In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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This life, I choose The Oscars over a husband.
Chapter 10

“I want to fix that scene today. Let’s shoot it again. You and me.”
“Now? Really?”
“Only if you don’t mind.”
“Hey, why not? So I’ll handle the filming, and upload it to my account?”
“Yes.”
“Awesome.”
The Cinematographer finished setting up the equipment with an excited expression.
Soon, filming began again.
And naturally, Ha Eun-rae was brilliant in this shoot as well.

* * *

‘Wow… Today was absolutely exhausting.’
I felt drained mentally rather than physically, so I collapsed face-first onto my bed.
Kang Ye-reum said she’d be late because she had a drinking appointment today.
‘I should pick her up if she gets drunk…’
I pulled my phone from my pocket to text Kang Ye-reum when a business card suddenly fell out.

[Naru Stage]

This business card was given to me by Seo Kyung-bin.

“Um… you… you don’t have a Talent Agency yet, right…?”
“Oh, yes.”
“So…”

Then came the business card toss.

“We’re looking for a new actress…”

The dialogue was heavily abbreviated, but the meaning came through clearly.
In other words, Naru Stage was actively casting for rookie actresses.
Now that I thought about it, Seo Kyung-bin was affiliated with Naru Stage.

“If you’re interested in auditioning, give me a call….”

He didn’t quite finish the sentence with “please.”
It was surprising that someone as capital-I Important as Seo Kyung-bin would show me this much favor.

“Your acting was really great.”

Seo Kyung-bin, who had just filmed our first meeting scene, spoke to me with what looked like excitement on his face.
I’d worried he might feel threatened by how much I stood out, but instead he seemed fired up, saying he needed to prepare more for our next scenes.

“I’ll, I’ll make sure I’m not a burden…”

It was hard to tell if he’d actually finished his sentence.

“You’re already doing so well.”

It was true. The moment the camera rolled, Seo Kyung-bin became a completely different person.
But the instant he heard the compliment, his neck retracted like a turtle’s, so I decided to hold back on further praise.
Still, the fact that he’d extended an audition offer suggested he thought well of me.

“It’s thanks to you, New Member.”

Though I had to admit, Hong Jong-ho’s social skills had helped too.
I grinned as I looked at the Naru Stage business card.
If Je-gal Se-yeon had been the first button on my new acting career, then Naru Stage would be the second.
And now it was time to use a search token for the third button.
‘Something that can get me an immediate response at my current level. Something that will earn me even more search tokens.’
This time, it was a music video.

* * *

Heo Kyung-hoe, the representative of Naru Stage, turned his neck with a weary expression.
In truth, while his title was representative, he was personally scouting for talent at a small company of roughly ten people.
Sometimes he’d visit Daehak-ro, meticulously watching films both large and small, and carefully reviewing every incoming application.
Since the company was still small, assembling actors was the immediate priority.
Especially after a rising mid-tier actor had left last year, causing the company to stumble significantly, he had no choice but to pour all his energy into discovering new talent.

“I know you work hard, Representative Heo. When we worked together before, you treated me well, so I decided to join here. But you know how it is. I’m getting older now, and drama casting is all about connections. But Naru Stage….”

I didn’t need to hear the rest to understand.
‘They’re saying we don’t have proper actors, so we lack influence.’
It pained me to part with an actor I’d built a long relationship with, but I couldn’t hold them back. I understood their position too.
And through this, I came to a realization.
‘I can’t rely on established actors anymore.’
Now was the time to discover and nurture newcomers.
Recently, Seo Kyung-bin had been gaining recognition as a star in the Independent Film Industry, but lucrative commercial offers still hadn’t come in.
Though it seemed like fandom was quietly building on social media, putting him on variety shows was….
‘Impossible to have a conversation with.’
No matter how trendy variety shows were, sending Seo Kyung-bin out there was beyond my conscience.
‘Besides, if our Kyung-bin collapsed from respiratory distress, we’d have no actors left in the agency….’
Because of this, I’d been searching desperately for new actors recently, but I couldn’t find anyone who satisfied me.
Whenever someone seemed promising, another Talent Agency was already in contact.
And most of those actors’ rejection lines were similar.

“Naru Stage is still too new, so if a newcomer like me joins, I think it would be bad for both of us….”

Well, they weren’t wrong from their perspective.
After all, for a rookie actor, the push from a major talent agency is crucial.
In reality, a talent agency with leading actors could slip one or two of their own actors into a production.
However, conversely, when a talent agency’s influence becomes this strong, disadvantages emerge.
Just as idol groups from a particular idol agency all tend to resemble each other, actors inevitably grow into the agency’s ‘manufactured stars’.
Especially with lower-quality agencies, they might even push actors to fabricate credentials or fabricate past histories.
Heo Kyung-hoe had actually left his previous company because he was disillusioned by such practices.
Kim Byung-ho, who had worked at the same company before founding Kanna, didn’t seem to pay much attention to such things.
Heo Kyung-hoe gazed at an actress in a web drama video on YouTube.
‘Her name is Kang Ye-ji.’
When I checked her personal SNS, she felt like a typically managed rookie.
She dressed in a way that conveyed a composed yet intellectual image, complete with accessories that added a touch of sophistication.
‘It’s all manufactured.’
I immediately recognized the strategy my former company had used frequently.
Even the tactic of gathering followers by flaunting a residence in the Wealthy District was identical.
‘Kim Byung-ho’s habits never change.’
I shook my head at that thought.
In cases like this, she was perfect prey for Kim Byung-ho.
He would probably make her do whatever he said with all sorts of dazzling promises.
He could push her into uncomfortable nude scenes, or assign her forced concepts in variety shows.
And if she blows up that way, he’d then ruin her reputation afterward, binding her permanently to the agency.
All tactics Kim Byung-ho learned at his previous company.
Yet these were things that happened like industry practice at major agencies.
I founded Naru Stage precisely because I hated such things.
I wanted to become a company that truly served as a ‘stage’ for actors to stand on.
But now Naru Stage only had Seo Kyung-bin as an actor to push, so no matter how many meetings I attended, I kept hearing the same thing.

“Seo Kyung-bin is great, sure. But we don’t have any female actors right now. You know that, right? There’s a shortage of actresses in their twenties these days. Why don’t you scout a rookie talent in a situation like this?”

Who doesn’t know that?
Production company heads are calling talent agencies left and right because there aren’t any decent actors available these days.
And that’s exactly why I’m doing this!
It was at that moment when Heo Kyung-hoe rolled his stiffened neck and closed his eyes.
“Director!”
Manager Jang entered.
“Director, you didn’t check the email I sent, did you? It’s about a new actor auditioning.”
“A new actor? But why did you send that by email? We only accept written submissions here.”
Since many applicants sent edited videos, audition submissions were typically received only in written form along with headshots.
“Seo Kyung-bin recommended this actor.”
“Kyung-bin? Does Kyung-bin have actor friends?”
With that personality?
The unspoken implication hung in the air, and Manager Jang responded knowingly.
“How could he? Even when I tell him to go meet friends on his days off, he just comes to the practice room.”
“Exactly.”
Nodding in agreement, Heo Kyung-hoe opened his email first.
“But apparently he gave our business card to the lead actor on this project. According to his manager, he was running around the set like crazy.”
“That’s just Kyung-bin being Kyung-bin—he’s always running around.”
And the moment he opened the attachment, Heo Kyung-hoe’s eyes widened dramatically.
“No, it’s not Kyung-bin.”
Seeing that expression, Manager Jang smiled knowingly.
“It’s Ha Eun-rae. This woman is the actor Ha Eun-rae. Her face and presence are absolutely striking.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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