Andaho warmly greeted Seojun, who had just returned from school and academy, with a stack of scripts and synopses, regardless of their box office success, distinguishing between controversial and non-controversial works.
"Hereās what we picked out."
"Yes. Thank you! But, Andaho hyung."
"Uh-huh?"
Seojun slowly brought up the conversation he had with his parents and Uncle Heesang the night before. Andaho nodded and listened attentively.
"So, I thought it might be better to use a stage name."
"Stage name?"
"Yes!"
Andaho scratched his cheek. He was impressed by Seojunās consideration for the other children who would be acting with him.
However, as Seojunās manager, there were some concerns. After pondering the issues and solutions, Andaho spoke up.
"Itās fine for us, but does Seojun really want to do this?"
"Yes!"
Since the actor wanted it. Andaho smiled at the bright face of his actor, which was the opposite of the dejected Seojun from the other day.
"Letās put your real name on the application. Anyway, if you pass and start practicing, everyone will see Seojunās face. They need to know."
"Oh, right."
"Shall we fill out the application now?"
"Yes!"
Andaho opened his laptop, and Seojun sat next to him.
* * *
The children's play was planned by the Galaxy Center, which had one of the largest theaters in Seoul, as a pilot project for nurturing child actors this year.
Since it was the first attempt, they accepted applications from child actors who had appeared on television or in films without discrimination.
After the application period ended, the first round of document screening began. The number of applications had increased, perhaps because more children and their parents were vying for the role of "the second Lee Seojun."
Thanks to the help of other team members, the document screening was proceeding smoothly until one application turned everything upside down.
Director Park Jisu, who was in charge of the production, was at a loss.
"Lee Seojun is applying for the voice-only role of Cheongryong, and he wants to use a stage nameā¦."
"What should we do, Director?"
In response to the assistant directorās question, Director Park Jisu, who had been frowning at the application, looked up.
"Letās have him audition. Weāre not doing this play to make money, and itās for the children, so thereās no reason why Lee Seojun shouldnāt be able to participate. Besidesā¦."
Director Park Jisu looked at the actorās resume on the application.
Shadowman 1
The Spirit
Shadowman 2
Retrial, Cameo.
"An actor with this kind of resume can teach the other children a lot."
* * *
The audition day for the children's play [Spring] was approaching. Seojun headed to the Galaxy Center with Andaho.
Seojun climbed into the car seat and fastened his seatbelt himself. Andaho checked Seojunās car seat and seatbelt before sitting in the driverās seat.
Looking around the car that would serve as Seojunās legs from now on, Seojun asked, marveling at its shiny and sleek appearance. Itās better than our car!
"Andaho hyung, is this a new car?"
"Yes. The CEO bought it for Seojun."
"Wow."
Seo Eunchan and the 2nd team members had gathered to choose the sturdiest and safest car, encouraged by the CEOās assurance that they didnāt need to worry about the cost. Even though they werenāt going to ride in it themselves, they felt a sense of satisfaction just from choosing it without budget constraints.
"But, how long do I have to sit in the car seat?"
"Seojun, youāre not 145 cm tall yet, right?"
"No."
"You need to weigh at least 36 kg to use the carās seatbelt. Youāre still far from that."
"I see."
Seojun, who had grown accustomed to the car seat, nodded and dangled his feet.
Andaho drove safely. Even cars that tried to cut in at a slow speed were intimidated by the shiny appearance of Seojunās car and slowed down.
Seojunās car soon arrived at the Galaxy Center. Seojun remained seated in the car seat until Andaho parked in the underground parking lot and opened the door.
"You can get out now."
"Yes!"
At Andahoās words, Seojun finally unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Although he could unbuckle and get out on his own when the car stopped, his parents always told him to wait until an adult said it was okay to get out.
Seojun and Andaho took the elevator to the first floor of the Galaxy Center.
Ding-dongā
First floor.
"Not yet."
It was the final day of the children's play [Spring] auditions and the day of the Cheongryong role auditions. The employees who had come to work had been staring at the elevator since they arrived. Every time the ding-dong sound was heard, their heads turned like lightning.
When the door opened and a child and guardian appeared, they craned their necks to look at the child.
If it was a girl with long hair, they quickly realized it wasnāt the right person, but if they couldnāt see the boyās face clearly, they kept looking at the child.
