novellhall 50. Do you remember how many slices of bread you've ever eaten?
50. Do you remember how many slices of bread you've ever eaten?
"Now that we've shed our idol image, the next lesson is the survival rules of the audition room."
He pressed the remote control, and a still from the movie "Love Rain" appeared on the screen, but it quickly switched to a completely black background.
"Yoona-ssi, you were already SM's chosen actress for the lead role in Love Rain, but that doesn't mean you'll never need to audition. Often, company resources are just a stepping stone; what truly determines whether you can survive in this industry is the thirty seconds after you push open that door."
Lim Yoona nodded emphatically. Indeed, SM's film and television resources were not as strong as those in the music industry. Moreover, her acting as Kim Yoon-hee in "Love Rain" was rather raw; even she herself felt that she only managed to pass muster thanks to filters and the OST. Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked the company for a spot to study with Ahn Hyuk-mo.
"The biggest misconception for idols transitioning to acting is thinking that auditions are just about reciting lines." Ahn Hyuk-mo's gaze swept across the room, his tone stern. "The core of impromptu role-playing is immediacy. You need to pay attention to three points."
He held up three fingers, breaking it down one by one, "Don't just predict the lines,"
"Many idols are used to memorizing scripts. But on the audition set, the director might interrupt you at any time, asking you to change your mood or the story. If you can only memorize lines, you're doomed. You need to learn to understand and analyze the character."
"Acting is not a monologue, it's a dialogue. You have to look the other person in the eye, believe what they just said is true, and then give a genuine physiological reaction, not just react according to the script."
"When you have no opponent, you fight with yourself. Transform the chaos within into the order in your lines."
After speaking, Dean An said no more, simply standing quietly on the podium, letting the classroom fill with a heavy atmosphere of contemplation. The silence lasted for more than ten seconds, leaving everyone somewhat bewildered.
Finally, he spoke again, his gaze precisely locking onto Li Jingcheng, who was leaning against the wall.
"Jingcheng xi".
A hint of anticipation flashed in Ahn Hye-mo's eyes; clearly, he had planned this beforehand.
"I've seen clips of your impromptu performance inside CJ—the audition footage for 'The Dark Knight Rises'."
He paused, seemingly recalling the scene, and his tone unusually carried a hint of admiration.
"In that clip, you didn't imitate Christian Bale's voice or copy his movements. You did something very clever—you captured the essence of oppression."
The aura that says, "I don't bother explaining to you, but I can crush you at any time," is the soul of the character.
Ahn Hyukmo took a step forward, his eyes piercing. "So, for this assignment, I don't want you to play a hero, but rather an immersive and unfiltered portrayal of the ultimate villain."
"There's no script. You have five minutes to prepare. Everyone else, watch Jing Chengxi's performance."
A hint of worry flashed in Kim Jisoo's eyes. This was clearly much more difficult than her and Im Yoona's assignments. Im Yoona, on the other hand, brightened up, eagerly anticipating Lee Kyung-sung's acting performance.
The ultimate villain?
Li Jingcheng pondered for a while and quickly came up with a reference module in his mind. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, the empathy replication was activated!
His once clear eyes now seemed to have turned into deep vortexes, and a wicked and arrogant smile slowly curved his lips.
He strode gracefully toward the podium, his body slightly leaning forward, his arms slightly bent, his fingertips occasionally flicking. His steps carried a playful, dragging sway, each one deliberately slowed, like a cat toying with its opponent. The contempt in his eyes spread with each step.
Empathy Reinforcement Launched!
Lee Kyung-sung stopped first in front of Lim Yoon-ah.
He didn't speak, only looked down at her condescendingly, his eyes devoid of warmth, hatred, or even any sense of appreciating her as a living being. It was the pure assessment and possessiveness of a collector examining a newly arrived, exquisite porcelain piece, or a hungry beast locking onto its prey.
Lim Yoona froze. She felt as if she had been stripped naked and thrown into a freezing snowstorm, and even breathing became difficult.
Li Jingcheng seemed quite pleased with her reaction. He chuckled softly and spoke in a playful tone.
"You ask me... exactly how many humans I've absorbed to restore this body?"
He pointed his right index finger at himself, his expression seemingly a mixture of helplessness and astonishment.
"Do you even remember how many slices of bread you've eaten by now?"
He whirled around, walking up to Jisoo, who was staring blankly at him. He leaned back slightly, his back ramrod straight, his left shoulder slumped, his right hand raised high above his head with fingers spread, elbow sharply outwards, his left hand clasped behind his back, his neck tilted slightly to one side, and said with a touch of wistfulness, "Jisoo, do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten?"
Kim Jisoo froze, her mind blank, captivated by Lee Kyung-sung's strange posture. She instinctively wanted to shake her head, but was instantly drawn to his odd movements. What seemed like a strange gesture appeared incredibly charming on him.
Seeing her terrified expression, Li Jingcheng burst into laughter, opening his arms as if to embrace the whole world.
"That's right! They wouldn't remember at all, would they? Because for someone like me at the top of the food chain, humans are just food."
"Human beings are nothing more than this to me. As long as there are enough of them, the individual becomes meaningless—that's the truth of the universe!"
[Performance Ends]
Li Jingcheng slowly lowered his arm, his eyes instantly shifting from madness to a deathly calm, as if the arrogant monster from before had never existed.
The classroom was deathly silent.
Anhemo remained silent for a full five seconds before slowly clapping. This time, the applause was much louder and longer than before, echoing in the quiet classroom, his eyes filled with amazement and the joy of discovering a gem.
"Brilliant. Jingcheng, your analogy of comparing humans to bread just now perfectly captured the inhuman objectification of the villain."
He took a step forward, adjusted his glasses, and his eyes gleamed with pure curiosity. "But, this character's backstory... is he a vampire? Or some kind of unknown monster?"
A confident smile curved Li Jingcheng's lips. He raised a hand and lightly adjusted his collar, then suddenly twisted his body, assuming DIO's signature JOJO pose—his right hand elegantly resting on the nonexistent brim of his hat, his left arm stretching out behind him, his hips thrusting exaggeratedly to one side, his chin slightly raised, and his eyes looking down with disdain.
He maintained this absurd yet flamboyant pose, reverting to DIO's characteristic languor and arrogance.
"No, Dean An. He's not a vampire in the traditional sense."
"His name is DIO, a vampire who crawled out of his grave and has the ability to control time. To him, humans are not prey, but consumables—just as we don't keep track of how many slices of bread we've eaten, he doesn't bother to remember the names of every life he controls."
Lee Kyung-sung paused, his gaze suddenly becoming deep and dangerous, as if DIO himself were scrutinizing Ahn Hyuk-mo through his pupils.
"His terror lies not in his bloodsucking, but in his arrogance. He doesn't even think he's doing evil; he's simply exercising the absolute power of a superior over an inferior."