Chapter 4: I think so too

“I’m nervous. I’ve gathered only the important people here.”

On the morning of the audition day, PD Son Jiwoong from *How I Became an Actor* thought this. The luxurious panel of judges was the reason for his nervousness.

The renowned writer, Lee Geumsook, famous for her golden touch, the actress Seo Yeonju, who had recently risen to fame as the symbol of purity, and PD Choi Heewon, whose intelligence surpassed his muscular build.

Even thinking back, it was an excellent lineup. The only thing left was the participants.

Son Jiwoong looked down at the gathered participants again.

“Thankfully, a lot of participants have gathered. There should be at least one person who can captivate both the judges and the audience.”

The recent trend of people becoming more interested in acting didn’t seem like a rumor. Just looking at the number of participants, it was clear.

The crowd gathered was so large, it couldn’t even be compared to previous audition programs. The number of people wasn’t a concern at all. What mattered now was the quality of the participants.

But that wasn’t all.

“Elements for success. Not a single one can be missing.”

Systematically prepared missions, participants who could win the audience’s empathy and support, those who would play the villain role, and those who would compete with their skills…

None of these elements could be skipped. Only when all of them came together would the show be successful.

As he looked down at the scene, full of tension, PD Son Jiwoong’s gaze suddenly froze at one spot.

“…What’s with that face? She stands out even here.”

A female participant.

Despite her outstanding appearance, no one seemed to approach her. Everyone was only sending her glances. The fierce atmosphere surrounding her acted like a barrier.

As Son Jiwoong watched the woman closely, someone tapped his shoulder. It was the assistant director, a supporting staff member.

“PD, I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing as I am, looking at the same person?”

“How would I know who you’re looking at?”

“Who else? The woman over there, who’s shining brightly even here.”

Her remarkable appearance wasn’t a private impression; it was clear that others saw her the same way.

“Well, I guess I’ve seen the same person.”

“Then all we have to do is compare our thoughts. I think that participant would be perfect for the first episode clip.”

Their thoughts were in sync. Son Jiwoong nodded.

“Definitely good material. With that face, anything she does will make for an interesting scene. The view count will be great.”

“Right? So, how about we open the script envelope for that participant right from the start? Let’s tempt her a bit more.”

At the assistant director’s words, Son Jiwoong slightly narrowed his brows.

He believed in making an entertaining program but without creating victims. That was his personal principle.

“Are you going for the devil’s editing again? That’s too much.”

“When did I ever say I’d do devil’s editing? I’m just suggesting the intention. We have to shoot a lot so we have enough material to work with later.”

“Shoot it that way, but make sure it goes through my review during editing. Don’t make people shed blood for nothing.”

“Got it!”

“Oh, and.”

Just as the assistant director was about to leave, Son Jiwoong stopped him.

“What do you think of that woman? Do you think she’ll be good at acting?”

“Hmm…”

The assistant director squinted his eyes slightly before shaking his head.

“If you asked if she’s pretty, I’d definitely nod. But acting? I’m not expecting much. She’s more suited to being a model than an actress, don’t you think?”

“That’s annoying. I’ve been having a lot of thoughts that overlap with yours today.”

At PD Son Jiwoong’s joke, the assistant director smiled.

“First of all, the mask is just too obvious, right? She’s a character who can’t handle a variety of scripts.”

The assistant director clicked his tongue.

“Our goal is to pick an all-rounder for the program.”

“That’s right.”

“I hope she can’t do it, to be honest. Are there really people who think acting is easy just because of their face? It’s disgusting to see washed-up idols messing around in the acting industry.”

“Got it. Alright, calm down and go do your job.”

PD Son Jiwoong quickly sent the overly heated assistant director back to his seat, but honestly, his own thoughts weren’t that different.

Her distinctive atmosphere made him think acting might be lacking. His critique of many others had been just like that.

However.

Contrary to the assistant director’s expectations, Lee Sua didn’t seem interested in the open script and didn’t even show any signs of nervousness. Was she used to this kind of situation?

And then.

When Lee Sua’s performance finally began.

That thought shattered like glass.

