Chapter 89: Between Drama and Film (3)
Chapter 89: Between Drama and Film (3)
When the web promotion for Dream Future was first released, the reaction was, frankly, quite lukewarm.
It didn't help that it was being released as an internet broadcast to begin with.
However...
"Wait, Ma Yeon-woo from JustX is in this?"
"Really? No way."
The power of an idol fandom is no joke.
And when it comes to JustX, currently one of the hottest idol groups, it goes without saying.
The news that JustX's Ma Yeon-woo would be appearing started to pique people's interest, and word about how the web promotion would be structured began to spread.
"I heard it's Actors vs. Idols."
"One actor on the idol team, one idol on the actor team. Something like that."
"And they compete in acting and singing?"
"Yeah, and dancing is allowed for the singing part."
Even at Yeonhwa High School, where Seo-yeon was a student, such conversations were taking place.
'Do you want to talk to her?'
'You do it.'
The girls exchanged glances.
Ju Seo-yeon was the girl who always sat quietly in class.
Even before she started acting, her appearance made her difficult to approach, but now it had become even harder. Only a few students had managed to get closer to her since the festival.
Just then.
"Se-Seo-yeon."
A brave girl spoke up.
"..."
Seo-yeon slowly looked up.
For the record, these were classmates she had never properly spoken to before.
They froze the moment they met her eyes.
Damn, she's insanely pretty.
An actress was an actress for a reason.
Moreover, the aura she exuded just by sitting there with perfect posture made it difficult to strike up a conversation.
On top of that, she was basically expressionless.
Of course, Seo-yeon was currently frozen as well.
Why?
Why were they suddenly talking to her?
Even though Seo-yeon had filmed variety shows and movies, this was a first for her.
"Oh, well... are you really going to be on a show with Yeon-woo from JustX?"
Perhaps fortune favors the bold. At the girl's question, Seo-yeon gave a slow nod.
"Yes."
"Th-then, can we get an autograph? Just one, please!!"
Seo-yeon didn't think much of the request.
"Okay."
"Really?"
The girl's face brightened at Seo-yeon's concise answer.
But then...
Huh?
Suddenly, a line of girls began to form in front of Seo-yeon.
It meant they were all lining up to get Ma Yeon-woo's autograph.
Was he always this popular?
The question crossed her mind for a moment.
JustX.
An idol group destined to explode and disband in just a year.
That was how she remembered them, but it seemed their popularity was far greater than she had realized.
Even Jung-woo sunbae wasn't like this.
Then again, while actors have fans, they rarely have such obsessive fandoms—at least not in Korea.
And so, Seo-yeon was asked to get autographs on all sorts of items.
Ordinary notebooks, clothes, and more.
*
"What... is all this?"
When she arrived at the filming site, Ma Yeon-woo answered politely.
Seo-yeon tilted her head, puzzled by his behavior.
"Um, I have a favor to ask. Is that okay?"
"A favor?"
"Yes."
As Seo-yeon spoke, she dropped her bags with a heavy thud!
Ma Yeon-woo was momentarily speechless at the sight.
Did she seriously carry all that to the set?
He swallowed hard.
Losing that arm-wrestling match definitely hadn't been a fluke.
"I was asked for a few favors. Of course, it's fine if you say no."
"I... see."
He could say no?
Ma Yeon-woo looked at the luggage for a moment.
In truth, the quantity wasn't actually that large.
Oh, it's not as much as I thought.
It just looked heavy because of all the random items mixed together.
Of course, it was still more than a high school girl should be lugging to a film set.
Normally, Ma Yeon-woo would have refused without hesitation.
Giving out too many autographs lowers your status.
That was his usual mindset.
If his autograph became common, wouldn't his brand value drop?
So, he tended to decline whenever possible, but...
"Is it... not possible?"
"..."
Hearing Seo-yeon ask in that flat, toneless voice, Ma Yeon-woo couldn't bring himself to say no.
Every time he heard her voice, his right arm throbbed.
Is this a nuisance?
Seo-yeon reflected on her actions.
She had gotten excited by her classmates' first-ever requests and ended up bringing items from other classes as well.
She had planned to just take them back quietly if he refused, but...
"Of course I'll do it."
Ma Yeon-woo nodded quite readily.
It wasn't because of the pain in his right arm.
