Chapter 114: Toward the Mainstream (3)
Chapter 114: Toward the Mainstream (3)
“Oh, where’s Seo-yeon? Why are you here by yourself?”
Kang Chan-yul, the CEO of Nova Entertainment, had been in an excellent mood lately.
And for good reason—Nova Ent’s stock price had soared recently, thanks to Seo-yeon’s incredible performance.
Considering there hadn't been any notable actors since Hwang Min-hwa left, and people were saying 'Nova Ent is finished' at the time of her departure, it truly felt like a different era.
“Ju Seo-yeon went to take singing lessons.”
“Singing? Ah, is it for that OST work she just got?”
Kang Chan-yul answered nonchalantly, then paused.
Something about the nuance of Ji-yeon’s words felt off.
“Wait, she’s doing that with our company’s vocal trainer, right?”
“No.”
At first, she had asked the Wizard—that is, Lee Ji-yeon’s fellow VTuber, Han Da-young—but Seo-yeon had suddenly vanished as if she’d remembered something.
From what Ji-yeon heard, it was probably…
“She said she’s learning from a… friend.”
“…A friend?”
She had friends other than Ji-yeon?
Kang Chan-yul reflexively had that rude thought.
That was how narrow Seo-yeon’s social circle was.
“I mean, what about our company’s vocal trainer?” Kang Chan-yul muttered, sounding bewildered.
Nova Ent wasn't some mom-and-pop shop; they obviously had vocal trainers.
In the first place, Nova Ent wasn't an agency that focused solely on actors; they also managed idols. Naturally, they had plenty of talented vocal trainers…
“I wouldn't know,” Ji-yeon replied.
Kang Chan-yul found Seo-yeon’s behavior both absurd and puzzling.
“Ji-yeon.”
“Yes?”
“You’re sulking, aren't you?”
“…”
Kang Chan-yul let out a hearty laugh as Lee Ji-yeon glared at him tartly.
Having watched her for a long time, he could see right through her.
Sometimes those two are exactly the same.
Seo-yeon would occasionally frown at how many friends Ji-yeon had, but Lee Ji-yeon, who usually acted like the coolest person in the world, was exactly the same way.
“…Still, when she gets back, make sure to tell her we have vocal trainers here too.”
“Okay.”
Aside from that, he worried if she was being a nuisance somewhere.
After all, Seo-yeon always had a way of thinking that was a bit different from the norm.
*
Around the time that conversation was happening at Nova Entertainment…
A strange silence hung over Hoyeon Studio, the agency of Summer Girl.
Ju Seo-yeon?
Rabin swallowed hard as she looked at the girl in front of her.
She knew exactly who she was.
After all, wasn't she the actress who appeared alongside Cha Na-hee in Dream Future?
The one from The Chaser.
She was even the actress who played the killer in the recent hit movie The Chaser, which had just surpassed ten million viewers.
Because of that, she had shot to stardom overnight and was one of the people currently competing for the title of the next big thing.
Why is she here with Cha Na-hee?
It was true that Cha Na-hee was the most popular member of Summer Girl, their sole breadwinner.
However, in their eyes, Cha Na-hee was just a boring person.
To them, she was someone who had no particular merits other than being a decent singer and having a pretty face, and they couldn't understand why the public liked her so much.
And yet, the guest that boring Cha Na-hee brought along was none other than Ju Seo-yeon.
No, wait. Why am I intimidated? Ju Seo-yeon is a rookie too.
She might have been a child actor in the past, but she had a ten-year hiatus.
She was practically a newcomer.
In fact, if you looked at the time spent active in the entertainment industry, Summer Girl had been around longer.
There was no reason to be intimidated by her.
“…”
When Seo-yeon stared blankly at them, Rabin swallowed again.
This girl… she looks scary.
Her dry, hollow gaze made her seem like a doll, giving off an almost inhuman vibe.
B-but…
They couldn't just let her seize the initiative like this.
“Oh, my. You’re so cute.”
“Are you a high schooler?”
“It must be hard for you, but you’re doing so well~.”
Once Rabin broke the ice, the other members of Summer Girl chimed in.
Calling her "cute" was a calculated move to establish a hierarchy.
It was a strong assertion that said: I am in a position where I can call you cute.
