Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 208

208. Audition

“Seriously, even if you’ve never been in love, why are you taking the character to such an extreme?”

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“Just be normal, be normal. Say things like, ‘It’s cold today, dress warmly,’ or ‘It’s raining, don’t forget your umbrella,’ you know?”

“Isn’t that too ordinary?”

While the two were bickering, the car arrived at their destination, even though nothing had been settled.

Since this audition was also a race against time, Jongwoo made sure to drill it into him as they got out of the car.

“If they ask you to do an impromptu performance, got it? Be as normal as you can possibly imagine, normal.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t just say it.”

Jongwoo examined Rembrary from three steps back, then two steps back, then one step back, nodding in satisfaction.

“Neat. Clean. Handsome. Mouth shut. Perfect. Let’s go.”

The building they arrived at was structured so that different offices used different parts of the same building. They went to the third floor, where one of the offices had a blank nameplate. Jongwoo pressed the intercom button.

A moment later, a voice came from the intercom, “Who is it?”

“This is Lee Jongwoo, manager of Wild Animal at LLL Entertainment. I’m here for Wooyeonwoo’s audition.”

“LLL? Ah. Wooyeonwoo. Yes. Just a moment.”

Jongwoo was so nervous that he took a shaky breath and muttered something quickly.

However, the person on the intercom who had told them to wait was silent.

“Why aren’t they opening the door?”

Rembrary asked, finding it strange. Jongwoo checked his watch and tilted his head, but answered optimistically.

“Maybe they suddenly had to go to the bathroom.”

“Only one person in the office?”

“…Let’s wait a little longer.”

But even after waiting for nearly 20 minutes, the door didn’t open.

“Are we sure about the appointment?”

Rembrary asked again, and Jongwoo anxiously checked his watch again. He even checked his call history on his phone, as if he doubted himself.

“It’s right here. A 2 minute 40 second call. They told me to come right over.”

But unlike his words, his voice lacked confidence.

“Did they tell me not to come? No. They definitely told me to come.”

“…”

“Just a moment.”

After 25 minutes, Jongwoo finally pressed the intercom again. But this time, the other person didn’t answer immediately.

“Ah, seriously. What’s going on?”

Just as Jongwoo was about to give up and pick up his phone.

“I’ll call again. Maybe there’s been a misunderstanding.”

A ‘ding’ sound rang out, and the tightly closed door opened.

Jongwoo’s expression hardened.

The person who came out was ‘Dungeon’, a rookie actor in a neat suit. Although he was a rookie, he had landed a leading role in his debut project thanks to the power of a large agency, and his popularity soared overnight due to high viewership ratings and positive audience reactions. Everyone expected that he would safely secure a spot as a top star in five years if he didn’t cause any trouble.

Jongwoo had seen news that he would carefully choose his next project because his first one had been so successful. So, he couldn’t help but be nervous to see him coming out of here. As far as Jongwoo knew, that actor hadn’t been cast in this project.

“Thank you for your consideration, Writer Yoon.”

“Oh, we should be thanking you.”

Jongwoo’s expression became even more rigid. The person next to the actor, who looked like a manager, was bowing to someone called ‘Writer Yoon,’ and ‘Writer Yoon’ was smiling and bowing back at the manager?

“Then, I’ll wait for your call.”

“Of course. We’ll contact you as soon as it’s confirmed.”

It was such a harmonious atmosphere that it seemed like they should be showering them with flower petals. Anyone could tell that the casting was already finished.

Jongwoo almost lost it for a moment.

Okay, it’s one thing to be late for casting. But then they should have told him to go back when he spoke into the intercom. Or they could have let him in and then told him that the casting was already done.

Instead, they made him wait for almost 30 minutes without saying a word. He felt empty and frustrated. He had rushed out in the middle of a year-end party as soon as he got the information.

But he couldn’t show that he was angry just because he was angry.

There’s nothing he could do. He should at least say hello before leaving. He could curse them when he got back to the agency. Jongwoo mentally drew dozens of patience symbols.

But the moment Writer Yoon finished greeting Dungeon and his manager and naturally turned his gaze this way.

“Oh?”

Writer Yoon looked surprised and asked.

“Why aren’t you coming in?”

Jongwoo suppressed the urge to swear and forced a smile.

“Haha. They didn’t open the door for us. I wasn’t sure if they had forgotten or were busy…”

Writer Yoon looked bewildered and said, “What?” pointing to the intercom with his finger.

“You should have pressed it. Or called.”

It was as if he had never spoken to Jongwoo through the intercom.

Jongwoo was even more dumbfounded. He was about to say that he had already pressed it 30 minutes ago, but then he suddenly looked at the manager next to the rookie actor Dungeon.

He may be with a rookie actor, but that manager isn’t a rookie himself. On the contrary, he knew that he was a fairly experienced manager.

Jongwoo gritted his teeth inwardly.

Now he understood. It seemed that the first intercom call had been answered by the wrong person. For example, that manager, or someone who was friends with that manager.

