Chapter 104: Action Movie (1)
Chapter 104: Action Movie (1)
The Chaser surpassed ten million viewers.
And Dream Future reached a 20 percent viewership rating.
As these two milestones were achieved almost simultaneously, interest in Seo-yeon, who appeared in both works, grew exponentially. This was the level of buzz even though she only played supporting roles in both.
If she had been a proper lead, she would have received more than double the attention she was getting now.
"No, actually, this level of interest is already abnormal," said Lee Jun-bin, Head of the Management Division at XN Entertainment, one of the Big Three agencies.
At XN Entertainment, the management division tended to handle both idols and actors together.
"Two roles with completely different images: a murderer and a fresh idol who just moved up from the countryside."
Lee Jun-bin sat in the conference room, looking at the other executives.
"I heard RY Ent has already made contact."
"Seeing as she’s still at a place like Nova Ent, it must not have gone well."
Lee Jun-bin had heard that story too. They were likely among the first to reach out.
"Since they contacted her so early, they clearly failed to see her true value."
"Hmm. But if we think about it carefully, her value might be a bit overhyped right now."
"Overhyped or not, there's such a thing as marketability. Her potential is just too great."
To be honest, he hadn't thought much of her when she first returned through variety shows. He only took a slight interest when she became a hot topic in theater, and later, he viewed her as an actor with a decent "color" after Wilderness Exploration Survival.
"She's young... or rather, she's a child. Above all, her looks are extraordinary."
"That’s certainly true. She really shines in her commercials."
"Sales for éclat Étoile increased by more than 10 percent compared to the previous quarter. And that’s the figure after a temporary dip followed by her return."
Furthermore, among those visiting theaters to see The Chaser, there were definitely audience members who went specifically to see Ju Seo-yeon.
Of course, they weren't the majority.
But the fact that they existed at all was what mattered.
An actor who makes the audience seek them out in their very first film.
This was a separate issue from acting ability. No matter how well someone acted or how many works they appeared in, there were plenty of actors who lacked "ticket power."
However, the crucial point was that Ju Seo-yeon had created such an audience with just one film.
The greatest strength an actor could possess: ticket power.
What if she filmed even more dramas and movies from here?
"Her contract with Nova Ent hasn't been that long, right?"
"Yes, probably."
"Is there a way to terminate that contract and bring her over here...?"
"It’s not impossible if we push it, but there are too many eyes on us."
"Ugh."
The executives let out sighs of regret.
XN was the largest agency even among the Big Three. Naturally, the government kept a close eye on them, and they were likely to be hit harder if they pulled any underhanded stunts.
"Still, should we try something quietly, under the radar?"
"Quietly?"
"Ah, I heard Manager Park is an acquaintance of the actress Hwang Min-hwa."
"Didn't Hwang Min-hwa move to Horizon Company?"
"She was with Nova Ent for a long time, though. Couldn't she find a way to get in touch?"
"...Hmm. That doesn't sound bad."
Would it really be that easy?
Lee Jun-bin had his doubts, but regardless, it was Hwang Min-hwa. A "Ten-Million Actor." A real one who had earned that title by playing a proper lead role.
If a senior actor from the same agency speaks to her, it might lead somewhere.
The XN Entertainment management division concluded their meeting with that decision.
"Does anyone know actor Ju Seo-yeon?"
"Nova Ent says her schedule is already full..."
"Full, my foot! They're just testing the waters!!"
While other agencies and various advertising industries were watching closely, Seo-yeon was quite busy.
"Hello. I am Kang Tae-jin, Director of the Cultural Affairs Division at GH Group."
GH Group.
She had a meeting scheduled with a conglomerate that ranked 12th in the business world.
*
Seo-yeon first received the news the day after she heard The Chaser had surpassed ten million viewers.
Manager Park Eun-ha suddenly received a call from Director Bae Jin-hwan.
Wondering what was going on, she took the call.
—"A director from GH Group said he wanted to see Seo-yeon."
