Chapter 38

In the silence.

Everyone’s gaze shifted slightly.

In the silence, the high school girl exuded a strange atmosphere.

Her long, black hair contrasted sharply against her pale skin.

At first, everyone assumed she had come to the audition relying solely on her looks.

But.

“Who is she? She seems experienced…”

“What’s she doing right now? Is she acting?”

Her face maintained a calm base expression, yet vivid emotions could be clearly felt beneath it.

Typically, “bad acting” refers to a lack of facial expression changes, leading to a robotic performance. But within her expressionless demeanor, subtle changes made her acting seem naturally restrained, not exaggerated.

This was a skill usually only seen from veteran actors, making it quite odd for a high school girl to display such professionalism.

“Clearly an experienced one, that girl.”

Still a high school student, she might have been a former child actor who had previously appeared in small dramas.

“But…”

While the gathered actors were wary of her, they couldn’t help feeling a bit relieved because her acting style didn’t seem suited for theater.

**Clank.**

At that moment, the closed door was forcefully pushed open.

All eyes turned.

Seoyeon, who had been calmly preparing for her audition, shifted her gaze toward the direction of the sound.

The entrance to the waiting room.

There stood a woman, gasping for breath, gripping the doorknob. Her wavy brown hair and droopy eyes framed a slim, short figure.

She looked barely into her twenties, with an immediately noticeable gaunt complexion.

For an actor, this was an unexpectedly striking appearance.

“Who is she?”

“Is she here for the audition?”

Her outfit was just as unusual as Seoyeon’s school uniform.

Fashion terror at its finest.

Her jeans looked hastily picked, and her checkered top resembled something an engineering student might wear.

Regardless of whether it matched the role or not, it radiated a peculiar sense of discomfort.

“So, this is her?”

Seoyeon narrowed her eyes as the woman shuffled in. Without minding the gazes of others, the woman sat at a conveniently empty spot.

No script in hand. Just bare.

Anyone seeing her might think she’d entered the wrong room.

“Hey, this is the audition room, right?”

When one actor hesitantly addressed her, her eyes slowly shifted.

A piercing glance, fitting the description. The actor who’d spoken felt a slight shiver.

She carried an air unlike the ordinary.

“I know.”

Her tone was firm, and additional explanation was unnecessary—it was impossible to keep the conversation going.

“…That’s right. Exactly.”

As Seoyeon had seen in the news—this role belonged to the woman standing before her.

Through this play, she would be cast in a movie, thus becoming a hot topic for various reasons.

“Ji-woo Pyo.”

A woman who might have become a star.

But also a fan cursed with the worst kind of talent.

She was the opponent Seoyeon had to overcome.

***

“How are things? Anyone interesting?”

The director, Jo Do-yul, glanced at the other judges. Included in this panel were assistant directors, stage managers, and two actors who would participate in the play—alongside Do-yul himself.

“Indeed, thanks to the scriptwriter Minhee’s work, this one’s very popular.”

“Right. It’s a proven script already.”

“Eyes Closed” was a play that had been a massive hit on University Street three years ago. Its revival now was almost guaranteed to succeed because of that earlier popularity.

“The ‘Hong Jeong-hee’ role we’re casting now is crucial.”

“Agreed. She’s the character who flips the entire mood.”

The play primarily follows the story of two characters: idol Baesung-hak (the male lead) and Song Min-seo, a woman with auditory impairment. While their romance doesn’t encounter any earth-shattering crises, smaller issues do arise. And it is Jeong-hee, the antagonist, who dramatically alters this atmosphere.

“If we cast the wrong person for Hong Jeong-hee, the whole stage can fail.”

“Right. But portraying this villain character isn’t easy…”

“The underlying creepiness needs to come through clearly. If handled poorly, it could feel awkward. Yet if done well, it’s an impact-packed role.”

It’s one of the more sought-after roles for actors because of its powerful presence, despite it having relatively few lines.

So the applicants numbered a surprising 500, from which only the top 10 percent advanced to the second round of auditions.

“Hmm, among those we noticed, there’s actress Bae Young-hyun?”

“Ah, she’s a solid actress, her skills are well-verified. She’s diligent too. I heard she returned to the stage not long ago, right?”

Each judge mentioned the actors they had particular interest in. Among them, one mentioned a name that seemed out of place.

“Joo Sooyeon. … You’ve seen her profile, right?”

“Ah.”

Everyone nodded upon hearing the name. Of course. It was surprising—an unexpected person from an unexpected place had shown up.

“Ten years ago, she was a major hit as a child actress. Didn’t expect to see her here.”

“I was surprised too. I personally watched that drama. Her acting was so good, I remember applauding during some scenes.”

“…Is that so? I didn’t watch *The Moon That Hid the Sun*. What did you watch?”

“Action King…”

“Ah, a rare one. Not many Action King viewers here.”

“Too bad.”

The judges shared their impressions after looking at Joo Sooyeon’s profile.

She reached the peak as a child star in her role as Princess Yeonhwa on *The Moon That Hid the Sun* and received the Youth Acting Award in the same year.