Really.
Ahem, we're going to be on the same team from now on. This is nothing.
JustX.
He took pride in his group.
He also had his pride as an idol, so frankly, he didn't want to lose.
A drama about idols.
He knew he had to act, but singing and dancing were clearly the main focus.
Losing in that?
His pride would be so wounded he probably wouldn't be able to sleep for a while.
And Ma Yeon-woo wasn't the only one who felt that way.
Cha Na-hee felt the same.
Ju Seo-yeon.
To be honest, Cha Na-hee found Seo-yeon hard to understand.
Setting aside the "let's settle this" comment, she had doubts about the casting itself.
Why am I playing Song So-ha?
In auditions, those who go later can sometimes observe those who go before them.
Cha Na-hee had subtly probed the idol who auditioned after Seo-yeon, and she had said:
"The atmosphere was like everyone wanted to give her the role of Song So-ha."
The acting wasn't even comparable.
That was the gap between an actor and an idol.
But it wasn't like she couldn't sing or dance, either.
"Her singing was definitely decent, but her dancing... she was practically flying."
Since the idol was a friend of Cha Na-hee's, she was likely telling the truth.
For an idol to describe Seo-yeon's dancing as "flying" meant something.
If her singing was decent and not bad, it wouldn't have been strange for her to be cast as Song So-ha.
Maybe it's because of... recognition.
Currently, Seo-yeon's activities consisted of one play, a variety show, and commercials.
She wasn't unknown, but she was still a bit of a stranger to the general public.
Most of what the public knew of Seo-yeon was just her past fame.
But then again, did Cha Na-hee have overwhelming recognition? Absolutely not.
Why did she step aside?
Thus, Cha Na-hee could only conclude that Ju Seo-yeon had yielded the role of Song So-ha to her.
Seo-yeon felt a bit flustered by the gazes of Ma Yeon-woo and Cha Na-hee.
Why is everyone looking at me?
Seo-yeon was currently on the filming set.
Specifically, the set for "Team Idol," prepared for this "Variety Promotion."
The leader of Team Idol was Ma Yeon-woo, and the members were Cha Na-hee and Ju Seo-yeon.
It was a rather modest lineup for a team.
Well, there were only six main roles in total.
One actor in the idol team. One idol in the actor team.
It was natural for Park Jung-woo to be the leader of the actor team.
And for the idol team, Ma Yeon-woo... setting aside his personality, his recognition was high, so it made sense for him to be the leader.
Since the roles Ma Yeon-woo and I play—Park Min-yul and Jo Ha-rin—have ambiguous screen time, they added Cha Na-hee, who plays the female lead Song So-ha, to the team.
Seo-yeon glanced at the corner of the set.
Everything was currently being filmed.
Today was a recorded session.
The actual showdown would be broadcast live.
"Anyway!"
Ma Yeon-woo clapped his hands.
As the leader, he needed to take charge of the situation.
"We're Team Idol, right? We have to win in singing and dancing."
They had to win in their areas of expertise.
This was a "guillotine match" where only a 2:0 victory or a draw existed.
"Seo-yeon-ssi. How's your singing?"
At Ma Yeon-woo's question, Seo-yeon stared at him for a moment.
"You can speak comfortably to me."
"Huh?"
So suddenly?
Then why did my right arm suffer yesterday?
"Only while we're broadcasting."
"..."
Seo-yeon spoke in a low voice so the camera wouldn't catch it.
It feels like the character doesn't come alive if he uses formal speech.
Since it was a variety show, it needed to be as natural and entertaining as possible.
It seemed Ma Yeon-woo wasn't used to speaking formally to someone younger.
She wondered how he hadn't been caught in a controversy yet, but she felt the need to compromise to some extent.
No, what the...
Ma Yeon-woo wanted to argue.
Given his personality, it wouldn't have been strange for him to make a snide remark and storm out.
But the throbbing in his arm kept his reason firmly in check.
"Uh, r-right. Okay."
"Good. Let's look at the acting first," Seo-yeon said enthusiastically.
Regardless of anything else, this was a competition.
Seo-yeon had no intention of losing.
Even if her opponent was her acquaintance, Park Jung-woo!
...Wait, aren't I the leader?
Ma Yeon-woo had his doubts.
