“Hello, this is Kang Tae-ha.”
In the script reading room, Tae-ha’s voice rang out cheerfully.
However,
“Who are you?”
“Ah, I’ve been cast as Lee Jae-hyun this time. It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”
“Ah, I see. It’s more of an honor for me to meet you. I was curious about you.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Go on now. There’s nothing to be gained from sticking by someone like me.”
Most of the actors treated Tae-ha in this way.
It was better to be openly mocked or dismissed like this.
At least then, he could bow his head awkwardly and get it over with.
But with those who accepted his greeting as if nothing was wrong, only to immediately reveal their discomfort once his back was turned, there was nothing else to do.
The reason was obvious.
Starting with Director Lee Hae-ik and Kim Jeong-sik, who appreciated Tae-ha’s acting skills, various circumstances had come together, and he had been cast for the role—but nobody truly believed that story.
People whispered that he was related to the Writer.
Or that the Director was close with the president of that agency.
They’d seen plenty of unqualified actors being pushed into roles before, but this was just too much, wasn’t it?
The murmurs were filled with wild speculation and criticism.
“Why? I heard the Director picked him because he’s a good actor. Casting was tough, too.”
“You really believe that? No-name rookies—how good could their acting possibly be?”
They spoke in hushed tones among themselves, but it was clear they didn’t care if Tae-ha overheard.
Looking over at where the managers had gathered, Im Chan-hyung also seemed to be having a hard time.
He was busy explaining himself to those bluntly asking if there’d been some lobbying involved.
“No matter how much I explain the truth, it’s useless. They’ll believe what they want to believe—because that seems more realistic to them.”
It was difficult.
Controversy on the internet over shocking casting choices was one thing.
But reality was different.
Here, these were people he actually had to work with.
“I should have expected this kind of atmosphere.”
Tae-ha, who’d focused solely on preparing for his performance ahead of the Script Reading, felt a twinge of regret.
Given the importance of this role in someone else’s precious script, he’d promised himself to do his absolute best…
He vowed not to disappoint the Producer who had trusted him enough to cast him…
He’d thought of these things over and over, immersing himself in the role of Lee Jae-hyun—so much so, he’d neglected to consider the internal reaction.
“Well, even if I had thought of it beforehand, what could I have done?”
There was nothing to do but face it head-on.
Just then, laughter rippled quietly from the group of senior actors who had been cold toward Tae-ha.
“Hello, sir.”
“My goodness, how long has it been?”
“Oh my, are you in this Drama too? As what?”
“As the Apprentice Priest.”
Turning his head, Tae-ha saw Han Woo-ri greeting the senior actors.
“As expected, you made it, Han Woo-ri.”
Though her name wasn’t widely known, she’d appeared in various works and seemed to be familiar with the senior actors.
“You suit the role so well! Do your best, really. You deserve to shine. This time, it’ll go well for sure.”
“Thank you. I’ll do my best.”
“That’s right. Just do what you always do.”
“Fighting!”
The senior actors sincerely encouraged Han Woo-ri.
It seemed they, like Tae-ha, highly regarded Han Woo-ri’s earnest and kind character.
As their gazes shifted, Han Woo-ri looked toward Tae-ha, their eyes meeting.
Tae-ha offered a gentle smile.
In the end, both of them were cast in , so he felt satisfied.
Just as Han Woo-ri began walking toward Tae-ha, as if she wanted to greet him, a voice muttered coldly from behind—Im Mi-hee, who had been particularly chilly toward Tae-ha.
“It’s the diligent actors like her who should do well… not those who get in because of connections.”
Han Woo-ri, who had been approaching, and Tae-ha, who’d been waiting, both couldn’t help but hear her voice.
For a moment, Han Woo-ri stopped and stiffened.
She hadn’t named anyone, but it was clear who she meant.
Im Mi-hee was an actress known for playing mother roles in many films and Dramas—people even said she was more of a mother than their own.
