The air in the hallway was thick with unspoken tension. I had just arrived at the venue to watch the show, and I hadn't expected to run into the actress in the patterned hat.
"Hello, I. I see you came to the show," she greeted me, though her eyes were troubled.
I felt a sudden jolt. "Hey... didn't expect to see you here," I replied, trying to keep my voice even.
The girl with the long brown hair stepped forward, looking confused as she looked between us. "You two didn't come together? I thought you invited her."
The patterned hat character turned to me, her voice rising slightly. "Why didn't you tell me? That you were in a musical...?"
I bristled at the accusation in her tone. My eyes hardened. "Do I have to tell you that?"
The patterned hat girl's expression tightened. "You only told I about it," she practically whispered. Beside her, the long black-haired girl, Lisu, mentally noted the shift: "The mood's turning tense again..."
The confrontation escalated quickly. The patterned hat girl's eyes were glistening. "I asked you before to treat me like a fellow actor."
I looked down, dismissive. "I never said I would."
Lisu felt desperately uncomfortable. "I'm stuck in the middle of a weird situation... I feel bad for Lisu..." she thought, her anxiety mounting.
Just as the argument reached its peak, Lisu saw her chance for escape. "…I gotta take this call!" she announced, faking a smile and holding up her phone. "You two go ahead and talk..."
She needed to leave, and fast. "I gotta get outta here..!" She slipped away from the tense pairing.
Down the hall, she let out a silent "Phew." She checked her phone, a tired look crossing her face. "Seems like those two fight every time they're near each other." She sighed, knowing this drama wouldn't end anytime soon. "Doesn't look like things will get peaceful anytime soon."
I slipped away, needing to escape the suffocating argument. I was so focused on getting out that I almost bumped into someone.
"!" I stopped short, seeing a man with white hair standing just around the corner.
"Oh, you were standing right here..." I mumbled, surprised.
The man, who must be Manager Eun, gave me a knowing look, raising a finger to his lips. "Shh," he whispered playfully.
I could only stare, unsure if he'd witnessed the chaotic scene I'd just fled.
"Manager Eun..."
He leaned in closer, his voice low and reassuring. "Don't worry too much." He glanced back toward the two arguing girls. "I think those two will be just fine."
His calm confidence didn't quite ease my tension, but I appreciated the gesture. He had a way of cutting through the drama.
Meanwhile, the confrontation I had abandoned was still ongoing.
The girl in the patterned hat watched as I busied herself, rustling through a closet backstage, perhaps hanging up her coat or looking for something.
"So... why did you come here?" the patterned hat girl asked, her voice heavy with the emotions of their earlier argument.
I turned, her amber eyes wide with a mix of defiance and maybe a hint of vulnerability. "I don't know," she admitted, then elaborated. The patterned hat girl was struggling with her performance.
"...How..." the patterned hat girl began, her voice small. "...How can I be as amazing as you...?"
I looked at her, considering the question. "At what? Acting? Oh, singing?"
"...Both."
I paused, then offered a clear, if blunt, piece of advice. "Is there a method?" she asked, already shaking her head. "If it were me, I'd take the time I spend stressing over how to get better... and use it to practice more."
The patterned hat girl stared at I, absorbing the simple, hard truth.
The fluorescent lights of the backstage hallway seemed to amplify the awkward silence. I had just arrived, and the air was thick with tension.
"Hello, I. I see you came to the show," Hat greeted me, trying to sound pleasant, though her face showed strain.
"Hey... didn't expect to see you here," I replied, my gaze falling on Lisu, who stood nearby.
Lisu looked confused as she glanced between us. "You two didn't come together? I thought you invited her."
Hat immediately turned her attention back to me, her voice edged with pain. "Why didn't you tell me? That you were in a musical...?"
My jaw tightened. I wasn't in the mood for an interrogation. "Do I have to tell you that?"
Hat's voice cracked. "You only told I about it."
Lisu shifted uncomfortably, thinking, "The mood's turning tense again... I'm stuck in the middle of a weird situation..." She mentally added, "I feel bad for Lisu..."
Hat's eyes welled up. "I asked you before to treat me like a fellow actor."
I met her gaze, cold and uncompromising. "...I never said I would."
Lisu seized the opportunity to escape. "...I gotta take this call!" she announced, holding up her phone. "You two go ahead and talk..." She fled the scene, muttering, "I gotta get outta here..!" Down the hall, she let out a quiet "Phew." "Seems like those two fight every time they're near each other." She sighed. "Doesn't look like things will get peaceful anytime soon."
Act II: Privilege and Practice
I watched as Hat followed me toward the backstage area. I opened a locker and began rustling around.
"So... why did you come here?" Hat finally asked, returning to the core of her frustration. She was struggling with her own career. "...How... How can I be as amazing as you...?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "At what? Acting? Oh, singing? ...Both."
I offered the only advice I knew. "Is there a method?" I continued, my gaze steady. "If it were me, I'd take the time I spend stressing over how to get better... and use it to practice more."
