Chapter 1052: Step Up (2)

"Mysterious Gaze" was Haru's nickname, because he was the kind of guy with a strangely mesmerizing gaze that pulled people in. Before the regression, there hadn't been a single actress who could stare into Haru's eyes for more than ten seconds. There had even been an unofficial segment on a weekend variety show called Beat Haru.

And now that very Haru was peeking out from the windowsill barely a meter away. Like a prince in a fairy tale secretly admiring a princess, he stared at Go Min-Yung as she acted, his eyes filled with excitement.

At that moment, Go Min-Yung's voice wavered ever so slightly. Just like the other audition applicants, she had been shaken by Haru's expressive gaze. Simply looking at him was enough to stir an actress's heart. If being handsome were a crime, Haru would be serving a life sentence.

Even so, unlike the applicants before her, Go Min-Yung quickly regained her composure and continued acting. It proved why she was considered one of the most promising teenage actresses of her generation.

The real crisis, however, hadn't even begun. To keep herself from getting distracted again, Go Min-Yung deliberately shifted her gaze slightly to the side as she continued acting. Unfortunately, she looked in the exact opposite direction from Chorong.

『Happy. Since it's nighttime, we're going to sing quietly. You do the harmony, okay?』

『Woof!』

『Then here we go.』

Just as Go Min-Yung cleared her throat, Haru frowned in confusion. A moment later, he covered his mouth. He had just noticed the words [Guide Dog] printed on the Golden Retriever's vest. After that, he looked at Go Min-Yung with an expression that mixed surprise, sympathy, and curiosity.

That was when Go Min-Yung solemnly clenched her hand as though she were holding an invisible microphone and began to sing. Beside her, Chorong barked in perfect time with the signals from its owner.

『Baby Happy, doo-roo doo-roo.』

『Woof woof!』

『Cute little doo-roo doo-roo.』

『Woof woof!』

『Our home's doo-roo doo-doo.』

『Woof woof!』

『Happy! Happy!』

With such a dignified expression, it looked as though she were performing a difficult pop ballad. Instead, she was singing a children's song. The LT Entertainment staff at the audition covered their mouths as they tried to suppress their laughter.

Just then, before the song had even ended, Nurungji, standing beside Haru, wagged his tail and let out a loud bark. It was because he heard his own name in the lyrics.

『Woof woof!』

At that moment, Haru could no longer hold it in and burst into laughter.

『Pfft! Hahaha!』

Haru's laughter was so bright and genuine that simply hearing it lifted everyone's spirits.

Startled, Go Min-Yung called out.

『W-Who's there? Who's making fun of Happy's and my duet?』

Haru's eyes sparkled as he waved both hands.

『Ah... Sorry, sorry. I wasn't making fun of you. You both just looked like you were having so much fun that I couldn't help laughing. I'm Yoo Sung-Woo. I live across the street. I'm seventeen!』

Go Min-Yung frowned and replied curtly.

『So we're the same age. More importantly... how long have you been secretly watching us?』

『Sorry. I've been watching from the beginning.』

『What? Then why didn't you say anything?』

『I waved at you, but you didn't react at all... so...』

『Then next time, say something. As you can see, I'm visually impaired. So if you don't make any noise, I won't know you're there. Right?』

Go Min-Yung portrayed Eun Ha-Soo, a cheerful girl who refused to let her visual impairment define her, remarkably well. She continued acting until she reached the final part of the scene.

Go Min-Yung reached her hand out in front of her.

『Then let's introduce ourselves. My name's Eun Ha-Soo. Let's get along from now on.』

『Like I said earlier, I'm Yoo Sung-Woo. By the way, is your dog's name Happy too? My dog's name is Happy as well.』

『Yeah. Happy. Oh, then... is your Happy as cute as my Happy?』

With both hands clasped together in anticipation, Go Min-Yung looked at Haru once more. This time, she kept her eyes on him as if she had no intention of avoiding his gaze. After all, the script clearly said "They look directly into each other's eyes."

That was when Haru stared straight at Go Min-Yung's face before breaking into the most beautiful smile in the world. Then he performed Yoo Sung-Woo's accidental slip from the script.

