Chapter 84: Lead and Supporting Roles (1)
Chapter 84: Lead and Supporting Roles (1)
A heavy silence ebbed and flowed.
The arrival of Ma Yeon-woo, a member of JustX—the idol group with the most momentum on RY lately—followed by Ju Seo-yeon, brought a hush over the room.
Every single person participating in today’s audition was inwardly tense, especially the female idols and actresses.
‘T-this is different from a play.’
Recently, Ju Seo-yeon had made a brilliant comeback through the play Close Your Eyes. She had been building up her public profile with several variety show appearances, but she had yet to achieve any tangible results in dramas or films.
That was what they tried to tell themselves to stay calm, but...
The recently released trailer for The Chaser weighed heavily on their minds.
‘She appeared as a convenience store part-timer.’
Seo-yeon’s screen time in the nearly two-minute trailer was barely ten seconds. It was a minor role, but even that brief appearance was enough to gauge her acting caliber to some extent.
‘If she’s actually aiming for the role of Song So-ha...’
It meant she would be one of the most formidable competitors. Above all, even if she only delivered an average performance, the buzz surrounding her and Park Jung-woo made it highly likely she would be cast.
And regardless of that...
‘Isn't she the one who was on that desert island survival show?’
That was all Ma Yeon-woo thought of Seo-yeon. He knew about Princess Hwayeon, of course, since clips of her had been shown during Desert Island Survival.
‘She gives off a different impression than she did then.’
Ma Yeon-woo watched Seo-yeon with curiosity. In response, Seo-yeon’s brow furrowed slightly.
‘Ma Yeon-woo.’
A core member of the popular idol group JustX. He had ventured into acting and achieved decent results in Dream Future, then went on to prove his skills in a war movie... He was a fairly talented individual.
Of course, that aside, he belonged to a category of people Seo-yeon didn't particularly want to be close to.
And for good reason.
‘The other members of JustX are the problem.’
Ma Yeon-woo himself had been involved in several controversies regarding his personality. But the other members, aside from personality issues... they were a mess in many other ways.
Drunk driving, drugs, assault.
In short, they had a spectacular track record. Since she expected everything to blow up within the next three years, she had no desire to get close to them. Besides, Ma Yeon-woo himself was someone who had been embroiled in power trip controversies.
“Excuse me, I’m passing through.”
“Ah, right.”
Ma Yeon-woo was a bit flustered by Seo-yeon’s lack of reaction to his appearance. As an idol, he was used to being the object of admiration, and this was the first time a woman had reacted this way.
‘Is it because her own looks are so incredible?’
There was a saying about actors. No matter how handsome an idol was, their light would fade when standing next to an actor.
Seo-yeon was that type. As she walked among the other actresses, she seemed to naturally eclipse the light around her. Naturally, those standing near her began to edge away.
‘Why did she have to come here?’
‘I mean, there are plenty of other seats.’
The actresses nearby were miserable. Meanwhile, Seo-yeon surveyed her surroundings while ruminating on the script for today. The role she had come to audition for was Jo Ha-rin. Honestly, she was feeling nervous for various reasons.
Then.
‘Ah, there he is.’
Seo-yeon spotted Park Jung-woo and gave a slight, respectful nod. Park Jung-woo, meeting her eyes, relaxed his furrowed brow and nodded back. There was no need to make a show of knowing each other.
However, that brief exchange was enough to make the other actors watching them click their tongues.
‘She really is aiming for Song So-ha.’
‘Is it already decided? Ah, this isn't good.’
Amidst that strange tension, the audition began.
*
“Na-hee. You’ve prepared for the role of ‘Song So-ha,’ right?”
“Yes.”
A woman with a pure, innocent look answered with a nervous face. She wasn't just any actress who had appeared as a supporting character in a recently popular cable drama—she was an idol.
‘Her acting is quite good for an idol.’
