Chapter 174: Can I roll it?
From that day onward, Hyo Jun tried to change.
More than any criticism he had heard before—
More even than Derek's scathing rebuke that his talent was being wasted—
one sincere sentence struck him deepest.
No one will ever like someone who looks down on the thing they themselves cherish most.
Where do I even begin?
After that day, he became afraid to go back to the practice room.
He was afraid of seeing Yu Myeong's cold expression again.
And the thought that everyone else must despise him too for treating acting so lightly made it even harder to gather the courage.
Even so...
The one thing I can do right now.
For the first time in his life, Hyo Jun learned to endure.
He attended every class without fail.
And he spent a long time wrestling with a single character.
How had this king grown into such an incompetent ruler?
What did he truly feel toward the nobles, the merchants, and the slaves?
He wrote down different ways of expressing those emotions through tone, gestures, and the smallest movements of the eyes, adding and removing details one by one.
For the first time...
acting felt difficult.
Derek's words came back to him.
"When learning the piano, some people have such a good ear that they can roughly pick out a melody and figure out the chords by listening. But the moment they start practicing properly from sheet music, it suddenly becomes incredibly difficult.
The timing of pressing and releasing the pedal. Crescendos. Decrescendos. Slurs and ties. Piano and forte.
You repeat those tedious, painstaking exercises with a precision that feels more like mathematics than music.
Only when your fingers have absorbed every rhythm into muscle memory can you finally breathe musicality into the piece—and only then does it become something truly worth performing for an audience.
Right now, your acting is nothing more than an amateur showing off his natural ear and playing whatever feels good in the moment."
Only now did Hyo Jun truly understand what Derek had meant.
Having finally delivered a performance grounded in fundamentals, he stepped off the stage and crossed paths with Yu Myeong.
His eyes desperately searched Yu Myeong's face.
He wanted to find even the slightest hint of approval.
But...
After watching Yu Myeong's performance immediately afterward, the shock he experienced dwarfed anything he had felt when Yu Myeong had criticized him with words.
That performance... went even further than before...
So that's why he asked Antoine and Sidney to let him read their entrance-assignment scripts...!
Why would he go that far... for an assignment that had already ended?
Then...
it felt as though a great bell rang inside his head.
There were no finished assignments for Yu Myeong.
Not just this one.
Every assignment he had ever received was something he continued thinking about, refining, and improving.
He had probably done the same with every role from every past production whenever the opportunity arose.
Because he truly loved acting—
Because he had devoted his life to it—
to him, every performance was never merely a task for the present.
It was a task for his entire life.
And I stood in front of someone like that... treating acting as though it were nothing.
Heat rushed into Hyo Jun's face.
Even until now, he hadn't truly repented.
He had realized that he was wrong.
But he hadn't understood exactly how he had been wrong.
If he truly had...
Then after leaving the stage, instead of anxiously searching Yu Myeong's expression, he would have been reflecting on his own performance.
I'm jealous.
He was ashamed.
And at the same time...
he was jealous.
Jealous of someone who had found something worthy of staking his entire life on.
Someone like that would never spend his days craving other people's recognition or affection.
He focused solely on the one thing he valued most.
And only he could judge whether he had done well or poorly.
Could I... live like that someday...?
It was finally time to announce the graduates.
The judges from each class stepped forward one by one and called the names of their three successful contestants.
Last came Derek's class.
"The contestants advancing from my class are... Yu Myeong, Antoine Monier... and..."
The first two names came as no surprise.
But the third...
"Do Hyo Jun. Congratulations."
Hyo Jun stared blankly.
He had naturally assumed Kai would advance instead.
"Kai has unquestionably improved more than anyone else since the day he entered. But rapid improvement doesn't change the fact that, at this moment, his overall acting ability still falls short of Hyo Jun's."
Yu Myeong quietly nodded.
Kai would undoubtedly become an actor capable of reaching the top within a few years.
But he had only just taken his first steps.
Hyo Jun, by comparison, had already spent years training as an actor.
And possessed extraordinary natural talent.
"Today's performance was entirely that of a supporting actor. Yet the level of detail showed remarkable depth and craftsmanship. It also seems your attitude toward acting has changed. I hope that attitude never changes again. Congratulations."
