Chapter 210: To Reach for the Stars, or to Become One (2)

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

“Err, uh, err, maybe not?”

The actress poked the actor next to her.

“Isn’t he that person?”

“What? Who?”

“Jung Sunwoo!”

My name was suddenly mentioned. It was too loud to consider it a whisper.

The theatre company members, who were examining Chief Lee Kyojin and wondering if he was one of those common scammers, quickly turned to look at me. Thinking this would be fast, I took off my glasses and hat. I even took off the university jacket I used for my disguise. This was a bit of a shame. I felt younger with it.

“Hello.”

“Ah, yes, hello…!”

The theatre members greeted me back before simultaneously reacting like they were on cue. I have become used this after my face became known, but it was strange considering it was actual actors reacting this way.

A few more sociable members approached us.

“What a surprise! You really came regarding an audition?”

“Wow, you shocked me. I was 80% sure that this was a scam!”

“It’s for City Jungle, right? Mr. Nam Joyoon and Ms. Lee Songha as the leads. The film being made by SBE Film! I saw an announcement for supporting and minor roles on the community site, so I was thinking about sending in my profile or not.”

Chief Lee Kyojin, who retreated back at some point, crossed his arms.

“… It seems there is no need for any further explanation. This gives me a strange sense of shame.”

“Same here.”

Kim Hyunsup, who was leaning on one foot, tapped Nam Joyoon’s arm.

“Just take off your mask and hat. There’s no point since no one can recognize you.”

Nam Joyoon took off his hat and mask as if he had been waiting for those words. The theatre members reacted even more loudly than before. Sort of like an idol holding a fan meeting? Their reaction was so cheerful and positive that it was strange.

“The story behind you two is quite famous in our industry.”

“A story where an unknown actor meets a manager and they both support each other and succeed. It’s romantic. I really hope you do well, Mr. Nam Joyoon. That way, people like us who threw away their lives to chase their dreams can continue with hope!”

“Park Hyejae! You become a film scene-stealer next year and get married!”

Following this mood, we ended up in a snack stall. After a round of drinks, the theatre members became even rowdier. The captain of the group placed his arm around Park Hyejae, who was drinking with a complicated face.

“This bastard hasn’t been able to get married for three years due to his to-be in-laws’ refusal. That they couldn’t give their daughter to a guy who can barely make ends meet acting in a small theatre company.”

“Stop it. That’s not something to brag about.”

Park Hyejae looked at me and Chief Lee Kyojin before asking,

“What kind of role is it? Is it a minor one?”

“It’s a supporting role. There are a lot of lines, and it’s a very important role.”

“All casting directors seem to say that though.”

Park Hyejae said bitterly at Chief Lee Kyojin’s reply. The theatre members chimed in.

“When we have high hopes that it’s a good role and go, there really are a lot of weird ones.”

“I was tricked by a casting director and auditioned for an erotic film.”

“Why are you all so negative? There was one time when I was introduced to a really good role. I passed the audition and attended a reading session, but they told me to leave after casting an actor that was more famous than me. Bastards.”

“Tons of movies and dramas come out every quarter, so why aren’t there any roles for me?!”

“I guess it’s like how there are apartments everywhere, you can’t afford one.”

The theatre members’ lives were all dramatic. Dramas that kept twirling down with no end in sight. Nam Joyoon and Kim Hyunsup joined in. Nam Joyoon’s life’s hardships didn’t lose out to anyone. His life was a hardcore drama.

Sitting with Park Hyejae, we talked to his agency and scheduled an audition date.

He didn’t seem to have much hope for it.

“We saw hundreds of profile pictures again and again, and you stood out to us.”

He stopped his glass halfway at my words.

“Your acting skills were better than expected, and I could visualize the film scene in my head as I saw the play. Although you’ll be confirmed after an official audition, I’ll cheer for you.”

Park Hyejae’s neck reddened.

The theatre members gave him ‘energy’ by shoving more boilermakers down his throat.

We met multiple actors since that day.

Some were recommended by Chief Lee Kyojin, and others stood out to me. Their charisma and skills were diverse. There were cases where I thought, ‘that person’s the one,’ when I saw them act, and other times when I experienced shock and horror.

There were a lot more of the latter. A lot more.

“It’s because she’s nervous!”

The director of an acting school clung to Chief Lee Kyojin’s waist.

Chief Lee Kyojin snorted.

“Rather than being nervous, she was unbelievably confident. It’s like she not even reading off actual literature but a children’s book. Why did Director Yoon recommend someone like her?”

“It’s because I haven’t been learning for long.”

The female high schooler, whose terrible performance rivaled Im Seoyoung, defended herself.

“I wasn’t fully prepared for the audition. If you give me some more time to practice, I’m confident I can act as good as Lee Songha unni! Also, to be honest, my face is better. She seems to benefit from the camera.”

