Chapter 92
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 092
Chapter Title: Hellbound Audition (1)
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It was a morning jog meant to help him adjust his condition.
Sup.
That was all the blonde guy said before sprinting off ahead. Shin Yi-han tilted his head in confusion.
What the hell?
There were plenty of people out running, but in a place like Hollywood where all sorts of folks wandered around, no one paid him any particular attention.
And this guy was the only one who'd come up and said anything.
Even though he didn't seem like a fan or anything.
Shin Yi-han shrugged and kept up his run. What a ridiculous little encounter.
The guy had bolted off with such gusto, too. From the looks of his back as he reached the far end, he already seemed exhausted.
Shin Yi-han maintained his pace and naturally overtook him.
But seriously, what was his deal?
It happened all of a sudden.
"...!"
The blonde dude suddenly started sprinting like his life depended on it, as if he'd just noticed him for real.
"Huff... huff!"
The ragged breathing coming from right behind him was intense.
Shin Yi-han found the whole situation pretty amusing.
Especially since the guy was giving it his all but falling behind almost immediately.
"W-Wait up!"
And it wasn't long before...
"Huff... where... huff, huff... are you going?!"
The guy finally gave up, panting like he couldn't take another step, and called out again.
Shin Yi-han stopped and turned around.
A familiar-looking face with blonde hair and blue eyes came into view.
The man clutched his trembling legs as he staggered toward Shin Yi-han.
"You're... Yi-han, right?!"
He brushed back his sweat-soaked blonde hair and lifted his chin like it was no big deal, even though his face was beet red from being out of breath.
'He even knows my name, so he really does know who I am.'
Shin Yi-han opened his mouth to say something out of sheer curiosity.
But before he could reply...
"Didn't know there was a foreigner quota for this role."
The guy snorted like he didn't need an answer.
"Whatever. Might as well make some good memories before you go. It's mine anyway."
His tone was awfully smug.
Seemed like they were auditioning for the same part.
The man grinned and clapped Shin Yi-han on the shoulder.
"Good luck, Korean."
What was this, some punk from a teen movie? He was acting like the role was already his.
Then he tried to dash off coolly again.
The problem was his legs were already jelly.
He wobbled on his own, and tragically, his feet got tangled.
Splat!
He face-planted right onto the track.
Shin Yi-han couldn't help but hold back a laugh.
At the same time, he remembered who the blonde guy was.
'Didn't realize he was such a comic relief type.'
Honestly, he'd never seen the guy this disheveled before, so it took a second to place him.
This was the very man who'd snagged the role of Yohan—the character up for grabs in this audition—in his past life.
Adrian Hill.
It was almost embarrassing how he hadn't recognized him at first, for multiple reasons.
They'd probably be auditioning together this time, and it looked like he was staying nearby for the schedule.
Though Shin Yi-han hadn't expected to run into him like this.
With a small chuckle, Shin Yi-han walked past.
"Good luck. American."
He threw the guy's words right back at him as he went by.
"...?!"
He could hear the man yelling something from behind.
But Shin Yi-han ignored it completely and headed straight to the hotel.
This was enough exercise for the day.
And he'd gotten an unexpected bonus.
'To be honest, I knew this audition would be tough...'
Thinking back on his encounter with Adrian Hill, Shin Yi-han showered once he got back to the hotel.
A pure-blooded Korean—not even Korean-American—who'd only just started getting attention as a rookie.
Versus Hollywood's rising star, the epitome of American.
Considering this was Hollywood, landing the role seemed impossible from the start.
Even just looking at the audition list, the director clearly had a thing for blondes.
Everything was stacked against him.
But seeing Adrian Hill in the flesh had given Shin Yi-han a different feeling.
'This might actually be okay.'
A faint smile tugged at Shin Yi-han's lips.
It wasn't just because the guy had made a fool of himself.
It was the impression of the actor himself.
This audition...
might actually have some potential.
The next day, audition day arrived.
"Whoa."
Right after arriving at the set where the audition was being held...
"It's huge... huge?!"
Manager Na Seon-yong's jaw dropped.
The building was so massive that a staff member came out to greet them in a golf cart-like vehicle.
Classic Hollywood.
'Whoa! Bro! Did you see that just now?'
'They've built a whole village!'
'Insane?!'
Shin Yi-han couldn't help but smile at Na Seon-yong, who kept gasping in awe the whole way as they followed the staff's guidance.
The film was such a massive production that its scale dwarfed anything they'd seen back in Korea.
"We've set up waiting rooms down that hallway. Just wait there...!"
That was when they entered one of the buildings.
The staff member guiding them—unable to take his eyes off Shin Yi-han, blatantly now—pointed down a curved corridor.
"Thank you."
Shin Yi-han flashed a bright smile, and the staffer responded enthusiastically.
"Sure thing! Yup!"
He even gave a thumbs-up, face flushing red.
"And Yi-han! Fighting!"
"...!"
Shin Yi-han nodded with a smile.
He seemed to be one of the Hellbound staff from the horror short film awards ceremony a couple days ago.
Shin Yi-han hadn't properly greeted him, but he'd seen him next to casting director John.
At least there was one friendly face mixed in.
Wouldn't be safe to assume there'd be more up ahead.
"Shall we go?"
"Yeah! Let's do it!"
Shin Yi-han headed down the corridor to the waiting rooms with Na Seon-yong.
They'd prepared individual rooms.
A considerate touch from the Hellbound staff—meant to let them relax during the wait.
But that consideration was immediately overshadowed as they walked down the hall.
