"I'm in Tokyo, and this is some kind of movie star comeback system?!"

"I've played supporting roles in two morning dramas."

Endo raised his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over the idol actor in front of him:

Why do you think you can play the role of "Shuichi Mizusawa" well?

The moment the question was raised, the air in the meeting room became heavy.

The idol actor froze on the spot, his confidence vanishing instantly.

"Um... well, this."

His eyes darted around, and he licked his lips.

"I believe this role requires the portrayal of a mature and composed teacher..."

The first half of the answer was reasonable, but the second half left all three directors stunned.

"I'm playing the father, so should I dress older?"

Behind the long table, Endo, Itoh, and Yoshida exchanged a glance, their disappointment barely concealed.

A moment later, Endo raised his hand and slammed the script on the table shut.

"No need to say more," Endo said calmly.

"Based on your understanding of the character, please act out the scene where 'Shuichi Mizusawa' is questioned by his daughter."

"Have you forgotten how your mother passed away? Now you're bringing back an idol? Let's start from here." Endo casually recited a line from the drama.

With the performance finally taking place, the idol actor breathed a sigh of relief.

He regained his confidence.

He lowered his head, gathering his expression, then suddenly looked up, his eyes wide, and roared at the top of his lungs:

"I'm a human being too, and I have the right to start over!"

Just as the lines were finished, a loud slamming sound rang out.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Do you think this is just a simple reprimand of the daughter?"

"Huh?" The idol was stunned, the color draining from his face instantly. He didn't know what he had done wrong and stood there in shock.

"Is this your understanding of the character!?"

Endo looked serious, his disappointment almost turning into anger.

Yoshida, standing beside him, helplessly raised his hand and waved, his tone tinged with weariness:

"Your understanding of the role is off; the audition is over."

"Next."

The idol actor never expected the situation to take such a rapid turn for the worse.

Faced with the blunt rejection, his face turned from pale to bright red. His lips moved repeatedly, but in the end he didn't dare to say another word. He lowered his head, looking utterly defeated, and quickly walked out of the conference room.

"Boom——"

As the door closed, Endo, Ito, and Yoshida all breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed their throbbing temples.

Next, several more idol actors auditioned, but none of them stood out.

The lines were delivered awkwardly.

His eyes were empty and devoid of emotion.

One person even stared directly at the three of them and asked, "Isn't Miho Nakayama the female lead? Do I have any scenes with her?"

What is all this about?

Before long, the directors started smoking, trying to suppress their inner turmoil.

"Next up, Sakamoto Yu."

As the staff called out the name of the student, the door was gently pushed open.

Sakamoto Yu walked into the conference room. He was tall and straight, wearing a clean dark blue shirt, and had a gentle yet timid demeanor.

Endo looked up at him, about to speak, when Sakamoto Yuuki bowed slightly, his tone calm:

"Hello, directors. I am number 15, Sakamoto Yu."

Ito whispered a reminder:

"That actor who plays the villain."

The other two directors exchanged a glance, their expressions conveying a sense of "we'll see."

Sakamoto Yu was wearing a dark blue shirt and white casual trousers.

The shirt buttons were carefully fastened one by one.

The seemingly ordinary outfit was actually carefully prepared for the role.

His clean and gentle appearance perfectly matched the professional identity of "Mizuzawa Shuichi" as a teacher.

His looks are indeed outstanding, but not the kind of handsome that Johnny's mass-produced.

It belongs to the type that can be quickly remembered at a glance.

With his refined features and gentle demeanor, he made a clear impression on the three of them at first glance.

Sakamoto Yu stood still, calmly awaiting the director's interview.

"Sakamoto Yu's previous role was a villain in the currently airing drama 'Dangerous Detective'."

Endo and Sakamoto Yu's resume.

"Tell me your understanding of the character."

Sakamoto Yu nodded, carefully choosing his words, and calmly began to speak:

"As a single man raising three children, Shuichi Mizusawa needs to show restrained and suppressed love when faced with the pursuit of a popular idol, and he also needs to portray guilt towards his children..."

After their answers, the three directors finally relaxed a little.

Finally, there's a normal person here.

Yoshida opened the script and began selecting lines.

"Shuichi Mizusawa's relationship with his daughter has become strained. She left with a single sentence and rushed out of the room in tears."

"Please perform this scene on the spot."

Upon hearing this, Endo glanced at Yoshida, who had set the question.

This is significantly more difficult than the previous one.

The idol who auditioned just now only read his lines, but he had to do a silent performance.

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Yu immediately recalled the corresponding scene in his mind.

Emotions were brewing in my heart.

He slowly lowered his head, his back slightly hunched, as if all his strength had been drained away.

He suppressed the urge to chase after them.

