Chapter : 30
“Representative….”
At the same time, Dojun’s lips enveloped Haein’s once more. He left traces on her red lower lip and brushed his lips along the nape of her neck, faintly scented with shampoo.
“Ha… heh.”
Responding to Haein’s soft breath, Dojun slipped his hand inside her white knit sweater. Her slender body felt as if it could fit entirely in one hand. Dojun slowly pulled Haein into his embrace.
“When you want to cry, do it in my arms. Anytime.”
My muse, my actress.
Tap, tap.
“Why cause a fuss here when you come from such a prestigious family?”
Pattaeyoung looked at Lee Hyuk with a displeased expression as he tapped the table with his index finger, lost in thought.
It was already suspicious that he had flaked on the shoot they had planned together, and his behavior after showing up following a unilateral cancellation was even more so.
“Where were you yesterday? What did you do?”
“…It’s a secret.”
“I heard from Kyungtae. You went to help with Yoon Haein’s mission shoot or something, right?”
When Pattaeyoung mentioned his manager’s name, Hyuk shook his head. Indeed, his quick perception made hiding anything impossible.
“You’re not insane, are you? If you appear in that acting video, rumors will definitely spread. What if a scandal breaks out?”
Before Hyuk could even respond, Pattaeyoung’s scolding poured out.
“Ah, don’t worry. During editing, my shots will be removed before it’s uploaded. Haein needs someone to play off of emotionally.”
At those words, Pattaeyoung’s brow twitched.
“Why does it have to be you? Do you have something going on with Haein? It was weird enough that you even recommended she try filming back then. Just tell me.”
They had been working together for over five years.
In an industry where everyone wore a mask, Pattaeyoung was the only one who didn’t. He showed emotions honestly, treated others openly, and occasionally offered advice—sometimes bluntly, which was the only issue.
“Oh, right! Hyung, how was Haein during that shoot? Nothing happened in Yongin, right?”
Hyuk shouted as if suddenly remembering something when he looked at Pattaeyoung for a moment.
“Always asking early… nothing happened.”
“Ah, why, what!”
Hyuk couldn’t possibly make it to Yongin that day due to a packed schedule.
Seeing that strict Pattaeyoung didn’t say much, Hyuk assumed Haein handled things well. But seeing Pattaeyoung hesitate slightly suggested otherwise.
“Tell me, hyung. Huh? Are you keeping a secret from me?”
“Aaah. You’re too handsome to not answer. But I don’t like others’ names coming up without permission.”
“Still not going to tell me?”
Hyuk blinked a couple of times, looking at Pattaeyoung, who finally relented with a shake of his head.
Why would Hyuk go so far as to use unnatural charm toward Haein? What kind of presence did she hold for him?
“Alright, alright. Stop, I’m getting sick of it! Well… nothing major happened. Haein’s talent exceeded expectations, though.”
“But?”
“But near the end of the shoot, Haein seemed to have a panic attack. She was doing fine, then suddenly couldn’t get out of the water and flailed…”
“Was Haein okay? Why didn’t you tell me? Is that why her condition wasn’t great?”
“Ah, she was fine. Then Representative Seo Dojun of AJ Entertainment suddenly appeared and got Haein out.”
“Seo Dojun was there? That busy guy?”
Hearing Dojun’s name, Hyuk’s forehead veins throbbed.
AJ Entertainment was the biggest entertainment company in Korea. Dojun’s interest in Haein—a rookie just starting her career—was unusually intense, almost unnervingly so. He had even appeared on set yesterday.
As Hyuk’s frown deepened, Pattaeyoung looked at him with a confused expression.
“Yeah, I didn’t know he’d be there either. Looks like Haein’s video has been uploaded.”
Checking his phone, Hyuk saw a notification: a short message saying a video had been uploaded on the Mitube channel [The One: Actresses]. He stopped his thoughts and opened the channel.
[No. 27, <Fascination>]
Haein’s video had been uploaded under a plain title.
Clicking on it, Hyuk recognized the familiar set from the day before.
The camera movements of the one-take video were simple, requiring no complex editing, as her acting was perfect.
The layered sadness, the barely-contained anger, and her expressive eyes—all were captured exactly as he had seen the day before.
Even in a short monologue scene, her inner pain was fully conveyed, with depth in every emotional expression.
“…Wow. Her acting’s insane. I thought she was just good at modeling. Did she really take a five-year break? Was she always this good in <Fascination>?”
Standing beside him, Pattaeyoung’s expression betrayed his amazement as he watched Haein’s video. Her acting perfectly captured the atmosphere of the scene.
“Look at the comments. They must be full of praise.”
Hyuk clicked on the comments, feeling his heart race as if reading evaluations of his own work.
Though the video had only been uploaded about ten minutes ago, it already had many comments.
Reading them with a sense of relief, expecting good reviews, Hyuk’s eyes twitched slightly.
“…What is this?”
Mitube
-
Wow, this is incredible. Who would believe this performance came from someone who took a five-year break? I was holding my breath until the scene ended. Haein! Keep going! Shake off all the hardships and walk only on a path of flowers… ♥
-
Haein’s acting is good, but did anyone notice it’s missing 1%?
└ Yes, I agree, but there’s a fatal flaw. Careful guess, she might be eliminated in Round 1. Lee Byungin isn’t the type to let it slide.
└ Wow, people who think like me exist here too lol. With the new profile picture and all, she’ll probably get destroyed by Han Soina or Do Do-gyeong! Fans of Haein, don’t argue, it’s just personal opinion.
Ah.
Hyuk rubbed his forehead.
Haein’s acting was perfect. After enduring her younger sibling’s death, she had grown remarkably in a short time. The hardship she had gone through was unimaginable.
“Ha, damn. Haters. Haein shouldn’t even see this.”
Seeing it from the side, Pattaeyoung noticed Hyuk’s rare display of emotion and looked at him with concern.
The set had changed a lot over two weeks.
Today, each actor had to perform the character they had prepared from their scripts, so a stage had been set in the center with 70 chairs surrounding it.
The day’s mission was simple: act in front of each other as prepared.
Entering the set, Haein looked around, unsure whether to go right or left. On the right was Han Soina, on the left, Do Do-gyeong.
‘Huh. Where to go.’
She noticed 41, who smiled at her. Although she didn’t know the name or face, she nodded slightly and headed in that direction.
The other actor didn’t seem hostile.
“Looks like we’ll be acting here today. Wow… I’m nervous.”
As 41 spoke, a cameraman in the corner began filming them. Perhaps it was to show the inner thoughts of the audition participants.
The camera circled and stopped in front of Haein, signaling her to respond. She nodded and spoke in a deliberately nervous tone.
