Episode 2
Episode 2
Upon entering the audition room, Writer Yun Seri, PD Bak Jeonghun, and a man who appeared to be a producing PD were seated in a row.
The producing PD wore a businesslike smile as he spoke.
“Let’s start with Mr. O Gibeom introducing yourself.”
O Gibeom was the one who had performed the anger scene earlier.
With a voice brimming with ambition, O Gibeom answered boldly.
“Yes! I am twenty-five-year-old O Gibeom. I am confident I can do any acting you ask of me. Just leave it to me.”
His overflowing spirit should have drawn attention, yet the three of them looked indifferent.
‘Because there are far too many passionate people out there.’
All sorts of people came to auditions, and among the many types, those overflowing with passion were a common sight.
When someone who can act well is also full of passion, nothing is more beautiful.
However, the kinds of applicants often seen at auditions like this were those with ‘only’ passion.
Therefore, from the production team’s perspective, they couldn’t help but look indifferent.
The three people’s gazes shifted to the next person, Seo Wongyu.
Seo Wongyu rolled his eyes in bewilderment, looking at the producing PD as if to ask if it was truly his turn to introduce himself.
The producing PD smiled, forcing himself to be kind, and answered.
“Yes. Mr. Seo Wongyu, please introduce yourself.”
“…Y-yes. I… I’m Seo… Seo Wongyu.”
His voice was so timid it was barely audible, but as if trying to move roughly past it, their gazes shifted to Cha Seonhu.
Cha Seonhu spoke, making eye contact with each of the three one by one.
“I am Cha Seonhu. I look forward to working with you.”
There was no tension to be found in his voice or his attitude.
Moreover, his self-introduction was excessively dry.
That dryness came across as confidence to the three people, stirring a strange curiosity in them.
But that curiosity did not last long.
Because there had been no shortage of applicants who took such an attitude.
In the end, what mattered was acting.
As soon as Cha Seonhu finished his introduction, an assistant director waiting off to the side distributed A4 sheets to the three applicants.
The explanation came from the producing PD.
“Please act the role of Sejong in the scene.”
There are various ways to hold auditions.
First, giving the script in advance and assigning a scene within it.
Second, watching a freestyle performance the applicant prepared.
Third, giving a script on the spot and asking for impromptu acting.
Of course, auditions are rarely held with just one method, and the above are appropriately mixed.
However, certain methods are preferred depending on experience.
The first method is mainly for those with a fair amount of acting experience; the third method is mostly used on rookie actors.
Because when one lacks acting experience and their caliber cannot be measured, it is the most nakedly honest way to gauge their skill.
‘And they can check whether you adapt well on set.’
Dramas differ from movies in that they require quick wits and memorization.
During filming, scripts are written on the fly and lines must be memorized quickly, and because many variables arise, one must adapt and respond with quick reflexes.
‘No matter how well you act, it’s hard to work with someone who can’t adapt on set.’
If a rookie, let alone a supporting actor, were like that, it would be a headache, so they filter them out in advance using methods like this.
Cha Seonhu quickly scanned the script.
[*Student Council Room (Night)
-Changbin and Sejong are sitting across from each other.
Changbin: (Agitated) A kid who didn’t even properly meet the class attendance requirements got an A. Do you think this is something that could happen?
Sejong: (As if soothing) I understand how you feel, but this time let’s just put up posters and not hold a protest. Many kids are still struggling because of the last protest. Besides, the school atmosphere is turning bad because the kids are divided between those who participated in the protest and those who didn’t…
Changbin: He who sleeps on his rights is protected by no one! To stand by is no different from consenting!!
Sejong: …You always only think about yourself.]
In his past life, he had also auditioned with a Sejong scene, but it had not been this one.
‘Was there a scene like this?’
‘Campus Cruelty Story’ was a drama infused with mystery that had hit moderate success in the 8% range during its airing.
The first scene begins with the death of an administrative staff member.
It deals with various corruptions taking place on campus and the stories of students, faculty, professors, and teaching assistants connected to them.
The male lead is Yun Changbin, appearing as the righteous student council president, and Bak Sejong is a figure in Yun Changbin’s circle.
‘I watched it diligently, but I don’t think there was a scene like this.’
Due to the nature of dramas, the writer may have cut the scene in the final draft, or filming may have been impossible due to circumstances on set.
Or it may have been cut during editing.
Nevertheless, the reason Cha Seonhu felt puzzled was because Bak Sejong’s character was quite different from the one he had seen in the drama.
‘It didn’t feel like this in the drama.’
The Bak Sejong he had seen through footage in his past life had felt more swayed by Yun Changbin.
A peripheral character with no backbone of his own.
But the Bak Sejong he sensed from the script was not like that.
He seemed like someone soft yet with sharp edges hidden somewhere.
‘The scene I acted in my past life wasn’t like this… What should I do?’
While he was confused, O Gibeom’s angry voice rang out.
“You always only think about yourself!!!”
His eyes blazed, looking like he would flip the desk at any moment.
‘The writer didn’t put the ellipsis there for nothing, yet he completely ignored it.’
Some writer once said that an ellipsis is dialogue.
When one is inserted, the writer definitely has something they intend to convey through it.
But O Gibeom had ignored it entirely.
Then came Seo Wongyu’s acting.
“I understand how you feel, but let’s just let this one go.”
The Bak Sejong portrayed by Seo Wongyu was timid, someone who disliked conflict.
“…You always only think about yourself.”
The final line conveyed Bak Sejong’s inner turmoil while also feeling like a complaint muttered under his breath.
