Chapter 91: Youth Romance Drama (2)
Chapter 91: Youth Romance Drama (2)
To be honest, Seo-yeon had a lot on her mind regarding the role of Jo Ha-rin.
In Dream Future, the characters were basically paired off into couples.
Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha.
Park Min-yul and Jo Ha-rin.
Ha Yu-seong and Jin Hye-min.
That was the structural setup.
Among them, Jo Ha-rin possessed a particularly complex narrative: her unrequited love for Kim Si-hwan.
‘Unrequited love.’
Frankly, for Seo-yeon, it was an emotion she couldn't even begin to fathom.
She still had many shortcomings when it came to emotional exchange with others. She suspected that was likely why she struggled to make proper friends.
Friendship, much like love.
She hadn't found a proper definition for that, either.
The only reason she labeled her long-standing connection with Lee Ji-yeon as "friendship" was because it was the only name that seemed to fit.
‘But unrequited love...’
Seo-yeon sat alone in her dark living room, lost in thought as she stared at the TV.
This had become her routine while filming Dream Future.
Whenever she had a spare moment, she spent it watching romance or rom-com dramas.
Though Dream Future had a quirky, popping personality, it wasn't a pure comedy, as the website description noted.
It was, strictly speaking, a youth romance drama focused on the psychological growth of its characters.
The story was set against the backdrop of an idol audition, centering on the six participants.
“I... don't really get it.”
Empathy.
In the past, she hadn't understood its importance, but lately, she was beginning to see.
To move beyond mere emotional mimicry and enter the realm of method acting, one ultimately had to empathize deeply with the character.
Conversely, it was inherently difficult to use the method approach for a character one couldn't empathize with.
‘Jo Ha-rin is a role that doesn't require deep immersion.’
She was a lighthearted, bubbly character to begin with.
If it were just a matter of pure performance, Seo-yeon was confident she could do it well enough.
Her acting in the previously aired "Web Promotion" had already received rave reviews. Even during the first shoot, everyone had given her a thumbs-up.
Of course, those reactions were amplified because her skills were being compared to those of idols.
However.
Something continued to weigh on Seo-yeon’s mind like a lingering residue.
Even though she had originally joined this drama simply to improve her public image.
“So.”
Park Jung-woo spoke as he shifted the straw in his iced Americano.
“You’re asking if I’ve ever dated?”
“Yes.”
Jung-woo stared back at Seo-yeon, who was looking at him with a blank expression, and felt utterly dumbfounded.
‘This is ridiculous.’
They were at a cafe near the filming site.
Since they had both taken care to disguise themselves, no one recognized them.
‘Does she not realize how dangerous a question like that is?’
If he didn't know Seo-yeon as well as he did, he might have misunderstood her intentions.
Furthermore, what was Park Jung-woo’s role in Dream Future?
He was Kim Si-hwan, the object of Jo Ha-rin’s unrequited love.
It was a question that could easily be misconstrued.
‘I guess it just shows how foreign the concept is to her.’
Sometimes, Seo-yeon was strangely ignorant about certain things.
Jung-woo had realized this while watching over her, and most of those instances shared a common thread.
They involved specific emotions felt when entangled with others.
Anger, jealousy, or—like now—love.
There were times when Seo-yeon acted as if she didn't know those emotions existed.
But while he couldn't speak for anger or jealousy, when it came to love, Jung-woo didn't have much to say either.
Because, well...
“I haven't.”
“Pardon?”
“Do you have any idea how busy I’ve been living my life?”
He had never even attended school properly.
He had been a child actor since he was young.
It was a constant cycle of commercials, dramas, and movie shoots.
Naturally, he didn't have much experience interacting with people his own age. The actors he occasionally worked with were his only social circle.
Of course, there were young actresses or idols who had approached him, but...
“Then, I suppose it’s impossible.”
“Ha.”
He could tell why Seo-yeon had contacted him.
