"It seems that she's stuck in the audition. It's like she can't stop acting like the character she played."
'So she succumbed to it in the end,' she thought seeing Beatrice's current demeanor.
Harmony walked over, her face calm but serious.
"Let me speak with her," she said.
Since the advice came from her, Harmony knew she needed to take responsibility. Even her usual uninterested demeanor was set aside.
The others stepped back as Harmony knelt in front of Beatrice. She gently took Beatrice's hands in hers.
"Beatrice," Harmony said softly.
"The audition is over. It's time to stop acting. I told you that you're not there yet, but you still chose to do it. I don't know if that is courage or stupidity."
The others were a bit agape at her blunt words.
"So why don't you return and stop worrying your friends?"
Beatrice blinked but didn't say anything.
"Close your eyes," Harmony said gently, though her tone carried a hint of command.
"Just listen to me. You gave it everything you had. But now, it's time to come back. Let go of the character and be yourself again."
Harmony didn't usually use these words to encourage others, but she knew she had to do something before Beatrice fell deeper into the abyss of method acting.
Harmony clapped her hands sharply in front of Beatrice's face. The sudden sound seemed to break through the fog. Beatrice's eyes snapped open, and she looked around in confusion.
When she saw Harmony in front of her, tears began to fall.
When she thought of completely integrating with the character, she felt herself falling into an abyss of darkness, slowly being engulfed. Harmony was right. She wasn't ready yet. She thought she could do it, strengthened by her friends' words, but it still wasn't enough.
She covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking.
"I couldn't do it!!!" she cried harder.
"I was overwhelmed by everything, so much so that I couldn't act. In the end, I had to become someone else just to do it," she sobbed.
"What does that say about me? That I'm not good enough? I can't do it with what I'm capable of right now. You told me it's dangerous, but I could only grab onto it."
Kathrine pulled her into a hug, her voice kind but firm.
"That's not true, Bea. It doesn't mean you're not good enough. It means you care so much about your dream that you gave it your all. That's bravery, not weakness. But you don't have to lose yourself to succeed."
Beatrice clung to her, crying harder.
Kenneth crouched beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I told you, you are capable enough. You can draw so many people into your acting. You're just too nervous to bring out everything."
Little by little, Beatrice calmed down. She wiped her tears and looked up at her friends.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice still shaky but sincere.
Kathrine smiled at her, "You're stronger than you think. Don't forget that."
Beatrice nodded and remembered that the voice that pulled her out of that abyss was Harmony's.
"Harmony, I…"
She blinked when she realized that Harmony was no longer there. At some point, Harmony had disappeared. And as the group realized this, they were stunned that none of them noticed her leaving.
"How did… weren't we already aware of her presence even if our classmates weren't?" Justin made a 360-degree turn, but Harmony was no longer in the classroom.
"Did she level up that skill of hers?" Kenneth commented next.
Meanwhile, Luca spoke in a low voice with Gabriel.
"Did you notice?"
Gabriel nodded, "She is paler than usual."
"She must have done a lot of work over the weekend again. But she'll collapse if this continues," Luca furrowed his brows.
The reason he didn't voice this concern aloud was that Beatrice was still overwhelmed by what had just happened. And among the boys, it was only Luca and Gabriel who expressed a serious desire to get close to Harmony.
Harmony only returned two minutes before the teacher arrived, avoiding any interaction with them.
When the break started, she disappeared in a flash once again.
"Is she here?" Luca asked as he went to the clinic to speak with Larissa.
"I haven't seen her yet," Larissa replied.
"Where could she be? She looks paler again," Luca commented, wondering where she had gone.
Larissa sighed at his actions, "You really shouldn't push her too hard."
Luca looked at her, confused.
"She doesn't seem like she wants to be bothered by you. Leave her be for the time being, just as I keep telling you. The lady needs rest—even from your worries."
Luca pursed his lips
"I'll take my leave," he answered, unable to respond to his aunt's words.
Larissa shook her head while sighing, "Thank you."
She looked back to the last bed covered by a curtain, where Harmony was resting.
"But you really need to rest," Larissa said as she walked over.
"You may end up with a higher fever if you keep going."
"That's why I'm here. At the very least, I'm resting," Harmony replied, still picking up one of the papers surrounding her in the bed.
Larissa watched this scene for a few seconds before speaking again.