Chapter 127: Honor Student (3)
Chapter 127: Honor Student (3)
The OST work for the drama Sky Garden was progressing incredibly smoothly.
This was largely because the 'Wizard's' vocal training skills were exceptional, and Seo-yeon had already reached a level where she could sing quite well.
Of course, compared to a professional singer, she was still lacking—that was the reality.
However, contrary to Seo-yeon’s own humble assessment...
"But her emotions run very deep. That’s incredibly important for a ballad."
Surprisingly, she received high praise from Producer Han Pyo-yeol, who was in charge of the music.
Hearing her own voice layered over the music gave her a very strange sensation.
Maybe I’m actually pretty good at singing?
Lately, Seo-yeon had begun to feel that way.
So, whenever her classmates said things like:
"Anyone want to go to a coin karaoke today?"
"Me, me, me!!"
When they spoke so energetically, she would slowly approach them, lingering nearby and gauging their reactions.
If possible, she wanted to go to a karaoke room before the fact that she had worked on an OST was revealed.
But as for suggesting it herself...
Not only was there no student she felt comfortable enough with to casually ask, but it also felt a bit awkward.
It’ll look like I only asked them to go so I could show off.
Rather than leading the group herself, wouldn't it be more striking to show off her impressive singing skills after slipping into a group unnoticed?
Seo-yeon imagined the scenario of naturally joining them at the coin karaoke.
'Whoa, what’s with that voice?'
'Seo-yeon, you’re good at singing too?'
'I guess she’s not just good at acting.'
As she was lost in these delusions, she noticed the laughter of the chattering students gradually dying down.
"Uh, I guess students should focus on studying, right?"
"Should we just go to a study cafe today?"
Then, the students would steal glances at Seo-yeon and quietly slip away.
Naturally, Seo-yeon couldn't help but feel bewildered.
What had she even done to make them run away?
However, the reason was surprisingly simple.
Aside from the image Seo-yeon held as an actress, there was also the image her classmates had of her as a fellow student.
To put it simply:
Her naturally neat black hair.
Plus, her strangely intellectual expression.
Combined with her beautiful features, she gave off the strong impression of being a top student.
So, it was only natural for the students to flinch at Seo-yeon’s gaze. To them, her look seemed to be reprimanding them: Are you really going out to play instead of studying?
"Mmm."
Left all alone, Seo-yeon began to pack her bag.
I really want to go to a coin karaoke, though...
This was a desire that even Lee Ji-yeon couldn't satisfy. Ji-yeon wasn't the type to clap enthusiastically, so while it was fun, she couldn't perfectly fulfill Seo-yeon’s craving for validation.
More than anything, going with celebrity friends is a bit much.
They had already heard so many real singers that they likely wouldn't be very impressed.
Jo Seo-hee?
The name suddenly popped into her head, but she immediately shook it.
Seo-yeon’s lips curled into a grumpy pout.
Traitor.
Of course, Seo-yeon thought well of Jo Seo-hee’s actions. Very well, in fact.
But separate from that, it was also true that she was a bit sulky. She never imagined she would be betrayed like that.
To be honest, the shock she felt then still remained vivid.
Hmph.
She didn't dwell on it too much, since she would see Jo Seo-hee again next week during the filming of Hyper Action Star. If they were going to talk, they could do it then.
Besides, for the same reason as Ji-yeon, going to a coin karaoke with her felt a bit off. Plus, not knowing her skill level was a problem.
What if she’s better than me?
In any case, Jo Seo-hee was a perfect superhuman who was good at everything. It wouldn't be strange at all if she suddenly turned out to be a great singer.
"I guess it can't be helped."
Seo-yeon gave up on the coin karaoke for the day and headed to KMB. It just so happened they said there were things to discuss regarding the drama Sky Garden.
*
KMB Broadcasting Station.
Recently, among the three major networks, MDC had been maintaining a continuous lead.
For several years, KMB hadn't produced a single work that could be called a hit, which had even led to the Drama Bureau Director being replaced mid-term.
And as soon as the new director arrived, Dream Future became a hit.
In this day and age, a viewership rating exceeding 20 percent was deeply encouraging.
