Chapter 30 : I’m a Living Actor (30)

“Yes, understood.”

After steadying my breath, I chose one of the scenes I had shortlisted as a candidate.

I glanced briefly at the camera, then slowly closed my eyes and opened them again. Somewhere, I thought I heard the sound of a slate clapping.

The moment my vision brightened, the meeting room vanished. The place I was in now was a neighborhood café.

“Ahem, hmm.”

Even though the person I was waiting for hadn’t arrived yet, I kept clearing my throat repeatedly.

I had tried to dress up a bit, but my hair—awkward and ridiculous to anyone else—still needed some fixing.

I tried to look at my face through my phone’s camera, but awkwardly put it down.

There are… too many people.

The café was crowded beyond reason. I was already overwhelmed with being around people enough at work.

I kept glancing around, and even the slightest presence beside me made me flinch.

How much time had passed like that? Finally, the person I was waiting for showed up.

“Nu-, nu-, nuna!”

I stood up awkwardly and shouted toward her.

When she spotted me, she nodded and waved her hand—a picture-perfect moment.

“Eunsoo nuna, uh, have you been… well?”

I had practiced a lot before coming here today after she contacted me. How I would start the conversation, what expression to wear.

Above all, I tried hard not to stammer. I wanted to look as good as possible, but unfortunately, I slipped up.

I was smiling, but since I usually didn’t smile much, I could feel the corners of my mouth trembling.

It was frustrating. Embarrassing, too. I didn’t know what to do, so I gulped down my coffee—and it was hot.

“Ah, hot!”

I quickly put down the cup and fanned my mouth with my hand. It didn’t really help the burning tongue, though.

“You’re still the same, huh?”

Nuna said.

I smiled reflexively. Hearing that I was the same both stung and felt like a compliment, so it made me feel good.

“Y-You’ve become even cooler, nuna.”

I pushed up my slightly slipped glasses and said, making her shrug her shoulders. Then she took my coffee and drank it.

“T-That was mine…”

Wait a minute. Is this… an indirect kiss?

“Hic! Hic!”

No matter how hard I pounded my chest, the hiccups wouldn’t stop.

Nuna just watched me quietly and then stood up. When she returned, she placed a glass of water on the table.

“Th-thank you…!”

I reached for the glass to drink, but her hand was faster. Out of nowhere, she picked up the glass and said,

“If you drink this water, you’ll be working with me.”

“…What?”

What did drinking water have to do with working together?

I stared blankly in confusion, and she shook her head. She put the glass down in front of me and nodded as if to say, Drink.

I drank the water, holding back the pounding in my chest.

“Nuna, but… working together? I’ll be working with you?”

“Why not? Don’t you want to?”

“N-No! I’d love to. I really, really want to!”

Eunsoo nuna’s expression twisted momentarily after hearing me.

She looked like she was pitying me, or maybe finding me pathetic. It hurt to receive that kind of look from someone I liked.

But she had always looked at me like that since I was young, so it was okay.

She still took care of me.

When I acted foolishly or pitifully, she said it right to my face instead of talking behind my back.

“No backing out later, okay?”

Eunsoo nuna asked with a mischievous smile.

For a moment, rumors that had floated around after she left town crossed my mind. But I couldn’t miss the chance to see her again.

I nodded eagerly.

“Now, seal the deal.”

“A s-seal? I didn’t bring one…”

I hadn’t expected to get a job offer when meeting nuna!

“I’ll go home quickly, and then bring the s-seal…”

“No, not that kind of seal.”

She suddenly held out her hand, only her thumb and pinky extended.

“Uhh… a phone?”

I tilted my head in confusion and mumbled, and she sighed, shaking her pinky.

Only then did I understand. I hurriedly hooked my pinky with hers, and then our thumbs touched.

“Kik, hic!”

My hiccups restarted after stopping just moments ago.

That was the end of the scene. I slowly closed and opened my eyes again, looking back at the camera.

“…That’s all.”

No reply came. No reaction from which to guess emotion or thought.

Pure silence.

I wished I could see their expression, but the camera hid it.

“……”

My mouth felt dry as a desert.

How long had it been since I’d felt this way at an audition?

I knew Director Lee Seungheon wasn’t fond of Yoo Chaemin. There was no way to be unaware. He showed it so openly, as if it were obvious.

Still, he hadn’t completely rejected me. Although he seemed annoyed at having to consider casting an actor with poor acting skills.

In the end, he said to come by once.

The opportunity came, and I wanted to grab it if I could.

[“Confirm casting for ‘Protect My Sub Male Lead!’

Deadline: October 31 (D-21)
Reward: 1,000 Karma
Failure: -3,000 Karma or Hell-bound”]

As always, the quest had a set deadline, and none of the scripts the manager handed me seemed quite right.

I was the one desperate here.

Moreover, it wasn’t like I had no chance at all.

My job rank had risen, but more than that, Director Lee Seungheon’s prejudice toward Yoo Chaemin was the key.

