Chapter 369
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 369
Chapter Title: Audition Results and a Sudden Start
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0-Year-Old Superstar Chapter 369
Late evening.
In a conference room at the film production company, Danhong.
“There’s no need to even discuss the protagonist.”
At Director Min Heekyung’s words, everyone nodded.
The directors who had judged the auditions stayed late to finalize the casting. With eyes faintly tinged with red, Director Min Heekyung looked at the pile of applications on the desk.
“Shall we decide on the next role, then?”
The directors seated around the table rustled through the applications they had marked. Various names were mentioned. Kim Jukyung, Yang Juhee, Jeon Sungmin… There were so many talented child actors that choosing among them was difficult.
“We don’t even see rookie actors this good these days… I wish they’d all grow up quickly.”
A casting director, whose job was to travel around finding new, talented actors who fit various productions and roles, gazed at a stack of applications she had set aside, her eyes dripping with admiration.
They were the applications of child actors who hadn’t been chosen for *[Tentative Title: Journey]* but had caught the casting director’s eye.
“The number of productions has increased, but the pool of talented actors is more or less the same. They’re so familiar that their images are typecast… If new faces like these emerge, our options will broaden.”
The casting director smiled brightly.
“I’d love to take a copy, but… I can’t, can I?”
“No. It contains personal information.”
At the planning team leader’s response, the casting director shrugged and quickly jotted down the actors’ names, characteristics, and acting skills in her phone’s notepad. As long as they continued acting, she could find them with just their names and faces.
‘You never know what might come of a brief encounter like this.’
Meanwhile, the meeting continued.
* * *
Monday, after the weekend of the *[Tentative Title: Journey]* auditions.
With the protagonist confirmed, the film production company Danhong was bustling from early morning.
“Send the contract to Cocoa Entertainment.”
“Yes!”
Danhong’s first order of business was to secure the indispensable lead actor.
Although they had discussed various things with his manager, assuming with 99.999% certainty that it would be Lee Seojun, a formal contract had yet to be signed.
“And contact the actors who passed the audition.”
“Got it!”
The auditions were just yesterday, but Danhong moved swiftly. The employees were also working more quickly than usual.
The planning team leader checked the weather on his phone.
It was now mid-October.
“Filming will be tough once it gets colder.”
They needed to start shooting before the weather turned any colder. Thinking of the hardship the staff and actors would endure, the planning team leader’s face filled with regret, wishing they had received the script earlier.
“Team Leader! Should I contact Plus+?”
The planning team leader, who hadn't taken his eyes off the weather forecast, looked up at his employee's question.
‘It can’t be helped.’
The planning team leader had also seen the pre-revision script. It would have been difficult to cast Lee Seojun with that.
‘He read that script by the Han River. If he’d liked it, we would have started filming already.’
If it were a script brought by Lee Seojun himself, plenty of production companies would have rolled up their sleeves to support it, and he had a solid investor in Plus+. But then, Danhong might not have been the one to produce it.
Having thought that far, the planning team leader of Danhong set aside his regrets and spoke.
“Yes. Contact them right away and set up a meeting.”
“Okay!”
There was still much to do.
“Location scouting has begun!”
As the temporary title *Journey* suggested, the movie had many outdoor scenes.
Securing filming locations was more important than ever. Not only did the on-screen backgrounds need to match the work, but the locations also had to be manageable to prevent disruptions during filming.
‘Especially since the actor is Lee Seojun.’
His mind went blank just imagining the crowds that would gather. They would have to be more careful than with any other outdoor shoot. The planning team leader, thinking he needed to talk with Cocoa Entertainment, asked.
“What about actor Kim Jongho?”
From the moment Seojun announced he would participate in the audition, Danhong had shortlisted several actors suitable for roles in *[Journey]*. Among them was the role of the protagonist’s father, and the planning team had unanimously chosen actor Kim Jongho.
“It has to be Kim Jongho!”
“His image from *The Survivors* still lingers, but that’s not a major issue.”
It might have been different if the father and son had a bad relationship, but in *[Journey]*, just like in *The Survivors*, their bond was strong. In fact, the family-like image from *The Survivors* could even be beneficial for *[Journey]*.
“To survive all that hardship only to be told he’s terminally ill…!”
Seeing the teary-eyed staff, Kim Jongho became the number one candidate.
At the planning team leader’s question, the employee holding the phone answered with a disappointed look.
“He’s currently filming a movie.”
“A movie? I haven’t seen any news about it.”
The planning team leader, who had naturally assumed Kim Jongho would take the role, widened his eyes.
