“Casting director? There’s only one person in the country who can be considered a proper one.”

“Who’s that?”

“Lee Junmin.”

Producer Park Hoon said that as he flipped through the profiles that the managers gave him. The person sitting next to him said that he might have heard of that person.

“Give me that.”

“You want to make someone who came here to rest, do work?”

“I’m working though. Unlike a certain someone, I’m not a freelancer.”

He received the file that his friend gave him. Phoenix. He had never heard of that agency before. He flipped over the pages and checked the faces of the young actors. Most of them did not have any prior experience, and their self-introduction slot was completely empty as well. He closed the file since he didn’t find any faces he liked.

“I heard you were starting a drama. I guess many people are asking you to pick their people right?”

“Picking one out is also labor.”

“Can I have a look as well?”

“Go ahead.”

Park Hoon handed his friend the file. After skimming through them, he brightened up and chose one.

“This one’s cute. Twenty years old huh.”

“Doesn’t fit the drama.”

“But look at that face.”

“Goddammit, forget it. Give it back.”

Park Hoon yawned and grabbed the files. He left the meeting room at the TV station and went to a nearby café to change things up a little, but he didn’t feel excited at all since there was work in his hands.

“I saw the news. You already picked all of the main cast?”

“We did. Only then can we contact advertisers.”

“Then it doesn’t matter what you do with the other roles, right?”

“Do you think I’m in a position to do that? If I want to pick a minor role, everyone I know comes to me with their business cards, telling me who and who’s good. It’s goddamn tiring.”

“You have it hard. You need to pick from these people?”

“Not necessarily. If I want to make a good drama, I do need a good face, so I do go through all of them, but usually, the ones I take a liking to come from introductions, not profiles like these. The ones with talent will all come to me either way, through their acting schools or managers. Batch profiles like these are usually those that just entered an agency so they’re just trying things out.”

“Why are there so many people that want to become actors in a small country like this?” His friend asked as he lifted a few profiles up.

Park Hoon drank the cooled coffee in one gulp and stood up with the files.

“You’re going?”

“I have to. There’s an audition.”

“You have it busy. And here I was thinking we might be able to have a meal together.”

“You tell me. I’m tired too because I feel like I’m busy for no reason.”

When Park Hoon went to the counter with the files in his arms, his friend stopped him.

“Get going. I’ll pay for the coffee instead of food.”

“Thanks. Let’s have a drink together later.”

He left the café and went into the TV station building, which was right across the street. He walked past the pillar with the big YBS logo on it, towards the security check.

“Producer Park, good work.”

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

He greeted his senior producer before taking the elevator to the 3rd floor.

“Hey, follow me.”

He took the newest producer who was sitting in the meeting room to the 2nd floor public hall. People who seemed to be participants of the audition were walking around the corridor.

“My, producer Park.”

Just before he entered the audition venue, a fatty with a beard blocked his way.

“Manager Kang. It’s been a while.”

“I’m a team leader now.”

“Really? Congratulations.”

He lightly shook hands with team leader Kang.

“Producer Park, are you on a diet? You’ve lost weight since the last time I saw you.”

“It’s because the work is hard. Rather than that, what brings you here?”

“Oh, the thing is, one of ours is in the audition this time, and she’s incredibly good at acting.”

“Well, I’m sure all of them are incredibly good.”

“I’m telling you our kid is really good.”

“I’ll see for myself.”

“I’m telling you just in case - and I mean just in case - you miss her by any chance. Here, take this. It must be tiring so you must take your vitamins.”

Park Hoon handed the box of vitamin drinks that team leader Kang gave him to his junior producer.

“Team leader Kang. The one you recommended to me last time was no good though. Is Crystal bringing all the strange kids to me? I wonder if they’re looking down on me.”

“No way! Of course not. Three of our Crystal members became big thanks to you, producer Park. I’m only showing the capable ones to you first. The one back then was just nervous, and it will be different this time. She’s really good at acting and is pretty so please take a good look at her.”

“Fine, fine. So what’s her name?”

“She’s called Lee Joomin, and she’s the prettiest of the bunch today, so you’ll know when you see her.”

Why don’t we have a meal together later? - added team leader Kang before leaving with a slight nod.

“Junior, give me a bottle.”

He drank the vitamin drink that his junior producer gave him and went to the public hall. The staff members that were going through the equipment under the brightly lit stage recognized him and greeted him.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then let’s have a look.”

He sat down in the seat that was closest to the stage. In front of him was a monitor. There was a red light flashing on the camera that was installed for a test.

“Junior.”

“Yes.”

“You said you wanted to go to the entertainment department, right?”

“I also want to shoot dramas.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s better to have big dreams when you’re still an assistant director. Anyway, watch closely. The drama will change according to how well you can pick out the good gems.”

“Yes.”

The junior producer took out some writing equipment, his eyes burning with passion.

“Please enter in order.”

The participants of the audition came up on stage with a number on their left chests. They all looked young. Since this was a youth drama, appearances were important as well. It would be troublesome if they looked too old.

He had a look at their profiles. The first line on the profiles wasn’t their names but the names of their agencies. If they didn’t belong to one, it was left blank. The big agencies were written in red, and the rest were written in green. There was also a blue checkmark(✓) next to some names, and they were those that were given recommendations. These days, the number one dream for youths was apparently not the president or a scientist, but celebrities or idols. In other words, just about anyone was trying to become a celebrity. It was no exception for the children of those higher up in the TV station, and there were many cases where they participated in auditions with those marks.

