4 - The Second is Proficient
Heo Yuri was in a bad mood. It was because of the audition at Miso Confectionery.
Of course, she had been in a good mood when she went to the audition. It was because she had received confirmation from her father that she was the designated winner of this audition.
However, the moment she saw Im Se-ah, who was behind her in the lineup, perform, her mood plummeted. Talent. Damn talent!
Knowing what kind of performance Se-ah had prepared, she performed it first. It was a performance that anyone could have done, so Yuri didn't even feel sorry.
After the audition, she was simply annoyed by Se-ah's gaze, which seemed to be assessing her.
They had been friends since high school, but she couldn't stand the fact that Se-ah possessed a talent she couldn't match. She was even more angry because Se-ah didn't know it. So, she subtly coaxed her and took her around. She liked that Se-ah was naive for a second-generation chaebol.
What good was being a chaebol?
Se-ah's family opposed her acting. Yuri's mood worsened as she remembered the way Se-ah's father had glanced down at her. He kept telling her to quit and get married. Was it because they weren't rich, but not lacking either? If she wasn't desperate, she might as well get married.
Se-ah was timid and didn't talk much, so she didn't have many friends. Perhaps that's why she easily gave her ideas when Yuri presented herself as a friend.
"Foolish."
Yuri's lips twisted upward as if she didn't like it.
What good was a pretty face and talent?
She would be the one chosen by the judges and known to the public.
Thinking that way made her feel a little better. If it weren't for her manager's words.
"Yuri, they said you have to wait a little longer."
"What?"
She had already been waiting for two hours. She had been cast in a supporting role with a fairly decent part in a public historical drama.
It was a naive and frustrating role, but she was a pretty and cute crown princess. She was killed in the later part of the drama when it was revealed that she was an obstacle to the main character.
"Ugh, this is annoying."
The waiting room wasn't properly heated. She was waiting, dressed in a heavy hanbok and a thick padded jacket.
She felt like she was going crazy from the cold. They had brought in a small heater, but it was hard to expect warmth from it. Besides, it was a pain in the ass to go to the bathroom because of the costume.
The pretty hanbok was only good for taking selfies and promoting at first, but it was the number one contributor to annoyance throughout the filming.
"I don't care! I'm going to the car!"
"Oh, Yuri. Let's just wait a little longer. They said you'll be going in soon."
"A little, a little! How many hours is that little? Why do I have to wait this long?"
She felt colder as she got annoyed. Yuri, who threw the hot pack in her hand down in a fit of pique, left the waiting room.
When she went to the filming site, the main actors were in the middle of filming.
It was common for NG scenes to occur during filming, and it was not uncommon to reshoot several times because the actors' chemistry was not as good as expected.
Even though it was cold, all the cast members were united in their desire to create a good production. Yuri seemed to be thinking only of herself.
She slipped past the director and main actors who were monitoring and left the set to get into the car.
"Yuri, I understand that you're cold, but the filming is really about to start..."
"Heater."
The manager, who had followed her to persuade her, sighed as he watched her recline the seat and close her eyes.
Yuri sighed deeply at the warm air coming from the heater.
The manager, who was constantly glancing at the filming site as if he was anxious, looked at his cell phone when it suddenly rang.
It was Ju Hyeon-ho, the director of Miso Confectionery. He cleared his throat and answered the phone.
"Yes, Director Ju!"
Yuri, who had her eyes closed, perked up her ears at the mention of Director Ju.
It was probably a call confirming her casting as the advertising model. Her lips curled up at the thought of gradually making her name known and increasing her recognition.
"Ah... Director. Why all of a sudden?"
However, Yuri opened her eyes wide at the manager's voice, which was trembling with anxiety.
She grabbed the manager's shoulder, who was sitting in the driver's seat, and made him look at her, glaring at him and asking what was going on.
The manager held up his index finger to signal her to be quiet and continued the conversation. Yuri let out a hollow laugh at the conversation that followed.
"Se-ah is good at acting, too. But the initial agreement was... Oh, Director..."
She didn't like the way he was dragging things out as if he was in trouble, and she hated the fact that Im Se-ah's name was being mentioned even more.
Judging from the way things were going, it seemed that they wanted Se-ah instead of her.
Yuri clenched her hanbok skirt in her hands, her teeth clenched, feeling anxious that she would lose her place and her inferiority complex soaring.
"Then let's do this."
\*
The filming site for Miso Confectionery's hit product, Snack Chips.
The spacious studio was bustling with preparations for filming. Everyone was busy moving around, installing lights and cameras, and recording audio.
Director Ju Hyeon-ho watched the process with his arms crossed.
It had unintentionally become a competition. UZ Entertainment, which had lobbied, and Kim, the CEO of Miso Confectionery, who had received the lobbying, unconditionally pushed for Heo Yuri.
However, the judges who had watched the audition all mentioned Im Se-ah, and as a result, both of them were chosen.
"It's become interesting for me..."
