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Characters aren’t chosen——they walk in on their own. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3C0gPVmYfE
From the moment their eyes met, reunion was inevitable.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31Ugt6Fckk
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5TzDYhaIQ
The audition meeting was supposed to be calm.
The director arrived an hour early.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6ERXHTWvM
The art lead came in carrying a box of prototype bunny ears.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFnlGPgRLd
The screenwriter sat in the corner, half-dead, gnawing on an energy bar.
The manager had already arranged the candidates into four Excel tiers and reminded everyone:
“Today’s focus is on the character’s aura——not their looks.”
Then the door swung open.
The boss walked in wearing sunglasses, dragging behind a suitcase clearly packed for CP emergencies—romantic pairings he was way too obsessed with.
“I’m here to supervise. Personally.”
He sounded like he was about to launch a military operation.
“…You sure you’re not just here to emotionally manipulate us?”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqzo8ETYfx
The director muttered under his breath.
The boss took off his sunglasses. His eyes were glistening.
“I just want to see the moment they reunite.”
No one responded.
The screenwriter quietly put away the energy bar and opened his laptop.
“If this fails, I’ll open a death route. Everyone. Dies.”
“No no no! I’ll behave. I promise.” The boss panicked.
The manager glanced at the time. “First actor’s here.”
Silence for two seconds.
The director straightened.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gkzuwCfxC
The art lead pushed up her glasses.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIi97UCyzK2
The screenwriter opened a new document:
“How Do You Act Like You’ve Met Before?”
The boss was already seated in the front row, solemn as a high priest.
Auditions——begin.
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The first bunny-role actor walked in wearing a fuzzy hat she brought herself.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb7e4BjxuN
She took her mark, then suddenly threw both hands into the air——
“You can’t do this to me!”
Three seconds of awkward silence followed.
The director flipped a page in the audition script.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3zEDZLQR3
“We’re doing a scene from episode two today. The reunion in the back hills.”
“And uh… which scene were you performing, exactly?”
“Oh… sorry. Got too into it.”
The boss frowned.
The second bunny came from a dance background——17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmYz3VmST6
She turned her head with such extreme flexibility it looked like her neck had no bones.
“I think…” the art lead muttered, sketching as she observed,17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbtJQAYOI8
“…this bunny might be a little too flexible.”
The third walked in with a cool, distant expression17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6veX0IAAv8
She turned, nodded, and delivered her line:
“…You’re back.”
The director nodded.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQlwRRlZch
“Not bad. Feels grounded.”
The boss shot up from their seat.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZtIkX2YT1
“Wrong! No chemistry! How can she be this calm right now?!”
The screenwriter tried to explain.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡow3KDAhBrO
“It’s not calm——it’s emotional suppression. She’s holding it in.”
“That’s suppression?! I just feel like I can’t ship them!”
“…Okay, fine. I give up on character arcs.”
He shut his laptop. The director patted his shoulder in sympathy.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjQZehdRbx
“Next one. Trying for the bunny role.”
The manager announced. No one responded.
She was the seventh of the day. Everyone’s eyes were starting to glaze over.
The girl stepped in, standard audition outfit on, hair loosely tied.
She lowered herself and lightly brushed her fingers across the synthetic grass mat.
No lines.
Then, she looked up——17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOejC4zRYdV
gaze drifting gently into the distance.
“…You’re back?”
The words were soft.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0P0SRbN6VL
But in that moment, the entire room fell silent.
Only breathing remained.
The director slowly sat up.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5IcLvS8az
The art lead’s pen froze in mid-air.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9cD1hFt2u
The screenwriter hit the save key without realizing it.
The boss, eyes wide——
“That’s it. I ship them.”
The director cleared his throat.
“…Alright. She stays.”
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“Next, we’re testing for Xi-Yu. With the bunny.”
The manager spoke.
Several candidates took turns stepping in.
The first had a solar-system-level smile,17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU77hU0BcVJ
but once she hit her mark, she delivered her lines like she was reciting from flashcards.
The second walked like she was on a runway.
The third actor turned to look at the bunny ——17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6LUbN4Juv
and froze.
Not because it was quiet.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsekqTONeJ
Everyone was waiting.
But the bunny was still crouching, head slightly raised.
Xi-Yu stood there, body leaning in just a little.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGb2xwaWcI
They simply looked at each other.
The director didn’t call cut.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5OouatZWV
The screenwriter didn’t type.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatepdWOGil
The art lead didn’t sketch.
The manager slowly lifted their hand off the earpiece.
The boss’s eyes shimmered, and a smile crept across their face before they could stop it.
The director finally spoke.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxSauCrAiJ
“…Okay. It’s them.”
No one objected.
“I can write them.”
“I want to draw them.”
“Honestly, it’s almost illegal putting them together.”
The boss said nothing—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZLxUUxkrX
just stamped their CP notebook like a maniac.
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The audition finally ended.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFsBfYBMuu
Everyone exhaled at once.
They were here.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuiDDfH743
For real.
