Audition(2)

'Huh? They want me to participate?'

The assistant director chimed in.

"Just to be clear, it will only be a cameo. You won't actually be a part of the competition."

'Makes sense'

"We'll give you some time to think it over but remember, your friend's audition is on the line."

Ji-Woo nodded, then sat down in a nearby chair, pulling out his phone. He noticed a new notification on Messenger.

[Min-Ho]

Sorry, I'm still taking a dump right now.

[Ji-Woo]

How much longer are you going to take?

[Min-Ho]

At least 10 more minutes. Please buy me more time.

[Ji-Woo]

Okay. Leave it to me.

Ji-Woo put away his phone,his mind turning over the offer. It was a win-win situation. The producers had the chance to craft a compelling story that would boost their viewership, while Min-Ho would gain the opportunity to audition.

'He better treat me later'

He stood up and walked over towards the director.

"I have a question I want to ask."

"Go ahead and ask."

"Will my friend be guaranteed an audition if I do this?"

"I will personally make sure of it."

"Alright. Let's do it."

"Then follow me."

Whilst walking towards the audition room, Ji-Woo was handed a script. 

'So this is what a script looks like'

"Please have a seat here and we will call you up in 10 minutes."

Nodding his head, he sat down and read the cover of the script '''Heartbreak'''.The scene was a young couple getting into a heated argument about whether they are feeling loved by the other. Eventually Girlfriend A would storm out of the house and Boyfriend A would have an emotional breakdown.

'This seems quite hard to act out by myself. Also, why would he have such an emotional breakdown over something so small'

Ji-Woo, who had never been in a relationship before, lost himself in the script, flipping through the pages with focused intensity. He slipped into a trance-like state, his mind fully absorbed in the lines, analyzing every word and nuance. Suddenly, the assistant's voice broke through his concentration, snapping him back to reality.

"Ji-Woo! They are ready for you."

As Ji-Woo stepped into the room, he was immediately struck by the sight of massive cameras, towering lighting rigs, and a flurry of busy personnel moving about. The air was charged with energy, and the hum of activity filled the space. He made his way to the center, taking his position in front of the three judges. The panel consisted of a stunning woman in her twenties, a sharply-dressed man in his thirties, and an older man in his fifties.

'Holy. She looks even better in person.'

The woman sitting on the left was Park Chae-young, a well renowned actress admired by everyone for not only being extremely talented but also as the epitome of Korean beauty, with her long black hair and clear skin.The two men sat to her left were Park kwon-taek and Jung Sunwoo. Both well renowned and highly respected directors. Jung Sunwoo spoke in a friendly tone.

"Hello. What is your name?"

"My name is Kim Ji-Woo. It is an honour to meet you"

"Nice to meet you too. Are you the one who is covering for your friend?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"How long have you been friends for?"

"Ever since middle school"

Park Kwon-taek chimed in.

"Wow. You guys must have a really strong friendship."

Ji-Woo nodded in agreement. Park Kwon-teak turned to his right and gave a slight nod.

"Since you only had 10 minutes to prepare, we thought Ms. Park could be your counterpart."

"Is that alright with you?"

"Yes, that's fine with me."

'This audition got a lot easier'

Park Chae-young stood up while holding a script and walked towards Ji-Woo. She stopped opposite Ji-Woo.

"Are you both ready?"

"Yes"

{Act 1 Scene 1}

Park Chae-young stands near the couch, her arms crossed defensively, her face flushed with anger. Her eyes are sharp, filled with hurt and confusion. She's trying to articulate her feelings, but her voice wavers as she speaks.

"I just don't understand, how am I supposed to feel loved when you're never here? When I keep telling you what I need, and it's like you don't even hear me? It's like you just don't care!"

Kim Ji-Woo, sitting on the edge of the couch, runs a hand through his hair, visibly frustrated but also exhausted. He opens his mouth, but the words come out in a defensive rush, almost pleading.

"I do care! I don't know what you want from me anymore. I'm trying, but it's like nothing I do is enough. What do you want me to say, huh? What more do you want me to do?"

The crew stopped in their tracks, standing frozen in awe. No one dared to blink. They were witnessing something extraordinary unfold before their eyes and didn't want to risk missing a single moment. Their eyes remained locked on the two actors, so deeply engrossed in their performance that it felt as if they were truly a couple grappling with their own struggles.

