Chapter 154: Image Improvement (1)
Chapter 154: Image Improvement (1)
While Jo Seo-hee was being flustered by Seo-yeon’s predatory gaze, Ji-yeon remained a bundle of nerves.
Unlike the other two, Ji-yeon hadn't received a definitive result yet.
It was an audition.
Of course, an answer wouldn't come today, but she at least wanted to hear how she had done.
"First, you have to understand exactly who Yeon Seon-ye is."
That was what Seo-yeon had told Ji-yeon while they were practicing together.
"Compared to the two high-born ladies, Yeon Seon-ye has a more commoner-like impression. She’s a commoner who happens to take on a request by chance, after all."
Yeon Seon-ye was a young girl who headed her household, looking after her younger brother all by herself.
By chance, she applies for a job as a maid and is successfully hired.
As she celebrates, a man approaches her.
He promises her a massive sum of money if she kills Michiko and brings him a certain necklace.
Only later does Yeon Seon-ye realize that her being hired as a maid was part of the man’s design all along.
No matter how much money was involved, Seon-ye tried to refuse because it meant committing murder, but...
"You have a brother, don't you?"
She was left with no choice but to be persuaded by his words, which were a thinly veiled threat against her brother.
"Of course, Yeon Seon-ye isn't without her extraordinary side, but at the very least, her aura is ordinary."
If anything, she felt like someone with a faint presence.
Therefore, the emotionally charged acting Ji-yeon was currently displaying didn't quite fit.
The character of Yeon Seon-ye wasn't someone who expressed her emotions so vividly.
"And the most important thing is..."
The most crucial part of this performance was, ultimately, how she portrayed Yeon Seon-ye.
Should she present her own unique interpretation of the character at the audition?
Or should she embody the character perfectly according to the script?
In an audition, you have to know the style of the judges.
First of all, the Jo Seo-hee that Seo-yeon knew was a total model student.
She didn't particularly enjoy taking risks.
If someone performed an independent interpretation of Yeon Seon-ye that deviated from the script, Seo-hee naturally wouldn't like it.
Of course, even though Jo Seo-hee was a judge, she was participating more as a fellow actor, so her opinion might carry less weight—but there was a high probability that those feelings would be reflected in her own acting.
"Director Baek Min’s tendencies."
Seo-yeon had only encountered Director Baek Min through news and articles.
He always had a smiling face.
He seemed relaxed and was well-respected by actors.
However, having seen his works, Seo-yeon felt it.
He wasn't the type who particularly enjoyed it when an actor gave an independent interpretation of a character he had molded.
Because he had a specific picture in his mind, he preferred the type of actor who fit perfectly into that frame.
That was why he liked Jo Seo-hee.
'She’s the type to be adored by people like Jung Eun-seon or Director Baek Min.'
A model student, a top-tier pupil.
Since she had talent on top of that, how precious must Jo Seo-hee look to them?
Seo-yeon, who often included her own unique interpretations, would likely seem like a troublemaker to them.
"In that sense, I think this is advantageous for you."
Seo-yeon said this while searching Ji-yeon’s eyes.
"Advantageous?"
"Right. To you... it might be a very familiar character."
Seo-yeon didn't say exactly what it was.
I mean, because that would be the Red Pill!
Ramiel and Lee Ji-yeon were separate entities.
Seo-yeon always tapped her head and reminded herself of that.
Anyway, since there was a perfect teaching aid to refer to this time, she couldn't just ignore it.
"Yeon Seon-ye is a young breadwinner, and she actually has a very strong will. She also feels pity for Michiko."
The emotions stemming from that are very complex.
To begin with, Yeon Seon-ye doesn't particularly like Japanese people.
She only started working as a maid for the sake of her brother.
Similarly, she targets Michiko to secure a large sum of money and save her brother's life.
However, while living in the mansion, she begins to vaguely sense the emptiness in Michiko’s seemingly glamorous life.
A woman who, unlike herself, doesn't have a single true family member.
Surrounded by nothing but enemies.
Michiko tended to change her maids and servants frequently, and it was highly likely that it was all because of that environment.
"..."
Lee Ji-yeon remained silent for a moment at Seo-yeon’s words.
