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“Wow…”
Whether the director and the production crew were excited or not, I was already slightly regretting coming to this audition.
“I really want to smoke…”
And did the AD even think I would smoke those absurdly awful cigarettes? As if life wasn’t hard enough already, I had to resist the urge to smoke and resort to sucking on a candy stick, causing me to swear.
“No, Hoyun. You held back well.”
Anyway, I quickly put aside my sickening sentimentality and glanced around, noticing that most people were either whispering with serious faces or checking their scripts.
Among them, only the writer had a bright expression while the director was seriously looking at my profile again.
“Seo Hoyun, is this really your first time acting?”
“Yes, it’s my first time.”
“That’s unbelievable… How could you be so natural?”
It was all just experience that brought out this acting…
In fact, I wasn’t really acting but pouring out my emotions from real-life experiences…
“Honestly, I’m really conflicted. I didn’t think a twenty-three-year-old would come for this role…”
“Of course.”
Did it make sense?
However, the director seemed to be considering his own touching points, like a judge in an audition program.
“…I’m a little shaken.”
“…”
“You seem to have good observational skills.”
“…That’s an overstatement.”
The director, who muttered that I resembled Lee Junghoon in shamelessness, was already sending me love-filled gazes, which made me feel more burdened.
Where did the initial atmosphere go? Everyone laughed like children in the warm atmosphere.
“I wanted to see more improvs, if possible, but we’re running out of time. Hmm… It’s a shame…”
“Hmm, I see. So, I’m eliminated?”
Somehow, I got too immersed, but it was still better to be eliminated. The director stroked his chin, seemingly disappointed, so I waited patiently for his following words. It turned out to be unexpected.
“Have you finished all your activities lately?”
“…Yes?”
“We can’t adjust the shooting schedule to the supporting actors.”
“Yeah… I’m pretty much free now.”
“Understood. We’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for your hard work, Seo Hoyun.”
I briefly thought about the meaning of his words, then bowed my head and left the audition room.
“Shouldn’t he be a survival audition judge instead of a director…?”
His nitpicking was no joke.
…Well, the feeling was a bit off, but there were still tasks to be done.
***
Even though the audition was over, I deliberately hid from my manager and went to the broadcasting station’s café. I found out that Writer Kim had a serious caffeine addiction.
After taking care of various things, I was feeling a sugar crash, so I ordered a mocha frappuccino and killed some time. Then, Writer Kim walked in.
“Wow! Isn’t this PD Lee Junghoon?”
“Ahahaha.”
Right on cue, Writer Kim started the conversation. I naturally threw away all the carefully planned lines in my head and greeted her with a bright smile.
“Hello, Writer Kim.”
“You did a great job at the audition earlier. Is now a good time?”
“Yes, of course.”
She even spoon-fed me. Well, I had to accept it. But a strange message popped up in the system window.
Ding!
[Manager is waiting!
Please return quickly!!]
…?
I glanced at the system window and sat down with Writer Kim, and we started chatting amicably.
“I’m really grateful for your help earlier. It was my first time, so I was very nervous, but thanks to Writer Kim’s kindness, I was able to perform as prepared.”
“Oh my, you have such eloquent speech. Could a nervous person show off their drinking skills too?”
Hahaha.
We laughed heartily, and Writer Kim Sukhui smiled warmly.
“Thank you so much for coming to the audition. What if you didn’t come? Actually, I pushed quite hard for you, Seo Hoyun, so I was really worried about what would happen if your acting skills were lacking…but it turned out to be a needless worry.”
“…Pushed?”
“Yeah. Honestly, the production staff didn’t like it, but you know why. They think an actor’s acting is safer than an idol’s acting. Of course, many idols are good at acting, but—.”
Writer Kim Sukhui pointed her finger at where the audition had taken place.
“—I could already tell the answer just by looking at the director’s expression earlier.”
“I’m still lacking a lot, but I’m grateful you are looking at me favorably.”
“Oh my, this response is exactly like Lee Jeonghun himself.”
Writer Kim expressed her opinion openly. She brought up the main point as I smiled and pondered her inexplicable favoritism.
“Actually, I referred a lot to Seo Hoyun in building the character of Lee Jeonghun.”
“…Really?”
“I diligently watched all of Shining Star. It was really intense back then… You got the nickname ‘No Makeup’ and all. Of course, when building the character, I took bits and pieces from various people, but I strangely liked Seo Hoyun the most.”
Huh…
That was the first time I’ve heard that.
I a tad changed my thoughts. It could have really been a coincidence, right?
However, some of me still doubted that creating a character similar to me was possible, not just in personality but in basic settings, just from a single show.
So, I said to her,
“I thought you had a specific person in mind for the character of Lee Jeonghun because it was so detailed.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes. Like a real PD from a TV station, for example.”
I sneakily threw bait out there.
However, Writer Kim just tilted her head and laughed.
