Chapter 126: Honor Student (2)
Chapter 126: Honor Student (2)
Hyper Action Star generated a greater response than expected.
While the action sequences Seo-yeon displayed were extraordinary, the final twist provided by Jo Seo-hee also came as a refreshing bit of entertainment.
Seeing the internet's reaction, Jo Seo-hee felt her intuition hadn't been wrong. After all, the show was receiving high praise across most communities.
Seo-yeon was strong, but because she had run circles around everyone else, there were definitely comments like, "Is there even a point to this audition?"
That was how overwhelming Seo-yeon’s performance had been.
However, Jo Seo-hee landing a blow with her betrayal at the very end served as proof that Ju Seo-yeon wasn't necessarily invincible.
In fact, Producer Lee Gi-tae of Hyper Action Star had gone out of his way to praise her.
"Seo-hee, that was truly excellent. Even the production staff were impressed."
I didn't actually plan on betraying her, though.
It wasn't as if Jo Seo-hee had intended to betray her from the start. She would have been satisfied just supporting Seo-yeon moderately. She didn't even have a strong desire to pass the audition anyway.
She just thought it would be fun to try acting alongside Seo-yeon as a sort of teaser. And indeed, though their coordinated acting was brief, it had been quite enjoyable.
But...
Jo Seo-hee felt it. This was a variety show. If one person was too dominant, people would inevitably start talking.
There would be criticism toward Hyper Action Star, and perhaps even negative comments directed at Seo-yeon. If someone is too overwhelming, viewership ratings actually tend to drop because the outcome feels predetermined.
So, Jo Seo-hee wanted to create a small crack in Seo-yeon’s armor—a humanizing moment, so to speak.
No, more importantly, it was just better entertainment that way.
Therefore, she didn't regret her betrayal.
Right, she didn't regret it, but...
Jo Seo-hee: Um, Ju Seo-yeon? Are you there?
Ju Seo-yeon: (Read)
Jo Seo-hee: If you read it, could you please give me an answer...?
Ju Seo-yeon: (Read)
Jo Seo-hee: Hello?
Ju Seo-yeon: (Busy emoji)
For the record, Seo-yeon had replied properly until the filming of Hyper Action Star. But after the shoot, the proper replies stopped coming. Even when she did respond, it was just a huffing emoji.
Jo Seo-hee realized it.
She’s pouting...!
It felt like the affinity points she had worked so hard to build had plummeted into the abyss. Had she regressed back to the "parachute" days? Surely it wasn't that bad?
She tried to reassure herself, but she couldn't be certain. She had never actually seen Seo-yeon get angry before.
Should I say I'm sorry?
That would be the fastest way, of course. However, whether Seo-yeon would accept an apology was a different matter. She might even dislike it.
From an entertainment perspective, it was clearly the right call. Seo-yeon surely recognized that fact as well, which was why she had only reacted with a grumpy face. Since Seo-yeon was thorough about such things, if Seo-hee apologized, she would likely just respond with, "For what?"
In that case, she had to soothe her without a direct apology...
Jo Seo-hee racked her brain.
And so.
"Why do you wait like this every single time?" Lee Ji-yeon said, looking utterly bewildered.
A foreign car worth hundreds of millions was parked right in front of the school gate, drawing stares from students passing by. And in front of that car stood a person who shone even brighter than the vehicle itself.
"You're here?"
The way she spoke so elegantly was almost comical now. This girl had black hair slightly shorter than Seo-yeon’s, pale skin, and a small beauty mark under her eye that gave her a relatively sharp impression.
If Seo-yeon made people shrink with her overwhelming beauty and dry gaze, Jo Seo-hee was a bit different. She had sharp eyes, a haughty expression, and a noble aura that radiated from her posture. She looked like someone who had stepped right out of a famous horror manga.
In any case, she was also difficult to approach in terms of pure visuals.
I guess this is what they call an actor's aura.
Ji-yeon let out a sigh. Visible talent and the gap in status—Ji-yeon couldn't help but feel those things. Seo-yeon didn't really show it, but Jo Seo-hee radiated it with her entire body, making it impossible to ignore.
"Is this because of Ju Seo-yeon?"