But even if he brought it up here, the production team wouldn’t take his side. Even if they thought that Dungeon’s manager was mean and scheming, they would probably think that he was stubborn and inflexible.

They might think, ‘He’s such a tattletale, he’ll probably start a public opinion campaign as soon as he has a complaint on set.’

People tend to easily resort to both-sides-ism and try to find peace when it’s not their own problem.

In the end, Jongwoo—

“We pressed it and waited for 30 minutes.”

—Muzzled Rembrary.

* * *

In a space the size of a school classroom, three desks were lined up, and the staff in charge of the audition were sitting at each desk.

However, the atmosphere was a bit strange and awkward because of the earlier incident. As Jongwoo had thought, some of the staff were wary of Rembrary, saying things like, ‘Instead of trying to solve problems on set, he’ll just post them on social media.’

Jongwoo, who quickly sensed the atmosphere, deliberately stood at the edge and watched the audition, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

PD [Production Director] Lee, who had a shred of conscience, couldn’t openly say anything to the victim, but he did check Rembrary’s portfolio that Jongwoo had brought.

“It’s mostly focused on singing and variety show activities.”

“Yes.”

“There are three things that could be considered acting experience, but one is a cameo, one was canceled due to an incident… So, the only proper acting experience is Imseo?”

“Yes.”

“The role of Imseo was impactful, but…”

PD Lee muttered, looking at Writer Yoon and asking.

“What did you think? Did you watch it, Writer Yoon?”

Writer Yoon scratched his forehead with the end of his pen and muttered.

“I saw it too. But the atmosphere is very different from the role we’re looking for. Is it okay?”

PD Lee nodded and added.

“Right. Besides, his variety show image is too strong. Will viewers be able to immerse themselves in the role?”

Jongwoo was even more nervous.

PD Lee smacked his lips as if he were chewing gum and instructed Rembrary.

“Well, okay. Let’s see it for ourselves. Imagine you’re talking to an older lover, and say any line.”

Jongwoo screamed inwardly. See, I told you to practice! But Jongwoo, knowing that he hadn’t practiced, nervously looked at Rembrary. At least he wouldn’t talk about money or age, right? He had said no several times, right? But he was afraid that other traps would appear besides those two.

“It’s cold today, so bring an umbrella and dress warmly.”

Fortunately, the example seemed to have worked. Rembrary delivered the line smoothly. It was a combination of the two examples, but still.

Still, Rembrary’s greatest acting strength, the ability to say anything without sounding contrived, was on full display. It sounded very natural, as if it were a line spoken by someone he actually knew. The problem was…

“It’s okay, but doesn’t it lack what viewers usually expect from a ‘younger man character’? It feels more like acquaintance 23. Or a not-so-bad coworker?”

Writer Yoon scratched his head, and another judge asked.

“Say any other line. Something that clearly shows you’re in a relationship.”

Rembrary became very embarrassed. On the way here, the lines that Rembrary had given as examples were not strange lines that he had deliberately chosen to anger Jongwoo. Rembrary really couldn’t think of any lines that couples would say.

Then Rembrary thought of the Tiger and Im Yoohan, although it was a bit ambiguous to call them lovers. The two of them liked each other sincerely. What if he said their lines?

Rembrary recalled what the Tiger had said. A suitable line came to mind. Rembrary tried to express the Tiger’s expression and gestures when he said those words in a more realistic way.

“I wish that person had eyes. I wish that person could see me.”

Jongwoo thought, ‘What is that?’ but Writer Yoon made a sound of admiration.

“Is that a line to an older lover who can’t see you?”

It was half right and half wrong, but Rembrary remained silent, feigning ignorance. But he gained some confidence. So, that’s how you do lines between lovers. Like the Tiger.

But PD Lee, still looking dissatisfied, asked again.

“Is there anything else?”

Rembrary perked up and straightened his shoulders.

Besides, now that he thought about it, he had actually eaten with a real couple before. The Emperor and Empress, whom he had met several times when he was in the original world. His extraordinary memory allowed him to vividly remember the lines that the couple had said at the dinner table.

“There is. Shall I try it?”

“Try it.”

“Madam. Your friend is all right, but his tongue is the problem. If you cut off that tongue and give it to me, the friendship between you and your friend will become even stronger. Shall we have dinner together, the three of us?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold. The tone was natural, but the content was cruel, and the expression was gentle. The three were incongruous, but that point was also strangely unique.

Writer Yoon asked awkwardly.

“What kind of line is that…?”

“A jealous line.”

PD Lee panicked and waved his hand.

“Um, Mr. Wooyeonwoo. This is a historical drama, but it’s not full of blood and intense love affairs. It’s going to be a bright and flowery romantic comedy set in a virtual Joseon [Korean Dynasty] Hwarang [elite warrior group] group.”

The moment Jongwoo, seeing the expressions of Writer Yoon and PD Lee, thought, ‘Oh no, this is ruined.’

Suddenly, Writer Yoon clasped his hands together and shouted.

“Let’s go with Wooyeonwoo! We have to go with Wooyeonwoo no matter what! Yeonwoo just became my muse!”

‘He saw that and said that?!'”