“Ahahaha, there was no exact motive. I just borrowed some personalities from people around me.”
“Is that so…”
It didn’t seem like she was lying. As I was sipping my mocha frappuccino, the system window kept popping up, bothering me.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Why is this happening?
It was like a malicious program installed on a computer, constantly popping up, and I momentarily looked at it.
I could ignore it, but… all the messages wanted me to return.
It was as if they were hoping I wouldn’t be involved in this side of things.
“Anyway, I’ll be looking forward to it. Of course, it’s not confirmed yet. There are some people who are skeptical about us casting you.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“I just want to push you as much as possible….”
“…”
I didn’t want that…
Although I didn’t plan on getting involved in a drama as Lee Jeonghun, I couldn’t help but immerse myself in it once I started. I wanted to pass the audition to the actor Lee Kangseok, but Writer Kim already seemed to have her sights set on me, even saying scary things like “should we modify the settings a bit?”
I got nothing.
Should I just let it go? As I was feeling a bit empty and touching my lips, Writer Kim added,
“But Min Jiheon is pushing for Seo Hoyun quite a bit, isn’t he?”
“…Yes?”
I lifted my head in surprise at the unexpected remark.
“…That’s impossible. We have no personal connection.”
“Huh?”
At my words, Writer Kim seemed even more puzzled. She scratched her head.
“That’s strange. I thought Seo Hoyun and Min Jiheon were close friends.”
“Why did you think that?”
“Remember I said that I watched Shining Star. I actually don’t know much about idols.”
“…”
“I happened to go to the Please Serve Cider wrap-up party while worrying about my next work. When I mentioned that I wanted to create a unique character, Min Jiheon said—
What…what did he say?
“He said that there were many charming friends on Shining Star. Among them, Seo Hoyun has a very unique personality, so give it a try…”
What did you say?
This was quite surprising. It must have shown on my face as Writer Kim awkwardly laughed.
“Well, I don’t really know what’s going on with young people these days… Ahahaha! Anyway, I watched the reruns of the program diligently, and the character Lee Jeonghun came to mind, so the scenario was created in no time! I’m grateful to Min Jiheon. Plus, I got to know a treasure like Seo Hoyun.”
Writer Kim patted my shoulder and stood up first as I tried to keep my expression in check.
“I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again. Good news, I hope.”
“Yes. Please be careful on your way.”
Although Writer Kim left with the warm hope that I’d meet her expectations, my head was filled with confusion.
“Why, of all people?”
Min Jiheon. An actor I thought I’d never have any connection with, as he was mysterious and I once a variety show PD.
I remembered his distinctive talking style—sluggish speech in which he dragged out the ends of his words and his eyes cast down. The last time I saw him, he acted uninterested in me, so I was going to ignore him and move on.
This isn’t normal.
I gulped down the melted mocha frappuccino and got up from my seat when the system window popped up.
Ding!
[Do not meet with Min Jiheon.]
“…Huh.”
The jumbled thoughts in my head immediately came to one conclusion, and I picked up my phone to search for his contact and sent a message.
– Me: Hello, Min Jiheon-sunbae. This is Seo Hoyun from the idol group The Dawn under the same agency.]
Taking a moment to catch my breath, I added another message.
– Me: If it’s okay with you, could you spare some time to meet?]
***
Min Jiheon.
He could well be considered the most accomplished actor in their 20s in Korea.
After struggling in the theater scene of Chungmuro, he was cast in a Daepaseong Entertainment project by chance. He then gained minor popularity as a supporting actor in a weekend drama and made a name for himself.
Afterward, his supporting role in a movie, which became an unexpected blockbuster with over 10 million movie tickets sold, led to a meteoric rise in popularity, and he became a Hallyu star as the secondary male lead in a primetime drama series.
Of course, most of his subsequent works were hits. Although there were occasional flops, there was no controversy surrounding him as the lead actor, as his basic acting skills supported him.
[Did Min Jiheon receive a heavenly blessing?
└Why
└Acting skills]
…He was the sole pillar of Daepaseong Entertainment, recognized by the majority of the public.
Defining the relationship between him and me would be merely exchanging greetings as sunbae and hoobae.
But we were never close enough for him to favor me as a hoobae.
– Min Jiheon: Ahh!!
“…”
What was this?
– Min Jiheon: Why are you texting me now? Haha
What was this sudden… familiarity?
I headed to a small restaurant after receiving a brief message about the meeting location and at what time.
I told the members and the manager that I would be meeting with my younger sibling, so I might be a bit late.
Arriving first, I was guided to the reserved room and waited for a while before Min Jiheon entered.
“Hello~.”
“Yes, hello.”
He was still blunt, but… he seemed somehow more excited than usual.
What’s going on?
As I greeted him politely, I ignored the still-hovering warning window. Min Jiheon only gave me a slight smile, seemingly delighted, and opened the menu as soon as he sat down.
