Chapter 189

The casting of Lee Sang-soo in *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* has been confirmed, speeding up the production that had been on hold. Along with actor Lee Sang-hyuk, who had previously played the role of Isamu Goto, Seohui Jo was making efforts to gather replacement actors, contacting them in every possible way.

Seoyeon found this quite intriguing.

It was surprising how the actors that even Director Baek Min or the investors couldn’t easily secure seemed to naturally flock together once Seohui Jo got involved.

While walking to school and discussing this with Jiyeon, Seoyeon learned more about this phenomenon.

“Of course, she’s well-connected. Her family owns the Newlike Group, ranked third in the business world.”

Seohui Jo herself had never openly disclosed this fact.

“Actually, the only one who mentioned it was you.”

During the Harara performance, Seohui Jo had subtly hinted at this to Seoyeon, mentioning that the amusement park belonged to her family.

“What, and besides, Seohui Jo is favored among the senior actors anyway.”

Upon hearing Jiyeon’s comment, Seoyeon honestly found it puzzling.

Seohui Jo was indeed attractive.

Beautiful, yet strangely terrifying—just the type who could convincingly play a villainess if she held a fan, or someone who gave chills at night, like Tomie from a horror story.

She had an eerie presence, yet received an extraordinary amount of favor.

“Considering the size of Newlike Group compared to the investors, her family’s company dwarfs them.”

The investor tied to *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo* wasn’t actually very large, merely a platform called ‘Best One’ which had recently entered the cultural industry and handled various media such as music, films, and animations.

“But why didn’t Newlike Group invest, given her daughter is acting?”

“Seohui Jo probably told them not to—she isn’t the type to beg her family for help.”

“That makes sense?”

“You too, if you were in her shoes, wouldn’t have asked, right?”

Actually, Seoyeon thought she might have. Nevertheless, she nodded in agreement, not wanting to feign indifference.

‘But they’ve gotten pretty close, haven’t they?’

Seoyeon narrowed her eyes as she glanced at Jiyeon. Lately, it seemed Seoyeon wasn’t receiving individual acting lessons from Seohui Jo.

Perhaps because she’d felt indebted after borrowing time for so long. Still, Seoyeon knew they met once or twice a week.

They shopped together and bought clothes. Both seemed to have similar tastes, perhaps due to their shared demeanor, and apparently, men tended not to bother them when they went out together.

‘She doesn’t shop with me, though.’

Seoyeon felt a pang of jealousy.

“…By the way, I’ve heard they’ve been shopping a lot lately.”

So, out of curiosity, Seoyeon casually asked.

Lately, her only friends were online; it was nice that her classmates had started talking to her more, though she still wondered if this was the right place for her this late in the school year.

“Really? Do you want to go too, Seoyeon?”

“I’ll go if I must.”

“You never really liked shopping, though. You pick out clothes casually.”

Jiyeon’s comment left Seoyeon speechless. It was true, she didn’t often buy clothes for herself.

Not because her previous life had impacted her dislike for women’s wear—it wasn’t that kind of situation. Seoyeon enjoyed wearing pretty or cute outfits that matched her appearance. Surprisingly, skirts offered excellent freedom of movement, and there was no danger of them tearing during intense physical activities.

In any case, it wasn’t particularly important. Clearly, Seoyeon was not the type to enjoy shopping.

She’d just pick out clothes casually, nod in approval, and feel content.

Jiyeon, on the other hand, could shop for hours, looking at makeup and various other things.

Maybe that’s what girls typically did?

‘Still, under normal circumstances, wouldn’t the people around you end up dragging you to buy clothes?’

Seoyeon thought seriously about this. In the novels and comics she had read, someone disinterested in shopping like herself would be dragged along despite protests, with everyone insisting that such beauty shouldn’t go to waste.

Bringing up shopping casually,

“You can’t just drag someone if they don’t want to go.”

Sua replied sensibly.

“Do you see clothes merely as a superficial covering?”

For a long time, Young-bin seemed deep in thought but then happily replied. Perhaps he had resolved some work or company-related issues.

It felt like he was asking, ‘Did you even have the concept of clothing?’

In response, Seoyeon confiscated his computer again.

‘Did this guy suddenly develop an interest in shopping?’

Jiyeon wasn’t the kind to bring someone who clearly disliked it anyway. However, with Seoyeon expressing interest, Jiyeon didn’t see a reason to refuse.

Moreover, she had received a request from Seohui Jo a week ago.

“Hey, it feels like she’s treating Alice and me separately.”

At the previous shopping trip, Seohui Jo said seriously,

“Seoyeon overthinks these things.”

“Isn’t that normal?”

“It’s usually like this, right?”

Whether it was about red pills or blue pills, Jiyeon, though managing a virtual YouTuber, was unfamiliar with such terms, having naturally picked them up from chats.

“She constantly asks me to open that Super Chat feature. Why does she want to spend money on something like that?”

“…If you say this to Seoyeon, she’ll get angry.”

“Is that so?”

Why get upset when someone worries about her spending? Seohui Jo couldn’t understand.

Why doesn’t she just call Seohui Jo if she has something to say? Seohui truly wanted to discuss the Alice incident with Seoyeon.

Because when Alice went live, Seoyeon had been unusually friendly.

Seohui wanted that same warmth in real life.

– Alice is so cute.

– Her laugh is amazing ㅠㅠㅠㅠ so cute ㅠㅠㅠ

– Are you seriously playing a game for the first time??? No way…

While the last comment felt strange, Seoyeon generally came across this way.

At first, Seoyeon seemed questionable, but Jiyeon assured her.

“She uses the same ID and password for everything.”

“…Isn’t that risky?”

“She says it’s too much trouble.”

