The Casting Call
Woojin nodded confidently.
“Yes. I can do it. I’ll nail it.”
Park PD broke into a wide smile at his response.
“Your focus during the acting, the intensity in your eyes, your expressions, your gestures—everything was spot on. And your personality seems incredibly charming too. Great work. We’ll let you know the results soon. Any last questions?”
“Just one—will there be any additional auditions later? Like a second round?”
“No, there won’t. As you’ve probably heard, we’re on a tight schedule since the production was rushed into the lineup.”
“Got it. Thank you.”
Woojin bowed politely and stood from his seat. The FD guided him out, and with a final “Great work!” he exited the audition room.
The hallway, buzzing earlier, was now quiet—likely because he was the last one.
Click.
From beyond the closing door, he overheard Park PD, Woo PD, and Writer Seo chatting.
—That kid’s good, right?
—Yeah. His profile says three years in, but I’ve never seen him before.
—I thought his age didn’t match, but his image fits perfectly. I like him.
—Min-jae, pull his filmography and bring it over.
—Got it.
—But, sunbaenim, the department head said to go with established actors. What do we do?
—I’ll handle that. For now, let’s review...
Woojin desperately wanted to press his ear to the door but restrained himself and walked away. Glancing at the time, nearly twenty minutes had passed. Even as the last auditionee, they’d spent almost that long on him. He could guess the outcome, but he tamped down any excitement—no need to jinx it.
Just then—
RRRRR.
His phone rang. It was Seong-o.
“Woojin-ah, audition over?”
“Timing’s perfect. Just wrapped.”
“How’d it go?”
He answered nonchalantly. “Pretty well, I think. They gave me a good chunk of time.”
Woojin flashed a relaxed smile and left.
* * *
After the audition, Park PD headed straight back to tvKR.
Knock knock.
He went to the department head’s office.
“Department Head, it’s Park Min-jae.”
—Come in.
Jeong Seong-su’s low voice came from beyond the door. Park PD took a deep breath, opened the firmly shut door, and stepped inside.
“Done?”
“Yes.”
“Good work.”
“Department Head, I have something to show you.”
Park PD immediately held up the USB in his hand.
“What’s that?”
“Audition footage.”
“Audition footage?”
“Yes. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Park PD plugged the USB into the department head’s laptop on the desk. Inside was a single video file titled:
<Wanted> Audition Video
Actor Baek Woojin
Click.
The playback stopped Jeong Seong-su, who’d been packing up to leave. His eyes widened, and Park PD smiled.
“I’m casting this actor.”
“Didn’t you hear what I said?”
Jeong Seong-su’s brows furrowed slightly—he was rarely in a good mood. But Park PD laid out why Woojin had to be cast. Normally, he’d tread carefully when the department head frowned, but not today.
“Department Head—no, sunbaenim—I’ve never pushed back like this before.”
He stated his case firmly. Woojin was exactly the actor he’d been searching for. He’d delivered that long, jargon-heavy line—full of technical terms that could sound dull if mishandled—flawlessly. It was so perfect even the writer had begged to cast him. And above all, Woojin radiated passion.
From Casting Director Bang Mi-hyeon, he’d heard Woojin was the only applicant without an agency. He’d sent his profile himself, built a perfect character in just a week, and showed up to the audition fully in role. Not even at script reading, but at the audition stage, he’d embodied the character completely—a newcomer with skill, diligence, and passion. Park PD had discovered countless rookies over the years, but Woojin was a type he’d never seen.
His gut told him: This kid’s going to be a star.
“Just this once, trust my judgment.”
Park PD pleaded earnestly, desperate not to let Woojin slip away.
* * *
Five days passed since the Wanted audition.
Woojin hadn’t slacked on physical training, vocal exercises, or diction practice. Somehow, his confidence in acting had surged, making every minute feel precious. He couldn’t waste a second, repeating acting drills relentlessly.
That’s enough for today.
Finishing his session, Woojin jumped up and headed to the bathroom. He showered quickly, sat at his desk, and booted up his old laptop. His eyes sparkled brighter than ever.
“Auditions. Auditions.”
Muttering, he scoured postings on the audition info site Acting Info Desk, reading each one carefully.
Tap tap tap.
In the quiet room, only the sound of his typing echoed. He submitted his profile for every role he could possibly fit—commercials, indies, shorts, even ads, no discrimination. It felt like his early days: firing off profiles everywhere, heart racing as he waited endlessly for replies.
