Appearance doesn’t just refer to the face.
It encompasses hairstyle, facial expressions, posture, mannerisms, the way one walks, and even the clothes they wear.

A combination of what one is born with and what they cultivate over time.
This duality is what creates one’s appearance.

And appearance doesn’t end with just being seen.
It extends to the aura and atmosphere that surrounds a person.

‘…What’s with this kid?’

With this thought, writer Lee Min-ha felt like she was suddenly in a high school classroom.
There was nothing particularly special happening.

It was just a boy in a high school uniform walking.
Yet, even that simple action made her feel a sense of freshness.

‘I see it.’

His shirt was unbuttoned just enough to reveal his collarbones.
Instead of wearing his jacket, he slung it over his shoulder, adding a rebellious edge.
His hair was slicked back in a way that gave off a wild, untamed vibe.

The frown on his face suggested dissatisfaction with the situation,
And his slightly narrowed eyes exuded an air of intimidation.

‘I can see it.’

Lee Min-ha could vividly picture a delinquent younger man causing havoc.

A character who relied on his looks and talent but didn’t bother practicing,
Yet, with minimal effort, could soar higher than anyone else—a lazy genius.

And that name was none other than—

“Kim Dong-hoo!!!”

Bang!

Kim Young-mo couldn’t hold back and leaped from his seat.
Five years old.

He first witnessed that radiant talent when Kim Dong-hoo was five.
So, as excited as he was, there was also a tinge of worry.

He knew how far an actor could fall behind after not performing for so long.
Especially an inexperienced rookie who hadn’t acted for nearly ten years.
There was a chance that the brilliance he saw in five-year-old Kim Dong-hoo might have faded away.

But seeing him now—

“As expected, there’s no one else but you!”

His worries were unnecessary; Kim Dong-hoo was still Kim Dong-hoo.
No, he had evolved since he was five.

With maturity now added to the mix, Kim Dong-hoo was unstoppable,
Like a catfish devouring all the fish in the river.

Of course, while all this attention was on him, Kim Dong-hoo himself—

‘W-what’s going on? Why are they acting like this?’

—was utterly confused.

+++++

A few minutes before entering the audition room.

I was waiting with my friends to be called for the audition.

‘There are so many people here.’

Three thousand applicants.
My waiting number was 444.

Even though I had a relatively early number, I still had to wait for four days.

“That’s a pretty unlucky number—444?”
“N-no, it’s a good thing! It means you’re g-going to k-kill it, k-kill them all!”

At Kim Min-hyuk’s remark about my number, Kang-sik quickly jumped in, trying to be optimistic.
I didn’t care much, but my friends were making a bigger deal out of it than I was.

‘Why are they more worked up than I am?’

I was the only one who could afford to miss school, yet Kim Min-hyuk tagged along as if it were the most natural thing,
And Kang-sik insisted on coming, waiting at my house from the early morning.

As for Shin Ye-rim—

“I’m number 1562…”

She sighed deeply as she looked at her number.
Shortly after I submitted my application, Shin Ye-rim had mentioned she’d applied too.

“I did some research. It seems like most people get eliminated because they just follow the script. You need to add some flair!”
“Flair?”
“Yeah, Dong-hoo! I think we need to embrace the creative pain and craft a character together.”

Kim Min-hyuk was spewing words he’d picked up from all over the internet, and strangely, it made sense.

“Hmm, should I create an image then?”
“An image?”
“You’re saying a character needs personality, right?”
“Y-yes! That’s exactly what I was trying to say!”
“Huh, Min-hyuk, you’re actually helpful sometimes?”
“Ha! Of course! I’m your road manager, after all!”

I guess he’s sticking with that title.
As soon as I praised him, Kang-sik adjusted his glasses.

“I-I found the info…”

Of course.
To be honest, it wasn’t like we could have easily obtained such high-level information.
It was all thanks to Kang-sik, the most tech-savvy among us.

“Thanks, Kang-sik.”
“What about me?”
“Ye-rim, um… thanks, I guess.”

Why were they all so desperate for compliments?
I chuckled and went over the script in my hands.

Normally, audition times are about two to three minutes.
So the script was extremely short to fit within that time frame.

‘There’s definitely room for improvisation with this script.’

The first three lines were just self-introduction.
Then it moved on to describing the character’s school life and personality.

In short, the script was like a personal essay.
I had to introduce myself and act out the role in just two to three minutes.
It wasn’t an easy task.

