NOVEL WEB Chapter 12
Sims – The Real Life.
A game that fuses life simulation and roguelike genres.
The key feature is that it provides scenarios through various scripts.
Depending on the choices, the endings can diverge into tens of thousands.
But if this process is filled only with randomness, players would get bored.
To solve this problem, perks were introduced.
Perks increase the probability of only comfortable situations occurring, excluding unpleasant events.
And among those perks, the most powerful one is—
“Smooth Sailing.”
Having life go smoothly carries multiple meanings.
It means that everything goes well, and living without major misfortunes.
The biggest factor influencing this is luck.
Smooth Sailing artificially adjusts this luck factor.
But I was curious about how this would apply to reality, unlike in the game.
“I can know future information.”
Even though it’s fragmented, the fact that I could verify it didn’t make sense.
Of course, my answer to this message was ‘Yes’.
-[As the future is specified, your future information is tailored to ‘actor’ related matters.]
-[Attached is a photo of your most successful future.]
-[Photo]
Smooth Sailing sent no further messages beyond the photo.
It felt like it was saying that this is all the information it would provide.
“What could the photo show?”
Filled with curiosity, I checked the photo.
“Huh.”
An involuntary laugh escaped me.
“I’m supposed to go out like this?”
In the photo, I was auditioning.
“This is Hydream, right?”
Hydream, a drama aired in 2011.
A joint production by a broadcasting company, idol agency, and actor agency,
it was a hit work with a large audition and considerable investment.
A youthful story of students unfolding in an arts high school.
Needless to say, it was a massive success, even with mostly newcomers involved, achieving incredible ratings.
“Many successful actors emerged from this.”
Tap, tap.
Thinking there might be something to see, I zoomed in on the photo.
But I could spot something strange.
“Are all those auditioning kids standing behind managers?”
The kids auditioning all had someone behind them.
Their faces were too blurry to see, but they all looked like managers.
“But I don’t have one?”
What does this mean?
No way.
“Am I being told to audition without a talent agency?”
Why?
“Is it because of my worth?”
The amount a rookie can earn is already fixed.
No matter how great an agency is, a rookie with no experience can’t demand much.
The only upside is that it increases the chances of passing the audition a bit.
But that part wasn’t something I should worry about.
That part wasn’t something I needed to worry about.
Because…
‘I mean, I’m handsome, right?’
It’s just funny that they wouldn’t choose this face.
So I should just go in as a rookie and participate in the audition for Hydream to raise my profile.
That meant I could gain an advantage in the process of finding an agency later.
‘Maybe I’m just overly immersed in a single picture.’
I put my phone in my pocket and left the restroom.
My goal was to create a profile to pass the open audition.
The first thing I needed to do for that was…
‘Show off my musical talent.’
+++++
Time flew by, and it was Saturday.
Finally, the day to participate in the band activities had arrived.
Ding! Ding!
> These days the agency is making a fuss about me going for the Hydream audition; I think I’m going to go for it.
> You have to audition too. They’re holding an open audition!
> If you don’t audition, I’ll really hate you.
> Reply as soon as you read this!
< Got it, and I’ll audition too. After getting her contact info, I casually replied to Kim Sujin's texts before looking up. “Dong-ho! I found out it's at KBC, and the application is due by next week.” “Really? Thanks for letting me know.” Just after I mentioned that I was going to the Hydream audition, Kim Min-hyuk jumped in to help me find all sorts of information. Most of the stuff he brought was information we already knew, but I appreciated his effort. “But can we really just do our own thing?” “Yeah, it’s fine.” Shin Ye-rim asked if it was okay that it was just Min-hyuk and me in the music room. It’s understandable; usually, band clubs rent external studios and have a supervising teacher. Since it was just the three of us, it felt a bit odd. “I’ve gotten all the permissions.” When I told the school that I needed to prepare for the audition, everyone nodded willingly, thinking that was perfectly normal. After driving away the bullies, I had gained immense trust from the teachers. Even if I took the initiative with activities like this, they tended to believe in me completely. Of course, my handsome looks played a huge part in that belief. When a good-looking tall guy is preparing to go for an audition, most people jump in to help. “By the way, Dong-ho, isn’t that super expensive?” Min-hyuk trembled as he looked at the set-up camcorder. He had to be the one to film with it, but it looked expensive so he was nervous. “Uh, well... it’s just something my uncle gave me.” It wasn't a lie. It was bought with the rent money from an unknown uncle(?). “Really? Your uncle must be rich.” “O-oh, um, I... I’ll