Cho Seok-hwan, Chairman of the Newlike Group.
The man who succeeded his father, who had made repeated major business failures, and brought the weak Newlike Group into the top 5 of the business world.
With a proper appearance and no particular controversies, the information Seo-yeon knew was only that much.
There was only one special thing among the known information about him.
That his wife was once Baek Seo-ran, the nation's little sister and national actress.
But that Baek Seo-ran passed away not long after marrying him.
Since then, he raised his child alone without remarrying.
'But why would someone who's a chaebol chairman?'
Seo-yeon tensed up.
No, it wasn't just Seo-yeon; Ji-yeon beside her also tensed up.
How could she not?
If you visited a friend's house and suddenly a chaebol chairman appeared, you'd have no choice but to be surprised.
Especially when he had called them inside the house but hadn't said a single word.
'Hey, Joo Seo-yeon. Did you maybe do something wrong? No, you did do something wrong. Why didn't you just beat Cho Seo-hee moderately?'
'I didn't beat her.'
'What do you mean you didn't. Cho Seo-hee was rolling around the entire shoot.'
When she put it that way, there was nothing to say.
But Seo-yeon felt a little unfairly treated.
Seo-yeon truly didn't particularly hit Cho Seo-hee.
She literally just threw her, rolled her around, threw her a little, rolled her, and repeated throwing her.
If she had actually hit her, would Cho Seo-hee be recuperating at home?
'Cho Seo-hee also overacted too much there.'
It seemed she had unconsciously played an overly emotional performance.
If Ji-yeon hadn't stopped her in that state, perhaps she would have put on an even more intense performance.
If by chance she had actually landed a real hit……
Seo-yeon shuddered.
'But why isn't he saying anything?'
For reference, Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon had come inside the mansion's living room.
Han Seo-young, the housekeeper auntie who had previously greeted them warmly, was now just quietly tidying up the surroundings.
Only Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon sat across from Chairman Cho Seok-hwan at the table in the living room.
'Is he perhaps going to say something about hitting Cho Seo-hee?'
But that was a minor accident that occurred during filming.
She thought so, but under Cho Seok-hwan's stare, Seo-yeon slowly raised her gaze diagonally upward.
It was the unique expression Seo-yeon made when, as Ji-yeon would say, she had done something wrong.
"……I've heard a lot from my daughter. Actor Joo Seo-yeon."
What broke the quiet silence was Chairman Cho Seok-hwan's calm words.
At those words, Seo-yeon momentarily had many thoughts.
'A lot?'
What on earth did he hear?
That she didn't let up after getting a parachute entry when she was young?
Or throwing Cho Seo-hee in Hyper Action Star.
Or throwing Cho Seo-hee during yesterday's shoot?
'Somehow, no good things come to mind.'
Looking at what she listed, it felt like Seo-yeon had become someone who bullied Cho Seo-hee.
"It's fine to speak comfortably."
"Hmm, then I'll do so comfortably."
Cho Seok-hwan cleared his throat for a moment, then continued.
"I've been keeping an eye on Seo-yeon. Not just as Seo-hee's father, but as the chairman of Newlike Group."
At those words, Seo-yeon couldn't help but flinch.
Cho Seok-hwan's gaze as he calmly observed Seo-yeon was similar to a gaze she had felt before.
When she conversed with GH Group's Director Kang Tae-jin.
Yes, it was similar to the gaze she received then.
But that was only for a brief moment.
He released the intensity in his eyes and smiled.
"But it seemed someone else already had their eyes on you, so I didn't say anything."
"……Someone who had their eyes on me?"
"It seems you're quite close with GH Group."
She hadn't expected such words to come from Chairman Cho Seok-hwan's mouth.
Close? Honestly, she wasn't sure.
GH Group said they would push for Seo-yeon to become the face of GH Group, but she didn't really feel that way.
Originally,
Probably, once the filming of
'That means the audition for Director Cho Bang-woo's movie is approaching.'
The movie more important than anything else to Seo-yeon.
Gauging that timing, Seo-yeon looked at Chairman Cho Seok-hwan.
"Since you'll be filming a movie together. Seo-hee is also scheduled to appear then, you see."
"Hmm."
"Why do you ask?"
