As they walked home together, Gil Da-hyun seemed to be watching Seo-yeon in various ways.
It was almost as if she was asking, “Why do you want to study with me?”
Seo-yeon had nothing in particular to say about it.
“There are no other people to study with.”
What a miserable answer that was.
Ji-yeon was busy preparing for auditions, and for some reason, Seo-hee felt like she would lose if she studied with her.
Seo-hee had a strong sense of rivalry towards Seo-yeon.
Naturally, Seo-yeon couldn’t help but care.
Still, mentioning it to Park Jung-woo would only get her a response like:
“If a female actress calls a male actor for such things, it’s going to be a huge deal.”
That would definitely get her shot down.
So, the only option left was her classmates.
Among them, she thought it was the best idea to study with Gil Da-hyun, who reminded her of the characters from Sky Garden.
They had talked directly before.
“Is it okay if I don’t call the other friends?”
“Yeah.”
Gil Da-hyun seemed to want to go in a group, but Seo-yeon rejected her.
“Then it’ll put my study skills at risk.”
Aside from the heavy-lipped Gil Da-hyun, there was no guarantee that the others would be the same.
Thus, Seo-yeon ended up being shadowed by Da-hyun and studying at her house.
“Oh, is it because of the drama?”
Only after arriving home did Da-hyun understand.
Drama.
To study hard for her role…
“…Isn’t studying a thing students do anyway?”
It was a basic thought, but seeing Seo-yeon’s serious expression made her decide to let it slide.
Well, it could be a different kind of studying.
“Seo-yeon probably studies well anyway.”
She had never really asked about her grades.
But there is such a thing as an image or impression, right?
Seo-yeon had never been seen sleeping in class.
She always looked attentive with sparkling eyes as she stared at the teacher and had the posture of a model student, like she was drawn in a picture.
What about her notes?
Da-hyun had stolen a glance at Seo-yeon’s notebook while passing by and saw it beautifully filled with diverse writing instruments.
…Perhaps she was just someone who liked to keep things organized.
That was all she thought.
However, Da-hyun’s thoughts were soon challenged.
“Uh, you don’t know this?”
“………”
“And this one?”
“Um.”
Seo-yeon looked at the problem with a remarkably serious face.
Da-hyun was stunned.
‘She barely knows anything?!’
Well, thinking about it, that made sense.
Given that she rarely attended class, this was to be expected.
But don’t images matter?
“Ah, but you have good memorization skills.”
“Yeah.”
Of course, because she always had to memorize scripts.
Seo-yeon hardly ever messed up her lines.
So, her memorization ability was quite exceptional.
‘Why is her performance like this with that excellent memory?’
Though she felt a question rising, Da-hyun didn’t voice it.
Seo-yeon sensed Da-hyun’s expression.
So, she cautiously changed the subject.
“Studying is about learning, right?”
“Y-Yeah! Right!”
Da-hyun hurriedly echoed Seo-yeon’s words.
Anyway, coming from Da-hyun, who was dedicated to her studies, it didn’t quite add up, but she was an actress after all!
Moreover, Seo-yeon’s performance in acting was truly professional and impressive.
So, a little confusion was all there was.
“This is middle school curriculum.”
“………”
“You should know at least this much, right?”
Shouldn’t an aspiring actress be aware of what she learned before becoming one?
Da-hyun looked at Seo-yeon with eyes filled with a thought that implied something.
Studying is for actors, so it’s okay not to know.
But shouldn’t it be to a reasonable extent?
With Da-hyun’s eyes narrowing at her like a puppy with its tail tucked, Seo-yeon had no choice but to scribble notes.
And then.
“You’re good at sports too.”
After several hours of subtly smashing her with words, Seo-yeon nodded back to Da-hyun with a pale face.
Sports?
Of course, she was good at it.
No, not just good.
Her physical prowess had reached an abnormal level since childhood, now bordering on absurdity.
Honestly, she wasn’t quite sure how far she could go.
“How about joining a sports club like an athletic team? It counts for grades.”
Of course, as an actress, it wouldn’t matter much.
But she recommended it, thinking it would be good to try various things.
“I’m already in an E-sports club.”
“Ah, really? As expected.”
Da-hyun nodded, thinking it was just like that without bothering to clarify what sport it really was.
Club activities are beneficial, and Seo-yeon was aggressively moving in the direction of success.
Still, ‘I’m a bit tired of it…’
It was fascinating how someone could continuously play the same game repeatedly.
These days, FPS games were trending, or so she had heard.
She was attentively observing the genre.
Because they say physical skills are vital in FPS, wouldn’t she do well enough with her own physique?
