Having successfully dealt with Jo Seo-hee, Director Kang Tae-jin approached Seo-yeon, who had just finished filming and was composing her emotions.
"I enjoyed your acting. It's my first time seeing it live, and it was quite refreshing."
"Ah, hello."
Seo-yeon was slightly flustered by Kang Tae-jin's sudden appearance.
Truthfully, the person named Kang Tae-jin was quite unfamiliar to Seo-yeon.
For reference, Seo-yeon didn't know that Kang Tae-jin was a friend of Young-bin.
It was only natural since her parents had never brought him up.
'He feels strangely familiar.'
Well, it had felt that way since they first met.
Seeing Seo-yeon's reaction, Kang Tae-jin roughly understood the situation.
'As expected, they didn't tell their daughter.'
It seemed they deliberately didn't mention it despite having heard about it at the last drinking gathering.
Thinking that was just like him, Kang Tae-jin continued speaking.
"The filming for *The Devil* must have finished up to episode 3 by now, right?"
"Yes. If everything goes as expected, filming should be done within two months."
"Two months... That's fast."
It really seemed like it could be released early next year.
Once again, Kang Tae-jin admired Director Han Ye-geon's outstanding capability.
This was probably possible because he preemptively caught and quickly resolved any issues that could cause delays.
"Then the timing is indeed right."
"If it's now, is there something we need to do?"
"I mean the poster photoshoot."
"Ah."
Of course, even for an OTT drama, a poster to hang on the signboard is necessary.
Anyway, people have to be drawn in by the signboard.
"I'm planning to put it up so the attendees at this film festival can see it."
"It's an OTT drama, is that possible?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"
...Is that so?
Well, even if it wasn't, he'd make it happen.
The power the GH Group held in South Korea's cultural industry was truly immense.
The fact that the only one capable of keeping them in check right now was the Newlike Group, which had its business tentacles in various places, said it all.
"I'm thinking of scheduling it around this time, would that be alright?"
"Yes, I think that'll be fine."
The poster photoshoot itself would be over quickly anyway, so she wasn't too restricted by time.
Besides, Seo-yeon now had no other schedules aside from filming *The Devil*.
The promotions for *Gyeongseong Lady* were entirely handled by Jo Seo-hee and Lee Ji-yeon, and at most, there was the commercial broadcast she agreed to do for Raywill Games?
That was only a one-day thing, so there was almost no chance of schedules overlapping.
'But don't usually lower-ranking staff handle this kind of scheduling?'
Did a director really need to come all the way here to say this in person?
She had that thought, but calmly nodded.
He probably just came to see the filming set and mentioned it while he was at it.
Besides, he had been paying special attention to this work from before.
"Then I wish you good luck with the rest of the filming."
Kang Tae-jin spoke politely, then turned his back and left.
Jo Seo-hee quietly approached Seo-yeon, who was watching his back as he walked away.
"Seo-yeon. You see..."
"Yes?"
Meeting Seo-yeon's blank stare, Jo Seo-hee hesitated for a moment.
She originally intended to ask, 'Just how far did you spread these parachutes?'
'...Come to think of it, it makes sense that they were told.'
Seo-yeon wasn't the only one there at the time.
At the time, Seo-yeon was seven years old and was with her mother, Soo-ah.
So, it was perfectly natural for a child to tell her mother what had happened.
Soo-ah, having heard that, passed it on to her father, Young-bin.
And that it was also passed on to his friend, Kang Tae-jin, wasn't a particularly strange flow either.
'That person didn't particularly look like a blabbermouth, but...'
Recalling that robot-like face, Jo Seo-hee squeezed her eyes shut.
Praying that the parachute wouldn't expand any further than this.
"Did you have some sort of conversation just now?"
"They just told me to get ready for a poster shoot."
"...That's all?"
"Yes."
At Seo-yeon's words, Jo Seo-hee let out a deep sigh.
At the same time, the words he had just said came to mind.
'For your information, it's a secret from Miss Seo-yeon.'
If you wonder what the secret was, it was the fact that he was friends with Seo-yeon's father.
Besides that, there wasn't really anything to hide.
If she heard it, depending on the situation, Seo-yeon might misunderstand.
She might think she was made the protagonist not because of her acting skills, but because she was his friend's daughter.
There was definitely room for her to think that way.
'Looking at it now, the people gathering around her are no joke...'
It's a bit much to say this, but she herself was the young lady of the Newlike Group.
On top of that, her father's friend is the son of the GH Group's chairman.
