Seoyeon paused, wondering what she should say. She ran a quick simulation in her head:
"Hello, Actress Gomi-eun." "Why are your eyes so wide?" "Actress, you don’t like , do you?"
…Though it wouldn’t go exactly like that, she couldn’t imagine a positive outco. If Gomi-eun acted hostile, was she supposed to just stand there and take it? If Seoyeon retaliated in frustration, it was clear Gomi-eun would be the one getting hurt.
After all, Gomi-eun wasn’t a notorious fighter like Pyo Ji-woo—she was just an ordinary actress.
"Hello, Actress Gomi-eun."
Following the script from her ntal simulation, Seoyeon greeted her first. She sensed Gomi-eun flinch slightly.
It was as if Gomi-eun was thinking, Why is she at KMB Broadcasting Station?
But there was nothing strange about Seoyeon being there; just like Gomi-eun, she was also starring in a drama.
"…Hello."
Contrary to her expectations, Gomi-eun, though hesitant, returned the greeting normally. Seoyeon felt relieved. Thankfully, Gomi-eun seems like a reasonable person. She didn’t suddenly appear and scoff about her being a "nepotism hire." How nice, Seoyeon thought.
And yet—
"You must be pleased." "Excuse ?" "Your drama, it’s doing well, isn’t it?"
Gomi-eun brought it up out of nowhere. Seoyeon looked at her blankly, unable to guess the intent behind her words.
Is she genuinely congratulating , or is she being sarcastic?
Judging by her face, it doesn’t seem like sarcasm.
Seoyeon studied Gomi-eun’s face. Her expression was relatively gentle.
But considering her tall stature and the sharp look in her eyes earlier, she might have a bold personality. So, was it the latter?
But how do I respond? Saying, “Yes, it’s doing well,” sounds arrogant, but modestly saying, “Oh, it’s not that great” wouldn’t be sincere either.
Seoyeon wasn’t the type to misinterpret others’ words, so she decided to take it positively.
Besides, she’d recently been reading a book on communication skills.
“The Art of Giving Complints.”
The book was ant to improve her relatively unpolished speaking skills.
"Your Grand Ga is doing well too. That’s amazing."
"…But not quite like Sky Garden, right?"
Gomi-eun replied with a smile. Being an actress, she was good at hiding her emotions.
"I think the appeal lies in the unpredictable developnts. I’ve realized that sotis sacrificing logic for bold twists can be effective."
Gomi-eun carefully offered her assessnt of Sky Garden in response to Seoyeon’s remark. Her tone was polite, but the implication was clear: Sky Garden relied on extre plot twists to boost ratings.
Indeed, the later episodes of Sky Garden did get a bit intense.
"Certainly, Grand Ga also had that unpredictable feel. Really impressive."
"…What?"
Seoyeon nodded in response. Is she taking a jab at the sudden romance plot? That’s how it sounded.
Clearly, she’s not one to be easily intimidated.
Gomi-eun narrowed her eyes at Seoyeon. It wasn’t by chance she often played villains. Honestly, if it weren’t for this situation, Gomi-eun wouldn’t have started this conversation.
Besides, the way Seoyeon kept saying "impressive" was getting on her nerves. But it wasn’t like she could hit another actor just because she didn’t like them.
Yet… Hyper Action Star ca to mind. She’d initially thought Seoyeon’s performance might have been staged, but she rembered Seoyeon’s live stunts.
It might have been a pre-recorded performance passed off as live, but—
As Gomi-eun remained silent, Seoyeon looked at her briefly and said,
"I hope things go as well for you every ti."
"Huh?"
Gomi-eun was montarily speechless at Seoyeon’s words. It sounded like well-wishing, but didn’t feel like it.
If Grand Ga maintained its current level of success, it would indeed be good for Gomi-eun. But hearing it from soone who was essentially outperforming her… it was a strange feeling.
Is she challenging ? As Gomi-eun looked at Seoyeon, she suddenly heard a man’s voice.
"Well, well, looks like all the stars of KMB’s hit dramas are gathered here."
Seoyeon turned to see a man with a friendly expression standing nearby. He appeared to be around her father’s age—not too old.
"This is our first eting, isn’t it, Actress Ju Seoyeon? Pleased to et you. I’m PD Baek Taesu."
"Oh, yes. Hello. I’m Ju Seoyeon."
"I’ve heard about you; you have such nice manners."
Hearing the na "Baek Taesu," Seoyeon had a realization.
This is the man set to beco the head of Drama Division 2.
In her previous life, the rivalry between Divisions 1 and 2 had been fierce, but in the end, Division 1 lost.
The president of KMB backed the head of Division 2, attracting most talented PDs to Division 2. The head of Division 1 put up a fight, but there were limits to what one person could achieve.
Incidentally, she only learned his na in this life; she hadn’t known the nas of broadcasting directors in her past life.
"If the opportunity arises, let’s work together soti."
"Director?"
Gomi-eun looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to say this to Seoyeon, who was essentially her rival.
Baek Taesu smiled and replied, "It would be great to work with soone like Seoyeon, right? Acting is all about synergy. When a skilled actor is involved, the synergy is extraordinary."
"Well, yes, but…"
"Everyone did well with this drama, so let's continue this success."
