[KMB Drama Department 1 and 2 Split?]
[Will the Monday-Tuesday vs Wednesday-Thursday Family Feud be Intense?]
The online news agency, Sunyang Media, was busily reacting to the latest news.
Isn’t there talk about the KMB Drama Department splitting?
It was clear that competition had intensified internally, or there was some other reason.
“It’s just factions.”
Han Sun-ah turned her head at her indifferent colleague’s remark.
“The prime candidate for the head of Drama Department 2 is PD Baek Tae-soo. From my previous coverage, he went to college with the KMB Broadcasting Company president.”
Seoul Baekcheong Arts University.
It’s the most prestigious school in Korea that people in the broadcasting industry flock to.
So, the colleague’s claim was that the president would likely support Drama Department 2.
“Definitely…”
Han Sun-ah agreed with that.
The drama PD Baek Tae-soo was in charge of [Grand Game].
On the other hand, the current director, Ha Tae-oh, was managing [Sky Garden].
At this point, it was impossible not to realize that both sides were in a competitive structure.
“Just look at the previews. You can tell that more money has been invested in [Grand Game].”
In fact, that wasn’t the only problem.
Had there been a rushed personnel shift? The preview for [Sky Garden] seemed to feel lacking in quality.
No, to be precise, it felt like the production skills were lacking.
Still, they managed to include most of what needed to be in there.
“That must be a bit disappointing for you.”
The colleague said this to comfort Sun-ah.
After all, nobody at Sunyang Media was unaware that Sun-ah was a fan of Seo-yeon.
Whenever Seo-yeon was active, Sun-ah usually wrote articles about her.
“Not everything can go well. The movies are a hit, and one drama turned out okay. You should be satisfied with this.”
While it was indeed a consolation, it was a valid point.
Seo-yeon was currently gaining popularity in the broadcasting industry, and there hadn’t been any clear failures to date.
Anything she released seems to hit above average.
The three letters of the name Joo Seo-yeon stood out remarkably.
Drama, movies, and even variety shows.
In fact, even cable variety shows were benefited thanks to Seo-yeon’s influence.
“I don’t think [Sky Garden] will flop. It seems like it could be entertaining.”
The colleague said, patting Sun-ah on the shoulder, while getting up with a warm americano in hand.
As the season grew cooler.
‘…….’
Sun-ah felt the changing weather and fiddled with her pen.
The approach of year-end meant that award ceremonies were approaching.
Film festivals, entertainment awards.
A time when celebrities find prestige.
‘Surely Seo-yeon will win something.’
The colleague might be right.
Seo-yeon had already achieved considerable success throughout the year, and [Sky Garden] didn’t necessarily have to be a hit.
It didn’t feel doomed either, so there was no need for worry.
However, as year-end approached, dramas or movies that hit later in the year tend to leave a stronger impression.
If [Grand Game] were to become a massive hit from here… the award that Seo-yeon should have received for [Dream Future] could end up going to someone else.
< Sky Garden> didn’t necessarily have to succeed.
But Sun-ah hoped it would, for the sake of ‘consolidation.’
“And.”
Sun-ah started typing.
An article about the recently released preview of [Sky Garden].
Article on the [Sky Garden] Trailer Release
At first glance, it left quite a bit to be desired, but thanks to a certain YouTuber who emphasized its potential, the trailer gained renewed attention.
With over 1.4 million subscribers, that influence was no joke.
“Guess I owe them a thanks.”
Seon-ah had already watched the videos from that YouTuber, Han Bong-sik. She found a subtle bond with him since they shared the same last name.
Anyway, like he said, [Sky Garden] feels quite like a cable channel show.
Will that actually work in its favor, or will it just fade into obscurity?
That remains to be seen.
*
– The song is seriously great!
– KMB, release the soundtrack already!!
– Perfect for work! The soothing vibes really help with my focus.
– I often listen to it while studying. My concentration is on point!
Was it because the trailer had too much explanation?
Or perhaps it lacked standout scenes?
Still, the final conversation between Lee Yoo-joo and Gil Soo-jin left a significant impression.
But without context, many said, “It has a vibe, but I don’t quite understand the content.”
Instead, the gentle background music during their dialogue stood out even more.
