"Nahee, now that Dream Future has been successful, you need to maximize your activities. Appear on variety shows, and we’ve even lined up a CF for you. You can handle that, right?"

"And what about group activities...?"

The entertainment team leader patted Cha Nahyi on the shoulder as if to reassure her.

"Don’t worry about that. We’re actually planning to have a really good producer work on something for you. So, Nahee, you need to give it your all. Summer Girl has potential. If we can get the right song, you’ll definitely take off."

"Ah, yes."

"But before that, we need to talk about your contract renewal. It’s up next month, right?"

"It’s actually this month."

"Well, don’t delay it too much. Make sure to get it done soon, okay? We’re counting on you, Nahee."

With those words, Cha Nahyi sighed. Being an idol, and especially being part of Summer Girl, was quite special to her. She had a solid core fanbase that loved her, and the group enjoyed a decent level of popularity.

Of course, they were nowhere near being a top-tier girl group, but even this level of success was something to be grateful for. After all, just having an idol appear in dramas or commercials was enough to maintain recognition.

But...

There were a few things that weighed on her mind. One of them was the fact that she never felt fully integrated into Summer Girl.

She knew the reason for that. Their leader, Labin, didn’t like her.

Normally, the most popular member in the group would have a strong voice, but Labin was the niece of the CEO of Hoyeon Studio. Naturally, the other members had no choice but to follow Labin’s lead. While they hadn’t done anything overtly harmful to Nahyi, who was the only one bringing in any income for the group...

Doubts...

Nahyi had doubts about whether it was right to stay in this situation. With these concerns in mind, she headed to where Seoyeon was waiting for her.

She couldn’t help but worry whether the innocent Seoyeon was managing to hold her own among the cunning Labin and the other members.

"You came back quickly."

"...?"

Nahyi was startled as she opened the door to the practice room. Labin, with Seoyeon’s hand on her shoulder, was sitting quietly. In fact, all the other group members were kneeling side by side, as if to say, "Let’s all get along."

It was such a strange sight that Nahyi couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion.

And even after Seoyeon left, Labin seemed to be watching Nahyi carefully, but Nahyi never found out the reason why.

Thanks to this, Seoyeon was able to properly learn singing from Nahyi. Nahyi’s vocal skills were truly exceptional, far beyond that of an ordinary vocal trainer, proving that her reputation as a skilled idol was well-deserved.

"You really learned well!"

When Seoyeon relayed this to Nova Entertainment’s vocal trainer, even they were impressed. Naturally, this made Seoyeon feel a bit proud.

"Seoyeon, it seems you know how to make friends after all."

"?"

"Oh, I just thought you were really shy."

It seemed they genuinely believed that. And, to be fair, they weren’t exactly wrong.

I’m not shy...

She did find it a bit difficult to interact with people her own age. In contrast, she was more comfortable around older individuals.

Since Nahyi was three years older than Seoyeon, she found it easier to get along with her. In any case, Nova Entertainment had said, "You should use our practice rooms too," so Seoyeon ended up receiving more lessons from their vocal trainer.

"...This is good."

Producer Lee Minhwa looked at Seoyeon with surprised eyes. She was the producer of the upcoming drama Sky Garden.

"If you’re this good, I think you’ll do just fine with the OST."

Seoyeon realized that she wasn’t going to start working on the OST immediately. They were going to proceed only after confirming that Seoyeon could actually sing.

Come to think of it, Seoyeon hadn’t even been officially confirmed for a role in Sky Garden yet.

I should have taken my time learning...

She had rushed through the lessons, scrambling to learn. Seoyeon let out a small sigh.

"But Seoyeon, I know you’ve been really busy lately. Do you think you’ll be able to take on Sky Garden as well?"

"I think I can handle it."

"I heard there’s a meeting scheduled for next week as well..."

Ah, that explained why today’s meeting had been moved up. Her manager, Eunha, must have adjusted the schedule in advance.

"Your stamina is really something. How many projects have you been working on without a break?"

Minhwa muttered as she observed Seoyeon. A high school student. She had heard that Seoyeon was about to turn eighteen.

In the past year, Seoyeon had participated in a play, a drama, and a movie—three projects in total. In between, she had also appeared on variety shows and filmed commercials.

There were celebrities known for being prolific, but she had never seen anyone this busy in their first year in the industry.

"It’s really fine. This much isn’t difficult for me at all."

"R-Really?"

She didn’t seem to be boasting. Seoyeon was genuinely calm. There was none of the sharpness you’d expect from a busy celebrity.

"...Then, Seoyeon, can we assume you’re confirmed for Sky Garden? We’ll send the official contract to your agency later."

Seoyeon paused for a moment, deep in thought.

Sky Garden has always been a solid drama.

Moreover, it was a rare opportunity for Seoyeon to play a role that matched her actual age. There weren’t many chances to play a high school student in a meaningful way.

The only problem is that Sky Garden was originally supposed to air on a cable network.

This was different from her past life. Originally, writer Min Sehee had debuted with a cable drama after working as an assistant writer on Dream Future.

That debut drama was Sky Garden. It was the first cable drama to achieve a national viewership rating of over 15%. In the capital region, it even surpassed 20%, breaking all records. But...

I’m not sure how it’ll do on a major network.

Logically, it should perform even better on a major network. The problem was that certain plotlines that were acceptable on cable might not be allowed on a major network.

For writer Min Sehee, airing on a major network would be preferable. But major networks also came with more interference. The story might not flow the way the writer intended, making it impossible to guarantee success.

