The first large-scale audition for Beneficial Evil had begun.
The participants would be judged here, move on to the second round, and then go through the final selection. But hundreds of applicants had already gathered from Waiting Room 1 through Waiting Room 3. More people showed up than expected, so they had to hurriedly create a fourth waiting room as well.
The audition process itself was simple.
The assistant director in charge called the participants in alphabetical order. About five people entered the audition room at a time and showed their acting. In practice, it was no different from an open audition. The first team had just finished, and the second team had only just entered the room.
Little by little, the faces of the people in the waiting rooms began turning pale, then flushed.
"Ugh… I feel sick."
"It was like this last time too. If I mess up again, the professor is seriously going to tear me apart."
"Ha… I just want even a tiny role. But Woojin probably won't come, right? I'd still love to see him in person just once—"
"Why would the guy who turned the Baeksang Arts Awards upside down yesterday come here?"
The participants included theater troupe members, acting majors, students from acting academies, rookie actors signed to agencies, and unknown actors who had come on their own.
Each of them had their own distinct appeal.
They all gave off completely different vibes, but they had one thing in common.
Every single one of them was holding a sheet of paper in one hand.
It was the script for the acting they would perform today. Since the audition was free acting, they had to use the script they had prepared themselves.
"Ah, damn it, I can't remember the lines, Manager."
"You idiot! I told you to memorize them even while taking a dump!"
Sighs and groans broke out all over the waiting room. Some participants stared at the audition information posted at the entrance and were filled with awe.
-[Title: Beneficial Evil]
-[Director: Song Manwoo]
-[Writer: Choi Nana]
-[Actor: Kang Woojin]
-[Production: Netflix Korea, DM Production]
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The interesting thing was how Kang Woojin's status had changed compared to the past.
"Get a grip! It's Kang Woojin, Kang Woojin. The second you set foot in one of his projects, something is bound to happen. Even showing up for a moment would be huge. Got it?"
"Y-Yes!"
"Don't get scared! Isn't Kang Woojin your role model? You'll never get an opportunity like this again, so put your life on the line."
That fact was very simply proven through the countless conversations happening around the audition site.
"Whew… if you make it through the final round, you'll make your world debut with Kang Woojin. Just imagining it gives me chills."
"Don't throw my idol's name around like that."
"Is it just me? For unknown actors and trainees like us, Kang Woojin is basically like a god. And you really prepared Lee Sangman, of all things? You picked a role that's practically in the realm of the divine."
"I prepared it even knowing everyone else would avoid it."
"If I can imitate even a little of Kang Woojin's acting, I might pass."
In this place, Kang Woojin was the ultimate superstar.
Of course, he was already a figure with overwhelming influence in Korea, but in this audition room, he was treated almost like a divine being—like some alien life-form.
A pioneer. An idol. A role model.
To them, Woojin was both a powerful source of hope and a catalyst. What he had achieved in only two years was nothing short of tremendous. It was like a new human race discovering an unknown continent and moving forward without hesitation.
It really was like that.
Anyway, the hundreds of audition participants were all struggling in their own ways.
Who among them would make it past the second audition and survive all the way to the final selection? But unlike the contestants' fierce determination, most of the teams that entered the audition room were sent back in less than five minutes.
"Alright, that's enough. Next team."
It was because Song Manwoo PD, the main judge among the five, made his decisions quickly. The time he spent watching an audition ranged from ten seconds to thirty seconds at most. But for someone like Song Manwoo PD to watch that long already meant he was showing considerable interest.
Usually, he did not even watch for five seconds.
And there were simply too many participants.
"Start when you're ready."
"Y-Yes!"
As Song Manwoo PD watched the five participants standing in front of him, he began feeling tired.
'Hoo, there's no talent. Not a trace of it.'
He had watched more than ten teams already, but not a single one stood out. More than half of them did not even have the basics. And the ones who did have the basics lacked any charm. People fumbling over their lines was a common sight.
'I knew this would happen, but I didn't think it would be this pathetic.'
He had been prepared for it. Song Manwoo PD had known that 80% of the participants would be meaningless. At moments like this, he felt more keenly than ever just how special Kang Woojin was.
'Damn it. Still, we have to hold out to the end. Even if finding a pearl necklace is impossible, if we can at least get one silver ring, that's a success.'
And so the audition continued, quiet but fierce.
