Three weeks after the main casts were first confirmed, the day of the first script reading finally came. The production team would be documenting it and releasing it to the media afterwards just like usual, so Sejeong had to look presentable.

The stylist made her wear a white shirt tucked into her jeans. It looked casual, like something she would wear to campus, but still polite.

As a young and inexperienced actress, Sejeong made sure to come early. Hopefully earlier than everybody else. She didn’t want to inconvenience anyone in the team when they had so kindly trusted her with the role. Some of the staffs were already there and opened the door of the reading room, so Sejeong just waltzed into the room after greeting the staffs outside. She was expecting an empty room, but she was surprised to see someone else was already there.

The person in question looked surprised too to see her coming in but he stood up from his seat and bowed.

“Good morning,” Wonwoo said with a polite smile.

“Good morning,” Sejeong greeted while bowing as well. They didn’t need to introduce themselves to each other since they already met a few times before in music shows, so Sejeong didn’t know what she should do next. She took a look at the name tags on the table and saw her name on the spot next to Wonwoo so she went over to the seat next to him.

“Please take care of me, Sejeong-ssi,” Wonwoo said while extending his hand. Sejeong took his hand in hers and gave it a firm shake.

“Likewise, Wonwoo-ssi. Let’s get along well,” Sejeong said. They both grinned at each other before the atmosphere turned quietly awkward. She let go of his hand and took a seat.

Come on, Sejeong, talk! Anything! Sejeong thought.

“Uhm, have you eaten?” Sejeong asked. It was the most basic of all basic conversation starter.

“I have. I hope you have too?” Wonwoo said.

“Yes! Let’s do our best today,” Sejeong said while pumping up a fist. Wonwoo laughed and pumped up a fist as well.

She didn’t know what else to talk about with him for now, so she just took out her script and placed it on the table to check her notes for the last time.

Wonwoo seemed to share the sentiment since he didn’t say anything anymore and his eyes were also glued to his script. Soon after, the other cast members and staffs arrived, and both of them were too busy greeting everyone to even try to talk to each other.

“Thank you everyone for your time today. I’m the director and I hope we’ll be able to work well together,” the director cheered, followed by cheers from everyone in the room. One by one, the casts started introducing themselves, starting from the protagonists of the drama.

Sejeong watched as Wonwoo stood up from his seat and bowed.

“Hello, I’m Jeon Wonwoo and I’ll be playing the amnesiac idol Son Jihoon. I’ll work hard!” Wonwoo said, followed by applause from the others. He sat back down, which meant it was the sign for Sejeong to stand up and introduce herself.

“Hello! I’m Kim Sejeong and I’ll be playing the strong-willed actress Lee Sara. Please take care of me!” Sejeong said before bowing to all sides of the room as the others applauded her too.

The introduction continued with the rest of the casts. Since the drama would only have ten episodes, there weren’t that many characters needed. The role of Jihoon’s group members will be done by some Seventeen members as cameos, but they would join the next script reading session instead of today.

After everyone finally finished introducing themselves, the director concluded the introduction session by sharing the vision he had for this drama. He wanted to make this drama both heartwarming and tear jerking, and everyone in the room listened to him in silence. After that, the script reading session finally started.

“We’ll start with the first scene, when Sara arrives at the hospital in a panic and met Jihoon’s manager,” the director said. He nodded and smiled at Sejeong before proceeding to read the headings.

Sejeong took a deep breath. Being one of the first ones to do the reading was such a big responsibility on her, but she would do it well.

“...Sara runs into the hospital from the back door, where there are less reporters around,” the director cited the action, cuing Sejeong to start reading.

“Jihoon?! Where is Jihoon?!” Sejeong said while panting, as if she was just running a long distance. She took a deep breath before continuing. “Excuse me. Can you tell me where is Son Jihoon?”

Sejeong raised her eyebrow as she felt her intonation off somehow. She put down some notes as the reading continued.

“I’m sorry, but since he’s a celebrity, we can’t just let random people in. You are…?” the person playing the nurse as a cameo said. The reading continued for a while, mainly between Sejeong and the person playing Jihoon’s manager.

