No drama set in the world prepares like this.
Actors interpret their roles in their own ways, prepare their performances based on personal strengths, and adjust on-site according to the director's instructions.
This was possible only because they were all unknown actors with no conflicting schedules.
And...
"Seon-ho feels awkward around Su-cheol."
"But Su-cheol feels comfortable around Seon-ho."
"I think that nuance is a bit faint in both of your performances. For example, the way your bodies face when you're standing together."
It was always because Do Hyun-woo CE knew the 'answer'.
That answer was so beautiful and perfect that even the most prideful actors had no objections.
In those moments, the Gongbeomche cast learned about each other's circumstances...
"Ah, sorry. That last line rhythm felt off, right?"
...and came to understand each other's acting intimately.
Confidence grew.
The pressure faded gradually, replaced by a pleasant thrill.
After practice, they'd clink soju glasses, vowing to shock everyone at the script reading.
But...
'We're screwed.'
The moment the script reading began, their minds went blank.
They hadn't immersed properly, but the reading took off, and they scrambled just to keep up with the scene numbers from the director's mouth.
Self-loathing hit hard.
This wasn't acting.
It was just mimicking a character in one's own little world.
Like before Do Hyun-woo CE's help.
What was the point of all that hard work?
Looking back, they hadn't even exchanged words with their fellow actors upon arriving at the reading room.
'Ah, guess hopeless cases have their reasons.'
As the eight actors, more familiar with failure than success, thought that...
"Hold on a sec. Can we start over from the beginning?"
Opportunity knocked.
"Put the scripts away and give it a go. I'll fill in any loose parts. We'll do Act 1 and Act 3."
Hearing Do Hyun-woo CE's voice instantly eased their hearts.
As if entranced, everyone set their scripts aside.
"Scene 1, daytime, highway."
"Blinding sunlight pours over the highway. A black eight-seater Carnival speeds along refreshingly."
"Inside the car, upbeat music plays, but the eight friends' chatter drowns it out..."
The location shifted.
From a bright, tidy conference room to a dank, humid underground theater practice space heavy with moisture.
Was it an illusion, or did Do Hyun-woo's voice—opening the script—carry the underground echo?
"Hyun-tae steps out of the car, stretching..."
They dove headlong into the reading.
Not just Park Sung-won.
Eum Sung-hyun, So Jeong-hoon, Moon Jae-won...
All the actors began racing forward, using Do Hyun-woo's voice as their guidepost.
And the result was astonishing.
"...!"
The director, who had looked dissatisfied since Do Hyun-woo stepped in, widened his eyes. The writers gasped, exchanging glances.
Even the staff, who had thought this was a fool's errand, felt it.
Of course, some might say doing the reading twice naturally improves it.
But this was beyond that.
It was unmistakably Do Hyun-woo's power.
'Why?'
Even lost in immersion, Park Sung-won wondered how this was happening...
Then, entering Act 3 dominated by emotional scenes, he realized what he'd missed.
Do Hyun-woo wasn't reading the script verbatim.
He was adjusting to the comfortable style they'd practiced in.
Actors are human too—some stage directions just don't land, some lines don't stick.
So they often tweak them to fit their own flow, ignoring the original...
But Do Hyun-woo CE accommodated every single one.
That's why.
"So? You think I killed him? Over something that petty? People killing people for that...!"
Eum Sung-hyun vanished.
Only Hyun-tae remained.
"Petty? You fucking said petty?"
Moon Jae-won vanished.
Only Seon-ho remained.
This was no longer the SSK-rented script reading room.
It was the isolated cabin in Gangwon-do.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇Clap, clap, clap.
Amid applause from who-knows-where-it-started, Han Sung-hoon slipped out of the reading room.
After handling his scheduled meetings and returning to SSK, he spotted Gong Seok-jun, headquarters manager, rushing over barefoot.
Well, slippers on, at least.
"What's the rush?"
"I couldn't work, I was so curious. How was it? The Gongbeomche reading?"
