Chapter 106

“At XN Entertainment, what is it?”

Hwang Min-hwa had not been in a good mood recently.

After all, the much-hyped [Utopia] had failed to garner any significant response.

Of course, the performance wasn’t bad.

Four million.

At the very least, it felt like it had passed the break-even point.

Yeah, break-even.

Which meant they had only made enough to cover costs.

Moreover, today her manager informed her that XN Entertainment had reached out.

So, she decided to listen to what they had to say.

“Didn’t actress Hwang Min-hwa used to be with Nova Entertainment? XN Entertainment is wondering if they could arrange a meeting between actress Joo Soo-yeon and her…”

Those words sent Hwang Min-hwa’s anger spiraling straight to her hair ends.

“Seriously, how irritating. I’m in this situation because of her.”

“Ms. Min-hwa, it’s not exactly a bad result, right? Things like this happen occasionally.”

Manager Jang Cheol-ho of Horizon Company wiped the sweat from his forehead while trying to pacify Hwang Min-hwa.

‘Her pride is almost impossibly strong.’

In fact, it’s not bad for an actor to have strong pride.

It could be seen as a sign of ambition.

However, Hwang Min-hwa’s pride was especially severe.

Her desire for success was double that of others.

“[The Chaser] was a natural disaster. Just making four million with that is impressive.”

Director Jang Cheol-ho truly believed this.

Though Joo Soo-yeon had gained attention, realistically, achieving that result was beyond her alone.

The director, the script, and the other actors — each of them was extraordinary.

While Soo-yeon, as the villain, had contributed significantly to their success, ultimately, the film was carried by the two leads.

“Director Bae Jin-hwan is clearly someone I like. When the proper investments are made, his direction is exceptional.”

His directing didn’t just fully showcase Soo-yeon’s acting but actually exceeded it by 20%.

This meant he had full trust in the actors, and that trust was paid back with success.

“Hmph! Seriously, how irritating. So, XN wants me to build a bridge with Joo Soo-yeon?”

“There’s no need to forcibly agree. So, you don’t have to be too harsh…”

Jang Cheol-ho worked hard to calm Hwang Min-hwa down. If he didn’t, the manager would surely be in trouble later.

‘That the manager mentioned it without fully considering Hwang Min-hwa’s character.’

The request from XN Entertainment had been relayed without much thought, leading to this situation.

‘How could I have known she’d react like this?’

Hwang Min-hwa had already gone through two managers due to her demanding personality.

To put it more precisely, she didn’t tolerate those who couldn’t control her negative traits.

And those people were typically employees working at her agency.

Actors live and die by their image.

Thus, the agency had no choice but to keep tight lips about anything negative, as these employees helped maintain the actor’s image and, in turn, earned their salaries.

“I’ll make sure to set things right with XN Entertainment.”

“…Are they trying to make her look bad?”

“Not at all.”

Despite cursing internally, Jang Cheol-ho tried his best to calm Hwang Min-hwa down. Thanks to a thorough image management strategy, Hwang Min-hwa didn’t have a bad reputation in the public eye.

Thus, XN Entertainment had probably asked without too much thought.

‘It’s not like we can just hand her over anyway.’

Despite the ambiguous performance of [Utopia], Hwang Min-hwa’s fame was well-established. Achieving four million tickets was thanks to her acting skills and box office draw.

But if she keeps being this stubborn, another manager change might be inevitable…

“Oh.”

“What?”

“As a matter of fact, I recently heard some news.”

Jang Cheol-ho then mentioned an upcoming variety show being prepared by GH Group, involving an action movie and its auditions.

“…Is that girl going to be in it?”

“Almost certain.”

“Hmph. Perfect.”

When an audition is combined with an action movie and variety show, it’s obvious—they must be testing how well she can handle action scenes.

Are they trying to choose via a survival format?

They probably aren’t targeting the public broadcasters, but it might be a web-based variety show.

But if GH Group is making such an investment, there must be more to it.

As she considered this, Hwang Min-hwa thought about Joo Soo-yeon. Apparently, her action performance in [The Chaser] had left a deep impression.

‘Hmph, those stuntmen probably did most of it anyway.’

Even though she had watched [The Chaser] unwillingly (remembering that knowing your opponent’s moves can lead to victory), she had to admit it was well-made. Soo-yeon’s action scenes were impressive, but Hwang Min-hwa wasn’t convinced the scenes were entirely her doing.

‘If it’s action performance, perhaps I might have an advantage here.’

Hwang Min-hwa had extensive experience with action roles.

If there was a chance to showcase action in the audition against Soo-yeon, she was confident she could win.

‘What can that delicate body do for action scenes anyway?’

Soo-yeon wasn’t particularly tall, only reaching up to Hwang Min-hwa’s eye level.

Moreover, Hwang Min-hwa was meticulous about her physical condition. Regular yoga had kept her in great physical shape.

‘But still…’

Still, there were uncertainties.

“I’m not entirely certain I’ll pass this audition, right?”

While she had confidence in her physical ability, she wasn’t sure to what extent they would require action performance. After all, if Soo-yeon has direct influence, the tasks might favor her.

So, with a subtle tone, Hwang Min-hwa inquired.

“Then, we’ll look for another project. How about something that fits the release timing of this action movie?”

In essence, suggesting to reassess who would do better in this competition.

Honestly, this time Hwang Min-hwa had fallen short compared to Soo-yeon thanks to GH Group’s investments, the esteemed director, and other notable actors.

‘Impressive for her age, but she still doesn’t match me.’

Hwang Min-hwa, who had reached the level of being called a grand actress, thought of herself as an S-rank actor.

