LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 80
– The Chaser is another thriller, huh? Dun-dun!
– Is it the new work by director Bae Jin-hwan? Then it should be worth watching! Cheer-cheer!
– Who’s the cast? The convenience store actress is super pretty! Shiny-shiny!
– Isn’t she still in high school? That’s Yeonhwa from ‘Memories of the Past.’ Flashback!
– Oh, that one? Nod-nod!
– She is definitely pretty, but such a waste to be in a convenience store role. Sigh!
– I heard she’s going to appear in a variety show next week too. Surprise!
– Do supporting roles do promotions these days? Hmm…
– She’s really cute, let’s grab a drink! Cheers!
The trailer for ‘The Chaser’ was released, and the internet buzzed for a moment. Buzz-buzz!
Director Bae Jin-hwan. Ta-da!
A genius director in Korea, and now a new movie. Wow!
The cast in this thriller is pretty good too. Yeah!
It’s funded by GH Group, so some people looked down on it, but it’s definitely a highly anticipated new work. Excited!
After all, recent Korean films have been struggling against foreign superhero movies, so expectations were high. Hope-hope!
“I just hope the plot isn’t too predictable.” Crossing fingers!
Movie critic Na Dong-sik said this and shook his head. Shake-shake!
Thriller movies, this is good! Yay!
I’ve even heard that director Bae Jin-hwan had a lot of power in casting actors. Power-up!
“The raincoat murderer, I wonder when this raincoat murderer trend will end?” Ha-ha!
Na Dong-sik’s fellow critic chuckled while saying this. Hee-hee!
“…I mean, I’m not saying it’s bad. It’s classic. But, hmm.” Scratching head!
“Does the impact feel a bit weak?” Question mark!
“Exactly. This is….” Nod-nod!
He played the movie trailer again to look it over. Rewind!
The trailer released yesterday is a 2-minute teaser. Tick-tock!
Of course, you can’t know all the details of the movie. Mystery!
So, if we only look at the info we can gather. Dee-duh!
“The physique is too small.” Small-small!
“Especially standing next to the big guy Kim Dae-heon.” Gigantic!
“Right? Totally that kind of vibe. The criminal… definitely has an atmosphere.” Spooky!
But why choose such a small physique for the criminal role?
Sure, anyone holding a knife can be dangerous, even if it’s a woman. Watch out!
“A woman?” Eyebrows raised!
Na Dong-sik muttered unintentionally and squinted his eyes. Squint-squint!
“Oh, the criminal role is a woman? I can see that.” Got it!
“Hmmm. Well, that’s a bit disappointing.” Pout!
The criminal role should show strong presence.
It’s not that it shouldn’t be a woman, but there’s a certain atmosphere that comes from appearance. Poof!
Absolute evil. Boom!
To maintain that image, it felt relatively lacking. Huh?
“And is she a main character too? She’s in the trailer.” Surprise!
“Oh, Joo Seo-yeon? She’s trending right now!” Trending!
Her face was indeed very pretty. Sparkle-sparkle!
The face of someone working part-time in a convenience store. Part-time job!
Looking at the internet reaction, she’s said to be appearing in a variety show soon. Show-time!
“Sending a supporting role to promote…,” Confused!
“The release is still a while away, so I think they intend to capitalize on her recent popularity.” Money signs!
It’ll take at least a few more months until the movie is released, no matter how quickly it goes. Tick-tock!
The promotional video is one thing, but sending someone to a variety show seems early. Too soon!
But the quick release indicates an intention to capitalize on the current buzz. Bam!
Throw a jab first, and the major promotion will come a few months later. Ping!
“Hmmm….” Thinking-cap on!
But Na Dong-sik couldn’t shake off the feeling about this Joo Seo-yeon. Hmm…
I heard producer Cha Dong-jin was involved in this film. Producer alert!
He’s a clever guy. Smart cookie!
GH wouldn’t trust him for no reason. Trust-trust!
‘Could it really just be that simple?’ Doubtful!
Logically yes, but.
The actress Joo Seo-yeon.
I’ve definitely seen her before. Flashback!
She was a memorable part of ‘The Moon That Hid the Sun.’ Memory lane!
I clearly remember the acting she displayed during her child actor days. Throwback!
Also, her recent performance in ‘Memories of the Past.’ Spotlight!
The audience draw she had in ‘Close Your Eyes.’ Cheers!
The influence on the public is not something you can ignore, even if she’s just the convenience store supporting role. Bigger world!
‘No.’ Stop!
That can’t be it.
What would be a guaranteed spot for anyone.
