Chapter: 105
—
Ji-yeon believed she and Seoyeon were quite close friends.
After all, they had spent nearly a decade together, sharing plenty of experiences.
And that includes their acting careers, which made them somewhat codependent academically and in various other ways.
…If it weren’t for Seoyeon, she’d probably never have gotten into vTuber stuff. Now, it was one of her entertaining activities.
When it came to communicating with others and planning content, Ji-yeon felt fairly confident.
Anyway…
‘I really have no idea what’s going through her head.’
A film about homosexuality. It seemed to focus on love between women.
‘A movie by director Baek Min.’
Of course, Ji-yeon was aware of him. He was known for his artistic direction, having gained more recognition overseas than domestically.
In other words, he was a director one would surely encounter when aiming for international expansion.
But that aside…
‘How can she be so calm about it?’
Ji-yeon stared at Seoyeon with her eyes wide open in disbelief. In response, Seoyeon merely tilted her head slightly, as if worried she’d done something wrong.
That gesture was distinctly Seoyeon’s – it seemed genuine, like she was just being innocent in the conversation.
But couldn’t one interpret that differently?
‘No, no, it would actually be odd to think ill of her intentions.’
However, wasn’t that more likely?
Sure, if they were adult actresses, they might perceive it coolly and make rational decisions. But Ji-yeon was still in high school!
Isn’t it normal to react that way?
Yet, it was rather fascinating that Seoyeon was so cool about it.
She sometimes thought Seoyeon was remarkably professional when it came to work and seemed to separate her job from personal feelings.
How exactly could one draw that line so clearly?
‘And what about your school friends?’
Let’s say Ji-yeon shares a part in the project and it gets good reactions. But what would her classmates think if they saw their friend acting in such a movie?
“Are you uncomfortable with it?”
“……”
Seoyeon’s follow-up question echoed again, looking like a sad puppy with its tail tucked down.
It seemed Seoyeon was genuinely convinced the movie would benefit Ji-yeon.
‘Ugh.’
Seeing Seoyeon’s concerned expression made Ji-yeon cringe.
Sure, what did it matter?
‘I’m not in a position to be picky.’
After all, Ji-yeon had only started appearing in cable dramas!
If it’s a movie by Baek Min, whether in a supporting role or as an extra, she should just grab the opportunity.
“I’m not against it, really.”
“Is that so? Though you look a bit flustered.”
“Hey, Joo Seoyeon, of course I’m flustered!”
“Why?”
“Why? Why are you asking that? I mean…,”
Jo Seo-hee listened to their conversation with keen interest.
‘Are they really that close?’
Looking at Ji-yeon, who she didn’t know, while listening to her speak with Seoyeon, she was curious.
‘Oh, she’s currently in a cable drama!’
“Hmm,” Jo Seo-hee propped her chin and glanced at the two.
In all honesty, growing up as a child actor often made it hard to make friends.
It wasn’t easy to hang out, and once they got used to social life, peers felt considerably younger.
They looked somewhat childish, to put it bluntly.
She knew it wasn’t a good thing, but what could one do? That was just the reality.
‘They’re both actors, and they’ve been close friends since childhood.’
Jo Seo-hee felt a twinge of envy.
Seoyeon definitely seemed to have deep relationships rather than wide ones.
Since there weren’t many peers among actresses, Jo Seo-hee pondered how she could find a way into that relationship.
“Seo-hee sunbae.”
“Yes?”
“So, when does the audition for Gyeongseong Lady start?”
Seoyeon had already been to a few auditions.
Jo Seo-hee thought it was a common audition since she heard there would be one soon.
“You don’t have to audition.”
“Huh?”
“You already have some recognition from The Chaser and Dream Future.”
And Jo Seo-hee had strongly promoted that during discussions.
Thus, Baek Min had definitely seen The Chaser.
And she got to hear his thoughts on the project yesterday.
“Seo-hee, are you really friends with Joo Seoyeon?”
Jo Seo-hee’s heart skipped a beat with Baek Min’s unexpected question.
Could it be that he doubted the authenticity of her friendship with Seoyeon?
“Yes, we’re best friends! We’ve known each other for ten years.”
“Ah, right. You both auditioned for The Sun Hidden by the Moon together.”