Despite the praise and the announcement of his success, Hyo Jun merely lowered his head slightly, his expression unchanged.
Then, when asked to give his acceptance speech—
he dropped a bombshell.
"I'm sorry, but I don't believe I deserve to advance to the finals. I'd like to decline."
"What?!"
Jerry practically shouted.
The successful contestants erupted into murmurs of surprise.
After bowing deeply, Hyo Jun continued.
"Everyone here, regardless of experience, sincerely loves acting.
"But from the very beginning of this program, I never treated acting with the seriousness it deserved. I took it lightly.
"I sincerely apologize."
The gravity of his apology instantly transformed the atmosphere.
"Come on, Hyo Jun. Giving up the finals...? Think this through. If you made mistakes, then just do better from now on. Derek, what on earth did you say to this kid? He used to bounce off the walls, and now look at him..."
"I really didn't scold him that badly... Ahem. Hyo Jun."
"Yes."
"I wasn't sure before, but you've genuinely changed.
"If you've thought this through carefully and believe this is the right decision, I won't stop you.
"But do you still intend to continue as an actor?"
"Yes.
"I'm going to start over from the beginning."
"In that case, you should think about this one more time.
"An actor's image is incredibly difficult to restore once it's been damaged.
"Are you prepared for that?"
Throughout the Action School, Derek had criticized Hyo Jun repeatedly.
Every moment of it would be broadcast exactly as it happened.
Even if Hyo Jun now sincerely regretted his past behavior, a damaged reputation was not easily repaired.
Advancing to the finals would at least give him another chance to rebuild it.
"Yes."
Hyo Jun answered quietly.
"But I think that's my burden to bear."
His voice was soft.
But unwavering.
In the end, he withdrew from the finals.
Kai took his place.
Yu Myeong watched the entire scene with an unreadable expression.
Brrr—
A phone displaying an unfamiliar international number began vibrating.
Yu Myeong answered without hesitation.
"Yu Myeong."
"It's been a while, hyung. It must be the middle of the night in France. Aren't you asleep?"
"I was just about to go to bed when I saw your message. I've been watching the show."
"Oh? It's airing in France too?"
"Haha, no. I only had to visit a Korean website. It's nothing but Casting Vote news."
A quiet chuckle.
The voice belonged to an exhausted actor who had spent another night rehearsing until dawn before collapsing into bed.
Apparently, he was still pouring every waking moment of his life into acting.
"So...
"What's this about asking if I can take someone under my wing?"
"He's incredibly talented, but his attitude toward acting has always been terrible. I think something finally clicked for him.
"But I can't guide him myself right now...
"And you're the only person I could think of asking."
When someone has an awakening, it feels as though they can change overnight.
But the body, forever seeking comfort and familiarity, rarely changes so easily.
Especially when countless people, having watched the broadcast, were condemning him with one voice...
Even if Hyo Jun sincerely dedicated himself to acting from now on—
if no one believed in that sincerity—
his talent could wither away, and he could easily become a broken man.
At times like that...
if there is even one person who believes he can change—
someone he can trust enough to follow—
then people really can change.
Since Yu Myeong couldn't be that person himself,
he thought of the one man he trusted completely.
Someone strict enough to discipline Hyo Jun,
yet dependable enough to support him.
Someone whose love and mastery of acting rivaled even his own—
someone Hyo Jun could never take lightly.
Ryu Shin.
Yu Myeong asked him to take Hyo Jun in.
He explained in detail what kind of person Hyo Jun was and the situation he currently found himself in.
"I'm sorry for dumping this on you. If it's too much trouble, please feel free to refuse."
"It's no trouble. I've always looked after my juniors."
A pause.
"I can work him hard, right?"
Work him hard?
The words immediately brought back memories of Ryu Shin's infamous training sessions at Audius.
Yu Myeong silently offered a prayer for Do Hyo Jun's soul.
"Of course."
"Good. I was about ready to explode from all the stress anyway. If I've suffered this much, I might as well make someone else suffer just as much."
"Since you've agreed, I'll contact Mr. Hugo as well and ask if he'd accept another member into the company."
"I'll talk to him myself. If it's a talented actor, he'll be thrilled. He'll welcome him with both arms."
