Chapter 7. The Audition Begins
"Ugh, why me, number one? I'll be back."
"Fighting, bro!"
"Okay, man."
One of the young actors stood up, fist-bumped his friend, and entered the audition room. He emerged about three minutes later, looking somewhat dejected.
"Thank you for your time. We'll notify you of the results later. Please refrain from talking to other participants and proceed directly to the exit."
A staff member standing by the door guided Na Sung-jin towards the exit.
"Next contestant, number 2, Jung Soo-yeon."
Jung Soo-yeon, who had gained some recognition among younger audiences through web dramas, entered and exited shortly after. Like the previous contestant, her expression was gloomy.
"Ugh, what am I going to do?" Jung Soo-yeon sighed involuntarily as she left the audition room.
'At this rate, I'll end up like Joo-young.'
She left, her face dark.
The actor sitting next to Yeon-woo spoke to him, "Whew, seems like the atmosphere in there is pretty tense."
"I guess so. I'm nervous since this is my first time," Yeon-woo replied, smiling faintly at the actor.
"Just do what you normally do in front of the camera, and you'll be fine. Well, I'm not one to talk. Phew!" The actor offered advice to Yeon-woo, then took a deep breath, seemingly nervous himself.
"Anyway, let's hope for the best. I'm Ahn Joon-ho. If I get cast in this project, it'll be my third role. I've only had minor roles so far, so I'm practically unknown." He extended his hand for a handshake.
"I'm Ryu Yeon-woo. This is my very first audition." Yeon-woo shook his hand, smiling brightly.
"Oh, no need for formalities. But with your looks, Yeon-woo, I bet you'll become famous soon."
"Thank you."
Just then, a staff member called out, "Number 4, Ahn Joon-ho? Ahn Joon-ho, you're next."
"Ugh, why the unlucky number 4? Maybe this isn't meant to be. I'll be going in now, Yeon-woo." Ahn Joon-ho greeted Yeon-woo and stood up.
Several more people auditioned, and Yeon-woo's turn approached.
"The next person is… let's see… Ryu Yeon-woo? There's no photo on his profile."
"Ah, that's him. Jung Chul-min called a few days ago, asking me to squeeze his student into the audition. I told him to just send the basic information."
Screenwriter Choi Mi-hyun responded to Director Kim Han-soo's comment with a hint of excitement, "Aha, Chul-min recommended him. It's been a while since I've seen him. Was it during the filming of 'See the End' that we last met?"
"Oh, Chul-min had a supporting role in Writer Choi's drama, right?"
"Yes, Director. He was a brilliant supporting actor. It's a shame that drama flopped, but Chul-min did a great job."
As Kim Han-soo and Choi Mi-hyun reminisced about Jung Chul-min, casting director Jung Yoon-seok added, "You know, that actor, his own acting is impeccable, but his teaching skills… not so much. He's sent actors to a few commercial film auditions I've been in charge of, but I've never cast any of them."
"Hmm, maybe he just hasn't found the right raw talent yet. Jung Chul-min is in the countryside now, isn't he? The talent pool is different in Seoul and the provinces."
Just then, Ryu Yeon-woo strode into the room and stood in the center. "Hello! I'm Ryu Yeon-woo, a rookie actor auditioning for 'Summer's Closet.'"
His chiseled features seemed to radiate an almost ethereal glow.
"…Wow. Found him," Choi Mi-hyun whispered, dropping her pen on the desk.
Her involuntary murmur snapped the production team back to attention.
"Chul-min asked me to take a look at his student. Well, he certainly has striking visuals."
"Thank you, Director." Yeon-woo recognized Kim Han-soo from the mention of Jung Chul-min.
"No acting experience yet. Still a minor, hmm… How long have you been acting?"
"I've been learning for about six months."
Casting Director Jung Yoon-seok smiled faintly, intrigued but also slightly disappointed. "He has the looks to make it big, but six months… Let's see. Shall we begin, Director?"
Director Kim Han-soo nodded at the casting director's words and asked Yeon-woo to perform a free-acting piece.
"Can I choose any role from the script?"
"Yes, we'll ask for a specific performance if we need to see more, so you can act any role or scene from the script we provided."
"Understood. Rookie actor Ryu Yeon-woo, starting scene 16 from episode 2."
Screenwriter Choi Mi-hyun silently prayed that he would do well. If his acting skills even remotely matched his looks, it would be a godsend.
Yeon-woo placed the script he brought beside him, and the production team flipped to scene 16 of episode 2.
The character Yeon-woo was about to portray, 'Cha Woo-joo,' was the son of a chaebol family. In the previous scenes, he had defied his father and enrolled in a modeling department, resulting in him being kicked out of his home. With nowhere to go, he was killing time on a campus bench.