“They said the press release was scheduled for today. It seems his casting was decided abruptly. They sounded disappointed too.”
We’re really disappointed over here too.
The planning team leader pressed his forehead.
“If not Kim Jongho, then who do we cast?”
“I know, right?”
They had hit an unexpected wall. The planning team leader scratched his head vigorously and mentioned other candidates with a look full of regret. The employees’ hands moved quickly.
Just then, the office door burst open.
The employee who entered had a flustered expression.
“Team Leader! Someone from Plus+ is here.”
The planning team leader blinked and glanced at the clock. The minute hand had barely made a full circle.
“…Didn’t we just call them?”
Hasn’t it been less than an hour?
He even wondered if they had been waiting right outside the company building.
* * *
Mirinae Arts High School was abuzz on Monday morning.
It was because of the acting department students who had auditioned over the weekend. The same was true for Class 2-1 of the acting department.
“Did the audition go well?”
Jeon Sungmin answered Yang Juhee’s question.
“So-so? I was aiming for the lead, but they had me read for another part too. Good thing I prepared for other roles. What about you?”
“I was going for a supporting role from the start. I think I did as much as I could. What about you, Seojun?”
“Hmm. I did my best.”
At Seojun’s words, the kids all nodded in unison.
Lee Seojun’s ‘best.’
To his friends who had taken acting classes with him until now, it was the most terrifying phrase.
‘He really works way too hard.’
They had tried practicing with Seojun, thinking it might improve their acting, but it was so intense that they had thrown in the towel.
“You must have done well, then.”
“You must have done amazingly well.”
Seojun smiled at his friends’ words and then asked.
“When do you think the audition results will be out?”
“I don’t know. Usually within a week…”
“I once waited two weeks.”
“Did you pass?”
“Nope.”
At Jeon Sungmin’s reply, the kids fell silent and averted their eyes. Jeon Sungmin shrugged and said.
“Well, it’s not like it’s the first or second time failing an audition.”
“True. There are so many child actors.”
“I heard there were even fewer back in the day.”
Having quickly recovered, the kids started chatting noisily again.
“It feels weird waiting for audition results with Seojun.”
“Right?”
“Of course, he’ll pass. But hey, when did you audition? I asked the others, and no one said they saw you.”
Seojun answered Yang Juhee’s question.
“I was in the last time slot. I auditioned with Hawoon.”
“Wow. You met again?”
Since entering Mirinae Arts High School, they had all shared stories about their practical exams, so the kids knew about Seojun and Kim Hawoon. Kim Hawoon, who was wrestling with his math homework, looked up as his name was called.
“Did you call me?”
“You auditioned in the same time slot as Seojun?”
“Yeah. And Kim Hanseok from the first year? He was there too.”
After saying that, Kim Hawoon turned his attention back to his math homework. Kim Jukyung’s eyes wavered as she watched Kim Hawoon’s pen move frantically.
“…There was homework?”
At Kim Jukyung’s question, surprise filled the faces of Seojun and the other kids.
“…Yeah. You didn’t do it?”
“I must have forgotten!”
Horrified, Kim Jukyung quickly returned to her seat.
Seojun and his two friends looked at Kim Jukyung and Kim Hawoon with pity before turning their gazes to the clock. There wasn’t much time left before their first period, math class.
* * *
“Amazing. Kim Jukyung. Kim Hawoon.”
Seojun and the other kids applauded.
Having survived math class, Kim Jukyung collapsed onto her desk. Kim Hawoon was in a similar state. Seojun and the others burst out laughing at the sight of the two soul-drained kids.
“Second period is English, right?”
“English right after math… This schedule is insane.”
As Seojun placed his English textbook on his desk, a scream-like sound came from somewhere. The startled kids turned to look. A classmate was staring at their phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“…The audition… results are out.”
“…What? Already?!”
In an instant, the classroom became noisy. Everyone was busy turning on the phones they had switched off for class.
“We auditioned yesterday, and the results are out today?”
“The lead is obviously Seojun, but this fast for the other roles too?”
“Argh. I have to look, but I don’t want to!”
The news seemed to have reached Class 2 as well, as the classroom next door also grew loud. Soon, the first and third years would likely be in an uproar too.
Seojun also took out his phone. A text from Daho Hyung had arrived.
>An Daho: Passed the [Tentative Title: Journey] audition!
>An Daho: Congratulations!
>An Daho: They said they’ve notified the other actors who passed too.
>An Daho: Are any of your friends among them?
Passed the audition.