It was odd that such an eye-catching actress got a role in the film. Incredibly odd!
“Ah, I should post my thoughts on the trailer today.” Social media time!
Na Dong-sik nodded at the words of his colleague critic. Agree-agree!
He had an idea of how he wanted to phrase the post. Creative brain!
He’s a critic who often throws harsh reviews, so he would likely critique the bad parts of ‘The Chaser.’ Boo!
Not really a review. Side note!
Just a one-liner for his social media. Short and sweet!
“I think I’ll sit this one out.” Think-think!
“Really?” Surprising!
His colleague looked puzzled at Na Dong-sik’s words. Confused!
This was always something Na Dong-sik took the lead on. Leader!
But somehow.
This time, he felt it should not be the case. Inner thoughts!
At least, until the movie was released. Tick-tock!
*
We often hear about life changing overnight. Whoosh!
There’s that saying.
Of course, my case was a bit different, but it had its similarities. Hmm…
Having previously shot a drama, I just thought it would be vaguely similar. Eh?
“Ah, hello.” Hi there!
Rarely did the convenience store part-timer speak to me first before going to school. Surprise!
When I asked why, Curious!
“They said, you appeared in a movie. I recognized you at a glance!” Spotting fame!
She fumbled to take out her smartphone and showed me. Click-click!
The view count surpassed 2.4 million on ‘The Chaser’ trailer. Wowzer!
To be honest, it still hadn’t sunk in. Dazed!
I couldn’t tell if people were genuinely watching as the views ticked up every time I refreshed. Reload!
“I’ll be cheering for you!” Go-go!
I smiled lightly at the convenience store worker’s words, and as I rushed to school. Run-run!
There were now people recognizing me more than before. Recognition!
The first change was during the variety show ‘Memories of the Past.’ Blast from the past!
Then it was ‘From the Light to the King.’ Bright light!
After those two times, a few more folks seemed to know me. Growth!
But this time seemed different, maybe even more so. Bigger crowd!
‘Perhaps.’ Realization!
I might have stepped into a larger world than I thought. Mind blown!
The response to the first teaser was so favorable that a second one was being prepared. Yay-ya!
Director Bae Jin-hwan spoke to Seo-yeon with an incredibly happy face. Cheesy grin!
The early response was positive, so that was expected. Yep!
I heard it was one of the highest numbers for films released this year. Big numbers!
“Seo-yeon.” Calling!
“Yes.” Here!
“How did your exam go?” Test time!
“…….” Awkward silence!
I honestly didn’t expect him to ask about exam scores here, so I stayed quiet. Keeping secrets!
To clarify, I wasn’t bad at studying. Smart enough!
I just genuinely hated studying; I was an average student. Typical!
“Cough, but it’s good to pay attention to your studies, you know?” Judging!
“Yes.” Nodding!
Many young actors thought that wasn’t important when doing acting, but at least Bae Jin-hwan believed students should focus on their studies. Wise!
Even if you’re not great, it’s about attitude. Take note!
“Of course, Seo-yeon seems smart, so I don’t worry about you.” Trust!
“…….” Sweating!
Even overly confident Seo-yeon couldn’t nod at this. Awkward!
Honestly, I wasn’t that collected either. Nervous jitters!
I could already picture my dad chuckling at that. Giggle!
I felt oddly annoyed. Frustration!
“The movie will be released soon. Until then, I’ll focus on promotions.” Ready, set, promo!
Meaning I would be tossed here and there for promotions. On the go!
“Will they keep hiding Cha Seo-ah’s character until the trailer?” Curious!
“Until the second one.” Stay tuned!
“Then for the third…” What’s next?
“Yes, we’ll give just a little hint.” Sneak peek!
He wasn’t planning on hiding everything.
They would insert a scene hinting at who the criminal is by the end. Dramatic!
“So, will you take a break until the release?” Chill-out?
“No.” Firm!
At Bae Jin-hwan’s comment, Seo-yeon smiled brightly. Bright smile!
Looking at Kim Dae-heon, who was all dressed up for promotions, Seo-yeon laughed. Giggle!
Today was interview day. Interview time!
“Hey, you’re not taking a break? Seo-yeon’s busy.” Wow!
The actors gathered in one place. Big group!
Most actors were open to Seo-yeon now since we had formed a friendly rapport. Friendship!
Honestly, he said there was no need for formality, but Kim Dae-heon insisted on being polite. Respect!
“No way, that’s not necessary!” Naw!
“Are you filming an advertisement? I heard the Éclat Étoile model recently changed.” New face!
This was brought up by Jung Si-hyun, who played Han Ye-hwa. Hello!
