Free Web Novel{Rather than that, let me ask you this. Why did that “human’s” presence increase so drastically in only one year — far beyond what should have been possible?}
Murmur—
The lights flickered more violently than ever before.
{Is that true?}
{I haven’t confirmed the exact number, but if giving him three of my presence still wasn’t enough to equalize it, then there’s only one explanation. His own presence must have increased by more than one during that time.}
{How much time has passed?}
{455 days.}
{Bring the life record of the human Shin Yoomyeong!}
At the elder celestial judge’s command, a subordinate goblin hurried away.
Shortly afterward, a lantern with a flame burning inside it was brought before them. The flame, woven from red and blue energies, was likely the ledger containing the record of Yoomyeong’s life.
The elder judge stared silently at the flickering flame for a long while before Hye-ho anxiously asked,
{Exactly how much presence does he have now?}
But the elder judge seemed too absorbed to hear her question.
Then the sphere of light burst outward, as though communicating with the other lights. The ten lights gathered around the lantern and clung to it.
{Impossible...}
{How could this happen?}
{That’s absurd...}
Though they tried to suppress their voices, their shock was unmistakable.
Something entirely unexpected had clearly occurred.
Hye-ho was desperate to know what had happened, but she restrained herself and waited patiently.
After what felt like an eternity...
{The fairness of life contract number 1538720 has been verified. The Celestial Judges acknowledge its validity. Hye-ho, you may return to the mortal world.}
{Please tell me why his presence became like that!}
{We cannot disclose that information.}
Hye-ho’s beautiful face twisted with anger.
{Just as you did not explain every single disadvantageous detail to the human, the circumstances surrounding the human should likewise not be explained to you in detail. Wouldn’t that be fair?}
At those words, Hye-ho’s anger subsided.
After a brief moment of thought, she asked one final question.
{Does this contract still retain the possibility of achieving the outcome I desire? I believe I have the right to know at least that much.}
The elder judge answered quietly,
{Yes.}
{Then that is enough for me.}
Accepting the result, Hye-ho quickly turned and left.
The elder judge spoke once more as she departed.
{The most important thing for a spirit seeking immortality is life energy. After giving away so much of yours and obtaining only a human body in return, what do you intend to do?}
{I have no obligation to answer that either.}
With a polite yet resolute bow, the silver-haired figure left the garden hall.
The elder judge watched her retreating figure with an unreadable gaze.
[To Director Lee Min-jung of . Attached are the profile and acting video of actor Shin Yoomyeong.]
It was the profile of an actor without an agency affiliation.
‘How did someone without an agency learn about the drama’s schedule? And how did he know I was the casting director?’
Puzzled, she opened the email.
‘Let’s look at the profile first...’
————————————–
Name: Shin Yoomyeong
Age: 24 freewebnøvel.coɱ
Agency: None
Experience:
2003 – Gwanak University’s Changcheon, as President Nam
2003 – Gwanak University’s Oedipus, <Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde> as Jekyll and Hyde
2004 – Film as Phantom – Blue Film/In Production
Desired Role:
as Bohyung
————————————–
It was a simple profile.
Although his experience was brief, he truly appeared to be independent, without agency representation.
Calling him merely a college student interested in acting didn’t feel accurate... especially considering he came from Oedipus, the prestigious university theater club that had produced so many talented actors that even Min-jung still remembered its name.
She opened his photo profile.
‘Wow...’
The photographs were of remarkable quality, clearly taken at a high-end studio.
He had good expressions... and he didn’t look like someone treating acting as a hobby.
With that thought, she clicked on the final file.
[ActingVideo_ShinYoomyeong.wmv]
The attached acting sample began to play.
Yoomyeong had filmed it during a break on the set of after asking Director Choi for a favor. The quality was noticeably better than the usual clips people submitted using digital cameras or camcorders. frёewebnoѵēl.com
‘Wow... this looks like it was filmed with professional equipment. But... are all of these really the same person?’
The video consisted of four clips, each with slightly different styling. In some scenes, he appeared to be in the middle of filming, fully made up.
Judging by facial features alone, it was clearly the same person, but the texture of his acting felt different in each clip, making the casting director tilt her head in confusion.
‘Is there a problem with the video or the editing? Either way, his acting is impressive. But...’
The role he applied for already had a preferred candidate.
Should I consider him for another role? It would be a waste to overlook such a fresh face...
The casting director sent a text message to the number listed on the profile.
[I’m the casting director for Showbiz Studies. Could we meet and talk as soon as possible?]
At a coffee shop in Gangnam.
A male student greeted her politely. His appearance was neat and clean.
That was Director Lee Min-jung’s first impression of him.
“It would’ve been better to meet at the broadcasting station, but I’ve been so busy lately that I thought meeting on the way would be easier.”
“Yes, that’s perfectly fine with me.”
“But how did you hear about our drama? Since you even know the character name ‘Bohyung,’ it sounds like you’ve already read the script.”
She began with the sensitive issue.
was on a tight production schedule, so the script had only been distributed to entertainment agencies. At the time, they had strongly emphasized that the script must not leak.
If an actor without agency representation had seen the script, did that mean it had been leaked?
