thank you to everybody for your auditions! in fact, some of yours were so interesting that they inspired extra roles ! thus the number of lead roles was changed from 4 to 6 ! since we now have 6 lead roles, we’ve also added 4 more supporting roles! next week schedule and episode details will be released ! thank you for the wait !
the audition room looks a lot like how jaewoo imagined it would look. there's that token long table on one side of the room, with an intimidating set of very important-looking people sitting behind it. a couple of staff members linger here and there, flipping some pages of a document, escorting nervous auditionees in and out the door. it makes jaewoo smile, because this set-up looks exactly like it does in the movies, and he giddily feels like he's in one.
it's still unreal to him, that he's attending his first audition today. he still remembers the exact moment he'd heard about it (quick lunch of instant ramen at a convenience store) and how he reacted (gasped so dramatically that poorly-mixed extra spicy soup shot down his throat like fire ants). he started preparing for it the very next day; running lines with friends, working on his improv, listening to the same playlist of k-drama soundtracks for inspiration over and over again until he could pretty much hear the quirky tinkling of bells every time he walks up to the entrance of his school.
he doesn't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing to admit that this is probably the most he's ever worked for something in his life. because to others, it may just be an audition, but to jaewoo, it means so much. this is his start line, his step one.
but he's also been preparing for the very real, very big chance that all his effort would come down to nothing. one of the acting mentors in the agency had told him as much. he's just a trainee, after all, with virtually no repute to his name. there are plenty of other actors with more traction and experience. he understands.
but on the bright side, knowing the odds are probably against him actually kicked his courage up a notch. even if it's just his first audition, he's already trying for a LEAD ROLE. nothing to lose, right? and besides, there's that saying, one he remembers from an old yearbook in his school. "shoot for the moon," someone named min jieun says, although jaewoo's sure min jieun's just quoting somebody else, "even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." it's a nice way to put it. as he's ushered back into the audition room after being given fifteen minutes to come up with a character, he reminds himself, i'm shooting for the moon today. gives him that much-needed boost of confidence. he breathes in controlled ones and twos. one, two. inhale, exhale.
the only thing on his mind by the time he's sitting down beside jun is the character he's going with for this scenario. he decided to play one of sehun's friends who isn't there for him. might be risky, but then again, he's shooting for the moon.
"i'm tired." junㅡno, sehun says.
jaewoo's first thought is to ask why, but that's not what his character would do. he'd probably try to make the conversation about himself. so he does.
"dude, tell me about it. i stayed up all night trying to crack that math homework." he groans, but it's lighthearted. he imagines his character would be someone fun, likableㅡat least on the surface. so people wouldn't suspect of what hid underneath. "you know what though? i ended up just copying from min jieun anyway." he jokingly tuts, shaking his head. "next time, i'm just gonna straight-up cheat."
that manages to elicit a laugh from sehun. but it's stretched thin, like sehun himself probably is.
once the laugh fades, jaewoo figures it's time to start revealing what makes his character tick. "so, you talk to your mom about the cram school yet? cause she's the only chance i have at getting a slot there." he tries to sound nonchalant, but there’s a subtle nervousness that simmer underneath. this is one of the cracks in that lighthearted mask of his. "my parents tried to get me in, but they'reㅡ" he swallows thickly, "they don't have the connections. i know your mom does, though. so maybe she can pull some strings?"
sehun's mouth opens, closes. he's visibly troubled. "iㅡi haven't talked to her yet." he looks away. "we're not really on good terms right now."
with sincerity shallower than a puddle of rain on concrete, jaewoo says, "aw, that sucks." families fight all the time, but his problem is more important. "i get it, man, i do. but i really really need that slot.” the mask cracks again. “my dad's gonna kill me if i don't get into yonsei, and you know i'm too stupid to make it into yonsei on my own.” his tone’s flippant, but the worry in his eyes betray him. “i need that cram school, man. i need all the help i can get.”
sehun seems conflicted, toe-ing an invisible line that makes jaewoo’s worry grow, and it shows in the way jaewoo grips his own thighs, shoulders taut and tense. “dude, please. just,” jaewoo exhales, thinking. and then he figures out what he has to say next. “whatever this thing is with your mom, just get over it for a second.”
sehun whips his head to stare at jaewoo. he looks so betrayed jaewoo almost feels bad, both in character and as himself. but the expression is gone just as quick as it came, because sehun is that type of character, and jun is a damn good actor.
before sehun can get a word in, jaewoo speaks again, that something boiling underneath his mask seeping its way through the cracks. “i’m not as smart as you, man. i need this. it’s yonsei or nothing for me. my dadㅡheㅡhe’s gonna kick me out or something. i swear.” there’s a sharp intake of breath. jaewoo’s beginning to stumble over his words, just as himself, because his mind’s running too fast and his mouth can’t keep up. but he can’t panic now, so he pretends it’s his character’s reaction. desperate. trying to convince sehun of how much this slot means to him.
