The production of the Heaven’s Garden OST was going smoothly. Thanks to the vocal training by the "Magician," Seoyeon had managed to improve her singing skills significantly.

Of course, if compared to professional singers, she was still lacking in some areas. However, contrary to her own thoughts, producer Han Pyo-yeol had a different opinion.

"But your emotions run very deep. That’s incredibly important for ballads."

Hearing this kind of praise made Seoyeon feel strange in a way. Listening to her own voice layered with music, she couldn’t help but think:

Maybe I’m actually pretty good at this?

This newfound confidence led to moments at school where, when her classmates said things like:

"Who wants to go to karaoke today?" "I do, I do!!"

Seoyeon would quietly sidle up to the group, eavesdropping on the conversation. She really wanted to go to the karaoke room before anyone found out about her work on the OST.

But she couldn’t bring herself to suggest it. No one would probably eagerly invite her anyway, and it would seem a bit off.

It’d feel like I was just going to show off my singing skills.

There was a big difference between offering to go to karaoke and suddenly wowing everyone with a great performance versus being dragged along and impressing people unintentionally.

Seoyeon imagined what would happen if she naturally tagged along to karaoke:

Wow, your voice is amazing~. Seoyeon, you can sing too? Not just act?

As she daydreamed about this scenario, she noticed that the lively chatter among the students gradually faded.

"Um, I guess we should be studying, right?" "Should we hit the study café today?" "?"

Everyone awkwardly dispersed, deciding to study instead. It was understandable, really.

While Seoyeon’s image as an actress was one thing, as a student, she gave off a very studious vibe. Her neat black hair, slightly intellectual expression, and beautiful appearance all combined to make her seem like the type who excelled at schoolwork.

So, when Seoyeon gave them a silent look, it felt as if she were scolding them for not focusing on their studies.

Ugh…

Left alone, Seoyeon sighed and packed up her bag.

I really wanted to go to karaoke...

This wasn’t even something Jiyeon could help with. Sure, it would be fun to go with her, but Jiyeon wasn’t the type to enthusiastically cheer her on. Besides, hanging out with celebrity friends wasn’t ideal—they’d heard real singers before, so they wouldn’t be impressed.

Jo Seohui?

The thought crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it, her lips pouting in mild annoyance.

Traitor.

Of course, Seoyeon didn’t actually hold any ill will toward Seohui’s actions. In fact, she thought it was brilliant.

But she was still a little upset, though. Whatever. She’d see Seohui again next week during the filming of Hyper Action Star, so it wasn’t something she was too worried about. They could talk then.

Besides, the same issue with Jiyeon applied to Seohui—going to karaoke didn’t seem quite right. Plus, there was the matter of uncertainty:

What if she sings better than me?

After all, Jo Seohui was good at pretty much everything. It wouldn’t be surprising if she could sing well too.

Resigning herself to the fact that she wouldn’t be going to karaoke that day, Seoyeon headed to KMB. There was a meeting regarding Heaven’s Garden, and she had things to discuss.

At the KMB broadcast station, MDC had been dominating the ratings for the last few years among the top three networks. KMB hadn’t produced a hit in quite some time, leading to a shake-up at the drama division, where a new drama director was appointed.

The first project under this new leadership, Dream Future, had been a massive hit. In today’s age, a drama achieving over 20% ratings was a remarkable feat.

Even more impressive was the fact that Dream Future had attracted a remake proposal from a Japanese broadcaster before it had even been officially released overseas. This kind of reception gave rise to high expectations for its international performance, particularly in Japan.

"Seoyeon’s style is exactly the type they love over there." "Really? I thought Japan favored a more cutesy look rather than model-like girls." "Seoyeon isn’t actually that tall. It’s just her proportions that make her look taller."

While Seoyeon appeared to be over 170 cm tall, she was actually around 165 cm. She wasn’t short by any means, but she wasn’t exceptionally tall either.

"And her hairstyle—long black hair? Japanese fans go crazy for that."

"…Is that so?"

This conversation was taking place between Dream Future director Kim Pil-seok and Kim Il-soo, the director of Heaven’s Garden. The two had been close friends since their college days, and Kim Pil-seok was here today to lend his advice.

Since Dream Future was the most recent hit youth drama, and KMB’s first success in a while, it made sense to gather some opinions on it.

"But when someone succeeds so early in their career, it can be… tricky, can’t it?" "True. But I heard you’ve already met Seoyeon?" "Yes, I did. But you can’t learn everything from a first meeting."

Kim Il-soo had met Seoyeon once already. His initial impression of her was that of a "well-mannered honor student."

He didn’t doubt her acting abilities; what worried him more was her private life. While she didn’t seem like the type to get into trouble at school, you never really know.

Plenty of innocent-looking celebrities had caused scandals.

And the fact that she’s never really failed at anything before…

Even if she behaved well in front of them, how she acted with others was unknown. Many celebrities had two faces—one for the public and another in private. Those who had never faced failure were especially prone to mishaps later on.

"Ah, Seoyeon, you’re here?"

At that moment, Seoyeon entered the meeting room, bowing politely as she walked in. She was still in her school uniform, having come straight from school.

Her appearance perfectly matched the image they had in mind for Heaven’s Garden.

We should base the school uniform on Yeonhwa High School’s design, Kim Il-soo thought. Yeonhwa High was an arts-focused school known for its stylish uniforms.

