CH30

Rachel tightly closed her eyes, trembling slightly.

Even when she could hear the voices of her two favorites, she couldn't open her eyes. 

She was too scared to see their disappointed faces.

"Of course, I'm fine. It's because Rachel's song was good."

Not really.

The memory of listening to "Any Time" in the recording studio was so beautiful that she would never forget it.

She was certain that his voice was special, more than anyone else's. 

So, she couldn't believe what followed.

"It's not just the song they praised, but many praised your voice as well."

"Um… actually, I don't really like that voice."

Surprised, Rachel opened her eyes.

The voice that remained, sticky like sludge on the ground, as if they truly hated it.

She immediately asked Ian.

"That's nonsense! Everyone says it's beautiful and sweet. Why do you hate it? It's such a pretty voice."

"Why do I hate it? Well."

Ian smiled bitterly.

The appearance and the voice must harmonize. 

Just as a beautiful boy with a deep voice feels awkward.

'It feels terrible to produce a beautiful falsetto with a monstrous face.'

Sweet voice? 

He wondered if they would still think that after seeing a face disfigured by burns.

The disharmony between face and voice only adds to the disgust, and Ian spent nearly ten years trying to change his soft voice to a rough and sturdy one.

That was around the time he started taking on significant supporting roles.

Ian, who had disliked his voice so much after puberty that he spent a long time to the point of spitting out blood when he rinsed his mouth, found it strange to be praised for his voice.

He also felt a slight resentment, thinking, 'If it had been like this in the past, I wouldn't have suffered for so long.'

"Then, do I not need to try changing my voice?"

"Of course!"

Rachel firmly answered, fiddled with her trembling hands a few times, and then looked up at Ayla.

"…I want to continue composing."

Upon hearing this, Ayla knelt down to match her daughter's eye level.

The frightened blue eyes clearly showed how significant this decision was, and as a mother who loved her daughter, she had to confirm once more.

"You'll be heard by far more people than now. Are you really okay with that?"

"I'm not okay. But…"

The thought of more people listening made Rachel momentarily feel faint.

It felt more terrifying than presenting in front of the whole school, but she glanced at Ian and gathered her courage.

"…I can't help it because Ian is saying something stupid. If we get more recognition, he won't say such foolish things."

At her daughter's response, Ayla's eyes softened gently.

She had seen too many young talents crumble at a young age. 

Anxious that her own daughter might end up the same, she felt it was really good that she came here.

"Then, shall we quickly go back and continue working on the composition? It's getting quite late."

"Yes!"

Rachel, holding hands with her mom, turned her head.

She saw the fool waving goodbye.

"It turns out there's even a book called Foolish Ian."

Ian chuckled at the girl's departing back.

"It should be Foolish Ivan. Who are you calling a fool?"

Ian heard the sound of a car driving away as he went upstairs to look at the script.

'I hope she does well.'

Ian touched his neck, where the Adam's apple didn't protrude.

He hoped for a day when he would like his voice after puberty.

***

As the new year began and viewers eagerly awaited the end of the hiatus, it was time for filming to resume in earnest. 

Yesterday, after visiting the set of "Invisible Children," Ian looked around.

Northwest Beverly Hills.

Luxury mansions lined the winding road along the mountainside. 

It was Bel Air, considered a wealthy neighborhood along with Beverly Hills.

'The atmosphere is different even though they're both affluent areas.'

While Beverly Hills buzzes with tourists coming to see the luxury mansions, Bel Air next to it has a closed-off atmosphere that outsiders couldn't easily enter.

After passing through the gate and up the hill, he arrived at his destination.

John Thomas Dye School

He saw the coeducational private school that Beverly Hills mothers coveted.

"Oh, it's so beautiful."

The light brown roof elegantly covered the white exterior walls of the building.

The well-maintained hill behind and the blue sky above harmonized, making it look like a scene from a fairy tale.

The staff checking the filming cameras and equipment seemed like intruders.

"Oh, you're here."

The second assistant director, checking the actors' schedules, marked the document.

"Follow me. The other kids have already arrived."

Following the assistant director inside, the voices of children, presumably in class, could be heard.

The long white corridor and the windows were neatly adorned with photos filled with students' memories.

The assistant director, perhaps bored by the silence, spoke first.

"Ah, did you hear? There are class hours that need to be filled during filming. The teachers here have agreed to take on the roles instead of studio teachers."

"Really? That's interesting."

As close to Hollywood, Bel Air is also frequently featured in movies and TV programs.

It was somewhat surprising that they were cooperative to the extent of enlisting teachers to accommodate filming.

"Probably thanks to you? There are a lot of students who like you, especially among the kindergarteners."

"Oh, uh. I see."

Dealing with elementary students was hard enough, let alone kindergarteners.

The assistant director smiled teasingly at the flustered Ian.

"You know you have to provide proper fan service, right?"

Wondering if he should perform some tricks in front of the kids, Ian shook his head and entered a classroom.

In the classroom provided for filming, child actors were taking pictures with Polaroid cameras.

"Ian! Come quick! Take a picture with me."

Larry, waving his hands excitedly, pulled Ian in front of the camera, and the staff holding the camera said,

"These are for decorating the set. You know how to pose, right?"

"Like Eugene, you mean?"

Ian closed his eyes for a moment.

The excitement of arriving at a new filming location faded. 

The world he had seen on his way here was tinted grey, feeling settled and calm.

The fairy-tale-like scenery had turned desolate, and Ian opened his eyes.

Startle.

"Ian?"

The fluffy feeling that was there until just a moment ago had vanished.

Startled, Larry faced Ian, who had turned his head. 

