Chapter 65
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Stepping onto the Stage
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The next day.
Seojun, who had rushed home from school and his academy, was warmly greeted by An Daho, who had arrived with an armful of scripts and synopses. He had sorted them simply by whether they were controversial or not, regardless of their box office potential.
"These are the ones we picked out."
"Okay. Thank you! But, Daho hyung."
"Hm?"
Seojun slowly recounted the conversation he'd had with his mom, dad, and Uncle Heesang the previous night. An Daho nodded, listening intently.
"So, I was thinking it might be good to use a stage name."
"A stage name?"
"Yes!"
An Daho scratched his cheek. He was impressed by how considerate Seojun was, thinking even of the other children who would be cast with him.
But, from a manager's perspective, it was a bit... An Daho, who had been carefully considering the problems and solutions, opened his mouth.
"It doesn't matter to us, but are you sure you want to do this, Seojun?"
"Yes!"
The actor wanted to do it. Seeing his actor's bright smile, a stark contrast to the dejected Seojun from the day before, An Daho grinned.
"Let's use your real name on the application. If you pass and start practicing, everyone will see your face anyway. The people in charge need to know."
"Oh, right. That's true."
"Should we fill out the application together now?"
"Yes!"
An Daho opened his laptop, and Seojun sat down next to him.
* * *
The children's play was being produced by the Eunhasu Center, which owned one of the largest theaters in Seoul. It was a pilot program for this year, aimed at nurturing child actors.
Perhaps because it was their first attempt, they accepted applications from all child actors, even those who had appeared on television or in films.
After the application deadline, the first round of document screening began. There was a flood of applications, likely because the number of children and parents aiming to become the 'next Lee Seojun' had increased.
The screening process, which had been proceeding smoothly thanks to staff from other teams being called in to help, was thrown into chaos by a single application.
The director, Park Jisu, clutched her head.
"Lee Seojun is applying, but for the voice-only role of the Blue Dragon, and he wants to use a stage name..."
"What should we do, Director?"
Director Park Jisu, who had been staring down at the application with a deep frown, looked up at the assistant director's question.
"First, let's have him audition. We're not trying to make money with this play; it's for the children. There's no reason actor Lee Seojun can't participate. Besides..."
Director Park Jisu glanced at the credits listed on the application.
Shadowman 1
The Evil Spirit
Shadowman 2
Re-investigation, cameo.
"With an actor of this caliber, the other children acting alongside him will surely learn something."
* * *
The audition day for the children's play [Spring] arrived. Seojun headed to the Eunhasu Center with An Daho.
Seojun climbed into his car seat and fastened the seatbelt himself. An Daho checked Seojun's car seat and belt, then got into the driver's seat.
Looking around the inside of the car that would serve as his transportation from now on, Seojun asked.
He couldn't help but admire its gleaming, polished appearance. It's nicer than our car!
"Daho hyung. Is this a new car?"
"Yeah. The CEO bought it for you, Seojun."
"Wow."
Seo Eunchan and the staff of Team 2 had all put their heads together to choose the sturdiest and safest car. The CEO had told them not to worry about the cost, so everyone had excitedly picked out the vehicle.
Even though they wouldn't be the ones riding in it, they felt a vicarious satisfaction just from laying out all the catalogs and choosing without any budget constraints.
"But how long do I have to sit in a car seat?"
"You're not 145 cm yet, are you, Seojun?"
"No."
"And your weight needs to be at least 36 kg to use the car's seatbelt. You've still got a ways to go, Seojun."
"I see."
By now, the car seat felt almost familiar. Seojun nodded, his feet dangling.
An Daho drove safely. Occasionally, other cars that tried to cut in due to his slow speed would be intimidated by the gleaming newness of Seojun's car and slow down instead.
Seojun's car soon arrived at the Eunhasu Center. Seojun sat quietly in his car seat until An Daho parked in the underground garage and opened the door.
"You can get out now."
"Okay!"
Only after An Daho's words did Seojun unbuckle his car seat and get out of the car. Although he could unbuckle himself and get out once the car stopped, his mom and dad always told him to wait until an adult said it was okay.
Seojun and An Daho took the elevator up to the first floor of the Eunhasu Center.
*Ding-dong—*
First floor.
"Not him again."
It was the final day of auditions for the children's play [Spring], and the day of the Blue Dragon role auditions.
The employees who had come to work had been constantly glancing at the elevator. Every time the *ding-dong* sounded, their heads would whip around like lightning.
When the doors opened to reveal a child and someone who looked like a guardian, they would crane their necks to get a look at the child.
If it was a girl with long hair, they quickly realized it wasn't him, but if it was a boy whose face wasn't clearly visible, they would keep staring.