Among the people she knew, Park Jung-woo was the only senior actor with more experience than her. Most of the others were people she couldn't easily reach out to.
Watching Seo-yeon sink back into deep thought, Park Jung-woo spoke up.
“Well, even if I’m a lost cause, there’s someone who can give you an answer.”
He could see right through her dilemma.
As far as Jung-woo knew, there was no actor in their age group as serious about acting as Seo-yeon. She would probably deny it if he said it to her face, though.
‘Is it a competitive streak, or is it something else?’
Sometimes, when Jung-woo watched Seo-yeon, her acting felt like a form of exploration.
A new role.
A new scene.
Every time she filmed one, it felt as if she were learning something she hadn't known before.
Of course, Jung-woo didn't know exactly what that "something" was.
If that was the case, his only option was to introduce her to someone who would.
“Really? Who is it?”
“Someone you know, too.”
With that, Park Jung-woo made a quick call and started walking with purpose.
They arrived at the broadcasting station where they had finished filming earlier that day.
When they went up to the second floor, there was a set. It looked like they were filming a commercial.
And there, Seo-yeon met her.
“Senior Jung Eun-seon.”
At Seo-yeon’s voice, a woman turned around.
It was the veteran actress, her wrinkles deeper than they had been ten years ago.
*
“It’s been a long time.”
Jung Eun-seon gave a calm nod as she looked at the now-grown Seo-yeon.
In a waiting room specially prepared by the staff, Seo-yeon and Jung Eun-seon sat facing each other.
To be honest, as Seo-yeon looked at Jung Eun-seon after all this time, she felt her heart fluttering in a way it hadn't before.
‘Nervousness.’
It was an emotion she hadn't really felt in the past.
But it was something she had come to know after going through puberty and experiencing all sorts of feelings.
“Your face looks more appropriate for your age than before.”
“Does it... really?”
Seo-yeon wasn't so sure.
Lee Ji-yeon had said something similar once.
“It’s like you’re aging in reverse.”
Ji-yeon had said that Seo-yeon used to be much more mature in the past.
Back in middle school, and now as a high schooler.
Ji-yeon, who used to be the one Seo-yeon looked after, was now the one taking care of her.
“But I think that’s a good thing.”
Seo-yeon knew that too.
So, when she asked if it wasn't a burden, Ji-yeon had replied:
“You used to be a bit like a doll. But you’ve definitely seemed more human since middle school.”
The period when puberty had hit in earnest.
It was, so to speak, Seo-yeon’s period of storm and stress.
She had been like a small sailboat tossing and turning on a vast sea of emotion.
...She had caused quite a few accidents because of it, too.
“More than anything.”
Ji-yeon had hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I can see right through your thoughts now.”
“...Is that a good thing?”
“It’s a great thing.”
Ji-yeon said that after ten years together, it was only natural.
‘I see.’
Seo-yeon understood what Ji-yeon meant.
The reason she had been so doll-like as a child was likely due to the influence of her past life.
Her past self, to whom emotions were foreign, must have forced a mask onto the face of the ordinary human, Ju Seo-yeon.
Furthermore, because her kind parents had simply wrapped her in love, she hadn't felt the need to use "emotional mimicry" like she had in her previous life.
If she hadn't started acting, she probably would have worn that mask for much longer.
But through acting, Seo-yeon realized she was an ordinary human.
Learning emotions.
Submitting to those emotions during puberty.
While there were parts of her that remained unchanged, they had all merged to create the Ju Seo-yeon of today.
A person who was dull in many ways, but once swept up in emotion, would run with it with reckless abandon.
Seo-yeon quite liked her current self.
“I heard you’ve been having some concerns about your acting lately.”
“Pardon?”
“Actor Park Jung-woo told me.”
How did he know she was worried about her acting?
Seo-yeon hadn't specifically asked any questions about her performance in Dream Future. She had only intended to test the waters.
