Chapter 4: Unemployed Shut-In. Becomes a Writer? (4)
A short while later, a neatly dressed woman in jeans entered, bowing politely.
“Hello.”
- Hello.
Park Chan-young and Kim Dong-su returned her greeting naturally and invited her to sit. Then, they began their questions.
“Your filmography shows no film experience?”
“Yes, that’s why I’d love the opportunity to take part this time.”
“Is there a particular reason you applied for the role of the female lead, Park Min-hye?”
The first candidate explained her interpretation of Park Min-hye, highlighting what resonated with her and where she felt emotionally connected.
After some light conversation, it was time for her to perform.
“Could we see the performance you prepared?”
“Yes, of course.”
With a deep breath, the first candidate launched into a scene where Park Min-hye tries to persuade the male protagonist.
“Snap out of it! Do you think this will change anything? Do you really believe succeeding in your revenge will make you happy?!”
Kim Si-woo watched, intrigued by the sudden shift in her demeanor.
‘Wow… her vibe completely changed.’
As the writer of the scene, Kim Si-woo instantly visualized it, recalling the male protagonist Choi Do-hyun’s lines in his head and mentally exchanging dialogue with her.
- “Happy? Happiness disappeared from my life long ago. All that’s left is a swamp of misery. And I’m just dragging that man down to where I am.”
“Please… live your own life now…”
Her short performance, shifting from anger to pity for the male protagonist, concluded, and she bowed.
“That’s all.”
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
Park Chan-young and Kim Dong-su applauded, and Kim Si-woo hurriedly joined in.
“Well done. We’ll contact you within a week with the results.”
“Thank you.”
As the first candidate left, Park Chan-young turned to Kim Si-woo.
“So, what do you think? Auditions aren’t such a big deal, right?”
“Uh… it feels kind of overwhelming. I’m nervous.”
“That’s probably because she was so good. She may not have film experience, but she’s done dramas as a child actor, commercials, and music videos.”
“Oh… I see.”
“Don’t be too nervous. If you have any questions for the candidates, feel free to ask.”
“I’ll try.”
“Haha, you don’t need to try that hard.”
Park Chan-young teased to ease Kim Si-woo’s tension before calling for the next candidate.
“Bring in the second candidate, please.”
“Yes, sir.”
After auditioning a total of 30 candidates for Park Min-hye, they moved on to the role of Choi Do-hyun’s mother, Lee Soo-yeon.
“One down, and I’m already exhausted,” Kim Si-woo said.
“I know, right? They were all surprisingly good,” Kim Dong-su replied.
“It’s because we finally have a great script after so long. All thanks to you, Writer,” Park Chan-young added.
“Haha… thank you for the compliment.”
Four roles remained: Choi Do-hyun’s mother, Lee Soo-yeon; his best friend, Kim Dong-jin; his ally, Lee Chil-gu; and Park Do-sik, a criminal who does dirty work for Choi Do-hyun’s father, Choi Sung-chan.
“The number of candidates will decrease as we go, so let’s keep at it.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s start the auditions for Lee Soo-yeon.”
This time, middle-aged actresses entered in casual clothing, exuding a relaxed confidence.
“Hello, Director. Oh, I mean President now, right?”
“Shim, it’s been a while. How’ve you been?”
The candidate, apparently acquainted with Park Chan-young and Kim Dong-su, exchanged warm greetings before approaching Kim Si-woo.
“You’re the writer, right? Nice to meet you.”
“Oh! Yes, nice to meet you too.”
Up close, her flawless skin belied her age. She truly had the aura of an actress, far beyond that of an ordinary person.
“Still, Shim, you’re too seasoned to be auditioning… Sorry if this feels beneath you.”
“No, it’s fine. I really wanted this role. The scripts my agency’s been showing me lately have been lackluster.”
Unlike the Park Min-hye auditions, the Lee Soo-yeon auditions were filled with light banter and casual catching up.
“Alright, please show us your prepared performance, Actress Shim Ji-young.”
“Yes.”
Shim Ji-young slipped into the role of Lee Soo-yeon so seamlessly it was hard to tell when she’d focused. Her chosen scene was Lee Soo-yeon’s final farewell to her son in a hospital room.
“Don’t be picky with your food… Don’t get sick… Don’t do bad things… I believe you’ll grow up to be a kind man.”
A shift in her gaze and a crack in her voice sent chills down Kim Si-woo’s spine.
“Son… I love you. And I’m sorry. Never forget how much your mom loves you. I love you… I love you… I love you.”
While there had been strong performances in the Park Min-hye auditions, Shim Ji-young’s acting was on another level. Her breathing, gaze, voice, and gestures were so detailed it felt like being in a hospital. When she finished, everyone stared at her in stunned silence, forgetting to clap.
“What, are you all just going to keep staring? It’s embarrassing…”
“Haha! Sorry. How does your acting keep getting better, Shim?”
“Just practice, I guess. So, Writer, what did you think of my performance?”
“It was… so good that I’m in a bit of a dilemma now.”
“What?”
Her words, along with Park Chan-young and Kim Dong-su, caught them off guard.
“Writer, is something wrong…?”
“I think I need to revise the script.”
“What?”
The three of them, startled by the sudden mention of revisions, stared at Kim Si-woo, who hurriedly explained.