“Yes, she had the looks! Her face doesn’t lose out…!”

The director stopped talking.

Lee Songha, who was standing there completely disguised as a film company employee, took off her hat. Her tied up hair fell loosely. After taking off her mask, her face was completely unveiled. The blankly staring director and high schooler shrunk back.

Chief Lee Kyojin came over and said,

“Sorry, it seems that the director who recommended her to me is her relative or received something. That guy… What a loss of face after bringing Ms. Lee Songha all the way over here.”

“Rather, I think the student who acted as her counterpart was good. She had a good image too.”

“… You thought so too?”

Our gazes turned. The female student who played as the counterpart was sitting in a corner watching us. While eating a triangle kimbap. The next moment, she was coughing excessively after receiving Chief Lee Kyojin’s business card and an audition offer.

“You’re the ones who called for a replacement driver, correct? Where’s your car?”

A man in his mid-twenties. His face had scars like he had been in fights. His punk-vibe face was quite good-looking, but his hoarse, glum voice was particularly impressive.

Chief Lee Kyojin chewed on a fry as he said,

“We didn’t bring a car.”

“… Are you kidding? Then why did you call for a replacement driver?”

“Because we wanted to talk to you about an audition.”

The actor, who dazedly sat down in front of us, began pouring his heart about how shitty life was for having to chase auditions by day and work as a replacement driver at night.

“If I get a minor role, I get fired from part-time jobs where I have to be available at all times. I can endure all other things, but food is really… It makes me distressed. Sorry, but could I have a fry?”

After showing off his impromptu acting skills full of sincerity, he received Chief Lee Kyojin and my business cards and left.

Clinking our glasses, I said,

“There really are a lot of talented unknown actors.”

“This is still only the tip of the iceberg. I realized this while working in this industry, but if you want to become a star, you need both luck and opportunity.”

Chief Lee Kyojin drank.

“This project, I think its casting luck is quite good. Good acting skills are different from being suited for the role, but quite a few actors caught my eye. I was worried at first since they said that we would have to cast lesser-known actors.”

“We decided to purposely fill our cast with new faces. To look refreshing.”

“It’s a risk. It can go one way or another.”

I recalled the actors I met over the past few days as I drank.

If I didn’t bring SBE Film into the picture, there would have been no way Chief Lee Kyojin became the casting director. Meaning that the supporting role candidates I met these past few days were very likely to have had no relationship with City Jungle in the original future.

It wasn’t just the casting.

Director Oh Hyunkyung and the project producer were working hard trying to bring on skilled staff, like cameramen and audio directors. If things go well, the resulted would be different from the original future.

After veering from the path my future showed me, I stopped seeing any visions.

Also, the present was constantly being changed.

At a fast rate, like a tire rolling downhill.

*

The panel was put up in an area that was a mess for a while due to construction.

W&U Management Business Department Team 4.

It was across from the PR Team’s office on the fifth floor. I saw the team leader’s office beside the company desks and partitions. I carefully opened the door. The office with a large desk and seats for guests was still empty.

I sat down on a chair and looked around this unfamiliar space.

Office.

I mumbled in a quiet voice. I felt a strange sensation rise up within me from my toes. Although it was small compared to the office my future self had, it was the first personal office I received.

Noises came in through my partly-opened door. Chief Lee Bongjoon and Chief Sung Uimin, as well as other members of the team, were unpacking their things. We decided early on to hold a get-together tonight. Moving day. It was a day worth celebrating.

“Team 4 Leader, when are you going to show us around?”

While I was lost in my emotions, the Team 3 Leader and Kim Hyunjo suddenly walked in holding a box of tissues and a palm-sized cactus. The Team 3 Leader looked around with an investigative eye.

“Isn’t your view better than mine? It also gets a lot of sunlight. How odd.”

“What is?”

“After you clashed with the CEO, there were rumors that your office would be moved to the basement. That’s why there were many people coveting this office. Anyways, don’t make yourself a nameplate just yet since you don’t know how things will unfold.”

Kim Hyunjo’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you cursing him? Didn’t the CEO move past it after saying that he would be waiting for the results?”

“It could be that he hasn’t had much time to pay attention to him because he’s focused on other things.”

Like the Team 3 Leader said, CEO Baek Hansung and the director rarely showed up at the company these days. They were busy going to China and the US. Seeing as they frequented Los Angeles, it looked like they were working on trying to get a foothold in Hollywood.

“There are agency and contract problems as well. Also, problems with investors. They probably have a lot of things to handle right now.”

The Team 3 Leader clicked his tongue before changing the subject.

“How’s City Jungle? Are things going well? Articles about you pop up regularly.”

“We’ll start filming as soon as we finish auditioning. Songha and Joyoon hyung are busy training with a martial artist director and coordinating with each other. Any moment now.”