Is there anyone else born into such a perfect environment for being an actress?
'It probably won't happen, but if I get properly caught by Seo-yeon even once, it'll be big trouble.'
Jo Seo-hee wasn't the type to hold back when she was subjected to something.
Add Director Kang Tae-jin, whom she had just met.
That kind of person was scarier.
Because he was the type who could crush others with a smile.
Just like a robot.
Jo Seo-hee had met various figures in the business world and encountered all sorts of strange people, but it had been a while since she met someone she was so repulsed by.
'To be friends with such a person. That uncle is no ordinary guy...'
She had felt it when she heard he was friends with the top star Yeo-hee, but no matter how she thought about it, his network was extraordinary.
'Anyway.'
A poster for *The Devil*.
Jo Seo-hee was secretly looking forward to seeing what kind of vibe it would have.
Seo-yeon was the protagonist in *Sky Garden* as well, but it was practically an ensemble cast, so the poster featured many people at once.
But *The Devil* was different.
It was a drama focused solely on the protagonist.
In that case, the poster would likely be a solo shot.
'Just try and mess up the shoot.'
Jo Seo-hee gritted her teeth as she recalled Kang Tae-jin.
Vowing to take revenge on him for calling her a parachute someday.
***
Seo-yeon decided to move together with Seo-hee for a while.
Not simply because of matters related to *The Devil*, but because she had to keep the upcoming awards ceremony in mind as well.
"You said the outfit for the poster shoot is a black dress, right?"
"Yes, they mentioned that, but I think the exact details will be decided when the time comes."
The reason for a black dress was that the outfit she wore during her match against Narumi Sora in the *Hyper Action* Star finals was very impressive.
Although the name had changed, it seemed it would appear in the work as Jin Yeon-seo's signature outfit.
"A fire axe too."
"...Why do you have so much affinity with axes?"
"I think so too."
She definitely used an axe when she was Cha Seo-ah too.
The images subtly overlapped.
However, the colors were completely different, so it shouldn't matter, was Seo-yeon's stance.
'It seems GH Group is trying to use that image too, though.'
Literally, they use everything they can.
"Anyway, then it'd be good to wear white for the awards ceremony dress so they don't overlap. You know the three of us have to match our outfits, right?"
"But, which side should I sit on? *Gyeongseong Lady*? Or *The Chaser*?"
It was a pretty important issue for Seo-yeon.
*Gyeongseong Lady* was precious, but *The Chaser*, as her comeback work and first movie, was also extremely important.
But if she sat in the *The Chaser* section, she'd feel guilty leaving Lee Ji-yeon and Jo Seo-hee behind.
Anyway, it felt a bit ambiguous to abandon her friends and go.
"You don't need to worry about that."
"Hmm?"
"The seats aren't for us to decide in the first place."
Jo Seo-hee said that the awards ceremony seats were decided by the organizers anyway.
So, she just had to sit in the assigned seat, so there was no need to worry.
"And, in a situation like this, they'll assign it well on their own."
"Is that so. That's a relief."
She felt relieved inwardly.
At least because she wasn't the one choosing.
Seo-hee was inwardly pleased by Seo-yeon's reaction.
Considering the work's symbolism or domestic box office performance, sitting in the *The Chaser* section was actually the right thing to do.
But the fact that she hesitated meant that Seo-yeon cared about her or Ji-yeon.
Sometimes, she had a surprisingly delicate personality in areas like this.
"First off for the awards ceremony dress, I have a place I frequent, so we'll get them fitted there, is that okay? Do you have a place in mind you'd like to go?"
"No."
Seo-yeon was just waiting, thinking her agency would take care of it.
"Then it's fine. I'll let your agency know."
"...If it's too expensive, maybe..."
Come to think of it, Jo Seo-hee was a chaebol family's young lady.
If she followed her without thinking, she might be forced to buy a dress for an astronomical amount.
At Seo-yeon's words...
"I'm the one buying it anyway?"
"Really?"
"You don't have to worry about this much."
"What about the manager..."
"The unnie said it was fine too. She told me to do as I please."
Jo Seo-hee spoke as if she really didn't mind, but accepting it meekly felt a bit wrong.
As Seo-yeon tried to say she'd pay her back later...
Sensing that, Jo Seo-hee spoke up first.
"Hmph, that actually makes it more uncomfortable. I want to get them fitted together at a place I want to buy from, but that might be a burden for you guys in the first place, right?"
"It's not really a burden..."
