[Exclusive] Signature's L'Vyu, to Star in New Novelist Yu Ji-mi's Drama—Team Up with Actress Avengers
Expectations Have Skyrocketed—Is It Really Okay? L'Vyu and Yu Ji-mi—'College Is Over'
After the test, novelist Yu Ji-mi expressed high hopes for L'Vyu, saying there was no one better than him for a villain role…
CP Kim Mun-seong emphasized the importance of a villain's role—what message was he sending to L'Vyu?
Will Signature's L'Vyu shed the terrifying sniveling of Jin Dong-ho in his next work? That was the big question…
After the test, the news that Deok-su had been cast spread like wildfire across the internet.
JMT's PR team had moved quickly, launching a massive campaign.
Since the drama had played a decisive role in boosting ratings for the previous work, the public's interest was enormous.
When people's interest surged, naturally the interest of the headquarters executives also intensified.
“CP Kim Mun-seong isn’t someone who lets words slip carelessly… I guess he has high expectations for L'Vyu.”
“Hehe. Of course it’s our L'Vyu. Ah, but the head of the idol division… Sorry, I shouldn’t say that.”
The head of the idol division, Kang Ha-seong, always rubbed Director Min Du-jin of the acting management team the wrong way.
Recently, there had been almost no actors making a name for themselves. Especially rookies had almost completely disappeared.
When Head of the Idol Division Kang Ha-seong mentioned L'Vyu, Director Min Du-jin felt a sharp pang in his chest.
But the discomfort didn’t show on his face.
“This sudden rise for L'Vyu long time coming to regret… Something to celebrate. Ah, L'Vyu seems to be someone who’s interested in this side. If Director Kang is fine with it, how about we manage him here?”
“W-what?”
“If L'Vyu continues acting, wouldn’t it be better for support to come from our side? The idol team is so busy with overseas activities and album preparations…”
The eyes of the two department heads clashed in mid-air.
After Director Kang Ha-seong let out a contemptuous laugh and left, Director Min Du-jin swept his hair back.
‘…Hui-yeong. Was it Hui-yeong? I’ll have to meet her directly soon.’
Director Min Du-jin stood up from his seat right then.
“…The coffee tastes exactly the same.”
“Of course it does. What, oppa? Did you really think the taste would be different just because we’re in Daechi-dong?”
Hui-yeong’s teasing made Deok-su smile awkwardly.
Around them, tables full of office workers hunched over Americanos and problem sets.
The ice in everyone’s cups had long since melted, leaving not even a trace.
The atmosphere of Daechi-dong felt completely unfamiliar to Deok-su at first glance.
“Studying in a café… Are you doing okay?”
“Oppa, how famous the cafe workers have become lately. Right, you’re so far from studying…”
“Is that how you approach me?”
Just as Deok-su and Hui-yeong were bantering, a woman in a crisp white uniform appeared in front of them.
The exam coordinator they had agreed to meet today—Yujeon.
The same exam coordinator who had sent Gang Min-ji to Y University.
Yujin had even arranged the meeting.
‘…Her outfit really does look like something parents would like.’
After the introductions, Deok-su took a close look at her.
She wasn’t particularly striking in appearance, but she carried an indescribable aura.
Yujeon glanced at the luxury watch on her wrist and spoke without much emotion.
“It’s rude to check the time right away… I’m sorry. I was strict about the time…”
“It’s fine. I’ve heard multiple times that you break time down to the second.”
“Min-ji is a really special kid to me. I was complicated when she said she wanted to pursue what she loved and joined her agency…”
The conversation with Yujeon began right there.
She and Deok-su had met when Gang Min-ji was in third year of middle school.
She described her as an earnest child who never skipped homework, and said that if she hadn’t made any mistakes on the CSAT, she would have been admitted to S University instead of Y University.
“…Min-ji studied hard.”
“It would be more accurate to say she followed closely. It’s only natural for the students I manage. Top grades and top in-class ranking are to be expected.”
As they talked, Deok-su observed her carefully.
‘She uses the word “to be expected” often.’
Having survived as an exam coordinator for over ten years, her eloquence was heavenly.
Deok-su stopped speaking and listened closely.
Information about the exam coordinator began pouring into Deok-su, starting with Yujeon.
Hui-yeong, who had brought the coffee, didn’t even open her mouth.
Deok-su’s notebook filled up with their interview.
When he finished, Deok-su asked if he could go with her, but she refused.
The reason was the possibility of customers’ personal information leaking.
Instead, Yujeon answered his questions faithfully, and Deok-su filled the gaps with his interview.
After the interview, Deok-su returned to the company and immediately placed a cork in his mouth.