Recently, the posters and ads of the prior model Song Hee-bin were coming down. Out with the old!
This meant a new model was being introduced. New arrival!
And everyone here knew who that model was. Surprise!
“Nope.” Shaking head!
“Really?” Double-take!
“An audition is coming up.” Try for it!
“An audition?” Confused again!
Another audition here? Seriously?
Well, that could happen. But gosh, for a student, she sure was working hard. Wow!
“What drama is it for? I heard there’s a thriller drama in the works….” Hints everywhere!
“It’s not a thriller drama.” Not at all!
“Oh, right. Ugh! The image of Cha Seo-ah is too strong.” Caught!
To Jung Si-hyun, Seo-yeon was Cha Seo-ah. Yep!
That image was so strong, it was hard to imagine Seo-yeon in anything other than those thrillers or action films. Drama drama!
Feeling Jung Si-hyun’s reaction, Seo-yeon grew more confident about this drama. Boost!
“It’s a youth romance.” Love story!
“……A youth romance?” What?
An entirely different genre from what Seo-yeon was accustomed to. Different vibes!
There seemed to be a collective thought among everyone. Side looks!
It’s not that Seo-ah didn’t bring action to a role with her movement. Action-ready!
“Yeah, the audition for ‘Dream Future’ is actually coming up soon.” Exciting!
To be exact, in three weeks. Countdown!
This would happen after Seo-yeon’s variety show and the advertisement were aired. Plan plan!
‘If I pass the audition…’ Wishful!
Seo-yeon was aiming for Jo Ha-rin, who had a relatively minor but leading supporting role. Fingers crossed!
The character was akin to a charming comedic relief, brimming with energy. Bubbly!
If everything goes smoothly and she gets to film ‘Dream Future,’ Seo-yeon’s broadcast date would coincide exactly with ‘The Chaser.’ Perfect timing!
Specifically, ‘Dream Future’ would air around episode four when ‘The Chaser’ premieres. Spot-on!
That was exactly what she aimed for. Goal set!
To avoid the murderer’s image that could be plastered over her cosmetic ads. No-no!
‘Plus, from episode eight, her screen time will drop significantly, so there’s no pressure.’ Breathe easy!
Minimal screen time means fewer filming sessions. Less stress!
So Seo-yeon planned to improve her image while gracefully exiting the spotlight. Perfect plan!
Seo-yeon thought this and smirked inwardly. Evil laugh!
*
“Director.” Attention!
“Why?” What’s up?
Eclat Étoile’s Baek Min-chan, buried in papers, responded. Busy busy!
Hearing the response, the head of the business strategy team, Jung Tae-soo, quietly spoke. Whispers!
In his tense voice, Baek Min-chan paused over the papers. Wait!
“…Did something go wrong?” Concerned!
He had strong opinions about this advertisement model. Powerful choice!
If this failed, it would backfire on him. Oops!
“10%…” Big drop?
“Did it fall?” Uh-oh!
“It went up.” Surprise!
“Darn it, then why say it like that?!” Annoyed!
BAM! Baek Min-chan slammed his desk. Shatter!
10%.
That may sound small, but it was a significant leap. Jump for joy!
Considering the decline in sales, this was a breath of fresh air. Fresh start!
“It’s only been a week since the change, right?” Quick turnaround!
“Yes.” Nod-nod!
“Then just wait. It’ll keep rising.” Keep climbing!
Baek Min-chan said this with confidence and burst into laughter. Joyful!
He was fully aware of what Seo-yeon was up to. Sneaky sneaky!
Today was the day Seo-yeon’s variety show was airing. Party time!
Specifically, ‘Survival Without Hosts.’ Survival mode!
‘Subtly, it would be great if she mentioned our cosmetic line….’ Wink-wink!
To be honest, Baek Min-chan didn’t expect her to stand out much on ‘Survival Without Hosts.’ Underwhelmed!
Since she was an actress, he thought she wouldn’t do anything that would become a hassle. Let’s be nice!
After all, if she messed up, the brand Éclat Étoile would take a hit. Dodge it!
He believed in Seo-yeon.
At least, the Seo-yeon he had seen wouldn’t cause trouble. Hashtag trust!
Yet.
The following day. Dun-dun-dun!
“Director, the sales….” Breaking news!
“…….” Silence!
Baek Min-chan froze at the sudden spike in daily sales. Eyes wide!
Even so, he hadn’t anticipated it soaring this high. Mind-blown shock!
‘I thought just recovering some sales would be good enough.’ Wishing!
Dramatic.
That perfectly captured the situation. Drama-drama!