Chapter 138

During their walk home together, Gil Da-hyun seemed to be observing Seoyeon in various ways.

It was as if she were asking, “Why do you want to study with me?”

Seoyeon had no particular answer to give.

“Because there’s no one else to study with.”

What a pitiful response.

Jiyeon was preoccupied with her audition preparations, and as for Seohui Jo, Seoyeon just didn’t feel like it.

Seohui Jo harbored a fierce rival consciousness toward Seoyeon, hence Seoyeon couldn’t help but feel uneasy about her.

Speaking of which, telling Park Jung-woo was also out of the question.

“A female actor doesn’t just call a male actor for trivial matters like this—it would cause a ruckus.”

That’s exactly what he’d say.

So, that left her classmates.

Among them, Gil Da-hyun, who reminded her of the characters in *Sky Garden*, seemed like the best choice.

They’d had a direct conversation before.

“Do you not want to invite any other friends?”

“Uh-huh.”

Gil Da-hyun seemed to prefer studying with a group, but Seoyeon declined.

‘Then my study skills would be exposed.’

While Gil Da-hyun, whose speech seemed reserved, might keep her mouth shut, there was no guarantee the others would do the same.

And so, Seoyeon found herself following Gil Da-hyun to her house, where they would study together.

“Ah, is it because of drama work?”

It was only after arriving at the house that Gil Da-hyun understood.

Drama.

Studying hard for her role in the drama…

‘…Isn’t studying something students always do anyway?’

Though this thought crossed her mind, she decided to let it slide upon witnessing Seoyeon’s unusually serious expression.

Maybe today’s studying was different from what she usually did.

‘Seoyeon must be good at studying, right?’

She had never asked about Seoyeon’s grades, but there’s always that certain image or impression, isn’t there?

Seoyeon had never been seen sleeping in class. She always looked alert, staring at the teacher with wide eyes. Her posture was impeccable—she practically epitomized a hardworking top student.

What about her notes?

Once, while passing by, Gil Da-hyun had glimpsed Seoyeon’s notebook. It was filled with beautiful handwriting from various colored pens.

…Though it seemed a tad excessive, it must have just been Seoyeon’s preference for organization.

That’s all Gil Da-hyun thought.

But those thoughts were quickly shattered.

“Eh, you don’t know this?”

“…”

“This one?”

“Hmm.”

Seoyeon gazed intently at the problem, looking incredibly serious.

Da-hyun was deeply shocked by her expression.

‘She doesn’t know most of it, does she?’

On second thought, it made sense. With such limited class attendance, how could she know?

But still, there’s that image, right?

“Oh, your memory’s pretty good.”

“Uh-huh.”

Of course, since she always memorized her scripts.

Seoyeon hardly ever missed a line.

So, her memory was undoubtedly excellent.

‘Why isn’t this excellent memory reflected in her grades?’

Though this thought arose, Da-hyun didn’t voice it. Seoyeon picked up on her subtle uneasiness and subtly said,

“Studying is part of acting, right?”

“Y-yeah, that’s true. That’s true!”

Da-hyun quickly agreed with Seoyeon’s statement.

It didn’t entirely make sense to Da-hyun, who focused heavily on academics, but Seoyeon was an actress!

And her performances were truly professional and impressive. So, any confusion could just be brushed aside.

“Uh, this material is from middle school, right?”

“…”

“Shouldn’t you know this?”

Still, you should know what you learned before becoming an actress, shouldn’t you?

As Da-hyun looked expectantly for an answer, Seoyeon subtly avoided her gaze.

Studying was one thing but ignorance had its limits.

With a tail tucked between her legs like a defeated puppy, Seoyeon begrudgingly took notes under Da-hyun’s watchful eye.

Thus,

“By the way, Seoyeon, you’re really good at sports, right?”

After hours of verbal sparring with Da-hyun,

“’Warming up’ is also part of studying, right?”

Seoyeon nodded weakly with a pale face. Sports?

Of course, she excels at them.

No, was it just excelling?

Her abnormal physical abilities, cultivated since childhood, had reached an almost superhuman level. Frankly, she herself didn’t know exactly what she could do.

“Have you thought about joining a club related to sports? You can earn credits through it.”

While it wouldn’t matter much for an actress like Seoyeon, it still seemed like a good idea to explore various options.

“I already joined one.”

“E-sports?”

“Ah, really? I guessed.”

Nodding in agreement, Seoyeon didn’t specify exactly what kind of sports club it was.

Clubs were helpful for various reasons. Seoyeon was diligently climbing towards the top ranks in gaming.

‘But it does get tiring after a while…’

Seoyeon couldn’t understand how some people could play the same game endlessly.

