The Oral Interview
The oral interview exam.
This roughly five-minute interview per person was a simple way to gauge how well an examinee knew their major.
And questions that had nothing to do with the major came up as well. For example…
“Why did you apply to the Video Production Department at Hanbit Arts High School?”
That kind of question aimed at me right now was the most representative.
Because such an obvious, fully anticipated question had come up, I answered like a machine.
“What movie or drama left the deepest impression on you?”
And this, too, was a question I had expected in advance.
I confidently answered, “Fly High.”
The reason I picked this work out of countless others was nothing special.
“Then try explaining the theme or production intent of Fly High.”
Because the odds of a linked follow-up question like this were extremely high.
That was why I had deliberately mentioned Fly High, and when I heard the connected question I inwardly roared with joy.
Honestly—I was the one who wrote the story of Fly High. How could I not know its theme and production intent?
The production intent of Fly High boiled down to two main points.
One was that it had been made while hoping for a happy future for a certain mother and daughter; the other was to breathe dreams and hope into the youth who were still growing up.
Naturally the former was a secret belonging only to those two, so even if I said it out loud it would probably be hard for anyone to understand.
Think about it.
What kind of crazy bastard would write a story solely for two people and then decide to air it as a drama?
For the record, that crazy bastard was also me.
Ahem…
Anyway.
Answering with the safer latter would fit the point of the question better.
I spoke the production intent of Fly High exactly as it was, without flinching.
“I believe the production intent of Fly High was to instill dreams and hope in the growing youth.”
“Pfft!”
…?
But somehow the reaction felt completely off.
The teacher who had asked me about Fly High’s production intent let out a laugh for some reason.
As if he were mocking my answer.
That was kind of annoying…
Then it happened.
“Teacher Lee Sangho. What is the meaning of that laugh?”
Song Hayul, the chairman of Hanbit Arts High School sitting in the center of the teachers, spoke for the first time.
She suddenly turned her head and fixed a murderous glare on the teacher who had mocked me.
“Haha, Madam Chairman. The student’s answer was so naive that I couldn’t help but laugh.”
“Then do you think what that student said is wrong?”
“Of course. Do you really think someone of Writer 927’s caliber planned Fly High with such a simple intent?”
The teacher called Lee Sangho continued confidently with his own claim.
“Fly High is literally a blood-boiling war of youths aiming to become a greater sun! The leads strive to shine brighter through constant friction and explosions, absorbing and completely devouring the light of those who were already shining brilliantly. So…”
It was too long, so I skipped parts in the middle, but roughly he claimed the production intent of Fly High was ultimately that tremendous persistence swallows up tremendous talent.
Hmm… If he weren’t an interviewer, I’d really want to say just one thing.
You wrote a scenario and fell flat on your face.
Like that.
“Hmm…”
Meanwhile Song Hayul, who had been listening to Teacher Lee Sangho’s words, began to ponder something.
Then, for some reason, she looked at me and grinned.
“What do you think of Teacher Lee Sangho’s words just now?”
What do I think? It’s just pure nonsense.
Well…
Since this was an interview I couldn’t say it that directly, so I put on the friendliest smile I could manage and said,
“I respect the diversity of thoughts. I’m sure Writer 927 would wish for the same.”
“Ha! That sounds like you’re sarcastically saying my thoughts are wrong.”
I simply stayed silent at the words of the teacher named Lee Sangho.
Silence has many meanings, so he’d figure it out himself.
“Madam Chairman! There’s nothing more to see about this student! Just fail him!”
As I stayed silent, Teacher Lee Sangho’s face gradually flushed red and he began to rage like fire.
But do people usually say things like that right in front of the person concerned?
Seeing the level of teachers at Hanbit Arts High School, I felt my affection for the place gradually fading.
…However.
“Teacher Lee Sangho.”
Suddenly Chairman Song Hayul’s icy voice rang through the room.
Sensing something ominous in the chairman’s murderous atmosphere, Teacher Lee Sangho instinctively swallowed hard.
“…Yes? Why are you call—”
“Leave this room immediately. And never set foot in Hanbit Arts High School again.”
“W-What! Madam Chairman! What are you saying!”
“It means you’re fired. So stop disrupting the interview any further and get the hell out.”
Whoa…
That was insanely charismatic.
If this weren’t an interview, I’d have wanted to applaud—it was such a refreshing moment of pure justice.
Under Song Hayul’s murderous atmosphere, Lee Sangho trembled and bolted out of the room.
And after confirming he had fled, Song Hayul suddenly bowed her head to me.
