Chapter 142

[Hyper Action Star] was down to the semifinals and the finals.

Most people had already begun to predict the final winner.

– Honestly, the winner’s going to be Sooyeon Joo.

– It’s accurate for second place.

– I heard if you get into the top 3, casting offers might come in.

– Yeah, if the person is willing to participate, they can join.

– I’m not exactly sure which role it is?

– Yeah, the details are being discussed between the director and GH Group, but there’s no clear answer yet.

– So, if selected, the role might not carry much weight after all.

However, if one ranks high or makes a significant impact, they are sure to influence the decisions. Each role is precious for a new action actor, and this potential alone made it valuable.

Particularly,

‘I will definitely get the lead role,’

The Japanese actress, Sora Narumi, thought seriously.

Everyone’s saying it’s the second-place battle.

Indeed, many were voicing such opinions, and Sora herself somewhat agreed.

She was astounded by the A group’s auditions.

Especially Sooyeon Joo.

Her performance left a deep impression on Sora.

Not only was Sooyeon’s acting, which shouldn’t be seen in her age group, exceptional, but what caught Sora’s attention was the action.

‘Is she dodging and blocking the paintballs?’

Avoiding or blocking—both executed flawlessly—seemed unbelievable. Even reacting to sounds alone seemed possible.

Sora suspected it might be a set-up. However, when she reflected on her own performance, manipulations didn’t seem plausible, so it was surely real.

Still,

she didn’t want to lose. This time, Sora intended to reveal all her hidden skills.

During the pre-game interview, she openly voiced her ambition.

“I’m going to win.”

As expected, the online community took significant interest in Sora’s bold declaration.

– Immediate victory declaration at the start of the interview!

– She’s not saying ‘might win’ but ‘will win’…wow!

– Who exactly is Sora Narumi? I only watched group A, so I’m unfamiliar.

– She’s a dark horse of group D, her body movements are unique.

– I heard she trained alone in Japan while attending events.

– She’s a fan of old Hong Kong movies.

– Like, old Hong Kong movies?

Because of her relatively cute face, many took her firm words more as endearing than threatening. In general, everyone else looked more serious.

– Like a hamster stuck between delinquents?

Despite the taunts, Sora wasn’t shaken.

In essence, the semifinals and finals would come down to one-on-one matchups.

The scene unfolds inside an abandoned building—this would serve as the evaluation and the result would be based solely on voting.

Points were irrelevant; victory would be determined purely by votes. As Sora checked her supplies, she felt the intense gaze of Sooyeon.

‘Why is she glaring at me like that?’

Maybe the other side is aware of her as well. That’s certainly plausible since the other competitors already know Sora’s skills. Being new to direct confrontation, she might seem more threatening.

Meanwhile, Sooyeon was thinking:

‘I should ask her if she watches VTubers after this.’

She planned to ask Sora that once filming ended.

***

The semifinals’ matchups were:

Seohui Jo vs. Sooyeon Joo.

Mindo Ha vs. Sora Narumi.

It was balanced in a way. Based on previous performances, Seohui Jo had beaten Sooyeon Joo before.

Mindo Ha and Sora Narumi showcased similar superpowers—physical abilities—where one focused on marksmanship while the other on physical enhancement. However, these straightforward powers led them to purely test their skills, and the outcome was rather uneventful.

Naturally, in the head-to-head match, Seohui Jo couldn’t possibly overcome Sooyeon. Similarly, Mindo Ha’s impressive efforts were effortlessly shut down by Sora Narumi.

In this action acting, where a clear winner was decided, it felt like the outcome was sealed.

– Even with the use of all props available in the abandoned building, Jo lost.

– Seriously, how could Jo beat Sooyeon Joo?

– However, why is Jo so tough?

– She does have good endurance, more than expected.

Seohui Jo’s fight, though expected to lose, gained quite a bit of discussion. She had utilized every item possible, even setting up traps, leaving no stone unturned.

The basic rule stayed the same: if one left a mark beyond what could be considered a minor injury, it was “death,” leading to a natural victory to the opponent.

Seohui Jo had tried everything within these rules but ultimately failed.

…

During the preparation time, Sooyeon climbed upstairs to chase Jo Seohui. Immediately, Seohui set her traps, but Sooyeon quickly detected and dodged every trap, including incoming bullets.

– How is she dodging all of that?

Seohui Jo had truly prepared well, with bullets flying from all directions, dodged effortlessly by Sooyeon. Using thrown sponge toys, she broke obstacles, dodged through water balloons, and managed to stay within regeneration abilities’ limits.

The predetermined outcome was met. No one believed Jo Seohui would beat Joo Sooyeon.

“Still, there was plenty to see on both sides.”

“Although we couldn’t appreciate much acting, we’ve already seen a lot before, so the focus was on the action.”

Actor Min Kyu Cha remarked on the semifinals and broadcaster Yoon Kyung-deok chimed in positively.

Conversely, the action aspect between Mindo Ha and Sora Narumi was less exciting, mainly due to Min’s swift defeat.

– Still, Mindo Ha was pretty good at long-range shooting.

– Up-close, she got easily beaten.