"Trying isn't enough Ji-Woo! It's not about trying, it's about showing me! I feel invisible, like I'm constantly fighting for your attention. I need to feel like I matter to you, but it's like you're always so distant, so… distracted!"

Kim Ji-Woo stands up, his frustration mounting, but he's at a loss. His eyes show a flicker of fear, but mostly anger, as he's cornered in the emotional battle.

"And I'm trying! I'm working, I'm stressed—what do you want from me? I can't be perfect! I can't read your mind. You never tell me what's wrong until it's too late!"

The words cut deep, but Park Chae-young doesn't seem to hear him anymore. She stands up sharply, her fists clenched at her sides.

"I have told you, over and over. And yet, here we are. Nothing changes. I can't keep doing this."

Her voice cracks, and in that moment, the weight of everything breaks through. Tears well up in her eyes, but she blinks them away, determined to hold onto what's left of her pride. She turns and heads for the door.

"Where are you going? Don't walk away from me now!"

His voice breaks, his hands shaking as he reaches out, but she slams the door behind her before he can stop her.

The sound of the door closing echoes in the empty apartment.

Kim Ji-Woo stands there for a moment, speechless, his chest heaving as his mind tries to catch up. He takes a few steps toward the door, as though he might chase after her, but stops. He slumps to the floor instead, his body collapsing under the weight of the argument. The tears he's been holding back finally spill over, his emotions spilling into a silent breakdown.

He covers his face with his hands, a mix of shame, frustration, and desperation. His sobs are quiet at first, but soon they're more uncontrollable, the emotions flooding through him in waves.

In the silence of the apartment, the tension lingers, a painful reminder of what was left unsaid, of the love that felt lost in the fight.

{Scene ends}

Ji-Woo picked himself off the floor and wiped away his tears.

"I'm done."

Yet, no response came. The crew stood in stunned silence, their mouths agape, eyes wide with amazement. Not a single person dared to move, as if the moment itself held them captive. Suddenly, the sound of clapping echoed through the room. Ji-Woo turned to his left and saw Park Chae-young, tears running down her face, applauding him. The clapping grew louder, and as he turned back to the front, he saw everyone joining in. Every person in the room, including the judges, were on their feet clapping for him.

'What is going on?'

"That was magnificent"

Ji-Woo, his face flushed with embarrassment, lowered his head murmured,

"Thank you."

The three judges took their seats, exchanging a few quiet words among themselves. After a moment, they turned back to Ji-Woo, their eyes filled with anticipation. Min-Young, unable to hide her eagerness, leaned forward and asked,

"Which university acting department did you graduate from?"

Ji-woo responding nonchalantly,

"I actually graduated from Korea University School of Law."

"What…. School of law?"

"Yeah. I placed first in my entire cohort"

"Then where did you get your acting experience from?"

"I don't have any experience. This was my first time acting"

The judges sat in stunned silence, their expressions a mix of confusion and disbelief. Ji-Woo had just delivered an incredible performance, and yet he claimed to have no acting experience. It was hard for them to wrap their heads around the fact that someone so talented could be a complete novice. As the interview neared its end, the sound of a phone ringing broke the silence. It was Ji-Woo's phone. He glanced at the screen and saw it was Min-Ho calling, letting him know he was waiting in the hall but couldn't find him.

"Director. Min-Ho's waiting in the hall. Am I free to leave now?"

"Yeah that's fine. You can tell him to come in"

Ji-Woo said his goodbyes and stepped into the hallway, heading out to meet his friend at the hall.

-creak

He opened the door to find Min-Ho sitting in a chair near the window. Ji-Woo walked over and gently tapped his friend's shoulder. Min-Ho turned, startled to see him so soon, his face quickly shifting to an expression of regret. Before Min-Ho could say anything, Ji-Woo leaned in and softly whispered into his ear.

"We will discuss later. Head into the audition room"

Min-Ho nodded, stood up, and began walking toward the door. Just as he reached for the handle, a loud voice suddenly screamed from the other side, causing him to freeze in surprise.

"Min-Ho, make sure to put everything into your performance"

Min-ho turned to look at his friend, a smile plastered across his face.

"Fighting!"

Min-Ho's nervous face melted into a bright smile. He gave Ji-woo a thumbs up before heading in.

