“Huh? This place is different from last time?”
That was Sua’s first line after activating ‘Acting Time.’ She had secretly expected the same prairie as last time, but this time it wasn’t.
[‘Acting Time’ is inactive.]
[The space is configured based on your preferences.]
“Is this a hotel? Why is the hallway so luxurious?”
In Sua’s view, there was an extremely upscale landscape. A long red carpet was laid on the floor of the hallway, and there were doors at regular intervals.
After checking out a few nearby doors, there was no way she wouldn’t be surprised.
“And they have labels?”
Similar to how posters were pinned in front of waiting rooms, each room’s entrance had inscribed elegant characters. Some even looked very familiar in font.
[Audition script.]
[Independent film script.]
“Ah.”
She immediately understood.
“I see. The experience begins when we step inside, right?”
Sua possessed the third special ability called Acting Time. It usually takes the form of a hotel, but it seemed that opening any door would start the experience.
There was no reason to enter now. Sua nodded slightly and stepped back. It was enough to have grasped the situation for now.
[ The Sticky Time of Wolves and Foxes ]
※ Your status classification: Virgin
※ Bed scene experiences unavailable for virgins.
…Ah, it appears these types of experiences are unavailable as well. Sua thought to herself. Well, maybe it’s for the best.
“What, this is much simpler than I thought.”
Sua reviewed what she had figured out.
“I know what the perk is, so now all that’s left is…”
Entry.
It’s a very useful space, but wouldn’t it be easier to use if I could freely enter and exit? How do I leave?
Fortunately, the time for worrying about it was short. She could see an exit in the distance. It even clearly displayed as an emergency exit.
Sua moved toward it.
Swoosh─!
As soon as she crossed the emergency exit, everything returned to its original state. She found herself seated in front of her computer once again.
At that moment,
-Ring!
Just at that moment, the phone rang. The number was unknown.
After a moment of deliberation, she answered. It might be an urgent call.
While waiting silently for the other party to speak, an all-too-familiar voice came through shortly afterward.
“Hello? I am PD Son Ji-woong, responsible for ‘I Became an Actor This Way.’ Could I be speaking with Sua Lee?”
“…?”
Sua blinked quietly.
PD is calling directly? Why?
“Yes, this is her.”
“Ahahaha…”
In response to Sua’s answer, Son Ji-woong let out an awkward laugh.
“Sorry, I have to inform you at this late hour because of unavoidable circumstances. Please don’t get too angry.”
But I wasn’t angry at all, really.
Sua maintained a calm demeanor and replied.
“Why are you calling?”
“Congratulations, Sua. You passed the audition.”
“…?”
Sua blinked again.
And before she realized it, she echoed the question.
“Me? Why?”
At the same time,
PD Son Ji-woong was troubled by his thoughts.
“I wonder who this woman is?”
Usually, people should be happy upon hearing news of passing an audition, right?
Even more so for the news of passing “I Became an Actor This Way,” for which notifications are sent through messages. Sua was an exception.
Of course, this was due to screenwriter Lee Geum-sook. Her touch turned everything she worked on into hits. She had personally asked to retain Sua.
And thus, there was no way but to treat her specially. He called her to secure her for the next appearance.
“…Is she really asking this? What should I reply?”
Why is she asking this?
Aha, perhaps.
She wants confirmation.
‘Ah, that’s right, that’s it.’
Once Son Ji-woong nodded in certainty,
Sua’s acting was extraordinary, earning a unanimous decision from the judges. There’s no doubt that she knows her own worth as well.
In this industry, it’s common for talented people to be picky.
‘That’s her style, confirmed.’
So, he should acknowledge her worth. It wasn’t difficult. After all, what Son Ji-woong was about to say wasn’t exactly a lie either.
“It’s because you acted really well, that’s why.”
Yet,
There was no reply.
“…”
A while later, Sua finally opened her mouth.
“…You’re saying I acted well?”
“Is something wrong?”
An odd and lukewarm response, Son Ji-woong wondered if his praise was lacking in enthusiasm?
“Are you really saying I acted well?”
Her tone was exceedingly cool.
Son Ji-woong couldn’t help but swallow hard. Once again, he reminded himself: this woman is extremely difficult.
“Yes.”
And now, it seems he has to elaborate further with his praise.
“Handling of gaze, scene conception, movement… From my perspective, it was all exceptional. The others also felt the same.”
“Hmm.”
Yet, her reaction remained peculiar.
Unreadable intentions. Son Ji-woong finally managed to deduce the answer.
