“Nahee, now that Dream Future is doing well, we should maximize our activities. We’ll appear on variety shows and I’ve already secured a CF deal. Can you handle it?”
“Then what about the group activities…?”
The team leader of the entertainment planning department reassured her by tapping on Cha Na-hee’s shoulder, as if to say there was no need to worry.
“I know, I know. And by the way, I’m considering asking a really good person to produce something for the group. So Nahee has to work hard, too. Summer Girls have potential. With the right song, they will definitely skyrocket.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Of course, we’ll need to renew your contract first, though. Your contract expires next month, right?”
“This month.”
“You’re right. Don’t delay and get it done early. Got it? We’re counting on you, Nahee.”
Upon hearing this from the team leader, Cha Na-hee sighed.
Idols.
And for Cha Na-hee, the group Summer Girls was quite special.
First off, she had solid core fans who loved her deeply, and Summer Girls themselves were moderately popular.
Of course, they were far from being a top-tier girl group, but achieving this level was already something to be grateful for.
After all, just being an idol who could appear in dramas and advertisements was enough to build a solid level of recognition.
‘But…’
There were a few lingering concerns in her mind.
For one, Na-hee felt she wasn’t fully integrating into Summer Girls.
The reason was clear: the leader, Rabin, didn’t like her.
Under normal circumstances, as one of the group’s most popular members, Na-hee’s opinion would have carried weight, but Rabin was the niece of the president of Ho-yeon Studio, so naturally, the other members had to follow her.
That said, Rabin hadn’t really done anything to harm Na-hee, who was the only member currently generating income for Summer Girls.
“Hmm…”
Na-hee couldn’t help but wonder if it was still wise to keep things as they were.
With these thoughts swirling in her head, Na-hee headed to where Seoyeon was waiting for her.
She was concerned about how the innocent Seoyeon could possibly hold her own among those overbearing members and the leader Rabin.
“Wow, you came quickly.”
“…?”
Opening the door to the practice room, Na-hee was momentarily surprised.
Seoyeon’s hand rested on Rabin’s shoulder, and she sat there calmly. Not just her, but the rest of the group members were kneeling together in a line, as if preparing for some serious determination.
Like saying, “Let’s work hard together!”
Such an unusual scene left Na-hee no choice but to tilt her head in confusion.
After Seoyeon’s departure, Rabin began carefully gauging Na-hee’s mood, but Na-hee never found out why.
***
In any case, thanks to all of this, Seoyeon was able to learn singing properly from Cha Na-hee.
The vocal skills of a renowned idol were not an empty reputation. Na-hee’s prowess as a singer was far superior to that of an average trainer.
“Wow, I really learned a lot!”
When this fact was conveyed, even the vocal coach from Nova Entertainment was amazed.
Subsequently, Seoyeon herself seemed to feel a boost in confidence.
“You’ve learned well, Seoyeon.”
“Hmm?”
“Ah, no, not at all — I thought you were really shy.”
It seemed he truly believed that about Seoyeon.
Actually, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
‘But it’s not exactly shyness…’
Among peers, Seoyeon did display some social anxiety.
Conversely, interacting with older people was easier for her.
Since Na-hee was three years Seoyeon’s senior, she was clearly more approachable.
Anyway, after hearing the invitation to “use our practice room sometime,” Seoyeon again received vocal training from Nova Entertainment’s coach.
“Is it… not bad?”
PD Lee Min-hwa looked at Seoyeon in surprise.
She was the producer of their new drama, *Sky Garden*.
“With this level, we can certainly move forward with OST production without any problems.”
Upon hearing this from Min-hwa, Seoyeon realized that she wasn’t going to be jumping directly into OST production.
It would proceed after confirming if Seoyeon’s vocal capabilities were up to the mark.
Thinking back, Seoyeon hadn’t even officially been cast in *Sky Garden* yet.
‘This way, I could have taken my time learning.’
Rushing things and cramming her schedule wasn’t ideal. Seoyeon exhaled slightly.
