The last appearance of Jo Harin in Dream Future. Normally, this wouldn’t have been such a highlight. However...

    "Is Jo Harin really leaving the show today?"

    "Huh? Really?"

    "So what happened with Park Minyul?"

    To the public, Dream Future had already become a highly talked-about drama. The amusing part was that this buzz all started from a single movie.

    "Oh, is there a live broadcast today too? Of course, there is!"

    A YouTuber with 1.4 million subscribers, Han Bongshik, nodded enthusiastically at the camera. How could he not livestream Dream Future?

    ‘I really rode the wave at the perfect time.’

    Han Bongshik chuckled as he looked at his subscriber count. After being stuck at around 1 million subscribers for a long time, the numbers had recently started climbing noticeably—now reaching 1.4 million.

    All of this had happened after The Chaser was released. People who were either searching for reviews of The Chaser or looking up a certain actress common to both The Chaser and Dream Future had stumbled upon his content through the algorithm.

    Even though Bongshik had already been one of the top three movie reviewers, now he was undeniably in second place. If he could surpass just one more person, he could take the top spot.

    That’s why he had a special fondness for the actress who had contributed to his success.

    ‘I really love you, Ju Seoyeon.’

    His affection for Seoyeon had reached its peak. With that in mind, his anticipation for today’s Dream Future episode 14 was sky-high.

    ‘I wish she could appear more, though.’

    But the script had been changed, so there was nothing he could do about it. He just hoped that even if she was leaving, she would leave in the most spectacular way possible. And then...

    "...Hmmm."

    Jo Seohui narrowed her eyes as she awaited the live broadcast of Dream Future episode 14.

    ‘This isn''t just a one-off, right?’

    She wasn’t sure who had planned this drama, but it seemed well-tuned to current trends. It felt like waiting for a real audition show, with the drama streaming simultaneously as real-time reactions poured in online.

    "I wonder..."

    Jo Seohui was personally looking forward to episode 14 of Dream Future because it might give her some insight into the acting style Seoyeon would bring to Gyeongseong Lady, a project they might soon be filming together.

    Given that the story would inevitably involve romance, Seohui wanted to see how Seoyeon handled romantic scenes.

    ‘I heard from Senior Jungwoo that she’s going for a more restrained approach.’

    That’s what the script said. But would Seoyeon really settle for just that?

    Every time they met, Seoyeon had a cool demeanor, but when it came to acting, she was nothing if not passionate.

    "..."

    But why is she only so cool toward me? She’s all wagging tails and smiles with everyone else.

    ‘This is why you need to be careful about what you say.’

    ...Maybe she was still holding a grudge over the "nepotism" comment she made when they were younger. Yeah, that must be it.

    Jo Seohui convinced herself of this. In truth, Seoyeon hadn’t really thought much about the nepotism comment. In fact, she had almost forgotten about it.

    The reason she felt awkward around Jo Seohui was purely due to her intimidating appearance. With a face that looked like it belonged to a villainous noblewoman, Seoyeon, who was naturally shy around people, found it hard to approach her.

    "Anyway."

    Jo Seohui turned her attention back to Dream Future as the music started playing, signaling the beginning of the episode. The protagonist, Song Soha, and Jo Harin were about to face off in the semifinals.

    "You know, I’ve always been a little jealous of you."

    Jo Harin spoke with a bittersweet smile. Usually so cheerful, Jo Harin was finally revealing her true feelings to Song Soha.

    The viewers had known, but this was the first time Song Soha heard about Jo Harin’s inner thoughts.

    "Seeing you sing on stage was always so dazzling..."

    Idols are, after all, singers. Singing is more important than dancing.

    Jo Harin had always been a better dancer than Song Soha, but her singing skills were significantly weaker. Although the gap had closed over time, Song Soha was still superior.

    ‘What an ironic situation.’

    Seohui pondered as she watched the interaction between Song Soha and Jo Harin. In the story, Jo Harin was jealous of Song Soha, but in reality, it was the opposite.

    Park Jungwoo had mentioned as much.

    "Nahyi is too conscious of that girl."

    "Conscious of her?"

    "It’s obvious. She’s worried that if Ju Seoyeon gets more screen time, she’ll be overshadowed again."

