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Episode 5
Actress Sung Hye-sim only left after she got my number.
My aunt, who had been exclaiming in amazement, finally managed to form a proper sentence.
“When did you learn all this? Did your dad send you to an acting academy or something?”
“I didn’t go to an academy… I just taught myself.”
“Oh my, you’re lying! Who are you trying to fool!”
I turned my body to face my aunt, opening my eyes in a plea to believe me.
In my past life, I hadn’t seriously studied acting during this period, but anyway.
Since I still had the skills I’d honed through self-study until I was twenty-five, it wasn’t a lie.
“It’s true! I analyzed stuff on YouTube, reinterpreting as I watched…”
“…”
At my answer, Actress Sung Hye-sim covered her mouth. Her eyes, which had been shining all along, now seemed to spark with fiery flames.
It was a look reminiscent of a professor eyeing an undergraduate they wanted to take under their wing.
“No wonder there’s no trace of academy-style rigidity. Did you polish your vocal delivery by yourself too? And you memorize scripts quickly. That’s in the realm of talent.”
“Haha…”
“Miss Sae-i, let me be direct. How about me?”
Wait, was this a blind date setup?
“I’m taken with you, Miss Sae-i. If you’re thinking of pursuing acting, I’d like to teach you.”
Teach me? That Sung Hye-sim? Me?
“I don’t intend to force-feed you cliches or mold you my way. I just want to brush off a few grains of sand stuck to a gold nugget.”
I clenched my fists tightly.
Once again, following my past life, I had earned Sung Hye-sim’s recognition and even received an offer for coaching.
‘Is there anything to think about?’
That Sung Hye-sim would become my teacher. This is an opportunity I can’t pass up even if I have to beg for it.
“I’d love that!”
My cheeks flushed hot with a sense of accomplishment. Placing my hands on my warmed cheeks, I answered excitedly.
“Then, Miss Sae-i. That ad-lib you threw earlier, do you think you could develop it further?”
“Ah, yes! In what way…?”
“If the main emotion was pity, then you substitute a new emotion in its place.”
What kind of talk is this? Like asking for coffee flavor without the coffee in an iced American.
Maybe because I’d never been formally taught acting by someone else, it was hard to understand.
“Since Do-hoon is sick of his mother, maybe he readily suggested having dinner later in a moment of relief, like ‘Now I can escape!'”
“Ah!”
“Did you understand?”
Hearing more of the explanation, I started to get a feel for it.
So it means to add more emotions and adjust their ratios. Adding something like a sense of liberation to the existing base of pity…
I nodded my head vigorously.
“Okay. Then show me next time we meet.”
“Uh, well… I can show you now, actually.”
I think I can do it?
In my head, Do-hoon’s final image was being revised in real-time. It had become so concrete that I wanted to show it to her quickly.
Actress Sung Hye-sim’s eyes widened. I could see the corner of her mouth twitching.
“No. Next time.”
What? I thought she’d ask to see it.
“I want to save it. I’m having a hard time holding back right now.”
Finishing her sentence, the actress started packing up as if she needed to leave quickly before her patience ran out.
“Ah, right.”
She handed me the Your Blue Name script binder she had left on the table.
‘Why this?’
Did my bewilderment show? Actress Sung Hye-sim added,
“Keep the script. I’ll arrange a casting audition for this project for you soon.”
Huh? An audition this immediately? And for a KDS drama at that?
“Of course, you’ll have to satisfy that side too, Miss Sae, but that doesn’t seem like it’ll be a problem.”
Not giving me a chance to ask anything more, the actress left her seat. It seemed her manager was waiting outside.
The Hae-man Atrium had fallen quiet, as if a storm had swept through and passed.
“Um, Aunt. By the way, why did you want to talk…?”
Observing the mood, I casually asked the reason she had called me here.
Although I had promptly made an appointment after receiving the contact, my aunt wasn’t the type to call me just for a casual chat without reason.
‘She must want something from me.’
However, my aunt’s answer was,
“Our Chairman is curious about why you went to the Dongwoo Foundation.”
It completely missed my expectations.
‘Our Chairman?’
If it’s my aunt’s Chairman, it would be Chairman Joo, my grandfather. He was curious about me?
Wait, he knows I visited the Dongwoo Foundation?
“I’ve been realizing since earlier, your thoughts are all over your face. Just now, you were wondering how the Chairman could know, right?”
“Gasp.”
“Hey, what! Your reactions are cute? You’re so different from your mom!”
Whatever was so funny, my aunt burst out laughing heartily. Her clear, ringing voice resonated loudly in my ears.
“I reported it to Father. The daughter of the sister who carries the Joo surname was turned away at the door by Oppa’s secretary? That’s something that shouldn’t happen.”
