Swing in Chicago (3)
In the future, decades from now, Daniel Summit would be regarded by critics as a truly magnificent director. His films, which captured the raw emotions and struggles of those drifting at the very bottom of society, were never massive commercial blockbusters, but they were always showered with critical acclaim. Perhaps due to his unique, melancholic sensibility, he was exceptionally popular in Europe for a Hollywood director. Some went so far as to praise him as the greatest living American filmmaker.
Undeterred by early failures, he steadily poured his soul into his films well into the future, and Sion had found himself wiping away tears more than once while watching his masterpieces. Films centered around the motif of isolated protagonists fighting to reclaim their lives—every single one of them, in some way, spoke profoundly about the meaning of "life."
Sion had applied for this audition solely because he wanted to star in the debut film of the man who would one day create those masterpieces.
He had told Daniel and James that he knew absolutely nothing about the movie's plot. While that was the most realistic and natural excuse to give, the truth was a little different. Sion still vividly remembered what Daniel had said in an interview in his past life.
"There's a movie I wanted to shoot in my youth. We had investment and worked hard on pre-production, but once filming started, the production company demanded changes, claiming the content was too depressing and narrow-minded. We fought over it for a while, and eventually, the project just fizzled out... That movie? Well, looking back, I can see their point. In my twenties, I thought the world was nothing but garbage. Despite being born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I was merely pitying the underprivileged."
Daniel was one of the directors whose films had deeply touched Sion's heart in his previous life. Sion had always been curious about the movie this man had tried to make in his youth before compromising with the world.
And yet, arriving here with those pure intentions, he had been treated like an invasive species.
I expected as much.
The moment the other male applicants saw his face, they walked away with expressions of utter disbelief, while the female applicants shrieked and swarmed him like they were attending a fan meeting. To the average actor trying to get through a gritty indie film audition, Sion's presence was practically a public nuisance.
But Sion had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away, so he played it shamelessly.
People viewed Sion as a flashy Hollywood star who lived a life of pure luxury. In all his films so far, he had played roles that were essentially variations of a charming prince. Of course, that perception wasn't entirely wrong. After his regression, he had checked his bank account and found a balance far higher than expected. He realized that as long as he stayed out of trouble and used his future knowledge to make a few smart investments, he would never have to worry about money for the rest of his life.
Yet, a deep-seated anxiety lingered within him.
In a Hollywood entertainment industry driven solely by the ruthless logic of capital—where an actor was chewed up and spat out if they only had a pretty face to sell—he feared being manipulated by those with real "money" and "power." In his past life, after his face was ruined, he had clawed his way through the dirt to eventually become a motivational speaker. Throughout his middle age, as media technology exploded, how many scandals, downfalls, and tragedies had he witnessed?
Having been granted a second chance, Sion had no intention of walking that path again. He was going to fight tooth and nail, using every method at his disposal, to live the life of the actor he truly wanted to be.
To do that, he had to slowly, deliberately dismantle and rebuild his public image. If necessary, he would even weaponize his current reputation as a spoiled brat.
And of course, using the knowledge only I possess is the bare minimum.
That was why he had traveled all the way to this Chicago audition, far from the glitz of Hollywood, to star in an indie film directed by a future legend.
Once inside, Sion had deliberately behaved as if he were playing the role of "Sion Lee," the eighteen-year-old bratty star. The resulting cocktail of breathtaking beauty, notorious rumors, supreme confidence, and a hint of delinquent charm left Daniel Summit and James Parker completely unable to tear their eyes away.
"He's a bit of an oddball, but he's way more put-together than I expected. I guess Hollywood gossip really is pure garbage."
"If this kid stars in our movie, success is practically guaranteed, no matter what we shoot."
The only remaining concern, of course, was his talent.
Currently, the two men perceived Sion as an actor who relied entirely on his gorgeous face while delivering atrocious performances. Although the tension and wariness had melted away during the pre-audition interview thanks to Sion's eloquent persuasion, it only made them resolve to judge his acting even more strictly.
