Honestly, Seo-yeon always thought of herself as a bit of a fool.
Now, those were the past and her previous life, which no longer mattered.
Stuck in that mindset, she wondered if it was a problem that she couldn’t focus on reality just because of that.
But her heart didn’t agree.
Seo-yeon had never felt happiness in her past.
At least, that’s what she thought.
So, she believed she’d have no regrets, but somehow, it felt different.
A vague sense of something remained.
Maybe, that’s why Lee Ji-yeon had said something back in middle school.
Because she treasured this current life as ‘Joo Seo-yeon’ so much.
Thus, she thought she shouldn’t be bound by the past.
Even if it was something she used to like or dreams she wanted to achieve.
If she got stuck on it.
If she couldn’t let go of the past, she believed she could never truly become Joo Seo-yeon.
So, she concluded that back in middle school.
At fifteen, Joo Seo-yeon made that choice at the end of her adolescence.
But then came the Ashen Crow.
Yeo-hee told her something important.
Including those regrets from the past, that was still her.
There was no need to rush.
And that’s how it was.
Even though she held those regrets close, when she sang that moment, she just shone to Seo-yeon.
The vote difference was only 2 votes.
It might just have been a difference of one person.
But Seo-yeon thought she lost completely at that time.
In competitions, what decides the winner while singing is empathy.
How many people can relate to your song?
But at that moment, the Ashen Crow brought her memories.
Of course, it was something that couldn’t be empathized with.
It was a song for one person, not the public.
Seo-yeon vaguely felt that.
Nonetheless, the Ashen Crow, Yeo-hee, brilliantly defeated her.
So, she acted a little petty at the end, but that much was okay.
“You have to change without being bound by the past.”
She had heard that countless times, and Seo-yeon knew that too.
However, what Yeo-hee showed was something completely different.
Everyone has different values, and there’s no need to follow them.
If you’re truly strong, you can carry your past along.
Having lingering feelings about the past means there was definitely regret.
Or perhaps, something more precious than she thought was hidden in the past.
Wasn’t letting it all go a waste?
It felt as if that was what was being suggested.
Of course, Seo-yeon didn’t know.
At that time, she didn’t understand emotions.
But maybe, those regrets were evidence of the happiness left by her past self.
Suddenly, that thought crossed her mind.
And so, Seo-yeon finally decided.
Nothing would change from her actions now.
She made up her mind to do exactly as she originally decided.
She simply changed the meaning of “graduation” a little.
That was all there was to it.
“Oooh? Seo-yeon!”
“Yes?”
“Your acting improved! The footage today is really good. Wow, are you getting better here?”
Director Kim Il-soo from Sky Garden said this with a smile.
Improved?
She had that question in her mind, but thought to herself, maybe so.
This incident has revealed some things that could be better shown through the character of Lee Yoo-joo.
It wasn’t particularly a demand from Director Kim Il-soo, nor was it something Writer Min Se-hee mentioned.
Seo-yeon just felt that way.
People are complicated, and sometimes there are parts of themselves they don’t even understand.
Since she felt that way, Lee Yoo-joo might feel the same.
“By the way.”
Then she quietly approached and asked in a soft voice.
“This week is the Masked Singer finals, right? Who won?”
At her words, Seo-yeon couldn’t help but smile.
It was originally a variety show set up for promotion.
However, because Seo-yeon kept winning, they never really got a chance to capitalize on it.
But.
“I’m sure the promotion went well.”
At her words, Director Kim Il-soo briefly widened his eyes.
Understanding what Seo-yeon meant, he chuckled slyly.
Then, it was just the right timing.
The upcoming 10th episode.
If aired alongside it, it would surely turn this entrenched competition around.
Thus, Director Kim Il-soo was certain.
*
Kwak Hyun-woo, the team leader of the Aids advertising planning department, has been in a good mood lately.
Even though strange things like the Joo Seo-yeon challenge came up, it was clear that Aids’ sales were rising.
Especially after episode 4 of Sky Garden aired, the sales had been climbing steadily every week.
One percent, two percent.
