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The day of the audition had arrived before I knew it.

I’d read the script a hundred times, practiced my lines until they were second nature, and studied how some of the best actors in the industry carried themselves. Yet, as I stood outside the audition room, gripping the script, my heart still pounded.

I took a steady breath. No matter the outcome, I reminded myself that I’d walk away knowing I gave it my best.

Inside, a long table of casting directors, producers, and even the Yoon sisters themselves sat waiting. I took my place in front of them. The role was a villain—quiet, calculating, the kind of presence that made people uneasy. For a split second, I almost laughed. Why does it feel like this role was made for me?

The cameras rolled. I became him.

Every line came smoothly, every movement deliberate. I kept my tone sharp but restrained, letting the weight of each word settle. The tension in the room shifted—whether it was from them or from me, I couldn’t tell.

When I finished delivering my last line, a brief silence filled the room.

Then, one of the directors gave a small nod. “That was… impressive.”

I bowed. “Thank you.”

Stepping outside, I let out a slow breath, feeling the tension finally leave my body. My palms were damp with sweat—I hadn’t even realized how nervous I was. Inside that room, I had shut everything else out, losing myself completely in the character.

But it didn’t matter anymore. I had done what I could. Now, all I could do was wait.

***

A week later, the call came.

“You got the role,” Byung-ho’s voice practically exploded through the phone. “You got the role!! Baekhyun, this is huge!The Yoon sisters don’t just cast anyone. You’re going to be acting alongside A-listers!”

I sat on my bed, staring at the floor. “That’s… wow.”

“‘Wow’?! That’s all you have to say? This could change your career forever!”

“I know,” I muttered.

A brief pause. Then, Byung-ho’s tone sharpened. “But…?”

I hesitated. “They’re filming in Japan for most of the scenes…”

Byung-ho snorted. “So? You spent months whining about wanting to be cast in a AAA project. Well, congratulations—this is it.”

I leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “I know. It’s just…”

I couldn’t say it.

What if Seo-yeon reached out to me?

It was stupid. Irrational. She probably had no intention of ever seeing me again.

But the thought lingered, refusing to let go. What if she came looking for me… and I wasn’t here?

And then there was something else.

The more I thought about it, the more I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend the next several months just acting. Ever since I got back from Paris, I had felt restless. The jazz café performances weren’t enough—I wanted to create. I wanted to make music, and I think I might be close to finishing a song.

But now, I had a chance at a role most actors would kill for.

“Hello?” Byung-ho’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Are you seriously hesitating right now?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “Hyung… You know I’ve been thinking about music more seriously. Not just performing—I want to produce.”