LIGHTNOVELSTORY Episode 5 - Private Audition
In this situation, the one greatly taken aback is Jeong Cheol-min. The immense sadness he feels from Yeon-woo makes him think that something significant must have happened. He quickly wraps his arms around Yeon-woo, not knowing what to do.
“What’s going on? Young man, or rather, not so young. What kind of great sorrow do you have that you’re crying so profusely like this?”
By now, Yeon-woo had started crying so intensely that Cheol-min began to wonder if he was a acting genius who could channel these emotions as his senior had described, or if there was some underlying pain that had accumulated and needed to be released.
Even if it was the latter, the rapid onset of this emotional outpouring demonstrated Yeon-woo’s talent as an actor.
Of course, shedding tears and expressing emotions within a frame of acting are different realms, but today, Yeon-woo, who had come as an ordinary person wanting to try acting for the first time, had crossed that threshold.
After some time had passed and Yeon-woo had calmed down somewhat, he apologized to Cheol-min.
“I’m really sorry, Teacher. I don’t know why, but suddenly…”
“No, what are you saying? I told you to try expressing a sad emotion.”
Cheol-min clapped his hands together quickly in response to Yeon-woo’s apology.
Considering ending things for the day, Cheol-min was reignited by Yeon-woo’s passion, and after attempting various other tests, he came to a conclusion.
‘This kid was born for this path.’
Of course, despite a few shortcomings, the Ryu Yeon-woo that Cheol-min saw was undoubtedly a genius. He was adept at even the fine muscle movements of the face required for acting, and he astonishingly captured the nuances specific to various professions, whether it be a beggar, a fortune teller, a robber, or a soldier.
Of course, Cheol-min couldn’t know, but this exceptional talent was due to the experiences from his past life, where he had repeatedly embarked on classified missions, risking his life and performing undercover acting for over a decade. These experiences naturally melded into Yeon-woo’s acting.
While refining these fresh ingredients into a dish and presenting it to the camera required a variety of techniques and meticulous adjustments, if Cheol-min couldn’t refine a friend with this level of talent, his dedication to acting would seem meager.
So, a rumor was spreading that at the academy, there was a monster-like instructor who taught separately as the head of the academy.
One year ago, Prosecutor Han Hae-woon from the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office. Hae-woon was a man who had lived his life with the sole goal of becoming a legal professional.
Perhaps due to his intense dedication, Hae-woon suddenly collapsed during work due to a hemorrhagic stroke and was rushed to the emergency room. The doctor attempted emergency treatment, but shook his head, saying it seemed too late. Miraculously, Hae-woon regained consciousness at that moment.
Hae-woon considered his survival in the hospital to be nothing short of a miracle. He accepted this second chance as a sign from the heavens to complete the unfinished tasks of his life and worked even harder as a prosecutor at the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office.
At first, it seemed like a dream. A dream that was so realistic it sent shivers down his spine, making him question if it was truly just a dream. Ever since his collapse, he kept having the same dream.
In this dream, he had a recurring conversation with someone named ‘Team Leader Jeon Su-hwan.’
In this dream, he talked about donating to a welfare organization after his death. At first, Hae-woon didn’t think much of it, but as the dream continued to recur, he became more interested. In his free time, he began to investigate.
He first searched for someone with the title of ‘Team Leader Jeon Su-hwan’ and found numerous people across the country with that name. With the arrival of spring, Hae-woon found himself scrutinizing many individuals named Jeon Su-hwan.
Seeing this person in his dream every day was becoming agonizing. Then, a few months later, a shiver ran down Hae-woon’s spine. Flipping through pages, he saw the face of the person he had seen in his dream alongside the personal information.
The Jeon Su-hwan who Hae-woon had found was an ordinary employee of a water purifier trading company. Their background and life were completely unrelated to Hae-woon’s own.
Still, having found the person from his dream in reality, Hae-woon could no longer attribute it to mere coincidence and started a thorough investigation.
However, the more he dug, the more he got lost in the maze. Initially, he trusted the information registered in the company’s database, which indicated that Jeon Su-hwan was an ordinary employee of a water purifier trading company. He even contacted the company directly to inquire, but the response he received was that no such person existed.
*********
Six months had passed, and Yeon-woo’s academic achievements remained consistent. He maintained a top rank not only in the final exams but also in the mid-term exams of the following semester. Additionally, his talent for acting, which absorbed emotions like a sponge, had already convinced Jeong Cheol-min that it was time to teach him more.
“Yeon-woo.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
“My college senior is in charge of a drama for a comprehensive broadcasting channel this time. It’s a college romance comedy based on a webtoon.”
A few days ago, at a gathering of his film department alumni, Jeong Cheol-min heard that his senior Kim Han-soo, who worked for an external production company, had requested to see a private audition for a drama through an academy or a theater run by some of his alumni who were now instructors.
“The main roles have already been cast, but they mentioned that they will hold a private audition for several supporting roles. If you’re interested, I could inquire for you.”
Kim Han-soo had a somewhat distant image, and it was difficult for junior colleagues to approach him. However, he maintained a relatively good relationship with the amiable Jeong Cheol-min. Originally, opportunities for private auditions consistently came to Cheol-min’s academy, but over the years, his students kept failing auditions, causing the academy to gradually lose its priority status, and audition invitations became scarce.
“I’d really love that opportunity. I’m ready to prepare if the chance is given!”
