Chapter 367
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 367
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Identity
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The kids' nervousness was palpable as the audition time drew nearer. The number of children entering the waiting room began to dwindle. Kim Hanseok, who had been looking at his script, whispered to Seojun.
“Hyung. It's almost time to start. Do you think everyone's here?”
“Looks like it.”
Just then, the door opened.
“...Huh?”
Seojun and Kim Hanseok, who had turned their heads unconsciously, spotted a familiar face. They had thought all the kids from their school were in a different time slot, but apparently not. At the sight of his friend, Seojun smiled and spoke.
“Hey, Hawun.”
Kim Hawun, who was walking into the waiting room without much thought, turned his head at the familiar voice.
His eyes immediately locked onto the boy sitting next to Kim Hanseok, a first-year who had unintentionally become famous this second semester.
It was Seojun.
“Oh, hey. Seo…”
Surprised to see Seojun in the waiting room, Kim Hawun reflexively started to say his name, just as he would at school, but Kim Hanseok flailed beside him.
Oops.
Kim Hawun quickly corrected himself.
“Seo, Seo… Seoul is so complicated. I was almost late.”
“I know, right? I was almost late too.”
Seojun suppressed a laugh at the sight of Kim Hanseok and Kim Hawun talking as if this were their first time in Seoul, despite having been born and raised there. Glancing around to see if he'd been caught, Kim Hawun took a seat.
“Your audition was today?”
“Yeah. The other kids seem to be in a different time slot.”
Nodding at Seojun’s words, Kim Hawun leaned back in his chair.
“I thought you’d be auditioning separately… I don’t know why I always end up with you.”
“I know, right? It's a strange fate.”
Yeoul Arts Middle School practical exam numbers 274, Lee Seojun, and 275, Kim Hawun.
Mirinae Arts High School practical exam numbers 541, Kim Hawun, and 542, Lee Seojun.
Seojun and Kim Hawun, who had always been placed right before or after each other during practical exams, ended up in the same class this year.
“...Don't tell me you're right before me, are you?”
Kim Hawun, who had the experience of failing an exam after performing right after Seojun, asked with a hint of worry.
“What’s your number? I’m last.”
“Hmm. I guess that’s a relief, but…”
Seeing Kim Hawun’s ambiguous expression, Seojun glanced at his number tag and his eyes widened.
Strangely enough, Kim Hawun was scheduled right before Seojun.
“I think it’s random, but I have no idea why we always get this order.”
“Right?”
Seojun nodded in agreement with Kim Hawun.
* * *
“We will now begin the auditions.”
No one else entered after Kim Hawun, and the auditions began shortly after. The first child actor to be called left the waiting room under the collective gaze of the others. One by one, the kids in the waiting room headed to the audition hall.
“Actor Kim Hanseok.”
“Yes!”
Kim Hanseok shot up at the staff member, Lee Yoonju’s, call. He waved to Seojun and Kim Hawun and walked toward the audition room, his steps slightly tense.
As the children in the waiting room left one by one, the tension inside grew heavier. Kim Hawun’s gaze shifted to the side.
‘As expected…’
He works so hard.
Seojun’s script was filled with various analyses, the notes written cleanly with no signs of correction. Kim Hawun knew it was a fresh script, replacing one that had likely become messy with numerous analyses.
It was a side of Seojun’s effort he had never known before they attended the same school.
‘At first, I thought someone like Seojun wouldn't need to try so hard…’
But the Seojun he took classes with never rested on his laurels. He was constantly striving to deliver better, more brilliant performances. And he enjoyed the process. To Kim Hawun, the depth of his love for acting was both amazing and admirable.
Feeling the intense stare, Seojun turned to look at Kim Hawun. His expression seemed to ask, *What?* Kim Hawun just shook his head.
Seojun shrugged at his friend’s simple reaction and turned back to his script.
As Seojun mulled over each line, his eyes sparkled like stars.
* * *
[Kim Hawun]
His name, age, and a list of his previous works were written on a sheet of paper marked up with a pen. After a final glance at Kim Hawun’s application, Director Min Heekyung looked up.
