Joo Seo-yeon was secretly surprised when Lee Ji-yeon asked her for help with the audition.
It wasn’t that she had forgotten about Ji-yeon’s audition because she was too busy managing her own image.
Or perhaps she felt a little petty about hanging out with Jo Seo-hee recently.
But that wasn’t the case.
Seo-yeon had been checking Ji-yeon’s audition date every day from the start.
…Of course, she did feel a bit concerned that Ji-yeon only asked Jo Seo-hee for help.
But that was only because Ji-yeon had been Seo-yeon’s best friend since childhood.
“I get that she asked Jo Seo-hee for help.”
In her past life, Jo Seo-hee didn’t appear in [Gyeongseong Young Lady].
Perhaps due to the harsh criticism from [The Moon That Hid the Sun], she hadn’t been very active in her acting career and wasn’t regarded as a particularly impressive actress.
“She might not even have been cast in the first place.”
But Jo Seo-hee now was different.
Although Seo-yeon had just managed to mention Jo Seo-hee for the first time while rushing over, it wasn’t common to hear anyone say who was better than whom.
Seo-yeon wasn’t particularly inclined to determine superiority, either.
“Anyway.”
While feeling a slight disappointment that Ji-yeon turned to Jo Seo-hee for help, Seo-yeon also thought it was fortunate.
After all, [Gyeongseong Young Lady] was a film with a very strong romance element.
Much more than the awkward [Dream Future] she had previously been involved in.
“Have you heard what your role will be from Jo Seo-hee?”
“Yes.”
Seo-yeon had already been pre-cast in the current film by Director Baek Min along with Jo Seo-hee.
Like they had discussed before, she had already received the script.
After reading it, Seo-yeon accepted the role after a little bit of contemplation.
At that moment, Jo Seo-hee, who had been glancing nervously at her, said,
“Right? Isn’t it great? I thought you’d take this role. Sure, it has some elements, but I’m confident it’s definitely a work of outstanding quality!”
The moment Seo-yeon agreed, Jo Seo-hee beamed and smiled widely.
For your reference, Jo Seo-hee had refused the filming of [Mine] in favor of filming [Gyeongseong Young Lady].
Anyway, she had risen to a prominent position in [Hyper Action Star], and the only actresses who could act well were Jo Seo-hee or Han So-yu.
If you exclude Min Do-ha, there weren’t many others.
GH Group had probably offered casting invitations to all three of them.
Of course, Seo-yeon had no idea what choices they made.
The only one she knew about was Jo Seo-hee.
And when she asked her about it,
“I can’t do multiple roles at once like you.”
No, she muttered to herself before squinting her eyes.
“Rather, if you’re an actress who focuses on emotional acting like you do, it’s normal to not be able to manage several at once. You’re the unusual one.”
That might indeed be true.
Once an actor gets immersed in a role, it can be hard to pull out.
Seo-yeon’s freedom in that regard was probably due to the significant influence of her past life.
Being able to skillfully control her own emotions greatly helped her distinguish between roles.
“Jo Seo-hee really has a good eye for scripts.”
That’s why she was not an actress who had never experienced failure.
Jo Seo-hee had exceptional insight.
Even without future knowledge like Seo-yeon, she could predict the level of a script just by reading it.
In fact, she had remarked on [Gyeongseong Young Lady],
“Because of such elements, it might be slightly weak in the Korean market, but I think it will receive good reviews overseas. Above all, I believe the critic scores will be high.”
Surprisingly, that was exactly the evaluation [Gyeongseong Young Lady] later received.
“Of course, it wasn’t that [Gyeongseong Young Lady] performed poorly domestically.”
A whopping 4 million viewers.
Recently, Seo-yeon had appeared in a film that surpassed 10 million, but 4 million for [Gyeongseong Young Lady] was truly a remarkable record.
After all, it involved a film with homosexual themes, right?