Having reached the zenith of her career as a child actor all within a single year, she vanished for 10 years. That person was none other than Joo Sooyeon.

“Why theater?”

“Many actors return through theater. Some see it as rehabilitation before returning to movies or TV dramas…”

Even though they said those things, everyone wore perplexed expressions.

Joo Sooyeon.

In terms of buzz, she was undoubtedly a big catch.

“But does she fit the play?”

“Her looks… Hmm, but her resume—her only experience is from one drama filming session, and she’s lacking theater experience altogether. Does she not know how different play acting is from TV drama acting?”

“She’s also quite young—a high school student. However, with makeup, she can pass for an adult with ease.”

This only works because Seoyeon is female; generally, women finish growing when they hit their late teens.

“There’s this feeling of a square peg in a round hole…”

“A pity to let go, but something seems off about holding onto her.”

Unspoken was the question: After 10 years, how well could this former child actor still perform? Ten years ago, everyone marveled at Yeon-hwa’s performance, but that was child acting.

It’s now time to compare her with adult actors. With limited experience, could her first performance after 10 years possibly match her former self as Yeon-hwa?

Nonetheless, her free-acting video revealed no noticeable flaws, and she passed the first round unanimously.

Still, stage acting and video-based acting could be different things.

“I actually have another person in mind besides Joo Sooyeon.”

“Ah, I think I know who.”

As their eyes met, they all simultaneously uttered the name:

“Ji-woo Pyo, right?”

The free-acting video from the preliminary audition was nothing short of shocking. Raw yet perfectly matching the Hong Jeong-hee role.

“I personally hope she gets this Hong Jeong-hee role. What do you think, Min Se-ho?”

“Uh?”

“Isn’t this one the character most deeply entangled with Song Min-seo in *Eyes Closed*?”

“Ahh, yes.”

Min Se-ho acknowledged, glancing at his phone—not to do anything else but to rewatch Ji-woo’s free-acting video from the preliminary auditions again.

“Strange.”

Min Se-ho frowned.

“I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere…”

Could it be someone he met at a club? He shook his head dismissing the thought.

“I think she doesn’t quite fit this role. But we’ll see when she’s here.”

“True, indeed she should be seen personally.”

With that, Jo Do-yul checked the time. It was nearly audition time for the crucial antagonist role of Hong Jeong-hee.

***

7 p.m.

With evening falling, the auditions began in earnest.

Seoyeon leisurely scanned her surroundings.

The tension here was incomparable to her past auditions as a child actor. Back then, it was all about the rivalries between the parents.

But now, everyone here was genuine, driven solely by a desire to survive and thrive in the industry. Naturally, their intensity would differ.

“Indeed, there’s a noticeable difference from the auditions I participated in before.”

Thinking that, Seoyeon closed her eyes calmly. Five actors went into the set each time to perform, with the group watching each other while they acted.

If not for the *The Moon That Hid the Sun* audition 10 years ago, this setting might have been a bit daunting.

Still, even with a decade between now and then…

“Relaxed…”

“Familiar feeling, huh?”

The other actors glanced at Seoyeon. For those who frequently attended auditions, her cool demeanor was familiar.

But how could a high schooler be this composed? This calmness hinted at either vast experience or innate nerves of steel.

Either way, these were qualities essential to any actor.

“Who could she be?”

Just as everyone was curious about Seoyeon.

“Next, actress Ha Si-eun, actress Hwang Yeong-hee, and…”

The next names for the audition were called out.

“Actress Joo Sooyeon.”

At this name, Seoyeon’s attention sharpened.

Joo Sooyeon.

Upon hearing her name, a few actors reacted.

“Joo Sooyeon? Isn’t that the child actress I know?”

“Huh, seriously?”

“But her looks and age…”

*The Moon That Hid the Sun* was the drama that dominated that year. The child actor who played Yeon-hwa achieved extraordinarily high ratings, a record unlikely to be broken. The actors still remembered her performance vividly, even though they were younger when it aired.

“And also, actress Ji-woo Pyo.”

After Seoyeon’s turn, Ji-woo Pyo entered the audition room. Unconcerned about the environment, she stood up.

Perhaps because of Seoyeon’s name just being called, fewer people took notice of her.

“Hello, I’m Jo Do-yul, the director handling the auditions for *Eyes Closed*.”

Upon entering, Seoyeon saw eight judges seated. Among them was Min Se-ho, the actor cast as Baesung-hak, the male lead.

“That’s him.”

A controversial figure. Soon, Seoyeon would understand Baesung-hak’s feelings better than anyone.

“And.”

Her gaze shifted.

The woman who’d entered with her.

Ji-woo Pyo.

“Now, then, who shall we start with…?”

The judges’ eyes moved.

They pointed largely to two people.

Joo Sooyeon, and Ji-woo Pyo.

“Actress Joo Sooyeon, please come forward.”

First up.

Anything that comes first carries a certain burden, and auditions are no different.

“The prodigy child actress from 10 years ago.”

Her dazzling appearance drew everyone’s eyes.

Would her acting capability live up to her past reputation?

The judges decided to observe quietly.

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