Chapter 213: Celebrity (1)
Chapter 213: Celebrity (1)
Yeonhwa High School.
Gil Da-hyeon, the class president of one of the first-year classes, occasionally felt a strange sensation.
There was a celebrity in her class.
What’s more, that girl had seemed like nothing more than a quiet student when the school year first began.
No, she wasn't just a quiet student.
To be precise, the words "incredibly beautiful" always came first.
From the start of the year, she was a student who felt strangely detached from the others. Of course, that wasn't because she had a problematic personality; it was simply her appearance.
And her unique aura was the issue.
It was an atmosphere that made it difficult for others to approach her easily. Back then, no one knew why.
However, as time passed, it was revealed on Looking at the Past and Memories that she was actually a child actor who had starred in a massive hit ten years ago before vanishing completely.
It was probably from that moment on.
The atmosphere of the school began to change in a subtle way.
"Since things have turned out like this, I think it would be better to focus on specializing in the arts."
"We should significantly increase the club budgets and create an environment where they can learn more in this field..."
Being a class president naturally led to more interactions with teachers. Consequently, there was a lot of information Da-hyeon picked up on.
Yeonhwa High School was surrounded by many prestigious academic institutions. If they tried to compete purely on academic grounds, it was a fact that they would fall behind. Furthermore, due to the plummeting birth rate, the student population was shrinking.
From the school's perspective, if they didn't have a striking merit, the number of students would continue to dwindle.
More and more schools are closing down, after all.
In the midst of this, Seo-yeon’s appearance must have been a huge boon for the school. Currently, nearby middle schools were showing immense interest in Yeonhwa High.
Of course, one Seo-yeon was special enough on her own, but it was a different story when another was added to the mix.
Lee Ji-yeon in the next class.
On top of that, there were rumors that Jo Seo-hee visited frequently, so Yeonhwa High School was being talked about left and right.
"Putting Seo-yeon’s name directly on the school promotional brochure is..."
"That’s not something Seo-yeon can decide on her own, is it? What do you call it? You have to talk to her agency."
"I don't think they'll give permission..."
"Besides Ju Seo-yeon, we have Lee Ji-yeon too."
"They're in the same agency."
"Ah, really? Then should we contact them?"
"Did you not know they were in the same agency until now?"
"Ahem. Well, I could have missed that."
Whenever she entered the teachers' office, she heard such conversations.
Da-hyeon, who had stopped by to discuss something, listened to these words and thought for a moment. A school brochure with Seo-yeon’s face on it. It would probably look quite good.
Regardless, from Da-hyeon’s perspective, Seo-yeon’s beauty was so surreal it was hard to believe.
"Ah, Da-hyeon. I'm very busy right now, so could you come back later?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Oh, and Da-hyeon, you're close with Seo-yeon, right?"
At the teacher's question, Da-hyeon started to nod but then hesitated.
Were they close?
They were friends, certainly, but they didn't exactly share deep conversations.
"I mean, Seo-yeon hardly talks to anyone in class besides you."
Hearing that, it did seem to be the case.
We did study together, too.
Seo-yeon wasn't a talkative person by nature. People often said that celebrities were different on broadcast than in real life, but Seo-yeon felt particularly...
...Wait, is she?
Then again, remembering the side of her she showed during the school festival, maybe that wasn't true either.
According to Lee Ji-yeon from the other class:
"Once she catches a certain vibe, she can't control herself, so you'd better be careful."
Ji-yeon had said that in passing to Da-hyeon. Honestly, Da-hyeon had been a bit intimidated because a group of girls led by Lee Ji-yeon had surrounded her when she said it.
Is she a delinquent?
No, it wasn't like that. If anything, the actual delinquents tended to avoid Lee Ji-yeon. It was likely because of her looks and the fact that she was a celebrity, making her a difficult target to mess with.
In fact, among the current first-years at Yeonhwa High, Lee Ji-yeon could be said to have the strongest female following.
How exhausting.
In any case, this was the downside of gender-segregated classes. When girls gathered together, cliques formed whether they liked it or not. That was probably why Seo-yeon couldn't make friends easily.
Of course, with Lee Ji-yeon hovering around and protecting her, no one dared to bother her. But now that she had become so famous, more and more students were starting to avoid her out of sheer intimidation.
"Da-hyeon?"
As she was lost in thought, her homeroom teacher called her again.
"Ah, yes."
"Could you ask Seo-yeon later if she could help out a bit with the school's promotion?"
"Um, okay. I'll try."
