章 25: Full Practice

Joon-won stood before the classroom door, taking a deep breath before opening it. Today, there was no practice scheduled with Jung-hwa, so he had to join the main class session. As he stepped inside, he noticed the room was more crowded than usual, with many students clutching their scripts.

He closed the door behind him, observing that practice was already underway. Hyeong Myung was in the middle of a scene with the female lead. This was Joon-won's first time seeing her, and she was slathered in makeup, her performance glaringly subpar. Not that Hyeong Myung was any better; his acting lacked the finesse even Jung-hwa displayed.

Joon-won shook his head slightly as he made his way to his seat at the back of the class. Roh Ji was in the middle of the room, her voice loud as she issued orders and basked in the attention of her peers. The practice session had only reached the halfway point of a two-hour drama by mid-morning. The lack of planning was evident.

Settling into his seat, Joon-won glanced around and spotted Jung-hwa engrossed in her script, rehearsing her lines silently. He had nothing to do for the moment, knowing that with the current pace, his role wouldn't come up anytime soon. He turned to the window, letting his thoughts wander.

Bored, he pulled out his phone, recalling his recent conversation about investments. Intrigued, he started researching the topic. The complexity fascinated him, and he became absorbed in reading about the basics of investing, financial markets, and the intricacies of shares.

His study session was interrupted by a movement in his peripheral vision. Jung-hwa was on stage, performing a scene with the female lead. Her frustration was palpable as she struggled to synchronize with the lead's poor acting. Roh Ji's harsh voice cut through the room, berating Jung-hwa. The girl's shoulders slumped under the criticism, her face a mask of dejection.

Joon-won understood her dilemma. She had grown accustomed to rehearsing with him, whose acting skills surpassed those of her classmates. Now, faced with subpar partners, her performance faltered, making it hard to exhibit her true abilities.

Roh Ji called for the next scene, and the students scrambled to prepare. Jung-hwa returned to her seat, holding her head in her hands. Joon-won sent her a quick text message, instructing her to turn around. She didn't react immediately, but a few minutes later, she reached for her phone and looked back.

Seeing his message, she gathered her script and made her way to the back of the class, plopping down beside him. "When did you get here? How was your shift today?" she asked, rapid-fire as usual.

"I've been here for a while," Joon-won replied. "You were too focused to notice. The shift was fine. I didn't call you over just for a chat, though. I saw you getting scolded by that idiot." He nodded towards Roh Ji, who was still barking orders.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Jung-hwa groaned. "I feel nauseated just looking at her. It's not my day. I can't follow the flow, and it's disrupting everything."

Joon-won leaned closer, lowering his voice. "It's not entirely your fault. You're out of sync because of your partners' bad acting."

"How so?"

"You got too used to my acting style," he explained. "You're having trouble adjusting to someone else's way of doing things. It's common when you're starting out. Every actor has a different style and pace. You need to adapt constantly. Take a deep breath and try to clear your mind of how I acted. Focus on responding to your current partner's cues."

Jung-hwa nodded, mulling over his advice. Before she could respond, she was called for her next scene. She stood up, taking a moment to calm herself before walking back to the front.

In her next scene, Jung-hwa closed her eyes briefly, visualizing the adjustment as Joon-won had suggested. When she opened them, she approached the scene with a fresh perspective. This time, her performance improved, and even Roh Ji had no reason to scold her, though her face still betrayed her annoyance.

The rest of the practice went more smoothly. By the end of the day, Joon-won's role still hadn't come up, as the practice dragged and students gradually lost focus, milling about and chatting instead of rehearsing. He realized his part wouldn't be addressed until the following afternoon at the earliest.

As practice wrapped up, Joon-won packed his things and headed to the grocery store where he worked. He picked up a few essentials and greeted Seonu Hwan, the high schooler on shift. After exchanging pleasantries, Joon-won made his way home.

Once there, he stored his groceries in the fridge and decided to cook a healthy meal, tired of the junk food from the supermarket. He prepared a simple but nutritious dinner, enjoying the act of cooking. After eating, he cleaned up and prepared for bed, reflecting on the day's events.