"Seo-hee once grumbled that you keep using honorifics with her."
"……."
Did she really tell her father even about that?
Judging from the nuance, their relationship seemed lukewarm—honestly, not something that could be called good—but apparently that wasn't the case.
"Anyway, I know. The OTT movie that GH Group filmed……. I wonder why they didn't release it in theaters, but there must be various reasons."
The probability was high that it was to showcase it to overseas markets more quickly.
After all, releasing it on OTT was much faster than a theatrical release.
'Is he uncomfortable being entangled with GH Group?'
She thought that might be possible.
GH Group and Newlike Group.
Both were two pillars leading Korea's cultural industry.
Originally, GH was ahead, but Cho Seok-hwan had surpassed that with his management.
Naturally, GH Group couldn't help but be mindful of Newlike.
Of course, she didn't know the details.
Most of the knowledge Seo-yeon heard was from Manager Park Eun-ha, who was always rejoicing and despairing over stocks.
"I've been thinking that if there's an opportunity later, it would be great if you could take on an advertisement for our group as well."
"Y-yes, o-of course."
When she answered with an awkward smile, he slowly nodded.
Seo-yeon was also expressionless, but the other party also had little change in expression, making it difficult to read emotions.
Even though Seo-yeon was sensitive to the other person's emotions.
"And now, let me speak a bit as a father."
However, that expressionless face soon changed to that of an ordinary man.
A smile that seemed somewhat troubled.
If before was his appearance as a corporate chairman, now it was the face of an ordinary daughter's father.
"Honestly, I had some resentment toward you."
"R-resentment?"
For reference, it wasn't Seo-yeon who answered but Ji-yeon.
Ji-yeon looked at Seo-yeon in surprise.
A look asking what on earth she did wrong.
To hear words of resentment from a large corporation's chairman.
Seo-yeon was also flustered……was not the case.
'Is Cho Seo-hee's condition…… critical?'
Did she hit her too hard yesterday?
Seo-yeon also started to get worried little by little.
"That is, from 10 years ago."
To be precise, it was when
At that time, Cho Seo-hee showed signs of definitely wanting to go to that audition.
Of course, given Cho Seo-hee's career at the time, it was an audition she could get into without any problem.
At the time, Cho Seo-hee was in a situation called 'the princess of daily dramas.'
So the audition wouldn't be difficult.
"At that time, Seo-hee wanted to become an actress like her mother somehow. If you want to succeed even a little faster, there's nothing better than a drama airing in prime time.
He said so and looked at Seo-yeon.
"I saw the cast and director's tendencies at the time and realized. Ah, if Seo-hee goes in, she'll get thoroughly crushed."
"Why is that?"
"Because actor Park Jung-woo was in the male lead role for that audition."
She never expected Park Jung-woo's name to pop up here.
Seo-yeon looked at him with slightly surprised eyes.
"Unfortunately, Seo-hee at the time wasn't at a level to be compared with actor Park Jung-woo. She would pass the audition, but I thought she'd naturally get thoroughly beaten by actor Park Jung-woo during filming."
Saying so, he spoke with a slightly regretful, or perhaps slightly relieved face.
"My daughter didn't inherit much of her mother's talent."
Rather, it seemed like he was saying she was like himself, in his own field.
A figure who naturally managed networks, was high-pressure, and stood above others.
Such a child walking the same path as her mother—he didn't oppose it, but he wasn't very pleased about it.
"So, I thought if she received harsh criticism in a drama at least once, she might back down……."
"……."
"But there, you won so satisfyingly."
"That's……."
Seo-yeon knew of Cho Seo-hee's actions afterward.
At that time, Cho Seo-hee was reportedly very furious.
Why did she lose to someone like this?
Thinking like that, she was incredibly angry—Cho Seo-hee had said so.
"But later, seeing you in the drama, she was greatly stimulated."
The final scene of Princess Yeon-hwa.
The acting of Princess Yeon-hwa saying goodbye to Seo-il with the sunset behind her.
At that time, Seo-hee watched that acting in a daze.
She thought it was inevitable.
The acting Seo-yeon showed then was like a fragment.
Yes, the acting that Cho Seo-hee's own mother had shown.
Seeing that starlight-like acting, she unconsciously pursued it.
