Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 65

The next day.

Da Ho, who had brought a bunch of scripts and synopses that he had selected regardless of the popularity, just whether they were good or bad, greeted Seo-jun, who had quickly returned from school and academy.

This is what we picked out.

Yes. Thank you! But, Da Ho hyung.

Yeah?

Seo-jun slowly brought up the conversation he had with his mom, dad, and Uncle Hee-sang last night. Da Ho nodded and listened attentively.

So I thought it would be better to go by a stage name.

A stage name?

Yes!

Da Ho scratched his cheek. He was impressed by Seo-juns consideration for the other kids who would appear with him.

But, as an actors manager, he had some concerns. Da Ho, who had been thinking about the problem and the solution, opened his mouth.

We dont mind, but do you really want to, Seo-jun?

Yes!

The actor wanted to do it. Da Ho smiled at his actors face, which was bright and opposite to the one that had been sagging the day before.

Lets use your real name on the application form. Anyway, once you pass and start practicing, everyone will see your face, Seo-jun. The people over there need to know.

Oh, right.

Shall we write the application form now?

Yes!

Da Ho opened his laptop and Seo-jun sat next to him.

***

The place that planned the childrens play was the Milky Way Center, which had one of the largest theaters in Seoul, and it was a project that they decided to try this year for the development of child actors.

Since it was their first attempt, they accepted child actors who had appeared on TV or movies without discrimination.

The application deadline passed and the first round of document screening began. There were a lot of applications from children and parents who were aiming for the second Seo-jun.

Thanks to the other team members who were called in, the document screening was going smoothly without any problems until one application turned it upside down.

Park Ji-soo, the director who was in charge of the production, was racking his brains.

Seo-jun is coming out, but he wants to use a stage name for the role of Cheong-ryong, who only has a voice

What should we do, director?

Park Ji-soo, who had been looking down at the application form with a frown, lifted his head at the question of the assistant director.

First, lets audition. Were not trying to make money with this play, its for the kids, so theres no reason why Seo-jun cant come out. Besides

Park Ji-soo looked at the resume written on the application form.

Shadowman 1

Evil Spirit

Shadowman 2

Reinvestigation, cameo.

With this kind of resume, the other kids who act with him will learn something too.

***

The audition day for the childrens play [Spring] was approaching. Seo-jun headed to the Milky Way Center with Da Ho.

Seo-jun climbed into his car seat and fastened his seat belt himself. Da Ho checked Seo-juns car seat and seat belt and then sat in the drivers seat.

Seo-jun looked around the car that would be his feet from now on and asked.

He couldnt help but admire the shiny and dazzling appearance. It was better than our car!

Da-ho hyung. Is this a new car?

Yeah. The boss bought it for Seo-jun.

Wow.

Seo Eun-chan and the team 2 staff gathered their heads and chose the most sturdy and safe car. They were all excited to pick a car with the bosss words not to worry about money.

Even though they werent going to drive it themselves, they felt a vicarious satisfaction from laying out a bunch of catalogs and choosing without worrying about money.

But how long do I have to sit in the car seat?

Seo-jun, youre not 145 cm tall yet, right?

Yes.

You have to weigh at least 36 kg to wear a seat belt. Seo-jun is still far from that.

I see.

The car seat felt familiar by now. Seo-jun nodded his head, swinging his legs.

Ahn Da Ho drove safely. Occasionally, cars that tried to cut in at slow speeds were intimidated by the flashing lights of Seo-juns car and slowed down.

Seo-juns car soon arrived at the Milky Way Center. Ahn Da Ho parked in the underground parking lot and Seo-jun stayed quietly in the car seat until he opened the door.

You can get off now.

Okay!

At Ahn Da Hos words, Seo-jun finally unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. He could unbuckle and get off by himself when the car stopped, but his mom and dad always told him to wait until an adult said it was okay to get off.

Seo-jun and Ahn Da Ho took the elevator to the first floor of the Milky Way Center.

Ding-dong-

First floor.

Not again.

The last day of the audition for the childrens play [Spring], and the day of the audition for the role of Cheong-ryong.

The eyes of the employees who came to work had been looking at the elevator ever since. Every time they heard the ding-dong sound, their heads turned like lightning.

When the door opened and a child and a guardian appeared, they stretched their necks and looked at the child.

They quickly realized it wasnt him if it was a girl with long hair, but if they couldnt see the boys face clearly, they kept looking at the child.

The staff who checked the names of the children and gave them numbers shook their heads vigorously, and everyone started their work again with disappointed faces.