It was an oddly boyish mindset. Anyway, Jiyeon had warned Seohui Jo not to reveal her identity as Alice, leaving Seohui internally distressed.

Would someone who knew the proverb ‘The king’s ears are donkey ears’ act that way? She longed to cry out into her pillow at night, ‘I’m Alice!’

Of course, if she did, her family would surely send her to a hospital.

Coincidentally, her father had seen her broadcasting.

“Come to think of it, it seems GH Group has taken an interest in it.”

“GH Group?”

“They seem to have an executive interested in this.”

Definitely, Seohui Jo thought broadcasting as a hobby was alright, but when it came to whether it was a proper business to invest in, the answer wasn’t clear. It had potential but leaned toward the underground.

Though it wasn’t completely shady either.

Anyway, “Seoyeon doesn’t let her guard down around me.”

“True. Maybe she just finds it comfortable to use honorifics with you?”

“No! I don’t want that!”

Seohui shook her head vigorously, causing Jiyeon to widen her eyes curiously.

Occasionally, Seohui Jo’s appearance could be haunting and suited for horror films, yet her behavior sometimes resembled that of a small animal. It seemed mainly around those she was close to.

It was understandable why the senior actors liked Seohui Jo.

“But Seoyeon seems to consider you as a friend.”

“Yeah, maybe. Probably because of the past.”

“…”

Ten years is indeed a long time to hold a grudge.

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s anything special. She probably just finds it comfortable to use honorifics with Seohui.”

Even Jiyeon didn’t understand the criteria clearly. Seoyeon didn’t have strict rules, acting mostly on a whim.

“Alright, next time, I’ll subtly bring this up.”

Jiyeon decided to help Seohui, remembering all she had received from her. It wasn’t just about learning acting. Despite her background, money wasn’t really an issue for Seohui Jo due to her family wealth and personal earnings as an actress.

She would randomly buy things she found interesting and give them to Jiyeon if she didn’t end up using them—usually expensive items, though.

“Seoyeon.”

Thinking back to this, Jiyeon decided to lend some support. It was clear Seoyeon paid some attention to Seohui Jo.

Besides, they would have to work together on *Gyeongseong Yeong-nyeo*. Getting closer would only be beneficial.

And given how things might go, they’d likely know each other for a long time, maybe even for life.

“Next time when Seohui Jo and I shop, do you want to come?”

“…Okay.”

When Jiyeon made the offer, Seoyeon nodded silently, feeling like she’d somehow turned into the kind of child who threw a tantrum to go shopping.

***

Even though the shopping plan had been set, Seoyeon felt a bit uneasy inside.

After all,

“Ms. Seoyeon? I’m really enjoying *Sky Garden*!”

“It’s Seoyeon.”

“Wow, it’s really you! Your face is so small!”

These days, if Seoyeon didn’t hide her face, people would crowd around her instantly.

She understood, of course.

[The ratings for *Sky Garden* have soared to the sky! Episode 18 ratings at 30%!]

[Family drama takes the crown, *Sky Garden* episode 18 ratings at 11% vs *Grand Game*.]

Internet articles were flooding with similar headlines.

Currently, *Sky Garden* was on episode 18, only two episodes from its conclusion.

“It’s your acting I love.”

“I cried watching episode 18.”

Sometimes, while walking, random people would suddenly grab her arm.

Seoyeon realized why celebrities employed bodyguards. Even though she herself was stronger than a bodyguard, she was still surprised by how people would grab her without hesitation.

Currently, *Sky Garden* since episode 14 has been focusing on Yoo-ju Lee’s character growth.

Despite criticism of the story as overly dramatic or even ‘melodramatic,’

When Yoo-ju Lee returns alive from the cliff, Min-seo Lee panics and eventually attempts suicide, only to be stopped by Yoo-ju. Consequently, Yoo-ju decides to back out from supporting Min-hyeok Lee, reflecting upon her own intentions of climbing to the top by stepping on others.

The plot unfolds in powerful waves, pushing the ratings steeply upwards.

It broke records, achieving a remarkable 30%.

8% higher than the past version of *Sky Garden*. Frankly, Seoyeon couldn’t believe it.

Back then, being a child actor, she didn’t realize the importance of being part of a high-rated drama.

Now, however, it was evident. Everywhere she went, people swarmed her.

‘Disguise skills need some improvement.’

Now, she understood why Park Jung-woo kept nagging her about this. Interacting would be challenging for a while.

Still, it was fortunate she’d met with him earlier. He’d already agreed to appear in *Seoul Escape*.

‘If Jung-woo appears, most problems will be resolved.’

Of course, she’d still have to compete against other actresses auditioning for the role she had recommended. It would be embarrassing if she couldn’t join herself.

But Seoyeon wasn’t worried. She knew that many of the actresses cast in *Seoul Escape* were chosen more out of convenience rather than merit.

“Seoyeon, I’m really enjoying your drama.”

“What brings you here in KMB today?”

Stopping at the KMB station today, several people approached her, which was obviously related to *Sky Garden*.

Apparently, a Japanese broadcasting company had shown interest in Seoyeon after watching the drama, though it was unclear whether their interest was due to the drama itself or specifically her as an actress.

Seoyeon secretly hoped there might be the opportunity to visit Japan.

‘Buy some goodies while I’m there.’

In her previous life, she hadn’t had the chance to visit Japan due to restrictions at home.

This time, if there’s an opportunity, she’d make sure to go.

She thought this while exchanging polite greetings around the station, when,

“…Hmm?”

She locked eyes with a strikingly tall woman.

A familiar face.

The woman’s eyes sharpened upon seeing Seoyeon. Recognizing her, it dawned on Seoyeon who this was.

Mi-eun Go, the female lead of *Grand Game*, who had been overshadowed by Seoyeon’s success.

And so, their paths crossed again.

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