* * *

The club members gathered around. In the center were the items that Suyeon bought. They were snacks and drinks. They were perfect for this small celebratory occasion, but there was one item that caught Maru’s eyes. Maru wordlessly stood up and grabbed those cans. The voluminous silver cans were things he would have welcomed if he was outside, but right now, he was in school.

“What?”

Suyeon asked with a bright smile. Maru smiled back at her before going to the bathroom and pouring all the beer into the toilet. When he returned with empty cans, he saw Suyeon pouting.

“Alcohol isn’t allowed in school.”

“Those were mine though.”

“Drink them outside.”

“You’re no fun. Beer at school! Isn’t that every man’s dream? Isn’t that right, everyone?” Suyeon looked around at others as she asked. Everyone smiled awkwardly and looked away.

“Not a single one is on my side. How bitter.”

“You can keep sulking. We’ll start practice after eating these.”

It was obvious that she would start something strange again if he played along with her. Maru gathered everyone up and started opening the snacks that Suyeon brought.

“I bought them.”

“Then come and eat.”

“At least say thanks, will you?”

Suyeon took a seat. She turned up around 3 times a week before, but after May started, she came every day. Thanks to that, she became closer to the other students and was now able to talk to them without reserve. This was the mood that Suyeon wanted. The club members should be thinking that she was a good instructor who was humorous and friendly. It wasn’t bad. There shouldn’t be any problems as long as Suyeon kept her inner snakes under control. Although this was a relationship based on false appearances, if it was maintained for long enough, it would eventually become the truth within everyone’s hearts.

‘It’s not like anyone would notice her true nature either.’

Once everyone found out about Suyeon’s history, they would become biased towards her. They might suspect her even if she truly wanted to teach them. Right now, the leader of this group known as the acting club was Suyeon, no matter who tried to deny it. Her kind-looking face was not allowed to shatter.

“Bangjoo, wanna do a love shot[1] with me?”

“Eh, what?”

Bangjoo became flustered with his usual loud voice.

“Don’t tease him too much,” Maru spoke with a smile. Suyeon and he were in a business relationship. They were tuning the relationship between Suyeon and the rest so that the falsities did not get revealed. As long as it was Junmin that asked Suyeon to look after the acting club, she would not try anything funny. It was clear that she would lead the kids as an ideal instructor.

Suyeon approached Bangjoo. She giggled and tapped on Bangjoo who was stiff like a rock. Jiyoon chuckled and Aram slapped Bangjoo’s back saying ‘do it!’. Holding her drink up, Suyeon smiled with her eyes and looked at Bangjoo. Bangjoo raised his paper cup as well. His slightly nervous face contained expectation. After all that’s said and done, Suyeon was an actress. Although she was usually down-to-earth, that didn’t make her beauty disappear. As a man, this was a situation where he would gulp subconsciously. Maru gave Suyeon a glance. Suyeon had a disdainful smile for a brief moment but she soon returned.

“But I like Jiyoon better. Come here, you cute little one.”

The hand approaching Bangjoo switched directions towards Jiyoon. At first, Jiyoon backed away, feeling embarrassed, but she eventually raised her hand when Suyeon kept closing in on her. Jiyoon’s cheeks became red. After crossing each other’s arms together to drink, Suyeon came back to her seat after patting her head. Maru spoke to her in a low voice so that others wouldn’t hear him.

“Don’t glare at me like that. You’re scaring me.”

“Don’t tease her too much.”

Maru was wary of Suyeon becoming too close with the other students, as well as becoming too distant. Right now was the perfect distance where they could joke around with others. Suyeon made her view of life very clear. She would make use of any man if it benefited her. The dangerous part about her was that she did not care what the method was. Maru estimated that something happened between her and Geunseok as well. Geunseok was already walking down the wrong path, and Maru believed that she was the reason Geunseok strayed even more drastically. He didn’t care about Suyeon’s way of life. In fact, he wasn’t qualified to say anything as long as she didn’t do anything illegal. However, he wasn’t kind enough to let her do as she wished to people related to him.

“You want to put me in check, huh?”

