239 The Outstanding Rising Star

Yeo Ri's turn arrived after what felt like hours.

Fueled by the ire fermenting within her, Yeo Ri felt more fearless in front of the interviewers. Her smile was brighter, her voice was clearer, and her temperament was sweeter.

"Hello, I am Lee Yeo Ri from Hope Entertainment." Just as usual, she began with a greeting and a short introduction.

"I will be auditioning for the role of... Kwon Eun Young." Placing her script aside, she announced the role she was auditioning for and bowed in respect to the interviewers.

"Ah, the main female lead. Director Choi and his wife have said many good things about you, Miss Lee. I have high expectations. Please, begin."

And so, Yeo Ri acted.

Yeo Ri's calm and gentle atmosphere changed instantly as she got into character.

The main female protagonist of [Runaway Kids] was a spoiled rich young lady who ran away from home for a petty reason. Unable to handle the burden of being a homeless, penniless street rat, she ended up being deceived and thrown into many unsightly situations, mostly due to her own fault.

Yeo Ri thought of her own mother, the foolish Han Yeoreum. She had been born with all the right things—wealth, appearance, loving parents—and yet, she still ended up running away from home. Although pursuing her dreams was not a petty reason to run away for, the fact that she disregarded the safety net provided by her family and good background made her mother look so foolish to her.

Yeo Ri imagined the kind of complications that her mother might have and already had gone through, and channeled it into her acting.

And then, 'Lee Yeo Ri' became 'Kwon Eun Young'—the spoiled brat Yeo Ri would have turned into if only the heavens hadn't been so cruel to her.

"'—I'll let you hold my hand for ten seconds if you let me eat them, how about it? Hm? Hm? Please—'"

Yeo Ri's acting was like a fish swimming in water.

With just one scene, she had easily captivated the interviewers.

"'—Aw, please~? You know I hate being dirty—'"

Yeo Ri's 'Kwon Eun Young' had the right amount of endearing obnoxiousness and adorableness, and her act didn't feel forced or too pushy. Even people outside of the written script could easily see themselves getting led by the nose by this silly girl, much less the two boys who had somehow joined her escapade.

"'—No! No! I don't like this! Somebody—help!'"

As Yeo Ri finished the last of her lines, she noticed the approval in the interviewers' faces.

Once she was done, Yeo Ri was met with applause. They were visibly pleased with her performance.

"That was very good. I don't think I have any bones left to pick—it was simply perfect! Exactly the Kwon Eun Young I had in mind. No, perhaps even better than that!" One of the interviewers said. There were no name placards on the table which signified their identities, but Yeo Ri assumed that they were the producers of the film.

Yeo Ri was beginning to get used to receiving praises, but she still kept herself humble. "Thank you very much," she said, blushing shyly, her eyes shining like stars. It always felt good to be praised.

"I can't believe that that level of acting came from someone who had only entered the industry for a few months. Have you received any formal training before debuting?"

Yeo Ri shook her head and answered honestly, "No, I only received coaching after joining the agency. Before that, I was too poor to attend an acting school so I just copied what the people on TV did."

"...A genius."

"And she's only sixteen... not even at her peak!" One of the producers gasped.

"Kids these days, so talented!"

"You're going to go far, I know it."

"Th-thank you very much!" Yeo Ri bowed deeply, accepting their high praises with gratitude.

"President Park sure have good eyes. She's so lucky to have discovered you first," one of the producers said enviously.

"Congratulations, Miss Lee. Honestly, after watching you, I don't think any other rendition could compare. I really do wish you make it."

Yeo Ri repeatedly said her thanks, and only when the fanfare died down was she able to excuse herself.

Although the producers seemed dead set on giving her the role, Yeo Ri could never feel too secure. After all, who knows if there was someone more outstanding than her. Though, she hoped there were none, seeing as how she had poured her heart and soul into the audition.

Yeo Ri left the audition room with a small smile on her face.

Having gotten friendly with the girl during the waiting period, Won approached her, eyebrows raised in askance. "You stayed in there for quite a while. I assume you'll have some good news soon?"

Yeo Ri giggled, as if unable to contain her happiness. "I hope so!"

"That's great! Welcome aboard, co-star!" Although it hadn't been confirmed yet, Won still congratulated her. It'd be nice if she really did get the part, as he was rather interested in her.

"So... do you mind if we exchange numbers?" He asked with a bashful grin. "No pressure, though!"

Yeo Ri was taken aback by his sudden request, but after recollecting her cool, she politely turned him down. With a serious face, she said, "I'm sorry; my brother said I shouldn't give my numbers to strangers."

"But haven't we become friends?" He flashed a puppy-eyed look towards her, looking like a hopeful stray inside a box waiting to be adopted.

"Well, um..."

Suddenly meeting someone like Won who didn't hesitate to use cuteness to get what he wanted was outside of Yeo Ri's expectations. She helplessly shook her head, a wry smile on her face. It was hard to say no to someone so pretty. It was no wonder her brothers always caved in in front of her.

"I..." She answered with difficulty, "Tell you what—I'll ask Auntie Soo Yeon if I can open a social media account and I'll follow you if I'm allowed to."

"Really?" Won perked up at her compromise, acting as if he was four years younger than the girl instead of four years older.

"Yeah."

"Well, I can't wait for that," he winked. He rummaged for a pen within his pockets, "Can I borrow your hand?"

"My hand?"

Yeo Ri raised her right hand quizzically, and the young man immediately grabbed it and wrote down a series of numbers on her palm in a flash, not allowing her any time to refuse.

"Here's my number," he sent her a large grin, his eyes glinting mischievously, "Contact me when you open your SNS account."

What! So devious!

He was still insisting on exchanging numbers. By giving her his number, he would still end up knowing hers if she contacted him. Of course, Yeo Ri could also choose to ignore him and wash off his number from her hand.

"Don't wash it off, okay? We're friends starting from now; if you do, I'll be rea~lly upset!" He said, as if knowing what she was thinking.

Hearing his words, Yeo Ri could not help but laugh. He was so easy-going, and Yeo Ri felt that it wasn't too bad to have another friend around.