Chapter 45
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: The Latecomer Who Stole the Show
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The atmosphere at Byeokjo-mok Pictures was downright ferocious.
"Good grief, anyone would think he's already a top star."
The employees all shrank back at President Lee Sung-hoon's sharp tone. His mood had been plummeting all day.
And it was no wonder— the promised audition time had long since passed.
No one could have anticipated that something like this would happen for an audition that was somewhere between a supporting role and an extra.
It was the kind of part that wouldn't even need an audition under writer Seo Ji-hye's policy of guaranteeing at least minimal acting chops, even for extras.
"Didn't Manager Lee Do-jun say there was an accident...?"
The staffer in charge of casting for this drama, Oh, My Cat, ventured cautiously. President Lee Sung-hoon exploded in response.
"You think I do this job for a day or two?! You think it was a real accident?"
"...I'm sorry."
Even after yelling his head off, Lee Sung-hoon wasn't satisfied. He snorted roughly through his nose.
Just then, Seo Ji-hye, who had been sitting there with a grave expression, shot to her feet.
"President Lee! That challenger or whatever his name is coming today."
"Do-jun."
"Whatever. Cancel him. And make sure he never shows up in my sight again."
"Pardon? You don't want to see him at all?"
"Do I have to?"
She whipped her head around, her gaze as sharp as a blade.
Lee Sung-hoon had never seen Seo Ji-hye this furious before. He jumped up and bowed repeatedly.
"Oh no, of course not. Absolutely not. You must be tired, Writer. Please head back and rest."
"Don't make me say it twice. And make sure you get an apology from Pida's CEO."
With those razor-sharp words, Seo Ji-hye stormed out without waiting for a reply.
Her fury was plain even in her stride. Unable to suppress her boiling rage, she muttered under her breath.
"Arrogant. Way too arrogant."
A rookie daring to be late for my audition, of all things.
Common sense dictated getting out early since you never knew what might happen. And using an accident as an excuse, no less.
Entertainers spent half their lives on the road, or so the joke went. Maybe that's why road accidents were the most common excuse for being late.
A newbie who hadn't even debuted long, already picking up the bad habits.
To calm her seething, near-exploding anger, Seo Ji-hye walked briskly.
She figured stepping outside for some fresh air might help her cool down a bit.
That was when it happened.
"Run!"
"Ah! We need to get down first! Right! Thanks for the ride!"
She spotted two men scrambling out of a car amid someone's shout.
"...A police car?"
Not a taxi, but thanking the cops for the lift?
She froze in place, staring at them. The two men broke into a sprint.
Neither looked unscathed, but one was especially ragged—his clothes shredded like rags. You could've believed he'd rolled twenty laps on a dirt track.
But what stood out even more was his appearance.
Skin so pale and smooth it seemed it'd never seen sunlight. Large, kind eyes topped with oversized black glasses perched awkwardly.
It was the veterinarian Lee Jung-woo she'd envisioned countless times while writing the script, right there in front of her.
Seo Ji-hye stared blankly at the approaching man, then instinctively stepped into their path.
"Hold it! Stop!"
"Whoa?!"
Thanks to her blocking the door precisely, both men skidded to a halt.
"Hmmm..."
She peered closely at the man's face, flushed from running without even apologizing.
Up close, her conviction only grew.
Unfamiliar face or not, no way was he an ordinary guy. And this outfit, plus climbing out of a police car...
"You filming something right now?"
Police car exit—must be a variety show?
Unlikely, but even if he wasn't an entertainer, it didn't matter. She suddenly burned with the desire to cast him, acting lessons be damned.
Then, the other man beside him asked her with a startled look.
"Um, are you by any chance writer Seo Ji-hye?"
So he is in the biz. That made things even easier.
Seo Ji-hye curved her lips into a gentle smile and spoke softly.
"Yes, that's me. Which agency are you with? I'm looking for someone to cast in my new project."
At this point, she was even grateful to that arrogant Do-whatever guy.
Thanks to him flaking on the audition, she'd found someone perfect for the role.
But...
"Sorry we're late! I'm Section Chief Kim Han-soo from Pida Entertainment."
"What...?"
Pida? The ones who'd arrogantly kept her waiting?
As she blinked in disbelief, Do-jun bowed deeply. His clothes were torn not just in front, but all over the back too.
"Writer, I'm truly sorry for being late! I'm Lee Do-jun!"
Seo Ji-hye scanned him up and down with bewildered eyes.
A closer look revealed it wasn't just his clothes that were wrecked.
Red gashes marred his hands and wrists, and even that impossibly pale face bore faint scratches hastily covered with makeup.
That's when she recalled what the staffer had said about the call from Manager Lee Do-jun.
'Lee Do-jun says he had a road accident and will be late...'
It was real? Not an excuse?
Seo Ji-hye's usually relentless train of thought slammed on the brakes for once.
As she stood silent, Kim Han-soo—assuming she was livid—bowed deeply again.
"Writer! We're truly sorry!"
