I stood there looking at the female student with a bewildered expression at the sudden, thick compliment.
Then, the girl on the stand jumped up and walked straight towards Han Do-jae.
I was watching her approach me when I suddenly realized something.
'Ah. It stopped at 3 minutes.'
I was feeling depressed about having to start over again, when a girl suddenly came up to me. She held the camera and stared at Han Do-jae, asking in a loud voice. "Your Yeonyeong department!?"
Judging from the way she asked this question, it seemed like the girl wasn't from Yeonyoung. It's also an unfamiliar face. Seeing the voice that shook the stadium, I wondered if she really majored in acting.
"Uh. But?"
"Are you so handsome? Are you a first-year student? I'm also a first-year student, Department of Visual Arts, Jin Su-ah!"
Han Do-jae glanced down at the large cannon camera Jin Su-ah was holding.
'It's the Department of Visual Arts. Are you majoring in photography?' It looked similar to the cannon camera that fans often brought to autograph sessions.
By the way, I've heard that I'm handsome so many times that I thought I wouldn't be very impressed. But, being a high school student again, hearing something so direct from a fellow high school student felt different.
I couldn't help but laugh at her confident appearance, which was both cute and absurd.
"Thank you. I'm Han Do-jae, a first-year student."
During the self-introduction, Jinsooah grabbed Han Dojae's hand and shook it, examining his face carefully.
"Nice to meet you. But you… got plastic surgery? Isn't it wrong for Seoul boys to get plastic surgery starting in high school?"
"I don't think plastic surgery will help you get a face like this." He responded blandly.
This question has also been asked countless times and has been posted hundreds of times in the comments. Now it was to the point where it didn't even hit me. Moreover, since I didn't feel any hostility from Jinsooah, I could just pass it off as a joke.
"Is that right?" Jinsooah laughed heartily at Han Dojae's answer.
"All the handsome sons are busy acting coy, but you know how handsome you are. I really like you."
The words that were thrown out one after another continued without a hitch. But strangely enough, I didn't feel that bad. Han Do-jae was seeing the most cheerful person he had ever seen in his life right before his eyes.
"Well. I heard something."
"That's right. Well, I guess you heard about it."
Jinsoo Ah nodded her head repeatedly as if she understood.
"Did you take my picture?" He asked, nodding at the camera.
Then Jinsoo Ah looked surprised and lifted the camera.
"Ah, ah. Sorry. I took a picture of the sky without realizing it. I'll erase it right away."
Jinsoo Ah picked up a heavy camera and made sure to delete the photos that Han Dojae had taken.
"Instead."
Then, she handed her cell phone to Han Do-jae and smiled. "Give me your number."
When I was overcome with doubts like, "Is this the right deal?" Woo Ji-ho, who had already run a lap around the playground, approached the two.
"What are you doing? Not running."
Jinsooah's cell phone was already in Han Dojae's hand. Even though someone spoke to her, Jinsooah's head remained motionless and turned towards Handojae. It seemed like she had no interest in Woo Ji-ho at all.
"He asked for my number."
"You'll be the first one to get hunted on the playground. You're amazing."
Woo Ji-ho, who was nodding his head, looked at Jin Su-ah's name tag. Then his eyes widened slightly.
"Jinsooah?"
Even though her own name was mentioned, Jinsooah kept her gaze fixed on Han Dojae as if she didn't care.
"Know?"
"Top student in the first year of the Visual Arts Department. Isn't that right?"
It was an unexpected history. A surprised Han Do-jae looked at Jin Su-ah to confirm.
"That's right. I'm the top student in the first year of the honors department."
"Oh."
Seeing Jinsooah nodding her head vigorously, Han Dojae quickly dialed her number. I originally planned to just pass over it, but I figured since I was a senior in the video arts department, I could use it at any time. Besides, it seems like she's very favorable towards me right now, perhaps because of the appearance effect.
"If you need my help, just let me know. I'll take a thousand pictures of you."
Jinsoo Ah, who received the phone with the number entered on it, added with a satisfied smile.
"Thanks."
'If necessary.'
"I'll contact you."
With that, Han Do-jae looked at his watch and set the stopwatch to 5 minutes again.
"Then I have something to do, so I'll take my leave now."
I started running again, leaving Jinsooah and Woo Jiho behind.
Woo Ji-ho also ran again and quickly followed beside me.
And Jinsooah's loud voice can be heard from far behind. "See you later! Han! Dojae!"
Your voice is really loud. Are you really the top student in the Department of Visual Arts? If it weren't for the early morning, all the students would have been looking at this.
Woo Ji-ho looked back at Jin Soo-ah and then at Han Do-jae, muttering softly. "The early bird gets the worm. It's just the good-looking one who gets the worm."
After school, the four members of Handojae's team gathered in the practice room.
Before starting practice in earnest, Woo Ji-ho shook his head and told the story of what happened this morning. "I'm telling you, this is the first time I've ever had my number called while running around the playground."
"Wow. Really? Well… I was surprised when I saw Dojae cut his hair."
"What number is this at school…." Unlike Choi Ah-hyun's surprised reaction, Yoon Se-ri narrowed her eyes at Han Do-jae.
It was a little frustrating receiving that look when I didn't ask, but she just asked for mine. However, I thought of this as just an aftereffect of revealing my face and let it go.
Woo Ji-ho talked about the playground for a while and then quickly looked back at Choi Ah-hyun. "But is it true that you were planning to go to a science high school?"
'Science high school?'
At Woo Ji-ho's sudden remark, Han Do-jae looked at Choi Ah-hyun with a puzzled expression. But what is this? Choi Ah-hyun seemed slightly embarrassed, but then smiled and nodded.
