Chapter 39
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Others' Hell Audition (1)
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It was in the corner of the office at Scene Studio, the drama production company.
The renowned master screenwriter whom any drama fan would recognize at the drop of a hat, Go Ji-sook, and...
"What?! That role?!"
The star director who was already on a meteoric rise at a young age, hailed as a genius by the entire industry, Gil Mi-jin.
"Yes! I've made up my mind! I'm giving that role to actor Shin Yi-han!"
"Oh my, oh my?!"
The bickering voices of these two industry titans echoed through the room.
"You sneak him in here like this, and that's just too shameless!"
"Ah! Didn't you just have lunch with Choi Gyeol?!"
"Oh? At least I didn't hold a meeting!"
"Same difference! You must've already shown him the synopsis!"
"Ahem, ahem."
It was because she'd caught them red-handed after impulsively dragging Shin Yi-han along.
"Argh! Whatever, just let me have this one...!"
"What's gotten into you...! You think you're the only one who can beg on your knees!?"
The director suddenly grabbed the writer's leg and started whining, while the writer busily tried to shake her off, dragging her across the floor.
"I want Choi Gyeol!"
"No, just watch and decide!"
"I'm the writer! Go Ji-sook!"
"And I'm the director! Gil Mi-jin!"
"...?!"
It was utter chaos.
But not a single staff member in the office even thought of intervening. They just shook their heads, all too familiar with the scene.
'Please... just reach a peaceful agreement, you two.'
It wasn't the first day they'd acted like this, after all.
It was basically just a mother-daughter catfight.
And the staff's gazes were fixed elsewhere.
'Wow. Even with a hat on, his handsomeness doesn't hide at all. It's unreal. Jawline goals.'
'That's Shin Yi-han. Insane.'
They headed toward the transparent glass conference room. Shin Yi-han sitting inside was a sight to behold.
'Eek. Ha-neul's right in front of me...!'
'I just binged the whole series yesterday. Crazy. Sob.'
As a drama production company, many had recently finished watching Brilliant Sky and been deeply moved. They couldn't help but feel thrilled.
'So they're really casting our Shin Yi-han?'
'Looks like it?'
'Huh. But the role the director's talking about... isn't that the sub-villain? Shin Yi-han doing that?'
'Yeah?'
'A cop role, sure, but this one?'
The staff tilted their heads.
Doubts were inevitable.
No one here had just seen the premiere screening of Others' Hell.
It was because of the drama's fame. Shin Yi-han's image was solidly 'good guy' territory.
Just like when Gil Mi-jin had initially objected, saying his face was just too kind.
But Shin Yi-han as the villain...?
With his pitiful good looks, you'd forgive him first and foremost.
Whatever it was, he'd have some backstory, and you'd want to cheer him on...!
'Of course, that wouldn't be bad.'
'But it doesn't fit with our drama.'
'This isn't that kind of story to begin with.'
'What if actor Shin Yi-han leaves empty-handed?'
The staff could only look at Shin Yi-han with pity.
And inside the office conference room...
Assistant director Kim Yu-ri was wiping her dry face, feeling the staff's stares through the glass and listening live to the writer and director's squabbling.
'S-save me.'
Kim Yu-ri had no choice but to dry-wash her face.
The director had said he'd just step out for a quick chat with the writer, leaving her to greet Shin Yi-han alone—that was fine.
Even the fighting at the far end was whatever.
'They know we can hear everything...! Ugh...'
Their voices openly discussing Shin Yi-han carried straight into the conference room.
Assistant director Kim Yu-ri could only sweat bullets.
However.
"H-here, Shin Yi-han! I printed out the synopsis... Take your time reading it."
Whether it was the stares or the chatter, none of it really mattered to Shin Yi-han.
"Thank you."
He simply smiled and took the paper from the assistant director.
- Others' Hell
The truly important thing was right there in his hands.
Shin Yi-han couldn't help but smile.
Not just because he knew this would be a massive hit.
Among the works he'd watched trapped in that room in his past life.
If he could act.
'It was one I truly wanted to do.'
Back then, he'd been too busy wallowing in envy, jealousy, and resignation.
But now, he held its synopsis in his hands.
Shin Yi-han opened the first page like unwrapping a gift.
- We were strangers to each other. Even if they were our closest siblings, or friends like family.
Yes. This was it.
- Everyone. We are all strangers.
He'd loved it in his previous life too—a bold, groundbreaking story.
Of course, he already knew the whole plot. Still, his heart raced.
This was the drama that had rejected leads from elsewhere just to wait.
Shin Yi-han's eyes scanned the synopsis from top to bottom.
Concept, characters.
And the plot.
'Still fun as ever.'
The more he read, the higher his lips curved.
A horrific thriller tale.
- Ban Ki-hyeok heads to Seoul and moves into a rundown share house.
- On the recommendation of his hometown friend, Geum Seong-je, who's like family.
The protagonist Ban Ki-hyeok was in for quite the shock there.
- Cheap, spacious, and incredibly worn-down—the house for everyone. At first, Ban Ki-hyeok surely thought his luck had turned.
- Creak-creak, thud-thud. Grunt, huff. Until every dawn, suspicious and eerie noises started coming from the ceiling...
What was happening in that place full of strangers.
- Tattooed thugs, a scrawny psycho with creepy eyes, a lunatic repeating the same words like a loose screw.
- It was crawling with spine-chilling freaks.
Soon to be revealed.
- In this house, the only one he could trust was his friend Geum Seong-je.
- Ah. Or not?
There was nothing to trust there.
- It wasn't.
- It isn't!
- No, no, no, no, no—!