When the staff member checking the children's names and handing out number tags shook her head, everyone returned to their work with disappointed expressions.
"Isn't it audition time?"
"Everyone's here except for him."
The news had leaked from somewhere, and everyone was waiting for someone. At the staff member's words, they all glared at the elevator.
Just then, the elevator descended to the underground parking garage.
He's here!
*Ding-dong, first floor.*
The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing a child and a guardian. The child's face was hidden by a baseball cap with a silver badge, pulled down low, but everyone guessed who it was.
The staff member in charge of checking people in hurried over.
"He looks more ordinary than I expected, doesn't he?"
"Yeah. Honestly, I thought Lee Seojun would have some kind of aura just standing there."
He did, before filming Shadowman 2.
"Actor Lee Seojun?"
"Yes."
A staff member helping with the auditions tried to hide her trembling as she checked his name off the list. Then she handed a number tag to Seojun.
"This is your audition number. When your number is called later, please come to the front."
"Okay. Thank you."
The staff member looked at An Daho and spoke. An Daho nodded.
"You can leave right after the audition is over. We'll announce the results later."
"Understood."
"The waiting area is this way."
The staff member guided An Daho and Seojun. Expecting a small waiting room, both of them tilted their heads in confusion at the large doors the staff member was leading them to.
The staff member opened the heavy, tightly shut doors. Beyond the wide-open doors, a large stage and a spacious auditorium came into view.
"The auditions will be held on the stage where the play will be performed. Please find a seat you like and wait, and the assistant director will call you."
"...On the stage?"
"Yes. The director said that since most applicants haven't been on a stage before, auditioning here without getting scared is part of the test. The role of the Blue Dragon is voice-only, but he'll be on stage, behind a prop, matching his breathing with the other actors."
At the staff member's explanation, An Daho and Seojun looked at the theater again. It made sense; if a child got stage fright with no audience, they wouldn't be able to stand on stage at all when the seats were full.
"Then please wait here for a moment."
After the staff member left, Seojun and An Daho found a place to sit. Dotted around the auditorium were other children and their guardians who had come for the audition.
There was a child on the verge of tears, looking fearfully between the stage and the audience seats while their guardian tried to comfort them. Another child was running around, simply excited by the large space, while their guardian stared at their phone. There was also a child diligently reading a script.
Seojun, wearing his black baseball cap, looked back and forth between the audience seats and the stage.
It was very different from the small theater where the Baram Troupe performed. The stage was wide and clean, and there were many more seats. There was also some distance between the stage and the audience.
'Hmm. This is very different from what I imagined.'
The stage Seojun had pictured was one that, while larger than the Baram Troupe's, was still small enough to feel the actors' gazes.
Noticing Seojun's subtle expression, An Daho asked.
"What, is there something you don't like?"
"No. The stage is just bigger than I expected. I thought it would be smaller than this."
At Seojun's words, the image of the Baram Troupe's small theater came to An Daho's mind.
"A small place like that theater?"
"Huh? How do you know, Daho hyung?"
An Daho smiled. As a fan of Seojun, he had gone to see the play as soon as the photos were released.
"I saw that play, too. But a place that small won't do."
"...It won't?"
Seojun tilted his head at An Daho's firm tone. He just wanted the audience to feel the actors' breathing a little more closely; was it really that big of a deal?
"A place where the audience and stage are that close is dangerous. Someone could rush the stage during the play, or people could throw things onto it."
"Are there people like that?"
Seojun's eyes widened. An Daho gave a bitter smile. He had only been in the entertainment industry for two years, but he had seen all sorts of things, good and bad.
"So, for safety, it's better for the audience and stage to have some distance between them."
"Okay."
Seojun, who had been looking at the space between the seats and the stage with a disappointed expression, looked up and asked.
"Then what about the hyungs and nunas from the Baram Troupe? Are they okay?"
"I haven't heard of any major accidents, but it seems there are minor incidents. Still, they're all adults over there, so they'll be fine, more so than you, Seojun."
"That's a relief."
Relieved, Seojun looked at An Daho. An Daho tilted his head.
"Hyung, how do you know all this so well?"
Whenever Seojun asked a question, he answered without a moment's hesitation. It was surprising that he knew so much, even about the current situation of the Baram Troupe. An Daho scratched his cheek.
"That's what managers do. We have to pay attention to the things actors can't. The Baram Troupe has a connection to you, Seojun, and they're still a hot topic, so I have to keep track."
At Cocoa Entertainment's Team 2, they were keeping a close watch on the Baram Troupe because they didn't know what might happen with their name being associated with Seojun's. Just today, An Daho had received a text on his phone: 'Baram, all clear!'
"I see."
