Chapter 192: Variety Shows Are Easy (1)
Chapter 192: Variety Shows Are Easy (1)
To Narumi Sora, the news was like a bolt from the blue.
Originally an independent, Sora had managed to find a proper agency after Hyper Action Star, and she was quite satisfied with her current life. Her agency, Lime Actors, was a mid-tier management company that leaned more toward supporting actors.
Because of that, there were many different actors to look up to and much to learn.
"Sora, your pronunciation is excellent. Honestly, if you hadn't told me your name, I wouldn't have known you were Japanese."
"O-oh, really?"
Sora had always been quite good at Korean.
She had studied hard since she was in Japan and moved to Korea as soon as she graduated high school. Now nineteen, she took pride in the fact that she had lived a very diligent life.
Actually, most people should be able to do this well.
There weren't many Japanese actors active in Korea. She remembered one from the past, but they hadn't stayed active for long. Most Japanese people working in Korea were idols.
So, it was understandable that people expected her to have a clumsy accent.
Most of them just adopt that as a concept.
Everywhere you go, there’s an image the public expects. It was the same for Japanese idols; a foreign idol who spoke with a slight lisp or a cute, short tongue was perceived as more endearing. Or perhaps they looked more admirable for trying.
If they were too fluent, it could ironically be a disadvantage. It wasn't about public perception so much as throwing away an easy, marketable image.
But that’s only for idols.
For an actor, things were different. If an actor, whose primary job was delivering lines, had poor pronunciation, it would clearly be a problem. They wouldn't be able to land roles in movies or dramas.
"At this rate, it might be a good idea to look into other projects besides Mine. I'll mention it to the CEO."
"T-thank you so much!"
At the senior actor's words, Sora bowed her head deeply.
Projects, huh?
Sora smiled faintly.
While it varied by agency, actors in Korea generally earned much more than those in Japan. On average, it was nearly four times as much. Naturally, Sora was in a great mood.
Since she was playing a lead role in Mine, she wouldn't be lacking in terms of recognition either.
No, wait.
Nothing has actually happened yet.
She had to give it her all. Mine had to be a success for Sora’s career to truly take off. That was how important Mine was to her. It was a movie that absolutely had to succeed.
With that mindset, she was ready to do anything.
However.
"…E-excuse me? Japan? Me?"
「Yes.」
The voice on the other end of the line belonged to someone Sora could never forget.
Ju Seo-yeon.
The actress she had faced off against in the final stages of Hyper Action Star. A girl whose physical abilities were astonishing, but whose acting talent was on an entirely different level.
She was younger than Sora, but as an actor, she was a far more senior figure. Even if Sora counted her experience in theater back in Japan, there was a vast gap between them. After Hyper Action Star ended, they had exchanged numbers and kept in touch occasionally.
"You should definitely try to get close to Ju Seo-yeon."
"Really?"
"She’s an actor who is bound to grow even more. Honestly, there aren't many actors who have shown this much presence in just a single year. Regardless of age, this past year has been the year of Ju Seo-yeon."
How many actors could claim a year as their own immediately after debuting? Ju Seo-yeon was an actor who had achieved exactly that. Naturally, not only her agency's CEO but even her senior colleagues told her to stay on Seo-yeon's good side. Networking was important in any field, and if Ju Seo-yeon became a legendary actress, she might be able to throw some work Sora's way.
"The thing is, Japan is…"
Narumi Sora hesitated.
Seo-yeon's proposal was certainly something to be grateful for. Apparently, she had been invited to appear on a Japanese variety show. She thought it would look good if Sora, being Japanese, appeared alongside her.
It was a great offer, but Sora really didn't want to appear on Japanese television!
If I do, someone will definitely recognize my face!
Sora had never appeared in any major works in Japan. At most, she had done small plays. However, it wasn't as if she’d never had a chance to move up.
"The acting environment in Japan doesn't suit me. It feels too much like playing house."
It was during her period of teenage angst. A time when she had made up her mind to leave for Korea, China, or anywhere overseas. High school Sora had been overflowing with bravado.
Since Sora was quite beautiful, she had received offers from various places. But by then, she had long been disillusioned with Japan, which refused to acknowledge her "action acting." In reality, what they wanted was Sora the pretty actress, not Sora the action star.
So, she had rejected them with those very words.
S-someone will definitely post about it on the internet.
The past version of herself had gone around saying such things to industry insiders. Sora didn't have the courage to return to Japan.
「You don't want to?」
Seo-yeon's voice sounded calm.
Just four words. At that quiet voice, Sora swallowed hard.
"O-of course I do! Hehe."
And so, Sora's trip to Japan was decided. It was a one-sided notification from Seo-yeon, without any real persuasion needed.
*
With this, communication shouldn't be an issue.