Then, a basketball hits his parked motorcycle, breaking the mirror. The scene Yeon-woo was about to act started immediately after that incident.
It was a scene where Woo-joo, instead of accepting compensation for the damage, demands to live with the drama's male lead, 'Kang Seo-joon,' who threw the basketball, following him home and pestering him.
There was a strategic reason for choosing this scene for his free acting. Scene 16 of episode 2 offered the most diverse range of facial expressions among the scenes in the audition script. And that was Yeon-woo's strongest weapon.
'Alright, this is my first audition, but let's show them what I've practiced.'
Yeon-woo began his performance.
"I don't care about that. You broke my motorcycle, so I'm staying here. You have two rooms anyway," Yeon-woo said, plugging his ears as if he couldn't hear, and lay down on the floor.
Then, he quickly jumped up and delivered his next line in a wheedling tone, like a persistent salesman, "Look, I have nowhere to go. And do you know how much this motorcycle costs? You're getting off easy. Come on, it's the 21st century."
Perhaps because they hadn't expected much, given that he had only been acting for a short time, the production team was intrigued by Yeon-woo's surprisingly natural delivery.
"No! Hey, let go! Wow, this guy is strong!" Yeon-woo exclaimed in a panicked voice, as if being dragged away, despite being alone on the stage.
"Hey, are you really going to throw me out in this freezing weather?"
"Oh, it's spring. Don't you know about late-season cold snaps?"
Yeon-woo delivered his lines rapidly, portraying a slightly pathetic and comical character.
While it wasn't a flawless performance, it was impressive for someone with only six months of experience. However, the production team's expressions seemed to reflect that sentiment – impressed, but not blown away.
'To make an impression and secure a role… I guess I have to do it, right?' Yeon-woo started to mentally prepare himself.
'I am Ryu Yeon-woo. I'm eighteen, so I can be cute. I can definitely be cute.'
With newfound determination, he widened his eyes and intentionally looked towards the production team.
"Hey, buddy, think again. If we've known each other for a day, we're friends. Now, look at my adorable eyes. Don't you feel differently now?" He cupped his face with his hands and blinked innocently.
His sculpted features, combined with his large, beautiful eyes that could be mistaken for a girl's, blinking repeatedly, melted the hearts of the captivated production team.
"That's all. Thank you for your time."
The slight trembling of Yeon-woo's cheeks as he bowed was probably just their imagination.
Returning to a neutral expression, Yeon-woo walked back to the center of the room and stood still.
Several seconds of silence passed.
"His vocalization is good, isn't it?"
"With a little polishing, he'll improve quickly."
"He's only been acting for six months. If he's improved this much at an academy, he'll catch on fast on set."
Director Kim Han-soo, snapping out of his reverie after hearing the judges' whispered evaluations, nodded decisively.
"Good. Let's see, scene 32 of episode 3? Let's see that one as well. You can take your time and read through it slowly." The director pointed to Yeon-woo's script on the floor, requesting another scene.
'Scene 32 of episode 3… hmm. That's another scene with Cha Woo-joo.' After a brief pause, Yeon-woo spoke, "I'll start right away."
The production team looked at him quizzically.
'Right away? It's not even a supporting role scene. Don't tell me he memorized the entire script?'
"Here, take your pick. Hmm? That sweater? It would look great on you. Anything looks good on a pretty face." Yeon-woo's natural performance made it seem as if there was actually a girl holding a sweater against herself in front of him.
"The fitting room is in the back. Try it on and come out. I'll take a look. Noona." He smiled at the imaginary customer on his right, then immediately turned to his left, his expression turning neutral.
"Hey, Jung Yeo-reum. You promised. If I sell twenty of these today, you'll give me a room in your newlywed house, right?"
Yeon-woo continued, waving his hand dismissively as if annoyed by Yeo-reum's words, "Whatever, I don't care if you're newlyweds or childhood friends. You're giving me a place to stay? That's all that matters."
Cha Woo-joo, portrayed by Yeon-woo, seamlessly transitioned between expressions, showing a bright smile for the customer on his right and a look of annoyance towards Jung Yeo-reum on his left.
'I was planning to film those separately, but if he can do it that flawlessly, we can go for a wide shot and a single take. That would make the scene even better.'
Director Kim Han-soo nodded repeatedly, taking notes as he watched Ryu Yeon-woo's performance.
"That's all. Thank you for your time." Yeon-woo finished his performance, returned to the center, and bowed.
Clap, clap, clap! Screenwriter Choi Mi-hyun clapped enthusiastically, a rare sight in an audition room.
Casting Director Jung Yoon-seok finally asked the question that had been on his mind since the beginning.