Chapter 141

Amidst various complicated thoughts, PD Jeon Hayoung was in stark contrast to Seoyeon, who had no particular thoughts at all.

She just vaguely thought it would be fine to appear on the observation variety show.

‘After all, observation shows tend to significantly change the image of celebrities.’

Observation variety shows, in any case, often found ways to connect with the public easily.

Because of this, celebrities who seemed somewhat distant often benefited from appearing on such shows.

[Golden Duckling] was no exception. Many young celebrities who seemed somewhat distant appeared, and it showcased the fact that even celebrities were someone’s child, making them more relatable and well-liked.

‘Of course, there are certainly cases where someone’s image doesn’t improve after appearing.’

There were undeniably celebrities whose images worsened due to their disrespectful behavior towards their parents on the show.

Thus, Seoyeon decided she should be cautious.

“Ms. Seoyeon, have you by chance watched our program?”

“Yes.”

“Goodness, thank you! I’ve also really enjoyed watching [The Chaser] and [Dream Future]. I also keep up with all your recent variety shows.”

Could she be referring to [Hyper Action Star] that’s recently been airing?

‘That’s technically an audition show.’

For some reason, many seemed to think of it as just a fun variety show, not an audition. Perhaps because it lacked that conventional audition feel.

Of course, GH Group seemed to intentionally guide it in that direction.

“Well… let’s get back to the main topic.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jeon Hayoung cleared her throat.

“Even though [Golden Duckling] isn’t aired during the prime time slot with the highest ratings, it’s a variety show that matches those ratings.”

Her tone was confident. [Golden Duckling] had a stunning 5% viewership rating!

In the current landscape where ratings were generally declining, this was an impressive achievement. When you also consider the reruns and online replays, it actually had much more exposure than the visible ratings indicated.

“You’ll undoubtedly make a choice you won’t regret.”

“Yes.”

At Seoyeon’s indifferent response, Jeon Hayoung momentarily hesitated.

‘Will it be fine?’

Though Seoyeon seemed less expressive and quieter in person than anticipated, this was concerning. However, every variety show Seoyeon appeared in resulted in a massive hit—most recently [Hyper Action Star] and [Star Fisher], to name a few. She also caused a big stir on the gaming show [From Beginner to King].

But in reality, Seoyeon was much quieter and reserved in person compared to her televised persona.

‘Thinking about it, Seoyeon doesn’t seem to interact with too many other celebrities, and from what I’ve heard, she might have a rather quiet personality.’

Could her variety show persona be entirely fabricated?

If so, it was a commendable level of professionalism. But from the perspective of an observation variety show producer, this was somewhat concerning.

There were many celebrities whose public and private personas were vastly different on observation shows. While this sometimes revealed positive traits, it occasionally highlighted negative aspects as well.

If Seoyeon’s current demeanor was her authentic self, it might slightly reduce her appeal in an entertainment context. If she was as quiet and as perfect as a textbook straight-A student, it might not resonate as strongly with the audience.

“Ah, right. The family of Ms. Seoyeon will also be appearing, and do they agree?”

“They said it’s fine, and my younger sister even liked the idea.”

“Ah, so you have a younger sister?”

“Yes. She’s about to enter elementary school.”

The presence of a cute younger sister? This was definitely a positive element.

“By the way, what about your parents?”

“My mother initially hesitated but agreed.”

Fortunately, it seemed like Seoyeon was clearly willing to participate.

‘Ms. Seoyeon’s parents.’

In Jeon Hayoung’s imagination, Seoyeon’s parents were the epitome of a middle-aged couple. Considering Seoyeon’s age, they would be around their early forties with modest wrinkles on their faces but gracefully aged.

That vague image.

Since most celebrities’ parents that had appeared on the show until now were similar, this was what Jeon Hayoung had expected.

“Then, how about we do another meeting with your parents?”

“Ah, do both need to come?”

“No, no! One is fine. If possible, your mom, who will appear as a panelist, would be preferable.”

Hearing this, Seoyeon became slightly worried. Unlike herself, who socialized and communicated well, Sua tended to struggle with communication.

“Yes, that’s how we’ll do it.”

Seoyeon’s response was smooth, making Jeon Hayoung feel extremely positive.

If she could build a good relationship with Seoyeon and eventually get her to appear on one of MDC’s drama productions, it would be a win-win situation.

At the time, all Jeon Hayoung had thought was, “As long as the variety show performs decently, it’ll be fine.”

But.

“Ah, hello. I’m Min Suah, the mom of Su… Su-yeon.”

“Mom, I’m Seoyeon.”

“S, Seoyeon’s mom…”

Stammering slightly and bowing her head, Sua’s movements made something big go up and down.

