321: Chapter 301\o/\o/\o/

"the crab" Audition Day—A Leading Lady Held Over the Fire

A week after the news of the open casting call for "the crab" began to ferment, the audition day finally arrived.

TG Entertainment's new office is located on the upper floors of a modern office building in Gangnam District. The normally quiet office space was unusually bustling today.

Before nine in the morning, the building's underground parking lot was already filled with various vehicles. There were agency vans, actors' private cars, and even a few media interview vehicles—though TG had explicitly stated the auditions were not open to the public, there were always some sharp-nosed reporters trying to catch a few scraps of news.

Im Yoona's van drove into the parking lot at 9:15 AM.

Inside the car, her Manager confirmed the schedule one last time: "Yoona, are you familiar with the script? Besides the performance segment today, there might be some improvisation. The directing team is TG's internal team, but President Jiang will likely be present as well..."

"I know, Oppa," Im Yoona interrupted softly, her gaze landing outside the window.

The sight in the parking lot caught her a bit off guard.

There were even more people than she had imagined.

They weren't fans, but colleagues. She could recognize several familiar faces—there were rookie actors who had just debuted, mid-tier actors who often played supporting roles in TV dramas, and even two powerhouses whose primary battlefield was film.

Everyone was dressed in meticulously coordinated outfits, accompanied by Managers or assistants, either talking in low voices or silently getting into character. But when she stepped out of the car, almost everyone's eyes turned toward her in unison.

Those gazes were complex: scrutinizing, evaluating, envious, wary... and there was an ill-concealed sense of "as expected."

Im Yoona adjusted the sunglasses on her face, suppressing the slight ripple in her heart and maintaining an outward appearance of calm and composure.

But her heart was far from as calm as she looked.

She was apprehensive.

Yes, even a top artist like her who had weathered many battles would still feel apprehensive when facing a project like "the crab" and a subversive role like "Withe."

Moreover, in a sense, Jiang Zhiyu had personally held her over the fire for today's interview.

Almost everyone in the industry believed that "the crab" was a script Jiang Zhiyu had custom-tailored for Im Yoona. Rumors like "Im Yoona learning to kill fish," "Jiang Zhiyu training her personally," and the "ambiguity between the younger President and the older Goddess" had long been spreading like wildfire in various chat groups and forums.

Her appearance here today was equivalent to confirming those speculations.

"Look, she really came."

"The female lead was probably decided internally long ago, right?"

"It's just going through the motions; it's really boring."

She could almost hear those whispers.

Im Yoona felt a small bit of resentment toward Jiang Zhiyu in her heart—this man always did things like this, seemingly casual but actually calculating every step. He clearly could have given her the script privately, yet he insisted on making such a big scene, pushing her to the forefront of public opinion.

But she also had to admit that this high profile was, in a way, a form of protection.

If Jiang Zhiyu had truly given her the role privately, it would have been even easier for people to find fault. By holding an open recruitment like this, she was coming to the audition fair and square, fighting for it with her strength, so no one could complain.

It's just... the pressure is really immense.

"Yoona-xi, this way please." A TG staff member came forward and politely guided her toward the elevator bank.

Just as she reached the elevator entrance, another slight commotion came from the parking lot entrance.

A low-profile black sedan slowly drove in and parked in a reserved spot not far away.

The car door opened, and Jiang Zhiyu stepped out.

He was still dressed in a well-tailored dark suit today, but without a tie. His shirt collar was slightly open, and he wore a high-quality light gray cashmere coat over it. His hair was a bit more casual than the last time at JYP, with a few strands of bangs hanging over his forehead, neutralizing the seriousness of the suit.

He still looked like that young talent, the powerful young President.

But subtly, compared to before, there was an indescribable... sense of control about Jiang Zhiyu today.

It was as if this was his home turf, and everything here—including all the apprehensive actors present—was on his chessboard.

As soon as he got out of the car, several people immediately surrounded him.

"President Jiang, hello! I'm from XX Agency..."

"President Jiang, long time no see! Our company's actors are very much looking forward to this opportunity..."

"President Jiang, here is our information, please take a look..."

Pleasantries, handing out business cards, trying to get noticed.

Jiang Zhiyu had a proper smile on his face as he dealt with them one by one, showing neither coldness nor excessive enthusiasm. He took the business cards, nodded in thanks, and said in a gentle tone: "Thank you all for your interest in 'the crab' project. I hope everyone can show their best state today."

His gaze swept through the crowd and then, naturally, landed on Im Yoona.

