From the moment Wendy got a text mentioning that she passed the audition, she jumped out of happiness and cried her heart out of pure joy. She first told the good news to her parents on her phone with excitement in her voice, truly ecstatic to finally have a major role in her acting career. However, her feeling as of this moment wasn’t the same as when she got the good news.

She can’t stop herself from getting fidgety, her palms getting clammy and anxiety exploding all over her nerves. She suddenly flinches when she feels a tap on her shoulder, interrupting internal monologue and turmoil. She hears a small giggle from behind her, making her look back at the suspect. Her suppose glare is now replaced with a sheepish smile, directing it with her co-star, a widely known actress at the age of five, namely, Bae Irene.

What does she need? Is she here to tell her to get out because she’s not supposed to be here in the first place?

Irene gives her a small smile of reassurance as she reaches for Wendy’s hand to give it a light comforting squeeze. An unexpected gesture from the known cold and intimidating actress, yet hugely welcomed. “Hey, you did wonderful on your audition. I’m sure that director Kim saw through your potential that’s why she has chosen you for this role and I see that in you too,” she comments off with her honey-like voice.

Wendy’s fully aware of Irene’s ethereal beauty, but she’s currently fully radiating right in front of her like a real-life goddess. She feels the twists inside her stomach untangling from the reassurance that her co-star has given her, squeezing back her hand and finally giving her a smile of gratitude. “Thank you so much, Irene-sshi. Hearing it from you makes me feel a bit better.”

The mood instantly changing with such a simple gesture from the actress, quite unbelievable for her, but it definitely is a big help. White walls are not hazy anymore and popping questions of doubts slowly dissipating.

“Hey, it’s no biggie alright. Just call me whenever you’re in pinch or having troubles in your line and we can practice it together.” Irene extricates her hands and lands the other one on Wendy’s shoulder, giving it a light tap and squeeze.

Wendy feels herself slowly melting and getting comfortable on the senior’s light touches, her anxieties slowly fading away from the comfort of her co-star.

“Now, let’s go inside Wendy-sshi. They’re probably all waiting for the both of us.” Irene gives her another smile before heading out to the designated area, walking at a normal pace as to not go there late.

She follows Irene right at the back, steps getting heavier on each step. Swallowing the invisible lump in , she mentally takes a positive mindset, excitement, and happiness finally taking over her body and devouring her anxiety a while ago with the help of her co-star.

It’s just a normal reading and she should be doing fine as it’s probably going to be quite similar to her acting experience, the only difference is that she’s not anymore a supporting character or a girl with a few lines, but the main lead on it with more lines to memorize and act on it.

She sees the door leading to where they’d be practicing, swallowing visibly as they’ve arrived at their destination; she gives everyone a beaming smile and a ninety-degree bow before heading to her assigned seat with her name on it, just right beside her co-star. Straightly heading to where her seat is located, her acting experience doing the job properly to at least not look like a constipated person who wants to go to the bathroom. Everyone examines her, eyes filled with anticipation to the main character and mouth slightly tugging to form a smile and others faintly chuckling to the adorable way of her polite greeting with all the cast and staff members.

She goes straight to where Irene is, grabbing the seat with a faint creak and taking a sit afterward, eyes drifting towards the script and hands tapping frantically to her thighs. This is it, the first reading of her first drama as a lead. She’s read the script last week, even tried practicing it alone like a crazy person talking in her apartment. It is a complex one with how her character gives everything up just for the girl she’s met during her hunt in the middle of the sea, yet it’s somehow romantic in its own way, despite the fact that the said girl was supposed to be food for her character.

“This is finally it Wendy-sshi,” Irene states simply with a small smile. She reaches towards her script and gives it a flip, looking slightly at Wendy at giving her another smile of reassurance.

“Yup, this is it,” Wendy utters quietly, voice calmer and breathing evenly.

The news outlets and media are truly bogus for making Irene sounds like a monster who would eat you out alive with their description of her, because Wendy sees a different Irene – serious with her job, which might be the reason why some people thinks she’s a total with her natural facial expressions, yet it’s clear as crystal that she’s also a kind-hearted person with how she reassures Wendy like a good ol’ friend.

“Okay-” the director says, standing up and clapping her hands for one time, giving everyone a huge smile- “Since this is the first reading, we should firstly know each other – sooo, let’s do introductions with each other. Hello, I’m your director, Kim Jisoo in your area.” Jisoo exclaims, laughing on the last part and blinding smile not leaving on her lips, white teeth showing for everyone to see. Her hand stretches over as she waves it for the next person to introduce themselves.

A short blonde girl stands up, dimples showing as she smiles at all the cast and staff members present. “Hi everyone, I’m Son Chaeyoung as Park Jinhwa, the manager of Lee Hyunji. Please take care of me.” Wendy thought she looks familiar, must be a known celebrity t