“You can’t turn back anymore. You better succeed.”

“That’s right. The timing will be the worst if you fail.”

Just then, the door burst open.

Then Chief Lee Bongjoon stuck his head in.

“Uh, can you come out and watch the TV?”

Employees were already crowding around the large TV in the lounge.

It was airing a show that briefed people on gossip in the entertainment world like tabloids. I saw people coming out of the airport through the shaking camera. Security guards, managers, staff, and actors completely disguised with sunglasses and hats.

They were all W&U actors who knocked on the door to Hollywood.

The panelists were making a fuss.

“This is a hot video we just received. Their official return date was tomorrow, right? What do you think is the reason for the actors to secretly return early?”

-Of course, it’s to avoid media attention. There were a lot of fans hoping the actors would make a glorious return after becoming world stars, but in the end, they ended up returning with embarrassing results.

The screen replayed the actors’ backs. Their past interview clips and pictures appeared on the screen in the middle. The way the edited the picture of actors waving their hands as they left confidently and their current return felt almost malicious.

The employees’ gazes alternated between the TV and their phones as they murmured,

“The company was supposed to not tell anyone and have them return quietly, so how did they know?”

“Oh, wow. There are tons of articles.”

“Although we expected the media to cause a commotion, they just can’t wait to get their hands on it, can they?”

I checked articles on my phone. Provocative headlines already messily filled the news column. There were two key phrases.

Despair of Entering Hollywood. Embarrassing Return.

There were a few W&U actors who tried to become world stars. There were only three who didn’t fall off and held on. There were even actors who were considered at the top of the country amongst them. These were actors who made you think that they could work in the US with their skillset.

As the company poured money to promote them, they appeared on quite a few Hollywood works. They also poured tons of money into promotional activities in the country whenever a film or a drama pilot was released.

Appearing on blockbusters with budgets of hundreds of millions of US dollars. Coordination with famous Hollywood actors.

However, the results were always below our expectations.

-Entering Hollywood’s market was W&U’s internal project.

-To be exact, it was CEO Baek Hansung’s project.

-I heard that they poured an enormous amount of money in the US market, so this failure likely hurts a lot. What do you think they’ll do from now on?

-W&U’s PR Team commented about how this was just them taking a breather.

-That’s just a public comment. I heard that their contract with a major Hollywood agency, which caused a lot of buzz when it was first announced, ended. I think it’s fine to say that this is actually them pulling out from the US market?

-It just shows how hard it is to get your foot in the door in Hollywood. How sad.

Despite their words, the panelists were talking excitedly. They criticized CEO Baek Hansung’s failure and negatively predicted actors’ activity here having lost some of their fame in the country now. Reporters quickly proceeded to publish Asian actors who entered Hollywood.

Chief Lee Bongjoon was astonished.

“They went with the thoughts of starting with nothing and ended up suffering for it. Their futures will be tough. We did well by not going.”

“I think Joowon’s interested in Hollywood though.”

Chief Sung Uimin made a complicated expression.

“Don’t worry. Considering the situation, the company will probably put entering the US market on hold for a few years. Also, which actor doesn’t want to become a world star? Heck, I want to too.”

“You too?”

“Of course, how about Songha?”

Chief Lee Bongjoon turned to ask me.

“Songha lived overseas so she’s good at English. Is she not interested in Hollywood?”

“I don’t know. Songha never mentioned the US.”

Suddenly, I recalled the future vision I saw a long time ago.

The future where Lee Songha filmed a secret audition tape. Apparently, a casting director put her on the audition list after learning about her through her role as an interpreter on Cat Guardian Ghost. They also said they didn’t know what the title was, who was the director, and what role it was for.

I wondered if that might have been a Hollywood project.

She had yet to receive a secret audition proposal until now.

The future had either yet to come or it completely disappeared through the butterfly effect of me changing the present. It was one of the two.

This time, Chief Sung Uimin asked,

“How about you, Team Leader Jung? Are you interested in Hollywood?”

“… Hollywood, huh?”

I shrugged.

“I am interested, of course.”

The conversation between panelists entered my ears.

-Will failing to enter the US market affect W&U’s domestic position?

-What’s funny about that is, while W&U was wasting away in Hollywood, things have been going very well for them in the domestic and Chinese market. Their celebrities’ albums or projects have done extremely well.

-It was great. They’ve been on a streak since early this year.

-Above all, Mr. Jung Sunwoo firmly building up his image as ‘never failing’ played a huge role. Any W&U fully took that image in. They’ve been on a roll domestically that we didn’t notice their failure in the US. Until now.

-This, it seems that a lot hangs on Mr. Jung Sunwoo’s next project.

My photo appeared on the screen for reference.

An employee ran up the stairs.

“The Team 1 Leader and actors arrived below!”

The people around me murmured. The employee gulped before adding,

“The mood is really terrible.”