Chapter 366
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 366
Chapter Title: The Audition and the Successful Fan
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"Hello, Daho-hyung."
Seojun got into the car with a bright smile. An Daho, sitting in the driver's seat, smiled back in greeting.
"Welcome. Did you prepare well for the audition?"
"I worked hard."
As Seojun said this, An Daho's eyes fell on the tattered script in his hand. Since it was just a few pages for the audition, it looked even more crumpled. The manager, watching the diligent actor with a pleased expression, spoke up.
"It's been a while since your last audition, after the children's play 'Spring', right?"
"Yes."
Seojun nodded in response.
Seeing Seojun, who seemed a little excited about the audition, An Daho recalled the young Seojun who had commanded the stage with his acting.
The children's play 'Spring'.
It was the first project Seojun had done after An Daho became his manager. That's why the memory was so vivid and why he held such affection for it.
'He was eight years old then...'
"It's already been ten years."
Time had flown by so quickly.
Just as An Daho was wondering if his efforts over the past decade had been of any help, he heard Seojun's voice.
"It's only been ten years. Let's stay together for a long, long time, Daho-hyung."
At Seojun's words, An Daho smiled and passed him a few sheets of paper that had been on the passenger seat.
"Yeah, let's. Oh, take a look at this on the way."
Seojun took the papers from An Daho and settled into his seat. Since he was on his way to an audition now, it couldn't be the synopsis for a new project.
"What's this?"
"The top candidate for the light stick design contest. We picked it from the ones you chose."
"You've already picked the winner?"
"It was a unanimous decision, so it was easy. The problem now is how to actually make it. If the manufacturing technology isn't there, we'll have to modify the design, but we'll try our best to stick to the original."
The car started, slowly pulling out of the apartment parking lot.
Seojun chuckled at An Daho's words and turned the first page. He felt like he knew which one it was just by looking at the design.
Seojun spoke with a bright smile.
"I knew this one would win."
"Right? It had the most recommendations, so the fans will love it, and when it's not being used as a light stick, it can be used as a decoration, so it's very versatile. The basic model is a good idea, too. Plus, I've talked to some broadcasters and production companies about it, and they liked it as well."
Already talking to broadcasters and production companies—the Lee Seojun-dedicated Team 2 was incredibly efficient.
Seojun looked at the papers, impressed.
The unanimously chosen first-place light stick design was a post by a Sprout with the nickname 'IWantToBeASuccessfulFan'.
[I've gathered all of Seojun's can't-miss works!]
[Author: IWantToBeASuccessfulFan]
Fellow Sprouts, you must have thought the same thing while looking at the designs.
"Ah... if I only get one, I'll keep thinking about the others...!" I want the Naeuiwon snow globe, and the Over the Rainbow ticket(?)-globe too! Not to mention Jin Natra, and even baby Seojun!
None of Seojun's works can be left out!
So, I designed this.
The <Ta-da!!> Swappable Light Stick! <Bam!!>
You keep the handle and can swap out the figure on top with one from your favorite work! (Of course, I trust Cocoa Entertainment will handle the figure specifications, discussions, and design. Please, Cocoa :))
And since this is a light stick for Seojun and us Sprouts, we can't leave out the sprout!
I've also prepared a basic design for the light stick.
A square, transparent case.
In the center, there's a vibrant green sprout. It would be pretty if it lit up and sparkled.
That alone would be a bit plain, so we'll add a green sprout-ball(?). When you shake it, it'll look like sprouts are falling from the sky ㅎㅎ. And if you leave it still, it will look like a lush green meadow covered in sprouts.
And here's the key point!
There's a slot on one side of the square transparent case. It's a place to insert a photo! You can change it to any picture of Seojun from any work, anytime!
Let's all put in our favorite picture of Seojun and cheer him on together!
-Such a novel idea...!
-Buying figures for each work would cost a fortune, but I wholeheartedly support this design.
-The basic design is great too!
=All the popular designs were work-related, so as someone who loves being a Sprout (fan), I was a bit sad ㅠㅠ
-Putting in a picture of Seojun... I guess one light stick would be enough.
