Chapter 50
I casually glanced at Han Hye-joo.
Her expression was blank, as if she hadn't asked the question because she actually wanted an answer.
This woman... Did she really not know?
“I suppose that's how things happened, by coincidence.”
“I heard you were planning to get Bo-young unnie cast in this movie, but I guess your profile somehow made it through too.”
At Han Hye-joo's sarcastic remark, I couldn't help getting irritated.
“Then, even though you knew I had mentioned Bo-young noona, why did you submit your profile here anyway?”
For a moment, Han Hye-joo's brows twisted strangely.
“What exactly are you trying to say? Are you implying that I deliberately submitted it just to get in Bo-young unnie's way?”
I remained silent.
Han Hye-joo took my silence as confirmation and immediately snapped.
“Think whatever you want. It's not like you're going to believe me even if I tell you the company forced me into this. Hmph.”
Just then, the elevator doors opened as it stopped on the 12th floor.
However, Han Hye-joo seemed to still have something to say to me, so instead of getting off, she pressed the close button.
“Aren't you getting off? You said you were going to see the CEO.”
“I'm not done talking yet. Aren't you going to the rooftop garden?”
Ha, what is wrong with this woman?
Eventually, Han Hye-joo followed me all the way to the rooftop garden.
I turned toward her and asked,
“What did you want to say?”
Han Hye-joo hesitated for a moment before awkwardly opening her mouth.
“Back then... Is the injury to your head... okay?”
Could it be that she was worried about me?
“Ah, well... thanks to you... Ahem.”
“It's not like I meant anything by it. You got hurt because of me, after all...”
“Then why didn't you at least contact me and ask if I was okay?”
“That...”
For a moment, Han Hye-joo's face seemed to turn red.
Then she frowned as if she were angry.
“Forget it. If there had been a problem, my uncle would have told me. Ahem.”
I couldn't help chuckling at her behavior.
“Then are you done with what you wanted to say?”
“Um... About that day... the day we met at the club... Did you know that Lee Kyung-hoon would be coming there that day?”
I was caught off guard by the unexpected question.
“Why... did you think that?”
“Well, that's because...”
Han Hye-joo mumbled as if she couldn't find the right words.
Then she continued.
“Never mind. Just pretend you didn't hear that. I'll go down first.”
Han Hye-joo hurried away from the rooftop garden.
I kept staring at the place where she had disappeared for a while, lost in thought.
Why did she suddenly ask me that?
Could it be... Did that woman figure something out...?
As three o'clock approached, the male lead, Min Sung-jae, entered the conference room where the audition would be held.
Even though public opinion had turned in Min Sung-jae's favor, he had refused all interviews and had been quietly staying out of the spotlight.
Director Park Jun-beom, producer Baek Seong-han, and the cinematographer were already seated in the conference room to judge the audition.
“How are you feeling?”
“I'm at my best. How about you, Director? Things must be hectic.”
“Even though I'm busy, it's rare to have work feel this good. It's all thanks to you, Sung-jae.”
“What are you saying? I'm the one entering a second prime thanks to your movie. Haha.”
They exchanged greetings along with some pleasant words.
“Then, once Seo the Consort is cast, will the casting for the main and supporting roles be finished?”
This time, producer Baek Seong-han answered Min Sung-jae's question.
“There are still one or two roles left, but I think we'll decide on all of them within this week. Oh, we're planning a full rehearsal at the end of this month. Will you have time?”
“I've already cleared my schedule, so don't worry.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and the assistant director entered the conference room.
“Actress Han Hye-joo has arrived. Shall we begin the audition?”
“Yes, let's start. Send her in.”
Soon, the conference room door opened, and Han Hye-joo entered with the assistant director.
While the assistant director turned the camera toward Han Hye-joo and pressed the recording button, Director Park Jun-beom greeted her.
“Welcome. Now that I've seen you in person, it seems the camera can't do you justice. Haha.”
“Indeed. She looks much better in person.”
The cinematographer stared closely at Han Hye-joo's face on the monitor as he spoke.
“Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment.”
“Of course it is. It's definitely a compliment. Sung-jae, sorry to ask, but could you stand beside Hye-joo for a moment?”
At Director Park's words, Min Sung-jae stood up and walked over to Han Hye-joo.
“Let's just stand like this and try a few lines.”
“Really? Then that would be great for us.”
“Oh, the picture looks much better than I expected. Their height difference is perfect too. They look really good together.”
The cinematographer and producer Baek Seong-han continued to express their admiration.
“All right, shall we begin?”
At Director Park's words, Han Hye-joo bowed toward Min Sung-jae.
“Senior, please take good care of me.”
“Sure. Let's do our best.”
Han Hye-joo quietly put down the script she had been holding and slowly took a deep breath.
Director Park, the cinematographer, and even Baek Seong-ha all held their breath as they watched her.
“It is not that my heart has grown cold. It's simply that the times are chaotic... You know as well as I do that there is nothing I can do as I please right now.”
Min Sung-jae's deep voice filled the conference room.
Han Hye-joo lowered her eyes.
Then the corner of her lips twisted strangely.
“At first, I thought the same thing... Until I saw the way Your Majesty looked at that man...”
Her gaze suddenly became fierce as she stared straight at Min Sung-jae.
“Your Majesty, this cannot be! How could you... how could you look at a man with such eyes!”
“What are you talking about...? How could I possibly...”
At that moment, Han Hye-joo took a single step forward and moved right in front of Min Sung-jae.