It was a calm conversation without much intensity, making the lyrics and melody more audible.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
“……”
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
“Stop looking already.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Ji-yeon poked Seo-yeon’s side as she was busy reading the script.
Only then did Seo-yeon stop her relentless mouse clicking.
Seo-yeon was seriously lost in her search.
Of course, she had taken a break for a while, but she soon started working hard again.
Right as Seo-yeon’s song gained traction.
“Not even looking up acting reviews, huh?”
Ji-yeon thought.
She hadn’t completely ignored it.
When Seo-yeon found a scene she deemed fantastic or crazy, she would sneakily look it up and subconsciously bob her shoulders. But she didn’t bother searching for regular scenes.
Maybe she felt overwhelmed by all the praise regarding her acting.
“Such an annoying girl.”
She thought to herself, unable to argue against the truth of it.
However, unlike acting, she originally couldn’t sing.
So, it seemed she was quite pleased to receive praise for it.
“By the way, are you really going to go on Masked Singer?”
“Yeah. Just to promote the drama.”
“Well, that’s not a bad idea. Since you’re already losing some buzz due to the Grand Game.”
At Ji-yeon’s words, Seo-yeon turned her head back.
Ji-yeon was sprawled on her bed, listening to a song with something tucked in one ear.
Even though Seo-yeon might be slightly overshadowed in terms of buzz right now, she was confident [Sky Garden] could prevail.
It was that kind of drama, after all.
But since there’s always a ‘what if’, she could only do her best.
If they let their guard down and something went wrong, it would be quite the unfair situation.
“What have you been listening to since earlier?”
Anyway, Seo-yeon looked at Ji-yeon, who had been casually enjoying a song in one ear.
Today, Ji-yeon came over to Seo-yeon’s house after a long time.
She hadn’t planned to come over, but Seo-yeon had dragged her along.
She was probably just hoping to share a sneak peek of her highly praised new song.
It must have had a certain angle to it.
But no matter how good a song is, after listening to it about ten times, it gets boring.
After hearing it all, Seo-yeon was searching for herself alone, just like now.
Ji-yeon was listening to another song by herself.
“Oh, my favorite singer released a new song after so long.”
“Favorite singer? An idol?”
“No, just a singer.”
Apparently, they say she’s a skilled singer.
Seo-yeon had thought about that “skilled” label not long ago, but anyway, it’s not a title one would so easily bestow, so it must mean she’s truly talented.
“Joo Seo-yeon, wanna give it a listen?”
“Yeah.”
Seo-yeon slipped on the wired earphones Ji-yeon handed her.
Their heads grazed each other slightly.
“Why not use wireless?”
“Wireless isn’t for enjoying music, you know?”
But then why do wireless earphones exist?
Seo-yeon had a strong urge to argue, but Ji-yeon was quite serious about audio equipment.
Now that she thought of it, Ramiel was also surprisingly obsessed with sound equipment.
She sang well too.
Anyway, when listening to music, it absolutely had to be wired earphones.
Looking at these earphones, which Seo-yeon had never seen before, they surely must have cost a fortune.
The last ones she saw were over a million won, so these must be around that price too…
It was Ji-yeon’s only luxury.
“Wow, sounds great. The quality is definitely different.”
“Right?”
Rarely, Ji-yeon beamed proudly at Seo-yeon while nudging her temples together, turning her head slightly to smile with her eyes.
It was hard to tell if she was happy the earphones were complimented, or that the song was enjoyed.
The voice was incredibly clear.
As someone who studied music, Seo-yeon recognized immediately how challenging this song was to sing.
First off, it was a seriously high note.
The singer made it sound so effortless that it didn’t even feel high.
Plus, her vocal power was rich and she was incredibly seasoned, leaving Seo-yeon in awe.
‘Who is she?’
Seo-yeon wasn’t particularly interested in singers.
Most of the songs she listened to were idol songs.
Even that interest came recently because of Cha Na-hee.
“Hey, you guys want some fruit?”
At that moment, Suah appeared with a plate of fruit, neatly arranged apples.
“Oh, yes.”
Ji-yeon seemed strangely nervous around Suah.
So as soon as Suah entered, she jumped up to accept the plate.
Seeing Ji-yeon like that, Suah smiled awkwardly.
