The figure in the mirror came to a halt.
Noah bent forward, breathing hard. Sweat slid down the sharp line of his jaw, soaking the collar of his black tank top.
The music was still looping. The bass thumped heavily, vibrating the floor of the practice room.
He stared at his reflection, his gaze icy.
The movements weren't clean enough. The strength was off. That turn had snagged.
Noah frowned and stepped back to the starting position.
Again.
It was already the thirteenth time today.
No cameras. No stage. No audience. Just him.
The group had disbanded half a year ago. The company had no intention of giving him resources anymore, yet he still came to the practice room every day.
There was no helping it. He loved dancing.
Even without a stage. Even without anyone watching.
The music started again. Noah lifted his arm...
His phone vibrated.
He paused. At first, he meant to ignore it. Then it vibrated twice more.
Noah walked over and picked it up.
A message from his agent popped up on the screen.
[Tomorrow morning, 10 a.m. Audition for Desire Kiss. Bottom role. Get ready.]
Noah froze.
Desire Kiss?
That Desire Kiss – the one everyone online had been waiting for, the one that trended the moment it was announced?
He stared at the screen, his heartbeat suddenly accelerating.
A voice message came through immediately after.
"The screenwriter personally asked for you," the agent said. "She thinks you fit the bottom role really well."
Noah leaned back against the mirror, his fingers tightening slightly.
Personally asked for.
Those words felt like a lifeline thrown to someone who was already sinking.
His group had fallen apart six months ago. The buzz from his survival show debut was long gone. The company was so small it couldn't even scrape together decent opportunities. His contract was close to ending, and it was obvious they didn't plan to renew it let alone invest in him.
He loved dancing. That was why he joined the competition, became a trainee, endured countless sleepless nights.
But after the group disbanded, even the stage disappeared.
He liked acting too. A lot.
He'd just never had the chance.
And now
Desire Kiss.
A named invitation from the screenwriter.
An audition.
This might be his only shot.
"Noah, given your situation, the company would never get you an opportunity like this," the agent continued bluntly. "This wasn't something we begged for. The screenwriter chose you."
"If you don't go… you might really never get another chance."
Noah closed his eyes.
"I've never acted before."
"That's why it's called an audition. Just go and try. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work." The agent paused. "Besides… you don't really have anything left to lose, do you?"
The words were harsh.
But they were true.
Noah stayed silent for a long time.
"…What time?"
"I'll pick you up at nine thirty tomorrow morning."
The voice message ended.
The practice room fell quiet, filled only with the low hum of the air conditioner.
Noah looked at himself in the mirror. Something was burning in his eyes.
He didn't want to give up.
That night, his agent sent over the script and character notes.
Noah lay on his bed, reading word by word.
Desire Kiss was about two men who broke apart because of misunderstandings and reality. They thought they'd moved on, only to realize neither of them ever truly did. After going in circles, they still ended up choosing each other. A story of reunion.
The story began with a breakup.
The bottom role was named Lin.
Cold on the surface. Insecure. Sensitive.
The audition scene was the very first one on the day of the breakup. The top couldn't bear to let Lin go and kissed him before he left. A farewell kiss.
Noah stared at the script, frowning.
A breakup. Reluctance. A goodbye kiss.
He tried to understand the emotions, but his mind felt blank.
He'd never been in love. He didn't know what it felt like to not want someone to leave. He understood even less that pain of loving someone deeply yet being forced to let them go.
He flipped through the script again, reading Lin's lines and reactions. They felt unfamiliar.
He understood the desire to be seen. He understood the fear of being seen through.
But love…
He didn't understand it.
Noah set the script aside and stared at the ceiling.
"How am I supposed to play this…"
he muttered softly.
At one in the morning, Noah was still wide awake.
He tossed and turned, his head full of the script.
Lin's lines. Lin's emotions.
And that farewell kiss.
Noah stared at the ceiling and took a deep breath.
"It's just an audition."
he told himself.
"It's not like it'll kill me."
This was his last chance.
If he didn't go, he'd carry that regret for the rest of his life.
Noah draped his arm over his eyes, lips pressed into a thin line.
"I'm going."
---
The next day.
When the car stopped in front of the film studio complex, Noah realized he'd barely spoken the entire ride.
His agent unbuckled his seatbelt and glanced over. "I won't go in with you. Handle the process yourself. Message me when you're done."
Noah nodded. "Okay."
The door closed, and the car drove off.
He stood there alone, a document folder in his hand, looking up at the building in front of him.
The casting venue was more formal than he'd expected.