=22 As someone with an empty bank account, this is a really great light stick for me.
=333 I'm still a student and don't have much money, so I was feeling a bit down... but now I want to put in Seojun-oppa's profile picture!
Some of the comments were also printed out.
Reading the happy reactions of his beloved Sprouts made Seojun happy too.
"The permission comments are below that."
"Permission comments?"
As Seojun tilted his head, An Daho explained with a gentle smile.
"The fan who made the Naeuiwon snow globe, the one who made the Over the Rainbow snow globe... or was it a ticket-globe? Anyway, that fan, and others who made designs with a lot of recommendations, left comments giving us permission to use their designs."
"Wow..."
They were fans united by their love for Seojun. They had proudly given their permission, thrilled by the news that their designs could become an amazing light stick.
-If Cocoa doesn't make them, shall we make them ourselves!
=The fact that it's an exclamation point and not a question mark makes me feel like you've already got a plan in motionㅋㅋㅋ
=ㅋㅋㅋㅋ When are you going to start taking orders!
Recalling some of the comments that showed a strong intention to produce the items themselves if Cocoa Entertainment didn't, An Daho spoke.
"We're planning to draw up contracts with the Sprouts since we're using their designs. Plus, the copyrights for the works belong to the broadcasting and production companies, while the designs were created by the Sprouts, so there will be a lot to discuss."
Contracts.
The word made Seojun worry about his fans, who were just ordinary people.
"Please take good care of our Sprouts, Daho-hyung."
At Seojun's request, An Daho gave a warm smile.
* * *
At the film production company, Danhong.
After getting out of the car, An Daho spoke to Seojun, who was wearing a black cap.
"Seojun. Do you want to go in first? I have something to deliver upstairs."
"Okay, I will."
"Call me right away if anything happens."
Seojun parted ways with An Daho and started walking.
A piece of A4 paper had "Audition Hall" written on it, with an arrow. As Seojun headed in the direction of the arrow, he saw people heading out. They seemed to be the guardians of the child actors who had arrived earlier.
It seemed that since most of them were high school students, their guardians didn't stay with them until the end of the audition, unlike during 'Spring'.
'The audition room will only have the judges and one actor at a time, so they probably won't be able to watch directly like before.'
That was a bit of a shame.
Unlike the kids back then who were too frozen to go on stage or the ones who had cheerfully escaped early, most of the kids here were likely talented actors.
"My academy insisted I come."
"I was the one who insisted. It's a movie with Lee Seojun, right? How could we miss an opportunity like this?"
Hmm.
It seemed there were always kids, young and old, who were forced into auditions by their parents. Now, it looked like academies had been added to the mix.
Seojun shrugged and headed inside.
Lee Yunjoo, a staff member from Danhong who was guiding the child actors, spotted Seojun.
"Are you here for the audition?"
Seojun smiled and replied to Yunjoo's question.
"Yes."
"Name?"
Yunjoo lowered her gaze to the audition participant list, which was sparsely checked off.
She was checking the list in case someone who had been rejected in the document screening or someone who had snuck in after hearing Lee Seojun was participating showed up.
"Lee Seojun."
"Yes. Lee Seo... Lee Seojun?"
Yunjoo, who had been repeating the name unconsciously, looked at Seojun in surprise. Seojun, wearing a black cap, smiled gently.
"...!"
The mouth of Lee Yunjoo, the user behind the nickname 'IWantToBeASuccessfulFan' and creator of the top-ranked light stick design, dropped open.
It was Lee Seojun.
The real Lee Seojun.
She was so shocked her heart felt like it would stop.
She now understood why there were so few witness accounts of seeing Lee Seojun. Even seeing him up close, he just looked like a regular student until he said his name. If she had seen him on the street, she would have walked right past him.
'No. I might have already walked past him without knowing.'
Frozen for a moment, Yunjoo stammered.
"A-Actor Lee Seojun, what are you doing here... Ah! You're here for the audition today! J-Just a moment. So..."
There was something she was supposed to say when Actor Lee Seojun arrived...!
Yunjoo, who seemed to have malfunctioned for a moment, spoke as if something had just occurred to her.
