"You..."
Hong Seha's voice trembled faintly.
Like a candle flame, a voice that seemed as if it could go out at any moment.
"It was you after all. Yes, that's right. The face I saw, exactly as it was back then."
A scene from Hong Seha's past, which had appeared a few times in the drama as if flashing by, comes up.
Hong Seha holding her breath and hiding in the closet, and the face visible through the gap in the closet door.
The face of the murderer killing her father looked exactly like the present Adam.
"The first test subject."
Adam smirked and spoke.
"After I received Yeonseo's blood serum and gained superpowers. I needed a small experiment to adapt to that power."
The one chosen as that subject was none other than Hong Seha's father.
Originally, the investor who had invested in this research and the man who tried to blow the whistle on this incident.
"The Korean research institute and I shared the same opinion on this matter. The US also wanted the existence of superhumans to remain unknown to the world, after all."
It was only natural when considering what the starting point of this research was.
Eternal life.
They wanted the fact that they had found a clue to it to remain unknown to the world.
"So, I provided my support. Honestly, I thought there wouldn't be a need to use this power for a long time."
"Just, just for a reason like that!!"
"It's not 'just', Hong Seha. The shackles that have long suppressed human potential are finally about to be unlocked. Your father tried to block that potential."
Adam, having said that much, seemed to realize something belatedly.
"Oh right, you don't know what kind of research this is, do you? Did you just think it was superpower research?"
"You!"
"Then just stay an outsider, why meddle unnecessarily. That's why it ended up like this."
At Adam's words, Hong Seha's eyes contorted.
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Her lips parted slightly, as if trying to say something.
Her breathing grew rough, and she looked as if she could collapse at any moment.
The heavy background music conveyed a tension that felt like it could burst at any moment.
Everyone was looking at Seohee like that.
The students of the drama club gathered here, in the auditorium, too.
The drama club's advisor, Teacher Song Dayeon, too.
And Lee Jiyeon and Seoyeon too.
'It's not like me.'
Looking at those people, Jo Seohee clasped both her hands together.
One of her hands was trembling strangely.
She couldn't look straight at her own acting playing on the screen right now.
Because it felt like watching the moment of breaking out of an egg for the first time.
'Revealing emotions is this embarrassing.'
She thought as she watched Seoyeon's acting.
Seoyeon always said that her acting was borrowed from elsewhere and painted over.
Copying.
It wasn't that she intended to copy Seoyeon's acting.
It was just that, even though her acting was a copy and a simple overlay, it was endlessly close to the real thing.
No, it probably was real.
Human emotions are inherently nothing special.
Numerous experiences.
And as time accumulates, each person possesses a different way of expressing them.
Seoyeon's acting was ultimately like that.
Though expressed as copying, what is ultimately expressed is something new.
Because it overlays a situation on top of the emotions she has felt, expressing a new emotion.
However, that acting was so intense.
It was enough to make her forget, for a moment, her mother's acting, which had been like a curse to Seohee for a long time.
Forgetting her mother's acting, she couldn't easily recall how she should act.
How did I act at first, I wonder.
I'm sure at first I didn't just look at my mother's back.
Since when, exactly since when did I start seeking my mother's acting again?
Starlight.
Chasing the North Star.
'I really have no talent after all.'
A sudden thought like that came to mind, and she let out a dry laugh.
Come to think of it, her dream wasn't originally to be an actress.
The dream of becoming an actress, right.
It was a dream she resolved to pursue on the day her mother passed away.
"Mom, when I grow up, I'm going to be a teacher."
Opening the picture book in her hand, young Seohee said to her mother.
Who was always busy with work and came home late at night.
"A teacher? That's fine~. Our daughter is smart and decisive, so you'll definitely do well."
"Yeah, yeah, the kindergarten teacher said so too. They said I'm smart and will do well."
"But won't it be a little hard? I think I'd be sad if the students didn't listen."
"My heart is strong too, so it's okay."
"...That's true, our daughter has a strong heart. You didn't cry much since you were a baby. Did you take after Dad?"
Mom said so and smiled.
It was an ordinary day.
"I already want to see what Seohee will look like when she grows up. I wonder how smart and decisive you'll become?"
The day they shared such a conversation, wrote in her diary, and fell asleep.
The day her mother fell asleep forever was a day like that.
"You said it was suicide?"
"Shh, someone might hear."
"The child is still so young, it's really unfortunate."
"It might have been the pressure from her work."
"She got a lot of hate for her previous work, too."
Early in the morning, as always.
Being a child with proper habits, Seohee woke up earlier than anyone else.
She wanted to wake up early and be praised by her mom.
Because the only time she could talk to her mom was that short time before she left for work.
Her father was so busy with work that he rarely came home.
