It was early morning when a post appeared on the otherwise peaceful Joo Seo-yeon fan cafe.
- Isn't the variety show Seo-yeon filmed in Japan airing today?
Something along those lines.
Seo-yeon's fan cafe had been quiet lately.
Since most of the movies and dramas she appeared in had finished airing, the only thing to talk about was news of Seo-yeon's next project.
VS debates occasionally popped up, but they had quieted down considerably due to Seo-yeon's thorough image management recently.
Of course, rather than having nothing to debate about, it was also because they had somewhat caught on to Seo-yeon's desperate efforts for image management.
- She went to Japan again? Why?
- Isn't it from when she went to film 'Lady of Gyeongseong'?
- Didn't Joo Seo-yeon return first?
- Heard she filmed it first because she was busy.
- Seo-yeon is pretty busy, to be fair
The Japanese variety show Seo-yeon previously appeared in was just a normal interview show, so the reaction wasn't particularly huge.
Rather, the hidden camera variety show she appeared in before that one aired was much hotter.
- Isn't she going to crawl around as a ghost again this time?
- Doing the same thing twice isn't fun
- That's true
- From what I heard, it seems like she filmed a camping? variety show in a forest
- Jo Seo-hee posted something on Instagram
Jo Seo-hee had uploaded a photo taken before filming.
The exact filming location wasn't marked, but it generally felt like a forest.
- Then it must be a normal camping variety show
- Well, that's not bad??
- I guess it's true that she's close with Jo Seo-hee?
- Honestly, it might be a bit fun
- I'm not really into those calm variety shows... Do they have those in Japanese variety shows too??
The reactions were roughly half and half.
Half liked the fact that they could see Seo-yeon's daily life.
Half thought it would be no fun because they didn't prefer calm variety shows.
Generally, there were more positive responses, but no one attached much significance to the location.
Until it was revealed where that forest was.
***
It was about a week after the audition for
That was roughly when the result flew into Seo-yeon's agency.
[Seo-yeon! They contacted us saying you've been cast as the female lead for Seoul Escape!!]
Park Eun-ha said in an excited voice.
Honestly, she had many doubts about
After all, it was a film by a director who had recently failed consecutively.
It felt a bit ambiguous for Seo-yeon, who was on a good streak lately, to appear in it.
Among the scripts sent to Seo-yeon right now, there were plenty of requests from better directors.
Rejecting those and insisting on
She had such thoughts, but it was also a movie Seo-yeon insisted she wanted to appear in, and since Park Jung-woo was also said to be appearing, she was somewhat relieved.
"Really?"
[Yeah, thank goodness.]
"Yes, honestly I was a bit worried."
Seo-yeon let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
Her acting was definitely better.
She thought they would even ask to see additional acting, so she didn't expect it to be decided with just one scene.
Determining the winner between her and Hwang Min-hwa with just that one performance was honestly not an easy task.
Even if Seo-yeon's acting was good at the time, popularity and experience ultimately couldn't be ignored.
The career Hwang Min-hwa had built up over the years was something Seo-yeon couldn't beat no matter how great her activities were this year.
Even if Director Jo Bang-woo chose Seo-yeon, the investors clearly wouldn't want to let go of Hwang Min-hwa.
[It seems Director Jo Bang-woo strongly appealed for you.]
"……Is that so?"
[Yeah, Actor Park told me so.]
Park Jung-woo.
Seo-yeon frowned the moment she heard that name.
She couldn't forget the look he gave her during the climbing scene back then.
'He's been too casual lately.'
No matter how she thought about it, it didn't feel like he was treating an actress.
Should she say it felt like he was treating a male peer?
No, it wasn't that it was a bad thing.
It was even comfortable when playing games.
'……The problem is that Jung-woo sunbae probably won't be the only one like that.'
Lee Ji-yeon also had many similar aspects.
People who had known Seo-yeon for a long time generally ended up in a state similar to Park Jung-woo or Lee Ji-yeon.
'Except for Jo Seo-hee.'
In that sense, Jo Seo-hee's favorability had risen significantly for Seo-yeon recently.
Of course, she didn't bother to tell her.
If she did, her nose would definitely rise in arrogance.
'Anyway.'
Seo-yeon thought.
Leaving aside the simple viewers, she needed to improve the perception of the people around her a bit.
[Ah, and.]
"Yes? Is there more?"
[You know the ad going up the week after next, right?]
"Ad?"
[The ad you shot for Viol.]
"Ah, yes, yes."
Come to think of it, she heard the ad shot at Viol would be hung in department stores first.
The video itself was said to be released a month or two later, but the photos taken would be hung in the department store first.
