Episode 41. The Best Audience (3)
Kang Dae-oh, who left the office and headed to Seoul Station, boarded the KTX train with Executive Director Yoo In-seok and several other Amare employees.
Sitting down, Kang Dae-oh spoke with an apologetic heart.
“So, the remaining employees decided to drive their own cars down to Gyehwayu Island?”
“Yes. We had to book the seats so urgently… I apologize. I should have paid more attention.”
“No, it’s because the schedule was suddenly set. It’s not your fault, Executive Director, so please don’t apologize.”
The relevant ministry in charge of the Gyehwayu Island Coffee Street creation project suddenly scheduled a site visit for today.
Since Amare was going to push forward with the implementation itself, they couldn’t just send them alone to Gyehwayu Island.
So, Amare also hurriedly selected personnel and adjusted their schedule to go down to Gyehwayu Island.
“The employees must be very tired.”
“Since everyone knows how to drive, they’ll be relatively less tired if they take turns driving.”
“Still, after they return from the site visit, Executive Director, please take care of the employees with various things. They’re going through a lot.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Kang Dae-oh, sitting by the window, leaned back as much as possible against the seat.
He had so much work piled up lately that he couldn’t get proper sleep.
It’s best to make up for the lack of sleep as much as possible at times like this.
This is because sleep deprivation can significantly interfere with work.
Just as he was about to try and get some sleep for a moment.
Suddenly, a child’s crying could be heard inside the train car.
The sharp cry of a little girl drew everyone’s attention to one spot.
The child’s presumed mother repeatedly bowed her head, apologizing to those around her, and then began to soothe the child.
“Shhh! Mommy told you to be quiet where there are lots of people, didn’t she?”
“I don’t want to sit here…!”
The child began to squirm again.
Kang Dae-oh turned his head to check the seat where the child was sitting.
Children of that age usually prefer window seats over aisle seats.
That’s because they want to see the scenery rapidly passing by outside the window.
Furthermore.
‘Not even forward-facing. It’s a backward-facing seat.’
Coincidentally, it was a seat location that had all the elements a child would dislike.
As the child remained inconsolable, the mother even tried to soothe her by sitting the child on her lap.
However, despite all her efforts, the child’s crying only grew louder and louder.
At this moment, Kang Dae-oh quietly stood up from his seat.
Just as Executive Director Yoo In-seok, who was sitting next to him, was about to ask him where he was going.
Kang Dae-oh approached the child’s mother first and made this suggestion.
“How about we swap my seat and the child’s seat?”
“Pardon?”
“The empty seat over there is mine. The child will like it there.”
A forward-facing window seat. It was completely opposite to the seat the child was currently in.
The child looked at the seat where Kang Dae-oh had just been sitting.
Then, as if nothing had happened, the crying stopped abruptly.
It was a good suggestion, but.
“It’s alright. You don’t have to give up your seat just because of our child… Thank you for your consideration.”
Perhaps not wanting to inconvenience Kang Dae-oh, the child’s mother politely tried to refuse his offer.
Then the child began to whimper again.
Kang Dae-oh smiled at the child.
“I’m fine. And as a father raising a daughter myself, I couldn’t just stand by and watch your daughter cry.”
It felt like his own business.
In fact, he could have forced himself to ignore it and insist on keeping his own seat.
Then, while his body might be comfortable, his mind would feel very uneasy.
Rather than that, Kang Dae-oh thought it was a hundred times better to give up his seat to the child.
After several attempts at persuasion, the child’s mother finally surrendered.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
As she was about to move to the seat where Kang Dae-oh had been sitting, holding her child.
Another person gave up their seat.
“Mother, please sit in the seat next to it. You can let the child sit by the window.”
Executive Director Yoo In-seok, who was sitting next to Kang Dae-oh, had also decided to give up his seat to the mother and daughter.
The child’s mother, who thanked the two men once again, sat down in the seats they had given up, along with her daughter who was now smiling brightly.
“Miyeon. You should say ‘thank you’ to the uncles.”
“Thank you~!”
The child bowed her head cutely as she greeted them.
At that sight, Kang Dae-oh and Executive Director Yoo In-seok both showed a fatherly smile.
Executive Director Yoo In-seok, who once again occupied the seat next to Kang Dae-oh. Kang Dae-oh looked at him and spoke with an apologetic tone.
“You ended up moving seats because of me, Executive Director. I apologize.”
“No, it’s alright. I was actually a bit concerned about that child too.”
Perhaps because both of them were fathers responsible for a household, they couldn’t just stand by and watch the child cry.
While they were talking, the child glanced at Kang Dae-oh.
Then Kang Dae-oh smiled and gently waved his hand at the child.
The child also, secretly from her mother, waved her small hand back at Kang Dae-oh.
Although his body was uncomfortable.
His heart, however, could feel at ease.
