Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 406: Acting Practice (1)

Oh Bok-Hee suggested the role of Kim Beop-Min, who appears in episode 20 and beyond of Hwaranjeon.

Since filming for this role would only begin in about two months, there was plenty of time to prepare after passing the audition.

Moreover, most people considered the role of Kim Beop-Min to be just a decent supporting role as the script by Han Woo-Ju had only been completed up to episode 25.

As everyone was certain the role wouldn't have much screen time, there wasn't much interest in it. This was why Oh Bok-Hee offered the role without much hesitation.

However, I knew the future of this role.

In my past life, Kim Beop-Min became a complex character—both a political rival of Princess Yu-Hwa and a man who secretly admired her.

The character grew in importance and gained audience affection, resulting in an expanded role.

The actor who played Kim Beop-Min back then was Park Jung-Min, a rookie actor from TK Entertainment, and he shot to stardom with just this one role.

In this life, Oh Bok-Hee had already precast Yang Tae-Seung of Yehwa Planning for this role.

However, this role had unexpectedly become available again.

I asked excitedly, "Did something happen to Mr. Yang Tae-Seung?"

Oh Bok-Hee replied in frustration.

-He suddenly claimed to have developed a panic disorder. Even though we told him to get treatment and come back in two months, he said he just couldn't do it.

"It kinda sounds like an excuse."

-I think so too. He probably got offered the lead in another project.

Yang Tae-Seung, a twenty-one-year-old rookie actor, performed well in MBS's fusion historical drama Romantic Swordsman last year.

In my past life, Yang Tae-Seung leveraged his popularity from that role to take the lead in a film called Palman Daejanggyeong instead of Kim Beop-Min in Hwaranjeon. He even shaved his head to play a monk, but the movie drew fewer than 300,000 viewers.

It seemed he had chosen the certainty of a lead role over an uncertain supporting role again in this life.

'He's throwing away a winning hand for a losing one. What a pity,' I thought.

I felt almost compelled to offer condolences. To someone with knowledge of the future, this role of Kim Beop-Min was a must-have. With filming for the role starting only two months later, there was also plenty of time to get ready.

-So what do you think? Do you have an actor to recommend for Kim Beop-Min?

"Yes, I do!"

-Is that so? Then can you bring them over in three days? Preferably someone fresh and new.

"Huh? Three days? But filming doesn't start for two months, right?"

Three days was far too short a timeframe. Although Deok-Bae had a talent for acting, he was more of a hard-working learner than someone who picked things up instantly. While his action skills were unmatched, acting in dramatic scenes required a different approach.

"Mrs. Oh, could you please give us at least two weeks to prepare? The actor I have in mind is promising but still a bit unpolished."

-That's difficult. TK Entertainment and Ace Entertainment are already sending candidates in three days. But honestly, I'd prefer to go with someone you pick which is why I reached out.

"So there will be an audition."

-Yes, but no more than five candidates will be invited.

An audition would put Deok-Bae with no acting experience at a significant disadvantage. Still, the opportunity to secure the role of Kim Beop-Min was too valuable to pass up.

"Could you at least specify the scenes to be used for the audition? There's so little time to prepare."

-I was about to tell you anyway. The audition will cover two scenes: Scene 11 from episode 20 with Princess Yu-Hwa and Scene 33 from the same episode with Guk-Seon. Just those two.

With only two scenes to focus on, the odds slightly improved. I knew someone who could give Deok-Bae pinpoint lessons for those exact scenes.

"Understood. I'll prepare accordingly."

-By the way, who is the actor you're recommending? It's not Haru, is it?

The role of Kim Beop-Min required a masculine appearance befitting a character in his late teens. Haru, on the other hand, was sixteen years old with an androgynous look—making him unsuitable for the role.

"Please wait a moment. I'll take a picture of the actor right now and send it to you."

-Right now?

"Yes."

I turned to Deok-Bae and said, "Deok-Bae, let me take a quick picture of you."

Deok-Bae tilted his head in confusion. "Me?"

"Yeah. The PD wants to see your photo. Just look straight ahead as you are."

I told Deok-Bae to look straight ahead instead of at me, as asking someone with no posing experience to look at a camera could result in an awkward photo. As Deok-Bae turned his head, the winter breeze swept back his wavy, shoulder-length hair and revealed his face.

The moment his sharp jawline, distinct features, thick eyebrows, and bronzed skin were highlighted by the morning sunlight, I knew it was the perfect moment to snap the picture. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Flash!

"There we go."

The photo, which looked like a work of art even to me, was sent to Oh Bok-Hee via KkTalk.

-Oh my goodness! Where on earth did you find an actor like this?

Oh Bok-Hee was clearly impressed by Deok-Bae's manly features.

"Do you like him?"

-Of course! But he looks pretty tall. How tall is he? And how old?