There were no more applications after Kim Hawun’s.
“I guess that’s everyone.”
At Director Min Heekyung’s words, the cinematography director, art director, and casting director, who were also judging, began to stretch, rolling their shoulders and necks. Sitting and judging for so long had made their bodies stiff.
“The kids from Mirinae Arts High School who came yesterday were good, and the ones today are great too.”
“Right? They really stand out. I think they’ll look great on screen.”
The cinematography director nodded in agreement with the casting director. Director Min Heekyung and the art director also began discussing the child actors while looking at their photos.
Seeing that the auditions seemed to be completely over, the planning team leader, who occupied one of the judge's seats, quickly spoke up.
“Director, wait a moment. There’s still one person left.”
“Oh, really?”
“His application was set aside… I’ll go get it right now.”
The planning team leader stood up to retrieve the application, which had been stored separately in the office. As he headed for the door, Director Min Heekyung and the other directors blinked in confusion.
The planning team leader swung the door open.
“Oh?!”
He was startled by the two people standing right in front of the door.
“Uh… Team Leader?”
Lee Yoonju, who had been about to knock, jerked her hand back from the wide-open door. Seojun, who had been reaching for the brim of his cap to take it off, also widened his eyes at the door opening from the inside.
“...Are we too early?”
As Lee Yoonju asked with uncertain eyes, the planning team leader shook his head.
“No. It’s fine.”
The planning team leader smiled brightly at Seojun.
“It’s been a while, Actor Lee.”
“Yes. Have you been well, Team Leader?”
Having been interrupted before he could take off his hat, Seojun smiled brightly at the planning team leader, whom he hadn't seen since filming *Yeok (Reverse)*.
* * *
“Oh!?”
Director Min Heekyung, who had been talking with the cinematography director, turned her head at the sound of the planning team leader's voice.
Someone was standing in front of the visibly excited planning team leader. As the person touched the brim of their cap as if to remove it, then lowered their hand, Director Min Heekyung’s gaze was drawn as if mesmerized.
It was a black cap.
Her heart pounded.
“Who could that be?”
“If the team leader is bringing him in, there can only be one person, right?”
“Ah, that’s true.”
The directors’ conversation didn't reach Director Min Heekyung’s ears.
As if in a trance, Director Min Heekyung rose from her seat and walked toward the door.
The familiar silhouette in the black cap. The image she had pictured countless times from her own script.
“Why don’t you go in first and say hello to the directors…”
“Oh? You!”
Director Min Heekyung’s shout cut off the planning team leader. The seated directors, the Danhong staff, and the planning team leader all froze at her loud voice, a volume they had never heard from her before.
Seojun smiled brightly and greeted Director Min Heekyung.
“Hello, Director.”
Director.
She could never forget that voice, either.
Director Min Heekyung spoke, her face flushed with excitement.
“How did you get here? I didn't see your application… Ah, you’re not here to audition? Did you come with a friend? Have you seen my script? Probably not, right? I want to show you the script, do you have time?”
Overjoyed, Director Min Heekyung started rambling. It felt as if the boy might vanish like a mirage if she stopped talking for even a moment.
“Oh, right. Would it be okay to audition now? Team Leader, can he audition right now?”
Even though dozens of question marks were popping up over the heads of the directors, staff, and the planning team leader, Director Min Heekyung was too ecstatic to notice.
“I was worried I wouldn't be able to meet you. I didn't know your name, your contact number, or your school. I even thought maybe you wouldn't come because I revised the script so quickly. Actor Lee Seojun is auditioning too, but I’m sure you’ll do great. Ah, the script! You haven't seen the script!”
So lost in her excitement that she repeated herself, Director Min Heekyung excitedly grabbed a script from the table.
“I’ll give you some time, so please read this and let’s do an audition. I’m not just casting you on a whim, it's a proper audition, so it should be fine… Right, Team Leader?”
The planning team leader found himself nodding instinctively.
