The Meeting
The early morning sunlight slipping through a gap in the curtains was warm yet fierce.
“Mmm……”
Ara’s body had no defense against the sun either.
A refreshing morning.
The most basic morning routine of every modern person.
Checking their phone.
It was pure endorphins and dopamine, and Ara was no more immune to that hit than anyone else.
“Hmm?”
A text had arrived from a familiar number.
“Where have I seen this number before?”
She racked her brain for a moment, then suddenly realized—it was the number of the voice-phishing scammer who had tormented her last night.
“Whoa…. They’re really going this far these days? Let’s see what crap they spewed.”
Still clinging to that misunderstanding, she opened the message.
“Hmm?”
The text was quite long.
“Huh?”
The more she read, the harder Ara’s expression grew.
And the moment she finished every last word—
Last night’s memories came flooding back.
“Whoa!”
She finally confirmed it had all been a misunderstanding.
Every single atrocity she had inflicted on the other person the night before flashed through her mind.
“I’m screwed…?”
Then a new question rose up.
“Whoa! Why the hell did I pass?”
After pulling that kind of shit?
She couldn’t make sense of it at all.
“Yes. I understand. I’m truly sorry again about last night. Yes, yes.”
Click—
The call ended.
Ara had given a sincere apology for everything that had happened the previous night.
“Hmm……. It’s a relief it worked out, but.”
She felt oddly unsettled.
For some reason, the other person had sounded even more careful and cautious than she had.
“Why? I’m the one who messed up.”
Well, whatever. It had been resolved on good terms, so that was enough.
“I’m actually becoming an actress.”
Two weeks had already passed since her reincarnation.
She still had a decent amount of money left, but even that wouldn’t last forever.
She had been thinking of picking up a part-time job if things dragged on any longer, but luck had struck and she had landed the casting.
【Filmography】
The space beneath it was still completely empty—but now it was decided.
“What kind of role is it going to be? I even did an audition, so at least a supporting part, right? Wait—don’t tell me it’s lead-level?!”
Her imagination took off without brakes.
“Well. I’ll find out when I meet them later.”
Just a moment ago, the call had locked in a meeting for this very afternoon.
Time flowed on.
“I should leave now if I want to get there safely.”
Casting Director Choi Moon-soo and PD Lee Young-min were walking together toward the meeting place.
“Whew…. I looked into her—she’s a complete raw rookie—but I’m still nervous as hell.”
“You just talked to her on the phone a little while ago.”
“True, but you saw the recording too, PD.”
After the voice-phishing incident the night before, Choi Moon-soo had been able to watch the audition tape through Lee Young-min.
“Her looks, and the way she acts…”
And the atmosphere of the calls last night and this morning.
Could one person really be that inconsistent?
It wasn’t like she flipped a switch and swapped personalities.
“Still, a face like that would be a waste to let go, right? For us, as long as the project hits, that’s all that matters.”
“That’s true. Even if she’s a little strange, good looks and solid acting are enough.”
They kept talking as they reached the conference room.
“Hello!”
“Come on in.”
Kim Eun-bi and Ha Il-gwon, who had already arrived, greeted them.
“You’re early.”
“I was steeling myself in advance. Choi, you’d better be careful.”
“Huh?”
“You saw the recording, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then you saw her appearance too.”
“Of course. It was something else.”
Even in plain, almost shabby clothes she had radiated that kind of glamour—so in person she would be even more overwhelming.
“It’s worse in real life. So don’t go falling head over heels, okay~?”
“Aigoo, that won’t happen. I’ve got years of experience under my belt.”
“Well, that’s a relief then. Hahahaha.”
But Choi Moon-soo had already spent fifteen years in this industry. He had seen more glamorous celebrity faces than he could count.
“Let’s go over the contract details again.”
Fifteen years of built-up composure. There was no reason for him to lack confidence.
Knock knock—
“Hello.”
“Whoa……”
It took less than five minutes for that composure to collapse.
“?”
