Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: My Queen
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My Queen.
Jeong Se-hwa.
I didn't have any particular thoughts about her, even though she was somewhat of an A-list actress among the actors here.
To begin with, we didn't have much connection in my past life, and she wasn't someone I paid much attention to.
If I had to pick something, it was that she left ASD too early and missed out on her big break, but that wasn't my concern.
Anyway, seeing her apparently about to leave this place, I didn't have anything particular to say to her.
Even if I told her she'd blow up big later, she probably wouldn't believe me,
and since there were all sorts of reasons for quitting, it wasn't my place to interfere when I knew nothing about her situation.
So, with no real thoughts on the matter, I was about to exchange light pleasantries and go my own way when—
"Um... excuse me, Chae Soo-jeong? Wait a second."
"Yes?"
"Well... I mean. Aren't you deciding too hastily?"
Jeong Se-hwa urgently called out to stop me.
As I looked at her questioningly, she spoke in a truly serious tone.
"Soo-jeong, you might not know since you're new, but the world isn't just about the cash you see right in front of you. If you jump at a bit more money right now and pick the wrong agency, you'll suffer later."
Yu Ah-ram's face soured in real time next to her at those words,
but regardless, I actually felt a bit grateful seeing Se-hwa talking to me with genuine concern.
'There were rumors she had a bad personality... but surprisingly, maybe not.'
Separate from her future big success, at this point in time, ASD's reputation was solidly mid-to-lower tier.
Later, some new recruits would hit moderate successes a few times, and crucially, Plea would explode massively, sending them to the stars—but that was years away.
In stock terms, it was like betting on a junk penny stock scraping the bottom, one that could crash anytime—extremely reckless in every way.
So, Jeong Se-hwa trying to dissuade my decision out of her own concern
showed she had pretty good character in this cutthroat entertainment industry, where everyone was fiercely competing to surpass even one more person right this moment.
Of course.
"Thank you for your concern, Senior. I'll think it over carefully before deciding."
"Mm... A-alright."
That didn't change the fact that I had no intention of choosing differently, regardless of her worries.
"Aaaah... Aaaaah..."
Yu Ah-ram, squeaking like a broken toy in utter disbelief at this reality.
Watching her, Chae Soo-jeong slowly extended her hand.
"Well then, please take good care of me from now on. Manager."
"Y... Yes! P-please take good care of me! Actress Chae Soo-jeong!"
Chae Soo-jeong, who had truly signed a formal contract with ASD.
Just meeting in person the actress she'd been obsessed with lately was thrilling enough,
but the fact that this person had chosen their agency over all the prestigious ones was still astonishing.
On top of that, calling her—Yu Ah-ram specifically, not someone else—as her manager...
made her wonder if she was dreaming.
Of course, since she'd been Jeong Se-hwa's manager for quite a while already, she was the only one at ASD with the experience to handle Chae Soo-jeong.
In her confusion and joy, Ah-ram cautiously took Soo-jeong's outstretched hand.
To Ah-ram, whose hand was still trembling, Chae Soo-jeong spoke in a calm, reassuring voice.
"You don't need to be so tense. I'm just a rookie who hasn't even been in the industry a full year yet, right? Treat me comfortably."
"Ah... N-no, I couldn't... H-how could someone like me dare..."
Chae Soo-jeong had only officially entered the entertainment world a few months ago.
But in those few months, her acting had surpassed even veterans with over ten years under their belts.
Of course, luck played a part, but it was above all her overwhelming skill that made it possible.
Knowing this, Yu Ah-ram couldn't treat the woman before her casually.
Especially since, for some reason she couldn't pinpoint, she'd been more captivated by Soo-jeong's acting than most.
At that moment.
"Don't say that."
"Y... Yes?"
"What do you mean 'someone like you'? Even though you're leaving, haven't you done a great job as Jeong Se-hwa's manager all this time?"
"W-Well... That's true, but..."
Soo-jeong's words carried sincere weight.
Then, she firmly grasped Ah-ram's still-trembling hand.
A warm, steady strength flowed from her touch.
At the same time, something began to appear in Ah-ram's eyes.
The man from the drama, looking at her face...
The one who had firmly grasped the wavering heart of the heroine.
"Don't sell yourself short. Your abilities aren't something to undervalue like that."
"Ah..."
The figure of Big Brother Han-seo.
"Mm..."
"...Haa."
Ha Yu-ra slurping her Americano, wearing a complicated expression.
Seeing her look as uncomfortable as a dog desperate to pee, Yeo Hyo-min, sitting across from her and chugging a protein shake, asked with a hint of frustration.
"What's wrong with you? Did something bad happen?"
"No... It's... about Teacher..."
"What about Chae Soo-jeong now? I heard she's doing that movie with you... Last Tangent or whatever?"
"Yeah, well... that issue wrapped up fine."
"Then what's the problem? Oh, and I heard the day before yesterday that I'm going back on Soccer Girl too."