Sure, there was [The King’s Affection], which exceeded 10 million with male-male romance, but she didn’t think [Gyeongseong Young Lady] fell far behind.
If anything, the background and the homosexual themes were more unusual with women, so.
“It could have been a work that earned an even higher figure.”
Production quality, script.
Direction.
All three elements of a production that fell short.
The sole issue that remained was.
“The actors.”
Surprisingly, there were two problems concerning the actors.
If only those could be resolved… the domestic success of [Gyeongseong Young Lady] would definitely rise.
“I appreciate you offering to help. This audition script… happens to be related to Jo Seo-hee.”
As she thought of that, she heard Ji-yeon’s voice next to her.
Currently, Seo-yeon was at the Nova Entertainment practice room with Ji-yeon.
“With Jo Seo-hee?”
“All the three scenes we’ll perform in the audition are all related to Jo Seo-hee. She’s both the judge and the co-star.”
So, Jo Seo-hee would also be there.
“That girl will clearly be ruthless without giving you any favors.”
Sure enough.
While Jo Seo-hee was often somewhat overwhelmed by Ji-yeon, it was a different story when it came to acting.
Still, she was completely serious about acting.
She would probably aim to devour Lee Ji-yeon whole.
If she didn’t do well, she wouldn’t hesitate to drop her, regardless of their friendship.
“So can’t you just ask Jo Seo-hee for help?”
“Joo Seo-yeon, I told you. She’s a judge.”
In other words, it suggested that it was cowardly to ask Jo Seo-hee, who was a judge, for help regarding the audition content.
“At least I want to compete on equal footing.”
She had received some help already, but she meant that she couldn’t accept anything related to audition performances.
That meant Ji-yeon was truly serious about her acting this time.
“Lami-el didn’t show those signs on the broadcast.”
Instead, she had embarrassingly ended up colluding with a wizard, which flipped Seo-yeon’s insides.
At the worst time, when she was filming [The Golden Duckling], she’d put on a terrible show.
“They’ll probably edit it well.”
Of course, it included things Young-bin had done too.
But… being a variety show PD, he might not edit it, an ominous feeling crept in.
Since [The Golden Duckling] hadn’t aired yet, she had no idea how it would be edited.
“But you seem calm. I thought you’d feel a little pressured.”
Ji-yeon found it strange that Seo-yeon readily agreed to her request.
She’d have to get used to what was coming, considering the upcoming filming, but it was somewhat burdensome.
< Gyeongseong Young Lady > wasn’t a film with obvious and intense scenes.
It needed to ride the fine line subtly, showing the audience the emotions.
“Now that I think about it, is it strange to do this with a friend?”
Ji-yeon glanced at Seo-yeon, who stood with a calm expression.
She couldn’t tell what was going through her mind at all.
She thought Seo-yeon would at least show some signs of agitation, but her face looked fine.
“Looking back, middle school was more fun.”
Ji-yeon sometimes missed the wild, uncontrollable Seo-yeon from their younger days, when she couldn’t handle her own emotions.
So, she thought it was fortunate that she hadn’t pursued acting back then.
After all, it meant she had moments where she had been one step ahead of Seo-yeon.
“If I can’t make it this time…”
She felt vague thoughts rise.
If Seo-yeon hadn’t been there, Ji-yeon would have likely quit acting long ago.
Little Star.
From a young age, Seo-yeon had been a kind of benchmark for Ji-yeon.
In other words, like the North Star illuminating the night sky.
Ji-yeon wanted to stick to this audition for [Gyeongseong Young Lady] even more to reach that North Star.
If she didn’t make it…
“No.”
Ji-yeon shook her head and looked back at Seo-yeon.
Right now, she’d think only of making it.
With that thought, Ji-yeon grabbed the script.
*
This audition for [Gyeongseong Young Lady] included scenes filled with complex emotions with Jo Seo-hee.