Above all, Dream Future was so successful that a Japanese broadcasting station had even reached out with a direct remake proposal.
If it was doing this well even before being properly released overseas, high performance could be expected, especially in Japan.
"Seo-yeon’s style is exactly the kind they like over there."
"Really? Don't they usually like the cute type in Japan? Rather than the model-like ones?"
"Surprisingly, Seo-yeon isn't actually that tall. It’s just that her proportions are great."
Looking only at her appearance, Seo-yeon seemed like she would be over 170cm, but her actual height was around 165cm. For a girl, she certainly wasn't short, but she wasn't exceptionally tall either.
"Besides, her hairstyle is perfect. Those Japanese folks go crazy for long black hair."
"...Is that so?"
The ones sharing this conversation were Kim Pil-seok, the director of Dream Future, and Kim Il-soo, who would be directing Sky Garden.
The two had been classmates since university and had maintained a close friendship for a long time. Kim Pil-seok was even here today specifically to help Kim Il-soo.
After all, the only recent youth drama was Dream Future, and since it was KMB's first hit in a long while, they were there to consult on various opinions.
"But you know, when someone succeeds at such a young age, they can be... a bit difficult to handle, right?"
"Ah, true, true. But I heard you’ve already met Seo-yeon, Director Kim."
"Yes, I have. But you can't know everything just from one meeting."
Kim Il-soo had already met Seo-yeon once.
The impression he got of her then was that of a 'neat honor student.' He didn't doubt her acting, as he had seen it several times, but he was actually a bit worried about her private life.
Based on her impression, it didn't seem like anything would happen at school, but you never knew. There were plenty of celebrities who caused trouble despite having innocent faces.
And the fact that she has never experienced failure even once.
She might be good to them, but there was no telling how she was with others. There were many two-faced celebrities, and it was common for them to cause trouble where they couldn't be seen. Especially for a celebrity like Seo-yeon who didn't know failure—even if they didn't have those tendencies, the probability of them developing was high.
"Ah, Seo-yeon. You're here?"
Just then, they saw Seo-yeon entering the conference room with a polite bow.
She was in her school uniform, as if she had come straight after school. That look suited the image of the upcoming Sky Garden perfectly.
It would be good to use the Yeonhwa High School uniform as a reference for the costumes.
Director Kim Il-soo nodded to himself as he thought that. Since Yeonhwa High was an arts high school, the uniforms were very pretty.
Come to think of it, didn't she wear her uniform on 'Hyper Action Star' recently too?
In fact, he couldn't recall seeing Seo-yeon in anything other than her school uniform. What kind of clothes did she wear when she wasn't on set?
"I'm sorry for calling you here when school must be tiring."
Director Kim Il-soo was the first to speak.
Today's meeting wasn't for anything specific. It was simply a gathering for the director and writer to share their thoughts with the actress before finalizing the concept.
"Ah, Writer Min Se-hee is here as well."
Min Se-hee followed into the conference room.
And so, the meeting regarding the concept of Sky Garden began.
"As I mentioned once before, Sky Garden is a drama that features a fair amount of social satire."
Min Se-hee spoke while looking at Seo-yeon.
She had already mentioned this concept to the others and had exchanged opinions several times. Seo-yeon was the only actor cast in advance and the protagonist. They had arranged this meeting to ask for her input, which would be used as a reference for the upcoming script.
"First, the setting, Taeyang High School, is a prestigious academic high school renowned in South Korea."
It was a wealthy school attended by the children of families that could be called prestigious. Sky Garden would deal with the events occurring at such a high school.
"Private education, and parents trying to get their children into top-tier universities."
After saying that, Writer Min Se-hee looked at Seo-yeon.
"And the role Seo-yeon will play is a female student from an ordinary middle-class... no, a slightly lower-class family, caught in the cracks of that prestige."
An irregular who accidentally drifted into the elite. Of course, she hadn't entered Taeyang High School for no reason. She was an honor student who had applied and earned her way in after hearing it was the most famous academic high school in Seoul.
That was the character 'Yeon So-ha' that Seo-yeon would portray.
"To those who have moved up the ladder since Taeyang Elementary, she stands out in many ways, but the individualistic Yeon So-ha doesn't care about that at all. Instead, she’s a loner at school with no friends."
