Chapter 107: Star Fisherman (1)
Chapter 107: Star Fisherman (1)
"What did you say XN Ent wanted?"
Hwang Min-hwa had been in a foul mood lately.
It was only natural, considering her ambitious project, Utopia, hadn't received much of a response.
Of course, the results weren't exactly bad.
Four million viewers.
It looked like it would at least hit the break-even point.
Yes, the break-even point.
Meaning she had barely made back the investment.
But today, her manager told her that XN Entertainment had reached out. When she asked what it was about...
"They mentioned that you used to be with Nova Ent, Min-hwa. XN Ent was wondering if you could perhaps put them in touch with Ju Seo-yeon..."
Those words were enough to make Min-hwa’s blood boil.
"This is unbelievable. I’m in this mess because of that girl, and they want what?"
"Min-hwa, it’s not like your results were actually bad, right? Everyone has an off-season now and then."
Jang Cheol-ho, a director at Horizon Company, wiped the sweat from his brow as he tried to soothe her.
Her pride is damn near insufferable.
In truth, it was good for an actress to have pride. In a way, it showed a desire for self-improvement.
However, Hwang Min-hwa was an extreme case. Her thirst for success was twice as strong as anyone else's.
The Chaser was a natural disaster. Getting four million viewers against a juggernaut like that is actually impressive.
Director Jang truly believed that.
While Ju Seo-yeon had stolen the spotlight, a cold analysis suggested that such a performance couldn't be achieved by her alone.
The director, the script, and the other actors—every single one of them was a titan in the industry.
It was true that Ju Seo-yeon, as the villainess, had allowed them to showcase their full potential. But in the end, it was the two leads who carried the film.
Director Bae Jin-hwan is definitely a genius. Give him proper funding, and his directing becomes flawless.
The direction had brought out not just a hundred percent, but a hundred and twenty percent of Ju Seo-yeon’s acting. It showed how much he trusted his actress.
And that trust had been rewarded with massive success.
"Ha! Unbelievable. So, XN asked me to act as a bridge to Ju Seo-yeon?"
"You don't have to agree to it. So please, don't let it get to you..."
Jang Cheol-ho worked hard to calm her down. If he didn't, she would undoubtedly go back and tear into her manager like a cornered rat.
To think he told her that without a second thought.
The request from XN Ent. The manager who received it had mentioned it to Hwang Min-hwa without thinking, and this was the result.
I didn't realize her personality was this difficult.
She had already gone through two managers. Hwang Min-hwa was selective about who she vented her temper on. To be precise, she targeted those who wouldn't easily spread word of her flaws to the outside world.
Namely, the employees of her agency.
An actress lived and died by her image. Since they had to manage the "product" to ensure it wasn't damaged, the agency staff had no choice but to keep their mouths shut. She was the one earning them their salaries, after all.
"I'll handle the response to XN Ent."
"...You're not going to make me look like the bad guy, are you?"
"Oh, heavens, no."
Even as he cursed her inwardly, Jang Cheol-ho continued to placate her. Because she had managed her image so thoroughly around anyone who might talk, the public didn't have a negative perception of her. That was likely why XN Ent had asked so casually.
It's not like I can tell them to just take her.
Even though Utopia had yielded mediocre results, Hwang Min-hwa’s name still carried weight. The fact that it even reached four million was thanks to her acting ability and ticket power.
But if she stayed this bitter, she’d be looking for another manager soon...
"Ah."
"?"
"Actually, I recently heard some news."
Jang Cheol-ho shared information about a variety show currently being prepared by the GH Group.
An action movie. And the audition process for it.
"...And that girl is going to be on it?"
"It’s almost certain."
"Hmph. Good."
An audition for an action movie combined with a variety show—the premise was obvious.
They want to see how well she can handle action.
Are they turning the selection process into a survival show? Then it probably won't be on a major network. It’ll likely be a web variety show at best, but...
If the GH Group is investing that much, there must be something more to it.