His head nearly touched the ground. Finally collecting her thoughts, Seo Ji-hye spoke.
"...Come with me for now. We'll hear the details later."
She turned sharply and hurried back to Byeokjo-mok Pictures. Her steps were even quicker than before.
Honestly, she still felt indignant on an emotional level.
Late? Making me wait?
But Do-jun's striking looks and image, plus his genuinely accident-ridden state, helped her regain her reason.
Opening the office door again, she found President Lee Sung-hoon, who had been racking his brains for a solution, leaping to his feet.
"Writer, why are you back...? Huh?"
His words trailed off as he spotted Do-jun following behind.
It wasn't that some stranger had shown up with her. He'd already memorized Lee Do-jun's face from photos and videos.
'Way better than the pictures. But what happened to him...?'
Plus, it hadn't even been 30 minutes since Seo Ji-hye ordered him never to let the guy show his face again. Why were they here together?
Do-jun's arrival shocked him in every way.
"Um... are you okay?"
The casting staffer guiding him to a seat asked timidly. Do-jun replied with a bright smile.
"Ah! Just my clothes got torn up a bit. I'm fine."
"How did...?"
"There was a little accident! Sorry we're late."
"Right, the accident. He said it was a road accident..."
Every eye in the room turned to President Lee Sung-hoon.
"Ahem. Ahem."
Embarrassed by his earlier words, he cleared his throat awkwardly and fiddled with the script. Only Do-jun and Kim Han-soo, unaware of the context, smiled professionally and gauged the mood.
"President Lee! You doing this audition or not? Save the chit-chat for later!"
"Yes, Writer! Of course we are! Absolutely..."
He answered hastily to Seo Ji-hye, who had already sat back down, and glanced at Do-jun.
His looks were undeniably striking—enough to grab attention instantly.
He had no idea how Do-jun had won her over, but it seemed they'd escaped the crisis for now.
But first...
'Shouldn't he go to the hospital?'
His face looked fine, but the shredded clothes and visible wounds suggested chaos below the neck.
Noticing the implication in his gaze, Do-jun beat him to it with a loud declaration.
"I'm really okay!"
"...You sure?"
Well, if he said so. And it was a quick audition anyway.
"Alright, then. Let's get to it. Lines..."
Lee Sung-hoon trailed off, glancing at Seo Ji-hye beside him.
She must like him if she'd come back, right?
So he figured they'd wrap with something not too tough.
Finding a lead actress was hard enough; he didn't want to bicker over a near-extra supporting role.
"Episode 2, page 3—from the scene where the heroine first brings the cat to the clinic."
"Got it."
"Say when you're ready."
Do-jun exhaled lightly.
He was nervous, but ironically, the recent accident had left his mind surprisingly calm.
'It's not like I'll die if I fail.'
Activating Ho, Not Bad for confidence, he declared.
"Ready!"
President Lee Sung-hoon blinked in surprise.
"Already?"
He'd been late to the audition, and it seemed like a real mess, so he'd expected a longer wait.
But if the guy was ready, no need to drag it out.
Lee Sung-hoon nodded, and the staffer began reading the script.
After a couple of lines, it was Do-jun's turn.
"Malnutrition and dehydration here. Severe tension from stress, too."
Lee Sung-hoon, who had hoped merely for 'not completely unusable,' found his eyes widening involuntarily.
Do-jun gazed at the casting staffer—no, the kitten cradled in her arms—and continued.
"Treatment's straightforward, but one question: Are you prepared to take responsibility for this little one?"
The scene he was acting was utterly ordinary, devoid of any real impact.
The heroine rushes a stray kitten she'd rescued to the clinic, and the vet gives his professional opinion.
Perfectly suited for a minor supporting role with scant lines—as long as it wasn't painfully awkward.
No need for special chemistry between the vet and the cat's rescuer.
'...Or so I thought.'
Despite the lackluster scene, Do-jun's portrayal brimmed with raw emotion.
Exactly as scripted: concern for the kitten, delivered calmly as a vet explaining the situation.
'This guy's a lock.'
When he'd first heard from Pida, his impression of Do-jun had been 'unlucky but decent idol material.' Nothing more.
Honestly, rumors of him and Park Min-ha both landing roles in a CBK drama had him expecting zero acting chops.
Just Pida pushing their guy, he'd figured.
But watching Do-jun now flipped all that on its head.
"Hold on! Not that—redo from episode 4, scene seven."
Seo Ji-hye's sudden demand shattered Lee Sung-hoon's focus.
Really?
That was one of the trickiest lines for 'veterinarian Lee Jung-woo,' who didn't have many to begin with.
The heroine's love interest shows up at the clinic, and the vet spars with him—especially over the guy's dismissive attitude toward animals, blending fury and pity.
Tough for a bad actor, but he'd thought editing and direction could cover it.
He's done well so far, but as a rookie with no experience, some awkwardness was inevitable here.
So Lee Sung-hoon had thought.
And then...
'...What the...?'
He felt like he'd been clubbed over the head again.
Of course, he wasn't the only one.