Chapter 45

At that time, Maru was taking a look at himself through the bathroom mirror.[But people who are taken by acting feel something completely different. They feel excitement.]Geunsoo’s words just reverberated all over his head. Excitement, huh. Maru put a hand over his chest. It was beating calmly. Just quietly doing its job dutifully.“Excitement.”He thought back for a second. Did anything excite him back in high school?“Basketball, video games… And occasionally good test scores. When I got my allowance?”For sure, those things did get him pretty fired up in the moment. Winning a game of basketball for a single can of soda felt exhilarating, and getting a rare drop from a boss felt incredibly fulfilling. Those were the things that used to excite him.But now? There was nothing. It almost felt like he grew numb to any kind of emotion. Even today, the Maru of the mirror was making a calm, uninterested face. What kind of expressions did his previous high school self make? It’d come to a point where he has to practice smiling every once in a while. Time really hasn’t done Maru any favors. After staring for a few seconds more, Maru stepped away. It was time to go back. The dress rehearsal would start soon. As a matter of fact, Miso signalled the club to start as soon as Maru got back to his seat.“The audience goes silent. The lights turn on, and the sounds of the television start playing.”Miso turned on the TV noises through the speaker. At the same time, Joonghyuk sat down on the sofa, and Minsung walked into the scene. The first act had begun.

* * *As more time passed, the tension between the characters started rising faster and faster. Soon, the entire first year cast was in front of the corner store. Daemyung stepped into the scene with his loosened tie. He walked next to the shop, and found a student smoking in the corner. The group began talking.Taejoon was the first to burst out, an incredible annoyance written all over his face. Dojin was next, rearing forward with a similar expression. It was clear to see they practiced quite a bit.The flow of the conversation was natural. Plus, Daemyung really did seem like a carefree salaryman right then. He tried to stop Dojin from getting into a fight before exploding himself when the students targeted him.Really, the boy looked like any other 50 year old you’d find on the street.“He’s good,” Geunsoo whispered.Maru couldn’t help but agree. Daemyung was surprisingly good at this.‘But Geunseok is the one that’s really standing out.’If Daemyung’s acting was good enough to make you nod in satisfaction, Geunseok’s acting was good enough to make you forget about the play. The boy looked at the audience every once in a while as he spoke. He seemed to have studied that in his own time. And then, his monologue began.The auditorium became silent as the boy started speaking. His voice was small, but by no means was it quiet. “Hmm.”Maru glanced at Geunsoo. The man was looking at his brother with a very satisfied smile. He seemed to have taken a liking to his brother’s acting. But at the same time, there was also a bit of a nervous air about the man. Why?

* * *The family on stage came together once more after ending the feud between them. The mother still finds her son dissatisfactory, but she can’t yell at the boy anymore. The father gives his permission, and the boy finishes the final act with a small monologue. The play comes to an end as the white noise of the TV becomes louder. Then, the characters return on stage one by one in a curtain call. Geunseok comes out in the end, finishing their bows to the audience.Clap clap clap. Soojin and Maru clapped. It was clear as day that the club worked incredibly hard during the past two months. The actors looked at Miso with a very big sigh.Miso hesitated a little before starting to clap herself.