Still, it was fine.
Because Seohee liked her busy mom and dad.
She was born into such a happy family that she had no right to complain.
She thought so.
Until that early morning when she saw her mother collapsed, holding a medicine bottle in her hand.
"Dad, Dad. Mom..."
She was the one who called the ambulance, and the one who delivered the news to her father.
Because it was an early morning before the housekeeper came to work.
'Suicide, no.'
People called her mother's death a suicide.
Seohee's mother, Baek Seoran, had originally suffered from depression.
Her mother, honestly, was not a strong-hearted person.
So, it was true that she had endured it by taking medication.
But it wasn't suicide.
It was just an accident.
In the early dawn, during a momentary panic attack, she collapsed from temporary shock while taking her medication.
The problem was that she fell to the ground headfirst.
"Dad."
Seohee said to her father, who had his hand on her shoulder.
Wearing a black suit and staring at her mother's portrait, her father gave no answer.
Of course, she hadn't said it expecting an answer.
"I, I'm going to become an actress."
"...What?"
Perhaps because her words were so sudden.
Jo Seokhwan hurriedly stood in front of Seohee and lowered his body.
"What are you saying all of a sudden? Dad can never allow it."
Jo Seokhwan opposed Seohee becoming an actress.
Although the Newlike Group he ran was closely related to the entertainment industry, he could never allow his daughter to step into that world.
A genius actress, a shining star.
Baek Seoran was praised as such, but the shadows were just as large.
As many fans as she had, she had just as many antis.
On the internet, it was common for her to become the subject of gossip over trivial things.
That was why Baek Seoran died.
If she hadn't been an actress, she wouldn't have gotten depression in the first place.
It was an accident, but it was no different from murder.
Jo Seokhwan thought so.
Therefore, he had no intention of ever letting his daughter become an actress.
"That's what people say."
But Jo Seohee said with a trembling voice.
"That Mom must have become a star in the sky."
At those words, Jo Seokhwan was momentarily speechless.
"She said she would become a star that shines brighter than anyone else and watch over me."
He thought it was just one of those common things people say.
Perhaps he thought that because Seohee was young, she couldn't accept her mother's 'death'.
"But."
Seohee's lips quivered.
The child's large eyes moistened, and blinked several times.
A tearful voice, as if holding back crying.
"Because Mom was a star that sparkled brighter than anyone else, she might not be able to see me."
Because she's so bright, so dazzling.
She might not be able to find little me.
"So."
Therefore, Seohee wanted to shine.
Like her sparkling, shining mother whom she loved.
"I will go find her."
Without Mom having to struggle to find her.
If she became a star, wouldn't she be able to meet her mom?
That was what young Seohee thought.
"Yeah, I'm going to become an actress."
Like Mom.
No, an actress greater than Mom.
She wanted to achieve the things her mom couldn't achieve.
She wanted to fulfill them for her.
"Absolutely not."
Surely, Mom might have struggled with this job.
But there were many things she wanted to do.
Every morning, when they talked, Baek Seoran had told her about many things.
What kind of actress she wanted to become in the future.
What kind of movies she wanted to film.
A genius actress.
Because she received such praise, they would surely have been things she could have done if time had passed.
Therefore, Seohee decided to become an actress.
It wouldn't be difficult.
Fortunately, Seohee had followed and watched her mom's dramas and acting.
Sometimes, her mom had even taught her.
Perhaps her mother had wanted her to become an actress.
Of course, Seohee becoming an actress wasn't because of that.
She wanted to become a star.
She wanted to shine brighter than anyone else.
She didn't want to borrow her father's power.
Because surely, then there would be talk behind her back.
For having a large corporation backing her.
Or for the connections of the genius actress Baek Seoran.
She hoped her background wouldn't get more attention than her own skills.
Only the talent she possessed.
She wanted to rise through effort alone.
Otherwise, Seohee would have no choice but to doubt herself.
Because it would just be admitting to herself that she lacked the talent to become a star.
So.
"A parachute?"
She didn't like the kid who came in through someone else's recommendation.
When she thought about the effort she had put in to appear in the daily drama.
Of course, one year.
Even Seohee hadn't been at it for that long.
But still, she didn't like it.
The act of borrowing someone else's power and trampling on another person's effort.
'I didn't expect that kid to show such acting, though.'
Seohee glanced at and quietly observed Seoyeon, who was looking at her acting.
Her outer appearance was that of a quite cold girl, but Seohee knew.
Seoyeon was a very warm person.
Though she was a bit mischievous and had childlike traits.
Fundamentally, she was the type to think of others first.
A very rare person in this industry.
So, Seohee liked Seoyeon as much as she liked her acting.
'How was it?'
