‘What?’
Why did he stop us? For a moment, a glimmer of hope arose that perhaps that man—so merciless that even calling him cold would be an understatement—might give Seo Hanryul another chance after seeing him.
“I have a question for you two. No, I want to ask the person next to the participant.”
But contrary to my expectations, Lee Dojun glared at me fiercely as he spoke. That gaze was enough to make one’s knees buckle, rivaling even Cha Taesan’s. What on earth was he curious about?
“Yes.”
“Who exactly are you to keep interfering with the audition process? I’ve been watching from the back, and your behavior has been excessive enough to significantly disrupt the proceedings.”
It was a blatant attack. The expression commonly described in novels when someone is angry. A fierce expression like a fearsome deity. Right now, Lee Dojun was making that expression in front of me.
“I apologize for causing a disturbance. I’m the participant’s manager.”
“I see. Does the manager think this audition is a joke?”
At his low voice, the already quiet venue became even more chillingly silent, as if cold water had been poured over it.
“I’m truly sorry. The actor’s performance seemed so regrettable that I shamelessly asked for another chance. I apologize once again for causing confusion at the venue.”
“Manager, isn’t the actor next to you a full-grown adult? Don’t you think that a manager causing such a disturbance is blocking their own actor’s path forward?”
Back in high school, I’d been dragged before the notoriously scary tiger of a student affairs director. When I stood before that person, no thoughts came to mind—I only wished for the situation to end quickly. The feeling I had then was exactly what I felt now. How did it come to this? It seems I’ve thoroughly ruined my first impression.
“And participant? What’s your name?”
“Seo Hanryul.”
Seo Hanryul answered in a quiet tone.
“Seo Hanryul-ssi. I don’t understand your behavior either. When the person claiming to be your manager was causing a scene, shouldn’t you have stopped him? Were you just watching a show? Why were you just quietly observing from the side?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
Both of us had no choice but to become apology bots. I was in the wrong. But why was he suddenly lumping Seo Hanryul in and criticizing him too? I felt sorry for Seo Hanryul.
‘That bastard’s no pushover either.’
I knew it well, but Lee Dojun was indeed not someone to be taken lightly. Knowing his personality very well, the only thought in my mind was that I needed to leave this place quickly.
“I’d like to apologize once more for causing a disturbance. I had absolutely no ill intentions, I was just so regretful as a manager that the actor couldn’t fully display his abilities in front of this good opportunity, so I acted on my own accord. This has nothing to do with the actor, so please don’t misunderstand. I apologize to those whose feelings I’ve hurt.”
After bowing 90 degrees to Lee Dojun first, I also bowed to the judges.
“I’ll take my leave now. Thank you.”
“No, Manager. You’ve been persistently requesting another chance, and you seem so desperate that I can’t just let this pass. I should see this amazing performance for myself. Seo Hanryul-ssi? Draw a ball. I’ll give you another chance.”
“No. It’s fine.”
Whether Seo Hanryul had lost his mind, instead of immediately saying “thank you,” he was just being obstinate.
“Don’t be like that, let’s just do it once.”
I whispered to him, trying to persuade him.
“Stop it.”
Seo Hanryul answered firmly, as if he truly had no intention of doing it.
“Hanryul-ssi, when your manager is pleading like that, don’t refuse and give it a try. After causing such a commotion to give you an opportunity, refusing would be impolite, I think.”
Lee Dojun spoke in a tone that said ‘who are you to reject my order?’ The atmosphere was like thin ice, but in any case, Lee Dojun had given the chance I’d so desperately hoped for one more time.
“Seo Hanryul, hurry up and go draw one.”
Lest we lose the opportunity, I gently pushed Seo Hanryul forward.
“Haah…”
Seo Hanryul sighed at the unwanted situation and slowly approached the box containing the balls.
* * *
The second chance obtained with difficulty. Seo Hanryul didn’t disappoint me.
The second ball he drew was ‘happiness.’ Fortunately, Seo Hanryul showed perfect acting, and only then could I feel the ‘thrill’ described in the novel. The stiffened expressions of the judges began to soften after watching the second performance.
Still, my worries didn’t disappear. No matter how well he performed the second time, it was only a half-baked opportunity that wouldn’t have been obtained if not for Lee Dojun. Since I’d spectacularly blown the original single chance, I couldn’t predict what scores the judges would give.
‘…He absolutely has to pass.’
“Hey. Are you really crazy? No, wait. Now I understand why you so readily agreed to be a manager. Did you plan to ruin me?”
As soon as we got in the car, as expected, Seo Hanryul got angry at me. As if his rage was rising from his core, he spoke to me softly but with a slightly trembling voice. It was a quiet tone, but I could vividly feel his seething anger.
‘Who’s ruining whom?’
Hearing that made my insides start boiling too. Right now, because of whom did I abandon all my pride and earnestly beg before the judges? Bowing my head repeatedly and apologizing before that insufferable Lee Dojun was also extremely galling.
