The first script reading had been nothing short of a test.
Though it was a rehearsal with little movement beyond reciting lines, it had felt like the real thing. Now it was over.
“Great work, everyone!”
As PD Jo Juncheol officially brought the session to a close, the intense concentration in the room finally relaxed.
‘Thankfully, I think I passed.’
From the moment he first entered the auditorium, and at intervals throughout the rehearsal…
Whenever Rowoon’s turn came, gazes filled with all sorts of emotions had openly converged on him. Before long, those looks had turned favorable.
The most dramatic change of all had come from Seo Wooju, the lead actor in Hwansebiwonrok.
-I hear Seo Wooju’s in that.
Seo Wooju held the title of “triple ten-million” actor, meaning he had starred in three films that each drew ten million moviegoers.
When the news broke that Seo Wooju had been cast as the lead in Hwansebiwonrok, Kang Chaheon had somehow gotten wind of it and called Rowoon for the first time in a while.
-When you get there, don’t worry about anything else. Just keep an eye on Seo Wooju.
-Sorry? Seo Wooju?
-Yeah. He’s a real purist when it comes to acting. He doesn’t care about anything else. As long as you can act, he couldn’t care less about rumors or whatever. On the other hand, if you can’t act, he’ll tear into you no matter how famous you are.
Rowoon had wondered what Kang Chaheon wanted to talk about.
Instead, he was being given a stream of information he hadn’t even asked for.
This was Seo Wooju, an actor with three ten-million-admission films to his name.
That meant he must have an excellent eye for projects, as well as the skill and ability to bring them to life.
Rowoon could more or less have guessed that someone with such an impressive career would take considerable pride in it.
‘But he judges people on nothing but their acting?’
That was something he hadn’t expected.
Without Kang Chaheon, he would never have known.
‘I mean, I’m grateful, but why so suddenly?’
When he asked, puzzled, the answer was equally unexpected.
-If Seo Wooju’s reaction is good, you don’t need to worry about anything after that. With your skills, you should be fine even by his standards. But sometimes you seem to go looking for things to worry about, like a kid with a guilty conscience. It’s pointless, so I’m telling you to stop. Get some more sleep instead of wasting time on useless worries.
The words were brusque, but they sounded as though Kang Chaheon had been concerned about him.
-I’m just asking, but… are you actually worried about me?
He could hardly believe it. When he asked, a short scoff came from the other end of the line.
And then…
-Click!
‘…?’
The call ended as abruptly as it had begun.
Normally, he would have wondered what that was about. But not this time.
‘To think Kang Chaheon, of all people, would do something so thoughtful!’
No matter how he looked at it, Kang Chaheon had clearly called out of concern for him.
Such a thoughtful gesture!
Apparently, all the time they had spent together hadn’t been for nothing.
Rowoon sent a message thanking him, but received no reply.
In any case, this was the testimony of Kang Chaheon, who had worked with Seo Wooju on several projects.
Perhaps that was why.
Of all the cold, disapproving looks that flew toward Rowoon the moment he entered the auditorium, Seo Wooju’s stood out the most. Yet Rowoon still felt somewhat reassured.
‘Well, all I have to do is properly show them what I’ve practiced.’
And sure enough, just as Kang Chaheon had said, by the time the script reading ended…
Rowoon had expected it to some extent, having watched his Karma score decrease in real time.
But Seo Wooju was the one whose attitude had become the most noticeably friendly.
“Aren’t you thirsty?”
“Sorry?”
“You had a lot of lines. Your throat must be dry. You’ll have plenty more lines to deliver, too, so you should start taking care of your voice now.”
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Seo.”
Before they began, Seo Wooju hadn’t so much as properly looked his way after the initial moments, let alone made personal conversation. Now he was offering Rowoon a spare bottle of water.
“We’re going to keep working together on this project. You’re not going to address me that formally every time, are you? Just keep it simple.”
Rowoon wasn’t the only person surprised by this unexpected conversation.
Silent amazement spread among the actors who had been discreetly watching them.
“Then what should I…?”
“Call me sunbae. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other, and all that formality makes me uncomfortable, too.”
“Yes, sunbae.”
Rowoon smiled shyly and bowed his head. Seo Wooju waved it off.
“It’s fine. No need to bow over something like that.”
That was the moment Kang Chaheon’s claim was proven true: Seo Wooju was endlessly generous toward people who could act.
Perhaps thanks to that, the warm mood left by their smooth, flawlessly concluded first rehearsal became even friendlier.
It was nothing like the atmosphere when Rowoon first entered.
Just then, PD Jo Juncheol, who had been speaking with reporters there to photograph the event, came looking for Seo Wooju.
“Wooju. Do you have a moment for an interview? A Magazine wants to get a few quick comments.”
“Yes, I’ll go. But, PD Jo, what exactly were you worried about?”
“H-huh? Where’s that coming from?”
Jo Juncheol, who had approached with a smile, faltered.
“You told me, remember? That so many people were looking forward to this project that you felt under pressure, and you thought it wouldn’t be easy to improve the quality.”
“Ha, hahaha! Did I say that? I’ve been so busy lately, I can’t quite remember…?”
[Lie]
Right on cue, “Lie” appeared above PD Jo Juncheol’s head.
After trying to gloss over it with an awkward laugh, PD Jo Juncheol glanced at Rowoon to gauge his reaction, then hurried Seo Wooju along.
“Oh dear, we’re keeping the reporter waiting. Let’s go get this done!”