“you know what my dad did to my older brother, right?” jaewoo continues, rattled, “he disowned hyung for wanting to paint some abstract shapes, or whatever it is he’s doing now. and my dad thinks he can just pass on hyung’s doctor dreams to me.” jaewoo scoffs, and there’s that ghost of a smile, but it’s filled with disdain. “i don’t even want to become a doctor. you know how squeamish i am, right? but i don’t have a choice.”
he meets sehun’s gaze, purposefully says “you know what that’s like, don’t you?”
the amount of emotions jun conveys as sehun at that moment almost throws jaewoo out of character, because how does he do that?
sehun nods, solemn. “i do. i’m sorry, iㅡi should’ve been more understanding.”
jaewoo’s shoulders relax by a sliver. he’s calmer when he talks again, like he’s genuinely tired and all the fight in him’s been drained out. “if i don’t get into yonsei, if i don’t become a doctor, i’m practically dead to my family, you know? it feels like that’s the only reason they keep me around.”
sehun bites his lip.
maybe in another life (or show?), they could’ve been good friends. ones that truly cared for each other. but jaewoo’s character is too busy clawing his way to the finish line to worry about anybody else. it’s not that he doesn’t want to be there for sehun. it’s just that if he doesn’t put himself first, he’ll sink. (that, and he’s pretty egocentric, but hey, survival’s more heart-rending a reason than vanity.)
“okay,” sehun begins, talks like it’s coming from somewhere deep inside him. “i’ll talk to mom when i get home. sorry that i didn’t do it sooner. i’ll make sure she gets that slot for you.”
jaewoo’s mouth falls open, and he laughs weakly, relieved. “thanks, man,” he says, sincerity a little less shallow this time. he shakes his hands like he’s drying them of invisible water droplets, trying to dispel the tension and sadness he’s let slip. little by little, he rebuilds the mask. because this is who he is.
he clears his throat as sehun puts a comforting hand to his shoulder.
this would probably be a good endingㅡthis has gone on long enoughㅡbut jaewoo’s eyes flicker as he comes up with one final thing. in a hurry, before the casting directors could end it, jaewoo pretends to notice that he’s at his stop. “this is me,” he says, to the room at large, “i’m going to saint maria. to visit heejin.”
jun is understandably surprised, but thankfully decides to play along (jaewoo might join his fancafe after this).
“heejin?” sehun asks, unsure.
jaewoo nods. “yeah. that girl i like that i’ve been talking about? that’s heejin.”
“oh.” sehun says. “are you dating?”
“no,” jaewoo grins, winks, “but i’m working on it.”
“yeah, alright.” jun pretends to sneak a look at the bus driver. “you better go, though. ahjussi’s going to close the doors on you.”
jaewoo panics, waves goodbye. runs towards the front of the bus.
did everyone who applied for the casting audition get a part? o: that’s so exciting!
yes, indeed! we thought this would be a good way for everyone who applied to gain some acting experience for future projects, but since it’s also a school drama, it seemed appropriate to include a lot of characters. it will not always be the case with other dramas, but do enjoy this one!
there's starting to be a lot on his plate but when he hears about the webdrama, king wants to be part of it somehow. though he knows very well that he has no free time as it is and it will remain this way for several weeks, he can't pass that opportunity. the acting route isn't one he ever expected to take and he still thinks it isn't for him, but during the course of his career he will be asked to do many things, some of which could involve acting whether it's from commercials, or in the current situation, a musical. he can't pass up an occasion to improve his skills, plus it should be fun to act alongside so many legacy artists and trainees. he's not in a place yet where he can easily turn down schedules knowing something better is ahead. none of them are well established and none of them can get complacent.
he's shown that he's dilligent through his type zero training, and he is not neglecting project origin either. in fact, he hasn't had a full night of sleep in weeks and it's far from over. all he does is work, eat and sleep, often sacrificing the last two in order to keep working even more. if he's meant to come crashing down, he wants to do everything he can in the meantime, and cram school is one of those things.
unlike his project origin character where he's supposed to have thought long and hard about his idea, cram school audition is the exact opposite. if it's meant to test them, king will gladly take on the challenge as he does everything else, and he finds it much better than following a script. he can build a character according to what he thinks he could portray well and not try to adapt to something the writer had in mind... it can be both a good and bad thing but in this case he thinks he can bring something different to the table.
he greets the male actor before they start. they couldn't look more different beside their heights. king is more broad, with tan skin and big, round eyes while jun has the typical visuals praised by netizens. he's lean, with milky skin and he looks reliable. at first glance, one would definitely think that king is the handsome troublemaker, and that jun is the responsible top student. their roles write themselves, and king intends to play this card. his character is from a rival school, a rich student from hong kong who asserts his power over others and hates being defied no matter what. he hates jung sehun, of course, because that's what typical rivals do. their background would remain unclear since king would likely only appear for a short time, but he wants to make it clear that there's history behind them, and not a good one.