‘Not bad.’
It was quite different from the Bak Sejong Cha Seonhu had in mind, but it had its own plausibility.
But O Gibeom did not seem to think so.
With an expression that boasted his own acting was far superior, he looked down on Seo Wongyu.
‘Being caught making that expression is fatal.’
Even if a star or someone skilled at acting made such a face, it would be unsightly.
But if such an expression came from a rookie, what then?
The answer was obvious.
The production crew’s gazes turned toward Cha Seonhu, and the assistant director fed him Changbin’s lines.
“A kid who didn’t even properly meet the class attendance requirements got an A. Do you think this is something that could happen?”
Cha Seonhu smiled softly and soothed.
“I understand how you feel, but this time let’s just put up posters and not hold a protest. Many kids are still struggling because of the last protest.”
He seemed so warm that not a hint of chilliness could be found.
“Besides, the school atmosphere is turning bad because the kids are divided between those who participated in the protest and those who didn’t…”
“He who sleeps on his rights is protected by no one!”
But as he was cut off, his face hardened.
“To stand by is no different from consenting!!”
At the sight of someone pushing only his own claims, his patience reached its limit, and he revealed a chilly bare face.
Though he wore glasses, a frigid gaze pierced through.
“…You always only think of yourself.”
Within the ellipsis, uncomfortable emotions accumulated over time were condensed.
Because Cha Seonhu had delivered the earlier lines so warmly, the chilliness felt all the more contrasting.
Precise calculation, and the acting that perfectly executed it…!
Even after the performance ended, the production crew could not take their eyes off Cha Seonhu.
*
After finishing his acting, Cha Seonhu came out with light steps, and Jo Bora headed inside after greeting him with a look.
It seemed the batch Cha Seonhu belonged to was the last for male supporting roles.
‘Fighting.’
Cha Seonhu mouthed a cheer, and Jo Bora thanked him with flushed cheeks as she entered.
There was someone glaring at that sight while fuming: O Gibeom.
Already in a foul mood from losing in the acting, having a pretty girl’s attention stolen had grievously wounded his pride.
“Where do you get off making expressions not in the script to cheaply draw attention?”
Given the same opportunity, he seemed to think Cha Seonhu had slyly stolen the spotlight.
If only he had kept his mouth shut, Cha Seonhu would have let it go, but since he came at him like this, Cha Seonhu opened his mouth.
“An interpretation not in the script? Are you talking about me?”
“Yes. Honestly, am I wrong? Where in the script does it say Sejong makes such a creepy expression?”
“Ah. I see. Then where in the script does it say to be ‘angry’?”
“Th-that’s…”
“The same way you interpreted the script like that, I interpreted it like this. And at the very least, unlike you, Mr. O Gibeom, I did not ignore the ellipsis.”
“…”
O Gibeom’s face flushed bright red as he was left speechless, then he left as if fleeing.
“Um…”
At the small but clear voice, Cha Seonhu turned his head to see Seo Wongyu standing there.
“Your acting was really cool. I didn’t know one could interpret it like that. I attend Seoye University; which school do you go to?”
“Ah. I am not a major student.”
“I see. But you really act well. This must be fate too; may I have your contact information?”
“Sure.”
Seo Wongyu cautiously held out his phone, and Cha Seonhu readily entered his number.
Checking the time on his phone, Seo Wongyu was startled.
“It’s already gotten this late! I have an appointment, so I’ll get going first!”
“Yes.”
With quick steps, Seo Wongyu disappeared, and Cha Seonhu continued wandering the hallway looking for Bak Mijeong.
But having hidden herself thoroughly somewhere, Bak Mijeong was nowhere to be seen.
“Why can’t I see her?”
At this rate, he felt he would end up meeting an unpleasant person.
Dokgo Byeonggi, the Black Hole Entertainment CEO who had abandoned Cha Seonhu and exploited him.
He was also the one who had driven him to ruin when he left the agency.
In fact, even in his past life, he had met Dokgo Byeonggi instead of Bak Mijeong here and ended up signing with him.
It was only after a great deal of time had passed that he learned it had not been Dokgo Byeonggi, but Bak Mijeong, who had recognized Cha Seonhu’s potential.
He wandered for a long while, yet Bak Mijeong was still nowhere to be seen.
“Then do I really have to meet Dokgo Byeonggi?”
Though he would be leaving soon, Bak Mijeong was currently working at Black Hole Entertainment, which Dokgo Byeonggi ran.
He had seen Bak Mijeong for the first time when he went to the office.
“It was quite impressive.”
Because of that first meeting, Cha Seonhu had mistakenly thought Bak Mijeong was a strange person.
While lost in such memories, he heard the voices of two women waiting nearby talking.
“Wow. Yi Sori and Bak Junyeong are dating!”
“Really?”
“Yeah, an article came out thirty minutes ago!”
Cha Seonhu could not believe what he heard from beside him.
“Thirty minutes ago?”
Surely he had learned of the two’s relationship through Byeolstagram yesterday, hadn’t he?
Thinking he must have misremembered something, yet feeling strangely bothered, he went back into Byeolstagram and searched.
“Wh… what?”
The earliest feed had been uploaded twenty minutes ago.
“I clearly… saw it yesterday?”
Today was July 10th; yesterday was July 9th…
If his memory was not wrong, he had learned of an event scheduled for the next day through SNS in advance.
The moment he recognized that fact, a popup suddenly appeared on Byeolstagram.
[Would you like to select a date?]
Those words sounded to Cha Seonhu like ‘Would you like to look into the future?’