Free Web Novel* * *
Director Jang reached for his Frappuccino again. At some point, his mouth had gone completely dry. From the fully melted Frappuccino, he could no longer taste any sweetness.
‘This... isn’t just because it melted.’
It felt as if his field of vision were expanding. As though someone were arbitrarily controlling the telescope Director Jang was holding.
Beyond the lens, what appeared was first the harbor, then a tree sheltering someone from the rain, then the front of the Daimaru Department Store in Kobe—his view darted about restlessly.
‘How long has it been since I’ve been this tense?’
Even when the bureau chief had stormed in and collapsed on the floor, or when investors had raised hell threatening to pull their money, Director Jang had always said exactly what he wanted to say.
And yet, just now, he had momentarily lost his words. Because of one young actress.
“You both worked very hard. You were far better than I expected.”
Every monitor inside Director Jang’s head was focused on a single person. The person contained within his lens was Yeon Huijae herself, no matter where he looked.
“One of you acted Huijae well. But the other was Yeon Huijae.”
Anyone could have predicted where this was going.
“Director Jang, of course emotional expression and text interpretation can vary from actor to actor, but... the details you mentioned can absolutely be adjusted. The level of completion—!”
An anxious investor from Gi Juye’s side sprang to his feet. But Director Jang didn’t even spare him a glance.
As if he could see only one person, his gaze remained fixed.
“Completion is something we build after the audition. The writer, the director, the production team—we all sit down and make it together. But character identity is decided inside the audition.”
Director Jang stared straight at Han Yeoreum, as if unwilling to miss even a single instant of the Yeon Huijae she had just shown.
From now on, every Yeon Huijae he imagined would wear Han Yeoreum’s face from this very moment.
“Did you cut your hair like that?”
“No. It’s a wig. I’ll match the hairstyle however you direct it.”
Director Jang asked while looking at Han Yeoreum. Everyone there knew that with that question, the decision for the role of Yeon Huijae had already been made. The investors on Gi Juye’s side dropped their heads.
“No. It’s perfect. Exactly the Huijae I imagined. Come to the crank-in looking just like that.”
Director Jang leaned back without a trace of regret. As his center of gravity shifted, he opened his chest wide. He looked refreshed.
“Yeon Huijae of <The Great Garland> is Han Yeoreum.”
* * *
I barely made it out of the audition room and leaned against the corridor wall. Only now did the muscles in my tightly drawn abdomen begin to ache.
I took a deep breath, forcing new air into my lungs in place of the heavy pressure that had been weighing them down.
“Whew....”
Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. After I steadied my breathing several times, Manager Choi, who had been waiting, came running.
“Yeoreum, are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Unni... I got it....” fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
I flashed a V sign with one hand toward Manager Choi as she ran over. The sensation of having pulled it off made my lower abdomen tingle.
Staggering, supported by Manager Choi, I went straight into the meeting room next door and dropped into the chair closest to the door.
‘Ah, I can finally breathe....’
As I let the tension drain from my body, my muscles loosened and it felt as if a jolt of electricity ran through them.
“Yeoreum, wait here a moment. Unni will go greet the director and come right back!”
Manager Choi left. Just as my body was about to relax completely—
I heard unusually heavy footsteps.
The sound of dress shoes carrying a chill with them.
Knock, knock—
A short knock sounded. A very tall man lowered his head and peered through the small glass pane in the door.
‘Ji Haebeom?’
Why is he here—before I could even finish wondering, he asked with his mouth. Can I come in? I nodded.
Click.
Ji Haebeom quietly opened the door and stepped inside, then went straight to the point.
“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”
He asked in a voice laced with amusement. But only the voice. His face wasn’t smiling at all.
“I’m not sure what you mean, sunbae....”
Because he leaned toward me while I was seated, a shadow fell across his face. His well-defined bone structure stood out sharply.
“When you came in at first, your gait was strange. I figured you might just be feeling unwell today.”
I’d felt this kind of discomfort somewhere before.
The way a single sentence could change the air around them. In the empty meeting room, Ji Haebeom’s heavy voice resonated from the floor up.
“But when you left, you weren’t limping.”
With his arms crossed, Ji Haebeom leaned diagonally against the door. His gaze, filled with certainty that he’d grasped everything, settled on me.
“Wow... ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) I was really surprised. I never thought all of that was acting.”
Still expressionless, he delivered a precise analysis. His attitude was like someone peeling back hidden intentions one by one.
“You were worried your voice would shake from the abdominal pressure, so you projected your voice using this area instead. That’s why so much breath noise was mixed in.”
Ji Haebeom tapped his chin lightly with his index finger. He even pressed into it deliberately, as if making a cute gesture.
He acted as though he were trying to ease my tension while looking at my stiff expression—but that only made me tense up even more.
“At first, I wondered if Director Jang had tipped you off in advance because he was backing you... but judging by his reaction earlier, that doesn’t seem to be it.”
The Ji Haebeom looking at me now could not be mistaken for the same person as the Gi Taeseok from earlier. Right now, he was closer to a cold, calculating businessman who kept everything within his mental ledger.
‘I remember this feeling. When was the last time I felt it....’
This is completely Myeong Jeha. ...At least Jeha pretended to ease off. Ji Haebeom just kept pressing, cornering me with questions.
‘Ji Haebeom has a wide field of vision like Director Jang, and sharp sensitivity like Myeong Jeha.’
If Myeong Jeha felt like he was looking down from above, Ji Haebeom felt like he was trying to cage me within his own sight.
Behind his long lashes, his eyes held a sharp gleam. He was a difficult type to deal with.
“When did you figure it out? The pear blossom symbolism? No—that’s not it. Start with why you bothered using abdominal pressure.”
The status window floating above his head flickered. His abilities weren’t just above average—they were overwhelming, quantified into numbers.
‘No error window popping up, so he’s not a regressor.’
Even so, his stats were abnormally high.
[Name: Ji Haebeom]
Immersion: A+
Analysis: S+
Delivery: S
Reflexes: A
‘A top is a top for a reason.’
Hearing that he’d been watching Director Jang’s reactions at the same time, even while his gaze seemed fixed on me, made it clear he was no ordinary person.
〈Overwhelming Presence〉 S
〈Big Picture Calculator〉 A fгeewebnovёl.com
Ji Haebeom’s stats and status window sparkled brightly.
“I’m just curious.”
Inside Han Yeoreum’s head, the vulgar little calculator started clacking away. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance—Ji Haebeom himself might end up becoming part of the Yeoreum faction. It seemed wise to earn his favor.
‘And it’s not just anyone. It’s Ji Haebeom.’
Ji Haebeom—the man said to investigate every scenario with potential. That likely came from that skill, <Big Picture Calculator>.
‘Let’s start by making a good impression. Smart and sharp, but a junior who answers sunbae’s questions obediently.’
Who am I? Han Yeoreum—the one who made a top Korean actor follow her the moment an audition ended.
I met his eyes and answered,
“My lungs hurt, so I pressed my abdomen hard to endure the pain.”
“Why would your lungs hurt? The script only mentions a cough and a fever.”
“Pulmonary tuberculosis fits the historical background of that era well. And since Writer Ahn likes planting detailed foreshadowing, I thought the pear blossoms would definitely be connected to Huijae’s illness.”
Ji Haebeom gave a short nod, as if telling me to continue. I went on explaining.