It wasn’t for nothing that she was called “teacher”—her acting career and skills were significant, and most of the actors and Staff respected her.
Part of that was her frankness, her willingness to speak her mind without regard for others’ feelings.
“But this time it’s a misunderstanding, Teacher.”
Though it was frustrating for Tae-ha, he couldn’t very well shout out his defense to Im Mi-hee right there.
And there was no guarantee she’d believe him anyway.
“Since I was lucky, I should just accept this level of backlash.”
While Tae-ha forced a bitter smile, Han Woo-ri—though not the one accused—wore an uneasy expression and came to greet him.
“Hello. You’re the one I saw at the Audition, right?”
Tae-ha relaxed his expression and nodded.
“Yes. Congratulations on being cast as the Apprentice Priest.”
At Tae-ha’s sincere congratulation, Han Woo-ri blushed a little and replied quietly.
“I was really nervous back then, but thank you for cheering me on. Thanks to you, I think I did well at the Audition.”
“I didn’t do anything special.”
“I was just thinking how grateful I was, and then I saw the casting announcement and recognized your face. So congratulations to you. For getting the role of Lee Jae-hyun.”
“You’re sincere, huh.”
Tae-ha was genuinely impressed.
Han Woo-ri, after all, could have felt jealous or uncomfortable in this situation.
Of all the major roles cast for this Drama, only two were unknown actors in their twenties—them.
“Thank you. Please feel free to speak comfortably with me. I believe I’m younger than you.”
“I’ll take it slow, then.”
With that, Han Woo-ri lowered her voice a little.
“As for what Teacher Im said… please don’t take it to heart.”
“Huh?”
“Teacher will soon clear up the misunderstanding. Whatever else, she’s quick to warm up to people who work hard.”
“Do you… think I’m that kind of person?”
Tae-ha thought he knew Han Woo-ri reasonably well, but in truth, they’d only exchanged greetings at the Audition.
So he couldn’t help but ask.
Somewhat embarrassed by Tae-ha’s direct question, Han Woo-ri confessed.
“Actually, on Audition day, I overheard you in the restroom while I was getting ready.”
“The restroom? Ah…”
Now Tae-ha realized what Han Woo-ri meant.
Audition day, in the restroom.
Apparently, she had heard him muttering to himself in front of the mirror.
Since the role had no lines, he had to pay close attention to expressions and gestures.
So even right before the Audition, he was agonizing over how best to use his eyes, how to move his hands.
“You’d analyzed the character so deeply. Far more than I ever did. I was standing right behind you. You don’t remember seeing me, do you?”
“Ah… I was so focused…”
“That’s why. I really do believe you got the role of Lee Jae-hyun because of your acting.”
Tae-ha let out a small laugh.
“What a kind soul, and sharp-eyed too.”
Looking down at Han Woo-ri with a warm heart, the entrance suddenly became noisy.
The Main Character of this Drama, Seon Min-gi, was making his way to his seat, politely greeting the Staff and actors one by one.
“Wow… the weight he carries is different.”
With just his entrance, the air in the Staff Room changed.
Though he was dressed simply in a shirt and slacks, the aura he exuded was palpable.
It was clear why he had risen to his current position with such deep acting.
His sharp features were striking, and the toned body hinted beneath his fitted shirt emphasized his presence.
“He even bulked up to fit the role. Nice.”
For a moment, Tae-ha felt almost proud, as if he were the Producer of this project.
Han Woo-ri, who’d been standing in the corridor, couldn’t hide her excitement as she greeted him.
“Hello. I’m Han Woo-ri, playing the Apprentice Priest. It’s an honor to work with you.”
“Yes. I look forward to working with you as well.”
Though his greeting was a bit stiff, it matched his image and carried the right weight.
Tae-ha followed with his own greeting.
“Hello. I’m Kang Tae-ha, playing Lee Jae-hyun. It’s an honor to be here with you.”
