“It seems we’ve gathered only the most illustrious panelists, and it’s making me nervous.”
On the morning of the audition, Producer Son Ji-woong of “This is How I Became an Actor” had thought as much. The reason was the lavish lineup of judges.
The famous “golden hands” screenwriter Lee Geum-sook, the actress Seo Yeon-joo, who has rapidly become synonymous with grace, and PD Choi Hee-won, renowned more for his brilliant mind than his physique.
Even upon reflection, it was a stellar lineup. All that remained were the participants.
Son Ji-woong glanced over the gathered participants once again.
“Thankfully, we’ve had a large turnout. There’s bound to be at least one person who can captivate both the judges and the audience.”
Indeed, there has been a growing interest in acting recently, and the sheer number of participants was proof enough that the buzz was no rumor. The crowd was overwhelming, incomparable to any previous audition programs. There was certainly no shortage in quantity; now, it was about the quality.
But that wasn’t all.
“The elements for a hit—none of them can be missing,” Ji-woong pondered.
A systematically prepared mission, participants who would evoke empathy and support, a participant cast in the role of the villain, and those who will rely on their skills to compete…
Nothing could be left out. After all, only with everything perfectly in place would it result in the best show.
As he stood above, taking in the scene below with a heart full of anticipation, Son Ji-woong’s eyes stopped on one individual.
“…Who is this person? They stand out even from here.”
One female participant caught his eye. Despite her striking appearance, no one dared approach her. All they did was glance from afar. It was as if she was surrounded by an aura that repelled others.
As Son Ji-woong observed her feature by feature, someone tapped him on the shoulder—it was the assistant director.
“Director, were you looking at the same person I was?”
“How would I know who you were looking at?”
“Who, other than her? The woman who shines even from here.”
So, their admiration wasn’t singular. The woman was indeed extraordinary by anyone’s standards.
“I see, we’re looking at the same person.”
“Then, our next step is simply comparing thoughts. I think we should use her in the first episode’s clip. She’ll make a great visual.”
Even their ideas were aligned. Son Ji-woong nodded.
“She definitely has a striking presence. With a face like that, any scene would be intriguing. We’ll get a good number of views.”
“Right? And… what do you think about giving her a script envelope, enticing her, even a little?”
At the assistant director’s suggestion, Son Ji-woong furrowed his brow slightly.
While aiming to create an entertaining program, he held a principle: do not create victims.
“Is that not a bit too much—a devil’s edit?”
“When have I ever done a devil’s edit? It’s merely about intention. Anyway, we need to capture as much footage as possible so we have options during editing.”
“Alright, the shoot will proceed like that. But during the editing process, everything must be reviewed by me. Let’s not unnecessarily bring tears to someone’s eyes.”
“Understood!”
“And one more thing…”
As the assistant director turned to leave, Son Ji-woong called him back.
“How does she seem to you? Does she look like someone who can act well?”
“Hmm…”
The assistant director narrowed his eyes briefly before shaking his head.
“If you had asked about her beauty, I’d nod without hesitation. But regarding her acting… I don’t have high hopes. She seems more suited to modeling, doesn’t she?”
“That’s quite bothersome. Our thoughts seem to align too much today.”
At Son Ji-woong’s joke, the assistant director chuckled.
“Look, her face is already too defined. She likely cannot handle diverse scripts.”
The assistant director clicked his tongue.
“Our goal is to find versatile actors, you know.”
“Exactly.”
“I hope she doesn’t make things awkward. Too many people rely solely on their looks when it comes to acting—it’s rather distasteful. Those faded idols trying to break into the acting field… makes me sick.”
“Got it, calm down and get back to work.”
Although seemingly overreacting, the assistant director’s frustrations weren’t entirely baseless. Son Ji-woong felt similarly deep down.
Her unique aura indicated a probable lack of acting skills. Experience had taught him that much.
However,
Contrary to the assistant director’s expectations, Sua showed no interest in the open script and didn’t even appear nervous. Was she accustomed to such settings?
