Chapter 42: Casting or something more Dangerous?

Seo Danwoo.

Yoojun was staring at those three characters written on the script.

While he was analyzing the script, that name kept catching his eye, hindering his progress.

“Your Highness, please look at the political situation dispassionately. I am not an important person.”

Even though he hadn’t intended it, Seo Danwoo, speaking calmly without shedding a single tear in front of Yoojun right now, had taken on Sayoung’s appearance.

What was truly driving him crazy was the fact that Seo Danwoo with Yoon Sayoung’s appearance felt much more impactful and charming than when he only had a vague image.

Yoojun flipped through the script, focusing only on reading Seo Danwoo’s lines.

Even without making any special effort to recall him, before he knew it, Sayoung was reading all the lines.

“If you are not important, then what should be considered important?”

“The country, the people, the royal shrine, and the state—everything. You must consider them more precious and important than me.”

When Sayoung’s appearance was overlaid on Seo Danwoo, who was introduced as an upright, noble, and beautiful man, it blended perfectly.

It was nothing short of the finishing touch.

Heat seemed to rise from his fingertips holding the script.

It was obvious excitement.

Yoojun easily recognized that it was the thrill one could feel when meeting an actor perfectly suited for a role.

During the casting process, Yoojun had already had several in-depth conversations with the director about the scenario and characters.

Therefore, there wasn’t much difference between the image of Seo Danwoo the director currently held and the image Yoojun held.

In other words, if Yoojun liked Yoon Sayoung’s Seo Danwoo this much, it wouldn’t look much different in the director’s eyes either.

The problem was whether Sayoung still maintained the acting ability from his prime, and the other was whether the director would have the will to handle the non-acting issues, including numerous scandals that would follow Yoon Sayoung’s name.

This was an area Yoojun couldn’t guess.

Just as Yoojun had disapproved, wondering if it would stain a good work when he first learned Sayoung was aiming for the Seo Danwoo role, the director could make the exact same judgment.

That was why Sayoung’s acting was even more critical.

His acting ability had to be overwhelmingly superior compared to other applicants to have a chance of winning.

Yoojun scanned Seo Danwoo’s continuing lines for a long time with a serious expression.

‘Could Sayoung really show such acting ability?’

‘How sincere was Sayoung about acting, and how much effort had he put in even while resting from work?’

Yoojun, who kept inserting Sayoung’s image into the Seo Danwoo role, soon shook his head and tried to shake off his expectations.

‘Honestly speaking, there was no way Sayoung, who had quit acting because of mere love, would have been putting in effort until now, right?’

The sound of Yoojun clicking his tongue flowed through the quiet living room.

This was why Yoojun didn’t like Yoon Sayoung.

****

Ahead of the casting audition for the role of Seo Danwoo, the entertainment industry was in an uproar.

News was released that Kim Yoojun and Han Jaewoo would appear together in the movie Summer Solstice.

Just the fact that it was a movie directed by Jung Myeong-cheol after a long time grabbed everyone’s attention instantly, and on top of that, Kim Yoojun, who could be said to hold and shake the Korean entertainment industry, was the main character.

There couldn’t be a more perfect combination than this.

Not only that, but for the significant rival role, Han Jaewoo was cast—an actor who, although not yet comparable to Kim Yoojun, had acquired broad and solid support and favorability across all age groups and even possessed a powerful fandom.

As soon as the article was released, all kinds of communities and social media were turned upside down in a frenzy.

It was only natural that the interest turned toward the casting audition for the Seo Danwoo role.

There was still time until the audition application deadline.

Just with Director Jung Myeong-cheol’s name alone, there was a truckload of actors lining up wanting to appear in his movie.

It wasn’t limited to just rookies either.

Moreover, Seo Danwoo was a role that openly and deeply entangled with the main character, Kim Yoojun.

There was no need to express in words how hot the actors’ desire for the Seo Danwoo role must have become.

Even actors who would have felt their pride hurt if openly told to audition did not hesitate to step forward and participate in the audition this time.

News about the movie Summer Solstice was delivered day after day.

Even if the content wasn’t particularly new and just slightly changed sentences from known stories, the view counts soared tremendously each time, reflecting the public’s interest.

Articles predicting who would take the role of Seo Danwoo also overflowed.

In online communities, efforts by fans of various actors continued, using the released character description of Seo Danwoo to promote how well their favorite actor suited the role.