help too.” “…But Kang Sik, can you really do this instead of going to computer class?” "What's that?" When I said I was going to join the band club. Kang Sik quietly followed and signed up for the band club. Why is a kid who's supposed to make AAA-grade games suddenly interested in a band? When I asked, Kang Sik's answer was just too cute. "Me, me, I might, uh, make a music game later, you know?" Right, at 14, the most important thing isn't some distant dream for the future. Is there ever a time when friends are more important than now? I completely understood Kang Sik's choice. Moreover, surprisingly, Kang Sik had a talent for bass, and he even knew how to play it. "Oh, my dad... said it would be fun to, uh, play together with this." By the way, Kang Sik's dad played the guitar. So usually, wouldn't he teach him guitar? But there was a reason for that too. "He said that no matter what band I join later, bass players have good job opportunities..." Just like healers are nobility in games. He had spotted the shortage of bass players in bands. 'Wait, do they really consider that when teaching their kid an instrument?' This was a glimpse into where Kang Sik's occasional randomness came from. "Anyway, let's give it a shot." "Okay, I'll do my best to record it well." "Leave the backing to me!" "Oh, duh, dudung, dung... I'll handle it." It was the launch of Shinbit Middle School Band Club #2. +++++ KBC Drama Production Office. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" In there, the scream of casting director Cady was echoing. "I need new faces, fresh and handsome, huh? Super cute!!!" "...Here we go again, who exactly are you looking for?" "Newcomers!!!! Super fresh newcomers! Like ripe seasonal fruits!!!" Crash! Cady Shin Youngsook clutched her head. "Collaborating with the broadcasting station, idols, and actors is great! But! You can't blow too hard on the power dynamics!" A drama set in an art high school, Hydream. It was necessary to co-produce with an agency due to the inevitable need for actors and idols. As such, casting from that agency was okay. But. "What if they blow too hard during the public audition? This is our territory!" The problem was that they were trying to fill it completely with their agency's kids. While I understand the desire not to share the pie, this is undeniably the broadcasting station's territory. However, a problem arose. Even though they claimed it was the broadcasting station's territory and announced public auditions, not a single candidate showed up who impressed them. "Ugh, ick! Ack! Aahhhhhh!" Shin Youngsook had no idea where to vent this anger and frustration, let alone how to resolve it. I had no clue what to do or how to solve it. "Director, that's hilarious! You want a super rookie to come out of the broadcasting station, but why did you budget so little for audition promotion?!" Peak of anger. At that moment, when that anger was about to be unleashed in a most unfortunate way... "Oh, team leader. We've got a new application. There's a video too." Incoming wave! Shin Youngsook suppressed her anger and dashed to her team member's computer. "What’s the profile? Does their face show?" "Yes, but it seems like... they’ve edited it quite a bit?" "...Wow, seriously, what’s a mere fourteen-year-old doing?" As soon as she saw the application, Shin Youngsook let out a deep sigh. This kind of thing only made her angrier. What’s the point of over-editing the face to look super handsome? In the end, it would all be revealed in the attached video anyway. She couldn’t understand why they were doing such a meaningless thing. "But didn’t we set the age limit for high school students? How did a fourteen-year-old apply?" "They say they’re 170 cm tall?" "...Ugh! Seriously, until when do I have to keep falling for these tricks?" While she said that, curiosity was gnawing at her. It was so absurd that she actually wondered what kind of appearance they would show. Tick-tock. Shin Youngsook, tired of talking, immediately played the video. - Is, is this how you film it? The first thing Shin Youngsook was greeted with was a screen shaking like an earthquake. Proof that the person filming was a novice. Yet, the picture quality looked good, so the equipment seemed quite pricey. - I, I, am I filming myself? - No, but let’s film each person before the performance. Then the next screen revealed a chubby fourteen-year-old boy. He was holding a bass and seemed to struggle with his speech. At that moment, Shin Youngsook’s brow furrowed sharply. "Could it be him?" "Ah... It can't be. The name tag says Kang Sik, but the applicant is Kim Donghu." "Fast forward the video, wait, why is it like this for an audition?" She wanted to say, don't you know how to edit? but held it in. After all, how could a fourteen-year-old know how to edit? Then a thought struck her. 'If they can’t edit, could the resume be real?' The video sped up. She passed by a model-like girl awkwardly smiling while touching the keyboard. Finally, the moment Kim Donghu appeared. "Wow." Shin Youngsook couldn’t help but exclaim. The wrinkles on her forehead had completely vanished. "Accepted."