Chapter: 79
“…….”
Ji-yeon sighed at the noisy classroom since morning.
The class was unusually restless.
And the reason? It was nothing out of the ordinary.
It was just one person aimlessly wandering around, making everyone nervous for no reason.
‘Let’s just wait until lunchtime.’
It was a different class, and right after the school festival, it would be exam period.
Even though Yeonhwa High School had a reputation for neglecting academics to some extent, basic principles still had to be observed.
“Ji-yeon, your friend…”
“Is it okay to leave them like that? Oh, they’re looking over here.”
Whenever Ji-yeon was playing with other students, that person would look their way with a face like a drenched dog.
It was more annoying than disturbing.
“That’s just how they are.”
“Really?”
Joo Seoyeon typically acted that way.
In fact, that was all an act too. A protest for someone to talk to them first, perhaps.
Sometimes it was genuine, but at least right now, it was an act.
Having watched Seoyeon for a long time, Ji-yeon understood this very well.
“That’s too much.”
Finally, when lunchtime came, Seoyeon spoke.
“You could just make friends instead of bothering me.”
“I already made one.”
Oh, the class president?
I don’t even remember their name, but there was a hint of dialogue with the class president.
‘Hmm.’
Not quite a friend, but they were talking, that much was clear.
Even if Seoyeon had a slightly odd personality, she wasn’t a bad person, so they’d be friends before long.
That was what she thought.
“…”
While Ji-yeon contemplated like this, Seoyeon was a bit troubled.
‘Should I mention yesterday’s broadcast?’
Setting aside the details about Ramiel, she wanted to express her gratitude.
They hadn’t forgotten the stories from their childhood and had perfectly recreated them.
She had fainted shortly after the birthday wishes, so she didn’t get to see the whole live stream, but after waking up in the morning, she went to catch up on the rest.
The remainder was nothing out of the ordinary—a debut broadcast.
While she couldn’t see the original first broadcast of Ramiel, at least she was able to catch the live events this time.
‘First broadcast, and there were quite a few mentions for a solo act.’
It seemed that a lot of money had been thrown in, making it an attractive topic.
Add to that her acting skills, and the fact that her voice clearly reflected her training made some wonder if a company was pushing her for promotional purposes.
‘…….’
As Seoyeon considered whether to say something, she shook her head.
Ji-yeon giggled at Seoyeon‘s behavior.
She had been recently updated on the life of a Vtuber, and given Seoyeon‘s stubborn personality, she was certain she wouldn’t mention it herself.
The boundary between Ramiel and Lee Ji-yeon was blurring.
Still, witnessing Seoyeon like this made it clear she had received a gift yesterday.
For Ji-yeon, it was a significant amount of time she had prepared.
‘After having known her for ten years.’
What she wanted to say.
And her connection to Ramiel was undoubtedly a given.
“Today, the PV is coming out, right?”
“Oh, right.”
Seoyeon nodded.
The PV for The Chaser was set to drop at 10 PM tonight.
And promotions were about to kick off, with the movie expected to hit theaters in as little as three to four months.
They were also set to release the exact date within this month, which meant it wasn’t far off at all.
“I guess I have to work hard too.”
Ji-yeon‘s words made Seoyeon momentarily divert her gaze.
Currently, she was doing pretty well on cable, but her public image wasn’t the best.
‘A drama or movie that fits Lee Ji-yeon…’
Seoyeon took a sidelong glance at Ji-yeon.
Objectively, Ji-yeon‘s acting was quite decent.
However, considering her age, there were certainly aspects that would be lacking compared to true adult actors.
But she had plenty of potential to grow.
‘If only there was an opportunity…’
Yet, nothing really came to mind.
With Ji-yeon‘s current career, most opportunities seemed out of reach.
On a personal note, Seoyeon wanted to star in something with her…
Thud.
Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder from Ji-yeon.
Turning to see what was going on, she said,
“…What’s all this commotion about?”
Is there something?
Seoyeon raised her head and looked around.
The buzz of students echoed around them.
People rushed somewhere quickly, as if a celebrity had arrived.
…A celebrity?
Ji-yeon‘s and Seoyeon‘s gazes crossed.
Neither could quite say who stood first, as they both hopped off the bench.
*
“Running late.”
“…”
At the sharp words of a woman, Seoyeon momentarily hesitated on how to respond.
‘Is everyone suddenly into appearing out of nowhere these days?’
The lady with brown-dyed hair, slicked back with piercing eyes, radiated the aura of a haughty princess or a queen.
If she weren’t in a brown school uniform, one might mistake her for an adult.
“Joo Seoyeon, that’s you, right?”
“…Well, that’s…”
It genuinely felt like Ji-yeon was about to refer to her as “that thing” just now.
But since she was in the same industry, perhaps she was trying to be careful with her words.
Yet, the entrance was impactful enough to warrant being called “that thing.”
“Jo Seo-hee?”
“Is that really Jo Seo-hee? Wow, you’re seriously gorgeous!”
“Do you two know each other?”
The gazes of students observing us at the school gate were palpable.
The supervising teacher even stood there, astonished.
Normally, one would expect them to break up the congregation, but…
‘Why is Seo-hee…’
She sighed, feeling the eyes of students alternating between her and Seo-hee.
“What’s going on?”
“Feel free to talk comfortably.”
Seo-hee said that, appearing to take note of Seoyeon’s earlier words of, “We’re not that close, are we?”
