"Do you all know what a situation comedy is?"
"Yes!"
Everyone in the lab answered loudly, excited at the thought of having a practical class instead of a theory class. They were all kids who had passed the entrance exam, through the eye of a needle, because they wanted to act.
"Okay. We're going to do an improvisational skit from now on. What's the most important thing here?"
"Listen!"
'You answer well.'
Answers from energetic freshmen. Han Gyu-seong nodded at the children's active answers. Since they all came to Haneul Academy with the goal of becoming actors, they said they liked practical training more than theory.
Han Gyu-seong glanced around the practice room for a moment and then said abruptly, "Then the pairs are simply the people sitting in front and behind each other."
At Han Gyu-seong's words, the children quickly moved their seats.
"Go," Woo Ji-ho spoke briefly and headed towards Yoon Se-ri, who was sitting in front.
"Wow... he's with Yoon Se-ri."
"Miss, I should have sat over there."
There were many envious eyes on Woo Ji-ho, who ended up with Yoon Se-ri. But Woo Ji-ho actually looked indifferent. Yoon Se-ri turned her head slightly and seemed to look at Han Do-jae, then looked straight ahead again.
"I guess you and I are a match."
"...I know." In response to Woo Ji-ho's words, Yoon Se-ri opened her small lips and gave a short reply.
While the two were awkwardly greeting each other, the girl next to Yoon Se-ri came over to Han Do-jae. It was the female student whose eyes met mine when I came into the classroom after getting my hair cut earlier.
'Make pairs from the front and back, isn't that amazing?'
It seems that since the person sitting next to me from the beginning is more likely to be close, I was told to pair up with the person sitting in front. However, he was not the type of teacher who would go through the trouble of mixing the ingredients properly and making a batch. I was thinking that it was an efficient method, but then I heard Han Gyu-seong's voice.
"Let's break the ice for 10 minutes, and then decide on the topic of the skit."
The children started talking at Han Gyu-seong's words, and the practice room became noisy. Han Do-jae also turned his body to the side.
"Hello? Are we a couple?" The female student, neatly dressed in her school uniform, smiled kindly when our eyes met. With that smile, the female student spoke first.
"Okay. Bye."
The first impression Han Do-jae got from the female student after answering lightly. 'She's pretty.'
Even at Sky High School, which already had many students with outstanding looks, she stood out for her pretty looks. Although not as long as Yoon Se-ri, who has the longest hair in the class, her hair is quite long, and she has slightly see-through bangs. Big eyes, clear skin, a bright smile when making eye contact, and a soft voice. In a word, she gave off a very luxurious impression.
'Her voice is also sophisticated.'
Han Do-jae glanced at the girl's name tag. After returning, I never showed any interest in children unless it was people like Kang Yi-shin and Yoon Se-ri. Anyway, most of them were people whose names I couldn't remember. Han Do-jae was busy thinking about how to adapt to life as a seventeen-year-old right away.
However, 'Choi Ah-hyun... Ah, Choi Ah-hyun.' This name sounds familiar.
Choi Ah-hyun, who had her long hair slightly curled at the ends and swept it behind her back, clapped her hands once and said, "Your monologue at your initiation ceremony! It was really cool."
After the greetings, Choi Ah-hyun opened the conversation with a compliment. Han Do-jae also took it easy, thinking that she was a good-natured kid.
"Thank you. I enjoyed it too." Honestly, I don't remember very well what Choi Ah-hyun's acting was like.
Choi Ah-hyun smiled gently and looked at Han Do-jae with her big eyes as she asked, "Is this the first time we've talked like this? I know you, but... do you know my name?"
"I know. Choi Ah-hyun," Han Do-jae said, pointing to Choi Ah-hyun's name tag with his eyes.
"Oh, I should have covered my name tag and asked." Choi Ah-hyun, who had been hiding her name tag while smiling, looked embarrassed and asked again, "Should I call you Dojae?"
"Okay. Feel free to call me that."
