LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 97
Sometimes, people think.
When they open their eyes in the morning, their life has changed.
And I’ve been feeling that a little, indirectly, lately.
In a slightly different way.
“Oh, welcome… Ugh!!”
As I stepped into the convenience store I visit on Wednesdays, the part-time worker gasped for air.
He always gasps for air, but today’s gasp felt strangely different.
When I stared at him, the part-timer seemed to be opening a box and directed his gaze at the utility knife on the counter.
“Ha, ha. The, the weather is nice, right?”
And he cautiously started to put away the utility knife.
“……”
When I subtly frowned at him, the part-timer looked a bit embarrassed.
Or perhaps he was slightly scared, clearing his throat with a cough.
“……I watched [The Chaser] yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“In there… You played Cha Seo-ah, right?”
His hesitant question made me nod.
His expression reflected something hard to explain.
The urge to talk to me right away, but strangely subdued energy.
“Y-your acting was really good. I had no idea about the emotional expression incapacity thing. It… really felt real, you know?”
“Really?”
“……Yes, it felt totally real…….”
As I watched him calmly, he paused for a moment.
“……That was acting, right?”
At his question, I smiled brightly.
And while lightly adjusting my eyes with one hand,
“Of course.”
“……!!”
I noticed my reflection in a nearby mirror, and my eyes turned slightly red.
Seeing that, the part-timer’s body flinched backward.
Watching him, I let out a small laugh.
“Just kidding.”
“Ah, r-really?”
“Of course.”
I said this while collecting the vitamin drink I had paid for.
“Then take care. Don’t let just anyone into the storage room.”
After saying that and stepping out of the convenience store, I felt a gaze following me from behind.
A gaze filled with confusion.
Or a watchful eye, questioning what was real or fake.
Since the movie’s release, I’ve often received such looks.
At first, it felt a bit strange.
‘But now it’s kinda fun.’
I should visit a different convenience store tomorrow.
Just thinking about that excited me already.
*
New actor Jung Hyun-woo.
He was a rule-abiding actor with a disciplined life.
In the morning, he went to the gym to work out and spent the afternoon searching for jobs.
……Finding work these days wasn’t easy, but he still tried hard.
‘Should I do some theatre?’
Since taking a supporting role in a cable drama, he hadn’t found any suitable jobs.
It was because the other cable drama airing at the same time was utterly crushed.
At first, the levels were similar, but as it progressed, the plot deteriorated, leading to a complete defeat by a different drama.
“Sigh.”
Letting out such a sigh, just as he was about to deadlift, he noticed a girl entering the gym.
A girl he definitely couldn’t forget anymore.
Initially, he had heard that she had gained attention in the play [Looking Back on Memories] and later starred in [Survival Without Borders] and [Dream Future], garnering buzz.
Joo Seo-yeon.
By now, even Jung Hyun-woo had to recognize her.
‘She looks familiar…’
The young Yeonhwa Princess.
But that image had faded significantly.
Now, a much more intense image covered the girl.
“Why are you staring like that?”
“!!!”
When Seo-yeon spoke, Hyun-woo stumbled back.
It was the first time Seo-yeon had ever approached him first.
Seeing her face seemed to say she had something she wanted to hear.
Could it be?
“I really enjoyed the movie… Your acting as Cha Seo-ah… was truly amazing.”
“Ah, thank you.”
At those words, Seo-yeon’s expression relaxed for the first time.
So she wanted to hear that, huh?
Every time she came to the gym recently, she kept asking the older men something. Was that what?
‘The ten-million actress.’
Who wouldn’t want to brag about that?
In fact, today or tomorrow,
[The Chaser] was sure to cross ten million admissions.
Then Seo-yeon would become a ten-million actress with her first movie role.
‘Not even a hint of jealousy, huh.’
Jealousy needs to have a certain level of realism to take hold.
When it’s unrealistic, it feels only amazement and reverence.
Moreover.
Cling!!
“Wow, Seo-yeon! You’re on fire these days!”
“What? Good things have been happening lately.”
“Of course! I saw the movie too! I saw Cha Seo-ah yesterday, and now looking at you, my muscles are all quaking.”
At the trainer’s ha ha ha laughter, Jung Hyun-woo swallowed hard.
What would he even be jealous about when facing a girl lifting weights he couldn’t even attempt?
It was a relief if he didn’t fold in half.
“But, aren’t you worried that Cha Seo-ah might give you a bad image?”
While Seo-yeon was taking a short break, Hyun-woo asked her that.
This role of Cha Seo-ah had definitely left a big impact.
That could affect the actor’s image.
Especially if it’s a female actor.
“A little, but not in a bad way.”
Seo-yeon recalled what had happened until now at Hyun-woo’s words.
Though there were definitely some concerns, she was fine at the moment.
Above all.
‘Thank goodness the ads haven’t been canceled.’
I protected my 400 million.
Thinking of that made Seo-yeon smile a little.
Since that was her first main goal, passing that hurdle was something to be genuinely happy about.
The influence of [Dream Future] was certainly there too.
With Joo Ha-rin making a big impression in a significant episode, Cha Seo-ah’s performance was somewhat offset.
And it seemed that, unexpectedly, Cha Seo-ah had garnered sympathy votes from the audience as well.
“It’s okay! It’ll change quickly with other roles.”
“R-really?”
