Chapter 55: Movie Casting (2)
Chapter 55: Movie Casting (2)
<Ju Seo-yeon, the breakout child star of 'Looking at the Past and Memories,' joins Nova Entertainment>
<To share a roof with Nova’s box office powerhouse, Hwang Min-hwa>
The articles broke this morning.
Lee Hwi-rok, the head of actor management at RY Entertainment, scowled as he read them.
It was only the day before yesterday that the order had come down to sign Ju Seo-yeon.
And just yesterday, he had personally visited her school.
"And yet, she said she’d already signed with someone."
She snubbed RY for Nova Entertainment?
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
Nova wasn't a bad agency. But compared to RY? Not even close.
She must have been foolish enough to sign the first contract put in front of her, he thought.
He clicked his tongue, but that was the extent of his concern. He’d thought she was a good prospect, but if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be.
She’s still just a kid. Impatient.
It was annoying, but she wasn't an actress RY needed to beg for or obsess over. She was like a lottery ticket with slightly better odds than most—nothing more.
"A person needs to see the forest, not just the trees."
He chuckled and closed the browser tab, deciding to put the name Ju Seo-yeon out of his mind.
*
While Lee Hwi-rok was busy checking the news, Seo-yeon was at a nearby cafe after her play, greeting Director Bae Jin-hwan of the film The Chaser.
"You made the right choice, Seo-yeon. Opportunities like this don't come around often," Jo Do-yul said, his face bright with excitement.
It would be nice if she could grace the stage every now and then, though.
Having seen Seo-yeon’s performance today, Jo Do-yul felt a twinge of regret. Given her current popularity, she could have helped the theater scene grow significantly.
However, he didn't want her to miss a chance to reach greater heights as an actress. It wasn't that theater actors were beneath film actors, but this was a chance for her to become a household name.
And who knew? With the OTT market rapidly expanding, her name might even reach international audiences.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Bae Jin-hwan, the director of The Chaser."
A middle-aged man with a pleasant impression offered his hand.
Startled for a moment, Seo-yeon quickly shook it.
"I’m Ju Seo-yeon, currently with Nova Entertainment."
"Ah, I saw the news that you found an agency. Nova is a good place. Hwang Min-hwa is an excellent actress; I’m sure you’ll have much to learn from her."
Hwang Min-hwa.
She was an actress Seo-yeon had recently seen in the blockbuster film Professional. Even before that, she had starred in numerous high-profile movies and dramas, contributing greatly to Nova Entertainment's growth.
Hearing her name, Seo-yeon gave an awkward smile.
Doesn't she leave the agency later this year?
She couldn't remember the exact timing. She just vaguely recalled that Hwang Min-hwa had left Nova before The Chaser was released. If that was the case, there probably wasn't much time left.
The agency Hwang Min-hwa moved to was Horizon Company, which was considered a top-tier firm—essentially a step up from Nova.
"Yes, I’ll do my best to learn."
"That’s the spirit. Always keep a student's mindset."
Unaware of Seo-yeon’s internal monologue, Bae Jin-hwan let out a hearty laugh. He truly liked her.
She had a calm, composed aura. This girl, who looked like a refined young lady from a wealthy family, possessed incredible talent on stage. She had a presence that commanded attention instantly.
"Have you heard much about The Chaser? It’s already been generating quite a bit of buzz."
In fact, the production of The Chaser had been announced quite a while ago—several months, if memory served. They had spent that time gathering the cast and refining the script.
The only thing missing was the actress for the villain, Cha Seo-ah. Everything else was ready to the point where they could start filming tomorrow if they wanted.
"I’ve heard of it. I know it’s a thriller and that the GH Group is investing..."
"Yes, that’s correct. It’s a highly anticipated project backed by GH."
Bae Jin-hwan took a sip of his Americano. He looked quite confident. With the GH Group’s ambitious investment, he had every reason to be. He was a proven director, the budget was overflowing, and with GH’s backing, he wouldn't have to worry about promotion or the number of screens the movie would get.
He was likely already certain of its success. The only question was how big of a hit it would be.
However...
Seo-yeon knew the truth.
In her past life, The Chaser hadn't been a massive box-office hit. This was because the actress playing the main villain, Cha Seo-ah, had caused a major scandal.
Pyo Ji-woo.
She had made headlines across all media outlets for storming into a club alone and committing a stabbing.
An actress convicted of attempted murder. How would people react to a movie where that same actress played a literal killer?
The release was delayed, and the film was buried under a mountain of criticism. While some people were curious, they were few and far between.
They had scrambled to cast another actress and reshoot Pyo Ji-woo’s scenes. Eventually, the film was released just to recoup the investment, drawing a total of 2.5 million viewers.
Considering the bad press and the limited number of screens, 2.5 million was actually an impressively high number.
And Seo-yeon had been one of those 2.5 million viewers.
The replacement actress was quite disappointing.
She had fallen far short of the villainous performance Pyo Ji-woo had shown in the original trailers. But the story itself was excellent. It was one of the few times in her past life that Seo-yeon had actually felt the emotion of "liking" something.
And that was why Seo-yeon had several reasons for wanting to be in this movie.
"The Chaser is a thriller. It’s about a detective hunting down a psychopathic killer."
He paused, then added, "Actually, to be precise, she isn't a psychopath, though the detective in the film thinks she is."
"Yes, I know."
Indeed, she knew very well. Seo-yeon understood the character of the main villain, Cha Seo-ah, better than anyone.
"First, to explain the character you’ll be playing, Cha Seo-ah..."