It might not seem like a lot, but when added together, it amounts to something massive.
So, recently, Kwak Hyun-woo was able to walk around the office with a bit of swagger.
In the past, he never opposed using Joo Seo-yeon as the advertising model.
When did I ever say that? Of course, we should use an advertising model.
With that feeling, within Aids, everyone had just accepted it.
It seems that incident has become a dark history.
“Definitely, the drama is good. Sales have been steadily increasing since Sky Garden aired.”
“Right.”
“But I thought it would skyrocket more, but that’s not the case.”
At Assistant Kim’s words, Kwak Hyun-woo chuckled.
Make sure to say something reasonable.
“Hey, Assistant Kim. That used to be the case. But these days, unless a drama does exceptionally well, that won’t happen. The fact that this level of product placement for chairs is working is already impressive.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, but from episode 4, the visibility definitely increased, so that was perfect timing. Joo Seo-yeon is sharp too.”
Kwak Hyun-woo’s words made Assistant Kim a bit puzzled.
Is she really sharp?
From what I’ve seen on the broadcast, it doesn’t exactly seem that way.
Of course, he couldn’t voice that opinion, especially since he had already become a devoted fan of Joo Seo-yeon.
“It’s already risen enough… I just hope it maintains this level.”
Kwak Hyun-woo muttered.
Today is episode 9 of Sky Garden. And tomorrow the 10th episode airs.
“I wish there would be more chair appearances.”
Even though there were already plenty, human greed is endless.
Kwak Hyun-woo just wanted to see a bit more effect from the product placement.
But.
After watching episode 9 aired on Monday.
And then the 10th episode aired the next day.
All those thoughts were wiped clean.
“No way, ugh! Ending it like this?!”
The content made him blurt out such words without even realizing it.
*
“Hyun-seok!!”
“Hyun-seok!!”
He appears as the friend of his character ‘Lee Min-hyuk’ and participates in [Sky Garden] as an actor.
Han Sung-jin patted his back with a big smile.
And why wouldn’t he?
[[Sky Garden] strikes back! Ratings at 14 percent, just 1 percent behind [Grand Game]!]
[What happened to Lee Yoo-joo? The 10th episode wraps up with high expectations.]
In such typical articles.
[Who is Kim Hyun-seok, playing Lee Min-hyuk? Shows great chemistry with Joo Seo-yeon.]
That kind of article caught his eye.
It was different from the usual ones that constantly put down Seo-yeon’s acting in comparison.
Maybe this was the first praise for his acting in this drama.
“Honestly, I was really worried during this shoot, but it turned out well.”
“Yeah, right.”
However, he had some confidence in his expectations.
After all, the recently aired episodes 9 and 10 had certain well-executed moments.
Reading an article praising his performance.
==
“When the drama first started, Kim Hyun-seok showed a somewhat disappointing performance, but in the recently aired 10th episode, he delivered a fantastic performance.”
“It vividly depicted Lee Min-hyuk’s inferiority complex towards Lee Yoo-joo, adding great life to the character and showing that he too is a victim.”
==
After reading that article, Kim Hyun-seok couldn’t help but chuckle.
Acting that vividly portrayed inferiority complex.
‘This isn’t acting.’
He didn’t say those words out loud, though.
It wasn’t out of some noble intent not to rain on his congratulatory friend’s parade.
Everyone on set probably already knew, so he just didn’t mention it.
Joo Seo-yeon herself was aware.
‘My inferiority complex.’
Episodes 9 and 10.
From the content unfolding there, Lee Min-hyuk should have shown even more of his inferiority complex.
< Sky Garden >‘s episodes 9 and 10 revolve around the Lee Hyuk-soo family’s vacation.
Though it said “family vacation,” it turned out to be a friendly trip with Min-seo’s friends.
And naturally, among those students was Lee Yoo-joo.
If Min-seo was going anywhere fun, she was bound to join.
And that vacation spot leads to incidents by the time we reach episode 10.
“Since accidents can happen, everyone focus, focus!”
This shoot had its share of challenging moments.
There were many scenes going on with Seo-yeon, often getting tangled up.