He had nodded, but he had no idea what was going on.
‘So, Director Min and Actor Lee know each other, but…’
From the sounds of it, Director Min Heekyung seemed to have no idea who Actor Lee Seojun was.
They know each other, but she doesn't know him?
‘...Is that even possible?’
????
Question marks filled the air, but Director Min Heekyung, who had finally met the boy she thought she’d never see again, was simply beaming.
Unsettled by Director Min Heekyung's behavior and questioning his own eyesight—which, if failing, might force him into a new line of work—the cinematography director whispered to the casting director.
“That is Seojun, right?”
“Yes, it is.”
Whether you looked from the right or the left, it was undoubtedly Actor Lee Seojun.
“Oh, right! I have to get your name and number this time. What’s your name?”
Director Min Heekyung asked with a radiant smile.
Seojun, who hadn't found a chance to jump into the rapid-fire conversation, blinked and then couldn't help but laugh. Director Min Heekyung seemed to be the type who fell for his ability completely.
Seojun took off his black cap, smoothed his slightly flattened hair, and looked at Director Min Heekyung.
Then, emitting a sparkling aura, he smiled brilliantly.
“It’s Lee Seojun.”
“...?”
From the moment Seojun started taking off his cap, Director Min Heekyung had stopped breathing.
It felt as if a blurry image was snapping into sharp focus. Her eyes and mouth opened as wide as they possibly could.
A face that was not just known, but familiar, was right there.
The script fell from the hands of the petrified Director Min Heekyung, the white pages scattering across the floor, just as they had during their first meeting by the Han River.
It was truly incomprehensible how she hadn't realized it until now. Superstar Lee Seojun, his entire being radiating presence, smiled sweetly.
“Hello, Director Min Heekyung. I am actor Lee Seojun.”
“...???”
Unable to process the situation, all Director Min Heekyung could do was let the question marks float above her head.
* * *
“Ughhhh…”
Director Min Heekyung let out a strange noise and buried her face in her hands.
She wanted to kick a blanket out of sheer embarrassment, but all she could do was hide her face. The tips of her ears, not covered by her hands, were bright red.
“Seojun, what happened?”
The cinematography director, who had worked with Seojun on *Yeok (Reverse)*, greeted him warmly before asking about the situation. Seojun scratched his cheek and explained.
“When there are a lot of people, I try my best to act like a normal student. I guess that’s why she didn’t recognize me.”
“Really?”
Despite Seojun’s explanation, no one seemed convinced.
No matter how much he acted like a student, even if you saw him from a passing KTX train, wasn't Lee Seojun still Lee Seojun?
“Still, we made eye contact a few times while we talked, so I thought she knew.”
They had met eyes several times during that conversation.
Feeling the gazes of others on her at Seojun's words, Director Min Heekyung spoke defensively from behind her hands.
“No, I mean, who would think a kid they randomly met by the Han River would be Actor Lee Seojun? He had no manager, and if he were a celebrity, people would have swarmed him, but no one around us seemed to care at all.”
That's why she thought he was a civilian.
Mentally kicking away one embarrassing memory after another, Director Min Heekyung finally managed to lower her hands. Her face was still flushed.
“From the outside, he just looked like a kind student picking up trash. He had a normal vibe. If the Lee Seojun who’s overflowing with presence like that was picking up trash, wouldn’t people have gathered? It would’ve been all over the news.”
At Director Min Heekyung’s words, everyone’s gaze turned to Seojun. Seeing him still shining with a sparkling aura, they couldn't help but nod.
“That’s true.”
Encouraged by their agreement, Director Min Heekyung said with a brighter face.
“So I just thought he was a handsome high school student. The thought of Lee Seojun didn't even cross my mind. Besides, the idea that ‘He's an unknown like me, we're in the same boat’ got stuck in my head, so I was speaking freely and couldn't think of anything else.”
“An unknown?”
“Ughhhhhh…”
Thud!
At the words she had just uttered, Director Min Heekyung finally slammed her forehead onto the desk.