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Chapter 276: Never stopped smiling [5]

It was tough.

I never once thought it was easy. But at the same time, my life was an act. I had grown used to this life. So much so that I started to feel uncomfortable showing a happy and cheerful look. My every smile felt forced, and I felt a strange sense of discomfort.

Nonetheless, I needed to do this.

For the act...

I needed to smile.

\'I need to forget. Immerse myself.\'

For one brief moment, let myself become the character of the play.

But that was easier said than done.

I was unfamiliar with the character, and the only resource I had to replicate it was a simple description.

This was why I never once aspired to be an actor. The only reason I had even agreed to do this in the first place was because I wanted the money.

But things were different now.

.....I needed acting.

I needed to understand the last emotion.

\'Love.\'

I felt like I was close to achieving something. I wasn\'t sure what it was, but I knew it was going to be something important.

This was why I needed acting.

To understand my last remaining emotion.

"Don\'t laugh at me, okay?"

Aoife stood opposite me. We were currently standing in the middle of an empty stage and she fidgeted her fingers while looking at me.

Her voice was soft and her eyes darted all over the place.

She looked shy.

\'She\'s improved a lot.\'

There was a large difference compared to her past self. Her acting back then was quite realistic, but there were times when she would make a few mistakes, breaking my immersion slightly.

In this case, there were no flaws.

She had clearly spared no effort for this moment.

It was for that reason that I couldn\'t let her down. Whatever it took... I needed to find a way to immerse myself in the character known as David.

He, who until the very end was a...

....A pathetic fool.

***

The entire time, the audience was paying close attention to the play at hand. There was barely any sound in the theater room as all eyes were focused on the two figures ahead. No, rather...

Aoife.

[Keum... Keum...]

With a shy look, she faced the entire audience and coughed. She looked at each and every audience member.

From the moment that the play started, she had been the center of attention.

Julien\'s acting was great, but he was merely an afterthought. Aoife\'s acting was devouring him, taking most of the spotlight away from him.

It wasn\'t that his acting was bad, but it wasn\'t anything mind-blowing.

....At least, so far.

[I will only do this once so pay attention. Be honest with me.]

[Okay.]

David nodded repeatedly as he stood behind her to watch.

Amelia was just about to begin when she stopped. Pursing her lips, her head flicked back.

[I\'ve never really practiced much. Just a little. Don\'t be too harsh.]

[....Okay.]

[....]

Amelia bit her lips.

[Be nice, alright?]

[Okay.]

[....Will you really?]

[Didn\'t you just tell me to be honest?]

[Forget what I said.]

[Okay. Okay.]

Despite Amelia\'s unreasonable demands, David kept a dumb smile on his face. It was obvious

to everyone watching that he was just happy being there.

Amelia looked away from him and took a deep breath.

[Acting... Acting...]

Softly mumbling to herself, she raised her head. This time, she looked at the audience. As she

did, her mouth slowly opened and her tone changed.

[The world is a harsh place.]

The very atmosphere that surrounded her changed.

All of a sudden, it felt as though she was someone else. An image soon sprang in their minds.

With tattered clothes and a dry expression, she continued to speak,

[For decades, I have struggled... I\'ve killed people that I\'ve known for a very long time, but for

what...?]

Amelia\'s gaze lowered as her eyes trembled.

Clenching onto her shirt, her expression twisted as she looked up. Her face was filled with

indignance as she cursed at the sky.

Her every word appeared to pierce through the silence that swept the place, and pain rushed the chest of some of the members of the audience.

There was something about the lonely, and desperate figure that evoked something within the minds of some of the audience members.

Drip...!

That pain was shattered by a single tear that traced down Amelia\'s face. A deep sense of sorrow clouded her gaze as she looked at the audience.

In that moment, it was as though it was just her and them. Nobody else was present, and

everyone held their breath.

\'That\'s crazy...\'

\'...I\'m getting goosebumps.\'

All attention was on Aoife.

If before her acting was great, right now... It was overwhelming. Despite the bright lights

from above, Aoife could see the expression of all those present.

Her heart pounded out of her chest as she looked at their reactions.

\'.... It was worth it.\'

Her lack of sleep and the endless days of practice that she subjected herself to.

Their expressions... It was all that she wanted to see.

But this wasn\'t enough.

She wanted more, and soon, Aoife flicked back into character, and her expression quickly morphed to that of the shy and introverted character she was playing.

[So...?]

Amelia lowered her head and once again shyly fidgeted.

[What did you think?]

She kept her head lowered as she asked. She was nervous, and with the passing of the seconds,

she grew more and more restless.

[....]

But she got no response.

Gradually, her head raised. It was at that moment that she saw it. Julien\'s shocked expression.

His expression mirrored that of the audience.

He looked utterly shocked by what he had seen.

...And not just as a character.

It took a moment for him to snap out of it, and when he did, his eyes bulged out of his

sockets.