"What, they even gave him a private room? He really showed up?"
"What kind of guts does this guy have? Pfft."
The voices they heard weren't exactly welcoming.
And the owners hadn't even noticed Shin Yi-han approaching.
They were too busy chattering while staring at the paper on the door.
- Yi-han Shin
All audition hopefuls.
Not a single Asian or person of color in sight—just a sea of white faces.
Adrian Hill from yesterday wasn't there, though.
From what he'd overheard, there were some well-known actors and theater performers among them.
All heavy hitters.
"Diversity bullshit starting up again."
"Who wants an Asian priest?"
"He even speaks English, right? Even with minimal lines, isn't this too much?"
They had massive egos about the role.
"Auditioning with him pisses me off."
"Tell me about it! Why even bother showing up?"
To them, a Korean actor showing up felt like some incomprehensible 'show.'
The blatant trash-talk continued as if it were the most natural thing.
"And Asians are all short, so there's no way he can compete with us—"
But that was when Shin Yi-han drew close to his private waiting room, right in front of them.
They all turned at the sound of footsteps.
The corridor froze like ice in an instant.
"..."
"..."
They all shut up as if by agreement, clearly flustered that the man himself had appeared so openly.
But despite the embarrassment, the silence held.
No casual greetings exchanged—unbelievable for America.
Just blatant stares aimed at isolating the outsider.
In response, Shin Yi-han smirked and shrugged.
Without a word, he entered his private waiting room with Na Seon-yong.
Inside was a simple room with snacks, a sofa, and a mirror.
Shin Yi-han sat on the sofa and spoke to Na Seon-yong, whose face was tense.
"If I get picked today."
He knew results wouldn't come right after the audition.
"It's gonna be a sight to see, huh."
Shin Yi-han said it playfully.
Intending to ease Na Seon-yong's tension after that frosty atmosphere.
"Yeah, for real."
But Na Seon-yong wasn't in the mood for jokes.
Everything was 100% serious.
"Those stuck-up noses are all gonna get smashed today!"
Absolutely! Na Seon-yong nodded fiercely, clenching his fist.
Shin Yi-han couldn't help but laugh.
Yeah. At minimum, we gotta crush those egos.
And Shin Yi-han somewhat agreed.
He hadn't come here to lose, after all.
At that very moment.
Opposite Shin Yi-han's private waiting room, where laughter echoed, the corridor remained a frozen wasteland.
Though the truth was a bit different.
Their silence wasn't just disdain for an Asian.
Na Seon-yong's grizzly-bear-like thick arms and sharp glare had intimidated them too.
But precisely, it was the appearance of an Asian utterly unlike their expectations that had stunned them.
Even in that brief glimpse as he passed.
'The Asian actor they called in... is that the guy...?'
'He's nothing like the others I know.'
Even fellow actors could sense something off about him—enough to make their earlier mockery vanish.
It was the moment unconscious rivalry kicked in toward the one they'd completely dismissed.
Not long after.
Knock knock.
Time was up.
"Bro! Crush 'em all!"
With Na Seon-yong's final cheer, Shin Yi-han smiled brightly.
From here on, he was on his own.
He followed the staff to the audition room.
Time to really clash head-on.
With this film whose title alone meant a one-way trip to hell.
The movie's plot was straightforward.
A priest excommunicated from the Vatican.
A mad exorcist who captures demons to extend his lifespan.
That was the protagonist, played by Kevin Peters.
He hunted demons for big bucks as a baseline, loaded holy water into shotguns, and chain-smoked daily—a total lunatic.
Hard to believe he was a former priest; he was basically a thug.
And this demon-infested city was his perfect playground.
As for the supporting role of Yohan...
A dispatched priest who couldn't stand by while the protagonist caused chaos.
The holy chronicler.
The polar opposite of the protagonist.
For most of the film, Yohan silently trailed the protagonist, documenting his exorcisms.
Of course, the carefree lead wouldn't leave him be.
In the end, Yohan was set to become a highly appealing supporting character.
'And Yohan even serves as the turning point that changes the protagonist.'
That was why such a fierce audition was happening.
And the audition site picking Yohan was...
"Feel free to watch comfortably from inside. When your name's called, come to the center."
Impressive in every way.
Creeeak.
When the guiding staff opened a massive door...
Probably one of Hellbound's set stages. A vast space filled Shin Yi-han's view.
The ceiling soared endlessly high, surrounded by filming equipment everywhere.
Wow. Shin Yi-han let out a quiet gasp of admiration.
Not just because of the sheer spectacle.
The expansive area with green screens everywhere, making the actors stand out amid the emptiness.
All candidates brought in at once, with even staff welcome to watch—an fully open setup.
Six judges seated in the middle.
Cameras blatantly rolling, heavy atmosphere.
Just standing there felt suffocating by design.
'If you can't handle this pressure, just turn around and go.'
It was a rushed audition due to a sudden dropout, but the role's importance meant they went all out.
The other candidates were already tensing up.
Some of the white actors who'd trash-talked earlier were pale as ghosts.
Definitely an environment that weighed on anyone.
Except Shin Yi-han, who smiled calmly.
They might think it was bravado.
But he felt his heart racing—a kind of excitement.
Facing the actual set, he couldn't help it. In this thrilling setup, tension gave way to a growing urge to act.
Under those spotlights, in front of those huge cameras.
Shin Yi-han waited his turn.
"First applicant, please step forward!"
And right then.
"Adrian Hill!"
The strongest contender—and a familiar name—was called first. An unexpected order.