The feeling from those words was a little different from when he had been accepted into the school. He felt a thrill, as if he were a rookie actor who had just been cast in his first project.
Yang Juhee asked Seojun, whose eyes were glued to his phone.
“Did you pass?”
“Yeah.”
As Seojun nodded with a gentle smile, Yang Juhee and Jeon Sungmin beamed.
“Congratulations!”
“Congrats. This is the first time I’m congratulating you for passing an audition.”
“I know, right? You’re always just cast.”
“It seems like you won’t have many auditions in the future either, so should we throw a congratulatory party?”
At Jeon Sungmin’s words, Seojun smiled, looking a bit shy. Kim Jukyung, who had been dazed by his friends’ conversation, which sounded like they were genuinely planning a party, snapped back to reality.
Where there are actors who pass, there are also those who fail.
The majority of the students received rejection notices.
“I didn’t make it.”
“Me neither. Is Seojun the only one from our class?”
At the news of Seojun’s acceptance and the others’ rejections, Kim Hawoon, who had been sprawled on his desk, hesitantly picked up his phone. He wanted to look, but at the same time, he didn’t. After a moment of hesitation, upon hearing that Kim Jukyung had failed, Kim Hawoon took a deep breath and turned on his phone.
[This is Danhong Film Production.]
As he read the text that started with those words, Kim Hawoon’s eyes widened. He felt his breath catch in his throat. Noticing Kim Hawoon had frozen, the other kids slowly crept up behind him. And they saw the text message.
The kids shouted in surprise.
“Kim Hawoon passed!”
“Ooooh!!”
Amidst the boisterous atmosphere of Class 2-1, the English teacher standing at the classroom door scratched his cheek.
“The first-year teacher said the same thing… Why does this only happen during English class?”
As the English teacher entered the classroom, the second-year students scattered to their seats like a startled flock of sparrows.
* * *
As Seojun was leaving the cafeteria after lunch, Kim Hanseok ran up to him with a bright smile. Seeing him, Seojun’s friends waved to the two of them and headed to the school store.
“Hyung! I passed!”
“Congratulations.”
Seojun smiled warmly and congratulated Kim Hanseok.
“Ah, congratulations to you too, Hyung! I just got the script and looked at it. I thought it was a short appearance, but it seems like a pretty long role. The character I’m playing is Kwon Yoonchan, and he’s the same age as your character! I get to speak informally to you, Hyung!”
Kim Hanseok chuckled, and Seojun laughed along with him.
Just then, Kim Hanseok’s and Seojun’s phones rang simultaneously. The two made eye contact, tilted their heads in curiosity, and took out their phones.
>An Daho: Seojun.
>An Daho: They want to do the first shoot this Friday.
>An Daho: Can you do it?
>An Daho: [Script_First_Shoot.hwp]
Seojun blinked as he read the text, then tapped on the script file. He quickly read through it, recalling the plot of *[Tentative Title: Journey]*.
“Hmm. Hanseok, what was the name of your character again?”
“Kwon Yoonchan… sir…”
Kim Hanseok’s gaze was also fixed on his phone. It seemed his agency had sent a message with the same content as An Daho’s.
Soon, Kim Hanseok looked up. His bright face had instantly darkened.
“Hyung. What should I do? I don’t think I can analyze the character by Friday…”
“I know. It’s the scene where the two first meet… We need to analyze it properly before filming.”
There was a risk that the tone of his acting in the hastily analyzed first part wouldn’t match the properly analyzed later parts.
Seeing the serious expressions on their faces, the friends who were returning from the school store with arms full of snacks for the ‘Lee Seojun Audition Pass Congratulatory Party’ tilted their heads in confusion.
Seojun stroked his chin.
He had received the script in advance and could analyze characters quickly.
‘If I’m really short on time, I can always use the Library of Life.’
But Kim Hanseok had just received the script and wasn’t skilled enough to analyze a character as quickly as he could. Looking at Kim Hanseok’s shadowed face, Seojun thought for a moment before speaking.
“Hanseok.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to come over to my house after school and practice together?”
At Seojun’s words, Kim Hanseok’s eyes widened, and then, understanding Seojun’s offer, he nodded his head repeatedly. Practicing acting with Seojun Hyung!
“Yes! I’ll do it! I want to!”
Seeing Kim Hanseok’s enthusiasm, Seojun smiled warmly and said.
“We don’t have much time, so it’ll be a little tough, but let’s work hard.”
“Yes!”
The brightly smiling Kim Hanseok was completely oblivious to the horrified looks of the second-year seniors, who were so shocked they nearly dropped the snacks they were holding.