Legendary Superstar-Chapter 133: Top Five Choices

Days quickly passed by like a blur. Just what like they agreed upon, Minjae really kept a low profile. The agency also stopped posting promotional activities for their drama. It was just for the meantime though.

Though it looked like what they did was working. After a day or two, Jinhyun's fans stopped comparing the two.

The people focused more on the teasers that kept getting released one after another. As expected, Jihyun's fans turned their attention to them, especially to those new actors who were getting promoted heavily by their agencies, as if wanting to fight Jihyun's popularity.

Fortunately, they went on the other route.

Surprisingly, Minjae's campaign with Lux & Co. was still doing well. People were excited about the collection, and fashion enthusiasts loved how Minjae carried the clothes with elegance and style.

His fresh presence in the fashion scene impressed them, especially since they were used to seeing the same models over and over the years.

"Minjae looks so sophisticated in those photos!"

"It's nice to see a new face in the luxury scene."

"He really fits the brand's image."

Even without promoting his drama, Minjae's popularity still continued to grow a little because of his work with Lux & Co.

- - -

A few days later, the creative team at Hwarang Studios gathered for their first meeting after the auditions. They have been very busy with their own works, but they still spared some time for the meeting.

Director Kang, Writer Seo Mirae, Lee Jimin was at the same room where the auditions were held. They were seated around a polished conference table, their expressions was a blend of exhaustion and excitement.

On the table in front of them were multiple pages of paper. It was the sheet they used to evaluate each auditioner for the drama.

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They didn't only evaluate the auditioners for the lead role, but also the secondary casts. It was really stressful, but it was nice to see passionate actors.

"It's been a few days," Director Kang began, rubbing his eyes. "I think we've all had enough time to go over the auditions."

"Yeah. It wasn't easy," Writer Mirae took a deep breath. She was arranging the papers on the table based on their scoring points.

"Do we go all over this, or should we eliminate first those that didn't satisfy us?" Jimin questioned the two.

"Let's eliminate the weakest performances first," Director Kang replied, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "There's no point in wasting time on those who didn't meet the minimum requirements that we agreed upon at the start."

"Agreed." Mirae nodded, her eyes scanning through the pages. "I've already sorted them according to their scores. The ones who scored below 80 are here." She slid a small stack of papers to the side. "We can disregard them for the main roles."

"That cuts down a good number," Jimin noted, leaning back in his chair. "Now, what about the ones who did pass?"

Mirae divided the remaining papers into two piles. "These are the top candidates for the lead role." She gestured to a smaller pile. "And these are for the secondary roles."

"I think it's easier for us to decide on the secondary roles." Director Kang uttered before letting out a sigh." There are only a few who stood out anyway. However, for the lead, it's a different story."

There were too many established and rising actors who auditioned for the lead role. It reached more than a hundred, the most that they have over the years.

"So how about we go through the list first and say our top 2 favorites? That way we can have a smaller range of people to evaluate." Writer Mirae suggested. If they were to go through the list, it would probably take them a few hours.

"That sounds like a good plan," Director Kang agreed on it, nodding. "It'll help us focus on the ones who really left an impression."

"Alright." Jimin picked up the pile of papers marked for the lead role. He chuckled, "Top two favorites, huh? That's going to be tough. There were a lot of strong contenders."

"That's exactly why we need to narrow it down." Mirae leaned forward as a smile crossed on her face. Anyways, I'll start."

She flipped through the pages before setting two aside.

"Kim Sooyun and Kang Jaehyun. Sooyun had the most consistent performance. He nailed every scene with precision and emotion. And Jaehyun was also one of the most versatile actors out there. He had also an experience when it comes to being a lead in a historical drama."

"Well, I agree on that." Jimin's eyes sparked with interest.

"Sooyun has always been talented, and he did well. Jaehyun too. But for me, the one who struck me the most was Lee Hyunwoo and Cha Seungmin

"Those are good names…" Director Kang rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"As for me, I'd put Sooyun and Minjae on top. Sooyun's acting was indeed good. However, I was really surprised to Minjae. He was a rookie, yet, he can act like that."

"Oh speaking of Minjae, I was also surprised with his performance. He can acT and his portrayal of emotions were also one of the top that I saw." Mirae uttered as admiration was evident on her voice.

Jimin nodded. "I'll admit, when I saw his name on the list of auditionees, I wasn't expecting much. A rookie in the same lineup as all these established actors? But he delivered."

Director Kang chuckled. "That's what makes it interesting. A rookie coming in and shaking things up."

"Sooyun, Jaehyun, Hyunwoo, Seunmin, and Minjae seem to be our top choices," Mirae summarized. "I guess that's enough for us to decide on for a couple of days"

"Now comes the hard part." Mirae sighed. "Choosing just one."

"We'll give them a callback and have them do a few more scenes," Jimin suggested. "Push them to their limits and see who stands out the most."

"Sounds like a plan." Director Kang nodded. "I'll have the team send out the invitations today. Let's see who really deserves this role."

"Hopefully, the decision becomes clearer after that." Mirae smiled, though her eyes were tired. "I have a feeling it's going to be a tough choice."

"It's always a tough choice," Jimin replied with a smirk. "But that's what makes it exciting."