Chapter 85: Lead and Supporting Roles (2)
Chapter 85: Lead and Supporting Roles (2)
‘The voice acting academy.’
A place Seo-yeon had once attended alongside Ji-yeon.
Of course, Seo-yeon had eventually dropped out to learn various other things, but she had been a part of it for quite a long time.
The same went for Ji-yeon. Although Seo-yeon knew Ji-yeon didn't go there often these days, she still visited occasionally.
‘The Wizard.’
Fortunately, the Wizard hadn't appeared in Ramiel’s broadcasts since then.
Still, the character was mentioned by Ramiel from time to time, which kept Seo-yeon on edge.
‘I wonder who it is.’
If they were from the voice acting academy, was it someone she knew?
Besides, judging by Ramiel’s attitude back then, they seemed more than just casually acquainted…
With that spark of curiosity smoldering in her chest, she moved forward.
“Hello. I’m Han Da-young.”
And just like that, she met the person in question without any trouble.
The very first thought that popped into Seo-yeon's head was:
‘She’s big.’
First of all, she was a full head taller than Seo-yeon.
And she was quite… developed in other areas as well.
‘Not quite as much as Mom, though.’
Regardless, she was very "big" in many ways.
She looked to be at least three or four years older than them.
In other words, she was a university student.
‘An ex-idol who studied classical vocal music?’
Seo-yeon stopped staring blankly and quickly searched her memory.
There was no relevant information.
This meant the woman before her, Han Da-young, had never been active in the mainstream entertainment industry.
She must have worked exclusively as a VTuber.
Seo-yeon tried to recall anything about the VTuber scene, but nothing came to mind.
If it wasn't related to the traditional entertainment industry, she had trouble remembering it.
“You can… speak casually with me.”
“Oh, really?”
“….”
Seo-yeon had said she could speak casually, but she hadn't expected the woman to drop honorifics immediately.
Regardless, Han Da-young stuck close to Lee Ji-yeon’s side and gently stroked Ji-yeon’s hair.
“Ji-yeon has such a prickly personality that when she said she had a friend she’d been with since childhood, I thought she was lying.”
Han Da-young gave Seo-yeon a wink as she spoke.
What is this? Is she showing off?
“Ah, Unnie.”
Ji-yeon looked at Han Da-young with a sharp, coy expression.
It was a fresh sight.
It felt a bit strange to say, but Lee Ji-yeon was usually the one taking care of Seo-yeon.
Because of that, seeing Ji-yeon being treated like a child was something Seo-yeon hadn't witnessed since they were very young.
“Well, shall we go inside and talk? You said you came because of the singing, right?”
“Yes.”
“Right, okay. I hope I can be of help.”
The way she smiled as she spoke gave off the vibe of a mature older sister.
Looking at her now, she had quite soft features and left a very positive impression.
Once inside the academy, they shared a brief conversation.
First, it was confirmed that Han Da-young was indeed the one who had helped Ji-yeon start her VTuber activities.
However, she didn't explicitly mention that Ji-yeon was Ramiel or that she herself was the Wizard.
“Ji-yeon’s been so busy lately asking me for help with this and that.”
“Well, I did get a lot of help from Unnie.”
Lee Ji-yeon glanced at Seo-yeon as she spoke.
Her face wore a rare expression—she was checking Seo-yeon’s reaction.
Don't tell me, is she… embarrassed?
“Oh my, Ji-yeon, are you blushing?”
“N-no, I’m not!”
“Aww, look at you.”
Han Da-young pulled Ji-yeon into a tight hug.
The scene looked incredibly close and friendly.
And Ji-yeon didn't seem to particularly dislike it.
Then came the conversation filled with inside stories only the two of them knew.
It seemed to be about things that happened while preparing for VTubing, but Seo-yeon didn't really care about that.
She didn't have any intention of digging deep into Ramiel’s Red Pill anyway.
However.
“….”
How should she put it?
She felt a very strange sensation.
‘She’s my friend.’
Though she had become somewhat close with the Class President recently, Lee Ji-yeon was still the only person Seo-yeon could definitively call a friend. Yet here was Lee Ji-yeon, sharing secrets with Han Da-young that only they understood.
‘….’
The corners of her mouth twitched involuntarily.
It was a feeling she had experienced once before.
Back when Ramiel was held in the Wizard’s arms.
“Oh, stop it, Unnie.”
Yes, the moment those words were spoken, a fire blazed in Seo-yeon's chest.
Her hands trembled slightly.
Jealousy!
It was a very foreign emotion to her, yet similar to the one she had used for her acting as Cha Seo-ah.
