They might have been expectant of her acting skills if she wasn’t so pretty, however, with those looks, it was possible for W&U to promote her even if her acting was a little poor as her looks could definitely overcome her faults when it came to acting.

Like how top class beautiful stars, who would be swept up in controversy about their acting skills whenever they took up a project, could still star in commercials and continuously receive casting calls from broadcasting companies.

That was why the cast of the Cat Guardian Ghost completely put away their expectations for her.

They only wished that she at least had the basics down and that she would perform well enough that she wouldn’t hinder the quality of the drama.

So, when the script reading began, the actors all thought with stunned expressions,

‘What the?’

‘This is the acting of a twenty-something-year-old girl? Someone who has received a lifetime’s worth of criticism because of her acting controversy?’

“… Oh my god.”

“I know right…”

Would there ever be a script reading session where the actors were this immersed in acting?

Including Seo Jijoon, all the cast members acted as though they were on the actual film set when reading their lines. Then, once they were done, their gazes would naturally turn towards one place.

To Lee Songha. No, to Jung Haewon.

After the reading began, there was only Jung Haewon in her seat. A temperamental woman in her late twenties who was already tired of life, Jung Haewon. They could see her in every breath or gesture she took.

The mood wasn’t like this right from the start.

Everyone cheered when Lee Songha’s acting skills smashed their expectations. They cheered because she could flip the current controversy on its head and the project could maintain both quality and success with her acting skills.

Then they whispered amongst each other.

“It looks like Lee Songha’s personality is similar to Jung Haewon.”

“Right? It’s pure raw acting, yet it looks like she’s actually possessed by Jung Haewon.”

“It suits her so well. It looks like Director Shin saw this when casting her.”

However, this didn’t last long either.

The role of Jung Haewon didn’t continue following one style. When she interpreted the cat ghost’s ridiculous words, she had to grasp the black comedic tones, and when she was possessed by the cat ghost, she had to be noble and elegant.

Eventually, astonished, someone mumbled,

“Holy cow. She’s just… born with it.”

“You said she’s only in her twenties. Then, of course, she was born with it. Kids like her are geniuses.”

“Life is so unfair. Her life must be easy.”

Jang Yoonok, who was playing the role of the mother of the male lead, Kim Seungwoon, frowned when she heard this.

Although most of the whispers were of admiration, some couldn’t hide their envy. Especially a few young actors, who weren’t that different in age from Lee Songha, even possessed jealousy.

When she looked in front of her, Lee Songha was still immersed in her acting.

In attempt to not disturb the reading session, Jang Yoonok said in a quiet voice,

“If that’s all you see, then stay quiet.”

“Pardon?”

“Ma’am, what do you mean…”

The actors next to her showed flustered expressions and read the mood. This was obvious as they became an eyesore to the person who was the oldest actor present and was called ‘Ma’am’ wherever she went.

“Of course, she’s a natural. If not that, it’s ridiculous for her to act like that at her age.”

However, Jang Yoonok was more attracted to something else besides Lee Songha’s talent.

“She’s not someone who just jumps in recklessly believing in her talent. Look at her acting. She almost never looks at the script when she reads her lines.”

“…!”

The young actors’ eyes widened.

When they examined more closely, there was something strange about her acting. Although her script was open, her eyes didn’t move following the script. Instead, her gaze momentarily hovered on the table, floor and walls.

As if there was something there.

Even though she wasn’t reading the script, her lines were perfect. This was something that was impossible unless they had thoroughly memorized it. The young actors’ gazes fell on her script.

Someone sighed.

The edges of her script were worn, and there were tons of tiny scribbles wherever there were Jung Haewon’s lines.

The actors who voiced their jealously placed their hands on their script, covering it in embarrassment.

Jang Yoonok looked back at Lee Songha.

As if she didn’t notice the heated gazes aimed at her, she continued her amazing acting. When it was Lee Songha’s line, even Director Shin, who was known to be detailed with directing, kept his mouth closed.

It wasn’t only Director Shin, but even CEO Kim Pansuk and Writer Hong Jumi, who were from the production company Pan Production, showed pleased expressions.

As she prepared for her lines, Jang Yoonok thought that a splendid actress would come out from this project.

It wasn’t only the actors who were surprised.

The related parties who sat behind the actors were busy chatting amongst themselves whenever it was Lee Songha’s turn while checking on their respective actors.

This was obvious since there was no one who expected Lee Songha to be this good at acting. It wasn’t only them, everyone who knew about the controversy thought this way.

That was why the surprise was multiple times greater.

Since the script reading session hadn’t ended yet, they were calming their agitation as they whispered to each other, but if they met reporters after the session, they could spend over two hours talking about Lee Songha’s acting skills.

A chief who came with the best supporting actor from his company mumbled,

“Where did W&U find a gem like her? This industry is transparent, yet how did someone like her pop out of nowhere?”

“No wonder… As expected. That’s why their director came with her,”

Said the team leader on his right.

“Director? What director?”

The chief asked the team leader in a quiet voice. As their assigned actors appeared in the same project before, they were quite close.

The team leader gestured at the man sitting left of the chief with his eyes.

“That person. They say he’s the director of W&U.”

“What?”

The chief turned his head with widened eyes. From beginning to the end, the man on his left was sitting leisurely as he watched Lee Songha read her script. He occasionally admired in surprise or smiled in delight.

Also, for some strange reason, he was recording Lee Songha on his phone.

He had said his name was Jung Sunwoo.

Because his outer appearance seemed extraordinary, it was a bit awkward when they first exchanged greetings, but he had definitely said he was her manager.

“Eh, what do you mean he’s a director? He looks younger than me.”

“Age is what you quibble about in school. Well, maybe he had a few strings pulled.”

“He said he was a manager when we introduced each other. Are you sure?”

“He is someone I’m seeing for the first time today, but you know that Chief Lee Bongjoon who’s assigned to Seo Jijoon? Chief Lee called him director before.”

“Uhhh… That’s not right. Wasn’t the director of W&U a balding man?”

“Maybe the position changed? Either way, I clearly heard him call him director.”

The chief wet his quickly drying lips as he turned around. Now that he knew his position, he seemed even more extraordinary.

Since he never knew if he would ever change his employment to W&U…

Once he thought this, the chief cleared his throat and asked Jung Sunwoo in a friendly tone,

“Excuse me. Why are you recording? Is it to monitor her later?”

“Ah, this?”

Jung Sunwoo paused for a moment. The chief wasn’t sure what he was thinking about as he looked down at his phone in his hand.

The pleased smile on his face had disappeared without a trace. When he was smiling, he looked like a well-behaved person, but when his smile disappeared, he clearly wasn’t the easily approachable type.

He replied slowly,

“I need it for something important.”

The chief gulped his saliva.

It was certainly a gentle voice, yet why did he hear it as ‘Because there’s someone I need to kill.’