Superstar From Age 0

He hadn't been here long enough to hear everything from the start, but he had grasped the situation.

Seo-jun, holding a drink in each hand, had half taken off his right sneaker.

This was a place that people hardly ever visited unless they came here on purpose.

That meant that the actor didn't just happen to spot Kim Haun on his way.

‘He came here with a plan.’

Seo-jun could have gone straight to where the man and Kim Haun were and said something.

But he didn't.

Seo-jun knew well the dark side of this world he loved.

There were plenty of documentaries and works related to the rumors behind the entertainment industry, whether in America or Korea.

‘I don't know how the rumors will spread.’

He was fine. But what about Kim Haun?

Seo-jun didn't want Kim Haun, who was working hard to become an actor, to be hindered by someone like that.

Seo-jun aimed his sneaker, dangling from his toes, at a suitable distance and kicked it. The sneaker flew off his foot and hit the wall with a loud noise.

At the sound, Kim Jin-cheol's body flinched as he was about to continue.

He had been looking at Kim Haun, who couldn't lift his head, and lightly tapped his shoulder.

“Just tell me if you’re having a hard time. I’ll talk to the director.”

“…”

Seo-jun thought for a moment, ‘Should I throw my left sneaker at the back of his head?’, as he saw Kim Jin-cheol acting kindly. He remembered that there were some memory manipulation abilities in the Library of Life.

But he didn't act on it.

‘It seems like this isn't his first time doing this.’

Usually, if someone felt a presence in this situation, they would be startled and run away, but he looked relaxed and acted as if nothing happened.

His acting skills were wasted.

As Kim Jin-cheol got up from pretending to give advice to the child actor, Kim Haun wiped away his tears with the sleeves of his arms.

“What are you doing here?”

Kim Haun lifted his head at the new shadow that appeared.

His eyes were red from crying.

There stood Seo-jun, holding a drink in each hand and wearing only one shoe.

***

“Even though it's cold, they gave me a cold drink. Do you want some juice?”

“…Yes.”

You should eat something cold when you feel stuffy.

Seo-jun handed his orange juice to Kim Haun and drank his warm yuja tea.

He liked yuja tea too.

Seo-jun was wearing his right sneaker as he drank yuja tea.

Kim Haun realized what had happened when he saw Seo-jun handing him two drinks and hopping on one foot to get his sneaker.

Seo-jun and Kim Haun sat side by side without saying anything and drank their drinks.

They changed their location to a place where there were quite a few people coming and going, in case someone like Kim Jin-cheol came again.

“…I get stiff when I try to do well.”

Kim Haun poured out his feelings with a sad face.

Seo-jun nodded quietly.

“The more I do it, the more it doesn't go my way. I feel sorry for the actors I'm filming with and for you too. I don't know why I'm like this. I was fine with other shootings…”

Seo-jun looked at Kim Haun.

Panic often came suddenly.

It could have been because being friends with Seo-jun was a burden, or there could have been another reason.

Like a shirt button that goes wrong once and stays wrong until the end, Kim Haun might have started off wrong.

‘You have to undo it all and start over.’

But for that, the person who had to start over had to cheer up. But he didn't look like he would listen even if he said he was fine as usual.

He would probably think that he was saying that because he was his friend.

So he needed the words of very objective people.

‘For example…’

Seo-jun turned his head to the side.

A staff member was approaching quickly.

“There you are. Actor Kim Haun.”

“Yes?”

“Director Min is looking for you.”

‘Someone like Director Min.’

Kim Haun got up awkwardly at the staff's words.

Not knowing what he was thinking, Kim Haun's face turned pale slowly.

Seo-jun also got up with him.

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“…Is that okay?”

“I can wait outside too.”

Kim Haun smiled faintly at Seo-jun, who shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

“Come on.”

Director Min Hee-kyung greeted Seo-jun and Kim Haun, who entered the office.