There were quite a few companies engaging in media play to gain momentum, claiming their affiliated actor was participating in the audition or was already receiving high expectations and support from the public.

Through his agency, Yoojun released a formal opinion stating that he was likewise very much looking forward to the actor who would join him in Summer Solstice as Seo Danwoo, and that he would do his best to create a good work regardless of which actor joined, and said nothing further related to it.

In the midst of this, Han Jaewoo gave an interview saying that the actor he really wanted to work with was Kim Yoojun, and since that dream had come true, he had nothing more to wish for, inducing even more interest to focus on the combination of the two.

Yoojun didn’t care about that interview, but he couldn’t help it becoming an issue.

After such noisy days passed like a storm, the audition day, drawing the attention of many, finally dawned.

****

Fitting Director Jung’s reputation, his team was filled entirely with the best staff.

From the assistant director and camera director to the youngest member running around on set, there was no one lacking in experience.

It meant that it was safe to say there was almost no one who would make a fuss, even inwardly, about seeing a celebrity in person.

However, when Yoojun appeared at the audition venue, there was a very faint ripple in the air.

Although everyone acted professionally and didn’t show it outwardly, the brief hesitation of hands and wavering eyes were the greatest agitation for these veterans.

Modifiers like Korea’s best actor or the celebrity with the highest fee certainly would have had an influence, but it was largely due to the unique energy the person himself possessed, commonly expressed as an ‘aura.’

Yoojun was one of the few actors who could overwhelm a site just with his existence.

“Hello, Mr. Yoojun. You’re here?”

“Hello. I’m Kim Yoojun. You’re working hard.”

The assistant director, who was controlling the site, ran over in a breath upon hearing that Yoojun had arrived and smiled brightly at Yoojun’s polite greeting.

When he suddenly heard the news that Yoojun was coming to the audition site, he felt burdened and worried that he might cause trouble by being unreasonable as a big actor, but the first impression was quite good.

Having rolled around in the movie scene all this time and seen all sorts of human types, the assistant director had a fairly accurate sense about people.

He had seen countless actors who had a good public image but showed completely opposite behavior on set.

The assistant director could now distinguish such actors to some extent just from the first greeting.

Although not 100% accurate, he could guess right about eight out of ten times.

In that sense, Yoojun’s polite yet plain first impression made the assistant director feel a little relieved.

The assistant director turned his body slightly inward and guided Yoojun.

“Would you come this way? The director has arrived first.”

“Yes.”

Yoojun answered briefly and followed him.

He was already used to people’s eyes sparkling as they looked at him whenever he passed by.

Just then, the assistant director slowed his steps slightly, closed the distance with Yoojun, and spoke in a small voice.

“By the way, perhaps… did you hear who-who is coming into the audition today?”

Yoojun frowned slightly and asked back, “Pardon?”

The assistant director’s voice had a somewhat suspicious tone.

It was the tone one would hear when something was happening, nine times out of ten.

The assistant director shrugged lightly and answered.

“No, well, Mr. Yoojun also suddenly said he would observe the audition, so… I wondered if you had coordinated separately.”

Simultaneously, goosebumps ran down Yoojun’s spine.

Because he guessed the reason why the assistant director was saying this.

“First, let’s go and see. If you didn’t know, you can just greet him when you get there….”

“…Yes.”

Yoojun nodded first without bothering to confirm his uneasy premonition.

He was already about eighty percent certain.

As he continued his steps toward the prepared audition room, Yoojun fiddled with the hem of his clothes for no reason.

Although it was a casual style, he thought it was fortunate that he had come dressed in suit-style clothes.

An ambiguous sense of rivalry, originating from an unknown source, began to simmer slowly.

It was a fact known to everyone that no matter how much Han Jaewoo flew and crawled, he couldn’t even compare to Kim Yoojun.

There was a time when articles like ‘Han Jaewoo blocking Kim Yoojun’s solo run’ poured out as if manipulating public opinion, but after facing severe backlash, such attempts were not even made currently.

Though no one knows for sure, if such a competitive structure line had continued, Han Jaewoo wouldn’t have been able to gain public favor like he has now.

The difference between Kim Yoojun and Han Jaewoo was that much.

Yoojun had never felt a sense of crisis, let alone rivalry, toward him even once.

But now. Kim Yoojun, of all people.

Just the conjecture that Han Jaewoo might be at this audition venue made him care about his attire.

It was astounding.