This was a perfect fit for Seo-yeon’s image.
So, Seo-yeon nodded. She was confident she could play a loner at school well.
"And... the important thing is the image of a 'picture-perfect honor student'..."
Min Se-hee looked at Seo-yeon.
Her neat posture and appearance. A girl who always wore her school uniform. Min Se-hee nodded slowly.
"Seo-yeon, you’re good at studying, right?"
"Pardon?"
Wait, asking about her school grades here?
"Ah, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. It’s just that your image fits so perfectly! I asked a pointless question."
Min Se-hee failed to notice Seo-yeon’s wavering pupils. And the same went for the other directors.
"Seo-yeon definitely has that image."
"So, how is it, Seo-yeon? At school?"
Seo-yeon laughed awkwardly at the slightly mischievous joke.
"Yes, it's fine."
"As expected."
"We won't have to worry about your acting as an honor student."
At their reactions, a single drop of cold sweat trickled down Seo-yeon’s forehead.
An honor student who is good at studying.
Well, she was an honor student, but being an honor student didn't necessarily mean one had to be good at studying, did it? These days, studying wasn't everything; the arts and physical education were also important. Seo-yeon herself was living proof of that.
Her mother, Sua, supported her, and her father, Young-bin, was similar—though his support felt a bit different.
Acting as an honor student...
It seemed they wanted her to show an intellectual performance. She hadn't thought much of it until now, but Seo-yeon was starting to get worried.
Seo-yeon’s acting was fundamentally emotional acting that came from empathizing with the role. But an honor student? It felt like an image that was just... distant.
"..."
Seo-yeon fell into thought. It seemed she might need a little help.
*
The Hoyeon headquarters in Seoul.
Considering Hoyeon was an agency somewhere in the third tier, the building was excessively nice. There were rumors that the company's CEO was wealthy, and the building certainly lived up to that claim.
Their only hit idol group was 'Summer Girl.' Even then, it was practically a group led by Cha Na-hee alone.
Because of that, Cha Na-hee was incredibly busy. The OST work for Sky Garden was a prime example. Out of the songs to be included, Summer Girl was set to take on three.
I wonder if they're practicing well...
She was worried about the group members. They were like lazy grasshoppers who didn't even practice properly. Even when Cha Na-hee tried to help, they wouldn't listen, so the OST practice was sluggish.
It would be fine if Cha Na-hee just sang it alone, but unfortunately, it was a bright girl group song, so that wasn't an option.
"I heard the vocal trainers all ran away. Are you okay?"
"...I'm not okay."
Cha Na-hee sighed as she vented to her acquaintance, the popular idol Yena. She found it impossible to focus on the variety show filming scheduled for today.
"And I doubt they'd even listen to what I tell them..."
This song was quite difficult, so practice was essential. But since they refused to listen to anything Na-hee said, it was a difficult situation in many ways.
"Seo-yeon said she would help, though."
A younger sister she had recently become close with had contacted her out of the blue yesterday. Upon hearing Na-hee’s troubles, Seo-yeon had readily offered to help.
But since she was an actress, there was no way she could teach singing, so it was realistically an impossible task. And there was no way the innocent Seo-yeon could properly handle those rascals.
What should I do?
Cha Na-hee sighed as she thought. She wished someone would appear and train those rascals for her.
And at that moment.
What on earth is this?
Rabin was currently in agony while staring at a large screen.
Honestly, if it weren't for the girl with black hair and red eyes staring blankly at her from the side—a girl she suspected might be a psychopath—she would have bolted long ago.
Everyone sat neatly in their chairs, watching the screen. And their eyes met with the person appearing on it.
And what is that supposed to be?
A strange character was being projected on the screen.
Seo-yeon had introduced her as... a wizard named something or other. She looked like a cartoon character, but apparently, there was a person inside.
"She's my vocal trainer, whom I've specially invited today."
Seo-yeon spoke energetically as she looked at their strangely pale faces. Of course, there was no one there who could respond to those energetic words.
Not the members of Summer Girl, nor 'Wizard Erzsebet,' who was facing this bewildering situation.
That is, Han Da-young.
How did it end up like this?
That was the only thought swirling in her head.