“Ah…”
“So what were you looking for so frantically at the Dongwoo Foundation? I’m curious about this too, actually.”
Now we were finally getting to the main point I had been waiting for.
I had planned to answer honestly if my aunt brought up this topic and ask her to take me to the dinner party.
I told her I was trying to find a script to show to Grandfather.
I didn’t mention how meaningful that script would be to Chairman Joo. If she asked how I knew that, I’d be in trouble.
“Well, our Chairman does rather like that sort of thing. And seeing you earlier, your skills don’t seem to be a problem either.”
“Then…”
“Clear your entire schedule for that day. I have to take you shopping.”
Success!
‘Sung Hye-sim, the dinner party…’
This efficiency is insane!
I inwardly cheered. A hum escaped my lips.
My aunt looked at me with an intrigued expression, then took a check from her wallet and handed it to me.
“Father said you must be lonely at your age, but my opinion is different. It’s the age when you’re desperately short on money, isn’t it, kids?”
What? Am I allowed to take this?
“Take this. Let’s call it payment for the good acting I saw.”
My aunt, forcing the check into my grasp so I couldn’t refuse, laughed robustly.
The SUV carrying Sung Hye-sim left the VIP-only parking lot of the atrium.
After tapping her phone a couple of times, Hye-sim pressed the screen to her cheek. The dial tone rang.
“Actor Sung~ Did you meet Hae-eum Ms. Jeong-hee well? So, did she help pick a script with her discerning eye?”
It was CEO Song of the management company Sung Hye-sim was affiliated with.
“Yes, Oppa. I had an unexpected harvest too.”
“Harvest?”
“First, tell them I’m joining ‘Your Blue Name.’“
From the other end of the receiver, the sound of CEO Song clapping like a seal could be heard.
“You, you! You were making such a fuss about quitting acting! Finally! You’ve overcome it! No, are you okay? Really?”
“Of course I am. Enough that I want to act right now.”
Hye-sim, repositioning the phone, smiled meaningfully. Soon, she brought up the main point.
“If possible, I’d like to set one condition for joining.”
“Of course! What can I do for you?”
“Tell them I want an actor I recommend to audition for my daughter’s role.”
“Okay, no, I mean… Hye-sim-ah? If it’s your daughter… I mean…”
CEO Song seemed flustered, stammering.
“For the female lead, of course.”
Hye-sim was determined to push Joo Sae as the female lead of ‘Your Blue Name.’
The day of the dinner party.
Early in the morning ,Joo Jung-hee came to pick up Sae-i with her driver.
Sae-i’s father, Han Jun-ho, exchanged stiff greetings with his sister-in-law, whom he hadn’t seen in years. Since Sae-i had explained the situation beforehand, he didn’t faint from shock.
At the shop, Joo Jung-hee had Sae-i try on clothes she had selected from a catalog.
‘I thought it would be weird, but it’s surprisingly nice.’
The moment she saw herself in the mirror, Sae-i acknowledged her aunt’s taste. She wasn’t the top business in the department store, fashion, and art sectors for nothing.
Thus, armed in both appearance and spirit, they passed through the main gate with security and headed into the inner courtyard of Jaedamjae.
‘Why is she here…!’
Jusudeok recognized Sae-i as she entered the garden. His and his daughter Jusudeok’s faces visibly wavered.
While Joo Jeong-hee exchanged greetings with acquaintances, Sae-i moved away from her aunt’s side.
I only came to the party to meet Grandfather; I had no intention of drawing attention from the other business members here.
Sae-i stepped onto the wooden deck to avoid the eyes of others.
‘Everyone has a partner.’
Hiding behind a pillar, she felt an inexplicably bitter mood. In the midst of everyone laughing and having fun, the feeling of having come here while contemplating how not to die was desolate.
Sae-i let out a deep sigh. Just as she was about to silently wait for Chairman Joo’s entrance…
“…Hey.”
A low, irritable voice echoed above Sae-i’s head.
That’s strange. I made sure no one was around here…
“Who are you.”
At the second call, Sae-i flinched. Thinking it might be for me after all, I turned around. There stood…
“I said, what are you doing here.”
…a figure whose shadow completely engulfed Sae-i, with black hair. Slightly upturned eyes and clean-cut lips. Pupils so dark their depth was unimaginable.
‘Huh?’
Joo Sae-i recognized the man before her immediately.
“When someone asks a question.”
Ryu Do-kyung, grandson of the Seohae Group’s Chairman Ryu.
“You should answer, politely.”
He was the man Ju Su-deok had in mind as a son-in-law, and,
“Isn’t that right, Jusai?”
…Sae-i’s childhood crush.
