episode_0005

Sometimes, fate begins to flow from unexpected places.

“We will contact you about the results today. As you know, we don’t have much time. If you join, you’ll start filming right away tomorrow, so don’t go too far.”

These were the words that Seo Isu heard from the assistant director as she left the audition room.

Although the tone was not explicitly stated, from the small gestures, it was clear that the production team viewed Seo Isu’s joining in a very positive light.

Taking her to her room, Shin Jihu picked up his phone and called the CEO of KS Entertainment.

“Yes, CEO. This is Shin Jihu. Yes, yes. I watched the audition well. …Yes. We haven’t received a confirmation yet, but I think there will be good results. What? You think Seo Isu can’t act that well? …She’s actually quite good.”

Shin Jihu chuckled.

He didn’t know much about Seo Isu.

It had only been about a week since he had taken her on as his actress.

Today was the first time he had seen her act properly.

So, he thought to himself.

“So that’s why the CEO of that prestigious agency was so insistent on bringing Seo Isu along. She’s really good at acting.”

But this was not the truth.

The original Seo Isu was not a standout actress.

Average in looks for a celebrity.

Decent at acting.

Just an actress without any outstanding qualities.

Was she just overhyped?

So, the CEO of KS Entertainment, Kang Sungcheol, couldn’t help but be puzzled by Shin Jihu’s explanation.

– Seo Isu acted that well? That’s hard to believe.

“…No. She really did act well?”

-Hmm. That’s strange. Jihu. Is there anything strange about Seo Isu?

Kang Sungcheol’s tone was somewhat uncertain.

Shin Jihu thought for a moment.

“Come to think of it….”

Today, Seo Isu clearly had something worth noting.

“There was something a bit strange.”

Shin Jihu reported on Seo Isu’s claim of memory loss.

Honestly, it was a claim that was hard to believe.

Memory loss.

Something you’d only see in a drama.

But Kang Sungcheol’s reaction was different.

-Hmm…. No. If it’s Seo Isu, it’s possible.

“Really?”

-Yeah. Seo Isu, her family background is quite complicated. Because of that…

Kang Sungcheol didn’t share many details.

He just mentioned that Seo Isu had experienced some unfortunate events and that her mental state was very unstable.

“…I see.”

Shin Jihu listened quietly to Seo Isu’s situation.

“I see.”

A monotonous tone slipped from his lips.

He wasn’t particularly interested in Seo Isu’s personal life.

On the contrary, it was the opposite.

“I see.”

Even as he spoke with CEO Kang Sungcheol.

Shin Jihu thought of something else.

His eyes were fixed on a hazy past.

‘Ah.’

The dining table.

In a luxurious, palace-like mansion, a father and son sat facing each other at the dining table.

It was a vision showing memories of the past.

Shin Jihu was already grown up.

An adult now.

Physically, he wasn’t much different from now.

On the other hand, his father was different.

It had only been about a year.

He looked much younger than he did now.

Time for the elderly passes faster than for the young.

Shin Jihu was a young man in his twenties.

But his father was an old man.

His father spoke.

“Jihu. Do you want to know about your mother?”

“….”

Shin Jihu didn’t know his mother.

He had no memories of her.

They parted ways as soon as he was born.

“Your mother was like a flash of light. She always shone brightly. Perhaps it was because of the industry she was in. It’s the entertainment industry. A place where those who shine brighter than anyone else gather.”

His father was a conglomerate.

And his mother was an entertainer.

In the world of conglomerates, there was no place for outsiders.

In order to become the owner of such a place, it is said that the mother was forced to leave the entertainment industry.

At the crossroads of that choice.

The mother who gave birth to a son.

Without hesitation.

It is said that she left her son.

But…..

-Yeah. Flash. However, I didn’t know. Flash attracts people’s attention because it shines, but that’s why it quickly fades like a flame.

The entertainment industry is such a dazzling place.

So it captivates and drives people crazy.

His mother, who was building a storm-like career in the entertainment industry, was suffering from mental illness.

And one day, she suddenly committed suicide.

The day Shin Ji-hoo heard the story about his mother from his father.

It was from that day.

Shin Ji-hoo became curious.

What kind of place is the entertainment industry exactly?

That his mother would abandon her son.

And ultimately drive her to madness and make her choose death.

He wanted to know.

After that, Shin Ji-hoo temporarily left the chaebol family.

And hiding his identity, he threw himself into the lowest level of the entertainment industry pyramid as a road manager.

Now, back to the present.

“…..Family history. And mental illness.”

After the call with Kang Sung-chul, Shin Ji-hoo had a distant expression on his face.

He thinks about Seo Yi-soo.

A girl who had a difficult family history and developed a mental illness because of it.

“…..”

He knows it’s meaningless.

But still, Shin Ji-hoo couldn’t help but see his mother and Seo Yi-soo overlapping.

So he couldn’t help but worry.

Meanwhile.

At the residence of Jo Gil-san PD, the director of .

“Hmm.”

After Seo Yi-soo left the audition.

Jo Gil-san was watching the recorded video of Seo Yi-soo’s acting for a long time.

“What kind of acting is this?”

The acting Seo Yi-soo displayed was eerie.

If asked about her acting skills, Jo Gil-san would confidently answer like this.

It was a mess.

Even the basic acting skills that you learn at an academy were not properly developed.

It could be described as the epitome of bad acting.

In a typical case, if an actor performed like this, they would be ridiculed.

But Seo Yi-soo was different.

“…..It’s like the character is tearing through the script and jumping out.”

There is a method acting.

Acting where an actor deeply immerses themselves in the character they are playing.

People who don’t know much about it might think method acting is rough acting that relies on emotions.

