Chapter 238: Tidal Wave (5)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Hwalin stood in front of the elevator, and Hong Hye-yeon had just entered the building. The two exchanged brief eye contact. Thanks to that, a short silence spread through the hallway of the building.

“······”

“······”

Both clearly had surprised faces. It was understandable. They hadn’t mentioned anything about this audition to each other. Well, it wasn’t strange. Although they often called each other, no matter how close they were, they didn’t share everything about work.

But to run into each other like this.

In fact, both Hwalin and Hong Hye-yeon were very interested in ‘Leech’. It had been that way for a while. From the moment Director Ahn Ga-bok officially announced ‘Leech’, they had been preparing something. Although their aims were slightly different, their goal was the same.

To appear in ‘Leech’.

Soon, among the staff of the actresses facing each other, the managers on both sides had awkward expressions. On Hwalin’s side,

‘Ugh- of all people, why did Hong Hye-yeon had to come. This is so awkward.’

It was the same on Hong Hye-yeon’s side.

‘The atmosphere is going to get weird. The audition will proceed fairly, but since these two are close, they’ll be conscious of each other.’

Even the burly Kim Dae-young, who had not been seen in a while, was among Hong Hye-yeon’s group.

‘Damn······this feels like a morning drama. Judging by their expressions, they had no idea. Does that bastard Woojin know?’

Looking closely, Hong Hye-yeon and Hwalin’s situations were somewhat similar. Hong Hye-yeon had been on a break since her cameo in ‘Island of the Missing’ and ‘Our Dining Table’, and Hwalin was the same. Anyway, it was Hong Hye-yeon who first broke the spreading silence. She brushed her long hair back and let out a short sigh.

“Whew- that really surprised me.”

Hwalin shrugged her shoulders.

“Me too. You didn’t say a word about doing this, unnie.”

“As if you said anything either?”

It looked like they were bickering slightly, but it was their usual appearance. Then Hong Hye-yeon stood next to Hwalin in front of the elevator.

“This project itself has a lot of confidentiality. Besides, since it’s Director Ahn Ga-bok’s work, there are plenty of actors jumping in. Even though I didn’t hear who exactly, the rumors say they’re all formidable. Well, although the audition itself and Woojin-ssi being a judge was a bit of a filter, many will come, and it might not work out, so I didn’t bother to mention it.”

“Yeah, unnie. You’re right. I felt the same. Besides, I’m an idol-turned-actress. It felt awkward to talk about it. Honestly, I debated a lot about coming. I wondered if I’d be okay in this audition.”

“What are you saying. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“It’s not that, it’s just that the perception can be a bit tricky.”

As they waited for the elevator, the two spoke sincerely. However, they hid one thing.

‘Talking about Woojin-ssi······well, I don’t have to bring him up.’

‘Just in case, let’s not mention Woojin. It wouldn’t be good if it became obvious.’

It was Kang Woojin. Both actresses had been significantly influenced by Woojin in getting to this point. Whatever the case, the atmosphere became subtle.

“When did you start preparing?”

“Since the rumors about ‘Leech’ began circulating. How about you, unnie?”

“Around the same time. When Director Ahn Ga-bok came to Da Nang.”

“Ah, really? Hmm, unnie, you’re probably auditioning for the same role as me, right?”

“Probably? From what I know, there’s only one female character being auditioned for today.”

A competitive dynamic formed between Hwalin and Hong Hye-yeon. It was the first time since they had become close. They hadn’t had overlapping opportunities before and didn’t expect such a situation to arise in the future, so their minds were somewhat complicated as they talked.

Regardless, both teams boarded the elevator.

-Ding!

After getting off the elevator on the second floor, Hong Hye-yeon murmured first.

“Hwalin, do well. But I’m going to do well too.”

“Of course. No going easy on each other.”

“There’s no room for that. Let’s just survive this, no matter what.”

“True······this is a battlefield, right? I’ll call you after.”

“Sure, sure.”

