Chapter 10
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 010
Chapter Title: Audition
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- Brilliant Sky
Just eighteen. Everything Lee Ha-neul had heard up until now was along those lines.
"Boys all grow up like this, you know."
That's just how it is.
Truly, there were no words crueler.
"What's the big deal about a little roughhousing?"
A homeroom teacher who dismissed the whole issue as a hassle.
"Come on, shake hands and make up. There, all better?"
The vice principal forcing the victim and the perpetrator to hold hands and reconcile like it was some reasonable solution.
Classmates who all averted their eyes, none of them wanting to get involved.
They all seemed oblivious to the fact that someone could actually die amid such indifference.
- Scene 6. Lee Ha-neul hesitates in front of the house door before unlocking it with his key.
Late evening. After a long hesitation.
Lee Ha-neul brushed off his ruined clothes as best he could. He folded back his sleeves to hide the stains that wouldn't come out no matter how much he washed.
He stepped forward just like that.
Ignoring his swollen ankle that made his leg drag with every step, pretending nothing was wrong.
Shoulders hunched to conceal the red bruises on his neck and face.
As soon as he entered the house, a chill seeped up from the floor. It was pitch black, not a single light on.
The familiar musty smell of the semi-basement filled the air.
When he flicked on the light, a note sat on the kitchen table.
[Work at the restaurant's been piling up, so I probably won't be home until dawn. Son, make sure you eat. Sorry, love you.]
Right beside it were some crumpled bills and a handful of coins that barely added up to anything.
Lee Ha-neul lightly brushed his fingers over the note.
...Mom's short on money too.
It wasn't really restaurant work. She was picking up side gigs.
But rather than worrying over the note, he felt relieved that the house was empty.
"Guess she won't be back tonight..."
He muttered softly to himself. His mom wouldn't be home until tomorrow morning.
"Good."
Because he wouldn't get caught.
Because he could hide it a little longer.
Lee Ha-neul staggered and collapsed onto the floor. The tension had melted away now that his immediate worry was gone.
- Ring ring, ring ring
But the timing was uncanny. Moments later, the house phone rang.
Lee Ha-neul rubbed his dry face and forced himself to stand.
Sure enough, it was his mom.
He hesitated until the phone had rung several times before finally picking up.
The moment he heard her asking if he was okay, his nose started to sting.
"Yeah. Everything's fine."
He cleared his throat repeatedly as he spoke.
"Did you eat, Mom?"
He forced a bright tone, even letting out a fake laugh.
"Me? I'm about to. You gave me allowance, so I'll grab something tasty. Yeah."
It wasn't anything special. Just pretending everything was normal, something anyone would do to hide what they wanted kept secret.
Especially from Mom.
No tremor in his voice.
No hint of the turmoil inside.
That was all he could do.
But he couldn't hide his face.
Maybe because no one was there to see it.
He couldn't stop the heat building in his eyes.
Forcing the corners of his mouth up didn't help. It was like a glass full of water, teetering on the brink of spilling.
"I'm heading to bed early. Don't worry. You take it easy too."
After a few more replies, Lee Ha-neul bowed his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them.
Plop. A single tear drop hit the floor.
But that was it. As if he had no more tears to shed, the boy's expression gradually returned to normal.
"Mom."
- Yeah?
He started to say something.
"Nothing. Just... I love you."
- You're such a softie. Mom loves you too~.
Click. He hung up.
The boy lifted his head, his face set in a resolve he shouldn't have made.
In the empty house, with a hollow voice, he spoke words that would reach no one.
"...Goodbye, Mom."
It was time to tie up the end of all this.
"......"
"......"
"......"
A heavy silence fell over the three watching the boy.
Director Pyo Nam-un wondered for a moment what he'd just seen.
'Was this scene always this powerful?'
He'd read and analyzed the script countless times, but this surpassed anything he'd imagined.
It didn't even feel like watching an audition performance.
The boy seemed on the verge of vanishing any second.
So precarious, so heartbreaking.
Too kind to speak up in the end.
It felt like the real thing had appeared.
Ah, no.
This... this was really...
'Lee Ha-neul.'
From that first shift in expression to now, he couldn't count how many chills had run down his spine.
And yet, the moment the acting ended, the vivid boy vanished.
Director Pyo Nam-un could only stare blankly.
Words failed him.
"Uh, was that okay?"
Shin Yi-han flashed a satisfied smile and asked, snapping him back to reality.
The director and PD nodded vigorously at his words.
Even Writer Yoon Si-a, who had been staring dazedly at Shin Yi-han, hurriedly nodded.
