Chapter 35

The gym at 6 in the morning.

A time mostly used by office workers for their morning exercise before heading to work.

There was one man visiting the place for the first time today.

His name was Jung Hyun-woo.

He was a rookie actor, newly turning twenty-five.

“Morning exercise really is the best.”

This young man had only landed a supporting role once in a cable drama, yet he lived with the constant thought that someone might recognize him. That’s who Jung Hyun-woo was—an actor nurturing such thoughts.

Anyway, maintaining one’s physique is essential for acting. For male actors, having a “muscular physique” had become a near-basic requirement.

“Wow, the gym equipment here is really clean.”

Though the gym seemed to have been around for quite a while, it was impeccably maintained. It was chosen for being close to home, but it exceeded expectations with its cleanliness and appeal.

“Hm?”

As he carefully observed and walked around, something caught the man’s eye.

It was a woman with long, black hair tied high in a ponytail.

Or should he call her a girl?

She looked to be in her late teens.

“Wow.”

The man was struck twice by what he saw.

First, by the girl’s stunning appearance, and second, by the massive weight of the barbell and plates in front of her.

“Uh, what is this?”

The beautiful face framed by delicate eyebrows and calm expressions was striking, with a slender, slim figure. Jung Hyun-woo, who had met several actresses and idols known for their beauty while filming cable dramas, was impressed that this girl could easily overshadow those he’d come across.

What made the barbell in front of her all the more noticeable was the fact that it was a weight that seemed unimaginable for someone like her to lift.

“Roughly… 200kg?”

Sure, on the internet, people bragged about lifting two hundred with a deadlift, but it was by no means an easy weight. Even experienced lifters struggled to do it. Deadlifting two hundred wasn’t something you could just casually attempt—it was something only those who had made weightlifting a regular part of their life could handle.

“Surely that’s not possible.”

He thought about moving away, as it was unimaginable that the barbell at the girl’s feet belonged to her.

But when she gripped the bar, he instinctively moved to warn her—it was dangerous.

“Is this your first time here?”

However, his action was interrupted when someone grabbed his shoulder.

“Huh?”

“Sorry, it seemed like you were going to stop her out of surprise.”

At first, Jung Hyun-woo thought it might be a fan who recognized him, but the man’s words deflated his hopes.

Firstly, this man appeared to be over 190cm tall, and he was heavily muscled, clearly a seasoned gym-goer.

“Well, should I stop her?”

“Hmm, yeah, usually. That’s what I thought at first.”

The man nodded toward the girl. She slowly exhaled and began her deadlift.

“…!”

At the mere sight of her putting in some effort, there was a dramatic lift, and the bar was smoothly placed back down. Normally, people would simply let go of such a weight after lifting it to avoid injury, but the girl carefully lowered it.

“Her strength is just unbelievable.”

“What… how…?”

“Even if you ask how, I don’t know. She just… she’s like that.”

This man had been observing Seoyeon since she first arrived here. Bang Yong-sik, the gym’s trainer who looked over Seoyeon’s workouts, frowned at Jung Hyun-woo, who silently kept staring.

“Still, even so, isn’t that too much staring?”

“Uh? No, no! It’s not like I have any strange intention…”

It was true that he was initially surprised by her doing a deadlift, but also by her stunning looks.

However, the real reason Jung Hyun-woo kept watching her was different.

“It’s just that… I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

Jung Hyun-woo muttered as he looked at the girl again. Long black hair, sharp features. She was undoubtedly someone new to him, but there was a strange sense of déjà vu.

“Ah, that could be. I don’t know much, but I heard she briefly worked as a child actor before…”

“Child actor?”

When he heard the word, it made him particularly happy. He was a rookie himself, but still an actor.

“Someone that beautiful is definitely perfect for acting.”

If she became an actress, it would be a good idea to lend her a hand. Having someone like her as a junior would surely make his days brighter.

He thought to himself that he should start coming to the gym every day.

“…”

***

“Hoo, huuu.”

Seoyeon ran.

The distance from the gym to the high school was a total of 3 kilometers. It was quite a stretch if the bus wasn’t used, but Seoyeon covered this distance daily.

After all, it only took her 10 minutes at her pace.

Jingle, jingle!

“Welcome!”

The bell chimed and entered the convenience store.

The clerk froze upon seeing the girl walking in.

‘She’s here again!’

A girl who entered at the same time every day. She had long, untamed black hair and slightly light brown eyes.

At first, it was hard to meet her gaze.

She had an unusual aura—too beautiful to look at without feeling the burden.

But that also became easier with daily encounters.

To some extent.

“3,000 won.”

Two vitamin drinks.

Not a very typical choice for a high school student.

As this thought crossed the clerk’s mind, he handed the goods across in a bag and felt the girl staring at him.

“Uh, is there something wrong?”

Startled, he answered, nearly biting his tongue.

“No, I guess I’m just used to you now,” said the girl unemotionally.

“Yes, yes?”

When questioned, the girl smiled.

“Just joking.”

Because she was usually expressionless, her smile transformed her instantly, leaving the man frozen.

A smile like a blooming flower.