The moment she stepped into the MBS conference room that was their meeting place, eight eyes locked onto her at once.
Whoa, that startled the hell out of me.
“Hello.”
She was surprised, but she didn’t show it and simply greeted them.
“Hello.”
“We meet again.”
“Nice to meet you.”
She exchanged greetings in turn with the judges she had met at the audition.
Whoa. Why is this guy completely spaced out?
The middle-aged man she was seeing for the first time just stared blankly at her.
“Huh? Casting Director Choi!”
At PD Lee Young-min’s call, Choi Moon-soo barely managed to snap out of it.
“Huh? Yeah? Ah! I’m Choi Moon-soo. Casting director for Forest of Crime.”
Casting director? Choi Moon-soo?
The name wasn’t unfamiliar.
It was the same person she had spoken with that morning.
“Ah. I was terribly rude yesterday.”
She had already apologized over the phone that morning, but a face-to-face apology was a different matter entirely.
“It’s fine. It was nothing at all! Hahaha!”
The effect was outstanding.
After the brief greetings, they all took their seats.
“Miss Ara.”
“Yes?”
“You don’t seem to have any prior credits.”
“Ah, yes….”
Ah. So even here it comes down to career history?
“It’s fine. Miss Ara, you did correctly pass the final audition. I’m only asking out of personal curiosity.”
“I see. Yes. This is my first time.”
Whew.
She let out a quiet sigh of relief inside.
“Then, may I ask where you learned acting?”
“Um……”
Ara hesitated.
How am I supposed to answer that? I don’t know this industry at all, so I have no idea what the right answer even is.
“If it’s difficult to answer, you don’t have to. It’s purely private curiosity. Hahahaha.”
“No. I’ve never really learned acting.”
In the end she simply told the truth.
“Th-then… does that mean self-taught…?”
Does it work that way again?
Well, if I say ‘I got a special perk after reincarnating!’ there’s zero chance they’d believe me, and I have no intention of saying it anyway.
I’d just get treated like a total crazy bitch.
And think about it.
Self-taught. What a cool ring that has.
Yeah—self-taught acting genius. Nice.
Just like that, the concept locked into place.
“Yes. I practiced alone watching the internet and looking in the mirror.”
“I see….”
““…….””
The expressions of everyone in the conference room turned subtle and complicated.
The effect is way too good?
Ara felt a quiet sense of pride at their reactions.
Huh…….
Just how do you practice to…
Either a genius or completely insane—one of the two is certain…
God really isn’t fair. Looks and talent on top of that…
Everyone in the room formed their own private impressions after hearing Ara’s words.
Well, anyway, we just need to make the drama a hit!
Anyway, she’s a jackpot character. This project already feels good.
“Ahem. Ahem. I understand. That’s impressive.”
“Thank you.”
“Ahem! All right. Then Miss Ara—first, please take this.”
Ha Il-gwon held out a thin booklet.
“This is?”
“It’s the script for the character Lee Eun-ju that you’ll be playing.”
Ara opened the script.
▶ Lee Eun-ju
▶ ……
“Please take a look.”
“Yes.”
Ara examined the script for a short while.
She didn’t particularly synchronize with it.
“She’s a psychopath.”
Lee Eun-ju was a textbook psychopathic serial killer.
Ah. So that’s why they made me do that kind of acting at the audition.
Having finally understood the intention, Ara looked at the production staff and let a faint smile curve her lips.
The way the corners of her mouth curled upward looked unnervingly similar to the Joker expression she had shown during the audition.
Gasp!
Huk!!!
“Ah, Miss Ara. Uh, how is it?”
Hmm? Why is this ajusshi suddenly stuttering?
Looking closer, his body seemed to be trembling a little too.
Is he cold?
Answering came first.
“It looks fun. And it doesn’t seem difficult either.”
The genius concept was still running strong.
Did Ara know?
“Not difficult, you say……”
That they had opened the audition precisely because they couldn’t find anyone for the role of Lee Eun-ju.
“A-any particular complaints?”
“No.”