『Yeah. My Happy's cute too. Just like you.』

At that moment, Go Min-Yung's eyes became completely fixed on Haru. As though she had just received a genuine confession, a blush slowly spread across her face. She forgot she was supposed to continue her lines and began to stumble over her words. In the end, she squeezed her eyes shut. She, too, had failed to make it through the scene.

So this was as far as she could go. I needed to revise my earlier thought. If being handsome was a crime, Haru deserved the death penalty.

***

"Cut! We'll stop there for now. Good work, everyone," Director Jung Na-Mi called for the cut.

Breathing heavily, Go Min-Yung answered, "Thank... you!"

After giving a satisfied nod, Jung Na-Mi first turned to Haru. "Great job, Haru. I don't think there's another actor who can match you when it comes to portraying first love. Especially your smile—I could watch it over and over without getting tired of it. It was perfect."

Haru smiled. "Thank you."

Having finished praising Haru's irresistible charm, Jung Na-Mi turned to Go Min-Yung. "You did well too, Min-Yung. But... you couldn't hold out until the end, could you?"

At that moment, Go Min-Yung blinked. Large tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Something suddenly got into my left eye," said Go Min-Yung.

"What?"

"My eye suddenly started stinging, so I couldn't help closing it. I... I can do it properly if we try again."

Go Min-Yung lied with a perfectly straight face. Still, it was an answer worthy of applause. In this industry, people tended to value actors even more when they showed just how desperately they wanted to survive.

Sure enough, Jung Na-Mi looked impressed. Even so, she wasn't about to let it slide so easily.

Jung Na-Mi asked, "Then... after Bo-Bae finishes her performance, can you show me again?"

Go Min-Yung nodded confidently. "Of course."

"All right. I'll watch you again later. You can head back now."

"Yes, Ms. Jung."

Although she hadn't managed to finish the scene, perhaps because she was proud of having at least made it farther than the others, Go Min-Yung walked back with her shoulders held high.

Then her eyes landed on Han Bo-Bae. The look she gave her was openly provocative. It was the kind of contemptuous stare that seemed to say, "A maid like you actually thinks you can beat me?"

Han Bo-Bae, however, didn't look away from Go Min-Yung's gaze. It was as if to say she was no longer Go Min-Yung's errand girl. Perhaps because Han Bo-Bae no longer cowered in fear and apologized the moment Go Min-Yung glared at her, Go Min-Yung clicked her tongue in irritation and returned to her seat.

Now it was Han Bo-Bae's turn to perform. Before stepping forward, Han Bo-Bae gave me a respectful bow.

"Mr. Jung. Thank you. For helping my mom... and for bringing me here."

I shook my head and answered, "This isn't where it ends. It's where it begins. So win this role today and show Min-Yung what a real actor looks like."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Han Bo-Bae marched confidently toward the windowsill across from Haru, carrying the secret weapon she had practiced to death over the past several days.

***

Standing in front of the windowsill for the audition, Han Bo-Bae greeted Chorong, who was resting against a prop.

"Hi, Happy."

The guide dog, Chorong, lifted its head and peeked up at her. Han Bo-Bae bent her knees slightly to meet the dog's eyes and smiled warmly.

"I'm counting on you today. Starting today, we're friends."

Swish, swish.

Chorong wagged its tail in return, responding to the kindness shown toward it.

Woof!

"Good, good. I'm happy to meet you too."

Han Bo-Bae carefully reached out and gently stroked Chorong's head. Chorong opened its mouth in what looked like a happy smile.

Unlike Go Min-Yung, who had performed without building any rapport with the dog, Han Bo-Bae had established a bond with Chorong—the story's key supporting character—from the very beginning.

A smile appeared on Jung Na-Mi's face as she prepared to evaluate the audition. It was obvious Han Bo-Bae had already earned bonus points before the performance had even started.

Just as the film's title suggested, the two Golden Retrievers played extremely important roles in the movie.Yet every applicant who had auditioned today, including Go Min-Yung, had focused only on their own acting and paid no attention to building a connection with the dogs.

Han Bo-Bae, however, was different. She treated Chorong exactly as Eun Ha-Soo, the film's heroine, would.

At that moment, Jung Na-Mi called out, "All right, shall we begin?"

"Yes, Ms. Jung."

Han Bo-Bae immediately rested her chin on one hand atop the windowsill in front of her.

"First meeting between the two characters. Scene One. Ready... action!"