Unaware of the situation at Cocoa Entertainment, Seojun simply nodded.
Just then, the lights in the auditorium went out. The stage lit up, and only the aisle leading to it remained dimly lit so as not to be dangerous.
[Good afternoon.]
A voice boomed through the theater. At the sound, the children who were running around and the one reading a script all looked up at the stage. A woman stood under a spotlight.
[I am Park Jisu, the director of the children's play, Spring.]
The woman bowed deeply. The sound of clapping filled the air. It was Seojun. Following his lead, others began to clap as well.
[We will now begin the auditions for the role of the Blue Dragon. When your number is called, please come stand here on this spot and perform.]
"Does the child have to go up alone?"
Director Park Jisu nodded in response to the guardian's question and said.
[Yes. Guardians, please remain in your seats. The applicant should come up alone and perform the lines from the script. Are there any more questions?]
The auditorium was silent. Director Park Jisu nodded, then walked down the steps and sat in the very front row.
Seojun craned his neck and saw other people sitting besides Director Park Jisu. They were probably the music director, lighting director, assistant director, and other staff.
[Alright, applicant number 1, please come up.]
At Director Park Jisu's words, the sound of sobbing came from somewhere.
"What's wrong with you?! You have to go up there!"
"I don't waaaant to! It's scary!!"
It was the child who had been intimidated by the large theater. He had looked anxious from the start and had finally burst into tears. The guardian tried to soothe him with a frantic expression, but the child wouldn't budge.
[Applicant number 1?]
"Just a moment! You said you wanted to be like Lee Seojun. Are you going to give up here?"
"Who said I wanted to be like Lee Seojun?! You did, Mom!"
The exchange between the child and the guardian echoed through the quiet theater.
At their words, Seojun and An Daho, who had done nothing wrong, flinched. The staff members who knew who was auditioning today also flinched.
"Dad's the same! I told you I didn't want to do iiiit!!"
In the end, the guardian took the wailing child and left the theater. Director Park Jisu sighed and picked up the microphone again.
[Applicant number 2.]
"I don't wanna do it either!"
The mischievous child who had been running all over the theater confidently dashed out.
Their guardians, as if they had expected it, repeatedly bowed in apology and followed the child out.
The staff inside, who had reached a state of enlightenment after three days of auditions, and the staff outside, all continued their work with practiced ease.
[Applicant number 3, please come up.]
Even at Director Park Jisu's call, no one came forward. It seemed this applicant had left without a word. The staff simply turned over the application without even shaking their heads.
Out of 10 applicants, only 6 children made it to the stage. Of those, only 3 had half-memorized their lines. And only one managed to act. Even that performance was thanks to their guardian's diligent verbal coaching.
Faced with the dismal situation, one of the judges spoke up.
"The Blue Dragon role. Why is it like this?"
"I know, right? The kids for the other roles were at least serious about it."
The applicants for the main role were all so serious that a fight nearly broke out between the guardians. There were even some actors it felt like a waste to let go.
"Because their face won't be shown. Who would want a voice-only role?"
The staff, recalling the script, were about to sigh when they saw the last application.
"Well, we have this one."
"That's right. As long as we have this actor, it's fine."
Director Park Jisu picked up the microphone.
The staff members who had been counting the number of children leaving the theater quietly opened the door and came inside, taking seats in the auditorium.
"Are we allowed to do this?"
"It's fine, it's fine. If not now, when else will we get to see Lee Seojun act in person?"
"Senior!"
"What?"
"Isn't that the CEO over there?"
At someone's words, everyone's head turned. The CEO of the Eunhasu Center, who had been contacted by the assistant director, was seen quietly entering the theater and taking a seat near the judges. After him, other high-ranking executives, rarely seen, also made an appearance.
While Seojun waited for Director Park Jisu to call his number, almost everyone who knew that actor Lee Seojun had applied showed up in the theater.
Unlike a moment ago when it was empty, the auditorium was now dotted with people. In contrast to the unfazed Seojun, An Daho, witnessing his actor's fame firsthand, couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
Director Park Jisu glanced around the audience, figured that everyone who was coming had arrived, and opened her mouth.
[Applicant number 11, please come up.]
Seojun took off his baseball cap, and An Daho neatened his hair. As An Daho's hand moved away, Seojun smiled brightly.
"Hyung! I'm off."
"Okay, Seojun. Do your best!"
"I will!"
Seojun looked like he was about to fly,
"Don't run!"
He was about to dash down the stairs but walked carefully at An Daho's words.
The assistant director attached a microphone to Seojun with slightly trembling hands. Everyone held their breath, watching Seojun's every move.
Seojun stood on the stage.
A single spotlight shot through the dark theater, illuminating only Seojun.
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