The Chaebol Family’s Youngest Daughter Doesn’t Hide Her Acting Skills - Chapter 46

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 46

 

***

 

Woon Seong-ha stood in one corner of the practice room, gazing endlessly at Ju Sae-i.

 

In front of Dojehyeon, she cried and laughed. She became So Ji-min, not the version I knew, but a lively girl who could even be playful with mountain spirits.

 

Dojehyeon’s acting was not lacking. If anything, it was flawless.

 

While Ju Sae-i, with her few lines, controlled her acting through subtle expressions and breathing intensity, Dojehyeon had to pay attention to his tone as well.

 

Even though he understood all of this, whenever Woon Seong-ha came to his senses, he was naturally filled only with thoughts of Ju Sae-i.

 

She had always been someone who caught his attention. More precisely, she was the strange girl who stood up to Ju Suyeon to protect him and suddenly dragged him to a filming site, suggesting they skip class.

 

But Ju Sae-i acting drew his gaze even more.

 

Woon Seong-ha had never seen anyone shine so brightly in his life. Once his gaze was captured by that light, he felt like it would be fine even if he went blind.

 

From the day he first saw Ju Sae-i’s acting at the filming site he was dragged to half-forcibly, Woon Seong-ha’s dream became to be by Ju Sae-i’s side.

 

He wanted to act beside her. Because then it seemed like Woon Seong-ha himself could shine too.

 

Even now, as she matched her breathing with Dojehyeon, Ju Sae-i was shining.

 

The only lighting was the fluorescent lights hanging from the practice room ceiling, yet it seemed as if all the lights in the world were directed toward Ju Sae-i.

 

‘Compared to that, I am.’

 

Woon Seong-ha was endlessly dark right now. He was in the role of looking up at light from an endlessly low and dark place like a sewer.

 

He once had a dream where Ju Sae-i appeared. In that dream, Woon Seong-ha was Ju Sae-i’s partner. They faced each other, exchanging lines.

 

When he woke up, the fact that it was all just a dream came to him painfully.

 

He wasn’t in that position.

 

As if proving that fact, before Woon Seong-ha’s eyes, Ju Sae-i faced not him but Dojehyeon and delivered her lines.

 

The shining Ju Sae-i and Dojehyeon beside her. His situation where he could only stand a step or two behind them and watch.

 

Perhaps that’s why. Watching Ju Sae-i act made his heart feel like it was endlessly sinking into a swamp this time.

 

Woon Seong-ha clenched his fists tightly in the corner. When would he be able to stand beside Ju Sae-i? When would he be able to confidently match his acting with Sae-i?

 

“Would you like to try Jehyeon’s part?”

 

Just as Woon Seong-ha was blankly mulling over Ju Sae-i’s acting, Sae-i spoke to him.

 

Woon Seong-ha’s heart suddenly dropped with a thud. The opportunity he had drawn countless times in his mind, in his dreams, had come.

 

“Here, the part Dojehyeon and I were going to do next.”

 

The hand pointing to the script was small and slender compared to his own… Woon Seong-ha gulped.

 

Woon Seong-ha diligently memorized the part she pointed out. Though he was concerned about Sae-i looking at him with a worried expression, showing good acting was the priority right now.

 

Even if not as good as Dojehyeon, at least acting that wouldn’t be embarrassing when kept by her side… that kind of acting.

 

His heart pounded with the desire to seize this opportunity. Having quickly memorized the script, Woon Seong-ha called out to Ju Sae-i.

 

He hoped she hadn’t noticed that his voice trembled greatly when he called “Sae-i,” as he steadied his breathing.

 

Taking a deep breath, Woon Seong-ha closed his eyes. Soon, having become Seo Hyeon-gyeom, he slowly opened his mouth.

 

“In your view, does it seem like this land’s fate has run out?”

 

“…You said you wouldn’t ask me such things anymore.”

 

“I’ll ask again. If you came from the future…”

 

He spoke with a sorrowful voice while maintaining a calm expression. His voice trembled at the end as he subtly asked the woman from the future about the future of the land he protected…

 

“When that time comes, will this darkness, the land’s screams, the deaths of weak humans… will it all disappear?”

 

It was definitely Seo Hyeon-gyeom. Not imitating Dojehyeon’s Seo Hyeon-gyeom, but Woon Seong-ha’s Seo Hyeon-gyeom.

 

Ju Sae-i, no, So Ji-min carefully nodded her head. Her tearful eyes wavered.

 

‘Sae-i is treating me as Seo Hyeon-gyeom.’