"Phew, I'm so relieved that you're so level-headed, Da-hyeon."
Da-hyeon gave an awkward smile at the teacher's praise.
Level-headed. Diligent.
These were words Da-hyeon heard often. At first, she didn't mind, but to Da-hyeon, it felt like a polite way of saying she was a boring kid.
You can study anywhere. She had come to Yeonhwa High with that thought, but watching Seo-yeon made various thoughts cross her mind.
Especially...
Sky Garden.
The drama that recorded the highest ratings among all dramas released in recent years. After that drama ended, Yeonhwa High School was in an uproar for a while.
Whenever Seo-yeon went to school, students from other classes would flock to see her. There were even times when people from the neighborhood would barge in.
Reporters, paparazzi. All sorts of people were seen coming and going.
And yet, Seo-yeon was like a ninja, vanishing into thin air in an instant. Where on earth did she disappear to? Da-hyeon was genuinely curious.
"You were a big help during Sky Garden, Da-hyeon."
In the midst of that daily chaos, Seo-yeon had slipped up to Da-hyeon and whispered those words.
"When I was acting as Yu-ju, I referenced you a lot."
Lee Yu-ju, the protagonist of Sky Garden.
Sky Garden was a coming-of-age story about the protagonist, Lee Yu-ju. It followed the process of Lee Yu-ju, who had no choice but to walk the path set by her parents, as she began to change. It was a story about finding a new dream, with a touch of thriller added in.
Lee Yu-ju and me?
Even as someone who had watched the drama, it was hard to understand. Honestly, she didn't think they had much in common. Not in personality, nor in the way Yu-ju decided her own future toward the end.
If I had to say...
Maybe they were alike in the sense that they hadn't harbored any particularly special dreams. However, it didn't seem like Seo-yeon meant she referenced her in that sense.
What had she seen to make her say that? It wasn't as if Da-hyeon was finding her own path like Lee Yu-ju.
Anyway.
It wasn't just the homeroom teacher who asked about or requested things regarding Seo-yeon. Especially now, whenever relatives gathered, the topic always came up.
It was the same this time.
"My daughter says she absolutely wants to get into Yeonhwa High School this time. So she's going to stay at your place for a while, Da-hyeon. That’s okay, right?"
Among relatives, there are always those who stand out. Unlike Da-hyeon’s family, who were relatively modest middle-class dual-income earners, this relative belonged to what people called the "silver spoon" category.
The daughter was the same. Her interest in the arts rather than academics was likely for that reason. Of course, being interested in the arts didn't always mean one was wealthy, but usually, it was hard to even consider it without some financial leeway.
"Unnie, have you ever seen Ju Seo-yeon?"
The younger cousin was quite a pretty girl. Her name was Song Na-rin, if she remembered correctly. She was a bit rude, and Da-hyeon could feel the girl looking down on her.
In fact, it wasn't just the cousin who looked down on Da-hyeon’s family. That entire side of the family was like that—actually, were all the other relatives the same?
"Yeah, I've seen her."
Well, they were in the same class. However, she didn't bother mentioning that part. It felt like it would only lead to an exhausting conversation.
"Have you ever talked to her? Well, probably not. You wouldn't be interested in that kind of thing, Unnie."
It was as if she were calling Da-hyeon a boring person.
"Still, I'll be in your care, Unnie."
Her parents had decided to take Na-rin in. Apparently, the relatives had agreed to send a fairly generous amount of money. For her parents, who were struggling with their dual incomes, it must have been a significant sum.
I have a feeling this is going to be exhausting.
Da-hyeon let out a sigh, thinking that next year was going to be quite a headache.
*
...The crowds are definitely growing.
Seo-yeon thought as she slipped out of school.
She had managed to hop over the wall and hide among the trees to make her escape, but it felt like the number of people coming to the school was steadily increasing.
The impact of Sky Garden is much bigger than I thought.
It hadn't been like this after The Chaser or Dream Future. But after Sky Garden, the number of people looking for Seo-yeon had grown noticeably.
Reporters. Paparazzi. On top of that, YouTubers and all sorts of people from the surrounding area. To be honest, it wasn't as easy to move around freely as before.
Jo Seo-hee seems to manage just fine on her bicycle, though.
In terms of fame, Jo Seo-hee was still more famous than Seo-yeon. Despite that, Jo Seo-hee would vigorously pedal her bicycle all the way to Yeonhwa High every time.
"Well, I haven't appeared in any recent hits."
