Fairy tale acting.

It was an exercise Ryu Shin had practiced himself as a child while building the foundations of his acting.

Stories etched clearly into memory from an early age.

Characters whose morality was plainly divided into good and evil.

The acting itself was simple, but that didn't make it easy.

Truthfully expressing the emotions of archetypal characters was surprisingly difficult.

And besides—

Peter Pan.

The piece Su Yeon had chosen today was particularly tricky.

Peter Pan might be a fairy tale, but it contained a surprisingly tangled cast of characters.

There was Captain Hook, a man practically suffering from PTSD.

And there was Peter Pan himself.

As a child, Ryu Shin had simply seen him as a heroic boy who never grew up.

Reading the story again as an adult, however, revealed a deeply self-centered character with a severe mother complex.

For a moment, he recalled the story and began digging into Peter Pan's emotions.

The wish everyone has at least once—

To remain a child forever and live happily ever after.

But there was also the deep-rooted sense of betrayal he felt after deciding to return home because he missed his mother, only to find that she had forgotten him and was now holding a newborn younger brother.

And how would Peter feel when Wendy's parents said,

"Become our child and live with us."

A realistic resignation.

If even his own mother had forgotten him, could someone else's mother truly love him?

And after spending his entire life as a child, there was also the fear of becoming an adult—the desire to run away from it.

Yet he hid those insecurities behind the attitude of a tough neighborhood leader.

Behind a cheerful voice.

Behind a smile.

As an innocent grin blossomed across Ryu Shin's beautiful face, Su Yeon flinched.

'I've never seen that expression before...'

Gone was his usual mature and serious demeanor.

Looking like a child from head to toe, he began acting as Peter Pan.

"Wendy, I'm leaving. Take care!"

Startled by the expression on his face, Su Yeon reacted a beat too late with her cue.

She was reading Wendy's mother's lines.

"You're Peter Pan, aren't you? Wouldn't you like to live with us too?"

"Then I'd have to go to school, wouldn't I?"

"Of course."

"Then I'd have to get a job someday, right?"

"Of course you would."

"And then I'd become an adult?"

"Of course."

Fear gradually crept into his voice as he asked each question.

He was trying hard to sound brave.

Yet beneath it lay the terror of a child throwing a tantrum because he didn't want to go to the dentist.

"I don't want to become an adult. Waking up in the morning and touching my face only to find it covered in a beard? I never want to become that kind of adult!"

"Don't say that. Come live with us."

The stubborn boy fell silent for a moment at Wendy's mother's gentle words.

One second.

In that brief instant, unmistakable hesitation crossed his face.

Perhaps because it was a fairy tale, every emotion appeared in vivid primary colors.

Then he abruptly turned his head away and replied in a stubborn voice.

"No. I like being a child forever."

The performance ended.

The difference hit far harder than any explanation could.

Casting aside your ordinary self and becoming someone completely different.

For the first time, Su Yeon truly understood that this was what acting meant.

"Haa..."

A deep sigh escaped her.

Once again, she was forced to confront the fact that her own acting was still barely at the crawling stage.

"Honestly, Peter Pan is difficult. It's fairly complex for a fairy tale. I was only demonstrating an approach, so use it as a reference. Tomorrow, prepare something simpler."

"Yes, Senior."

Her voice shrank again.

She really wanted to improve.

Not only because she herself desperately wanted to succeed as an actor.

She also wanted to show Yu Myeong—the person who had reached out a hand to her—that she was making meaningful progress.

But...

The road ahead seemed impossibly long.

 That day, Yu Myeong was meeting with Yu Seok.

"Hello, CEO."

"Hey. Enjoying your break, Yu Myeong? Starting next week there'll be some movie promotion schedules here and there. I'll space them out so they don't interfere with your rest."

As always, Yu Seok was considerate.

Which only made Yu Myeong feel worse about what he was about to ask.

"Actually, CEO..."

As Yu Myeong explained, Yu Seok's expression became increasingly incredulous.

"You've been renting a practice room with your own money this whole time?"

"Ah... the people I'm practicing with aren't part of our company..."

"Why are you paying for that yourself? No, forget that—how did you already find another thing to do during your break?"

"...Sorry."