She was probably agonizing over the overlap between Ramiel and Yeon Seon-ye.
Of course, there were many differences between Yeon Seon-ye and Ramiel.
However, Seo-yeon believed that the foundation of their actions was similar.
Character-wise, at least.
"I'm not saying you should bring her over exactly as she is. But you can definitely use her as a reference."
Just like when she played Cha Seo-ah.
Just as Seo-yeon had referenced her past life.
"It’ll definitely be fine."
If it was a Yeon Seon-ye that resembled Ramiel, she would surely fit perfectly into the picture Director Baek Min wanted to paint.
'Ho-honestly, I don't really want that, though.'
Ramiel should stay as Ramiel!!
If Ramiel became the motif for this Gyeongseong Lady, Seo-yeon would have to watch with her own two eyes as Ramiel became connected to Michiko!!
How horrific!
But then again, if it was for her friend’s acting, she had no choice.
Seo-yeon had given that advice while swallowing tears of blood.
Well, it wasn't like she was one hundred percent Ramiel, but anyway, that was the gist of it.
'She’s talking about... Ramiel, right?'
Ji-yeon had also vaguely felt what Seo-yeon was getting at.
Of course, RP and acting were a bit different.
If Seo-yeon heard that, she would have coughed up blood, but at least that’s what Ji-yeon thought.
In fact, compared to Seo-yeon, who was ultimately an amateur when it came to VTubing, Ji-yeon was a professional, so her perspective was probably more accurate.
Regardless, they might be similar in the sense of 'creating a character.'
On a more everyday level, the principles behind how the character Ramiel acted.
That definitely touched upon certain aspects of Yeon Seon-ye.
'Maternal love.'
Setting aside her viewers who constantly cried "Maman, Maman," Ji-yeon had actually intended to portray that.
Perhaps that was the part that clicked.
Once her mind was made up, the rest was simple.
She took what she could from Ramiel and manifested it in Yeon Seon-ye.
And honestly, she didn't know how well that had come across.
"Hmm."
Because back in the audition room, Director Baek Min had just been smiling at Ji-yeon with a calm expression.
"That was a good performance."
That was his only comment.
There were no other flowery words or detailed acting directions.
The people who went before her had been told something, but there was nothing specific for Ji-yeon.
Did she mess up?
She felt a bit drained, but Ji-yeon bowed her head and withdrew.
Anyway, since it would take time for the results to come out, she had plenty of time to compose herself.
Watching Ji-yeon’s retreating back...
"Director."
"Yes?"
The other judges quietly asked Director Baek Min, who hadn't said much.
"Was it not to your liking?"
At that, Director Baek Min simply gave a thin smile.
*
Ever since Ji-yeon’s audition ended, Seo-yeon had been keeping a low profile.
It was because Director Baek Min hadn't given any significant evaluation in the audition room.
When she quietly asked Jo Seo-hee what had been said behind the scenes...
"I can't tell you that."
The response was cold and clinical.
Jo Seo-hee, you mean girl.
As if to prove why labels like 'top student' and 'model student' followed her around, Jo Seo-hee was incredibly strict about such things.
Of course, Jo Seo-hee, for her part, found Seo-yeon’s reaction baffling.
'Lee Ji-yeon’s acting was actually really good, wasn't it?'
Did she get angry back then because she didn't like the acting?
Jo Seo-hee’s confusion only grew.
"Normally, the results would be notified in a week... but."
"But?"
"I'm not sure because a bit of a problem has come up. Still, it won't be exceptionally late."
A problem?
That probably meant there was a bit of trouble with Director Baek Min’s movie right now.
"I'll... tell you about that later. You're participating in this movie too, so you need to know."
It just meant she couldn't speak because of Director Baek Min’s orders.
Seo-yeon nodded obediently.
Anyway, Seo-yeon finished her conversation with Jo Seo-hee like that.
'I should stay quiet for a while.'
That was her conclusion.
After all, the situation was unclear as to when the audition results would even come out.
She might seem like she lacked tact, but Seo-yeon was actually very good at reading the room.
At the very least, Lee Ji-yeon would be in a pretty foul mood until the audition results were released.
Seo-yeon didn't cling to her at school for no reason, nor did she whine with annoying comments.