"Y-Yes...!"
She shot up from her chair.
"Perfect!"
Her eyes sparkled for the first time.
Like an astronomer discovering a new star, she was beside herself with excitement.
It couldn't be helped.
That single performance had unraveled the frustration that had been building up so tightly!
Honestly, it wasn't just PD Kim Geun-tae who'd been stressing over casting for Brilliant Sky.
Her first project, Brilliant Sky.
Despite its brilliant script, Yoon Si-a had been treated like a total rookie writer.
Not content with winning the SBC contest with her debut script.
At just over twenty, catching the eye of star PD Kim Geun-tae, who'd racked up hits back-to-back.
Her rising star drew predictable attention.
'Ugh. I lost out to that kid?'
Jealousy and envy.
'She just got lucky with PD Kim Geun-tae.'
'What does a green kid like her know? She's clueless.'
And then weird rumors started.
Separate from the work, her status as an unproven rookie made casting a nightmare from the start.
Other networks poached the young actors PD Kim Geun-tae wanted for rival dramas.
What more could she expect in this situation?
'Finally found him! We got him! Haha!'
When PD Kim Geun-tae freaked out about finding an actor, Yoon Si-a was already half-given up.
All the previous candidates had been meh.
Why would this be different? That's how she felt.
And it was some no-name newbie, no less.
Nothing to back him up except the head PD's endorsement.
Yoon Si-a had figured it'd be faster to cut Lee Ha-neul's role and focus on the mom protagonist.
That was her honest take.
But now...
'Wh-what... kind of acting...'
The chilling performance made Yoon Si-a's heart race again.
She felt ashamed for judging him through tinted glasses just because he was unknown.
Even though I'm the same...
But this rookie actor had proven himself.
He'd summoned the character from her story right before her eyes.
Without a single tweak needed.
No, she wanted to revise even more now.
'With a Lee Ha-neul like this.'
Sparks flew as new scenes burst into her mind.
'We could do even more.'
Yoon Si-a's thoughts raced.
She wanted to rush back to her workspace right now, jot down anything and everything. Her heart pounded in the best way.
And right beside her was Director Pyo Nam-un. He couldn't hold back anymore and approached Shin Yi-han.
"Seriously."
His earlier prickly attitude was gone.
"Where the hell have you been hiding?"
Director Pyo Nam-un reached out to Shin Yi-han in admiration.
"Ha-neul!"
No time to dodge. An overly enthusiastic face loomed in close. Whoa.
The director grabbed Shin Yi-han's hand tight and shook it wildly. He patted his shoulders.
"This is a lock! Ha-neul showed up!"
He looked like he wanted to piggyback Shin Yi-han around the office.
"Th-thank you."
Shin Yi-han gave an awkward smile under the iron grip.
But... aren't we a bit too close?
He subtly glanced at PD Kim Geun-tae for rescue.
"Hey! Pyo Nam-un!"
Luckily, PD Kim Geun-tae caught on and jumped up. As expected from the head PD.
He rushed over to Shin Yi-han.
"You bastard!"
He slung his arms around both Shin Yi-han and Director Pyo Nam-un's shoulders.
"Finally seeing it, huh? That's what I've been saying! Ha-neul rolled right in, vines and all! Now we can finally shoot!"
...Weren't you supposed to stop him?
The PD and director were just thrilled to have found someone they both loved.
Shin Yi-han gave up and chuckled at the awkwardly overwhelming pair.
It was pretty amusing seeing faces that had zero expectations light up like that.
The audition was a pass.
He was purely happy to land the role of Lee Ha-neul.
'The second script after Murder's Delusion.'
Brilliant Sky was one of those scripts he'd pored over endlessly behind locked doors.
One of the scripts he'd clung to, desperate to act even with that face.
And after countless time loops, he'd finally become Lee Ha-neul.
Amid the nonstop fussing from the director and PD, Shin Yi-han ended up smiling genuinely.
He was already looking forward to the story ahead.
Same time.
Shin Yi-han's sister, the youngest PD at SBC, Shin I-rim.
'Huh?'
Shin I-rim had just stepped out for an errand and returned.
But something felt off.
What? The office vibe is totally different from before...
Unlike the usual slump lately, it was buzzing cheerfully.
"Perfect timing, I was dozing off. This coffee IV is killer."
"Kuu. Americano's the way to go."
Did someone splurge on snacks or what?
"Tsk tsk. You iced coffee zombies have no taste for warmth."
But more than that, everyone was sipping coffee with satisfied grins.
"Dude, why do you have to be handsome and thoughtful? These are my favorite cookies."
