Sky Garden was a drama that Seoyeon couldn't quite relate to in her past life. It was about the fierce competition among parents who sought private education for their children to get into prestigious universities.

The children, too, would go to extreme lengths to gain admission, resorting to unethical and malicious behaviors without hesitation. For Seoyeon, who had never been able to attend school properly, she couldn’t help but wonder, Why go that far?

Seoyeon had barely managed to attend a regular school, let alone a prestigious one, and that hadn’t changed now.

Neither Seoyeon’s father nor her mother had cared much about her academics. They used to say, "The best thing for a student is to live like one."

But that might be because I was working as an actress...

Either way, the protagonist of Sky Garden was a very difficult character for Seoyeon to portray. Naturally, she had a lot of concerns about how she would perform in this role.

But...

Seoyeon glanced around the room. They were all young.

There were some middle-aged actors as well, but Seoyeon was seated in an area with the younger actors—the ones playing her schoolmates who would be targeting her character.

"It’s probably more comfortable for actors of the same age to sit together, right?" said the PD of Sky Garden, Lee Minhwa, with a smile. It was a kind smile, but Seoyeon knew there was more to it.

The production team clearly understood that conflicts among the younger actors were inevitable.

They want us to sort this out ourselves.

The seating arrangement was designed to prevent any issues from arising once filming began, giving them a chance to resolve tensions early.

"They’re all watching you, Seoyeon," someone whispered.

"...Looks like it," Seoyeon replied. The tense atmosphere was strange for her, used as she was to lively and energetic sets. Cha Nahyi, sitting nearby, probably felt the same way.

But honestly, the bigger problem was with Nahyi.

She’s an idol.

Not just any idol, but an active one. And while Summer Girl was a fairly well-known group, it wasn’t exactly top-tier.

Actors tend to look down on idols.

They were often dismissively referred to as entertainers. Many seasoned actors, and even those who followed their example, wouldn’t so much as applaud idols or singers performing at movie or drama award shows. If that’s how they treated them on stage, how would they feel about working with them on set?

That’s why the other young actors were only focused on Seoyeon, ignoring Nahyi entirely.

Nahyi was essentially treated as invisible. They probably didn’t expect much from her.

Even though she proved herself in Dream Future...*

Seoyeon smirked slightly. It was amusing how they could disregard someone’s achievements just like that.

I guess Jungwoo sunbae really was special.

Seoyeon’s respect for Park Jungwoo increased. He hadn’t discriminated against idols at all. It helped that Dream Future had a balanced mix of idols and actors, but it was mainly because Park Jungwoo, the biggest name in the cast, had set the tone for how everyone should behave.

But here, Nahyi’s the only idol.

And today, the other actors gathered here were all renowned or up-and-coming talents.

The cast is even stronger than in my previous life.

Many of the older actors were the same ones Seoyeon remembered from her past life. It was likely that writer Min Saehee had always intended for them to be cast. However, the younger actors were different this time. Instead of mostly rookies, they were all rising stars.

These were actors who would gain prominence with time—talented, with strong, unique personalities. They were the kind of actors who would soon be walking the red carpet.

Sky Garden was clearly a project that KMB had invested heavily in, sharpening their knives for this drama, leveraging the success of Dream Future.

And just as Seoyeon had been observing them, the other actors were watching her too.

Ju Seoyeon...

The lead role, huh?

She didn’t even have to audition.

Every young actor in Sky Garden had gone through an audition process—except for two people: Ju Seoyeon and Cha Nahyi.

Naturally, this didn’t sit well with the rest. Most of these actors had been steadily building their careers since childhood and were being groomed as rising stars in their agencies.

Still, they didn’t care much about Nahyi. Like Seoyeon, they didn’t see her as competition.

Because she’s just an idol.

She was someone who would eventually return to her main career if acting didn’t work out. In their minds, she wasn’t a serious threat.

But Seoyeon was different.

Even with a 10-year break.

Kim Hyunseok, cast as the eldest son of the influential Lee family in Sky Garden, narrowed his eyes at Seoyeon. When she first made her comeback, he hadn’t paid much attention. To him, she was just a former child actress returning after a decade away.

Even when she made a splash in variety shows, he assumed the attention would soon fade. That is, until she kept landing hit projects.

The Chaser and Dream Future.

There were even rumors that Seoyeon would land the lead in a major film after Hyper Action Star. Although the audition show was technically open, people speculated that it was practically set in stone.

She must have connections with people in high places.

How else could things be progressing so smoothly for her? Sure, The Chaser had been a success, but the way things were unfolding now seemed too calculated.