"No, it's not about the project. It's the agency she joined. Doesn't it seem off no matter how you look at it?"
When Chae Soo-jeong first declared she'd join ASD, Ha Yu-ra doubted her own ears.
From what she knew, big agencies like SYPR with Lee Sung-min, and MJ Entertainment on par with them, were after Soo-jeong.
Of course, out of pride, those agencies were waiting for her to knock first,
but Soo-jeong didn't even glance their way.
Instead, she chose ASD Enter, which was mid-to-lower tier at best.
And even after Yu-ra had fully informed her of this, her teacher stubbornly stuck to her decision.
"Well... big agencies have all sorts of strings attached. With Chae Soo-jeong's value, a mid-sized one might treat her even better, right?"
"Even so... Was there really any need to go that far? The quality of incoming offers is totally different."
"Hmm... Maybe raising a kid means she needs cash right away... or something like that?"
"She never seemed strapped for money before. Even before starting acting, she seemed pretty well-off."
No matter how she thought about it, it didn't seem like a money issue, and there appeared to be some other reason,
but Yu-ra couldn't figure out what it was.
It was like stubbornly insisting on driving a compact car over a luxury foreign one.
"Well, she must have her reasons. Fact is, Soo-jeong's been working without an agency so far. I think she'll handle it fine wherever."
"Mm... That... maybe, but..."
Yu-ra still felt an unresolved unease despite Hyo-min's words.
Then, looking at her, Hyo-min suddenly remembered something.
"Oh yeah, isn't today the day? That special effects thing Soo-jeong filmed in Japan airs today, right?"
"Oh... come to think of it..."
The tokusatsu show Chae Soo-jeong had filmed in Japan.
Masked Hero.
Due to the nature of Japanese broadcasts, it was uncertain if it'd even air in Korea,
but they knew today was the premiere date.
Of course, it was a genre light-years from their tastes.
Still, hearing Soo-jeong had a fairly substantial role, they briefly considered watching once, but since tracking down a Japanese broadcast was a hassle, the thought faded quickly.
As a result.
"Wha... Huh?"
"Whoa..."
When news related to that tokusatsu show reached them again,
they couldn't help but be quite shocked.
Masked Hero, boasting a long history.
Though tokusatsu's nature made it quite niche in tastes,
surviving as a long-running show in the brutal broadcasting world meant it had real power.
Masked Hero commanded a diehard fandom not just in Japan but overseas that couldn't be ignored.
And at this moment.
Fans of Masked Hero worldwide, centered in Japan, were awaiting the premiere of the new season,
Masked Hero - Black Moon, with curiosity and anticipation.
Usually sticking to Japanese actors, the fact that Masked Hero featured a foreign actress—not even Western, but Korean—gave viewers a strange feeling.
Some expressed mild displeasure, but most were more curious.
Amid all these varied gazes,
Masked Hero - Black Moon Episode 1 finally began.
The opening scene: two kids playing in a park playground.
Nothing special, just childish fun, but their joyful childhood ended one day with one child's departure.
Time flew by, and the boy, now grown,
the protagonist of this work: Kawasaki Makado.
His dirt-stained clothes had become a neat suit,
and his innocent, playful face was now etched with fatigue and boredom.
Despite the actor's handsome features, he perfectly embodied "uglified by time."
Viewers seeing his weathered face, as if directly struck by life's storms, started commenting.
A scene perfectly illustrating that life ain't easy.
Makado (Kujo role), whose first appearance evoked a strange empathy in longtime viewers who'd grown up with Masked Hero from childhood into adults.
Then, the childhood friend Asakura reappears.
His looks screamed "pretty boy," but honestly, to the mostly male audience, his entrance didn't hit as hard as Makado's impactful(?) one.
Monsters appear next, and Makado, coincidentally using a watch he found, transforms into Black Moon.
The flashy signature Masked Hero transformation sequence,
combined with meticulously crafted CG battle scenes, naturally drew viewers' eyes to the newly born hero, Black Moon.
As the monster battle wrapped up and the mood shifted toward the ending,
viewers, intrigued by the new hero design and upcoming plot, awaited the next episode preview.
But...
As the warm atmosphere built toward the end, the mood suddenly flipped.
On screen: a lone figure walking calmly somewhere.
Asakura.
The protagonist's friend or ally, or so presumed, but not that memorable.
But at this moment. As he strode through the darkness,
a group of monsters suddenly appeared before him.
Asakura casually passed through the monsters.
Immediately after, his ordinary white shirt attire began transforming piece by piece.
His neat hair grew long and ornate.
The pristine white shirt turned into an elegant black dress.
A pair of horns sprouted on his head.
And above all, the pure friend he'd appeared as...
No,
now unmistakably revealed through the prominent chest exposed by the changing outfit—
her figure was...
In an instant, she exuded an untouchable majesty and an indescribable seductive allure.
Viewers swept up in bewilderment.
Then, toward her on screen,
the horde of monsters knelt in unison, crying out with deep reverence.
"My Queen."