At that moment, Han Bo-Bae's portrayal of Eun Ha-Soo, the heroine of Happy & Happy, began.

Rustle.

Leaning against the window, Han Bo-Bae stretched out her left hand and gently played with the head of Chorong, the guide dog sitting beside her on the left.

For someone with a visual impairment, a guide dog was practically an extension of their own body, so absentmindedly reaching out to touch it had become second nature. From the very beginning, Han Bo-Bae captured that small but meaningful detail of living with visual impairment.

Because she had already built trust with the dog beforehand, Chorong simply wore another contented expression when its head was stroked again.

Then, Han Bo-Bae revealed the secret weapon she had prepared. It was the gaze of a visually impaired person, with each eye naturally pointing in a different direction.

-How is she... doing that?

The first person to notice her secret weapon was, unsurprisingly, Jung Na-Mi herself, who was also visually impaired.

A moment later, Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo and President Shin Jong-Ki noticed as well, their faces filling with surprise.

-Mr. Shin, did you see that?

-Mm. Han Bo-Bae really came prepared.

All three of them were openly impressed by Han Bo-Bae's hidden trump card.

A portrayal that made it instantly obvious she was visually impaired, even after only a single glance, was bound to become the strongest weapon in the entire audition.

Of course, there was only so much she could master with such limited practice. So Han Bo-Bae had trained only one specific eye pattern. Her right eye faced straight ahead while her left eye drifted off to the side.

However, there had been another reason I had taught her this gaze besides making her portrayal of a visually impaired person more convincing.

That was when Haru peeked his head over the windowsill and looked at Han Bo-Bae as her performance began.

Peek.

Just like with all the previous audition applicants, the dangerous moment had arrived. Unlike everyone before her, however, Han Bo-Bae remained completely unfazed by Haru's gaze and stayed immersed in her performance.

Watching the scene unfold, the staff exchanged astonished whispers.

-How is she... completely unaffected?

-Does she just not see Haru as a guy?

-Maybe they're classmates, so she's used to him?

-No. Min-Yung's in the same class too, and she couldn't handle it.

-Right. Then why is she fine?

One staff member looked utterly baffled.

'Of course she's fine.'

With one eye deliberately turned away, her vision couldn't properly focus on what was in front of her. In other words, no matter how captivating Haru's smile was from only a meter away, Han Bo-Bae couldn't actually see it clearly.

That was the second reason I had trained her eye movement.

Making full use of the weapon I had given her, Han Bo-Bae continued portraying Eun Ha-Soo, the bright and cheerful girl with a visual impairment.

***

Han Bo-Bae delivered an excellent performance as Eun Ha-Soo, the lively heroine despite her visual impairment. Soon it was time for her scene with Chorong.

At that moment, she gently curled her right hand as though holding an invisible microphone and sang her line.

『Baby Happy, doo-roo doo-roo.』

When it came time for the next line, Han Bo-Bae moved her imaginary microphone in front of Chorong's mouth.

Then something unexpected happened. Without any signal from its owner, Chorong answered on its own.

『Woof woof!』

Han Bo-Bae smiled brightly and, still pretending to hold a microphone, moved her hand back and forth between her own mouth and Chorong's as she continued singing. Amazingly, Chorong harmonized with her song even without a single command from its owner.

『Cute little doo-roo doo-roo.』

『Woof woof!』

『Our home's doo-roo doo-doo.』

『Woof woof!』

『Happy! Happy!』

The staff, impressed by how perfectly the two worked together, whispered among themselves.

-The judges haven't even picked Bo-Bae yet, but Chorong already has.

-Seriously. Chorong's already chosen her. At this point, it's basically over. Those two dogs are practically co-leads in this movie.

Watching the scene unfold like something out of a fairy tale, I couldn't help smiling to myself.

A moment later, Haru burst into laughter and joined their performance.

『Pfft! Hahaha!』

Compared to when he'd acted opposite Go Min-Yung, Haru's smile was far more relaxed. Since Han Bo-Bae wasn't intimidated by him, he was finally able to focus entirely on his own performance.

***

Because Han Bo-Bae never shied away from Haru, their exchange felt much more natural, like two ordinary teenagers.

Then they reached the scene the judges considered the most important part of the audition—the innocent confession of first love.

『Oh, then... is your Happy as cute as my Happy?』

Staring intently at Han Bo-Bae with the expression of someone hopelessly in love, Haru delivered Yoo Sung-Woo's accidental slip.