Though they were the same age, Seo-hee had a strangely older vibe.
In fact, she had even debuted earlier than Seoyeon, which made it hard to approach her.
“…Hmph. Alright.”
Seo-hee seemed to have given up and gestured toward the back.
There, a woman appearing to be her manager brought something over.
What was it? A paper bag filled with all sorts of boxes.
“A birthday gift.”
“?”
“For me and Park senior.”
The only person worthy of being referred to as Park senior would be Park Jung-woo.
“If you came looking for me, it’s guaranteed that trouble would brew, so they made me come instead.”
Seo-hee clicked her tongue.
“Ah, but personally, this is just a little gift.”
“A gift?”
“Yep. Just as you said… we’re not really that close, right?”
Seo-hee said with a smile.
“So, I thought I’d try to charm you a bit.”
“…”
As Seo-hee made that comment, Seoyeon took a step back, making Seo-hee chuckle.
“I didn’t mean it like that. Just a joke.”
“Yes.”
It’s awkward to say this, but for Seoyeon, Seo-hee was truly a burden as a villainess.
Though on the flip side, getting to know a peer actor didn’t seem too bad.
‘This is odd…’
Just how long have Seo-hee and Park Jung-woo been close to the point of asking for gifts?
As these questions arose, she examined the paper bag in her hand.
It was evidently filled with expensive items.
Ironically enough, they were all products that Seo-hee was advertising.
What a huge ego that was!
Seoyeon thought it was something she wanted to emulate.
“Next year…”
At that moment, Seo-hee said.
“Yeah?”
“I think it’s going to be so hectic this year, so I’d like to set a plan for next year. Would that be okay?”
Seoyeon wanted to respond with a no. But thinking of hearing her out, she nodded.
“Do you know Director Baek Min?”
“Yes. He directed Emergency Declaration, right?”
“Exactly. I acted in that film too.”
What was that? A boast?
As Seoyeon stared, pondering.
“At that time, we became friends and I happened to hear that he’s shooting another film next year.”
Director Baek Min was famous for making critically acclaimed films.
He was known for achieving considerable success with limited budgets, creating films that had a significant influence on the public.
‘Oh, no way…’
As that thought crossed her mind, a certain film surfaced vividly in Seoyeon‘s memory.
“I didn’t catch the movie’s name, but I heard he’s casting a lot of female leads.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“…Yeah, is it?”
“Ah, no.”
Seoyeon nodded.
A film by Director Baek Min.
It must be an excellent movie.
With around four million viewers, it was impressive, to say the least.
Though this number might not seem huge at first, considering the genre, it was phenomenal.
Moreover, the film had shaken up audiences significantly.
Most importantly, it received accolades overseas, being mentioned at the Academy Awards.
It was an excellent chance for boosting international recognition.
“There’s so much to learn from being in Director Baek Min’s film.”
That made sense; she probably just wanted to act in a movie alongside Seoyeon.
Good films required strong performances, making them an ideal stage for showcasing one’s skills.
Indeed, this latest film from Director Baek Min demanded considerable acting proficiency.
“…I’ll think about it.”
“Hmm.”
Seo-hee was evidently a little put off by that response, yet she nodded.
“Have I been a bother?”
“No, it’s not that I outright don’t want to work together.”
“Really? Hmm, okay.”
For some reason, Seo-hee appeared rather sulky.
She had exuded a certain confidence when talking about Director Baek Min’s film, yet now…
“…Anyway, if you want to go, just tell me. I’ll get your name put down for auditions.”
After that, Seo-hee said this and briefly glanced over at Ji-yeon beside her.
And then,
“If she wants, I can mention her too.”
With that, she hopped into her car and sped off.
It seemed like she had only taken a quick break during lunch.
Seo-hee mentioning Ji-yeon had another underlying reason.
‘If I can woo her friends, maybe I can win her over?’
It was a shallow tactic, yet it got Seoyeon thinking.
‘She seems clueless about what kind of movie it is…’
If that were the case, she wouldn’t have confidently offered Seoyeon a chance to “act together.”
After all, Director Baek Min’s next film was titled Gyeongseong Lady.
It was a movie portraying love between women—essentially a film about same-sex romance.
*
The first reveal of the PV for The Chaser.
Directed by Bae Jin-hwan, known as the magician of visual beauty.
It was a piece that had garnered significant public anticipation, although the genre of thriller brought its share of unease.
This was especially true given that recent Korean thriller releases had met with failure, leading to a public fatigue for the genre.
“Five minutes to go.”
Cha Jin-hwan, the producer, exchanged glances with the PV promotional team, waiting for the 10 PM drop.
Everyone felt a sense of dread hanging in the air.
If it were the second or third PV, perhaps it’d be a non-issue.
But the first PV was the initial gauge of the public’s reaction.
No matter how many times people claimed the PV was just a promo gimmick, if there were no reactions, the likelihood of it turning into a disaster of a movie shot up drastically.
Why do movies that gain traction later get so much attention?
Truly, it was quite an unusual phenomenon.
Naturally, Cha Jin-hwan didn’t want that to happen.
“It’s live!!”
And then, the PV for The Chaser began popping up across various communities.
‘Please.’
And it seemed Cha Jin-hwan’s prayers were answered.
The Movie: The Chaser – 1st Teaser
Views: 2,170,344
Surpassing two million views in one day.
This marked the highest view count for a film teaser released this year.
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