Chapter 109: Honest Feelings
TL: Aniea
"...When is she coming out, seriously?"
Kim Cheol-su grumbled.
It was understandable, considering the costume he was wearing was that of a "king". Since the outfit was designed to maximize his presence, it was generally large and flashy.
Though it had the touch of a master craftsman, its structure was undeniably more uncomfortable than everyday clothing.
And in such a state, he had been spacing out for over an hour. Given his level of patience, he had actually endured quite a bit.
"Probably need another thirty minutes? She's coming out with full makeup and all. It's practically like doing the play twice."
"...Seriously. Then will there be enough time to change outfits in between? If it’s a dress, just putting it on and taking it off must take forever."
"Right. That’s why they usually use costumes with velcro on the back. Or they might layer different outfits underneath."
"...That kind of thing exists?"
"Of course."
It's a method typically used by multi-role actors in small theater productions. For them, changing clothes takes only a few seconds.
It's commonly called a "quick change". If you watch from the side, it seems almost like magic.
"Of course, we're a little different."
"How are we different?"
Kim Cheol-su seemed curious and asked the question first. Holding back a laugh, I answered to satisfy his curiosity.
"First of all, we have a lot of actors. Each scene has a fairly long pacing. So unless you're a character who appears back-to-back, there's actually quite a bit of breathing room."
This was further optimized by Jung Ha-rin, who had separated all the overlapping appearances unless absolutely unavoidable.
Except for a few scenes where the lead actors appear consecutively, there's a decent amount of spare time.
Of course, this lengthens the pacing of the play, which could make the audience feel bored. But we’ve filled that gap to some extent with the 2.5D format.
"Since we can use a variety of visuals through the screen, it’s easier to capture the audience’s attention with just a minimum number of actors."
"Of course."
Even though Jung Ha-rin is called a once-in-a-generation genius, it's still difficult to achieve this level of quality in a field that isn't her specialty.
We did go through some revisions during practice, but that kind of trial and error is inevitable.
"Besides, this isn’t your ordinary play, right?"
"What do you- oh."
Kim Cheol-su followed my gaze and soon nodded as if he understood. He’s not exactly stupid, after all.
"Having Kim Kaelin ssi conducting and just playing a background role would be inefficient. While the choir is in the spotlight, we gain time to prepare the next scene."
"No need to feel discouraged over this. People are all good at different things. You’ll find your strength someday too."
"Who said I was discouraged...!"
Embarrassed at having his true feelings exposed, Kim Cheol-su suddenly sprang up from his seat. Then, his body froze in an awkward posture.
As if possessed, Kim Cheol-su turned his gaze toward something and then stiffened completely.
Wondering why he was acting like that, I turned my head, and quickly figured out the reason.
There stood Kang Han-na.
Dressed in full makeup and a glamorous dress.
Radiating an aura that could only be described as “queen-like.”
‘...They say a woman’s transformation is innocent.’
Since starting the play, she had been wearing the lenses Kim Eun-ha gave her as a gift, but she didn’t like them much, saying they made her eyes dry after long rehearsals.
Naturally, her makeup routine was barely anything, just BB cream or lip balm at most.
‘Now that she’s dolled up, she’s like a completely different person.’
I can guarantee that after this play, Kang Han-na will be flooded with offers from countless agencies. That’s how impactful her transformation was.
Someone without immunity would fall for her in an instant. Just like Kim Cheol-su, who was standing next to me right now.
"......."
He had been in a daze ever since Kang Han-na appeared. Anyone could see he looked like a boy who had just fallen in love for the first time.
At first, their extremely different personalities had made things awkward between them, but recently, they seemed to have grown close enough to exchange casual conversations.
It was a relationship that wasn’t quite comfortable enough to be called friendship, but also not something you could deny outright.
In that kind of situation, seeing something like this would obviously shake him. The so-called “gap moe” perhaps.
‘...Cheol-su, you’re going to have a hard time, huh.’
I felt sorry for him, but the likelihood of the two developing into something romantic seemed very low.
That was a cold, objective judgment coming from someone who had seen both of them closely and also considered himself something of a relationship expert.
To put it more bluntly, the delinquent-like Kim Cheol-su was very far from Kang Han-na’s type. Hopelessly far, even.
‘Still, as your hyung, I’ll be rooting for you.’
I silently wished for his struggle to go well. There’s an unknown actress out there in a contract relationship with a chaebol heir, so really, what’s impossible?
“Ah, Woo-ju oppa!”
Smile-
Just then, Kang Han-na caught my eyes and waved brightly. In that instant, her impact skyrocketed.
Even I momentarily thought, “She’s cute” so I could only imagine what the guy behind me was feeling.
I didn’t bother turning around. I didn’t have the courage to see Kim Cheol-su’s expression.
“How do I look? Does it suit me?”
Spin-
Kang Han-na came closer and twirled to show off her dress.
Normally, I would’ve just nodded and said it looked good. But right now, the burning stare drilling into the back of my head was too intense.
I glanced sideways, and Kim Cheol-su’s eyes were practically on fire. I couldn’t be sure, but it was clear he was massively misunderstanding something.
It’s not like that. You bastard.
I already have someone.
Don’t shoot friendly fire at your own teammate!
“Hmm. What do you think, Cheol-su?”
“...Huh?”
