A Thousand Faces (Soon to be Published)

Chapter 25

- What are you doing? You said you'd handle it, so what's going on now? This won't do. I'll go myself.

The owner of the angry voice on the other end of the phone was Lee Jaewon.

He was furious after hearing that the contract had been canceled.

With his phone pressed to his ear, Park Jun-gil apologized profusely with a troubled look on his face.

"Please wait a little longer, President."

-How long do you expect me to wait? I told you it'll be too late once the first episode airs. What's wrong with you these days, Team Leader Park? You're not usually this bad at your job, are you?

"... I'm sorry. But..."

Suddenly, Park Jun-gil's steps stopped as he paced around the office.

"It's not that there's no way. In fact, it might be a good thing."

-A good thing? Are you kidding me?

"The second round of the program will start soon. As soon as this filming is over, his presence will fade. Didn't the articles about Gil Jun-ho's performance also die down? At that time, we might be able to renegotiate with President Joo by lowering the conditions."

Hearing that, Lee Jaewon's agitated voice calmed down a little.

-... You'll lower the terms?

"Yes. In fact, this will probably make them come to their senses and act more aggressively. I plan to teach them a harsh lesson this time. To show that no matter how much they rely on their skills and act recklessly, there are things that just won't work."

***

The second filming of Actor Kingdom was held at the broadcasting station studio.

The number of people on stage was noticeably smaller than before.

About 50 participants remained, excluding those eliminated in the first round.

After the first filming, Junwoo was quite busy.

This was because the first broadcast would feature interviews with the participants and judges, practice sessions, conflicts, behind-the-scenes footage, daily life in the dorms, and fan support.

Beyond the competitive arena, the camera captured the growth of the aspiring participants and their human aspects.

In fact, 70% of that was scripted by the production team.

This second round was a game they had planned all along.

The MCs and panelists had to work hard to adapt to the hastily revised script.

Word had it that it was all because of one participant.

With her microphone in hand, Seo Yeon-mi scanned the stage for the culprit.

'Where are you?'

She was also in the audience, watching the previous stage. She was looking for a boy, without even realizing it. But,

'...I can't see him.'

Pushed back by the enthusiastic hustle of the participants, Junwoo found himself at the very end of the group.

The camera turned around, and Seo Yeon-mi's expression changed. She began talking about the second mission.

"As you all know, the second round of the preliminary round is a team mission. Aren't you excited to see where your stage will be?"