Rookie but One-in-a-Million Actor

Chapter 6

Real Experience

On the day of Seoyeon University’s OT (Orientation),

The campus, which had been quiet all winter, came to life.

The excitement and anticipation of the freshmen couldn’t be subdued by the cold. After the grueling entrance exams, everyone was basking in the glory, smiles never leaving their faces.

“Excuse me.”

The booths of various departments and clubs were lined up around the student union building. A senior guiding the freshmen stopped as he turned his head.

“Where is the dormitory?”

“The dormitory?”

‘Whoa!’

Tall and handsome with a pleasant voice. Even without trying, Mooyoung caught everyone’s eye. The senior stammered as he pointed to a path.

“Go past the chapel, and you’ll find it right there.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you a freshman by any chance?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Ah…”

‘Wow. This year is crazy!’

The senior barely contained his excitement as he handed over the general club promotion pamphlet.

“What department are you in? Take a look at this.”

“Global Culture Studies. Thank you.”

Mooyoung bowed and walked down the path she indicated, a large backpack slung over his shoulder. The senior watched him leave, tilting her head.

“Who was that?”

“He’s a freshman. Isn’t he amazing?”

“Wow, wow. He’s super handsome. But why is he going that way? The event’s about to start.”

“He was looking for the dormitory.”

“So, what department did he say?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Hey! That’s not fair!”

The people at the booth couldn’t stop talking about Mooyoung. As the saying goes, word spreads quickly, and soon rumors about him were all over campus.

“Ugh-”

Mooyoung was distracted by the weight of his heavy backpack.

To cover living expenses, he had to use his rent deposit, leaving him without a place to stay. When he explained his situation to the dormitory, they allowed him to store his belongings there first.

Knock, knock.

“Hello, I’m a freshman in Global Culture Studies.”

“Oh, you’re the one who needed to store things?”

“Yes, which room number is it?”

The dormitory office staff checked the chart and handed him a digital key.

“Room 501, but is that all your stuff? Just one bag?”

“Just some summer clothes and a few books.”

“I was worried when you said you didn’t have a home. I thought you’d have a lot of things. Since it’s a four-person room, I considered even renting you a storage room.”

When he moved out, Mooyoung sold all his furniture to a junk dealer. He got rid of everything that could remind him of past nightmares, down to the last spoon.

“Thank you for your help.”

“By the way, you’re the only freshman in 501. Freshmen usually take the bed near the door. There should be name tags on the desks, so you won’t get confused. The others will move in when the semester starts, so have a good stay.”

It was a good start. The staff’s kindness made Mooyoung feel good as he climbed to the fifth floor.

Creak.

“Wow.”

It was more spacious than he thought.

Being a prestigious private school, it lived up to its reputation. Bunk beds, neat desks, and a well-lit window! Mooyoung checked each name tag.

‘Park Moonseong, Choi Hwan, Kim Bong-gun? …Bong-gun? That’s unusual.’

What kind of people would his roommates be?

Imagining their faces, Mooyoung smiled lightly. He hoped to get along well with them for the semester.

“Ah, this is great-”

Mooyoung lay on his bed. Having even a small personal space felt wonderful.

Of course, he had to take out nearly ten million won in student loans for tuition and admission fees.

“Hehehe.”

Enjoying the present happiness was what mattered. Mooyoung lay on his bed in his padded jacket, listening to the distant sound of music and chatter from the auditorium.

‘Should I skip the OT?’

It would just be school introductions, club performances, and guest performances. He thought he could use the time more productively.

Like practicing acting, for example.

“Ugh.”

But since he was already here, he might as well take a look around.

Mooyoung shoved his backpack under the desk and left the dormitory. The booths in front of the student union were still bustling.

“Tennis club rally! All freshmen welcome!”

“True otakus, gather here! Manga club!”

Students were enthusiastically recruiting freshmen. Mooyoung strolled through the crowd, drawing everyone’s attention despite the cold and chaos.

‘Wow, he’s tall.’

‘Is he a freshman? What department is he in?’

‘If he joins a club, so will I.’

‘Studying hard really paid off. Sniff.’

At the academy, Mooyoung had trained his body every day. Losing weight had given him a more mature appearance.

“Huh?”

While wandering around, he noticed an interesting banner.

[Theater Club Dohran]

‘Dohran’ was a term for stage makeup used by actors.

Mooyoung approached slowly. Unlike the bustling booths, there was just one guy in a varsity jacket, engrossed in a mobile game.

“Tsk! Keep searching. Our team is doomed.”

Even while playing, the guy responded to Mooyoung’s presence with a glance.

“Are you interested in acting?”

“Yes, somewhat.”

Without stopping his game, the guy gestured.

“There’s an application form over there. Feel free to take it. Ah, we lost! The deadline is the second week of March.”

Mooyoung nodded but didn’t pick up the application form.

The theater club… It seemed nice, but he thought he might learn more at the academy.

Besides, once the semester started, he’d be busy with classes and part-time jobs. It seemed impossible to fit club activities into his schedule.

Buzz, buzz.

Mooyoung’s phone vibrated just as he was about to look through the club’s performance materials.

It was Junho calling. He answered while leaving a polite goodbye to the guy.

“Take care. Hello, Junho.”

The gaming guy didn’t notice his departure. Another club member, returning from the restroom, hurried over.

“What just happened?”

Club President Sora

While theater clubs at other schools were popular, Sora had to work hard just to maintain the minimum number of new members.