“Yeah, I lost, but…”
‘It’s just that I was a cocky little brat back then.’
Well, she was still a bit cocky.
But maintaining that attitude was just her way of preserving her pride, so she wasn’t inclined to change.
“I’ve seen both The Chaser and Dream Future, just as Seo-hee recommended.”
“What did you think?”
While Jo Seo-hee watched Seoyeon’s hopeful face, Baek Min smiled.
Such innocent excitement was rare in Jo Seo-hee’s interactions.
“The Chaser was impressive, and I really liked Dream Future.”
“……Hmm?”
Wasn’t it usually the other way around?
That thought crossed Jo Seo-hee’s mind, but she didn’t show it.
“Well, the movie I’m planning to shoot is a romance.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“In that sense, the performance in Dream Future inspired me a lot.”
It was just yesterday.
Episode 11 of Dream Future.
“It was quite fresh.”
Baek Min recalled Jo Ha-rin’s performance from the day before.
They’d heard numerous stories about various incidents during filming, like crucial scenes getting cut due to personal indiscretions from the drama writer.
Ironically, because Jo Ha-rin’s scenes were cut, her narrative turned more believable.
Jo Ha-rin was paired with Park Min-yul.
But the development of their relationship seemed a bit stagnant compared to other couples in the drama.
Of course, she hadn’t appeared much in the story.
But since her character had secretly had a crush on Kim Si-hwan, it made sense her romance with Park Min-yul was put on the backburner.
“Her bewildered acting as a girl slightly confused by a love that’s gradually blossoming with Park Min-yul was great.”
It was reminiscent of a naive girl who didn’t quite understand love.
That sweet yet sorrowful emotion left her flustered, and she couldn’t quite embrace the emotional connection with others.
Was it acting?
No, honestly, it almost felt too real to think of it as acting.
For Baek Min, it completely surpassed the image of ‘Chae Seo-ah’ he had seen in The Chaser.
At least, that’s how he felt.
So, audiences would likely share a similar impression.
A few days ago, Baek Min had met with GH Group.
During the meeting, the cultural business division’s director, Kang Tae-jin, said something.
“That’s too bad, Director Baek. I thought this was quite a good opportunity.”
“I’m sorry, but I have a project I want to direct.”
“I’ve heard. You’ve received investments from several places.”
A man with snake-like eyes said this with a grin.
“Do you happen to know the actress Joo Seoyeon?”
“Huh?”
Baek Min was taken aback, caught off guard by an unexpected mention.
After all, that was the actress Jo Seo-hee had been discussing all along.
“I think she’d be a great fit for your film.”
“My… film?”
“Yes, your film is quite emotional.”
“Emotional,” Baek Min echoed.
For him, it implied that Joo Seoyeon was an actress capable of delivering sensitive performances.
“We were on ‘Chae Seo-ah’’s side.”
He directed a smile at Baek Min.
“I think there’s someone wishing for Jo Ha-rin’s part too.”
At that, Baek Min internally chuckled.
‘Are you trying to sweet-talk me into boosting an actress’s profile?’
Even if the collaboration was busted, they were still attempting to make good use of it.
His indirect remark implied he had already claimed Joo Seoyeon for his project.
After all, if Joo Seoyeon’s profile rose, whoever sponsored her in the first place would reap the greatest rewards.
But the interest was genuine.
Joo Seoyeon.
Even with just four roles under her belt, she was strikingly impressive.
Her portrayal of a girl who gradually understands love resonated perfectly with what Baek Min wanted to show in Gyeongseong Lady.
As Baek Min slowly blinked his eyes, he contemplated the impact of Dream Future while quietly observing Jo Seo-hee across from him.
“I’d be thrilled if Seo-hee and Seoyeon could join my film.”
“That’s quite a compliment.”
Jo Seo-hee felt a bit flustered by his response.
Didn’t he say something about needing to audition beforehand?
Anyway, it was comforting to hear.
“Oh, by the way, there’s one more actress I’d like to recommend…”
“Hmm, that’s perfectly fine. The audition doors are wide open!”
Baek Min clearly meant to pass the audition.
It seemed significant to a role that was yet to be determined.
