episode_0041

Turning back time a little.

When she first arrived at the audition venue, Seo Yisoo was as cheerful as ever.

It was only when she learned an unexpected fact that things started to go downhill.

“What, what? Managers can’t come in with you during auditions?”

“Of course not. An actor doesn’t need a nanny, right?”

“Well, um….”

Upon hearing those words, Seo Yisoo was thrown into confusion.

Come to think of it…

Every time she acted before.

There was always Shin Jihu wherever Seo Yisoo’s gaze landed.

He had always watched over her acting.

Earth was a strange place.

The acting stage was even more so.

She was able to navigate through it innocently because of Shin Jihu’s presence.

Shin Jihu was there.

Even if something went wrong with me.

Or even if I did something wrong.

Shin Jihu would protect me.

He is my manager.

With that in mind.

Seo Yisoo could focus on acting without any worries.

But now, she couldn’t have Shin Jihu with her at the audition.

“Ah….”

Seo Yisoo felt a distant unease.

Click-

That unease intensified as she opened the door to the audition venue.

The gazes, so many gazes…

Seo Yisoo was sensitive to emotions by nature.

As she entered, it felt like the raw emotions of those who were only looking at her were crashing down on her.

“Shin Jihu… Can’t come in with me. How am I supposed to handle this place alone?”

Seo Yisoo was at a loss, facing a situation where she was completely alone for the first time since coming to Earth.

“Your agency is KS Entertainment. You came from a good company, right?”

“That’s right.”

“…Is that so?”

“Uh, no. I mean, yes.”

She made all sorts of mistakes.

Her mind went blank.

The only thing Seo Yisoo remembered was Shin Jihu’s advice.

“Be polite to strangers.”

Like a young bird following its mother blindly.

Seo Yisoo followed Shin Jihu’s words.

“Alright, let’s just focus on the acting for now. Scene 27 from Episode 1, the entrance scene of , let’s see your acting skills.”

“Okay. Don’t be too nervous, just relax. Seo Yisoo.”

On the other hand, she also had this thought.

Ah, I can’t do anything without Shin Jihu.

That thought.

“Um… I’ll do my best.”

In that thought.

Seo Yisoo suddenly felt dissatisfied with the current situation.

Feeling so anxious.

Feeling so scared and lonely.

Only thinking of Shin Jihu.

Yet.

“…Phew.”

Deciding to put aside her worries.

Her heart sank deeper.

As the power of the Dragon manifested and a virtual personality for the performance was constructed.

That personality would skillfully, with deep immersion.

Likely exhibit a realism that would impress anyone.

In that situation, being able to do that.

Seo Yisoo was dissatisfied.

It felt like her heart was nothing.

In that dissatisfaction and unease.

Seo Yisoo thought about the role of she would be playing.

In the thriller that condemns crime.

In the story, Haesoo’s role is a supporting character who helps the protagonist.

And, that Haesoo.

Was an empathetic psychopath.

Episode 1.

#Scene 27

-Haesoo’s House

It was night.

When I opened the door and entered the house, the only thing that greeted me was the pitch-black darkness.

I felt that was strange.

It couldn’t be like this.

The night may be dark, but in my world, there was always a light that illuminated me.

“Mom?”

Mom.

The light of my world.

Because she was at home, even on nights when I returned from work, our house was always bright.

So I felt a sense of unease at the fact that the world of night was engulfed in darkness.

“Mom? Are you there?”

I searched the house.

And there, in front of me, was a person lying on the floor.

It was my mother.

Her head was cracked.

No movement.

She seemed to be dead.

I gazed at her blood-soaked figure for a moment.

Then, I picked up my phone.

I pressed the buttons.

1, 1, 2.

It was the police station.

I didn’t press 119.

It didn’t seem necessary.

“Oh, hello. Someone has died. No, it’s a family member. My mother. The address is… No, it seems like a homicide. An ambulance? Oh, I guess it’s needed to transport the body.”

I remained calm.

My heart didn’t waver.

In fact, the police officer on the other end seemed more flustered.

At first, he asked about the situation in surprise, and then tried to console me.

Perhaps my actions seemed strange, as he told me to stay put until the police arrived.

Where am I going?

I felt a familiar discomfort in his words.

I furrowed my brow.

I looked ahead.

The people who met my gaze seemed to gasp in surprise.

Why are they so shocked?

But why are there so many strangers in our house?

***

“Um, no, um.”

Kim Jung-ho PD swallowed a gasp when he met Seo Yisoo’s eyes.

He couldn’t utter a proper word.

It was because of Seo Yisoo’s acting.

Her acting locked Kim Jung-ho into an indescribable whirlwind of complex emotions.

Something like a deep, simmering emotion inside.

It was the emotions that Haesoo from constantly revisited in the drama.

He had felt such emotions just by watching the actor’s performance.

To be so deeply affected by the emotions the character felt while watching the actor’s performance.

How many times had this happened?

Even the experienced Kim Jung-ho had never experienced such a phenomenon.

Not every actor could do this.

Kim Jung-ho pondered his own experiences.

He recalled the actors who had delivered such intense performances.