This was the idol team, so why was the actor speaking first instead of the idol?
She had taken control of the situation so naturally that it felt awkward to intervene.
"Since this is a promotion, it's formatted to show some scenes from the work."
And those scenes were...
Seo-yeon first checked the list of scenes given as missions.
Each of their scripts had the full list.
"..."
"........."
Everyone looked at the scenes and fell silent.
Even Seo-yeon, who had been checking the script enthusiastically, was a bit taken aback.
Was it because of a romance scene?
Hardly.
If it were that, it would have just been a bit awkward.
This was a problem of a completely different nature.
Ah, I forgot Dream Future was this kind of drama.
She simply wondered how a show with this concept managed to surpass a 20% viewership rating.
*
At first, Dream Future garnered attention because it was a drama featuring JustX's Ma Yeon-woo.
But that didn't last long.
It was only a modest 3-on-3 team battle.
Furthermore, as a pre-promotion for a youth drama, interest was bound to fade quickly.
Even in Ju Seo-yeon's fan community, which had fewer than 300 active members, there was some talk.
Of course, they didn't have particularly high expectations.
They were just the type who had become interested in the "Ju Seo-yeon" character that emerged from variety shows.
There was virtually no anticipation for the drama itself.
Then, the first episode of the web variety show began.
In the case of the Actor Team, as reflected by leader Park Jung-woo's personality, their strategy was to take a complete victory in "acting ability." They did sing and dance, but it wasn't particularly eye-catching.
Next was the Idol Team.
On this side, people were complaining because Seo-yeon had stepped forward at the beginning.
This was because a massive fandom had flocked there just to see Ma Yeon-woo, not for the competition.
However, as the actual practice began, the number of viewers gradually increased.
Comments started appearing on the internet broadcast channel.
But the one who sparked the most conversation was Seo-yeon.
It wasn't that Seo-yeon was particularly bad at singing.
It was just that it paled in comparison to her dancing.
And so, the practice ended.
The content of the pre-recorded first episode.
The reviews for the content, which mostly consisted of the members practicing, weren't great.
Most people found it boring, and it seemed like it would end there, but...
At the very end, the scene transitioned to them practicing the actual scenes from the drama.
The competition involved filming two scenes.
The goal was to evaluate who performed better in acting and singing in those two scenes.
「I don't think I can do it.」
Seo-yeon appeared.
Rather, it was Seo-yeon acting as Jo Ha-rin.
「No matter how much I practice, my singing doesn't get any better. At this rate, I'll never make it.」
This was a part that showcased Jo Ha-rin's basic character.
While Jo Ha-rin was a gifted dancer, she was a character who lacked relative singing talent.
In a way, it was a role that suited Seo-yeon perfectly.
However, Kim Si-hwan, whom Jo Ha-rin has a crush on in the story, was a perfect idol in every way.
He had the looks.
He had the talent for both singing and dancing—a top-tier idol.
Jo Ha-rin, wanting to stand by his side, chased after him but could never reach him.
「Ha-rin!!」
Just then, a man approached the despondent girl.
Park Min-yul.
Just as Jo Ha-rin loved Kim Si-hwan...
He harbored feelings for Jo Ha-rin.
He just couldn't express them, fearing it would be a burden to her.
「You're doing great. You have me!」
Cliché lines flowed out.
Naturally, the reaction in the chatroom wasn't great either.
The moment that comment appeared...
「Look at me, Ha-rin!!」
Suddenly, Park Min-yul started dancing as he walked.
「Look at me, Ha-rin! I couldn't dance either, but look how much I've improved!」
The chat speed suddenly began to accelerate.
But the dancing didn't stop.
Park Min-yul shouted.
「So you can do it! You can sing too!」
But unlike the chat, the scene didn't stop.
At Park Min-yul's words, Jo Ha-rin looked up and gave a faint smile.
And along with Park Min-yul's dancing, Jo Ha-rin opened her mouth.
「Yes, you're right.」
Suddenly, an upbeat accompaniment began to play.
And Jo Ha-rin's voice rang out.
A song.
An even more beautiful, clear voice cut through the air.
And riding the rhythm of that voice, Park Min-yul's dance moves became even more intense.
Naturally, the singing and dancing did not stop.
The chatroom exploding was, of course, the inevitable conclusion.