When the employee checking names and giving numbers shook his head, everyone resumed their work with disappointed faces.
"Isnāt it time for the auditions now?"
"Once he comes, everyone will be here."
It seemed the news had leaked, and everyone was waiting for someone. At the employeeās words, everyone stared at the elevator.
Just then, the elevator went down to the underground parking lot.
Heās here!
Ding-dong, first floor.
The elevator door slowly opened, and a child and guardian appeared. The childās face was hidden under a baseball cap with a silver badge, but everyone guessed who it was.
The employee checking the number of participants quickly ran over.
"Heās more ordinary than I thought."
"Really? I thought Lee Seojun would have an aura just by standing there."
That was how it was before the filming of Shadowman 2.
"Lee Seojun actor?"
"Yes."
The employee who had come to assist with the auditions checked the list, trying to hide his excitement, and handed a number to Seojun.
"This is your audition number. When your number is called, come to the front."
"Yes, thank you."
The employee looked at Andaho, who nodded.
"You can leave right after the audition. Weāll inform you of the results later."
"Understood."
"Your waiting area is this way."
The employee led Andaho and Seojun to a large door, which surprised them as they had expected a small waiting room.
The employee opened the thick, tightly closed door. Behind the open door, a large stage and a wide audience area were visible.
"The auditions will be held on the stage where the play will be performed. You can sit wherever you like and wait for the assistant director to call you."
"ā¦On the stage?"
"Yes. Since there are few applicants who have stood on a stage before, the ability to perform without fear on this stage is also part of the test. The role of Cheongryong only requires voice, but the actor will need to coordinate with the other actors on stage and behind the props."
At the employeeās words, Andaho and Seojun looked at the auditorium again. Indeed, if one was afraid on an empty stage, they would likely be unable to stand on a stage full of audience members.
"Please wait a moment."
The employee left, and Seojun and Andaho found a place to sit. They could see other children and their guardians who had come for the auditions.
A child who seemed scared and was on the verge of tears, looking around the stage and audience area, and a guardian trying to comfort the child. A child who was happy with the spacious area and running around, and a guardian looking at their phone. Some children were reading their scripts diligently.
Seojun, wearing a black baseball cap, alternated his gaze between the audience area and the stage.
It was very different from the small theater where the Wind Theater Company performed. The stage was wider, cleaner, and the audience area was larger. There was also some distance between the stage and the audience.
'Hmm, this is quite different from what I imagined.'
The stage Seojun had in mind was slightly larger than the Wind Theater Companyās but small enough to feel the actorsā presence.
"No, itās just bigger than I thought. I expected it to be smaller."
At Seojunās words, the image of the Wind Theater Companyās small theater came to Andahoās mind.
"Like that small theater?"
"Huh? How did you know, Andaho hyung?"
Andaho smiled. As a fan of Seojun, he had seen the play as soon as the photos were released.
"I saw that play too. But, a place that small wonāt work."
"ā¦It wonāt?"
At Andahoās firm words, Seojun tilted his head. He just wanted the audience to feel the actorsā presence more, but was it that bad?
"A place where the audience and stage are so close is dangerous. Someone might rush onto the stage during the play, or throw something at the actors."
"Really?"
Seojunās eyes widened. Andaho smiled bitterly. In just two years in the entertainment industry, he had seen it all.
"So, for safety, itās better if the audience and stage are a bit apart."
"Got it."
Seojun, who had been looking at the space between the audience and stage with a disappointed face, looked up and asked,
"What about the Wind Theater Companyās actors? Are they okay?"
"I havenāt heard of any major accidents, but there have been some minor incidents. But since theyāre all adults, they should be fine compared to Seojun."
"Thatās a relief."
Seojun, who was relieved, looked at Andaho. Andaho tilted his head.
"How do you know so much, hyung?"
Seojun asked, and Andaho answered without hesitation. It was surprising that he knew the current situation of the Wind Theater Company. Andaho scratched his cheek.
"Thatās what a manager does. We have to pay attention to things the actors might overlook. The Wind Theater Company has a connection with Seojun, and itās still a topic of interest, so we need to keep an eye on it."
At Cocoa Entertainmentās 2nd team, they were closely monitoring the situation with the Wind Theater Company and Seojun, as it was unclear how it would develop. Today, Andaho received a text message on his phone saying, āWind Theater Company is fine!ā
"I see."