"Pardon?"
—"He didn't explain the exact reason, but it shouldn't be anything bad."
According to Director Bae Jin-hwan, The Chaser had been a film made with investment from GH Group from the very beginning.
However, it seemed GH Group had been skeptical about the film's success. While they gave Director Bae Jin-hwan full authority and supported him in many ways, The Chaser had become a much bigger hit than GH Group had anticipated.
—"Originally, they expected about 6 million viewers at most."
Six million. That was a high enough number. In a given year, there were actually very few movies that surpassed 6 million viewers. A film had to be a household name to reach that mark.
—"But it hit ten million. As you know, Seo-yeon, ten million is a very special number in the film industry."
In the history of South Korea, there were very few "Ten-Million Movies." The Chaser had taken its place in what was essentially a Hall of Fame. Furthermore, considering its artistic quality, they could even expect good results overseas.
—"In particular, it seems GH Group has judged that Seo-yeon played a major role in the success of The Chaser."
Bae Jin-hwan was a famous director. The two lead actors playing the detectives were also well-known and famous. Additionally, Jung Si-hyun, who played Han Ye-hwa, was a famous character actress.
When they calculated their ticket power and the film's commercial viability, the predicted figure was 6 million.
Yet, The Chaser had reached ten million. Considering the remaining time it would be in theaters, they could even think about double that original prediction.
—"So, if you're willing, I'll arrange a meeting with GH Group."
Bae Jin-hwan left the choice regarding GH Group's proposal to Seo-yeon.
To be honest, it was a very big decision for the still-young Seo-yeon to make on her own. When she consulted her mother, Sua, about it:
"If you want to do it, go ahead, but if it's too big of a deal, wouldn't it be better to decline?"
Seo-yeon nodded. It certainly wasn't good to be overly greedy.
And when she asked her father, Young-bin:
"Dad, I'm in the middle of a game."
Seo-yeon ripped the stab-proof vest right in front of his eyes.
"I think your opinion is the most important, Seo-yeon. If you want to do it, giving it a try will be a good experience."
Anyway, after receiving that advice, Seo-yeon agonized over it all night and finally talked to Ji-yeon.
"GH Group?"
"Yeah."
"An offer came from such a big place?"
Ji-yeon roughly understood Seo-yeon's dilemma. GH Group was no ordinary conglomerate. Even the cable drama Ji-yeon was appearing in was influenced by GH Group.
"...If you go to this meeting, it'll be hard to refuse whatever the proposal is."
"I think so too."
"But still, I think you should do it."
She didn't know what the proposal was. At the very least, she was certain it wouldn't be anything bad.
"And I don't think it'll be as huge a deal as you expect."
"Really?"
"Didn't you ask me just to confirm what you already know?"
Seo-yeon gave a slight nod. GH Group's proposal might not be as massive as expected. Once the meeting was set, it might become a situation where it was hard to refuse.
A ridiculously huge task would be a problem, but even if it was less than expected, she wouldn't be able to turn it down.
I might be called a 'Ten-Million Actor,' but...
Everyone called Seo-yeon a Ten-Million Actor. And she had achieved good results in Dream Future as well.
However, from a conglomerate's perspective, there was one flaw. She wasn't the lead in either project.
They were roles with significant weight. She had brought about a massive impact, but in the end, she wasn't the lead. The Chaser featured her as a villain with lead-level screen time, but she was still the villain.
Corporations judged everything by numbers, and they cared more about the distinction between lead and supporting roles than one might think. Just because there was a lot of buzz in online communities didn't mean it translated directly into numbers.
Since data showed that leads had more influence than supporting actors, they remained skeptical even if Seo-yeon was mentioned frequently online. If anything, the quarterly performance of éclat Étoile would have more of an impact on their data.
"Hmph, must be nice. I want to have a meeting with GH Group too."
Ji-yeon said this as she poked Seo-yeon in the side with her elbow. Since Ji-yeon was ambitious in many ways, she was quite envious of such an offer.