“It’s better for both of us to keep the instructor-student relationship. Isn’t it?”

“You’re rather old fashioned.”

“Kids these days are quite naive, you know? I’m worried that they won’t be able to get a hold of themselves when a fiery fox wags her tail at them.”

“Haha, and I’m the fox?”

“Calling you a fox is an understatement. I don’t dare compare foxes to you. You’d roast any number of foxes.”

“You’re unexpectedly protective of them.”

“Because they’re higher on my priority list than you. I like making lists like that.”

“I’m a little disheartened. You even know my shameful side. Weren’t we better than this?”

Suyeon got closer to Maru while others were busy. She was wearing a silk blouse, and her cleavage could be seen below her top button which was undone. Maru smiled and blatantly stared at her breasts. When he did, Suyeon curved her lips and moved back.

“Why don’t you just strip if you plan on showing me? You’d make good eye candy.”

“Aren’t you a little too harsh on a lady? I almost felt ashamed.”

“You wanted me to look, so I looked. I was looking quite seriously since you were so adamant. But it’s a bit of a pity. You aren’t voluminous enough. I wonder if you can make a B cup.”

“...Do you want to die?”

Maru shrugged his shoulders and turned away from Suyeon. A lady aware of her own beauty was bound to be scary. Suyeon was someone who was capable of weaponizing her beauty. She probably shouldn’t flirt with the kids, but there was nothing bad with being cautious.

“But seonbae, are you really going to appear in a movie?” Aram asked, taking a bite from a chocolate cookie. Maru nodded.

“What role are you?”

“A delinquent.”

“Ek? You?”

Aram laughed while saying that but eventually, she narrowed her eyes and spoke.

“Actually, it might suit you.”

“It’s not just ‘might’. He’s the very definition of a delinquent,” Dowook spoke from the side. Maru made a hand knife and lightly hit the back of Dowook’s neck.

“I don’t think it suits him at all…,” Jiyoon spoke while blinking.

“No, Jiyoon. If you have a closer look at Maru-seonbae, he looks like he has a bad personality.”

“Hey, don’t say it straight to my face.”

“You know I can’t hold back things like this, seonbae.”

“You mean you don’t, not that you can’t.”

“I thought I hid that well, but I guess I was found out.”

Aram giggled. Jiyoon was very flustered in the middle. She eventually grabbed Aram’s arm and shook her. Her small voice, saying ‘you should stop’, could be heard.

“We became closer, don’t you think?” Daemyung spoke as he watched that. It wasn’t that surprising since they had spent over a month together. Last year, the first thing that happened was disharmony, but this year, there weren’t any conflicts between the members. As long as practice went well, they would be able to achieve good things in the competition as well.

“Then when is the movie going to be released?”

“We didn’t even start filming yet. I don’t know the exact release date. I’m not in a position where I can find out either.”

“Then for how long are you going to appear? Are you the main character? A delinquent who eventually has a change of heart and turns good?”

“Nope, I’m a minor role. A passing by delinquent. I only have two lines of speech as well.”

“Oh, that’s all you h...ufpppf!”

Jiyoon couldn’t take it anymore and covered Aram’s mouth. She looked at Maru with an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry, seonbae-nim. She just doesn’t know how to hold back.”

“She’s not wrong though.”

“But even so….”

Maru scratched his eyebrows and turned around. Jiyoon’s pitiful expression was more pressuring than Aram stating facts. It would be quite a sight to see once Daemyung realized Jiyoon’s feelings for him. He could already imagine the two of them sitting far away from each other, very awkwardly.

“Who else is in the movie? Is Yoon Hyuk in it? How about Choi Jihoon? How about Jang Min-oppa?”

Aram stated actors known for their handsome faces.

“All I know is that there will be a middle aged man with a fat stomach.”

“Isn’t there anyone with handsome faces?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know who is participating.”

“How about actresses?”

Daemyung sneakily asked.

‘Daemyung, don’t you see Jiyoon biting her lips behind you, you douche?' This guy is the type to run away with all of his might if he sees an apple falling above his head.’