After wrapping up their brief conversation, Hwalin and Hong Hye-yeon parted ways and headed to their respective waiting rooms. Unlike their initial surprise, both accepted the competition with calm faces. At this moment, regardless of their close friendship, Hong Hye-yeon and Hwalin were just two actresses.

Craving to secure a role in ‘Leech.’

Moreover, the actors they needed to outshine today were not just a few. There was no room to worry about trivial matters.

Therefore,

“Hye-yeon ah, are you okay?”

“About what.”

“I mean, you wouldn’t have known that Hwalin-ssi was here.”

“Anyway, I don’t know all the actors coming today. One of them happens to be Hwalin. Where’s the script?”

“Ah- here.”

On Hwalin’s side as well.

“Wow- things are really rolling, huh? I didn’t expect Hye-yeon-ssi to come, of all people… I’m really uneasy about this. Hwalin, can you focus on the audition without worrying?”

“Yeah. In fact, it makes me more fired up. This is the first time something like this has happened with unnie. I might be severely lacking, but I still want to give it a shot.”

For some reason, their fighting spirit suddenly intensified. It wasn’t out of disdain or jealousy towards each other. It was energy born out of mutual respect. Watching Hong Hye-yeon open her brief script, the burly Kim Dae-young murmured to himself.

‘Hong Hye-yeon and Hwalin. They have completely different styles… I can’t predict how this will turn out.’

Meanwhile.

Actors started arriving at the Theater building where the ‘Leech’ audition was to be held. Top-tier to A-tier, both male and female. Already, more than five had shown up, and twice as many were expected to come.

There are more people than expected.

Of course, even this was after considerable filtering because it was an audition and Kang Woojin was one of the judges. This was exactly the scenario Director Ahn Ga-bok wanted. He was looking for actors who remembered their initial determination, those who were desperate. Actors willing to abandon their pride and dive into their roles with desperation, disregarding their reputation.

However, not all the actors participating in the audition were free of complaints.

“Whew- Dong-wook. I’ll ask one last time before we go to the waiting room, are you really going to do this audition?”

“Yes, I will. How many times do I have to say it?”

“No matter how much I think about it, there’s nothing to gain for you, right? It’s an audition. Is it right for you to be auditioning at your level? And you have to see that punk Kang Woojin as a judge?”

“I don’t care. I’ll just ignore him. Besides, didn’t Kang Woojin get a call from Hollywood? That balances things out somewhat.”

“But we don’t know if that’s 100% true. And recently, there’s a fuss about him playing the piano in Japan.”

“Forget all that. It’s Director Ahn Ga-bok’s 100th project. Honestly, don’t you want it? I just need to avoid looking at Kang Woojin.”

Or discomfort.

“Ha… So, it’s confirmed that Kang Woojin is a judge?”

“I don’t know. But since the film company hasn’t said anything, there’s probably no change. Prepare assuming Kang Woojin will be there.”

“Ugh, it would be perfect if only Kang Woojin wasn’t there. It’s okay to audition, but… it’s uncomfortable having Kang Woojin sitting in front.”

“What can you do? Not everything can be perfect. But they say Kang Woojin is starring in PD Song Man-woo’s new project again. His momentum is definitely stronger than yours.”

“Are you really on my side, hyung?”

Naturally, there were top-tier actors who focused on the role they were aiming for, regardless of the surrounding environment. For instance, Jin Jae-jun, the lead actor of the recently blockbuster hit movie ‘Drug Dealer,’ who had just arrived.

“Jae-jun ah, we’ve arrived. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Have you contacted Woojin-ssi?”

“No. I didn’t need to, so I didn’t.”

“······Honestly, after seeing Woojin-ssi’s performance in ‘Drug Dealer,’ I have to acknowledge him, but still, having Woojin-ssi as a judge must be burdensome, right?”

“Well. To some extent.”

“There’s no need to overdo it.”

“Why not overdo it? There’s a monster named Kang Woojin in front of me. You don’t understand, hyung. Seeing Woojin-ssi act in front of you is really… anyway, I feel something boiling inside me. Jung-min hyung said, channel the frustration you feel towards Woojin-ssi into determination.”