[Hey, Amelia!]

He rushed toward her, grabbing her hands tightly and causing her to squeal.

[Hiiip!)

He kept his hands firm.

[Acting...]

As he did, he brought his head closer as excitement was vividly etched on his face.

[....You have to do it.]

Cli Clank!

The lights turned off, and the surroundings changed.

This time, Amelia, and David appeared in what appeared to be an office. Sitting behind a desk

was an elderly woman with thick-framed glasses.

She appeared to be busy with something.

[Hey, come on.]

As the two stood opposite her, David nudged Amelia with his elbow, prompting her to glare at

him.

[What?]

[What? What...!? This is your chance. Don\'t waste it.]

[Stop it. I told you to stop exaggerating. My acting is not that good...]

[No, you must!]

Regardless of what Amelia said, David wanted to hear none of it as he pushed her forward.

This was enough to gather the attention of the elderly woman as she raised her head.

[How can I help you?]

[Ah...]

Amelia\'s face paled the moment her presence was acknowledged and she started to stutter.

[Th-this... I was just passi-ng by. I\'m a b-ig fan, and-]

[She wants to participate in your play.]

Her words were abruptly cut off by David who moved ahead.

[We heard that you were taking applicants.]

He pushed Amelia forward with eagerness.

[Let her join. I can guarantee her talent.]

As David talked, Amelia glanced in the woman\'s direction. A look of expectation appeared on

her face as she did so.

But...

[....]

All they received was silence.

Even as David finished, the woman said nothing. Instead, she directed her gaze toward Amelia

and gave her a quick scan.

It was only after five minutes that she spoke.

[The auditions are over. We\'ve already seen all applicants.]

Her tone was cold and unyielding. As if there was no arguing back. It was then that Amelia\'s

expression blanked and her face paled.

Despite not having shown it before, she actually cared about the play.

It meant a lot to her.

....And as David saw this, his eyes expression changed.

[Wait! You\'re making a mistake! Just let her act for a bit. Let her―]

[Please go back.]

The woman remained unyielding as she returned her gaze back to her work.

[But!]

[Stop.]

David tried to protest again but was stopped by Amelia who held him back with her hand.

Looking at her, David appeared to be unresigned.

He couldn\'t accept it. How could he accept it?

[Stop? What do you mean stop? I know what I saw! You can definitely do this. The world needs

to see your acting!]

[Yeah, but we can go to another audi-]

[No!]

David cut her off, stunning Amelia.

With desperate eyes, he looked at her.

[This is your chance. Don\'t blow it. What later?! You have to do it now!]

[....]

Amelia stood in silence while staring right into David\'s eyes. She appeared to be confused by

the situation, unable to tell why he was so adamant on getting her to perform the play.

But all she could see was a burning desire. A burning desire for her to play in that play.

In the end, she looked back at the elderly woman.

The entire time her attention was on her work, ignoring the two of them completely.

....It was as if they didn\'t exist.

As Amelia\'s head flicked back to David to point this out, she stopped.

Be it her, or the audience, all attention was on David.

His eyes were resolved. They could tell then and there that he wasn\'t going to let her go, and

Amelia pursed her lips.

[.....]

In the silence, she closed her eyes.

Then, opening them up again, she turned to face the elderly woman.

As her mouth parted, a small tear traced down the corner of her eyes. It was at that moment

that the audience was able to see her acting again.

As if the entire world had frozen over, all attention was fixed on her.

The lights dimmed, shifting all attention on her.

She was the center of it all.

.... And behind it, standing in the dim lighting was a smiling David.

As he looked at her, a change occurred to the middle-aged woman. At first, she seemed

annoyed, but as things progressed, her demenour changed, and it didn\'t take long for her to

be enamored by Amelia\'s acting.

The sight made him smile with pride.

And as he smiled, a voice echoed throughout the entire theater.

<From her breath to her tone... All of it was perfect.>

<She was the center of attention, and in that moment, she was all that I could see. Thinking

back, I can\'t help but smile. I knew then that this was where she belonged.>

[....]

The acting stopped, and silence descended over the entire theater.

All eyes were on Amelia who stood at the center with a heavy breath. The entire time, her gaze

was on the elderly lady who had dropped everything was simply just looking at her.

It was only after a brief moment of silence that the elderly lady spoke,

[Your name...]

Her tone was dry.

[....What\'s your name?]

<Ah, that was probably what sealed it for me.>

As Amelia\'s face trembled, her head flicked back to David who was smiling brightly at her.

Neither one exchanged a word, but there was no need to as she immediately looked back at

the elderly lady.

Suddenly, a smile blossomed on her face.

Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!

Amelia felt her heart pound, but she didn\'t care.

Staring at the elderly lady, she was quick to answer.

[Amelia.]

Her tone was light, and her smile seemed to embrace the entire theater.

[....Amelia. That\'s my name.]

It was then that her clock started to tick.

End of Act 2.