A Head Above the Rest (4)
Han Taeseong studied Kang Jaeha in silence. An expressionless face. Indifferent, or perhaps simply unruffled. At a glance, he might even have seemed soulless.
That sharpness in his eyes is still there.
They were still the eyes of a predator. More than that, even with the head of Leon standing before him out of nowhere, Jaeha showed no sign of surprise. He only met the intrusion with calm, level words.
"Should I be surprised?"
Han Taeseong gave a faint smile and shook his head.
"No. There's no need for that."
"Yes."
"Did you perhaps expect me to come?"
"No."
Kang Jaeha answered only with yes or no. That was what drew Han Taeseong in. Jaeha's composed reaction. His unruffled reply.
Either he's always prepared, or this sort of thing simply isn't enough to surprise him.
There were people like that sometimes, people whose lives had been so tumultuous that they no longer showed much emotion in the face of ordinary events. Han Taeseong was one of them himself, and he suspected Kang Jaeha belonged to the same breed. That was why there was a scent in those eyes, something like the smell of a man who had repeatedly crossed the line of death.
In that moment, Han Taeseong's assessment of Kang Jaeha rose another notch.
At the same time, "Huh, Han Taeseong?"
"W-what? Han Taeseong, the president?"
Jeong Taewoo, the CEO of Munbak Film, and Kwon Seongmin, seated in the judges' section, gaped openly. It was only natural they were shocked. They had never dreamed that Han Taeseong himself would appear at this audition. Jeong Taewoo in particular looked deeply shaken, and thrilled besides.
Han Taeseong was a self-made legend in the industry, and for Jeong Taewoo he was a model to be admired.
Kwon Seongmin, pushing his glasses back up, was equally wide-eyed, though less dramatically so.
Whoa. So that's Han Taeseong. He looks incredibly cool... He could probably be an actor.
It was his first time seeing Han Taeseong in person, after hearing about him only through rumors.
Lee Chanhoo, by contrast, narrowed his eyes a little further.
Hmm. So that's Han Taeseong. He’s built pretty well, huh?
He didn't react much. He knew Han Taeseong too, but like Jaeha, he had too much experience for this to rattle him. Most of it stained red.
By then, Han Taeseong had already strolled past Jaeha with leisurely steps and extended a hand to the frozen Kwon Seongmin.
"Kwon Seongmin, the director of Gyeollo?"
"...Pardon? Ah! Yes!"
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Han Taeseong from Leon Entertainment."
"Ah, h-hello!"
Kwon Seongmin snapped upright like a new recruit and gripped Han Taeseong's hand. Han Taeseong then exchanged handshakes with Jeong Taewoo and Lee Chanhoo in turn. For the record, the handshake with Lee Chanhoo lasted a little longer. Han Taeseong had caught a similar scent from him that he had from Jaeha.
Different color from Kang Jaeha, but somehow the same kind of eyes.
Han Taeseong let go of his hand and asked,
"What role do you handle in Gyeollo?"
Lee Chanhoo shrugged and gave a rough answer.
"Ah, I'm just a person involved with it."
"Involved."
"Yes."
Neither Kwon Seongmin nor Jeong Taewoo, who had been watching the mood carefully, bothered to mention that Lee Chanhoo was the investor. Han Taeseong then looked away from him and smiled at Kwon Seongmin.
"We're here for Leon's actresses' audition, so would it be all right if I watch as well?"
At the relaxed but dignified request, Kwon Seongmin flapped a little and nodded.
"O-of course! The managers who came with you will be watching too, anyway."
"That's a relief."
When Han Taeseong turned, his eyes fell on the two actresses: Yoon Dayeon and An Jihee. Yoon Dayeon had been startled at first, but now her face was stiff. An Jihee looked as though she still couldn't quite recover.
The first to speak was, as expected, Yoon Dayeon.
"...It's been a while, President."
"Has it?"
"I haven't seen you since I went to Team Four."
Han Taeseong looked at Yoon Dayeon for a moment without answering, then tapped her shoulder.
"Do well at the audition."
After that, his gaze moved to An Jihee.
"An Jihee?"
"Y-yes! Hello, President!"
"I'm looking forward to it."
Behind them, Kang Jaeha didn't say anything. He simply watched Han Taeseong. By contrast, Kim Daeyong, who had come with him, was so completely overwhelmed that even his body seemed to be made of nerves. Stammering, he whispered to Jaeha.
"W-what is this situation? No, why is the president here...? Did you hear something, Jaeha?"
"No."
"I-I don't get it. My brain's frozen. We should probably tell Team Leader, right? Or not?"
"Not really. We can just stay here."