Seojun, who didnāt know the situation at Cocoa Entertainment, simply nodded.
At that moment, the lights in the audience area went out. The stage was illuminated, and the path leading to the stage was lit to ensure safe movement.
[Good afternoon.]
A voice echoed through the theater. The children who had been playing and the ones reading their scripts all looked at the stage. A woman stood under the spotlight.
[I am Director Park Jisu of the children's play, Spring.]
The woman bowed, and applause broke out. Seojun clapped, and others followed.
[We will soon begin the auditions for the role of Cheongryong. When your number is called, please come to this spot and perform your lines from the script.]
"Does the child have to go up alone?"
In response to the guardianās question, Director Park Jisu nodded.
[Yes. Guardians, please wait in your seats. The applicant will come up alone and perform their lines. Any more questions?]
The audience area was quiet. Director Park Jisu nodded and went down to the front row.
Seojun, stretching his neck, saw that others were also seated. They were probably the music director, lighting director, assistant director, and other staff members.
[Please come up, number 1.]
From somewhere, a sobbing sound was heard.
"Why is the kid like this?! You have to go up now!"
"No! Iām scared!!"
The child was afraid of the large auditorium. They had looked anxious from the start and finally burst into tears. The guardian, looking flustered, tried to calm the child, but the child wouldnāt budge.
[Number 1 applicant?]
"Just a moment! Didnāt you say you wanted to be like Lee Seojun? Are you going to give up here?"
"Who said I wanted to be like Lee Seojun?! Mom said that!"
The childās and guardianās voices echoed in the quiet auditorium.
Seojun and Andaho, who had nothing to do with it, flinched. The staff members who knew who was auditioning today also flinched.
"Dad said the same thing! I said I didnāt want to!!"
Finally, the guardian left the auditorium with the child, who was crying loudly. Director Park Jisu sighed and picked up the microphone again.
[Number 2 applicant.]
"I donāt want to do it either!"
A mischievous child who had been running around the auditorium defiantly ran out.
The guardians, who seemed to have expected this, bowed repeatedly and apologized as they followed the child out.
The staff members, who had become detached after three days of auditions, and the employees outside continued their work as usual.
[Number 3 applicant, please come up.]
No one came in response to Director Park Jisuās call. It seemed the applicant had left without a word. The staff members didnāt even shake their heads as they flipped to the next application.
Out of ten applicants, only six made it to the stage. Of those, only three had memorized their lines halfway, and only one had actually performed. Even that performance was largely due to the guardianās verbal guidance.
Faced with this dismal situation, one of the staff members spoke up.
"Cheongryong role. Why is it like this?"
"Indeed. The other roles were at least performed seriously."
The lead role had been so serious that the guardians almost got into a fight. There were also some actors who were too good to be rejected.
"Maybe because the face doesnāt show. Who would want a role where only the voice is heard?"
Recalling the script, the staff members sighed, but then they looked at the last application.
"Here it is."
"Yes. With this actor, itās fine."
Director Park Jisu picked up the microphone.
The employees who had been counting the number of children who had left the auditorium quietly entered and took their seats.
"Is this okay?"
"Itās fine. Itās fine. When else will you get to see Lee Seojun perform live?"
"Senior!"
"What?"
"Isnāt that the CEO?"
At someoneās words, everyone turned their heads. The CEO of the Galaxy Center, who had been contacted by the assistant director, quietly entered the auditorium and took a seat near the judging area. Other executives, who couldnāt be seen clearly, also appeared.
While Seojun was waiting for his name to be called, almost everyone who knew about his application had appeared in the auditorium.
Unlike the empty auditorium a moment ago, people were now scattered throughout the audience area. Andaho, who had confirmed his actorās fame, couldnāt help but smile.
Director Park Jisu, looking around the audience area, opened her mouth, thinking that everyone who was supposed to come had arrived.
[Please come up, number 11.]
Andaho fixed Seojunās hair after he took off his baseball cap. When Andahoās hand fell away, Seojun smiled brightly.
"Hyung! Iāll be right back."
"Sure. Seojun, do your best!"
"Yes!"
Seojun, about to run down the stairs,
"Donāt run!"
walked carefully.
The assistant director, with slightly trembling hands, attached a microphone to Seojun. Everyone held their breath and watched Seojunās every move.
Seojun stood on the stage.
A single spotlight illuminated only Seojun on the dark stage.