Chapter 73
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Barefoot Audition
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Before the audition started, Jang Jun-ho narrowed his eyes as he watched Lee Do-hyun take off his shoes and socks.
There were always people who pulled some weird gimmick just to stand out during auditions.
'Is that kid one of those types who wants to show off? If so, he's not my style.'
He absolutely hated actors who fussed over superficial flair before even performing.
Especially if it was a student—that could be a real problem.
'I hope he's not like that.'
Yoon Jong-hoon's recommendation and Moon Woo-hyuk's performance earlier had already raised his expectations.
Jang Jun-ho stared intently at Do-hyun, lost in his thoughts.
As he prepared to immerse himself, Do-hyun sensed Jang Jun-ho's gaze and lifted his head slightly.
It was a first—having the director stare at him so intensely.
Jang Jun-ho.
Do-hyun was well aware of his reputation.
Already in his early thirties, he was hailed as the director who would lead Korea's performing arts scene.
He had a strong personality that sometimes clashed with production companies, but his skills were so outstanding that they usually accommodated him.
No one in musical theater didn't know Director Jang Jun-ho.
Even Yoon Jong-hoon, a first-year directing student, had drawn a huge buzz at first for being rumored to be his prized pupil.
"No way, do they put something called Tintin in the cafeteria food at Cheongyeom Arts High? Why is everyone so damn tall? It's heartbreaking to look at."
Jang Jun-ho tossed out a random comment at Do-hyun, who stood barefoot in the center of the stage.
And it wasn't wrong—kids these days all seemed to start at 180cm, tall and lanky.
If not for his still-unbulked physique, he could've passed for an adult.
Are they really all seventeen?
"In my eyes, Director, you look like the truly big one here."
Everyone let out a surprised chuckle at his relaxed, smiling retort, tension be damned right before the audition.
The judges felt a strong hunch that Do-hyun wasn't ordinary, especially after seeing him go barefoot.
"Alright, then. Let's really get started."
Do-hyun nodded at Jang Jun-ho's words, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
One, two, and another.
After finishing his deep breaths, he opened his eyes and delivered the first line.
"But... Mother. Everyone's heading to Seoul."
It was the same scene Moon Woo-hyuk had performed.
The part where young Lee Hyun-woo persuades his mother, consisting of dialogue and a number.
The lines had to cross rapidly with the actress playing the mother, maintaining a fast rhythm.
It was a standout section with a bold number that revealed his ambitions.
But it felt a bit different from Moon Woo-hyuk's Lee Hyun-woo in tone and delivery.
If Moon Woo-hyuk's character had a mischievous, cheeky vibe,
This version was a slightly more thoughtful Lee Hyun-woo, dominating the stage.
"Seoul... Just thinking about it makes my heart race. The Han River, the tall buildings... And lights that never go out all night."
Precise pronunciation and honest vocalization.
A refreshingly boyish, sparkling voice—like carbonated soda on stage.
Yet his control over pacing was masterful.
Even as he moved more fluidly than Moon Woo-hyuk, covering more ground on stage, his lines came through crystal clear, never muddled.
A freshman just starting at Cheongyeom Arts High, with no experience on a big theater stage like this.
Yet his acting made it clear he'd already internalized how to project from anywhere on stage.
"To achieve my dream, I have to go there. Think about it. How fun would it be?"
He wandered the stage with light steps, ears perked as if straining to hear trumpet blasts and cheers through a giant window right beside him.
"Mother!"
His bright, ringing call to his mother carried desperate longing.
Jang Jun-ho involuntarily leaned back as Do-hyun stepped forward, facing the judges directly.
"Seoul, where every opportunity awaits. I have to, I must go there."
The judges held their breath.
This kid's pretty good, they thought.
But the audition wasn't over yet.
This scene required delivering the number alongside lines that revealed Lee Hyun-woo's character.
The highlight of this audition was the number.
The mood had ripened, and the first verse exploded.
"I'm gonna go find it myself— the chance before me— the love before me—"
The judges, watching casually until then, all flinched at once.
They'd thought his speaking voice was nice during the lines.
They'd let their guard down.
Plenty of actors changed tone between dialogue and singing.
But Lee Do-hyun's Lee Hyun-woo was different.
As he started singing, the rich timbre from his lines stood out even more.
"Born as a man— gotta have at least one adventure, right?—"
Where Moon Woo-hyuk had sung with raw physicality and power,
This was a soft rendition emphasizing a completely different, pure tone.
A timbre that perfectly captured a boy's excitement, anticipation, and innocence for adventure.
More importantly, it was a clean, rare tone you didn't hear just anywhere.
And the actor singing it now carried himself like he knew it full well.
No forced stylization or awkwardness.
Amid it all,
"Light on his feet."
Choi Chang-dong focused on the skillful footwork.
Rookie musical actors often made a common mistake.
Like singers struggling to play guitar while singing, they faltered at dancing, acting, and singing simultaneously.
Many novices forgot their blocking when immersed in the number or moved sluggishly.
But on this stage was a high school freshman who hadn't even debuted yet.