“…”
Seo-yeon simply stared at them in response.
The members of Summer Girl, who had been making a fuss, froze under that silent gaze.
They felt like mice in front of a snake.
Unnie, she’s got an incredibly strong aura.
Then you try saying something to her.
Their eyes met, exchanging such thoughts.
On the other hand, unlike them, Seo-yeon was…
…As expected, getting complimented by strangers is a bit embarrassing.
She was just feeling a little shy.
After all, it was the first time she had been called cute by an idol.
Maybe she should have worn something other than her school uniform.
But she had been too lazy to pick out other clothes.
Anyway.
Seo-yeon tilted her head as she looked at the awkwardly frozen members of Summer Girl.
Na-hee unnie said conversation might be difficult.
Perhaps they were the type who were extremely shy around strangers, just like her.
Seo-yeon nodded slightly at the thought.
In that case, shouldn't she, the more proactive one, take the lead?
“I came here to learn how to sing from Na-hee unnie.”
Learning to sing.
The Summer Girl members' eyes narrowed at those words.
An actress learning to sing?
“T-that’s right. We’re going to borrow the practice room for a bit. I already got permission from the CEO.”
Na-hee sighed inwardly at the members' reactions.
What she had learned while filming the drama with Seo-yeon was that Seo-yeon actually had a very gentle soul.
She was so soft-hearted that Na-hee worried about how she would survive in this harsh entertainment industry.
In terms of dog breeds, she gave off the impression of a Pomeranian or a Retriever.
Because of that, Na-hee was already worried about what would happen to her if she got caught between these fierce and aggressive members.
At least she has a strong look, so they won't mess with her easily.
In the first place, Seo-yeon didn't show much emotional fluctuation.
When she stared at someone, they usually flinched, and there was something about her that made her difficult to approach.
Plus, didn't she have that unique aura of an actress?
And the manager unnie, too…
Even after bringing her to the agency, there were many things to worry about.
First of all…
“Seo-yeon-ssi. We’ll treat you well if you come to our side. It hasn't been long since you signed with Nova Ent, right? You can still move agencies now, you know.”
The head of the acting team had approached her and made subtle suggestions like that.
Even the manager had implicitly hinted that Hoyeon Studio was better than Nova Ent.
…Why are they being like this?
She knew Hoyeon was struggling lately, but wasn't that incredibly rude?
Cha Na-hee felt her face flush with embarrassment for no reason.
“Anyway, let’s go.”
Cha Na-hee led Seo-yeon toward the practice room.
Since Hoyeon was an agency specializing in idols, the facilities were definitely better than Nova’s.
They had much more audio equipment, and the setup was properly furnished.
Of course, there wasn't much use for it in ordinary vocal training.
And so, the training began with the other members watching from a distance.
Surprisingly, Cha Na-hee was the strict type when it came to training.
“…You’re definitely lacking a lot in terms of technique.”
Cha Na-hee was particularly good at singing, even among idols.
Naturally, she frowned at Seo-yeon’s singing when she performed without accompaniment.
“You seem good at putting emotion into the lyrics… Is it because you’re an actress?”
Seo-yeon laughed awkwardly at Na-hee’s words.
Originally, the problem was that I couldn't put emotion into my singing.
Actually, Seo-yeon’s singing ability was decently average.
Of course, that was by karaoke standards.
And because no emotion was carried in her voice, it used to result in a song that was hard to describe.
Now it’s the opposite.
She realized once again how heavily they must have processed her singing in Dream Future.
No wonder the viewers naturally accepted the plot where ‘Jo Ha-rin’ was eliminated and ‘Song So-ha’ moved up.
Objectively speaking, Song So-ha overwhelmed Jo Ha-rin in terms of idol skills.
“First of all, Seo-yeon, you have a good voice. So it’s best to make the most of that, but…”
Thus began Cha Na-hee’s singing lesson.
Head voice? Chest voice?
Various terms flew into Seo-yeon’s ears.
Come to think of it, she felt like she had heard these words before when she was learning from Han Da-young at the voice acting academy.
Of course, Da-young had simplified things to a child’s level, knowing that Seo-yeon mostly didn't understand.
“…So, let’s try it once.”
“Okay.”
Cha Na-hee didn't do that.
She made Seo-yeon practice to a degree that could be considered harsh.