“…Um, ehehe, ehehe… ehehe…”
After practicing pronunciation and clearing his throat, Deok-su immediately began rehearsing the script.
“…I had presented an alternative… No. There’s no difference.”
Deok-su shook his head.
Kim Mun-seong’s CP’s words were still jumbling his brain.
He tried to immerse himself like before and raise his voice, but changing his already changed voice wasn’t easy.
“…Oppa, you’ll strain your vocal cords.”
It was already past dawn.
Hui-yeong spoke with concern, but Deok-su, who hadn’t yet found the thread, stood in front of the mirror again.
‘Is there no way to change the changed voice again?’
Deok-su picked up a pen and jotted down everything that came to mind in the mirror.
Professor Kim Hyeok-jung had advised that when stuck, just write down whatever comes to mind.
And it was true—his thoughts were starting to organize little by little.
No one had disliked his changed voice until now.
The impact it carried was that immense.
But if someone like CP Kim Mun-seong asked for a different voice, there was no other choice.
‘…Strictness, parents, trust…’
The mirror quickly filled with words related to Han Seo-won.
Deok-su erased the unimportant words one by one, repeating the same line.
At some point, a few words stopped in front of Deok-su’s fans.
‘No blood, no tears. Cold. Doesn’t care about means or methods…’
As he searched for related terms, only one word popped into Deok-su’s head.
‘Hell… hellfire?’
A teacher who would do anything to get his students into university, but who drives them into tragedy…
Only one word came to mind.
‘Noona. Oppa Deok-su, what are you doing…’
‘Let it go.’
Hui-yeong led a yawning Park Hyeon-woo out of the training room quietly.
Finally, Deok-su spoke.
“All of you… Are you saying you can handle it alone!? For my children’s lives!?”
The voice coming from Deok-su’s mouth was now even deeper and more refined, colder than before.
It was far more pleasant to listen to than the previous voice.
“Ah…”
Deok-su was momentarily stunned. He shook his head vigorously and repeated the line again.
“All of you… Are you saying you can handle it alone!? For my children’s lives!?”
This time it was the voice he had changed before.
Deok-su composed himself and stared at his reflection in the mirror.
“All of you… Are you saying you can handle it alone!? For my children’s lives!?”
A brand-new voice flowed out again.
Deok-su’s legs gave out and he sat down right there.
‘…Depending on how I interpret the character, I can change the voice.’
Deok-su, who had found the thread, dug deeper into the character Han Seo-won and continued rehearsing.
Even after that, Deok-su stayed absorbed in Han Seo-won.
About three weeks later, it was finally the script reading day.
“I am Kim Mun-seong, CP in charge of production and responsibility.”
“I am novelist Yu Ji-mi. It’s an honor to work with such talented people.”
Starting with CP Kim Mun-seong and novelist Yu Ji-mi, the staff and actors greeted one another in turn.
Veteran actresses Lim Na-ra, Kang Jeong-ran, and Yu Tae-seon, who played the roles of the parents, also stood and bowed.
“I’m Lim Na-ra. Some of you are seeing me for the first time today, and there are others who are seeing me for the first time. Let’s get along well from now on.”
“I’m Kang Jeong-ran. I hope each of us plays our parts well and achieves a good result.”
The two actresses’ eyes were already sharp from the start.
It was like the eyes of a lioness eyeing its prey.
‘This drama won’t have any acting controversy.’
‘If they’re even a little displeased, they’ll be cut. Those two are no joke.’
While the others whispered among themselves, Yu Tae-seon stood up and spoke with lively energy.
“I’m Yu Tae-seon! Let’s put all our energy into the hips during filming! And have even more fun off-set—! This filming is going to be a hit—! Please take good care of us.”
As applause followed, Yu Tae-seon sat back down. Deok-su, sitting a little apart, was about to stand up when their eyes met.
A wink.
Deok-su flinched slightly.
Yu Tae-seon had winked at him.
‘…I must have misread it.’
Deok-su quickly composed himself and bowed toward the others.
“I’m Kim Deok-su, playing Han Seo-won. I’ll work hard so I don’t let down my senior staff or the many crew members.”
“Ooh—”
Yu Tae-seon encouraged the surrounding applause with cheers.
Thanks to her, Deok-su received more applause than anyone who had introduced themselves so far.
‘…’
From behind, Hui-yeong, along with the other managers, watched Yu Tae-seon intently.
After the introductions, the reading soon began.
“…You only looked at our kid like this!?!”
“I only presented an alternative. This anger is only going to make Hae-ju even more distant from Seoul National.”
“…Ha! No…”
As Lim Na-ra and Deok-su continued the reading, CP Kim Mun-seong turned his gaze to the two of them.
‘…The voice has changed again. It was only a slight regret, but it’s perfectly compensated. The feeling is better.’
