Audition
"Have you heard that saying? That some actors' handwriting changes with every project?"
"Isn't that actor Jo Seung-hwa?"
"Yeah. That used to be famous online for a while."
It was an ordinary intermediate-level class.
It had been about two weeks since they had applied for the first round of auditions.
Oseok brought up a reference clip on the monitor.
"Wow."
Muyeong couldn't help but exclaim. The handwriting styles were completely different depending on the character.
If he hadn't known better, he'd have thought they were from entirely different people.
"This is what you call detail. Of course, since the letters and content are visible on camera, the director might have directed it that way. But this one here—this was captured and zoomed in on. I'd say the actor nailed it."
"That's amazing."
A naïve country youth, a corrupt prosecutor, and even an ordinary office worker.
Just from the handwriting, you could feel each character's life story.
"All these small things come together to create a character's life."
Muyeong perked up his ears at Oseok's words.
A character's life!
That was exactly the path he wanted to walk.
"So today, we'll practice basic walking. Not like a model's walk, of course—focus on expressing the character."
Scratch, scratch.
As he spoke, Oseok wrote on the board:
[Kim Cheolsu, 34, who hates company dinners]
[Kwon Malsun, 78, who's obsessed with flower arranging]
[Park Minseok, 21, exempted from military service]
Each was a person whose details could easily be expressed.
Oseok gestured for the students to stand.
"Walk from one end of the room to the other. Dialogue is fine, props are fine. Let's start with Mr. Cheolsu first. Come on!"
Faces mixed with embarrassment and curiosity. The first to step up was Yuchan.
Yuchan loosened his body and trudged forward.
"Ah, I'm so sick of this. Seriously."
"Next!"
Then came Bora. She looked just as awkward, loosening her limbs and walking sluggishly like Yuchan.
Oseok said nothing but couldn't hide his disappointment.
No imagination.
He had told them over and over again—like the national anthem—that imagination was crucial for an actor. Yet everyone was simply acting out the most literal image that came to mind from the words on the board.
Well… it's not easy, I guess.
Anyone could act with lines and expressions.
It was natural to focus practice on what the camera would capture.
"Next, Muyeong."
But to become a better actor, one had to go beyond that.
Oseok quickly calculated in his head. In about two weeks, the semester would begin again, and everyone would leave.
He wanted to pass on as much as he could before then.
"Hm~"
Just then, a hum.
Oseok turned his gaze from the screen to the real-life Muyeong.
"What's this? That kid?"
"But it says he 'hates' company dinners."
A light step. His shoulders were slightly slumped, but his stride was quicker than usual, carrying the vibe of an office worker leaving work for the day.
"Ha!"
Oseok burst out laughing, unable to hold it back.
That was it!
While everyone else focused on the word "hates," Muyeong thought about why the person hated it.
There could be many reasons—He might dislike his coworkers, be too tired, want to meet his girlfriend, or just want to enjoy his own hobbies.
"Nice one, Muyeong!"
Muyeong's interpretation was of Cheolsu, who hated company dinners because he was excited for his free time after work.
Always one step ahead! Oseok couldn't help but admire him.
Bzzz.
A vibration came from Muyeong's pocket.
Without breaking stride, he casually checked his phone.
That right there—if you put him in a suit, he'd look exactly like a typical office worker around Gangnam Station.
"Ah."
Then, as if realizing something, he stopped. The mood immediately broke.
From Cheolsu, he turned back into Muyeong.
"What's wrong?"
"Teacher… I think I passed?"
"What?"
"I just got a text—I passed the first audition round."
"No way! Really?"
Everyone forgot about practice and swarmed around him.
Oseok was overjoyed inside but maintained his composure with a cough.
"Ahem. Everyone, quiet."
"When's the second round?"
"Next weekend."
"That's great."
But no one really listened. Hyungju grumbled, picking a fight for no reason.
"It's probably easier since it's a web drama."
It was the first passing announcement among them.
Already feeling jealous, there was no way Hyungju would speak nicely.
"Still, it's hosted by the Seoul city office."
"Yeah, but it's just a web drama. You can't compare it to MBV or SBC's competition rates. Ah, of course I'm happy for you—just saying."
This guy's hopeless, Yuchan thought, forcing a laugh.
Not wrong, but what an irritating way to put it. That took talent too.
"Ah, if I'd known, I'd have applied for that one too. I guess terrestrial networks were too hard from the start. Thinking about it, Muyeong was smart. Strategic. Maybe that's why he's so clever?"
Then, Bora, who had been quietly listening, sighed and replied.
"I don't think you failed just because it was a terrestrial network."
"Oh great, here we go again."
"I passed."
She avoided eye contact.
To be exact—she avoided Yuchan's eyes.
"...The results came out yesterday."
"What, really?"
Yuchan, Bora, and Hyungju had all applied for the same drama.
Which meant—only one of the three had passed.
Hyungju aside, Bora clearly felt bad about telling Yuchan.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"...I just kind of forgot."
An awkward silence. Then Oseok clapped his hands to break the tension.
"All right! Any more good news? If not, Muyeong and Bora, stay after class. I'll help you prepare for your auditions. When did you say the second round was?"
"Next weekend."
"Me too."
"...Exactly when?"
Muyeong and Bora glanced at each other, then spoke at the same time.
"Saturday at two."
