Life, Once Again!

’s why she didn’t even think about going to college.
She promised herself and her parents that she would help them out with the restaurant full time after her graduation.

Maybe it was because of that, but Iseul thought that her high school life should be bright and flamboyant.
That’s why she decided to join the acting club to begin with.

Just a month ago, she was very satisfied with her decision.
Her muscles were constantly screaming at her in pain, but all she did in response was to smile.
Memorizing difficult lines only made her more and more excited instead of getting her annoyed at herself.
Handling costumes reminded her of the doll house play that she enjoyed in her childhood, and touching up the set props made her feel like a skilled carpenter.

Everything was a new experience to her.
Back then, she thought joining the acting club was the best decision that she could’ve ever made.
But what about now?

All they had left were boring reading sessions, casual talk she could make with her friends, and a few snacks.

‘This is boring…’

What the hell was this? Everything about the club suddenly felt so gray.

‘It’d probably be hard for us to return to that time, huh.’

Iseul turned to look at Geunseok.
The shining star of the club suddenly became such a boring person.
Well, maybe her first impressions of him were false from the beginning.
He just looked… so desperate to defend himself right now.

'To think the lead actor would become like this…’

The acting club was finished for her.
Worst of all, instructor Miso stopped coming as well.
Just the instructor’s absence alone degraded the club like so.

'I’m not sure what I can do either.’

'Geunseok! Stop acting like a child! Let’s practice!’ Saying that was easy enough.
What came after was the real problem.

Would the resulting play really be fun? Plus, if she said those words now, Geunseok would just leave the club right there.
Without the main character, the play couldn’t run at all.

‘I guess I’ll find a different club.’

This club’s finished.
At least, that’s what Iseul thought.

* * *

Dojin, on the other hand…

‘I wonder where I should farm today.’

Was thinking of other things.

* * *

Maru opened the auditorium doors.
The place grew completely silent during the time he was out.
The members were further spread out as well.

“Finally! You’re here!” Dojin called out with a happy face.

Maru didn’t know what the other members were thinking, but he could say with absolute certainty that Dojin didn’t have a care in the world.

‘Definitely not the type to ever get stressed about anything.’

The members started talking again when Maru put the snacks down in the middle.
Nothing more than small talk, of course.

“You have good taste,” Yoonjung said, grabbing one of the snack bags.

Maru shrugged.
That particular one Yoonjung picked up was the brand one she said she hated just a few days prior.

“Time’s passing pretty nicely, isn’t it? It’s already three,” Yoonjung said, pointing at a clock.

A few of the members nodded with an awkward smile, while others didn’t even bother responding.
Yoonjung continued talking with a weird smile on her face.
Just like yesterday.
After another two more hours, the club would finish its activities.
After that, the members would leave the auditorium with sighs of relief.

Maru scratched his head for a bit.
He did feel a bit embarrassed to actually stand up and say something about this.
But he really couldn’t let this pass, especially with Taesik asking him to solve the situation.

“Let’s practice.”

The entire club looked at him curiously.
They all had the gazes of ‘why are you of all people saying that?’ on their faces.

“We got exactly two hours.
Why not just get one more practice session in?”

The members looked at each other confusedly.
Yoonjung nodded cheerily and grabbed her script, with the other members grabbing their own slowly.

“Might as well start reading.
Maru’s right, we should practice.”

Yoonjung sent a few signals over to Maru as she did so.
During reading sessions, Maru was in charge of all the sound effects and notifying scene changes.
The reading would start when he says ‘the sound of the television starts playing’.

“No, not a reading,” Maru responded.

“Huh?”

“A proper practice session.
You know, a run.”

Maru threw his script off to one side and looked at the eleven members.

“A proper practice session?” Yoonjung was the one who responded.

“Get the proper motions in and everything.
I’ll watch from the audience seat.”

“What?”

“We’ve all been doing just reading for the past month.
It’s about time you try to act it all out again.
Before you forget.”

Maru scanned the club.
They were all looking at him with annoyed eyes.
He didn’t have the right to say stuff like this, after all.
Even so, Maru asked the entire club to practice.

“We’ve practiced enough.”

Yoonjung was tightly gripping her script.
Her eyes were shaking lightly.
Maru looked deep into her eyes.

[This isn’t right.
I should be listening to Maru.]

Humans are creatures of habit.
Once they get used to doing something, they don’t try to stop.
For the last month, the acting club developed a habit of making small talk and having an extended tea time.
Coming out of that routine meant… change.
At the same time, a fracture in the club.

Maru nodded, receiving disapproving gazes from most of the club.
As he thought, these kids weren’t dumb.
They knew exactly what was wrong with the club.
They just couldn’t do anything about it, out of the fear that voicing the problem would only make things worse.
In the end, they decided that keeping things the way it was would be the best course of action.

Maru scratched his eyebrow and repeated one more time.

“Let’s practice.
Before the club becomes even worse than it already is.”