Chapter 822: She Was Beautiful Audition (2)

The round-faced and bashful Han Soo-Bin blinked rapidly. She looked flustered, unsure why she was called ahead of her scheduled turn, which was number 50.

At that moment, President Shin Jong-Ki stepped in to clear her confusion. "You don't need to look so surprised. Our casting director just wanted to see your performance first, that's all."

Han Soo-Bin blinked again. "My performance? Huh?

Oh

?"

Realizing why she had been called up early, Han Soo-Bin stumbled over her words in panic.

Her dazed expression, like a bewildered new recruit, made the judges tilt their heads. They looked at me as if they couldn't understand why I had suggested comparing this unpolished applicant's performance at all.

However, I smiled gently and tried to calm Han Soo-Bin down first. "Ms. Soo-Bin. Take a long breath. Drink some water, do a bit of stretching, and try to relax."

Han Soo-Bin had a routine she always followed before acting. She would take two sips of water, inhale deeply, then do light calisthenics to ease the tension. It stemmed from a childhood jinx after a disastrous mistake during a school performance.

Because she had been called up suddenly and couldn't follow that routine, I gave her a bit of time to do it.

"You must've been startled by being called out like that. Take your time. Settle yourself."

"Thank you."

Glancing around nervously, Han Soo-Bin approached a nearby staff member and got some water.

Gulp, gulp.

After drinking two sips, she took two deep breaths. Then, just as I remembered, she began doing light calisthenics in place like in a PE class.

She muttered quietly to herself, "One, two. One, two."

Cha In-Hye, standing beside her, gave a bewildered look that screamed, 'What is she doing?'

Then Yoo-Jin, sitting next to me, leaned in and whispered. "Oppa, what's up with Han Soo-Bin?"

"She's just nervous. If she doesn't do that before acting, she thinks it'll jinx her. You look at a smile photo before a shoot too, right? Same idea."

"

Mmm

, I see. But is she actually that good? She seems way too nervous."

"Just watch. You'll like her."

"

Ooh

~ Whenever you praise someone, they always hit it big."

With that, Yoo-Jin turned her attention to Han Soo-Bin. After finishing her routine, Han Soo-Bin placed a hand on her chest and stepped in front of the judges.

"

Phew.

Thank you. I'm ready now."

Director Yeo Ik-Hwan smiled and asked, "Ms. Han Soo-Bin. Scene 22. Can you do it?"

He was asking her to perform the same scene that Cha In-Hye had just done.

Han Soo-Bin nodded without hesitation. "Scene 22? That's the first scene after Han Bit-Na's accident, right? Yes, I can."

Yeo Ik-Hwan nodded. "You can use the script."

"Okay. I'll just take a quick look first."

After bowing slightly, Han Soo-Bin flipped through the script. It was a sharp contrast to Cha In-Hye, who had memorized the scene. It might have made her seem unprepared, but I knew what was really going on. She had memorized the entire script, but her perfectionist nature made her double-check it one last time.

Sure enough, as the pages fluttered, the thick black underlines showed just how thoroughly she had studied it.

Seeing this, Yeo Ik-Hwan and Writer Wang Mi-In looked visibly surprised.

"She probably memorized everything already."

"Yes, Mr. Yeo. She recognized the scene instantly earlier too. It seems like she knows it all."

Han Soo-Bin had already made a strong impression on the key judges.

At that moment, Han Soo-Bin lifted her head. "Alright. I'm ready."

Han Soo-Bin handed the script back to President Song Jin-Man of Grassroots Entertainment and stepped into the audition space. Cha In-Hye and President Park Seo-Beom of Yes Entertainment stepped aside.

Yeo Ik-Hwan turned to Han Soo-Bin, now standing alone. "Okay~ Just follow my lead. I'll read both the action notes and the lines, so you only need to act out Lee So-Mi's part. Relax now~ and action!"

That's when it happened. In an instant, Han Soo-Bin's eyes lit up. Her meek expression vanished, replaced by a look of fierce ambition.

"Huh?"

"What the...?"

The sudden transformation, like a face-changing act, drew the judges' full attention.

And at that moment, Han Soo-Bin, once known for her Janus-like expressions before the regression, launched into a performance of incredible depth.

***

Yeo Ik-Hwan began reading the script for Scene 22 just like before.

『Yeah. Bit-Na's face was seriously injured. She might never be able to perform on stage again.

