Chapter 84

84

'Wow...'

Regardless of whether the production team, including the director, was excited, I was already slightly regretting coming to this audition.

'I can’t believe I’m craving a smoke like this...'

Moreover, how could the assistant director have thought I would smoke the same kind of cigarette I used to? I was already having a tough time, and I barely managed to hold back the urge to smoke, instead sucking on a lollipop, which made me want to swear.

'No, Ho-yun. You did well to resist.'

Anyway, I quickly shook off my sentimental thoughts and glanced around. Most people were whispering with serious faces or checking their scripts.

The only one smiling was the writer, while the director was looking at my profile with a serious expression.

"Mr. Seo Ho-yun, is this really your first time acting?"

"Yes, this is my first time."

"I can’t believe it... How can you be so natural?"

It’s all because of my experience...

Actually, I’m pouring out real emotions from things that really happened...

"I’m really conflicted. To be honest, I thought it was ridiculous for someone at 23 to come for this role…."

'Of course.'

Does that even make sense?

However, the director seemed to be considering his own points of interest, like a judge on an audition show, finding the right editing points.

"...I’m a bit shaken."

"..."

"You seem to have good observational skills."

"...You flatter me."

The director, muttering that I was somewhat similar to Lee Jung-hoon, was already giving me a loving look, which made me feel uncomfortable.

The initial atmosphere was gone, and everyone was laughing like children in a warm and friendly environment.

"If possible, I’d like to see more of your improvisation, but we’re running out of time. Hmm... It’s a shame, but…."

'Hmm, so I’m out.'

Even though I ended up getting too involved, it was better to be rejected. When the director stroked his chin and said he was disappointed, I waited indifferently for the rest, but what he said was unexpected.

"Have you wrapped up all your recent activities?"

"...What?"

"We can’t adjust the shooting schedule for a supporting role."

"...Yes, I’m pretty much free."

"I see. I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Mr. Seo Ho-yun."

I rolled his words over in my head for a moment, then bowed and left the audition room.

'Shouldn’t the director be a judge on a survival audition show?'

His behavior was really over the top.

...Well, it was a bit uncomfortable, but I still had things to do.

***

Even after the audition, I deliberately lingered at the station’s cafe, knowing that writer Kim was a serious cafe addict.

After ordering a mocha frappuccino and passing some time, writer Kim finally came in.

"Wow! Isn’t that PD Lee Jung-hoon?"

"Ahaha."

Sure enough, writer Kim approached me first. I had prepared a line to naturally start a conversation, but it vanished from my mind as I smiled and greeted him.

"Hello, Mr. Kim."

"You did a great job at the audition. Is this a good time for you?"

"Yes, of course."

He was even offering to spoon-feed me. I had to accept it. But then, a strange message appeared in the system window.

Ding!

[Manager is waiting for you!

Come back quickly!!]

'...?'

I glanced at the system window and started a friendly conversation with Mr. Kim.

"Thank you so much. It was my first time, so I was quite nervous, but thanks to your kindness, I could perform as I had prepared."

"Oh, you’re so eloquent. Can someone who’s nervous show such acting skills?"

Ha ha ha, a warm laugh erupted. Writer Kim Soo-hee smiled gently.

"Thank you for coming to the audition. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t seen you. Actually, I pushed for Mr. Seo Ho-yun quite a bit, so I was worried if your acting skills were lacking... but it turned out to be a baseless worry."

"...Pushed?"

"Yes. To be honest, the production team didn’t like it. You know, it’s safer to cast an actor rather than an idol. Of course, there are many idols who can act well, but—."

Writer Kim Soo-hee pointed upwards with her finger. The direction of the audition room.

"—I could already tell from the director’s expression just now."

"I’m very grateful for your kind words, even though I’m still lacking."

"My goodness, you’re really Lee Jung-hoon himself."

Writer Kim spoke her opinions straightforwardly. As I just smiled and listened to her inexplicable kindness, she got to the point.

"Actually, I took a lot of inspiration from Mr. Seo Ho-yun for the character development of Lee Jung-hoon."

"...Really?"

"I watched 'Shining Star' a lot recently. You were really hot back then... You even got the nickname 'No-Pa-Kku,' Mr. Seo Ho-yun. Of course, I drew from various sources for the character development, but strangely, I liked Mr. Seo Ho-yun the most."

'Wow...'

I had never heard this before.

I slightly revised my thoughts. Could it really be a coincidence?

However, I still had doubts. It was hard to believe that just from that show, she could create a character so similar to me in terms of personality and basic settings.

