What Just Happened?

The atmosphere in the audition room was tense, with frustration evident as the producer and directors exchanged weary glances with each other.

Multiple applicants had come and gone, yet they were just more disappointing than the last. The expression of disapproval became stuck on their faces, as they sat behind a long glass table. 

"I wonder what's happening…" In the middle of them sat Producer Sean, who was pinching the bridge of his nose in agitation. 

"There's not even a single decent applicant," He sighed deeply, shaking his head as another applicant stumbled over the script. "The emotions they portrayed so far are just too shallow."

"Yeah. We're not even looking for the best. Just someone who can act." 

Despite the application of over a hundred 'actors', they had yet to see anyone bring the robber's character into life. Most applicants were too nervous, fumbling through lines or struggling to convey the depth of desperation that the role demanded.

"It's like they're just reading the words off the page. No one's really feeling the lines. I think none of them understand the pain in the character's story." Lee Suwoon pointed out, leaning against the backrest of his chair. 

Lee Suwoon was a popular director in the industry. He specializes in action and thriller dramas. He had worked with a lot of famous stars and was known to be strict when it comes to his artists. 

Though despite that facade, he was nice and kind. He was just really strict when it came to work. He likes to separate his life from his work.

"I agree, Suwoon," Choi Yejun, the casting director of the studio, replied. 

Yejun scribbled down notes with a frowning face. He was the one in charge to overlook the casting of actors, especially extras like this. 

"There's nothing convincing so far. I can understand if they can't memorize the line fully since we only gave them a spare amount of time. However, I can't forgive that they couldn't even improvise or act. Not even a paragraph." 

"I just hoped that there's at least a single one decent among all of the applicants today. It's a waste of effort and time if there's none." Sean's fingers drummed impatiently on the table.

Time was ticking, and yet they hadn't found a single person who was worthy of the role.

"Applicants 101-110 have arrived, Sir." Producer Sean's assistant informed the three before letting the applicants inside. 

Producer Sean, Suwoon, and Yejun sat up straight Their aura was commanding as each applicant took a seat. 

"Thank you for coming. We don't need any introductions. Just proceed with the acting. Let's start with Number 101," Producer Sean uttered, not wasting any time. They have been doing this for 5 hours already. 

Applicant 101 rose from his chair and stepped forward, his eyes darting nervously between the bigshots. As he stood at the center, the judges' expressions remained unreadable. 

The three had a stoic expression on their faces that felt even more daunting in the silent, tension-filled room. Clearing his throat, Applicant 101 let out a shaky breath and began his lines.

"No… No… you don't understand. D-Do you think I wanted this? Uhm… You- I- you know my daughter would be ashamed to know?" The applicant stumbled, mispronouncing "ashamed" and forgetting the lines.

"No… I had dreams once too. But dreams don't pay, and love doesn't keep you fed. I did what I… I-I had to do" The part required him to channel the despair of a father, a man clinging to his life of crime to feed his only daughter.

However his voice was thin and shaky. It was lacking the bitterness and raw emotion that the panel was looking for.

"So… uhm… if you call that a s-sin… then… then… uhm…" Applicant 101's words came out with no weight and no conviction. It was plain as if he was just reading the lines. 

The panel exchanged disappointed glances. Sean let out a small sigh, tapping his pen rhythmically against the table. 

"He's trying too hard to remember the words instead of becoming the character." Yejun leaned over, whispering to Suwoon.

The applicant finished his monologue, casting a hopeful look toward the panel. But Sean's expression remained unyielding. He simply nodded curtly, signaling the end of Applicant 101's turn.

"I'm really surprised that you applied here. I think it's better for you to go back to grade school since you can't even pronounce some of the words. Also, I thought I was listening to a child with the way you act.," Suwoon said flatly, before dismissing him in a polite way.

"Anyways, thank you for coming. You may go back to your sit." 

"I-I understand S-Sir..." 

As the applicant came back to his seat with tears in his eyes, the panel remained silent for a few seconds before calling the next one. 

The next applicant, number 102, also stumbled over his final lines, his voice wavering. He looked at the producers, but only met with vacant stares. 

"Thank you," Sean said plainly, signaling the staff to escort him back to his seat. No words could describe his frustration right now.

They moved through the next few applicants, each delivering a performance more lackluster than the last. Each time, the three judge's disappointment only deepened.

"Applicant 108," Sean called, but by now his hopes were almost totally gone.

As applicant 108 start, the emotions of his voice were already lacking. Just as Sean expected, his disappointment continued, with applicants barely managing to recite their lines convincingly. 

The two other judges with him were also beginning to lose patience. 

Minjae watched at his seat silently. Each performance he witnessed from his fellow applicants was truly disappointing. By now, he was sure that the three judges were already in a bad mood. 

Yet still, an inch of nervousness didn't visit him. 

"Applicant 109," Producer Sean called, staring at him blankly. 

Finally, it was his turn. 

Minjae stepped forward, standing tall. He was determined to give these directors and producer a glimmer of hope. 

"You may start." 

"Yes, Sir." 

Taking a deep breath, Minjae allowed himself to sink fully into character for a few seconds before starting. 

His small action was immediately noticed by Sean. It was the first time that someone did it. 

Minjae conditioned his mind. 

Right now, he was no longer just Minjae. He was a robber. He was a man shattered by life's cruelties, betrayed and left with nothing but his desperate need to survive.

Then when everything spiralled in his brain, he started his audition.

"You asked me why I'm doing this?" Minjae started, laughing sarcastically out loud. He stared right into the judge's eyes as if he was talking to them.

"Ha! You had the guts to ask me?" A tense silence blanketed the room as Minjae suddenly shouted out loud, his voice laced with a quiet, simmering anger. 

"I had no choice! I have a family! That's all I could do!" 

"Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I dreamed of being a man, I know my daughter would be ashamed to know?" 

Minjae's gaze lowered while his shoulders dropped, as if the pain he spoke of had sunk into his very bones. His voice shook with raw emotion, each word brimming with the ache of a man who had no choice but to cling to survival.

"They took everything — my friends, family, the last bit of hope I had! And you think I'm supposed to just lie down and accept that? No. The laws only favor the rich so I made my own law. This is survival. It's the only thing I have left."'

Minjae took a deep breath, his jaw clenching. He was attempting to cry, for tears to pour out in his eyes right now, but for some reason he was having a hard time doing it. 

Settling on what he could do, his watering eyes reflected a sense of betrayal, so deep that it almost stung the judge's heart. 

"Help me? Where were you when everything fell apart? So just shut up!"

As the line continued, Minjae's words pressed into the air.

The intonation of his voice wasn't perfect, but it could almost be on par with seasoned actors. 

Each word he conveyed was heavy with resentment, rage, betrayal. He wasn't just reciting lines — he was giving life to them, pulling the judges into the robber's mind. 

"I had dreams once too… But dreams don't pay, and love doesn't keep you fed. I did what I had to do…" Minjae's words came out low and measured, each line cutting through the air with the weight of bitterness and loss. 

"And if you call that a sin, then I'll wear it proudly for the world to see." It was the tone of a man who had seen the world at its harshest, yet couldn't do anything.

When Minjae finished reciting the lines, a sudden silence filled the room. He let out a deep sigh and wiped the small tears in his eyes before gazing up to meet the panel's eyes. 

He wasn't satisfied with his overall performance. He knew he could do more, but it was still good. 

Yet, despite Minjae's own thoughts, the producers and directors were frozen in place. Their jaws were wide open, so were their eyes. They couldn't even form a word or let out a reaction from the unexpected performance. 

"What just happened?"