Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Image Reversal
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Toto-mango eyes gazing up at her from Chae Seon-hwa.
To Yeo Hyo-min, who was already 180 cm tall with broad shoulders, Seon-hwa's tiny form—small enough to fit in the palm of her hand—seemed even smaller than others, and at the same time, all the more adorable.
Just looking at that little creature warmed a corner of her heart. With her characteristic bead-like eyes sparkling, she asked,
"Unnie, are you free tomorrow evening by any chance?"
"Why tomorrow evening? Is something up?"
"Tomorrow's the drama premiere. Mom said if it's okay, the actresses should watch it together at our house."
"Haha, really? That sounds fun."
"Right? So, Hyo-min unnie, want to come too?"
"Hmm... Well, of course I'd go if my schedule allows..."
Hyo-min made a face tinged with regret at Seon-hwa's words... but honestly, she had no real desire to accept the invitation.
Apart from the drama premiere, tomorrow evening was her PT appointment.
For her, who ranked exercise as number one in life and soccer as number two, she had no interest in devoting extra time to acting, which came in third.
'I can just watch the live drama broadcast while running on the treadmill with my phone on. Why go all the way to someone else's house... Huh?'
At that moment, one crucial fact belatedly surfaced in Hyo-min's mind.
The most fundamental reason she had joined this drama, which she had momentarily forgotten amid her recent focus on acting.
Recruiting Chae Soo-jeong.
More precisely, building rapport with Chae Soo-jeong—who would return as a soccer girl—and convincing the Wyverns to recruit her.
For such a Yeo Hyo-min, Seon-hwa's mentioned "invitation" was surely an important opportunity to achieve her goal.
"Ahem... Sure, I'll go, so let them know."
"Yes!"
Seon-hwa bobbed her head at Hyo-min's words, then toddled off running.
As she watched the child nestle straight into her mother's embrace over there, Hyo-min found herself smiling unwittingly.
'So cute. If only I could have a daughter like that someday...'
"Come on in."
"Hi, thanks for inviting me."
"I'm here, Teacher."
The two entered the house.
Seeing them at a glance evoked thoughts of beauty and the beast, and a bright smile formed on my lips.
Ha Yu-ra aside, I hadn't expected Yeo Hyo-min to accept the invitation so readily.
Both on broadcasts and in reality, she prioritized her exercise schedule above all, so I figured there was a high chance she'd decline if times didn't align.
I didn't know if her schedule luckily worked out or what, but seeing her accept willingly, I inwardly cheered.
'This secures my variety show connections for sure.'
In my past life, Yeo Hyo-min had firmly held her position as the big sister of the variety world until I died.
In other words, getting close to her meant I could easily poke my head into most variety shows.
It's said that dramas and movies draw the public's attention, but variety shows sustain it.
In fact, in my past life, Seon-hwa's popularity stemmed not just from her outstanding singing, but also significantly from her decent variety sense.
In that regard, a connection with Yeo Hyo-min—practically a free pass to the variety world—would undoubtedly be a huge boost for our Seon-hwa's future.
'If possible, joining her faction would be ideal... but we'll keep aligning angles on that going forward.'
Wearing a bright smile outwardly while plotting dark schemes inwardly, I set out the prepared dinner for the two.
"Steamed chicken breast. Not sure if it'll suit your tastes."
"Anything Teacher makes is delicious!"
"Oh! Protein!"
With dinner as the starting point, the atmosphere grew warm and lively.
I glanced at the clock.
30 minutes until the drama starts.
My second work in this world, and the second lead role of my life.
Harboring both anticipation and anxiety about the viewers' reactions, I took a seat for now.
"Alright~ It's finally here! PD Lee Dong-cheol's new work, and ZTBC's ambitious project, Reply 1989. Can't wait to see what kind of drama it is!"
Oh Young-ae began her stream with her naturally flowing speech.
As viewers poured in and tossed out comments one by one, a smile crept across her lips.
'Great reactions as expected? Viewer count is already leagues ahead of The Queen Dowager, Sovereign of Deception's premiere.'
In the past, filling a few hundred viewers had been cause for joy on Oh Young-ae's streams.