After giving his name, Noah was led to the waiting area.
The row of chairs was almost full. He recognized several faces actors who'd been trending recently, currently airing dramas, sizable fanbases.
Compared to them, he felt out of place.
Noah leaned back in his chair, expression calm, gaze fixed on a spot on the floor.
On the surface, he looked composed.
Only he knew his heart was beating a little too fast.
Two people nearby were talking in hushed voices.
"Hey, do you think the top role's been decided yet? Why haven't they announced it?"
"No idea. They're keeping it way too secret. I asked around, and no one would say."
"What if it's not decided yet?"
"No way. They've already started auditions for the bottom role. There's no way the top isn't set."
"Then why not announce it?"
"Maybe they're saving it for a big reveal? With Desire Kiss's hype, the announcement will definitely trend."
"True… I'm just really curious."
Listening to them, Noah felt a flicker of curiosity too.
Who was the top role? Why keep it this secret?
"Next Noah."
A staff member called out.
Noah stood and followed them inside.
The hallway was quiet. His footsteps echoed softly against the floor.
He took a deep breath, adjusting his state.
Don't think about competition. Don't think about the outcome. Just this scene.
The door was right ahead.
The staff member pushed it open and said quietly, "Go in."
Noah nodded and stepped inside.
The lighting was dimmer than outside but tightly focused. Several spotlights shone down onto the center of the room.
He looked up.
The director sat in the middle. Beside him was a young woman in her early twenties.
That must be the screenwriter Sarah.
The one who'd personally asked for him.
Noah glanced around. There were no other actors present.
"Noah, right?" The director looked up at him, his tone fairly gentle. "Come over here. Stand here."
Noah walked to the marked spot and stopped.
The lights hit him directly, a little harsh.
The director flipped through the papers in his hands. "Give us a brief introduction."
Noah nodded, his voice steady. "My name is Noah. I'm twenty. I used to be an idol. My group has disbanded. This is my first formal audition."
A brief silence followed.
Then Sarah spoke, a hint of a smile in her voice. "You look better in person than in photos."
Noah blinked.
She leaned back in her chair, her gaze lingering on his face for a few seconds. "When I saw your pictures, I thought this face is Lin."
Noah didn't quite understand what she meant.
Seeing his confusion, Sarah explained, "Lin, the bottom role in Desire Kiss. When I wrote him, I had a very clear image in mind cold, distant, beautiful, but not aggressive."
She paused, smiling. "That's exactly you."
Noah's throat tightened.
He hadn't expected the screenwriter to be this direct.
The director spoke up beside her. "Looking the part is one thing. Acting it is another."
He looked at Noah, his tone turning serious. "You've never acted before, right?"
Noah nodded. "Right."
"Then let's go straight into a scene." The director opened the script. "The first one the breakup. You've read it?"
"Yes."
"Good." The director raised his hand. "Stand here. Imagine someone is in front of you. You're leaving him, but he grabs you. Start from the moment you turn away."
Noah took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He tried to put himself into Lin's state.
Breaking up. Leaving. Not wanting to go, but having to.
He opened his eyes and turned, as if about to walk away.
His steps faltered.
He turned back, struggle and pain flickering in his gaze, emotions pressed down to their limit.
"I'm sorry."
His voice was soft, yet thick with something unspoken.
Then he turned away again and took another step forward.
"Cut."
The director's voice broke the silence.
Noah stopped, standing still.
The room stayed quiet for a few seconds.
Then Sarah smiled. "That was very good."
Noah looked up at her.
She studied him, satisfaction settling into her eyes. "Your eyes were right. That feeling of wanting to leave but being unable to that part, you captured it."
The director nodded as well. "Not bad. Still a bit raw, but the emotions are there."
Noah finally let out the breath he'd been holding.
He'd done it. At the very least… he hadn't ruined it.
Sarah's phone vibrated. She glanced at the message, then turned to the director. "Let him wait. Have him do a scene with the top role."
Noah's heart jumped.
The top role? He was going to act opposite the top?
The director nodded and said to Noah, "Take a seat over there for now. Once the top arrives, we'll run the full scene."
Noah nodded and went to sit aside.
His palms were slightly damp.
Who was the top role?
Time passed, second by second.
Noah stared at the floor, trying to calm himself.
Then...
The door opened.
Noah looked up instinctively.
The man who walked in wore a black suit. He was tall, long-limbed, his shoulders broad and clean-lined.
His movements were casual, yet carried an unspoken pressure.
The overhead lights fell onto him.
Noah saw his face clearly.
His breath caught.
…Asher?