‘Then why not start acting the moment I enter the room?’

The key was impact.

I immediately changed into a high school uniform and unbuttoned two of the buttons.
I was going for a slightly rebellious look.
To make a strong impression, this was the way to go.

As soon as I returned with my new look, I could feel all eyes on me.

“Dong-hoo, when you become famous, don’t forget about me.”

Shin Ye-rim glanced around and said this seriously.

“R-really, D-Dong-hoo is v-very handsome.”
“Dong-hoo! I’m seriously going to be your manager!”

Both Kang-sik and Min-hyuk suddenly seemed very serious too.

“You guys are really exaggerating. What’s with you all?”
“Dong-hoo, I’m not kidding. You’re the most handsome person here.”

Min-hyuk whispered as if he were sharing some top-secret information.

“I’m worried I’m getting too used to seeing handsome faces now…”

Ye-rim sighed deeply as if she genuinely meant it.

“Number 444!”

Then my number was called.
I had only one job.

‘The moment I open that door, I become a delinquent.’

I would become Kim Dong-hoo, the rebellious high school freshman.

Click.

The door opened to reveal four judges.
Without greeting them, I walked straight in front of them.

‘Now it’s time to deliver the lines.’

I was about to show them the essence of delinquency—

“Kim Dong-hoo!!! You’re the one!!!”

Suddenly, a man in a bucket hat jumped up from his seat.

‘PD Kim Young-mo?’

Why was the PD here?
That thought was quickly drowned out by the intense gazes from the others in the room.
Their eyes seemed to scream for me to show everything I had.

Taking a deep breath, I calmly delivered my lines.

“What’s the point of a bunch of wannabe musicians gathering together and showing off?”

Crash!

I kicked over the chair meant for auditionees.
The key was confidence—hesitation was the enemy.
I had to give a flawless performance from beginning to end for this bold choice to work.

‘My concept is a delinquent who opposes the main group.’

As the judges’ eyes darted from the chair to me, I continued my lines, maintaining my cool.

“If you don’t have talent, just stay quiet. Practice won’t change anything.”
“You’re just here to make up the numbers and maybe get a participation award. You’ll pat yourself on the back, thinking you did well enough.”
“Talent—this is what it looks like.”

I put my foot on the chair and took a deep breath.
It was time to sing.

I couldn’t sing the whole song, so I just went for the highlight.
I turned up the volume on the music file I had prepared in advance.

“Kim Dong-hoo!!!”

As soon as the familiar guitar riff played, Kim Young-mo called out my name again.
I had thought long and hard about what song to choose, and the answer was obvious.

‘It has to be rock.’

In 1991, a legendary album shook the world.
That album was Nevermind.
The band was Nirvana.
And the song I would sing was—

“Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

As I sang, one thought filled my mind.

I’m going to blow them away.

+++++

“…That concludes my audition.”

With the audition over, it was time for the judges to give their feedback.
Lee Min-ha stared at me in silence for a while.
No, it wasn’t just her.
Everyone was staring at me, seemingly lost in thought.

‘As expected, Kim Dong-hoo!!! Kim Dong-hoo!!!!!!!!!!’
‘Where did this kid come from? I want to start filming him right now.’
‘Thank goodness I approved his application.’
‘…We’ve found him.’

The audition had lasted barely three minutes.
Yet, in that short time, I had set the room on fire.

“A-anyway… please leave for now.”

Lee Min-ha hesitated as if she had more to say but eventually asked me to leave.
There were more auditionees waiting, so they couldn’t keep me any longer.

“Thank you.”

I bowed and left the room.

“Tell them to take a 10-minute break. We need a breather.”

Kim Young-mo PD quickly instructed the staff to hold off on the next audition.

“Phew…”

With that, writer Lee Min-ha let out a deep sigh.
She looked like she was wrestling with something in her mind.
Then, as if she had made up her mind, she spoke up.

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t think I can stay for the rest of the auditions. Can I leave early?”
“What?”
“I know we just called a break to cool off, but… I really, really need to write right now.”

Her fingers were itching.
A character had come to life right before her eyes, and she couldn’t bear not to capture it on paper.
How torturous it was to have the perfect character in front of her and not be able to jot it down immediately.

“…To be honest, I’m not even sure we need to continue the auditions.”

The room fell silent.
Everyone already knew the truth in their hearts.

There wouldn’t be another applicant who could surpass Kim Dong-hoo.