Their eyes met in the air.

Im Yoona's heart skipped a beat.

She took a deep breath, took off her sunglasses, and took the initiative to walk forward.

"President Jiang, hello." Her voice was clear, her posture graceful, and her bow was impeccable. "It's an honor to participate in the audition for 'the crab.' I will give it my all."

This series of actions was smooth and natural, expressing respect while maintaining distance.

—To clear up any possible rumors between them, Im Yoona took the lead.

She wanted everyone to see: she and Jiang Zhiyu had a normal director-actor relationship, with no personal ties, no ambiguity, only professionalism.

Jiang Zhiyu looked at her, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

He looked Im Yoona up and down today.

She was different from when he saw her in the JYP cafeteria, in the LOEN meeting room, or even in the Jeonju market; today's Im Yoona had her full aura on display.

She had cut her hair short, and the sharp collarbone-length hair added a touch of competence and coldness to her originally sweet temperament. Her makeup also emphasized her contours more than usual—her eyeliner was elongated, her brow shape was sharp, and her lip color was a cool-toned rosewood. She wore a cream-white suit set that was well-tailored, showing off her figure without losing professionalism.

The whole person did indeed look somewhat like a "former mercenary," cold and detached.

But Jiang Zhiyu's gaze landed in her eyes.

In those beautiful eyes known as "doe eyes," besides professional focus, there was also an imperceptible hint of... annoyance.

As if saying: "It's all your fault."

"Pushing me into this situation."

"Making me endure so many gazes."

"Making me so nervous."

That kind of womanly resentment was hidden by her under the mask of a top actor, but Jiang Zhiyu understood it.

The corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably.

Then, in front of everyone, he did something that almost made Im Yoona lose her composure—

He winked at her.

It wasn't a polite wink, but a wink filled with innocent yet wicked playfulness.

As if saying: "Is it my fault?"

"But aren't you also enjoying this challenge?"

"Noona, fighting~"

Im Yoona's expression management almost collapsed. She pressed her lips together firmly to stop herself from glaring at him.

Jiang Zhiyu let out a light laugh, withdrew his gaze, and resumed his professional posture as President.

"Im Yoona-xi," his voice was steady and exceptionally clear in the quiet parking lot, "I look forward to your performance."

He paused and added four words:

"Good luck."

Then, he nodded to the people around him and, accompanied by his assistant and security, walked toward the private elevator.

He didn't stay for a second longer, didn't say another word, and didn't even look back at Im Yoona again.

Avoiding suspicion.

He did it so obviously, so thoroughly.

Im Yoona stood in place, watching his back disappear into the elevator, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

On one hand, she was relieved. Jiang Zhiyu's business-like attitude was a good thing for her. At least those rumors about "internal selection" and "ambiguity" would be much fewer after today.

But on the other hand...

Inexplicably, she felt a bit of disappointment in her heart.

It was like you were prepared to face a storm, but the other party lightly bypassed it. All your accumulated emotions—nervousness, resentment, and even a faint expectation—felt like a punch landing on cotton.

"Yoona-xi?" the staff member reminded her softly, "The elevator is here."

Im Yoona snapped back to her senses, put her sunglasses back on, and pushed that bit of uncalled-for disappointment back into the depths of her heart.

She straightened her back and walked into the elevator.

The mirrored doors reflected her face—short hair, cool makeup, firm gaze.

No matter what, I, Im Yoona, am going to get this role.

Not for Jiang Zhiyu, not to prove anything.

But for the character "Withe" itself. For that soul struggling in the mud, searching for light in the darkness, and running rampant in the cracks of the rules.

For that character that made her lose sleep for the first time after reading the script.

The elevator went up.

The numbers jumped.

Im Yoona took a deep breath and adjusted her expression.

The battle has begun.

—

The Chessboard in the Audition Room and Noona's Determination

TG Entertainment's audition room was set up in a minimalist and professional manner.

Pure white walls, shadowless lights evenly casting cool light, and only three black high-back chairs in the center of the room—the judges' table. Five meters across from them, a red marker was taped on the floor; that was the actor's performance area. Other than that, there was nothing.

No extra decorations, no distracting props, not even a window.

The only thing that needed to be focused on here was the person standing on the red dot.

Three people sat at the judges' table.

In the very center was the Chairman of TG Entertainment—Kim Soo-yeon.