Thirty minutes. One hour. One and a half hours.
As time passed, the judges other than Song Manwoo PD grew tired, but no truly striking actors appeared. The best ones they had found so far were barely suited for supporting bit parts.
Song Manwoo PD grumbled.
"It's a drought. A severe drought."
The other judges from the casting team agreed.
"Exactly. At the very least, if they had looks, we could at least ask questions. But everything so far has been too bland."
"Their acting level, being generous, is about freshman college level."
"Let's move it along. Call in the next team."
The next team of five entered the audition room.
The acting began immediately.
The first participant's diction was a mess from the start.
The second was no different.
The third had a unique face, but lacked even the fundamentals.
Then the fourth participant stepped forward.
She was a young girl.
Her dark brown hair was short, and her frame was small. Her face was cute, almost puppy-like. The moment Song Manwoo PD saw her, he found himself drawn in.
'If she ever became famous, she'd easily earn the title of the nation's little sister.'
Small and cute? Lovely and adorable? If you pictured the word cute, this was exactly the image that came to mind. Even her shoe size looked small. Maybe around 210 to 215? Just from her appearance alone, Song Manwoo PD had already guessed what her voice might sound like.
But—
"Hello. I'm Lim Haeun."
Her voice was slightly low and gloomy.
It was an unexpected reversal, and Song Manwoo PD's brow twitched faintly.
...
Soon, after quietly watching Lim Haeun standing before him, Song Manwoo PD lowered his gaze to the profile sheet beside her without a word.
-Flip.
It was the first time today that Song Manwoo PD had looked through a participant's profile that closely. Then he found something interesting and threw her a question.
"Hm? Your mother is a shaman?"
"Yes. Since I was young."
"And even so, you want to become an actress?"
"My mother told me not to become a shaman."
"Hmm, I see."
Other than that, there was nothing particularly remarkable. She was twenty years old, studying in a university acting department while also attending an acting academy. That kind of background was common enough among the other applicants.
"Alright. Show us your acting."
"Yes."
She took a small breath and spoke again.
"The scene I prepared is Kim Ryujin from the short film Exorcism."
Song Manwoo PD was slightly surprised. He had seen many people prepare scenes from Kang Woojin's work, but this was the first time someone had prepared Kim Ryujin from Exorcism.
'The emotions Woojin expressed through sound and rhythm in that role were incredible. Is she really trying that?'
As Song Manwoo PD slowly nodded with interest, Lim Haeun suddenly dropped to the floor.
And unlike the slightly gloomy impression she had given only moments earlier, she immediately began breathing in a rough, ragged way.
Her body trembled.
Her eyes rolled back rapidly.
At that moment, Song Manwoo PD, who had been lazily spinning a pen in his hand, stopped moving and sharpened his gaze.
'Oh?'
Meanwhile—
similar articles were coming out across overseas media at the same time.
The first clue had appeared two days ago, and now it had grown much larger.
[Miley Cara rumored to be working on an album project with a Korean actor]
Because Miley Cara was a global superstar, she had countless paparazzi around her, and since the articles were about Cara, most of the photos used were paparazzi shots of her.
[Hollywood and fans are buzzing over Miley Cara's sudden moves, but she remains silent]
A Korean actor participating in Cara's new album project?
What kind of nonsense was that?
Most overseas articles were filled with question marks. In other words, they did not properly understand the situation. It could easily have been gossip. Or just a clickbait headline designed to provoke.
Korean tabloids were no joke, but Hollywood tabloids were beyond imagination.
They were capable of exposing pregnancies that never existed or fabricating affairs out of thin air overnight. Compared to that, even an absurd article about Cara almost looked cute. But because Miley Cara was a top-tier singer, the story spread rapidly across overseas media.
Something about it was strange.
If it had been a Korean singer, people might have understood. The K-pop wave was strong enough for that. But a Korean actor? No matter how unconventional Cara could be, it felt awkward.
Then where had this rumor started?
Where had it leaked from, and where had it begun spreading?
In truth, no one knew exactly who started it first.
But what did that matter?
Once the rumor began in overseas media, it quickly spread through paparazzi channels and social media. Public reaction around the world was immediate.
A Korean actor? What kind of media play is this?
This is obviously fake news. At least it's not saying Cara is pregnant or something.
I think it's possible. Some Korean actors work as singers too.
I was really looking forward to Cara's new album, but now I'm a little worried.
