Thus, the web promotion variety show for [Dream Future] that aired unexpectedly sparked a hot topic online.
Completely unpredictable developments.
Let alone the youth romance it claimed to be, the sudden dancing, topped off with singing, created pure chaos.
Only two scenes were released, but that was enough to set all the drama-related communities ablaze.
– Did this meme come from here?
– That bastard Ma Yeon-woo, lol, what the hell…
– At least act a bit, the look of realization on your face is all too evident.
By the way, the competition between the acting team and the idol team ended in a perfect draw.
It was only natural that the idol team claimed an overwhelming victory in singing and choreo.
While the acting portion was somewhat even, it was largely due to the awful acting of Ma Yeon-woo, as people often say.
Usually, he’d deserve a good amount of criticism.
– Can’t help it… I acknowledge it…
– Ma Yeon-woo, you’re the best!
– You really brought us some big laughs!
Ma Yeon-woo’s bad acting was literally circulating as memes across all communities.
The scene where he suddenly walks in while dancing.
His passionate dance moves to Seo-yeon’s song were something to behold.
The team with Park Jung-woo triumphed in acting, but without a doubt, it was Ma Yeon-woo’s side that grabbed all the headlines.
Thanks to Ma Yeon-woo’s extravagant dance moves, Seo-yeon became a hot topic too.
– Seo-yeon… I really like you… but please don’t sing…
– Just dance, please, just dance!
– When Ma Yeon-woo’s acting merges with that song, I just couldn’t watch anymore, is it just me?
– I turned it off halfway too.
– Is this what they call the uncanny valley??
Anyway, with the buzz growing, it started spreading everywhere on YouTube and other platforms, and analyses of what [Dream Future] was began to pop up.
“This seems to have a vibe of a musical drama. It’s quite fresh… wait, it’s not?”
“Well, it’s certainly an innovative attempt. Typically, what’s a drama? Most leads are older adults. High school roles are played by actual adults too.”
“But who’s this? Oh a child actor? Joo Seo-yeon? I know her. Saw her recently on a variety show or something.”
In came a certain YouTuber, who eagerly latched onto the topic.
A YouTuber with a million subscribers.
Han Bong-sik, who mainly reviews movie and drama content, took the plunge.
At first, he honestly had no interest in [Dream Future], but as the clips kept circulating, he couldn’t help but look.
“Alright, let’s properly review this.”
So, the YouTuber began watching the video from the start.
First up was the idol team’s much-talked-about acting.
“To summarize this scene, this girl named Joo Ha-rin has no talent. So she’s feeling down, and Park Min-yul, who has a crush on her, dances to cheer her up… wait, who wrote this script?”
– That’s the right response, yup.
– Am I going crazy?
– Why are they comforting her by dancing?
– Isn’t India all about dancing and not singing?
Just hearing the summary alone was extremely confusing.
Even someone who had reviewed countless dramas and movies couldn’t help but feel perplexed.
“Based on what I see on the homepage, this is supposed to be a serious youth romance drama. Do I not understand the term serious?”
Anyway, after watching all the issues that arose, he nodded.
Still, having seen it beforehand made it less impactful.
“Oh, so that’s how it is.”
– What is?
– Can you explain it a bit?
“Seems like both of them are still inexperienced in their fields. Joo Seo-yeon with singing and Ma Yeon-woo with acting. So it makes it weirder overall. Look at Park Jung-woo’s side, no one is talking about it. They did decently.”
– That much is true.
– Their scenes are the same, but it’s just a bit bland.
That was that.
Of course, Park Jung-woo’s side displayed some obvious weaknesses too.
However, Kim Si-hwan suited his role as a character whose strength lies in singing.
And since Park Jung-woo could sing quite well, there’d be no disasters.
The only one on the same team who stumbled a bit was Hwang Seol-ha.
“On the other hand, this side has both a first and second act.”
If the first scene was about Seo-yeon and Ma Yeon-woo, the second featured Seo-yeon and Cha Na-hee.
Because the idol duo had a burden to carry in the acting part, it felt like they specifically included Seo-yeon.
– This gives me chills more than anything.