"He is 185 centimeters and 19 years old."

-He's a bit tall, but his looks and age are perfect. Okay, just make sure he's got the basics for acting. Don't worry too much about action scenes—our stunt director will handle that anyway.

It seemed Deok-Bae's masculine appearance had left a strong impression on Oh Bok-Hee. She only asked for the basics, but that was the hardest thing to define because everyone had a different standard for what "basic" meant.

Additionally, we would have to prepare thoroughly since I didn't know which actors TK Entertainment and Ace Entertainment would send.

After ending the call, I told Deok-Bae, "Deok-Bae, you've got an audition."

"Already?"

"Yes. In three days."

Deok-Bae asked worriedly, "Do you think I can do it?"

"Don't worry. Just trust me."

Although time was tight, having only two scenes to prepare made it manageable with the right approach.

As we headed to the taxi stand in front of the hospital, I handed Deok-Bae a tablet. "You must be tired, but look over the script while we head home. You don't need to memorize it—just get a sense of the mood. Focus only on Scene 11 and Scene 33 from episode 20."

Taking the tablet, Deok-Bae tilted his head again. "But hyung, how do I read a script?"

I pointed to the script displayed on the tablet and explained, "A script is divided into dialogue and stage directions. The character's name here marks the lines they say, and the descriptions between the dialogue show the surrounding context."

Deok-Bae nodded and pointed at the parentheses in the script. "What about these?"

"Those show the actions the character performs while speaking."

"Ohh."

After learning the basics, Deok-Bae began focusing intensely on the script.

"Just get familiar with what a script looks like for now. When you meet the acting coach, you'll properly learn how to act."

Deok-Bae was so absorbed in reading that he didn't respond at all.

His level of focus was astonishing.

***

We finally arrived by taxi at the Cheonho-dong house. I handed Deok-Bae a set of sweatshirt and sweatpants and told him to shower first.

I came out from the shower and saw Deok-Bae still deeply focused on the tablet as if failing this audition meant the end of the world.

"Deok-Bae, let's sleep for a bit and pick this up afterward," I urged him.

Only then did Deok-Bae finally look up from the tablet. However, he was still holding onto the tablet.

I led him to the guest room and told him we would meet again in four hours. "After you wake up, we'll visit Han-Ul at the hospital and then head to the acting coach."

The acting coach was none other than Choi Ji-Yung. She was filming in Gyeongju yesterday but had returned to Seoul for an early-morning scheduled event.

Our appointment with her was six hours away. The plan was to sleep for four hours, check on Han-Ul, and then head to her place.

Deok-Bae asked, "But aren't we supposed to go to the company?"

"Yeah. When I told the President you had a role to prepare for, he said to focus on the audition. We can go to the company later."

With my attention on Deok-Bae, all the tasks I needed to handle at work were being covered by Gu Seong-Cheol.

"Alright then. See you in a bit."

After saying goodbye to Deok-Bae, I returned to bed.

Setting an alarm, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.

***

"Gasp!"

My eyes snapped open suddenly. When I checked the time, I saw that about three hours had passed.

"That wasn't... a dream, right?" I muttered.

The process of meeting and bringing back Deok-Bae felt so surreal that I pinched my cheek just to be sure.

"Ouch..."

The pain confirmed that this was all real. Though I still felt a bit tired, I got out of bed.

When I stepped out of the room, I heard Deok-Bae's low voice coming from the guest room.

『You were... the renowned Princess Yu-Hwa?』

Despite having worked a loading shift, carrying Han-Ul on his back, and staying up all night, Deok-Bae was awake before me to practice his lines.

I thought of cooking something but decided against it to avoid interrupting his practice. Instead, I decided to start preparing items to take to Han-Ul's hospital room.

At that moment, I heard Deok-Bae's voice again.

『So you are the famous Princess Yu-Hwa!』

'What is this?' I wondered.

The tempo, accent, and even the tone of Deok-Bae's voice had changed dramatically.

In my past life, Deok-Bae never let anyone see him practice acting as he felt embarrassed by what he had considered inadequate skills.

Now, I was finally witnessing what his practice looked like. I stood outside the door and listened to Deok-Bae's voice.

Deok-Bae repeated the same line over and over, experimenting with changes to his vocal delivery, tempo, and accent, as if assembling pieces of a puzzle to find the perfect tone for the scene.

When he seemed satisfied with a version, he repeated it three to four times to refine it further before he started adding emotion to the line.

His tone was cheerful sometimes and angry sometimes. At times, he sounded flirtatious and curt other times.

Though his approach lacked structure and direction, Deok-Bae was giving his all and wracking his brain to figure it out.

After more than fifty repetitions of the same line, Deok-Bae finally moved on to the next one and repeated the same process.

