In the silence.
Everyone's gazes shifted little by little.
In the silence, a high school girl exuding a peculiar atmosphere.
Long black hair, contrasted by white skin.
At first, they assumed she was just another kid who came to the audition relying solely on her looks.
However.
'Who is she? She seems experienced.'
'What is she doing right now? Is that acting?'
A tranquil base expression settled on her face.
Yet, the emotions revealing themselves distinctly upon it could be felt.
Generally, when people speak of foot-acting, they refer to robotic performances devoid of facial changes.
But within that expressionlessness, the robot is repackaged as 'unexaggerated, natural acting' through microscopic changes.
The transformation shown by a hairbreadth difference.
Naturally, this was something veteran actors would display, making it an extremely incongruous sight coming from a high school girl.
'She's definitely experienced, that kid.'
If she was still a high schooler, she might be a former child actor who had acted somewhere.
If she had appeared in minor dramas or similar, it was possible no one would know.
'But.'
While the gathered actors kept their guard up against the high school girl, they also felt inwardly relieved.
Because that acting was different from stage acting.
Clank.
At that moment, the closed door was flung open roughly.
Everyone's gazes shifted.
Even Seo-yeon, who had been calmly preparing for her acting, turned her gaze toward the direction of the sound.
At the entrance to the waiting room where the actors were gathered.
A woman stood there, breathing heavily while gripping the doorknob.
Wavy brown hair. Drooping eyes.
She was a woman of no great height with a slender frame.
Her age was perhaps barely past twenty.
The most noticeable thing was her sunken complexion.
For an actress, it was a strangely striking appearance.
'Who is that?'
'An applicant?'
Her attire was unusual, like Seo-yeon who was wearing a school uniform.
A fashion terrorist at its finest.
Jeans thrown on haphazardly, paired with a checkered padded jacket.
It was the kind of fashion engineering male students might wear.
Leaving aside whether it suited today's role or not.
It was an outfit that evoked a subtle sense of discomfort.
'So that's her.'
Seo-yeon narrowed her eyes as she watched the woman shamble in.
As if she couldn't care less about others' stares, she went and sat in a randomly empty seat.
She didn't even have a script in hand.
Just empty-handed.
To anyone watching, she looked like someone who had wandered into the wrong place.
"Excuse me, this is the audition venue."
When one actor spoke to her just in case, her eyes moved slowly.
A flash—such a word suited the movement of her pupils.
It was enough to make the actor who spoke flinch for a moment.
There was an atmosphere different from normalcy.
"I know."
A blunt reply.
There was no further explanation, but it made further conversation difficult.
'...Right. That's true.'
Just like what she saw on the news.
The 'role' in this play that Seo-yeon saw belonged to that woman.
And, having been cast in a movie through that play.
She was a figure who garnered massive attention in more ways than one.
'Pyo Ji-woo.'
A woman who might have become a star.
A sasaeng fan with the worst talent.
She was the enemy she had to crush this time.
***
"How is it? Anyone catch your interest?"
Jo Do-yul, who was directing the play, looked around at the other judges and spoke.
The judging panel for this audition included director Jo Do-yul, an assistant director, stage manager and production staff, as well as two actors participating in this play.
"As expected of a script by playwright Lee Min-hee, it's quite popular."
"Right? It's already a proven script."
'Close Your Eyes' was a play that already had a massive hit in Daehangro three years ago.
With the production team and cast being newly assembled this time, its commercial success was somewhat guaranteed.
"The role of 'Hong Jeong-hee' we're casting this time is crucial."
"Absolutely. She's the character who reverses the atmosphere of the play."
The play basically follows the story of the male lead, idol Bae Seong-hak, and a woman suffering from hearing loss, Song Min-seo. Since it fundamentally deals with the romance between the two, there is no proper event that could be called a crisis. Minor incidents do occur, but the character who reverses the atmosphere of the play is precisely this Hong Jeong-hee.
"If we cast the wrong person for Hong Jeong-hee, the entire stage will be ruined."
"True. But then again, villain acting isn't easy..."
"That gloominess needs to be clearly expressed. If it comes off as awkward, it becomes incredibly awkward, you know? But if done well, it's a role that can deliver that much impact."
That's why it was a popular role among actors.
The screen time wasn't much, but it was a role with tremendous presence in the play.
That was why there were a whopping 500 applicants.
Only a tenth of them were sifted through to proceed to this second round of auditions.
"If we're talking about standout candidates, actress Bae Young-hyun?"
"Ah, she's a solid actress. Her acting is proven. She's diligent, too. I believe she hasn't been off stage for long."
The judges each voiced the names of the actors they were interested in.
And among them, one person mentioned an incongruous actress.
"Ju Seo-yeon. ...Did you see her profile?"
"Ah."
At someone's words, they each nodded.
Of course they had seen it.
It was like an unexpected figure appearing from an unexpected place.
"A child actor from a drama that was a huge hit 10 years ago. I didn't expect to see her here."
"I was really surprised too. I actually watched that drama live. Back then, I remember clapping and thinking, 'Wow, that kid's acting is seriously good.'"
"...Is that so? I didn't watch 'Tae, Sum, Dal' though."
"Good grief, what were you watching instead of 'Tae, Sum, Dal' back then?"
"Action King..."
"My, what a rare sight. To think I'd meet a precious Action King viewer here."
"That's too much, seriously."
Those who had checked Ju Seo-yeon's profile each let out such remarks.
The pinnacle of acting that could be shown as a child actor during 'Tae, Sum, Dal's' 'Princess Yeon-hwa'.
On top of that, she was the recipient of that year's Youth Actor Award.
Achieving the maximum career attainable as a child actor in just one year.
The person who then suddenly vanished for 10 years was Ju Seo-yeon.
"Why theater?"