Since it was a code that was somewhat unfamiliar in Korea, they wanted to see how well the actors handled it.
That went for Seo-yeon as well.
“To be honest, it’s difficult for me too.”
Romantic acting was hard.
While she had deceived everyone in [Dream Future], she wondered if she could do well again this time.
For Seo-yeon, whether the counterpart was male or female, a sense of rejection was inevitable.
The influence of her past life.
And her current life.
As long as a part of her past self remained, it was an issue she couldn’t avoid.
At least, in the acting part, she might be a bit better with a female counterpart.
Acting was more psychological.
“…Affection.”
That was burdensome.
Burdened but it was an emotion Seo-yeon definitely wanted to feel.
Someday.
Perhaps, if she graduated, things would change.
Such vague thoughts.
After all, it felt like a long way to go before that point arrived.
It was at least something she could only achieve by becoming a great actor.
“I might be different from Jo Seo-hee’s interpretation of ‘Young Lady’.”
Seo-yeon had already memorized all the lines of the ‘Young Lady’ role through Ji-yeon’s script.
It took less than 10 minutes.
She skimmed through it, dropped in emotion, and then glanced at Ji-yeon.
“But you need to be serious and not mess around. If you think of this as just practice…”
Seo-yeon knew what Ji-yeon was thinking.
She had no desire to drop her friend in this audition.
Emotional acting was tough.
Love acting, in particular, was something she felt she was still lacking.
Now was not the time for weak thoughts.
Facing each other.
Taking a deep breath.
In a place without a director, with no action sign.
Seo-yeon’s eyes turned a shade of red.
“Bring me the shawl, Sun-ye, we’re having another auction today.”
Her gaze softened.
Her red lips twisted alluringly.
“Then, don’t you have to present it in the most beautiful way possible?”
The way her white hand cupped her chin and tilted her head was truly lovely.
Ji-yeon froze as she watched Seo-yeon perform right in front of her.
The Seo-yeon who had been talking to her just moments ago had completely vanished.
Seo-yeon rarely acted right in front of Ji-yeon.
Initially, she had performed a few times in practice.
But it wasn’t to this extent.
And actually performing was something she had only ever seen through a screen.
“That’s why.”
Ji-yeon realized.
Why Seo-yeon’s presence faded when she acted.
The aura of an actress.
Her presence was different.
Though they tend to forget it due to her everyday image, Seo-yeon was ultimately an actress.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say there was no one like her when comparing her to actors of a similar age, aside from Jo Seo-hee and Park Jung-woo.
A moment of breathlessness.
Ji-yeon felt disoriented, wondering how to reciprocate with the right emotions in the acting scene.
“You should put on makeup first, Miss. You can’t just hop to finding a shawl.”
Bowing her head, speaking calmly, Ji-yeon finally managed to say.
Thanks to her experience acting in cable dramas, she didn’t stutter.
This scene was one where the ‘Young Lady’ was annoyingly teasing her maid, Sun-ye.
The young lady already had feelings for Sun-ye to some extent, but Sun-ye was ignoring her.
That kind of emotion.
In the next line, she needed to be more explicit about those feelings.
In that moment of determination.
“Stop.”
Seo-yeon said.
“Your acting is boring.”
In a blunt tone.
Ji-yeon’s eyes widened at that, but Seo-yeon put her thumb to her chin, thinking for a moment.
“Isn’t this similar to a phrase I heard when I was younger?”
Instinctively, her authoritative tone seemed to mimic Jeong Eun-seon.
That wasn’t exactly a good thing.
While thinking that, Seo-yeon turned to Ji-yeon.
But the statement she just made was sincere.
“Your acting is just a bit too ordinary.”
Didn’t Jo Seo-hee point that out?
No, she probably did.
So, Ji-yeon likely nodded, understanding it to some extent.
“Is the emotion not coming through?”
“A bit different. It feels forced, as if you’re trying too hard to show it.”
Seo-yeon replied.