Naturally, Jeon Hayoung’s head and eyes followed the motion up and down.

Wow, they’re so big.

No, I shouldn’t think like that.

This is incredible.

“Wow.”

Jeon Hayoung unconsciously let out her mental exclamation with her mouth, then immediately covered it.

The mother of a high school student?

Is this person really an ajumma?

The dazzling appearance, the recent trendy young actress Joo Seoyeon.

Her mother obviously had a certain level of looks, but…

“Oh, excuse me, how old are you…?”

“S, I’m a thirty-nine-year-old ajumma.”

Thirty-nine.

Ajumma.

There’s someone who this word just doesn’t fit.

To begin with, if someone has that chest at this age, it’s not normal, right?

Jeon Hayoung was now in her mid-thirties herself. A very young main producer, she had an excellent career built through hard work despite the wrinkles gradually forming on her face.

She had consoled herself by treating the wrinkles as proof of life. But now?

Is it fair for someone older than her to not have a single wrinkle? Isn’t that kind of cheating?

Is this even reasonable?

Amid these thoughts of unfairness,

‘This… could be good. No, actually, this could be very good.’

Jeon Hayoung couldn’t help but feel this way.

This is bound to give a big shock to the public as well.

This will work!

“Um, may we talk more in detail? You’re truly beautiful.”

“Thank, thank you.”

Faced with this overly enthusiastic producer,

‘What is this? Am I not the one who’s appearing?’

Seoyeon couldn’t shake off the feeling like she was becoming a side dish.

***

After confirming the participation in [Golden Duckling], the airing date was quickly set.

About a month later.

Right after the conclusion of the [Hyper Action Star] finals.

Apparently, from MDC’s standpoint, they wanted to cast Seoyeon as quickly as possible.

Though they weren’t about to disturb Seoyeon while she was in the middle of another audition, this seemed to be the timing they had chosen.

‘Something feels a bit weird though.’

Despite the recent events, Seoyeon somehow felt unusually comfortable.

Just the usual, “Oh, I’m appearing in a variety show.”

Telling them it’s [Golden Duckling], though…

“Take it easy.”

This is what Jiyeon said.

“Sometimes, it’s good for people to see a curated version of yourself.”

Even Kang Chanyul, the head of Nova Entertainment, went as far as to say, “Just don’t cause trouble.”

Seoyeon’s mouth twitched at this.

However, if she mentioned Sua’s participation,

“An ajumma? Really?”

Jiyeon was astonished.

“Sua has to appear? For real? Hmm, we should prepare for this beforehand?”

Kang Chanyul excitedly disappeared.

Isn’t this a bit too much for the agency’s artists?

“Seoyeon, I’m really looking forward to this variety show!”

“…Yes, thank you.”

The only one truly cheering her on was Park Eunha, her manager, with all the enthusiasm.

Heart-breaking.

Why is everyone only focused on her mom?

‘Yeah, I get the reason, though.’

Objectively speaking, Sua’s appearance was indeed impressive. With no signs of aging, people around her were already starting to ask repeatedly for her skincare secrets.

Notable examples included Jiyeon’s mother, and apparently, Park Jungwoo’s mother as well.

In any case, since everyone welcomed Sua’s appearance on the variety show, it gave a strange but nice overall feeling. Seoyeon had often thought it’d be good if Sua would dress up and appear more often.

There was also newfound excitement in preparing her, getting her makeup done after so long.

‘Then again, I haven’t told dad yet.’

It wasn’t intentional on her part; it just happened this way.

But now, bringing it up felt a bit awkward.

‘Doesn’t mentioning it unnecessarily change the usual dynamic?’

Seoyeon was quite particular about her image, just like her dad. Thinking about it, if it was for a broadcast, her father would probably be incredibly sweet on air.

Still, not mentioning it felt a bit off.

‘Hmm…’

If they start teasing her unnecessarily, she’d have to endure it all during filming.

‘I guess I have no choice.’

She should mention it later. The broadcast might become a bit less interesting, but at least her peace of mind would be intact.

With that mindset, Seoyeon decided.

And exactly two days later, she completely forgot.

***

Starting from Round 16 of [Hyper Action Star], real-time voting began.

As the candidates unleashed their action scenes,

They had reached an actual role-playing stage now.

A point where ‘action’ alone wasn’t enough and ‘acting’ became critical.

As a result, despite being the Round of 16, the matches were decided far too quickly.

“I never thought Jo Seohui would make it to the semifinals.”

In the last two weeks of consecutive [Hyper Action Star] broadcasts, Jo Seohui’s charm had significantly been highlighted.

To be honest, her acting was embarrassing to compare with other actors.