"i'm tired," jung sehun says. of course, king can't help himself from butting in and offer unsollicitated insults. "you're such a whiny little shit," he says with a scoff. he's decided his character would not shy away from swearing, even at school. because he thinks he can do whatever he wants. a blast from the past, it seems. "i wasn't even speaking to you," sehun replies, rolling his eyes. king is mildly impressed by how quickly the actor adapts to the different scenarios thrown at him. "then maybe you should keep your mouth shut. everyone can hear you. why are you here anyway? your chauffeur forgot to pick you up or something?" sehun looks away and sighs, seemingly tired of king's immature attacks. "i could ask you the same thing, you know. you used to say only lowly people take the bus. anyway, can you leave me alone now? i really don't feel like fighting with you."
so he took that route, king thinks. hinting to the fact that they could have once been friends, and that something happened that had them drifting apart. if he thinks in character, it probably had something to do with king's character feeling betrayed and taking it out on him all this time. all for a misunderstanding, and sehun too proud to say anything until it was simply too late to fix it. "what, you think i want to be here right now?" king says, willingly ignoring the second half of sehun's statement. "it's just that i-... pft. it's none of your business, jung sehun." he crosses his arms, suddenly on his guard. no, his character wouldn't let sehun read him so easily. he wouldn't want to show any sign of weakness. "it's not like we're friends anymore," he continues, adding to what sehun implied earlier.
"you're right. we aren't friends anymore. so why are you sitting with me? don't you have friends of your own, or classmates to bully? i just said i'm not in the mood. please just go." that's more than what king's character can take. he grabs sehun by the collar of his uniform, leaning over threateningly. sehun does not react however, remaining calm as usual. "don't act all high and mighty with me, jung sehun. i know who you really are. a fucking hypocrite, that's what. you think you're so great, don't you? everyone loves you, don't they? so keep wearing that pretty smile on your face" king says with a sarcastic pout across his lips, patting his cheek as he would a child. "for as long as it lasts, because i'm done watching you steal everything from me." sehun finally pushes him away, looking unaffected by the whole ordeal. “not everyone is out to get you, you know,” sehun says before leaving king's character to be frustrated all on his own.
𝐈𝐌 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐈 meets cram school auditions, 051620 !
↪ improvising a scene for a role as lead character 👑
she’s got this. unlike the singing auditions a few weeks back, she’s far more comfortable. the world of acting is truly her space, and it is a hobby that fills nari with comfort rather than fear or nerves. following her transition into legacy agency, she’d been tasked with auditioning for either a lead or supporting character for the new drama. enthusiastically, she’d agreed, confident that she would have done so without being prompted. it had taken her a little self-encouragement, but after thinking it over, she’s decided to strive for a lead role in the drama. either go big or go home, right ? and nari, like how she lives most her life, is going big.
( wc: 1,016 )
the idea of a improvised audition is a different one, yet an exciting challenge to the female. she spent the fifteen minutes she’s granted creating an inventive character that she felt would work for the show, in her own world as she rehearses potential ideas alone. sure, improvisation always came with some nerves, but she figures she’ll try the best she can and hope her acting experience can take her far.
she’s chosen kim yoojung to accompany her for this scene, and a warm smile settles on her face as she sits in the chair. just focus and you’ve got this, nari. you’ve got this. when the prompt is given, her smile brightens, raising her eyes as if just acknowledging the girl’s presence. “ ah, had a long day ? come on over, you can rest on my shoulder ! don’t be shy. ” mirroring the same hospitality she’s seen her mother give to people around town, she takes the sweater she’s wearing off and lays it over the other’s lap, before pausing for a moment of thoughtful silence.
“ ah ... you’ve got a reason to be tired, though, don’t you ? you really stand out from the rest of us, the way you just ... work for what you want, hm ? you’re different. i’m inspired, heejin, really. ” she makes her eyes light up, mimicking admiration, as she pats the other on her shoulder. this was a piece of cake for nari, as she’s really just being ... herself. the friendly energy she gave the character was similar to her own, and allows her to feel comfortable as she performs.
but nari wants a challenge.