Encouraged by Kang Dae-oh’s support, Kang Yebin immediately went to her manager and conveyed that she would accept Director Jeon Yutae’s offer.
However, even though she received a direct casting offer, it didn’t mean she would skip the audition itself.
Although the cutoff line was much lower compared to an open audition, she would still take an audition.
That audition was scheduled for today.
After finishing her broadcasting schedule in the morning, Kang Yebin headed to the company office where Director Jeon Yutae was affiliated, accompanied by her manager.
The test content was very simple.
“You just need to pick one scene you like and show your acting.”
At Director Jeon Yutae’s words, Kang Yebin shook her head.
“Director, please choose any scene for me.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Despite being given a choice, Kang Yebin seemed to prefer that Director Jeon Yutae choose for her.
Director Jeon Yutae didn’t understand why Kang Yebin was saying this.
“What if I end up choosing a difficult scene?”
Even if it’s the same scene, it’s inevitable that it will be divided into easy-to-act and difficult-to-act scenes.
So, Director Jeon Yutae deliberately decided to give her options to lighten the burden on young Kang Yebin.
But for Kang Yebin, it was an unnecessary option.
Because.
“I believe that an actor, in my opinion, should be able to act any scene as if it were their own role.”
It was a confident statement.
A very deep smile spread across Director Jeon Yutae’s lips.
“Alright, I got it.”
Even before starting, Kang Yebin earned invisible bonus points from Director Jeon Yutae.
Rustle.
Director Jeon Yutae’s hand, which was rapidly flipping through the script, stopped on one page.
“Then… how about S#12?”
The moment she heard the scene number, Kang Yebin gave a short nod and moved to the center of the stage.
At her actions, another staff member showed a bewildered expression.
“Yebin-yang. You don’t need to look at the script? The director just told you the scene number for which scene would be good to act.”
Kang Yebin knew that too.
She responded to the recent question like this.
“I’ve memorized the entire script. So, just telling me which scene it is is enough.”
“What? You memorized all that…?”
Kang Yebin nodded her head up and down, confirming it.
The period wasn’t very long either.
Just about a week.
Of course, if she focused solely on memorizing the musical script for an entire week, it wouldn’t be impossible to memorize it.
Kang Yebin had many personal schedules of her own.
Since she had to consistently attend school classes in addition to her acting work, she wouldn’t have been able to fully dedicate herself to memorizing the script.
“That’s amazing.”
“I heard rumors that Yebin-yang is incredibly good at memorizing. But I didn’t know it was true to this extent…”
People felt a sense of awe in front of her ability.
Kang Yebin, slowly recalling the lines she had memorized in her mind, slightly closed her eyes to grasp the emotional line.
Then.
A single tear rolled down from the corner of her delicate eye.
S#12, chosen by Director Jeon Yutae, depicted the scene where the female protagonist, played by Kang Yebin, sends the male protagonist she secretly loves to the battlefield.
Kang Yebin succeeded in signaling the beginning of a woman’s sorrow, forced to send off her beloved, with a single tear.
One of the staff members, who checked the time on his wristwatch, whispered to Director Jeon Yutae.
“It hasn’t even been 30 seconds since she immersed herself in the acting. I’ve never seen an actress get into tearful acting so quickly before.”
“See? What did I tell you? I told you Yebin-yang is no ordinary talent.”
Director Jeon Yutae had highly regarded Kang Yebin’s acting talent from the very beginning.
That’s why, exceptionally, Director Jeon Yutae had even gone to Kang Yebin first to express his desire to cast her as the female protagonist.
Even to repay his expectations.
Kang Yebin decided to show acting skills beyond that.
“Farewell, my love. And please… promise me you’ll return safely to my side. I will wait for you forever. Continuously.”
At some point, people’s eyes and ears were captivated by Kang Yebin, who recited her lines while looking in the presumed direction where her beloved had departed.
Every gesture was filled with poignancy.
Kang Yebin, after briefly composing herself, then returned to her usual expression as if nothing had happened and spoke to Director Jeon Yutae and the staff.
“That’s all. Thank you for watching.”
Clap, clap, clap!
Applause erupted from all directions.
It was a short scene, but for them, it was enough time to prove how excellent an actress Kang Yebin was.
Director Jeon Yutae straightened his shoulders as if boasting to the staff and said.
“How was my choice?”
“Director, you’re amazing.”
“I heard a lot of talk about Yebin-yang being good, but I didn’t know she was this good.”
“It seems like she could be put on stage right away, without any special preparation?”
Praise poured in from all sides.
The performance she showed on stage was more than enough to satisfy people.
In truth, Kang Yebin had been very worried in her heart.
Could she really perform the role of a musical actress well? The anxiety about this still remained.
But after taking the audition.
Kang Yebin was able to gain confidence.
At the same time, she realized something.
Indeed. There’s nothing she can’t do if she follows her father’s words.