If only he had been even a little cooperative with me regarding the audition, today’s events wouldn’t have happened. It was obvious that the keyword ‘anger’ would come up. If he had practiced enough with anger as the theme…
I couldn’t understand Seo Hanryul, who refused to work together on something this important, then spectacularly bombed the audition.
“…Seo Hanryul, didn’t you practice your acting?”
It was rather presumptuous to say. But before I knew it, my true feelings burst out from my surging emotions.
“…What? Has this crazy bastard lost his mind? What the hell is the reason for all this?”
“…You’re asking if I planned to ruin you? Yeah, I totally planned it. Would someone who planned to ruin you bow their head like that at the audition venue and grovel so abjectly to ask for just one more chance? You want to get into this agency. Why the hell are you acting like this? Be a little honest.”
“Whether I pass or fail here, what’s it to you? Why are you making such an unusual scene there! What are you, some novel protagonist? Do you think people will grant everything just because you ask? Get a grip, you pathetic bastard.”
‘Pathetic?’
“…Hey. Really, isn’t this too much? You’re the one who told me to be your manager first. I want to do whatever job I take on properly. If you’d been even a little cooperative about the audition from the start, the situation wouldn’t have escalated to this degree today.”
“…”
Seo Hanryul said nothing. Seeing him look at me then even turn his head away, it seemed whatever affection he had—or rather, Cha Jaehyun had—was now completely gone. But the same was true for me.
“Fine. I’ve committed a mortal sin. I’m sorry. But like you said, I absolutely had no intention of ruining you. I just… I just thought you couldn’t properly show your skills, so I presumptuously interfered. Anyway… today’s audition is over, so let’s wait for good results.”
Still, I had to wrap up today’s situation, so I offered an unwanted apology first. Seo Hanryul ignored my apology as expected. I never dreamed I’d end up in conflict with Seo Hanryul in this situation.
With a weary heart, I rested my head once against the steering wheel, then quietly started the engine. Even after the car started moving, the cold atmosphere persisted. Both Seo Hanryul and I were treating each other like air, as if we were alone in the car.
“We’re here. You worked hard today, rest well. See you tomorrow.”
After arriving at his house, I offered a friendly greeting to try to ease the atmosphere, but Seo Hanryul still didn’t answer and just got out.
* * *
Even this morning, his condition had been at its peak.
But the situation flipped like turning over a palm. After finishing the fight with Jaehyun and returning to his empty house, Hanryul’s state of mind was at its worst.
Hanryul himself was very well aware that he hadn’t done well at the audition. However, Jaehyun’s appearance, obsessing over an additional chance even though it wasn’t his own audition, was bizarre to the point of being eerie. That appearance looked very desperate and sincere. Judging from this, he could clearly tell that today’s behavior absolutely didn’t stem from trying to ruin him.
However, his emotions became heated and strange words slipped out of his mouth. ‘You planned to ruin me, didn’t you?’ The moment he spat out those words, the guy’s eyes darkened as if hurt.
He didn’t care about the guy’s feelings. But seeing those eyes, he couldn’t get angrier, nor could he respond to what the guy was saying. He wanted to say that what he’d blurted out wasn’t sincere, but the atmosphere had already tumbled beyond recovery, and he’d missed the chance to correct it to the guy.
Why does it have to be Youth Entertainment?
As Hanryul thought about Jaehyun, a fundamental question arose that he’d never once considered. Hanryul himself had also dreamed of entering Youth Entertainment all along. Because that place was famous for being top-notch in the entertainment industry. Also because it was the company where his role model Woo Juhan belonged.
But after experiencing this situation, a strange courage began to arise—that even if not that place, if he continued to work hard as he was now, wouldn’t he shine someday?
The firm thought of wanting to go there was thoroughly shattered after meeting that person who claimed to be the agency CEO today.
The guy had indeed behaved presumptuously at the audition venue. However, the CEO had humiliated him excessively compared to the guy’s fault.
The image of the guy flustered by the CEO’s aggressive questioning clearly came to mind. The guy with his strong pride had bowed so deeply his back might break, apologizing in front of a man he was seeing for the first time and the judges.
Also, that bastard calling himself CEO had given another unwanted chance. His coercive gaze was very irritating. His attitude, as if giving alms to a pitiful person, severely grated on Hanryul’s heart.
‘Are all those calling themselves CEOs alike in having such terrible character?’
Recalling Dojun’s appearance, Hanryul shook his head once. That kind of bastard sits as CEO at Youth? An intimidating build, eyes that mercilessly looked down on someone he was meeting for the first time. He was a person whose very sight brought bad luck.
‘Unpleasant bastard.’
When Hanryul thought that Dojun was not much different from his own agency’s CEO, he felt that bombing the audition might have been for the best after all.