Actors continued to arrive in succession. Fortunately, since they appeared at different times, there were few instances of actors running into each other.

About an hour later.

Around 1 o’clock, in the now crowded external parking lot with numerous parked vans and vehicles, a large black van had just parked. It was Kang Woojin’s van.

-Swish.

Kang Woojin, dressed in a gray knit sweater and a long coat, stepped out. He wore a mask, and his hair was natural. It made sense since he came straight here from Japan. There was no need to stop by a salon just for the audition. Stepping out of the van, Kang Woojin habitually exuded a thick aura of confidence.

“······”

A small breath escaped his mouth, visible in the cold air. Early February, the chilly weather was at its peak as Kang Woojin fixed his gaze on the rather large building in front of him. A three-story building with a new-looking exterior and external iron stairs.

‘Is that the theater? It looks different from what I imagined.’

He had expected a smaller building since it was supposed to be a theater, but it was larger than anticipated.

‘With that size the stage area must be quite large too.’

At this point, ponytailed Choi Sung-gun and the burly Jang Su-hwan joined Woojin’s side. Stylists like Han Ye-jung seemed to be taking a break in the car. Soon, Choi Sung-gun patted Woojin on the shoulder.

“Besides Director Ahn Ga-bok and actor Sim Han-ho, all the actors here at the theater will be top-tier. You won’t be nervous, of course, but I have to ask. You feeling calm?”

No, honestly, I’m a bit nervous. Until the plane ride earlier, Kang Woojin had felt just fine. But now, with the audition imminent, he was feeling a bit tense. It was understandable. This was his first major audition, and he was participating not as an actor but as a judge.

Moreover, everyone here, be it actors or directors, were big names.

In front of them, he had to demonstrate his caliber as a lead in ‘Leech’ and as a judge.

‘Well- shit, did I make a mistake agreeing to this? Just sitting there might be even more uncomfortable.’

Kang Woojin muttered to himself internally, trying not to show his anxiety. But what could he do now? He had to keep up his tough act.

“Yes, CEO-nim. Same as always.”

“Okay. By the way, it’s a shame that you, Woojin, are a judge for Director Ahn Ga-bok’s project. If it wasn’t confidential, I’d take a hundred photos and post them on SNS right away. What a waste.”

Behind Choi Sung-gun, who genuinely expressed regret, a shout came from the right.

“Woojin-ssi! Hello!!”

It was a staff member from the ‘Leech’ team.

“This way! I’ll guide you!!”

A moment later.

Guided by the staff, Kang Woojin entered the small theater on the first floor of the building. To be precise, he stood on the stage at the front of the small theater. Soon, standing alone on the stage, Woojin scanned the entire theater. A decently sized stage, a large screen hung at the back of the stage, various lights attached to the ceiling, and quite a number of seats visible even at a glance.

This small theater was indeed quite considerable.

‘Can this be called a theater? It looks like it’s easily medium-sized??’

The theater felt like a combination of a play stage and a movie theater. Naturally, it was rented out for various types of events, and today, the audition for ‘Leech’ would be held on this stage. Because of this, drink holders and transparent files were placed on the armrests of the seats in the first row, right in front of the stage.

The judges will probably sit there.

As Kang Woojin took in the seats in front of him, an elderly voice interrupted from the side entrance of the stage.

“You’re here?”

Turning his head at the sound, Woojin saw an old man with a gray lightweight jacket, hands leisurely behind his back, smiling with wrinkled eyes. It was the legendary Director Ahn Ga-bok.

“I heard you came straight from Japan, but you’re early.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok slowly ascended to the stage where Woojin stood. Kang Woojin bowed to him.

“Hello, Director-nim.”

“Yes, hello. Are you tired? Thank you. You’ve been juggling schedules in Japan and Korea, and now you’re here for this audition.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Heh heh. As I mentioned before, it’s fine if you just sit and observe, so don’t feel too pressured.”

“······”

“By the way, I heard various things while you were in Japan. What was that piano video about?”

Kang Woojin lowered his voice.

