The next second, his shoulders began to tremble violently, and tears welled up like a dam breaking. He lowered his head, bowed and cried all the way, mechanically repeating "thank you" until he was cut off from the outside world's view by the waiting room door.
"Brother..." Ouyang Guang followed behind him, his voice tense.
Zhang Yixing finally broke down and burst into tears.
Ouyangguang pulled him into a hug, tears of her own falling silently. The two of them hugged each other tightly, Zhang Yixing's sobs muffled on Ouyangguang's shoulder, while Ouyangguang's tears soaked the back of his stage costume.
"We... really did it..." Zhang Yixing sobbed, speaking a mixture of Chinese and Korean, just like the trainee who didn't speak the language when he first came to Korea.
Ouyangguang didn't say anything, but just hugged him tighter.
In another corner of the waiting room, Kai curled up in the corner, buried his face in his knees and cried silently.
Taemin squatted in front of him, holding up his mobile phone to record the video: "Yeah, ~" and laughed while filming.
Wu Sehun sat cross-legged on the ground, blowing his nose while directing: "Even though he was crying like this, he still didn't forget to shoot! Taemin brother is really..."
For a while, the waiting room was filled with sounds of crying and laughing.
The agent came in with a camera: "Kids, let's take a picture."
The members wiped their faces haphazardly and huddled together.
Kim Junmyeon, his eyes still swollen, squatted at the front with the trophy in his hands; Zhang Yixing and Ouyang Guang stood shoulder to shoulder in the last row, their faces and eyes still red from crying; Kim Jong-ho was forcibly dragged out from the corner by Taemin, with tear marks still on his face, next to Luhan; Park Chanyeol and Byun Baekhyun squatted at the front, one on the left and one on the right, and in the middle row were Wu Yifan, Huang Zitao, Kim Jong-dae, Kim Minseok, Do Kyung-soo, and Oh Sehun, all of whom were giving the thumbs-up sign.
"3, 2, 1—"
The shutter sounded, freezing this photo of a person with tear marks but a bright smile.
There is no delicate makeup, no perfect expressions, only the purest joy and tears of a group of teenagers.
During the busy comeback promotion period, We Got Married recorded another episode of Kim Ji-won supporting Ouyang Yang's comeback.
In private, Kim Ji-won told Ouyang Guang that the new drama written by Kim Eun-sook is in the preparation stage. She has been preparing recently and believes that the crew will start selecting actors soon, and she wants to go for an audition.
On the dormitory balcony, Ouyang Guang leaned against the railing, cell phone pressed to her ear. The night breeze was cool, and on the other end of the line was Kim Ji-won's soft but cheerful voice.
"Ah Guang, screenwriter Kim Eun-sook has started preparations for her new drama. I heard the production team is very strong." Her tone rose slightly, as if she was sharing a precious secret. "I've been preparing for the audition recently. If everything goes well, I might be able to get the role."
Ouyangguang chuckled: "That's great, Nuna's acting skills will definitely be fine."
There was silence on the other end of the line for two seconds, and then Kim Ji-won's tentative voice came: "What about you? Do you want to try it too?"
"Me?" Ouyang Guang was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "What nonsense are you talking about? Where would I have the time? Besides, I'm not studying acting."
"But you acted really well in 'Planet Academy'!" Kim Ji-won said stubbornly, "And it's just a try. What if?"
Ouyangguang lowered his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the water droplets on the railing. Reason told him that this was almost impossible. He was a foreign artist, and the company would not easily let him audition. Moreover, his main job was idol, not actor.
"The company won't allow it," he whispered.
"But..." Jin Zhiyuan's voice softened, with a hint of pleading, "I really think this is a great opportunity. You can't miss it."
Ouyangguang was silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "Do you really want me to fight for it?"
"Yeah." She responded without hesitation, her tone firm.
The night breeze rustled through his hair, and he heard himself sigh softly, yet couldn't help but smile: "Okay, I promise you, I will apply for an audition opportunity with the company."
After hanging up the phone, Ouyangguang stood on the balcony without moving.
Intellectually, he knew how risky this decision was. EXO was in the midst of a hot comeback, and the company wouldn't allow him to audition for a drama, especially one as big as this. Furthermore, even though his acting skills had received some recognition in "EXO Planet Academy," they were still a far cry from those of professional actors.
But Jin Zhiyuan's words "what if" were like a seed, quietly taking root in his heart.
He recalled that when they were filming "EXO Planet Academy", the director once said to him: "You have talent, but you just lack experience."
I also took countless acting classes during my time in the practice studio.
What if... he really can do it?
The next day, Ouyangguang knocked on the door of his agent's office.
"Brother Zhenxu, I have something I want to apply for." He tried his best to make his tone sound less abrupt.
The agent looked up at him: "What's the matter?"
"Writer Kim Eun-sook is preparing for a new drama, and I want to audition."
The air froze instantly.
The agent frowned: "Are you serious?"
Ouyang Guang nodded: "I know the possibility is very small, but I want to try."
The agent was silent for a moment, then finally sighed and said, "I'll bring it up with the company, but I can't guarantee it'll be approved."
Ouyang Guang breathed a sigh of relief, a smile on his face: "Thank you, brother."
After leaving the office, he took out his cell phone and sent a message to Jin Zhiyuan:
"I've applied, and I'm waiting for the results."
A few seconds later, her reply popped up:
"I knew you would try! No matter what the outcome, I'm proud of you."
Ouyang Guang looked at the screen and suddenly felt that even if he failed in the end, at least he had tried.
And this courage was given by her.
Three days later, the company gave a reply.
"You can audition," manager Jin-wook said seriously, pushing up his glasses. "But there are conditions."
Ouyang Guang sat at the conference table, his fingers unconsciously tightening: "What conditions?"
"First, it must not affect EXO's comeback plans. Second, if you pass the audition, you must cooperate with team activities during the filming period. Third..." Jin Wook paused, "If your performance is not good, you will not be considered for any film or television offers in the future."
The last one was like a bucket of cold water. This wasn't an opportunity, but a gamble. If you win, you might be able to open up new paths; if you lose, it will completely destroy the actor's potential.
"I accept." Ouyangguang heard himself say.
EXO's group tours, school classes, acting training classes, Ouyang Guang's life has become a race against time.
Kim Ji-won would occasionally come to act with him, and the two would polish their emotional expressions over and over again while reciting the lines from the classic TV series "Secret Garden" written by screenwriter Kim Eun-sook.
"The expression in your eyes needs to be more of a struggle here," Kim Ji-won pointed to a spot in the script. "You're playing a character who's forced to make a choice. It's not anger, it's pain."
At three o'clock in the morning, the practice mirror reflected Ouyang Guang's red eyes.
"Again," he said hoarsely.
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