Come to think of it, didn’t Seoyeon also wear her uniform to the Hyper Action Star filming?

Outside of filming, Kim Il-soo realized he hadn’t really seen her in anything other than her school uniform. He wondered what she wore in her personal life.

"School must be tough, but thanks for coming."

Kim Il-soo began the meeting with an apology. The meeting wasn’t anything formal, just a chance for the director and writer to share their vision with the lead actress.

"Oh, and writer Min Se-hee is here as well."

Writer Min Se-hee entered the room shortly after, and the meeting for Heaven’s Garden began.

"As we’ve discussed before, Heaven’s Garden will be a drama that offers some social commentary," Min Se-hee said, addressing Seoyeon. The rest of the group had already exchanged thoughts about the show, but this meeting was to gather Seoyeon’s input as the lead actress.

The show would be set in Sun High School, one of the most prestigious schools in Korea. The drama would focus on the lives of the students from wealthy families who attended this school.

"Private education, and parents who are determined to get their children into the top universities."

Min Se-hee paused and looked at Seoyeon.

"And your character will be a girl from a middle-class—or slightly lower—family who somehow ends up at this elite school."

An irregular among the elites. Of course, there was a reason why her character had entered Sun High. She had passed the entrance exam on merit, having heard it was the best school in Seoul.

That was the character Seoyeon would be playing, a girl named Yeon Soha.

"She stands out among the students who have been climbing the academic ladder from Sun Elementary School, but Soha doesn’t care. She doesn’t bother with any of it. But at school, she’s a loner with no friends."

The role seemed to suit Seoyeon’s image perfectly, and she nodded in agreement.

Being a loner at school was something she could easily portray.

"And… most importantly, she’s a ‘model honor student,’ as if drawn from a picture."

Min Se-hee looked at Seoyeon. Her posture was neat, her appearance tidy, and she always seemed to be in her school uniform.

Min Se-hee nodded slowly.

"Seoyeon, you’re good at studying, right?" "Huh?"

Why was she being asked about her grades now?

"Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean it like that. You just have that kind of vibe! I didn’t mean to ask such a strange question."

Min Se-hee didn’t notice Seoyeon’s eyes widen nervously, and neither did the other directors.

"Seoyeon really does have that honor-student vibe." "So how is it at school, Seoyeon?"

Seoyeon forced an awkward smile.

"It’s fine." "Of course." "Looks like we won’t need to worry about you playing the honor student."

As they laughed, Seoyeon felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead.

An honor student, huh…

Well, she was an honor student. But did honor students only have to be good at studying? These days, people focused on more than just academics—arts and sports were important too.

Wasn’t Seoyeon living proof of that?

Her mom, Suah, always supported her, and her father, Youngbin, did too, though his way of showing it was a bit different.

Honor student role…

It seemed like they wanted her to give off a smart, intellectual vibe. Seoyeon, who typically acted based on empathy with her character, started to feel a little worried.

An honor student seemed like such a distant, detached concept.

...

Seoyeon was lost in thought. It seemed like she might need some help with this one.

Meanwhile, at Hoyeon Entertainment’s headquarters in Seoul, the building was far more luxurious than one would expect for a third-tier agency. Rumor had it that the CEO was wealthy, and the building certainly matched that description.

Their only real success had been the idol group "Summer Girl," and even then, it was Cha Nahyi who carried the group.

Because of that, Cha Nahyi was incredibly busy, especially with her work on Heaven’s Garden’s OST.

Out of the several insert songs for the drama, three were being sung by Summer Girl.

I wonder how the group’s practice is going…

Nahyi couldn’t help but worry about the rest of the group members. Most of them were lazy and didn’t take practice seriously.

Even though Nahyi tried to help them, they didn’t listen, so progress on the OST was slow. While she could just sing the songs herself, this time it was a bright, energetic girl-group track, and she couldn’t perform it solo.

"I heard even the vocal trainers ran away. Is that true?" "…Yeah, it’s true."

Nahyi sighed as she vented to her friend Yena, a popular idol. She couldn’t focus on the variety show they were filming today.

"And even if I try to teach them, I doubt they’ll listen…"

The songs for the OST were difficult, making practice essential. But none of the members seemed willing to put in the work, leaving Nahyi in a tough spot.

"Seoyeon said she’d help, though."

Her newly close younger friend, Seoyeon, had unexpectedly offered to help. However, Nahyi doubted that an actress like Seoyeon would be able to teach them how to sing.

Besides, how could sweet, innocent Seoyeon handle those unruly girls?

What am I going to do…

Nahyi sighed again, wishing someone would appear and help whip her group into shape.

And at that moment...

What the hell is this?

Ravin was staring at the large screen, deep in thought. Honestly, if it weren’t for the black-haired, red-eyed girl sitting next to him, staring at him like some kind of psychopath, he would have already walked out.

Everyone sat neatly in their chairs, watching the screen. At that moment, the character on the screen locked eyes with them.

What the hell is this?

A strange character appeared on the screen. Seoyeon introduced it as... some kind of magician, or at least that’s what she said.

It looked like an anime character, but apparently, there was a real person inside.

“Today, I’ve brought a special vocal trainer,” Seoyeon said cheerfully, looking at their somewhat pale faces.

Of course, no one knew how to respond to her energetic announcement.

Neither Summer Girl nor the "Magician Elchevette."

In other words, even Han Dayoung, who was behind this character, had no idea how things had come to this.

How did it end up like this?