"A-Ahem! S-Something like that. You... you're quite sharp."
Sharp, my foot.
Ji-yeon had also seen the recent episode of Hyper Action Star. She remembered Jo Seo-hee’s stylish betrayal of Seo-yeon at the end. She also remembered Seo-yeon grumbling and complaining to her about it at school.
"She won't answer my messages..."
"Your messages?"
"She only sends me 'busy' emojis!" Jo Seo-hee said, stomping her feet.
Did she really not think about the aftermath when she betrayed her?
"Of course I thought about it! That's why I came to ask you to help me fix this!"
At Jo Seo-hee’s words, Lee Ji-yeon recalled Seo-yeon’s behavior at school. She was a bit grumpy, but she didn't seem to have any intention of ignoring Seo-hee. In fact...
"I think the show became a bigger hit because Jo Seo-hee did that," Seo-yeon had said while eating a sandwich.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Looking at the broadcast, I had way too much screen time on my own."
Dodging bullets, deflecting them—those impactful scenes were great. However, almost everything else had also focused on Seo-yeon’s performance. Even though it was an audition that should have showcased the diverse acting of various actors.
Well, no one else really acted besides Seo-yeon, so isn't that natural?
Having spent so much time by Seo-yeon’s side, Ji-yeon could now see these things naturally. The other actors were so focused on the "survival" aspect of earning points that they didn't actually act.
By that point, Ji-yeon couldn't help but realize.
The points were a bait.
If you focus only on the gunfight to earn points, you obviously can't perform properly. Consequently, out of the twenty actors, those who actually delivered a performance could be counted on one hand.
Ju Seo-yeon, Jo Seo-hee. And then Han So-yu and Min Do-ha.
Seo-yeon and Jo Seo-hee went without saying, but Han So-yu and Min Do-ha had also left impressive scenes. Han So-yu with her supernatural acting alongside Seo-yeon, and Min Do-ha with her escape acting that felt like something out of a thriller.
...That was acting, right?
To be honest, Ju Seo-yeon had been a little scary back then. It felt less like acting and more like the real thing...
Anyway, those four were currently the hottest topics in online communities.
"Are you even listening to me?!"
"I'm listening."
"You were clearly thinking about something else!"
Jo Seo-hee chirped and tugged at Lee Ji-yeon’s collar. Because Jo Seo-hee was being so loud, the two had moved to a nearby cafe.
"Lower your voice."
"Okay."
When Lee Ji-yeon gave her a slight glare, Jo Seo-hee immediately shriveled up.
Is she secretly a delinquent at school?
Lee Ji-yeon described Jo Seo-hee as having a sharp and haughty look, but Jo Seo-hee thought the opposite. Didn't Ji-yeon look more intimidating? Jo Seo-hee considered herself to have a somewhat cute, cat-like face. Ji-yeon was also a cat, if she had to pick, but more like a stray cat that knew how to throw a punch.
And yet, she strangely seems to have a lot of friends.
It was weird. How could someone so scary have so many friends? Maybe they weren't friends, but a gang?
"S-So, is there no way to soothe her? Or maybe something Seo-yeon likes?"
"Something she likes?"
At that, something came to Ji-yeon’s mind. If it was something Seo-yeon liked, there was one thing. Something that always proudly occupied a spot in Seo-yeon’s YouTube playlists. Since Ji-yeon herself was deeply involved in it, she checked it frequently.
Other than that, Seo-yeon doesn't really show strong likes or dislikes.
Seo-yeon had a relatively easygoing personality. There were few things she hated, and she didn't openly obsess over things she liked.
"Hmm..."
"What is it?"
Ji-yeon studied Jo Seo-hee. Her acting was... well, beyond reproach. Her character was decent too. As for content, Ji-yeon could help with that...
"Do you really want to make it up to Ju Seo-yeon?"
"Huh? I-I mean, of course I do!"
To be honest, Ji-yeon hadn't liked Jo Seo-hee that much. The resentment from when she called Seo-yeon a "parachute" still lingered. Seeing her so anxious around Seo-yeon had softened her a bit, but she still felt like teasing her.
Besides, she happened to be in need of some good "content."