Muyeong arrived at the Square Film Company building in Mapo—
together with Junho, who was dressed far fancier than any normal audition participant.
"It's smaller than I expected."
"They specialize in web dramas."
"Hey, hey! Take your coat!"
From the back seat, Junho handed him a coat—brand new, the tag still attached.
It was obvious he'd quietly swiped it from the company where his brother worked.
"Make sure you tuck the tag inside before wearing it."
"Thanks, but I said it's fine."
"That's what you think. Who shows up to an audition with a jacket that's fraying at the sleeves? Stop talking and put it on."
Muyeong gave up arguing and took the coat.
Because their audition schedules overlapped, he hadn't been able to come with Oseok.
Given both time and seniority, it was natural that Oseok had chosen to accompany Bora instead…
"You're not upset about that?"
"About what?"
"If it weren't for me, you'd have had to come alone—by subway, then bus."
Muyeong smiled brightly.
He was reminded of what Oseok had said the previous night over a late-night snack:
"Muyeong. Just do what you always do. I'm not worried."
That look of complete trust—
because of that, he didn't feel even a bit resentful.
Besides, hadn't he seen it before even applying?
That invisible cloud of shining pollen—his teacher's faith in him.
Whatever happened, good things would come of it.
"Well, I've got you here, so that's enough. Let's go."
"Man, why am I the one getting nervous? You said Bora's audition's at the broadcasting station, right?"
"Yeah, MBV. It's nearby, so we'll probably meet up afterward."
"Heh heh. Nice, nice."
Junho was bubbling with excitement, while Muyeong clicked his tongue.
No matter how you looked at it, he was getting excited for nothing.
Even clueless Muyeong could tell—there was definitely something between Bora and Yuchan.
Creaaak—
"Whoa."
Junho swung open the Square Film office door with confidence—
and froze.
Peeking over his shoulder, Muyeong blinked.
"Hello—uh, I mean, good afternoon. I'm contestant number forty-th—"
"Yeah, I'm up next for my audition. Drinks after this? Hah!"
"Seriously? She said that? That's hilarious!"
It was pure chaos.
Sure, the waiting area was small, but that wasn't the problem.
The problem was that there was absolutely no common thread between the people inside—
from gray-haired grandfathers to tiny kids, men and women of every age.
"Hey… are you sure you applied for the right thing?"
"Uh…"
"You did apply for a drama audition, right?"
Probably? Muyeong just shrugged, and Junho shook his head in disbelief.
Just then, a staff member approached them.
"Are you here for the audition?"
"Yes. I'm Ha Muyeong."
"Let's see… ah, yes. You're confirmed. You're number 76. Please wait here."
Muyeong stuck the sticker with "#76" on his chest and looked around the lobby.
There were so many people there wasn't even a place to sit.
"You want to wait in the car?"
"No, it's fine."
Junho stood beside him, and Muyeong silently wished time would move faster.
Finally—2:00 p.m. sharp.
"The audition will now begin! Contestants #1 through #5, please follow me!"
The staff's loud announcement jolted the crowd into motion.
It was supposed to be an acting audition, but some people were carrying baseball bats or fishing rods—why, no one knew.
"You hungry? Want me to grab something?"
"No, I'm okay."
Maybe because it was his first audition, Muyeong's chest fluttered with nervous excitement.
Time passed quickly—
"Contestants #76 through #80, please get ready!"
Muyeong's number was called.
Junho straightened his sleeve and hair, then patted his shoulder with a playful wink.
Muyeong smiled back.
"Please enter in order."
They followed the staff up to the third-floor conference room.
Five chairs were arranged in front of six judges—
one more than the number of contestants.
"Have a seat."
Looking around, Muyeong noticed that despite the wildly mixed crowd earlier, each group was composed of people roughly the same age.
The team leader flipped through documents, whispering to the assistant beside him.
"#76 has a good face."
"Acting score isn't bad either."
"Agency?"
"None listed."
They were in the middle of selecting a supporting role for episode one—
a high school student part, so all the applicants were under 23.
"Okay, let's start with introductions. Number 76 first."
"Hello, my name is Ha Muyeong."
"Yes, Mr. Ha. It says here you don't have any acting experience?"
No experience, yet a high acting score?
The team leader, who hadn't been part of the video evaluation, tilted his head in curiosity.
"That's right. But I'm confident I can give my best no matter what role it is."
The same thing the previous seventy-five contestants had said.
The team leader smiled politely and asked another question.
"I see. Hmm, but your address section is blank on the form?"
It was just small talk—nothing more.
But the answer that came back was completely unexpected.
"I don't have a home."
"…What?"
Not only the judges, but even the other contestants turned to look at him.
He looked perfectly fine—how could he not have a home?
"I'll explain the details if I get the role."
"Haha, sure, well… all right."
The team leader chuckled, brushing it off as a joke.
The character for episode one was already roughly set—
A youth and his poverty.
As he scribbled notes with his pen, he suddenly asked,
"By the way, it's funny for me to say this, but if things are that tough, wouldn't it be better to take on a part-time job instead?
This is a one-off web drama role, and honestly, the pay isn't great considering the time you'll spend."
In truth, being an extra might pay better.
It was hard work, but at least you could calculate exactly how much time equaled how much money.
But Muyeong's reply was firm.
"Are there people who start acting for the money?"
His voice carried no lie.
"For me, no.
I'm doing this because… if I don't, I feel like I'll die."