Loving A Triple Threat

"Learning your lines is only a tiny part of being an actress," Ms Ling lectured her acting class, and she had started this lesson so many times that Gi wondered if it was supposed to be brainwashing.

"I can't learn all these lines," Suzie complained staring at the thick book which constituted the play they were to perform.

"And if you can't memorize lines you most certainly can't be an actress," Ms Ling rebutted Suzie making the opinionated girl grimace at the play she held in her dainty hands.

Gi reviewed her lines for a moment before raising her hand, "Miss?" She asked.

"Yes, Miss Reyn?" Ms Ling asked ignoring the incorrect title. She wasn't stickler like most of the teachers.

"Um, this character, Eadie Bear, she has a lot of lines. Is this the …,"

Before she could finish the sentence, Ms Ling interrupted, "Yes. Eadie Bear is the female lead."

"Whaa … ?" Suzie said all too loudly.

Gi looked back at the short girl that Seok had a crush on. It was no mystery what Suzie thought and was questioning Ms Ling in a roundabout way. Without exposing herself, probably because she was a coward.

Gi turned in her seat to look at Suzie who merely smiled irritatingly. Ms Ling was busy talking to some of the other girls about their roles, so Gi took the opportunity to spar with Suzie.

"There's a boy I know who likes you," Gi said while trying not to smirk.

"Really?" Suzie said showing great interest for a moment. "Wait," She added, "You're lying, trying to tease me."

Gi looked at her seriously, "When have I ever played games like that. Just because some other people do," namely Suzie herself, "Doesn't mean I would stoop to that level. Look. If you're not interested, I'll just delete his contact details."

She picked up her phone and flicked up.

"Wait…," Suzie said, "Show me."

Gi turned the phone to show Suzie Seok's name, school and number. "I've got him on Facebook if you're interested."

"Not really," Suzie said using her best acting skills which Gi saw straight through.

Gi waited patiently, counting inside her head, six, seven, eight…

"I may as well look at his photos. Can't hurt," Suzie added before ten seconds had passed.

Gi looked concerned for a moment, practising her own acting, "I'm not sure. He's a really nice guy, and if you're not serious, I really don't want to share."

"How can I be serious if I don't know him!" Suzie exclaimed too loudly.

The sound caught Ms Ling's attention who walked over to their desks. "You two will be in a lot of scenes together," she said. "And you will be in scenes with the boys from Daeil. I am expecting a lot from both of you, and right now I want to hear nothing. Read the entire play three times before tomorrow's class."

"How is that possible! We have school all day and evening already!" Suzie protested, and for once Gi agreed.

"It is possible," Ms Ling said sternly. "Especially if you were reading instead of chatting like girls with no parts!"

It sounded like a threat.

Knowing Ms Ling. It was a threat.

Gi sent the link to Seok's profile to Suzie and put her phone away. She then had a bright idea.

"Miss?" She said raising her hand.

"Yes, Miss Reyn?" Ms Ling replied patiently.

"Can I record myself reading the play into my phone, so I can play it back on the train and in bed?"

Ms Ling contemplated the request seriously for a moment before answering, "Ok, go out into the yard, so you don't annoy anyone."

Suzie raised her hand energetically. She only did that when she wanted something.

Ms Ling rolled her eyes. "Ok," she answered the unasked request.

As the two girls left Ms Ling called after them, "Don't annoy anyone, please. Keep your distance from the windows and each other."

Gi loved acting. Once she knew the story and learned her lines, she could really get into the character. She would escape her own life, which was full of worries and pressure, and pretend she was someone else for a while. It was almost like professional lying. But if she had to be realistic, there were a thousand starving actors for each successful one. They were waitresses or even cleaners. And she couldn't help her parents pay back their loans if she was a cleaner.

