Three weeks before the performance. Rehearsal room.
Act 2, Scene 5.
"Peter—"
"Wendyyyyyy—"
"Here, eat this. It's my snack, but I hid it because I wanted to give it to you."
"Wow... Wendy, you're really like an angel. Anyone would like a girl like you."
"That's not true... Peter, actually, I'm a bad girl."
A scene between Wendy and Peter Pan.
The two children sit pressed tightly together in a corner, whispering softly.
"Wendy's a bad girl? No way. You're the kindest person I've ever met."
"Actually... I once pushed Michael out of bed when nobody was looking."
"Why?"
"..."
"I won't tell anyone. Just tell me. I'm your friend, aren't I?"
The girl curls in on herself as she recalls the sin she committed.
Then, as if asking to be judged, she squeezes her eyes shut and confesses.
"Mom liked Michael more than me..."
"Really?"
"Yeah... I thought if Michael disappeared, maybe she'd love me the most again... For a moment, I wanted to get rid of him. But then he fell with a thump and started crying, and I got so scared that I ran to Mom. Mom! Michael fell out of bed while he was sleeping—"
"So did he die?"
Peter's eyes suddenly gleam.
Interest fills eyes that had been overflowing with boredom only moments ago.
That interest immediately cools at Wendy's next words.
"No. But Michael got a bald patch on the left side of his head. Because of me, he'll have to live with that bald patch for the rest of his life."
"It's okay. It would've been better if he'd died, but either way, it wasn't your fault."
"Uh... huh?"
"It's your mom's fault. She treated her children differently. Mothers are supposed to be fair and warm no matter what, but your mother hurt you first."
Peter Pan was always bold and direct.
The wonderful boy who had become her only friend after she entered the hospital was telling her, "It wasn't your fault."
It didn't entirely make sense.
But it was sweet.
"Really? It wasn't my fault?"
"Yeah. A woman like that can't be called a mother. A mother is someone kind and gentle, like you."
"Re... really? I'm kind and gentle?"
"Yeah. And you're pretty too. Wendy, will you be my mother?"
The boy deliberately adopts a serious expression and drops to one knee before the girl.
Like a proposal, he speaks once more.
"I needed someone like you. Be my mother, Wendy."
"...A mother... Me..."
"Yeah. A real mother. One who doesn't treat children differently. One who protects them and loves them even when they make mistakes. You can be that person."
"Th... then I will! I'll be your mother, Peter."
"Wow! This is great!"
And then Act 2, Scene 6.
The Doctor appears.
"Wendy. Why don't you tell your doctor what's wrong?"
"I'm fine."
"You need treatment so you can go home."
"I'm fine. This is my home now."
"What are you talking about? Your family, especially your mother, is waiting for you."
"That woman... isn't my mother."
"Hm?"
"I'm the mother. I'm going to live here now."
A look of confusion appears on the Doctor's face.
She officially records Wendy's condition as deteriorating.
And classifies her illness as untreatable.
"Great job today."
Throughout rehearsal that day, Chu Se Mi wore an unusually thoughtful expression.
Her acting was solid and dependable, built on six years of experience at Theater Company July, one of the country's premier theater troupes. Yet lately she had been carrying a great deal on her mind, and all day she had gone back and forth on whether she should finally voice those concerns.
At last, having made up her mind, she approached Yu Myeong, who was still cleaning up after everyone else had left.
"Do you have a minute?"
"Of course, noona."
She had wanted to ask someone for advice.
But Ryu Shin felt strangely difficult to approach, and Seol Su Yeon relied so heavily on instinct that she didn't seem likely to help.
She had wanted to ask Yu Myeong for a long time, but her pride had tripped her up again and again. Only today had she finally found the courage.
"What do you think of my acting?"
"Your acting? It's good."
Watching the three of them together, it often seemed as though Yu Myeong and Ryu Shin were highly conscious of each other.
They openly debated the direction of the play itself, but neither commented on the other's acting methods. Perhaps they had already moved beyond that stage.
Seol Su Yeon was different.
Both Yu Myeong and Ryu Shin freely offered her advice.
And she happily accepted it, absorbing everything at remarkable speed.
If the former relationship was one between equals, the latter was one between seniors and juniors.
And she...
She belonged to the first category.
Of course, it would be difficult for them to offer acting instruction to a fellow performer who was older than they were and had six years of professional experience. Strictly speaking, it was less indifference than respect.
Even so, there were times when she envied Seol Su Yeon.