[From what I hear, the reaction from Viol's headquarters was pretty good. If all goes well…… we might be able to expect some good news.]
"That would be nice."
Seo-yeon didn't think too deeply about it.
The probability of that being just lip service was high, and she thought Viol didn't necessarily need to use Seo-yeon.
The models decided by Viol were not selected simply to sell in Korea.
Roughly the Asian region. They often used Korean actors to target Southeast Asia in particular.
That was why Park Jung-woo, who starred in a movie that was a huge hit in Southeast Asia, was selected.
'And, it's also about time the Korean cultural industry starts to shine.'
The decisive blow,
Probably, by now it was all filmed and scheduled for release.
When would that be? Next year? Or the year after next?
It was an OTT drama Seo-yeon inwardly wanted to appear in……, but it was hard to easily squeeze into.
There were too many variables.
Above all, the cast was already somewhat decided.
Forcing her way in was an unreasonable task.
[And GH Group also contacted us…… let's talk about that tomorrow.]
"Yes."
Seo-yeon talked up to that point with Park Eun-ha and hung up the phone.
Then, returning to the classroom and sitting down, she felt the glances of the students looking at her.
With no one to talk to, Seo-yeon quietly opened her textbook and pretended to read.
'Without Lee Ji-yeon, I have no one to talk to.'
There was the class president, but the class president was so popular that it wasn't easy for Seo-yeon to casually talk to her.
With her first year of high school life coming to an end soon, Seo-yeon naturally let out a sigh at this narrow human network.
'This is all because the first button was fastened wrong.'
She couldn't say it was because Seo-yeon's schedule was busy.
Jo Seo-hee, who was busier than her, had many friends at school and had solid networks wherever she went, didn't she?
It was purely a difference in diligence.
'Seo-yeon must study even during breaks.'
'But her grades aren't that great, are they?'
'Hey, shush.'
'She came off as really smart in Sky Garden. It's just because she's busy.'
'Is that so?'
Of course, Seo-yeon's grades weren't leaked, but in a situation where the class rankings of the majority were shared, it wasn't hard to guess where the empty spot was.
Fortunately, perhaps due to the effect of
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'Who said we're having an end-of-year party?'
'How do I say it!'
'You're the one who said it!!'
'B-but I freeze up when I try to talk to her.'
'Agreed on that.'
Anyway, Seo-yeon's appearance was something that didn't get accustomed to even as time passed.
No, her appearance was shining even brighter now than at the beginning of the school year.
On the internet, various bizarre memes followed Seo-yeon, but at school, it was completely different.
A variety show had its own image.
In reality, Seo-yeon was a top-tier female student that one couldn't even properly make eye contact with.
An actress.
Not to mention her appearance.
There was even a time when a group of delinquents at school tried to pick a fight with Seo-yeon, but they withered under a single glance and hadn't been able to make eye contact with her since.
First of all, her aura was different.
If you approached her, her presence naturally made you shut your mouth.
Something overwhelming beyond simply being pretty.
Therefore, the female students had no choice but to speak to the brave one who could overcome that aura.
"Dahyun, Dahyun. You should start talking to her soon."
"Huh? Ah, right."
Of course, the only female student in the class who could speak to such a Seo-yeon normally was Gil Da-hyun.
'But, it doesn't seem good if it stays like this.'
Gil Da-hyun thought as she looked at Seo-yeon pretending to read her textbook.
Of course, Da-hyun knew that Seo-yeon was truly a kind and good kid.
The surrounding female students also recognized it in their heads.
Just looking at what she had shown and done so far, she was a bit of a 4D high school girl.
After the school festival, the number of people talking to her relatively increased, but that also decreased as Seo-yeon busily digested her schedule.
If it stayed like this, it felt like the first year would end quite awkwardly.
"Seo-yeon."
So, Da-hyun approached Seo-yeon, who was pretending to read her textbook, and spoke.
"We're going to hang out at Youngmi's house today, do you want to come?"
"Huh?"
"Coincidentally, there's a variety show you're appearing in today, right? We can watch it together while hanging out!"
Variety show?
At Gil Da-hyun's words, Seo-yeon's brain spun rapidly.
First of all, she thought for a while about who Youngmi was.
The only Youngmi Seo-yeon knew was an athlete who made great achievements at the Winter Olympics.
And what was the variety show again?
Was there a variety show scheduled to air around this time?
"I heard you filmed a variety show in Japan this time? Youngmi said she knows how to watch it in real time."
"!!"
Seo-yeon shivered.
Only then did she remember.
Playing with a bear in the Aokigahara forest!
If it were a Korean variety show, she could roughly guess how it would be edited, but she didn't know about Japanese variety shows!