‘Protect My Sub Male Lead!’ hadn’t aired yet, so the only publicly seen performance of Yoo Chaemin’s was the weekend drama.

At best, it was an E-grade performance.

But now, my job rank was C—a jump of two levels. The difference was clear.

The most notable improvement was in my vocal tone and diction, which had been the biggest annoyance before.

The guy who used to act like he didn’t even know the basics was now putting together something resembling acting.

From a biased perspective, that growth would seem even more dramatic.

“Of course, I wasn’t aiming for that alone…”

But I wouldn’t deny that part was my reliable fallback.

The silence stretched longer than I expected.

A faint cold sweat appeared on the hand hidden behind my back.

The unfamiliar anxiety was strange after such a long time.

“Maybe I should’ve used a skill.”

If I’d used a skill to act, casting would have been guaranteed.

But I didn’t because I couldn’t handle the aftermath this time.

The audition for ‘Protect My Sub Male Lead!’ had mostly guaranteed casting, but this one didn’t. And…

“Director Lee Seungheon is different from Director Choi Younghwan.”

Director Choi Younghwan also had prejudices about Yoo Chaemin, but they weren’t as rigid.

But Director Lee Seungheon’s prejudice was different.

Of course, everyone treats their biased subjects differently.

Anyway, if I’d just relied on skill to get the casting, the backlash during filming would be much worse.

Imagine breaking the prejudice with an amazing performance, getting chosen, then performing terribly on set.

I might even get fired. The rumors would spread.

“Showing E-grade acting as C-grade versus showing A-grade acting and then dropping to C-grade.”

My choice was… the former.

I regretted it a little later, but after thinking it over again, I knew it was the right choice.

If casting didn’t happen…

“I should just accept that I was being greedy beyond my current level.”

So this audition was also a way to gauge my acting skills.

How far I could challenge myself and how valid that challenge was.

In the stillness, my lips parted, and a sound echoed.

The clicking of my tongue hitting the roof of my mouth followed.

“One more.”

Director Lee Seungheon’s voice was deeper and rougher than before.

“Try one more.”

His displeasure seemed even stronger.

“Yes!”

I shook off my nervousness and acted out another scene featuring Jung Bongshik.

“……”

“……”

Silence continued once more.

Again, Director Lee Seungheon stayed out of the camera frame, so I couldn’t see his expression.

All I saw was him scratching his head.

“Let’s call it a day for now.”

Neither a yes nor a no—though closer to no.

I nearly clenched my teeth but barely relaxed my expression.

“Thank you for watching my acting today.”

I smiled.

[Lee Choi: When is everyone free? I want to give travel souvenirs!]

[Seo Sangwoo: Looks like only next weekend for me ㅠㅠ]

[Lee Choi: Next weekend? Okay, I’ll note it down.]

[Lee Choi: Chaemin oppa?]

I looked at the messages popping up one after another in the group chat and then typed.

[I think I’m free next weekend too.]

Was next weekend the only time possible? Tomorrow was actually open, but it was probably easier to meet all at once.

[Lee Choi: Everyone’s busy. Sangwoo, didn’t you start your next project right away?]

[Seo Sangwoo: Yeah yeah, we auditioned while filming ours.]

[Lee Choi: Oh.]

[Seo Sangwoo: Lee Choi, are you resting now?]

[Lee Choi: Yep yep.]

Lee Choi had left Korea immediately after finishing ‘Protect My Sub Male Lead!’ and had a big fight with her mother upon returning.

As a result, she secured a full rest period.

[Lee Choi: But my mom still treats me like a ghost lol]

Her relationship with her mother might be strained, but it would be fine soon.

Her mother also needed time to accept and acknowledge the situation.

[Seo Sangwoo: What about you, hyung?]

[Seo Sangwoo: @Yoo Chaemin hyung?]

[I’m reviewing next projects.]

Just stating the fact, but I felt a strange ache in my chest, maybe because I was waiting for a call.

It had been five days since the audition. No word from Director Lee Seungheon.

[Seo Sangwoo: You must be busy too. If this goes on, won’t we only meet again when our drama airs? ㅠㅠ Even if we meet next weekend, it’ll just be a quick catch-up.]

[Lee Choi: That’s probably true… Neither of you is really resting after finishing one project.]

[Seo Sangwoo: Just give me some sympathy.]

[Lee Choi: Nope.]

[Seo Sangwoo: -_-]

Watching their usual bickering today, I put a hand to my forehead.

I can’t just keep waiting for contact forever.

I didn’t know the result yet, but I had to prepare for the worst.

If it weren’t for the quest, I might have held out a bit longer…

No. Enough.

I shook my head lightly and reached out.

I picked up one of the three scripts laid on the table—the manager’s suggested next project candidates.

As I opened the script, the lines I’d read many times before stuck firmly in my sight.

“……”

Getting ‘Protect My Sub Male Lead!’ was a miracle for Yoo Chaemin.

In truth, that project had chosen him only after a string of failed castings.