Kim Haun breathed a sigh of relief at Director Min Hee-kyung's bright face, which was brighter than he expected. But he soon stiffened at the faces of the production company's planning team leader and casting director in the office.

He remembered what Kim Jin-cheol had said.

‘Is he really… really going to replace me?’

Kim Haun's eyes wavered as Seo-jun talked to Director Min Hee-kyung.

“Director. Can I listen too?”

“If Actor Kim Haun is okay with it.”

“Haun. He said it's okay. You're okay with it, right? …Haun? Kim Haun?”

Seo-jun waved his hand in front of Kim Haun's eyes.

He looked like he had lost his mind, not even blinking.

Seo-jun grabbed Kim Haun, who looked dazed, and sat him on the sofa.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“No, no. I'm fine…”

Kim Haun came to his senses at Director Min Hee-kyung's question and declined with his hand.

He felt like he would vomit even if he drank water now.

Director Min Hee-kyung smiled bitterly at Kim Haun's stiff appearance.

“I'm sorry.”

“Huh… yes?”

“I didn't expect this kind of atmosphere to happen because I cast such an amazing actor like Seo-jun and because there was a friend of his among the actors who were working with him…”

She hadn't thought of Kim Haun, who was in a similar situation as Kim Han-seok, who had come with Seo-jun from the beginning and acted well while laughing and chatting.

‘No. This is an excuse.’

Director Min Hee-kyung smiled sourly.

She was a little excited because it was the day to shoot the scene she had been looking forward to, and she didn't pay attention to the atmosphere on the set.

She only realized it after several NGs, when she heard the voices from the extras and the staff.

It was a mistake of the director, who had to adjust the atmosphere on the set.

“No, no! It's okay. It's my fault for not acting well…!”

Kim Haun panicked at Director Min Hee-kyung's words and handed him a few sheets of paper.

Seo-jun, who was sitting next to Kim Haun, rolled his eyes. It looked like an audition application form.

“I think you’re good enough if you show me the acting you did at the audition. It's not that your acting is lacking, but I want you to have more confidence, so I brought this.”

Kim Haun looked puzzled as he took the audition application form.

[Kim Haun]

There were things written in red pen that he hadn't written on the audition application form with his name on it.

-Good voice projection.

-Kwon Yoon-chan?

-Impressive expression acting…

-Good at conveying mood.

Kim Haun lifted his head with a nervous expression.

Director Min Hee-kyung smiled and said, as if to confirm what he was thinking.

“This is what I recorded during the audition. You can see here that I considered you for the role of Kwon Yoon-chan, the main supporting character, because I was impressed by your acting.”

Oh.

Seo-jun's eyes widened.

Usually, if someone made a lot of NGs, they would get some criticism or advice on their acting, but Director Min seemed more interested in boosting Kim Haun's confidence.

‘Your acting is good enough.’

It seemed that her comment on his audition performance was true.

Kim Haun understood that too.

He felt his eyes reddening again as he saw Director Min's trust in his acting.

His face also slowly turned red.

He lowered his head to the application form and fiddled with the paper. His chest felt warm as he read the evaluations written in red pen.

Meanwhile, seo-jun noticed that Director Min gave a look to the casting director.

He wondered why the casting director was here when the shooting was already over.

The casting director smiled and handed out his business card and synopsis to the table.

Kim Haun's eyes moved from the synopsis to the casting director, and then to his friend who everyone wanted to cast.

‘She came to cast Seo-jun.’

Unlike Kim Haun, who thought that, seo-jun tilted his head.

‘Why didn't he just send it to Cocoa Entertainment?’

He thought for a moment and then pushed the synopsis and business card that were awkwardly placed in front of Kim Haun towards him with a smile.

Kim Haun stared blankly at the synopsis that came to him.

And without realizing it, he looked up at the casting director. The casting director said with a smile.

“I liked you since the audition. The team leader wouldn't give me your contact information, so I came all the way to the set. He even tried not to tell me where the set was.”

The casting director's grumbling made the planning team leader scratch his cheek and say.

