The acting department was in chaos.
The "janitor scene" had reached the inboxes of casting directors, indie producers, and film bloggers overnight. Rumors bloomed like wildfire:
> "He's a hidden trainee from abroad."
"A method actor who faked his identity."
"The illegitimate son of a dead screen legend."
"A ghost, even. No one that unknown acts like that."
Jae-yun knew none of this. Until a stranger showed up.
---
Campus Film Lab – Next Day
He was cleaning the hallway near the old studio when he noticed the door to Studio Room B—normally locked—was wide open. Bright white lighting flooded out. Expensive cameras. A full crew.
And in the middle of it all, a tall woman in black stood like a general on a battlefield.
Sleek jacket. No makeup. Sharp eyes. Calm and calculating.
Director Kang Yuna.
She had a reputation in the film world for being brilliant, brutal, and utterly obsessed with realism. Her indie drama "Glass Eyes" won awards internationally—but it was also infamous for making two actors quit mid-shoot due to psychological exhaustion.
"Is that him?" she asked, pointing directly at Jae-yun.
Yeon nodded. "Ahn Jae-yun. No training, no agency, nothing."
She didn't speak. She simply approached.
Her eyes scanned him from head to toe—not like a person, but like a weapon she was inspecting.
"You… recreated a grief scene in one take."
"I tried," Jae-yun answered carefully.
"No. You didn't try. You became it."
She looked at the camera man. "Get ready to shoot."
Yeon blinked. "Wait—what?"
"We're filming him again. Right now. No prep."
Jae-yun hesitated. "What do I have to do?"
Yuna stepped close. Her voice lowered to a whisper.
"Show me the truth you don't want anyone else to see."
---
Scene Prompt: Betrayal
Scenario: The person you trusted most just lied to you.
Emotion: Rage, disbelief, heartbreak—all silent.
Action: You realize it mid-conversation. The moment you know.
Yuna sat down behind the monitor.
"Don't act. Just let it happen."
The camera rolled.
Jae-yun stood under the lights. There was no dialogue. No cue. Just him. Alone.
He closed his eyes.
Then he opened them.
At first, there was nothing. A blank expression. A flicker of confusion.
Then... realization.
His breathing changed. His eyes widened—no, not widened, tightened. As if something cracked quietly in his chest. His hands clenched, not with rage, but restraint. His jaw locked like someone swallowing a scream.
The betrayal wasn't loud.
It was quiet.
And it was devastating.
The crew froze. Goosebumps. One camera assistant stepped back, unconsciously holding his breath.
When Yuna whispered, "Cut," no one moved.
Jae-yun looked up. The light left his expression like a mask slipping off.
"…Was that okay?" he asked.
Yuna stood. Walked toward him.
And for the first time in years, she smiled.
---
Later That Night
In a small apartment, under dim lamplight, a notification dinged on Yeon's laptop.
📩 [Subject: Contract Offer – Ahn Jae-yun]
From: Nara Films – Director Kang Yuna
> "I want him as the lead in my next film.
No auditions. No rewrites.
Just him."
---
End of Chapter 3