Hat scoffed, taking off her hat with a sudden, jerky movement. She looked me straight in the eye, the advice hitting a raw nerve. "How would you know?" she challenged, her voice rising in frustration.
"You've never experienced it. You don't have to work a part-time job. You can live the good life with just a credit card...!" Her resentment poured out. "So why do you always talk about my situation like it's so easy?"
Her voice broke as fear took over her expression. "I'm terrified. I lose money just by breathing. No matter how much I work, my savings keep dwindling. My future doesn't show any signs of improving." She leaned closer, her voice thick with desperation. "You don't know what it's like to pour all your time into trying to survive!"
I listened, unmoved, but understanding the source of her pain.
She continued, passionately acting out a potential scene, maybe one she wished she could live. "You can live however you want, and you'll never run out of money! You can do whatever you want without worrying about money!!!"
I gave her a knowing look. She was acting out a scene for an upcoming shoot, her performance flawless.
"..." I paused, then delivered my final point, a reflection of my own reality. "...If I only ever did what I wanted, I wouldn't be where I am right now."
Hat looked completely devastated, but then her face transformed. A shy, hopeful blush crept onto her cheeks.
"...!!" she gasped, her hands clasped to her mouth. "Was I alright?!" She beamed, eager for praise. "Are you finally going..."
Hat's desperation turned to hopeful anticipation after she finished delivering her passionate monologue. "Was I alright?!" she practically shouted, her eyes wide. "Are you finally going to acknowledge me?!"
I stared at her, my amber eyes unwavering. I could see the raw emotion, the struggle, and the talent in her performance, but I couldn't give her the easy praise she craved.
"It was a little too much," I said, my tone flat.
I crossed my arms. "The emotion in your monologue, and you coming here to do this... it's all too much."
Hat looked crushed for a moment, then I pressed my point, trying to cut through her desperation. "You're putting too much pressure on yourself to do a good job, and that's why you freeze up in front of the camera."
"Then what do I do?" Hat gripped her hat tightly, her breath hitching. She was still pushing herself to the edge.
My gaze softened slightly as I saw her raw vulnerability. "Why are you so desperate to do a good job?"
Hat looked at me, a desperate flush on her face. "I have to do a good job...!" Her entire body language screamed the word: Desperate.
I watched her for another moment, concluding: "She doesn't overthink things."
The Outsider's Reflection (Lisu's Perspective)
Meanwhile, Lisu, who had fled the initial confrontation, was left reflecting on the drama and her own struggles.
"I may be an idol, but... I'm the lead of this drama," she thought, the heavy burden of her role settling on her shoulders. "Being treated like that by Haedo would hurt anyone's pride..."
She glanced back toward the argument.
"...But Lisu was determined to come here... to ask him to give her another chance," she recalled, maybe thinking of the patterned hat girl's resilience.
Lisu felt a profound exhaustion. She knew what it was like to be at the breaking point. She had felt like someone who was completely burnt out, alone in the dark.
Yet, despite her fear and weariness, a tiny spark of determination flickered within her. "But if I still have that kind of passion left in me... I..."
All she truly wanted, all that was in her heart, was to perform well. "All she wants is to do a good job. That's all that's in her heart," Lisu thought, recognizing her own drive in the other girl's desperation.
The air in the hallway was thick with unspoken tension. I had just arrived at the venue to watch the show.
"Hello, I. I see you came to the show," Hat greeted me.
"Hey... didn't expect to see you here," I replied, my gaze falling on Lisu.
The confusion was immediate. "You two didn't come together? I thought you invited her."
Hat's eyes darted between us. She was focused on me. "Why didn't you tell me? That you were in a musical...?"
I bristled at the accusation. My eyes hardened. "Do I have to tell you that?"
Lisu was caught in the middle. Hat turned to her, desperate for confirmation. "You only told Myeong Seonbae about it." Lisu internally panicked: "The mood's turning tense again... I'm stuck in the middle of a weird situation... I feel bad for Lisu..."
The confrontation escalated. Hat's eyes welled up. "I asked you before to treat me like a fellow actor."
I looked down, dismissive. "I never said I would."
Lisu seized her chance to escape. "…I gotta take this call!" she announced, feigning a smile. "You two go ahead and talk..." She fled, muttering, "I gotta get outta here..!"
Down the hall, she let out a silent "Phew." She checked her phone, a weary look crossing her face. "Seems like those two fight every time they're near each other. Doesn't look like things will get peaceful anytime soon."
Act II: The Price of Desire
The argument continued, revolving around Hat's performance struggles and ambition.
I offered a blunt piece of advice: "Is there a method? If it were me, I'd take the time I spend stressing over how to get better... and use it to practice more."
Hat, devastated, tore off her hat and confronted me about my privileged life. "How would you know? You don't have to work a part-time job. You can live the good life with just a credit card...! So why do you always talk about my situation like it's so easy? I'm terrified."
She then launched into a passionate, fictional dialogue, channeling her anger into a performance. "You can live however you want, and you'll never run out of money!"
When she finished, I calmly delivered my final point. "...If I only ever did what I wanted, I wouldn't be where I am right now."