“You need to create anticipation in your acting. If everything you show is too evident, it’ll be boring.”
Creating anticipation.
By complicating emotions and displaying a relatively opposite attitude to the dialogue, there were various methods.
“I think Jo Seo-hee mentioned something similar.”
Honestly, grabbing that feeling was tough.
Seo-yeon nodded at those words.
“I’ll teach you how.”
“Huh?”
“So focus on me.”
As Seo-yeon looked at Ji-yeon, her lips twisted in a playful grin.
It was a look reminiscent of the ‘Young Lady’ she was performing in the script.
“Now I have a bit more confidence in guiding you.”
Seo-yeon was not accustomed to teaching.
Her basic mentality was, “Why can’t you do it?”
But as she learned to handle emotions more adeptly, she discovered a lot.
Combined with the ’emotional mimicry’ she had mastered in her past life, she could analyze acting better.
Thus,
Seo-yeon aimed to help Ji-yeon deliver a performance that would astonish everyone at the audition.
*
In a certain building in Gangnam where the audition for [Gyeongseong Young Lady] was taking place.
It was bustling since early morning.
Actors had arrived a bit early.
Though there didn’t seem to be too many.
However, not that many more would come.
“There aren’t many applicants.”
Director Baek Min glanced at the situation and chuckled.
Even though there were few applicants, the faces were all good.
“Although the number is small, the quality is high. Everyone here is an actor I know.”
In these auditions, the number of newcomers often ran pretty high.
Yet, this time around, the number of rookies was peculiar and strikingly low.
The applicants must have been far more, but that number had clearly dwindled.
“How does Jo Seo-hee, the judge, see it?”
Baek Min casually asked.
At that, Jo Seo-hee, who had been scanning the script again, narrowed her eyes.
As if to say, don’t joke around.
“I think the audition will be fierce.”
Even with a smaller number, ultimately, what decided the outcomes was the quality of the actors.
It didn’t matter how many actors performed diverse acts.
The actor who delivered the best performance was the one chosen.
Thus, with high quality, it could only lead to fierce competition.
“That’s how Baek Min’s auditions go.”
Indeed, there were those who underestimated it, thinking it’s easy due to the low participation, but the reality was the opposite.
Actors usually have preferences for specific directors.
Especially because Baek Min’s films have a unique flair, many actors prefer them.
They were drawn in by that unique appeal.
Consequently, many familiar faces filled the session.
Even actors who had participated in Baek Min’s films several times before returned to audition.
That included veterans who had filmed several projects.
“Lee Ji-yeon, this won’t be an easy one.”
Jo Seo-hee thought to herself.
Though she had supported Ji-yeon’s acting all along, it still felt slightly ordinary to her.
Having already gained experience in cable dramas, her acting wasn’t overly flawed or awkward, but…
“I don’t think she’s nervous.”
Jo Seo-hee surreptitiously watched Ji-yeon, who was quietly waiting in her seat.
Her expression was serene.
In contrast, it felt to Jo Seo-hee as if she was the more nervous one.
Yet, seeing Ji-yeon, she thought…
“…Has something changed?”
She had heard that Ji-yeon was practicing with Joo Seo-yeon, and perhaps that was it?
Hmm, practicing acting with Joo Seo-yeon.
“Heh.”
“Seo-hee, why are you laughing?”
“Me? Ah, did I… laugh?”
“Yes.”
At Baek Min’s playful remark, Jo Seo-hee lightly tapped her mouth with her palm.
I shouldn’t be laughing, I shouldn’t.
Still, she felt the excitement building up.
Having only had a brief taste of Seo-yeon’s acting through her appearance in [Hyper Action Star].
The thought of performing together in the same film made Jo Seo-hee anticipate it already.
Then.
“Alright, let’s begin the auditions. Candidates 1 to 5, please come in!”
The audition for [Gyeongseong Young Lady] officially started.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.