Every muscle in her face seemed to tremble as she spoke.
“You may deceive Heaven, but you cannot deceive me! Even if Your Majesty embraced every woman in Joseon, I would not stop you! I would not be jealous!! But a man... No, that man is absolutely unacceptable!”
For a moment, the entire conference room seemed to freeze, as if even the air had turned cold.
Outside the conference room where the audition was taking place, the youngest member of the directing team, Go Jin-joo, along with Cha Seung-jun and Moon Chang-soo, secretly watched the audition through the conference room's glass window.
They kept letting out sounds of admiration.
“Wow, wasn't our conference room supposed to be extremely well soundproofed? Her voice is breaking through the soundproof glass.”
“I think it's not simply because her voice is loud. Her diction is incredibly clear too.”
“Anyway, she's much better at acting than I expected. Since she always plays roles like some prickly princess, I thought she was only suited for that kind of acting...”
Go Jin-joo spoke as if she were genuinely surprised.
“Hey, don't you have work to do? Don't just stand around like that and end up getting yelled at by the producer.”
At Manager Choi Seon-hwa's furious shout, everyone gathered outside the conference room returned to their positions.
I was secretly curious about how Han Hye-joo was doing in the audition.
However, I tried not to pay too much attention and focused on the settlement details displayed on my computer screen.
Then,
“Excuse me.”
Just from the voice alone, I was certain it was Gil Bo-young.
I quickly turned my gaze toward the entrance.
“Oh, Bo-young! Wow, it's so good to see you here.”
Cha Seung-jun noticed Gil Bo-young first and quickly approached her.
“Indeed. Have you been well too, oppa?”
“I was so happy when I saw that you submitted your profile this time. I heard you still keep in touch with Gi-baek from time to time. Why didn't you contact me too? I'm hurt. Haha.”
“Ah, it just happened that way. Let's have a meal with Gi-baek sometime soon.”
While Cha Seung-jun and Gil Bo-young exchanged greetings, the script supervisor, Hwang Hyun-hee, approached Gil Bo-young.
“Hello. I'm Hwang Hee-hyun, the casting manager who called you last time.”
“Ah, hello.”
“Han Hye-joo's audition isn't over yet. Could you wait over there for a moment?”
Hwang Hyun-hee guided Gil Bo-young toward one of the conference tables.
I naturally walked over to Gil Bo-young.
“Noona, you must be tired from coming all the way here.”
“Tired? Not at all...”
“Would you like something to drink?”
“No, it's okay. Maybe because I'm nervous, I feel like even drinking water would make me sick.”
Gil Bo-young lowered her voice as much as possible and whispered, apparently not wanting anyone else to realize how nervous she was.
“Come on, noona. You'll do great once you start, anyway.”
I joked around as much as I could, trying to ease Gil Bo-young's nervousness.
Just then,
“Bo-young unnie, it's been a long time.”
Han Hye-joo's voice came from behind us.
It seemed her audition had already ended.
When I turned around, Han Hye-joo was looking at me and Gil Bo-young with a strangely sharp gaze.
Gil Bo-young's expression stiffened when she saw Han Hye-joo.
But she quickly forced herself to look calm.
“Yes, Hye-joo. It's been a long time. Have you been well?”
“I'm doing, well... more or less.”
“By the way, I never expected to run into you at an audition like this.”
“Really? You didn't know? I did...”
At Han Hye-joo's words, Gil Bo-young's eyes trembled.
“Ah, I heard about it when I met Gi-baek before. He said he was going to get you cast in this movie, unnie.”
At the unexpected remark, I quickly interrupted Han Hye-joo.
“Excuse me, Han Hye-joo. Why are you suddenly bringing that up?”
“Ah, did I make a mistake? But which part was the mistake? The fact that you said you would get her cast in this movie? Or the fact that you and I met separately?”
At Han Hye-joo's words, which sounded almost like a provocation, Gil Bo-young's brows narrowed slightly.
When I first saw Han Hye-joo at the premiere of Eye of the Typhoon, I had also thought she was speaking provocatively to Gil Bo-young.
But this time, something felt different.
How should I put it...
Don't tell me... Is this woman actually trying to... get between Bo-young noona and me...?
No way...
I stopped thinking about it because I knew it was an absurd idea.
Just then, script supervisor Hwang Hyun-hee approached us.
“Ah, Han Hye-joo, good work. The results will be delivered through your agency within the next few days.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Han Hye-joo gave Hwang Hyun-hee a small nod.
“Bo-young, you can follow me now.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“Noona, don't be nervous. Just relax and do what you always do. Got it?”
“Okay, thank you. Ah, Hye-joo, you take care too. See you next time.”
Gil Bo-young greeted both Han Hye-joo and me before following Hwang Hyun-hee toward the conference room where the audition would take place.
I watched until Gil Bo-young had completely entered the conference room.
“Tsk, what a devoted man. A chaste woman... no, maybe a chaste man? Either way, you're incredibly devoted.”
Han Hye-joo spoke sarcastically toward me.
Despite her mocking tone, I answered as calmly as possible.
“Isn't it natural for a fan to support the artist they like?”
“Yes, yes. Of course you would.”
Apparently displeased by my attitude, Han Hye-joo sharply turned her head away.
Suddenly, I thought this was the perfect chance to ask the question I had secretly been curious about but had never dared to ask.
“Um, I don't know how this will sound, but... why are you so hostile toward Bo-young noona? Did something bad happen between the two of you?”
