NoveLight ™
Honestly, Jo Ha-rin was not a role that suited Seoyeon.
A bubbly, energetic character. A girl with a one-sided crush. And a naive child, scared and unfamiliar with the love of others.
Perhaps deep down, she thought such a role didn’t suit her. She did her best, but she might have lacked confidence.
In fact, she actually thought that way.
‘But…’
She closed her eyes and recalled the script in her mind. The revised content. And the lines. Naturally, the emotional trajectory she had prepared for her acting also began to shift accordingly.
Writer Min Se-hee had incorporated Seoyeon's opinions into the script as much as possible, making it as straightforward as possible. It seemed that she had made some additional revisions after listening to Park Jung-woo.
"She might not be ready yet."
Park Jung-woo had likely said that. He wasn't wrong. In Park Jung-woo’s eyes, Seoyeon might not have been ready to deliver such a performance.
So, the script reflected his opinion. But was that all there was to it? Not quite.
If that were the case, he wouldn’t have asked to hear the actor’s opinion.
"Don’t worry that the tone of the acting might not match."
She felt Ma Yeon-woo's gaze on her. A look of concern, as if asking if she was really okay. No matter how much they tailored "Park Min-yul" to fit Ma Yeon-woo, they couldn’t make it exactly the same.
"I’m still your senior in acting, aren’t I?"
"...Well, it doesn’t really matter."
Ma Yeon-woo chuckled at the sight of Seoyeon, who had an unusually different atmosphere about her. It was, if anything, easier to deal with this side of her than her usual self.
‘Getting into character.’
This was a phrase often used by actors before shooting. So far, Ma Yeon-woo had never seen Seoyeon getting into character while filming Dream Future.
The way her expression and emotions changed in an instant, despite her short screen time, left a strong impression. He knew how much Cha Na-hee, who played Song So-ha, struggled with this.
‘So this is what getting into character looks like.’
Seoyeon’s gaze as she looked at the set had a fiery red intensity. A truly intense color.
Her former group members, who had trained as idols with her, had once had that same look in their eyes. Memories of the past flashed through his mind as he saw that familiar intensity in this actor before him—the raw passion of those early days.
It struck Ma Yeon-woo clearly.
"So please, do your best to act like an idol."
Seoyeon smiled brightly as she looked at him. It wasn’t the usual Seoyeon, but a different face—probably Jo Ha-rin.
A bright and cheerful idol with not even a shadow of Cha Seo-ah.
"You can do it, right?"
Seoyeon raised her fist, full of determination. No, perhaps the word was cheerful.
This scene, where had he seen it before?
‘Ah, Survival Show.’
The variety show his fellow members had watched at their dorm. Ma Yeon-woo suddenly recalled the image of Seoyeon he had seen fleetingly back then. He had forgotten about it, but now it came back to him. Yes, that was the vibe she had in the show.
"Of course."
Park Min-yul and Ma Yeon-woo were different. Park Min-yul was a trainee applying for an audition program, while he was a member of Just X. He might be a rookie actor, but…
"I’m Ma Yeon-woo."
A TOP IDOL. He was in a different league from Park Min-yul, a mere trainee.
RY Entertainment. The agency of Just X. One of the top three management companies in South Korea.
"Ma Yeon-woo’s appearance in Dream Future was a mistake."
Lee Hwi-rok, the head of the actor management department, felt bitter. And with good reason: after Dream Future, it seemed like Ma Yeon-woo's image had taken a hit.
"At least he gained some attention with his bad acting."
"Are you serious, Chief Song?"
Lee Hwi-rok sighed.
"Do you know how much flak I’m getting from the idol division because of this? They’re saying he’s ruining the group’s image."
"...Did anyone expect Dream Future to be such a mess?"
"Still, the ratings are decent."
Yes, decent. Not great, but not terrible either.
Considering how strong the start was, it was true that the show had lost steam. But with this kind of theme, it was still holding its own quite well.
‘The writer played it smart.’
When this project was first pitched to the business division, the drama writer must have had a tough time. The sentimentality was outdated, and the youth drama genre itself was somewhat unfamiliar to the general public.