Recently, FPS games were becoming popular. Seoyeon had been following them closely.

Physical prowess mattered a lot in FPS games, and with her own physical abilities, she figured she could excel at them.

“Uh, sorry, do you not play video games?”

“Games, uh…”

Initially planning to address Da-hyun, Seoyeon changed her wording.

After all, getting too familiar too quickly could make the other person uncomfortable.

Seoyeon, a 17-year-old actress, was considerate. And it wasn’t because she herself felt awkward—it truly wasn’t.

‘How did the conversation turn to gaming while talking about sports?’

While she had this thought, she didn’t dwell on it.

More importantly, did Da-hyun like games?

“I haven’t tried many. I’ve been too busy studying.”

Da-hyun shook her head while saying this. She had always been diligent in her studies.

As for hobbies? Watching movies or dramas was about it.

Though she often thought it was a luxury, it was the minimal rest she allowed herself.

Reflecting on her school years, she wondered if it would feel a bit lonely if it was all just studying.

That’s why she was also the first to step forward and actively participate during festivals and other events.

Listening to Da-hyun’s story, Seoyeon recalled the characters from *Sky Garden*.

‘She must feel kind of lonely, huh?’

Of the people Seoyeon knew, the character most similar to *Sky Garden*’s Gil Da-hyun was herself.

If pressed, Seohui Jo also shared some resemblance.

Though, she was more like the upper-class parents than the students.

In any case, the reason Seoyeon decided to study with Da-hyun was undoubtedly tied to her acting. Studying together would help with her performance, wouldn’t it? Truly, it was killing two birds with one stone.

‘But still, she’s different.’

Gil Da-hyun was different from the characters in *Sky Garden*.

“Wouldn’t it have been better for your academic progression to go somewhere else? Hmm, though it is far.”

Gil Da-hyun had two younger siblings. Since she had to study with Seoyeon today, she let them play outside temporarily.

Because their parents worked late shifts, someone needed to watch over the kids.

That’s why Da-hyun had chosen a high school nearby.

“Seoyeon, you’ve been an actress since you were young, right?”

“Uh-huh, I took a break but…”

“Amazing. I came from so far away. Seoyeon, you’ve already achieved your dream.”

Da-hyun couldn’t fully grasp what she could do after pursuing her studies.

Not knowing what she could achieve, she simply worked hard, studying sincerely.

Perhaps her persistent studying was an attempt to erase her own sense of uncertainty.

To Da-hyun, Seoyeon already seemed like someone who was achieving her dreams.

“Um…”

Being an actress was indeed her dream.

There was just another goal she wanted to pursue… but she couldn’t bring herself to mention it to the extremely diligent Da-hyun.

Anyway, she could still do it if she wanted to, like Jiyeon did.

Yet, doubt lingered within her.

Frankly, Seoyeon didn’t consider herself capable of handling two tasks simultaneously. She had only recently returned to acting. Starting another endeavor would surely mean she couldn’t handle either properly.

So, she continued to hesitate.

Because she truly loved it, she couldn’t help but be cautious.

“Still, I think you’re pretty impressive too, class president.”

“Huh? Oh, uh, thanks.”

Anyway, Seoyeon meant it. Through Da-hyun, she had also learned a little about Jiyeon from *Sky Garden*.

Jiyeon and Da-hyun had almost nothing in common, except for their dedication to studying.

However, there were undoubtedly similarities.

‘Dreams.’

Just that.

If Da-hyun was someone who hadn’t figured out what to do next, then Jiyeon was more like someone just following a predetermined path set by others without much thought for the future.

This was the significant difference.

Da-hyun had always made her own decisions in everything she did.

Including studying.

Choosing to attend Yeonhwa High School.

All these decisions were hers.

Therefore, the hesitation arising from the responsibility to choose her own future seemed natural to her.

‘But Jiyeon is the opposite.’

Studying hard, attending Taeyang High School—all these things had been decided by her parents.

Yet they never gave her any clear guidance on what to do in the future.

Vaguely, she was told, “If you study well, you can become anything.”

A doctor, a lawyer.

Even a successful academy tutor was possible.

Or maybe, a counselor or teacher like her parents.

While possibilities were presented, none of them appealed to Jiyeon.

Because she’d been studying mechanically, even with exceptional talent, her ability to choose was impaired.

Thus, the disgust Jiyeon harbored wasn’t just toward others—it was toward herself.

‘Perhaps she hates herself.’

While blaming her parents’ education, Jiyeon ultimately lacked the courage to make any decisions independently. That must be why she hated herself.

Through Da-hyun, Seoyeon realized this.

Da-hyun’s doing various things was about preparing for the future.

When reflecting on her own school days, she wondered if focusing solely on studying might make things lonely.

