Chapter 134: High Society (2)
Chapter 134: High Society (2)
It was a bit late for such thoughts, but Seo-yeon felt the weight of taking on the lead role in Sky Garden.
It wasn't that she didn't want it.
It was just that she had realized what it truly meant to be "pre-cast" during their previous meeting.
Come to think of it, most of my roles came through auditions.
Even Hyper Action Star, which she was currently filming, was strictly an "audition" program.
Though it had a strong variety show element and plenty of room for "acting skills" to come into play, it was still an audition. Every episode, the participants were scored, and someone was eliminated.
It was just that Seo-yeon happened to have a massive advantage in this particular audition.
GH Group had likely anticipated this and prepared such an audition on purpose.
The average viewership rating was around 6 percent. Considering it was a variety show on a general programming channel, it was recording very respectable numbers. Furthermore, because clips were circulating like crazy as Shorts, she had gained recognition far beyond what the ratings suggested.
If the movie were released now, it would undoubtedly benefit from a massive promotional effect.
But still, that was an audition, even if only for form's sake.
Even if they believed in Seo-yeon's abilities, nothing was one hundred percent certain. In the end, you never knew what variables might arise in an audition.
However, in the case of Sky Garden, she had been cast purely in advance.
Without any audition at all.
So, she could understand to some extent why other actors might feel disgruntled. While recognition is a vital skill for an actor, to younger actors, this could feel like a blatant unfairness.
That was why she had to do well.
If someone is pre-cast and fails to deliver as expected, people will inevitably start talking.
At least the seniors are looking at me kindly.
The middle-aged and veteran actors who were present—the ones who would play the "parents" and were essentially the other protagonists of the work—tended to view Seo-yeon favorably. When they met, they would go as far as to tell her how deeply impressed they were by her performances in The Chaser and Dream Future.
But even that goodwill would crumble if she couldn't prove herself on set.
"Mmm."
Seo-yeon crossed her arms and sighed.
Currently, she was alone in a practice room at Nova Entertainment, studying the script and practicing her acting. She had thought about asking Ji-yeon for help, but Ji-yeon was busy with her own audition for Gyeongseong Lady. On top of that, she was still broadcasting regularly as Ramiel.
Lee Yu-ju, the protagonist of the drama Sky Garden, is a deeply cynical person.
She possessed a near-perfect curriculum left behind by her older brother. Her family was ordinary middle-class. However, her brother had achieved a perfect score on the CSAT and was the top student at Baek-yeon University, a fictional top-tier university in Seoul.
This was possible because her father had once been a highly successful entrance exam coordinator. However, after a string of students he managed failed the CSAT, he had lost his standing.
Thus, his son's top-tier admission was his pride and joy. And now, he expected Lee Yu-ju to follow the exact same path as her brother.
Because of this, Lee Yu-ju was the ultimate master of self-management, practically an entrance exam coordinator herself. She was someone who had perfectly memorized the entire admissions plan.
As a side note, the wealthy parents in the drama could have simply approached Lee Yu-ju's father, but they couldn't. He had refused them because they had rejected him in the past when he was struggling. Therefore, the parents were now aiming to build a connection through Lee Yu-ju instead.
...An entrance exam coordinator?
From Seo-yeon's perspective, these settings were difficult elements to immerse herself in. To begin with, she didn't have much of a connection with intense studying. Seo-yeon's parents were the type to be satisfied as long as she was a diligent student. Seo-yeon had never even received private education in her life.
Well, part of that was because she already had her path as an actor, but...
Even if I didn't, I don't think I would have gone this far. Oh, they actually exist?
Seo-yeon tilted her head as she looked up "entrance exam coordinator" on her smartphone. Was there really someone who managed a student's private life as thoroughly as in this script?
They managed everything—from the student's stress to their extracurricular advantages—to ensure they received a glowing evaluation on their student records.
Is this what it's like for the rich?
When she tentatively asked Writer Min Se-hee about it...
"Of course, there are parts that are a bit exaggerated."
"Just a bit?"
"Ho-honestly, wouldn't the truly wealthy be able to do anything with money?"
Well, that was certainly possible.
"But there are definitely those who try to buy prestige as well. I think you can view this drama as focusing more on that aspect."
It was exaggerated, but it wasn't a complete fabrication. The writer said she had completed the script after doing her own research.
Even so, Seo-yeon found it difficult to relate to the script of Sky Garden.
Was it really like this?
It felt like she was filming a story from an imaginary world. In a way, it was similar to a historical drama, in the sense that most of the atmosphere had to be conjured through imagination.