Hyun-woo was slightly surprised by Seo-yeon’s response.
A successful actor really does have a different mindset.
‘Cha Seo-ah’s image seems quite strong.’
Of course, Seo-yeon had a slightly different thought.
As long as I don’t lose that 400 million, I didn’t particularly dislike Cha Seo-ah’s image.
‘Next time, I’ll have to try action acting.’
In reality, the fighting scenes with Cha Seo-ah, Seo Kwang-il, and Im Seung-cheol the detective had received huge praise.
Thanks to not using stunt doubles, they could present a more natural action.
……Though after filming the action, the two actors had to rest in the hospital for quite a while.
But anyway, because of such a dedicated performance, [The Chaser] had hugely succeeded.
“You’re an actor, right? I heard about you.”
“Yes? Ah, th-thank you. I’ve only appeared in one cable drama so far, though.”
“I heard. My friend is also in another cable drama airing around the same time, so I wanted to talk with you. Let’s cheer each other on.”
Seo-yeon said as she tilted her head.
Her long black hair flowed to the side, revealing her sweaty white neck.
“So, if you need any help, just let me know.”
“R-really?”
“Of course! If it’s about training, I can help you as much as you need.”
“……?”
“Looking at you, it seems you’re not lifting weights properly yet.”
Isn’t it usual for people to offer acting tips here?
Cheering was meant to be physical, huh?
That thought crossed his mind.
‘Oh, maybe she’s suggesting something in a roundabout way?’
Hyun-woo thought that and nodded.
And he soon regretted nodding later.
*
And when [The Chaser] premiered and surpassed 5 million admissions.
During the airing of the 6th episode of [Dream Future].
“Who is this in the article?”
Im Jin-ha trembled, his hands shaking.
First, he looked at which internet news outlet posted the article.
‘Senyang Media, reporter’s name is Han Sun-ah.’
He knew her.
The reporter who had recently been publishing good articles about Joo Seo-yeon.
That was okay so far.
But how.
[[Dream Future] Bullying Allegations?]
It was a short but bold article title.
And upon reading the content, it contained a staff member’s testimony.
The article stated that the drama’s writer had reduced the importance of a specific actress because she didn’t like her.
‘How did this happen?’
It was a natural and subdued reduction.
But somehow, someone caught wind of it and came to investigate.
“Do you know each other? Hah, this is ridiculous.”
Im Jin-ha said that, but his hands were shaking.
Not only that, PD Baek had not been supportive of her in recent days.
The upper management’s remarks weren’t just rumors.
But modifying the script, huh?
‘At this point?’
It was already a bad situation.
Now the upper management wanted to not just restore the importance but increase it.
“Writer Im. You know who the most talked-about actress is right now, right?”
The next day, Im Jin-ha was summoned to the drama network and heard such words from PD Baek.
“The director saw the movie.”
“……Pardon?”
“And he says it’s fine to increase the importance. You know what this means, right?”
PD Baek said this forcefully to Im Jin-ha.
“Do you want this to be your last career moment?”
“But I…”
“Oh, you have a hit piece, I know. You’re somewhat promising. But it’s a different story now.”
PD Baek had watched [The Chaser].
From what he saw, he thought,
‘This needs to be promoted.’
Every PD and broadcaster would think that way.
Cha Seo-ah’s image?
That could easily be overshadowed by Joo Ha-rin’s character.
If it were any other actor, it could be different, but Joo Seo-yeon had that kind of potential.
A teenager and a ten-million actress.
How many actors have that kind of career?
Park Jung-woo, and Jo Seo-hee?
“I think you’re under a delusion, Writer Im. You’re a rookie writer.”
“……”
“If it weren’t for me, you’d have been dismissed long ago.”
Im Jin-ha’s hands trembled with that statement.
He never expected PD Baek to say something like this.
“Look here.”
PD Baek turned on his smartphone, showing the screen to Im Jin-ha.
“The reduced importance has already been questioned by the media. See the number of articles coming up?”
“I-I didn’t cut her importance like this…!”
“That’s no longer important. What’s done is done, right? It’s true that the character Jo Ha-rin has barely appeared since episode 1.”
“That’s true, but…”
No one knew who had sparked the initial fire.
Could it have been that reporter named Han Sun-ah? That could be possible.
But in the end, someone must have questioned.
With [The Chaser] succeeding, it was only natural to become interested in the drama Joo Seo-yeon was in.
“This can’t just be fixed with a little restoration. Even if we had left it as is, the character would have disappeared entirely by episode 8.”
“……”
“Touching that was what caused this mess. Let me sincerely tell you…”
PD Baek said, placing his hand emphatically on Im Jin-ha’s shoulder.
“It’s better to watch your actions. I’ll let Director Kim Pil-seok know.”
“……Yes.”
With his head down, Im Jin-ha completely lost confidence.
It was hard to believe.
That just one actress had caused such a ripple.
But anyone who knows this industry understands.
The fate of actors can be unpredictable.
When one of them truly rises, the level of influence they can wield can be immense.
The amount of money an individual can move approaches corporate levels.
‘Right now, Joo Seo-yeon is standing at that point.’
So it was only natural for anyone to reach out.
An actress everyone could see would soar.
At the time when that actress is at her most valuable.
When is that?
[[The Chaser] Surpasses Ten Million! Incredible Rapid Advance!]
Right now.