Casting director Shin Yoon thought, tapping a pen against her chin. For this production of Dream Future, acting ability wasn't the only thing that mattered. Since the drama revolved around an ‘idol audition,’ singing ability was also important to some degree. In that sense, idols had an advantage in this audition.
“This is your second time trying your hand at acting, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Cha Na-hee nodded at her calm response. Her attitude was also quite good. If it weren't for the person waiting right behind her, Shin Yoon might have thought it was fine to leave the role of Song So-ha to her.
“...Understood. Good work.”
“T-thank you.”
Cha Na-hee turned away, barely letting out a sigh of relief. Then, she froze. The next applicant was already waiting behind her.
‘Ju Seo-yeon.’
Cha Na-hee felt her heart pounding. It was a mix of nerves and anxiety. She knew Seo-yeon was several years younger than her, but her presence was too immense to look down on.
A lack of career? She had already proven herself once as a child actor. On top of that, she had recently shown off her charms on variety shows.
However, Cha Na-hee shivered at the disconnect between the Seo-yeon she saw on variety shows and the one she saw now. The bubbly high school girl and the girl looking at her with an expressionless gaze didn't feel like the same person.
‘Could her variety show persona be an act?’
If so, how incredible was she? But if this was her usual self, then her appearance on variety shows could only be interpreted that way.
“...Seo-yeon is watching Na-hee quite intently. Is there some kind of issue between them? It feels like she’s really keeping an eye on her...”
Shin Yoon asked Park Jung-woo as she watched Seo-yeon stare at the exiting Cha Na-hee. Since they were acquainted, she thought he might know the reason.
“She’s probably not thinking much of anything.”
“For someone not thinking much, she’s watching her very closely.”
“She’s probably just wondering where she’s seen her before.”
“...Really?”
“Yes. She’s not the type to overcomplicate things.”
In the past, Jung-woo might have misunderstood as well. When Seo-yeon looked at someone like that, it wasn't out of malice. She was just looking because she found something curious. Though he wasn't sure what exactly she found curious.
‘So that’s the actress who played Song So-ha.’
And Seo-yeon really was just looking because she found it interesting. What were the odds? To think the person right before her was Cha Na-hee. She had watched Cha Na-hee’s acting with that thought in mind.
‘She really was aiming for Song So-ha.’
Cha Na-hee was one of the stars who received a lot of attention through Dream Future. This was her second acting challenge, and her actual acting skills were a bit lacking. However, her excellent singing ability drew attention, and she later went on to have a string of hit movies, beginning her career as an actress in earnest.
‘Even though her own girl group disbands a year later.’
She had been the sole breadwinner for the group, but the other members couldn't accept Cha Na-hee monopolizing all the popularity.
“Well, then.”
As Seo-yeon was lost in thought, a low voice spoke. It was a man with a thick black beard—Kim Pil-seok, the cinematographer for Dream Future. There were five judges in total for this audition, and he was the one with the most influence.
“Ju Seo-yeon. Please step forward.”
“Yes.”
Feeling a pleasant tension coursing through her, Seo-yeon stood up. The judges were inwardly impressed by the way she slowly approached.
‘She really is different from the idols.’
‘Her posture is straight, and she definitely has... an aura.’
They knew she had recently filmed The Chaser. It would be a while before it was released, but it was highly likely to overlap with Dream Future.
‘If The Chaser is a hit, this project will benefit quite a bit.’
Of course, The Chaser would also benefit if Dream Future was a success. It was a win-win situation.
‘Very good.’
Kim Pil-seok didn't let it show on his face, but he was inwardly pleased. In the current state of Dream Future, Ju Seo-yeon was a big catch.
A lack of career? That didn't matter. Everyone who applied this time was lacking. In comparison, she had a massive hit drama from her childhood. On top of that, she had shown off her skills on variety shows.
‘And she’s an actress whose acting skills Park Jung-woo personally vouched for.’