“Hey, doesn’t the class president play games or something?”
“Huh, games?”
Da-hyun was about to answer, but Seo-yeon changed her words.
After all, wouldn’t it be strange to start a conversation in a way that might make the other person uncomfortable?
Seventeen-year-old Joo Seo-yeon was an understanding human.
She absolutely did not say it because she felt awkward.
‘Why did this conversation switch from sports to games?’
That question popped into her mind but she brushed it off.
Did Da-hyun like games?
“Not really, I’ve never played much. I’ve been busy studying.”
Da-hyun shook her head, saying this.
She was always serious about her studies.
Her other hobbies were just watching movies and dramas.
Actually, she often thought of that as a luxury, but to Da-hyun, it was the minimal form of relaxation.
When looking back at her school days, wouldn’t it feel a bit lonely if it was just all studying?
Therefore, she was usually quite proactive during events like festivals.
Hearing Da-hyun’s story made Seo-yeon think of the characters in Sky Garden.
‘That’s a bit lonely, huh.’
Among the people Seo-yeon knew, the one resembling the characters in Sky Garden the most was Gil Da-hyun.
Mainly among students.
If spoken of, Seo-hee was somewhat similar too.
Just not as students, but more like affluent parents.
In any case, Seo-yeon decided to study with Da-hyun partly because of this acting.
Studying and referencing acting; truly killing two birds with one stone.
‘But it’s different.’
Gil Da-hyun was different from the characters in Sky Garden.
“Shouldn’t you consider other places if it’s for higher education? Hmm, that could be, but it’s not too far, right?”
Apparently, Da-hyun had two younger siblings.
She told them to go out for a bit because today she had to study with Seo-yeon.
Her parents worked late, so they needed someone to look after the younger siblings.
That’s why Da-hyun chose a high school nearby.
“Seo-yeon, you’ve been an actress since you were young, right?”
“Yeah, but I took a little break.”
“That’s amazing. I’m quite far from it. You’ve already achieved your dream.”
Da-hyun found that somewhat vague.
What could she do with her studies?
Since she didn’t know, she just studied hard.
It might be a repetitive act meant to clear her anxiety.
To Da-hyun, Seo-yeon seemed like someone who was already moving toward her dreams.
‘Hmm.’
It’s true that being an actress is a dream.
Just another goal she wanted to achieve… which she couldn’t bring herself to say.
It was too tough to say it to the earnest Da-hyun.
And as she said, she could do it if she wanted to, just like Ji-yeon.
But still, she hesitated.
Honestly, Seo-yeon didn’t think she was the kind of person who could juggle two things at once.
With her acting only returning recently, if she were to take on another job, she surely wouldn’t do it right.
So she kept hesitating.
Because the more she loved it, the more careful she had to be.
“I think the class president is amazing too.”
“Eh? Ah, um, thank you.”
But Seo-yeon was sincere.
And through Da-hyun, she learned a bit about Lee Yoo-joo from Sky Garden.
Lee Yoo-joo and Da-hyun were nearly opposite characters.
Except for the category of studying hard.
However, there were certainly similarities as well.
‘Dream.’
But.
While Da-hyun hadn’t charted her path yet, Yoo-joo had followed a predetermined route without thinking about what came next.
This was a very significant difference.
Da-hyun had done everything through her own decisions.
Her studying too.
From what she heard, her parents hadn’t particularly forced her to study.
Given Da-hyun’s naturally diligent character, perhaps there was nothing to scold, but at least that’s how Da-hyun seemed to say it.
Studying hard.
Coming to Yeonhwa High School.
It was all her decision.
Thus, the anxiety about the future was fully her choice, so her hesitation was likely closer to that.
‘But Yoo-joo is the complete opposite.’
Studying hard.
Enrolling in Taeyang High School.
All had been guided by her parents.
However, they hadn’t set clear guidance on what she should do afterward.
Vaguely, they told her that if she studied well, she could become something.
A doctor, lawyer.
Maybe even a successful private tutor.
Or perhaps a college entrance coordinator or teacher like her parents.
They spoke of possibilities but did not attract Yoo-joo to any of them.
Having studied mechanically, despite possessing exceptional talent, she faced barriers in her choices.
Thus, the resentment Yoo-joo felt wasn’t only towards others.
‘But also towards herself.’
Self-hatred.
Blaming her parents’ education, she ultimately couldn’t decide on anything and became a coward.
Yoo-joo might have loathed that part of herself.
That was something Da-hyun could recognize through her actions.
Da-hyun’s willingness to try different things was for her future.
When she looked back on her school days, she wondered if just studying would make her feel lonely.