In fact, the only one who could rival her was Seoyeon.

“Ms. Joo Seoyeon… well, there’s nothing much to say.”

She was closer to being an action actress incarnate, capable of handling any action scene without fail and possessing great acting skills.

Now it made sense why GH Group even prepared this audition variety show.

“Since she was practically a shoo-in.”

“Because of this, after the early gunfight, there hasn’t been much of an impact lately.”

“True.”

Since no one could beat Seoyeon in action, she was moving around like an invincible NPC in the show. After all, both action and acting require teamwork.

Because there weren’t many people who dared to challenge Seoyeon, there was little they could showcase.

“Thankfully we have Jo Seohui.”

“Uh, um… It might not be good for the actress’s image though.”

Jo Seohui, whose image was originally somewhat fierce,

Through this [Hyper Action Star], she managed to carve out a new image.

‘Icon of betrayal.’

After betraying twice in the preliminary rounds,

And then again during the team mission of the quarterfinals,

By the third betrayal, Seoyeon looked at her disdainfully and gave her a thorough scolding. But considering how much beatings Jo Seohui took, she was surprisingly resilient.

“And Min Doha.”

“Uh, how did they get here? They’re all in Group A?”

“They’ve done decently well.”

“Showed a lot during the preliminaries.”

Eventually, Min Doha made it to the semifinals.

Now only the semifinals and finals remain.

Just two broadcasts left.

“And…”

The last one.

“A dark horse from Group D.”

“Ah, that actor… isn’t he foreign?”

“Yes, probably Japanese nationality. Someone who came to Korea to study acting.”

“The actor who beat Han Soyu.”

This was a rare case.

Idols coming onto the scene wasn’t uncommon anymore, but actors?

There was a strong bias against them.

Since the acting sensibilities required in Japan and Korea differed,

Many people thought that Japan’s exaggerated acting style was childish.

“Isn’t it Narumi Sora?”

“Yes, she’s probably around 19. She’s an incredibly promising young actress.”

“Her eyes are particularly good.”

For those who haven’t seen her act, this comment might be difficult to understand.

She was also extraordinarily talented in action scenes and knew how to emphasize her unique strengths.

“Her weapons-based action scenes are especially good. It could be interesting to see her up against Ms. Joo Seoyeon.”

“Did she originally learn?”

“In the interview, she mentioned it.”

“With her beating Han Soyu, it’s exciting.”

Everyone had predicted Han Soyu’s victory, but ultimately Narumi Sora triumphed. That’s probably when the spotlight truly turned on her.

“Very entertaining.”

The PDs all eagerly awaited the upcoming Semi-finals.

At this stage, these four were practically guaranteed lead roles or even additional appearances in GH productions.

Rather than a simple audition, this was the opportunity for actors to perform full-on cinematic acting with CGI enhancements.

Everyone there wanted to witness that.

After all, the four actors who had advanced were all formidable.

Of course.

‘Why, in the world?’

One among the actors stood dazed on the set.

Min Doha stood there, feeling this way.

Well, being in the semifinals is still great.

After all, it’s the semifinals.

Putting aside the luck of making it this far, this was the time when confidence started to build.

“Maybe I can pull this off if I avoid Joo Seoyeon. Actually, better to avoid Jo Seohui too.”

The most manageable opponent appeared to be the Japanese actress whose name he didn’t even know well.

Who cares in South Korea?

While Min Doha was regaining this subtle confidence,

“…”

“…”

Just before the semifinal filming, on set.

A young actress with black hair tied in a ponytail.

Narumi Sora glanced sideways, noticing her gaze.

The strikingly doll-like appearance of a Korean woman was looking at her.

“Why is she in a school uniform?”

Even Narumi Sora, who was quite dedicated to her concept, found this Korean puzzling.

What was off was that from the moment she entered the set, Seoyeon had been looking at her.

Could it be some sort of local favoritism?

Or perhaps this so-called “genius actress” was analyzing her skills?

If that were the case, her intent would be better received, but something about it felt strange.

Seohui, who alternated between looking at Sora and Seoyeon, furrowed her brow.

Ever since arriving at the set, Seoyeon’s gaze had continuously been on Sora.

‘Is she still mad about her betrayal the other time?’

The thought that Seoyeon might be upset caused her to hesitate further, only gnawing on her lower lip.

While both were focused on Seoyeon’s reaction,

‘Hmm.’

Seoyeon, however, was incredibly peaceful in thought.

‘If she’s Japanese, she probably likes anime and vtubers, right?’

Although she wasn’t sure if this line of thinking was overly simplistic or bordered on racial stereotyping, Seoyeon found it slightly amusing.

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