Director Ju Hyeon-ho turned his gaze to the waiting rooms of Im Se-ah and Heo Yuri.
Meanwhile, in the waiting room of Snack Chips advertising models Im Se-ah and Heo Yuri. A cold atmosphere surrounded them.
Only the manager was on edge because of the unexpected war of nerves.
Se-ah didn't have a fixed program yet, so she didn't have a manager, so Yuri's manager had brought her along.
From the car, Yuri started to praise Se-ah, saying, "You must have acted so well that Director Ju Hyeon-ho specifically picked you," but it sounded like a taunt.
Se-ah, who would normally smile innocently and say nothing, didn't even look at Yuri and didn't say anything.
The manager couldn't figure out what was going on.
'I feel sorry for the manager.'
Se-ah glanced at the manager as she changed her clothes and received her makeup.
He was sweating profusely in the cold weather, trying to please Yuri, but he kept looking at Se-ah as if he was worried about her. As if he was sorry that he couldn't take care of her.
When their eyes met for a moment, she smiled and nodded as if to say she was okay.
"I'll explain the concept to you."
The concept writer came in with a knock and started explaining.
Yuri's expression, which had not been good, became even more distorted as she listened to the explanation. It was a concept very similar to Se-ah's performance at the audition.
The writer looked at Yuri, startled by the sound of her grinding her teeth.
"Please continue with the explanation."
The writer, who had been flustered, continued to explain the concept and left the waiting room as Se-ah calmly responded.
"Hey, Im Se-ah."
Se-ah didn't flinch and met her gaze even at Yuri's harsh voice. Before the regression, she didn't like arguing with friends and was uncomfortable with creating an awkward atmosphere, so she just avoided it.
"You should know that this is thanks to me."
Then Yuri went on to say that her father, who was the head of the agency, had also taken care of her friend Se-ah.
Se-ah was speechless at the change of attitude of the person who had been grinding her teeth after checking the concept.
It was even more absurd that she was pretending not to know that she had stolen someone else's performance at the audition.
Actually, she had been wondering. Yuri was supposed to be the designated winner, but she was surprised that she had been selected to film the commercial.
But after hearing the concept just now, she could understand. She must have caught the eye of someone in a high position at Miso Confectionery. She felt satisfied when she saw the advertising concept, which was similar to the audition performance.
"I don't think so."
Yuri's expression of embarrassment at not expecting her to say this was satisfying.
"What?"
Yuri's face crumpled in an instant. Se-ah, who had been staring down at her frowning face, turned to the manager.
"Manager, you don't have to come pick me up anymore."
He was Yuri's manager, not hers. She didn't have even a sliver of a desire to follow Yuri around, even if she had to go alone.
Se-ah calmly checked the concept while looking at the flustered manager. Yuri also kept letting out hollow laughs as if she was dumbfounded.
"Why are you suddenly acting like this? Are you about to break up with me?"
"I wouldn't put it past me."
"Are you crazy? What did I ever do to you?"
Was she really asking that now because she didn't know? Did she think she didn't know? Ah, it must be the latter. That's why she had been cheating on her while committing adultery.
Se-ah looked clearly into Yuri's eyes, recalling the future, or rather the past, that would no longer happen.
"I can't even count the number of times you've stolen my performances and auditioned with them."
"You're so paranoid. You think I stole your stuff?"
Yuri, unable to contain her anger, jumped up and started pointing her finger at her.
"Anyone could have thought of that idea."
So, she didn't copy it, and it wasn't like she was particularly outstanding. Her words, which were full of ridicule, were dripping with inferiority. Her heart ached as she faced what she had been trying to ignore.
"You even got cast in the historical drama with my idea."
She thought of her as a friend. She thought that Yuri had a strong desire to succeed as an actress.
It wasn't like Se-ah's ideas and performances would always be to the directors' liking. She couldn't understand why she kept doing that. Or rather, she vaguely wondered if she disliked her, but she ignored it.
When she saw Yuri doing the same performance that she had prepared in front of her, she wondered what kind of performance she should do next. Her mind went blank. There were many times when she came out without being able to do anything.
"I thought of you as a friend."
Yuri was the only person who gave her strength when her mother passed away during her school days and she was having a hard time.
So, she wanted to believe her.
"I want to ask you. What did I ever do to you? Why do you steal my performances and use them as if they were yours?"
Yuri seemed speechless when she asked her directly. She really didn't expect her to come out like this. Well... In the past, which was now something that would not happen, she really didn't ask.
"I can't take it anymore."
She had already regretted it deeply once. She had already given up once, so she was really desperate.
"I'm not going to follow you to auditions or schedules anymore."
"Hey. Do you think I can't get a role without you? That's ridiculous. Don't be so arrogant."
One step, two steps. Yuri approached her threateningly. The manager, sensing that something was wrong, rushed over when someone knocked and burst into the waiting room.
"Filming will start now. Se-ah, you're up first!"
"Yes. I understand."
Se-ah got up and walked past Yuri. They were no longer friends.