Acting was like an enjoyable hobby. A break from learning three languages, dance and signing practice. The dieting. The exercise. And most of all the overwhelming pressure she felt sitting atop her shoulders every waking moment. She even dreamed of the troubles she was having, she used to dream of being an idol. Singing to adoring fans. Girls who looked up to her. Boys who wanted her, at a distance, with no stalking. Unless they were cute.

She placed her phone on a bench and began to read out loud. Projecting her clear voice so the microphone would pick everything up. It was the last lesson for the day, and if she could get the whole thing recorded in an hour, she would head home and listen to it back through her headphones.

"… No Charles. I am not that type …" she read one of Eadie's lines of dialogue.

And before she could read the next she was interrupted by a male voice, "I disagree, I know you well enough to know that isn't true."

She was looking at the page. It was the exact line from Charles, she wondered how that was possible. She turned to see a blonde-haired boy standing, holding the same play that she had.

He smiled, and his white teeth shone brightly matching his hair. It was dyed, but it was professionally done, it looked perfect. He was the same height as her.

"They said you were tall," he observed with a tilt of the head inspecting her.

"Um?" She said pathetically. "Are you from Daeil?" Spying his uniform.

"I am Charles," he said with an exaggerated bow while laughing.

She laughed as well, it was infectious, and she knew his name wasn't Charles.

She switched languages testing him, "Your name isn't Charles." In the original language of the play; English.

He laughed and replied in English, "No. You're correct. It's Ren."

She liked this game, so she spoke in Japanese, "Oh Ren, such a common name."

He grinned, "Not awe inspiring like Gi … Brave," he responded in kind. The origin of her name Gi was brave, and the fact a high school boy knew this showed how well read he was.

"You cannot defeat me," She said in Chinese, and he looked baffled before he broke down laughing.

"You defeated me," he said switching back to Korean.

Gi was intrigued. Usually, boys from Daeil were obnoxious and conceited. She had now met three who were actually nice. First Hyuk and Seok and now one of their drama elites, Ren.

She looked him up and down, he even looked like an idol.

"Do you have an Instagram?" Gi asked forwardly.

He looked perplexed by the sudden change in direction of the conversation.

"I wanted to see if you were an idol," she said with a little laugh.

He grinned broadly, "No!" And held up his hands like he was surrendering. "I'm sure you have twice as many followers as me."

She raised an eyebrow and stated, "I have like two hundred." Who were mostly IRL acquaintances.

"Oh," he said, "Doesn't matter." He paused thinking for a moment. "I was interrupting you. Please continue. Unless of course, you would like me to join in? We were supposed to arrive before the end of your lesson to meet, and your Teacher sent me out here to find you."

Not to be dissuaded she demanded, "Show me."

He raised an eyebrow, and waited a moment before finally relenting. "Okay, you asked for it." He opened his phone and the app and turned it to face her.

He had 200,000 followers.

Gi was initially angry, thinking that he was showing off before she came to her senses realising he was trying to hide it before she demanded to see. And now she felt inadequate. With this many followers at seventeen, there must be something special about him and not just his looks.

"How?" She asked.

He shrugged and said, "My Brother's a photographer." As if that explained everything.

"What's your last name?" She asked, his Instagram only showed his name with an underscore either side, and it even had a blue tick … she finally noticed it showing the authentic Instagram of Ren Byun.

"Ren Byun? Your brother isn't a photographer. He's a famous actor!" She accused.

Ren nodded sadly, "I know. It's cheating, so don't feel bad."

"Why would I feel bad?" Gi seethed it's not like followers meant anything. Especially if you didn't earn them and just used a famous family member.

Ren held up his hands in surrender, again.

"Let me help you, we need to be friends," he said amiably.

Gi calmed down. He was right. If they were going to work together, it would be much easier if she didn't act like a jealous little girl flying off the handle at nothing.

"Oh, crap, I just recorded all that," she said laughing.

He laughed as well.

They finished the recording together, Ren taking all the lines for Charles and all of the other male lines. He was amazing, he knew all his lines off by heart already.