Once his friend disappeared down the hallway, Ji-Woo sat down, his mind swirling with doubt and embarrassment. As he replayed the performance in his head, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had delivered a mediocre performance, far from the impressive one he had hoped for.

'They're probably only impressed because they expect me to be terrible'

Ten minutes later, Min-Ho finished his audition, and the pair began walking back toward the train station. Not a word was exchanged as they left the theater. Ji-woo noticed the broad, ecstatic smile on his face. They walked in silence for a while, until Min-Ho suddenly stopped.

"Hey Ji-Woo"

He turned around to respond but paused, a look of confusion crossing his face. His friend stood there, slightly bowing to him.

"Thanks for helping me"

Ji-Woo walked up to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder before pulling him into a playful headlock, a grin spreading across his face.

"Just tell me about how it went, you bastard"

After releasing him, they both laughed and Min-Ho began to explain how the audition had gone.

Meanwhile, back at the theater, the judges had finished the first round of auditions and were taking a ten-minute break. Staff members hurried about, checking cameras and adjusting the lighting, while the judges sat, getting their makeup touched up. The director and her assistant exchanged a few words before the director turned to ask,

"Who was the best candidate so far?"

"It's pretty obvious who it was."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ji-Woo's performance was engraved into everyone's mind. All subsequent performances that followed were utterly disappointing compared to his.

"It was an unbelievable performance. And to think he only had 10 minutes to prepare."

"Hey Min-Young, how was it to play the counterpart?"

"I couldn't compete with him. It was mesmerising."

"It looked so realistic. You two seemed like an actual couple on the brink of breaking up."

Park Chae-young sighed.

"I never imagined the day would come when someone would outshine me, but out of everyone I've acted with till now, it was a rookie no-one heard of to make me feel inferior."

"Such a shame to he's going to be a lawyer instead of an actor"

Jung Sunwoo who had stayed quiet and was deeply thinking about Ji-Woo's performance looked at Park Kwon-Taek with concern.

"Why do you think he isn't going to be an actor?"

"Well, he didn't come here as a contestant, he only performed to buy his friend some time. And let's not forget, he graduated law school at the top of his class so he's most likely going to work at a law firm."

Jung Sunwoo frowned.

'I can't let him rot away at a law firm'

"Director Yoon, can I get a copy of his audition? I want to show this to writer Song."

Director Yoon responded to him with a smile on her face.

"Sure. I'll have it sent by the end of tomorrow."

Later that night, Ji-Woo lay on his bed, his body exhausted and his eyelids heavy from a long day. The soft glow of his phone screen lit up the dim room as he scrolled through TikTok, his mind barely engaged. Just as he was about to drift off, a notification popped up on his screen. A message from Director Yoon, the Super Rookie Actor director.

Curious, Ji-Woo tapped on the message. It was a video of his audition.. A mix of excitement and anxiety churned in his stomach as he hesitated for a moment before pressing play.

'Man i made so many mistakes but overall not a bad performance.'

An hour had passed since Ji-Woo watched his audition, and his exhaustion was finally catching up to him. His eyelids felt heavy, the weight of sleep pulling him in. With a soft groan, he set his phone aside and closed his eyes, ready to drift into the comfort of slumber.

* System Activation Requirements Met *

'What was that?'

* Loading System *

* System Activation Completed *

A robotic female voice echoed through the room. Ji-Woo shot upright in bed, the covers tangled around his lower half. His heart raced as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Before he could gather his thoughts, a light blue button materialized in front of him, glowing brightly with a white text written on it.

'Tutorial?'

Confusion clouded his mind. In a daze, Ji-Woo reached out and pressed the button. The moment his finger made contact, a blinding flash of light enveloped him, too intense to look away from. His body tensed, and before he could react, everything went black.

When Ji-Woo was finally able to open his eyes again, he was no longer in his room. He found himself standing in a vast, surreal landscape. The sky above him was a swirling blend of deep purple, black, and electric blue like the infinite and mysterious void of space itself. The ground beneath him shimmered with a faint, iridescent glow, stretching endlessly in all directions. It was a place beyond comprehension, with no clear boundaries, no horizon. The sense of scale was disorienting, as if the world itself had no edge. Ji-Woo stood frozen, awe and fear inside him.

"What is this place?"

The robotic voice then spoke.

"Congratulations"