Hat looked completely devastated, but then her face transformed with hope. "Was I alright?! Are you finally going to acknowledge me?!"
"It was a little too much," I critiqued. "The emotion in your monologue, and you coming here to do this... it's all too much. You're putting too much pressure on yourself to do a good job, and that's why you freeze up in front of the camera."
"Then what do I do?" Hat pleaded, her entire being screaming: I have to do a good job...!
I saw her vulnerability and recognized the pure intention behind it: "All she wants is to do a good job. That's all that's in her heart. She doesn't overthink things."
Act III: New Beginnings
Lisu watched them go, a small, dark shadow of passion stirring inside her. She felt burned out and alone, but Hat's desperate energy had sparked something. "But if I still have that kind of passion left in me... with a small spark floating around in the sun... I want to be lit aflame again."
She recognized that the conflict between Hat and I was ultimately about validation and ambition. "That's what I thought, watching those two."
A Few Days Later.
The scene shifted to a television production set.
Lisu was in costume, embracing her male co-star in a dramatic scene being filmed.
Suddenly, Lisu's mood shifted. A sly smirk crossed her face.
"You're the one who left me for a nice guy," she thought, her internal dialogue matching the intense look in her eyes. "Who will it be? That girl, or me?" She was no longer just Lisu; she was an actress stepping into a role, one filled with rivalry and desire.
The director behind the monitors looked satisfied. "Alright... This is good..."
The fluorescence of the backstage hallway felt strangely intense. I had come to see the show, but immediately ran into the actress in the patterned hat.
"Hello, I. I see you came to the show," Hat greeted me, trying to sound composed.
"Hey... didn't expect to see you here," I replied, my gaze falling on Lisu, who stood nearby.
Lisu looked confused. "You two didn't come together? I thought you invited her."
Hat turned on me, the surprise quickly turning to hurt. "Why didn't you tell me? That you were in a musical...?"
I bristled at the challenge. "Do I have to tell you that?"
Hat's voice cracked. "You only told I about it."
Lisu shifted uncomfortably, a silent observer. "I'm stuck in the middle of a weird situation... I feel bad for Lisu..." she thought.
The confrontation escalated. Hat's eyes glistened. "I asked you before to treat me like a fellow actor."
I remained unyielding. "I never said I would."
Lisu seized her opportunity to escape the escalating tension. "…I gotta take this call!" she announced, forcing a smile. "You two go ahead and talk... I gotta get outta here..!" She quickly walked away.
Around the corner, she almost bumped into a man with white hair. "Oh, you were standing right here..." she mumbled, surprised.
The man, Manager Eun, gave a playful shush. "Shh. Don't worry too much. I think those two will be just fine."
Lisu let out a shaky breath. "Phew. Seems like those two fight every time they're near each other. Doesn't look like things will get peaceful anytime soon."
Privilege and Practice
Hat followed me as I opened a backstage closet, a whirlwind of resentment and ambition. "So... why did you come here?"
"I don't know," I admitted. Hat, however, was desperate for answers. "...How... how can I be as amazing as you...?" she asked, her voice small. "At what? Acting? Oh, singing? ...Both."
I offered the cold, hard advice I lived by. "Is there a method? If it were me, I'd take the time I spend stressing over how to get better... and use it to practice more."
Hat removed her hat, her expression twisting into fury. "How would you know?" she challenged. "You've never experienced it. You don't have to work a part-time job. You can live the good life with just a credit card...! So why do you always talk about my situation like it's so easy?"
Tears welled in her eyes. "I'm terrified. I lose money just by breathing. No matter how much I work, my savings keep dwindling. My future doesn't show any signs of improving. You don't know what it's like to pour all your time into trying to survive!"
She threw her whole body into a final, dramatic monologue, her voice cracking with desperation. "You can live however you want, and you'll never run out of money! You can do whatever you want without worrying about money!!!"
I waited for the eruption to subside. My gaze was steady as I delivered the final word. "...If I only ever did what I wanted, I wouldn't be where I am right now."
Hat was stunned. Then, a shy, hopeful blush crept onto her face. "...!! Was I alright?! Are you finally going..."
The Scandal
Back near the control room, someone gasped. The manager yuhan in the dark suit gave a quick glance, then looked down at his phone.
The source of the commotion was a headline on a phone screen: "Never-before-seen photo from Eunmil's posthumous exhibition MUSE ON revealed! Who is 'I's man?" The photo itself was blurred but showed two people, one of them the man Lisu had been filming with, embracing.
The drama shifted instantly from backstage tension to public scandal.
Elsewhere, two girls—one with brown hair, one with long black hair—were locked in a close, provocative embrace. The scene was intense, almost a kiss, and the black-haired girl (likely Lisu or the one who delivered the monologue) looked determined.
The narration closed on a somber note, reflecting on the relentless nature of life in the spotlight: "How is it that things... never work out the way you want them to?"
This concludes the expanded narrative based on all the provided panels. It appears the story is transitioning from the rivalry between I and Hat to a potential love triangle or scandal involving I and the mysterious man in the photo.