Chapter 11
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Translator: Diva
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: In This Life, It's the Oscar, Not My Husband
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The photo captured a woman standing on the street in short shorts, something that looked like candy or a cigarette dangling from her mouth, and bright red lipstick on her lips.
Her short red hair was striking, but it didn't overpower her facial features.
Studded boots and fishnet stockings to boot.
Everything about the styling was over-the-top, yet all eyes were drawn to her face.
A doll-like beauty with a hint of rebellion.
Her pale face seemed innocent at first glance, but her expression was catty and sharp, her eyes gleaming like those of a wounded wolf.
The moment Heo Kyung-hoe saw the photo, he recalled the words of the LP Enter casting manager he'd shared drinks with the night before.
"You know about Million X's new song coming out, right? They're looking for the female lead in the music video, but the director insists it has to be a rookie. They've even scoured models and can't find anyone. I'm dying here, Representative Heo. It needs to look young but with that rebellious vibe... Where do you even find a face like that these days? With the pure image trend, all we're getting from plastic surgery clinics are big-eyed girls who look like they'll blow away in the wind."
"And her acting is no joke either. I got a rough edit. Want to take a look first and decide on the audition?"
"No! No!"
Heo Kyung-hoe jumped to his feet and shouted.
"I'll watch it right now! Can we do it today?!"
Executive Director Jang smirked as if she'd expected as much.
There was no way Heo Kyung-hoe, once called the 'Eagle Eye,' would miss the charm she'd spotted.
She shrugged and said,
"Figured you'd say that, so I set it up for this evening."
* * *
I looked up at the Naru Stage building and was a little surprised.
Naru Stage was in a place like this?
An old building on the outskirts of Seoul.
It wasn't bad for a company with just over ten employees, but considering that in my past life, Naru Stage's headquarters had been on prime real estate in Gangnam's Cheongdam-dong, I couldn't help but be shocked.
In the future, Naru Stage was the agency every actor dreamed of joining, a fairytale destination for rookies.
But right now—
"Um, I'm here for an audition."
"An audition?"
A staff member in a worn hoodie and jeans paused while moving office supplies and tilted his head.
The current Naru Stage office had no shiny lobby or reception desk.
It was just a rundown office space with five or six administrative staff working in a small business setup.
"Oh, you're Executive Director Jang's guest. Head to the CEO's office."
At that moment, another employee pasting receipts peeked out.
"The CEO's office?"
"Yeah, that way."
The staff member finished answering and hurriedly went back to the receipts.
Did a rookie like me get to meet the CEO right away?
Even the contact from Executive Director Jang had come sooner than expected.
After getting the audition offer, I'd sent concept photos via the company's official email.
The profile photo concept was a rebellious high-teen protagonist.
It needed to convey inner wounds while still looking youthful.
The reason was—
[Would you like to search for music videos directed by 'Director Min Se-ui' in 20XX?]
This was the time when Director Min Se-ui was actively shooting idol music videos.
They'd even checked models for the female lead, and in my past life, the offer had come to me too.
But they hadn't properly explained the concept, so I'd sent a plain profile and got rejected.
'They didn't even tell me exactly why I was rejected.'
It wasn't clear what project it was.
Director Min Se-ui had shot so many music videos back then.
But one thing was certain: a few years later, Min Se-ui would debut in films.
Already known for his strong mise-en-scène in music videos, he'd surpass the break-even point with his stylish visuals right from his first movie.
After that, he'd become a top director praised for "every shot being a painting."
In short, a connection not to be missed.
And one more thing.
[Director Min Se-ui produced three music videos in 20XX.
- Pink Bunny's <Freeze>
A refreshing summer song set on the beach...... (Read more)
- SUE's <Into the Flow of Time>
A fantastical story matching the mystical lyrics...... (Read more)
- Million X <You're Not Love, You Say>
The boy group Million X's first emotional R&B track...... (Read more)]
With the 'search privilege' now, I could know exactly.
What kind of face Director Min Se-ui wanted.
[In the music video for <You're Not Love, You Say>, the female protagonist dates this guy and that guy but never says she loves any of them—a bad girl. Million X members get hurt and suffer one by one because of her, yet they can't forget her.]
...This is the classic bitch concept, isn't it?
Now that I saw the description, the music video came to mind.
How could it not?
It was Million X's video, after all.
Even in this era when idol groups weren't yet pushing overseas aggressively, Million X was already touring internationally.
For fans, just having a female actress in a boy group's music video was enough to spark outrage, but every member forming a love line with her?
'Perfect for stirring up drama.'
I remembered a rookie actress who appeared in it back then and got buried in hate comments.
But I'm different.
No, I have to be.
I have the acting skills to turn this role into something likable.
Naru Stage might be small, but with the CEO's long experience in the industry, they'd naturally heard that 'Director Min Se-ui is struggling to cast the music video lead.'
In other words, captivate Min Se-ui's eye, and Naru Stage comes along for the ride.
So I immediately recruited Ye-reum.
"I'm shooting audition photos—can I borrow some clothes?"
"Clothes?"
Kang Ye-reum, suffering a hangover from drinking the night before, turned her head from where she was sprawled on the bed to look at me.
Then, a beat late, her eyes widened as she sat up.
"What kind of clothes do you want?"
A fashion design major, Kang Ye-reum was always serious about outfits.
Her closet overflowed with clothes, and she'd been attending Seoul Fashion Week since high school, getting photographed for her skills.
Plus, she had a knack for turning cheap trendy clothes into chic pieces with quick alterations.
"Like a hot girl from a high-teen movie? But with some inner wound."
What would express that?
No sooner had I pondered than Ye-reum fired back an answer.
"Dress like Matilda. Like wearing childhood clothes unchanged—printed crop top, mismatched with high-heeled boots and fishnet stockings. It shows the character clinging to past trauma."
The image popped into my head the moment she said it.
The original video had a sexy concept for the lead, so it hadn't clicked at first, but this would create a totally different character while still appealing to Director Min Se-ui.
"Wow... How do you come up with this?"
"That's how I always pick outfits—by concept. So, what audition is it?"
"Not sure if I'll even get to audition... But I want to try for Million X's music video."
"What? Million X?"
Oh. I'd forgotten for a second.
That at this time, Ye-reum was a huge Million X fan.
Thanks to that, she rallied all her fashion department friends, trying dozens of outfits on me.
And the result was this.
"To be honest, I sent your photos to the music video director without permission. He loved them. I'd like to talk contract with our agency while you audition for the video."
I'd snagged the Min Se-ui music video audition spot just like that.
'Yes!'
I smiled to myself.