Dream Future was a drama produced by KMB, not an original drama conceived by the writer. It wasn’t purely their creation, so from the writer’s perspective, constructing the story must have been twice as hard.
So, the writer tried to keep the tone light and the pace brisk, even if it might come off as superficial. They might have drawn some ridicule, but at least they focused on the live scenes, where the music took center stage.
Balancing the lighter moments with the more serious ones, though there were still some gaps here and there for reasons unknown.
‘But aside from that, Ma Yeon-woo’s acting is just terrible.’
Actually, it only looked like terrible acting. The reason was simple. He was constantly compared to Park Jung-woo, who was right there beside him in terms of acting skills.
And then there was the issue of Ju Seoyeon, who occasionally crossed paths with him. A rookie actress RY had missed out on.
No, she wasn’t a rookie, having started as a child actor.
‘What a shame.’
She left a significant presence even in her brief appearances. And after watching The Chaser, that sense of regret only grew stronger.
‘If she’s only playing villains, her acting range might be limited.’
That’s what one might think, given her image… but then there was episode 1 of Dream Future. The live scene where Jo Ha-rin performed. If she could deliver that again, things might be different.
"Chief Song."
"Yes?"
"Isn’t episode 7 of Dream Future airing today?"
"Ah, it should be airing right now."
At Chief Song’s words, Lee Hwi-rok signaled with his eyes for him to turn on the large TV in the office.
‘Can’t he do it himself?’
Grumbling to himself, Chief Song glanced around and changed the channel to episode 7 of Dream Future. It seemed like the drama had just started.
"By the way, Chief, have you been watching Dream Future?"
"Of course, haven’t you?"
"I-I’ve watched it."
He hadn’t, actually. He’d stopped watching after episode 2 because it was too cringe-worthy.
But it seemed Lee Hwi-rok had watched it all. Despite criticizing Ma Yeon-woo’s acting, he seemed to have checked it out late.
‘The episode where Ma Yeon-woo and Ju Seoyeon take center stage.’
He had heard that the script was changed. Although they said they would give him more screen time, it wasn’t necessarily a positive development for Ma Yeon-woo.
‘No, it might be better for him to step back gradually.’
Given that his poor acting was causing controversy, reducing his screen time might actually be beneficial. With this in mind, Lee Hwi-rok focused on the TV.
"Keep the chat window up on your laptop too. You know this is being streamed online, right?"
"Oh, yes, of course."
Chief Song moved busily, setting up the chat window on the laptop next to where he was sitting.
These were the types of comments that appeared right from the start. Lee Hwi-rok checked the pace at which the chat was moving.
‘It hasn’t slowed down.’
This meant that Dream Future still had a steady viewer base.
‘The screen time has increased.’
The episode began from Jo Ha-rin’s perspective. Focusing on Jo Ha-rin, who had previously had little screen time, and slowly revealing Park Min-yul's feelings for her.
As Jo Ha-rin, who was trying to move on from her feelings for Kim Si-hwan, became flustered by Park Min-yul's actions.
“What should I do, the audition is soon…”
Jo Ha-rin muttered to herself, looking distressed. After learning that Kim Si-hwan had feelings for Song So-ha, she quietly decided to support him and move on. But just because she tried to move on didn’t mean her feelings had completely disappeared.
Sigh
Jo Ha-rin let out a sigh.
Recently, due to the influence of The Chaser, these kinds of comments were appearing frequently. Comments that connected Jo Ha-rin and Cha Seo-ah.
This was proof of how impactful Seoyeon’s performance had been on the audience.
"...I."
Jo Ha-rin pondered over her feelings for Park Min-yul. The upcoming audition would result in either Jo Ha-rin or Park Min-yul being eliminated.
It was a survival mission. So, Park Min-yul hadn’t explicitly expressed his feelings to Jo Ha-rin. Jo Ha-rin had only found out by chance.
She was confused. But time didn’t wait for her.
The final mission to determine the top ten. A duet between Jo Ha-rin and Park Min-yul.