Of course, Seo-yeon didn't mind.
With her immense stamina, she wouldn't get tired no matter how much she sang.
And watching Seo-yeon, Na-hee was inwardly impressed.
She has a good voice, and her stamina is great.
She could feel Seo-yeon gaining strength the more she practiced.
It seemed her first teacher had taught her well, as her foundation was solid.
It was just that she hadn't understood it with her head and had instead hammered it into her body, so she couldn't pull it out when needed.
I think she was better than this when she was acting.
When filming the scene for Episode 14, Seo-yeon had momentarily displayed such an overwhelming performance that even Cha Na-hee was overpowered.
That was why Cha Na-hee’s pride as an idol had been stung by Seo-yeon.
A lump of talent.
Seo-yeon was literally the human embodiment of that.
“It’s good to think of singing as a type of acting.”
Cha Na-hee explained to Seo-yeon, who was staring intently at her.
“The more you immerse yourself in and understand the lyrics, the better the song becomes. Just like how you immerse yourself in the lyrics when you’re acting, Seo-yeon.”
If she could do that normally, she would be able to sing much better.
The person who asked Seo-yeon to sing the OST probably didn't have high expectations either.
She was an actress, after all.
They would probably praise her as long as she sang properly without any voice cracks.
They likely chose a song with a low difficulty level as well.
However, Cha Na-hee couldn't be satisfied with just that.
Because she had seen Seo-yeon’s talent in Episode 14.
“Ah, look at the time. Take a short break. I have something to take care of for a moment.”
After some time had passed, Cha Na-hee remembered that the idol planning team leader had called for her today.
From what she heard, it was likely about Summer Girl’s future activities.
Since Na-hee’s popularity had risen significantly through Dream Future, there was probably something extra for her to do.
“Sigh.”
She was a bit tired, but it was better to be popular than not.
As Seo-yeon watched Cha Na-hee leave the practice room with those thoughts…
It seems Hoyeon’s situation isn't as good as I thought.
How did Hoyeon end up in the past?
She remembered they had been operating for quite a while.
However, it was also a place with many incidents.
For one, they were the type to heartlessly disband groups if they didn't make money, and there were also controversies over excessive favoritism.
And the target of that favoritism was definitely…
“Oh? You’re all alone?”
A group of people was seen approaching Seo-yeon.
It was the members of Summer Girl who had retreated earlier.
They were all slim and quite beautiful, but none of them were particularly exceptional among idols.
The exceptional one was someone like Cha Na-hee.
“Where’s Na-hee?”
“She stepped out for a moment for some business.”
“Really?”
Rabin smirked at Seo-yeon’s words.
“Always acting like she’s so special, all by herself.”
Seo-yeon’s eyes narrowed at that mutter.
Now that she thought about it, she remembered the rumors surrounding Summer Girl’s disbandment.
“I couldn't even talk properly earlier because of her. Why is she being so protective?”
“She’s probably trying to hog everything for herself, obviously.”
“Your name was Seo-yeon, right? What do you like?”
The Summer Girl members chirped away at her side.
Among them were some rude questions.
Things like asking what her specialty was or what she was good at.
At those words, Seo-yeon smiled faintly.
“I’m good at magic.”
“…Magic?”
“Do you happen to have a coin?”
The members looked at each other at Seo-yeon’s request.
A coin? They had coins.
It was unexpected that she was good at magic, but some celebrities did have hobbies like that…
“Here.”
When Rabin quickly handed over a 500-won coin, Seo-yeon took it and said,
“From now on, I’m going to turn this into 250 won.”
“250 won?”
How could she turn 500 won into 250 won?
As they stared intently with that thought…
Seo-yeon, holding the 500-won coin in her right hand, pressed down hard on it with her thumb and index finger.
Then, the 500-won coin folded in half.
“?”
The Summer Girl members stared at it blankly.
And as they slowly turned their heads…
There was Seo-yeon, smiling brightly.
Red eyes.
The red eyes staring quietly at them were not smiling.
“Amazing, isn't it?”
So, if you don't want to be folded in half, behave yourselves.
That was roughly what she meant.
Because Seo-yeon was currently in a very bad mood.
Anger.
This, too, was a very unfamiliar emotion for Seo-yeon.