Ji-yeon thinks she and Seo-yeon are pretty tight.
First of all, they’ve been together for almost 10 years, and they’ve shared a lot of experiences.
Especially in acting.
They relied on each other academically and in various ways.
… If it weren’t for Seo-yeon, she would never have gotten into Vtubing.
Now, it was just one of those things she enjoyed as a change of pace.
Ji-yeon was quite confident when it comes to communicating with others and planning content.
Anyway.
“I really don’t know what she’s thinking.”
A film about homosexuality.
It seems to tackle love between women.
“Director Baek Min’s film.”
Of course, Ji-yeon knew the director.
An artistic director, recognized more overseas than domestically.
So it meant that if she was considering going international, he was a must-pass director.
But that’s that.
“How can she be so calm?”
Ji-yeon looked at Seo-yeon with half-closed eyes.
In response to Ji-yeon’s gaze, Seo-yeon just tilted her head slightly.
It was a gesture unique to Seo-yeon, as if she was nervously wondering if she did something wrong.
Looking at that, it felt like she was genuinely speaking with pure intent…
“No, no. It’s weirder to take it in a bad way.”
But isn’t that the case?
Surely, adult actors might accept it coolly and judge it rationally, but Ji-yeon was still in high school.
Isn’t this reaction normal?
Instead, Seo-yeon’s coolness surprised her.
She sometimes thought that when it came to work, Seo-yeon was truly professional.
It’s like she felt work and personal feelings were two separate things.
How that gets neatly separated, she didn’t know…
“Even your school friends, what would they think?”
Let’s say they get a good response acting together, but what about their school friends? If a classmate who’s always attached to them filmed such a movie…?
“Not really?”
“…….”
Seo-yeon’s persistent question.
With a look like a puppy with its tail between its legs.
It seems Seo-yeon thinks this movie will help Ji-yeon a lot.
“Ugh.”
Ji-yeon squeezed her eyes shut after seeing that Seo-yeon.
Fine, so what?
Am I in a position to be picky about it?
I’ve barely made it onto a cable drama.
If it’s Director Baek Min’s movie, I should be in it even if it’s just as an extra.
“It’s not that I dislike it.”
“Really? But you look a bit flustered.”
“Hey, Joo Seo-yeon. Of course, I’m flustered!”
“Why?”
“Why, why do you ask? No, this…”
Jo Seo-hee watched their conversation with intrigued eyes.
“Are they really close, I wonder?”
She didn’t know Ji-yeon as an actress.
But while the two were talking, she did a quick search.
“Oh, she’s currently in a cable drama.”
Hmm, Jo Seo-hee rested her chin on her hand while watching them.
It’s hard to make friends once you start acting, especially since it’s tough to even hang out together.
Once you get used to social life, your peers start to feel younger.
Should I say it seems childish?
She knew it wasn’t good but what could be done; it was reality.
“Same actress. Plus, they’ve been thick as thieves since young.”
Jo Seo-hee felt a pang of jealousy.
Seo-yeon seems to have deep relationships, even if her circle is small.
With so few peers in acting, Jo Seo-hee contemplated how she could slip into that circle.
“Seo-hee sunbae.”
“Huh?”
“But when does the audition for Gyeongseong Young Lady start exactly?”
Seo-yeon had already been to a few auditions.
Considering Jo Seo-hee also said she was preparing for auditions, she thought it was a general audition and asked.
“You don’t need to go.”
“Huh?”
“You’ve already gained quite a bit of recognition from The Chaser and Dream Future.”
Jo Seo-hee had personally made a strong appeal as well.
So Director Baek Min had watched The Chaser.
And she had just heard about the evaluation yesterday.
“Seo-hee, do you really have a friendship with Joo Seo-yeon?”
At those words from Director Baek Min, Jo Seo-hee flinched.
Is he doubting her friendship with Seo-yeon?
“Yes, we’re best friends. We’ve known each other for ten years.”
“Oh, right. They auditioned together for The Moon That Hid the Sun.”
“Yeah, I lost that time… badly.”
She probably thought of herself as an arrogant little brat.