The most important thing when going abroad was whether there was someone who could speak the local language. The quality of the trip changed depending on that single factor.
Of course, if she asked the broadcasting station or her agency, they would provide as many guides as she wanted. In fact, the Japanese station would likely provide an interpreter anyway.
But honestly, Seo-yeon found that uncomfortable.
I have to go to Akihabara.
She couldn't exactly drag an interpreter to Akihabara. How would they look at her as she swept up all sorts of merchandise?
No, it’s just a nuisance in the first place.
Setting aside how she’d be perceived, dragging an interpreter or guide along on a personal trip was problematic. It was much better to hang out with a close friend or a fellow actor her age.
In that sense, Narumi Sora was the perfect choice. She was fluent in Japanese, and since they were set to film Mine together, it was necessary to build rapport in advance.
I should add one more actor friend to my circle, Seo-yeon thought.
She and Narumi Sora were currently at the stage of occasionally exchanging messages or calls. But personally, Seo-yeon wanted to become closer. She thought Sora would make a great workout buddy.
"Now that Sky Garden is over and there's some time before Gyeongseong Lady starts filming, just go and have a relaxing time," Manager Park Eun-ha said.
Thanks to Seo-yeon's diligent school attendance, she had plenty of days to spare. She could take a full two-week break without any issues.
Sky Garden, which had been breaking its own records every day, aired its final episode yesterday. It concluded with a staggering 34 percent viewership rating—a truly historic figure.
Grand Game had shown some resilience by rebounding to 15 percent at the end, but comparing it to Sky Garden's 34 percent was almost laughable. It was like being hit by a natural disaster.
"It's actually better for you to stay in Japan for a while," Jo Seo-hee said, carrying several shopping bags.
Today, Seo-yeon, Ji-yeon, and Jo Seo-hee were out shopping together. They were fulfilling the promise they had made previously.
"Things are crazy right now. It's too noisy. Honestly, if you were in a rush, it would be good to take advantage of this timing… but it's not like you're desperate, right?"
Advertisement offers had been pouring in for a while now. But now, offers were coming from almost every brand whose name she recognized. The ripple effect of a 34 percent rating drama was truly terrifying.
Among them, two brands benefited the most.
[Adiz Sales Hit Record Highs Daily, the 'Sky Garden' Effect]
[Ju Seo-yeon's Chair Completely Sold Out! Emergency Stock Being Secured!!]
The chair Lee Yu-ju used in the drama was so popular they couldn't sell it fast enough. Consequently, the number of customers looking for other chairs from the brand also increased significantly. For Adiz, whose brand value had been declining for a while, this was a literal lifeline. No, they had hitched a ride on a rocket to the stars.
The CEO had even contacted Seo-yeon personally.
"Oh, Actress Ju Seo-yeon. We look forward to working with you on our future ads. Ah, and if you need anything… perhaps a chair from Raywill Games…?"
Through Golden Duckling, it had become public knowledge that Seo-yeon's father, Young-bin, was a team leader at Raywill Games. Thanks to that, all the old chairs at Raywill Games were replaced with Adiz chairs. Naturally, Young-bin’s pride soared.
The second brand to benefit after Adiz was undoubtedly 'éclat Étoile'. This went without saying. As soon as Sky Garden began, they quickly increased their ad frequency and actively promoted Seo-yeon, their brand model.
However...
"Ah, my skin? Thanks to the cosmetics, it never gets rough."
"When I fell into the valley? Of course I was fine. Huh? Why was I fine? …Maybe it was because of the cosmetics?"
At first, people thought it was just lip service. But as time went on, it felt more like she was using it as a universal excuse. The former was one thing, but what was with the latter? There was no way cosmetics could keep someone safe after falling into a valley.
That was what Director Baek Min-chan of éclat Étoile thought, but he couldn't bring himself to say it to Seo-yeon. However, the fact that complaints were steadily coming in was a bit of a problem.
…Is there any way to reinforce that claim later?
Of course, such a thing was impossible with cosmetics. If it were possible, it would be used for military purposes, not beauty.
Anyway, as those two companies screamed with joy, other advertisers couldn't just sit back and watch.
"An actor's image is a seasonal business anyway, isn't it?"
"Will another hit like this ever come out again?"
There were those who thought that way, but an actor could earn a lifetime's worth of money in that one "season." From a company's perspective, there was nothing better than catching a ride during that peak. So, they were all scrambling to establish a connection with Seo-yeon before it was too late.
Yet, Seo-yeon's own reaction was somewhat lukewarm.
"You're appearing in a lot of broadcasts and movies. If you do too many ads on top of that, your image will get overexposed," Jo Seo-hee advised.
Her image was already quite consumed. Eventually, people were bound to get tired of seeing the same face. It had been fine over the past year because it coincided with her becoming known, but she couldn't keep active like this indefinitely.