Hwang Min-hwa thought of Ju Seo-yeon. It seemed her action scenes in The Chaser had left quite an impression.
Hmph. I bet a stunt double did everything anyway.
Of course, Min-hwa had watched The Chaser. She hadn't wanted to, but wasn't it said that to know your enemy is to win a hundred battles?
The Chaser was undoubtedly a well-made film. The action scenes Seo-yeon showed were excellent, but that was exactly why Min-hwa didn't believe Seo-yeon had done them herself.
When it comes to action acting, I might actually have the advantage.
Hwang Min-hwa had plenty of experience with action roles. Therefore, she was confident she could win if she had to perform action alongside Seo-yeon in an audition.
How much action can she really do with that frail body?
Seo-yeon wasn't even that tall. She barely reached Min-hwa’s eye level. On top of that, Min-hwa was meticulous about self-care. She did yoga regularly and had great stamina.
But...
Just in case.
"There's no guarantee I'll pass the audition, is there?"
She wasn't unconfident in her physical abilities, but she didn't know how much action would be required. To put it bluntly, if they had direct contact with Ju Seo-yeon, they might design the challenges to favor her.
When Min-hwa asked in a subtle tone, Jang Cheol-ho replied, "Then let's find another project. For example, something that releases exactly when that action movie does."
In other words, he was suggesting a rematch.
To be honest, he felt the reason Hwang Min-hwa lost to Ju Seo-yeon this time was because of the GH Group's investment and the stellar cast and director.
I know she's impressive for her age, but...
She still wasn't on Hwang Min-hwa’s level. Min-hwa was an actress who had essentially risen to the same rank as the industry veterans. No, she was an S-class actress. She was someone who deserved to be called a great actress.
"...I like that."
Only then did Hwang Min-hwa smile with satisfaction. She had thought of Horizon Company as just a stepping stone before moving to one of the Big Three agencies, but their work wasn't half bad.
Ju Seo-yeon.
Min-hwa recalled Seo-yeon’s face from the last time they met. A face so beautiful it was chilling. And that overwhelming presence.
Next time, I’ll crush you properly.
Coincidentally, Ju Seo-yeon’s image overlapped with Hwang Min-hwa’s in many ways. The beautiful looks, the cold atmosphere. The face that suited a villainess.
That was why she didn't want to lose. Not ever.
*
"...What are you doing?"
Lee Ji-yeon was busy agonizing over how to ace the audition for Gyeongseong Lady. There was still plenty of time left. In fact, considering the scheduled filming dates, it was actually quite early.
"Preparing for the variety show."
Seo-yeon was swinging a long stick menacingly. The sound of it slicing through the air was unsettling. Was this variety show some kind of gladiator match?
"I got an offer for a fishing show."
"...Ah, is it Star Fisherman?"
"Yeah."
"But that's a cable show."
Of course, Star Fisherman was quite popular. It had a solid cult following, and it was a good place for celebrities to show a new side of themselves. Most importantly, the cast consisted of very prominent actors. It was a show worth doing just for the networking opportunities.
"Nothing from the major networks?"
"Nothing that fit."
Seo-yeon had checked the variety show and commercial offers she’d received. Some were tempting, but most were interview-style shows.
I wanted to do Running People.
It was the show every rising star had to visit at least once. A show where guests completed various missions and tried to rip off name tags attached to their backs. Personally, Seo-yeon was a fan of Running People and really wanted to appear on it.
I guess I'm not there yet.
She thought The Chaser would have been a perfect fit for Running People, but apparently not. They probably wanted to wait and see a bit more.
It's likely because I'm close with KMB, so they didn't call.
She could guess the reason. So far, all of Seo-yeon’s activities—dramas and variety shows—had been related to KMB. Running People was an MDC show. They might have been being cautious.
I'll definitely do it later.
If she had one or two more hits, maybe she could put in a request herself. Even if just for promotion.
"Other than that, nothing seemed to suit me."