When Yu Myeong laughed awkwardly, Yu Seok clicked his tongue before finally giving up.

"Fine. If you enjoy working that much, what am I supposed to do? We've got plenty of scripts coming in. Why don't you at least read through some of them?"

"I'd be grateful to read them, but... I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

For a moment, Yu Seok's eyes sparkled.

At last, something he could actually help with.

Then he heard the request.

"A play?"

"Yes. There are some people I'd like to perform with. It probably won't make much money, but... would it be difficult?"

"No, that's not the problem."

Yu Myeong had assumed Yu Seok disliked the idea because a rising actor choosing theater during his busiest period seemed impractical.

The actual complaint was entirely different.

"Why won't you give me any work?"

"...What?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"I mean, I was going to find you a great script! If there's a project you want, I can bring it in! I'm confident I could negotiate the best possible terms too! Why do you keep leaving your manager unemployed?"

"..."

That wasn't remotely the objection he had expected.

"...Ahem. Anyway."

"Yes, CEO."

"Do it. If it's something you want to do, you should do it. Who are these people you want to perform with?"

"One is an unsigned actress named Seol Su Yeon. The other is my senior from school, Ryu Shin."

"Ah, Ryu Shin. The former child actor, right? His agency approved it?"

"Yes. Apparently he has family connections there, so it's fine. He's with Dream Enter."

"I see. Then I'll need to coordinate with their agency."

Yu Seok nodded.

"And if you're performing in Daehakro, you'll need staff, maybe supporting actors... It would probably be best to involve a theater company."

"Yes. That's actually another favor I wanted to ask. Once I bring it up and get approval, I'd like the management team to handle the detailed negotiations."

"You already have a place in mind, don't you?"

"Yes..."

A memory surfaced.

If you ever become interested in theater someday, make sure you come to me first, Senior.

Yu Myeong remembered a promise he had made long ago.

 Baek Yi Shin was making a cup of Maxim Mocha Gold in the theater company's office.

Despite his usual temperament, his hand stirred the coffee with obvious nervousness.

A new tenant was scheduled to arrive at Theater Company July today.

"Are they here yet?"

"Not yet, Director."

The artistic director was apparently just as eager.

He had already poked his head into the office several times before the appointed time.

Baek Yi Shin still remembered lamenting during a management meeting two years earlier after discovering Yu Myeong during the Blue Sky production.

A great actor slipped through our fingers.

Then, after seeing Ryu Shin in an Audius performance that autumn, he had repeated the same complaint.

What kind of actors are they?

Ah... both of them will be famous within a year or two. It's been a long time since I've seen actors that satisfy my standards. What a waste.

The director understood the comment about Ryu Shin.

The man had been famous since childhood.

But the other actor?

He had wondered what could possibly be so special about him.

Then, as if to prove Baek Yi Shin's eye for talent, that actor exploded onto the scene and became one of the most talked-about rookies of the year.

Strangely enough, Theater Company July had been lacking a young actor capable of carrying an entire production.

There were promising newcomers.

But none who could truly serve as the face of the company.

Perhaps that was why every time Yu Myeong appeared on television, Baek Yi Shin looked like he was suffering.

Ah... I found him first...

Let it go already. He was never ours.

It's not too late. He promised he'd contact me first if he ever wanted to do theater.

His price tag is probably through the roof by now. As if he'd come back to theater. The film and drama offers must be pouring in.

The stage has an addictive quality all its own.

That's true, but actors at the height of their rise are busy making money. They don't start thinking about theater until they're in their thirties and have already made their fortune.

Given how attached he still was, it was no surprise that Baek Yi Shin nearly jumped for joy when Yu Myeong called a few days earlier.

"A performance? At July?"

"Yes. It'll only be a limited special performance early next year, so it may be an inconvenience..."

"Not at all. Thank you for remembering me."

Even if it was only a short-term special performance, it was still Yu Myeong—the hottest rookie actor in the industry—and Ryu Shin.

Guaranteed ticket sales.

Excellent publicity for July.

Baek Yi Shin immediately reported the matter to the artistic director and arranged meetings with both Good Enter and Dream Enter.

And today—

They were scheduled to move into one of July's rehearsal rooms.

"Someone's here."

At last, the call came from security.

Baek Yi Shin and the artistic director hurried downstairs.