“It’s not like method acting.”

But even that method acting is actually a technique that is built on incredibly sophisticated skills.

What value does a kindergarten student’s emotionally immersed, self-indulgent drawing have?

Emotional immersion without a foundation was just meaningless self-indulgence.

Seo Yi-soo’s acting didn’t show any hint of technique.

She played with the camera separately, and her gestures and movements were not systematic.

But.

“Emotions, it feels like they’re violently rushing in.”

In a reality where even such technical acting doesn’t easily connect.

She emitted incredibly vivid emotions.

Despite her rough acting, she had a strong grip on the viewer’s gaze.

Jo Gil-san had never seen such incredible bad acting before.

He was curious.

He wanted to see what kind of performance that actress would show in his direction.

But to do that…..

“The amount of lines is too small.”

The character that Seo Yi-soo auditioned for had a problem with being a supporting role.

It was closer to a minor supporting role, but it was not a clear supporting role.

A character that doesn’t appear in every episode.

To fill the curiosity that Jo Gil-san now held, the amount of lines for the character Cha Yeon-soo was too small.

“…..”

After much contemplation, Jo Gil-san picked up his phone.

“Hello, author Yu! This is Jo Gil-san. Yes, yes. Thanks to the story you picked, I’m filming comfortably. Yes. I’ve finished the audition for the role of . Now, all that’s left is to finalize the casting with you. Yes. I’ll send you the video.”

Jo Gil-san carefully chose his words.

“But… author. It’s about the importance of the character. No, I’m definitely not trying to interfere with your writing, but… could you please check the video I sent? Yes. It’s the 7th file. KS Entertainment, Seo Yisoo.”

Originally, the character was meant to bring a breath of fresh air when least expected.

Jo Gil-san started discussing with the author to increase the importance of that role.

***

“What? KS Entertainment has picked a new rising star?”

Rising star, recognized for her acting skills and commercial appeal in several successful works.

Gil Hye-yeon was taken aback upon hearing the news her manager relayed.

“No way. What’s this? Director Jo Gil-san just let it go? Acting all perfect and then?”

“Hye-yeon. Your voice is too loud. Calm down first…”

“Do I look calm?”

Despite the manager’s attempts to calm her down, it was futile.

It was only natural.

Gil Hye-yeon, 24 years old.

A theater actress.

Starting from complete obscurity, she had climbed her way up to the position of a sub lead actress in a KVN mini-series, pouring her life into it.

She was beautiful, like an actress should be.

If she had harbored ill intentions and compromised her conscience just a bit…

She could have easily climbed even higher with the help of a big company like KS Entertainment.

But she didn’t.

She wanted to achieve success solely through her talent and hard work in the world she admired.

To her, the existence of a rising star who used KS Entertainment’s power to get a role in a project was abhorrent beyond measure.

Unacceptable.

Gil Hye-yeon despised those who resorted to such tactics.

For example…

“Oh, good morning, Hye-yeon~”

Like this woman.

Yu Ha-neul, 26 years old. A top star.

Debuting with the help of a major agency, she had taken on good roles from the start and even resorted to dirty tricks for success.

The kind of woman who was always surrounded by rumors.

‘A dirty woman.’

Gil Hye-yeon muttered under her breath.

Of course, only to herself.

Outwardly, she wore a bright smile.

“Senior~! You look so beautiful again today! How do you manage to look so pretty without a day off? Is beauty your full-time job? Ah, that’s why you became a top star!”

“Pfft. What are you up to now? I’ll give you credit for one thing, you know how to flatter. Well, I like that about you.”

“Hehe.”

Seemingly delighted to be filming together again today.

As if it were an honor.

As if she admired her.

Gil Hye-yeon feigned sincerity towards Yu Ha-neul.

Well, she was an actress.

The acting field is narrow.

And the field for actresses is even narrower.

To survive in that harsh world.

She had to be able to handle everyday acting like this.

Anyway, Yu Ha-neul was a top star.

With a wide network, she had the power to bury a rising star like Gil Hye-yeon with just a glance.

‘Flattery when needed. Only when truly necessary.’

Seizing the moment when Yu Ha-neul’s attention drifted, Gil Hye-yeon’s gaze turned cold.

She recalled the rising star who had secured a role in this project with the backing of KS Entertainment.

Despite being under KS Entertainment, she was still just a rising star.

I was a senior, and my reputation in the industry was incomparable.

“If you’re going to be a hindrance to the shoot, just stay still.”

Gil Hye-yeon made up her mind.

If she just believed in the background of her agency.

That rumor.

She was determined not to stay still.

Like the center of the universe, revolving around Seo Ei-soo.

Various people were moving with their own hearts and desires.

Something was trying to change.

If Dragon Volkid had not transformed into Seo Ei-soo, it would not have changed.

Just like the moon orbits the Earth in a fixed orbit, the world that had been the same would now seek change.

Specifically, what that change would be.

What it was, she didn’t know yet.

The meaning of the story is that the outline of all events will only be revealed after they have ended.

However, the important thing is.

“…Shin Ji-hoo.”

“Why?”

“What is all this?”

“It’s clothing. Wardrobe for the shoot. Hurry up and change into it. You need to do your makeup too.”

“No. This, um…”

“Why? What’s the problem?”

“It’s a dress, isn’t it? Women’s clothing.”

“…So what?”

“It’s women’s clothing. I don’t want to wear this. Bring me something more masculine. The shoot is supposed to look fun. I’ll try to cooperate as much as possible.”

“What are you saying, you brat.”

“Ugh! Wh-what are you doing!”

“Just shut up and put it on!”

The important thing is…

That at the center of it all, there was Seo Ei-soo.