NoveLight ™
An actor's audition. Specifically, the Hyper Action Star audition for action and stunt actors. At first, most people were indifferent.
After all, audition programs were nothing new. However, perceptions changed dramatically after the release of the teaser trailer—particularly after Seoyeon’s spectacular rappel stunt.
Of course, not all reactions were positive. Many were skeptical, wondering if such a breathtaking action sequence could have been faked.
The general sentiment on social media ranged from curiosity to indifference. Surprisingly, it was Seoyeon’s own fan community that was the most subdued, responding with, “Well, she could probably pull that off.”
As the chatter continued, Hyper Action Star officially aired its first episode.
Streaming live on both an internet platform and a cable channel, it was clear that GH Group had invested heavily in the show.
The first group, Group A, consisted of 20 actors, each standing in the set—a “ruined” environment crafted from broken styrofoam buildings. Amidst the actors dressed in comfortable outfits, one person stood out—Ju Seoyeon.
Unlike the others, who appeared tense, Seoyeon remained calm, making her presence even more noticeable.
While most actors had dressed casually, some had clearly chosen outfits to match their characters, like Jo Seohui and Han Soyu.
At this point, viewers began to catch on.
‘Ah, so you need to establish your character from the costume onwards.’
In fact, Cha Mingyu, the actor playing the drill instructor, was already scanning the actors with a sharp eye, quietly scoring them based on their costumes.
The first mission, a shootout, began soon after, and Cha Mingyu explained the rules in more detail—how the points would be tallied and how the actors needed to incorporate their acting.
The actors had already been briefed, but this was the first time viewers were hearing about the rules.
Even for action actors, handling a gun was a different challenge, model gun or not. Sure, they had likely practiced a bit beforehand, but still...
‘Honestly, I’ll be surprised if they can even hit anything.’
At least there hadn’t been any accidents yet, which was a relief to most people.
Then, suddenly—
Bang!
The sound of a gunshot echoed through the set. The camera caught the moment as an actor accidentally dropped their gun, causing it to fire.
The bullet flew directly toward Seoyeon.
In what looked like a casual move, Seoyeon swatted the bullet away, as if shooing a fly. The camera captured the scene clearly, and viewers were momentarily stunned.
Most viewers chalked it up to luck. Sure, she deflected it once—big deal. After a brief commotion, the situation settled down, and Cha Mingyu gave the signal to continue.
Beeeep!
The horn sounded, signaling the start of the action. For the first few minutes, guns were not allowed to fire, so the actors sprinted off to claim strategic positions.
Among them, the camera focused on four actors: Seoyeon and three others chasing her.
The chat began to buzz, with some viewers even spotting Min Doha watching the situation from her hiding place.
Most viewers expected Seoyeon to be eliminated here. Three against one? Sure, Seoyeon might have good action chops, but in a points-based shootout, how could she handle three opponents alone?
As some of Seoyeon’s fans chimed in, their comments were met with ridicule. Almost everyone expected Seoyeon to be eliminated as three sets of guns took aim at her.
Then, the bullets flew—and Seoyeon dodged. She ducked and twisted her body, clearly “seeing” the bullets coming her way and avoiding them.
‘What?’
The viewers could sense something had changed. Maybe the actors facing her hadn’t realized it yet, but the audience knew: Seoyeon wasn’t the same person she had been just moments before.
‘She’s acting.’
Suddenly, they remembered that this audition was for the lead role in a movie. Every contestant had crafted a character, and this shootout was just another way for them to showcase their acting skills and superpower abilities.
Seoyeon was doing exactly that.
‘Cha Seoah?’
Some viewers wondered if Seoyeon was channeling her character from The Chaser, but no, it was something different.
The smile playing on Seoyeon’s lips proved that. Cha Seoah didn’t smile like that.
Seoyeon’s expression was playful, daring her opponents to try harder. Despite being outnumbered, she had completely taken control of the situation.
Then, two more bullets flew toward her, and Seoyeon swatted them away with her hand.
What was initially thought to be a fluke now seemed effortless.
The chat filled with disbelief as viewers tried to rationalize what they were seeing. Sure, it might have been a coincidence to deflect one bullet, but dodging three and swatting away two more? That couldn’t be real.
But Seoyeon didn’t bother with long-range shots. Instead, she closed the distance, deflecting bullets as she advanced. Before firing, she even whispered something to her opponent.
With the two remaining opponents quickly dealt with, the camera cut to Min Doha, who had been hiding and now aimed her gun at Seoyeon.
