Chapter 11

Acting is about expression.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a good role or a bad role, a leading role or a supporting role.

It is about materializing characters that have existed in the form of text within a script through the actor’s expressions, voice, and gestures.

However, in most cases, acting is inevitably flavored by the actor’s subjective interpretation, even if just a little.

So while there may be acting that comes close to the right answer, there can be no acting that is the definitive answer.

There are countless examples of acting that are clearly wrong.

In a way, this is a given.

Not all actors are the same machine from head to toe.

The result of accumulated experiences throughout their lives, acting skills honed in their own ways, and various factors like their current psychological state all blend together in a murky mix, and that is acting.

The act of auditioning is nothing more than seeking the performance that best fits the director’s requirements among these various types of acting.

“I’m not angry with you, sir. I’m not disappointed either. It’s just that… I’m still alone.”

Therefore, what was happening right now in front of Kwon Jong-hyuk cannot be called an audition.

Ha Eun, who needed to be evaluated by Kwon Jong-hyuk, was not acting as close to the correct answer as possible. Instead, Kwon Jong-hyuk was forcing Ha Eun to acknowledge her performance as the correct answer.

“I’m sorry for making you worry. It won’t happen again.”

With a look that had given up everything, including a glimmer of expectation towards the ‘uncle’.

Struggling to act nonchalant while her throat was getting tighter.

Giving up on gestures like holding hands with the person who had been her only conversational partner.

She was asking, almost accusingly, the director Kwon Jong-hyuk, who was next door.

If this isn’t the appearance of ‘Kim Ji-a’, then whose could it possibly be?

No, could any other appearance possibly be called Kim Ji-a?

It was closer to reproduction than acting.

Ha Eun was almost informing Kwon Jong-hyuk about the moments that Kim Ji-a in ‘next door uncle’ had experienced, an overstepping reproduction.

No matter what Ha Eun said or what expressions she made, it was simply Kim Ji-a.

A pitiful girl who was not even allowed a glimmer of hope that things would get better as time went on.

She was definitely different from other child actors who had tried to interpret and understand the character of Kim Ji-a.

It was as if she had already experienced countless things similar to Kim Ji-a.

Even after that, it was not an effort to forcibly embody the character of Kim Ji-a; it was flowing naturally.

She was speaking to Kwon Jong-hyuk as Kim Ji-a might say, but not in a way that Kim Ji-a would say.

“Well then, I’ll be going now. Ah, I’ll return the borrowed umbrella first thing tomorrow morning.”

She bid farewell only in that final moment.

“…It’s over.”

Thus, even after Ha Eun, who had just been Kim Ji-a, returned to her original self.

Kwon Jong-hyuk’s sealed lips showed no sign of opening for quite a while.

After all, these were lines he had heard dozens of times during the repeated process of auditions.

Yes, they must have been terribly tiresome lines.

‘Were these the original… lines?’

The sorrow, confusion, and dryness contained within were not at all familiar.

Unrefined emotions not corrected even to a grain of sand.

Yet, without being exaggerated or concealed,

She perfectly delivered lines that might easily become nothing more than the whims of a childish child if mishandled.

There was not even a hint of the childishness that the actress playing Kim Ji-a should be the most wary of.

‘…It was you.’

For the first time, a certainty had appeared that had never arisen while watching any other child actor’s performance.

Almost simultaneously, Jeong Do-cheol, jokingly, playfully slapped Ha Eun’s shoulder rather roughly.

“This actor’s skills haven’t died, haven’t died. No, it seems rather like it’s rising, doesn’t it?”

“Ah, um… Thank you.”

After that, every time Jeong Do-cheol’s burly hand touched Ha Eun, her small body swayed precariously.

It was right after that when Jeong Do-cheol’s question about whether Kwon Jong-hyuk still thought there was no talent for his Luna Entertainment pierced through Kwon Jong-hyuk’s ears.

“I mean, our director Kwon is picky; who doesn’t know that? However, don’t draw a conclusion that there isn’t anyone worthy of that pickiness.”

Was it a momentary illusion that made him look as if he was genuinely pleased?

In any case, if even Ha Eun, who had become Kim Ji-a herself, could not receive a passing mark, then no one in this world would be able to achieve one.