A cold reading. Performing on the spot with a script he had just received.
"You'll be playing the character of Alex in this scene. Please let us know when you're ready," Daniel said.
Auditions could be conducted in many ways, but Daniel believed cold readings best suited his directorial style. He preferred to guide his actors with detailed, hands-on direction during filming. Therefore, he needed an actor who could quickly grasp and adapt to instructions on the fly.
"Understood."
Taking the script, Sion began to read the lines slowly. The given sequence featured two characters: the protagonist, Alex, and his girlfriend, Heather. The cohabiting couple had recently hit a rough patch.
[Scene: A cramped, cluttered apartment. 2:00 AM.]
Heather: (Standing behind the refrigerator door Alex just closed) Where have you been?
Alex: (Exhausted expression) Just had some things to take care of. Why are you still awake?
Heather: (Scoffing) At this hour? Did Santa Claus have a backlog of deliveries and ask for your help?
Alex: (Sighs) I told you, it's nothing weird. It's late. Go to sleep.
Heather: (Mockingly) And whose fault is it that I can't sleep?
Alex: (Angry) Are you saying that's on me?
Heather: (Silence, then sighs) I don't even know how we ended up like this.
(They look at each other. Tension, anger, and an inescapable attachment are mixed.)
In short, it was a situation where misunderstandings were piling up despite their lingering affection for each other. The root of the misunderstanding was Alex's frequent late-night outings. However, Alex was unable to explain why. Was it some dangerous secret? Given the mention of Santa Claus, it was the Christmas season—perhaps he was pushing himself to the limit to buy his girlfriend a gift?
Various interpretations flashed through Sion's mind. He organized them, locking the emotions deep into his chest.
He loves Heather. But there are things he cannot tell her. He is utterly exhausted from dealing with those things. He is on the verge of exploding at the slightest touch.
Aligning his emotions, Sion slouched his shoulders, letting his posture collapse. He spoke.
"I'm ready."
"...?"
James's eyes widened slightly at the sudden transformation. With a subtle shift in his facial muscles, shadows seemed to fall beneath Sion's eyes, completely erasing the confident, radiant youth from the interview. Daniel felt the same chilling shift.
Is this really the Sion Lee I know?
Feeling an inexplicable shiver, Daniel delivered Heather's opening line.
"Where have you been?"
"..."
Upon hearing Daniel's line, Sion slightly bit his lower lip. It was a minute detail of suppressed emotion. Daniel and James held their breath, captivated by his timing.
When Sion spoke, his voice squeezed out from between his tightly closed lips.
"Just... had some things to take care of. Why are you still awake?"
A weary, cornered man stood in Sion's place. His gaze drifted aimlessly through the air, desperately trying to avoid eye contact with the person in front of him. That subtle, tense set of his mouth made Daniel and James instantly feel the frustration of the character confronting him.
Unlike his flat delivery of the first line, Daniel found himself injecting genuine emotion into Heather's next prompt.
"At this hour? Did Santa Claus have a backlog of deliveries and ask for your help?"
Alex opened his mouth as if to argue, but ultimately let out a heavy sigh.
"Sigh... I told you, it's nothing weird. ...It's late. Go to sleep."
He rubbed the back of his neck, squeezing out the words of tenderness with agonizing effort. The person standing before them was no longer Sion Lee; it was Alex, a living, breathing character born from the pages of the script.
Daniel realized with a jolt of shock that Sion's portrayal of Alex aligned almost perfectly with the image in his own head. A man swept away by the harsh waves of life, left with nowhere to go. He was so fragile that a single tap could shatter him, yet he hadn't fully realized his own vulnerability.
"And whose fault is it that I can't sleep?"
"...Are you saying that's on me?"
Alex snapped instantly at his girlfriend's sharp accusation. But even that burst of anger failed to find its mark, falling limply to the floor.
"..."
"..."
Alex was exhausted, and Heather, watching him, was equally drained. The emotional bridge between them was crumbling. Only a heavy, suffocating silence remained.