Yu Myeong laughed.
"Sounds like Mr. Hugo hasn't changed."
"This really isn't the time for laughing..."
"...?"
"Hm... I guess you still don't know.
"You'll find out soon enough.
"I need to get some sleep."
"Right. Thank you. I'll call again sometime."
After hanging up, Yu Myeong tilted his head.
There had been an unmistakable trace of amusement in Ryu Shin's voice.
What was that about?
He found out the very next day.
Twelve of the twenty-four contestants were eliminated.
During Action School, contestants had been sent home only one at a time.
Now that half of them had left at once, the dormitory suddenly felt strangely empty.
Pace had been eliminated.
And Hyo Jun...
As he packed his belongings, Yu Myeong approached him.
In a voice so awkward and serious that he seemed like a different person altogether, Hyo Jun spoke first.
"Watching your acting taught me a great deal.
"I'm sorry for everything I've done."
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'm not sure. I don't have the nerve to ask Yu Seok hyung for help again.
"I was thinking maybe I'd apply to a theater company somewhere.
"I want to start over by learning how to truly understand a character."
Yu Myeong made him an offer.
"How about going to France?"
"...France?"
"You know the actor Ryu Shin, right? He's my senior. He's with a theater company in Paris now.
"He's the most serious actor I've ever known.
"If you want to learn the proper attitude toward acting—and the proper way to approach it—I can't think of anyone better."
"...I'm truly grateful.
"But I don't know if I deserve that kind of kindness..."
Hyo Jun bit his lip.
Back when he had hovered around Yu Myeong, acting arrogantly, Yu Myeong had treated him coldly.
Yet the moment Hyo Jun sincerely changed his attitude, Yu Myeong immediately reached out a helping hand.
His acting had become so magnificent that Hyo Jun hoped that someday, when he could finally say with confidence that he truly respected acting, they might share the stage together.
But...
he had never imagined Yu Myeong would still be willing to accept him.
"You don't need to be that grateful.
"After you've been worked into the ground over there, you'll probably end up cursing me."
"...Surely not..."
"When you're gasping for breath and they're still making you keep going...
"You'll probably think I sent you there just to torture you."
Yu Myeong laughed.
And so,
Do Hyo Jun left for France.
The twelve contestants who remained were immediately given their next assignment.
"Our next mission is the Final Qualification Assignment!
"This will be the last challenge before the live finals."
The words group assignment immediately darkened everyone's expressions.
"Oh, relax.
"This time it isn't a team battle between contestants.
"You'll be divided into four groups of three.
"And each team will be assigned its own director."
At the mention of directors, everyone's eyes turned toward George.
"That's right.
"George is one of them.
"And the other three have been waiting backstage.
"But before we introduce the directors who'll be running your lives from now on, let's announce the teams."
The two contestants assigned to Yu Myeong's team were both women.
The seeded actress from Spain,
Marta Garcia.
And a contestant who had advanced through the preliminary rounds,
Priya Lockhart.
Looking at the two of them, Yu Myeong's expression grew complicated.
Of all the possible combinations...
In the future, Priya Lockhart would become the eventual winner of Casting Vote.
Marta Garcia, meanwhile, would make it all the way to the final three and be widely regarded as one of the strongest contestants, only to fall just short of victory.
Afterward, however...
their careers would take completely opposite paths.
Priya would star as the lead in Kylie Unshaw's next film.
It would fail commercially.
And after that, she would never achieve any major success as an actress.
Marta, on the other hand, would steadily build her reputation.
Years later, she would reunite with Kylie Unshaw on another film.
That movie would earn widespread critical acclaim and become a considerable box-office success.
Hmm...
The four teams took their seats.
Then the directors were revealed.
George was assigned to Antoine and Kai's team.
The other two teams each received directors of considerable reputation and ability.
Finally...
the director assigned to Yu Myeong's team was announced.
"Our final director was not easy to bring here.
"He is an internationally renowned film director, theater director, and an expert whose theories on acting have influenced performers around the world.
"Please welcome our distinguished guest, who has traveled all the way from Europe."
Wait...
Ryu Shin's laughter...
Was it because...
"Director Hugo Viard!"
...this was what he meant.
Yu Myeong let out a helpless laugh.