"If I were Seol Su Yeon... would you give me the same answer?"
She forced herself to ask directly despite the embarrassment.
Her face heated instantly.
Still, she wanted to hear an objective assessment of actress Chu Se Mi, not flattering praise for a veteran member of Theater Company July.
After spending months alongside people overflowing with talent, she had become painfully thirsty for exactly that.
"Hmm... if you're asking it that way..."
Yu Myeong sat on the edge of a nearby desk and fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, she waited nervously, as though standing before a judge awaiting her sentence.
"First of all, I genuinely mean it when I say your acting is good. Your Doctor is built on such a strong foundation that she can easily carry the role of narrator who drives the entire play. Honestly, I'd be perfectly satisfied even if things stayed exactly as they are now. But..."
The first thing out of his mouth was praise.
Then came the criticism that made her heart sink.
"If I had to point out one weakness... it feels like you've become accustomed to suppressing yourself."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Has anyone ever criticized the way you act? You're naturally elegant, intense, and distinctive, but that side of you barely appears on stage. Actually, during the competition, I think I saw more of that side in City Men and Women."
"Uh..."
Se Mi froze.
Because countless directors had said exactly that.
Your presence is too strong.
You don't fit the image of a leading lady.
Tone down your sharpness.
Learn how to blend into the ensemble.
She hunched her shoulders so she wouldn't look taller than her male co stars.
She used makeup to soften the corners of her eyes.
She deliberately restrained her vocal tone so it wouldn't stand out.
Eventually, it became habit.
Especially lately.
This opportunity was too important.
She had worked even harder to avoid mistakes.
She felt she had no choice.
And yet... that effort had become self suppression?
"Still, people always say that leading actors should have less obvious individuality, don't they? That way they can play a wider range of roles."
"But looking ordinary doesn't just hide weaknesses. It hides strengths too."
"..."
"Maybe it's because you've spent so much time in theater. Sophisticated, confident career women are common characters in films and dramas. They're usually major roles too. Besides, the Doctor already fits your natural image extremely well. So it's okay to let more of yourself show."
It's okay to let yourself show.
Be Chu Se Mi.
It had been a very long time since she had heard words like that.
Perhaps her desire to win leading roles had been preventing her growth as an actress all along.
By forcing her strengths into hiding.
"Then... would it be okay if I tried the 'Mad Doctor' character I used in the audition?"
"Of course. Though if it clashes too much with the play, I'll cut it."
"Ah... right."
"Haha. I'm only saying that because I want you to really commit to it."
"Got it. And... from now on, could you give me feedback on my acting too?"
"...If that's what you want."
After that day, Se Mi's expression became noticeably brighter.
And far more intense.
"Introducing our newest patient. Wendy. Seventeen years old. Admitted with family consent due to anorexia and repeated self harm tendencies. Diagnosed with masked depression accompanied by dependent personality disorder."
A beautiful Doctor with an air of elegance and dangerous allure.
She delivered the presentation in a low voice that seemed to seduce everyone listening.
"That's good right there—"
For the first time in a very long while, Chu Se Mi was truly enjoying acting.
A password protected room.
Inside were usernames that every member of the community would immediately recognize.
The Gold Member chat room.
★[OnlyBohyeong]: Hello, Gold Members. Thank you for responding to this emergency gathering.
[Bohyeongyangje]: Hi, President!
NameOfGod: Isn't this the first time both the staff and Gold Members have been called together? Did something happen?
LifeLikeChicken: Hiii ^^ Happy Monday, everyone!
PhantomFan: The gap between that username and that typing style... lol
★[OnlyBohyeong]: I've called everyone together because there are some updates about Yu Myeong, and we also need to make a decision.
PhantomFan: Aaaah! Updates about Yu Myeong... hngh.
LifeLikeChicken: New happiness in this chicken like life...
NameOfGod: What's going on? Nothing bad, right?
★[OnlyBohyeong]: Actually... Yu Myeong isn't on a break. He's preparing a new project.
PhantomFan: What?! A drama? A movie??
[Bohyeongyangje]: Seriously though, isn't his agency being too harsh? After projects that successful, shouldn't they let him rest...
NameOfGod: Exactly. He shouldn't push himself too hard...
★[OnlyBohyeong]: Apparently it was his own decision, not the agency's. It's a play. And he's preparing it together with actor Ryu Shin.
[Bohyeongyangje]: That's insane... I'd empty my paycheck just to buy a ticket...