"Hey, Hyunseok," his friend Han Sungjin chuckled from the seat next to him.

"Is she getting to you?"

"You’re the one acting like you don’t care, but we both know you do."

The two had known each other since their child acting days and had worked together on multiple dramas and films.

"She’s the lead, after all."

"And they cast her without an audition?"

"They cast her based on her career."

That damn career.

What career, really? Two projects—The Chaser and Dream Future. He didn’t even count Tales of a Hidden Moon, as she was too young at the time.

If they were counting sheer number of roles, he had far more experience. Even in terms of hit projects, he could hold his own.

"It’s more about how impactful the roles were."

"....."

He couldn’t deny that her roles had been impactful. While he harbored some resentment, Hyunseok knew that if he dismissed her acting, he wouldn’t be able to call himself an actor.

Cha Seo-ah and Jo Harin.

Two characters with entirely different vibes. And Seoyeon had played both so convincingly that it was hard to believe it was the same person.

But even then...

She had the right roles.

Hyunseok thought to himself, believing that if he had been given the same roles, he could have delivered just as well.

He was confident. Some would call it pride as an actor, others might say it was overconfidence.

As the tense atmosphere lingered, Director Kim Ilsu and writer Min Saehee finally entered, signaling the official start of the meeting.

"Those of you who auditioned should already be familiar with the script and the overall tone of the drama."

The director glanced briefly at Min Saehee before continuing.

"The story revolves around the lives of royal families living in the 'Sky Garden,' with a prestigious high school at its center."

"And our lead, Lee Yoo-joo," he said, looking at Seoyeon.

"She’s the younger sister of a genius who aced the college entrance exam and is now the top student at Baekyeon University’s medical school."

Just like her brother, Yoo-joo was admitted to the elite Taeyang High School through a special admissions process. Her brother, Lee Seokchan, had developed a unique curriculum that allowed him to succeed, and now her family was determined to pass it on to her.

"And all of you play the parents who are desperate to get their hands on this curriculum," the director explained. "Some will try to befriend her, some will resort to threats, and others will use their influence."

The parents’ sole goal was to ensure their children’s success and to maintain their prestigious family reputations as doctors, lawyers, or judges.

"The drama is a satire of private education and the obsession with academic prestige."

After delving into more of the plot details, the director finally paused to take a breath.

"That’s it for the overall story. Today is just about getting to know each other before the formal script reading begins," he said, smiling warmly.

The atmosphere was different from earlier with the PD. This time, the tension was thicker, with the director now observing everything.

"I’m already dealing with enough stress because of my son, and now I have to act that out here too."

"I’ve never had any connection with such prestigious schools myself."

"This is going to be a headache..."

The first to break the silence were the middle-aged actors. Once the conversation started, it naturally spread to the younger actors as well.

"Seoyeon, can I ask you something?"

It was Han Sungjin, smiling as he initiated the conversation.

"I’ve been watching Hyper Action Star recently. Is all of that real?"

Sungjin was genuinely curious. After all, the stunts she pulled off—deflecting paintball shots, running at superhuman speeds—were not things you could do without meticulous rehearsal and script coordination.

"Well..."

Seoyeon was caught off guard by the question. She had been preparing to answer when—

"That’s all trickery, isn’t it?"

Kim Hyunseok smirked as he chimed in.

Is he really pulling a Mister Satan act right now?

"Come on, you’re too naive. Do you really believe she could pierce a coconut with her finger? Or crush wood while making a fire? Or throw a 200kg sailfish into the air by herself? Paintballs? They travel at 90 meters per second. How could anyone deflect them? And dodging multiple shots? That’s impossible without pre-arranged choreography."

"....."

The truth was, Hyunseok had watched every single variety show Seoyeon had appeared in. His impression? The shows were heavily exaggerated. They made it all look so real that people would believe it was true.

"Right?"

What made it funnier was that Cha Nahyi agreed with him.

"They’re trying too hard to force that kind of image on a female actress."

Nahyi felt frustrated. It was like the internet had turned Seoyeon into a meme, forcing an exaggerated persona onto her.

Seoyeon isn’t violent at all!

Though they had different reasons, both Hyunseok and Nahyi were in agreement on this.

Hmm.

Listening to their conversation, Seoyeon couldn’t help but think of her fan community, where countless memes and edits circulated. She actually found it amusing and even liked the idea of looking strong, but...

As an actress...

...Maybe I should tone it down a bit.

Seoyeon had a tendency to get carried away during variety shows. But hearing Hyunseok’s remarks made her realize that maybe it had gone too far.

For now, she decided to focus on managing her image more carefully, letting out a quiet sigh.