Isnt it time for the audition?

Were all here except for him.

Everyone was waiting for someone, as the news had leaked out somewhere. At the staffs words, they all glared at the elevator.

Just then, the elevator went down to the underground parking lot.

Hes here!

Ding-dong, first floor.

The elevator door opened slowly, and a child and a guardian appeared. The childs face was hidden by a silver badge on a baseball cap that he wore deep, but everyone guessed.

The staff who checked the number of people ran over quickly.

Hes more ordinary than I thought.

Yeah. Honestly, I thought he would have some kind of aura just by standing there, if he was Lee Seo-jun.

He did before he filmed Shadowman 2.

Lee Seo-jun, the actor?

Yes.

The staff member who came to help with the audition checked the list nervously and handed a number to Seo-jun.

This is your audition number. When they call your number, you can go to the front.

Thank you.

The staff member looked at Ahn Da Ho and said. Ahn Da Ho nodded.

You can leave as soon as the audition is over. Well let you know the results later.

Okay.

The waiting area is over there.

The staff member led Ahn Da Ho and Seo-jun to the waiting area. Seo-jun and Ahn Da Ho, who had expected a small waiting room, were surprised by the large door that the staff member was heading to.

The staff member opened the thick door that was tightly closed. Behind the wide-open door, a large stage and a spacious auditorium appeared.

The audition will be held on the stage where the play will be performed. You can sit in any seat you like and wait until the director calls you.

On the stage?

Yes. There arent many applicants who have been on the stage before, so they said that its also a test to see if you can audition without being scared here. The role of Cheong-ryong only has a voice, but youll have to sync with the actor behind the props on the stage.

Ahn Da Ho and Seo-jun looked at the theater again. Well, if they were scared of the stage when there was no audience, they wouldnt be able to stand on the stage when it was full of people.

Then please wait a moment.

The staff member left and Seo-jun and Ahn Da Ho sat down in a suitable seat. There were children and guardians who came to audition here and there.

A child who was crying in fear as he looked around the stage and the auditorium, and a guardian who was comforting him. A child who was running around happily because he liked the spacious place, and a guardian who was only looking at his phone. There was also a child who was reading the script diligently.

Seo-jun, who wore a black baseball cap, looked back and forth between the auditorium and the stage.

It was very different from the small theater where the Wind Theater Group was. The stage was wide and clean, and there were many seats in the auditorium. There was also some distance between the stage and the auditorium.

Hmm. Its very different from what I thought.

The stage that Seo-jun had imagined was smaller than the Wind Theater Group, but big enough to feel the gaze of the actors.

Ahn Da Ho asked Seo-jun, who had a subtle expression.

Is there something you dont like?

No. Its just that the stage is bigger than I thought. I thought it would be smaller than this.

Ahn Da Ho remembered the small theater of the Wind Theater Group at Seo-juns words.

Like that small theater?

Huh? How do you know, Da-ho hyung?

Ahn Da Ho smiled. He was a fan of Seo-jun, and he went to see the play as soon as the photo came out.

I saw that play too. But, you cant do that in such a small place.

You cant?

Seo-jun tilted his head at Ahn Da Hos firm words. He just wanted the audience to feel the actors breath more, but was it so bad that he said he couldnt?

Its dangerous to have the seats and the stage so close. There could be someone who intrudes on the stage during the play, or someone who throws something onto the stage.

There are people like that?

Seo-juns eyes widened. Ahn Da Ho smiled bitterly. He had seen everything he didnt want to see in his two years of entertainment life.

So, for safety reasons, its better to have some distance between the seats and the stage.

Yes.

Seo-jun looked at the space between the seats and the stage with a regretful face and asked.

What about the hyungs and noonas of the Wind Theater Group? Are they okay?

There hasnt been any major accidents, but there seem to be some minor incidents. Still, they are all adults over there, so they should be better off than Seo-jun.

Thats good.

Seo-jun, who was relieved, looked at Ahn Da Ho. Ahn Da Ho tilted his head.

How do you know so well?

Seo-jun asked, and Ahn Da Ho answered without hesitation. He was amazed that he knew even the current situation of the Wind Theater Group, let alone anything else. Ahn Da Ho scratched his cheek.

Thats what managers do. They have to take care of things that actors cant. The Wind Theater Group is a group that has a connection with Seo-jun, and its still a hot topic, so I have to keep an eye on it.