"It might not be a burden for you, but it will be for Lee Ji-yeon."
That was true too.
Seo-yeon reluctantly nodded at Jo Seo-hee's words.
Anyway, Jo Seo-hee considered this *Gyeongseong Lady* very important.
Beyond just the domestic box office, it had achieved great results in Japan.
'There will definitely be a response overseas too.'
Thinking of that, getting the dresses fitted in advance was important.
If the schedules didn't match and she had no dress to wear, that would be a problem in itself.
"And, you know it too."
Jo Seo-hee looked at Seo-yeon and said seriously.
"It's the last chance we can aim for ten million."
At those words, Seo-yeon nodded slowly.
She had to create as much buzz as possible at this awards ceremony.
Only then, ten million.
In a manner of speaking, it would be the final step towards a miracle.
"I've been waiting. It's been a while, Miss Seo-hee."
Like that, Seo-yeon rode in Seo-hee's car for the first time in a while and moved.
Originally, Lee Ji-yeon was going to come along too, but due to promotional activities, she decided to coordinate with Seo-hee separately next time.
"This is Designer Ahn Se-ra."
Jo Seo-hee said as she introduced the middle-aged woman.
From what she heard, she was a designer who had worked with overseas luxury brands for a long time.
She was also someone who frequently took on the dresses of various celebrities in Korea.
"She's also the CEO of Ephemeral."
A brand specializing in celebrities' award ceremony and wedding dresses.
It was the most trending brand in Korea recently.
Of course, Seo-yeon had never heard of it.
But, she was a bit intimidated by the luxurious interior.
'How many gacha pulls could I do with just one of these dresses?'
Even applying Seo-yeon's calculation method of converting most things into the cheapest terms possible, hearing the price of the dress would truly make her gasp.
Listening quietly to the conversation between Jo Seo-hee and Designer Ahn Se-ra, Seo-yeon shivered.
If she accidentally messed with it and tore the clothes with her own strength, it would literally be a catastrophe.
"We're thinking of getting two dresses each, how long would it roughly take? The awards ceremony dress should be done by the end of this month, as I mentioned before."
"And the rest can take a bit longer, right?"
"Yes. For this side, we need a black dress for the poster shoot, and I just want an extra one as a backup."
At Jo Seo-hee's words, Designer Ahn Se-ra calmly examined Seo-yeon.
She had seen many models in her career as a designer, but Seo-yeon definitely fell into a special category.
'If only she were a little taller.'
Ahn Se-ra was a bit disappointed by that part.
First of all, her proportions were flawless.
Her head was small, and her legs were long and slender.
Above all, her overwhelming presence.
Honestly, Ahn Se-ra thought there couldn't be an actress among Jo Seo-hee's peers who possessed more presence than her.
Born as royal family, Jo Seo-hee had a presence that other actresses couldn't hold.
But, Seo-yeon had an intensity that naturally stole people's gazes even more than that.
A beautiful appearance?
Of course that was there too, but it was beyond that.
'If only her chest were a bit smaller and her height a bit taller.'
Ahn Se-ra looked at Seo-yeon's chest.
She was the same age as Jo Seo-hee, so she must be a high schooler, but she was quite voluptuous.
It wasn't like they were incredibly huge, but compared to girls her age, they were definitely noticeable.
It was a relatively unfortunate part for becoming a model where the clothes would be further emphasized.
'What a waste.'
With a genuinely regretful heart, Ahn Se-ra stared intently at Seo-yeon.
If that were the case, she could even put her on her fashion show.
'Um, her gaze is strangely staying a bit lower.'
The moment Seo-yeon shrank back from Designer Ahn Se-ra's intense gaze...
"Ah!!"
Someone entered the fitting room and let out a short exclamation that sounded like a scream.
A woman with a fairly cute face.
But a girl who didn't feel like a celebrity.
'A face I've seen somewhere?'
The strange thing was that it was a face Seo-yeon felt she'd seen somewhere.
The girl looked back and forth between Seo-yeon and Jo Seo-hee and scowled.
A feeling that she was strangely displeased.
Meanwhile, Jo Seo-hee was calm, and Designer Ahn Se-ra opened her mouth as if she was embarrassed.
"Min-young, wasn't your reservation time two hours from today?"
At those words, a person instantly flashed through Seo-yeon's mind.
The high society party where she first met Row.
The girl who hosted that party, Chae Min-young.
The person who was strangely wary of Jo Seo-hee was precisely this girl right in front of her eyes.