedly bumping her head against my shoulder.
“You want to break my shoulder…”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“E6, E7. These are our seats.”
But as soon as we sat down, Hee-ju once again leaned her head on my shoulder like a magnet.
What is this?
Did someone smear honey on my shoulder?
“Sorry, Manager. I’m awake, but I haven’t fully woken up yet, so my head’s just a little heavy.”
Awake but not fully awake?
What kind of wordplay is that?
“No, wait. The important thing right now is…”
I shook my head and checked the leaflet again.
Upon closer inspection, there was a group photo on the back.
It was like searching for a needle in a haystack, but when I looked as closely as possible, I did spot a woman who seemed to be Lee Da-young in the corner.
“An extra, maybe.”
Thud, thud.
“You really do want to break my shoulder, don’t you?”
“Oh. I was just hoping it would help wake me up.”
Ugh.
Like a hammer, she kept banging her head against my shoulder, so I firmly grabbed her shoulder and pulled it to my side to keep her still.
“Stay like this. People will think it’s strange. Don’t forget that you’re an idol trainee. And you’re basically guaranteed to debut soon as my number one treasure, got it?”
“Oh, okay.”
Finally, Hee-ju settled down.
What was she even trying to do?
I really want to take a look inside this 4D weirdo idol’s head at least once.
[I'd like to open that kid's head and show you, Master.]
Why do you have to say such scary things?
Anyway.
Hee-ju is just a poor, innocent kid who doesn’t know any better.
It’s not like I’m not doing anything about it for no reason.
Soon, the play began.
The seats were about a third full.
‘There are fewer people than I expected.’
In dramas, actors who do plays are always shown as poor or on the verge of bankruptcy, so a lot of people think plays are unpopular.
But plays in Daehak-ro are actually quite popular.
There aren’t many places in South Korea where you can watch plays, and among those, this is the biggest and the one with the most regular schedule.
‘For the really popular plays, if you don’t book quickly, there won’t be any seats left.’
When you watch a play like that, you can immediately understand why it’s so popular.
It was the same with plays that weren’t popular.
“We can’t give up here.”
“Yeah! Dreams will come true one day!”
Their acting was… really awful.
No, that’s not right.
It feels wrong to criticize them when they’re trying their best.
I’ll just focus on when Lee Da-young appears.
And for someone who’s new to plays, this might be decent enough to watch.
“Is it fun?”
“Yes, it’s fun.”
That’s when I saw it.
I wasn’t kidding—Lee Da-young appeared as an extra who probably took up about 5% of the entire play’s runtime.
At the same time, Eun Hee-ju spoke up.
“It’s not fun anymore.”
I feel sorry, but instead of responding to Hee-ju, I focused on Lee Da-young again.
[Lee Dayoung, S+]
There was no doubt about it.
Lee Da-young wasn’t on the same level as Eun Hee-ju, who was an SS rank, but she had far more talent than any top-tier idol trainee.
But then why…
“What is this?”
Why was she wearing such a ridiculous wig?
“There’s no way dreams like that could come true.”
Why was she playing such a B-grade role and giving a B-grade performance?
To be honest, her acting wasn’t particularly outstanding, but it was decent.
But decent wasn’t good enough.
We came here and paid to be moved.
If you’re an actor…
Especially in a play, where emotions are conveyed directly to the audience right in front of you, you can’t afford to be just decent.
This isn’t a drama shoot where they can edit things afterward.
[Jung Jae-ik, C+]
[Im Byung-jin, B]
[Lee Da-young, S+]
Was it just my imagination that she seemed on the same level as the other actors in the play?
“Hee-ju, what do you think of that person over there?”
“You mean that girl with the slanted eyes over in the corner?”
“Huh?”
That’s a bit harsh.
“I don’t think she’s that great. She reminds me of Jo Yuna.”
“…”
Oh my gosh.
Saying she looks like Jo Yuna…
That’s the worst description Hee-ju could have given.
Does that mean she’s really not that great?
“If you brought me here to show me something like that, I think I’d be better off just watching MeTube by myself.”
[In other words, she’s saying that woman isn’t worth taking with you, Master.]
“Uh, well.”
Did I really get it wrong?
But then again…
[Sorry, but the information I provide isn’t false. If she’s marked with that rank, it means she has the talent to match it.]
Nobel was strongly asserting herself, as if trying to check Eun Hee-ju.
And she was right.
It’s not that I’m ignoring Hee-ju’s words, but…
The voice I should be paying more attention to is Nobel’s.