Gomi-eun nodded, and so did Seoyeon, though she thought to herself, …He doesn’t give off a particularly good vibe.
It wasn’t that he seed like a bad person, but she instinctively felt he wasn’t an easy one.
"Yes, that sounds good."
Seoyeon’s response only elicited a smile from Baek Taesu. It was a genuine smile, not an act.
Baek Taesu had no intention of making Seoyeon his enemy. Rather, she was a talent he needed to recruit.
Like Gomi-eun.
Originally, Gomi-eun mostly starred in MDC dramas. Baek Taesu had brought her over.
Actors are tools wielded by directors and producers.
So ownership could change at any ti. He wasn’t the type to resent a re “tool.”
“You’re a bit late?”
When Seoyeon entered the designated eting room, PD Lee Minha of Sky Garden greeted her warmly.
"I ran into Director Baek Taesu and Actress Gomi-eun on my way here."
"Oh? You didn’t have any… incidents, I assu?"
Seoyeon didn’t miss the rumors surrounding her. They claid she could dodge bullets or fold coins just for fun. Of course, these were absurd stories, but her athletic abilities were undeniable.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have won Hyper Action Star.
Moreover, no one would be foolish enough to ss with a rising star.
"More importantly, let introduce you. This is PD Nanjo Katsuo from YHJ, Japan."
"Huh?"
The eting room was packed. Among them were people dressed differently, including a man who stood up at Lee Minha’s introduction.
"Hello, I’m Nanjo Katsuo."
His Korean was fluent, though his accent was quite strong, making him sound a bit awkward but still understandable.
"Your Korean is very good."
"Thank you."
Seoyeon knew so Japanese herself, though mostly speaking like a Japanese high school girl thanks to her ani influence.
Well, that might have been an issue in my past life, but now it’s fine, she thought, since she was actually a high school girl in this life.
"After watching The Chaser and Dream Future, I thought, This is it! and decided to co. Wow, it’s really you… Actress Ju, right? You’re really a high school student?"
"Yes, that’s right."
The energy felt a bit different from what she was used to in Korea—he had a serious look but an upbeat personality. Seeing that Seoyeon was a high school student, the Japanese staff began whispering among themselves.
"The genius actress from Korea. The child star who disappeared ten years ago. It’s a good title."
Hearing this, Seoyeon asked Lee Minha quietly,
"Did he co here because of Sky Garden?"
"It hasn’t been broadcast in Japan yet. He saw The Chaser on a recent visit, and Dream Future is airing there now."
Today’s discussion was about potentially broadcasting Sky Garden on YHJ in a similar manner to Dream Future. And apparently, they had a lot of interest in Seoyeon.
In fact, one of the visiting team mbers was from YHJ’s variety departnt.
"Before discussing Sky Garden, I have a personal suggestion for Actress Ju Seoyeon."
PD Nanjo Katsuo looked directly at Seoyeon as he spoke.
"Recently, the Hallyu wave is rising again in Japan, thanks to the expansion of OTT dramas and the idol industry. We’re thinking about inviting Actress Ju, who’s beco quite popular in Korea, to appear on a Japanese variety show."
The main reason was her titles as both a high school student and a genius actress. According to PD Lee Minha, these two titles were especially popular in Japan.
"Plus, Seoyeon, you have black hair—neat black hair."
"Uh, yes, that’s right."
"A lot of people love that."
This preference was especially true among older viewers, though it hadn’t entirely disappeared even in modern tis. In Japan, so people still criticized idols for dyeing their hair.
It had changed a bit, but that sentint wasn’t gone.
"But it’s not a bad suggestion. Increasing your exposure can’t hurt, right?"
Why not take a trip to Japan and try out a variety show? At PD Lee Minha’s suggestion, Seoyeon nodded.
It wasn’t a bad idea.
"PD Nanjo."
After the eting about Sky Garden concluded, the Japanese broadcasting team returned to their lodging and spoke to their leader, PD Nanjo.
He was set to beco the next director of the variety departnt at YHJ, making his opinions influential.
But his attitude was sowhat controversial; he was a fan of international stars, yet didn’t particularly like Korean celebrities appearing on Japanese shows.
It wasn’t that he disliked Korean movies or dramas. Quite the opposite—he was a fan, which was why he learned Korean.
However, he wasn’t enthusiastic about Korean celebrities appearing in Japan. His suggestion this ti felt unusual to the others.
"Why are you interested in this actress Seoyeon? Wouldn’t an idol be better?"
Nanjo looked at him, slightly exasperated.
"Because she’s a great product. And if no one else has claid her yet, it’s only right to be the first."
"That… really?"
"Have you seen The Chaser? Oh, right, it hasn’t been released in Japan yet."
He couldn’t rember the last ti a young actor had made such a strong impression on him. Seoyeon’s appearance, her aura—it was everything that would captivate the Japanese audience.
Her slightly sharp look… but still, she had it all.
"If we build a small bridge now, we can reach out when sothing really significant happens later."
PD Nanjo was sure of it—Actress Ju Seoyeon would only grow from here.
And then—
"…A trip to Japan? For ??"
The woman, half-awake in bed, widened her eyes in surprise as she answered her phone.
It was Narumi Sora, the runner-up of Hyper Action Star, receiving an unexpected invitation to join Seoyeon’s trip to Japan.
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