“By the way, I’ve heard that Seoyeon has been quite busy recently. Would it be possible to participate in *Sky Garden*?”
“I think I’ll be fine.”
“As far as I know, don’t you have meetings scheduled next week…?”
Ah, so that’s why today’s meeting got moved up.
Park Eun-ha, Seoyeon’s manager, must have adjusted Seoyeon’s schedule ahead of time.
“…You really have excellent stamina. How many projects are you balancing right now without taking a break?”
Min-hwa muttered this as she locked eyes with Seoyeon in quiet observation.
A high schooler.
She would soon turn eighteen.
In just one year, Seoyeon had appeared in one play, one drama, and one movie — a total of three major projects.
In between these, she also participated in variety shows and filmed advertisements.
Among entertainers, there were those who churned out multiple projects, but it was the first time Min-hwa had seen someone so busy right from the start of their career.
“Really, it’s not difficult at all.”
“Is that so?”
Seoyeon didn’t seem to be boasting.
She appeared rather calm, and there was none of the sharpness typical of overly busy entertainers.
“Alright then, shall we consider Seoyeon’s participation in *Sky Garden* confirmed? I’ll send the official contract to your agency.”
With these words from PD Lee Min-hwa, Seoyeon paused momentarily in thought.
‘*Sky Garden* has always been a drama with a solid viewership.’
Moreover, it was a role suited to Seoyeon’s age. Acting as a high schooler was an opportunity that didn’t come by often.
‘The only issue is that *Sky Garden* was originally intended for a cable channel.’
This was a departure from her previous knowledge. Originally, after assisting with *Dream Future*, writer Min Se-hee made her debut on a cable channel.
And that debut work turned out to be *Sky Garden*. It was the first cable drama to break a national viewing rate of over 15%. In the capital region, it surged beyond 20%, breaking all kinds of records.
‘I’m unsure how it will fare on a terrestrial channel.’
Logically, a terrestrial channel should have much higher viewership than cable. The problem was that not all the dramatic devices allowable on cable would necessarily work on terrestrial channels.
From Min Se-hee’s point of view, transitioning to a terrestrial channel might be better.
However, terrestrial channels also had a lot of people intervening, and it would be harder for the story to flow in the writer’s intended direction.
Thus, it wasn’t guaranteed to be a success.
‘At the very least, it shouldn’t fail. No matter how the script gets distorted.’
This was an aspect they needed to address.
PD Lee Min-hwa, responsible for *Sky Garden* this time around, was undoubtedly a skilled producer. It was because of that skill, that she had doubts: the producer might end up following public broadcast success formulas.
“Yes, I really want to appear in *Sky Garden*.”
“That’s great. Lucky us. The drama chief… hmm, never mind, everyone will be thrilled.”
Seoyeon felt slightly puzzled at that moment, hearing something like “drama chief.” But she nodded anyway. The OST issue seemed resolved by and large.
“Ah, by the way, if there’s anything you need beyond the OST, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll do my best to take Seoyeon’s preferences into account.”
PD Lee Min-hwa clearly had a good impression of Seoyeon. When she said these words, it was clear Seoyeon would be treated particularly well in this production *Sky Garden*. So there was no need to decline.
“Ah, well…”
Seoyeon made a request to PD Min-hwa, listing the indispensable Op-Arts from her memory.
They absolutely needed to work together.
***
There were interesting rumors circulating recently in the entertainment world.
GH Group was reportedly funding a new movie featuring action actors, and they planned to create a web variety show to find the right talent.
It was also rumored that the main role in the upcoming movie would go to the actors chosen through this variety show.
“It seems GH Group, who found success with *The Chaser*, is moving further into action cinema.”
“*The Chaser* had excellent action, so they must have narrowed their focus to that genre.”
“The trend these days is all about entertainment films, after all.”
Apparently, such content couldn’t air on terrestrial channels, so it was either cable or web variety show territory.
The buzz around the new survival variety show that would decide the main lead for GH Group’s movie was already significant. The fact that the rumors were already out meant the process was underway.