"Ah! Would you like to wait here? Or we've prepared a separate waiting room, would you like to go there?"
"I'll wait here."
When Seojun replied with a gentle smile, Yunjoo blinked blankly.
'Why are his eyelashes so long, why is his skin so good, and why are his features so sharp...!'
Seeing Lee Seojun in person, he was even more handsome than on screen, and her heart was pounding. Every second was precious, but she was too flustered to look at him properly.
With a flushed face, Yunjoo quickly looked down at the list to check off Seojun's name. She was about to pull out a number tag when her hand paused.
'Seojun had a specific order...'
The planning team leader had set a specific order, but meeting Seojun in person had made her mind go blank, and she had forgotten.
Seeing Yunjoo's frozen posture, Seojun tilted his head.
"Ah!"
Yunjoo finally remembered that Seojun was scheduled to audition last and pulled out the last number tag.
Trying to hide her racing heart, Yunjoo handed the number tag to Seojun with a slightly trembling hand.
"Yo-Your turn is last, so please wait comfortably."
"Yes, thank you."
It was a brief encounter, but having met her star, Yunjoo headed toward a newly arrived child actor with a look of slight disappointment mixed with excitement.
She'd have to change her nickname. From 'IWantToBeASuccessfulFan' to 'BecameASuccessfulFan'.
* * *
After receiving his number, Seojun entered the waiting room, found an empty seat, and looked around.
It seemed like an office that had been converted into a waiting room. With the weather getting colder, there were warm drinks and individually wrapped snacks available.
The child actors who had arrived earlier all seemed too nervous to even touch the drinks or snacks.
The child actors who passed the initial document screening had been given an audition script. It wasn't the script for [Working Title: Journey] that Danhong had sent Seojun, but a revised version of the script he had picked up by the Han River like a hamster gathering sunflower seeds.
The script included lines not only for the main character but also for other characters who appeared alongside him.
Some had come aiming for supporting roles from the start, while others had prepared for both the lead and supporting roles. Whatever their goal, everyone was focused on the scripts in their hands. The sound of mumbling lines could be heard.
A heavy tension filled the waiting room. A child actor who had come thinking he would easily get an extra role gulped, sat down, and pulled out his script.
The tension made Seojun feel a sense of excitement as he opened the script he had prepared. He had practiced in the practice room, but he went over the performance in his head once more.
"Ugh!"
A strange sound was heard.
Seojun's and the other kids' gazes turned toward the door. It was the sound Kim Hanseok had made upon entering the waiting room and spotting Seojun in his black cap. It seemed he had gotten quite used to his ability.
When their eyes met, Seojun gave a small smile. Kim Hanseok, who had been pouting, noticed the other kids' stares and apologized, "I'm sorry."
Once the atmosphere settled, Kim Hanseok quickly sat down next to Seojun.
"Hyung, you're auditioning in this time slot too?"
"Yeah. You too?"
"Yes. I was so surprised. I thought you'd have a separate audition, so I never expected to see you here."
Kim Hanseok carefully glanced around, checking if anyone in the waiting room had recognized Seojun.
Thankfully, no one seemed to have noticed. As the audition time drew closer, the atmosphere had become a bit chaotic as kids from the same acting academy or school, like Kim Hanseok, entered and greeted people they knew.
"But it looks like we're the only students from our school in this time slot."
"Seems so."
Seojun nodded at Kim Hanseok's words.
He had heard that many had applied, but it seemed they were all grouped in different time slots.
Kim Hanseok let out a sigh of relief.
An audition full of students from Mirinae Arts High School.
'That must have been intense.'
Feeling relieved to be auditioning today, Kim Hanseok's eyes fell on Seojun, who was looking at his script.
Feeling the intense stare, Seojun turned his head. Kim Hanseok was looking at him with a peculiar expression. Seojun raised his hands and touched his cheeks.
"Is there something on my face? Why are you staring?"
"I don't know whether to be happy that all the other seniors are in the earlier slots or sad that I'm in the same slot as you, hyung."
Seojun couldn't help but chuckle at Kim Hanseok's words.
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