★[OnlyBohyeong]: Also, a documentary about Yu Myeong, including the rehearsal process, is going to air on KBK.
PhantomFan: Hngh hngh... what is happening...
—LifeLikeChicken has changed their nickname to LifeLikePhoenix.
[Bohyeongyangje]: This is unbelievable... What a blessing. When does it air?
★[OnlyBohyeong]: The play opens on May 27, and the documentary airs on the 26th. Ticket demand is expected to be absolutely insane. On top of that... Good Enter has donated ten opening day tickets to the fan club.
NameOfGod: God... it's not Good Enter anymore. It's God Enter...ㅠㅠ
PhantomFan: Boss... l(ToT)l
★[OnlyBohyeong]: Which brings us to the issue of distributing those tickets. Personally, I've always believed in running the fan club without favoritism. However, I also know how much our Gold Members have contributed to helping God Named grow so quickly over the last year and three months. So this time I'd like to leave the decision to all of you. Vote: 1. Distribution based on contribution. 2. Lottery open to all members.
[Bohyeongyangje]: ...My greed is screaming that those tickets should come to us, but I think we should stick to our principles. 2!
PhantomFan: I'm literally crying right now... 2...ㅠㅠ
NameOfGod: Definitely 2. We need to preserve God Named's clean culture.
—LifeLikePhoenix has changed their nickname back to LifeLikeChicken.
LifeLikeChicken: It hurts like hell... but I also vote for 2... sigh.
★[OnlyBohyeong]: ㅠㅠ You guys really are the best. Even as president, I'll participate in the lottery fairly as just another member.
[Bohyeongyangje]: Even if I lose the lottery... I'll still be able to get a ticket somehow... right? Someone will sell one at auction... right?
The moment news of the ticket lottery was posted, God Named exploded once again.
It was unavoidable.
Two of the industry's most talked about actors had come together to do something completely unexpected. Of course it was making headlines.
[Ten Million Ticket Actor Yu Myeong Returns to His Roots?]
[Yu Myeong and Ryu Shin: The Actors of 2006 Have Done Something Crazy]
[KBK to Air Actor, a Documentary Following Yu Myeong]
[Why Would Actors at the Peak of Their Value Choose Theater?]
[Theater Company July Presents Peter Pan, a Collaboration with Star Film Actors]
The articles split sharply into two camps.
Half expressed admiration, calling them actors genuinely devoted to their craft.
The other half speculated that there must be an ulterior motive behind it all.
One film critic in particular made his displeasure abundantly clear in a weekly magazine column.
[A rookie actor with only three years of experience, who has already scored major successes with one drama and one film and achieved a market value far beyond his career level, embarks on such an unusual project. It is difficult not to harbor reasonable suspicions. Could this perhaps be a form of noise marketing designed to further elevate his name and inflate his value?
The timing of the documentary Actor is especially convenient. KBK insists that Yu Myeong had already been preparing Peter Pan before plans for the documentary were finalized, but isn't everything lining up a little too perfectly?
I ask Yu Myeong. I ask KBK.
Was this truly born from a pure desire to perform theater?
Was this truly born from a pure desire to capture the artistic passion of actor Yu Myeong?]
After reading the reactions, Yu Seok smiled broadly.
"This is great. Everything's going exactly the way we want."
"Why?"
"Worried about it?"
"Not really. It's just that whenever you make that face, Team Leader, you're usually plotting something."
Yu Seok's expression instantly became serious.
"I am not that kind of person."
"Sure you aren't. So what do you mean by everything going well?"
"Normally, bad articles are a problem. The bad news becomes the main course, and the explanation afterward becomes a side dish. Rumors spread like a pot boiling over, but nobody cares about the correction."
"That's true."
That was simply how news worked.
Once a story exploded, the damage was done.
Even if it was later proven false, most people remembered the sensational first report, making the fallout almost impossible to clean up.
"But this time, we already have a different main dish waiting."
"...The play?"
"That too, but theater audiences are limited. What people are really waiting for is the documentary."
"That's true."
"The more controversy there is, the higher the ratings will be. And the documentary is overwhelmingly favorable to our side. The power of mass media is incredible. It can make lies look like truth. In this case, it's actually telling the truth, which makes it even more persuasive. No matter how much criticism gets thrown around now, once the documentary airs, public opinion will do a complete one eighty. This is a game we can't lose."
Yu Myeong stared at him silently.
The corners of Yu Seok's mouth immediately dropped back down.
"Hey now. I told you, I'm not that kind of person."
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