Chapter: 89
Thus, the web promotion for Dream Future sparked unexpected buzz online.
With utterly unpredictable developments.
For a so-called coming-of-age romance, the sudden dance breaks and spontaneous songs created sheer chaos.
Though only two scenes were released, they were enough to spark fiery discussions across various drama-related communities.
– Wait, did that meme come from here?
– Ma Yeon-woo that brat, lol, unbelievable!
– Act a bit, the look on your face screams ‘existential crisis’.
Just for the record, the competition between the actor team and the idol team ended in a perfect tie.
Of course, the idol team crushed it in singing and choreography.
They were roughly equal in acting, but Ma Yeon-woo’s notorious “subpar acting” was the real culprit.
Generally, he would have gotten flamed for it, but…
– Can’t help it, I’ll give you that…
– Ma Yeon-woo, you’re a star.
– You gave us a good laugh!
Ma Yeon-woo’s “poor acting” literally turned into memes across every community.
The scene of him suddenly dancing onto the stage.
Followed by his passionate movements in sync with Seoyeon’s singing.
The winning side in acting was Park Jung-woo’s team, which performed stably, but the real buzz was undoubtedly the vibe around Ma Yeon-woo.
Thanks to Ma Yeon-woo’s dazzling dance moves, Seoyeon also found herself in the limelight.
– Seoyeon… I really like you, but… can we skip the singing?
– Just dance, can’t the girl just dance?
– Combine Ma Yeon-woo’s acting with that song? I couldn’t bear to watch anymore.
– I closed the tab too.
– Is this what they call the ‘uncanny valley’??
Anyway, with this much chatter, YouTube channels and other platforms began to spread it, analyzing what Dream Future was all about.
“This feels like a musical drama. Isn’t this fresh… wait, never mind?”
“This is a bold attempt! Normally, in dramas, the leads are older. High school roles are usually played by adults.”
“But who’s this? An underage? Joo Seoyeon? I know her. Saw her in a recent variety show!”
Enter a YouTuber who grabbed onto the buzz—a million-subscriber YouTuber.
Han Bong-sik, known for reviewing video content like movies and dramas, was caught up too.
At first, he honestly had no interest in Dream Future, but with all the memes circulating, he couldn’t help but take a look.
“Let’s do a proper review then.”
And so, the YouTuber began watching the controversial Dream Future clip from the start.
First up was the idol team’s initial performance.
“To summarize this scene, our girl Jo Ha-rin lacks talent. So she’s in despair, while her secret admirer Park Min-yul dances to comfort her… wait, who wrote this script?”
– Ah, that’s the right reaction, lol.
– Seriously, what’s going on here?
– Why the dancing for comfort? Are we in India or something???
– Over there, they dance, not sing, don’t they?
Even just the summary was extremely bewildering.
Even for someone who’s reviewed countless dramas and movies, it caught him off guard.
“According to the homepage, this is supposed to be a heartfelt youth romance. Am I just not getting the meaning of ‘serious’?”
Anyway, after watching the scenes generating buzz, he nodded thoughtfully.
At least he’d seen it before, so it wasn’t too shocking for him.
“Ah, I see.”
– What do you mean?
– Can you explain a little?
“It seems like both are still inexperienced in their fields. Joo Seoyeon in singing, and Ma Yeon-woo in acting. That’s why it ended up more bizarre. Look at the Park Jung-woo side. They didn’t create any issues, just did decently, right?”
– Fair enough.
– Their part was similar yet kinda boring.
Anyway, that was the situation.
Of course, Park Jung-woo’s side exhibited clear signs of inexperience.
However, Kim Si-hwan was a character whose strength lay in singing.
Since Park Jung-woo sang pretty well too, it was hard for them to mess up.
The only hiccup was Hwang Seol-ah, who was part of that side.
“On the other hand, the first scene was rough, and we had a second one, remember?”
If the first part was between Seoyeon and Ma Yeon-woo.
The second involved Seoyeon and Chae Na-hee.
Since the two idols might find it challenging to manage the acting part alone, it felt like they definitely needed to include Seoyeon.
