When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar - Chapter 69

# 69

Formula (3)

About 30 people could enter the waiting room in order.

When it was Dowook’s turn, he entered the waiting room. The waiting room was literally like a market. Everyone was frantically practicing out loud what they had prepared.

“Aaaah! Let go! Let go! You crazy woman! I didn’t cheat on you with your husband!”

A woman in one corner, tearing her hair out and shouting out the lines she had prepared with an ear-piercing scream, caught Do-wook’s attention.

It wasn’t a special case as everyone was busy and focused.

‘But that person… That’s right, Park Go-un!’

Like other actors, she didn’t have clear features or a face that immediately struck me as pretty. However, the innocent atmosphere was impressive and was what set it apart from others.

That was why Do-wook immediately recognized Park Go-un, who would debut several years later.

‘It would be nice if the day came when I could act with Park Go-woon…’

With that thought in mind, Do-wook relaxed his neck and began to focus intensely on practice before the exam.

The Korea National University of Arts exam had a first exam and a second exam.

During the first test, you will memorize and act out short lines given on the spot, and then perform a song you have prepared or a free performance. Afterwards, there will be a brief question and answer period.

It is a test that tests basic acting skills and basic talent, and the winner is decided in about 15 minutes.

The real test was the second test.

The second test, which was taken by those who passed the first test, included a writing test and a test to reconstruct and reinterpret a scene from a designated play and act it out.

What Dowook prepared for the first test today was a song.

“Being a singer could actually be an obstacle, but would singing… be okay?”

Do-wook asked when teacher Kang-yeon Lee suggested that he prepare a song.

Teacher Lee Kang-yeon answered.

“I thought about it while preparing. “I’m not bragging, but I taught several students preparing for entrance exams and got them to pass.”

Teacher Lee Kang-yeon smiled a little shyly, perhaps because it felt like self-praise. However, Lee Kang-yeon was not bragging, but was explaining how accurate his intuition was as a teacher. Dowook listened seriously.

“It is rare to find a student like Do-wook who can immediately grasp emotions even in a short moment and has excellent vocal skills. really. No matter what type of passage you get, Dowook’s skills will be revealed during the short acting test.”

“is that so.”

This time, Do-wook became a little embarrassed. Teacher Lee Kang-yeon praised Do-wook every time she taught.

Because he didn’t take the time to learn it, it was sometimes awkward when acting physically, but Do-wook’s ability to understand fingerprints and empathize were always unwavering and outstanding.

“If you are basically good at acting, next time you will see different talents and abilities. Dowook is good at singing, so there is no need to hide his specialty. “It just goes to show that being a singer is actually an advantage.”

Lee Kang-yeon, who explained, added:

“If you ask me, singing is also acting.”

Dowook nodded. Teacher Kang-yeon Lee’s words were persuasive enough, and even if they were not persuasive, Do-wook believed in Teacher Kang-yeon Lee and intended to follow him.

Acting was an unknown field that he did not know anything about. Do-wook had no intention of asserting his opinion in a field other than his own.

Outside the exam room door. There were five people waiting in line. The teaching assistant handed out short passages to the students to act out.

The practice time was ten minutes, and we were not allowed to practice out loud because the outside world might hear it.

Ten minutes later, the door opened and those waiting entered the exam room, crossing each other.

Three professors from Korea National University of Arts served as examiners. It was obvious that he was tired from the exam that lasted all day.

‘Choi Min-seok… I heard that Choi Min-seok is a professor at this school, but I couldn’t wait to interview him in person.’

Choi Min-seok, who had already established himself as a national actor, was sitting as one of the examiners. When he made eye contact with Do-wook, he brushed the stubble on his chin and his eyes shined sharply.

Dowook was the second of the five to take the test.

I naturally remembered the day I auditioned for Hit Entertainment.

The person who started taking the test first also seemed to have prepared a song. Even though he was a man, it was very impressive to see him sing a song from the musical ‘Rebecca’.

“Rebecca—! My Rebecca–! “Come back here to Manderley – it’s all hers!”

The man who was singing with a manic expression made a foolish expression as if he had never done that when the song ended.

‘It’s so diverse and amazing…’

was Do-wook’s thought as he watched all kinds of people preparing for the test in the waiting room.

While preparing for acting and watching people acting, Dowook was genuinely interested in ‘acting’.

It was so fascinating to me how acting is something that allows one person to transform into another person’s personality in an instant.

“Next student Kang Do-wook.”

“yes.”

It was Dowook’s turn.

Dowook stood in front of the three faculty members with his shoulders straight. As he stood upright, his tall height and excellent body stood out.

“He’s a student with a very unique background, but he doesn’t often apply to our school!”

As soon as Do-wook stood up, the professor, a man with gray hair and horn-rimmed glasses, pointed out that Do-wook was a singer and said,

It was a light tone, as if it was something different. It wasn’t an overt tone that said he didn’t like it. However, it was difficult to know the true meaning behind it.

“Are you in good shape? “I think it would have been difficult to study because I was busy.”

The female professor sitting next to me asked. Korea National University of Arts did not take the CSAT, but reflected the scores you submitted to some extent.

“I studied from time to time and my grades are in the upper-middle range.”

“Oh really?”

The female professor asked once again, looking at Do-wook’s application carefully as if she was a little surprised.

“Why do you want to act?”

“I do not know.”

At Dowook’s answer, there was silence in the testing room for a moment. Just as the female professor was about to frown, Dowook continued her answer.

“At first I wanted to run away. To a world other than this one. “Not as myself, but as someone else.”

