Tirelessly Practicing
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Minjae wrapped up his work at the convenience store. It was one of the rare days when his shift starts in the morning and not at night.
Somehow, he liked this schedule better since he could do a lot of activities in the evening.
'Hah..." Minjae stretched his arms as he yawned softly. It had been another long day of interacting with people who had no interest in him.
Fortunately, there weren't a lot of customers except at lunchtime. His customers were mostly regular employees of small companies who could only go to the convenience store to buy some food.
As soon as Minjae arrived at his small apartment, his phone rang with a notification. He pulled it out of his pocket and his eyes narrowed at the familiar name of the sender.
It was a message from Director Suwoon's assistant, Assistant Kang.
[Assistant Kang: Hello, Minjae! I sent you the latest script for your scene in the drama "The Only Way" in your email. Director Suwoon said he'd appreciate it if you could familiarize yourself with the changes before the shooting next week. The scene was quite long so goodluck! Just message me if you have any questions or concerns. Take care~]
Minjae's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly opened his email and saw the message at the very top. His fingers trembled slightly with excitement as he clicked on the attachment. It was the first update he got after the audition.
As he scrolled through the pages of the file, his eyes slightly widened. The robbery scene had been reworked significantly. They added more depth to the character he'd be playing.
'The emotions now felt more intense, and I gotta run for a kilometer…' It was a challenging scene.
Minjae was slightly anxious, knowing the current limitation of his skills in his current body. For the first time in his life, he doubted his capabilities.
"No. I got this."
Still, after reading the script, Minjae's lips curled into a determined smile.
"Despite being challenging, this scene is amazing," he murmured to himself.
Slowly, he was already envisioning how he would bring the character to life.
Minjae might not know the full story of the drama he'd be playing, but he was already sure that it would be amazingly done just with his part alone.
If the Main Actor would do justice to his role, there would be no doubt that this drama might hit the top records.
If not, then this drama would be bound to fail.
There's no in between.
It was his decades of experience that allowed him to distinguish, or at least have a partial guess what would be the outcome of a drama.
*Zzzz *Zzzz
When another notification rang on his phone, Minjae checked and saw that it was from Assistant Kang once again.
[Assistant Kang: Hello, Minjae! Hehe sorry to keep bothering you, but I also sent the details of the shoot in your email. We'll be expecting you! Have a good day~]
[Minjae: Thanks Assistant Kang. I'll surely come on time.]
Clicking the second file sent on his email, Minjae was greeted by the information about the drama. That was when his eyes caught the cast list.
Wasn't this his first time looking at this?
At first, Minjae just skimmed past it, but a name at the top of the page made him pause.
Main Actor: Kim Sooyun
The room became tense as Minjae stared at the name intently. Thoughts circulated in his mind as his body slowly became cold.
"Sooyun?" Minjae whispered in a low voice. The disbelief was evident in his tone. His heart thudded in his chest as the realization sank in.
"No way… It can't be that Sooyun..." he clicked his tongue and quickly browsed on the internet to search for Kim Sooyun's profile.
Within moments, his screen was filled with images and articles about the actor.
One that struck him the most was the article of his upcoming drama "The Only Way." It was obviously the same drama where Minjae got casted. There was no mistake.
The lead was really Kim Sooyun — his old 'friend'.
A flood of memories rushed back in his mind, but what stayed the most was the words said on his wake. He wouldn't forget that.
Minjae's lips turned into a bitter smile.
"Of all people…" he muttered breathlessly, leaning back against the couch. "Why does it have to be Sooyun?"
Wasn't it ironic?
Sooyun had been following him around for years in his previous life, asking to be a supporting character in his dramas. However, now he was the supporting cast instead.
It was funny how fate had brought them back together in the most unexpected way.
Minjae's initial shock gave way to a burning determination. He set his phone down and stood, pacing back and forth in the small living room of his apartment.
"I won't let this chance go to waste," Minjae's voice was firm. "Sooyun might have the fame, the looks, and the industry behind him right now, but I've got something he doesn't — my talents."
Minjae grabbed his phone and scrolled back to the script. His mind raced with ideas. He dissected every line and imagined the emotions he'd need to convey. He practiced his delivery aloud, his voice echoing through his small apartment.
The words came alive as he worked tirelessly. He didn't care if he didn't ate dinner or if he just got home from work. He just kept on going and going and going.
Minjae's performance grew better with each attempt. He knew inside that he wasn't just rehearsing lines, he was proving something, not just to Sooyun, but to himself.
By the time Minjae stopped, he collapsed on his bed, exhausted but satisfied.
"Let's see who shines brighter on set, Sooyun," Minjae said quietly, a confident smirk playing on his lips.
It wasn't a competition, but damn, he knew he wanted to win.
[Ding!]
[Your hardwork knows no bounds, Host. For practicing tirelessly, the System shall reward you.]
[You have been rewarded 5,000 EXP in
[Bonus: You'll be given a boost in your
[Duration: 1 hour]
[Please use it wisely, Host!]