Then they saw them.

Three actors who immediately radiated star quality.

"Welcome! This way, please."

He greeted them with a brilliant smile.

 Yoon Jung Gun, an eighth-year actor at Theater Company July, was venting his frustration to his teammates.

"Has the director gone senile? What kind of nonsense is this—giving a performance slot to a bunch of rookies?"

July staged three productions every six months.

And thanks to Baek Yi Shin's strong recommendation, a competitive selection system had been introduced two years earlier.

The main spring production directed by the company's lead director was fixed.

The remaining two slots were awarded through internal competition among project teams formed by company members.

Since then, the atmosphere at July had become considerably more cutthroat.

Performing meant getting paid.

It also meant opportunities for film and television work.

For younger actors still trying to establish themselves, those two opportunities were invaluable.

"If they've gotten famous on TV, they should stay there. What do those amateurs know about acting? Now they're rolling in here and pushing out the people who've actually been here all along."

But now the number of available slots had dropped from two to one.

The company had decided to reserve a slot for the celebrity guest team.

Yoon Jung Gun had spent the entire autumn preparing for the spring competition after losing the previous round.

Needless to say, he was furious.

His teammate, sixth-year actress Chu Se Mi, spoke calmly.

"Senior. Have you ever actually seen Yu Myeong act?"

"Huh? No. I don't watch dramas. They're too cringeworthy."

"What about movies? Ballerina High?"

"Didn't seem like my kind of thing..."

As she continued dismantling his argument with facts, Yoon Jung Gun gradually lost momentum.

"He's good. Setting aside how much post-production helps him, or whether his screen-acting style works on stage, objectively speaking he's a good actor. And Ryu Shin has been famous since he was a child."

"Really? So you're saying we should just hand over our slot?"

"I'm not saying that."

Her answer was immediate.

Of the four teams preparing for the spring competition, one was essentially guaranteed a slot.

One of July's most successful veteran actors had announced a project he wanted to stage, attracting many of the company's strongest performers.

But Chu Se Mi wanted the female lead role.

That was why she had joined Jung Gun's team.

Among the remaining three teams, theirs was the strongest contender.

Which meant they had the most to lose.

They couldn't simply sit back and watch.

"Senior. Let's go."

"Huh? Go where?"

"To complain."

"What? What's that supposed to accomplish?"

"The company won't change its decision. So we need to make those kids get emotional enough to enter the competition themselves."

"...R-Right."

Yoon Jung Gun, Chu Se Mi, and several members of Team B headed toward Yu Myeong's rehearsal room.

Bang!

"Hello."

"...Hello."

Two familiar young men.

And a woman so beautiful she nearly made their eyes spin.

Yoon Jung Gun flinched.

Chu Se Mi, however, went straight on the offensive.

"I'm Chu Se Mi. Sixth-year actor at July."

"And I'm Yoon Jung Gun!"

Only then did Jung Gun step forward, widening his eyes.

The other Team B members folded their arms behind them.

There was no way Yu Myeong failed to notice the confrontational atmosphere.

Yet he remained perfectly calm.

"Yes, hello. Is there something you needed?"

"You know July's productions are normally decided through competition, right?"

"I've heard."

"And now an outside team suddenly appears and one of the slots disappears?"

"That was a decision made by the company. If you have objections, I believe they should be directed there."

He was right.

His response was so reasonable that cold sweat began to form on Chu Se Mi's back.

But they couldn't leave now.

Not after coming this far.

Even if she had to force the issue.

"Don't you think it's a little shameless to just walk in and take a slot for free? Or are you not confident in your abilities?"

"Then we'll enter the competition too. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"...Yes."

The answer came so easily that it almost felt anticlimactic.

Yet even after hearing exactly what she wanted, Chu Se Mi felt strangely uneasy.

There wasn't the slightest hint of anger in Yu Myeong's expression.

Still.

She had done what she came to do.

Now all that remained was to show them what Theater Company July—and actors who had spent years surviving in the theater world—were capable of.

"When the competition comes, we're looking forward to seeing your stage acting."

"We'll be looking forward to yours as well."

Something about his reply lingered in the air.

And so another two weeks passed.

Early December.

The day of July's internal competition for the spring performance slots finally arrived.