The seventeen-year-old girl wore a sharp dark gray suit skirt, her long hair meticulously tied into a low ponytail, and a pair of slightly mature thin-framed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. Her hands were folded on the table, her back was straight, and her expression was calm to the point of being almost cold. In those eyes belonging to a young girl, there was a level of scrutiny and sharpness that surpassed her age.

To her left was Lee Jae-hoon, a senior film director hired by TG. In his early fifties with graying hair, he wore a casual deep blue shirt and always held a pen and a well-worn notebook in his hands. He was one of the representative figures of Korean crime thrillers, known for his strictness toward acting and his obsession with details.

To her right was Choi Min-ah, the deputy head of TG's Variety Department and the head of the newly established Film and Television Creative Department. A woman in her early thirties with short hair, exquisite makeup, and quick eyes. She was not only a master of variety show planning but also one of the scriptwriters for "the crab," with a delicate understanding of characters and dialogue.

The audition panel formed by these three had vastly different styles, but they happened to cover all dimensions of performance evaluation: Kim Soo-yeon looked for aura and potential, Lee Jae-hoon looked for technique and detail, and Choi Min-ah looked for emotion and resonance.

The content of the audition consisted of three key scenes extracted from "the crab" script:

Act I: The First Encounter in the Interrogation Room

Withe, as the sole witness and prime suspect at the murder scene, confronts a seasoned detective in a cramped interrogation room. The focus of this scene is the explosion within suppression—under the seemingly calm dialogue is a surging undercurrent of psychological maneuvering.

Act II: The Delicate Balance of Forced Cooperation

Under the pressure of evidence, Withe has no choice but to cooperate with the police to investigate the inside story of the case. This scene needs to show the transition from hostility to forced collaboration, as well as the eerie tacit understanding between two completely different souls during a dangerous mission.

Act III: The Pawn's Anger and Awakening

When Withe discovers that she has not only been innocently caught in the game but has also been set as a "dead pawn" by both sides—an abandoned piece destined to be sacrificed—she displays the absurd anger of being toyed with by fate, as well as the instinctive resistance of a top mercenary's "my life is mine to control."

These three scenes, at first glance, placed extremely high demands on the lead—requiring the portrayal of complex psychological changes, strong dialogue skills, and a deep understanding of the character's core.

But Kim Soo-yeon clearly saw the brilliance of Jiang Zhiyu's design:

The protagonist of "the crab," Withe, is essentially an "action over words" character.

In the script, many of Withe's highlight moments were action scenes—alleyway chases, close-quarters combat, firearm duels, and urban parkour. The dramatic acting portions actually only accounted for one-third of the entire film.

But it was precisely this one-third that determined the soul of the character.

If an actor could perform these three dramatic scenes well, then the action parts could be compensated for through training and editing. Conversely, if the dramatic acting fell flat, even the most beautiful movements would just be empty window dressing.

More importantly—

The brilliance of a dramatic scene often relies on the supporting characters to set it off.

The old criminal investigator in the interrogation room, the young detective collaborating on the investigation, the cunning gang leader... The solid performances of these supporting characters would reflect the protagonist's depth like a mirror. The protagonist only needs to give a precise emotional outburst at the key moment to achieve the effect of moving a thousand pounds with four ounces.

This was also why Jiang Zhiyu insisted on having Im Yoona come for an audition.

Im Yoona had national popularity, audience appeal, and the determination to endure hardships (the special fish-killing training was proof of that). If she could hold her own in these three dramatic scenes, then the gimmick of a 'sweet idol transforming into a hardcore female action star,' combined with solid action training, would be enough to make the crab a hit before filming even began.

And if she couldn't hold her own...

Kim Soo-yeon adjusted her glasses and looked at the list in her hand.

Im Yoona's name was ranked toward the middle-back position.

The interview process proceeded very quickly.

Actors came in one by one, gave their names and the scene numbers they were going to perform, and then began.

Director Lee Jae-hoon spoke very little, merely lowering his head to make quick notes in his notebook, occasionally looking up with eyes that dissected every subtle movement of the performer like a scalpel.

Choi Min-ah, on the other hand, would make specific requests: "Please be a bit angrier, but don't let it out; keep it internal." "When saying this line, try looking into the void instead of at me."

Kim Soo-yeon mostly just watched quietly.

She wasn't just watching the performance, but the person themselves—whether their temperament, gaze, body language, and even breathing rhythm fit the complex and broken soul of 'Withe'.

Some actors had mature acting skills, being second-tier veterans who had spent years in television dramas. Their performance techniques were up to par, their emotions were full, and their lines were fluent, but it always felt like something was missing.