However, the difference was that with historical dramas, she could immerse herself through other historical works, even if they deviated from actual history.
Private education, and the lives of the high society.
Furthermore, her character, Lee Yu-ju, was middle-class. A cynical person who knew nothing but studying.
I see why they asked if I was a top student.
There was only one person she could use as a reference: Gil Da-hyeon, her class president.
Though I'll need much more intense emotions than that.
The emotions she had to portray as Lee Yu-ju were particularly difficult, even among all the characters Seo-yeon had played so far.
A cynical disposition.
Unlike Seo-yeon, who enjoyed the attention and praise of others, Lee Yu-ju loathed such interest and compliments. To her, everyone was just another person trying to get close to her for their own gain. She felt a deep revulsion toward those who harbored expectations she never asked for.
Yes, revulsion.
The emotion that served as the foundation for that cynical nature.
Seo-yeon had never truly hated another person. Even toward the girl in Summer Girl who had bullied Cha Na-hee, she had only felt anger, not revulsion.
If I understood that emotion a bit better...
At the same time, it was an emotion she didn't particularly want to know. Wasn't it a rather unpleasant feeling?
But separate from that, she was curious about the high society depicted in Sky Garden.
Was it really like that? Or was it a bit exaggerated?
That curiosity lingered. If she knew the truth, she felt she could use it as a better reference for her acting.
Having reached that thought, Seo-yeon contacted the one person who could give her the answer. Someone she had recently gained leverage over.
"What is high society like?"
Jo Seo-hee came running in a hurry at Seo-yeon's call. The limousine she usually rode in was nowhere to be seen.
A bicycle.
She was drenched in sweat, showing just how hard she had pedaled to get there.
"..."
Seeing her look nothing like a member of high society, Seo-yeon stared blankly at Jo Seo-hee. Her gaze carried a vibe of, Wow, that's a bit of a letdown.
At that look, Jo Seo-hee huffed and crossed her arms.
"This cost thirty million won."
"?"
"This bicycle."
Seo-yeon's eyes widened. No, how could a bicycle be that expensive?
How is it different from a regular Samchuly bike?
She couldn't tell just by looking at it. Regardless, once she heard the price, Jo Seo-hee sitting on the saddle suddenly looked wealthy and like a member of the upper class.
"Ahem! So, what's going on?"
Though she had heard the gist over the phone, Jo Seo-hee spoke while carefully reading Seo-yeon's expression. Even while pretending otherwise, Jo Seo-hee was currently very conscious of Seo-yeon's mood. She kept stealing glances at her.
She studied Seo-yeon's face intently to see if she was in a good mood or not.
I can't tell how she's feeling just by looking at her face.
Seo-yeon was mostly expressionless. She rarely reacted to anything people said. Even when contacted, most of her replies were just emoticons. This had become even more pronounced after the fifth episode of Hyper Action Star aired.
I-I don't regret betraying her, though.
It felt like a thought she'd had before, but she was sincere. Although it seemed like she was gaining a reputation as a "traitor" because the double betrayal had been so shocking...
It's just an image for variety shows.
She didn't care much about that part. But Seo-yeon was different.
As Lee Ji-yeon had put it:
"She's seriously sulking right now."
"R-really?"
"You can tell by the emoticons."
Was that so? But the more she looked at them, the more she felt she understood. Most of them were rather indifferent emoticons. So, she was definitely sulking. Because of that, she and Lee Ji-yeon were preparing a few things, but...
"Is there something you want to ask of me?"
That was the reason she had come running the moment Seo-yeon called. To restore her fallen favorability!
"High society."
"Huh?"
"It's about the drama I'm filming this time."
Only then did Seo-yeon explain the details. It seemed the drama she was about to film dealt partially with the lives of the upper class.
...Sounds interesting, doesn't it?
Just hearing the story, it sounded like it would be very entertaining. To think this was originally going to be a variety show on a general programming channel?
Come to think of it, Jung-woo sunbae said it.
He said Writer Min Se-hee was just timid, but she was a very talented writer. As expected of the son of a legendary actor, his eye for people was spot on.
"...Hmm."
Jo Seo-hee pondered Seo-yeon's request. Honestly, showing her wasn't difficult. But she was worried about how to show her.
To be honest, Jo Seo-hee didn't involve herself much with that crowd. Since they generally didn't like having their faces known, they looked at Jo Seo-hee, who worked as an actress, as if she were some kind of curiosity. If anything, they treated her like a celebrity, but they were the type who had no intention of becoming one themselves.
"Fine."