 

He hadn’t failed. Feeling like he could breathe freely, Woon Seong-ha’s eyes trembled before he calmed down again.

 

It wasn’t over yet. Ju Sae-i was focused on dealing with him. How could he break the flow when such an opportunity had come?

 

“I simply cannot understand.”

 

He pressed his forehead and let out an empty breath.

 

“Whether you’re telling me pleasant lies, or whether I’ve truly gone mad and am being swayed by you. Even I, who have lived a thousand years, cannot judge…”

 

Does the pain end in the future? Will the day come when the agony of losing comrades daily stops?

 

Hyeon-gyeom struggles, wanting to believe those words yet unable to easily believe them due to the grim reality.

 

However, if there’s one thing certain for Hyeon-gyeom.

 

“I’ve always liked your tears.”

 

“…”

 

“You who can laugh fearlessly and then cry deeply… when I think that you’re the future that I and the children of this land obtained through silent tears.”

 

“…”

 

“I dare think it’s worth protecting, that I could disappear right now and be satisfied.”

 

Seo Hyeon-gyeom smiled.

 

And the end of the scene.

 

In the silence, Woon Seong-ha caught his breath.

 

Because he had immersed himself as if this scene was meant to be done with Sae-i and him from the beginning, his emotions couldn’t be easily erased.

 

Woon Seong-ha looked at Sae-i with dazed eyes. He wanted to ask how his acting was, but lacking courage, he could only quietly gauge her reaction.

 

But then.

 

“Seong-ha.”

 

Ju Sae-i smiled brightly.

 

“You’re really good…”

 

With a voice clear and without a trace of falsehood, she praised Woon Seong-ha.

 

As if the world had brightened with refreshing energy, Woon Seong-ha’s eyes widened. His heart beat irregularly fast.

 

Feeling embarrassed to make eye contact, he averted his gaze and smiled awkwardly back.

 

He recalled the acting from just before. The brief moment when he had synchronized with Seo Hyeon-gyeom’s emotions.

 

It had been an ecstatic experience. A feeling he had never experienced during practice with Teacher Seong Hye-sim.

 

Thanks to facing someone who shines, even he who was still in darkness seemed to have gained light for a moment.

 

If matching their breathing briefly was this sweet, what would it be like to officially claim the spot beside her?

 

This is the scene I’ve been dreaming of. This is the future I want to go to, that I must go to… Woon Seong-ha thought to himself.

 

***

 

In short, Woon Seong-ha tore up the practice room with that brief acting.

 

The me from just moments ago who thought it couldn’t be helped if he was worse than Dojehyeon was arrogant.

 

I almost forgot my lines the moment Woon Seong-ha opened his mouth.

 

Though I was officially the one cast in the role, the Woon Seong-ha before my eyes seemed more like the character from the work than I did.

 

If Dojehyeon seemed to have swallowed Seo Hyeon-gyeom, Woon Seong-ha seemed like Seo Hyeon-gyeom was actually present here.

 

‘You have to be this good to become a big hit later.’

 

Suddenly, I recalled the legendary acting scenes from Seo Hajun’s career that received acclaim in my previous life.

 

Right, back then he was recognized for his acting skills right after debut, but I had underestimated him too much.

 

My fingertips trembled at the glimpse of Woon Seong-ha’s talent.

 

It wasn’t fear. It was trembling from the conviction that if I worked on a project with Woon Seong-ha someday, I could rise even higher.

 

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt this.

 

I stepped back and glanced at Dojehyeon.

 

Dojehyeon, who had been casually lying down when Woon Seong-ha started acting, had straightened his posture at some point.

 

Normally, he might have ignored Woon Seong-ha, who usually responded to him with a gentle face.

 

‘He did the same to me.’

 

If it was Dojehyeon who ignored me at first but soon acknowledged me, couldn’t he gradually get closer to Woon Seong-ha now too?

 

Sure enough.

 

“…You’re good.”

 

As expected, quick to acknowledge.

 

“You’re good, hyung…”

 

Did he just say hyung? Dojehyeon? To Woon Seong-ha?

 

He doesn’t even call me noona, yet now he’s treating Woon Seong-ha as hyung? I was so dumbfounded I almost laughed.

 

Whether he knew my feelings or not, Woon Seong-ha smiled brightly at Dojehyeon with his face still flushed from the aftermath of acting.

 

“Th, thank you.”

 

“Sp, speak comfortably.”

 

“Then you too.”

 

Why are they suddenly getting along so well?

 

The two faced each other and grinned. Only I watched the scene with a serious expression.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————