RRRRR.
Pulling his eyes from the screen, Woojin glanced at his phone. Unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Actor Baek Woojin?”
The voice was familiar. Woojin thought for a second, then replied.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“This is tvKR PD Woo Seung-hyun.”
Woojin’s gut screamed—no, confirmed it.I got it.
“Are you free to talk now?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“We held a casting meeting based on the audition tapes from the day before yesterday and decided to cast you as Choi Kyu-bo.”
Woojin clenched his fist. Joy surged, silent but explosive.
“Thank you. I’ll give it my all!”
“We’ll share the exact shooting schedule once it’s finalized. It’s TBD for now, but please avoid other commitments from March onward. I’ve just emailed the final scripts for episodes 1 and 2. Script reading is next Monday—be there.”
“Understood.”
Woo PD continued with details.
“Leads are Kim Ye-chan, Park Soo-hyun, and Jeong Tae-young. Your role as Choi Kyu-bo has significant weight, second only to the leads, along with veteran Oh Seong-cheol as Lee Jong-bu. Embargo lifts tomorrow afternoon—keep it under wraps till then.”
News on the still-unannounced cast.
“We’ve got revisions done through episode 7. The writer says she’ll finish 10 by script reading, come hell or high water. Not crucial, but figured you’d be curious.”
Update on the Wanted script progress.
“Since you’re independent, I’ll connect you with makeup and wardrobe via Casting Director Bang Mi-hyeon.”
Thorough explanations for a commercial drama newbie.
“Prep time’s short since it’s a rush production—sorry about that.”
An apology for the insufficient time to analyze the role. For a rookie like Woojin, Woo PD’s guidance was overwhelmingly detailed.
“Thank you. I’ve got all that memorized.”
“Good. See you at script reading.”
“Yes. Take care.”
After hanging up, Woojin collapsed on the floor, writhing in joy. First times are always thrilling, they say. Landing a major supporting role in a commercial drama—what he’d dreamed of! His eyes welled up. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he called Seong-o.
Ring ring ring.
“Seong-o! I got it!”
“For real? Congrats, man!”
“I’m gonna work my ass off and make it big. I’ll pay you back, for real.”
“Hope it works out huge. Talk later—I’ll call after work.”
“Cool. Good luck.”
Hanging up, Woojin opened the diary on his desk. A three-page analysis of Choi Kyu-bo. On the next page, he logged the audition.
[Audition Result: O / First Major Supporting Role in Commercial Drama!]
Gazing at that final line, Woojin smiled contentedly. He stood, grabbed his things, and headed out. Moments later, silence filled the room again. Then, faint light emanated from the diary—from the last line Woojin had written in glee.
* * *
Two weeks flew by. Rain poured from Friday through Sunday night, stopping only at dawn. Monday morning after the rain was brilliantly clear.
Nice weather today.
The perfect mood-lifter. Woojin grabbed his script and diary and left home.
Maybe read on the way.
He walked while flipping through the script. From the bus stop to tvKR, he didn’t look up, rereading lines and visualizing Choi Kyu-bo.
—This stop is tvKR. Next is...
Absorbed in murmuring lines, Woojin got off as the bus halted. There it was: the tvKR building, bustling with people passing by.
Whoa...
He’d only ever dropped profiles at the first-floor desk or the drama department’s empty box—never entered. Feels surreal.
Checking his phone: 9:30 a.m. Script reading at 11:00. He headed straight to the drama department’s fifth-floor conference room.
Click.
Inside: a U-shaped table setup, Wanted scripts stacked atop, rows of chairs. The script reading scene from behind-the-scenes videos. Early yet, so empty—nameplates marked seats with roles and actors.
[tvKR Wanted • Choi Kyu-bo Role • Actor Baek Woojin]
Grinning ear-to-ear, Woojin sat at his spot.
Jackpot!
Satisfied, he snapped a photo of the nameplate, reached for the script—then paused.
Hold on.
He pulled out the diary. Choi Kyu-bo’s final line echoed: “Looking forward to seeing you again soon~” It implied they’d meet. But two weeks later, nothing. The diary, glowing brightly after, had been silent since.
“When are you gonna tell me about the mission?”
What was the mission Choi Kyu-bo mentioned? He’d been too busy prepping to dwell on it. Woojin whispered to the diary, half-hoping for that playful voice.
But of course not.
Disappointed, he tucked it away and returned to the script. About an hour passed. People began filing into the conference room.