At the very least, it won’t fail, no matter how much they mess with the script.

She would have to find a way to address this issue. PD Lee Minhwa, who was in charge of Sky Garden, was certainly talented... which actually concerned Seoyeon. There was a high chance that they would follow the standard formula for success on public television.

"Yes, I definitely want to be part of Sky Garden."

"I’m glad to hear that. The drama director... ahem, I mean, everyone will be pleased."

"...?"

It seemed like Minhwa almost mentioned the drama director. Seoyeon found this a bit curious but nodded anyway. It seemed the OST issue was more or less resolved.

"Oh, and if there’s anything else you need besides the OST, just let us know. We’ll do our best to accommodate your preferences."

PD Lee Minhwa was clearly very fond of Seoyeon. For her to say something like that, it was clear that Seoyeon was being given special treatment in Sky Garden. There was no need to refuse such an offer.

"Oh, in that case..."

Seoyeon made a few requests to PD Minhwa. These were key elements of Sky Garden that she remembered vividly.

They needed to be included for everything to come together.

Recently, an interesting rumor had been circulating in the entertainment industry. The GH Group was planning to produce a new movie and was developing a web variety show featuring action actors.

The rumor said that the winner of this web variety show would land the lead role in the upcoming movie.

"It looks like the GH Group, which did well with The Chaser, is trying to solidify its position."

"The action scenes in The Chaser were great, so they’re probably going all-in on action movies this time."

"Action films are really popular these days."

This was something that wouldn’t be aired on public television. It would be produced as a cable show or a web variety program.

A survival variety show where actors compete for the lead role in a GH Group film. The fact that this rumor had spread meant that the show was already in development.

Reporters were scrambling to dig up more information.

"Suna, have you heard anything?"

"I have."

"Of course you haven’t... Wait, what?"

At the senior reporter’s surprise, Han Suna from Sunyang Media flashed a V-sign with her fingers. She had managed to pick up some valuable information during her recent investigations.

"They’re looking for lead actresses aged from their late teens to their late twenties."

"Actresses? So, the lead character in the movie must be young?"

"That seems to be the case. I’ve heard that some actresses have already been approached. Fortunately for us, some of them have loose lips."

A few actresses had been directly contacted by GH Group to participate. These were young actresses who had recently made a significant impact in films or dramas.

In other words, they were the rising stars expected to carry the future of the entertainment industry.

"I heard it’s an action movie... Did they just contact anyone?"

"Probably, since those without the skills will be eliminated in the survival rounds."

"Hah, even though the dangerous stunts will be done by stunt doubles..."

"They probably want the actors to do most of the action themselves."

While the dangerous stunts would be handled by professionals, most of the action scenes would be done by the lead actors. This would make the scenes more realistic and dynamic. It seemed they were really sharpening their focus on action.

"They’re gathering all the young rising stars... It sounds interesting, but can they afford it? And won’t actresses shy away from doing action?"

"That’s probably why they’re targeting younger actresses. They’re not in a position to be picky about roles."

"Ah, I see."

Young or relatively unknown actresses come with a lower price tag. And since it’s a survival show, their fees would likely be fixed.

The lead role itself was the real prize for the actresses. If they weren’t confident, they could simply decline.

But would any young actress back out when all the other rising stars are participating?

Just being part of the show would be a great networking opportunity. Plus, they might think they’re the best among their peers. While actresses might typically avoid action roles, this was also a rare opportunity to show the public that they were willing to take on challenging roles.

This will be interesting.

Han Suna grinned as she started writing her article. Young rising stars. Ambitious actresses who wouldn’t want to miss this chance.

And she was sure her young star, Ju Seoyeon, would be participating too.

Han Suna was already excited at the thought of writing her next article.

"Action acting?"

Jo Seohui tilted her head in response to a variety show offer that had come her way. She had never done action acting before.

In fact, she had never even appeared in an action film.

"Why me?"

"It seems they’ve approached all the well-known actresses in your age group."

"Ah, I see."

Jo Seohui had heard about GH Group’s upcoming variety show. Whether it would be on cable or a web platform wasn’t clear, but she had heard about the massive investment GH Group was making in the film.

The lead role in that movie was something any actor would covet.

And if it’s a large-scale survival audition, the rookies will be fighting tooth and nail for it.

Being a survival show, it wasn’t just the actors who were directly contacted who would be competing. Many unknown actors would likely join through open auditions.

The more notable actors would receive direct invitations.

"You’re going to decline, right?"

Her manager, Shin Yookyung, knew Jo Seohui well. Seohui didn’t particularly like action roles, and she certainly didn’t need to appear on a variety show like this.

It seemed GH Group had contacted all the young rising stars...

But honestly, they’re no match for Seohui.

Shin Yookyung was confident in that. Jo Seohui’s recognition wasn’t something that could be compared to the fleeting fame of these younger actresses. Comparing her to them would be an insult.

"I’ll do it."

"Yeah, you should decline... Wait, what?"

Shin Yookyung stared at Jo Seohui, who seemed lost in thought and didn’t notice her manager’s gaze.

So that’s it.

Recently, Jo Seohui had been talking with Lee Jiyeon and Seoyeon about Gyeongseong Lady. During those conversations, Seoyeon had casually mentioned some details about "a certain variety show."

She must be planning to participate in that.

Seohui felt a little excited. She wasn’t particularly confident or even interested in winning the movie audition.

But the thought of getting a chance to work on her acting with Seoyeon before they started filming Gyeongseong Lady made her feel unexpectedly happy.