“I don’t know. He seemed interested.”

“You lazy bum. You didn’t explain it properly because you were playing a game, did you?”

Whack!

Sora hit the back of the guy’s head, growling.

“Ow! That hurt!”

“Why don’t you try shaking signs like the others?”

“Why would I? The ones who join that way aren’t committed. People with real interest will find us on their own.”

“The club is stagnating because we only have long-term members. All the seniors have graduated, and now it’s just you, me, and a few others… Damn it, just five of us!”

“That’s perfect for writing scripts.”

“Kim Bong-gun!”

Sora shot daggers with her eyes at Kim Bong-gun, a student in Korean Literature and the writer for all of Dohran’s original plays, who would be Mooyoung’s dorm mate.

“Let’s stop and get something to eat. I’m starving.”

“I can’t stand this.”

“Excuse me…”

Just then, a freshman approached cautiously. Sora immediately put on a warm smile.

“Are you interested in the theater club?”

“That guy who just left, is he a member here?”

“Who left? Who?”

“The tall, handsome guy…”

The freshman blushed and stammered. Bong-gun looked at Sora with a disdainful expression. Sora subtly changed the subject, handing over a pamphlet.

“He’s not a member, but he seemed interested.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Anyway, take a look at this. We put on original plays, and last year we won an award at the university theater festival and placed in the youth playwright competition. This guy, I mean, this senior here, writes them and he’s really good.”

Just one new recruit, please!

Sora desperately tried to recruit freshmen, while Bong-gun picked his ears and focused on his game.

Meanwhile, Mooyoung’s image kept lingering in her mind. Was it because his shabby clothes didn’t match his pristine looks?

‘He had an interesting aura.’

She thought he might fit well with a character in her new work, although it was just a passing idea.

***

“Are you kidding me?”

Mooyoung poked his head through the window of a white sedan. Junho had called him out of the blue, saying he was there to pick him up—in a car!

“Get in, quick.”

“Hey, where’s your license?”

“Come on, what do you take me for? Of course, I have it.”

Junho proudly pulled out his driver’s license from his pocket. Damn. The issue date was a week ago.

“There’s a car waiting behind you.”

“Sigh. This is crazy.”

With Junho urging him, Mooyoung reluctantly got into the passenger seat. He fastened his seatbelt tightly, mumbling.

“Got a helmet?”

“Oh, stop freaking out. I just drove around Seoul, you know.”

“Where’d you get the car?”

“My dad’s old one. He gave it to me.”

Of course, a landlord’s son lives differently. Mooyoung clicked his tongue and focused on the road ahead. Contrary to his worries, Junho’s driving was quite smooth.

“I had to come find you since you’re so hard to meet. Are we heading to the acting academy?”

“Yeah. I practically live there these days.”

“I told you to come to my place.”

“I have so much to learn, I can’t leave.”

Mooyoung subtly watched Junho’s expression. The day he received his acceptance letter from Seoyeon University, he also had to hear about Junho’s rejection.

“What’s up?”

Junho glanced at him with a smile, while keeping his hands on the wheel.

“Just wondering what you’ve been up to.”

“Nothing much. My dad keeps asking me to manage buildings. It’s boring.”

Ah, right. No time to worry about others.

Mooyoung looked down at his own worn sleeves.

“I didn’t care much about university, but once I didn’t get in, I wondered what to do next. Maybe I’ll be your manager?”

“Yeah, right.”

Junho chuckled, nodding towards the back seat. Mooyoung noticed several black bags piled there.

“What’s all that?”

“My cousin works in fashion. I’m coming back from Dongdaemun. I’ll be working with him for a while.”

Fashion, huh. It suited Junho, who always liked dressing up and was keen on trends. Just as Mooyoung was about to offer his support, he noticed something floating in the car.

Swish—

At first, he thought it was dust, but on closer look, it was pollen.

“…Do your best. Everything will work out.”

“Why do you sound like a shaman all of a sudden?”

Being so close to Junho, he couldn’t tell if the luck was for him or himself. But what did it matter? His friend’s success would be his joy and fortune too.

“Drop me off here.”

“Okay.”

“Drive safely.”

“Don’t worry. Let me know if you need the car.”

“Just drive safely!”

Junho just laughed and waved out the window. Maybe moving his stuff to the dorm exhausted him, but he was already worn out after just half a day.

Creak.

“I’m back.”

As Mooyoung opened the academy door, he saw Oseok and the intermediate class friends gathered in a circle. Class wasn’t for a while yet.

“Mooyoung, come here.”

“What’s up?”

“Since the students will be off to university in about a month, we thought we’d get some practical experience.”

The table was piled with audition notices. The students were reviewing them, deciding which ones to apply for.

“MBV seems best, right?”

“Terrestrial channels have been making good dramas lately.”

“It’s a new work by writer Lim Songhwan. I’m definitely going for this one!”

“Help me choose between SBC and MBV.”

They were all picking major auditions. Mooyoung scanned the papers slowly…

[Recruiting actors for a promotional web drama by Seoul City.]

“A web drama? Seriously?”

“If you’re going to do it, go big.”

“Yeah, it’s all about the experience.”

As Mooyoung stared at the paper, some friends shook their heads, smiling.

Aside from it being a promotional drama, the fact that it wouldn’t be aired on TV was a big issue.

“…I’ll go for this one.”

Without hesitation, Mooyoung picked it up.

A tremendous amount of pollen was overflowing from it, something only he could see.