'As expected.'
Shin Yi-han nodded at the synopsis that sent chills down his spine just from reading.
'Definitely fun.'
As expected from master of thrillers Go Ji-sook—it was gripping. Her fame wasn't for nothing.
She knew exactly what psychology made people hold their breath in fear.
See? Just the synopsis had you dying to know how it ends.
Would the protagonist survive that place?
Or get tainted by it?
Its chilling style made you forget to breathe as you read.
And that was when Shin Yi-han finished the entire synopsis.
"Sorry for the wait! My apologies!"
Bang—!
Apparently done talking with the writer, director Gil Mi-jin belatedly burst into the conference room.
"The writer will be in soon too. She had a call to take...!"
His face was plastered with regret.
"S-so, what did you think of the synopsis?"
But he eagerly asked for feedback right away. Gil Mi-jin pleaded desperately.
He'd ended up fighting with the writer, but he hadn't secured Shin Yi-han's acceptance yet...!
Confident in the work or not, he couldn't help but be nervous.
"It's fun. Really."
Gasp. Gil Mi-jin sighed in relief at Shin Yi-han's prompt reply.
"But."
"...?!"
His tension spiked again at Shin Yi-han's follow-up.
Shin Yi-han smiled brightly as he continued.
"So, out of these."
It was the simplest, most crucial question.
"Which role do you want to offer me?"
"Ah...!"
Especially since there was something in Others' Hell he desperately wanted to do.
He couldn't just accept blindly.
And at that question, Gil Mi-jin gave the most natural answer imaginable.
"Geum Seong-je."
He tapped a character in the synopsis with his fingertip.
"I want to entrust the villain who hands the protagonist his first kill to you."
As if no one else could do it.
"Brutally, horrifically. Enough to drag the protagonist into hell."
Firmly.
Shin Yi-han couldn't help but smile.
He cheered inwardly.
"I'll convince the writer somehow, so don't worry at all...!"
As expected, Gil Mi-jin hadn't come to the premiere for nothing.
"Let me ask once more. Honestly... I can't even think of a replacement actor now."
The role he'd most wanted was finally offered to him.
"I want to do it."
Shin Yi-han didn't hesitate.
"Geum Seong-je. Truth be told, I've been eyeing it from the start."
"Gasp...! Really?!"
"Yes."
It was sincere. He'd wanted it since forever ago.
What he'd craved in this story to begin with.
Utterly pure yet vicious.
'Evil.'
Shin Yi-han smiled brightly.
The moment he accepted Gil Mi-jin's offer.
"Ah, sorry. Call's over now."
Go Ji-sook, having ended her call, entered the conference room.
Shin Yi-han's gaze turned to her. Her smile was blatantly forced.
Eyes screaming reluctance.
But Shin Yi-han had already made up his mind. He smiled.
If there were mountains to climb for that 'evil'.
"Actor Shin Yi-han."
He'd gladly climb them.
"Nice to meet you. Writer Go Ji-sook."
In a single bound.
Frankly—no, blatantly.
Go Ji-sook hated this situation.
She'd come to Scene Studio today precisely to recommend actor Choi Gyeol to director Gil Mi-jin once more.
Choi Gyeol was her sore spot.
They'd been together since his child actor days, but unlike others, he still wasn't getting the spotlight, which always hurt her heart.
'And suddenly actor Shin Yi-han.'
It was a bad omen while she was pushing so hard for Choi Gyeol.
Choi Gyeol was aiming for an image change this time, and she wanted to give him a proper villain role.
One that would leave a strong impression.
'Plus, Shin Yi-han is so out of left field.'
Geum Seong-je to such a gentle actor? Did that even make sense?
She didn't know why Gil Mi-jin was suddenly doing this.
As a writer, she had to object.
'Right. So.'
Entering the conference room, Go Ji-sook raised the corner of her mouth at Shin Yi-han's greeting.
'Tough luck, actor Shin Yi-han.'
She sat down, revving up her writerly stubbornness.
"Phew. I know, I know. I really enjoyed Brilliant Sky."
"Thank you."
Of course, she had no intention of hating a rookie just starting to shine. If anything, she'd welcome it.
"Ah, then could you show me a bit?"
But she couldn't yield Geum Seong-je.
"Villain acting."
Go Ji-sook naturally threw out a test for Shin Yi-han.
It was obvious it wouldn't suit him at all.
She planned to have him try, then say villains weren't for him.
"Writer...?! This is a meeting with me and actor Shin Yi-han today, not an audition!"
Gil Mi-jin jumped at her words.
"I'm judging like you said, aren't I? This much shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"...?!"
Gil Mi-jin shed invisible tears inside as Go Ji-sook shrugged nonchalantly.
No! I'm gonna show the whole thing and convince you myself! This is a problem!
It was a waste of time, and too rude to Shin Yi-han, whom he'd brought himself.
He'd only planned to get a casting yes from Shin Yi-han...!
"What, you don't want to? Not confident?"
But Go Ji-sook dug in her heels. She asked Shin Yi-han outright.
Shin Yi-han softly curved his lips.
He knew Go Ji-sook was the type to bend her arm inward.
He also knew how much she pitied Choi Gyeol.
But Choi Gyeol as Geum Seong-je?
To him, it was the worst choice.
'It doesn't suit him at all.'
Of course, Choi Gyeol was set to be cut from Geum Seong-je casting anyway, despite the master's recommendation.
Not only did everyone oppose after one meeting, but even Go Ji-sook agreed to recast after seeing Choi Gyeol's take.
But now, Shin Yi-han would take that agreement.
"What would you like to see?"
For himself, right now.