Just such a description came to mind.

Jingle, jingle.

He immediately flopped back into his chair naturally, not intentionally—his legs gave out.

“Wow… she’s crazy…”

Every day reinforced the idea that someone’s face could be a weapon.

***

Now, in a male to female story, the stereotypical cliché involves visiting a convenience store.

…Well, hardly anyone visits them daily like I do.

That clerk works at the same time every day; thus, he remembered me. Since he was always startled to see me, I decided to give him a slight tease today.

‘She seemed quite burdened.’

Maybe I should avoid this store for a while and try a different one. Upon reflection, it felt a little embarrassing.

“Joo Seoyeon.”

I heard a voice calling as I walked, near the school gate.

Same kindergarten.

Same elementary school.

Same middle school.

And now the same high school.

Miss Lee Ji-yeon called me.

She hadn’t changed in over ten years.

“You’ve been up to your usual mischief at the convenience store again, haven’t you?”

“I haven’t.”

“What? You haven’t. I saw you.”

She claims to have seen me again.

Well, if she saw me, why not approach and stop me on the spot?

“Anyway, you like getting noticed, though you pretend not to.”

“Uh, no, I don’t.”

I tried to defend myself while avoiding eye contact. Naturally, Lee Ji-yeon ignored it with a dismissive sound of her tongue.

I could almost see her responding like a mom or grandma now.

“Our Seoyeon likes getting praised by others, huh?”

It was a line my mom used to say, and it seemed this nature hadn’t changed over time. I couldn’t help that since, in my previous life, I had never experienced emotions like joy or the thrill of being admired.

I was very weak against such positive feelings.

In contrast, negative emotions like sadness and despair affected me greatly as well, but somehow I managed to endure them with my resilient spirit.

In short, a person who was vulnerable to pleasure but robust against pain.

And that was the seventeen-year-old Joo Seoyeon.

“… If you’re going to act like this, it’s about time to make a comeback, isn’t it? Your teenage rebellion is over.”

“I will.”

As I said this, I instinctively reached for my glasses but then refrained. I didn’t use them much since high school, but old habits die hard.

I wore these glasses to make my appearance look less striking.

“… It was a turbulent middle school life…”

Even though I tried to hide it, people still recognized me as the child actor from ‘The Moon That Hid the Sun.’

If I were an ordinary child and didn’t have Lee Ji-yeon around, my school days would have been quite tough.

“… Now that I think about it, you rarely use your glasses anymore.”

“Yeah, well, mostly no one recognizes me these days.”

Actually, no one did.

It had been ten years. My looks had changed significantly from my younger self. I had grown up prettier and more beautiful.

When I entered the school premises, I could feel people’s gazes.

It wasn’t purely because of my appearance but partly because of Lee Ji-Yeon.

She had recently appeared in a cable drama. Although it was a cable show, the industry’s increasing tendency to take on challenging themes boosted viewership ratings.

“Hmph.”

As if sensing my glance, Lee Ji-Yeon smirked, appearing overly confident, which I did not appreciate for various reasons.

‘If she continues this way, she might stay in acting.’

Certainly, it was a good thing, yet deeply unsettling for me. And there wasn’t much I could do about it.

The turmoil in my heart persisted.

“Joo Seoyeon.”

At my gaze, Lee Ji-Yeon patted my shoulder.

“If you feel wronged, come back.”

“…I’ll do it.”

Since starting high school, I thought it was time to resume my activities.

With the increasing popularity of various platforms, both terrestrial and OTT streaming services, the industry was evolving.

And there were still my virtual YouTuber dreams.

‘Just that.’

Deciding what my comeback role would be was the problem.

Innumerable projects crossed my mind.

“Might be two of them…?”

Of course, I wouldn’t just jump into any role. Even if I desired, there weren’t many opportunities available to someone who had been out for so long.

Being a child actor was different. Now, I would be competing against adult actors. It was essential to have a solid career to secure a role.

Being a child actor in ‘The Moon That Hid the Sun’ might seem like a good career background, but the gap was too long to count now, which might actually benefit my return.

“Two?”

“Yeah, but we’ll need to go through auditions.”

After such an extended hiatus, my opportunities for auditions weren’t many either.

First, I’d need to demonstrate something tangible before I could climb higher.

“Why don’t you just ask the drama department director of KMB?”

“No, that seems a bit…”

I didn’t want to create any controversies. These days, even small matters could stir up disputes, and such actions might severely annoy senior actors.

“Hmph, alright.”

When I refused, Lee Ji-Yeon nodded agreeably.

“So what are these two projects you mentioned?”

“Ah, that’s…”

Just as I was about to reply,

Ding-dong!

The warning bell for the start of the first period rang. The students around me quickened their steps.

“Ah, I’ll tell you later after school.”

“What?”

Lee Ji-Yeon hastily tried to grab my collar, but I moved faster, knowing I wouldn’t want another scolding since being late last time.

“Joo Seoyeon!”

As her voice called out behind me, I swiftly entered the classroom through the back door, shaking my hand at her as a light tease.

“If only you hadn’t commented on my convenience store visit, Ji-yeon.”

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