She was someone deserving of being called a grand actress.

“…That sounds good.”

Only then did Hwang Min-hwa appear satisfied, smiling.

Horizon Company, considered a stepping stone to one of the three top agencies, had handled her transactions surprisingly well.

‘Joo Soo-yeon.’

Min-hwa recalled the last time she faced Soo-yeon, whose unnervingly stunning face and overwhelming screen presence were unforgettable.

With the striking beauty and chilling aura they both shared, their images overlapped significantly.

Being suited for villainous roles, Min-hwa certainly didn’t want to lose.

Absolutely not.

***

“What are you doing?”

Lee Ji-yeon was pondering over how to best prepare for the [Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo] audition, even though time wasn’t exactly pressing.

If anything, considering the filming schedule, it was more on the early side.

“Preparing for the variety show.”

Seo-yeon was wielding a long stick rather threateningly, and the sound it made indicated this wasn’t casual.

Is this Gladiatorial type of variety?

“Fishing variety came in.”

“…Ah, maybe [Star Angler]?”

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t that a cable show?”

Indeed, [Star Angler] was quite popular. It had a strong fan base, and it was a good place to develop a new public image.

Plus, the lineup of actors was top-notch, making it valuable for networking.

“Did no broadcasting networks come in?”

“There wasn’t a suitable one.”

Seo-yeon had indeed checked the variety shows and advertisements that came her way. A few were appealing but were mostly interview-based.

‘I wanted to be on [Running People].’

A popular variety show where stars went through various missions while trying to remove the names from their shoulder badges.

Seo-yeon, an avid fan of the show, had always wanted to appear on it, but this time, it wasn’t possible.

‘Maybe still too early for me?’

It seemed that [Chase Me] was perfect for [Running People], but apparently, producers wanted to see more of her first.

‘Probably why they didn’t ask because I’m closely associated with KMB.’

Thinking back, all of Seo-yeon’s activities so far were KMB-related.

[Running People] was from the MDC network.

Perhaps they were worried about overlap.

‘Once I do a few more good projects, I’ll request it myself.’

If successful, she might propose doing it for promotional reasons.

“Nothing seems to fit me.”

“Many came in, but none substantial.”

“Agreed.”

For the record, [Star Angler] wasn’t Seo-yeon’s usual viewing preference, more of an older male audience’s choice.

If her father Joo Young-bin had been interested in fishing shows, perhaps they would watch it together, but he preferred gaming highlights or YouTube clips.

Thinking about it, something popped into her mind.

“By the way, Ji-yeon.”

“What?”

“I want to do a side activity.”

“…?”

The abrupt suggestion left Ji-yeon bewildered. The timing was too unexpected.

‘Maybe she’s interested in theater club?’

Since [Looking Backward in Anger], the theater club had hoped Seo-yeon would join them. But this didn’t seem to be the reason she brought it up.

“…Which club?”

“An esports club.”

Seo-yeon genuinely wanted to get better at gaming.

***

“Is this guest actress an actress?”

“Hmm.”

The [Star Angler] meeting room.

Two veteran actors, Song Kwang-min and Lee Sang-soo, looked somewhat puzzled.

“Has she ever tried fishing?”

“Well, we’re not really sure.”

“Hmmmm…”

Now, fishing alongside a younger girl could be pleasant for the middle-aged men, but from a broadcasting perspective, it was unclear how it would play out.

“She recently rose to fame with [The Chaser] and [Dream Future]?”

“Oh, did you perhaps not see those?”

“No, I didn’t. Nowadays, I can’t get into performances. They both seemed tough for me.”

Lee Sang-soo, in his mid-50s, was a die-hard horror movie avoider.

[Dream Future], a youthful drama, didn’t resonate with him, though he attempted a peek before giving up.

“Even though I heard he’s going through a slump…”

The director, Jeong Seung-hyun, sighed internally at the situation.

Lee Sang-soo.

A veteran actor active for decades, boasting numerous hits and three blockbuster movies, two of which starred him as the leading man.

“Since his Hollywood debacle, he seems to have lost his zeal.”

Five years ago, at his peak, Lee took a bold leap into international success, but things didn’t go well.

The roles were ill-suited to him, and Hollywood didn’t offer him proper opportunities.

Despite being cast in a significant supporting role, his screen time was less than 5 minutes.

Since then, Lee retreated back to Korea. Though he tried to return to TV dramas afterward, reviews were harsh.

Seeing him spiraling, Director Jeong Seung-hyun brought him back into the fold via [Star Angler], his one true hobby.

“She’s young enough to be our granddaughter, possibly a good fit…”

“The other side, though different, is okay since it’s a boy…”

The middle-aged man chiming in here was Lee Sang-soo’s younger counterpart by five years, Song Kwang-min.

A genuine lover of fishing, Song felt uneasy about a seemingly unseasoned actress joining.

“What if she starts whining about the boat ride and can’t even steady herself?”

“Ah, no need to worry. We’ve done the necessary research on this.”

“…Mmm. I know PD Jeong is meticulous.”

Though Song Kwang-min gave a slight cough, hinting at his uneasiness, his concern didn’t vanish completely.

‘Still, if it’s recommended by Shin PD, it’ll be reliable.’

Shin Young-woo PD from [Desert Survival] was Jeong Seung-hyun’s senior from the same high school.

Through this connection, he got word about Joo Soo-yeon.

After thorough research, they decided to extend the invitation.

“If even a small part of the rumors are true, it’ll work.”

That’d be enough. Her looks and recognition were enough to drive ratings regardless.

Director Jeong Seung-hyun had this much in mind.

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