“ except ... there’s a bit more to the story, isn’t there ? ” suddenly, her voice is a little more malicious, though it doesn’t lose it’s light tone. “ you see, i’ve got eyes everywhere. and from what other’s say, you’re not as composed as you think. i mean - really ? tantrums, at your age ? ” shaking her head, she gives a dry chuckle, as if she’s looking down on the other. “ even i’m mature enough to know that’s not how to behave. ” her voice finally gets it’s first real shift, as her words become a sudden attack on the female next to her. for the first time, she turns to look directly at her, eyes narrowing into an expression of malice.
this is what she wants to display - a dynamic character, capable of changing the viewer’s perception of her. they were her favorite to watch, as they were the ones who had her gasping and throwing her popcorn in surprise. she wants to be someone who would throw unexpected plot twists in the reader's face, a ... villain, of sorts ? it’s so unlike her, and that’s why she wants it so bad. that’s what acting is, right ? nari wants to show that she is far more than a pretty face, and that her skills alone can take her far.
so as she performs, she tries her absolute hardest to become her character, to disregard any formalities and push forward as the deceptive character she hopes to play. “ you know, heejung ... you seem to think you’re a lot better, don’t you think ? i mean, you’re the only daughter - youngest at that - and you can have anything your heart desires. a tough life, hm ? ” mockingly, she smiles, and though it’s just as wide as the last time it’s far more tight and restrained.
then, she turns away again, acting as if she’s looking out the window. “ you know, i’ve never had a problem with you. really ! i haven’t. ” nari’s voice is sincere, and now that she’s out of the view of the other she allows her character a moment of vulnerability as her eyes glaze over, softened with slight jealousy. “ do you want to know why i do now ? ” after a moment, she faces the female again, though her tone suggests the question is rhetorical. “ because you seem to think you’re so different. that you’re somehow stronger, better than the rest of us rich kids. is that it ? because really, heejin ... you’re just like the rest of us. spoiled. ” her last words are bitter, using the background knowledge she’d been given to hit what she felt would be a soft spot. nari figures there’s characters on the other side of things against heejin, so why not have an enemy in the same situation as her, as well ?
“ - so don’t tell me you’re tired, heejin. because you haven’t done a single thing in your life to be tired over. ” suddenly, she looks up, as if hearing an announcement of sorts. “ do you really think you have the right ? none of us do. ” she wants to seem to be aware of her own ignorance, yet accepting of it, in a way. curtly, she snatches the sweater she’d so carefully placed on the actor’s lap away, the real nari inside her apologizing in advance for the rude action. standing to her feet as if she’d arrived at her stop, she pantomimes gathering her things, before turning to face the other one final time.
“ you don’t, either. you can sleep when you’re dead. ”
acting was always something he was somewhat interested in. whether it be because he was intrigued by the thought of getting to be someone else for a while—not that he disliked who he was or anything—or maybe it was because his cousin had been a child actor and that had always been somewhat of a Topic in the lee family. but whatever it is, he’s very interested in the audition for the new webdrama.
when he arrives for the audition, he’s already prepared to be the character he had come up, no matter what was being thrown at him. he’s planning to audition for a supporting role, just to test the waters a little bit. he had thought about acting a lot recently, but mostly because of the casting call for this webdrama—jiho wanted to take every chance possible to learn, and he definitely thinks that he could learn a thing or two by featuring in a drama. it would probably help his cf takes seem more realistic too, though he’s been working on his expressions in the mirror more and more.
he’s even somewhat dressed for the audition, wanting to look like he could pass for a high school student so he was wearing a dress shirt with a cardigan over it, his glasses on his nose.
once he’s taken his spot next to jun, he takes a deep breath and gets into the mind of his character. the character he had come up with was a friend of sehun’s, that he had named minhyuk in his brain. he was no longer lee jiho, but kim minhyuk instead.
“i’m tired.”
he glances up from the ‘book’ he had been ‘holding’, scoffing quietly before hiding that with a cough, his gaze turning back to the ‘book’ in his hands. “you’re tired? tell me about it. we have like five tests today,” he adds after a moment, rolling his eyes visibly even with his head slightly tilted down.
“my dad’s nagging me again.”
jiho just nods slowly, taking in the words and thinking for a moment of what to say, opening his mouth and closing it, pursing his lips in thought. “have you talked to him about it? tell him to stop, or something. i’m sure he’ll listen to you, you’re literally jung sehun, who doesn’t listen to you?” he shoots back, fully expecting the scoff that he receives from the other male.
“it’s not that easy, you know.”