Sigh~

and it's only an hour before the music show. What do we do now? This is insane.』

Then, Han Soo-Bin's lips curled into a sly smile, lifting only the right corner of her mouth.

『What else? We go on without Bit-Na.』

The line was identical to Cha In-Hye's earlier delivery, but her crystal-clear diction made the villainous character come alive. She also used her facial muscles far better than Cha In-Hye, giving real vitality to the expression. The judges reacted with surprise as if they had just uncovered a hidden gem.

The clearly excited Yeo Ik-Hwan even added a bit of ad-lib as he continued reading.

『Hey. Lee So-Mi! Are you out of your mind? You seriously want to go on stage in this situation?』

Han Soo-Bin's smile deepened. Grinning like she saw the situation as an opportunity, she replied smoothly.

『I'm sad that Bit-Na got hurt too.』

『Sad? You're calling that a sad face? Then why are you smiling?』

『Should I cry instead?』

『What?』

『Sure, it's tragic what happened to her. But what about us? We practiced for nights without sleep, forced smiles even when we didn't want to, just to get here—and now we're supposed to throw it all away? No. I won't. I can rework the choreography in an hour. We can still perform without Bit-Na. I can lead them. I'm Lee So-Mi!』

Cha In-Hye's version of Lee So-Mi had been strong, but Han Soo-Bin's radiated a completely different level of villainous presence.

The judges began murmuring in awe at her performance.

"Wow~ she's good."

"Her emotional beats are so clear, it's easy to follow."

"Chief Jung pulled it off again."

Hearing their assessments, I let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

As expected, Han Soo-Bin was still Han Soo-Bin.

***

Smack.

Scene 22 came to an end.

Yeo Ik-Hwan closed his script with a thud and asked sternly, "Ms. Han Soo-Bin. You've read the whole script, right?"

"Yes, sir. I've studied it thoroughly, multiple times."

"Ms. Wang here didn't create Lee So-Mi to be such a ruthless character. Don't you think you overdid the emotions?"

Having stepped out of character, Han Soo-Bin let out a long breath and answered calmly.

"Before Angel Wings' debut, Lee So-Mi was their leader until Han Bit-Na was suddenly added. She even secretly orchestrated Han Bit-Na's accident. I thought it was important to draw a clear emotional line to portray a character full of rivalry and resentment."

It was a character interpretation only possible from someone who had read the script thoroughly to the end.

At that moment, Yeo Ik-Hwan relaxed his stern expression and began clapping toward Han Soo-Bin, who had remained faithful to the character.

Clap, clap, clap.

The applause was twice as loud as before.

"Wow~ You might understand this character better than I do, and I'm the director here."

Once the performance ended, Han Soo-Bin reverted to her bashful demeanor as if nothing had happened and said, "Thank you."

Yeo Ik-Hwan turned to Wang Mi-In with a satisfied smile. "What do you think, Ms. Wang?"

Wang Mi-In spoke excitedly. "She's captured the essence of Lee So-Mi almost perfectly—the opportunistic villain. I love how clearly that hunger for success comes through."

Then Yoo-Jin chimed in from beside me. "Exactly. And more than anything, her diction is excellent and she expresses emotions so clearly. It's hard to believe she's a rookie."

With praise flowing from actor, director, and writer alike, Shin Jong-Ki let out a relieved sigh.

"

Phew

~ We almost wrapped up early without realizing we had this kind of talent. Thanks, Chief Jung."

I couldn't help but exhale a quiet breath of relief myself.

I smiled and said, "It's nothing, sir. This is exactly what I'm here for."

"

Hahaha.

Right, you are our casting director after all."

Anyone could see Han Soo-Bin had delivered a better performance than Cha In-Hye.

Still, scores had to be assigned, so Shin Jong-Ki looked around and spoke. "Let's go ahead and score Han Soo-Bin as well."

The judges nodded in agreement. "Yes, sir."

Just then, Park Seo-Beom of Yes Entertainment, who had been standing off to the side, stepped forward and began to protest.

"Mr. Shin! You can't just pit the two of them directly against each other like this!"

Shin Jong-Ki furrowed his brow slightly. "You didn't raise any objections until just now. Why the sudden complaint?"

"It's not sudden, I was holding back! You're using In-Hye as a foil just to pick the actress Chief Jung favors! And I don't think their skill levels are that different anyway. Isn't this going too far?"