Moreover, the character she was newly challenging, ‘Jo Ha-rin,’ must have felt this exact same way.
‘So this… this is what it feels like.’
No, it must have been even worse for her.
In the story, Jo Ha-rin was a character with an unrequited crush on the male lead, Kim Si-hwan.
Seo-yeon could imagine the emotions that would swirl while watching Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha being lovey-dovey.
Irritation.
Seo-yeon had never really known what irritation was since she was born, but she did now.
“Ju Seo-yeon.”
“…What.”
When Seo-yeon answered bluntly, Ji-yeon tilted her head for a moment before letting out a smirk.
“What are you going to do about the singing?”
Ji-yeon sat down right next to her as she asked.
Seo-yeon’s face flushed at the way Han Da-young watched them, as if they were adorable.
It seemed her bubbling emotions were written all over her face.
She covered her face with both hands.
‘I hate these… unfamiliar emotions.’
She wasn't good at controlling things she wasn't used to.
It was similar to how she would run around aimlessly whenever she got too excited.
“I-I have to do it, but…”
“But?”
“I have to pass the audition first.”
Anyway, returning to the main point: regardless of learning to sing, she had to pass the audition first.
Dream Future was a drama about an idol audition.
Naturally, she had to possess idol-like qualities, whether it was singing ability or something else.
‘That’s why it’s hard to guess the audition results.’
For the record, she had sung at the audition.
The subtle expressions on the judges' faces at that time still lingered in her mind.
‘I might… fail.’
Because of that sense of crisis, she was even questioning if it was right to be learning to sing now.
To be honest, she had come today more to see the Wizard’s face than to actually learn.
‘….’
What she had learned was that the relationship between Ramiel and the Wizard was much deeper than she had expected.
Even if it wasn't as long as her own friendship with Ji-yeon, they had known each other for at least five years.
It seemed Ji-yeon had also helped Da-young during her time as an idol.
Thinking about that made her stomach churn again, but seeing Lee Ji-yeon sitting next to her with a beaming smile made her feel a different kind of frustration.
“Well then.”
That was when Han Da-young spoke up.
“Do you want to try singing something simple first?”
“Huh? Right now?”
Since it was a voice acting academy, there was a recording studio right nearby.
So it wasn't difficult, but…
“Yes. I need to know how well you sing to help you.”
“But the audition….”
“It’ll be fine.”
She said with a bright smile.
“I’m sure you’ll pass. Ji-yeon might be critical of other things, but she’s done nothing but praise your acting, Seo-yeon.”
“Ah, Unnie!”
Ji-yeon shouted at the top of her lungs at those words.
Seo-yeon felt embarrassed herself, but at the same time…
‘…Critical of other things?’
When Seo-yeon shot a glare at Ji-yeon, Ji-yeon quickly looked away.
It was the kind of face Seo-yeon often made toward Ji-yeon.
And then.
After Seo-yeon sang a simple song in the recording studio.
“……Ah.”
Han Da-young’s expression became incredibly complicated.
It was the exact same look the judges had given her at the audition a few days ago.
*
The auditions for Dream Future were proceeding smoothly in many ways.
First of all, far more idols and actors had applied than expected, and many had come well-prepared.
The genre was ‘Youth Romance,’ which was quite rare.
Perhaps because of that rarity, there was a perception that KMB was heavily pushing this drama.
“So, who do you think would be good for the role of Song So-ha?”
At the words of the casting director, Shin Yoon, the meeting room—which had been in the middle of a heated discussion—fell silent.
It wasn't because there were no suitable candidates.
On the contrary.
“Personally, I think Ju Seo-yeon would be good.”
The one who spoke up was the cinematographer, Kim Pil-seok.
As the person with the most influence, his statement made several people nod, but…
“But for a lead role, her singing is….”
“Ahem, well, we have a few months, so maybe she’ll be fine with some vocal training.”
“We don't know that for sure, do we?”
Seo-yeon had performed for both the roles of Jo Ha-rin and Song So-ha.
Jo Ha-rin because she wanted to.
Song So-ha because the judges requested it.
As for her acting…
“It’s incredible.”
“Yes, it was my first time seeing actress Ju Seo-yeon’s acting, and now I understand why Jung-woo praised her so much.”
Park Jung-woo gave a small shrug at those words.
Her acting was truly flawless.
‘In fact, she’s improved.’
She felt more emotionally rich than when he had seen her on the variety show.
And even more so than during her theater days.
Above all, she had a strong sense of acting ‘effortlessly.’
To reach that level without even using Method acting…
It meant Seo-yeon’s acting skills had progressed significantly.