“I’ll have to meet her after the play ends.”
As I muttered that, Eun Hee-ju looked at me blankly and asked,
“Manager.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s your goal, Manager?”
“I want the idols I’ve trained to become the best in the world, and for me to become the world’s best manager… or maybe even the CEO. You’re one of them too.”
“Is it not enough with just one person?”
Wondering what she meant, I looked over at her.
“Just curious.”
“Well, it’s not impossible with just one person. If that one person can sing really well, act well, shine in variety shows, and has overwhelming popularity. There are solo artists who have made it big too. If someone could sell over 2 million albums in their first week and make 50 billion won a year just from advertising, then yeah. But so far, no one has achieved all that alone.”
“I see.”
Hee-ju mumbled in a meaningful voice, as if she’d realized something.
“I can have it all to myself if I achieve that.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
I couldn't hear what Eun Hee-ju said because the play was too noisy.
Ugh, those people can’t act, but they sure are loud.
It's nothing but noise.
“The level of this play is pretty low.”
“Maybe it's because of that girl who looks like Jo Yuna.”
“Have you been bullied by that person, Lee Da-young?”
“No.”
Eun Hee-ju shook her head.
“It’s the opposite. I think I might bully her.”
“Ah.”
So, because she resembles Jo Yuna, does that mean she’d rather take revenge on that girl instead?
Is that how it is?
Cute little thing.
“Don’t worry too much. It only looks that way from a distance. She doesn’t resemble Jo Yuna that much, and even if you did bully her, how much could you really do? Heh.”
Even if Eun Hee-ju tried to bully someone, all she would do is stare at them with those innocent eyes.
[Indeed...]
Clap, clap, clap.
Wow.
The play was so boring that just a brief conversation with Hee-ju made it end.
Honestly, Lee Da-young's presence was almost nonexistent.
If I hadn’t been watching closely, it would have been hard to even notice she was in the play.
“Hee-ju, sit over there and take a break.”
“...Okay.”
I seated Eun Hee-ju in the theater’s lounge and quickly headed to the performers' waiting room.
[Authorized Personnel Only]
It was boldly written, but I ignored it and walked in confidently.
“Well done, everyone.”
“Thank you!”
As I walked in, various actors were greeting people who seemed to be seniors.
Then I saw Lee Da-young, who wasn’t even making eye contact with anyone, sullenly cleaning up props in the corner.
But her expression was amazing.
She looked far more alive and expressive than she had during the play.
What was even more shocking...
“Shouldn’t we either practice more or revise the lines? We need to make some changes. It’s a complete mess right now.”
My goodness.
In these sensitive times, where people avoid relationships and barely even get married, there’s someone who can throw out a blunt comment like that?
I almost clapped involuntarily.
“...”
The atmosphere became so quiet and cold that I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Da-young again?”
“Please, stop it.”
“We all know this is the best we can do. What more do you want? If you’re so upset, why don’t you leave the troupe and do a one-man show on the street? You can’t even do that, so why do you keep mumbling and ruining what little good mood we have?”
“We know we’re not good. But this is the best we can do, so what do you expect? Are you so sure your acting is any better?”
In these sensitive times...
It meant that everyone could easily snap at the slightest provocation.
It seemed this wasn’t the first time it had happened.
“Da-young, just apologize. You love acting, right? Are you really going to quit?”
Wow.
Honestly, I think that’s even crueler.
She’s been completely trashed, and then some girl, who’s barely even a friend, steps in to force an apology.
‘What a sly fox.’
This is why, damn it, all women need to be...
[No generalizing.]
Ahem!
But the real shocker was yet to come.
“Damn it, you worthless idiots. You have no talent, but you’ve mastered self-consolation, so you can’t even see your own abilities objectively. I’m done working with people like you. Keep deluding yourselves that you’re okay, and end up old and working in a factory.”
Who the hell poured two bottles of rice wine and soda into her?
Her words were harsh, yet they fizzed with energy.
“This crazy bitch!”
A hot-tempered guy, clearly stung by her sharp words, suddenly lost it and raised his hand.
“Go ahead, hit me!”
Even when faced with that, Lee Da-young defiantly thrust her face forward.
That’s something else.
Still, for an actor, their face is their most valuable asset.
I quickly stepped in and grabbed the guy’s wrist.
“...?”
“Who are you? Don’t you know unauthorized personnel aren’t allowed here?”
I answered.
“I’m authorized.”
Then I pointed to Lee Da-young and said,
“I’m her manager-to-be, and I’m in charge here.”
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