No way. Miley Cara may be eccentric, but she's still a pro. Why would she suddenly work with a Korean actor?
Why does that matter? I'll listen to anything she puts out anyway.
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Among them, there were also people who had begun to put the clues together.
Cara went to Korea recently for movie promotion, right? Something might have happened then.
If you go to Cara's YouTube channel, there's a video of her singing a duet with a Korean actor. It might be that actor.
I saw that video too. That guy was an actor?! I thought he was a Korean singer.
And so, the rumor about Cara, which had started overseas, spread wider and wider.
By late afternoon, people were even talking about Cara at a large filming site in LA.
More specifically, Joseph Felton's producer team was watching the set.
"Joseph."
Bald Robert called out to Joseph, who had been staring at a village-style set. Dressed comfortably in a suit, Joseph turned at the sound. Robert showed him his phone.
"Did you see the article about Miley Cara? It's become quite a topic lately."
Joseph, his arms folded, glanced at the article and grinned.
"Hmm. So this is why Cara went to Korea to check out Leech."
"Then do you think the 'Korean actor' in the article means Kang Woojin?"
"Not one hundred percent, but I'd say about ninety. This probably leaked from Cara's side."
"Cara leaked it?"
"Yes. It's a way of informing the media and the public in advance. That way they won't be too shocked later."
"Do you think it's confirmed?"
"No. I didn't hear it directly from Cara. Kang Woojin's side may have rejected the offer."
Standing beside Joseph, Bald Robert scratched his head.
"Ever since I learned about Kang Woojin, strange things just keep happening. Isn't Cara famous for releasing only solo albums, without features or collaborations?"
"When people become completely captivated by something, they can go blind and act irrationally sometimes. And besides—"
Joseph trailed off and turned his gaze forward. Countless crew members and Hollywood actors were filming passionately ahead of him. He was observing the set of a famous drama's fourth season. The black-haired Joseph scratched his chin.
"Ever since I came back from Korea, nothing impresses me anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"Their acting."
"You're comparing them to Kang Woojin?"
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Joseph said nothing.
It was confirmation enough.
He had tried to deliberately forget Woojin's acting, but watching Hollywood actors perform naturally made him think of the film set of Leech.
"It's not disappointing, but it doesn't particularly stand out either. They're good, but I saw something new and extraordinary."
It was as if he had once witnessed the incredible craftsmanship of a true master.
Bald Robert, apparently thinking something similar, added—
"It really would be hard to find anything with the same impact as what we experienced in Korea."
"When an actor keeps delivering astonishing performances, people naturally grow used to it. That's why veteran actors sometimes make reckless mistakes. The boundary between brilliance and recklessness is vague. But how does Kang Woojin keep crossing that ambiguous line? How is that even possible?"
"Then why aren't you moving forward with him on anything?"
Joseph burst out laughing.
"Even if he were cast in a Hollywood film, he's the kind of actor who could reject it outright. Do you think Kang Woojin would just pack his bags and jump on a plane because I called?"
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"He'll appear on his own terms. Probably at Cannes."
Having reached that guess, Joseph scratched his chin again.
"For now, finding the right project for him is the highest priority."
Back in Korea—
the Beneficial Evil audition was nearing its end.
It was already past 2 p.m. Among the judges gathered in the audition room, Song Manwoo PD stretched in his chair.
"Ah! Whew, how many teams do we have left?"
The assistant director waiting by the door replied at once.
"About three teams."
"This is way too long. Seriously too long."
Even so, they had managed to find a few candidates worth noting. In particular, they had selected around fifty participants, including Lim Haeun, to watch again in the second round.
"Let's push through to the end."
"Yes!"
The assistant director nodded briskly and brought in the next team. The previous team had been five women, but this one was five men.
Then—
'Hm? This guy isn't bad.'
The man standing in front caught Song Manwoo PD's eye.
Clean-cut? Fresh? First of all, his skin was clear. He looked over 180 centimeters tall. His handsome face gave off a kind, likable image. His eyes, nose, and mouth were all neatly defined, and his softly brown, carefully styled hair gave off a fresh impression.
The kind of face women would like.
At that moment, Song Manwoo PD suddenly thought of Kang Woojin.
'...He's the complete opposite of Woojin. His atmosphere and his looks are totally different.'
And it was true.
His face was the exact opposite of Kang Woojin's.