It seemed Park Seo-Beom was gearing up to paint me as overstepping my authority if Cha In-Hye didn't get selected. However, to say their skill levels weren't that different was absurd. After all, everyone here had seen the stark difference in their performances.

"President Park, that's not—"

"I'm disappointed, Mr. Shin. And I'd heard rumors that you've been sticking close to Chief Jung lately. I guess they were true after all!"

Then Cha In-Hye jumped in. "I feel the same. Isn't this whole audition just a show with a pre-decided outcome? I've never experienced anything like this before."

Shin Jong-Ki looked at them both in disbelief. Clearly, it was my turn to step in.

At that moment, Yoo-Jin tugged at my sleeve, trying to stop me. "Oppa. If you step in now, it could get messy. Let me handle it."

"Huh? What are you going to do?"

Now a top star, Yoo-Jin smiled faintly and stood up without another word. "Excuse me."

All eyes turned to her as Yoo-Jin looked at Cha In-Hye and Park Seo-Beom.

"I'll act opposite both Ms. In-Hye and Ms. Soo-Bin. That way, we can clearly see the skill difference. Don't you think so?"

Acknowledged as the best actress in the industry right now, Yoo-Jin stepped down to the audition floor herself.

Yoo-Jin's confident stride made Cha In-Hye flinch.

Still, trying not to lose face, Cha In-Hye raised her voice in protest. "I don't think this is something Ms. Yoo-Jin should get involved in. You're not a judge. But you're just here to observe."

Yoo-Jin scoffed. "If we're going to nitpick, you're not exactly in a position to be ordering around the judges either. If you still think this isn't fair, we could always call in the press and redo the audition in front of them. How about that?"

"Th-That's..."

Hit squarely with Yoo-Jin's blunt truth, Cha In-Hye fell silent.

"So stop with the excuses and do Scene 50. If you're not confident, then don't."

Scene 50 was the first scene where Han Bit-Na, having completed reconstructive surgery and now going by the name Lee Byeol-Bit, returns to the broadcasting station and meets the members of Angel Wings again. It was a tense and emotionally charged confrontation. If the acting fell short, the whole scene would collapse.

Grinding her teeth, Cha In-Hye stared back at Yoo-Jin. "Fine. I can do it."

Yoo-Jin nodded and turned to her side. "Ms. Soo-Bin, you get ready too."

"Y-Yes."

Taking control of the situation with commanding charisma, Yoo-Jin turned to the judges. "Judges, I'll be counting on your fair evaluation."

They nodded in response.

Then Cha In-Hye spoke, glancing at Yoo-Jin. "You don't need to look at the script? I can wait."

Yoo-Jin let out a dry chuckle, clearly unimpressed. "If you'd spent less time on power games and more time studying the script, your diction and character interpretation would be a lot better. So how about you focus on your own performance?"

Cha In-Hye's face flushed bright red.

At that moment, Yeo Ik-Hwan cleared his throat. "Alright, I'll read the action first. Here we go. Ready~~action!"

***

[

Scene 50. After undergoing reconstructive surgery, Han Bit-Na returns with a completely new face and the alias 'Lee Byeol-Bit' to begin a new chapter in her life.

She attends a music show where she meets Angel Wings' leader, Lee So-Mi, in the waiting room—just after Angel Wings has taken first place with their song 'Falling in Love.'

Five years ago, when Han Bit-Na was a rookie, things were different. Now, Angel Wings had risen to the top. And Lee So-Mi, who had become the leader during that time, was now a major star.

But the moment she sees Lee Byeol-Bit, Lee So-Mi instantly realizes that this is Han Bit-Na, the one who had once made her feel deeply inferior.

After all, no one knew better than Lee So-Mi just how captivating Han Bit-Na could be

.]

As soon as the action description ended, Cha In-Hye began her performance.

『Hey! Lee Byeol-Bit. You're... you're Han Bit-Na, right?』

Yoo-Jin instantly adopted a wide-eyed, innocent expression. She blinked nervously and her whole frame trembled in fear. She transformed in a flash into the timid rookie singer, Lee Byeol-Bit.

『I-I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Bit-Na? I'm just a rookie singer, Lee Byeol-Bit.』

Trying to overpower Yoo-Jin's performance, Cha In-Hye shouted her lines.