So,

"I thought the character of Lee Jung-hoon was very detailed, so I assumed you had a specific person in mind."

"Hmm? Really?"

"Yes. Like an actual PD from a broadcasting station."

I subtly dropped a hint.

However, Writer Kim just tilted her head and smiled.

"Ha ha, there wasn’t a specific model. I just borrowed some personality traits from people around me."

"Is that so..."

It didn’t seem like a lie. As I sipped my mocha frappuccino, the system window kept popping up, which was annoying.

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

'What’s wrong with this thing?'

It was almost like a malicious program popping up on a computer. I paused and looked at it.

I could ignore it, but... all the messages were about my return.

It was as if they didn’t want me to be involved in this.

"Anyway, I’ll be looking forward to it. Of course, it’s not confirmed yet. There are some people who are skeptical about casting Mr. Seo Ho-yun."

"Yes, I understand."

"I want to push for it hard…."

"..."

I don’t like that...

Due to my personality, once I start something, I can’t do it half-heartedly, so I ended up getting too involved, but I had no intention of becoming Lee Jung-hoon and filming a drama.

I wanted to hand it over to an actor named Lee Kang-seok, who was at the audition, but Writer Kim seemed to be firmly set on me and was already talking about modifying the character.

'I didn’t gain anything.'

Should I just let it go? As I felt a bit disappointed and touched my lips, Writer Kim said,

"But Min Ji-hun is quite supportive of Mr. Seo Ho-yun, right?"

"…What?"

I raised my head in surprise at the unexpected words.

"...There’s no way. We don’t have a personal relationship."

"Really?"

She seemed more surprised and scratched her head.

"That’s strange, I thought Mr. Seo Ho-yun and Min Ji-hun were quite close."

"Why did you think that?"

"I said I watched 'Shining Star.' Actually, I don’t know much about idols."

"..."

"While I was considering my next project, I went to the finale party of 'Please Give Me a Soda.' I mentioned that I wanted to create a unique character, and Min Ji-hun said—."

'What... what?'

"‘There are many charming friends in 'Shining Star.' Among them, Seo Ho-yun is very unique, so you should consider him….’"

'What?'

I was genuinely shocked. My expression must have shown it, as Writer Kim laughed awkwardly.

"Well, I don’t really know the situation of young people... Ha ha! Anyway, I started watching the reruns of the show seriously, and the character of Lee Jung-hoon came to mind, and the script was created in no time! I’m grateful to Min Ji-hun. Plus, I found a treasure like Mr. Seo Ho-yun."

As I managed my expression, Writer Kim shrugged and stood up.

"Then I’ll look forward to seeing you again. I hope for good news."

"Yes, please be careful on your way home."

Writer Kim left with a warm encouragement, but my mind was filled with confusion.

"Wait, why?"

Min Ji-hun. An actor who promotes mystery, someone I thought I would never have any connection with as a variety PD.

I remembered his slow, drawn-out way of speaking. The last time I saw him, he acted like he had no interest in me, so I ignored him.

'This is not good.'

I drank the melted white mocha frappuccino and stood up. The system window appeared.

Ding!

[Don’t meet Min Ji-hun.]

"..."

The complex thoughts in my head converged, and I immediately took out my phone, searched for a contact, and sent a text.

[Hello, Senior Min Ji-hun. I’m Seo Ho-yun from the idol group The Dunn.]

After taking a deep breath, I added another text.

[If it’s okay, can you spare me some time?]

***

Min Ji-hun.

The most successful actor in his 20s in Korea.

After moving around the theater scene in Jongno, he was cast in a major production by chance, became known as a supporting actor in a weekend drama, and gained a modest following.

Later, a movie he starred in unexpectedly surpassed 10 million viewers, boosting his popularity, and he became a Hallyu star as the male lead in a prime-time drama.

Naturally, most of his projects were hits. Even when a project failed, his solid acting skills prevented any controversy from falling on the lead actor.

[Is Min Ji-hun blessed?

└Why └Acting genius]

...He was the only pillar of the major production, recognized by the majority of the public.

If I had to define my relationship with him, it was a polite nod between seniors and juniors.

But certainly not to the point where he would recommend me.

[Impressive: Ah!!]

"..."

What is this?

[Impressive: Oh, why are you texting now? Haha]

What is this sudden... intimacy?

Along with the deflating text, I received a brief message with the time and place, and I headed to a small Korean restaurant.

I told the members and manager that I would be a bit late meeting my younger brother.

I was guided to a reserved room and waited for a while. Soon, Min Ji-hun opened the door and came in.

"Hello~."

"Yes, hello."