Incredibly, his feet moved lightly and swiftly.
Those movements conveyed Lee Hyun-woo's exhilarated state of mind.
Emotions the limited lines and number couldn't fully express shone through.
Natural footwork that was half dance, half step.
And barefoot, so no distracting sounds.
'That's why barefoot?'
Jang Jun-ho let out a small chuckle.
It was blatantly clear every move up to that point was calculated.
At the number's climax, Lee Hyun-woo halted his sprightly steps and stood tall.
"This one life we get— if I don't go, I'll regret it—"
The long, drawn-out high note filled the Korean Art Hall even more.
A high octave he couldn't hit before.
Possible now thanks to his voice, which had opened up after the comprehensive evaluation and become much smoother.
In his past life, his throat always hurt, but now high notes didn't pain him.
As long as it wasn't an extreme falsetto, average highs were stable.
He'd finally found the right vocal technique.
The judges' eyes brimmed with anticipation.
How high could that note go?
To meet it, he inflated his lungs fully and held tight.
For the highlight.
And he unleashed it.
"Where romance lives and breathes— oh, Seoul!—"
As Ji-woong said, he gathered maximum resonance and projected straight forward.
The vibration connected all the way to his head.
He drew out every last breath from his fully expanded lungs.
Longer, farther.
Even the final breath he couldn't hold any longer.
"I'll seize it for sure— spread my wings—"
A high note soaring upward, embracing his natural timbre.
Not classical operatic technique, but laced with his own unique color.
He finished the song feeling strength drain from his entire body.
Hah, hah.
He panted slowly.
It was his limit.
He'd poured out everything, nearly cracking on a squeak if he'd pushed further.
But he'd succeeded.
He'd tested his limit without revealing it.
He always stayed composed on stage, but now he couldn't hide the heavy breathing.
Bow first.
"Thank you."
Silence blanketed the audition room.
After a long pause, lead actor Choi Chang-dong spoke first.
"This is gonna give our director a massive headache, huh?"
Sound director Seo Ji-eun said nothing, just slowly clapped.
Meanwhile, Jang Jun-ho could only let out an incredulous chuckle.
'Yoon Jong-hoon, you bastard. How much better am I supposed to think this guy's gonna be?'
***
Back in the waiting room, he sat and caught his breath.
Like all actors, no performance ever felt 100% perfect to him.
This audition was no different.
There were always regrets afterward.
Especially the shaky breathing in the latter half after chaining high notes—he worried it might've shown on his face a bit.
But no major regrets.
It was his best in the current situation.
"Do-hyun, that was the best!"
Lee Cheong-ha approached cautiously and whispered.
Seeing her say that, his expression must've looked pretty serious.
"Thanks."
He forced a bright smile in response.
Lee Cheong-ha grinned back and returned to her seat to review her script to the end.
"The next participant starts in 10 minutes."
Soon after, a staffer came in to announce the schedule.
Now it was the girls' turn, so the role would change.
"Whew. Whew."
Lee Cheong-ha seemed tense right away at the staffer's cue.
Her legs were shaking badly.
Should he say something? But someone beat him to it.
"Hey, you're making me nervous too. Stop shaking your legs already."
"Sorry. But I can't help it—I'm shaking so much."
I watched the two with slight concern at Song Ha-na's snappy remark.
Song Ha-na was probably pretty nervous herself to speak like that.
"If you're representing Cheongyeom, act more confident. You got here because you're better than the others, right? If you bomb this audition, what does that make the rest of us?"
Song Ha-na wasn't wrong.
She just didn't know about Lee Cheong-ha's stage fright.
This won't do—if it flares up again, it'll be back to square one.
He'd barely helped her overcome it; he couldn't let it regress.
"Hang on..."
"If someone who got the same shot as me acts like some half-assed nobody, it embarrasses me too. You came to compete with me? Then at least show your best. Not that it'll matter—I'll snag the role anyway."
Song Ha-na poured it out before he could interject.
He froze mid-stand in an awkward half-crouch.
Had she always been this eloquent?
She had serious charisma in moments like this.
Still...
"Yeah. Got it."
Surprisingly, Lee Cheong-ha's expression had changed.
Lips pressed tight, a resolute look.
Others might call it cute, but knowing her well, he recognized the heavy determination behind it.
So that's what works on her.
Watching Song Ha-na quietly turn back to her script, his thoughts deepened.
The past semester's efforts weren't wasted...
"What're you? What were you gonna say?"
Song Ha-na whipped around at him in his awkward pose.
Her 17-year-old charisma nearly made him flinch for a second.
"Cool, cool. Fighting, Song Ha-na."
He gave her a calm smile and a thumbs-up.
Oops, too out of left field?
Lee Cheong-ha glanced over at his awkward tone.
No choice—he raised a thumbs-up to her too.
"Fighting, Lee Cheong-ha. Fair and square, both of you fighting. Flip the stage upside down. Cheongyeom fighting."
As he awkwardly shouted "fighting" like a creaky machine, Moon Woo-hyuk's low mutter reached him.
"To think I have to compete with a guy like that..."