"There are plenty of actors who return through theater. Some use it as rehabilitation before going back to movies or dramas..."
They uttered such words, but their expressions remained ambiguous.
Ju Seo-yeon.
Looking solely at her buzzworthiness, she was truly a big catch.
"As for whether she suits the play, I'm not sure."
"Her looks aside, hmm. Ultimately her experience is just one drama filming. She probably has zero theater experience."
"Do you think she doesn't know that theater and drama acting are different?"
"And she's quite young, too. If she's a high schooler, makeup can cover it sufficiently."
This was possible because Seo-yeon was female.
Generally, women's physical growth is mostly complete by their mid-to-late teens.
Therefore, there wasn't much difference from adult actresses.
"She's truly a chicken rib."
"Too good to let go, but somehow feels like a mismatch if we take her."
No one said it out loud, but they wondered how well a child actor who suddenly returned after 10 years could act. 10 years ago, her acting as Princess Yeon-hwa was admired by everyone, but that was a child actor's performance.
Now was the time to compare her with adult actors.
She lacked experience, and it was hard to gauge whether her first acting in 10 years would even reach the level of 'Princess Yeon-hwa' from the past.
The acting she showed in the free-acting video was certainly flawless.
That was why she passed the first round with unanimous approval.
But stage acting and acting seen on video could be different.
"There's actually one person who caught my eye more than actress Ju Seo-yeon."
"Ah, I think I know who you mean."
Those who made eye contact blurted out the name without needing to ask.
"Actress Pyo Ji-woo, right?"
The free-acting video confirmed in the first round.
The acting displayed there was nothing short of shocking.
It was raw, but because of that, it was the acting most befitting the role of 'Hong Jeong-hee.'
"I personally would like this actress to take the role of Hong Jeong-hee this time. What do you think? Actor Min Seo-ho?"
"Yes?"
"After all, isn't she the role most deeply intertwined with the Song Min-seo role in a different sense in this 'Close Your Eyes'?"
"Ah, yes, that's right."
Min Seo-ho said so and looked at his phone.
It wasn't that he was doing something else.
Having heard that name, he was simply rechecking the free-acting video of Pyo Ji-woo submitted for the first audition.
'That's strange.'
Min Seo-ho, who saw it, furrowed his brow.
'I feel like I've seen her somewhere.'
Could she be someone he met at a club?
He shook his head, dismissing that thought.
"I think she might be a bit of a mismatch. We'll have to see first, though."
"Is that so? Hmm, well, seeing her in person first would be right, of course."
Jo Do-yul, who said that, checked his watch.
It was almost time for the audition.
The audition for the villain role that would shoulder the play's success, 'Hong Jeong-hee.'
***
Seven in the evening.
The audition began in earnest in the late evening.
Seo-yeon slowly rolled her eyes and surveyed her surroundings.
The tense air was beyond comparison to when she was a child actor.
When she was a child actor, it was nothing more than a battle of egos between parents.
But everyone here was serious.
They were people who had come to survive in the industry, intending to do this as a full-time profession.
Naturally, their spirit was bound to be different.
'It definitely feels different from the auditions I've seen before.'
Seo-yeon thought so and calmly closed her eyes.
The audition was conducted with five people entering the set at a time to perform their acting.
In other words, they performed their acting in front of others.
If she hadn't experienced the audition for 'Tae, Sum, Dal,' she would have been flustered.
Even so, that was 10 years ago.
'She's calm.'
'As expected, she seems familiar with this.'
The actors glanced at Seo-yeon.
For actors who frequently auditioned, this was a familiar situation.
But wasn't Seo-yeon still a high schooler?
Not trembling like that was proof of having a lot of experience.
Or proof of being strong-hearted by nature.
Either way, it was an essential element for an actor.
'Just who is she?'
While everyone harbored such curiosity about Seo-yeon.
"Next, actress Ha Shi-eun. Actress Hwang Young-hee, and..."
Next, the names of the actors to audition were called.
"Actress Ju Seo-yeon."
Slowly, at that name, Seo-yeon's eyes became visible.
Ju Seo-yeon.
The moment that name was heard, a few actors reacted.
"Ju Seo-yeon? Not the child actor I'm thinking of, right?"
"Come on, no way."
"But looking at her appearance and age..."
'Tae, Sum, Dal' was a drama that took the year by storm.
In particular, the actress who recorded an unrivaled viewership rating for a child actor was Ju Seo-yeon.
Most of the actors were young when 'Tae, Sum, Dal' aired, but her acting was impressive enough to still remember vividly.
"And, actress Pyo Ji-woo."
Pyo Ji-woo, who entered the audition room after Seo-yeon, was also called.
She stood up from her seat with a face that truly couldn't care less.
Perhaps because of Seo-yeon's name that had just been heard, few people paid attention to her.
"Nice to meet you. I am Jo Do-yul, the director of this 'Close Your Eyes,' serving as a judge."
Upon entering the audition room, eight judges were seated.
Among them, Seo-yeon saw the actor for the male lead 'Bae Seong-hak' role, Min Seo-ho.
'So that's him.'
A problematic figure in many ways.
The man who would probably come to understand Bae Seong-hak's feelings better than anyone else.
'And.'
Seo-yeon moved her gaze to the side.
The woman who had entered the audition room with her.
Pyo Ji-woo.
"Now then, who shall go first..."
The judges' gazes moved.
Their gazes were pointing largely at two people.
Ju Seo-yeon, and Pyo Ji-woo.
"Actress Ju Seo-yeon. Please step forward."
The very first order.
Whatever it may be, going first is always burdensome.
That was no different for auditions.
'The genius child actor from 10 years ago.'
Her brilliant appearance caught their eyes.
The question was whether she could show acting skills on par with the past.
The judges decided to quietly observe that.