“Ah... I had a meeting with an agency, and while the representative briefly stepped away, I glanced through the scripts stacked on the table. I can’t tell you which agency it was... and I apologize if I alarmed you.”
Min-jung sighed in relief.
As long as the script hadn’t leaked externally, it wasn’t a major issue. And thanks to that incident, she had discovered a promising actor.
“Did you sign with that agency?”
“No, not yet. I think it’s important to choose carefully, so I’m planning to take my time deciding.”
The young man, who seemed far more mature than his twenty-four years, answered calmly.
More than his words, however, what caught her attention was...
His voice.
Soft, yet strangely captivating.
“Are you currently working on anything?”
“Yes. Filming wrapped about a month ago. We’re currently in post-production.”
“You’re listed ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) as a college student currently taking a break from school. Are you planning to return?”
“Not for now. I want to focus on acting.”
“Alright, putting that aside...”
Min-jung quickly moved past the basic questions and got straight to the main point.
“Why did you choose Bohyung?”
“...”
“You don’t seem delusional enough to aim for a lead role right away, but you also don’t want to start as an extra and slowly climb your way up. Is that why you’re aiming for a major supporting role?”
Director Lee spoke bluntly.
“I found the character appealing, so I wanted to play him.”
Yoomyeong answered calmly despite the sharp remark.
And that was the truth.
He chose the supporting role because of the ‘appeal’ and ‘potential’ the character possessed.
He was curious to see just how much charm he could bring out if he, rather than another actor, played Bohyung.
“You’re not very entertaining, are you.”
The casting director grumbled before admitting,
“To be honest, there’s already a strong candidate for the role.”
He clearly remembered reading an article saying auditions would be held for the role he wanted...
“So it’s basically decided without an audition?”
“No. There will still be an audition, but there are complications. Unless there’s a massive gap in acting skill — enough to completely shock the judges — the decision is already about ninety-nine percent made.”
Hearing that, Yoomyeong smiled defiantly.
“Then do you want to see an audition like that?”
[Showbiz Studies] Episodes 1 and 2.
Two scripts were neatly tucked inside.
— Ah, these scripts absolutely cannot leave your possession.
— There’s a reason for that. Our writer is obsessed with ‘acting ability.’ You can already tell from the content of the drama itself. The lead actor, Do-jun, is supposed to have phenomenal acting skills. That’s the whole theme. They keep pressuring me to discover fresh new talent based purely on acting.
— Prepare this scene for the assigned performance. Also prepare a free-acting segment, and that should be enough.
— If this leaks, both your acting career and my career as a casting director are over. Understood?
Yoomyeong hadn’t even considered the possibility of the script leaking.
If he hadn’t been careful enough to claim he saw it at an agency when Min-jung questioned him, he might have ended up in serious trouble.
‘I need to be more careful from now on...’
That aside, she really was something else.
Even if things went well and he managed to secure an audition opportunity, he had expected only a few selected scenes — not the entirety of Episodes 1 and 2. How could she trust him this much...?
Still, thanks to that trust, it felt as though he had obtained a treasure. Yoomyeong eagerly opened the script.
It was a drama he had enjoyed and rewatched several times thanks to the internet. The scenes still remained vivid in his memory.
His heartbeat quickened as he imagined how the images in his mind would be described in script form.
Flip—
The first page turned.
——————————————
#1 In front of Star Entertainment Agency
A large modern building. A low-angle shot captures the imposing structure. The scene shifts, and from a high-angle shot, a person wearing an ill-fitting suit appears small in comparison.
Hana: Wow... So this is Star Entertainment Agency.
——————————————
Yoomyeong’s eyes remained fixed on the script.
The only sounds in the room were the occasional swallow from his throat and the rustling of pages turning.
Not long afterward, Yoomyeong finished devouring both scripts and finally let out a breath.
Whew—
‘So this is what the script feels like... It’s definitely interesting.’
Writer Yook Mi-young was famous for creating compelling characters. She was a popular writer who had already produced three consecutive hit dramas.
Especially Bohyung.
Yoomyeong had only imagined how enjoyable the role would be based on the lines and scenes he remembered from the drama, but the Bohyung within the original script — not yet fully realized onscreen — was even more captivating.
From the script, Yoomyeong was able to identify three clues about the character.
— What the writer conveyed about the character through narration.
[Bohyung rummages through the clothing donation bin with a curious expression.]
— How other characters described him through dialogue.
[That hat is from GuC, right? And those shoes are from DolC too, aren’t they? Then why does his outfit still look so shabby...?]
— And the words and actions the character himself displayed.
[Hana! My family went bankrupt and I got kicked out. sobs]
Combining those clues, the image of Bohyung the writer intended to portray became perfectly clear.
And its texture was noticeably different from the version portrayed by the actor in the actual drama.
If he were the one holding the brush...
‘I could bring out one hundred and twenty percent of Bohyung’s charm...’
Even when given the same subject to paint, the final result changed completely depending on the hand holding the brush and the quality of the paint.
He could feel heat rising through his body.
Pouring himself into every single line, Yoomyeong began shaping Bohyung’s character.
The audition...
Was two weeks away.