“Let’s eat first.”
“Yes, I’ll eat whatever you recommend.”
“Really? Then I’ll order something appropriate.”
Min Jiheon called an employee and said,
“Please give us two sets of Course C, two servings of yukgaejang[1], three servings of tteokgalbi[2], two servings of abalone bibimbap, and three servings of galbijjim[3].”
“I can’t eat that much.”
“Oh, that’s for me. I was about to order for Seo Hoyun separately….”
“…You’re going to eat all that by yourself?”
“Yes.”
‘…’
I recalled how Min Jiheon’s manager had jokingly called him a pig during our trip to Jeju Island. He wasn’t even an athlete; how could he eat more than ten servings in one meal when he’s an actor?
However, such a blunt Min Jiheon didn’t affect the employee’s expression in the slightest. I quickly added another menu item, and the employee quietly closed the door and left.
Min Jiheon spoke first.
“I really meant to contact you first, but… I realized I didn’t have your number. I’ve only given mine. I was worried about contacting the company.”
“Didn’t you say it was bothersome to contact?”
“Ahaha, I must have said that back then….”
Min Jiheon closed his eyes and laughed.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Seo Hoyun—here and there—and it was quite fun. I was also waiting for you to contact me….”
“…?”
“Did you go to the audition?”
He went straight to the point before the rice scoop was even placed. I didn’t mind people with brief introductions, so I nodded.
“Thanks to you, I had a good audition.”
“Ah, really?”
“Min Jiheon-sunbae, Writer Kim said that you recommended me…”
As I tried to get into the nitty-gritty, the employee came in and quickly set the table. The flow of the atmosphere was interrupted as the side dishes and main menu were spread out.
The employee left, and I tried to start the conversation again, but Min Jiheon’s eyes sparkled too much as he picked up his chopsticks.
“Why did you—”
“Oh, why is this even more delicious….”
“…Why did you recommend me?”
“Wow! What is this? It’s delicious, too. Hasn’t the chef here improved?”
“…Are you listening to me?”
“…Oops.”
He clearly wasn’t listening. This kid.
I was slightly annoyed, and Min Jiheon stealthily glanced at me and pushed the side dish.
“…Seo Hoyun, try this first. …If you don’t want to, never mind. Sorry.”
It’s been a while since I’ve seen such an unapologetic person. Eventually, I closed my mouth and stared at him quietly, and Min Jiheon grumbled quietly, saying, “Even Mount Kumgang is a sight to see after a meal….”
“Didn’t you pick this place to talk quietly?”
“Um… No, it’s just that this place is delicious.”
“…”
He was telling me to just shut up and eat.
I took a deep breath and calmed my heart. It didn’t matter that he was the difficult type for me to deal with.
I’ll shake him up.
No one in this world didn’t have a dark side. If something awkward came up after exchanging a few words, I could catch the tail of the conversation and shake it up like a blanket.
“It’s delicious….”
Min Jiheon… where was all that rice going? He ate endlessly. Even I, a rice lover, got tired of him and put down my chopsticks. I didn’t really touch the food since I ate beforehand.
In the meantime, I took a quick look at the system window. The system window was strangely quiet, which would normally have been buzzing with excitement and sending lots of messages.
[…Get out of there.]
Nope, I don’t want to.
Judging by the system window’s strange behavior, I was determined to dig deeper into Min Jiheon.
I stared at Min Jiheon as he finally put down his spoon after scraping and eating from the last dish.
“I’m sorry. I lose my mind when I see food.”
“You seem to be like that.”
“…You’re honest.”
Min Jiheon’s eyes widened in surprise. The conversation may have seemed somewhat off, but it was good in any case. The conversation started again. Min Jiheon wiped his mouth and shook his head.
“Anyway… you asked why I recommended you.”
“Yes. Honestly, I’m not that close with you, sunbae.”
“Is that true?”
“But I was curious why you went out of your way to do that. Maybe the CEO pushed you.”
“Ah. There was no push from the CEO… I was just curious. That’s why I recommended you.”
“…What were you curious about?”
If I knew that, I’d know how the script and settings came to be, whether Min Jiheon knew something, and why the system window kept warning me.
I didn’t know what made him laugh at my question, but Min Jiheon gave me a big grin.
“You know nothing.”[4]
…Do I know nothing?
What kind of nonsense was this?
The employees cleared the table, and Min Jiheon sipped the tea brought in for dessert. He made a mischievous face and dragged on.
“Let’s see~, you seemed older than me.”
As if he were a fortune-teller in a drama, looking at the protagonist’s fate.
“Can I call you ‘hyung’?”
What… was this absurd nonsense?
[1] Spicy beef (usually shredded) soup with vegetables
[2] Grilled short rib patties
[3] Braised beef short ribs
[4] The raw was unclear if this was a question or a statement.