The camera captured the quiet shot fired toward Seoyeon’s back.
Of course, Seoyeon dodged it.
It was as if Min Doha could hear the frantic comments. She bolted, sprinting across the set. To her credit, she was fast enough that none of the other actors could catch her.
“Huff, huff…”
Finally, believing she had shaken off her pursuer, Min Doha leaned against a wall to catch her breath.
That’s when Seoyeon’s head popped into view, her red eyes gleaming.
Min Doha let out a high-pitched scream and scrambled away on all fours. Seoyeon, who had been planning to chase her, paused and nodded in admiration.
“She’s good at acting.”
She muttered quietly to herself.
Thanks to Seoyeon’s performance, more and more actors started targeting her. And in the midst of it all, her one ally finally appeared—Jo Seohui.
With Jo Seohui helping from the sidelines, Seoyeon had virtually no blind spots left. She continued dodging and deflecting bullets, all while sticking to her character’s weaknesses, which even the viewers could pick up on.
The chat heated up as viewers scolded the actors for not being able to take down Seoyeon. But anyone watching could see it: Seoyeon had become the star of the mission.
Ultimately, the definition of a protagonist is someone who captivates the audience, who makes them invest in their story. And in this shootout, Seoyeon was undoubtedly the protagonist.
Watching from his screen, a man murmured to himself.
“This is… impressive.”
It was Han Yegun, the director GH Group had slated to helm Mine, their next major production. He stroked his stubbly chin, eyes glued to the screen.
‘Ju Seoyeon.’
She was the actress GH Group had been considering for the lead in Mine. Han Yegun had initially been skeptical about holding an audition at all.
“I see now. They knew what they were doing.”
Seoyeon’s physical prowess was astounding. She was literally dodging paint bullets. But what had really caught Han Yegun’s attention wasn’t her physical abilities.
It was her acting.
In the middle of this chaotic shootout, Seoyeon was one of the few actors actually acting. Despite being in the spotlight the entire time, she was still performing, and doing it brilliantly.
What had truly impressed Han Yegun was her scene with Han Soyu.
‘She could have made herself look unbeatable…’
But she didn’t. Instead, she played along with Han Soyu’s telekinesis, allowing herself to be flung backward in a way that made the power seem real.
The chat exploded as viewers marveled at how lifelike the telekinesis appeared.
It really looked like Han Soyu had thrown Seoyeon across the room with her mind.
“This is… interesting.”
Han Yegun wasn’t a big fan of CGI. He had grown up idolizing Hong Kong action films, where everything was done with practical stunts. But now, watching Seoyeon, he felt inspired.
With Seoyeon taking down Han Soyu, the mission was nearing its conclusion.
The final twist?
“Well done, Agent.”
With a small gunshot, Seoyeon was eliminated by none other than Jo Seohui.
The chat erupted.
Seoyeon hadn’t won as smoothly as everyone expected, and Jo Seohui’s unexpected betrayal had added a shocking twist to the show. No one had seen it coming.
Watching the chaos unfold on-screen, Han Yegun chuckled to himself.
He had already found his star actors.
A few days later, the results of the first mission were released.
‘I’m definitely out,’ Min Doha thought.
After all, she hadn’t done much of anything.
Had there been a shootout when she grabbed the bag? Maybe? She wasn’t sure. She hadn’t even bothered checking the scoreboard before the mission ended.
‘Honestly, I’m relieved.’
Min Doha was glad she wouldn’t have to deal with Ju Seoyeon anymore. This audition had left her with nothing but nightmares. She couldn’t sleep without imagining that red-eyed monster chasing her down.
‘Next time, I’ll audition for a nice, quiet romance.’
A supporting role would be just fine, anything to calm her nerves…
“Hey, Doha! Congratulations! You passed the first audition!”
“...”
The next day, Min Doha could hardly believe her manager’s words.
Passed? Me?
She quickly checked her email, where her scores were listed.
She had earned a mere 16 points from the shootout, a few lucky hits here and there. But with half those points deducted because she had ‘died,’ she ended with only 8 points.
No way she should have passed with that score, right?
Then she saw it.
[Acting Score: +20 Points]
“...”
Min Doha was devastated. She wanted to call and argue with the judges.
That wasn’t acting!
But could she really turn down this opportunity?
“Doha, seriously, congratulations! Hyper Action Star is making headlines! I was so worried you might not make it, but this is great!”
Her manager beamed with joy, leaving Min Doha no choice but to shut her eyes and sigh.
She could almost picture the red-eyed monster grinning at her.
It was going to be another sleepless night.
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