Chapter 3: Honestly, I Didn’t Think Much About It.

“Have you ever accidentally killed someone?”

A single remark from writer Lee Geum-sook.

A golden hand. A writer whose every work becomes a hit. Her question carried weight from the very start. The interview room fell silent for a moment.

“Why?”

Sua answered reflexively.

It was a sort of defense mechanism. She didn’t expect the other person to say anything good, so she instinctively replied in a nervous outburst.

“No, just…”

However, contrary to Sua’s anxious expectations, Lee Geum-sook responded unexpectedly.

She simply adjusted her glasses quietly.

Even smiled slightly.

“I’m just a little surprised.”

Surprised?

Ah, it would be surprising.

Suddenly pretending to be choked while looking at the air, swinging an imaginary knife, attending to the guests while looking at empty space, and finally crouching down and trembling…

… It would indeed be surprising. Maybe even wondrous.

Just when Sua’s face was burning with embarrassment.

“Hahaha!”

A man sitting next to Lee Geum-sook burst into laughter.

He looked like a huge rock, his body massive from who knows how much exercise. Was he even from this industry?

“Sua-ssi, we’re just asking casually. I hope you don’t answer in such a defensive way.”

“…?”

Did I act defensively? Me?

I’m trembling in fear, trying not to offend you.

“Don’t misunderstand. I answered casually too.”

“I know that. You didn’t show even the slightest sign of nervousness. There’s never been a participant like you. It’s really unusual. But, I’d appreciate it if you could soften your defensive stance a little.”

No, that’s not what I meant by being casual. I was just being polite. Why is that misunderstood?

“Alright.”

Then, the muscular man smiled with a healthy grin.

“Since I started exercising, I’ve never been scared of anything, but Sua-ssi, your mask is a bit special. You have an aura that makes people hesitate.”

“… Yes.”

At that moment.

“Your name, is it Lee Sua?”

This time, a woman spoke up.

Huh? Was there another woman on the judging panel?

Among the five judges, one was writer Lee Geum-sook, three were men I didn’t know, and this woman…

‘…Huh? Seo Yeon-ju!’

Sua unconsciously twitched her eyebrows. A post she had seen earlier flashed through her mind at the same time.

[Special Judge Seo Yeon-ju]

Wait, was that real?

But looking again, it was indeed Seo Yeon-ju.

It was impossible to mistake Seo Yeon-ju for anyone else, one of the representative actresses of South Korea. Sua could only admire her, captivated by the unique and elegant appearance that seemed like a piece of art.

Her skin was as white as a blank sheet of paper, her face looked smaller than a fist, and her hair was neatly tied with a headband, falling to her waist. She truly embodied the epitome of purity.

It was another moment that amplified Sua’s shame.

‘In front of Seo Yeon-ju… what have I done?’

Sua thought to herself. She wondered if hearing harsh words from such a beautiful actress would break her heart.

It was then that Seo Yeon-ju lifted a piece of paper. It looked familiar. It was the application form that Sua had submitted.

“The self-introduction section is completely empty. So, what exactly do you do? What have you been doing if not acting?”

Without realizing it, Sua swallowed dryly.

Why was the self-introduction section empty? Because she had only applied to see if acting was truly her calling. There was no reason to write anything.

Moreover, Sua didn’t have anything remarkable to show off. At least, not something worthy to write down…

After thinking for a moment, she quickly reached a conclusion.

She decided not to lie. She would at least be honest.

“I’ve tried soccer, basketball, golf, swimming… Well, I’ve done a bit of everything, except acting.”

Sua spoke earnestly. It looked like she was confessing as if she were a criminal, but there was no choice.

The person in front of her was Seo Yeon-ju. One of the faces representing South Korea. How could she just give a vague answer?

But then.

“Hmm…?”

A deep sense of confusion spread across the faces of the five judges. Their eyes widened, and their eyebrows twitched. It was clear.

They were all shocked. Very much so.

“So, for acting… you’ve mastered all of those skills?”

Sua unconsciously furrowed her brows.