『Don't try to fool me! You're Han Bit-Na! Your voice, your build—it all matches! And more than anything, you're wearing the same perfume. You always sprayed that before going on stage. Did you think I wouldn't notice?』

Then Yoo-Jin let out a small sigh and transformed again, this time into the seasoned and hardened Han Bit-Na. The trembling shoulders straightened and her eyes, now filled with fury and irritation, fixed on Cha In-Hye.

『So what? What if I am?』

Cha In-Hye stuttered, caught off guard.

『

Hah!

This is unbelievable! After changing your whole face like that, how can you still act so proud? Why didn't you just stay home? Who would even welcome someone like you?』

As Cha In-Hye spat her lines with growing spite, Yoo-Jin stepped forward close enough to touch. Then, with a chilling voice, Yoo-Jin spoke.

『Lee So-Mi. You're scared, aren't you?』

『What?』

『You're scared I might expose everything you did. Aren't you?』

In

She Was Beautiful

, it was Lee So-Mi who had orchestrated the car accident that injured Han Bit-Na. Han Bit-Na only discovered later that Lee So-Mi had ordered someone to tamper with her car. That revelation drove her to get reconstructive surgery and return to the entertainment world to reclaim her dream—and to exact revenge.

Yoo-Jin was fully immersed in Han Bit-Na's character now. And because of that, every word she spoke dripped with deep and unresolved bitterness. Her voice dripped with venom, her glare razor-sharp. Her trembling hand opened and closed as if ready to slap someone at any moment. Her lips were pressed tightly together, burning with fury aimed squarely at Cha In-Hye.

At that moment, Cha In-Hye's eyes wavered upon watching Yoo-Jin's performance up close. Cha In-Hye was starting to get pulled into Yoo-Jin's performance.

『I-I didn't do anything! I don't know what you're talking about!』

Then, a chilling menace radiated from Yoo-Jin's eyes. Her glare was so intense it made everyone's skin crawl.

『Feels like the world's yours now that you're a star, huh? But what do you think'll happen once the world finds out the filth you've done? You? A star? Don't make me laugh. Now that I'm back, you're nothing more than a death-row inmate waiting for the clock to run out.』

Yoo-Jin glared at Cha In-Hye as if ready to end her on the spot. That's when something unexpected happened.

Trembling, Cha In-Hye suddenly raised her hand toward Yoo-Jin's face and shouted, "You little—! Jung Yoo-Jin! You think I'll just sit here and take it?"

'

What the heck

?'

Pulled too deeply into Yoo-Jin's performance, Cha In-Hye lost her temper and lifted her hand. I stood up reflexively, but Yoo-Jin was quicker.

Smack.

Yoo-Jin knocked away Cha In-Hye's wrist before it could land.

"

Ah

!"

Cha In-Hye stumbled back, clutching her wrist.

Having stepped out of character, Yoo-Jin stared Cha In-Hye down. "Ms. In-Hye. What do you think you're doing right now?"

Yoo-Jin's voice was laced with scolding.

Realizing she had been caught in the moment, Cha In-Hye finally snapped back to reality. "I-I just..."

"

Hah

, this is unbelievable. You can't even handle this level of scene work and you call this acting? If you want to flaunt your pride, then put in the effort to back it up. Effort!"

Yoo-Jin had given a sincere performance, and Cha In-Hye was nowhere near ready to meet her at that level.

Clicking her tongue in disbelief, Yoo-Jin looked toward the judges. "I'll go right into the next scene with Ms. Han Soo-Bin. Is that alright?"

Everyone swallowed hard, nodding at Yoo-Jin's charisma. "Of course. Go ahead, whatever's easiest for you, Miss Yoo-Jin."

"Thank you."

Yoo-Jin took a deep breath, then turned to Han Soo-Bin.

"Next is your turn, Ms. Soo-Bin. Come on up."

Han Soo-Bin, the girl with the Janus face, looked tense as she stepped up to act opposite Yoo-Jin.

"Yes, Yoo-Jin sunbae-nim."

Han Soo-Bin approached respectfully and stood across from Yoo-Jin.

Yoo-Jin took another deep breath. "Scene 50. Can you go right into it?"

"Yes, I can."

Yoo-Jin closed her eyes for a moment. And when she opened them, she transformed into the female lead of

She Was Beautiful.

And then, almost instantly, Han Soo-Bin too took a breath and dove into character.

A head-to-head performance between acting genius Jung Yoo-Jin and Janus-faced Han Soo-Bin, something even I hadn't seen before the regression, was about to unfold right here in this audition room.