– Will the famous scream happen again?

– That only happened against Sooyeon Joo.

Although Mindo Ha was clearly skilled in marksmanship, she failed against Narumi Sora.

– Did Sora Narumi dodge the paintballs too?

– No, just some quick countermeasures.

– She moves when she detects the gun’s direction.

– And that’s not amazing?

The semifinal proved Sora Narumi’s strong action potential. Now the dark horse has captured the public’s attention.

Naturally, conversations about the finals between Sooyeon and Sora started all over the web, as the two had never directly faced off before.

[[Hyper Action Star] Ratings Break 8%!!]

[Will the finale hit 10%? [Hyper Action Star]: The Lively Rebellion of Action Actors.]

Around this time, several articles popped up, signaling that the public had started to pay significant attention to the show, beyond just community discussions or memes.

“But, there’s definitely something about her.”

Seohui Jo said this after getting eliminated by Sooyeon’s action prowess in the semifinals. Jo, although defeated, wasn’t troubled at all.

Initially, Jo hadn’t believed in winning through action, and frankly, she wasn’t the type to excel in physical stunts. Without Sooyeon, Jo would’ve been eliminated much earlier.

Even more, Jo was glad to have acted with Sooyeon and viewed it as a significant personal gain before the [Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo] work.

“The finals are a single round in a smaller location in the abandoned building, where individual action will play a more critical role.”

Seoyeon agreed with this sentiment. Despite having seen Narumi Sora’s battle against Mindo Ha, there were still aspects left to discover.

“Watching Sora Narumi move so gracefully, she’s clearly not just your average actress.”

“Amazed that she was unknown before. Wonder why she came to Korea from Japan without acting there.”

Jo muttered these words and glanced at Sooyeon briefly.

“Now, [Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo] is set to officially start production. The script is still being written.”

“Wasn’t it finished? Jiyeon saw it already.”

“They’ve decided to revise it. You’ll get the script around the end of the auditions…and your participation decision should be based on that.”

Sooyeon was quite positive about appearing in [Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo] but was a bit worried about the schedule.

‘Next year will be really busy.’

There was a good chance she’d have three ongoing projects at the same time:

[Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo]

[Mine] if she won the main role,

And Jo Bang-woo’s upcoming movie auditions.

‘But right now, [Sky Garden] is the priority.’

Balancing TV dramas might make it even busier. For someone like Sooyeon without her robust physique, it would’ve been overwhelming.

“And… next month, there’s a reality show, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll check it out.”

Jo Seohui smirked and said this. Regardless, the time spent filming [Hyper Action Star] left her with an impression.

That level of acting ability is undoubtedly real. Jo hoped for an opportunity to collaborate with Sooyeon on a project without much action next time.

Thus, [Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo] was important.

‘The scriptwriter needs a push.’

If the script isn’t up to the mark, Sooyeon might decline.

‘But why on earth does she keep using honorifics with me?’

Jo Seohui pondered this question, unable to ask due to a lingering guilt of betrayal.

“She’s my age—so why do I feel so distant?”

Jo felt a bit let down.

***

Seoyeon’s time flew by rapidly.

There was simply too much to do.

[Sky Garden] filming.

Fan meeting preparation with Na-hee Cha.

Just juggling these took up an entire week. In any case, [Hyper Action Star] concluded this week.

“Of course, since this is an audition, it feels like the real show is just starting.”

While not guaranteeing her own victory in the finals, Seoyeon thought of her opponent, Narumi Sora.

Even though Sora showcased a peak performance in the semifinal, her skill and acting were undoubtedly genuine. Despite being Japanese, her style resembled that of Korean cinema.

But knowing she’s a Hong Kong movie fan, why did she come to Korea?

She didn’t particularly mind and figured these questions could be asked another time.

Thus, the [Hyper Action Star] finale arrived.

“Finally, here we are! Today is the day to crown the champion of [Hyper Action Star].”

The same popular announcer, Yoon Kyung-deok, hosted. Audience numbers had risen significantly, with tickets selling out within 10 minutes.

In the audience were GH Group Culture Division Director, Kang Tae-jin,

And director Han Ye-geun of [Mine].

“Who do you think will win?”

“Hmm…”

Han Ye-geun objectively evaluated based on everything he’d seen so far.

“Joo Sooyeon, obviously.”

“I agree.”

“So, honestly, I doubt there’s much suspense in this final.”

Han Ye-geun muttered these words as he looked at the stage. Screens displayed their past performances sequentially.

The lead role in GH Group’s investment film. It was a fairly attractive bait, though not guaranteed to be a success.

“The possibility of success is still high.”

Massive investment, well-planned advertising, and production costs covered by GH Group meant it had a high probability.

“Winning an audition might seem like the end, but it’s really the beginning.”

This was why Han Ye-geun initially viewed it with indifference.

“…But, if something impactful emerges here, it might change.”

“Do you have someone specific in mind?”

“Both. Otherwise, there’s no drama. Frankly, I hoped Han So-yoo would make it.”

“But she lost to Narumi Sora in the last 16.”

“Exactly, which brings even more expectation now.”

Otherwise, it’d be a rather bland final battle.

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