Playing with a bear might not have been caught on CCTV, but she still rode it around, didn't she!
'You were too excited.'
How could she not be excited in a situation where she could ride a bear?
That was practically an act of God.
The problem was that watching it with friends was a different matter.
Even if a Japanese variety show aired, people in Korea normally wouldn't know, but if it was watched like this…….
'Did you hear? Joo Seo-yeon rides bears around.'
'They say Joo Seo-yeon raises a bear at home.'
'What are you talking about, I heard she sparred with a bear every morning.'
'Really?'
Eventually, as she thought up to the point where that rumor would spread nationwide and she would participate in an inter-species fighting tournament with animals as the representative of humanity...
"You can't? Just come with us~."
At the persuasion of a friend who rarely persuaded, she had no choice but to squeeze her eyes shut.
***
"Hello."
"……."
Youngmi's mother rubbed her eyes at the sight of the female student in front of her.
She had definitely heard that her daughter was returning with friends from school today.
So, she was leisurely preparing snacks as usual, but.
'Joo Seo-yeon?'
She couldn't fail to recognize her now.
Joo Seo-yeon.
The actress who made great achievements this year, regardless of whether it was a movie or a drama.
In particular, Youngmi's mother was an avid viewer of
She teared up watching Lee Yoo-joo's growth, and vented her anger at the parents who sacrificed their children to private education.
'The actress who played Lee Yoo-joo here is a student in our class. Joo Seo-yeon.'
'Really?!'
She had definitely had such a conversation with her daughter.
She wanted to get an autograph, but her daughter didn't seem that close to her, so she couldn't ask.
'So they were actually besties!'
Youngmi's mother already considered Seo-yeon as her daughter's best friend.
Otherwise, why would she come all the way to their house?
'What do I do.'
Of course, the female student standing next to Seo-yeon along with Da-hyun.
Shin Youngmi shivered.
As a side note, Gil Da-hyun didn't come to Youngmi's house for no reason either.
'I've often heard about it from Ji-yeon, but.'
Youngmi was also friends with Lee Ji-yeon.
That was because Youngmi had gone to the same middle school as Seo-yeon.
They were in the same class from the first year of middle school to the third year, and they ended up in the same high school class too.
Of course, Seo-yeon seemed completely unaware.
In fact, during the school festival, Youngmi watched the festival with Ji-yeon, showing just how close they were.
When Seo-yeon, dressed as a ghost, jumped out, the female student standing right next to Ji-yeon was her.
Of course, Seo-yeon didn't remember.
Therefore, it was natural for Da-hyun to make such a request to Youngmi.
"Let's get a bit closer to Seo-yeon before the end-of-year party!"
Truly words befitting the class president.
The female students naturally wanted to get close to Seo-yeon too.
But, she's scary, you know?
Seo-yeon turned her calm gaze toward Youngmi.
That gaze was colder than usual.
'She's definitely angry!'
She was clearly angry about being dragged here against her will.
Youngmi requested help from Da-hyun.
Then.
"Seo-yeon is very nervous, so help her out well."
I'm the one who's more nervous.
Is that a nervous face? It looks like she could kill a person with just her eyes?
Her, her pupils are turning red too. I'm telling you it's scary.
"……."
For your information.
It was true that Seo-yeon was nervous, just as Gil Da-hyun said.
After Gil Da-hyun, it was the second time she visited a friend's house excluding Lee Ji-yeon…… no, that's not it.
There was Jo Seo-hee.
Anyway, she was nervous.
On top of that, she was twice as nervous about the variety show she was about to watch.
'It, it'll be fine. It's a variety show anyway.'
It was also a matter of drawing attention to something other than the variety show.
As a side note, she told them at home that she would be late because she was hanging out with school friends.
[Is that true?! Thank goodness. Mom thought you only talked with Ji-yeon at school.]
"……."
Her mother's words flew in and pierced her like an awl.
It was her mother's words that coldly saw through the fact that she had no one to talk to other than Lee Ji-yeon from the next class.
"First, come in and sit down. The variety show is in about an hour, right? Youngmi?"
"Ah, yeah. If what I know is correct……."
"Then Seo-yeon over here, and the rest too. Come this way."
At Da-hyun's words, the other female students also shuffled over.
Looking quite awkward.
'We have to stay like this all day today?'
They wouldn't dare to speak to Seo-yeon.
Everyone thought so.
However, just an hour later.
"Seo-yeon, is that really a bear?"
"……."
In the end, the female students couldn't hold back and had no choice but to ask Seo-yeon.
Because, on the screen, Seo-yeon was filmed riding a bear with a bright smile.