Soon, Jo Seo-hee nodded. There happened to be something just right.
*
And so, Seo-yeon ended up going to a party hosted by the high society.
A birthday party, to be precise.
According to Jo Seo-hee, it was the birthday party of a certain corporate daughter. Jo Seo-hee had been invited and had secured permission for Seo-yeon to tag along.
"You weren't rejected, though?"
"Why would they reject you?"
Jo Seo-hee gave a short laugh. Inside the large limousine, she rested her chin on her hand and toyed with the hem of her white dress.
"These things are called birthday parties, but they're usually just showrooms to display one's network. If a rising actress like you shows up, they'll be dying to invite you somehow."
Was that so? While thinking that, Seo-yeon fingered the black dress she was wearing. She felt the dress was a bit too flashy for a high school student.
Of course, Seo-yeon didn't have much of an aversion to wearing skirts. She thought she had heard somewhere that skirts were used as combat attire in Scotland. There were definitely parts that were convenient for things like kicking. To be precise, pants often ripped when kicking... it was something like that.
"But the dress code is annoying. Usually, they just specify it reasonably."
Seo-yeon was inwardly surprised by Jo Seo-hee's grumbling. So there really were such things. She had worn this dress simply because it was a party, but according to Jo Seo-hee, the host usually designated a dress code for these events. Sometimes it was a masquerade. Other times, they simply specified colors like white or black.
Today was suits and dresses.
"They're so full of themselves. I know her, too. She's only in high school, but she's already such a piece of work."
Seo-hee tapped the white fan in her hand against her palm.
She brought it. The fan.
She really looked like a villainess daughter. With her hair swept up, she had the kind of looks that could suppress most people with just her face. Though, that wasn't much different for Seo-yeon herself.
"Let's go."
With that, Seo-yeon followed Jo Seo-hee inside. It was a flashy, well-known hotel in Seoul. A place especially famous for its delicious food.
The whole hotel.
They had rented out the entire hall for the party. Honestly, it was a level of wealth Seo-yeon could hardly imagine.
Stepping into the hall, she saw many glamorous faces. Naturally, most of them were strangers to Seo-yeon. People dressed up as brilliantly as celebrities. Among them, there were actual celebrities mixed in.
They widened their eyes as they saw Jo Seo-hee and Seo-yeon suddenly appear.
"Jo Seo-hee?"
"Wait, isn't that Ju Seo-yeon next to her?"
"So Min-young wasn't lying about being friends with Jo Seo-hee?"
Those small whispers reached Seo-yeon's ears. They were words an ordinary person wouldn't have heard, but Seo-yeon's ears picked them up sensitively. However, their behavior wasn't that of people who wanted to watch from afar; they were all clutching their smartphones, looking like they wanted to approach.
Before coming here, Jo Seo-hee had warned Seo-yeon.
"Be careful. Don't just take photos for anyone."
"Pardon?"
"Everyone's going to try to take a picture with you. They'll post it on Instagram or whatever to show off, like, 'I know this kind of person.'"
Well, this wasn't exactly a unique trait of high society. Jo Seo-hee told her it was a characteristic of those who were confident in themselves and wanted to show off.
"Think of yourself as a walking jewel."
As she said that, Jo Seo-hee straightened Seo-yeon's dress.
"Each and every one of them is holding a jewelry box. They want to put you in that box."
Their methods varied. But in the end, the meaning of a jewel was to be shown to others. So, they would try to approach Seo-yeon by any means necessary.
"Oh my, is something the matter?"
Of course, whenever such people approached, Jo Seo-hee would snap her fan open and speak. Most of them would then slink away.
Being wealthy herself and an actress to boot, Jo Seo-hee was an apex predator in this place. Seo-yeon could clearly see that. Everyone wanted to get close to Jo Seo-hee, but they didn't dare.
"Stay by my side."
Jo Seo-hee whispered to Seo-yeon, hiding her mouth behind her fan. Seo-yeon nodded obediently at her words.
Anyway.
Though it was a bit bewildering, Seo-yeon wasn't particularly nervous. It was more like a casual observation: So this is what a high society party is like.
More than that.
There are a lot of celebrities, too.
Seo-yeon's eyes narrowed. Her gaze fell upon a group of men gathered in one spot. They were all laughing and chatting. Among them was someone Seo-yeon recognized.
Was it... Low?
The leader and eldest member of JustX. And the so-called "drug-using idol."
"I'm opening a club this time. Please come visit. You all know the deal, right?"
Seeing him like that, Seo-yeon's face contorted into a scowl.