“I played a simple piece, but it gained more attention than I expected.”

“From what I heard, it didn’t sound like something you picked up in just a year or two. Really- the more I see you, the more mysterious you become.”

“······”

“Ah, right. You’re in PD Song’s next project too, right?”

“Yes.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had approached closer, scrutinized Kang Woojin’s face carefully.

“You’re not overworking yourself, are you?”

“I’m fine.”

The legendary director of the Korean film industry, Ahn Ga-bok, exhaled a worried sigh while looking at Woojin.

“···Woojin, you’re an actor who will lead the Korean acting scene in the future. Don’t push yourself too hard, because if you stop, it will be a significant loss to the Korean acting industry.”

It wasn’t just lip service. Director Ahn Ga-bok’s serious expression showed his sincerity. As an old man, he vaguely knew.

‘I don’t have much time left. This guy will be the one to carry on my history and goals.’

He wasn’t just talking about Korea, but Hollywood too. Kang Woojin nodded solemnly.

‘As expected, this old man is a bit of a tsundere. He takes care of me in his own way.’

At this point, Director Ahn Ga-bok changed the subject.

“Oh, and there’s one more confirmed actor along with you and actor Sim Han-ho. It’s actress Oh Hee-ryung for the role of ‘Yoo Hyun-ji’.”

This meant that the role of ‘Yoo Hyun-ji,’ one of the key characters in ‘Leech,’ had been cast. Actress Oh Hee-ryung, mentioned by Director Ahn Ga-bok, was over 50 but still possessed a beauty that made her look like she was in her 30s, with over 25 years of experience.

Additionally, she was associated with various keywords: alluring, elegant, sophisticated, and captivating. Therefore, she was still a top actress in many projects. Compared to Hong Hye-yeon, she was a level above.

Of course, Kang Woojin was also aware of Oh Hee-ryung.

‘Wow- amazing. She’s taking on the role of ‘Yoo Hyun-ji’? The synchronization rate is crazy.’

From the side, a deep male voice joined in.

“Are you doing a rehearsal or something?”

It was the veteran actor Sim Han-ho. Still exuding charisma reminiscent of a tiger, with his gray-streaked long hair tied back, he strode onto the stage. He greeted Director Ahn Ga-bok politely, then turned to Kang Woojin and extended his hand.

“I’ve been watching your impressive performances.”

Kang Woojin, inwardly startled by Sim Han-ho’s unique presence, maintained his composure and poker face as much as possible.

“Thank you, sunbae-nim.”

“You must be busy, but have you analyzed ‘Leech’?”

“Yes, to some extent. I’m currently doing it too.”

Sim Han-ho released Woojin’s hand and glanced at Director Ahn Ga-bok before looking back at Woojin.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Afterward, the setup for the audition in the theater, which resembled a play stage, was quickly completed. Though nothing grand was prepared, they checked the lighting, and the judges, including Kang Woojin, took their seats. Key staff members from ‘Leech’ and the managers of the actors occupied various seats.

Finally.

“Alright, let’s begin. Who’s the first actor?”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, seated at the front row, asked, and the assistant director next to him whispered.

“Jin Jae-jun is first.”

“Hmm, call him in.”

“Yes, sir.”

The assistant director radioed the production staff who were on standby, and Director Ahn Ga-bok opened the provided brief script that was distributed in advance. Today’s audition was planned to be a designated acting session. Depending on the role, scenes from ‘Leech’ would be performed.

“Let’s see, the co-actors for each actor are-”

Director Ahn Ga-bok trailed off, and the film company CEO, seated to his right, chimed in.

“How about I do it?”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ll just be reading the lines.”

At that moment.

“Director-nim.”

A low voice suddenly spoke from the far end. This caused everyone, from Director Ahn Ga-bok to Sim Han-ho, the film company CEO, the key staff in the back seats, and the other actors’ managers, including Choi Sung-gun, to turn and look.

At the end was Kang Woojin, who murmured in a low tone.

“I will be the co-actor.”

The small theater fell silent for a moment.