‘Thinking about it, she probably won’t feel any excitement. Being an expert in her craft.’
She must have heard countless praises before, right? She couldn’t help but react stoically to any sort of flattery. All of her calm reactions now made sense to him.
Having finished praising her, Son Ji-woong finally got down to business.
“Anyway, I would sincerely appreciate if you could take part in the next mission.”
“Hmm?”
Yet again, this was not the reaction he had hoped for.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Huh?”
“Just a moment, I only planned to try out the first stage.”
“….”
Son Ji-woong’s mouth dropped open.
Reflecting on it, Sua had mentioned that acting was a hobby. It seems she wasn’t lying after all. Plus, she probably felt no merit in just passing the first round?
Either way, it was enough to surprise him.
He quickly shook his head to regain focus. When the other party adopts such an attitude, it’s foolish to pressure. The best course is to remain as calm as possible and give some time.
“Understood. I hope you will consider it positively.”
“Yes.”
A chilly voice that didn’t waver no matter how many times he heard it. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like she’s considering it positively at all, judging by her tone.
What can he do to get her approval?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Son Ji-woong had an idea.
“Um, Sua, aren’t you curious how your appearance will be shown on the broadcast?”
“Broadcast?”
“Yes. During the first audition, we recorded your performance. Don’t you wonder how it’s being edited?”
There was a brief silence afterward. As sweat accumulated on the hand holding the phone, finally, her response came.
“I’m curious.”
Good, she’s interested.
“If you’d like, I can share it with you. Any scenes you feel uncomfortable with, just let me know and they will be removed immediately. In return, please consider the second mission positively.”
He couldn’t offer a more extravagant benefit as a PD. In a way, he was handing over a fraction of the editing rights directly to Sua.
But.
“I want to see the recordings.”
“…”
She was a master negotiator, revealing exactly what she wanted while not committing to any promises in return.
…But there was no other way. He, Son Ji-woong, was the one asking her.
“Yes. Since the files are quite large, I’ll prepare a link to access them. I would greatly appreciate it if you could take the second mission into consideration earnestly.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Dial tone.
It ended rather anticlimactically from Son Ji-woong’s perspective. As he sighed deeply while looking at the sky, at that moment,
“How did it go?”
Entirely in shadow, a colossal figure appeared behind him.
Recognizing it instantly, Son Ji-woong reacted accordingly.
“Ah, PD Choi Hee-won.”
Noted for his brains as much as his physique, Choi Hee-won PD appeared highly intrigued by the situation he had just witnessed.
“Yes, it’s quite intriguing. Did you secure a cast commitment?”
“I failed. She said she’ll consider it.”
“…Is there even a reason to think otherwise? Ah.”
Choi Hee-won PD suddenly recalled something.
“She said acting was a hobby, right? This means she auditioned purely for the fun of it, doesn’t it?”
“Exactly. It doesn’t make any sense.”
For a while afterward, neither spoke. Perplexed by the appearance of such a unique individual, they both simply brooded, until Choi Hee-won PD suddenly spoke.
“I have a hunch about her saying she’ll think about it.”
“What sort of assumption?”
“Maybe there are already some who have approached her.”
“Ah…?”
Son Ji-woong’s eyes immediately widened.
Indeed, Choi Hee-won’s comment made a lot of sense.
Perhaps someone had already offered her a contract. It was only natural for anyone to be dazzled by such a glowing gem.
“Isn’t that a plausible assumption? Has anyone gotten to her?”
“We shouldn’t let her slip through our fingers. I’ll see Lee Geum-sook right away. Let’s revamp the setup.”
“Setup? What kind of setup?”
Choi Hee-won smirked, almost as if asking what Choi Hee-won was even asking.
“A much larger setup. Let’s go straight into a drama series.”
On the other hand,
After finishing her bath and relaxing in bed, Sua sighed.
“Phew… I think I got through that okay.”
The phone call with the producer was nerve-wracking, indeed.
‘How was my acting, really?’
It was the question lingering in Sua’s mind.
After finally unlocking her special ability and determining that she could experience scripts through it, the question of whether or not she had reenacted them vividly remained.
‘I shouldn’t trust the producer’s compliments too easily.’
Though the compliments made her secretly happy inside, she reminded herself not to be complacent. After all, they might be coaxing her to play the villain or a comedy character purely for consumption.
“I should see it with my own eyes and judge accordingly. Definitely!”
Acting was the only path left to her, so it was only natural to be cautious. The link would come in a day or two, and she’ll watch and judge based on that.
Not knowing the massive storm heading her way,
Sua drifted off to sleep soon after.