Jo Seo-hee said this while eyeing Seo-yeon hungrily. It was a look that said she desperately wanted to put Seo-yeon on the back of her bicycle.
Why on earth did she want to give Seo-yeon a ride so badly? It was a mystery, but Seo-yeon could tell she just wanted to be close.
If anything, I think it would be better if I just carried Jo Seo-hee and the bike while running.
If she sat on the back and Jo Seo-hee started huffing and puffing, Seo-yeon felt like she would be emotionally scarred.
"It'll probably be like this for a while. Usually, things die down after about a year of silence... but I don't know if that'll happen for you."
Seo-hee looked at Seo-yeon, who was staring back blankly. Despite her fame, her face wasn't one the public was overly familiar with. This was because she hadn't taken on advertisements where her face would be plastered all over various buildings.
The same went for Sky Garden. Honestly, there were fewer people looking for Seo-yeon than Jo Seo-hee had expected. Considering the drama's success, the interest shouldn't have been 'only' this much.
Is it because there have been too many hits in one year? Or...
Were people fighting behind the scenes to reach out to her first? She could ask her father about such things, but honestly, she didn't want to. She was an actress, not a businesswoman.
"Anyway, the important thing is the next shoot," Jo Seo-hee said, wheeling her bicycle along. "You said you were worried about your acting last time. Did you solve it?"
"Yes."
"...Really?"
Seo-hee had secretly hoped she hadn't, so she could use it as an excuse to hang out like last time. She felt a bit dejected inwardly.
"It'll be different this time," Seo-yeon said confidently.
It seemed she had picked up some kind of tip.
"Hmph, I'll look forward to it then."
Seo-hee smirked as she looked at Seo-yeon. Well, there would be other chances to play later.
*
Director Baek Min thought to himself as he reviewed the footage they had shot so far.
He was truly blessed with good actors. Since the leads didn't make acting mistakes, the filming speed had increased, and there was no need for shouting on set. Usually, issues arose during acting direction.
But with Jo Seo-hee and Seo-yeon, that wasn't the case.
Above all, actress Lee Ji-yeon is a surprise.
She was doing much better than expected. It was as if she had done this kind of acting many times before. However, looking at her previous roles, none of them were similar to her current character, 'Yeon Seon-ye.'
Was she naturally suited for this kind of role?
"Personally, I think Ms. Seo-yeon is wavering a bit."
As he was watching the footage, a deep, dignified voice came from behind him.
"Mr. Lee Sang-soo."
"Hello. Well, I got a bit excited about filming for the first time in a while and arrived early."
The set buzzed at Lee Sang-soo’s appearance. Most people knew he was participating, but because it had been kept quiet for secrecy, some were hearing it for the first time.
"Originally, Ju Seo-yeon is an actress with very deep emotional lines. But... looking at this, it feels a bit thin."
"Are you saying she hasn't fully immersed herself in the role?"
At Director Baek Min’s question, Lee Sang-soo smiled broadly.
"You know that's not what I meant, Director. If a rumor gets out that I said that, I might get a smack from Ms. Jung Eun-seon."
"...It seems Ms. Jung Eun-seon is paying a lot of attention."
"She's very interested in Gyeongseong Lady. After all, it's a project featuring the two actresses she cares about most."
Jung Eun-seon’s affection for Jo Seo-hee had been famous for a long time. She likely saw her as the actress to succeed her. And Seo-yeon also had a deep connection with Jung Eun-seon.
"She seemed ready to participate as a cameo if given the chance."
"...Hmm. A cameo."
He recalled how Seo-yeon had made a huge impression with a cameo in Japan recently. But to have someone like Jung Eun-seon as a cameo...
This cast is becoming too luxurious.
To be honest, it was beyond anything he could have imagined when he first planned the shoot. Jo Seo-hee had wanted to participate herself, but the rest was far beyond Director Baek Min’s expectations.
Anyway.
Director Baek Min looked at the footage again. Regardless of Lee Sang-soo’s words, he had been thinking something similar.
It wasn't that she failed to immerse herself or made mistakes. Rather, it was...
It's as clean as a drawing.
It felt like her emotions were perfectly rendered, like a painting. There was nothing to criticize, and it was beautiful acting... but it felt different from Seo-yeon’s recent performances. Seo-yeon’s acting usually shone brightest when it had a strong, raw feeling.
But wanting more than this is probably just a director's greed.
Still, he felt a slight lingering regret. Director Baek Min couldn't help but think that as he watched Seo-yeon’s acting.
At least, that was until he saw her acting today.