The song was an upbeat idol song. A bright, cheerful song about love, chosen by Jo Ha-rin herself. Even though it was a challenging song for him, Park Min-yul had respected Jo Ha-rin’s choice.
“Do you have any final words for each other before the performance?”
Before the stage began, the judge asked them this. Final words.
As Jo Ha-rin hesitated,
“I’m determined to win and make it to the top ten.”
Park Min-yul was the first to respond. As he said this and passed the microphone, Jo Ha-rin briefly looked at him.
A firm statement. And this was Park Min-yul's way of signaling to her: Don’t hesitate on stage.
“I feel the same way.”
Jo Ha-rin said as she took the microphone.
“I’m going to make it to the top ten.”
She answered with a smile at Park Min-yul, who chuckled in response.
The judge smiled at the sight of the two, and the audience cheered.
The stage lit up with lights shining from all directions. A refreshing idol song.
Park Min-yul was the first to step forward.
As usual, when Ma Yeon-woo—no, Park Min-yul—stepped forward, the chat was filled with criticism. Some were just following the crowd, some were anti-fans of Just X, and some genuinely criticized Ma Yeon-woo’s awkward acting.
While they watched, the camera captured Park Min-yul’s every move. His confident face. The bold steps he took toward the stage.
It was a side of Park Min-yul that he had never shown before. The sudden presence he exuded on stage. The spotlight focused on Park Min-yul in an instant.
The judges’ faces crossed the screen as Park Min-yul’s clear voice echoed. Moving with rhythm, dancing as he walked.
Anyone could see it now.
A TOP IDOL. Just X wasn’t just a group that stayed within Korea; they were an idol group bridging K-POP to the world. Despite the controversies, their talent was undeniably among the best.
Among them, Ma Yeon-woo was the skilled vocalist.
Lee Hwi-rok couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.
Acting? No.
‘This is Ma Yeon-woo.’
Everyone must have been surprised by this dazzling performance. But they would soon realize. That the person on stage wasn’t Park Min-yul, but Ma Yeon-woo.
There might be fans who were satisfied with this, but as the head of the drama division, Lee Hwi-rok narrowed his eyes.
This wasn’t acting; this was an idol’s performance. It was the right choice, but not a satisfying one.
But at that moment, the camera shifted, capturing Seoyeon as she reached out toward Ma Yeon-woo.
Jo Ha-rin. The cheerful girl from the countryside. Bright and merry, she smiled as she received Ma Yeon-woo’s song.
Her technique was lacking. After all, she wasn’t a singer.
But the clear emotions conveyed in her voice. The spotlight that had been on Ma Yeon-woo quickly shifted to follow Seoyeon.
Simultaneously, the camera captured her dancing with a grace that matched Ma Yeon-woo’s, filling the screen with her presence. Her emotions spilled over the screen, spreading in all directions.
Innocent feelings. She began to guide Ma Yeon-woo’s awkward performance with her song. Naturally, she drew his gaze to her.
It was a performance so charming that viewers couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
Ma Yeon-woo followed her lead. Seoyeon was guiding him.
Ma Yeon-woo, lacking as an actor, had his flaws. But Seoyeon’s acting covered them. On the other hand, Seoyeon, not being an idol, was limited in the performance she could give on stage.
And Ma Yeon-woo covered that.
It looked natural, as if it wasn’t acting.
No one could take their eyes off the screen. The chat slowed down significantly. A sign that more viewers were focusing on the drama.
But neither Chief Song nor Lee Hwi-rok noticed.
Their eyes were also fixed on the screen.
‘What a shame.’
For the first time, Lee Hwi-rok, the head of RY Entertainment, thought as he watched.
‘I should have signed her.’
Ju Seoyeon. The child actress who had returned after ten years. He had dismissed her, thinking her acting skills had yet to be proven. He had written her off as just another actress who had briefly become a hot topic.
A mistake. A truly foolish decision. A fatal error.
These thoughts spun around in Lee Hwi-rok’s head. And with those regrets,
“Thank you! Thank you so much for your support!!”
Dream Future’s resurgence had begun in earnest.
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