A smile tugged at Rowoon’s lips as he watched Jo Juncheol rush away.
If Rowoon had delivered a lackluster performance, Jo Juncheol would have seized the opportunity to criticize him instead of fleeing like that.
And that criticism would surely have extended beyond Rowoon to Lee Jeonghye.
She was the one who had cast him in this drama, after all.
But because he had delivered a performance good enough to earn the approval of an acting obsessive like Seo Wooju, Jo Juncheol was the one scrambling to get away.
‘It’s strange, though. Ms. Lee should be his benefactor. So why is everything he says about her riddled with lies?’
Jo Juncheol wasn’t pleased to have Lee Jeonghye around.
That was the conclusion Rowoon had reached after going back over their first conversation.
What was more, for reasons he couldn’t fathom, PD Jo Juncheol wanted Rowoon to be a terrible actor, even if it meant risking the very project he was directing.
That wish had come to nothing, though. Rowoon’s performance had been enough to dispel all those disapproving looks in one fell swoop.
‘What on earth is the reason?’
He didn’t know why, but there was only one thing Rowoon could do in this situation.
Deliver a performance no one could find fault with.
Just as he had today.
If he kept doing that, PD Jo Juncheol’s intentions would eventually become clear on their own.
‘Impatient people are bound to make mistakes.’
Rowoon decided to wait for that moment.
He didn’t have Iho’s ability to see the future.
But for some reason, he had an inexplicable feeling that the moment wasn’t far off.
* * *
The script reading was over, but the gathering wasn’t.
“We’ve arranged a meal afterward so everyone can get together and celebrate~!”
That was what the assistant director had announced after Jo Juncheol disappeared with Seo Wooju.
Apart from Lee Jeonghye, who couldn’t attend because of her writing schedule, nearly all the cast joined the gathering.
They would be sharing the ups and downs of the next few months and constantly seeing one another on set. Getting acquainted beforehand certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Perhaps because they had successfully completed their first official event without a hitch, the meal unfolded in a warmer, more relaxed atmosphere than the script reading.
“I got a definite feeling today. There’s no way this project won’t be a huge hit.”
The speaker was actor Park Chungseon, who played Ssaribi, one of the two goblins commanded by Haemuk, the protagonist Seol Huiyeon’s ally.
He looked to be in an excellent mood, and understandably so. Anyone who had seen the quality of the script would have felt confident.
The original work already guaranteed an audience, and the person who had written this exceptional adaptation was the original author herself. It was a combination that couldn’t fail.
On top of that, the first rehearsal had wrapped up smoothly, and even the reporters at the venue had responded very favorably.
Any actor appearing in Hwansebiwonrok would have been delighted by the situation.
“Oh, come on. I knew the moment I read the script. As soon as I got it, I said, ‘Oh, thank you very much,’ and signed right away.”
“I’ve always been a fan of the original. There are so many fans looking forward to this right now.”
“Still, it’s rare for everything to click so perfectly at the very first rehearsal.”
“Whew. My heart started racing every time a casting announcement came out. I kept wondering whether I could hold my own alongside actors like those.”
“What are you talking about? Everyone here is an actor of that caliber!”
Perhaps thanks to the thoroughly warm atmosphere, encouraging words and compliments flowed freely.
Then…
“Speaking of which, I was worried at first when I heard the author had gotten an actor added to the cast.”
Someone abruptly raised the subject, and the lively conversation quieted in an instant.
No name had been mentioned, but everyone there knew exactly who the remark was aimed at.
“But I guess I worried for nothing. Just look at how great the atmosphere was. I was expecting Wooju to tear into someone, but what do you know?”
Rowoon felt everyone’s eyes swing toward him, but calmly took a sip of the drink in his hand.
After sneaking glances at his reaction, people began nodding and adding their own comments.
“It was the original author who cast him, after all. Honestly, I’d been wondering who would play that role, but he looked as if he’d stepped right out of the novel.”
“Exactly. The character’s emotions don’t fluctuate much, so I thought he might end up sticking out awkwardly on his own. Turns out there was nothing to worry about.”
“Considering the original, it’s a role a young actor has to play, but I wasn’t sure anyone could pull it off. The author clearly had a reason for bringing him in.”
These were the same people who, before the script reading, had considered Rowoon the one flaw in an otherwise perfect picture.
It might have been different if it were a bit part.
But although Haemuk wasn’t the lead, he appeared in almost as many scenes as the protagonist.
He was the protagonist Seol Huiyeon’s ally, appearing like a deus ex machina whenever Seol Huiyeon was out of his depth and resolving the situation.
Though Haemuk wasn’t the lead, he was a role with frequent appearances and considerable impact.
‘Basically, it’s a role that falls apart in the hands of a weak actor.’
Haemuk needed to make an impact every time he appeared. If the actor’s skills weren’t up to the task, the result would inevitably be bland and forgettable.
If the drama’s overall tension and flow became loose and unfocused, its entertainment value would suffer as well.
“As long as he can act, that’s all that matters. Why does it matter how he got the part?”
Seo Wooju, who was sitting across from Rowoon and helping himself to the side dishes, joined in.
“Exactly! Wooju knows what he’s talking about. An actor just needs to act well.”
Thanks to that, the briefly frozen atmosphere was just about to grow friendly again.
“You don’t seem to realize this, but these days, being good at acting isn’t everything.”
A sullen voice threw cold water on the mood.
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