“I haven’t married, but if I had a son like you, I wouldn’t have any wishes. I envy Chul-yung hyung. Jealous.”
Jeong Cheol-min chuckled at Yeon-woo’s enthusiastic words.
Surprisingly, over the past six months of coaching, Jeong Cheol-min and Yeon-woo had developed a surprisingly good rapport. Moreover, Cheol-min and his father Cheol-yung, had grown close through occasional going out for drinks together.
“Ah, Teacher, you’re like my third uncle in this world.”
Yeon-woo teased. He was truly grateful for Jeong Cheol-min, who generously shared his talents for his benefit.
“Yeah, if you do well, our academy might flourish a bit too.”
Although Jeong Cheol-min put forth every effort in his teaching, the number of aspiring students coming to the academy was decreasing day by day. It seemed that the trend of students flocking to renowned academies in Seoul was becoming more pronounced.
In such a situation, Yeon-woo is the academy’s only hopeful student. With a sly grin, Jeong Cheol-min extended his thumb and added, “Anyway, let’s consider it done. I’ll talk to the director about it. Naturally, I believe you’d pass based on your looks and skills, but still, make sure to prepare diligently in every aspect.”
“Yes, I understand.”
*********
Next Monday morning, the line beeped and a clear and refined voice came through.
[Who is this? Is this Jeong Cheol-min’s junior?]
Cheol-min responded amicably to Kim Han-soo PD’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Senior, how have you been? I saw you at Kyung-jun’s wedding last time and we haven’t had a chance to catch up.”
[Right, time has passed already. How swift the years are.]
“Yes, senior. Not to divert from the topic, but I heard you’re working on a new project this time?”
Kim Han-soo has a unique and sharp personality, extending his domineering attitude even to his juniors like Cheol-min. He prefers brief conversations, saying, [Let’s keep it simple.]
Jeong Cheol-min, keeping Kim’s personality in mind, immediately inquired about the matter. “That’s correct. It’s based on a webtoon original work, and he scenario looks promising.”
Despite his direct tone and personality, Kim Han-soo is a director known for traversing both the film and drama industries and adeptly bringing out warm and youthful sensibilities.
“Yes, senior. These days, I have a very promising student I’ve been nurturing. Would it be possible to send them for a minor supporting role in a private audition?”
[Well, sure. If you introduce a good candidate, I’d be grateful. I understand. But you know that there won’t be any special treatment just because they’re recommended by you, right?]
“Of course, senior. After you’re done with this project, how about having a drink with me senior for the first time in a while?”
[Sounds good, let’s do that. I’ll provide the audition schedule and script soon.]
“Yes, thank you, senior. Please go ahead.”
With his heart racing, Jeong Cheol-min realized that it was during Yeon-woo’s class time when he made the call. He quickly sent a message after realizing his mistake.
Yeon-woo, after finishing his physical education class and changing his clothes while enduring the stench in the classroom, checked his phone upon seeing the screen light up.
[An audition schedule has been set. Let’s prepare diligently.]
“Yes!”
Yeon-woo clenched his fist in excitement.
Kim Junsoo, who was changing his clothes, asked in confusion, “What’s going on? Why are you so excited? Let’s be excited together.”
” I’ll let you know later, If things go well.”
Yeon-woo smiled and answered. He couldn’t get carried away when he hadn’t even passed the audition yet.
“What is it? You’ll let us know if things go well? Is it a girl?”
Next to Kim Junsoo, Woo Seong-sik chuckled and playfully teased Yeon-woo.
As if that could ever happen. Yeon-woo just smiled back without saying a word.
After finishing school on Tuesday afternoon, Yeon-woo headed straight to the academy.
“Teacher! I’m here.”
Cheol-min smiled upon seeing Yeon-woo enter quietly.
“You’ve been eagerly waiting for school to end, and came straight here?”
“I was so curious about the script’s content.”
Yeon-woo replied with a smile. He wondered if he had ever looked forward to something this much in both his past and present lives.
Jeong Cheol-min received the script on a Saturday morning, and the audition was scheduled for the following Sunday, just five days later. It was certain that he received it later than others. However, holding onto the script for longer than necessary doesn’t necessarily lead to better results if there isn’t enough time to prepare.
“If you have limited time to prepare, then it’s limited. If you have enough time, then it’s enough.”
“The crucial thing is interpreting the character.”
“That’s right. In the romantic comedy genre, most supporting characters are quite one-dimensional, so it shouldn’t be difficult. For now, take this.”
Cheol-min handed the script to Yeon-woo.
“You need to familiarize yourself with the script so you can analyze it. I’ll be in practice room 3 helping the acting class students, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
“Yes, thank you.”
After Cheol-min left, Yeon-woo was alone in the office and immersed himself in reading the script.
The genre of the work for which Ryu Yeon-woo is auditioning this time is ‘Summer Wardrobe.’ The fact that it’s based on a webtoon was known, but Yeon-woo had never read a webtoon in his entire life. Reading this work for the audition was his first experience.
He thought to himself, ‘If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have read more comics when I was alive.’ He chuckled softly at the thought.
He did have a desire for acting. However, even surviving had been difficult in his past lives as an orphan, a spy, and a field agent. Having a hobby like reading comics, which was considered a luxury, was something he couldn’t afford. And who would have thought he would be reborn and become an aspiring actor?
Shaking his head to dispel those contemplations, Yeon-woo immersed himself in the script.