Choi Ah-hyun had a nonchalant style. She spoke with a bashful smile, but she didn't look embarrassed. She was just a bright, kind, and cheerful seventeen-year-old. Maybe she'll get good grades and be popular with adults. I guessed she would be that kind of typical person.
'Choi Ah-hyun. She seemed to be as popular as Yoon Se-ri in class... I understand why.'
Before the regression, I vaguely remember her being very popular with the boys, but now that I think about it, I think I know why. Not only is her appearance good, but her personality is also bright and sociable. She was bound to be popular. Yoon Se-ri had unapproachable beauty, but in reality, she had a personality that was burdensome to get close to.
"You said you graduated from a regular high school. Is that true?" Choi Ah-hyun asked in a whisper while looking around for no reason.
I was wondering why she was asking such a thing, but then I noticed and asked back, "Yeah. You too?"
"Oh, me too! This is the first time I've acted properly since coming here." Choi Ah-hyun, who was speaking with a smile, seemed quite happy to have graduated from the same middle school. Although Han Do-jae has been acting for over 10 years, Choi Ah-hyun couldn't have known that fact.
"Ha. I was a little nervous because all the kids here have a lot of experience, but it's really nice to meet you. Who's your favorite actor? What's your favorite movie?" Choi Ah-hyun smiled brightly the whole time and chatted about this and that.
Han Do-jae tried to ease the awkwardness before the skit, but it seemed unnecessary. Rather, it was to the extent that it seemed like Choi Ah-hyun was leading the atmosphere.
After that brief conversation, Han Gyu-seong stood up from behind the desk. "10 minutes have passed-!"
All the kids who had been chattering at Han Gyu-seong's words looked forward.
"Then what should we do for the first situation? Since it's the first time, should we do whatever you want?"
"We're a couple!" A loud answer immediately burst out from a corner of the classroom.
"Couple?" Han Gyu-seong burst into laughter at the cute answer. "You little things. Do you know what a lover is?"
"Oh, teacher! We're high school students!"
"Hey. Kids these days are so fast! Hehe."
I was so excited by the word 'couple' that I was afraid someone would say they were teenagers.
"Okay, I know you well, so let's give it a try."
Han Do-jae smirked inwardly. It was laughter with a different meaning from the laughter of children.
'Because we are lovers....' I never thought my area of expertise would come up from the beginning. To be honest, it's my only area of expertise. To him, who was called a master of romantic comedies, the couples that high school students talked about were just cute. I feel like asking Han Gyu-sung if he knows what romance is.
"There's only one rule. You must exchange lines with your partner at least once. Okay, come out from the front row on the left."
The improvisation began with the children sitting on the far left.
"You guys... let's pretend to be a couple who fights over going to a PC room."
"Oh, I've never been to a PC room before."
"You've never been to a PC room? Teacher, change the situation!"
Han Gyu-seong shook his head firmly and said no. "Will you say something like that when you go out on set? If you're an actor, imagine it and act it out."
The situational drama progressed with Han Gyu-seong adding specific situations as the children left. That's how the situation drama started.
'You're doing okay.'
After the first team, who had been crying, finished, the turn went to the second and third teams. The kids were neither exceptionally good nor exceptionally bad and were doing just fine. But since they are still kids, their acting as lovers was limited to a light level. Han Gyu-seong seemed to think so too, giving short feedback and quickly moving on to the next step.
But is this a heavenly notice? There hasn't been a single one that stuttered yet. Thanks to Han Gyu-seong creating a comfortable atmosphere, they were able to exchange quite a few lines.
"Okay, next... Han Do-jae. Choi Ah-hyun."
Next group. It was a team of Choi Ah-hyun and Han Do-jae. Next to me, I heard Choi Ah-hyun take a short, deep breath. Are you nervous? From what you said earlier, it seemed like you just started acting.
"Let's go out."
"Huh!"
As Han Gyu-seong called their names, Han Do-jae and Choi Ah-hyeon stepped forward. Since the topic was chosen randomly by Han Gyu-seong, the two stood and looked at Han Gyu-seong. Han Gyu-seong looked at Han Do-jae and Choi Ah-hyeon in front and thought for a moment.