"Too formulaic," Lee Jae-hoon whispered to Kim Soo-yeon after one performance ended. "Good technique, but no 'human touch'."

Kim Soo-yeon nodded.

She understood the director's meaning. Those actors were acting out 'anger,' 'sadness,' and 'struggle,' but they didn't seem like someone who had truly experienced a battlefield, carried a blood debt, and walked alone in the darkness for years.

Withe's anger wasn't a roar, it was a cold sneer; her sadness wasn't tears, it was silence; her struggle wasn't a shout, it was a fist tightening and then releasing.

Another actor bowed and left.

Choi Min-ah checked the time: "Next, Im Yoona-xi."

The atmosphere in the room changed subtly.

The door was pushed open, and Im Yoona walked in.

She was still wearing that cream-colored suit, but she had taken off the jacket, leaving only a slim-fitting white shirt. Her short hair was neat, and her makeup was cold, but looking closely, one could see a trace of imperceptible nervousness in her eyes.

"Hello to the judges, I am Im Yoona." She bowed, her voice steady.

Kim Soo-yeon looked at her and suddenly smiled.

It wasn't the polite smile used in social situations, but a very faint, almost invisible smile, yet it miraculously softened the icy atmosphere in the room.

"Don't be nervous, Sunbae," Kim Soo-yeon spoke, her voice clear. "Just treat it like usual."

This sentence made Im Yoona pause for a moment.

She looked at Kim Soo-yeon—the rumored genius young chairwoman of TG, who was currently looking at her with a peaceful gaze, without scrutiny or evaluation, but simply... encouragement?

Im Yoona took a deep breath and nodded: "Thank you."

The three judges exchanged a few low words. Kim Soo-yeon looked at the script in her hand, then at Im Yoona, and finally made a decision.

"Im Yoona-xi," she looked up, her voice clear, "Please perform the third act—the scene where you discover you've been used as a pawn, and a sacrificial one at that."

Im Yoona's heart skipped a beat.

The third act... was the most difficult one.

There was no scene partner and no specific set; it relied entirely on monologue and facial expressions to show the complex emotional transition from shock, doubt, and realization to anger, absurdity, and finally settling into coldness.

Moreover, this scene included a PTSD flashback—Withe's emotions are on the verge of collapse because she remembers the trauma of being betrayed by the organization, her squad being wiped out, and her accidentally killing a civilian.

The difficulty was extremely high.

But Im Yoona did not hesitate.

She walked to the center of the performance area marked with a red dot and closed her eyes.

Three seconds later, she opened them.

In that instant, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

Standing there was no longer the 'Nation's Little Sister' Im Yoona, but a woman with hollow eyes and a tense body, like a wounded beast.

The performance began.

Im Yoona didn't speak immediately, nor were there any exaggerated movements.

She just stood there, head slightly lowered, but the lines of her shoulders were as taut as a fully drawn bow.

Then, her right hand slowly clenched into a fist.

Harder, and harder still.

Her nails dug into her palm, leaving crescent-shaped marks—this wasn't acting; she was truly applying force. The pain made her gaze even sharper.

The emotional layers began to progress:

First layer: Shock.

Her pupils dilated slightly, and her breathing hitched for a moment, as if she had heard some unbelievable news.

Second layer: Doubt.

Her brow furrowed, and her gaze shifted from hollow to a sharp scrutiny, as if she were rapidly analyzing the truth of the information.

Third layer: Realization.

Suddenly, the corner of her mouth twitched—not a smile, but an expression more painful than crying. Her gaze shifted from sharp to hollow, as if all the clues had connected in her mind into a cruel truth.

Fourth layer: Ridicule.

She actually laughed—a short, suppressed sneer squeezed from deep in her throat. Her shoulders trembled slightly, not from fear, but from a reaction to the sheer absurdity.

Fifth layer: Indignation.

The smile vanished instantly, replaced by a teeth-gritting anger. Her jawline tightened, and a cold fire ignited in her eyes.

"Fuck."

She spoke, her voice raspy like sandpaper.

It wasn't Korean; it was English. It carried the roughness typical of a mercenary, mixed with various accents.

"A bunch of goddamn bitches..."

Her gaze had no focus, as if she were speaking to some enemy in the void. The hatred in her tone was so real that Choi Min-ah on the judging panel subconsciously leaned back.

Then, Im Yoona's voice lowered, turning into a near self-mocking murmur:

"But then again... when has the world ever been fair?"

She raised her hand and looked at her palm—there were the red marks she had just pinched into it.

