Chapter 134: Cedrick’s Auidition
Silence quickly enveloped both the audition room and the waiting area. Even after the scene was over, no one uttered a word.
Simon basked in his silent glory, resisting the urge to smile.
"I’m done, Director," he said, but all he got were stares from everyone until...
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
The slow, deliberate clapping pulled everyone from their trance. Heads turned toward the sound, eyes falling on Cedrick.
"Senior, that was amazing!" Cedrick smiled, satisfied. "I am... speechless."
The panel and even the crew nodded, giving Simon a round of applause he truly deserved. Seeing the judges who had called the shot smile and clap for him elated him. Thanks to the live broadcast exclusive for those in the waiting area—everyone knew this was the first time Director Sarian had been satisfied.
"That was a good one!" Director Sarian nodded at Simon. "Simon, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, but it’s clear you’ve worked hard on honing your craft."
Simon scratched the back of his head. "Thank you, Director."
"And everyone who saw you today would have to agree with me on how much you’ve improved," Director Sarian added. "Good work. You should be proud. Growth is to be celebrated, and you’ve certainly grown as an actor."
Director Sarian refrained from saying anything else that could be misinterpreted. Still, he had to admit that, deep down, the closest he had seen to Ryker’s role so far was Simon. Although not perfect by some standards, he believed Simon could refine it further before filming.
"Thank you, Director," Simon said again, bowing to the other panel members. "Thank you, thank you."
Unlike when he was acting, Simon displayed a rare politeness as he left the mini-stage and joined the rest of the actors.
Stopping in front of Cedrick, he smirked. "I hope you made some mental notes to help with your audition," he sneered. "Good luck, Cedrick."
"Thank you, Senior." Cedrick nodded meekly, noticing the other actors in their batch looking more disheartened than before.
No one could blame them. They had performed before Simon and already knew he had pulled it off near perfection. The pressure was now on everyone after him.
"Next one, be ready!" Ida called out. "You’re next."
As everyone used a brief minute to rest and recover from Simon’s effect, Director Sarian’s smile faded. He turned his head to where Lola was feeding the twins some snacks.
Simon is really good, he thought. If not for her, I would’ve already made up my mind.
Still, he remembered Cedrick’s audition tape. Cedrick’s performance had been stronger on video. But after seeing Simon today, he realized why personal auditions were necessary instead of relying solely on tapes.
Simon had exceeded his expectations.
Yet he wanted to see how well Cedrick could handle the role. Could Cedrick compete with that near-perfect performance?
Not just that—everyone after Simon would now feel the pressure, especially the person performing immediately afterward. Comparisons were inevitable. That was just how it worked.
Worried, Director Sarian leaned closer to Lola. "Taz, are you okay?"
"Hmm?" She held his gaze with a smile. "Why wouldn’t I be?"
"The next one is your artist," he whispered.
"I know."
Director Sarian narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Just so you know, I think Simon is really good."
"Of course, he is," Lola chuckled quietly. "If not for me, you would’ve picked him, am I correct?"
He didn’t answer, but that was exactly what he was thinking.
"Director, even I am surprised by Simon’s performance. I didn’t expect him to be this good, which reminds me why we even bother doing these auditions instead of fully relying on their tapes," she said softly, enough for the panel to hear.
"But like I said, I’m grateful that you’ve given me a chance," she continued in a hum. "And if Cedrick pales in comparison, it only shows I made the wrong judgment."
Director Sarian and the other two stared at Lola, who offered a reassuring smile. They understood: it was just business, nothing personal. Her confidence put them at ease.
Cedrick may or may not outperform Simon, but they were glad Lola wouldn’t take it to heart.
"Alright, ne—" Director Sarian started, but Cedrick was already standing in front of them. "Ahem! You’re there. Introduce yourself first."
Cedrick complied diligently. "My name is Cedrick, and I’m here to audition for Ryker’s role."
Then, he smiled almost innocently.
"All right. Let’s see..." Director Sarian rubbed his chin, checking some other scenes he wanted to see. Everyone had acted out the same scene except a few, whom they asked to perform additional parts. He wanted to see something different.
As he checked the script, he paused. A sense of dread crept up his spine, as if instinct were telling him to be careful—someone was on his radar.
He raised his head, only to see Cedrick looking back at him with a smile.
"Uh..." Director Sarian cleared his throat again, making everyone knit their brows at him. "Just do the scene on page five."
Cedrick nodded, given a minute to prepare. Unlike the previous scenes, this one was simple: just a few lines, a casual dialogue requiring little practice.
The panel turned to Director Sarian, as they hadn’t expected him to assign this scene. Even the twins could memorize it; no strong emotions were needed. Yet no one said a word.
One minute passed before a crew member spoke. "Actor’s cue—3, 2, 1, action!"
Cedrick smiled without showing his teeth, hands held behind his back. Since this was a conversation, the older lady on the panel read the other character’s lines.
"Don’t you find it weird?" she started. "All the evidence points to a crime of passion."
Cedrick tilted his head. "Or simply staged as that."
"Staged as that? Can’t you see the blood splatter? It’s everywhere."
"But the dog is dead."
"And in most cases like this, they start with the pet."
"Is that so?"
There was a brief pause as the next line was read. "What makes you think it’s not what I think it is, though?"
"Well." Cedrick hummed a short tune before smiling, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I just think if it were, the pet wouldn’t have died the way it did."
"What makes you think the perpetrator would do?"
"Let it go?" he shrugged. "If I were the perpetrator, that’s what I would’ve done."
She arched a brow. "And why is that? Surely, you don’t like pets that much."
"I don’t, but the dog didn’t do anything wrong to me," he said with a short laugh.
Silence followed. Everyone stared at Cedrick’s casual demeanor. Even the line-reader paused, captivated by him.
The scene was simple, a casual back-and-forth between Ryker and a friend. Yet Cedrick’s innocent, harmless delivery managed to instill an unsettling feeling in everyone’s hearts. It was a strange feeling, but they all felt this eeriness in that simple dialogue.
Something was wrong—twisted, even—with him.
Lola smiled in satisfaction, glancing at everyone who had shown at least a brief flicker of fear.
Good job, Cedrick, she thought, leaning back, arms folded. Simon may have done well, but Ryker wasn’t flashy or loud. Ryker was supposed to make people uncomfortable with a kind smile that made others ignore the red flags. A wicked manipulator.
But unlike Lola, Simon watched this and smirked in satisfaction.
I’ve won, he told himself. There’s no way they’ll give him this role when he can’t even handle a simple scene properly.