"Hon… honestly, I want to go with you too."
Jo Seo-hee said this while stealing a glance at Seo-yeon. At those words, Seo-yeon didn't show much of a reaction as she held a piece of clothing against herself. She didn't seem to dislike the idea.
"Um, if it's okay, do you want to go together next time? It just so happens that my father has a close acquaintance in Japan who runs a hotel."
"What? Really?"
Seo-yeon was surprised by Seo-hee's words. Since the incident at Mirinae Land, Jo Seo-hee had become more comfortable mentioning such things to Seo-yeon. It was likely because Seo-yeon didn't react much to her wealth. More than anything, Jo Seo-hee herself didn't particularly enjoy living in her parents' shadow.
"Yeah, yeah. Places like Okinawa or Hokkaido are great."
"…Aha. Okinawa, Hokkaido. Hmm."
But as soon as the travel destinations were mentioned, Seo-yeon's interest cooled instantly. Naturally, Jo Seo-hee was flustered. Weren't Okinawa and Hokkaido the representative tourist spots in Japan? The accommodation costs there were incredibly expensive. Ah, was she looking for a ryokan instead of a hotel?
She tried suggesting that, but Seo-yeon remained indifferent.
Uh, why?
Watching Jo Seo-hee's reaction, Lee Ji-yeon clicked her tongue inwardly.
She's just not interested if it's not Tokyo or Osaka.
To be precise, it was because those places didn't have Akihabara or Den Den Town. Seo-yeon's thoughts were very easy to read. She gave her all to things she liked but felt very little interest in anything else. To put it another way, she didn't really care for quiet, "healing" trips. Seo-yeon liked things where she could have exciting fun.
If she wanted to tempt her, she should have suggested Disneyland or Universal Studios.
With those thoughts, Lee Ji-yeon picked out some clothes for Seo-yeon.
Regardless, today's shopping was quite enjoyable. In fact, today was just a taste; the real shopping trip would be next time.
Today is basically preparation for Ju Seo-yeon's trip to Japan.
They had come to buy clothes to wear there and other necessary supplies.
Because that girl definitely won't pack proper cosmetics or clothes on her own.
Even if she said she was going "together," she’d be going with Manager Park Eun-ha and that Narumi Sora girl. Or maybe the manager too? About four? Five? Knowing that Seo-yeon didn't like traveling in large groups, she was likely going with a minimum number of people.
I just hope she doesn't cause any trouble.
Honestly, Ji-yeon was worried. Seo-yeon, who was chatting with Jo Seo-hee, looked the same as usual, but Ji-yeon could see she was strangely excited. And she noticed that Seo-yeon's attitude toward Jo Seo-hee had softened significantly. Even if she didn't use informal speech, they were clearly becoming friendly.
Ji-yeon hadn't thought much of it, but she did feel a bit of a complicated emotion. Ju Seo-yeon, whose only friend used to be her. But now, she saw her making friends with Jo Seo-hee and others.
It made her a little grumpy, yet also a little happy. It was a strange feeling.
*
At YHJ Broadcasting Station, the staff were busy discussing the actress coming from Korea. They had already told her which variety show she would appear on, but they felt that alone was a bit dull.
"How about a hidden camera prank?"
"Ah, that's good, that's good."
Basically, there was nothing better for celebrities visiting Japan for the first time. But the important thing was the concept.
"How about horror?"
That was when Producer Amaya Hiroki, who had been quiet, spoke up.
"Horror?"
"Ah, come to think of it, she did say something about that."
The one who answered Producer Hiroki was Producer Nanjo Katsuo, who had met Seo-yeon in Korea. Japan was famous for its horror movies. When he had asked her about them, since she was an actress, Seo-yeon had shaken her head. She said she hadn't really watched any.
But her reason was quite something.
"I've never felt fear in reality."
So I don't think I'd really get it even if I watched a horror movie. That was how Seo-yeon had responded.
"Wow, that makes me want to do it even more."
"Still, we should inform her manager, right?"
"That would be best. Let's talk to them first before proceeding."
Since she was a foreign actress, they couldn't just set up a hidden camera prank however they pleased. Honestly, they weren't very familiar with the actress Ju Seo-yeon. To them, she was just a Korean actress that Producer Nanjo Katsuo had taken a liking to.
Still, The Chaser was scheduled for release in Japan, and she was popular through Dream Future, so the consensus was that it wouldn't be bad. It had been a while since a Korean actor had visited Japan.
"But it'll be a bit awkward if there's no reaction. She seems like the 'cool' type."
"Right? That's why we have to prepare even more diligently. It just so happens the location is perfect, too."
While YHJ was busy preparing for the broadcast with such conversations, Seo-yeon was on her way to the airport, loaded with bags.
I'm looking forward to this Japan trip.