He still seemed a bit dull, but there was something unusually excited about him.

'Really, what is it?'

I greeted him politely while ignoring the warning window that kept popping up. Min Ji-hun smiled slightly, as if glad to see me, and opened the menu as soon as he sat down.

"Let’s eat first."

"Yes, I’ll follow your recommendation."

"Great, I’ll order what’s appropriate."

Min Ji-hun called a server.

"Two C courses, two servings of beef soup, three servings of rice cake, two servings of abalone bibimbap, and three servings of braised ribs, please."

"I can’t eat that much."

"Oops, I’ll eat this. Mr. Seo Ho-yun, you were about to order, right...?"

"...You’re going to eat all that by yourself?"

"Yes."

'...'

I remembered his manager calling him a pig when he was in Jeju. What kind of actor eats more than ten servings in one meal?

But the server’s expression didn’t waver, as if used to Min Ji-hun.

I quickly added a dish, and the server quietly closed the door and left. Min Ji-hun spoke first.

"I was going to contact you first, but... I realized I didn’t have your number. I only gave mine. I was considering contacting the company."

"Didn’t you say it was a hassle to contact me?"

"Ahaha, I definitely did, but…."

Min Ji-hun smiled with his eyes closed.

"Listening to various things about Mr. Seo Ho-yun, I found it quite interesting. And I was waiting for a call…."

"…?"

"Did you just come from an audition?"

He got straight to the point before the rice was even served. Since I don’t mind people who get to the point quickly, I nodded.

"Thanks to you, it went well."

"Oh, that’s good."

"Mr. Min Ji-hun, Writer Kim said you recommended me…."

Just as I was about to get serious, the server came in and quickly set up the table. The flow of the conversation was interrupted as side dishes and main dishes were laid out.

Once the server left and I was about to start the conversation, Min Ji-hun picked up his chopsticks with overly sparkling eyes.

"Why did you…."

"Ooh, why is this so delicious…."

"Why did you recommend me? I want to know the reason—."

"Wow!! What is this, this is delicious too. The chef’s skills have improved, haven’t they?"

"—Are you listening to me?"

"…Oops."

Clearly, he wasn’t listening.

I got a bit angry, and Min Ji-hun, noticing my mood, pushed a side dish towards me.

"…Mr. Seo Ho-yun, try this first. …If you don’t like it, it’s fine, yes. Sorry."

I haven’t seen someone this self-centered in a long time. I closed my mouth and just stared at him, and Min Ji-hun muttered, "Even the best scenery is enjoyed after a meal…."

"Didn’t you choose this place to talk quietly?"

"Um… No, because this place is delicious."

"..."

You’re telling me to just eat.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself. It had been a while since I saw someone I found difficult to deal with, but it didn’t matter.

'I need to grill him.'

There’s no one in this world without a dirty past. After a few conversations, if something suspicious comes up, I can grab onto it and dig deep.

"Delicious…."

Min Ji-hun... I don’t know where all that food goes, but he kept eating endlessly. Even I, who am a big eater, put down my chopsticks, feeling full. I had eaten before coming, so I didn’t touch the food much.

Meanwhile, I glanced at the system window. Usually, it would have popped up with dialogue and been excited, but it was strangely quiet.

[…Leave the place.]

'No, I don’t want to.'

Given how the system window was acting, I wanted to dig deeper into Min Ji-hun.

Finally, after finishing the last bowl, Min Ji-hun put down his utensils.

"Sorry. I lose control when I see food."

"You certainly do."

"...You’re honest."

Min Ji-hun’s eyes widened. It was a strange conversation, but it was fine. The conversation had started again. Min Ji-hun wiped his mouth and nodded.

"Anyway… you asked why I recommended you."

"Yes. To be honest, I’m not close to you, Senior Min Ji-hun."

"That’s true, isn’t it?"

"But I was curious why you did it. Maybe the CEO pushed for it."

"Oh. The CEO did push, but… I was just curious. That’s why I recommended you."

"…What are you curious about?"

If I knew that, I might understand how the script and character came to be, and whether Min Ji-hun knows something, and why the system window keeps warning me.

I don’t know what in my question made him laugh, but Min Ji-hun smiled at me.

"You don’t know anything."

...I don’t know anything?

What kind of nonsense is this?

After the servers cleared the table and brought the final dessert, Min Ji-hun sipped his tea and made a mischievous face, drawing out his words.

"Let’s see~, you’re older than me, right?"

As if he were a fortune-teller in a drama, reading the protagonist’s horoscope.

"Can I call you ‘hyung’?"

What... is this new nonsense?