In particular, during Ramiel’s broadcasts, she only sent modest Super Chats of 10,000 won and wrote uncharacteristically gentle comments.
'Seeing how she keeps her broadcast schedule so strictly even in the midst of all this, she really is diligent.'
Jo Seo-hee and Lee Ji-yeon were similar in that regard.
If anything, Seo-yeon was the relatively lenient one when it came to such things.
"Ah, the broadcast is today, right?"
Thus, Seo-yeon also focused as much as possible on her backlogged schedule.
First, the advertisement.
A meeting to set the filming schedule for the Adiz commercial she had signed recently.
"First of all, filming is scheduled to start next week. I heard that Sky Garden starts airing in a month?"
"Yes, that's right."
The point where the drama has been filmed up to episode 6.
That’s when the official broadcast begins.
A Wednesday-Thursday drama.
For reference, the drama Producer Baek was in charge of was scheduled as a Monday-Tuesday drama.
They had gathered a formidable cast of actors.
The writer was also a star writer.
Sky Garden had received a fair amount of investment from KMB, but it was inevitably lacking compared to Producer Baek’s drama. Instead, this one was heavily influenced by the opinions of the current Drama Bureau Director, Ha Tae-oh.
Because of that, there were even rumors internally that this was a mock battle between what would eventually become Drama Bureau 1 and Drama Bureau 2.
Losing here wouldn't cause immediate damage, but it would serve as a benchmark for those currently deciding which side to join.
"The internal evaluation of Sky Garden is good, so expectations are high. First, we'll follow the actor's words... you know, right?"
"Yes."
In fact, Adiz had already placed sponsorships in Sky Garden as Seo-yeon had suggested.
Because of that, the chairs appearing in the broadcast were mostly from Adiz.
"Then we need to set the concept for the commercial. You mentioned an intellectual image. Is there anything else besides that?"
At the words of Kwak Hyun-woo, the team leader of the Adiz advertising planning office, Seo-yeon nodded.
"Yes, that should be enough for me."
It was good that they reflected the actor's opinion to some extent.
Well, she had requested that in exchange for a pay cut in the first place.
"Oh, by any chance, will our chairs appear in this variety show too?"
"..."
Seo-yeon hesitated for a moment before nodding.
They appear, they definitely appear.
"Ah, they do. Well, since you're a student, I suppose they'll show you sitting in one while studying."
Of course, they appear like that too.
And they also appear a bit... threateningly.
However, Seo-yeon didn't bother to mention that.
'The PD might have edited it out.'
It was her own blunder for not being able to hold back when Young-bin teased her.
She hadn't said anything because she thought Young-bin would shrivel up if he knew it was being filmed, but she should have just told him.
'A healthy image should be fine.'
Even if it wasn't edited out, that much should be okay.
Seo-yeon tried her best to think that way.
"I'm looking forward to it. I'll have to keep an eye on things starting from this variety show."
At Kwak Hyun-woo’s hearty laugh, Seo-yeon nodded with an ambiguous smile.
Because it was certain that the Adiz chair would get airtime in a way that was completely different from what Kwak Hyun-woo expected.
*
Ju Seo-yeon’s fan cafe was already buzzing.
Since Seo-yeon showed a new side of herself in every variety show, more and more people were anticipating what kind of image she would show this time.
With the Hyper Action Star incident overlapping, there was a lot of talk in many ways.
There were even comments suggesting she was putting more effort into variety shows than acting lately.
Then, a short teaser for Golden Duckling was released before the broadcast.
The footage was only about 15 seconds long.
Screenshots of Seo-yeon studying diligently and her family members caught on camera were captured and posted on the fan cafe.
Although the video was short and the screen time was minimal...
The first thing that sparked a debate was the identity of the woman bringing fruit to Seo-yeon while she studied.
Since she only appeared for a few seconds, there were mostly sighs of regret.
However, then a man appeared.
At first, people just assumed it was Ju Seo-yeon’s father and didn't say much.
But when a post capturing that moment hit the community, public opinion flipped.
The planning team leader of Unchained, which had been the flagship title of Raywill Games for a long time.
As that fact was revealed, the community began to catch fire in earnest.