So, slowly opening his firmly shut mouth.

“I will contact you again as soon as possible, Representative Jeong.”

He signaled that Kwon Jong-hyuk and Ha Eun would soon meet again.

However, to be clear, it was simply providing the opportunity to compete for the role of Kim Ji-a with another child actor who had been placed on the final candidate list.

It was not yet a confirmation of Ha Eun as the role of Kim Ji-a.

Regardless, what Kwon Jong-hyuk wanted to create was not a monologue play but a film.

No matter how exceptional the acting skills may be, if they do not harmonize with the other actors appearing in the same scene, it ultimately means nothing.

What was most important was whether he could synchronize with another lead actor, Kang Seon-woo.

“Hello? Ah, Kang Seon-woo. It’s me, Kwon Jong-hyuk. I’m contacting you regarding the casting for the role of Kim Ji-a.”

He finally confirmed the schedule for the screen test, which had been delayed repeatedly, for the final decision on the role of Kim Ji-a.

Nevertheless, he still had this conviction lingering in his mind about Ha Eun.

Whether it would be a screen test or another audition, he felt that the child actor who would play Kim Ji-a next door had already been decided.

***

“Hey, Ha Eun. How was the audition…?”

Upon meeting, Lee Jun looked at Ha Eun with eyes that showed he felt sorry for forcing her into the audition while also being slightly curious about the results.

In response, she returned a calm answer that it seemed to have gone alright, as always.

While Jeong Do-cheol, who had accompanied her to the audition, joyfully boasted about having flattened Kwon Jong-hyuk’s nose with his thick hand while grinning,

The expression Ha Eun had seen on Kwon Jong-hyuk was utterly lukewarm.

It was hard to predict whether Ha Eun’s performance had surpassed Kwon Jong-hyuk’s passing mark.

Or if, like the other child actors from Luna Entertainment, Ha Eun would end up getting rejected as well.

This performance of Ha Eun was based on memories of a previous life.

It was the result of mixing scenes of the next-door uncle that remained in her memories with what she had empathized with about Kim Ji-a from long ago.

Well, judging by the fact that they said they would contact her as soon as possible, it seemed they didn’t view it too negatively.

If by any chance an opportunity were given, she was considering working hard.

After that, after lightly finishing a meat-heavy dinner that Lee Jun had prepared in advance.

Ha Eun headed to Na-yeon, who arrived right on time to pick her up after every singing class, to share her audition impressions briefly.

“The camera was bigger than me. It had all sorts of weird buttons all over it.”

“Really? That must have been interesting~.”

However, a question she had not particularly thought about suddenly came from Na-yeon.

“Um, even if our daughter appears in a movie, we probably wouldn’t see it until about ten years later.”

Recalling belatedly that the movie Ha Eun auditioned for was rated R for minors.

After returning from the audition, the story that had been suggested to her by Jeong Do-cheol slipped out.

“Um, Mom. Is it not tiring to come pick me up every time?”

“Our Ha Eun is worried that Mom’s legs might hurt? Aw, you’re so sweet.”

Almost simultaneously, she was suddenly pulled into Na-yeon’s embrace, momentarily suffocating under the unexpected pressure for her petite height.

In any case, it was true that she felt a bit bad for causing Na-yeon trouble during every singing lesson with Daulby.

While buried in Na-yeon’s soft skin, she somehow managed to lift her head.

“The representative said they would assign a manager to me. He mentioned that he has a feeling that I’ll be quite busy in the future.”

“A manager? Who is it?”

“Um, I’m not really sure who the manager is. I think I’ll need to ask later.”

She informed Na-yeon that she would soon have a manager.

She also mentioned that there would be no need for Na-yeon to come pick her up anymore, as the manager would be driving her car.

“Then, now you’re really a proper actress! Actress Ha Eun, please give your mom an autograph!”

“I-I don’t have a pen or paper. I’ll sign later….”

As Na-yeon jokingly requested an autograph, a blush gradually appeared on Ha Eun’s face.

The tips of her ears also visibly reddened, revealing to Na-yeon that she was not yet accustomed to being called an actress.

Still, it didn’t feel entirely unpleasant.

After a little while, she thought this ticklish feeling might become familiar too.

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