If Cho Seo-hee had appeared in that drama, she would never have been able to show such acting.
It was an acting that made her realize that fact.
"If the one who defeated her in the audition hadn't been you, I think Seo-hee would have quit acting. The first harsh criticism she heard, and she would have had no choice but to compare herself to her mother."
Of course, at that time, few people knew that Cho Seo-hee was the daughter of actress Baek Seo-ran.
Even now, few knew.
Since the fact that Cho Seo-hee was the daughter of the Newlike Group chairman hadn't been revealed.
"But there are definitely people in the industry who know, so she would naturally be compared."
Cho Seok-hwan was saying that it was because of Seo-yeon that Cho Seo-hee continued her acting career.
It was as if he had wanted Cho Seo-hee to quit acting 10 years ago.
But Seo-yeon knows.
Cho Seo-hee continues her acting career even after receiving harsh criticism in
Although much more arduous than now, she eventually rises to the same position as she is today.
Probably, that was an unexpected result for Chairman Cho Seok-hwan.
So, Seo-yeon felt a little angry at his words that she 'didn't inherit her mother's talent.'
She wanted to say even a single word.
So she inadvertently spoke like this.
"It seems like you're not very happy about Seo-hee doing acting."
"Joo Seo-yeon."
Lee Ji-yeon pulled at Seo-yeon's collar, but Seo-yeon just quietly looked at Cho Seok-hwan.
At that sharp gaze, Cho Seok-hwan let out a hollow laugh.
To think there would be another person who would show such an attitude in front of him.
Amusingly.
Just as Seo-hee saw her mother reflected in Seo-yeon.
Cho Seok-hwan was also recalling the image of Baek Seo-ran from Seo-yeon's appearance now.
Well, because there were many similar aspects.
"By any chance, have you ever looked up articles about my wife?"
"……No."
Seo-yeon hadn't particularly looked them up.
Seo-yeon's memories also didn't have much information about Baek Seo-ran, Seo-hee's mother.
By the time she was watching movies or dramas in earnest, she was already deceased, a figure of the past.
Even now, she hadn't bothered to look it up because of Seo-hee.
It felt like forcibly digging up her past.
"If there's an opportunity later, look them up once and you'll know. It's…… written there."
"I don't really like that article though," he added.
His appearance felt somehow sorrowful, so Seo-yeon couldn't say anything more.
Somehow, Cho Seok-hwan's attitude was subtle.
He wasn't actively trying to block his daughter's dream.
But he wasn't welcoming it either.
That kind of subtle feeling.
"Please stand up for now. My daughter will be waiting. It's about time to wrap up."
"About time to wrap up?"
What did this mean?
When Seo-yeon looked at him with a puzzled face.
Lee Ji-yeon realized something and widened her eyes.
But that was only for a moment.
She nodded with a mischievous face.
"Yes, let's go. Joo Seo-yeon. It's going to be really fun."
"??"
What was going to be fun?
With such thoughts, Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon followed behind Cho Seok-hwan.
'This isn't Cho Seo-hee's room?'
Since Seo-yeon had come to Cho Seo-hee's mansion before, she roughly knew the layout.
But the place they were heading to now wasn't Cho Seo-hee's room where they had the pajama party before.
A place she had never seen before.
A place surrounded by soundproof walls.
It was like a recording facility.
Knock knock.
Standing in front of the door and knocking twice, Cho Seok-hwan, seeing no response from inside, made a gesture to Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon to be quiet by bringing his index finger to his mouth.
And then, very quietly opened the door.
"Ohohoho, of course, of course. I did exercise a bit intensely yesterday so it hurts, but. I'm perfectly fine. Then today's broadcast ends here, and next time I'll definitely……."
Cho Seo-hee, wearing various things, froze as she turned her gaze this way.
What she was wearing, Seo-yeon could immediately tell.
Cameras set up all around, a chat window visible on a huge monitor.
And if that was full tracking equipment.
"Uh."
Seo-yeon and Ji-yeon looking at her from the entrance.
And Cho Seo-hee, broadcasting with patches or bandages wrapped here and there.
Seeing that, Seo-yeon just collapsed backward.
An unexpected red pill was something that inflicted great damage to the viewer's body and mind.