Luna and Moon Suyeon had been officially cast in the role of Wolhee.
Dancing, singing, appearance, and buzz.
There was no reason to turn down a top star who had all of these qualities.
If there was any concern, it was about her acting.
It was a fact that she had delivered a solid performance in her debut four years ago, but there wasn’t much of a track record since then, and her acting in her music videos was all she had. This left some doubts about her skills.
But those doubts were put to rest when she voluntarily showcased her acting by taking on the role of Wolhee.
To be honest, she was quite good.
Not only her acting, but her overall aura fit the part.
Her mysteriously worn-out yet seductive presence was a perfect match for Wolhee.
That way, we ended up casting another top star in our ensemble.
As everyone smiled and welcomed Luna, Heavenly Yuah alone frowned slightly and shook her head.
While acknowledging that this role suited her and that her participation in the drama would yield significant benefits, there seemed to be a strange underlying hesitance.
This was unusual.
Heavenly Yuah was typically the kind of person who didn’t much care which actor landed which role as long as the acting was good.
“Hmm… It’s alright. There’s just something about it…”
“Something?”
“It feels like she’s perfectly suited for the role, and I think it’ll attract a positive response. Only…”
“Only?”
“Suyeon feels too… alluring, doesn’t she? This is the first time I’ve seen her perform live, but she exudes more charm than I’ve heard about.”
“Does that matter in filming?”
“So I’m not opposing it. I understand it’s the best choice, but there’s just this feeling I have.”
Admittedly, even I thought she was alluring.
She wasn’t just pretty—she had an intriguing, somewhat dangerous allure that was hard for any man to ignore.
The only difference from Hao Moonzhu in Martial Forest was that her allurement seemed layered with an air of exhaustion.
Hao Moonzhu had been alluring and decadent, but Wolhee here was even more worn-down, which made sense considering Luna’s recent overseas tour suggested that her fatigue hadn’t fully subsided.
“But isn’t that why Wolhee suits her so well?”
“That’s why I didn’t say anything.”
At this point, Yang Yuli seemed to think she needed to step in, sticking by Heavenly Yuah’s side.
Perhaps to explain why Luna, apart from her looks, wasn’t the only person who could play Wolhee.
“I didn’t just think of Luna for Wolhee because of her appearance.”
“Really?”
“Yes. First off, let me show you something.”
Yang Yuli proceeded to bring out her smartphone and played a song.
It was a soft, sentimental ballad with a guitar-based melody.
“The moon is falling tonight~♬ The moon sets~ And my heart sets with it♪”
“Ah… Is this…?”
“Like the fading moon~♪ The spring night is scattered~ Fading at my fingertips~♬”
“Alright. How’s that?”
“Is that Luna’s song?”
“Yes, that’s ‘Falling Moon’ from Luna’s second album. Actually, it was after hearing this that I thought of Wolhee.”
A melancholic, tranquil song.
Yang Yuli’s voice seemed perfectly suited to the rather husky yet lyrical melody, awakening feelings that had long been suppressed.
It was different from how Wolhee’s songs had sounded in Martial Forest.
Of course, she had been a renowned local singer back then, but in her modern form, she was an even better artist than I had ever imagined.
“Could this song be used for Wolhee’s OST?”
“Yes, that’s the plan. Such a perfect fit for Wolhee’s character. I believe her acting will reflect that same depth since her emotional expression is exceptional.”
Indeed, today’s acting might not even represent 100% of what she’s capable of.
While singing and acting are separate skills, having an actor with such a deep understanding of a character’s emotional dimension almost guarantees good results.
No, it’s more accurate to say that the role was tailored to reflect the actor’s specific essence, making it more like it was written for her.
That explained Yang Yuli’s comment about this being a “custom role” that didn’t allow for another actor.
“Still, Luna’s songs didn’t seem to have this kind of vibe before.”
“Oh, that? It’s because these days she mostly sings dance tracks. While they’ve skyrocketed her fame, it feels like she only does the same thing over and over. The company doesn’t seem to be utilizing even half of Luna’s talent.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes. As a result, her old fans treasure the quieter tracks found on her albums more. Like her original works from when she first debuted. Oh, ‘Fading Moon,’ too—it’s also a song she wrote herself.”
It does feel like a waste for someone with such sensitivity to be only doing dance music.
It seems Yang Yuli’s company is missing the mark.
“Hmm…”
While Yang Yuli and Heavenly Yuah were discussing Luna, I used my smartphone to search for Luna’s songs.
