Chapter 98: Ten-Million-Viewer Actor (1)
Chapter 98: Ten-Million-Viewer Actor (1)
Sometimes, people think.
That their lives have changed the moment they open their eyes in the morning.
And lately, I was experiencing that feeling just a little bit, albeit indirectly.
In a slightly different sense.
"W-Welcome... Gasp!!"
As I walked into the convenience store I usually visit on Wednesdays, the part-timer sucked in a breath.
People always gasped when they saw me, but today’s gasp felt strangely different.
When I stared blankly at him, the part-timer’s gaze drifted toward the industrial box cutter sitting on the counter, which he had likely been using to open boxes.
"Ha, haha. The, the weather is nice, isn't it?"
Then, slowly and cautiously, he slid the cutter away.
"..."
When I narrowed my eyes slightly and looked at him, the part-timer seemed a bit embarrassed.
Or perhaps, with a face full of fear, he cleared his throat.
"...I watched The Chaser yesterday."
"I see."
"You... you played Cha Seo-ah... right?"
I nodded at his hesitant question.
At my answer, his expression became difficult to describe. It was a mix of the excitement of wanting to talk to a celebrity and a strangely intimidated aura.
"Th-the acting was so good. I, I never knew something like alexithymia existed before. It, it felt so real, you know?"
"Is that so?"
"...Yes, so real... ..."
As I looked at him calmly, he trailed off for a moment.
"...It was just acting, right?"
I gave him a bright smile at his question.
Then, I lightly brushed my hand near my eye.
"Of course."
"!!"
In the mirror next to us, I saw my eyes momentarily turn red.
Seeing that, the part-timer’s body instinctively recoiled.
I let out a small laugh at his reaction.
"I'm just kidding."
"Ah, I-I see?"
"Of course."
I said as I picked up the vitamin drink I had paid for.
"Well, keep up the hard work. And don't just open the storage room for anyone."
As I left the convenience store, I felt a gaze following my back.
A gaze filled with bewilderment.
Or perhaps, a look of wariness, wondering if I was real or fake.
It was a look I had been receiving frequently since the movie was released.
At first, it was a bit awkward, but...
‘It’s actually kind of fun now.’
I should go to a different convenience store tomorrow.
Just thinking about it made me look forward to it.
*
Rookie actor Jung Hyun-woo.
He was a disciplined actor who lived a very structured life.
In the morning, he went to the gym to work out, and in the afternoon, he looked for work.
...Finding work hadn't been easy lately, but he still worked hard.
‘Should I do a play?’
After playing a supporting role in a cable drama, he hadn't been able to find a suitable job.
It was because his drama had been utterly crushed by another cable drama airing at the same time.
They started at a similar level, but as the plot fell apart toward the end, they were completely defeated by the competition.
"Sigh."
Letting out a sigh, he was about to start his deadlifts when he saw a girl entering the gym.
She was a girl it was impossible not to know these days.
At first, he had heard she gathered attention through the play Close Your Eyes after appearing in Looking at the Past and Memories.
Then, she became a hot topic after appearing in Desert Island Survival and Dream Future back-to-back.
Ju Seo-yeon.
By this point, even Jung Hyun-woo couldn't help but know her.
‘I thought I’d seen her somewhere before...’
The young Princess Yeonhwa.
But that image had largely faded now.
A much more intense image had completely overshadowed it.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"!!!"
When Seo-yeon spoke to him, Jung Hyun-woo flinched and stepped back.
It was understandable, as this was the first time Seo-yeon had spoken to him first.
Looking at her face, she seemed to have something she wanted to hear.
Could it be?
"I... I enjoyed the movie. Your performance as Cha Seo-ah... was truly amazing."
"Ah, thank you."
Only then did Seo-yeon’s expression soften.
As expected, this was what she wanted to hear.
Lately, every time she came to the gym, she had been asking the older men something; was she going around asking for that?
‘A ten-million-viewer actor.’
It was something worth bragging about.
In fact, it was certain that The Chaser would surpass the ten-million mark today or tomorrow.
That would make Seo-yeon a ten-million-viewer actor with her very first film appearance.
‘I don’t even feel jealous.’
Jealousy only arises when something feels somewhat realistic.
When it’s beyond one's reach, it only inspires amazement and awe.
Furthermore...
Clang!!
"Wow, Seo-yeon, you're in great condition lately!"
"A lot of good things have been happening."
"Of course, of course. I saw the movie too. Look at this. After seeing Cha Seo-ah yesterday, my muscles are trembling just looking at you, Seo-yeon."
Jung Hyun-woo swallowed hard at the gym trainer’s boisterous laughter.
How could he feel jealous of a girl who was lifting weights he couldn't even dream of?
He’d be lucky if he didn't get folded in half.
"But, aren't you worried that you might get stuck with a bad image because of Cha Seo-ah?"
Jung Hyun-woo asked Seo-yeon while she was taking a short break.
The role of Cha Seo-ah had certainly made a huge impact.
It was bound to affect the actor's image. Especially for an actress.
"There are some downsides, but..."
Seo-yeon recalled everything that had happened recently at Jung Hyun-woo’s words.
There were certainly things to worry about in many ways, but for now, it was fine.
Most of all...
‘I’m just glad the commercials weren't canceled.’
I protected it—my 400 million won.
Seo-yeon couldn't help but smile at the thought.
Since that was her primary goal, she was truly happy that it had passed over well.
The influence of Dream Future seemed to have played a part as well.
Because there was the first episode where Jo Ha-rin left a strong impression on the viewers, it somewhat offset the performance as Cha Seo-ah.
