Legendary Superstar-Chapter 150: Between Seungmin and Minjae

Inside one of the meeting offices of Hwarang Studios, three people could be seen having a meeting.

It had been exactly one week since the final audition happened. Now, the three judges were seated around a conference table. They were tasked with making the decision that could potentially shape the future of five hopeful individuals who auditioned for the role.

Lee Jimin sat at the end of the table. His arms were crossed, and his usual calm expression couldn't be seen. Instead, he was frowning. His eyes were staring at the papers laid out in front of them.

In there were laid out notes, feedback forms, and ranking sheets that the actors initially filled out.

"Only five," He finally uttered. He looked happy, but there was a hint of fatigue laced in his voice.

"I still can't believe we're down to five."

Writer Mirae, seated across from him, also let out a sigh as she pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. A stack of character concept sketches and narrative outlines was neatly placed in front of her.

"I've been thinking about this for days already," Mirae said as she reached for a cup of coffee.

"I just realized how hard this would be. They're all talented and showed a whole different kind of acting. So, the only way we can judge now is by basing them on the character. To see who will fit the tone and background and how well they'll blend together in the final cast."

Director Kang, leaned back slightly in his chair with his arms folded and gave a slow nod. His expression was unreadable as always.

"Talent is one thing, you know," he said. "So we better pick the most talented among all of them."

"Then let's start with that. Who are you sure with?" Jimin leaned forward.

"Hmm…" Mirae reached for her pen and circled two names on the list in front of her.

"Minjae, I want him," she said confidently. "His audition was consistent from day one. His screen presence is good, and he can switch between emotions so seamlessly that it's almost frightening."

"The only problem is that he's a rookie. We don't know what to expect with him." Director Kang spoke as he pointed out the obvious disadvantage.

"That's true. But let's not forget, sometimes rookies bring the kind of hunger and freshness that seasoned actors lose over time." Lee Jimin gave a small nod, acknowledging Director Kang's concern.

"I agree," Mirae added. "He reads the emotions of a scene like he's lived through it. And when he auditioned for the role of Siwoo, he was Siwoo. I don't know how else to put it."

Jimin tapped his pen against the edge of the table thoughtfully.

"So let's put Minjae on one of the lists?"

There was a small second of silence before Mirae and Director Kang gave their subtle nods.

"Alright," Jimin murmured as he circled Minjae's name. "That's one."

Mirae flipped to another profile in her stack. "Next… I'm leaning towards Seungmin."

Kang raised an eyebrow.

"Seungmin? He's actually one of my main picks, too. He's strong, experienced, and can dominate a scene. Easily."

"Yeah. That's why I want him," Mirae replied. "He's really good. Plus, he has a sharpness in his delivery that matches the character I wrote."

"I agree with you two. He was impressive. I think he's aware of his strengths, too, which is nice." Jimin nodded slowly

"Yeah. We should put him on the list."

"Alright. That's two," Jimin confirmed, glancing down at the remaining names.

"How about Sooyun?" Kang suddenly said, eyes shifting toward the pages in front of him.

Mirae glanced up from her notes at the mention of Sooyun. She gave a small shrug, her expression was a little hesitant.

"For Sooyun… hmm… I don't know. I was looking forward to his audition, but something about it felt off."

"I felt the same," Jimin admitted, flipping through the notes he had taken that day. "He was technically good. He said the lines with emotions. But that was it. There was no heart."

"Exactly. That's what I thought, too. His acting didn't feel natural." Director Kang sighed disappointingly.

"It's unfortunate because he has the look. But we can't cast based on appearance alone. Mirae sighed and underlined a few things in her script.

"He's out, then." Jimin crossed Sooyun's name off the side column quietly.

"What about Hyunwoo?" Mirae moved on to the last 2 names.

"He's charming," Kang said, his tone casual. "His energy is good. You can tell he's passionate."

"But…" Mirae looked unsure of it.

"But he doesn't have depth," Kang finished Mirae's words. "It's like he understands the scene, but he doesn't feel it. Maybe not yet."

"He needs more time," Jimin agreed. "I think he'll shine eventually, but maybe in another project. For this drama, we need someone who can carry emotional weight from the get-go."

"Alright, let's also keep him out." Mirae moved his name aside.

Finally, there was one name left.

"Last one is Jaehyun," Jimin said, lifting the last profile on the table.

"Honestly, he's good. He's consistent and natural. However…"Mirae's brows furrowed.

"He doesn't fit Siwoo," Mirae said with a tone of finality. "He's really talented, but he gives off a rich vibe. It doesn't fit the character."

"I agree with that too. There's certain looks that are better fit a modern setting than traditional ones. Being an actor, Jimin knew that there were cases like that.

"So that's a no?" Kang confirmed.

Jimin and Mirae both nodded.

Now, there were only two names on the table.

Seungmin and Minjae.

One a veteran, who had proven himself capable.

And the other one is a rookie who was full of potential.

Mirae leaned back in her chair, her fingers drumming lightly against the edge of her coffee cup. Her eyes flicked between the two circled names on the table.

"So… how are we going to do this?" she asked finally, breaking the silence that had settled in the room.

Jimin let out a breath through his nose, calm but decisive.

"We have no choice then," he said, straightening up in his seat.

"We have to do it by voting."