Chapter 151

Jiyeon was somewhat surprised when Sooyeon agreed to help with the audition.

It wasn’t because Sooyeon had been completely neglecting Jiyeon’s audition due to image management, or because she had been somewhat annoyed by recently hanging out with Seohui Jo.

It wasn’t for those reasons.

After all, Sooyeon had been checking Jiyeon’s audition date every day.

…Of course, the fact that she had only asked Seohui Jo for help did slightly bother her.

That said, Sooyeon and Jiyeon had been best friends since childhood.

“Seohui’s reason for asking for help makes sense, though.”

In her past life, Seohui Jo hadn’t appeared in *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo*. Because of the harsh reviews she received in *The Moon That Hid the Sun*, she hadn’t worked on many projects and wasn’t regarded as a remarkable actress.

“Maybe initially, she wasn’t even cast.”

But this Seohui was different.

Although Sooyeon had just barely caught up to Seohui after running hard, it was hard to say who was superior.

Not that Sooyeon cared much about superiority.

“Anyway.”

Sooyeon felt a bit hurt that Jiyeon had asked Seohui for help, but she also thought it was fortunate in some ways.

After all, *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* was a movie with a heavy romance component, far more so than *Dream Future* where she had previously struggled.

“Did you by any chance hear what role you’ll be playing in Seohui’s casting?”

“Yeah.”

Sooyeon was already cast in advance for this movie directed by Baek Min alongside Seohui Jo, as had been previously discussed. They had already received the script.

After a brief deliberation, Sooyeon decided to accept the offer. At that moment, Seohui Jo, who had been eyeing her sideways, responded as follows:

“Right, it’s fine, right? I thought you’d do it. Though, there are a few such elements, but I truly believe it’s an excellent piece!”

As soon as Sooyeon agreed, Seohui Jo grinned happily.

Additionally, Seohui Jo had even declined participation in *Mine* in preparation for *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo*.

Regardless, the only actors who had performed properly in *Hyper Action Star* were Seohui Jo, Han So-woo, and Min Do-ha.

It seemed GH Group had likely sent casting offers to all three. Of course, Sooyeon didn’t know what choices they had made.

The only thing she was sure of was her acquaintance, Seohui Jo. When asked about it, she replied:

“I’m not like you to take on multiple projects at once.”

Rather, muttering to herself, Seohui continued:

“On the contrary, if an actor focuses on emotional performance like you, it’s normal not to be able to handle multiple projects. You’re the exception.”

It’s possible that’s true. After all, there were actors who, once immersed in a role, struggled to break out of it.

Sooyeon’s ability in this area was undoubtedly heavily influenced by her past life. Being able to expertly control her emotions was a great help in distinguishing between roles.

“Seohui really has an eye for scripts.”

She wasn’t an actress who had ever failed.

Seohui Jo had excellent foresight. Even without knowing the future like Sooyeon, she could make informed predictions just by reading the script.

Regarding *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo*, she remarked:

“Because of those elements, it might not do well domestically in the South Korean market, but I think it will gain good reviews internationally. Above all, the critics’ scores will be high.”

Surprisingly, her assessment aligned exactly with *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo*’s eventual reviews.

“Of course, *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* wasn’t exactly underwhelming domestically, though.”

4 million viewers.

Even though Sooyeon had recently appeared in a 10 million viewers movie, 4 million for *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* was truly remarkable. After all, it was a film with homosexual undertones, wasn’t it?

Of course, *The King’s Ballad*, which dealt with male homosexual relationships, surpassed 10 million viewers, but it’s not as if *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* fell far behind. If anything, the background with female homosexual undertones was even stranger and more intriguing.

“It could have been a movie with even higher numbers.”

The writing, direction — all three elements harmonized well.

The only issue was the actors.

There were even two problems with the casting.

If only that could be resolved… *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo*’s domestic performance would definitely have been much better.

“Thank you for saying you’ll help. This time, the audition script happens to be related to Seohui.”

While she was thinking this, Sooyeon heard Jiyeon’s voice.

Currently, Sooyeon was in Nova Entertainment’s practice room with Jiyeon.

“Seohui Jo?”

“Every scene to be watched at the audition is related to Seohui Jo—she is both one of the judges and the co-actor.”

So, Seohui Jo was there too.

“That girl will definitely judge fairly without showing favoritism.”

That’s probably how things would go. While Seohui Jo was a bit overpowered when it came to Jiyeon, when it came to acting, it was a different matter entirely.

All about acting, truly.

She would certainly devour Jiyeon.

If she doesn’t perform properly, it doesn’t matter if it’s a friend—it’ll lead to an immediate rejection.

“Then just ask Seohui Jo for help, right?”

“Joo Sooyeon, I said already; she’s a judge.”