Kim Pil-seok glanced at Park Jung-woo. He seemed to be trying not to show it, but it was clear he was in a good mood. Given his long career despite his age, Park Jung-woo was an actor who placed great importance on acting ability. One might call him a young stickler.
In fact, he was the one who had just given Cha Na-hee all that harsh criticism. He didn't hesitate to point out flaws even to those older than him. Yet, that same Park Jung-woo had said of Ju Seo-yeon’s acting, “There are no flaws for me to point out.”
‘In fact, he mentioned several times that there are many areas where she’s even better.’
Wasn't that basically an indirect request to cast her as Song So-ha? That was the impression the judges got, and they were already thinking that way. As long as Seo-yeon showed her skills properly in this audition, the role of Song So-ha would be hers.
“Yes, good.”
After a few brief questions and an introduction.
“Is there a specific role you’re hoping for? The role you’re auditioning for today.”
“Yes, there is.”
Of course there is. Everyone glanced at Park Jung-woo, expecting her to say Song So-ha.
“I really want to play the role of Jo Ha-rin.”
“Ah, of course, Jo Ha-rin...”
Director Kim Pil-seok, who had been muttering nonchalantly, trailed off.
“...Wait, what?”
Jo Ha-rin. One of the six main characters participating in the in-story audition of Dream Future, along with Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha. Among them, Jo Ha-rin was the character with the least screen time. She had a fair amount of presence until episode 8, but after that, her appearances dropped off sharply. She was a bubbly character, but... that was about it.
“...”
Naturally, the judges were momentarily speechless as they stared at Seo-yeon. Seo-yeon only tilted her head at their reaction.
*
The audition for Dream Future was a great success. I was actually quite nervous about it, but...
‘Um, yes. We watched it well. You’re sure you want the role of Jo Ha-rin, right?’
I heard that question several times, but I think it went well enough. I focused my acting on the character’s bubbly personality rather than romantic scenes, but it was a decent enough performance to pass as a distraction.
“If this goes well, I’ll have to get some vocal training.”
“Whaaat...?”
Ji-yeon furrowed her brow at my words as we walked home together for the first time in a while.
“Why again? You did it before.”
“If I get the part in this drama, I have to sing too.”
“Ah, you said it was an idol drama.”
I nodded at Ji-yeon’s words. Singing. Actually, this was another requirement for being a VTuber, so I had been practicing steadily since I was young.
“Ju Seo-yeon, you’re not a good singer.”
“...”
I gave Ji-yeon a slight glare. It’s not that I’m bad at singing. It just sounds that way because I can’t put emotion into the song. Because of that, everything I sing sounds dry. I was stuck at a karaoke level.
“But I’ve gotten a bit better now.”
“Really?”
Going through puberty, I’d managed to compensate for it quite a bit. I could put a little emotion into my singing now, and it was at a level where it didn't sound strange.
‘But it’s still a bit lacking for an idol drama.’
As I was wondering if I should look for a new academy...
“Then should I help you out?”
Lee Ji-yeon suddenly made the offer.
“Huh?”
“I know someone who’s helped me out in various ways. She did classical vocal training and used to be an idol, so she’s a great singer.”
I felt a strange sensation at Ji-yeon’s words.
‘Did Lee Ji-yeon have an acquaintance like that?’
Feeling a sense of curiosity, I asked tentatively.
“W-who is it?”
“An unnie I met at the voice acting academy. She’s helped me out a lot. This is a good chance to introduce her to you.”
At Ji-yeon’s words, a certain person suddenly came to mind. It might be a coincidence, or just a stretch, but...
‘The Wizard!!’
Since she already subscribed to that VTuber and had watched her many times, Seo-yeon couldn't help but think that way. After all, the Wizard was a VTuber whose main focus was singing. In fact, Ramiel’s singing skills in her past life had also been top-tier.
‘If she learned to sing from that person...’
And Seo-yeon was only now finally able to understand the reason.