“I understand……”
Next, Choi Moon-soo took out the contract.
“This is the contract. Since you currently have no agency, please read it yourself and then sign.”
Ara accepted the contract and studied it carefully.
“If you see any clause that bothers you or seems problematic, feel free to speak up.”
“Yes.”
An amount that an ordinary person would have to work a full month to earn was listed as the appearance fee per episode.
Which only made her more confused.
Do they normally pay this much?
She was surprised, but she didn’t show it much.
“For reference, this amount is set very high even for a rookie actress.”
PD Lee Young-min said.
Is this a bluff?
She honestly had no idea.
Answering first was still the priority.
“Why are you giving so much?”
As expected, she already knew. Well, she was making that interested face.
No. She was simply surprised.
“The role of Lee Eun-ju is that significant. Although she only appears for four episodes and then disappears, she’s a major figure who carries an entire episode of the drama. Moreover……”
Lee Young-min carefully continued.
“It’s that difficult a role, and also the most important role in the early part of the show.”
He didn’t bother adding that it was also an investment for the future.
“Yes.”
“Um……. In short, even if it weren’t Miss Ara, anyone who took on the role of Lee Eun-ju would have received that amount. Of course, by rookie standards.”
“I see. I understand.”
She still didn’t know much, but with them explaining it that thoroughly, it seemed true enough.
Since she planned to keep acting anyway, she would naturally find out later whether it was true or not.
Her real goal was simply to fill her filmography.
So Ara picked up the pen and signed the contract for her first work.
“Hahaha. Looking forward to working with you. Miss Ara, the contract fee will be deposited right away.”
“Likewise—looking forward to it.”
And just like that, every casting for Forest of Crime was complete.
“Ah.”
Ara suddenly remembered one more thing.
The consent she had given for recording the audition.
I’m curious too. If I ask for it, will they give it to me?
She had no idea how her own acting had looked, and she wanted to see it.
That way she could gain inspiration and find things to fix, right?
“Is something the matter?”
“Director. Do you have the video of the audition recording?”
“Ah. Ah! Of course! We’ll take care of that.”
“Huh?”
“So there’s no need to worry.”
What? I have no idea what I’m not supposed to be worrying about.
Anyway, that means they’ll send it, right?
“I understand. Please take care of it. Then I’ll be going. See you next time.”
Ara accepted it at face value, put on a polished commercial smile, and left the conference room.
After she was gone, the four people were left alone in the suddenly quiet space.
“Whew—”
They all let out long sighs of relief.
They were all veterans recognized in this industry, yet for some reason, standing in front of a rookie actress who had only just begun, they hadn’t been able to let go of the tension.
“I only saw her briefly, but she’s a truly peculiar person.”
“I agree. I can’t read her thoughts at all. Like there’s no opening.”
“We’re still people who fly pretty high in this field, but I don’t feel any tension from her.”
“Whether her guts are just that strong… or even that is all acting…”
Anyway, good was good.
Clap—!
Director Ha Il-gwon clapped his hands together.
“Now all the preparations are roughly finished! Let’s start locking down the schedule in earnest.”
“Script work is ongoing. We’re currently through episode eight.”
“You’ve worked hard, Writer Kim. But depending on the story flow and how well it performs, variables can always appear, so stay ready. They’ll definitely come up.”
“Got it.”
“Location hunting for the various shoot days also needs to be decided in consultation with the actors.”
PD Lee Young-min said.
“So there’s nothing we can decide right this second.”
“Right. That can be discussed separately with me later. And Casting Director Choi.”
“Yes, Director.”
“Since this is a long-awaited anticipated project, there will be plenty of celebrities who want cameo spots. Our name value is pretty strong, right? Review them once. We’ll look into it on our end too.”
“Yes.”
“Okay! Then that’s a wrap for today! Everyone go do your work.”
For them, there was no such thing as clocking out.
“Whoa! Insane!”
The contract fee was ten million. After taxes, more than nine million won had just landed in her account.
“Tonight’s dinner is chicken!”