"He even knew I like donuts from across the street~."
"Knew? He probably just grabbed 'em 'cause they're nearby."
"It's the vibe!"
Even if they were munching on their personal faves...
"Oh, I-rim, you're back?"
"That guy over there? The no-name rookie your senior was raving about. Brought a ton of snacks. Wild, right?"
"Audition barely started and it's already over, looks like. Writer, director, PD—all losing their minds over him."
Her fellow PDs explained as they greeted her.
Shin I-rim's gaze naturally drifted to the glass-walled conference room.
Uh...?
Hold on. What the hell is this?
It was a scene straight out of a question mark.
A very familiar face kept peeking through the transparent glass.
Her little brother's face, no less. Mom's son.
What? Why are you here?
Hey?
Your senior kept bragging about this no-name rookie who showed up.
Why is Yi-han in there?!
And inside the room, the director and PD of Brilliant Sky were beaming and shaking hands with Shin Yi-han.
As if he really was that rookie her senior hyped up.
No. He is.
Shin I-rim was utterly flustered by the fact.
But still... my brother at this level...? No way...
Th-that can't be?
Of course, she'd never properly seen her brother act.
But he was a total beginner who'd just signed up for acting classes recently.
Hell, he quit after barely a month.
Her brother, who'd hardly started acting, turning out to be some monstrous genius rookie? No way.
How did he even catch her senior's eye—someone insanely picky about projects?
She couldn't believe it.
And how'd he know my spot?
A quadruple-shot Americano sat on her desk. Just how she liked it.
Even her favorite crème brûlée macaron from nearby.
- Surprise
A scribbled note was on top.
'...Surprise my ass? That punk?!'
Shin I-rim clutched her forehead.
Argh, whatever. No clue what's going on, but we're playing strangers for now.
Thanks for the snacks, though.
But siblings at work? Headache city.
Right then, her eyes met Shin Yi-han's as he exited the conference room.
'What the hell are you doing?'
'What? Surprise, like I said.'
They conversed with glances, acting casual.
'You're dead. Keeping secrets now?'
'Haha. S-sa... save me.'
As her glare sharpened, Shin Yi-han averted his eyes.
PD Kim Geun-tae had insisted on seeing him out downstairs, but he'd barely talked him down.
Shin Yi-han bowed to everyone and left the office.
As he headed naturally for the elevator.
Shin I-rim sneaked after him out of sight and yanked him into the stairwell.
Bang!
The emergency door slammed shut.
"Hey?!"
Smack! A solid backhand from Shin I-rim.
Ow, that stung.
"Shin Yi-han, you trying to die? Why didn't you tell me?! You have no idea how shocked I was!"
Amid her intense reaction, Shin Yi-han grinned playfully.
"Pretty shocked, huh? But I only found out yesterday. They called me straight for the audition."
He'd considered telling her but held off to surprise her. Judging by her reaction, mission accomplished.
"Oh really? Then you should've told me right away...!"
Shin I-rim's head throbbed.
"Ugh. Anyway, don't act like you know me. Even if it's the same industry..."
Honestly, though.
"Didn't expect to end up working together this soon. Whew."
Fine once they were established, but as the baby PD, ties to a rookie basking in a top PD's favor...
Recipe for exhaustion on both sides.
Blame it on being the youngest...! Too much pressure!
But that was that.
Shin I-rim swept back her hair.
"So. How'd it go?"
She had to ask about the results.
Looked good from the outside, but she wanted to hear it from him.
"Of course."
Shin Yi-han smirked.
"Good."
Shin I-rim felt the same. Shock faded, she chuckled and punched his arm.
"Anyway, Shin Yi-han, if you don't wanna die, report everything next time? Coming, going, passes, fails—all of it."
"Got it, got it."
"And bringing all these snacks when you're broke."
She grumbled but slipped him some pocket money.
Watching his sister, Shin Yi-han smiled. All talk, but she looked secretly pleased.
It lifted his mood too.
"Alright, get outta here."
His sister didn't care if he was happy.
"I'll head out soon. Before sibling rumors spread, scram."
She shoved his back, urging him on. Shin Yi-han nodded.
Can't be helped. If sis wants it secret, family's off-limits at work.
He shrugged and opened the stairwell door.
Checked the hall and slipped out.
Shin Yi-han left the station without a backward glance.
He'd be back soon anyway.
Script reading was in two days.
Lee Ha-neul's casting had been delayed, so no choice.
But no issue there. The script reading was as good as done.
He'd read that story countless times in past loops.
Far from nervous.
He could already feel the anticipation.