What Kim Hyun-seok said was half-provocation.
Basically, it meant that everything Seo-yeon had done so far was created by the broadcasting company.
Seo-yeon had no reaction to that.
Well, not no reaction, but she was momentarily contemplating how to return to ‘cute Joo Seo-yeon’ in her head.
She sometimes forgot, but she was indeed the advertising model for Éclat Étoile.
Advertisers didn’t like having such an image attached to their actresses.
But apart from that,
“Hmm~.”
Han Sung-jin looked at Kim Hyun-seok with a somewhat awkward expression.
Of all times, that statement came out just after his question.
“Is there really a need to say that much?”
“What?”
“That thing you just said is quite a dangerous statement.”
Han Sung-jin knew that Kim Hyun-seok was hostile toward Seo-yeon.
There were several reasons, but the fundamental one was:
‘Such a difficult thought.’
When that expressed itself as passion, it was a strength, but when it turned into vague hostility like this, it became a problem.
Seriously, live shows can’t all be fabricated, right?
Well, let’s say [Hyper Action Star] was pre-recorded.
But hitting paintballs with his hands was real, right?
Moreover, the Dom Dome was entirely caught live for the broadcast.
If that was manipulated, it would have burned out long ago.
‘That means he’s upset that Seo-yeon got selected without any audition.’
At the same time, he felt like there was fear.
Han Sung-jin had watched [The Chaser] with Hyun-seok.
At that time, the feeling he had was, ‘Wow, you can act to this level.’
A fellow actor in a similar age range.
To be honest, Han Sung-jin couldn’t even dare to imagine such acting.
Just the two actors playing detectives alongside him were well-known for their acting skills.
Even entering the same scene, they overshadowed him with their presence, garnering praise from both audiences and critics.
This was not something anyone could do.
“Ha.”
However, Kim Hyun-seok merely frowned.
Of course, he must have felt that too.
He absolutely didn’t want to admit it.
It could be pride or simply a childish hostility.
However, since they were still young, those were already actors and professionals.
Honestly, unlike Hyun-seok, Han Sung-jin had no desire to get on Seo-yeon’s bad side.
She was a leading actor, right?
Moreover, being cast as the lead in a drama without an audition meant a connection with the higher-ups.
Competing with an actor whom KMB was promoting would only fatigue him.
‘But it feels like there are a few more actors like Hyun-seok.’
People aren’t that smart.
Sometimes Sung-jin felt that way.
A type that lets emotion get ahead of rational judgment.
But what puzzled him was:
‘Wasn’t this person on Joo Seo-yeon’s side?’
He looked at Na-hee with that question in mind.
“Ah!”
At that moment, Cha Na-hee realized that Hyun-seok’s words had a truly negative connotation.
In fact, Na-hee had just assumed it meant that Seo-yeon’s show was too directed rather than ‘manipulated.’
Na-hee had a hobby of digging up information about herself and her close friends.
Recently, the hot star Seo-yeon was often talked about in the community.
Elephants or gorillas.
Every time she saw Seo-yeon with such images, Na-hee felt very upset.
– Why put such images on a fragile actress? Is it anti-fans?
– Frag?ile???????
– Is fragile what we mean by fragile?
– What’s the relation between the weird elephant or gorilla and Joo Seo-yeon?
– Are you asking because you don’t know? Total Joo fan noob!
Of course, Cha Na-hee really didn’t know.
She was asking because she was clueless, and to this day, she still didn’t understand why such an image was attached to her.
To Na-hee, Seo-yeon was simply a heavenly kind girl.
“Seo, Seo-yeon. I didn’t mean that. It just seems to implant a really bad image onto an actress…”
“What?”
“Ah, I’m sorry!”
Seo-yeon was taken aback by Cha Na-hee’s sudden apology.
While she was wondering if there was some broadcast plan to improve her image, what had happened?
“What do you mean?”
Facing such a bland attitude, Han Sung-jin laughed as if it was ridiculous.
Kim Hyun-seok was twitching again.
“Oh, I guess you’re not even aware of this. Is it because you’re the lead?”
After his comment, Seo-yeon looked at him blankly for a moment.
‘Did I ever hit him?’
It was quite a serious question.