"I... I don't even know how we ended up like this..."
Daniel muttered the final line with a dazed expression.
With that, the brief cold reading came to an end.
"Thank you."
Sion instantly shed the heavy emotions of the script, offering them a bright, dazzling smile.
This is...
What on earth just happened?
Neither Daniel nor James could organize the thoughts racing through their minds. It was only a few lines of dialogue, yet Sion had grasped the brief context and immediately translated it into profound emotion. They could feel, with absolute certainty, that Sion's acting ability was nothing short of extraordinary.
His vocal tone, his cadence, his projection, and the minute details of his body language—every single element they had just witnessed was flawless. He possessed the rock-solid fundamentals of a seasoned actor.
It felt as if the reality around them had been sucked into the world of the performance. For a brief moment, the audition room had transformed into a drafty, freezing apartment in the dead of winter, with the faint hiss of a radiator in the background.
Was he always this good at acting?
No way... His performance in Deadly Summer Camp was practically brain-dead!
The two men remained utterly oblivious to the truth behind Sion Lee's sudden transformation.
In truth, the acting Sion had just displayed wasn't some "god-tier, once-in-a-generation" genius. It was simply the level of a "solid veteran" who had quietly studied the craft for twenty years. And that made perfect sense. Trapped inside the body of this eighteen-year-old star who lived off his looks was the soul of a forty-eight-year-old man who had hit rock bottom and spent decades desperately clawing his way back into the acting world.
At the very least, it was more than enough to impress industry professionals. When contrasted with his gorgeous face and his notorious reputation, the sheer gap made his performance seem borderline miraculous.
"Is there any specific direction you'd like me to adjust?"
"O-Oh... well... in that case, could you try expressing the emotions a bit more outwardly? Just now, it felt like you were bottling everything up. I'd like to feel that tension more directly."
"Understood. Shall we go again right away?"
"U-Uh... yes, please."
Having already memorized the lines, Sion plunged back into the scene without needing a moment to prepare.
"Sigh, I told you, I just had some things to take care of. Why are you still awake?"
His cadence and physical details had completely shifted from his previous attempt.
"Tsk, I said it's nothing weird. ...Just go back to bed."
This Alex was visibly irritated. The subtle shift in his attitude naturally altered the imaginary Heather's reaction. The dynamic between them instantly escalated to the brink of a screaming match. The auditioners could feel a suffocating tension fill the room, as if a bomb were about to detonate.
Daniel, who had written the script, found himself growing incredibly excited.
"This time, can we try it as if you're on the absolute verge of collapsing from sheer exhaustion?"
He threw out various directions, requesting multiple cold readings. Each time, Sion merely offered a relaxed smile and executed Daniel's demands to absolute perfection. Watching him, Daniel felt like a child standing in front of an ice cream truck, realizing he could have any flavor he wanted.
"..."
James, the cinematographer, glanced at Daniel, who was staring in stunned, reverent silence, before turning back to Sion to ask the practical questions.
"That was incredible. But... are you really okay with this?"
"With what?"
"The pay, the shooting schedule... all of it."
"I will accommodate whatever you need. As long as we can make a great film."
"...I-I will do my absolute best!" Daniel blurted out, his eyes shining with sudden intensity.
Sion offered an awkward smile. "I think that's my line, Director. That is, if I pass."
"Oh, come on, Daniel. Isn't it a bit too early to say that? Maintain some directorial dignity," James teased.
"Who cares about dignity! Making a great movie is what matters most!"
It was the attitude of a pure, unadulterated cinephile. Daniel, whose life goal was to watch every single movie in existence, was absolutely certain in this moment: there was no one else who could play the lead in his debut film but Sion.
"I think I completely misunderstood you! Sion Lee, that was a truly breathtaking performance!"
Daniel showered him with the kind of lavish praise rarely heard in an audition room, his eyes practically sparkling.
Sion nodded quietly, a private thought crossing his mind.