This scene was basically Jihoon getting into an accident and Sara wanting to see him out of worry. But since Jihoon wasn’t awake for a while after the accident, Sara mostly talked to Jihoon’s manager instead while waiting for him to wake up.

“...Because she was so exhausted, Sara fell asleep on the hospital bench as Jihoon’s manager suggested,” the director read. The next scene was Sara’s dream. A dream of her past memory with Jihoon when they were still in the dating show.

Sejeong imagined it to be in a cold place at night. The atmosphere seemed solemn but full of hope at the same time. In this scene, Wonwoo will finally be reading his lines for the first time.

“I have a present for you,” he whispered. It was so gentle, as if Sara would break if he was talking any louder. Not going to lie, he made Sejeong want to go more in-character even though this was just a script reading. Well, it never hurt to go all out for everything.

“...After woken up from her dream, Sara follows Jihoon’s manager to Jihoon’s room. She approaches Jihoon and gently touches his face,” the director read.

“Jihoon…?” Sejeong said. She felt satisfied with herself with how she sounded. It was short but she thought she managed to convey Sara’s feelings pretty well.

“Jihoon’s eyes flutter open. The room is dark and his eyes are adjusting to the light,” the director read.

“Hyung? Where am I?” Wonwoo said in a childlike manner. Very different to how he sounded earlier. “Whoa! Isn’t this the actress Lee Sara? Hyung, what is she doing here?”

“Sara retracts her hand with a look of horror in her face,” the director read.

“Jihoon, don’t you remember me? We… we were close, remember?” Sejeong said with a trembling voice. In that moment, her heart hurt along with Sara’s.

“Jihoon stares at Sara in confusion,” the director read.

“I’m... sorry?” Wonwoo said.

---

After a few more readings for some scenes in the first two episodes and some questioning session, the first script reading for the drama was finally done. Sejeong leaned on the back of her seat as she sighed in relief. It was more tiring than her previous acting jobs since her role and the drama this time were reliant on sad feelings.

She looked to her side and her eyes met Wonwoo’s. They both automatically grinned at each other. Wonwoo was so much better at acting than she thought. She wondered why he didn’t go into acting much earlier.

They were still awkwardly grinning at each other when the staff called them over to take a photo with the script.

Sejeong stood up and grabbed her script before going over to where the staff was. The staff made her and Wonwoo stand next to each other so she can take a photo of the two leads first before taking a photo with the other casts.

“Lift your script higher? Okay good, smilee,” the staff said while taking the photo. She checked on the photo and knitted her eyebrows. “Can you two stand closer?”

Sejeong looked up at Wonwoo and at the distance between them. It wasn’t that far but it might’ve looked far seeing it from the camera. Sejeong moved closer to Wonwoo and she even tilted her head towards him as she smiled at the camera.

“Cute! I’m taking it now, 1, 2, 3!” the staff yelled and took the photo. She called the other supporting casts over so they could take a photo together with the leads.

Sejeong looked up at Wonwoo and grinned before taking a little step back to give him his personal space.

“Sorry, I hope it didn’t make you uncomfortable,” Sejeong said. Wonwoo laughed and shook his hand.

“Oh no, it’s fine, you didn’t make me uncomfortable,” he said.

After taking a photo with the supporting casts and then the director, today’s session finally ended. The next script reading session would be in around 2 weeks and the production team would inform the agencies later. Sejeong tidied up her stuff in the table. She couldn’t wait to rest up in the dorm.

“Ah, Sejeong-ssi?” Wonwoo called from her side. She looked at his direction and blinked in surprise. “Would it be fine to speak to you comfortably from now on? We’re the same age, right?”

“Oh! Of course!” Sejeong grinned and nodded. She quickly switched to informal speech. “Let’s get along well, Wonwoo!”

Wonwoo’s lips formed a wide smile.

“Of course, Sejeong!” he said while pumping a fist up. She mirrored him and they both laughed at each other for being so awkward.

The beginning of this drama production seemed nice for Sejeong so far.