“In terms of balance, actress Cha Na-hee… is the right fit, isn't she?”
One of the production staff members said, though he hesitated on whether to call the idol an "actress."
Compared to Seo-yeon, her acting fell far behind, but her singing was miles ahead.
Based on that alone, Cha Na-hee would have been the overwhelming choice for the role of ‘Song So-ha,’ but…
“Actress Ju Seo-yeon prefers the role of Jo Ha-rin anyway, right? Then I think that’s the right way to go.”
“But still.”
“It’s a waste.”
Jung-woo didn't bother opening his mouth as he watched the heated debate in the meeting room.
His words, coming from someone with a personal connection, could easily be misinterpreted.
‘Her singing was definitely lacking.’
Seo-yeon was surely aware of that as well.
It was obvious she had received some training.
She wasn't terrible.
It was just that her skill wasn't enough for ‘Song So-ha,’ who was supposed to be the winner of an audition within the story.
The reason it felt particularly lacking was that there was almost no emotion in her singing.
‘However.’
Park Jung-woo recalled the audition.
Seo-yeon’s acting.
And the things she had prepared for this audition.
One week ago.
The audition hall.
「I’ll do it! I’ll do it! I want to do it!」
A girl ran around the audition hall, waving her hands cheerfully.
She was like a puppy.
A Golden Retriever—that was exactly the vibe.
‘Can a person’s aura change this much?’
The judges each shared similar thoughts.
Until the audition began, she had been a woman with a cold, aloof impression.
But once the acting started, she couldn't have been more bubbly.
However, Park Jung-woo…
‘Desert island.’
She’s using the exact emotions she felt on the desert island.
He noticed it immediately.
Seo-yeon, as she ran through the jungle back then, had been exactly like this.
Along with that cheerful acting as Jo Ha-rin.
「Why… why does it have to be her and not me…?」
A sorrowful voice.
But the jealousy contained within that voice was palpable.
She had taken some of the emotions she used for Cha Seo-ah in The Chaser and channeled them into Jo Ha-rin.
The judges all nodded as they watched her performance.
It was clearly different from any other acting they had seen in the auditions so far.
‘As expected, the difference between idols and actors…’
‘The gap is really huge.’
If you only saw one side, you might not think much of it, but seeing them back-to-back made the difference glaringly obvious.
“Ah, Seo-yeon. By any chance, did you memorize the script for the role of Song So-ha as well? If it’s okay, I’d like to see it once.”
“The role of Song So-ha?”
Seo-yeon nodded nonchalantly.
She had, of course, memorized the entire script.
And the performance of Song So-ha that followed was…
‘Wow, she’s really good at both.’
She was better than any idol or actor who had applied for the role of Song So-ha so far.
“Then, finally… could we hear you sing? You know, right? This drama is about an idol audition, so it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Ah, of course. I’ve prepared something.”
Seo-yeon spoke with quite a bit of confidence.
The judges let out short exclamations of "Ohh," but those exclamations didn't last long.
“……Ahem.”
“Ah, g-good work, Seo-yeon.”
Complicated glances were exchanged.
It wasn't that she couldn't sing.
Wait, could she not sing?
The atmosphere stirred with a very strange feeling.
Her acting was great, but her singing was… ambiguous.
“Seo-yeon.”
That was when Park Jung-woo, who had been silent, spoke up.
Everyone’s eyes turned to him.
Was he going to point something out?
Since he had been doing that all along, the judges all had similar thoughts.
‘No, he might be trying to cover for her since they’re acquaintances.’
If that was the case, it would be a bit…
Everyone waited for Park Jung-woo’s next words with those thoughts in mind.
“You can dance, right?”
“Pardon?”
His tone was one of absolute certainty.
‘There’s no way she’d come to an audition with only her weaknesses.’
She must know herself that she isn't great at singing.
…Though she did seem strangely confident in her singing, surely…
“If you’re an idol, singing isn't everything. You have to be able to dance, too. Would that be okay?”
Dance.
Everyone looked puzzled at Park Jung-woo’s suggestion.
An actress dancing?
They had heard of actresses who were good at singing, but dancing was rare.
“Yes.”
At Park Jung-woo’s words, Seo-yeon nodded.
“I can do it.”
A faint red light flickered in Seo-yeon’s eyes.
Park Jung-woo nodded back at her and signaled to the staff.
And so, the song that had been heard multiple times during the audition began to play.
Seo-yeon surrendered her body to the rhythm and calmly closed her eyes.
One, two.
As if measuring the beat.
And then.
Seo-yeon’s eyes slowly snapped open.
Along with the music, the dance began.