The second team of Cocoa Entertainment was watching closely how the name of Seo-jun and the Wind Theater Group would turn out. Today, too, a text message saying Wind, no problem! arrived on Ahn Da Hos phone.

I see.

Seo-jun, who didnt know the situation of Cocoa Entertainment, just nodded.

Then, the lights in the auditorium went out. The stage was bright, and only the passage leading to the stage was lit up to avoid danger.

[Hello.]

A voice echoed through the theater. The children who were playing around and the child who was reading the script all looked at the stage. A woman was standing under the spotlight.

[I am Park Ji-soo, the director of the childrens play, Spring.]

The woman bowed. A clap of applause sounded. It was Seo-jun. The others also applauded.

[We will start the audition for the role of Cheong-ryong soon. Please come to this spot and act in the order of the numbers called.]

Do the kids have to go up by themselves?

The director nodded and answered the guardians question.

[Yes. Please sit down and wait. The applicant will come up alone and act the lines from the script. Any more questions?]

The auditorium was quiet. The director nodded and went down the stairs and sat in the front seat.

Seo-jun stretched his head and saw that there were other people sitting besides the director. They were probably the music director, the lighting director, the assistant director, and so on.

[Then, the first applicant, please come out.]

The directors words were followed by a whimpering sound from somewhere.

Why is the kid like this?! Hurry up and go!

No! Im scared!!

The child was scared of the huge theater. He looked anxious from the start and finally burst into tears. The guardian tried to calm the child with a restless face, but the child didnt budge.

[First applicant?]

Wait a minute! You said you wanted to be like Seo-jun. Are you going to give up here?

Who said I wanted to be like Seo-jun?! Mom said that!

The child and the guardians words rang through the quiet theater. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The two peoples words made Seo-jun and Ahn Da Ho flinch, who had done nothing wrong. The people who knew who was auditioning today also flinched.

Dad too! I said I didnt want to do it!!

In the end, the guardian left the theater with the child who was crying loudly. The director sighed and picked up the microphone again.

[Second applicant.]

I dont want to do it either!

The mischievous child who was running around the theater ran out of the theater bravely.

The guardians bowed their heads and apologized as they followed the child, as if they had expected it.

The staff and the officials who had gone through the audition for three days were used to it and continued their work.

[Please come out, applicant number 3.]

No one came out, even after Director Park Ji-soo called. This applicant must have left without a word. The staff members handed over the application form without shaking their heads.

Out of the 10 applicants, only 6 stood on the stage. And out of those, only 3 had memorized half of their audition lines. Only one child had managed to act. And that was thanks to the parents diligent coaching.

One of the staff members who was judging the audition opened his mouth in the dismal situation.

Why is it like this for the role of Cheongryong?

I know, right? The other roles were at least serious.

The parents almost fought over the role of the protagonist. There were also actors who were too good to be eliminated.

Its because their face doesnt show. Who would want to be just a voice?

The staff members who recalled the script sighed, and then looked at the last application form.

Here it is.

Yes. This actor is all we need.

Director Park Ji-soo picked up the microphone.

The staff members who were counting the number of children who came out of the auditorium quietly opened the door and sat in the audience seats.

Is this okay?

Its fine. Its fine. When else will we get to see Lee Seo-joons acting in person?

Senior!

What?

Isnt that the president over there?

At someones words, everyones heads turned. The president of Eunhasu Center, who had received a call from the assistant director, quietly entered the auditorium and took a seat near the judging table. After that, the higher-ups who were hard to see also showed up.

While Seo-joon was waiting for Director Park Ji-soos call, almost everyone who knew about Lee Seo-joons acting application appeared in the auditorium.

Unlike the empty auditorium a while ago, there were people here and there in the audience seats. Unlike Seo-joon, who showed no signs, AnDa Ho, who confirmed the fame of his actor, chuckled without knowing it.

Director Park Ji-soo, who looked around the audience, opened his mouth when he thought everyone had arrived.

[Please come out, applicant number 11.]

AnDa Ho took off Seo-joons baseball cap and fixed his hair. As AnDa Hos hand fell, Seo-joon smiled brightly.

Hyung! Ill be back.

Okay. Seo-joon. Do well and come back!

Yes!

Seo-joon was about to fly,

Dont run!

He was about to go down the stairs, but he walked carefully at AnDa Hos words.

The assistant director attached a microphone to Seo-joon with a slightly trembling hand. Everyone held their breath and watched Seo-joons every move.

Seo-joon stood on the stage.

A beam of spotlight shot onto the dark stage, illuminating only Seo-joon.