Well, it makes sense for her to feel that way.
Seo-yeon felt a secret sense of pride. Ji-yeon had even promoted her a bit on broadcasts because she wanted Seo-yeon to succeed.
I should work hard too.
Just as Ji-yeon was a very significant presence to Seo-yeon, Seo-yeon was a very significant presence to Ji-yeon. It had been that way since they were children.
"Oh, Lee Ji-yeon."
"What."
Seo-yeon hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Jo Seo-hee said she wanted to see us later. With me, of course."
"She's your friend."
"She's not my friend."
Despite saying that, Jo Seo-hee seemed to act very friendly toward Seo-yeon. Honestly, Ji-yeon didn't like her for several reasons.
Even though she called you a 'parachute' when we were little.
Seo-yeon didn't seem to care much, but Ji-yeon hadn't forgotten. It was because Seo-yeon had told her every little detail about what happened during the audition back in kindergarten.
Lee Ji-yeon had a prickly personality, was tenacious, and never, ever forgot a slight.
Still.
"Fine."
It would be good to have a proper conversation at least once. After all, she was the most successful actress among their peers.
*
"First of all, congratulations on the movie The Chaser reaching ten million viewers."
Kang Tae-jin, Director of the Cultural Affairs Division, said this with a thin smile at Seo-yeon. Of course, while his mouth was smiling, his eyes were not.
This is uncomfortable.
People like this were difficult to deal with in many ways. She had encountered them several times in her past life.
The eyes of someone looking at a product.
Back then, ironically, Seo-yeon hadn't felt much because she couldn't properly process emotions. So, they were actually easier to deal with. Since she had observed others' emotions for a long time, she could immediately tell what they wanted.
"I also enjoyed The Chaser. First of all, I could really feel the emotions of the villain, Cha Seo-ah, very clearly. It felt quite different from the initial explanation I heard from Director Bae Jin-hwan. It seemed like the actor's personal interpretation was involved. And the action scenes were truly wonderful. I heard you learned at Cheonghong Action School? When I asked Professor Kim Hong-baek, he said you showed great talent for action acting. I heard you handled all the stunt action yourself, which surprised many people within GH."
"..."
"And I've been a regular viewer of Dream Future lately. To be honest, it didn't really resonate with me at first when my daughter was watching it. I remember it received harsh reviews online at the time, but Jo Ha-rin's acting in the first episode received great acclaim. I feel like I would have been even more moved if I had watched it live back then. I heard there was a small friction with the scriptwriter afterward. That happens sometimes. I think it's best not to worry too much about it. After episode 7, your screen time increased significantly again, and the viewership surpassed 20 percent. It's a drama that deserves it. I'm enjoying it these days too. Honestly, Jo Ha-rin's..."
"Director."
When the person beside him, who appeared to be a secretary, gave a small warning, Director Kang Tae-jin nodded.
"I enjoyed watching it."
"Thank... you."
Seo-yeon pondered for a moment as she looked at Director Kang Tae-jin, who was smiling brightly at her. His eyes still weren't smiling.
What is this?
Did he memorize the parts about her acting or the good points? He was a completely unpredictable person.
"The Director says he really enjoyed the movies and dramas you appeared in, Actress Seo-yeon."
The secretary beside him emphasized the words again. It seemed he was being sincere.
Hearing that, Seo-yeon became genuinely curious.
Could it be that he has a bit of a problem expressing emotions?
Like her past self.
Director Kang Tae-jin's impression was so intense that she even had such a rude thought.
"Returning to the main point, I asked to see you because there are a few things I'd like to propose."
"Proposals?"
And "a few" of them? In Seo-yeon's mind, the scale tipped back toward the "huge deal" side.
"An action movie."
An action movie.
"And before that, we are planning a large-scale audition. A variety show."
As he said that, he smiled thinly once more. His sharp, snake-like eyes glinted.