But now, the visible numbers had already surpassed 1,000 and were climbing toward 2,000.
This wasn't just due to her growing subscribers; crucially, ZTBC's promotions were no joke.
'They really hammered the ads. All-in on this drama, literally staking their lives on it.'
Until recently, everyone knew ZTBC's internal affairs were in shambles.
Top execs entangled in scandals,
staff fleeing,
and shows bombing one after another.
In that context, The Queen Dowager, Sovereign of Deception's massive success was like attaching a ventilator to a dying ZTBC.
Given that backdrop, their full-throttle support for this drama wasn't surprising.
Even accounting for that, mobilizing a luxury cast like Yeo Hyo-min and Lee Seong-min was truly unexpected.
Thanks to it all, ZTBC—and specifically Oh Young-ae's channel, which focused on Ha Yu-ra and Chae Soo-jeong—reaped the benefits too.
With such stellar metrics from the start, Oh Young-ae focused entirely on the drama's opening, her heart pounding even more.
A sunny college campus sparkling under clear sunlight.
One woman crossing it.
Long black hair cascading to her mid-back, porcelain-white skin.
And eyes gleaming with a mysterious violet like jewels.
Choi Soo-jin. (Chae Soo-jeong)
Just crossing the campus drew everyone's gazes. With poised steps, she headed somewhere.
Then.
"Soo-jin~!"
"..."
A light voice, and someone latching onto her arm.
Hwang Yu-ra. (Ha Yu-ra)
Her face suited "cute" more than "beautiful." Beaming, she looked at Soo-jin's face.
"Hey!"
"Ah... hi."
"..."
Following, An Hyo-min (Yeo Hyo-min) waved lightly from the front, accompanied by two men.
Kwon Chan-su (Park Chan-su),
and Kim Seong-min (Lee Seong-min).
Seeing her friends' faces, Choi Soo-jin began to smile.
Not a single line of dialogue.
Just a simple change in expression.
Yet with that alone, she...
And the world around her...
began to transform into a vibrant atmosphere, like a flower bud blooming.
A vibrant smile like something out of a painting.
No excessive seriousness,
no dark shadows plotting schemes,
no hint of cruelty that would shed no blood or tears.
A single flower blooming brilliantly under the blue sky.
A smile capturing the essence of youth itself.
It instantly washed away the image actress "Chae Soo-jeong" had shown in her previous work.
Unlike the blood pool at the bottom of hell from Queen Dowager.
Here was pure, clear stream water sparkling under sunlight.
With just one scene, Chae Soo-jeong perfectly reversed her image, leaving viewers purely in awe.
Amid the viewers' awe, the five young men and women advanced toward somewhere in a bright, excited mood.
Starting with a scene brimming with youthful energy,
a calm yet resonant voice flowed out.
With those words, the title appeared.
Reply 1989.
Announcing the leads, the drama properly began.
The next scenes showed the protagonists in everyday dorm life.
In the literature club room labeled "Y," Choi Soo-jin quietly reading a book, followed by Kim Seong-min reading similarly.
And the other two women engrossed in go.
In this peaceful yet slightly boring atmosphere, Kim Chan-su entered, grumbling about being forced to sing in class.
"Man... Why the hell do they make us sing that damn song..."
"And The Beasts? Why fuss over those lame losers' song? At least make it a super popular group like Sunlight."
The idol group Sunlight, currently competing with The Beasts on the charts.
Seen as fated rivals by both fandoms, viewers who knew Chan-su's real job couldn't help but burst into laughter at the surprise jab.
This light actor gag set the tone for the drama's levity in the opening scene.
Followed by casual banter, viewers settled in even more comfortably.
Yet they could also feel it.
The subtle, clear emotional lines amid the lightness.
Chan-su subtly tense whenever looking at Choi Soo-jin.
Soo-jin responding with a faint smile.
Yu-ra and Seong-min showing slight awkwardness watching them.
Hyo-min alone seemed unaffected, but even she smiled quietly, aware of the vibe.
Plain and monotonous, yet all the more relatable.
A story showing small but precious emotions everyone has felt at least once.
Through this first episode, viewers vaguely grasped what Reply 1989 was about.