"Jo Seo-hee."
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever tried voice acting?"
At the sudden question, Jo Seo-hee tilted her head, unable to fathom Ji-yeon’s intentions.
*
And while Ji-yeon and Jo Seo-hee were having that conversation, Seo-yeon was very busy.
She had so much to do lately. She knew Jo Seo-hee kept messaging her, but she couldn't focus enough to reply properly. She only ever messaged while Seo-yeon was working.
"This is Producer Han Pyo-yeol, who will be assisting with your OST work, Seo-yeon."
"Ah, hello."
"Oh, the pleasure is mine! I've been enjoying your recent work, Seo-yeon."
Seo-yeon nodded with a tense face at Han Pyo-yeol’s hearty laugh. Acting and music production were entirely different worlds.
"There aren't many songs for you to sing. Just two."
For those two songs, quite a few people had gathered. Han Pyo-yeol had already selected the entire team, and the songs were mostly finished.
"You received the guide tracks already, right? How were they?"
"Yes, they were very good. They had a... lyrical feel?"
"Ha! Exactly! They're lyrical and soft songs that perfectly match your image, Seo-yeon."
"..."
Lyrical? Soft?
Seo-yeon cared a lot about her image, but...
Isn't that a bit... different from me?
Seo-yeon liked an image that looked strong. For example, Cha Seo-ah. Or the image of Ju Seo-yeon established through Hyper Action Star.
Why do people keep photoshopping me with elephants or gorillas?
Of course, she liked elephants and gorillas. They were strong. For the record, she also liked hippos. They felt powerful. But she wasn't sure how to feel about her face being photoshopped onto them and circulated online.
There was even a photo of King Kong eating a long-arm octopus, where only the hair had been photoshopped to be long. Incidentally, a photo of Min Do-ha being held in King Kong’s hand always circulated with it.
Well, I guess Min Do-ha has it worse than me...
Still, Seo-yeon had her sparkling red eyes, and many fans liked her strong image. She was even photoshopped with Cha Seo-ah sometimes. That was exactly the kind of vibe Seo-yeon imagined for herself. She even kept those photos in a separate folder.
But in Min Do-ha’s case...
"Human instrument."
What on earth had Min Do-ha done to deserve that? She had become a meme, forever preserved on the internet. Specifically, the scene where she fled pathetically on all fours was cut and edited into all sorts of videos. A video of her characteristic scream remixed into the sound of an F1 racing engine had reached 500,000 views.
I guess a gorilla is better.
Seo-yeon nodded slowly. Being called a "Fashion Gorilla" or "Fashion Human" was a much better meme. She had no desire to have her screams remixed into an F1 engine.
"Ah, and also."
Just as she was thinking that.
"It turns out 'Summer Girl' will be singing for this album as well."
"Pardon?"
Summer Girl? Here?
"I think it's because of Cha Na-hee. She sang for Dream Future recently too."
"Is she appearing in Sky Garden as well?"
"Oh, yes. Didn't you hear?"
Cha Na-hee was appearing in Sky Garden?
This didn't happen before.
In her past life, an idol-turned-actor had indeed appeared in Sky Garden. However, they only gained controversy for their poor acting and failed to show a proper performance.
If Cha Na-hee is joining, she's likely taking that spot.
She could guess how this had happened. It was likely because of the recently aired Dream Future. Seo-yeon herself had been cast in Sky Garden because of her performance in Dream Future. Since Writer Min Se-hee was handling the script for both, it was highly probable she had brought in an actor she had already worked with.
Especially since Cha Na-hee had showcased her acting skills until the very end of Dream Future. Her acting hadn't paled even in front of Park Jung-woo. So, it wasn't strange at all for her to be cast in Sky Garden, a youth drama with a similar age group.
So Na-hee is also working on the OST.
Thinking about that made Seo-yeon a bit worried. She knew how Cha Na-hee was treated in Summer Girl.
"We're about to start recording. Are you ready?"
"Ah, yes. I'm ready."
At the producer's words, Seo-yeon nodded and headed into the recording booth.
And.
I should visit Hoyeon one more time.
Just in case, she felt the need to go and set things straight once more.