Chapter 14

The contract with TUBE Entertainment was quickly finalized, with terms similar to what Lee Jung-hee had proposed. The only change was in the distribution of profits from the DVD and other copyrights, which now included a condition that the film must be profitable before any distribution could occur, meaning it had to exceed the break-even point.

Lee Jung-hee naturally went along with this, and then Jang Dong-gook, with his big mouth, increased the profit-sharing from five percent to six percent.

Perhaps because the screenplay for "The Curse" was a system reward, this time, after the contract was signed, there was no warning that a change in the screenwriter would make the development of the work unpredictable. This made Lee Jung-hee even more at ease. Of course, the fact that the original screenwriter of "The Curse," Ahn Byung-gi, was directing the film himself also gave Lee Jung-hee almost no concerns.

Time flew by, and soon it was the end of the month, the day for the public auditions for the main roles in "Autumn in My Heart."

It was early in the morning, not even 8:30, when Lee Jung-hee, Park Dong-chan, Yoon Seok-ho, and others arrived at the audition venue at the KBS annex. The corridor and stairwell outside were already packed with people. However, when they saw the group arrive, the bustling scene instantly quieted down, and a path was cleared for them. Many eyes turned to Lee Jung-hee, filled with curiosity, doubt, and whispers: "Is this the Harvard genius writer Lee... I heard he's only eighteen and is about to get his Harvard economics doctorate. He's really amazing... Hehe, he looks quite handsome, not like a bookworm at all..."

Indeed, Lee Jung-hee had gained some fame recently, largely due to "Autumn in My Heart" being a key project for KBS this year. However, after his reputation as a Harvard genius became known, KBS seized the opportunity to promote him further.

As a result, there were now discussion threads about him on the largest NAVER forum and the Korean Yahoo forum, with some heat. Of course, what made him happiest was that his fame in the game had also increased his achievement value by 0.1, a small but promising start.

Today was the main event of the auditions, focusing on the lead roles. The panelists were Park Dong-chan, Yoon Seok-ho, and Lee Jung-hee, with Yoon Seok-ho taking the lead, as he was the director and would be the primary person responsible for the production.

The auditions began quickly. Three days earlier, the three of them had already conducted the first round of screening based on resumes and photos, so those who came today were all relatively suitable or had better credentials.

Of course, there were no superstars, such as the currently popular Yoo Seung-ho, Jang Dong-gun, Ahn Jae-wook, Han Jae-suk, Choi Jin-sil, and Song Hye-kyo, who were all committed to other projects. This was Yoon Seok-ho's greatest regret, as he had long hoped for Han Jae-suk to play the male lead and Choi Ji-woo to play the female lead.

The first to enter was Lee Eun-ju, born in 1980. Though only twenty, she had an impressive resume with four TV dramas and two films, and had even starred in three of them, winning awards and receiving recognition for her acting talent.

During her basic audition in front of the camera, she showed good screen presence and a pleasant appearance, but this was not the end.

"Um, please give me an expression of encountering a sad event," Yoon Seok-ho asked Lee Eun-ju, posing the most relevant question to the theme of "Autumn in My Heart." Sadness was a constant throughout the story, and it was the show's biggest selling point.

Lee Eun-ju nodded, gathered her emotions, and slowly furrowed her brows. She clasped her hands together, applying some force, her knuckles turning white. She then lowered her head, her eyes reddening...

From Lee Jung-hee's perspective, it seemed a bit overdone, but Yoon Seok-ho said nothing, only asking an assistant to give her a page of the script with a single line: "I'm sorry!"

However, the line was contextual, set in a scene where the male and female leads, under pressure from family, responsibility, and other factors, could not be together, and the female lead was saying this to the male lead.

Lee Eun-ju nodded again, pondered for about a minute, and then, with a sad expression and tears welling up, she softly said, "I'm sorry!" Her voice carried a deep sense of guilt, helplessness, and sorrow.

She then turned and walked away, covering her face, and the sound of her crying could be heard.

This was quite good, Lee Jung-hee thought, but something still felt off. After the audition, as Lee Eun-ju left, he glanced at Director Yoon Seok-ho, who was also looking at him and smiled, asking, "How was it?"