Moreover,
When Sua finally began her performance,
The idea Son Ji-woong and the assistant director had formed shattered like a windowpane.
“Dead…? Hey, hey…”
The faces of the five judges lit up. They were all equally shocked, the impact resonating internally.
Sua.
The participant who emerged like a meteorite, shattering all preconceptions.
“I don’t want to! Don’t want to! My life, my life…”
[You have accidentally killed someone.]
The script contained merely that single line.
But Sua didn’t merely focus on conveying confusion. It was as if she had her own predetermined world in play.
Producer Son Ji-woong’s mind reeled with surprise.
“A dining setting, the other characters present, the situation… Did she really conceptualize all this in less than a minute? So vividly?”
He had to admit the earlier conversation with the assistant director was entirely off the mark. Sua’s performance was unlike anything they had seen before.
“Furthermore, what is that gaze? Is someone directing her?”
Sua’s eye movement and her physical movements were nothing short of another shock.
“Does she know where to position herself for the camera?”
Even beyond her excellent acting, her awareness of how she would be captured on film was impressive. The interview room momentarily transformed into a filming set.
It was only natural that Seo Yeon-joo would inquire afterward.
“Surely, acting isn’t just a hobby for you?”
“More or less.”
Is this even a hobby?
It sounds like a comment that could kill several professional actors.
Sua kept her answers to the numerous questions brief and to the point, and the judges could only marvel occasionally.
The interviews eventually ended. And now…
“Director Son Ji-woong.”
The famed ‘golden hands’ writer, Lee Geum-sook, called out to Son Ji-woong.
“Yes, Writer Lee.”
“We must secure that girl. Do you understand?”
“…I agree.”
Son Ji-woong nodded and clutched his phone.
◈◈◈◈◈
Meanwhile, Sua was immersed in the study of her “3rd Special Ability.”
“Hmm, it’s baffling.”
Questions without answers. There was nothing else but to retrace the events from start to end. Sua meticulously pieced together her fragmented memories.
“Firstly, the moment I unlocked the last special ability, something strange happened, and I was dragged to a prairie… That’s right, it definitely happened.”
Sua’s 3rd special ability—”The Time to Act”.
After being dragged into that scene, she had the experience of killing someone. It was too vivid to dismiss it as just a dream. The pain in her skin and the tremors of shock coursing through her body all felt real.
Even now, it wouldn’t be difficult to relive that moment. It felt as though she had truly lived through it.
“Was it as if some situation and memory were forcibly injected into me?”
It was an exceedingly strange experience, yet it eluded any easy explanation.
After experiencing reincarnation, Sua had believed she wouldn’t encounter anything more surprising. She had thought nothing could surpass that.
That belief shattered now. This 3rd special ability is indeed something extraordinary.
“Could it be a special ability that lets me experience the role beforehand? And that’s why it’s labeled as a special ability for acting?”
A plausible hypothesis. Sua continued her line of inquiry.
“Carefully examine the activation conditions. When did it unlock? Clearly, it was when I touched the script.”
Yes, that’s right.
Sua immediately glanced around her surroundings.
I need to activate my 3rd special ability right away. The urgency of mastering it was undeniable.
“Find any random script and touch it. Script… script…”
But it proved not so simple.
Script? What are the chances I’d find one at home?
But maybe on the computer? She immediately began searching online.
[Available for download by café members only!]
“Damn.”
Given the stringent copyright issues these days, obtaining a scenario script proved nearly impossible.
After some exhaustive searching, she barely managed to find an amateur erotica.
[Steamy Times Between a Wolf and a Fox]
“…Even that is pushing it, isn’t it?”
Is there no other way? While pondering this, she noticed something.
“Ah?”
[Actor Recruitment Notice]
▶ Production of the independent film, “Minnow”
▶ All profits will be donated to underprivileged children.
▶ Applicants, please review the attached script.
“Finally! Here’s a script.”
An independent movie casting call? She wasn’t interested in that, but she promptly downloaded and printed the attached script.
When she finally touched the printed script,
“Success! This was it!”
Whoosh—
She felt her consciousness being pulled into another realm.
