“Nahee, your acting was truly amazing!”
Director Kim Pil-seok exclaimed as he clapped his hands.
The staff members also looked on at Cha Na-hee in astonishment.
This was the first genuine praise she had received while filming Dream Future.
Until now, the applause had seemed rehearsed, but this time it felt different.
Everyone’s reaction echoed the same sentiment.
Nahee herself was surprised as she reflected on her recent performance.
Could she really have performed to this extent…?
“No, was my acting even correct?”
As the heat in her body cooled, Nahee recalled the live scene, or rather, the acting.
The moment when Seoyeon stepped forward and began singing—originally planned to reduce her presence or feature awkward acting—did the complete opposite.
“It’s like, ‘Is this even okay?’”
Rather, it amplified Nahee’s presence to the point that it overwhelmed Seoyeon’s role.
Acting? Yes, it was acting.
Seoyeon was a monster who could dominate the scene like that through her performance.
Nahee could feel it.
But it wasn’t her.
Her pride as an idol wouldn’t allow such a thing.
“Perhaps the foundation had already been laid the moment Seoyeon stepped forward.”
Perhaps instinctively.
The moment Seoyeon moved to the forefront, Cha Na-hee and Song So-ha’s emotions naturally synchronized.
This unplanned scene was filled with confusion and discomfort.
The jealousy that had always existed towards Seoyeon came to life.
Thus, when Seoyeon stepped forward, the stage transformed Cha Na-hee into Song So-ha.
“Is this what acting is about?”
During her earlier scenes with Park Jung-woo, Nahee had felt something similar.
However, Seoyeon’s impact was rougher and more instinctive.
It was as if her act forcibly pulled Nahee into its flow.
Thanks to this, Cha Na-hee was undoubtedly Song So-ha on that stage.
The applause that followed resonated with the audience as well.
“Did you see the 14th episode of Dream Future yesterday?”
“Wow! Seoyeon’s performance with Cha Na-hee was incredible! Which group was it again?”
“I’m so sad that Joo Ha-rin lost…”
The confrontation between Joo Ha-rin and Song So-ha.
In truth, it felt less like acting and more like a pure idol battle.
With Song So-ha as the protagonist, her victory over Joo Ha-rin left a strong impression on the audience.
And the video…
“Phew, she’s just playing around with her acting skills.”
“Do you agree, Senior?”
Lee Sang-soo and Song Gwang-min, who had appeared together on Star Fisher, were discussing the 14th episode of Dream Future. To them, this wasn’t their kind of drama, but there was something about it that captivated them anyway.
When they realized, they had watched the whole 14th episode.
Especially yesterday’s episode.
Any actor with a keen eye would have noticed right away.
“Naturally, she guided her co-star’s emotions and moved the audience as well.”
“That’s true. If she had failed, it would have been an uncomfortable scene.”
“Definitely improvised, I think.”
When the scene is revisited, the moment when Seoyeon stepped forward, real emotions burst forth from Cha Na-hee. Yet, because it felt so natural, no one among the viewers suspected it might have been a mistake.
The supposed “mistake” turned the emotion into a seamless transition, and Cha Na-hee became Song So-ha.
“This level of acting at this age…”
“It’s not easy unless someone has observed human emotions for a very long time.”
How did Seoyeon manage to achieve this at her age?
Her understanding of emotion was extraordinary.
“Accurately, it feels like knowing how people react in a given situation.”
It was as if her behavior caused other’s emotions to respond instinctively, though it was absurd to think that of someone so young.
“Senior.”
“Hmm?”
“So, what are you going to do?”
Seoyeon had asked Lee Sang-soo to watch episode 14, with obvious intent.
Our young protégé was nudging him along.
“After all, she’s encouraging you this way.”
“…”
Lee Sang-soo had failed in Hollywood and lost his passion for acting.
“Spark.”
There was once a time when a close protégé said this to him.
“Someone with the light of the stars and the spark.”
Unfortunately, Lee Sang-soo had been a spark-bearer, unable to shine brightly like a star but burning himself in acting.
The spark extinguished when it met a cold current, making it hard to reignite.
He no longer found excitement in dramas or films.
“But.”
Yesterday, for the first time in a long while, he’d found joy.
He felt the desire to act again.
“Honestly, that’s what I thought.”
“Really?”
“Once Star Fisher ends, I intended to retire completely.”
“!!”
Song Gwang-min’s eyes widened upon hearing Lee Sang-soo’s true thoughts for the first time.
Lee Sang-soo smiled and said, “But, I don’t think I can do that.”
The spark that the young protégé rekindled was glowing faintly.
And the one who rekindled it…
“Um, can you teach me how to sing just a little?”
“…”
She was making a personal request to Cha Na-hee.
To summarize, it was during a shopping trip with Ji-yeon.
Seoyeon usually didn’t shop for clothes herself.
She wore clothes her mother, Sua, chose for her, not minding fashion much.
“You’re beautiful, so why don’t you take advantage of that?”
“This is for acting.”
“…”
“Sorry.”
Seoyeon apologized under Ji-yeon’s piercing gaze, thinking her answer was somewhat humorous, but Ji-yeon didn’t see it that way.
At first, Seoyeon didn’t care much about clothes.
But recently, walking around with Ji-yeon had sparked a bit of interest.
Ji-yeon, observing Seoyeon, said somewhat wistfully:
“You strangely love skirts.”
“Because they’re comfortable.”
“You’re the only one who thinks skirts are comfortable.”
Though, technically, they were practical.
Just that, considering onlookers and how a bit of a run might lift them, it wasn’t so simple.
‘And sometimes it seems she doesn’t know what embarrassment is.’
Though occasionally, she could be emotionally dull, but Ji-yeon wasn’t sure if she was aware of that.