In other words, asking for help from Seohui Jo, who was a judge, beforehand is considered unbecoming.

“I at least want to compete on equal footing.”

Although Jiyeon had already received some help, in terms of the audition-related aspects of acting, she wouldn’t do so. That much showed how serious Jiyeon was about this acting.

“But she didn’t reveal such a serious side on the *Ramiel Broadcasts*, did she?”

On the contrary, when she went live with the wizard, it turned Sooyeon’s stomach because it coincided with the filming of *Golden Duckling*, leaving her in a state of disapproval.

“At least she’ll know to edit accordingly.”

Of course, this includes the deeds of Youngbin. But since he was a variety show PD, the premonition that it might not be edited kept creeping back into Sooyeon’s mind.

Since *Golden Duckling* had yet to air, she didn’t know exactly how it would be edited.

“But you seem pretty calm. I thought you’d feel a bit pressured.”

Jiyeon also found it strange that Sooyeon readily agreed to her request.

Surely, they would become accustomed to it moving forward with the thought of future filming, but it was something that was bound to feel a little burdensome for now.

*Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* was not a movie that explicitly showed overly intense scenes. But it was essential in teasing the emotions while walking the fine line to show the audience what they felt.

“Come to think of it, isn’t it strange for a friend to do this?”

While thinking this, Jiyeon stole a glance at Sooyeon, standing there with a calm face.

Unreadable as ever.

Still, Jiyeon expected her to waver at least, but it seemed she was perfectly fine.

“Thinking about these things makes me miss the middle school days a little.”

There were moments when Jiyeon missed the younger Sooyeon, who used to be like a wild foal, unable to properly control her emotions and would run loose everywhere.

That’s why Jiyeon sometimes thought it was fortunate she didn’t become an actress then.

Thanks to that, there were even times when Jiyeon was a step ahead of Sooyeon.

“If I don’t succeed this time…”

Perhaps she won’t ever have the chance to run alongside Sooyeon again.

If not for Sooyeon, Jiyeon might have already given up the acting career long ago.

From a young age, Sooyeon was a kind of indicator to Jiyeon.

Like a pole star in the night sky.

Jiyeon thought, illuminating her way forward with starlight, she needed to make it into *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* to reach that pole star.

If she couldn’t…

“No.”

Jiyeon shook her head and looked at Sooyeon again.

Right now, I’ll only think about making it through.

With that thought, Jiyeon gripped the script.

***

The audition content for this *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* was about Seohui Jo.

Specifically, a scene where the character “Lady” forms an intricate emotional connection with “Miss.”

Since this was a less familiar code domestically, it was likely to check how well the actors could handle it. This was the same for Sooyeon.

“To be honest, it’s tough for me too.”

Romantic acting is difficult. She managed to bluff past in *Dream Future*, but there was a question if she could pull it off again this time.

For Sooyeon, it was difficult whether the counterpart was male or female. It was an inevitable problem due to the influence of her past life, and her current reality. With the lingering presence of her former life, it was unavoidable. If anything, acting alongside a female might be slightly easier.

Acting had more to do with psychology.

“…Affection.”

It was burdensome.

Yet it was a feeling Sooyeon wanted to understand.

Someday, maybe when she graduates, it might change.

A vague thought.

Certainly, by the time that came, it felt like it would take a while.

At the very least, it was something that only a great actor could achieve.

“I could be different from Seohui Jo’s ‘Lady’.”

Sooyeon had already memorized all the dialogue for ‘Lady’ from Jiyeon’s script. It took less than ten minutes.

Once through, understanding the emotions, next she glanced at Jiyeon.

“But don’t mess around too much. Think of it as practice.”

Sooyeon knew what Jiyeon was thinking. Therefore, she didn’t want to fail.

Emotional acting is difficult.

Romantic acting still lacked in her. That was the moment to insert a word of caution.

Facing each other.

Breathing once.

Without a director, without an action cue.

Sooyeon’s eyes turned crimson.

“Sun-ye, please bring the shawl. They’re holding another auction today.”

Her eyes softened.

Her crimson lips twisted seductively.

“Well, I should look my best, shouldn’t I?”

The sight of her white hand tilting her head while propping her chin was truly beautiful. Jiyeon stiffened at Sooyeon’s sudden burst of acting right there.

The Sooyeon who had been talking to her just now was already gone.

Sooyeon wasn’t performing in front of her often at all.

It was just a few times for practice,

But this was far from that.

Up until this point, she had only seen Sooyeon’s acting through the screen.

“This is why…”

Jiyeon finally understood.

Why actors who acted alongside Sooyeon seemed to disappear.

An actor’s aura.

The presence was different.

