Episode 10
Without even having time to prepare herself, Autumn suddenly heard Christine’s loud voice during the acting practice.
> “I’ve followed the guidance of fate until now…!”
As Christine’s voice got louder, Autumn flipped through her thick script, trying to catch up.
-Flip, flip-
> “Ah, I agree with that…!”
Just as Autumn found her line, Christine already moved on.
Christine frowned.
> “Too slow. Next!”
She fixed her expression and loudly spoke her next line:
> “Honestly, say it! I’d rather feel this happiness with you right now than chase some far-off dream…”
Autumn managed to find this part more easily this time.
> “But I…”
> “Too quiet. Next!”
Christine sharply interrupted again. She smacked the thick script against her palm a few times.
> “You have a naturally pretty voice, but if no one in the back row can hear you, you might as well be doing a street performance!”
Christine’s constant criticism made Autumn lose her energy. She tried to speak louder, but her voice shook. Everyone was watching her test.
Her shoulders tensed, and she shrunk in nervousness.
> “I… I…”
> “What do I do… My voice won’t come out properly.”
She was so nervous that she couldn’t act well. She had always practiced alone, so acting in front of everyone without warning was overwhelming.
And when she finally reached the fifth line…
> “What the? Is this girl relying only on her looks?”
Christine, clearly frustrated, closed the script and grabbed it from Autumn’s hands, throwing it aside.
-Thud-
> “Didn’t I say? You need to prove yourself with real skill to stand here!”
> ‘Maybe I really can’t do it…’
Autumn felt deeply disappointed in herself. To make things worse, her script fell somewhere under the stage and disappeared.
She quickly climbed down and started searching for it.
> “Christine, weren’t you a bit too harsh today?”
> “Yeah… I feel sorry just watching.”
Because it was dark under the stage, it was hard to find the script. Autumn bowed her head, feeling embarrassed, as whispers filled the air.
> ‘I only joined because Rosaline asked me to…’
Tears welled up in Autumn’s eyes.
Just as she was about to give up…
> “Someone once said your eyes are like a sunset on a golden sky.”
A calm voice came from the back of the audience.
> ‘Who’s that?’
The voice came from far away, and the dark theater made it hard to see who it was.
But the warm, steady voice gave Autumn strength. She picked up the script again.
> “If you close your eyes, that sunset disappears too…”
> ‘Ah, this part…’
It was a line that had always caught her attention. In her mind, she could clearly see the golden sunset over the dry field.
> “Are you trying to embarrass me now?”
> “Oh?”
Surprisingly, the lines came out of Autumn’s mouth on their own. Everyone turned to look at her.
She remembered Rosaline’s words:
> “Autumn, you never forget anything you’ve read once. I’ll teach you everything I can.”
She had always been good at memorizing things, even from a young age. Just reading a few times was enough for her to remember the lines.
> ‘Uncle Macy wanted me to run his fabric store because of that… But that was too boring.’
> ‘What makes my heart beat is standing on stage. Only this moment.’
> ‘Yes. Let’s do this!’
She picked up the script again and took a deep breath to calm herself.
Her eyes now had a new determination.
> “Autumn, you can do it.”
She had to keep this moment going no matter what.
-Step, step-
She heard footsteps coming from the audience but couldn’t see who it was.
> “I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
But Autumn didn’t care anymore. She focused on her lines.
> “Let’s stay calm.”
She slowly walked back to the stage light.
The stage filled with powerful voices from both actors.
> “It’s strange… Just seeing you makes me want to cut that piece of sunset away. But I can’t. Because I already…”
> “Stop.”
> “Why…?”
> “Because I already know I shouldn’t get involved with you anymore.”
Autumn followed the long dialogue in the script step by step. She began to immerse herself in the character.
> “Hey, what’s going on?”
> “Shh! Just watch. At first, I thought it was bad, but there’s something about that voice…”
Whispers began to rise from the audience.
A new aura surrounded Autumn.
> “Then explain why. I need a reason I can accept.”
Ignoring the growing attention, the two actors continued smoothly.
> “I… I…!”
She knew this line well. But the page where the line was written had been crushed by Christine’s high heel.
> ‘I know this part!’
She anxiously flipped through the script again, but the letters were blurry.
> ‘No choice!’
She dropped the script.
> “…I did not fall for you.”
The man on stage raised his eyebrows slightly.
Autumn stood under the spotlight, not lights — but the audience’s eyes.
> “I, Rosaline Kiss…”
She pushed Christine’s hand off her shoulder and spoke louder.
> “Did not fall for you.”
These were lines she had memorized so many times.
People were murmuring, but she just kept acting, unsure of what she was even saying anymore.
Then, something magical happened. One moment after another unfolded naturally.
> “So please, don’t come close to me again.”
> ‘This must be a dream…’
Autumn closed her eyes and clutched her chest, piecing together the lines she remembered.
Even her shaky breath was real.
And with the last line:
> “Please.”
Christine finally stopped asking for more acting.
The theater fell completely silent. Not even a single breath could be heard.