“Hmm? Are you listening to music? Nice earphones.”
As Suah said that, she moved closer to Ji-yeon, who seemed a bit flustered.
In Ji-yeon’s hands was an MP3 player, still being gripped after listening to the song.
“Oh my, that’s not a phone? Are MP3 players still a thing these days?”
“They, um, come out as audio devices, and there’s an amp used with this…”
“Can I have a listen too?”
“Auntie.”
That was a title that didn’t really suit Suah.
Recently appearing on a variety show, making many mothers in South Korea have their “wise moments” was the woman with a wrinkle-free face and a gentle smile.
“Yes.”
At Ji-yeon’s reply, she gestured at Seo-yeon.
That was because Ji-yeon had just jumped up to approach Suah, dragging Seo-yeon, who had the earphones in one ear.
“Wait, I barely even got to listen…”
Though she thought that, knowing Ji-yeon was weak around Suah, Seo-yeon willingly took the earphones off and handed them over.
“Oh wow, the quality…”
As she said that, Suah put on the earphones and quietly listened to the song, her expression turning quite peculiar.
Suah’s expression while listening to the song became quite peculiar.
It was a face that felt both welcoming and nostalgic.
“It’s Yeo-hee.”
“Oh, do you know her?”
Yeo-hee, that name belonged to the singer of the song Ji-yeon was listening to.
She was a singer who had made a comeback after a long break with a new song.
As soon as the album came out, Ji-yeon had bought it and had been listening only to Yeo-hee’s songs lately.
“I know, I know her very well.”
“Really?”
Suah wasn’t very knowledgeable about celebrities.
She liked certain ones, but she didn’t really know the details.
Especially when it came to singers.
Naturally, Seo-yeon was also puzzled.
Suah’s knowledge of celebrities was quite limited.
Under their curious gazes, Suah slowly took out her earphones and looked at the album jacket displayed on the MP3 screen.
Yeo-hee looked dazzlingly decorated.
Seeing that, Suah said,
“She was a high school classmate of mine.”
She smiled gently as she said that.
*
“Hello, actress Joo Seo-yeon!!”
Seo-yeon nodded her head at the tall man’s bright greeting.
He looked very young, but she knew he was nearly forty.
“I’ve really talked a lot with this PD, and it’s rewarding.”
“Oh, thank you for the good impression.”
“Of course, we have to see it positively.”
The man, speaking with a smiling face, was Shim Kyung-hoon, a PD from KMB Entertainment.
He observed Seo-yeon, who greeted him politely.
‘He doesn’t feel like a rising star at all.’
Although he was smiling brightly, his eyes were scanning Seo-yeon slowly.
There are always differences between what you hear and what you see.
‘…His gaze is sharp.’
Others might not have noticed, but Seo-yeon realized that PD Shim had a very thorough personality.
Well, if it’s a show like “Masked Singer” where many people hide their identities, the PD obviously needs to be meticulous.
After all, they couldn’t let any identities leak.
But that sharp gaze was brief.
“Lucky for us, we had this opportunity now that you’ve finished filming for Sky Garden.”
“I also think it’s a great opportunity.”
Today’s meeting was just a casual one.
It transformed into a light meeting with the late arrival of PD Lee Min-hwa, involving the three of them.
“As you know, in Masked Singer, everyone wears masks. You can make it yourself, or we can produce it for you.”
“Is that so?”
“Do you have a design in mind? By the way, I brought some drafts.”
Seo-yeon felt a bit nervous at those words.
‘What if there’s a gorilla mask or something?’
Whenever she searched her name online, she often found herself fighting a gorilla.
Thanks to her efforts to improve her image, that had reduced somewhat lately.
But if she had to wear a gorilla mask…
“How about this? I personally thought it was cute.”
“Oh, it’s adorable.”
PD Shim showed her a concept mask on the screen.
Just to clarify, although it’s called Masked Singer, it often includes props and outfits as well.
You could say it’s similar to dressing up for Halloween.
Among them, the mask PD Shim showed was a rabbit.
“The eyes are red and it suits you very well, Seo-yeon!”
Bopalabbit.
In other words, a murderous rabbit.
Seeing it, Seo-yeon was delighted.
So cute! So strong!
It was her favorite combination!
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.