NB | Chapter 7

Today, as soon as Woohyun woke up, he checked his phone case. He wanted to make sure meeting Kang Jiwon wasn’t just a dream. Since no thief could have come while he slept, the black business card was still there.

Using the excuse of needing time to think, Woohyun spent the past few days researching Kang Jiwon.

Third-generation chaebol, Midas’ touch, symbol of an alpha, a snake in a suit. The descriptions of him were all glamorous and close to the truth.

Kang Jiwon, who majored in business administration and had an interest in the cultural content industry since college, proved his foresight by investing in hit dramas and films.

His eye for potential extended beyond content to business. At the young age of thirty, he became an executive director at Newon Entertainment.

Shortly after, he acquired a drama production company in financial crisis. Newon, already recognized as a comprehensive media group with home shopping, cable broadcasting, and entertainment management, became complete with his influence.

Vanilla Bean Studio, which had good directors but poor management, improved its quality with Newon’s solid capital, starting to turn a profit by replacing its flagship works annually.

Furthermore, Newon succeeded in controlling the fees for actors and writers, which used to take up about 70% of production costs, by owning actors, directors, and writers.

Newon, already established in the broadcasting industry as MPP, naturally rose to a leading position in just a few years. This allowed Kang Jiwon to enhance financial stability while solidifying his management rights.

It was impossible to check all the accumulated information over the years or fully understand the selected parts immediately. So Woohyun concluded that Kang Jiwon was an incredibly remarkable person.

“This is a lottery limited to you as the winner.”

He seemed to hear Kang Jiwon’s voice echoing in his ears again.

If the business card was a lottery ticket, Woohyun had two. And one was a fortune ready to be claimed whenever he wanted. Though he hadn’t fully realized it, the excitement welled up, making his throat tight. Woohyun put the black card back inside the phone case.

A lottery guaranteed to win whenever scratched could be saved a little longer. He wanted to believe this level of greed wasn’t a luxury.

The white card showed signs of being crumpled and unfolded, but the writing was legible. He carefully entered the 11-digit number on the keypad, checking it twice to ensure it was correct.

“The director gave me his card first, so this is the right order…”

Woohyun muttered to himself, calming his anxious heart.

Once he regained some composure, he felt ready to make full use of the phone bill he had paid with a slap. The call connected quickly.

“Hello, Director. This is Seo Woohyun. I received your card around the 15th at the shoot.”

– Woohyun? I’ve been waiting for your call!

The director’s voice was so joyful it was noticeable even over the phone. He could have boasted about expecting Woohyun to call first, but he didn’t.

A small smile soon appeared on Woohyun’s lips, which had been awkward.

˚˚˚

The director clapped as soon as he saw Woohyun’s neatly cut hair and revealed face. Perhaps he thought Woohyun had kept his hair long on purpose, or he wondered if there had been a change of heart during the days without contact.

Feeling a bit embarrassed by the applause, Woohyun simply replied, “It’s not like that.”

Initially, the director conducted a simple interview, having him look into the camera lens. Then, he began examining Woohyun from various angles, including front, side, and back views.

At first, Woohyun found it awkward to even look directly into the lens during his self-introduction. But as he grew tired, his tension eased. The director’s directions came as if waiting for this moment.

Smile, brush your bangs back, tilt your chin to the left, take a few steps, think of someone you want to see…

“You’re doing well.”

At first, he thought Woohyun’s face muscles were stiff from never smiling. Considering it was only the first camera test, it wasn’t bad. No matter how good-looking, if there was no charm, it was best to send him back. Fortunately, the relaxed Woohyun showed potential.

The director couldn’t take his eyes off the monitor. There was a captured moment of Woohyun laughing at his joke. By the end of the test, he could even smile naturally.

“You still don’t have an agency?”

“No.”

When the director asked, looking genuinely puzzled, Woohyun nodded and answered honestly.

Even just circulating this video to agencies would get responses from many places. The director was confident enough to bet on it. But that wasn’t the only surprising fact.