One usually forgets because of her regular image, but ultimately, Sooyeon is an actor.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say, among peers other than Seohui Jo and Jung-woo Park, there’s no one else comparable.

The feeling of being momentarily breathless.

Confusion gripped Jiyeon on how to act and what emotions to display next.

“Ma’am, you should do your makeup first. Looking for the shawl is unnecessary.”

Bowing her head, Jiyeon spoke calmly. Her experience with cable dramas helped her refrain from stuttering.

It was a scene where the ‘Lady’, despite having feelings towards Sun-ye, her maid, was being ignored.

In that feeling,

She thought she needed to expose deeper emotions in the next lines when.

“Stop.”

Sooyeon interrupted.

“The acting is dull.”

A sharp tone.

Jiyeon’s eyes widened from the comment, but Sooyeon placed her thumb under her jaw and thought momentarily.

“Does this remind me of something I heard when I was younger?”

Was the unintentionally high-handed tone imitating actor Jeong Eun-seon?

That wasn’t good.

But Sooyeon looked at Jiyeon, knowing the comment was sincere.

“This acting… is a bit too ordinary.”

Did Seohui Jo not point it out?

No, she likely did.

Sooyeon assumed Jiyeon had a certain understanding and nodded.

“Does the emotion come out well?”

“Somewhat different. It feels like you’re trying too hard.”

Sooyeon continued.

“In acting, you need to create anticipation. It becomes boring if everything is too obvious.”

Building anticipation with emotion in a complex way,

Contrasting attitudes against lines,

There were many methods.

“Seohui Jo mentioned something similar, didn’t she?”

Honestly, it was hard to grasp.

At this statement, Sooyeon nodded.

“Let me teach you.”

“Huh?”

“But first, focus on me.”

Sooyeon looked at Jiyeon and twisted her lips. The expression resembled the ‘Lady’ from the script.

“I think I can teach you adequately now.”

Teaching wasn’t something Sooyeon was accustomed to.

“Why not?” was basically her mindset.

But, learning to handle emotions more adeptly also revealed much to her. With the added knowledge of ’emotional mimicry’ inherited from her past life, analyzing acting became more precise.

So.

She planned to make sure Jiyeon’s performance at the audition astonished everyone.

***

In a building in Gangnam where the audition for *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* was held, the place had already been lively since the morning.

Although not too many actors had arrived yet,

Fewer were expected to show up as well.

“Seems like not too many applicants.”

Director Baek Min laughed with a nod, checking it out.

Few participants, but no frowns visible.

“The numbers are small, but the quality is good. I recognize all the actors.”

These kinds of auditions usually have a good number of new faces.

Still, the quantity of newcomers was surprisingly low for this one.

Certainly, many had initially registered, but the numbers had significantly decreased.

“What does Judge Jo Seohui think?”

Director Baek Min joked.

Upon hearing this, Jo Seohui, who had previously been rereading the script, narrowed her eyes.

As though implying that such jokes were uncalled for.

“The audition might be intense.”

No matter how few, ultimately, it’s about the quality of the actors.

It’s not the number of actors exhibiting various performances that matters.

The most outstanding actor will be selected.

Thus, the higher the quality, the more intense it will be.

“Typical of Director Baek Min’s auditions.”

Some see fewer participants as easier, but it’s often the opposite.

Actors tend to have their favorite directors.

Especially with Director Baek Min’s unique film styles, quite a few actors prefer to work with him.

Perhaps attracted by his unique colors.

Hence, the faces in this audition are pretty familiar.

Actors who’ve auditioned multiple times for Baek Min’s movies.

Even seasoned actors with numerous credits.

“It won’t be easy for Jiyeon.”

Jo Seohui thought to herself.

She’d been observing Jiyeon’s acting and felt a little apprehension—it was somewhat plain.

Already experienced with cable dramas, her acting wasn’t extremely flawed, but…

“She doesn’t seem nervous though.”

Jo Seohui glanced at Jiyeon, who quietly waited in her seat.

She looked calm.

Rather, Seohui felt more nervous observing her.

Yet, on the other hand…

“…Something feels different, maybe?”

She had heard that Jiyeon would practice with Sooyeon. Could that be the reason?

Hmm, acting with Sooyeon.

“Tak.”

“Why are you smiling, Miss Seohui?”

“Eh? Oh, did I smile?”

“Yes.”

With Director Baek’s comment, Jo Seohui lightly tapped her mouth.

No, no.

We haven’t started shooting properly yet.

“But I am looking forward to it.”

Having only had a small glimpse of Sooyeon’s acting in *Hyper Action Star*, the prospect of working in the same movie with her this time made Jo Seohui eagerly anticipate.

And then…

“Alright, let’s begin the audition. Numbers 1 to 5, please come in!”

This officially marked the start of *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo*’s audition.

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