There were no screams, no tears, only a chilling silence.

Guilt, helplessness, worry.

Just like that old father who said the wrong thing for a moment.

After seeing her daughter leave, she wanted to stop her, but didn't know how to start the conversation.

His pride as a father forcefully stopped him from reaching out.

The atmosphere in the audition room suddenly became stagnant.

At that moment, the group had a strange feeling.

Just now they were questioning whether this villain actor could play the role of a father well.

But in less than a minute, they were dazzled by Sakamoto Yu's acting skills.

Now I can't imagine how such a heartbroken man could play a villain.

How many faces does this person have?

The atmosphere around Sakamoto Yu gradually became oppressive.

Just when the three thought he was about to shatter.

Sakamoto Yu raised his head slightly.

Faint blue veins were visible on his long, slender neck.

He exhaled softly, his breath choked with emotion.

That slightly trembling voice brought a pang of sadness to everyone's heart.

Then, he seemed to gradually revert to being the gentle father he once was.

The difference was that he looked more tired than he could have hidden.

Just like every man who, after coming home, hides in his car, finishes a cigarette, and composes himself to face life anew.

Exhausted, but not heartbroken.

That kind of resonance that only men can understand deeply permeated the minds of the three directors.

Endo's hand, holding the cigarette, froze in mid-air; he forgot what to do.

Yoshida gripped the script tightly, his previously tense lips twitching slightly.

No one spoke; everyone was deeply moved by the scene.

I don't know how much time passed.

Yoshida, expressionless, called a halt.

"That's fine."

Sakamoto Yu closed his eyes to calm himself down and returned to his normal appearance.

Have you played a similar role before?

Yoshida continued to ask.

"No," Sakamoto Yu replied.

"That's good." Yoshida nodded, then asked, "Are you good at playing characters with a lot of contrast?"

Sakamoto Yu smiled, his eyes still slightly red, but his tone was confident:

"I'm not particularly good at it, but before playing any character, I always try to understand the character's thoughts and feelings."

At this moment, Endo, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but interject:

"If I hadn't seen your acting, I would have found it hard to imagine that you would play a villain with that face."

Ito put down his pen and said in a gentler tone, "Alright, let's end the audition here. We'll let you know if you pass."

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Yu bowed to the three men and then left.

And just after that door closed.

The three directors finally couldn't resist and leaned back gently in their chairs.

"Want one?"

"it is good."

"Give me one too."

Ito waved his hand, signaling the staff not to let anyone in yet.

The emotional buildup just now was really too strong.

The three of them got a little carried away for a moment.

They were all mature men, and they truly empathized with what had just happened.

Endo stubbed out his cigarette, glanced at the door, and said with a hint of amusement in his voice:

"If this guy were to act opposite Mie Nakayama, he would definitely win over female viewers."

The day's auditions ended quickly.

After the three directors and the production team met, they began to exchange ideas and negotiate.

"We've shortlisted a few suitable actors for this audition. Take a look."

Endo placed the selected resumes on the table.

"Is this actress too old? We still need to consider her compatibility with Miho."

"What's the deal with this guy's fee? Which agency quoted him?"

After several rounds of selection, only two made it to the final list.

"Mitamura Kunihiko and Sakamoto Valley."

Two resumes stood out and were put on display.

"Mita-kun is as stable as ever, so let's choose him."

"But he's only played supporting roles before, he's never had a leading role, so does he have a built-in audience base?"

"The lead roles this time are played by Mie Nakayama and Kumiko Goto. The male lead is essentially a supporting actor, so it won't have any impact."

"Endo, Yoshida, Ito, the three of you, you should also say something."

The producer and television planner couldn't make up their minds for a while, and the producer looked at the three directors for their opinions.

Endo and Ito looked at Yoshida.

Yoshida tapped his fingers on the table, pondered for a moment, and then pointed to Sakamoto Yu's resume:

"In terms of popularity, the character played by Yu Sakamoto is still airing, and he has successfully attracted the attention of many female viewers, injecting a new type of audience into the crime drama."

"Among female viewers, he has a strong sense of novelty, his acting skills are sufficient, and most importantly, his age is suitable, and his appearance and temperament are a perfect match for Mie Nakayama."

The producers and planners focused their attention on Sakamoto Yu's resume.

Yoshida paused, then glanced at everyone:

"As for the low salary, that was just icing on the cake. What really got him the role was his portrayal of Shuichi Mizusawa."

"I think he is the most suitable for this role."

The producer and the planner exchanged a glance, both seeing Yoshida's approval of him in each other's eyes.

It attracts young female viewers, has solid acting skills, and features a fresh and appealing character design, perfectly meeting the requirements of the drama series.

"Okay, let's go with him then." The producer made the decision. "Have the assistant contact the agency."