    Cha Nahyi had only managed to regain her standing as the main character once Seoyeon’s role was scaled back. In the first few episodes, most of the reactions had been about Seoyeon. So after the script was revised, Nahyi had been working hard to keep up.

    "As expected, Seoyeon’s acting has come to the forefront again."

    "And Nahyi’s acting is being criticized again."

    Seohui was aware of this. While it wasn’t as harsh as what Ma Yeonwoo had faced, it was still "disappointing."

    But for someone like Cha Nahyi, who was taking on her first lead role, it must have felt like a stake through the heart.

    "So it’s understandable that she’s desperate..."

    "She shouldn’t worry too much."

    "People are different."

    "Hmph, you were overshadowed by Ju Seoyeon too, Senior Jungwoo."

    "..."

    Huh?

    It might completely break Cha Nahyi, but...

    ‘Method acting.’

    If immersing oneself completely into a role is method acting, then what would you call this?

    What Seoyeon was doing was drawing her opponent into the role as well. By provoking her emotions, Seoyeon was forcing Song Soha to immerse herself in the character.

    Cha Nahyi, who had been on countless stages, would instinctively know. She would realize how she looked on camera compared to Seoyeon.

    ‘It’s like Ma Yeonwoo, but different.’

    While Ma Yeonwoo had acted out of her own choice, this was becoming a "forced immersion."

    As Song Soha’s emotions and Cha Nahyi’s feelings aligned in the final moment before the finals...

    Seoyeon’s eyes turned red.

    Facing the overwhelming emotions, she smiled at Song Soha. And at the audience.

    It was a smile that probably evoked different feelings in each viewer. As they watched, the audience, along with Director Kim Ilsu, clenched their fists.

    Song Soha gripped the microphone tightly. And then...

    An explosive emotion burst forth.

    "This is... how long has it been?"

    One of the producers in KMB’s drama department said this.

    "Since one actor had such a strong influence on a drama’s ratings."

    No one knew exactly how much, but it was clear the impact was significant.

    "I did see potential in Dream Future to some extent..."

    Dream Future episode 14. The episode that focused on the final showdown between Song Soha and Jo Harin.

    Its ratings...

    "23 percent."

    The drama department was abuzz. After all, this was the highest rating achieved by any drama in the past year.

    Ten years ago, this would have been considered a "decent" rating, but now, it was an almost unreachable number.

    It was close to the highest ratings ever recorded for a youth drama. A youth drama surpassing 20 percent? That hadn’t happened even ten years ago.

    "Honestly, there were some risky parts in yesterday’s episode 14..."

    "Was that Ju Seoyeon’s doing?"

    "We don’t know."

    Seoyeon herself hadn’t made any comments about her acting. Those who watched could only speculate.

    "If it was intentional..."

    "It’s like she’s playing with emotions."

    Was it possible because she had an abundance of emotions? Or was it because she had a deep understanding of others'' feelings?

    How much did she observe people''s emotions to be able to do something like that? Seoyeon’s strength had always been her emotional acting.

    Anyone who had been in this industry for a while knew that. It was evident in The Hidden Sun and the Moon. And recently, she had clearly demonstrated it in The Chaser.

    Though the impact of her emotional acting had been somewhat diluted in Dream Future, episode 14 left a different kind of strong impression.

    "The new drama... Sky Garden, right?"

    "Yes, originally, it was supposed to be a cable drama."

    "Written by Min Sehee?"

    "Yes."

    The meeting today was to discuss the casting for Sky Garden.

    "Will it be her first lead role?"

    "Without an audition?"

    As they discussed, the door to the meeting room opened. A middle-aged man with a pleasant demeanor walked in and took a seat.

    "There will be an audition."

    "Huh?"

    "But it’s not really..."

    Drama director Hataeo smiled at them.

    "Do you think there’s any chance she won’t get the role?"

    "Well..."

    "The audition is to reduce noise, and young actors tend to be sensitive about these things."

    For instance, they might think it was "nepotism."

    "Come on, she’s already a known name."

    "But it could also serve as a way to assert dominance."

    It was a way to show what it means to have the presence of a leading role. This was, in its own way, Hataeo’s consideration.

    Consideration for the other actors who would be working alongside Ju Seoyeon.

    "Oh, and about the OST for Sky Garden, how about having Ju Seoyeon do it?"

    There was no one in the room who could refuse Hataeo’s suggestion.