This was the first time experiencing such one-sided hostility.
Of course, if Seo-yeon had hit him, he wouldn’t be acting right now.
So he definitely hadn’t.
‘Seems like the person next to me is watching me.’
Although Han Sung-jin was smiling, it felt like he was carefully observing Seo-yeon.
Maybe saying he enjoyed [Hyper Action Star] was an attempt to befriend her.
But it all got ruined by the guy next to him.
There were definitely more actors with negative feelings toward Seo-yeon, but saying it so openly was rare.
After all, she was in a position where they needed to be cautious.
Even.
“Hmm.”
In a not-so-distant place, middle-aged actors were also sneaking glances toward her.
Even while chatting among themselves, they were keeping an eye on the words and actions of the younger actors.
If looked closely, Min Se-hee seemed restless, trying to strike up a conversation.
But next to her, Kim Il-soo signaled that it was okay.
It seemed like their glances included an intention to step in if things got difficult.
Kim Il-soo, the director, was already casting a rather unfavorable glance at Kim Hyun-seok.
There were rules on the filming set.
The lead actor is the lead actor.
No matter how much a parachute actor or whatever, a leading actor is a leading actor.
Disrespecting the lead actor equates to disrespecting the choices made by the director and writer.
So, what Hyun-seok was doing now was exceedingly reckless.
Seo-yeon recalled Seo-hee’s words.
“Sometimes they come.”
“What?”
“People who behave outside of common sense.”
Scoffing and crossing her arms, Jo Seo-hee looked like a real villainess.
Thinking that she should buy a fan later and give it to her, Seo-yeon listened intently.
“Anyway, even if you leave it alone, people around will take care of it, but it’s not good to wait for others to help.”
You also need to show something yourself.
Otherwise, the same thing will keep happening.
“Sometimes, taking a strong stance actually minimizes enemies.”
Jo Seo-hee understood that Seo-yeon had an exceedingly gentle personality.
No, more than gentle, it was that she was ‘too accustomed to others’ hostility.’
She didn’t know the reason.
Seo-yeon merely responded to others’ hostility with ‘it can happen.’
Jo Seo-hee was a performer.
As an actress, she was adept at observing and analyzing others.
An exemplary student as an actress.
Jo Seo-hee earned that title because she never stopped learning.
This included observing Seo-yeon.
“Not reacting in situations where you shouldn’t keep quiet isn’t being good.”
So, Jo Seo-hee firmly advised her.
To let this overly good girl show her fangs properly.
“Foolishness.”
And recalling that advice,
Seo-yeon said.
“Are you okay?”
Seo-yeon looked at Kim Hyun-seok and smiled brightly.
That smile was a response to his earlier mockery.
“You can say that to me.”
“Eh?”
In a calm voice, Seo-yeon responded.
She didn’t feel any heated emotions.
Instead, she felt really curious, a very business-like statement.
That’s why she was able to clearly realize the meaning of what she had just said.
“An actor speaks through acting, right?”
Seo-yeon’s red eyes locked onto Hyun-seok.
“Do you believe you can do better than me?”
“……”
He could do it.
He wanted to say that, but his mouth wouldn’t open.
Although he brought up his appearances on variety shows, he had definitely seen her acting too.
[The Chaser] and [Dream Future].
Even now, Hyun-seok believed he could do better than her.
If he were given that role.
However, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to say that.
Because, he was seeing Cha Seo-ah from the movie theater overlapping with Seo-yeon in front of him.
No, it felt like it was Cha Seo-ah.
It felt like the person in front of him was Cha Seo-ah, not Seo-yeon.
‘What the.’
In an instant, the atmosphere changed.
Seo-yeon’s smiling face looked very awkward.
And also mechanical.
“I asked if you were not paying any attention, right?”
The scene where Cha Seo-ah met the two detectives at the bus stop in [The Chaser] flashed through his mind.
After asking something of the detectives, Cha Seo-ah boarded the bus and left.
At that moment, the expression she made toward the detectives was precisely like this.
“Just.”
With gently curved eyes and a sweet smile.
“I think it seemed ridiculous.”
At that moment, he could vividly recognize what kind of emotion Cha Seo-ah had toward the detectives.