After all, this wasn't Park Jung-woo’s first time doing a romance.
She had already watched the youth drama he had starred in.
A drama about innocent puppy love.
The acting Park Jung-woo displayed back in middle school had become a huge topic of conversation for many reasons.
In fact, Seo-yeon had been inwardly impressed by it, which was why she wanted to ask him directly.
Whether he could act like that because he had actually experienced liking someone.
“On the surface, Dream Future didn't seem like the kind of drama that requires such deep emotional acting, but...”
Jung Eun-seon quietly addressed Seo-yeon’s concern.
“That’s only... on the surface.”
“Is it?”
To others, Dream Future might just seem like a silly drama.
After all, it was a show where people suddenly burst into song and dance.
But within it, Jo Ha-rin’s anguish was clearly present.
Acting.
Drama.
“I’m sure you’re not saying this because you’re buried in emotional acting like you were in the past.”
“...”
“I’ll take it as you saying this because you want to do it.”
Emotional acting.
Or method acting.
Seo-yeon wanted to properly immerse herself in the role of Jo Ha-rin.
“First of all, there’s no need to be impatient.”
“Pardon?”
“Of course, I haven't seen much of your acting yet.”
That was because none of the dramas or movies Seo-yeon had filmed had been released to the public yet.
“However, from what I’ve observed, you are very ambitious, Seo-yeon.”
“That’s...”
“I understand that it’s because you want to do well. But there’s no need to rush.”
Jung Eun-seon truly believed that.
Even though ten years had passed, Seo-yeon was still young.
“Romantic acting. Certainly, if you are in love, you can understand it deeply. But that isn't always the case.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The form of love isn't always beautiful, nor does it take only one shape.”
Suppose you fall for someone.
But if that person isn't right for you.
Or if they approached you with ill intent, it might have started as love, but the ending could be disastrous.
“Experience isn't always helpful. It can help with understanding, but it isn't everything.”
Seo-yeon stared at Jung Eun-seon, her eyes asking what she should do then.
“When you were a child, you already showed wonderful emotional acting. Even without the method, it was more than enough.”
From there, she just had to add a tiny bit of her own thoughts.
She just had to craft it into an ideal form.
Jung Eun-seon said that Park Jung-woo’s acting was exactly like that.
“If you want to understand other emotions, the time will come eventually.”
Even for emotions like the love Seo-yeon desired now.
Jung Eun-seon smiled at the girl who was looking up at her.
At the girl who had finally become a child after ten years.
“You’re still young, Seo-yeon. If you just express that imagination through your acting...”
Jung Eun-seon said that would be enough.
Even if it was an unfamiliar emotion.
Even if Seo-yeon thought she didn't understand it herself.
As long as she was human, she was bound to know it.
*
Episode 1 of Dream Future.
The internet was already buzzing with interest due to some of the scenes released through the web promotion.
It was JustX Ma Yeon-woo’s first attempt at acting.
Plus, it featured two actors who had recently become hot topics: Park Jung-woo and Ju Seo-yeon.
The hype was definitely there.
However, whether that interest was serious was another matter.
It was simple curiosity about what would come out.
A question of how the ridiculous scenes from the trailer would actually play out.
Indeed, the beginning of Episode 1 felt similar to the trailer.
It had a vibe that felt like a drama from the early 90s.
The individual stories of Kim Si-hwan and Song So-ha participating in the audition began to draw viewers in.
Unlike the raw footage from the variety-style promotion, the properly edited video felt completely different.
Since the expected scenes weren't appearing immediately, some lukewarm reactions began to surface.
The response was split down the middle.
And so, the stories of the two leads concluded.
Next up were the other four main characters.
First in line.
Seo-yeon’s face appeared on the TV screen.
Jo Ha-rin, who is late to the audition, happens to run into Kim Si-hwan.
As Jo Ha-rin’s acting began...
The viewers' reactions began to shift.
It was no longer just a joke.
It had become a real drama.