With this simple mindset.

But because of it,

Looking back on the past, she would surely remember her cheerful school days.

But what would Jiyeon remember when reflecting on her past?

‘Empathy, huh.’

It’s hard.

Seoyeon sighed.

To her, empathizing with someone like Jiyeon wasn’t easy.

To be honest, Seoyeon really liked herself.

First of all, the basic fact—”I’m pretty,”—was something she already had ingrained.

Though slightly shy about herself,

Everything she did, what she wanted to do, and what she was doing now—all of it was good.

Future roles she wanted to play, variety shows, and even as a Vtuber.

There were so many, and she liked the person she was becoming.

Maybe because her past self had been so lacking.

Her current self, as Sooyeon, was much better.

Being positive about herself like that, it was difficult for Seoyeon to fully understand someone like Jiyeon.

In a way, she might have found Jiyeon even harder to empathize with than Cha Sooah.

She could relate to Cha Sooah because of her past-life self.

But Jiyeon?

“…Still, I think I have an idea.”

“What idea?”

After briefly pondering, Seoyeon muttered this.

Confused, Da-hyun looked at her.

Noticing this, Seoyeon finally raised her head and smiled faintly.

Because today, she had learned a lot.

***

The first filming of the drama *Sky Garden*.

A day where autumn felt like summer.

“Now autumn is almost nonexistent.”

“They say it will get hotter every year from now on.”

Such trivial conversations were happening around the filming set.

However, those conversations were also ways to escape the anxiety.

“Even though we have enough to worry about…”

“It would be so helpful if we could just get some internal support.”

The staff glanced at Min Se-hee, the screenwriter sitting off to the side.

It wasn’t as though they were blaming her.

Typically, the only thing you have to worry about when it comes to dramas is the competition with other dramas airing during the same slot.

Even that is nerve-wracking enough, but now there was office politics thrown into the mix.

Drama Department 1 and Drama Department 2.

Technically, it hasn’t been officially decided yet, but this is practically the first battle.

The viewership rating fight between Monday-Tuesday dramas and Wednesday-Thursday dramas.

Since they both secured prime-time slots, this really was a battle of ratings.

Considering how much this first battle would influence the upcoming power struggles within the Drama Department, it was unavoidable for the staff to feel nervous.

‘If the ratings turn out to be overwhelmingly bad…’

‘One side will likely get shut down.’

Splitting the Drama Department into two for competition.

Though absurd, there is some logic to it.

Because for a long time, KMB’s Drama Department hadn’t produced any hits.

The previous Drama Department director stepped down, and the newly appointed director managed to produce a few failed dramas.

Just last year, a new director, Ha Tae-oh, took over the seat and managed to achieve some decent results recently with *Dream Future*, but apparently, that wasn’t enough…

And so, this situation emerged.

Of course, officially speaking.

But there’s also a rumor it was to make space for Baek Tae-soo PD.

The same old frustrating old-boys’ network.

The staff sighed.

If Baek Tae-soo had stepped fully into the spotlight, it was hard to predict what would happen.

And all that pressure

“…”

Fell entirely on Min Se-hee, the screenwriter who was present at the site.

‘…What to do…’

Screenwriters rarely visit the filming site, but

Today, she had personally come.

Because this was the first filming of the drama she had carefully planned from the start.

‘This might be too much…’

Min Se-hee was nervous.

Her script this time was heavily influenced by her own vision.

She kept romantic elements to a minimum and stuck closely to what she wanted to express.

Essentially, she transferred the entire plot intended for a cable channel drama.

For a script that was practically her first big attempt, the weight she felt was almost unbearable.

‘If the drama fails…’

Even though it wouldn’t all be solely her fault, her role in the failure would be significant.

Would she still be able to work at KMB?

Would any other company hire her?

Perhaps she was better suited to work for cable television dramas?

Such were the burdens weighing on her mind.

“Min Se-hee Writer.”

Just then.

“Hello.”

A polite bow from a girl could be seen.

As always, her formal greeting.

Her signature black hair, milky-white skin.

Her stunning beauty was striking today more than ever.

Not in her usual Yeonhwa High School uniform, but in the “Taeyang High School uniform” she wore for the shoot.

Just that change reminded everyone that this was not Sooyeon but Lee Yoo-joo.

“Huh?”

Min Se-hee noticed something was different.

A peculiar change in the atmosphere from Seoyeon’s usual self.

Seoyeon was someone whose attitude would shift dramatically once she began acting.

But today was slightly different.

Noticing that look,

Seoyeon smiled at Min Se-hee.

“While studying the character, I realized it’s a bit challenging, so I’ve learned.”

Unlike her usual self, her tone seemed a bit cynical this time.

“Solution process.”

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