Jaeha answered at an even pace, but inwardly he gave a quiet laugh.
So he did pry into Gyeollo in one way or another.
In truth, Jaeha had expected Han Taeseong to show up eventually, which was why he had hidden the Busan International Film Festival and carried the project forward in secret. Still, Han Taeseong had appeared a little earlier than expected.
He must have been curious. He probably also knows that Gyeollo was pulled out through Leon's competition.
Han Taeseong would have already pieced together most of what there was to know about Gyeollo from Kwon Seongmin's name, the audition venue, the time, and the rest. It was only natural now that the film had started drawing attention. But that wasn't a variable. Nothing major would change.
He'll keep watching for now. From the sidelines.
All he would do, for the moment, was keep Jaeha and the others in view and see how they handled things. The chance that Han Taeseong would actively interfere was low.
Soon after, Han Taeseong lowered himself onto a folding chair at the back of the audition room and crossed his legs. Then he motioned to Kang Jaeha and Kim Daeyong.
"Everyone, sit."
Not long after, the audition room, which had been stirred up by Han Taeseong's sudden appearance, settled down somewhat. Kwon Seongmin, Jeong Taewoo, and Lee Chanhoo sat in a row at the judges' table, while Kang Jaeha, Han Taeseong, and the others took the folding chairs in back.
The first to step up before the judges was Yoon Dayeon.
Her turn would come after, and An Jihee was sitting behind Kang Jaeha with her eyes closed, in the middle of intense self-control.
Calm down. Just think about the acting I prepared. Yes, that's all I need to think about. The president is... right, he's just an old man. An old man.
Just as Han Taeseong had been demoted to an old man in her mind, Kwon Seongmin cleared his throat and asked if he had anything to say before seeing Yoon Dayeon's free performance.
"Yoon Dayeon-ssi."
He glanced down at her profile as he spoke again, clearing his throat awkwardly.
"We'll be watching your acting first, so... Yoon Dayeon-ssi. You've probably read the synopsis and script for Gyeollo that we sent you, so you came here thinking about the lead role, right?"
Even if Yoon Dayeon had become a has-been, she still had name value from the past, so the assumption was that she would be aiming for the lead. But it was wrong.
"No."
Yoon Dayeon's answer came without the slightest hesitation.
"I'm thinking about the role of Junghee."
Kwon Seongmin and Jeong Taewoo's eyes flew wide open. Fair enough.
"...Junghee?"
"Yes."
"Th-that would be a supporting role."
"Yes. I know."
The role of Junghee was openly a supporting part. At that, Han Taeseong's smile deepened a little.
Yoon Dayeon wanting a supporting role? In a short film, no less. That's unexpected.
He glanced at Kang Jaeha, who was seated to his right.
This wasn't her decision from the start. Jaeha was the one who touched it, obviously.
How was he managing Yoon Dayeon, who was known as a "crazy psycho"? How had he gotten that proud woman to volunteer for a supporting role in a short film? Han Taeseong felt a faint flicker of curiosity, but set it aside for the moment. Kwon Seongmin, eyes still wide, asked Yoon Dayeon,
"A supporting role, no, the role of Junghee... Is there a reason you chose it? As you know, the part isn't very large."
Again, Yoon Dayeon's answer came quickly.
"Just because. I liked Junghee the most. In a reality that's like hell, she looks like someone worn out by it, as though emptiness has become the whole of her life, and that acceptance of it feels pitiful, almost monstrous."
"......"
"Putting the screen time aside, Junghee keeps catching my eye. She feels kind of like me, too. It's not that I don't care about the amount of lines, but our manager, Kang Jaeha, recommended it as well."
Kwon Seongmin, now serious, felt his heart pound. Yoon Dayeon had read Junghee clearly; the image of the role was right there in front of her. The key was that image of someone who seemed to have become a veteran of hellish life or hellish routine.
"...Understood. Thank you. Then let's see the free performance you prepared."
"Yes."
Yoon Dayeon let out a short breath and glanced back. Not at Han Taeseong, but at Kang Jaeha. A look that said she'd do well, so watch.
She closed her eyes and slowly opened them again.
"Unni."
She called softly, with an expression that seemed to know no answer would come.
"You always said that if a person didn't give up, the chance would come someday. But now I've forgotten what a chance even is."
Yoon Dayeon's lips lifted just a fraction before quickly falling apart again.
"It's strange. I start each day anew, every single day, and yet why does reality keep repeating itself? Still, it's fine."
She laughed. No, it wasn't even laughter so much as the face of someone letting out a breath.
"I know what I have to do. I won't stop. Still... still, at times like this, I miss you, Unni."