Well, even now, she is somewhat arrogant.
But that’s more like a mental barrier to protect her pride, so she had no intention of changing that.
“First off, like you recommended, I’ve seen The Chaser and Dream Future.”
“What did you think?”
With a look that seemed to say “Is it good?” as Jo Seo-hee looked at Director Baek, he chuckled.
It’s rare for Jo Seo-hee to show her age like that.
“The Chaser was impressive, and I really liked Dream Future.”
“……Huh?”
Isn’t it usually the other way around?
That thought crossed Jo Seo-hee’s mind, but she subtly tried not to show it.
“Well, the movie I want to shoot is a romance.”
“Yes, right.”
“In that sense, Dream Future‘s acting gave me a lot of inspiration.”
Just yesterday.
Episode 11 of Dream Future.
“It was fresh.”
Director Baek recalled Joo Ha-rin’s acting from yesterday.
He heard there was quite a bit of drama during the filming.
It’s funny that the narrative of Joo Ha-rin seemed convincing because it was cut because of the writer’s personal escapades.
Joo Ha-rin is paired with Park Min-yul.
But their relationship probably lagged compared to the other couples in the drama.
After all, they hadn’t appeared much.
However, it made sense that Joo Ha-rin, who originally had a crush on Kim Si-hwan, would have her romance with Park Min-yul pushed back.
“Acting surprised by Park Min-yul taking steps closer to her, unlike her unrequited affection. ”
Just like a naive girl blind to love.
Feeling shy and bewildered about that sweet, pathetic emotion, unable to fully grasp the emotional exchange with another.
Is it acting?
No, honestly, it felt too real to even consider it acting.
For Baek, it was enough to completely forget the image of ‘Cha Seo-ah’ he had seen in The Chaser.
At least for him.
So the audience would probably feel similar.
A few days ago, Director Baek met with GH Group.
At that time, Kang Tae-jin from the cultural division said this.
“What a shame, Director Baek. I thought it was quite a good opportunity.”
“I apologize. I have a movie I want to shoot.”
“I’ve heard you’ve been getting funding from various places.”
The man with snake-like eyes spoke with a smile.
“Do you happen to know an actress named Joo Seo-yeon?”
“Huh?”
The unexpected name caught Baek by surprise.
After all, this was the actress Jo Seo-hee had been talking about all this time.
“She seemed like a young actress who would fit well in Director Baek’s film.”
“My… film?”
“Yes, Director Baek’s film is very emotional.”
Emotional, huh.
That she fits in the sense that she’s an emotional actor?
“We were on the ‘Cha Seo-ah’ side.”
He said that while smiling at Director Baek.
“I thought there might be someone who’d want to side with Joo Ha-rin as well.”
At those words, Director Baek couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
‘Are they trying to lure me in to raise an actress’s profile?’
Even though their collaboration was distorted, they still tried to find a way to benefit from it.
It was a subtle mention of having preempted Joo Seo-yeon as an actress.
Regardless of how Joo Seo-yeon’s visibility increased, the one who had preempted her would reap the biggest benefits.
But he was indeed intrigued.
Joo Seo-yeon.
Even though she had only had real substantial roles in about four projects, she was truly impressive.
The portrayal of a girl who doesn’t really know love gradually discovering it was exactly the acting Baek desired.
What he wanted to show in the movie Gyeongseong Young Lady.
It was strikingly similar.
Baek slowly opened and closed his eyes.
Leaving behind his thoughts on Dream Future, he looked silently at Jo Seo-hee, who sat quietly in front of him.
“I’d be really happy if Seo-hee and Seo-yeon could be in my film.”
“That’s really a nice thing to say.”
In response, Jo Seo-hee felt a bit flustered.
Didn’t he say she had to audition before?
Anyway, it felt convenient.
Oh, by the way, that girl mentioned she wanted to ask one more thing.
“By the way, if you want to recommend one more actress…”
“Um, it’s fine. The door for auditions is always open.”
Meaning she’d better pass the audition.
Auditions that might lead to unknown roles.
Jo Seo-hee sighed.
