Leo cycled for about twenty minutes and finally reached the area near his destination. After finding a spot to park the shared bike nearby, he started walking toward the audition location.
He glanced at the time. It was almost noon. Had he really been meandering for so long?
Today's weather seemed to reflect everyone's mood, but for Leo, it was a welcome relief—he loved the cool air.
The audition site wasn't a place just anyone could enter, so he figured he'd just hang around the entrance for a bit, knowing that, with his current identity, he clearly wouldn't be getting in.
"Oh, there you are! Hurry up, quit dragging your feet!" A young man with an accent Leo couldn't quite place suddenly appeared, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him inside the building before he could react.
"???"
Leo was completely baffled. He'd just thought there was no way he'd get in, and now, out of nowhere, he was being dragged inside.
The young man pulled Leo through the building, navigating a maze of turns until they reached a hall bustling with people. He dashed to the front of the line and exchanged a few words with the person in charge. However, the staff at the front clearly didn't recognize Leo and replied to the young man. When he returned, he looked apologetic.
"Sorry, I mistook you for someone else. We're about to start, and I can't step away. You'll need to head back outside. My bad." The young man nodded and bowed repeatedly, leaving Leo feeling awkward.
Without a word, Leo nodded and turned to leave, starting to wander back through the building. As he reached the last corner of a corridor, a shadowy figure rushed into him, not giving him a chance to respond before grabbing him and dragging him back the way he had come, making him go in circles again.
As they ran, the person muttered, "We're late, we're late!"
"??????"
Although completely bewildered, Leo recognized the voice—it was far too familiar…
In his memories, his manager, Vivian, often mumbled like this while rushing him between schedules… Could it really be her?
They reached the entrance of the hall just as two staff members were about to close the doors. At the last second, the "shadow" dragged Leo inside. Director Blackwood was famously strict—once the doors were closed, you could leave, but there was no getting back in.
"…"
Leo was exhausted from the running, but one thing was certain—this person was definitely Vivian.
Vivian turned, ready to speak, but froze mid-sentence. "Wait… who is this? He looks familiar, but… I definitely grabbed the wrong guy!"
"Uh… haha… so… who exactly are you?" Vivian mumbled, her voice laced with awkwardness.
Leo was at a loss. How could he explain everything with just two words at a time?
"Yesterday…"
"…Station."
At Leo's hesitant pace, Vivian assumed he was dropping hints. Then it hit her—this was the young man who had saved her yesterday. Without the glasses, she hadn't recognized him right away.
"It's you! I've been wondering how to find my savior! Are you here for the audition too? Which agency are you with? Why were you heading toward the door? Were you picking someone up?"
The barrage of questions left Leo completely overwhelmed. His mind raced, but his social anxiety locked him in place. How was he supposed to explain everything with just a few words?
"…No," Leo finally managed to squeeze out.
Vivian nodded sympathetically. "Ah, I get it. Your small agency probably gave your audition spot to someone else, right? No worries, I've still got one more… Consider it a thank you for saving me."
Her expression grew slightly awkward as she finished, and Leo quickly understood why. That spot had originally been his.
Or rather, it had belonged to the "deceased" Leo.
Vivian wasn't being deceptive—she genuinely thought she understood the situation.
Leo suddenly felt like this opportunity was destined for him. He took a deep breath and slowly responded, "Alright…"
Vivian didn't say much after that, just asked for his name and told him he'd be the last one to audition for StarVision. There was a screen at the entrance that would display the role of the current auditionee, their status, and the name of the next person up.
StarVision truly lived up to its reputation as a major company, with its auditions running ahead of others. The process varied in speed—some finished quickly, while others took longer, depending on their skills. Before long, it was almost Leo's turn. The talent from StarVision was impressive—out of six people, four had passed, which was quite an achievement considering Director Thaddeus Blackwood's notoriously tough standards. The seventh person, auditioning for a supporting role, barely lasted thirty seconds before walking out dejectedly, clearly having failed.
Thaddeus Blackwood's auditions were unlike any other. Most directors scheduled separate auditions for different roles on different days. But Blackwood's rules were simple: once inside, you state the role you're auditioning for and immediately start your performance, with no regard for your status or previous experience.
The audition process consisted of two rounds. The first was an open audition, and the second was a one-on-one session for the main roles. If there were multiple candidates for the lead, they would face off during the second round. The industry's consensus was that while Blackwood was tough on newcomers, his process was also fair.
Leo entered the audition room. The staff recording the session asked him which role he was auditioning for. Amidst the surprised looks from the others, Leo uttered two words:
"The lead."