– I’m getting chills just imagining it.
– Is she really that good??
– When one feels fear, it gave goosebumps, right, dude…?
“Come on, guys, this is still better.”
Fortunately, this scene included Seoyeon’s dancing, which made it a touch better.
Why it had dancing and singing in every scene? Maybe that’s just how the drama is.
“So, there are plenty of clips to choose from. At least the visible dancing intertwined well with the acting.”
– Definitely.
– Seoyeon really excels in acting, ooh.
– Wow, does Joo Seoyeon already have fans?? Look at that gentle chat flow!
– She’s pretty!
“Definitely, this isn’t just a joke. It’s genuine, and honestly, even if you think it’s like this now, filming it properly would absolutely change it.”
This was something a video review YouTuber could say.
Having watched countless works himself.
“Right now, we see the vocals and accompaniment, but the camera barely moves, right? In other words, the scenes aren’t laid out like a drama. It’s filmed like a variety show. So it’s bound to be even more amusing.”
– Ah, I get it (or maybe not).
– If you don’t understand that, are you illiterate??
“So this funny scene could totally be edited with the flair of a drama? It could change entirely.”
Naturally, with the script being as it was, it wouldn’t induce a sense of soaring pride or grandeur.
However, it was clear that it would be an improvement.
“If both sides practice their flaws well, I honestly expect solid results. I predict a viewership over 20%!”
– Bong-sik, are you for real?
– If this hits 20% viewership, I’d jump off a cliff!
– Korea is doomed.
Han Bong-sik had his reasons to be so confident.
‘Joo Seoyeon’s acting and, her dance, are genuinely good.’
Honestly, he meant it but didn’t express everything—keeping the words in reserve for the future broadcast.
‘She’s still in high school? There’s a reason she’s already snagged a role in dramas and films.’
By the way, Han Bong-sik had also reviewed The Sun Hidden by the Moon during his classical drama reviews.
Seeing the child actress he praised grow up left him reflecting with nostalgia.
‘Plus, there’s The Chaser, and her singing might be a stumbling block, but the rest truly shines.’
Though Park Jung-woo’s performance was unremarkable, he believed that with appropriate edits, the outcome could be entirely different.
He was confident they could break that 20% mark.
“This can be captured and stored. I assure you, over 20%.”
Thus, the absurd prediction of 20% viewership became a recorded statement by the million-subscriber YouTuber Han Bong-sik.
Then, Dream Future rapidly turned into a hot topic drama.
*
Inwardly, Seoyeon had one nagging worry.
‘What if I get terrorized by Just X fans?’
Things like negative comments or petty gifts were quite common.
She fretted over how to handle it if it ever happened to her.
‘I’d rather they came to school, at least then I could manage.’
Lost in thought, Seoyeon pondered if she should train in self-defense.
Though she was already learning some at Cheonghong Action School, she wondered if it was enough.
In truth, her thoughts weren’t solely on the fan terror.
“Hello!! I’m the leader of Just X, Roo!”
“Sorry for the hassle; I’m Do Ho-jin.”
“Here, have a drink.”
Once, the entire Just X crew strolled into the filming location.
No matter how you slice it, Ma Yeon-woo being a member of Just X meant they had to utilize the whole crew for promotion.
By the way, the notorious “Killer Hong” is actually named Hong Yong-sik.
He uses the nickname Do Ho-jin to hide his cringe-worthy real name.
Anyway, Ma Yeon-woo played a significant promotional role overall.
So there was a desire from the writers to have him cameo just once, but…
“Ah, I’m not feeling it.”
Director Kim Pil-seok declined.
However, using them for promotions was a go.
The promo featured Ma Yeon-woo, or rather ‘Park Min-yul’, in a dance-off with Just X members, as part of an online advertisement.
And just before the shoot, he happened to greet Seoyeon, who was waiting at the filming site.
“Seoyeon, right? Yeon-woo talks about you all the time.”
‘The idol who takes medicine?’
“Yep, he talks a lot about you.”
‘Hong the killer from Apgujeong?’