Seohee wanted to ask that.
To Seoyeon, who was endlessly focused on the drama right now.
'My acting.'
"I haven't forgotten a single day."
'Hong Seha's' voice trembled.
The moisture-laden voice, combined with the heavy background music, sent shivers down the body.
"The moment you killed my father, and the look in my father's eyes as he lay dying, looking at me."
Seha's hand moved, aiming the muzzle at Adam.
Unlike her trembling voice, her eyes were burning fiercely.
Hatred, resentment.
Eyes showing such complex emotions.
Overwhelming a person doesn't require many lines.
"Those traces have been repeated countless times in my head, leaving a scar that won't fade. But rather... I think it's a relief. Because I was able to keep the hatred I felt in that moment, exactly as it was."
As if her throat was choked, the lines flowed out with her voice breaking at every syllable.
It was almost raw acting.
However, the technique and vocalization she had built up until now held it together so it wasn't uncomfortable.
'If an actor's mold is set too rigidly, it becomes hard to break out of it.'
Seohee knew that.
She had done her mother's acting to break out of that mold, but that had rather become poison.
Because her mother's bright acting, shining like a star, didn't suit her.
Her acting was fiercer.
Something a bit fiercer suited her.
Perhaps it might be a little closer to Seoyeon.
Method acting.
It wasn't exactly that, but Seohee could shine more intensely when she revealed her existing emotions as they were rather than embellishing them.
"I will take revenge, Adam Lowell."
At the voice laden with hatred, the smile of Adam, who had been mocking her until now, disappeared as well.
And, Hong Seha's finger on the trigger moved.
"Even if I die here today. Absolutely."
The bullet fired from the gun flew toward Adam.
Of course, Adam easily dodged the bullet, and before even a blink, grabbed Hong Seha by the throat and slammed her against the wall.
The gun dropped with a scream.
"...There are no such miracles in this world. You will just die here like a bug. Without any meaning. Just like your father."
At Adam's whispering words, Hong Seha's hateful gaze turned to him.
Reddened eyes, bloodshot eyes as if even the blood vessels around them had burst.
Adam saw that and swallowed dryly.
Overwhelmed by a girl whose life he could take just by applying a little force with his hand.
That very moment.
Just a few seconds.
The brief moment Adam hesitated, overwhelmed by Hong Seha.
"You've become quite confident compared to before, Adam."
「!!」
A familiar voice rang out, grabbing the wrist of Adam, who had grabbed Hong Seha's throat.
Crack.
And snapped it right off.
"Ugh!!"
Just because he had gained regenerative abilities didn't mean his sense of pain had disappeared.
Pulling his weakened right arm back and hastily stumbling backward, Adam looked at the girl who had just grabbed his wrist.
"Jin Yeonseo."
"Yeah, happy to see me? Or maybe not, since we've already kept meeting with different faces?"
Jin Yeonseo, speaking with a rather lively voice, smiled brightly at Adam.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat my precious collaborator... too roughly."
Taking a step, she slowly walked toward Adam.
"That, makes me feel quite bad."
Like that, episode 8 ended with Adam and Jin Yeonseo facing off against each other.
Practically, the latter half of
When the drama ended, deep sighs finally escaped from the surroundings.
As if they had forgotten to breathe all this time.
"Wow, I thought my eyes were going to pop out just now."
"That, that's her, right? ...The acting just now."
Whispering, the drama club members recalled the acting they had just seen and looked at Seohee sitting in the back.
And also at Seoyeon sitting next to her.
Among them were Kim Yeori and Min Ara.
They, who thought they had some talent, were completely overwhelmed by the acting.
Just like Adam was in the drama.
"...How was it?"
She thought it was a scene she could be proud of.
She would appear occasionally after this, but for Hong Seha, this scene was the climax.
Because, after this, Hong Seha would be hospitalized.
So Seohee had acted with all her might.
Just as Seoyeon had done.
She desperately hoped her acting would reach people's hearts.
At such cautious words from Jo Seohee.
Seoyeon, perhaps feeling burdened by the stares of others, leaned in to Seohee's ear and slightly covered her mouth with her palm so others couldn't hear.
"You shined so much."
To Seohee, who always expressed acting as starlight, it was a compliment that hit home more than anything.
While she was happy about that.
'Huh?'
Belatedly recalling Seoyeon's words just now, Seohee looked at Seoyeon blankly.
Because she felt like her words were shorter than usual.
Did she feel her gaze?
Seoyeon smiled brightly and said.
"Congratulations, Seohee."
On breaking free from her slump.
At Seoyeon's words.
"...Hmph."
Seohee needlessly covered her mouth with the back of her hand and turned her head away.
Somehow.
She felt incredibly embarrassed.