Legendary Superstar-Chapter 126: The Last Heir: Audition (3)

Minjae’s eyes flickered with surprise with the sudden announcement, but he quickly redeemed himself.

He will act alongside Lee Jimin?

That was really a genius move from Hwarang Studiois.

Lee Jimin was one of the most renowned actors in the industry. He was someone with decades of experience and countless awards to his name.

There was even a time when the two of them would compete over a reward, but still, in the end, it was he who always won. Still, he knew that Jimin was experienced enough.

"It would be an honor," Minjae uttered as he bowed his head respectfully.

"Let’s see if you can keep up, then." Jimin’s playful tone held an edge of challenge, but his eyes were sharp and serious. For once, the look on his face changed as if he was back to being an actor himself.

Director Kang handed Minjae a script. It was a fresh set of pages that hadn’t been part of the original material that Minjae had studied.

"Thank you." As Minjae accepted it, his gaze quickly scanned the lines. It was a dialogue-heavy scene between Siwoo and his older brother, Hyun.

It was just a made-up scene but still involving the character of Siwoo. It’s quite challenging since in the drama, Siwoo’s family was all dead. That means he didn’t know what was the character of Hyun.

He needs to be mindful and attentive to how Jimin will act it out and respond accordingly to it.

"This is a completely new scene, written just for this audition. Consider it a test of adaptability, improvisation, and your ability to read your partner’s cues." Seo Mirae spoke, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "But remember that this is also a test for your understanding."

"Understood." Minjae nodded, his focus already narrowing.

Lee Jimin flipped through his own copy of the script with a calm, practiced ease. He didn’t even seem to be reading, just glancing at the pages before lowering them to his lap.

He has already acted these same exact scenes countless times, though, he’d portray different emotions with each applicant.

"Whenever you’re ready, Minjae," Jimin said, his voice dropping into a deeper and more controlled tone.

[Ding!]

[It’s time to prove yourself to them, Host!]

[Mission: Make them amazed at your acting.]

[Reward: 10,000 EXP in <Acting>]

’A new mission?’

The scene wasn’t that long, but it was still filled with lines. Usually, they’d allow the applicants to study the script for a few minutes, letting them take their own time.

However, there’s cases when an applicant takes such a long time. That’s the only time they’d set a certain time.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t be like that for Minjae’s case. It would be a pity since what he showed so far was really good.

With silence, Minjae quickly read through the lines, scanning them. The script looks long, but that was because there were lines for two people.

Minjae’s heartbeat quickened. Somehow, he was getting excited. It was a change to prove himself that he was also one of the best despite being a rookie. He was determined to show it all.

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Minjae took a deep breath, letting himself become Siwoo once more. He quickly memorized the lines, and in no time, he brought down the script.

The three judges were surprised to see that Minjae looked as if he had memorized everything in just under 10 minutes. The average time they had was close to 15 and even some of the most experienced actors went past that mark.

"Are you ready?" Jimin had to ask to confirm.

Minjae smiled and nodded with confidence. He took a sip on his water.

"Yes. I am." He was confident, and it showed on the way he answered them.

’Is he really ready? Or was he just being confident?’ That was the question in Jimin’s head.

To know the answer, he nodded and prepared himself.

"Well, then." He let out a breath and smiled at Minjae.

"Let’s start."

As soon as Jimin said those words, the look on his face changed. He stared at Minjae with an icy glare.

"You’ve thrown everything away for this obsession of yours, Siwoo. Family. Friends. Even yourself. And for what? A grudge that will never be satisfied?"

Minjae’s gaze snapped up. He was able to match the intensity of Jiimin’s gaze, though his’s was filled with defiance instead.

"You don’t understand, brother. I had nothing left. After what they did… taking revenge was the only thing keeping me going."

"Was it worth it?" Jimin’s voice rose. It was sharp and cutting as if he was asking Minjae’s character to reflect on his actions.

"Every house you burned, every person you killed, every war you’ve won. Were they worth the hollow victory you claim to have achieved?"

Jimin was testing Minjae’s understanding of the character he was playing.

"I—" Minjae hesitated for a moment as he thought of it. Though it just looked like he was just acting on the outside.

"No, hyung." However, Minjae remained firm. The words he was saying were a little bit different from the line that was written on the script.

He was taking a big gamble on this one.

"I’m happy to avenge our family. It was the greatest honor I received. To watch them eg o their lives was the only thing I wished to see my whole life." Minjae’s eyes remained resolute, full of anger but satisfaction at the same time.

While the two continuedly to recite the lines, Writer Mirae and Director Kang exchanged a few hopeful glances. They were really satisfied with it.

Jimin didn’t miss the subtle deviation from the script. If anything, he seemed intrigued by it. His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t break in his character.

Instead, he pushed forward.

"And now that you’ve achieved it, what’s left for you, Siwoo? Revenge was your life. But now… you have nothing."

The air between them grew heavy, their words striking like blades. Minjae met Jimin’s gaze, his own eyes burning with a stubborn intensity.

"I have peace. I have closure." Minjae’s voice trembled, but it was deliberate, laced with both triumph and bitterness. "You say I have nothing, but you’re wrong. I’ve fulfilled my purpose. That’s more than enough."

The pain and desperation in Minjae’s delivery were raw. It was really commendable.

The room was silent after a few more exchanges of lines. Even the judges seemed to hold their breath, captivated by the intensity of the performance.

Jimin held Minjae’s gaze for a long moment before finally breaking in his character. He smiled and clapped his hands.

"Well, damn." The corners of Jimin’s lips curved into a genuine smile. "That was... impressive."

"Very impressive," Writer Mirae added. "You adapted the lines to suit your understanding of the character. It was bold, but it paid off."

"Your Audition is done now, Minjae." Director Kang also gave a small smile to Minjae. "It will take a week or a few for us to decide, so good luck. I wish you the best."

"Thank you." Minjae bowed his head, feeling his heart pounding with both relief and excitement.

The toughest part was over, but he knew better than to get ahead of himself.

He still needed to hear their final decision.

[Ding!]

[You have amazed the judges with your acting.]

[Mission Completed!]

[You have earned 10,000 EXP in <Acting>.]