Cool in summer, but cold in winter.
Still, Seoyeon mostly preferred wearing skirts over the school uniform.
‘This must be the influence of Ajjumma.’
In fact, when Seoyeon was younger, she only wore pants.
That’s why Ji-yeon found it strange, but her mother Sua had kept pushing her, making her end up like this.
‘Um.’
Only, Ji-yeon felt uncomfortable around Sua.
This was because of something that happened in middle school…
“OST work?”
At that moment Seoyeon’s voice was heard.
OST?
“What’s going on?”
“Uh…”
Seoyeon hesitated on what to say first.
Should she start with the offer of possibly becoming the lead?
“But…”
Lately, Seoyeon felt somewhat conscious of Ji-yeon.
It seemed like she kept getting roles.
On Ji-yeon’s part, she hadn’t landed a significant role since the cable drama.
She said she was taking a break, but…
“There’s been an inquiry asking if I could take the lead role in a new drama.”
“From Manager Unnie?”
“Yes.”
The original script was supposed to be for regional cable TV.
The author was Min Se-hee, someone who had yet to produce any major work.
However, as the latter half of Dream Future received acclaim, higher-ups took interest.
Since it was a drama featuring young actors like Dream Future, KMB Broadcasting Company suggested airing it.
After hearing this, Min Se-hee asked if it would be alright to cast Seoyeon as the lead, and the upper management approved.
“Besides, considering Seoyeon’s impressive live performance in Dream Future…”
“The mention of possibly working on the OST came up.”
Seoyeon said calmly to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
Fortunately, Ji-yeon seemed unaffected.
‘What can I do?’
Of course, Seoyeon still cared, but Ji-yeon knew her well.
The young star.
Having watched her since childhood, Ji-yeon knew the vast gap between herself and Seoyeon.
Still, it worried her, and her pride wouldn’t let her stay quiet.
‘Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo.’
An opportunity brought by Jo Seo-hee.
Clearly, it was designed for Seoyeon to join the cast, but it was a great chance for Ji-yeon as well.
For that, she honestly felt grateful to Jo Seo-hee.
‘I must get into this audition.’
Though the competition might not be too high as it’s an art film by Baek Min, one can never predict.
“But, Ji-yeon.”
“Yes?”
“Can I still learn from that person from last time?”
The ‘Wizard,’ who occasionally streamed together with ‘Ramiel,’ was definitely about Han Da-young.
‘That person?’
The somewhat distant honorific made Ji-yeon tilt her head in question.
Suddenly remembering how Seoyeon got prickly each time ‘Wizard’ and ‘Ramiel’ co-streamed, Ji-yeon smiled.
Despite that, the fact that she was asking Han Da-young for singing tips showed how good ‘Wizard’ truly was.
“Teacher is good at giving lessons as well.”
“By the way, she’s in Japan.”
“?”
“Meeting with a Japanese company.”
“Ah, for how long?”
“She might not come back this month?”
Deciding against mentioning the VTuber agency, Ji-yeon refrained.
It was a ‘red pill’ type of secret anyway.
But Seoyeon was rather thorough in these matters.
“… Really?”
Seoyeon sounded confused at this because the studio wanted to do a preliminary test for the OST soon.
The day was exactly two weeks away.
If she performed poorly, the OST offer might be withdrawn.
‘I don’t want that.’
Truth be told, Seoyeon really wanted to try working on an OST.
First-time experiences are things you want to try.
And if everyone says you sing well, the natural human tendency is to want to sing more.
‘Especially if I become a VTuber in the future, there will be a lot of opportunities for this…’
Justifying it as such, Seoyeon indulged in her desire to work on the OST.
‘Now that I think about it, receiving an OST offer implies taking on the lead role as well.’
It felt like an agreement made without much thought.
But, the action movie audition planned by the GH Group had an undecided date anyway,
and Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo won’t need auditions and is months away from shooting.
This made Seoyeon’s calendar free for now.
“Generally, it’s common to take a hiatus by shooting commercials and TV shows.”
Manager Eun-ha noted, but it didn’t seem appealing to Seoyeon.
Her abundant energy couldn’t be satisfied with mere commercials.
‘What should I do…’
Wondering if anyone nearby could help, someone came to mind.
There was an idol she had gotten close to while filming.
“Customer?”
La-bin from the girl group “Summer Girls” tilted her head at Cha Na-hee’s words.
“Ah, yeah.”
Cha Na-hee stammered a little.
She held a precarious position among the group.
Specifically, in the area of interpersonal relationships.
By becoming unexpectedly famous via a variety show,
she ended up monopolizing popularity, and her group activities were some of the most frequent.
Through Dream Future, her skills were proven, transforming the rest of the “Summer Girls” into mere background.
Therefore, the gap among the members was growing larger.
‘Just got lucky.’
La-bin frowned at Cha Na-hee.
Back when they debuted, Cha Na-hee was the group’s lowest ranked member.
It had even been said she was chosen purely for her looks.
‘Outside her face and singing…’
Trying to think that way, La-bin deliberated.
‘Even if Cha Na-hee were to bring someone, it wouldn’t be much.’
Na-hee was the more cautious type among the members.
Thoughtful, she didn’t socialize casually, and consequently, most of her acquaintances were rather dull.
“Sure, no problem.”
Thus, as the leader of “Summer Girls,” La-bin gave her consent nonchalantly.
The next day,
“Hello.”
“…”
A rigid tone.
A long, jet-black hairstyle, neatly tailored school uniform.
Her pale skin and stunning beauty were mesmerizing.
This was the essence of an actress.
The girl who rose to prominence quickly through The Chaser and Dream Future.
Joo Seo-yeon greeted them calmly,
and watched their surprise.
‘Her legs are really thin.’
She was thinking that if she were kicked, they might snap.