"What'd the annual lineup review say?"
"Obvious. Script's good, but the casting will tank it. Standard reaction."
"You defending that too, Manager Gong?"
Gong Seok-jun shook his head at Han Sung-hoon's words.
"Sir, that's just cruel."
"What is?"
"You have to hear 'I was wrong' from your subordinates?"
Han Sung-hoon burst out laughing.
CL Team 3 didn't know, but Gong Seok-jun had been the first to challenge Han over the Gongbeomche casting.
"Sir, this is just wrong."
He could stomach Eum Sung-hyun.
After reading Gongbeomche, Gong Seok-jun even thought a fresh face might fit.
But filling every supporting role with unknowns? Unacceptable.
Persuade with logic, hike fees, lie about double-casting.
Somehow secure key supporting actors for second leads.
Then downgrade by role weight.
To avoid a total flop.
Han Sung-hoon's response was simple.
"Then bring me your realistic best cast, Manager Gong."
"If it makes sense, I'll step in myself."
Han doesn't make empty promises.
Knowing that, Gong Seok-jun started dissecting Gongbeomche from that day.
Though he'd read it before, now he obsessed as if holding full casting rights.
'Park Seok-won for Jeong-hoon? Nah, he's past supporting level. Got a lead movie coming soon.'
'Below Park Seok-won... Woo Tae-hyun?'
'Does Woo Tae-hyun match Jeong-hoon? Good actor, but image too bright?'
'Cha Seol-woo then?'
'Too romantic an image...'
Then the weird thing happened.
No matter the role, established names didn't fit Gongbeomche.
'Established' meant they'd imprinted a public image.
And those images were all positive.
Charming, diligent, romantic...
But injecting that into Gongbeomche diluted the story's density.
In the end, Gong Seok-jun dropped tiers once, twice, thrice, seeking fits by image over fame.
He finalized seven casts excluding Eum Sung-hyun, but...
"You sure?"
He couldn't confidently affirm to Han Sung-hoon's question.
He had to confess.
"Why is this happening?"
"I tried too. Producer habit. Virtual casting."
"You got stuck too, sir?"
"Yeah. And I concluded: Unless it's eight S-grades acting their hearts out, unknowns are better for this script. Do CE knew that."
"Why?"
"Script's too strong. Actor images eat away at it, one way or another. That's why he rejected Kim Ra-un."
S-grading eight realistically? Impossible.
So unknowns fit.
"That's the issue."
"Why'd Do CE pick these unknowns out of so many?"
Unknowns have tiers too.
No current fame, but agency-backed future stars.
But Do Hyun-woo skipped them.
He cast those who'd rolled in the trenches, crumbled, failed for nearly ten years.
"Whether Do CE's choice is taste, pity, or optimal—I honestly don't know."
"If you don't, shouldn't you ask him or stop it?"
"How? We realized post-casting. He had conviction to nix Kim Ra-un."
"Ah..."
"Might as well trust it now. No alternatives."
"When will faith pay off?"
"Who knows. The script reading?"
That chat was two months ago. Today was the reading.
Gong Seok-jun would've attended too, if not for the annual review.
"Stop dodging. Spill it. How was the Gongbeomche reading?"
"Regrettable."
"Huh? That bad?"
"Regret not inviting any press."
"Oh, come on."
Han Sung-hoon chuckled, then detailed it.
"Mid-reading, I thought: This is solid. No 'bad acting' complaints."
So when it halted, he was baffled too.
Actors seemed a bit detached, sure.
But first reading sans veterans? Expected.
Showing this much meant even better on set.
"Even thought: Maybe a masterpiece."
But whatever bugged Do Hyun-woo, he stopped it and took the helm.
"The director just watched?"
"Writers adore Do CE?"
"Still, that's..."
"I thought the same at first. Planned to chew him out after."
Can't undermine director authority, results aside.
But the restarted reading changed his mind.
Maybe not maybe a masterpiece.
It was one.
Thanks to Do Hyun-woo's unforeseeable casting.
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