“Of course, if the revisions aren’t good, you can proceed with the original. I just had a better idea.”
“Haha… let’s talk about that when it’s just us,” Park Chan-young said, quickly changing the subject. He playfully remarked to Shim Ji-young that they couldn’t pay her much, and she shot back that she wasn’t short on money.
“It’ll take about a week to get back to you, so please wait.”
“Yes. Thank you for your time.”
Shim Ji-young’s performance was so overwhelming that the subsequent actors, despite their strong showings, didn’t leave much of an impression.
After the auditions for Lee Soo-yeon concluded, Park Chan-young immediately turned to Kim Si-woo.
“Writer, which part of the script… are you planning to revise?”
“I want to change it so Lee Soo-yeon doesn’t die from an illness but is killed by a criminal who holds a grudge against the protagonist’s father, Choi Sung-chan.”
“Oh… so you’re changing the reason for the protagonist’s anger?”
“Yes. I want the protagonist to be furious because his father, a cop, saves others but fails to protect his own family.”
“How long will it take for the revised script? The shooting schedule is pretty tight…”
“Uh… three days?”
At the mention of three days, Park Chan-young and Kim Dong-su exchanged glances, making Kim Si-woo worry he’d said something wrong.
“Is that too slow? Maybe… the day after tomorrow?”
“No, no, it’s not that—it’s too fast! We’d be grateful if you could deliver it that quickly.”
After wrapping up the discussion about the script revisions, they hurriedly moved on to auditions for the other roles. By the time they finished, it was already 5 p.m.
“Finally done.”
“Alright, let’s decide quickly. I bet we’re thinking along the same lines.”
With the auditions over, they began discussing which actors best fit each role.
“Shall we start with Park Min-hye?”
“Sure. I’m leaning toward candidate 1. Her acting experience gives her stability, and she’s got a good look.”
“I agree. I thought candidate 12 was decent too.”
“Candidate 12? Not bad, but the lack of a filmography is a bit concerning.”
“True. What do you think, Writer?”
“Huh?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Kim Si-woo fumbled and quickly opened the notes he’d taken during the auditions.
“I… think candidate 34.”
“34?”
The unexpected choice prompted both men to flip through the audition applications.
“Candidate 34? Uh…”
“You’re serious about this one?”
Looking at the profile, they were skeptical. A 20-year-old actress with no filmography. She’d been visibly nervous during her Q&A, and her performance was average—neither standout nor subpar.
“I just felt she matched my vision of Park Min-hye the most. Her tall stature and cool demeanor fit the character I imagined.”
“Synchronicity is important. Her look is solid.”
Sensing their lukewarm response, Kim Si-woo waved his hands and quickly elaborated.
“Of course, candidate 1’s acting was great, but… how do I put it? Too bright, maybe? Anyway, it’s just my personal opinion, so don’t take it too seriously.”
The Park Min-hye role leaned toward candidate 1, and the discussion fizzled out. For Lee Soo-yeon, Shim Ji-young was unanimously chosen.
“Honestly, she was just too good. You agree, right, Writer?”
“Yes. It was my first time seeing acting up close, and it gave me chills.”
“But why the sudden script change?”
“Oh… If we show Lee Soo-yeon dying of an illness, the actress would need to lose a ton of weight and shave her head to look emaciated, which would be tough, right? Plus, I think a different image would suit her better.”
Park Chan-young was dumbfounded.
Most writers hated changes to their work. Even minor tweaks could cause unintended errors, and a script was like a writer’s child or an extension of themselves.
Yet here was Kim Si-woo, willing to revise his script out of concern for an actress’s hardship and to better match her image—an absurd notion.
“Anyway, can we review the revised script before deciding?”
“Of course.”
The roles of the friend Kim Dong-jin, the ally Lee Chil-gu, and the criminal Park Do-sik were decided swiftly without issue, and the auditions concluded.
“We’ll think a bit more about Park Min-hye. Writer, would you like to join us for dinner?”
“Uh… is that okay?”
“Of course. It’s on the president’s card anyway,” Kim Dong-su teased.
Park Chan-young shot him a sharp look from behind.
“Sigh… Come on, Writer, join us. Some things only come up over drinks, and you seem tense. It’ll be a good chance to bond.”
“Alright.”
They left the building and arrived at a barbecue restaurant, where Park Chan-young and Kim Dong-su headed familiarly to a corner table, with Kim Si-woo trailing behind.
“Auntie, five servings of samgyeopsal and two bottles of soju, please.”
- Coming right up~
At Park Chan-young’s order, sizzling samgyeopsal and two bottles of soju were soon placed on the table.
“They grill it for you here, which is great. Let’s all have a drink—good work today.”
Park Chan-young opened the soju and poured for Kim Dong-su and Kim Si-woo.
“Si-woo… I mean, Writer.”
“You can just call me Si-woo.”
“Oh… haha, alright then. How was today, Si-woo?”
“I was just nervous about messing up.”
Kim Dong-su reassured him that everyone feels that way at first and he’d get used to it. The three clinked glasses, chatting and growing closer over drinks. When Kim Si-woo mentioned he’d written the ‘Revenger’ script in just two months, Park Chan-young and Kim Dong-su nearly spat out their soju.
“What? You wrote it in ‘two months’?”