He pretended to be calm around Seo-yeon up until now, but that was just an act.
He wasn’t really calm at all.
He just tried his best not to show his fear in his line of sight.
If he kept looking, the suppressed inferiority complex seemed ready to rear its head.
But this time, he couldn’t do that.
His gaze naturally fell on Joo Seo-yeon right next to him.
‘She’s changed.’
There was something different about the vibe.
He couldn’t quite explain it, but Seo-yeon’s acting had clearly improved.
Though it was the usual performance of Lee Yoo-joo, something felt different.
It felt richer and more three-dimensional.
How could that be?
Previously, keeping up with her acting was tough; now, it was downright impossible to match.
If one side’s acting was too outstanding, unless they synced up properly, the picture would turn out weird.
And that was exactly the case now.
He was messing up not just his acting but Seo-yeon’s as well.
“Hyun-seok, let’s add more color there. Why is your character so bland?”
“Let’s see. Why does this character feel so bland?”
Filming was already tough.
On top of that, Seo-yeon’s skills improved again, shifting everyone’s gaze back to Hyun-seok.
I lost count of how many NGs there were.
Even without saying a word, everyone felt the tension rising.
The only calm one among them was Seo-yeon.
She didn’t bother with extra words.
She simply stared right at him.
But that gaze was way more stimulating than any words.
Did Seo-yeon get criticized during this shoot?
Nope.
In fact, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
She was just someone who messed up the acting.
Not even a proper accessory.
So, it seems that inadvertently, those emotions seeped into her performance.
Even trying to hide it, it probably popped out unexpectedly.
But.
“Cut, cut, great. Let’s go with that.”
Director Kim Il-soo finally nodded, satisfied.
Others, understanding the situation, were glancing at him discreetly.
But Seo-yeon slipped over to him and said.
“I think you expressed Lee Min-hyeok’s inferiority complex really well.”
“?”
“It felt so real, I was surprised.”
“??”
Is she teasing me?
But no, she really looked sincere, so it didn’t feel like a tease.
After saying that, Seo-yeon nodded her head proudly.
What’s this? What’s going on?
Anyway, at the time, it felt provoked, and her acting suddenly became more passionate.
But it seems Seo-yeon believed it was all just acting.
So, after it was all over, she actually cooled off.
Recalling that moment, Hyun-seok chuckled and said.
“Well, I decided not to add any personal feelings from now on.”
“You?”
Of course, his friend Han Sung-jin was taken aback.
Anyway, regardless of that actor’s growth (?), the ratings for [Sky Garden] began to soar rapidly starting from episode 10.
Of course, it wasn’t just because episode 10 of [Sky Garden] was great.
That weekend, a variety show aired.
Specifically, a bomb dropped on [Masked Singer].
Riding on that explosive power, it shot up.
*
– Let’s start
– Yeah, the victory belongs to the king anyway~
– It’s true that Ashen Crow is the main player.
– Man-Lap Rabbit is good, but just feels ‘okay’…
For a while, [Masked Singer] ratings had been dropping, but recently they had recovered somewhat thanks to the appearance of Ashen Crow.
It had been a while since a singer was about to reach the Hall of Fame.
If he wins this time, he will be crowned king for the eighth time, so everyone had high expectations.
Even if he lost, many were curious about who he really was.
The reactions on various communities, including social media, were naturally leaning towards Ashen Crow’s victory.
Well, those who had already seen it knew the winner, but they couldn’t post about it.
However, what turned the atmosphere around was.
It was the song choice by ‘Man-Lap Rabbit’.
– No way ㅋㅋㅋ he’s singing ‘Calmness’
– When was that song from? ㅋㅋㅋ
– Isn’t that Shin Wan-seok’s song? Not a guy’s song?
– Must’ve rearranged it
– Singing a cartoon song before the king match? That’s crazy.
– If it’s ‘Calmness’, it’s possible ㅇㅇ that’s a legendary song
Suddenly, ‘Man-Lap Rabbit’ began singing a nostalgic song.
That’s when the community started heating up.
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