– Are they really that good??
– People get goosebumps when they feel fear, you know…
“Let’s ease up a bit. This one’s still better.”
Fortunately, in this scene, since Seo-yeon danced, it was slightly more bearable.
For some reason, dancing and singing appeared in every scene, but that was just how the drama was, I guess.
“That’s why there are quite a few memes. At least the visible dance flows well with the acting.”
– That’s definitely true.
– Seo-yeon acts really well, yup.
– Wow, does Joo Seo-yeon already have fans? Look at the chat, so peaceful.
– She’s pretty, you know.
“Looking at this alone, it doesn’t feel like a joke. It’s genuine, and honestly, you see, it may not seem that way in a video, but it’s completely different when properly filmed.”
A statement only a video review YouTuber could make.
He had seen so many works.
“Right now, you can hear the singing and the accompaniment, but the camera doesn’t move much, you see? In other words, the scenes aren’t structured like a drama, but filmed in a variety show style that captures everything. So, naturally, it’s going to be funnier.”
– I get it now (I don’t get it).
– If you can’t understand that, did you not finish school?
“So, if we edit those funny scenes to direct them like a drama? It could turn out completely different.”
Of course, if the script was like that, it wouldn’t feel particularly inspiring or impressive.
But it was clear that it would certainly be better.
“If both sides properly practice their weaknesses, I personally think it’ll be worth the expectations. I predict a viewership rating of over 20 percent!”
– Bong-sik, are you serious?
– If this gets 20 percent, I’ll end it all.
– South Korea is doomed.
There was a bit of reason why Han Bong-sik was so confident.
‘Seo-yeon’s acting, and her dancing is really good.’
To be honest, he hadn’t fully expressed himself, but he was genuinely surprised.
If he spilled everything now, he’d have nothing to say when it actually aired later.
‘Still a high schooler? There’s a reason she’s already done a drama or a movie.’
By the way, while reviewing classic dramas, Han Bong-sik had also reviewed The Moon That Hid the Sun.
Seeing the child actor he praised back then in her grown-up form felt nostalgic.
‘There’s The Chaser, and although the singing is a bit off, the rest is so outstanding.’
Park Jung-woo’s acting was plain enough, but if they edited it properly, it would be completely different.
He had confidence that it could surpass 20 percent.
“You can quote me on this. Seriously, it will exceed 20 percent.”
Thus, as Han Bong-sik’s absurd prediction of 20 percent viewership became a quote, [Dream Future] suddenly emerged as the hot topic drama.
*
Deep down, Seo-yeon had one worry.
‘What if I get terrorized by Just X fans?’
It wasn’t uncommon for nasty comments or childish gift bombings to happen.
She worried about how she would cope if she ended up being a target.
‘It would be better if they just came to school.’
With that thought, Seo-yeon pondered whether she should learn self-defense.
She was already learning somewhat at the Cheonghong Action School, but she wondered if that would be enough.
Moreover, the reason Seo-yeon had such thoughts wasn’t solely due to worries about fan harassment.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Ro, the leader of Just X.”
“You cause so much trouble, don’t you? I’m Do Ho-jin.”
“Here, drink this.”
All the members of Just X had come to the filming set.
One way or another, since Ma Yeon-woo was a member of Just X, they had brought him along for promotional purposes.
By the way, the real name of Killer Hong was Hong Yong-sik.
He used the alias Do Ho-jin to hide that uncool name.
Anyway, Ma Yeon-woo was playing a significant role in the promotions.
So the writer had the intention of including him for a cameo, but,
“Ah, that’s a bit.”
Director Kim Pil-seok rejected the idea.
However, using him for promotions was fine.
The ad was about Ma Yeon-woo, or rather ‘Park Min-yul’, dancing against the members of Just X.
And before the filming, he had greeted Seo-yeon, who was waiting early on set.
“Seo-yeon, right? Yeon-woo talked a lot about you.”
‘The idol who takes meds.’
“That’s right, he can’t stop talking about how much he likes you.”
‘Apgujeong Killer Hong.’
“Wow, so this is an actor. I get why idols struggle to stand next to actors.”
‘Gangnam Chair King.’
