Chapter: 102
—
Im Jin-ha, the writer, decided to reduce Jo Ha-rin’s screen time.
The exact reasons for this were a mystery to Seoyeon.
There are probably multiple reasons behind a drama writer’s decision to cut back on a character’s prominence.
Thinking about Park Jung-woo’s reactions, it didn’t seem to be a common occurrence.
‘But…’
Seoyeon didn’t fret much about Jo Ha-rin’s dwindling role.
After all, this part was meant to balance out Chae Seo-ah’s image.
So, she figured that the current level of focus was just fine.
Sure, there were times when Jo Ha-rin’s performance blended a bit too closely with Chae Seo-ah’s persona, but that was alright.
It was even a bit funny.
“Seoyeon!”
“Yeah?”
It was Chae Na-hee, playing Song So-ha, who approached her.
“I, um, my acting could really use some work, right?”
“……Huh?”
“My role, it’s been cut down, hasn’t it?”
Na-hee said, presumably believing that her own reduced screen time was due to Jo Ha-rin overshadowing her.
Not quite.
It seemed the writer had a different intent behind the cuts.
Seoyeon wanted to explain this but couldn’t articulate that Na-hee’s role had actually increased because she couldn’t dismiss the impact of this change.
She feared it might sound like a feeble excuse intended to comfort Na-hee.
“Um, can you help me a bit? I’ll try my hardest until the end of the drama, okay?”
Chae Na-hee was, first and foremost, an idol.
It’s not often that idols get wholeheartedly invested in acting.
Well, they have their main career after all.
“Yes, I’ll help as much as I can.”
“Th-thank you!!”
What a good person.
She must be older than Seoyeon, yet here she was, bending over backwards to ask for help.
– Is Song So-ha even the main character?
– No presence at all, lol. At least she shines when she sings.
– Just make Jo Ha-rin the lead.
– The director and the writer must be completely off their rockers, lol.
But even though Seoyeon agreed to help Na-hee, it didn’t mean her skills would magically improve.
She must have learned acting from a proper instructor beforehand, so any dramatic improvement was unlikely.
“…….”
But as Seoyeon watched Na-hee, she had a plethora of thoughts.
She felt a mix of reflection and realization.
‘I wanted to avoid emulating Jo Ha-rin’s acting, didn’t I?’
Portraying love for another person.
Honestly, she didn’t feel confident about it.
The lack of confidence made her shy away from attempts altogether.
What a childish thought.
Even though she believed she wouldn’t shy away from roles as an actress.
Seoyeon had a sense of pride in her profession.
She realized that thinking it was okay to reduce her role was disrespectful to Chae Na-hee.
“I want to see you act properly, Seoyeon. Just like in episode 1.”
Na-hee said, laughing.
Even now, there were still posts online criticizing her.
What a resilient person.
Seoyeon didn’t know much about Na-hee.
Only that she was from a girl group that would soon disband.
And that she was a young single parent, bearing the burden of holding her girl group together.
The last active member of the girl group Na-hee was in was none other than her.
Now, Seoyeon understood a bit of why that was.
“……Yeah, if the opportunity arises.”
Hearing that, Na-hee smiled.
And then she said,
“This stage scene is really important, you know?”
Suddenly, Jo Ha-rin’s role began to surge.
Director Kim Pil-seok said to Seoyeon,
“Park Min-yul is dropping out, and Jo Ha-rin is taking his place. The Jo Ha-rin who previously had zero presence!”
That meant the seventh episode’s performance, where Jo Ha-rin had barely been showcased.
It was crucial to fill that gap in this episode.
“Y-you know, it’s a bit of a tall order, but…”
Min Se-hee said as she lowered her head.
And so, the filming commenced.
Seoyeon’s eyes were drawn to Ma Yeon-woo on stage.
The top idol.
Just like Seoyeon yearned for great actors and top stars, he might already be at the peak of the idol world.
So she wasn’t worried about his performance.
‘Emotions…’
Seoyeon took a deep breath.
It had been a while.
Truly capturing emotions.
Method acting.
She had pretty much shelved it for a long time.
Method acting is just one technique, nothing particularly special.
It can create a sense of immersion, but who needs to go that far?
It can be excessive.
Going overboard with immersion might lead to cringy moments.
So, Seoyeon intentionally refrained from using method acting, as it tended to slow her emotional recovery.
But.
‘Right now…’
It was special for Seoyeon, if not for others.
It was the first type of acting she had ever done.
And this was the kind of performance that made her emotions shine brighter than ever.
As emotions bubbled within her, she aligned her body to the rhythm flowing around her.
The stage that was about to start.
The performance Jo Ha-rin would showcase.
She felt Chae Na-hee observing her from below the stage.
Seoyeon smiled at her, like she was offering a smile to the audience watching below.
‘Jo Ha-rin’s feelings for Park Min-yul are still just simple curiosity.’
A feeling strange and slightly disconcerting.
Yet, the warmth spreading through her cooling heart was palpable.
That was precisely that feeling.
‘Funny enough…’
Writer Im Jin-ha reduced Jo Ha-rin’s role, but it ironically benefitted her.
Until now, Jo Ha-rin had lacked presence, and her storyline with Park Min-yul was almost nonexistent.
So now, their chemistry needed to be built.
Jo Ha-rin had to convey that delightful sense of unfamiliarity to the viewers.
That’s why Seoyeon could empathize with Jo Ha-rin’s emotions.
The affection for another person was foreign and disconcerting for Seoyeon.
And now, she would act out that unfamiliarity.
That was the narrative, and henceforth, it would be Jo Ha-rin’s most radiant emotion.
In a way that anyone could see it as love, a truly adorable performance.