“I won’t even ask if you’ve never auditioned on your own, but is it true you’ve never been cast even once?”

“Yes.”

Woohyun agreed calmly, having no reason to lie.

To be precise, he had never given anyone the chance to street-cast him. His narrow living radius, mostly between home and work sites, meant he rarely caught the eye of casting agents. Plus, he often wore his hair long or covered his face with a mask.

Jobs like working at the wine bar or as an extra were relatively easy short-term gigs he took to rest his worn-out body before moving to another labor office.

He was also fed up with construction workers. The labor office manager, knowing Woohyun was an alpha, discriminated by assigning him only to demolition sites, claiming he was young and strong. Even at work sites, he often faced rude remarks or was given tough tasks for the same reason.

The incident where he had to take someone to the hospital after a fight was due to a safety issue with a worker.

Perhaps all that hardship was leading to this moment. Woohyun decided to think positively.

“If you can’t succeed as a good actor, at least find a rich sponsor. You could pay off your mom’s hospital bills quickly. I think you have a knack for it.”

At the same time, Kim Sungmoon’s nonsense echoed like an alarm in his head, but he decided to ignore it. He wasn’t preserving his chastity; he knew better than anyone that his body was just a tool after years of physical labor. If necessary, he’d make his own judgment, so there was no need to be swayed by such talk.

Only when the director signaled to wrap up did the red light on the camera turn off.

“These days, there are so many aspiring actors at auditions that the rookie development teams must be slacking.”

I almost never knew about Woohyun’s face either.

He added with a playful smile.

“By the way, Newon is surprising. I thought Director Kang liked you.”

Woohyun was about to explain that he contacted the director first, even though he received a card from Kang Jiwon, but the director continued.

“If you don’t like Newon, I can introduce you to other places. Once you sign a contract, you’re tied for years, so think carefully.”

“…”

“If you show up on set without an agency, many will be interested in your looks. I guarantee it. But don’t just accept any card. These days, there are so many scam companies that invite you for camera tests, promise to train you, assign a manager, and then rip you off.”

Woohyun remained silent. After all, he had just gone through a camera test and received a first-round pass. He knew this director wasn’t a scammer, but his sensitivity to money and scams made him slightly suspicious.

Of course, his face remained as usual, so the director couldn’t guess what Woohyun was thinking. He simply handed over a script with a friendly smile.

“This is a practice script. Keep it. We’ll be looking at serious acting in the second test.”

***

Today, it seemed like people’s eyes were constantly on him. Woohyun wiped the bar table with a dry cloth, feeling a tickle, and brushed his cheek with the back of his hand.

When his hair covered his eyes, he often didn’t notice people’s gazes, but now that his face was fully visible, he felt their stares too well, making him uncomfortable.

It felt like he was the only one naked here.

Anyway, that’s how it felt, and maybe it was just because he had neatly cut his once shaggy hair. From the moment he opened the door at the wine bar, the manager acknowledged him, and every employee he met commented on his new hairstyle. Even people he had never spoken to before did the same. The owner, however, seemed to regret it as if he had cut his own hair that he had grown for three years.

As a result, Woohyun, who was never good at slacking off, was busier than usual, moving around the hall. Standing idle made his cheeks tingle. Fortunately, he could handle it physically.

Just then, the bell at the entrance rang. Woohyun, who happened to be at the table closest to the entrance, looked over and met Kang Jiwon’s eyes. Unconsciously, he touched the name tag on his left chest. He bowed his head deeply, but it was already too late.

“Seo Deokbae?”

The familiar name, though not his, fell on his head. Woohyun reluctantly lifted his gaze.

It took a while to follow the well-polished shoes, up the neatly creased suit pants. The suit fit perfectly, and the vest buttons were adorned with black jewels. As he straightened his shoulders, the shirt stretched, creating a handsome silhouette. When he finally reached the face…

Woohyun bit his lip. He couldn’t tell if he was about to express admiration for the man’s looks or exclaim in delight at meeting someone he knew.