“Wow, so this is an actress? Now I see why idols can’t stand next to actors.”
‘King of chairs in Gangnam?’
With personalities like these surrounding her, Seoyeon had every reason to feel anxious.
“Hello.”
“Ah, yes. Please keep taking care of Yeon-woo from now on.”
Of course, they could only nod, bemused by Seoyeon’s distant demeanor.
‘Does the actress look down on idols?’
It was quite ordinary for actors to dismiss idols.
Especially for someone like her, a high schooler, it was even easier for such attitudes to slip in.
Once she thought that, “Chair King” Ri-hyun felt particularly off-putting.
‘What if I teach him a lesson?’
In his past life, he was notorious for hitting on multiple girls in clubs, making headlines for scandals five times, and later earning fame from the club’s sex scandal.
He flashed Seoyeon a charming smile.
In his mind, no girl had ever resisted his charm.
“……?”
Receiving that grin, Seoyeon furrowed her brow.
Given her knowledge of his flamboyant background, it wasn’t hard to guess the motive behind his smile.
“Hey, what’s going on!”
Just then, Ma Yeon-woo rushed in, anxiously wedging himself between his members.
“Seoyeon? No, wait, Seoyeon-ya? Stop bothering her and scram!”
“Hey, what are you doing out of nowhere?”
Ri-hyun was shocked as Ma Yeon-woo suddenly shoved him from behind.
Although, Ma Yeon-woo was panicking for a different reason.
To be frank, he was bricking it.
‘What the hell is this kid doing to a high school girl?’
Generally, a situation like this would cause a huge uproar.
Ma Yeon-woo was not a mean person wanting to drag others down; he merely lacked a bit of common sense.
It was usually just a minor controversy, but this was crossing the line.
On top of that, Seoyeon’s eyes looked dangerously red.
He could feel a chill run down his spine just by taking a glance at them.
‘Just because it’s not captured on camera doesn’t mean it ain’t real.’
Ma Yeon-woo trembled.
Maybe Chae Na-hee could relate to that fear as well.
The “idol team” continued on, even after the commercial ended.
When it came down to synchronizing the acting portions, the three of them had to progress together.
“Well, it’s better to sync up at least once, right?”
That was the reasoning behind Kim Pil-seok’s direction.
Hence, during Dream Future, Ma Yeon-woo received quite a bit of acting help from Seoyeon.
“Your eye contact needs work.”
“…Eye contact?”
“You have to be aware of where the camera is.”
Seoyeon said this while demonstrating.
Every time Ma Yeon-woo found himself thinking:
This kid is a bit intimidating; but still, a true actress.
She had a way of drawing his attention like a magnet.
Chae Na-hee listened to Seoyeon’s feedback as well.
A model student.
Because of that, the rebellious Ma Yeon-woo couldn’t help but straighten up.
Additionally, Seoyeon was pretty strict about it.
Each time Ma Yeon-woo made a mistake, he could see her eyes narrowing down.
She would correct his posture with her hands, and in those moments, Ma Yeon-woo felt his body groan in protest.
‘This is just weird.’
Ma Yeon-woo was fit from dancing training, but he couldn’t resist Seoyeon’s strength.
Even after practicing dancing for long hours without breaking a sweat…
“Yo, Ma Yeon-woo, what’s going on?”
“Forget it, just do those commercials. I saved your butt.”
“What are you talking about?”
Ri-hyun didn’t catch Ma Yeon-woo’s insinuation.
What did he mean by “saved” him?
He harbored a lot of questions, while for Seoyeon, it more like…
‘They sure get along well.’
Despite having a shady edge to them… it felt a bit envious.
Lee Ji-yeon didn’t quite like being fussed over.
But back at school, seeing kids being this close…
Seoyeon secretly entertained a bit of that fantasy.
‘But soon.’
Seoyeon brimmed with confidence.
Through Just X, the number of classmates approaching her had multiplied.
Just a little more bonding, and she would reach the friendship level.
As Seoyeon stood there, secure in her feelings…
The premiere of Dream Future Episode 1 was fast approaching.
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