Bae Jin-hwan looked at Seo-yeon, organizing his thoughts. Cha Seo-ah was a complex character.
"You might not be familiar with it, but there’s a condition called 'Alexithymia.'"
He continued his explanation calmly.
"It’s a disorder where one cannot properly feel or express emotions. Can you imagine it? Not being able to laugh or cry properly."
Seo-yeon nodded slowly. Hearing it described like that stirred an indescribable feeling within her. Yes, a feeling.
"Because of that, Cha Seo-ah was abused as a child. She’s a broken woman."
In the film, Cha Seo-ah’s motive was simple. Whenever she saw people who looked happy, she felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her heart. So, she hunted them down and killed them—men and women alike.
"The scary thing about Alexithymia is that it doesn't mean you feel absolutely nothing."
He was right. It wasn't a total lack of feeling; it was more like a lack of recognition. You don't know what the emotion you're feeling or expressing actually is. So, you still feel pain, and in some cases, even pleasure. The brain just can't process it correctly.
That was why it had taken Seo-yeon so long in her past life to express everyday emotions. Even then, she had only been able to do it through acting.
"So she killed. Out of rage and jealousy she couldn't even properly identify. That’s the kind of villain Cha Seo-ah is. And while she’s a villain... she’s also a tragic figure."
Bae Jin-hwan looked at Seo-yeon.
"I think it’s an incredibly difficult role to portray. But after seeing your play today, I felt it. I think you might be able to bring Cha Seo-ah to life."
Seo-yeon looked at the glass cup beaded with cold condensation. She gripped it with both hands to cool down her slightly feverish thoughts.
"Yes," Seo-yeon said in a calm voice, meeting Bae Jin-hwan’s eyes. "I’m confident."
Just as Pyo Ji-woo had portrayed the role of Hong Jeong-hee in Close Your Eyes better than anyone else, Seo-yeon was confident she could portray Cha Seo-ah in The Chaser better than anyone.
Because Cha Seo-ah was who she might have been in her past life, had she not met her kind parents.
"I’ll take the role. I really want to do it."
*
"Unnie!"
As soon as she got home, she heard the pitter-patter of running feet.
Ju Su-yeon, her seven-year-old sister.
Seo-yeon grabbed Su-yeon with both hands, hoisted her up, and spun her around.
"Ahaha! Higher! Higher!"
Watching Su-yeon giggle like the child she was, Seo-yeon gave a faint smile. Her mind had been a whirlwind of complex thoughts today, but seeing Su-yeon made her feel a bit more at ease.
"Oh, Seo-yeon, you're home? You're late today."
"I had a meeting about a movie."
"Ah, right."
Her mother, holding a ladle, looked at Seo-yeon with a bewildered expression as she held Su-yeon aloft.
"My... our daughter is quite strong..."
Su-yeon weighed well over 20kg. Seeing Seo-yeon lift her vertically with just her hands and spin her around was a bit shocking for her mother.
As for Seo-yeon, she figured her mother should be used to her physical strength by now.
"But, if I remember correctly, you said it was a villain role. Is that okay?"
Her mother set the dinner on the table as if she’d been waiting. It was a meal she’d prepared in advance for her daughter returning late.
As Seo-yeon sat at the table, her little sister crawled onto her lap, blinking her large eyes.
"Is Unnie playing a bad person again?"
Again?
But it was true that she was taking on two such roles in a row after Princess Yeonhwa.
And Su-yeon never even saw Princess Yeonhwa.
From her sister's perspective, was she only playing bad roles? It could certainly look that way.
"That’s why I’m thinking about doing a drama or a variety show as well."
"Won't that be too busy?"
"If I start after the movie filming ends, the timing should work out."
Generally, a movie took about three months to film. If she started a drama right after, it would likely air around the same time the movie was released, or perhaps a bit sooner.
I’ll have to think carefully about what to pick, though.
Considering The Chaser, there was a high chance she would be pigeonholed as a villain. In her past life, the role hadn't been well-received because of the mid-production actress swap, but Cha Seo-ah’s importance in the story was immense. If she gave a good performance, it would definitely impact her image.
"Then how about a romance drama?"
"...Pardon?"
"Oh, why are you looking at me like that? If you're worried about your image from playing a villain, wouldn't playing someone lovely fix that? You're so stoic, your mother is worried about you."
Is that how it works?
Seo-yeon took a sip of cold water.
Hmm.
She thought about it for a moment. Romance... that was...
I don't think I can do that right now.
She felt sorry for her mother, but it was impossible for now. Truly.
Regardless, even if it wasn't romance, she needed to calmly consider if there were any other good roles available.
"And stop looking at YouTube while you eat."
"Okay."
She glanced at her smartphone on the table, trying to soothe her cluttered mind. Between The Chaser and her future roles, she had a lot to think about.
In my past life, I used to heal by watching Ramiel’s channel at times like this.
She hadn't known the exact emotion back then, but she believed it was "healing." It had made her feel at peace. Ramiel used to do advice segments for viewers, and Seo-yeon had even received advice a few times.
Sigh.
Longing for someone who wouldn't come, she typed the name "Ramiel" into the YouTube search bar.
Something strange popped up.
"Huh?"
<Ramiel>
A new channel she had never seen before had been created.
"Wha—???"
There were no videos, nothing at all.
But Seo-yeon couldn't help but stare at the screen, her face practically pressed against her phone.
No way... it couldn't be, right?
She stared until her mother told her to sit up straight and finish her dinner.