“I was going to ask Kim if I could give you his phone number after today's shooting. I thought he might care less about our movie if he got an offer for a supporting role. I'm a bit worried.”

“Uh…”

“Supporting role! A supporting role?”

Kim Haun's eyes widened at the casting director's nod. Seo-jun poked Kim Haun's side with a grin. A supporting role!

“Yes. I got a script that reminded me of Kim Haun right after the audition. This is the synopsis, so please read it and contact me. There are other candidates too…”

The casting director smiled confidently.

“I guarantee it. Director Woo Jeong-han will love Kim Haun too.”

“…”

Their eyes widened at the familiar name.

“Director Woo Jeong-han's next work?”

It was Director Woo Jeong-han, who had not been active for a while after filming [Rebellion] with Seo-jun.

“Yes. We’re casting right now.”

Wow.

An exclamation came out of Seo-jun and Kim Haun's mouths.

Director Min and the planning team leader smiled softly at their sudden interest.

“That's why I was going to tell you after today's shooting.”

Kim Haun nodded unconsciously at the team leader's words.

He thought he might have been distracted if he had known earlier.

His heart pounded as he looked at the application form and synopsis on the table.

He was happy about the possibility of becoming a supporting role, but he was even happier that his acting was recognized like this.

“Kim Haun.”

“…Yes?”

Kim Haun looked up. Director Min smiled gently and said.

“William of Shadowman 1. Do you know him?”

Seo-jun, who had been staring at Director Woo's synopsis like a hamster with a full pouch of sunflower seeds, lifted his head at the sudden name. Kim Haun blinked.

“…Yes. I know him.”

Just once.

He was an extra, but not an extra.

That scene where he showed an amazing presence even though he appeared briefly.

Kim Haun knew that scene well.

“I want to make this scene memorable. A scene that people will mention at least once when our movie is released.”

Kim Haun's face slowly changed at Director Min's words.

“Of course, seo-jun will be the main one, but I need acting that supports him. That's why I chose this role carefully after Kwon Yoon-chan.”

That was Kim Haun.

Director Min smiled and said to Kim Haun, who was staring blankly at him.

“Have confidence. Your acting is really cool.”

“…Thank you.”

Tears welled up in Kim Haun's eyes.

He didn't expect them to do this much for an extra actor. He felt their sincerity in his eyes and it touched his heart more.

“I'm sorry for worrying you.”

Kim Haun wiped away his tears and spoke bravely.

Seo-jun and the adults smiled at Kim Haun's regained energy.

“Can I practice for a bit?”

“Sure. Don't worry and practice comfortably here.”

Director Min smiled and got up from the sofa. The planning team leader and the casting director also got up and headed towards the door.

“Kim Haun! Please contact me!”

Seo-jun and Kim Haun laughed at the casting director's last words.

Seo-jun poked Kim Haun's side with a playful face.

“They must have been really impressed by your acting.”

“Sniff. I guess so.”

Kim Haun sniffed and smiled. He felt stronger with people who expected and trusted him. He wanted to practice quickly. He didn't want to be disturbed by anyone in this mood. He wanted to focus on the shooting and acting.

Seo-jun, who sensed Kim Haun's determination, leaned back on the sofa like a friend shield that the trainees often did at Cocoa Entertainment.

“Okay. Then I’ll just sleep for a bit.”

“Huh? Do you want to lie down? Should I move?”

Seo-jun stopped Kim Haun, who was about to get up with the application form and synopsis in his arms like a treasure.

“It's okay. I can sleep even if you’re noisy. Just practice comfortably. Oh, can you show me the synopsis later?”

“Sure.”

Kim Haun nodded cheerfully and Seo-jun smiled and closed his eyes.

***

Seo-jun slowly opened his eyes.

The space where the sofa and table were placed was gone, and he was standing on two legs in a white space.

He turned around and walked.

A huge door appeared.

“It's good that it went well…”

It was a black door.

“But I can't just leave it alone.”