“Han-na, I mean. The queen got all dressed up, shouldn’t the king at least say something?”
“Uh... th-that’s...”
Caught off guard, Kim Cheol-su stammered. He clearly hadn’t expected the question to come his way.
At least the word “Han-na” must’ve registered in his brain, because he turned to look at her again. Naturally, their eyes met midair.
His eyes widened into perfect circles. And then, starting from his neck, a blush spread instantly across his entire face.
‘Tsk tsk, that’s no good.’
He was in full-blown panic mode. He probably didn’t even realize what kind of face he was making. In this state, it’d be hard to even help him.
As I quietly shook my head, suddenly.
Kim Cheol-su opened his mouth.
His expression was dazed.
“You’re pretty.”
“Huh?”
“Pretty. Prettiest in the world.”
“.......”
Without warning, Kim Cheol-su threw a fastball straight down the middle. With the count already at three balls, no one expected such a bold pitch.
Not even me, let alone the person in question, Kang Han-na, both of us froze.
As the silence settled in, Kim Cheol-su suddenly snapped back to his senses and started fumbling again.
“Uh... I mean... what I meant was!”
“Yes. It really suits you.”
Okay, that’s enough.
I cut off Kim Cheol-su’s brain overload at just the right moment. At times like this, pushing forward as-is is better than trying to cover up with extra words.
I had no intention of forcing the two together, considering Kang Han-na’s position, but helping this much should be fine.
“Uh... um... thank you for the compliment.”
A moment later, Kang Han-na bowed slightly in my direction. When I lightly shrugged my shoulders, she turned toward Kim Cheol-su this time.
“Th-thank you too, Cheol-su.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Watching quietly, it didn’t seem like Kang Han-na disliked it. Maybe the chances were higher than I originally thought.
The atmosphere had become a bit awkward, but from here on out, it’d be best to leave things to the two of them. Time for this jaded adult to step aside.
“You two go up to the stage first and check your blocking. The costumes or shoes might make it feel awkward. Jun-woo will help.”
“...Okay.”
Both of them nodded slightly, their cheeks flushed red.
Afterward, the two of them headed up to the stage, maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close.
To his credit, Kim Cheol-su helped Kang Han-na with her skirt as they climbed the stairs, and I watched the scene with a pleased expression.
“You look like you’re in a good mood.”
“......!!”
Startled by the familiar voice suddenly coming from behind, I turned my head and saw Kim Eun-ha looking at me with a bright smile.
When had she gotten here? I hadn’t sensed any sign of her at all.
But that thought quickly vanished.
The moment I laid eyes on her, all other distractions flew away.
‘...Good lord.’
I knew she was beautiful.
But today, she was on a whole different level.
Kim Eun-ha was wearing a dress with a blue base. It wasn’t too plain, nor was it overly flashy, just a modest pattern.
Yet she lacked nothing compared to Kang Han-na earlier. No, she actually felt far more elegant.
It was the result of everything, Kim Eun-ha’s gestures, her expressions, her entire aura, coming together in harmony.
Because she herself possessed an exceptional sense of aesthetic value, excessive decoration was unnecessary.
‘...To pull off that difficult color.’
It wasn’t a safe choice like black or white, but a deep blue that was almost navy.
It could have easily clashed with her pale skin and made her look washed out, but she balanced it perfectly with the right makeup tone.
‘More than anything....’
The dress Kim Eun-ha was wearing was off-shoulder. It fully exposed her collarbones.
Since she normally went around tightly buttoned up in business attire like a dress shirt, even living in the same house, this was my first time seeing it.
Her neckline was so perfect, it made me wonder why she’d been hiding it all this time. I couldn't help but think she had outrageous genetic gift.
“.......”
Gulp-!
Unknowingly, I swallowed dryly. After all, I’m also a guy in my twenties at the peak of physical health, so my eyes naturally followed.
I forced my eyes to lock forward, using all my willpower. I absolutely could not look down.
If I gave in to instinct and let my gaze wander, Kim Eun-ha would tease me about it for ages.
But despite all that resolve, the eyes that met mine were already smiling.
"You looked, didn't you?"
It was a statement packed with so much meaning. I realized for the first time in my life that two syllables could make me sweat like this.
But I couldn’t admit it either,
So I put on a poker face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Hm. You can just look comfortably, though.”
Swoosh-
Suddenly, Kim Eun-ha raised her hand and brushed her collarbone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman, if you’re human, your eyes will instinctively follow movement.
“You can’t lie this time, right?”
“.......”
Heh heh-
Kim Eun-ha smiled mischievously. That too was dangerous. Sometimes, when she approached me so boldly like this, my mind went all over the place.
It made me want to shatter that smug look of victory on her face. If I pushed forward boldly here, she’d be the one flustered.
That’s how it would’ve gone, normally.
But for some reason, my body wouldn’t cooperate today.
"Hm? Why are you suddenly like that?"
“.......”
Kim Eun-ha seemed to sense something was off. With a slightly concerned expression, she began scanning my face from different angles.
Thump thump thump-
That look made my heart beat even more.
I couldn’t come up with a good response.
My reason was being completely devoured by instinct.
“Woo-ju ssi. Say something at lea-”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Huh?”
"The prettiest in the world."
“.......”
Of all the things I had ever said to her, this was the most honest.
*****
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