His eyes were precisely on Deok-su, who was producing the changed voice.
After the reading ended, all the cast and staff gathered in one place.
With the sound of meat sizzling, CP Kim Mun-seong raised his glass.
“When I say ‘hit’ from the front, the back will say ‘cheers! Let’s hit!’”
“Cheers!”
The drinking party was filled with warmth.
The good atmosphere from the reading had carried straight into the drinking party.
Of course, it was still not an easy spot for Deok-su or the child actors.
“Seonbae-nim, one glass…”
Song A-yeong, who played Hae-ju, politely filled Deok-su’s glass.
Coincidentally, there was no one much older than Deok-su at his table.
In fact, Deok-su found it awkward around both younger and older senior actors.
At least idol-turned-actress Song A-yeong was manageable, but the child actors were seniors in acting experience.
As the awkward drinking party continued, a woman raised her glass toward Deok-su.
“Seo-won sam. Ah, it’s now Deok-su sam. Can I call you sam?”
Deok-su smiled and nodded.
She was Ju Ha-na, who played Mi-ye in the drama.
She had also been one of the actors who had matched Deok-su’s chemistry best during the reading.
“What are you all doing? My arm is going to hurt from this.”
Thanks to Ju Ha-na, the atmosphere at Deok-su’s table rose to new heights.
The power of alcohol was immense.
In the gradually relaxed atmosphere, Deok-su became comfortable talking with the actors as well.
Just as Deok-su was enjoying the back-and-forth of glasses, someone pulled up a chair beside him.
“Deok-su-ya.”
“Ah, Sunbae Yu Tae-seon.”
Deok-su moved slightly aside to make room for her to sit comfortably.
The happy table suddenly cooled.
Or rather, Yu Tae-seon rested her chin on her arm and gazed at Deok-su with a bewitching look.
“I was really surprised today? You, my friend, is amazing. You didn’t lose to the senior actresses at all.”
The place Yu Tae-seon pointed to had the two actresses Kim Mun-seong was talking to seriously.
Deok-su smiled awkwardly, and she lightly grabbed his arm.
“Compared to the seniors, I’m still far away.”
“Hehe. Modesty, too? But ‘senior’ is a bit far. Just call me noona.”
Yu Tae-seon’s smile was more beautiful than words, but Deok-su felt his back go stiff.
She was pushing him away, yet she was gradually leaning closer to him.
Was it the alcohol?
Her eyes looked a little hazy, and the feeling was unpleasant.
But openly showing rejection was difficult.
After all, she was a senior, a woman.
If a scandal broke out, even if Yu Tae-seon took the blame, he would suffer serious damage.
‘She dodged a bullet with that restraint.’
He had drunk quite a bit, but his mind was even clearer.
Without knowing what he was thinking, oil coated Yu Tae-seon’s voice.
“We, you… have a girlfriend?”
“That’s…”
“Well, of course you must have one. You’re handsome, and your body is firm—huh? Ah, look at these.”
Just as Yu Tae-seon lightly punched Deok-su’s chest, Deok-su stood up.
“Deok-su, where are you going?”
“I’ll go to the restroom.”
“Want me to keep you company?”
Yu Tae-seon showed him a cigarette, and Deok-su politely declined.
Fortunately, she didn’t follow him all the way to the restroom in a scary way.
Deok-su gave Hui-yeong a signal and headed toward CP Kim Mun-seong.
“Hey! Another drink… Ah, Deok-su. What’s wrong?”
Deok-su gave Yu Tae-seon a signal, indicating he had to leave first.
She, now alone, smiled brightly as she looked at him.
‘Tsk tsk… Yu Tae-seon, you can’t quit that habit. I see. I’ll handle this.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Sorry? That’s clean. After going to the restroom, take the way out to the kitchen.’
Deok-su followed that path and went out through the kitchen.
Outside, Park Hyeon-woo was waiting, having already been contacted by Hui-yeong.
Soon, the two loaded Hui-yeong into the car and hurried out of the after-party.
“You escaped at just the right time. You probably went through a lot with Yu Tae-seon.”
“I heard rumors, but I didn’t expect it to be so blatant from the first day.”
Looking out the window, Deok-su shook his head.
Yu Tae-seon’s male-flicking was a famous story known to everyone.
Especially…
“Even so, Sunbae Yu Tae-seon said she wouldn’t get involved with the actors…”
“Oppa, you’re thinking of me as an actor… Ah, sorry. I slipped up.”
Deok-su shook his head at Hui-yeong’s words.
The rest was obvious even without hearing it.
She had probably thought he was an idol, not an actor.
‘Idol-turned-actor… I’ll make sure you can’t say that in the future.’