*
“You’ll get caught like that.”
As soon as Han Sung-jin stepped out of the meeting room, he sighed.
Apart from the first meeting, the first encounter with the cast of [Sky Garden] was decent enough.
It was just that a bizarre atmosphere was forming between Seo-yeon and Kim Hyun-seok.
After Seo-yeon’s comment, Kim Hyun-seok couldn’t say anything properly.
‘An actor must show through acting.’
He agreed with that.
Plus, he was completely overwhelmed by Seo-yeon.
So much that he couldn’t even open his mouth.
“……Just show it on the filming set.”
“Do you think you can do better than that?”
“……”
He didn’t know.
What Seo-yeon had just shown was overwhelming enough to keep him speechless.
In an instant, it felt like everything around him was devoured.
‘If this is what the film set was like.’
If Seo-yeon’s words rang true, he would merely appear ridiculous.
Thinking that way, his head started to get hot again.
After all, it was indeed true that he had been called ridiculous.
At the same time, Seo-yeon relaxed her expression as if all the lines she had just said were mere acting.
It was literally like covering one’s eyes and saying “Ah-woo”, but no one could say anything about it.
No, no one could.
‘Hah.’
He didn’t like that Han Sung-jin, who was talking to him from the side.
In truth, wouldn’t you want to make a good impression on the leading actress?
Did he have no dignity? He wanted to say, but he couldn’t bring himself to say that.
“Enough.”
“What?”
“I’m just going to the restroom.”
Thinking he should at least wash his face with cold water, he moved heavily.
Joo Seo-yeon.
His feelings for her were not merely vague hostility.
There was definitely pride involved too.
But the strongest feeling must be jealousy.
Because he believed he could do better.
He felt so pitiful for being overwhelmed by Joo Seo-yeon’s acting that he had just personally witnessed.
He was glad it wasn’t on the film set.
That relief.
When he realized that, it only fueled the heat in his head.
What was he relieved about?
“……Next time.”
It would be different on the filming set.
Thinking that, he gritted his teeth and walked.
“Uh?”
Kim Hyun-seok noticed something shining on the floor.
As he got closer and picked it up,
“……A coin?”
It was a 500-won coin.
However, it was oddly folded in half.
“What in the world…….”
He mulled, but as he looked ahead, a trail of such coins was dropping along the path.
It looked like Hansel and Gretel.
A bizarre sight of the folded 500-won coins stretching along.
Unconsciously, Hyun-seok began to follow them, picking them up.
It was a strange sensation.
What could this 500-won coin be?
No, why was it all folded in half?
Such questions.
When he had picked up about a dozen,
“Ah.”
“Ah.”
He bumped into Seo-yeon, who was also picking up the coins.
In that moment, both held the folded 500-won coins, exchanging silent glances.
“……?”
For a moment, Hyun-seok saw Seo-yeon’s bag.
A handbag that could be easily carried around.
Though it was made of nylon, part of it was torn due to some impact.
‘No way.’
It was a thought that seemed unlikely.
Could it be that these 500-won coins dropped from that torn spot?
Realizing that one by one she had been collecting them on her way back?
Why were these folded 500-won coins in her bag?
With that realization, Hyun-seok felt an indescribable mood wash over him.
It felt like he had seen something beyond comprehension.
“That…”
Seeing the puzzled Hyun-seok, Seo-yeon spoke calmly.
Like before, she tried to control herself as much as possible.
“You know that popping wrap feeling, don’t you? The one you just pop impulsively.”
“……??”
What on earth could that possibly have to do with this folded 500-won coin?
Is she really saying she folded them like popping that wrap?
As he gazed at her with a baffled expression, Seo-yeon slyly maneuvered the last 500-won coin and also the one tightly gripped in Hyun-seok’s right hand away from him.
He had no chance to resist.
“……See you on the filming set.”
After making that last greeting, Seo-yeon dashed away.
Hyun-seok glanced at his left hand.
One last coin remained on his left hand that Seo-yeon hadn’t noticed.
“……”
That served as a reminder that what had just happened wasn’t a dream.
Hyun-seok never managed to grasp the significance of that 500-won coin.
He simply felt an inexplicable fear toward Seo-yeon.
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