In search of this information, reporters had to hustle around tirelessly.
“Seon-ah, have you heard anything?”
“Yes.”
“Right… No? Hmm?”
The senior reporter’s comment made Han Seon-ah, a reporter at Seonyang Media, draw a V sign with her fingers.
During one of her recent legwork, she had indeed heard something.
“The general age group seems to be mid-teens to late twenties. They are looking for female actors within that range.”
“Female actors? The protagonist of the movie seems to be a younger role then?”
“Seems that way. Apparently, a few people have already been directly approached for roles. Thankfully, some of those actors aren’t exactly tight-lipped.”
A few direct requests from GH Group went out to actors who’d made big waves in recent movies or dramas — young actors who were set to lead the future of entertainment.
“Action film, you said? Did everyone receive an invitation?”
“First, it’s likely only those with skill will advance in the survival show.”
“Oh, right, given that action sequences often rely on stunt doubles…”
“They probably expect the actors to perform some of the action themselves.”
While stunt doubles would handle the more dangerous sequences, most would typically rely on the main actors executing the action. It would feel more realistic and dynamic on camera.
This meant GH Group was looking for actors who were skilled at action.
“Young, popular actors all gathered together… It sounds fun, sure, but will the costs be manageable? And with actresses, they usually avoid action roles.”
“Exactly why it’s young actors. Young actresses wouldn’t likely turn down a role either.”
In the first place, young actors are priced lower. Additionally, given it’s a survival show, the fees will be fixed regardless of popularity.
The main draw is the “lead actor” position itself, which serves as a bait for the actors. If an actor lacks confidence, they can always decline.
‘But would younger actors even want to skip out on a chance to share the same stage as other big-name talents?’
Beyond participating, there’s a chance to build industry connections. The chance to prove themselves among their peers could be irresistible. For many, it’s an opportunity not to miss – the rare chance to create an image of themselves as hardworking and action-oriented among the public.
‘This will be interesting.’
Seon-ah was grinning while writing the article.
Young, up-and-coming actors. Any actor with ambition would want to grab this opportunity.
Her young star, Sooyeon Ju, would definitely be there.
At the thought of composing a new piece, Seon-ah felt quite happy.
***
“Action acting?”
Seohui Jo tilted her head, confused by a recent acting proposal.
It wasn’t that she had never done action scenes, but she lacked experience in action movies, period.
“Why me?”
“All actors Seohui’s age with some recognition were contacted, apparently.”
“I see.”
The GH Group’s reality show wasn’t clear if it would be on cable or as a web series, but there was buzz about the heavily funded movie by the GH Group, featuring its lead role.
That kind of role, especially with such a large-scale Survival Audition, would attract new talent like moths to a flame.
While this Survival show would directly contact high-profile actors, many others would join via online recruitment.
Direct requests would be sent to those big names, of course.
“Will you decline?”
Seohui’s manager, Shin Yu-kyung, knew her tendencies well. Seohui herself wasn’t particularly keen on action, and she didn’t need to participate in this type of entertainment.
All the young, upcoming stars seemed to have received the offer, but honestly…
“Compared to Seohui, they fall short.”
Shin Yu-kyung was confident. Seohui’s presence and popularity weren’t on the level of her peers; comparing her to rising young actors seemed almost offensive.
“I want to give it a try.”
“Hmm… you will… huh?”
Shin Yu-kyung stared at Seohui in disbelief. Seohui, whose attention was clearly somewhere else, didn’t pick up on Yu-kyung’s astonished gaze.
‘This is it.’
Recently, Seohui had occasionally met with Jiyeon Lee and Seoyeon while working on *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo*. During those conversations, she casually heard Seoyeon mention something about this “variety show.”
‘She’s definitely planning to participate.’
Though Seohui had no confidence or intention of making it through the movie audition, the idea was appealing in a different way.
A chance to sync acting with Seoyeon before the shoot of *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo*.
It made her oddly excited.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")