“I don’t know anything about that either. Do you think they’ll tell anything to a bottom-of-the-rung actor like me?”

At that moment, Suyeon crossed her arms and spoke.

“But I know.”

“You know who’s appearing, instructor?”

“Yeah. I can tell you that there’s a really sexy, cute, and pretty actress.”

Suyeon paused for a breath before continuing,

“And that’s me.”

Maru felt his eyes twitch. Suyeon was practicing her act of the second daughter when they met at the villa last time. The audition ended last week. Meaning that Suyeon passed the audition as well?

“Then you’re appearing in the same movie as seonbae?”

Aram made a curious expression. Even Jiyoon became surprised and looked his way.

“I guess things turned out that way.”

“Are you filming together then?”

“No. We won’t be meeting each other. After all, we don’t shoot the same scene together.”

“What role are you then, instructor?”

“The granddaughter of the main character who’s in high school. She is tragically killed by the main character. There will be blood too.”

“A high school girl?”

“I guess it’s one of the advantages of having a younger looking face. This unni’s skin is very good. I’ll look like a high school girl once I wear a uniform.”

She grinned as she stretched her own cheeks out. Aram exclaimed and approached Suyeon and poked Suyeon’s cheeks.

“Instructor, tell me your secret later.”

“Sure.”

Aram locked her hands with Suyeon’s and shook it in joy. Suyeon glanced at Maru. She had a slight smile on her face.

“So we aren’t filming together, huh.”

“Yup.”

“That’s very fortunate.”

“Why is that? You’re making me disheartened.”

Aram, who was next to her, said “that’s right, seonbae.” It seemed that Suyeon’s art of seduction didn’t exclusively work on men.

“Oh, I know one other person. It’s someone you know well, too, Maru.”

“Who is it?”

“Geunsoo-oppa. He’s the youngest son.”

“I didn’t know that. But when did you decide to drop the honorifics? I thought you called him with a ‘mister’.”

“That’s my business. Don’t you worry about that. Mister Han Maru.”

He had contacted him regarding the audition two weeks ago, and it seemed that Geunsoo had won the role as well. The youngest son was the first to be killed by the main character. There were some action scenes as well. In the novel, he dies after struggling against his father, the main character, who appears and hits him with a hammer.

“I guess we’ll see once during the read-through.”

“There are read-throughs for movies too?”

“Just once. The production team and the actors all gather around and do a complete read-through together. They get to listen to what the director wants there.”

Suyeon let go of Aram’s hands and stood up.

“Well then. That’s enough chat, so we should get to practice. It’s not good to be so strict, but we shouldn’t play for too long. Let’s read through the script once and move according to the movement lines we decided on last time. No one’s forgotten their lines already, right?”

The acting club had done practically nothing but looking at the script for the past month. Everyone here was confident in reciting the lines.

“Then let’s clean up and start immediately. Oh, Daemyung, lead everyone and do some stretching. We’ll up the difficulty for stretching today. Especially you, Jiyoon. Aram and Bangjoo are okay since they exercise, but you need to do some exercise. Let’s raise your flexibility.”

“Y, yes.”

“Alright, then.”

Suyeon clapped and had everyone stand up. She maintained the cheerful atmosphere and imbued vitality into the practice. She was a difficult woman to face, but her abilities had to be acknowledged. It was unbelievable that she had no experience teaching groups. She displayed excellent teaching abilities against these group of students.

“Let’s get things done today too, then, shall we?”

* * *

Moonjoong took a deep breath. After that, he picked up the script in his hand and violently shook it from top to bottom. Something akin to thirst was rising inside him. He wanted to pour out his thirst right now.

After taking deep breaths, Moonjoong picked up his phone. There was a message from Junmin.

[There’s a get-together the day after tomorrow. I’ll come pick you up.]

[1] In Korea, a ‘love shot’ involves two people drinking their drinks (usually alcohol, but not the case here) over each other’s body. There are ten levels of a ‘love shot’ in urban legend, and the actions described here seems like level 1, the most common one. Anything above level 3 is both an urban legend AND NSFW (level 4 involves mouth to mouth… and there are 6 levels above that…)