𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔

"okay, i'm thinking we lounge around with some food first and then try to make it to barricade once people start growing tired. yeah?"

waterbomb this year wasn't actually on eunbin's bucketlist. after experiencing it last year, it didn't seem like something she had to come back to every year. however, she was so easy to convince that when a friend asked her to tag along, she just couldn't say no.

unfortunately, the said friend had abandoned her to go off who knows where, and she ended up bumping into mindeulle instead. upon seeing him wandering around on his own, eunbin simply assumed that he was in a similar position as her.

"our main character!"

a few of the trainees were gathered around for the extra acting lessons they were told to take, and eunbin couldn't help but take a seat beside hyeran. they haven't actually spoken much, so she wanted to take this opportunity to do so now. the production team did say they wanted to see the trainees form a bond.

with a beaming smile, she let out a soft chuckle before settling into her seat. "i didn't think i'd make it, if i'm being honest." hyeran didn't ask, of course, but how else should she start this conversation, right? this drama was pretty much all they had in common anyway.

when eunbin initially auditioned for the drama, she didn't expect to be picked. of course, it was a great opportunity, and she was elated to be a part of the project, but she couldn't help but worry about her actual acting.

it seems like the company was more than aware of this because they had made it clear that she should get some extra acting lessons in. that's what she was hoping to focus on this month. looking around, she felt a bit of relief upon realizing that she wasn't on this ship alone.

while they were told to focus a bit more on their dancing, eunbin couldn't help but wonder if this was also a sign for them to increase their stamina. she knew better than anybody else that this drama was going to involve a lot more than just acting with it being centered around cheerleading.

"we're going to have to build up our endurance," she mentioned to yuwol beside her. she had been rolling out her ankles, focusing a little more on stretching. if she were allowed to, she would've started the exercises that she used to do before cheer practice, but eunbin doesn't want to look like she's getting ahead of herself.

when eunbin had initially auditioned for the drama, she didn't think it would involve a cheer squad. now, she was surprised to say the least, but she was also very excited because this is all she's been doing for the past couple of years.

they had been given things to work on, and she was a little surprised to find that she had to improve her dancing, but it probably had to do with the fact that she simply hadn't been around as much as the others. knowing how intense the choreography for cheerleading could go, she was aware that a little more focus on her dancing wouldn't be too bad.

when eunbin initially accepted the offer to become a trainee, she expected it to keep her busy, but she didn't think that juggling school life and trainee life together would be this difficult.

having wrapped up her final exams, she was finally on summer break, but the past few months had been rough. truthfully, she couldn't even say how well she just did on her exams as she didn't have much time to study. no wonder entertainment companies made their trainees drop out of school. it was simply too much to handle.

nevertheless, it's not like she was set to debut or whatnot, so she still had to do decently with her grades. eunbin was never the smartest student anyway—she mostly made her way around campus with a bright smile and extracurricular activities—but she didn't want to fail either.

when she had told her cheer squad she had to quit, it was hard to explain why. anybody could tell just how passionate she was about being part of the team, but she simply couldn't handle it on top of her training schedule. being a student and a trainee as a job, but the cheer squad? that would be like working three jobs, and eunbin simply couldn't do it all.

it had been painful to walk away from what was probably the best part of her college life, but there were choices she had to make, and this was one of them. it was also extra difficult coming up with an excuse as she couldn't let it slip that she was a trainee. that part was still a secret to many, and she really didn't want anybody finding out in case she didn't actually debut.

would she be embarrassed? she's not entirely sure, but she would feel a little disappointed in herself.

"i didn't know you could learn how to stand out on stage."

eunbin knew the importance of stage presence when it came to idols because even she had to admit that there were always members who stood out more to her when a group performed. however, she always assumed that it mostly just had to do with natural charisma. that's how it was back with her cheer squad. you couldn't exactly tutor someone on how to catch people's eyes, could you?

well, it seems like she was about to be proven wrong with this workshop. more than anything, eunbin was curious about what they would learn. what went into building a star who shined on stage?

when eunbin initially heard of the drama audition, she was on the fence about giving it a try. however, when she began her life as a trainee, she made it a goal to dip her toes into everything she could, even if she didn't end up debuting. that way, she could really make her most out of the whole experience.

truthfully, all the given options were pretty tricky, but she tried to recall what she learned from the one acting workshop she had taken. while it definitely wasn't enough to turn her into some top-tier actress, there were some tips they had given that helped her immerse into the given scene.

she tried to focus most on the range of emotions she had to express. from anger to frustration and at the end, a faux calmness all while she would have to cry. did she choose a tough scene to re-enact? probably. but it was also the one that she wanted to try the most.

when she stands in front of the staff members, she takes a brief moment to really get into the scene. while she hasn't been through what dalmi has been through, there are a wide range of things she could take inspiration from. nevertheless, what mattered the most for her at this moment was to get through this audition with no regrets.

"stop making me feel pathetic and just go!" while practicing, eunbin thought that this was the turning point in this scene for dalmi. it's when she realizes that she can't just convince dosan through nice, sugar-coated words. she has to hurt him to make sure that he makes what she believes is the right decision.

this is also where she the anger boils down, and she needs to appear as if she's made a firm decision herself to let him go, so he makes the right choice. "you're not the dosan from the letters," she says before digging through her makeshift bag to hand over the ball. "i'm also not your dream."

her breath is relaxed, and she's avoiding looking her fellow actor in the eyes as she does her best to hold back her tears as dalmi. she can't show herself crying now, so he doesn't know that this is hurting her as well.