Combined with her singles, mini-albums, and full-length albums, she had over 15 songs to her credit.
Most of the popular ones were the dance tracks that were her title songs.
But the ones with the best reviews were the slower ballads, which was somewhat ironic.
Moreover, most of the songs that weren’t dance tracks were written by Luna herself.
She originally debuted as a singer-songwriter with original works, far from being a dance music artist, and it seemed her musical education was indeed impressive.
These non-dance tracks were gems just waiting to be discovered.
“To think she can sing such heartfelt songs. She truly has become a remarkable artist.”
While I had always thought being a singer was her calling, I didn’t realize she had reached this level.
“If she’s become this good, then…”
When she walked into the meeting room, I was quite taken aback.
It was understandable. It would be strange if I weren’t surprised in this situation.
But even as much of a fool as I might be, I recognize that these two worlds are separate.
Just like how Heavenly Yuah isn’t the Heavenly Demon I know, despite looking the same.
With that, as I regained my composure and observed the situation, I was genuinely proud of how she had become a famous singer.
She’s done really well. Well done.
Even though she’s not the person I know, this world’s version of her was freely singing what she loved.
And seeing her music being loved by many people, I felt reassured.
It seemed enough to just observe from afar and quietly cheer her on in my heart.
*
Luna, a top star, landing the role of Wolhee turned out to be a quite memorable issue.
The reaction to the casting news was tremendous, even though it was just a press release.
Heavenly Yuah, Nam Hyun-Ho, Lion, and now Luna.
In terms of quality of the cast, no other drama could compete with this one, and the anticipation was steadily rising each day.
“Sure, it’s bound to spark some talk.”
However, this situation also brought a somewhat burdensome reality for me, a supporting actor in this star-powered ensemble.
To begin with, I wasn’t originally meant to hold my own among these actors.
While I did deliver a good performance in my debut, several months have passed since then, and I haven’t formed a significant fan base to the point where there aren’t many cheering for me.
Under these circumstances, the most common claim is “push-in.”
Some people suspected that the reason I was cast as the male lead was because Heavenly Yuah, the female lead, might have used her influence to push me into the role.
Of course, fans who know Heavenly Yuah well are aware of her strong dislike for such tactics and strongly oppose such claims.
And even those with a bit of common sense understand how unlikely it is for such a push to have happened.
But people who only enjoy trashing others usually don’t think about these facts.
Insulting others is often considered pure fun for the ignorant.
Furthermore, this wasn’t merely questioning the acting skills of a rookie.
It was about the “level.”
The question of whether I have the right level to take on the leading role in this drama is, honestly, a tough one even for me to answer.
While the role of the lead isn’t solely judged by one’s seniority or fame, from an outside perspective, their criticisms did seem somewhat justified.
“Do you worry about such things?”
“No, though it’s a bit concerning for my family.”
Ignore the mother-daughter pair. They likely have enough on their plates.
My mother is not the kind to be upset by something trivial like this anyway.
Of course, I’ve told her not to worry, and even if I hadn’t, she’s the type to stay strong and composed.
So, the real issue lies with my father.
My father, who is undoubtedly the most sensitive person in our household, would never understand those ignorant people who criticize me.
I’ve reassured him multiple times, but if he were someone to be shaken by such small matters, I wouldn’t be worried about him in the first place.
He might even be engaged in keyboard wars with those people.
“This whole situation arising long before the airing date is also a problem.”
If the broadcasting date were just around the corner, the final product could silence those critics, but this drama has no clear airing date in sight.
Since extensive CG work will be required for post-production, it will take quite a while before it airs, leaving no tangible way to prove my worth just yet.
I can stay calm only because of my experiences; a regular rookie actor would’ve been under tremendous pressure in this situation.
“It’s not like I’ll cut someone off just because they cross some line, though.”
“I haven’t done anything to deserve criticism. These people are just writing ignorant opinions, creating their own drama.”
“So, what are you going to do about it?”
“What choice do I have? Just focus on filming for the time being.”
“That’s a good attitude.”
It’s true.
Things like this are best ignored, and I’ll do my job well.
Everything will speak for itself in the end. If I act well and the drama becomes a hit, those same people criticizing now will eventually praise me.
If I were a younger actor, I might feel pressured to prove something, but I’m not that sort of person. So, I’ll quietly focus on my job.
“In that sense, we should prepare for the script reading.”
And as she said, for me, the most pressing matter right now is smoothly completing today’s script reading.
