Chapter 5: Finding Seoyun
"We have a big problem."
Hyeonsu's voice dropped.
Geonwoo set down the glass in his hand.
"What happened?"
"The child actor playing Seoyun says he can't do it anymore."
"The reading?"
"No."
Hyeonsu pressed his lips together.
"The movie."
Seoyun.
Seorin's younger brother.
The child whose death started every event in the movie.
He didn't have much screen time, but he was an extremely important character.
Geonwoo's hand stopped.
"He can't film?"
"Yeah."
"Suddenly? Why?"
"The shoot got delayed by two weeks, remember? Apparently, he auditioned for a drama during that time."
Geonwoo fell silent.
Hyeonsu continued.
"It's a small role, but it's a television drama. He got cast right after the audition, and the shooting schedule has already been confirmed."
"It overlaps with ours?"
"Yeah."
"I see. Did they sign a contract?"
"Sounds like it."
Hyeonsu ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"We signed a contract with them too."
"We did. What did his mother say?"
"She apologized, but she said they can't pass up this opportunity."
There was resentment in Hyeonsu's voice.
"Hyung, honestly, from our side this is pretty rough. We already rearranged the reading schedule, prepared the storyboards, and we're about to restart filming. And now he's suddenly dropping out."
"True."
"What should we do? Should we bring up the contract and try to keep him?"
Geonwoo looked at Hyeonsu.
Hyeonsu was angry.
But he was also uncertain.
That made sense for an assistant director.
The schedule was already a mess.
If one actor dropped out, everything would need to be rearranged again.
And Seoyun's role absolutely couldn't be left empty.
"If we force him to stay, then what?"
"Then he shoots our film. He signed with us, so we at least have grounds to insist."
"You're right."
Geonwoo looked at him calmly.
"But then the kid loses his chance to appear in the drama."
Hyeonsu closed his mouth.
Geonwoo looked at the filming schedule on the laptop.
He had been the one who delayed filming.
The decision had been made to improve the script.
But as a result, someone else's schedule had been thrown off.
Could he really ask a child to give up a bigger opportunity just to appear in their independent film?
Geonwoo slowly exhaled.
"Let him go."
"Just like that?"
"Yeah. I'm the one who delayed filming."
Hyeonsu couldn't respond.
Geonwoo continued calmly.
"For that kid, the drama might be the better opportunity. A television credit will help his career too."
"But our film..."
"Our film matters too."
Geonwoo's gaze hardened.
"But I don't want to block someone else's opportunity for the sake of my project."
"Then what about Seoyun?"
"We find another actor."
"You say that like it's easy."
"It won't be easy."
Geonwoo nodded.
"But it isn't impossible either. Let's look again. We'll find someone."
At that moment...
Faint words appeared before his eyes.
[A production variable has occurred.]
Geonwoo's gaze stopped.
Hyeonsu tilted his head.
"Hyung?"
More words appeared.
[A major role has become vacant.]
[The conditions for unlocking the third sense have been met.]
Geonwoo slowly inhaled.
No way...
The words became clearer.
[The third sense will now be unlocked.]
Then a new ability name appeared.
[Ability Name: Eye for Casting]
Geonwoo's eyes trembled slightly.
"Eye for Casting..."
Hyeonsu looked confused.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Geonwoo quickly controlled his expression.
An explanation window appeared.
[Function]
·
Determines an actor's compatibility with a role through the look in their eyes while performing.
·
·
Reads emotional texture, sincerity, and the distance between the actor and the character.
·
·
Can only activate when an actor actually performs the character's lines, such as during a table read or audition.
·
[Usage Limit]
·
Maximum of 5 actors per day.
·
Geonwoo slowly read the text.
Five actors per day.
Once again, there was a limit.
Hyeonsu looked at him and asked again.
"Hyung, are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Your expression changed for a second."
"I was just thinking."
Geonwoo pulled the laptop closer.
"Let's find Seoyun first."
"How?"
"We contact everyone. Professors, teaching assistants, seniors, classmates, theater clubs, anyone who knows kids with acting experience."
Hyeonsu immediately nodded.
"All right. If we do the table read without Seoyun, Yura noona won't be able to properly establish her emotional arc either. We need to find someone fast."
Geonwoo smiled.
"Exactly. No matter how good Yura is, the emotion won't work if her scene partner can't support her."
"He's an elementary-school kid, but he can't just be cute and bright."
"Right. He can be cute, but if that's all he is, he won't fit the character."
Geonwoo thought for a moment.
"He needs to feel slightly mature, but not too grown-up. At the same time, he needs to be able to express innocence."
"That's difficult."
The two of them began writing a message to send to their contacts.
[Urgently looking for a male child actor around fifth or sixth grade for a feature-length independent film. Role name: Seoyun. Not many lines, but the emotional arc is very important. We are looking for a natural, quiet child rather than someone with an overly theatrical child-actor style. Must be available to film starting next week. Parental consent required.]
Hyeonsu sent the message to several people.
Geonwoo searched through his own contacts.
The first person who came to mind was Professor Kim Dohyeon.
He was the professor who had heard about the lighting accident and offered to introduce them to a cinematographer.
Geonwoo immediately sent him a message.
[Professor, this is Baek Geonwoo. We're urgently looking for a male elementary-school child actor for our feature-length independent film. He must be available to film this week. He doesn't have many lines, but it's an emotionally important role.]
The reply came faster than expected.
[Suddenly? What happened?]
Geonwoo briefly explained the situation through text.
A moment later, Professor Kim Dohyeon called.
"Yes, Professor."
"So the shoot was delayed and now you've run into trouble."
"The actor playing the female lead's younger brother dropped out."
"You need an elementary-school boy?"
"Yes. Ideally an older elementary-school student. Mature, but not too adult. Innocent, but not childish."
Geonwoo continued explaining the type of actor he wanted.
Professor Kim Dohyeon chuckled softly.
"You're picky."
"I'm sorry."
"No."
His professor laughed.
"A director should be picky."
Geonwoo was briefly lost for words.
Director.
That word still felt unfamiliar.
And yet it made his heart beat faster every time.
"I'll ask around at a child-actor workshop I know. But since you're short on time, don't expect too much."
"Thank you, Professor."
Two days before the table read.
A small audition area had been set up in one corner of a university practice room.
During the past several days, Geonwoo and Hyeonsu had searched through almost every connection they had.
Professors.
Teaching assistants.
Film-department seniors.
Classmates.
Theater clubs.
Child-actor workshops.
Even acting academies near the university.
Hyeonsu looked at the candidate list.
"We've got ten kids coming today."
"That's a lot considering how suddenly we gathered them."
"We really scraped together everyone we could. If we don't find someone here, we're seriously in trouble."
"With ten candidates, we at least have a chance."
"We do. The problem is that your standards are ridiculously high."
Instead of answering, Geonwoo looked down at the script.
The scene containing Seoyun's line.
["Noona. If this neighborhood disappears, our house disappears too, right?"]
It was a short line.
But it wasn't easy.
The actor had to show the innocence of an elementary-school child while speaking with a slightly mature tone.
Geonwoo thought about his new ability.
[Eye for Casting]
[Usage Limit: Maximum of 5 actors per day.]
Ten candidates.
But he could only use the ability on five.
He couldn't test every child with it.
I have to filter them myself first.
An actor's eyes changed the moment they performed.
That was what he needed to watch.
Hyeonsu checked the first candidate's name.
"I'll bring the first one in."
"Okay."
The first child had plenty of acting experience.
He had appeared in advertisements and had several minor television roles.
"Hello!"
His voice was bright.