“Did she… die…? Hey, hey, over here….”

The faces of the five judges were something to behold. Each one had a look of shock, and they all shared a similar internal feeling of disbelief.

Lee Sua.

A participant who broke through prejudices like a meteor.

“I don’t want to…! I said I don’t want to…! My life, my life…!”

[You have accidentally killed someone.]

The script probably only had that one line.

But Sua didn’t just focus on acting out the emotion of ‘confusion.’ It seemed as though she had already visualized an entire world.

PD Son Jiwoong’s mind spun in shock.

‘A restaurant setting, characters other than herself, the situation… Did she imagine all of that in less than a minute? This specific?’

He had to admit that the conversation he had with the assistant director was completely wrong. Sua’s performance began with ideas that were completely different from others.

‘…And that gaze, who’s directing her to do that?’

Sua’s handling of her gaze, and the way she moved her body, gave him another massive shock.

‘She knows. She knows exactly where the camera will focus.’

It would be impressive enough if her acting was just good, but the fact that she was also thinking about how she would be captured on camera was something else. Because of this, the audition room transformed into a set for a while.

Later, it was only natural for Seo Yeonju to ask:

“…You’re not just acting for fun, are you?”

“Well, kind of.”

Is that really just a hobby?

Such a statement could kill many people who act for a living.

Lee Sua answered most of the questions shortly and bluntly, and the judges were occasionally surprised.

The interview ended like that. And now…

“Son Jiwoong PD.”

The famous writer Lee Geumsook, known for her golden touch, called out to PD Son Jiwoong.

“Yes, Writer.”

“That friend, we absolutely have to keep her. You know that, right?”

“…I agree.”

Son Jiwoong nodded and grabbed his phone.

Meanwhile, Sua was immersed in researching her 3rd special ability.

“Hmmm, it’s so puzzling.”

An unresolved question. There was no choice but to trace it step by step. Sua tried to organize the remaining memories in her head.

‘Suddenly, the last ability was unlocked, and I was pulled into some strange grassland with an odd notification… That’s definitely what happened.’

The 3rd special ability that Sua had gained: ‘Time to Act.’

After being pulled in, she experienced killing someone, and it was far too vivid to dismiss as a mere dream. The blade that dug into her skin and the trembling body from the shock were all too real.

Even now, it wouldn’t be hard to recreate that scene. It was as if that moment truly existed in her life.

‘It felt like I was forcibly injected with a situation and memory?’

It was truly bizarre, but she had no other way to describe it.

The moment she had experienced reincarnation in the past, Sua had thought nothing would surprise her anymore. She didn’t think she would go through anything stranger than that.

That thought had just been shattered. The 3rd special ability was truly unusual.

‘Could it be that this ability lets me experience acting beforehand? Is the acting-related special ability something like that?’

A plausible guess. Sua continued her investigation, connecting the dots.

‘Let’s also carefully analyze the activation conditions. When did it get unlocked? Right, it was when I touched the script with my hands.’

Yes, that’s right. That’s what happened.

Sua immediately started looking around.

She wanted to activate the 3rd special ability right now. There was a huge need to master it as soon as possible.

“Let’s just grab any script and touch it. A script… a script…”

But, as expected, it wasn’t going to be easy.

A script? How could there be one at home?

But there was the computer. She immediately searched the internet.

[Only cafe members can download it!]

“Damn.”

With copyright issues being so severe nowadays, downloading scripts and screenplays was as hard as reaching for the stars.

After searching for a while, the best she could find was a poor erotic novel.

[Sticky Time of the Wolf and Fox]

“…Even so, this is just not right.”

Was there no other way? While deep in thought, she stumbled upon something.

“Huh?”

[Acting Call for Auditions]

Indie film “Spiny Fish” production

All profits will be donated to children in need.

Applicants, please review the attached script.

“Finally, found it. A script!”

An audition call for an indie film? She wasn’t interested in that yet. Sua just downloaded the script and printed it immediately.

When the printed script was in her hands, and she touched it…

‘It worked! This was the right way!’

Whooooosh-

She felt a sensation as if her mind was being pulled somewhere.