As Yoon Dayeon tied back her long straight hair again, the tips of her fingers trembled slightly. Of course, it was all part of the acting she had planned. Bit by bit, Kwon Seongmin was being pulled into it.
...She's good. I'm not even at the level where I should be judging this.
Jeong Taewoo was impressed as well. Lee Chanhoo had already fallen completely under Yoon Dayeon's spell, muttering things like Damn, oh- to himself.
The smile was gone from Han Taeseong's face as he sat with his arms folded.
Yoon Dayeon was always good at acting. The emotional side feels even richer now.
But she had already lost the glory of her past. She was treated like a nobody. Bad luck, poor timing, and a dozen other reasons had all shoved her into the category of a has-been. No matter how well she acted, no matter how pretty she was, the entertainment industry wasn't a place where everything went right for everyone.
For a brief moment, Han Taeseong thought back on the past.
Yoon Dayeon. Where had it first gone wrong?
Regardless, Yoon Dayeon kept pouring herself into the free performance. No, she didn't even seem aware that she was pouring herself into it. She had become so immersed in the role that she had forgotten she was in an audition. She was flying.
This is good. I do want to keep acting.
It was only a short film audition, but Yoon Dayeon liked the version of herself that acted. By now, whether Gyeollo was a short film or whether she was playing a supporting role in it didn't matter much anymore.
She was thirsty. Thirsty for acting.
For more roles, for more variety, for more work. Opportunities that had never been given to her because of her background until now. At that moment, Kang Jaeha's indifferent face flickered through her mind.
He pisses me off, but why do I want to trust him?
If she followed behind him, it felt as though a new road would open, one that hadn't existed before. And wasn't that already happening now? By then, Kim Daeyong's eyes were growing red. He was probably moved. Moved by the sight of Yoon Dayeon like this.
As time passed, Yoon Dayeon's acting grew deeper, and a smile hovered at the corner of Han Taeseong's mouth.
He looked at Kang Jaeha, who had his chin propped on one hand.
Impressive. He made Yoon Dayeon that desperate. He must have dragged her back to the beginning as an actress. Back to the floor.
Not long after, Yoon Dayeon brought her free performance to an end.
"That's everything I prepared."
The audition room fell quiet for a moment. The ticking of the clock was so clear it seemed to ring out. The one who broke that silence first was Kwon Seongmin, whose eyes were full of different emotions.
"Ah... th-thank you. I was completely pulled in."
Then he made a decision no one had expected.
"And I want to decide right away. The role of Junghee will go to Yoon Dayeon-ssi. No, please take it."
He had handed her the part on the spot, right there in the room. Normally there would have been a meeting after the audition and individual contact later, but Kwon Seongmin's face was unusually firm. There was no opening left for the decision to change.
Jeong Taewoo, a little startled, still...
"......"
...looked at Kwon Seongmin and nodded as if to acknowledge it. Casting itself was the director's prerogative. Lee Chanhoo, recalling Jaeha's words that "the more decisions pile up, the more responsibility piles up, and the more you commit," was satisfied too.
So even Kwon Seongmin is growing, huh. Maybe because he has talent. Either way, things are moving the way the boss wants. Whether it's the people or the situation.
Then Yoon Dayeon, staring openly at Kwon Seongmin, asked bluntly,
"So I passed?"
Pushing his glasses up, Kwon Seongmin finally looked a little self-conscious. Even his firm expression loosened a bit.
"Yes. We would really appreciate it if you'd take the role."
"I will. Junghee."
At that moment, the front of Kang Jaeha's vision, where he was propping his chin and watching Yoon Dayeon, rippled. A sense of familiarity surged up. In an instant, another scene came into view.
It was a déjà vu, and the lead was Yoon Dayeon.
『A fairly spacious room. Movie posters covered the walls. Two people sat facing each other. One was Yoon Dayeon, her long hair hanging loose. The one looking at her was a man with a gentle smile.
"Dayeon-ssi, it's been quite a while."
"Yes, Director. The last time we met was at Blue Dragon, about seven or eight years ago."
The man called the director had a generally gaunt look and wore round glasses. He handed Yoon Dayeon a stack of papers.
"The reason I asked to see you isn't anything else. I wanted to show you my script."
"Director... really?"
"Mm. I had already decided when I saw Gyeollo. There's a role I want to give you."
Yoon Dayeon's face was a mixture of joy and awe.』
Not long after, Jaeha returned to reality. Comparing Yoon Dayeon's old déjà vu, which had included an erotic film, with this one, he gave a quiet laugh.
At this point, nobody's going to call her a has-been anymore.
Yoon Dayeon's bleak fate had been turned upside down.
She got a script. From a master director, too.