No hint of emotion surfaced on the expressionless face.

A look that went beyond indifference, as if viewing something worthless.

"What."

Click!

With a short word, the sound of the Polaroid photo being taken was heard.

As if turning a switch back on, life returned to Ian's face, and Larry let out a long breath.

"Ugh, that gave me the creeps. How do you switch emotions so quickly?"

"You get there with a lot of practice."

"How much?"

Maybe twenty years? 

Or maybe not.

"Probably varies from person to person, right? And the really important thing when acting is to find what works for you and refine it."

"Really?"

"If you've been to an acting school, you must've learned about techniques like Lee Strasberg's or Stella Adler's, right?"

"Yeah! I learned both."

Both aimed for the Method, but their directions were different.

Unlike Lee Strasberg, who advocated for the affective memory technique, arguing that the emotions displayed by actors should not be impromptu but should act out remembered emotions,

Stella Adler argued that Method acting should not rely on past emotions but should unfold through pure imagination.

"The two had differing opinions to the point of a bad relationship during their lifetimes. But that doesn't mean one of them was wrong in producing numerous renowned actors. Each had its own value."

There's value in both actors who immerse themselves in their characters continuously and those who can easily break out of immersion.

Ultimately, presenting good acting is what matters.

As Ian concluded, Larry nodded in admiration, and then a dismissive voice was heard from behind.

"But you haven't really learned proper acting, have you?"

Daniel Brown, speaking disdainfully, appeared. 

His neat appearance seemed filled with discontent at a glance.

'Feeling insecure?'

Fidgeting with his hair and his shoulders tensely raised seemed to indicate so.

Wondering if he had already started using drugs.

'But that can't be, can it?'

Even in America, where marijuana circulates at high school parties, it seemed too early for elementary students with guardians.

His pupils weren't dilated like a drug user's either.

"I did learn, actually. I took lessons from Ben Roberts."

"Wow, Ben Roberts!"

Mentioning a name that's annoying to explain and easy to sell made Larry's eyes light up.

"What did he teach you?"

"Just this and that. Whatever worked."

Recalling that damn Ben, Ian frowned slightly.

Recently, Ben had spouted nonsense about inviting him to a premiere of the R-rated movie Sucker Punch, which he couldn't even watch.

'Just take a picture and go, since you can't watch the movie?'

Should've kicked him in the shin at least twice.

At the mention of Ben Roberts, Daniel turned away and disappeared, and the staff handed over the Polaroid picture.

"Wow, it really came out like Eugene. We should place it in a spot where it catches the camera well."

"Let's take another one! Eh?"

The picture, akin to a drop of black ink on a blank canvas, amidst the brightly smiling children's photos, would certainly feel out of place.

Next to Larry, who suggested taking another picture, a sullen-faced girl approached.

"Quiet, Larry. The other classes are in session. And I should get a picture too, right?"

"Why?"

"Because! In the drama, we're, a couple, aren't we? Aren't we?"

Considering their roles, it would be odd not to have one.

Dorothy joined for a photo, and the staff busily decorated the classroom with the taken pictures.

In about twenty minutes, the previously empty space transformed into a normal elementary school classroom, and the director called the child actors for advice.

"Don't overthink it. We're going to have a class like you do at school. Only, it might be a bit harder than your regular school lessons, right?"

Although not as much as a school for gifted students learning two grades above, the education level of this school, serving as the backdrop, was high.

Naturally, for a school that sends its students to prestigious private middle schools.

The director, wanting to avoid any surprises, turned to Ian. 

The focus of this scene was on Eugene, and as such, it demanded a challenging performance.

"Did you memorize the periodic table? It's okay if you get it wrong midway. We can reshoot or fix it in editing."

The scene is set during a science class, where Eugene steps forward to write the periodic table.

It was a moment meant to highlight Eugene's intelligence, and Ian nodded confidently.

"Don't worry. I've prepared perfectly."

Pleased with Ian's confident reply, the director left him with words of encouragement.

Getting it right in one go would be ideal visually, but they could always rely on editing if necessary.

"Let's shoot!"

At the director's cue, all the child actors took their places, and the cameras rolled.

The actor playing the teacher began writing the word 

"element" on the blackboard.

"An element is a fundamental constituent of all matter. Does anyone know any elements?"

Amidst the chirping responses from the children, one of them stood up.

"Eugene?"

Without responding to the teacher's query, Eugene, standing in front of the blackboard, picked up a piece of chalk.

H.

The periodic table, starting with hydrogen, was flawlessly listed, pleasing the director.

'There's not much time, but he's well-prepared.'

The satisfaction was brief, however, as the written elements did not stop at number 20 as scripted.

"…What?"

The hand holding the chalk did not stop.

Passing element 21, Scandium, the listing did not halt until reaching element 112, Copernicium, filling the blackboard completely.

Thud!

The sound of the chalk being put down was followed by silence on the set.

"…Crazy."

Daniel broke the silence with a single word.

TL/n - 

Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler were both influential acting teachers, but they had different approaches to their craft.

Lee Strasberg is known for his development of "Method Acting," which emphasizes emotional memory and personal experiences to bring authenticity to a performance. Strasberg's technique encourages actors to draw on their own life experiences to evoke genuine emotions on stage or screen1.

Stella Adler, on the other hand, focused on the use of imagination and the actor's ability to create a character from the outside in. She believed that relying too much on personal experiences could be limiting and instead encouraged actors to use their imagination to explore the character's circumstances and environment23.

Both techniques have their merits and have produced many successful actors. It often comes down to personal preference and what resonates more with the individual actor.