『Yeah. My Happy's cute too. Just like you.』

Like Yoo Sung-Woo realizing what he had just blurted out, Haru flusteredly waved both hands. At that moment, Han Bo-Bae broke into a bright smile and giggled.

『Wow! This isn't even a drama. How can anyone say something that embarrassing in real life? Hey, Yoo Sung-Woo. Are you a player?』

『N-No. It was a mistake. I just slipped.』

『Oh, come on~ I don't think so.』

Laughing cheerfully, Han Bo-Bae continued teasing him. A faint blush spread across Haru's face.

At the same time, a faint blush also spread across Han Bo-Bae's face. Even if she couldn't see him, someone with a visual impairment could still pick up the emotions in another person's voice through their heightened sense of hearing.

From Yoo Sung-Woo and Eun Ha-Soo's first meeting to his clumsy confession, the two of them brought the first-love scene to a perfect close in flawless harmony.

***

"The role of Eun Ha-Soo goes to Han Bo-Bae!"

After finishing the scoring with Lee Eun-Joo and Shin Jong-Ki, Jung Na-Mi wasted no time making the announcement.

Not only had Han Bo-Bae perfectly captured the distinctive gaze of a visually impaired person, but her chemistry with Haru had been far stronger than Go Min-Yung's. Most importantly, she had also shared wonderful chemistry with Chorong.

Han Bo-Bae bowed deeply. "Thank you!"

I let out a sigh of relief and was about to join everyone else in applauding her. However, one person stubbornly refused to accept the result.

"Seriously, this is too much! The whole thing was rigged from the start!" Go Tae-Moon, Go Min-Yung's father, shouted in protest against Jung Na-Mi's decision.

Lee Eun-Joo finally snapped. "We gave you everything you asked for, and now you're saying this? Are you blind? Couldn't you see that Bo-Bae performed far better than your daughter?"

"T-That eye thing... if Min-Yung had just been given time to practice, she could've done it too! You secretly trained her beforehand and now expect us to just accept this?"

"Mr. Go Tae-Moon—no, Min-Yung's father. Isn't an actor supposed to use everything they've got on the day of the audition to earn the role? Min-Yung has been taking lessons from Ms. Ahn Yoo-Ra all this time, and now you're going to complain about something like this?"

Go Tae-Moon glared furiously. "So in the end, you're bringing up my ex-wife? See? You planned to eliminate Min-Yung from the beginning."

"What? Oh my goodness. Seriously..."

At that moment, Shin Jong-Ki stepped in. "Managing Director, that's enough. There's no point wasting words on someone who refuses to listen."

"Mr. Shin."

"I'll handle this. Don't worry."

"Yes, sir."

Shin Jong-Ki turned toward the staff. "Escort him out. If he keeps causing a disturbance, call the police."

"Yes, Mr. President."

Just as the staff were about to move, I stepped forward. "One moment, Mr. Shin."

Shin Jong-Ki looked at me with a stern expression. "Chief Jung. If you're going to ask me to let this slide, don't bother. I have no intention of doing that."

'Why should anyone show mercy to someone who refused to admit they were wrong until the very end?'

That would be ridiculous.

I shook my head and answered, "No. I don't intend to let him off either."

"Hm? Then why are you stopping us?"

"Because I'd like to settle this more thoroughly."

"How?"

Without another word, I made a phone call.

Seeing me do so, Go Tae-Moon snorted and pulled out his own phone. "You think you're the only one with reporters? I'll expose all of this! I'll tell them every single applicant today was just a prop to make Min-Yung lose!"

As Go Tae-Moon prepared to make his call, the person on my end answered first.

[Call Connected: Director Park Moon-Soo, LZ Inc. Public Relations.]

-Hey, Chief Jung! Long time no see. What made you call me first?

Director Park Moon-Soo was the head of public relations for LZ Inc. We had met while filming the HARU_1DAY shampoo commercial for LZ Living Health, with Haru as the advertising model. He was also the direct superior of Public Relations Chief Go Tae-Moon, who was making a complete scene right in front of us.

The instant Go Tae-Moon recognized his boss's voice, all the color drained from his face. At that moment, Park Moon-Soo's voice sounded no different from the Grim Reaper's calling his name.