Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: That Damn Ball Game
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ZTBC control room.
This place was buzzing with activity amid the broadcast of Reply 1989.
The person overseeing the situation here at this hour.
PD Lee Dong-cheol wore a satisfied smile as he watched the footage airing right in front of him.
'Excellent... Beyond even my expectations.'
Chae Soo-jeong's acting on the screen.
As he watched her performance—intense yet vividly conveying emotions without excess—
PD Lee Dong-cheol nodded.
'This is more than passing the test with flying colors.'
One of the most crucial elements for an actor is possessing a variety of images.
The public always craves novelty,
and actors must continually shift their colors to meet those demands.
Those whose image becomes fixed end up with short careers.
Aware of this better than anyone,
PD Lee Dong-cheol had given Chae Soo-jeong a test.
A role with a personality starkly different from her previous work.
In contrast to the Queen Dowager, who consistently exuded a flashy, chrysanthemum-like intensity,
this was a college student image—like a small, quiet orchid emitting a subtle fragrance—
Choi Soo-jin.
For Chae Soo-jeong, this was a test to show how much she could transform her image,
and a homework assignment for someone whose skills were outstanding but who still lacked experience.
Of course, she had already played Han-seo and the Queen Dowager, roles with different personalities,
but since they stemmed from the same core character, the feel was inevitably different from this one.
Moreover, this test contained PD Lee Dong-cheol's own consideration—a kind of hint.
At first glance, the two roles seemed completely different.
However, breaking down their elements one by one revealed surprisingly many similarities.
A fundamentally cold impression.
A dishonest personality.
Whether leading overtly or subtly manipulating from behind, they both ultimately dominated situations with leader-like qualities.
Like disassembling a completed Lego set into pieces,
many of the basic building blocks forming these roles shared striking similarities.
Recognizing and connecting them would make the acting surprisingly manageable.
And as if she had keenly picked up on PD Lee Dong-cheol's hint,
Actress Chae Soo-jeong was delivering Choi Soo-jin's performance even better than expected.
Dissecting roles like this was one of the key techniques for handling diverse characters,
and the core skill PD Lee Dong-cheol had hoped she would master through this 'test'.
Feeling inwardly pleased that she had passed the test exactly as intended,
PD Lee Dong-cheol could wash away a lingering concern in his mind.
Both for the dramas he would create going forward and for Actress Chae Soo-jeong herself.
'She'll last a long time. More than enough with this.'
"Seon-hwa, want to try some almonds instead of popcorn?"
"No. Almonds taste bad."
"Come on, just one..."
"Uuuung...."
Seon-hwa shaking her head in firm refusal.
Watching her, Yeo Hyo-min gave a light smile and grabbed a handful of almonds.
"Come on, try one. They're so good for you and tasty.
You have to eat a variety if you want to grow as strong as your big sis."
With those words, Yeo Hyo-min flexed her arm to show off her bicep.
Her arm, nearly as thick as Soo-jeong's thigh, rippled with clear muscle definition.
It might disgust some tastes, but Seon-hwa surprisingly didn't seem fazed.
"Cool..."
"Hehe, right? Eat well and exercise hard, and you can get like this too, Seon-hwa.
Here, one almond for that."
"Uung... One."
Her persuasion worked; though clearly reluctant, Seon-hwa started crunching an almond.
To Hyo-min's eyes, she looked as cute as a hamster nibbling sunflower seeds.
"Good job. One more... Huh?"
In that moment, someone suddenly grabbed Hyo-min's hand.
There stood Soo-jeong, her face oddly pale.
"What's wrong? Something happen?"
"Ah... No... Nothing..."
Forcing a smile, but her eyes twitched uncontrollably—Chae Soo-jeong.
Her expression, as if she'd seen something terrifying, left Hyo-min puzzled.
"Our Seon-hwa becoming a musclehead... Th-that's a bit..."
Muttering something worrisome in a barely audible whisper—Chae Soo-jeong.
Anyway, leaving the minor commotion behind, everyone refocused on the drama.
Unlike the others crunching mostly popcorn beside her, Yeo Hyo-min munched solely on almonds while watching the drama.
Though her snack differed, her impressions of the drama unfolding before her eyes were much the same.
'It turned out better than I thought.
Especially Chae Soo-jeong—her acting is impressive, but the editing backing it up is spot-on too.'