“You wanted to run away…? “Are you saying you wanted to deny yourself?”

“It was like that at first. But I realized it while acting. Someone different from me. Either similar or very different. “The more I played someone, the more I realized who I was.”

Dowook made eye contact with each and every professor.

“So now I want to do it to find myself. “Acting.”

It seemed like a line that had been prepared very well. But Dowook was sincere. And the professors also noticed the sincerity.

The female professor confirmed Dowook’s age again.

I knew that KK, who debuted last year, had been on a roll without any major difficulties. There was quite a bit of discussion among the faculty about there being an idol member among the applicants. That’s why I found out about it.

The professors did not expect to find this level of sincerity in Do-wook, an idol member.

Professor Yeo realized once again that it is impossible to guess a person’s inner self just based on age or external circumstances.

“Try acting the fingerprint.”

A heavy bass commanded Dowook. It was Choi Min-seok.

Choi Min-seok’s greedy eyes were scanning Do-wook as if he were going to dismantle him. After Do-wook swallowed his saliva once, he began to act out the passage he had received without making a single mistake.

Korea National University of Arts had its own acting style. He said he disliked excessive emotions the most. It was a school that wanted everything to be acted out as if it were real.

Do-wook’s expression distorted, but he said,

“… The ending is the same anyway, so why do I have to endure such pain? No one could avoid being searched or confess. Once a person is branded a thought criminal, he or she dies on a set date. But why must fear be firmly entrenched in a future where nothing can be changed?!”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

After the short performance, the professors silently wrote down their scores for the performance.

“Do you know where the print that you just acted came from?”

“yes. This is from 1942.”

Dowook nodded and answered the female professor’s question. Professor Noh adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses.

Choi Min-seok, who wrote down all the scores, instructed them to do what they had prepared next.

The song Do-wook prepared was Kim Woo-yeon’s ‘If It Was a Dream’.

Dowook performed ‘If It Was a Dream’ more earnestly than ever. The sound of Do-wook’s song rang high in the test room.

***

After taking the test. Although the results were not yet known, Dowook prepared for the second test in preparation for passing.

Meanwhile, there was a recording schedule for the first Japanese full-length album.

The KK members gathered in the recording studio and prepared for recording. Ahn Hyeong-seo, who had many parts, went into the booth and was recording.

“Ah… this is so difficult to pronounce.”

“I think reading it from memory rather than reading it from memory is closer to the original language.”

Seok Ji-hoon helped Jeong Yoon-gi, who was weak in Japanese. Seok Ji-hoon was also illiterate in Japanese, but he started studying it some time ago. Seok Ji-hoon showed confidence, unlike the last time he recorded, saying that he had studied for several months.

“I guess my brain works quickly because I’m young.”

Jeong Yoon-gi lamented that there wasn’t much of a difference.

Seok Ji-hoon also sighed like an adult, unlike the youngest, as he watched Do-wook read the lyrics and prepare for recording.

“Didn’t Do-wook say he’s also preparing for the second exam?”

“huh. yes.”

“If I were your brother, I think my brain would have already overloaded and I would have turned off.”

Dowook smiled faintly.

“What have you prepared for the play?”

Even at his dorm, Do-wook always stayed in his room and prepared for exams. It was not easy to talk to him because he seemed so busy.

This time of preparing and waiting for recording was actually the most leisurely time for Dowook.

Since I had wanted to ask this for a while, Seok Ji-hoon took the opportunity to ask.

“Ah… the death of an office worker. “I adapted that a little bit.”

“Oh oh! Death of an office worker!”

“what is that? Seok Ji-hui~ Have you read it too?”

“I haven’t read it. “I just heard about it.”

“But what about ‘Oooh!’ “I’m doing it.”

Jeong Yoon-gi giggled and teased Seok Ji-hoon. Seok Ji-hoon kept his mouth shut.

At that time, the recording engineer asked to take a break to go to the bathroom. When Ahn Hyeong-seo came out of the booth and Jeong Yoon-gi left to talk to Ahn Hyeong-seo, Seok Ji-hoon spoke again.

“I don’t know if I can trust and follow him as a leader.”

Seok Ji-hoon glanced at Jeong Yoon-gi so as not to be hateful.

“How did you adapt it? “I want to see you act in your play. Can you show me?”

“uh? Just… here?”

“I need to be able to do it here so I don’t get nervous when I go to the exam room. “I heard it’s a group test in front of 100 people.”

What Seok Ji-hoon said also made sense.

Dowook saw the members scattered and resting and began to memorize the lines he had prepared.

“I moved from job to job… but the result was the same. Damn it! When I turn 34, it’s time for me to settle down!… But it all went awry. Maybe I should have gotten married. You also need to have a decent job. It’s wrong not to. I’m just like a child. I’m not married, I don’t have a job, I’m just a kid after all. So are you satisfied? Did you succeed? Are you satisfied?”

The members’ attention was focused on Dowook’s voice.

Do-wook recalled the life of Kim Bo-myeong, who was not only ordinary but also ugly.

At that moment, what Seok Ji-hoon saw was not KK member Kang Do-wook, but a miserable adult man who could not get married and had no job.

***

Do-wook, who was on a plane to Tokyo to release his Japanese full-length album, received news of his acceptance.

Immediately after, the news of Do-wook’s acceptance to Korea National University of Arts became known to the public.

‘I applied to Joowon University’s Department of Applied Music, but was not accepted. Afterwards, Kang Do-wook…… ‘I applied with big dreams.’

By the time Do-wook arrived in Tokyo, a series of related articles had already been published. Under the articles, there were comments full of question marks.