“but why not? aren’t you literally guaranteed a job once you’re done university? you don’t even need to work that hard to get far—i’m sure your dad will listen if you tell him you can’t get 100 on all the tests today because you were cramming for a different one,” he snorts, waving off the other’s worries. out of character, jiho knows he’s being an asshole but the brief was that none of sehun’s friends were supportive of him and he was supposed to be one of his friends. “the rest of us actually have to get interviewed for jobs, you know. we don’t have everything lined up for us like you do. must be nice to have everything handed to you on a golden plate, huh, golden boy?”
he ‘glances out the window’ and ‘closes his book’ before he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, where they had been sliding down. “anyways, we’re here,” he adds, as if the bus had arrived at school now. “see you at lunch?”
he stands up, breaking character and thanking jun and the staff for the opportunity, just hoping that he had left a good enough impression that even if he didn’t get the part, that they might consider him for other parts someday. hopefully someday soon.
jaesun wonders if auditioning for a role in ‘cram school’ is a good idea, but if there’s one thing that jaesun never does, it is pass up an opportunity. in his almost six years at legacy, not once has he said no to a chance given to the trainees, whether or not he thinks he has a chance at it or not. his mindset has always been ‘what’s the worst they can say? no?’
it’s how he finds himself here today, auditioning for a SUPPORTING ROLE for the drama. heck, he would have gone for the lead role if he hadn’t been told that he couldn’t ( even if it was unlikely for him to get it ). aim high, right?
they’re each given fifteen minutes to portray a character, and immediately, jaesun’s mind travels to just playing someone like himself. however, he feels torn. will they think it’s boring that he chooses to play someone who mirrors himself? there would be no creativity involved in that case. but at the same time, it seems that this type of scene requires someone who could show a bit of care and understanding. not that there’s a right or wrong answer on how to react in this type of scenario.
soon, he’s being called up for his turn, and he takes a seat next to the other male. jun begins the scene with a simple “i’m tired” to which jaesun turns his head towards the other, giving him a curious look. “is everything okay?” he asks in turn to which the other male simply shrugs. jaesun lifts a hand up and gently pats the other on the shoulder.
“you know what i think you need right now?” jaesun looks to the male as he waits for him to turn and look at him too. once they’ve made eye contact, he smiles kindly to him. “a nice homemade meal. you know what, i’m going to have my mother cook something up for us...” he decides before the other reaches out, covering his phone with his hand. “forget it. it’s not a big deal. you don’t need to do that,” he notes to which jaesun shakes his head.
“really, i insist --” “i said, forget it.” a minute of silence passes by as jaesun wonders how to rectify the situation. or rather, how jaesun’s character would rectify the situation. “alright, i’m sorry if i stepped out of bounds. i get it. we’re not friends. we’re simply acquaintances, but ...” jaesun sighs in exasperation. “look, my mother is going to have food ready for me anyway. just come with me. you look like you need a break from all the studying. come on, my stop is right here. what do you say, hm?” he gives the other a pleading look to which the other finally nods his head as the two get off the “bus”.
𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝟎𝟎𝟒 ♡ 𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐌 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
⤳ support role ; ft. kim yoojung as kim heejin !!
it’s in the way he looks at her -- his eyes softened by disillusions of what they could’ve been. it’s in the way his fingers twitch towards her own, an indication of hesitation, of dreams broken by an unkind reality.
his heart throbs as kim yoojung, the actress playing the lively kim heejin, looks at him, anticipating his reply to her prompt, i’m tired. but he does not answer, not verbally at least.
it’s in the way he smiles, the corners of his lips creasing just a little bit. but it’s a smile that lacks radiance. the character he is playing is not happy, but he is not sad either. rather, he is complacent, sitting there by her side, mesmerizing each highlight and shadow of her pretty, familiar face.
his eyes drop to her mouth at long last, the small smile that was once perched upon his lips now slipping into its neutral state. it’s the way he looks now: lost in his head, torn between moving forward and holding back. his gaze trails back up, slowly, as to not disturb the still air between them. he meets her eyes and holds it in place -- gently, dearly, because that’s all of her that his character can hold.
‘hey...’ she prompts again.
the tension dissolves almost immediately. he looks away, breaking into his usual grin -- but the complacency still remains. the corners of his eyes do not crease in delight; in fact, his eyes remain empty. dead, almost. “sorry, sorry ~” he snuggles up against her, the grin never once leaving his lips until he mutters a moment later, “that jung sehun...”
‘what?’
“nothing,” he says, this time a little louder, a little clearer. “let’s just... stay like this.”
it’s in the way he buries his face in her shoulder, shying away from the audience. and it’s in the way he whispers his final line: “i’m tired too.”