A heroine.
‘Wow.’
Chae Na-hee gasped as she saw Seoyeon’s performance.
With a bright smile, she watched Seoyeon dancing on stage as if looking at a real idol.
‘The feelings directed toward Park Min-yul.’
But that wasn’t all.
Now, as a rookie idol, her actions naturally reflected that side.
Of course, being an actress, it was inevitable that some clumsiness would show in her idol performance.
She transformed it into acting.
And Ma Yeon-woo seamlessly covered those shortcomings.
After all, he was a pro.
So, the stage was flawless.
It truly felt like a concert.
Seoyeon showcased her strengths while hiding her weaknesses.
Chae Na-hee couldn’t tear her eyes away from the blissful Seoyeon.
As if she was truly at a concert.
The roaring cheers from a multitude of fans.
It echoed in Na-hee’s ears just like the fervent applause she had always heard.
When the song ended and Seoyeon high-fived Ma Yeon-woo, Na-hee realized it was over.
Only then did it dawn on her that this was acting.
It was likely a shared realization with many others.
And just as Na-hee had expected.
[
[
News articles began pouring in.
*
“Did you watch Dream Future yesterday?”
“I didn’t watch it because it felt childish, but I caught up yesterday and it was surprisingly fun.”
“Heard the actor from episode 7 played a murderer in The Chaser?”
“Is that true? He seemed totally different!?”
“Right? I was shocked too!!”
From episode 7, Dream Future began being discussed among people.
Until then, it had merely been a peculiar drama airing alongside an internet broadcast.
A new venture.
That was the general feel.
“Jo Ha-rin was super pretty.”
“I thought she was amazing even in The Chaser.”
“Why wasn’t Jo Ha-rin getting more attention until now? Was it some grand strategy?”
“No way.”
People could frequently be seen discussing the drama.
Both film and drama.
Seoyeon’s name began to appear in conversations.
– Haha, the writer of Dream Future quit.
– Really??
– I heard there’s a new writer starting from episode 7? The previous writer ‘clashed’ and left.
– Word is, reducing Jo Ha-rin’s role was that writer’s doing??
– Haha, looks like they are set on going down in flames.
News of Im Jin-ha swirling among the internet crowd.
It seemed someone among the staff had spilled the beans.
Or perhaps,
“Hmph.”
Han Sun-ah smirked while typing up the latest article.
An item sourced directly from KMB insiders.
The article, to put it bluntly, dealt with Im Jin-ha.
The title might roughly be [The Controversy of a Drama Writer’s Ego: Should Viewers Bear the Responsibility?].
Something along those lines.
“Oh, maybe this is a little too provocative.”
Feeling guilty, Han Sun-ah revised her article.
Still, she had no intention of letting things slide quietly.
Thus it went.
After episode 7 aired, came episode 8.
The meeting between Jo Ha-rin and Song So-ha, both entered into the top ten.
“Did the ratings go up again? How much?”
“17%! It went up by 2%!”
“Wow, that’s insane! Are we finally getting a drama that surpasses 20%?”
Considering the ongoing decline in drama ratings, a figure over 20% indicated a near-miraculous achievement.
[
[
Afterwards came episodes 9 and 10 of Dream Future.
In those episodes, Song So-ha shines, and the male lead, Kim Si-hwan, realizes his feelings.
Meanwhile, Jo Ha-rin randomly encounters Park Min-yul.
– Ah, this is so thrilling.
– Song So-ha’s acting potential just skyrocketed lately, hasn’t it?
– That’s not Song So-ha, it’s Chae Na-hee, you know?
– Isn’t it all the same in essence? Young heads of families remain heads of families.
– Lately, I’ve seen her post pictures with Joo Su-yeon on Instagram often.
– Are they close?
Chae Na-hee was doing her best in her own way.
As the female lead, Song So-ha, she gradually started to appeal her presence to the audience.
– Jo Ha-rin and Park Min-yul are really giving off a tickling vibe.
– Honestly, this romance subplot is getting frustrating.
– That’s exactly what makes it good, non?
– I doubt this’ll last by the end.
– To be honest, if Kim Si-hwan jumps ship right after liking her, that would be odd.
– Exactly, that makes sense.
Conversations about Dream Future were actively fluctuating on community boards.
Thus, the ratings began to climb steadily.
YouTube views exploded as well.
[Ramiel’s stream]
「I recently watched a movie, The Chaser.」
「Oh, I guess everyone knows that one. It’s pretty exciting, isn’t it?」
「I heard the same actor was featured, so I checked out Dream Future, and I was shocked.」
「Their acting was completely different! I seriously couldn’t believe they were the same actor.」
「……Honestly, I thought it was amazing.」
「Oh, really? Did you think my voice sounded familiar? Nah, must just be a misunderstanding.」
「Ahem, anyway, I recommend The Chaser and Dream Future!」
The buzz grew larger as they were mentioned across various internet broadcasts.
There were those who hadn’t seen The Chaser or Dream Future, but it was rare to find anyone who hadn’t seen both.
“Have you seen Joo Su-yeon lately? This actress is really popping up everywhere.”
“I first saw her on a variety show, and her cheerful personality was lovely.”
“Maybe her image as Chae Seo-ah makes her seem a bit scary. Like she might show up wielding an axe or something.”
“LOL, that’s kinda spot on.”
So, supporting characters began to emerge on both sides.
Talk of Seoyeon became unavoidable.
[OST from Dream Future released, dominating Melon charts!]
The songs featured in the drama climbed music sites, asserting their presence.
[
So The Chaser topped the 10 million mark.
“Hello, this is director Bae Jin-hwan. …Huh? Me?”
A call for Seoyeon came in right around that time.
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