This is why I love indie films. They're so pure.
However, as a veteran who had spent nearly thirty years in the film industry, Sion could already see the fatal flaw in Daniel Summit's early work. It seemed the director's excessive "purity" hadn't done his film any favors.
***
A few days later, the call Sion had been waiting for finally arrived.
"Hello, Mr. Lee. This is James Parker from Philip Studios, the one who sat in on your audition. First, I wanted to thank you for coming in to audition the other day. Normally, Daniel, our director, should be calling you, but he's a bit too excited right now, so please understand why I'm reaching out instead."
"Thank you. It was a wonderful experience. It's been a while since I've done a proper audition."
"Haha, I suppose an actor of your popularity wouldn't need to audition often. I'll get straight to the point. We would love to cast you as our lead, Alex, in Swing in Chicago."
"I'm glad my waiting by the phone paid off."
"We couldn't wait to tell you. Your performance was absolutely overwhelming. ...In fact, most of the other applicants gave up and left the moment they saw you."
"I feel a bit bad for them, but it is what it is. It's not like I won the role using my Hollywood title."
"Absolutely not. It was a spectacular performance. ...Filming is scheduled to begin on November 2nd and wrap up by the end of the month. We'd love to meet in person to discuss the detailed schedule and contract. When are you free?"
"Tomorrow works for me."
"Oh, really? Could you come by our office? The address is..."
Sion scribbled the address down on a piece of paper and hung up the phone.
"Whew."
He let out a long sigh of relief.
I was worried about whether I could pull it off, acting for the first time in this body.
Despite the occasional erratic impulses of his teenage body, his passion for acting had successfully translated into his performance. More than anything, he had been able to tap into Alex's emotions without any mental block.
Though the public would never guess, Sion had lived through the exact despair Alex felt. During the ten years in his past life when his face was ruined and people constantly hounded him, he had been unable to articulate his feelings, resorting only to blind, explosive rage.
And when I grew tired of even that, I eventually stopped speaking altogether.
He had simply channeled those memories into his performance. Judging by their reactions, it had worked beautifully.
He wasn't sure if they were shocked that a "spoiled brat" could actually act, or if they genuinely found his performance objectively brilliant.
It was a bit rough around the edges since it was a cold reading... but whatever. I have to use every tool at my disposal.
There was no point in avoiding it. Sion resolved to maintain a confident, unapologetic front, acting as if this level of talent had been inside him all along.
Right then—
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
The phone on the table rang loudly. Since he was sitting right next to it, Sion picked it up immediately.
A voice dripping with heavily suppressed rage crackled through the static.
"...Hey, Yi-siony."
All the way from California to Chicago.
"Ah, Charlie. I was actually just about to call you."
"Didn't you... say you were going on vacation?"
"Yeah, that's why I rented a quiet apartment in Chicago to get some rest. And while I was here, I went to church for the first time in a long while. Believing in God is truly a beautiful thing, Charlie."
"Then why am I looking at a newspaper article right now saying you auditioned for an indie film?"
"..."
The news had already traveled that far? He had expected it to leak, but this was incredibly fast. One of the other applicants must have sold the story to a tabloid. The scoop had ridden the waves like a California surfer, landing straight on the desks of the West Coast press.
Sion was reminded once again of the sheer weight his name carried. But he had already braced himself for this. In times like this, it was best to be bold. Just like in the interview.
"I did a quick audition for an indie film, and I got the part. All that's left is to sign the contract. I can go ahead, right?" Sion asked, his voice dripping with casual arrogance.
"Right, my ass! I'm flying out there tomorrow morning, so don't you dare sign anything until I arrive! You are driving me absolutely insane! The fashion brand you sponsor is throwing a fit, demanding we stop this immediately!"
"Just smooth things over with them. I'm telling you, indie films are about to become the next big thing."
"And why on earth would that happen?"
"Because the Democrats are about to take office."
"...If you sign that contract before I get there, you're dead."
This time, his smooth-talking didn't work.