"How did you know?"
"Wow, is that true? But why did you come as a preview?" Woo Ji-ho's voice grew louder as if he had not known it would be true.
The other two, Han Do-jae and Yoon Se-ri, also stared at Choi Ah-hyun. Transferring from a science high school to an arts high school was unusual.
It was clear that this was an unusual decision. Before returning, he didn't know much about Choi Ah-hyun, so it was the first time Han Do-jae heard about it.
"Isn't that such an obvious answer? Because I wanted to learn acting." Choi Ah-hyun, with a face that had dimples from a bright smile, shrugged her shoulders as if nothing had happened and said.
I thought this guy wasn't an ordinary character. By the way, if a kid who studied hard enough to get into a science high school passed the entrance exam for Haneul Arts High School… I have a firm belief that Choi Ah-hyun is no slouch either.
"Let's start practicing quickly!"
"Okay."
Choi Ah-hyun waved her hand and got up, feeling burdened by the attention focused on her. At Woo Ji-ho's answer, all the children looked at Handojae.
The group meeting's first practice began. Today, Han Do-jae had prepared a practice session for four people. But I have more acting experience than the kids, so I brought it up first because I thought I should take on this level of leadership.
He saw the eyes of the children who were paying attention to him and stood up. "Shall we start by loosening up our bodies?" Han Do-jae started stretching first, speaking lightly.
Then the rest of the kids got up and stretched together, and then they started practicing in earnest.
"What have you prepared?" Woo Ji-ho asked while looking at the shopping bag that Han Do-jae had brought.
As if he knew what he was talking about, Handojae took something out of his shopping bag without answering.
"…Line?" Yoon Se-ri frowned at the unexpected object.
What Han Do-jae took out was none other than a thick rope that would be used in tug-of-war.
"What are you going to do with this?" Woo Ji-ho asked with a puzzled expression, holding up one end of the rope.
"I said that the most important thing in a play is listening. Hold on tight."
Woo Ji-ho still had an expression on his face as if he didn't know what was going on, but he did as he was told and grabbed the end of the line properly.
Han Do-jae, who had confirmed the sight, stood holding the other end.
"Ugh!" And then suddenly the rope was pulled.
"Ah! This is a surprise."
Woo Ji-ho's body ended up being thrown forward by the rope that Han Do-jae had pulled due to an unexpected incident. I almost fell down badly, but I didn't because I had good athletic ability.
Woo Ji-ho asked with glaring eyes, "What is this?"
"I learned that it's the same in pantomime. Just as it's important to listen in a play with lines, it's also important to react to the other person's movements in pantomime, which requires body expression."
"Ah! So you're practicing your reactions by pulling and pushing the rope?"
"Yes."
Is it because she's a gifted student who almost went to a science high school? Choi Ah-hyun was quite quick to understand. The other two people nodded as if they quickly understood what kind of training Choi Ah-hyun was talking about.
"First, I'll get used to how my body reacts to the other person's movements with a real rope, and then I'll try mime without a rope."
"Oh. That makes sense. It makes perfect sense."
Woo Ji-ho grabbed the line properly once again. And then, just like the first time, he suddenly pulled the rope hard.
"Ugh." Although he was prepared, Han Do-jae's body was suddenly thrown forward.
That kid... is so strong.
Woo Ji-ho snickered in an unpleasant manner at the sight of him staggering.
"You're telling me to remember how my body reacts when I pull it suddenly like this?"
"…That's right."
"Okay. Let's get started."
"Then, Woo Ji-ho first… and Choi Ah-hyun, both of you, try it. Focus a little more on your own reactions."
Because it was a pantomime, it was necessary to show the reactions more clearly. Even if someone pretended to say the same thing with the same expression, a variety of reactions could come out. If there were lines, the comparison could have been made through colorful lines, but in a pantomime, it had to be shown through actions. You need to focus on how the other person reacts through nonverbal gestures, facial expressions, and body language. Just by looking at that scene, the audience could tell what kind of story was just happening even without any dialogue. Whether it's a sad story, a surprising story, or a refreshing story is shown.
Overall, I prepared this practice method with the thought that breathing and timing of reactions could also be practiced through this tug-of-war.
"Yeah. Okay. Remember your reactions to the other person's actions...." Choi Ah-hyun held the end of the rope, repeating what Han Do-jae had said with a face full of interest.
"At first, try pulling gently, being dragged, and resisting to get used to the various reactions."
After hearing the explanation, Woo Ji-ho and Choi Ah-hyun began practicing tug-of-war with great concentration.
"Wow. It seems too strong. Jiho."
"Ah, sorry. Sorry. I need to adjust the intensity."
"It's difficult, but fun."
Unlike the previous time when he was pulled in, Woo Ji-ho's appearance changed considerably, perhaps because the opponent changed from Han Do-jae to Choi Ah-hyun.
I carefully observed how his gestures and actions changed depending on the other person. 'Choi Ah-hyun definitely has good observation skills.'
As I was watching Choi Ah-hyun pull the rope by either releasing her opponent's strong force or moving it in reaction, I suddenly felt eyes looking at me.
"...."
When he turned his head, Yoon Se-ri was looking at him with narrowed eyes.
"Why."
When I asked why, Yoon Se-ri, who had been making eye contact for a while, suddenly turned her head away.
'It's a bit bland.'
Han Do-jae took his eyes off Yoon Se-ri and looked at the two people who were concentrating on practicing. Then, Yoon Se-ri glanced at Han Do-jae again with a strange expression.