Such a trivial yet meaningful mindset.
But through that trivial mindset,
If she were to look back on the past, her school days would surely be filled with joy.
However, what would Yoo-joo recall when reflecting on her past?
‘Empathy, perhaps?’
It’s hard.
Seo-yeon sighed.
It wasn’t easy for her to empathize with someone like Yoo-joo.
Not to speak ill of it, but Seo-yeon quite liked herself.
To say the least, she had a fundamental mindset of “I’m pretty.”
Though a bit shy, all that she was doing, wanted to do, and was currently doing was all good.
The roles she wanted to play in the future, variety shows.
And even Vtubers.
There were so many things she wanted to explore, and she liked herself for it.
Perhaps, because her past self felt too inadequate.
Joo Seo-yeon, the one living today, might seem even more appealing.
In contrast, as much as Seo-yeon had a positive self-image, Yoo-joo was hard to relate to.
In some ways, more difficult than Cha Seo-ah.
Cha Seo-ah had a previous life she could empathize with.
But Yoo-joo…
“…But I think I might know a way.”
“What is it?”
After a moment of thought, Seo-yeon muttered this.
Da-hyun looked at Seo-yeon with a puzzled face upon hearing her words.
At that moment, Seo-yeon raised her head and smiled gently.
Today, she learned so many things.
*
The first shoot of Sky Garden.
A day when autumn felt like summer.
“There’s hardly any autumn left now.”
“They say it’s only going to get hotter every year?”
“Oh.”
Such trivial conversations took place on set.
However, it was also a way to forget their anxieties.
“With so many things to worry about…”
“Right? If someone would help us internally, that’d be so nice.”
The staff said this while glancing over at writer Min Se-hee, who was in a corner of the set.
Not that they particularly blamed Min Se-hee.
Usually, dramas would only need to focus on other competing dramas airing at the same time.
And with everything already stressful, this time there was office politics involved.
Drama Department 1, Drama Department 2.
Although it wasn’t confirmed yet, this was basically the first skirmish.
The viewer rating battle between Monday-Tuesday dramas versus Wednesday-Thursday dramas.
Both sides had prime time slots, so it was essentially a fight for ratings.
Thinking about how this first conflict would affect the ongoing tensions within the Drama Department, it was no wonder the staff were worried.
‘If ratings drop significantly…’
‘One side would likely be shut down.’
The Drama Department had been split into two for competition.
An absurd move, but it made sense in context.
For quite a while, KMB’s Drama Department hadn’t produced any major hits.
After the previous drama department head stepped down and a new head messed up several dramas, Ha Tae-oh was the one who took the seat last year.
They generated decent performance but had finally secured a true result with Dream Future recently, yet that alone wasn’t enough… leading up to this situation.
That was the chain of events that led to the division of the Drama Department.
‘Though it’s all for show.’
‘There are suggestions that it’s to make room for Baek Tae-soo PD.’
The endless connections and relations were dreadful to the staff.
If Baek Tae-soo, who had been moving behind the scenes, were to step out into the open, it would be tough to predict what might happen next.
And that burden fell squarely on…
“……”
Min Se-hee, who was out in the field today.
‘What to do?’
It was customary for writers not to show up on set.
But today she had come in person.
For the first filming of the drama she had meticulously conceived from the beginning.
‘It might be too much of a stretch.’
Min Se-hee felt a bit scared.
In this script, many of her intentions were embedded.
The romance elements were kept minimal, and it was her vision realized.
Taking the script that was originally meant for a cable network entirely with her.
For someone like Min Se-hee, this being essentially her first work felt painfully burdensome.
‘So if the drama fails…’
While it wouldn’t all be her fault, a significant portion of the blame would surely land on her.
Would she even be able to continue at KMB afterward?
Would another network take her in?
Because maybe she was better suited for a cable network after all?
Such burdens weighed heavily on her.
“Writer Min Se-hee.”
At that moment.
“Hello.”
A girl greeted her with a polite bow.
Always the polite introduction.
With her pitch-black hair and fair skin,
Today, her beautifully striking appearance was dazzling.
Unlike the usual Yeonhwa High School uniform, she wore the ‘Taeyang High School uniform’ for filming.
That alone brought to mind Sky Garden‘s Yoo-joo.
‘Huh?’
Min Se-hee sensed it.
Something felt distinctly different about her today.
Seo-yeon changed dramatically once she began acting.
But today, it was a bit different.
Maybe she felt Min Se-hee’s gaze?
Seo-yeon smiled at her.
“It was a bit hard, so I learned some.”
Unlike usual, there was a hint of sarcasm.
“The process of solving.”
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