What nonsense was that? Are they crazy?

She barely managed to swallow the words that were about to slip out. If they misunderstood her like that, she would suffocate from embarrassment.

In basketball, she had taken an elbow to the face, causing her to bleed. In soccer, she almost twisted her ankle. In martial arts, she could hardly breathe after a punch to the stomach, and quit right away…

Well, but it would be too embarrassing to explain all of that.

“Just, simply hobbies?”

“Hobbies…? Then, what about acting?”

Seo Yeon-ju looked at her silently. Her eyes were wide open, as though watching a scene from a movie.

“…Wait, could it be that acting is just a hobby too?”

“Well, it’s similar.”

That was the best answer Sua could give.

If she had answered that she was putting her all into acting, what if they immediately judged it as terrible? That would make her feel even more miserable.

That was unacceptable. Sua was aiming for safety.

“Hobbies… With this level of skill… Huh…?”

Seo Yeon-ju drank from her tumbler, possibly to quench her thirst.

“Wait, forget everything else. I need to ask something.”

It was then that another man spoke up.

…Does he just work all day long?

He wore a baseball cap pulled low, had a scruffy beard, and his clothes were disheveled… To be honest, he looked like a homeless person at first glance.

“I’ll ask just one thing. Sua, just one.”

Something else? What could it be?

I hope it’s not too difficult a question.

Just as Sua tilted her head slightly, the question came.

“What were you thinking?”

“Pardon?”

“When you looked at that one-line script, you must have thought of various things—like the setting, the lines, the characters, and so on. I want to hear all of it. Every detail.”

“Everything?”

It was a difficult question. Very much so.

“…”

Sua turned her head slightly.

[‘Acting Time’ inactive]

…You should probably ask that to this guy.

Sua had simply recreated what she had experienced. But she couldn’t just speak everything plainly.

She needed a moment, as no good excuse came to mind right away. How should she phrase it?

But the scruffy man didn’t give her a chance. His sparkling eyes seemed filled with curiosity.

“Haha… Did I ask a difficult question?”

“Oh, it’s not that.”

“It’s a question I asked to the other participants too. I’m not just asking you specifically, so don’t misunderstand.”

“I’m not misunderstanding. I’m just thinking for a moment.”

“Now that I think about it, it’s strange. Why am I explaining all this to you, Sua? It’s really odd.”

After that, Sua remained silent for a long time. Even with more time, nothing really came to mind.

How much time had passed?

The judges held their breath, waiting for Sua’s answer.

“…Honestly, I didn’t think much about it.”

In the end, the most honest response.

After saying that, she fled the interview room like she was running away.

After Sua left, the interview room was filled with tension.

“No… Did I hear that right?”

Seo Yeon-ju’s voice sounded stunned. She even removed the headband that had been resting on her neatly styled hair, an action that seemed almost close to disbelief.

“Is that supposed to be a hobby? Honestly, we all know that’s a lie. I’ve acted before, I can tell. If it were a hobby, there’s no way you’d have this level of skill.”

PD Son Ji-woong, who had been listening nearby, nodded in agreement. His eyes were as wide as Seo Yeon-ju’s.

“She has such a strong presence. I thought playing the scared character would be impossible, but she pulls it off effortlessly.”

“She says she did it without thinking, so does that mean she has a natural talent? This is crazy.”

“…Where the heck has she been all this time?”

The man who had been mistaken for a rock-hard figure by Sua, the muscular PD Choi Hee-won, once again looked at Sua’s self-introduction.

But there was nothing—just empty space.

The self-introduction was blank, and so were the career details.

It was truly unbelievable.

“There’s no way she’s a newcomer… This is…”

“She said she’s had various experiences. But to me, it seems like she’s lived every kind of life.”

The judges couldn’t hold back their astonishment.

After a while, once their astonishment had somewhat settled, Seo Yeon-ju put her headband back on and spoke.

“Of course, she’s passed, right?”

“Of course. This temporary meeting was just to have time to admire her. The decision was made a long time ago.”

Lee Sua.

She was the first unanimous candidate of the day.