With such illustrious nicknames, Seo-yeon naturally felt nervous.
“Hello.”
“Ah, yes. Please take care of Yeon-woo from now on.”
Sure enough, they they nodded in response to Seo-yeon’s attitude of keeping her distance, feeling puzzled.
‘Does she look down on idols because she’s an actor?’
It was pretty common for actors to look down on idols.
Especially for a young high school student; it was easy to fall into that mindset.
Thinking like that, Seo-yeon didn’t liked ‘Gangnam Chair King’ Lee-hyun at all.
‘Is he trying to show off?’
In his previous life, he had seduced countless women at clubs and made the news five times for scandalous affairs.
Later, a colleague’s club got embroiled in a sexual service scandal, making his name known.
He smiled at Seo-yeon, confident that no woman had ever resisted his charm.
“……?”
Receiving that smile, Seo-yeon slightly frowned.
Having gleaned a rough idea of why he smiled from knowing his flashy background.
“Ah, what’s going on?”
At that moment, Ma Yeon-woo rushed over and intervened amidst the members.
“Seo-yeon? No, Seo-yeon? Anyway, don’t bother her, just go, go, go.”
“Hey, what’s up with that all of a sudden?”
Lee-hyun was taken aback by Ma Yeon-woo’s sudden push on him.
However, Ma Yeon-woo was astonished for different reasons.
Honestly, he was shocked.
‘What is that bastard doing to a high school girl?’
If one normally acted like that towards a minor, it could lead to huge problems.
Ma Yeon-woo, by nature, was simply a kind-hearted person, having no desire to go down a bad path.
A light controversy was one thing; that was a different level altogether.
On top of that, he noticed Seo-yeon’s eyes starting to redden.
Every time he saw her, her gaze seemed eerie, and Ma Yeon-woo knew too well what could happen if he got on her bad side.
‘It might not have appeared in the video.’
Ma Yeon-woo trembled.
Cha Na-hee would most likely agree with his thoughts.
The ‘idols’ side was still connected at least in some way, even after the advertisement was over.
When it came to synchronizing their acting, it was always done in threes like that.
“After all, it’s better to have already matched our rhythm, right?”
Thanks to Kim Pil-seok’s comments, that was how it was.
Thus, in [Dream Future], Ma Yeon-woo received considerable acting assistance from Seo-yeon.
“Your gaze handling isn’t good.”
“……Gaze handling?”
“You need to think about where the camera is.”
Seo-yeon explained while demonstrating.
Every time Ma Yeon-woo experienced that, he thought to himself—
This girl’s a bit scary, yet she’s definitely an actor.
There was something about her that you couldn’t tear your eyes away from.
Cha Na-hee also listened closely to Seo-yeon’s words.
A model student.
Given that Cha Na-hee was just like that, the problem child Ma Yeon-woo couldn’t help but be restrained.
Moreover, Seo-yeon was strict.
Every time Ma Yeon-woo made an error, her eyes narrowed noticeably.
When he posed correctly, she corrected his posture with her own hands, and every time, he felt his body creaking under her strength.
‘No way, this feels strange.’
Ma Yeon-woo was no slouch when it came to dancing either, but he simply couldn’t resist Seo-yeon’s strength.
Seeing someone dance and practice for a long time without breaking a sweat…
“Hey, Ma Yeon-woo, what are you doing?”
“Forget about it. Just shoot the ad. I saved you.”
“What do you mean?”
Lee-hyun couldn’t comprehend Ma Yeon-woo’s words.
What did he save him from?
Though curious, Seo-yeon thought, ‘The members seem to get along well.’
Though he was a criminal, she felt a twinge of envy.
Lee Ji-yeon was someone who liked it when people attached to her.
But she also noticed that not everyone was like that in school.
Seo-yeon secretly harbored such romantic notions.
‘But soon.’
Seo-yeon was filled with confidence.
Thanks to Just X, the number of students approaching her had increased in various ways.
Just a little more familiarity, and she could step into the realm of friendship.
As Seo-yeon was feeling this confidence, the broadcast date of [Dream Future] Episode 1 was fast approaching.
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