“Uhm, senior.”

“What?”

“What’s the blue checkmark for?”

“Oh, that? A letter of recommendation, I guess.”

The junior exclaimed before putting down the profile with the blue checkmark. Park Hoon laughed when the junior put it down carefully.

“Junior.”

“Yes?”

“You should choose the right side to stand on.”

“Ah, yes.”

“You must take into account academic, blood, and personal relations, okay?”

“...Yes.”

“You don’t seem to like it, huh.”

“N-not at all.”

Park Hoon smiled and looked in front of him. Young actors were standing in a line, looking at him with nervousness.

“Well, then. You must be ready. Since all of us are busy, I hope we can do this fast. Please show us everything you can within the allocated time. Even if you come crying to me later, we won’t be seeing each other again.”

“U-uhm.”

A girl with pretty big eyes raised her hand to ask.

“Speak.”

“Are we doing it together?”

“Then should I call you up one by one? One comes in, one goes out. Like that?”

“N-no.”

“Why are you stuttering so much? How are you going to do acting when you can’t express your own opinions properly?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hm, Number four, Miss Yoo Minji?”

“Yes!”

“Don’t apologize so easily. Did you do something wrong?”

“No.”

Seeing the girl take a step back with a gulp, Park Hoon bitterly smiled.

“Well then. We’re going to start off from number one. Please show us two free skits that you’ve prepared for us, and as for the last one, you just have to do the one we give you. We aren’t going to have a look at your specialties, so you don’t need to be worried about that. If there’s something you want to show us no matter what, you may. However, no idol dances or singing. I’m sick and tired of that. Then let’s start from number one. Look at the camera when you act.”

The boy that came forward took a bow and revealed what his agency was before starting to act. Since it was a youth drama he was applying for, he prepared a student skit. Park Hoon crossed his legs and quietly watched his acting. After pretending to fight with an imaginary friend, the boy started acting as though he was eating food.

“Enough. Mr. Kim Doyoung.”

“Yes.”

“What did you eat just now?”

“What?”

“You were doing an eating act just now. What did you eat?”

“Uhm, it’s….”

“Okay, stop here. From now then, start acting as though you’re going against your teacher. And that teacher is someone you’re looking down on.”

“May I have a moment to think about it?”

“Go ahead. Don’t take too long though.”

After thinking about it, the boy started acting. He vigorously slapped away an imaginary hand and shouted into the air before stopping and then looking at him.

“Are you done?”

“Eh? Ah, yes.”

“Then thanks for your work.”

“Uhm… was that it?”

Park Hoon said as he slightly stretched his neck.

“Mr. Kim Doyoung. I don’t have anything to show you. No, I don’t need to show you anything. The one that needs to do their best to show me something is you. I told you before, right? Don’t come crying to me later. I’m someone that sees as much as you show me, Mr. Kim Doyoung. Well then, next.”

When Park Hoon waved his hand, the boy sighed before going back. His profile said that he belonged to an agency. Do agencies teach nothing these days? He clicked his tongue and was just about to call the next person when,

“You’re starting without me?”

A woman with short, blond hair sat down next to him. She was Heo Miri, the casting director.

“Miri, if you only came ahead of time….”

“That joke[1] isn’t even funny you know? Rather than that, how was the first person?”

Park Hoon quietly replied to her that he was no good. Miri nodded.

“Why don’t we continue, director?”

“Sure. Let’s continue. I don’t dare disobey.”

“Why are you so sensitive today? Is it that day for you, director?”

“Gosh, even though you’re a woman….”

Park Hoon looked forward while thinking that she was a hard woman to deal with. The second actor seemed to have finished preparing and was looking his way.

“Please start with your free skits,” Park Hoon said with a low voice.

The second actor also prepared a high school student act. Talking with an imaginary friend, then fighting.

“Thanks for that.”

“Thank you.”

“But why’s your voice like that when you’re acting? It’s completely different from when you’re acting before.”

“I think I raised my voice a little because I was trying to express agitation.”

“Really? It didn’t sound that good though. Then try acting normally this time. Same as before, going against your teacher.”

After clearing his throat, the second actor started acting again. His line was okay, but his tone became weirder the more he acted.

“Mr. Park Youngsoo. There’s a problem with your vocalization.”

“I’ll try my best to fix it.”

“Of course you will. An actor that can’t find his own voice, of course you have to fix it. But that’s not something you should say at an audition, is it? You should have come after you fixed it.”

“Sorry.”

“Ah, gosh. Are you trying to make me the bad guy? If you didn’t commit a crime, please don’t apologize. It’s not good to hear. Become bolder. You’re an actor. Maybe you’re very shy, but an actor on stage can’t show that. Okay? If you’re here to work, you must advertise yourself as a fitting character. Who would want to use you when you advertise yourself as a shy person?”

Park Hoon laid back in his chair and looked at Miri. Miri was also shaking her head.

“Let’s become a bit bolder, okay? Well, then. Next.”

Park Hoon looked at the third person.

[1] “Ahead of time” in Korean is ‘Mirimiri’. So the sentence above literally reads ‘Miri, if you came mirimiri’, hence the ‘joke’