“I apologize on behalf of Teacher Lee Sangho’s attitude earlier. Still, not all the teachers at our school are like that, so I hope you won’t think too poorly of us.”
After her sincere apology, the interview resumed in a somewhat unsettled atmosphere.
The remaining teachers, perhaps considering the earlier situation, lowered the intensity of their questions a great deal. Thanks to that, the oral interview proceeded smoothly to its end.
When the five minutes were all up, I slowly rose from my seat.
Now, if I just offered a polite greeting to the teachers sitting before me and left the room, the long practical exam would be completely over.
I bowed slightly at the waist in greeting and naturally walked toward the door.
But…
“Student Seo Eunwoo. May I ask you one last personal question?”
Just as I grabbed the doorknob, Chairman Song Hayul asked me.
In truth I had been feeling something odd from the start.
Chairman Song Hayul, who had glared at me intimidatingly at first and kept meeting my gaze head-on.
Why had she not directed a single question at me?
Out of curiosity I took my hand off the doorknob.
And said,
“Is that question also part of the interview?”
“No. I promise it will have no influence whatsoever on the interview. Your evaluation is already finished. So please answer as comfortably as you can.”
As proof of her trust she completely removed my evaluation sheet from her hands and set it down on the desk.
Likewise the other teachers beside her, taking their cue from the chairman, set their evaluation sheets down on the desk.
With that much sincerity it was worth trusting her, even if I was being fooled.
I nodded in affirmation at Song Hayul’s words.
Then, with eyes full of expectation, she asked me,
“How do you evaluate Writer 927?”
Hearing Song Hayul’s question, I understood her intent even less.
Why was she asking me something like that?
Simply curious about how students think of Writer 927?
Then she could have asked during the interview rather than now…
“…”
She was still resting her chin on both hands, waiting for my answer.
Well… whatever the reason, it wasn’t a particularly difficult question to answer.
Yes. Since I was at it, I decided to answer a bit more seriously. As thanks for cleanly kicking out that problematic teacher earlier and offering a polite apology first.
…I thought.
Not according to others, but purely by my own standards, what kind of person was the writer called 927?
Honestly, I didn’t think he was as great a person as the world evaluated him to be.
He had suddenly fallen into a world inside a drama, and whether movies or dramas, that place was several levels below his previous life in fun and quality.
In a way, it was only natural that he could succeed as a writer.
That’s why I evaluate “Writer 927”…
Myself… like this.
Thud— Thud—
I slowly approached Chairman Song Hayul.
Since saying my thoughts too openly to everyone would be a bit much, I whispered it only into her ear like this.
“□□ □□ □□.”
After the Video Production Department’s entrance exam schedule had all ended, Song Hayul was alone facing someone in the room that had been used as the interview room earlier.
“So. Teacher Han Donghun. Is this the story structure that student wrote?”
“Yes. Madam Chairman.”
Right at the time the interview ended, Han Donghun, who had supervised the story structure exam, came to find Song Hayul holding just a few sheets of paper.
Those papers were Seo Eunwoo’s story structure exam sheet.
“This is just my personal opinion, but I believe Student Seo Eunwoo must absolutely be accepted.”
Regardless of the interview results, Seo Eunwoo had to be accepted no matter what.
The reason Han Donghun had hurriedly come to Song Hayul holding one male student’s exam sheet was to persuade her as much as possible.
If he had taken the interview with the same attitude as during the story structure earlier, it was obvious it would be not a little but very dangerous.
Song Hayul carefully read the exam sheet Han Donghun handed her.
And…
“Hahaha!”
She suddenly laughed heartily.
From Han Donghun’s perspective it was an utterly bewildering situation.
She was someone who always maintained her dignity in front of teachers and students no matter the situation—yet she was laughing that loudly?
For a moment Han Donghun even mistook that he might have given her the wrong exam sheet.
That was because the story Student Seo Eunwoo had created was a beautiful tale that naturally brought tears to the eyes and warmed the heart.
“What an arrogant yet humble genius this is!”
And as Song Hayul’s incomprehensible monologue continued, Han Donghun couldn’t help but tilt his head.
Arrogance and humility.
Not only had these contrasting words come out of her mouth, but Song Hayul’s expression right now looked purely delighted.
“Hmm?”
Then Han Donghun discovered something.
His gaze had somehow gone to the desk where Chairman Song Hayul was sitting.
And there was the face photo of Student Seo Eunwoo that he had seen earlier.
It seemed to be the interview evaluation sheet for Student Seo Eunwoo that the chairman had scored herself.
However…
If there was one strange point, it was that absolutely nothing had been written there.
As if this was a student she had never needed to evaluate from the beginning…