Jo Seo-hee sighed inwardly.
In front of her were two girls.
Joo Seoyeon and Lee Ji-yeon.
Especially Seoyeon looked a bit taken aback.
She probably thought she would be auditioning together with her.
Yet, to Baek Min’s surprise, he seemed quite fond of Seoyeon.
“So, you’ll be auditioning alone.”
“Hey, don’t point at me.”
“……”
Jo Seo-hee hesitated as she instinctively pointed fingers at Ji-yeon.
She pulled her finger back cautiously.
‘That’s a bit rude.’
However, oddly enough, Jo Seo-hee felt a thrill having her first moment of being called out by a peer. Was it not a bit wall-less?
Since everyone around her often seemed intimidated, it felt refreshing.
“Ahem! So, you should definitely audition. I told Baek Min, too.”
After hearing Jo Seo-hee, Ji-yeon paused for a moment.
She didn’t particularly stress that she had to audition compared to Seoyeon.
Honestly, comparing herself with Seoyeon, the rising star who had hit it big in a public drama seemed ridiculous.
Even though she had lagged a bit behind…
‘But, this is a chance I shouldn’t miss.’
It was an opportunity to stand on the same stage with someone like Seoyeon.
In that sense…
“Thanks!”
“Huh?”
“You recommended it on my behalf.”
Taken aback by Ji-yeon’s gratitude, Jo Seo-hee was surprised.
Didn’t Ji-yeon seem to dislike her?
“Well, it’s just a small favor.”
When she glanced at Seoyeon after saying this, now Seoyeon was shooting her an annoyed look.
‘What now?’
Jo Seo-hee faced an expression of injustice from Seoyeon.
Jo Seo-hee forgot the fact that Seoyeon had never actually heard her say ‘thank you’ before.
Most of the time, Seoyeon was being looked out for by Ji-yeon, so while she had plenty to be grateful for, the reverse happened almost never.
‘…Anyway.’
Seoyeon’s gaze flicked back to Ji-yeon.
Audition.
She was well aware of Ji-yeon’s talents, but it was hard to predict what Baek Min’s criteria would be.
While she hoped they’d both ace it together…
‘It should be fine.’
Yet, Seoyeon trusted Ji-yeon.
After all, she had been by Ji-yeon’s side for ten years.
—
“Director!”
Manager Park Eun-ha looked quite exhausted lately due to being swamped with work.
That was undoubtedly because her phone had been buzzing non-stop about Seoyeon.
Now a rising star.
Many were looking to seize this moment when she was at her most valuable.
Or there were those eagerly waiting for her newfound fame to fizzle out, believing it was merely a “bubble” waiting to burst.
They were hoping her market value would drop just a little.
“Advertising requests are around this much, but we’re also getting quite a lot of variety show requests.”
“Variety shows? Let’s see what we’ve got.”
Kang Chan-yul, the CEO of Nova Entertainment, skimmed through the requests that had recently come in.
Seoyeon was one of the few entertainers under his direct management.
Just as he had once told Seoyeon, he regarded her as a bright star.
Clearly, someone whose shine would only become more pronounced with polish.
Therefore, it was only natural for Kang Chan-yul to check her schedules.
Of course, Seoyeon also welcomed this.
Most likely, she hadn’t quite grasped how the industry functioned yet.
“Which ones do you think would be good?”
“Hmm.”
Typically, in such cases, one must consider the actor’s personality.
Some stars were fiercely secretive and wouldn’t partake in variety shows under any circumstances.
Many also picked and chose their ads.
Taking any random commercial could tarnish one’s image.
‘If I recall the variety shows she’s done…’
“When the Light Turns Green up to the Throne.”
And “Surviving Alone.”
Both were shows Seoyeon had enjoyed thoroughly.
Although those shadowing the filming processes seemed to find it tiring.
“Maybe something a bit more energetic would do… Oh, this one seems nice.”
While muttering that, Kang Chan-yul nodded at one particular variety show.
Given Seoyeon’s recent busy shooting schedule, a healing program could provide a nice break.
‘Is this really healing though?’
Of course, that was the thought swirling in Eun-ha’s mind.
To be honest, wasn’t this more like a program in which Kang Chan-yul himself could find his healing?
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