Most were what were called ‘masters,’ who had reached the pinnacle.

Or those who occupied the top of the industry, known as actors’ actors.

Or…

‘Geniuses.’

Rarely, a very small number of individuals in the industry displayed talent that set them apart from other actors.

“Ha.”

Kim Jung-ho looked ahead with dreamy eyes.

As the acting ended, there was a tense actress who played the role of Haesoo, looking as if she was asking when she had played the emotionless character.

Her trembling shoulders looked pitiful.

‘It’s her. Only this actress should play the role of Haesoo.’

Kim Jung-ho felt a shiver down his spine.

It was as if a god was bestowing a revelation upon him.

The role of Haesoo.

This actress must play it.

JD Entertainment?

Kang Sun-ah?

Investment funds?

What do I care.

If they want to recover the investment funds, I’ll even ask the broadcasting station for help and threaten them.

There are some who get beaten up in broadcasting stations.

Kim Jung-ho thought recklessly.

“Actress? Seo Yisoo, Seo Yisoo, right?”

Kim Jung-ho, as if possessed, scattered the documents listing Seo Yisoo’s filmography and asked the question.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Seo Yisoo….”

A somewhat strange tone.

It didn’t matter.

Look. Wasn’t she nervous?

She must be nervous.

Kim Jung-ho didn’t know how strange of a person Seo Yisoo was.

Sometimes, a certain fondness blooms in ignorance.

Kim Jung-ho wore an infinitely compassionate expression.

“You acted well. Why are you so nervous? Haha.”

‘Goodness.’

The writer Lee Kyung-mi, who was watching from the side, gave a look of disbelief.

There was a fuss about how it had to be Kang Seon-ah no matter what.

In one move by Seo Eui-soo, the attitude was completely reversed.

Iggyeongmi found such Kim Jeong-ho to be annoying and pathetic.

Well, that was her.

“ role must be played by that actress.”

There was no disagreement about the fact that Seo Eui-soo had to pass the audition.

***

“How was it? Did you do well in the audition?”

As she came out of the audition venue, Shin Ji-hoo was waiting for her.

“Shin Ji-hoo….”

As soon as she saw him, Seo Eui-soo’s eyes welled up with tears.

Being so nervous and then facing Shin Ji-hoo, her tension eased.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Did someone bully you at the audition?”

Shin Ji-hoo’s eyes sharpened.

He had put pressure on JD Entertainment to make it fair.

He was worried that the director or writer might have misread the atmosphere and done something unpleasant.

If anything like that happened, he would never stay silent.

Shin Ji-hoo made up his mind like that.

But….

“Shin Ji-hoo!”

Shin Ji-hoo’s train of thought was abruptly interrupted by Seo Eui-soo’s actions.

Seo Eui-soo called out to him and ran up to him, hugging him.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest.

“Uh, hey. Seo Eui-soo?”

Shin Ji-hoo was taken aback by this sudden situation.

In his heart.

Seo Eui-soo said.

“I won’t watch the audition again. I feel too uneasy without you.”

“…Seo Eui-soo?”

“I think I can’t do without you.”

“…Um, Seo Eui-soo?”

“Never go anywhere without me. Stay by my side.”

“…Please, Seo Eui-soo?”

Seo Eui-soo spoke quite affectionately.

As Seo Eui-soo continued to speak, Shin Ji-hoo’s tone became more agitated.

His head was throbbing.

Shin Ji-hoo gritted his teeth and looked around.

Audition waiting room.

All eyes were on the two of them.

“What’s up with those two….”

“Don’t go anywhere. Stay by my side.”

“The manager and the actress….”

“They’re definitely in that kind of relationship.”

“Ugh…. Even if that’s the case. They have no fear. What if a scandal breaks out.”

Despite such comments, Seo Eui-soo remained unfazed.

Seo Eui-soo is sensitive to others’ emotions.

But if Shin Ji-hoo is by her side, she becomes indifferent to whatever emotions others may have.

It’s just that Shin Ji-hoo is frustrated by uncontrollable incidents.

“Seo Eui-soo…. This weird girl.”

An irritated Shin Ji-hoo slapped the actress on the forehead.

Smack!

“Ow! Shin Ji-hoo. What are you doing?”

“You need to get yourself together, don’t you? Do you think you’ll get a thorn in your mouth if you don’t cause an accident for a day?”

“What did I do to deserve this? Shin Ji-hoo, you’re really bad. You shouldn’t do this to me.”

Like monkeys and dogs.

They bicker as if they’ll devour each other at any moment.

Those who watched the two in this farce,

“Oh. It wasn’t like that. That actress is just weird.”

They averted their gaze.

Today’s incident will somehow pass.

“So. How did the audition go?”

“Haha. Who do you think I am? I’m a much better actress than you think. Of course, I impressed everyone. As always.”

As always.

Seo Eui-soo looked at Shin Ji-hoo.

Shin Ji-hoo also looked at Seo Eui-soo.

Shin Ji-hoo smiled at his actress.

“Is that so.”

“It is.”

Public audition for the role of Haesoo.

Seo Eui-soo received the news of her acceptance a few days later.