"So you got a lot of offers, but they lacked substance."
"Exactly."
For the record, Star Fisherman wasn't a show Seo-yeon usually watched. It was typically a show for older men. If her father, Young-bin, had watched it, she might have followed along... but Young-bin wasn't particularly interested in those kinds of shows. He’d rather spend that time watching LoL World Championship highlights or YouTube Shorts.
Thinking about that, something suddenly occurred to her.
"Hey, Ji-yeon."
"Yeah?"
"I want to join a club."
"...?"
Ji-yeon couldn't help but be puzzled by Seo-yeon’s out-of-the-blue comment. The phrase "Where did that come from?" was the most appropriate reaction.
Is she interested in the Theater Club?
Come to think of it, ever since Looking at the Past and Memories, the Theater Club had been desperate for Seo-yeon to join. But no matter how she looked at it, she didn't think this girl was talking about the Theater Club.
"...What kind of club?"
"The E-sports Club."
Seo-yeon wanted to be good at games. She was dead serious.
*
"Is the guest this time an actress?"
"Hmm."
In the conference room for Star Fisherman.
The two regular cast members, Song Gwang-min and Lee Sang-soo, wore ambiguous expressions.
"Has she... ever fished before?"
"I'm not sure about that."
"Hrmmm."
Well, they were older men, so going fishing with a young girl was nice in its own way. However, they weren't sure if it would be good for the broadcast.
"She's the actress who blew up recently with The Chaser and Dream Future, right?"
"Ah, Sang-soo, have you not seen them?"
"I haven't. Lately, I haven't been able to focus on acting at all. Both of those projects seemed a bit much for me."
Lee Sang-soo, who was in his mid-fifties, was terrible with thrillers. On top of that, Dream Future was a youth drama. He tried to watch a bit of it, but the vibe didn't resonate with him, so he gave up.
I heard he’s been in a slump lately.
Producer Jung Seung-hyun of Star Fisherman let out a sympathetic sigh inwardly.
Lee Sang-soo. A veteran actor who had been active for a long time. He had countless hits and had appeared in three movies that surpassed ten million viewers. He had even played the lead in two of them.
He lost his spark after getting burned in Hollywood.
Five years ago, when his momentum was at its peak, he attempted to break into the overseas market, thinking it was his last chance. But he faced great hardships. The acting style didn't suit him, and Hollywood didn't give him proper roles. He had filmed what was supposed to be a significant supporting role, but his screen time ended up being less than five minutes.
From that point on, Lee Sang-soo gave up on his dreams of going abroad and returned to Korea. He tried to make a comeback with a drama afterward, but even that was panned by critics. He had been on a hiatus since then, until Producer Jung Seung-hyun, unable to watch him wither away, brought him onto Star Fisherman. Through his only hobby: fishing.
"If she were a bit younger, she'd be the age of a granddaughter. I don't know if we'll get along."
"If it were a guy, it would be fine, but..."
The middle-aged man backing Lee Sang-soo was an actor five years his junior. Song Gwang-min. He was an actor who was truly serious about fishing. Thus, he seemed quite displeased about a young actress who likely didn't know the first thing about fishing appearing as a guest.
"What if she starts whining about wanting to go back to shore? Will she even be able to keep her balance on the boat?"
"Oh, don't worry about that. We've done our research."
"...Ahem. Well, I know you're a meticulous person, Producer Jung."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Song Gwang-min cleared his throat and spoke. But his dissatisfaction didn't entirely vanish.
Still, if Producer Shin said so, it must be true.
Producer Shin Young-woo of Wilderness Exploration Survival. He was Producer Jung Seung-hyun’s senior from the same high school. Through that connection, he had heard stories about Ju Seo-yeon. After making various inquiries, he had personally extended the casting offer.
If even half of the rumors are true, it'll be fine.
That would be more than enough. Her looks and popularity alone would be enough to drive up the ratings. That was all Producer Jung Seung-hyun was expecting.