Her gaze suddenly became distant, as if traveling through time and space, seeing a bloody battlefield, a night filled with soaring flames, and an innocent figure falling before her.

PTSD flashback.

Her breathing became rapid, fine sweat broke out on her forehead, her pupils contracted, and her body trembled slightly. That was a physiological fear and trauma response; it couldn't be faked, only achieved by the actor mobilizing real memories of fear from deep within.

Director Lee Jae-hoon's pen stopped; he looked up and stared intently at Im Yoona.

A few seconds later, the flashback ended.

Im Yoona's (Withe's) gaze refocused, but the warmth in it had completely vanished.

Cold, hollow, like a pool of stagnant water.

"The only thing that's fair..."

Her voice was terrifyingly calm.

"...is that a person only has one life."

After speaking, she slowly released the fist she had been clenching.

The performance ended.

The room was so quiet that the hum of the air conditioner could be heard.

Im Yoona stood in place, panting slightly, the stray hairs on her forehead soaked with sweat. She took three seconds to detach herself from the character, then bowed: "My performance is over."

Kim Soo-yeon looked at the Im Yoona before her, then looked down at the character profile for 'Withe' in her hand.

The performance was very good.

One could even say it exceeded everyone's expectations.

Im Yoona had completely cast aside her past sweet image, showing astonishing explosive power and emotional control. The layered progression from shock to anger, the realism of the PTSD flashback, and the cold despair of that final line... all were executed quite brilliantly.

But—

Kim Soo-yeon and Lee Jae-hoon exchanged a look.

The director gently shook his head.

For a cinematic interpretation, it was still insufficient.

It wasn't a technical issue, nor an emotional one.

It was a matter of texture.

Im Yoona's performance still carried the 'sense of performing' typical of television actors. Her emotional transitions were too clear, too layered, too 'designed.' People who have truly experienced trauma often have emotions that are chaotic, contradictory, and even self-conflicting.

When Withe said 'a person only has one life,' she shouldn't have been that calm. There should have been an extreme, suppressed madness, a paranoia of 'since I only have one life, I must be the one in control of it'.

Im Yoona portrayed the despair, but she didn't portray the vitality beneath that despair.

However...

Kim Soo-yeon looked at the other two judges.

Choi Min-ah was clearly moved by Im Yoona's performance, her eyes filled with appreciation. Although Lee Jae-hoon shook his head, he didn't completely dismiss her—he had been recording very seriously just now.

More importantly—

Jiang Zhiyu (although he said he wouldn't intervene, no one was a fool).

Everyone knew that the crab was a project Jiang Zhiyu had custom-built for Im Yoona. Today's audition was less of a selection and more of a verification—to verify if Im Yoona had the potential to carry this role, and to verify how many resources TG should invest in polishing her.

And from the results... she had potential, but required a lot of training and guidance.

Kim Soo-yeon came to a decision in her heart.

She looked up and gave Im Yoona a polite smile: "Thank you for your performance, Im Yoona-xi. Please go back and wait for notification; we will contact your management agency as soon as possible."

Standard procedure, no extra evaluation.

Im Yoona's heart sank, but she maintained a professional expression and bowed again: "Thank you, judges."

Then, she turned and left the audition room.

The moment the door closed, she leaned against the hallway wall and let out a long breath.

In her palm, the crescent-shaped nail marks still throbbed with pain.

She didn't know how her performance actually was. Kim Soo-yeon's expression was too calm, Lee Jae-hoon had been looking down recording the whole time, and although Choi Min-ah had some reaction... it wasn't enough.

Regardless, I did my best.

Im Yoona clenched her fist and walked toward the waiting room.

When she passed the waiting area, the other actors who hadn't interviewed yet all looked at her.

Their gazes were complex—filled with wariness, evaluation, and curiosity.

Although they hadn't seen her performance, the state Im Yoona was in when she walked out—a mix of confidence and exhaustion—already spoke volumes.

She didn't come out dejected, nor did she come out relaxed and casual.

She came out in a state of 'I have done the best I could'.

This put immense pressure on the other participants.

Im Yoona ignored those gazes and walked straight toward the elevator.

She needed to find a place to be alone for a moment.

Inside the audition room, Kim Soo-yeon looked at the list.

"Next one."

The door was pushed open again.

A new actor walked in, bowed, and gave their name.

The audition continued.

And the suspense over who would become 'Withe' would continue for a while longer.

But at least at this moment, Im Yoona had proven one thing—

She wasn't here to play around.

She was serious.