Two girls in front of her.
Joo Seo-yeon and Lee Ji-yeon.
Especially Seo-yeon looked a bit flustered.
She probably thought she’d audition too.
But surprisingly enough, Director Baek seemed to like Seo-yeon.
“Therefore, the audition will be just for you.”
“Don’t point at me.”
“……”
Jo Seo-hee, who had pointed at Ji-yeon unintentionally, cautiously pulled her hand back.
That’s unfair.
But strangely enough, Jo Seo-hee found herself liking the very first critique she received from a peer. Didn’t it feel like a lack of walls?
Everyone around her always hesitated to approach her, so this was even more refreshing.
“Ahem, so you will have to audition. I’ve told Director Baek.”
Upon hearing that, Ji-yeon paused for thought.
She didn’t particularly care about needing to audition, unlike Seo-yeon.
After all, it was ridiculous to compare herself to Seo-yeon, who had just become a million-dollar actress and starred in a hit public broadcasting drama.
Even if she lagged a bit now.
‘No, I have to take this.’
This is a chance to stand on the same stage as Seo-yeon.
In that sense.
“Thank you.”
“Huh?”
“You told him about me.”
Hearing that from Ji-yeon, Seo-hee was flustered.
Wasn’t she acting like she hated her?
“Ahem! Well, this is no big deal for me.”
As she said that, she glanced at Seo-yeon.
This time, Seo-yeon was looking back at Jo Seo-hee with an aggrieved eye.
“Hey, what’s wrong now?”
With an innocent look of grievance, Jo Seo-hee looked at Seo-yeon, who turned her head with a hum.
After all, she had never properly heard a thank-you from Ji-yeon.
Every time, it was Ji-yeon who cleaned up after Seo-yeon, so there were plenty of times Seo-yeon said thank you, but the other way around was almost non-existent.
“… Anyway.”
Seo-yeon took a quick glance at Ji-yeon.
The audition.
She knew about Ji-yeon’s skills, but since it was Director Baek’s film, she was unsure about the judging standards.
She wanted to do well together, however…
‘It should be fine.’
Still, Seo-yeon trusted Ji-yeon.
After all, she had been watching Ji-yeon for ten years.
*
“Director.”
Park Eun-ha’s manager looked considerably tired due to the overwhelming amount of work these days.
No wonder, as her phone was buzzing with numerous messages.
Of course, those messages were all about Seo-yeon.
The rising star who was just beginning to shine.
There were many trying to capitalize on her while her worth was still low.
Alternatively, some were waiting for Seo-yeon, whose reputation suddenly soared, to “bubble” out and fall back down again.
They were hoping her value would drop even a little.
“The ads are about this much, but we also received a lot of requests for variety shows.”
“Variety shows? Let’s take a look.”
Kang Chan-yul, the director of Nova Entertainment, skimmed through the recent requests.
Seo-yeon was one of the few celebrities that Kang managed personally.
As he once told Seo-yeon, he thought of her as a star.
Clearly, a gem that would shine brighter with time.
So, it was only natural for Kang Chan-yul to check Seo-yeon’s schedule.
Of course, this was also something Seo-yeon agreed to.
She still hadn’t fully grasped how the industry functioned.
“What do you think would be good?”
“Hmm.”
Generally, one would check the actor’s tendencies for such things.
There were actors who would never appear on variety shows, shrouding themselves in mystery.
Many were picky about which commercials they accepted as well.
Taking on just any ad could ruin their image.
‘Thinking back to the variety shows she did before…’
If we’ve got the king, let’s go for it.
And Survival Without Borders.
Both were shows that Seo-yeon enjoyed a lot.
Those following her during the filming must have had a hard time.
“A more active variety show would be good. Oh, here’s one that looks nice.”
While jumbling through his thoughts, Kang Chan-yul nodded at a particular variety show.
Considering how busy she had been filming lately, it might be good to give Seo-yeon a healing time.
‘Is this healing?’
Of course, that thought crossed Park Eun-ha’s mind.
If anything, it almost felt more like a show for Kang Chan-yul’s own healing.
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