"You guys...." Then, as if a good idea came to him, he looked at the two people in turn and spoke. "Let's go as an exciting couple who are just starting out."
"Yes."
As soon as Han Gyu-seong finished speaking, Choi Ah-hyeon spoke quietly to Han Do-jae first. "I'll go first."
It was a bold statement considering how nervous she was. Han Do-jae, who had met an active partner, nodded quietly. The kids all became quiet, and Han Gyu-seong also focused on the two.
Choi Ah-hyun and Han Do-jae. The two people looked into each other's eyes and then walked slowly as if they had made a promise. Side by side in the same direction. The distance between the two people was close enough to almost touch.
Soon, Choi Ah-hyun flinched and pulled away her hand that was touching Han Do-jae. Then Choi Ah-hyun's white face turned red. Choi Ah-hyun hesitated for a moment and then carefully spoke her lines. "Can I hold your hand?"
Choi Ah-hyun's first line is quite bold considering she was hesitant. This would usually be an embarrassing line for a boy of this age. However, it was not a limit. He smiled lightly and silently grabbed Choi Ah-hyun's hand.
"Ohhh!" The kids were excited by Han Do-jae's natural skinship. The commotion was finally calmed down by Han Gyu-seong's quiet gesture.
Despite the commotion, Han Do-jae's expression did not change at all. It really felt like it was just Choi Ah-hyun and himself at that moment, unaffected by anything around them. He kept a slight smile on his face without taking his eyes off Choi Ah-hyun. Her bangs were pushed back, and her large eyes, revealed by the contact lenses she wore, stared at Choi Ah-hyun with a shining look of superiority. Then, all of a sudden, they bent gently.
Choi Ah-hyun couldn't see him properly because she was waiting for Han Do-jae's next line with her head slightly bowed. However, the female students who were directly observing the scene stared blankly at Han Do-jae's face as if they were in a trance.
And now, Han Do-jae's mind was spinning busily. 'It feels natural, but I don't feel like I've done much improvisation.'
An improvisation that Han Gyu-seong said was possible only if he listened carefully to the other person's lines. Listening is, of course, important. But Han Do-jae knew that there was something else just as important. Fortunately, in improvisation, his weakness, fundamentals, was rarely exposed. Rather, it was a stage where his skilled experience could shine.
Han Do-jae said the following lines with a confident smile. "It's nice to study together today. Can we do it together again next time?"
"Uh...? Studying?" Choi Ah-hyun reacts with surprise at Han Do-jae's words.
This was it. Listening to what the other person has to say was something that Han Gyu-seong had emphasized before starting the improvisational acting task, so everyone was concentrating. In that situation, we had to improvise together, so something extra was needed.
What's important here as a partner is, "Yeah. I'm glad you taught me well. Can we go to the library together next time?"
"Of course it will happen!" Saying something that the person listening to you can respond to.
Fortunately, Choi Ah-hyun's reflexes were not lacking at all, and she was able to keep up quite well. The slightly raised ball was considered to be quite good.
"Instead... I'll take you home. Where are you going?"
"You don't have to do that." Choi Ah-hyun, embarrassed, rolled her big eyes slightly and declined once.
"I do that because I want to. The weather is nice, isn't it?" Han Do-jae didn't back down from there but looked up at the ceiling and spoke naturally. Choi Ah-hyun naturally followed his gaze and looked up.
The children looked at their acting, which continued like flowing water, with happy smiles. It's like watching a couple starting a really sweet relationship.
Han Gyu-seong's eyes narrowed as he watched the scene. I wonder if any students have noticed just now. That Han Do-jae only spits out lines that the other person can hear and think about through the form of questions.
'You know how to do a little role play... Han Do-jae.' Only Han Gyu-seong could clearly notice. Especially through his action of looking up at the ceiling just now, Han Do-jae is completely leading the conversation in this situational drama. And he did it very naturally and quite skillfully.