According to the script, Tae-ha would be acting together with the Female Lead even more frequently.
Seon Min-gi would be well aware of this.
“He didn’t object to my casting—he even helped. He must know the situation well.”
So Tae-ha wasn’t particularly worried about Seon Min-gi.
Surely, unlike the other actors…
“Is he ignoring me? Why?”
Tae-ha watched as Seon Min-gi brushed past him without a word.
Their eyes met for a moment—he had definitely been ignored.
Since Tae-ha had greeted right after Han Woo-ri, the difference was all the more stark.
Tae-ha hadn’t expected Seon Min-gi to act like this, and couldn’t hide his surprise, blinking.
Han Woo-ri, at a loss, glanced over to see how Tae-ha was taking it.
Tae-ha let out a short sigh, then squared his shoulders.
“It’s fine, don’t worry.”
As Tae-ha reassured her and headed to his seat, Han Woo-ri scratched the back of her head, watching him go.
If it had been her, she wouldn’t have been able to handle things as calmly as Tae-ha.
Certainly, if Tae-ha had been an ordinary rookie, this atmosphere would have been hard to bear.
“If I were really a twenty-four-year-old rookie, my mentality would have been crushed.”
Anyone not sufficiently thick-skinned would have found it impossible to endure.
He might not have stormed out in tears, but the discomfort and pressure could have ruined the Script Reading.
However, Tae-ha had experienced everything the industry had to offer—even dying and coming back to life—so he was simply eager for the Script Reading to begin as soon as possible.
“I really need to do well today.”
He felt he needed to prove to everyone that he had truly earned the role through his acting.
***
Once the Writer and Director were seated in their designated spots, the Making Film camera switched on, and each person began to introduce themselves in turn.
After the Director and Writer, Tae-ha was third among the actors.
Tae-ha was acutely aware that, for better or worse, he would inevitably be in the spotlight here.
“I’m Kang Tae-ha, playing Lee Jae-hyun. I know I lack experience, and you may find me unreliable, but I’ll do my best not to be a burden to the project. Please look kindly upon me.”
After Tae-ha’s honest and straightforward introduction, Director Lee Hae-ik and Kim Jeong-sik chuckled.
With the Director and Writer smiling, the other actors relaxed a bit and smiled as well.
Except for Im Mi-hee, who kept her cold expression, it seemed everyone else was at least pretending to respond for the camera’s sake.
Seon Min-gi avoided Tae-ha’s gaze by pretending to flip through his script, muttering under his breath.
“Look kindly, my foot.”
When the Writer and Director had said they wanted to cast the rookie Tae-ha because they liked his acting—
Seon Min-gi hadn’t objected.
He’d even said he’d help cast Tae-ha, whom he’d never met before.
“That way, I could make this Drama all about me.”
That was all there was to it.
It might seem contradictory, but regardless of agreeing to the casting, he still felt resentful.
It wasn’t like the others—he didn’t have any misunderstanding that Tae-ha had pulled strings to get in.
But still, after nearly eight years as an unknown actor himself, here was someone about to make a name overnight.
Honestly, he was jealous.
“Even if the circumstances lined up perfectly, how good could his acting be?”
Even as he scolded himself for being unlike himself, Seon Min-gi couldn’t help but glare sullenly at Tae-ha.
A moment later, a Staff member read the stage directions for Scene 1, Part 1, and the reading began.
Seon Min-gi collected himself and focused on the acting.
Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3… Scene 10.
As expected of a work with such skilled actors, the atmosphere in the Staff Room quickly heated up.
And then Scene 11.
Finally, it was the debut Scene for Lee Jae-hyun, played by Tae-ha.
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Most, like Seon Min-gi, were watching Tae-ha’s performance with the same mindset.
And the moment Tae-ha delivered his line, Seon Min-gi’s brow furrowed in irritation.
“What the hell? That was too ordinary.”