And unlike expectations, it seemed that Cha Seo-ah had also earned some sympathy from the audience.
"It's okay. It'll change soon once I show a different performance."
"Is... is that so?"
Jung Hyun-woo was a bit surprised by Seo-yeon’s answer.
He thought to himself that successful actors really did have a different mindset.
‘Because the image of Cha Seo-ah seems so strong.’
Of course, Seo-yeon’s thoughts were a bit different.
As long as her 400 million won didn't fly away, she didn't particularly dislike the image of Cha Seo-ah.
‘I should try an action role next time.’
In fact, the fight scenes between Cha Seo-ah, Seo Gwang-il, and Detective Im Seung-cheol had received great acclaim.
It was thanks to the fact that they could produce more natural action because she didn't use a stunt double.
...Of course, after filming the action, the two actors had to rest in the hospital for a while.
Anyway, because of such passionate acting, The Chaser became a massive hit.
"You're an actor, right? I've heard about you."
"Pardon? Ah, th-thank you. Though I've only appeared in one cable drama so far."
"I heard. My friend appeared in another cable drama around the same time. So I wanted to talk to you. To cheer each other on."
Seo-yeon said, tilting her head.
As she did, her long black hair flowed to the side, revealing her white neck damp with sweat.
"So, if you need any help, just let me know."
"R-really?"
"Of course. If it's about working out, I can teach you as much as you want."
"...?"
"I noticed you're still struggling with lifting heavy weights."
Don't people usually offer to teach acting in this situation?
Was the "cheering on" meant in a literal, physical sense?
Such questions arose, but...
‘Ah, maybe she’s speaking in metaphors?’
Jung Hyun-woo thought so and nodded his head.
And he couldn't help but regret nodding his head a short while later.
*
And it was around the time The Chaser had just surpassed 5 million viewers after its release.
It was when Dream Future had aired up to episode 6.
"Who is this? This article..."
Im Jin-ha’s hands trembled.
First, she looked at which internet news outlet had posted the article.
‘Sunyang Media, the reporter’s name is Han Seon-ah.’
She knew her.
The reporter who had been pouring out positive articles about Ju Seo-yeon lately.
That much was fine.
But how?
[Power Trip Allegations in <Dream Future>?]
The headline was short but impactful.
And looking at the content, it was an article containing the testimony of a certain staff member.
It stated that the drama's writer had significantly reduced a specific actor's screen time because she didn't like them.
‘How did they...’
She had reduced it as naturally as possible.
But how did they catch the scent and come to investigate?
"Are they close? Ha, this is ridiculous."
Im Jin-ha said so, but her hands were shaking.
Even without this, Producer Baek hadn't been taking her side much lately.
It seemed that the rumors about words coming down from the higher-ups weren't lies.
But a script revision?
‘Now of all times?’
The situation was already flawed because she had reduced the screen time.
But according to the demands from the higher-ups, it wasn't just about restoring the screen time; they were asking to increase it.
"Writer Im. You know who the most talked-about actor is right now."
The next day, Im Jin-ha was called to the drama department and heard those words from Producer Baek.
"The Director watched the movie."
"...Pardon?"
"So, he said it's fine to increase it. You understand? He’s telling you to increase it."
Producer Baek pressured Im Jin-ha.
"Do you want this to be your last career move?"
"But, I..."
"Ah, you have a hit work. I know. You're promising in your own way. But the story is different now."
Producer Baek had also seen The Chaser.
And the thought he had after seeing it was:
‘We have to push this.’
Any producer or broadcaster would have thought the same.
Cha Seo-ah’s image?
That could easily be covered by the role of Jo Ha-rin.
Ju Seo-yeon had that kind of potential, even if other actors didn't.
A ten-million-viewer actor in her teens.
How many actors had such a career?
Park Jung-woo, and Jo Seo-hee?
"I think you're misunderstanding something, Writer Im. You're a rookie writer."
"..."
"If it weren't for me, you would have been replaced a long time ago."
Im Jin-ha’s hands trembled at those words.
She never imagined Producer Baek would go this far.
"Look at this."
Producer Baek turned on his smartphone screen and showed it to Im Jin-ha.
"The media has already picked up on the reduced screen time. See? The number of articles coming up?"
"I-I didn't reduce it that much...!"
"That's not important anymore. It's true that you reduced it, isn't it? In fact, Jo Ha-rin has only been appearing minimally since episode 1."
"That's true, but..."
She didn't know who had started the fire.
Was it that reporter named Han Seon-ah? It could be.
But eventually, someone would have picked up on it.
As The Chaser became a hit, interest was bound to shift toward the drama Ju Seo-yeon was filming.
"Simply restoring the original screen time won't be enough. It was a role that would have disappeared by episode 8 if left alone anyway."
"..."
"This mess happened because you messed with it. I'm telling you this out of my last bit of affection for you..."
Producer Baek said, placing a hand firmly on Im Jin-ha’s shoulder.
"You'd better handle this well. I'll talk to Director Kim Pil-seok."
"...Yes."
Im Jin-ha bowed her head, her confidence completely shattered.
She couldn't believe it.
That this was the ripple effect brought about by just one actor.
But anyone who knew this industry would know.
No one knows what an actor's fate will be.
When one of them truly explodes, the level of influence they can exert is immense.
The point where the amount of money an individual can move starts rivaling that of a corporation.
‘Right now, Ju Seo-yeon is standing at that point.’
So, wouldn't anyone try to reach out?
An actor who is clearly going to soar.
The time when that actor is at their cheapest.
When is that?
[<The Chaser> Surpasses 10 Million Viewers! A Phenomenal, Rapid Ascent!]
It was right now.