Lee Jung-hee was taken aback, then frowned and hesitantly smiled, shaking his head. "Well, this isn't really my strong suit, but if I had to say, I think her appearance is a bit too delicate and lively, lacking the gentle and melancholic aura we need..."

Yoon Seok-ho, who had asked casually, was surprised to find that Lee Jung-hee's thoughts were similar to his own. He smiled, "You're right. Lee Eun-ju's performance was a bit overdone, but it was still good. The main issue is her overall appearance and aura. Of course, if it really doesn't work, we can try to adjust with makeup..."

On the other side, Park Dong-chan was also surprised by Lee Jung-hee's insight and teased, "Oh, it seems Writer Lee has quite a bit of acting talent. How about trying out a supporting role in this drama?"

If it were any other drama, Lee Jung-hee wouldn't have refused, as acting skills need to be honed. But definitely not this one. He smiled and shook his head, "Director Park, please spare me. Even if you don't mind the two years it will take to complete this drama, I'm afraid Director Yoon will want to kill me by then!"

This made Yoon Seok-ho and Park Dong-chan laugh, and the former breathed a sigh of relief. Young people often like to show off, and he was genuinely afraid that Lee Jung-hee might be tempted.

The next to audition for the female lead was Kim Gyu-ri, born in 1979, twenty-one years old, with a decent resume of two films and two TV dramas. However, her performance was average, and she knew she had no chance as soon as the audition was over. Her face was dark as she left.

"How was it? Not good?" Ha Ji-won, who had a good relationship with Kim Gyu-ri, pulled her aside and asked.

Kim Gyu-ri nodded helplessly. This was a key project for KBS, and it could potentially bring her good ratings and fame. However, she had been too nervous and couldn't focus.

"Um, you need to try harder," Kim Gyu-ri patted Ha Ji-won's hand. Seeing the others looking over, she didn't say more and turned to leave.

The third to audition was Ha Ji-won, who was 22 years old and had been in the industry for four years, with five TV dramas and one film to her name, though the film hadn't been released yet.

She took a deep breath, nodded when the assistant called her name, and had already adjusted her mindset, showing excellent mental fortitude. She then confidently walked into the room.

When Ha Ji-won appeared, Lee Jung-hee and the others were immediately impressed. If judged by appearance alone, she was already qualified to play the role.

She then demonstrated her exceptional screen presence and performed exceptionally well in the impromptu acting, especially when she said the line "I'm sorry." She slightly lowered her head, her eyes reddened, her white teeth gently bit her lower lip, her hands were clasped together and slightly trembling, and a single tear rolled down her cheek after she finished the line...

Yoon Seok-ho couldn't help but clap, and Lee Jung-hee and the others were simply amazed.

However, after Ha Ji-won left with a happy bow, Yoon Seok-ho sighed, "It was a genius performance, but her appearance is too striking, and when she expresses sadness, she looks too cold, too cold and beautiful, which doesn't convey the extreme sorrow we need..."

Park Dong-chan was taken aback. He was extremely satisfied with Ha Ji-won, as her appearance alone would boost ratings. Lee Jung-hee, however, was not surprised, as he knew that the future "Queen" of the Korean entertainment industry, Ha Ji-won, was not the female lead in this drama.

"Maybe we can use makeup to adjust," Park Dong-chan suggested, not giving up easily.

Trouble, Yoon Seok-ho thought. If the producer wanted to interfere, he would be in a difficult position. It wasn't that Ha Ji-won was bad, but this decision had to be his, and Park Dong-chan's suggestion made things complicated.

However, he patiently explained, "It's not impossible. Her acting is really excellent. She can play an innocent girl, a proud queen, a ruthless killer, a seductive woman, or even a strange ghost. She can play almost any role, but her appearance and aura are not suitable for this drama..."

At this point, Lee Jung-hee sensed the tension and quickly intervened with a smile, "Don't worry, there are still many beautiful women to come. I haven't had my fill yet. Let's take it slow!"

This made everyone laugh, and Yoon Seok-ho looked at him, knowing he was helping. He felt more goodwill towards him.

However, while Yoon Seok-ho felt more goodwill towards Lee Jung-hee, the next moment, Lee Jung-hee almost wanted to strangle him. The reason was the next auditioner—Song Hye-kyo.