No one had taught Deok-Bae this method but it was something he had developed on his own. I had heard that every actor had their unique way of mastering a script, but I hadn't expected this level of dedication.

Come to think of it, directors who had worked with Deok-Bae in my past life often remarked that his lines carried a depth that was hard for other actors to match despite being an action actor.

'So this is what they meant, huh?' I remarked silently.

Originally, I had planned to focus on making Deok-Bae a top-tier action star. However, I was reconsidering my plan now.

Perhaps he could become an action-oriented superstar with incredible depth.

Nonetheless, seeing him push himself so relentlessly without rest, I decided to intervene. I knocked on the door lightly. "Deok-Bae? Are you awake?"

The door opened and Deok-Bae stepped out. His face looked pale and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Don't tell me... you didn't sleep?" I asked in shock.

"No. There's an audition in three days."

Deok-Bae said it so matter-of-factly that I was at a loss for words.

"Aren't you tired?"

"I'm a bit tired, but it's fine."

I started to worry that I might have pressured Deok-Bae too much because of how good the role of Kim Beop-Min was. No matter how valuable the role, it wasn't more important than Deok-Bae himself.

I explained, "Even if you don't get the role this time, it won't affect you negatively. There are plenty of other roles, so don't stress over it. Just treat it as an experience."

Deok-Bae shook his head. "I want to succeed in one try. Han-Ul's wish is for me to find a job that doesn't involve physical labor."

Young Han-Ul believed that if he studied hard, he could one day help his brother. As such, he often reread old books to prepare for that future, explaining why their tiny room had been filled with books.

Hence, Deok-Bae wanted to become a brother that Han-Ul could be proud of as soon as possible.

It seemed I would also need to give it my all for this audition.

"Alright, give it everything you've got. I'll handle the rest."

"Thank you, hyung."

"Then how about we stop by the hospital and then get something to eat? Although it's a bit early, you need energy to keep going."

"Okay."

I told Deok-Bae to wash up and packed the essentials we needed for the hospital.

It was time to visit Han-Ul, who was eagerly waiting for his brother.

***

In the two-person ward at Gangbuk Seven Star Hospital, I placed the items needed for the next few days in the room for Han-Ul, Park Dong-Jun's grandmother, and Park Dong-Jun.

Then I spoke to Han-Ul. "Han-Ul, your brother will be busy with auditions for a few days. So please understand if he cannot be here as much, okay?"

Still wearing an oxygen mask, Han-Ul nodded. He looked at Deok-Bae and lightly clenched both fists. "Hyung... you got this!"

Deok-Bae gently brushed back Han-Ul's hair.

"Thanks...I will do my best and return with good news."

Encouraged by his younger brother's support, the exhaustion faded from Deok-Bae's face. At the same time, his eyes burned with determination as if he were ready to conquer anything.

Seeing this, I also started mapping out every possible way to ensure Deok-Bae's success. After all, it was my job as his talent agent to help him achieve his goals.

***

Before heading to Choi Ji-Yung's house, I decided to review the Hwaranjeon script at the hospital's parking lot.

[Hwaranjeon – The War of Flowers]

[Episode 20, Scene 11]

A carriage speeding through Seorabeol nearly hits a fallen beggar.

A noblewoman walking nearby is startled and attempts to save the beggar.

At that moment, Kim Beop-Min, who returned from studying abroad in Tang for over a decade, witnesses the scene.

He quickly steps in to lift the beggar and succeeds in rescuing both the beggar and the woman.

Upon seeing the woman's face, Kim Beop-Min falls for her at first sight.

However, he soon discovers that she is none other than Princess Yu-Hwa: his political rival.

...

Scene 11 in episode 20 depicted the fateful encounter between Princess Yu-Hwa and Kim Beop-Min.

As I read the script, an idea of how to help Deok-Bae came to mind.

I immediately called Yoo-Jin. After ending the call, Yoo-Jin video-called me back.

[Video Call – Jung Yoo-Jin]

-Oppa! You said you'd call as soon as you got to Seoul. Why are you calling so late?

-Uncle Yoon-Ho! Hmph! Why did you call so late?

On the screen, Yoo-Jin and Miso playfully puffed out their cheeks in mock annoyance. The two were relaxing in an outdoor hot spring and dressed in swimsuits.

Miso wore a pink Powertuff Girls swimsuit and a matching pink bunny-shaped swim cap. Yoo-Jin's swimsuit was an entirely white ensemble that was designed for kids.

I almost burst out laughing at Yoo-Jin's childlike swimwear but held it in and replied, "Sorry, I got caught up with something."

When I briefly explained how I had rescued Deok-Bae the previous night, the two immediately brightened and expressed their relief at the news.

'Such good kids.'

"By the way... Yoo-Jin, can you help Deok-Bae?" I asked as I shared my plan to help Deok-Bae ace the audition.