Even veteran actress Yeo Hyo-min had to acknowledge Chae Soo-jeong's acting prowess.
The most memorable part was undoubtedly the initial campus scene.
She had seen it live on set—the overwhelming aura that instantly shifted the atmosphere around her.
That intense power, coloring a black-and-white world with a single smile,
left Yeo Hyo-min in awe.
'From soccer to acting, this kid really can do it all...
She's still a rookie, so attention is low for now, but soon the entertainment industry will be in an uproar over her.'
Reaffirming her resolve to secure Chae Soo-jeong firmly before that happened—Yeo Hyo-min.
Thinking she should invite her not just for soccer but perhaps other variety shows she appeared on,
a slight smile formed on Yeo Hyo-min's lips as she gazed at Chae Soo-jeong.
That moment.
"Oh, Unnie Hyo-min's on."
"!...Ah..."
Seon-hwa's excited voice, followed by Yeo Hyo-min's face suddenly stiffening.
She usually took pride in her own acting,
but honestly, this time was a bit different.
And for good reason—the scene now on TV was...
-"That damn ball game, why the hell do we even play it..."
'Urk...'
A woman with a strikingly large build that drew eyes wherever she went.
An Hyo-min.
Her solidly built body—so robust that her arms alone made it hard to tell if she was man or woman—was peering at someone from behind a pillar that barely concealed her.
A man in a soccer uniform, surrounded by people.
The soccer club captain, Shin Do-hyeong.
Gazing at him, Hyo-min's face flushed pink—out of proportion to her size.
It didn't suit her at all, yet anyone could tell: the bashful look of a girl(?) in love.
Then, someone approached her from behind.
"What're you doing?"
"Eek!... C-C-Captain."
"No time for this. We playing the match today or not?"
"Ah... Um... B-But... I..."
"Hurry up. You skipped out alone last time too—don't think about running this time."
An Hyo-min, dragged off by the hand of a woman also in soccer uniform.
Even then, she cast a longing glance toward Do-hyeong, but honestly, the sight was so mismatched to her appearance that it felt more comedic than heartfelt.
After being thoroughly worn out in the lively practice,
An Hyo-min returned to the literature club room with an exhausted face.
Seeing her, Choi Soo-jin and Hwang Yu-ra asked calmly while playing go.
"You're back?"
"Ah... Looks like no luck today either."
"Yeah... Ended up just kicking that damn ball around excitedly again. Tch... Why does this boring sport have separate teams for guys and girls? Honestly, someone like me could play with the boys, right?"
"Haha... Well, yeah, but..."
"It's the rules."
Yu-ra's awkward laugh, and Soo-jin's stoic face as she played go.
-Clack!
"Ah... Shoot..."
Immediately, Yu-ra's face stiffened slightly with a short curse, but Soo-jin ignored it lightly and began picking up the captured stones.
It looked like the match's outcome was already decided.
In front of them, Hyo-min sighed deeply and continued in a gloomy tone.
"Ugh... What to do. At this rate, I'll just keep wasting time kicking soccer with zero progress."
"Kuhum... That's why I told you not to join the soccer club for that reason."
"Why not quit now?"
"Ugh... But... that'd be a waste. I still get those 10 minutes before matches to see his face."
"Wasting 2 hours for 10 minutes is still..."
"Time sink. Think of something else."
"Kuhk..."
Yu-ra's sympathetic reaction brimming with pity, and Soo-jin's utterly cold demeanor.
But in the end, both agreed her current efforts were futile, darkening Hyo-min's face even more.
Then.
"Whew... No helping it."
-Rattle!
"...?! Hey!"
Hwang Yu-ra swept all the go stones off the board in a perfectly natural motion.
Gazing at the coldly frozen Choi Soo-jin, Yu-ra said with a serious expression.
"This game isn't important right now. It's about our friend's life-or-death issue. Let's solve this first."
"Kuh..."
It was a fair point, and since nothing was really at stake, Soo-jin couldn't protest much.
Thus, Yu-ra smoothly secured a draw in the natural flow,
and Soo-jin, grumbling but starting to brainstorm for Hyo-min's sake.
After some back-and-forth discussion...
"How about... we do it like this instead?"
"Oh... That sounds good."
"What? Ha... But..."
They arrived at one conclusion.