Unlike the many complex thoughts running through Jeon Ha-young PD’s mind, Seoyeon wasn’t thinking much at all. She simply figured that appearing on an observational reality show would be okay.

‘Reality shows often reshape the public’s image of celebrities.’

Observational reality shows, in particular, tended to allow celebrities to appear more relatable to the public. Because of this, celebrities who felt distant from the public often benefited from appearing on such shows.

Golden Duckling was no different. Young celebrities, who typically seemed somewhat distant, frequently appeared, showing that even stars were someone’s child. This made such shows quite popular among both viewers and celebrities alike.

‘Of course, some celebrities have worsened their image by appearing on such shows.’

There were cases where celebrities, by displaying poor behavior towards their parents, ended up damaging their image. Seoyeon reminded herself to be careful not to fall into that trap.

“Seoyeon, have you watched our show before?” “Yes.” “Really? Oh, thank you so much. I’ve also enjoyed The Chaser and Dream Future. I’ve been keeping up with the recent variety shows as well.”

Was she referring to Hyper Action Star when she mentioned recent variety shows?

‘But that’s technically an audition show.’

There seemed to be a growing perception that Hyper Action Star was more of a variety show rather than an audition program. Perhaps it was because the format didn’t feel as competitive. Of course, GH Group seemed to have intentionally guided it in that direction.

“Well... getting back to the main topic.”

After the formal pleasantries were exchanged, Jeon Ha-young cleared her throat.

“Golden Duckling doesn’t air in the prime time slot with the highest ratings, but it still pulls in viewership comparable to top-tier shows.”

Her tone was quite confident. The ratings for Golden Duckling were a solid 5%.

In today’s market, where overall viewership was declining, those were impressive numbers. Considering the additional exposure from reruns and online streaming, the actual reach was even greater than what the ratings suggested.

“You won’t regret this decision.” “Yes.”

Seoyeon’s calm response made Jeon Ha-young flinch slightly.

‘...This should be fine, right?’

Meeting Seoyeon in person, she was a bit concerned by how quiet and emotionless she seemed. Still, all the variety shows Seoyeon had appeared in had been huge hits. Not just Hyper Action Star and Star Fisher, but even the gaming show King Until I Turned It Off had generated a lot of buzz.

However, in person, Seoyeon seemed entirely different from the persona she presented on TV.

‘Now that I think about it, she doesn’t interact with many other celebrities, and from what I’ve heard, she’s quite introverted.’

Could everything on TV have been a carefully crafted image? If so, it would indicate a high level of professionalism, but as a PD for an observational reality show, Jeon Ha-young couldn’t help but worry.

Many celebrities showed stark differences between their appearances on regular variety shows and observational reality shows. This could sometimes work in their favor, but it could also backfire.

If Seoyeon’s calm, reserved demeanor was her true personality, it might not make for compelling variety TV. A perfect top student with a quiet personality wouldn’t score many points in terms of entertainment value.

“Oh, right. Your family will also be appearing on the show. Have they agreed to it?” “They’re all okay with it. My younger sister is excited.” “Oh, you have a younger sister?” “Yes. She’ll be starting elementary school soon.”

Having a younger sister was a positive development. If the younger sibling of a star was cute, that alone could become a hot topic.

“What about your parents?” “My mom was hesitant at first, but she eventually agreed.”

Fortunately, Seoyeon seemed willing to go ahead with the appearance, which was a relief to Jeon Ha-young.

‘So, Seoyeon’s parents...’

In Jeon Ha-young’s mind, Seoyeon’s parents were an ideal, middle-aged couple. Given that Seoyeon was a high school student, they were likely in their forties.

She pictured a gracefully aging couple with soft wrinkles—a vague but elegant image.

Most of the celebrity parents who had appeared on the show so far had fit that image, so it was only natural for her to think that way.

“How about a meeting with your parents next time?” “Do both need to attend?” “No, no! It’s fine if just one of them comes, especially if it’s your mom, who will be appearing on the panel.”

Seoyeon felt a bit worried at this. While she herself was relatively social and communicated well, her mother, Su-ah, struggled with communication due to her more reserved nature.

“Yes, I’ll arrange that.”

Seoyeon’s smooth response made Jeon Ha-young feel good. If she could establish a rapport with Seoyeon and even get her involved in an MDC drama down the line, it would be a win-win situation.

For now, she thought everything was going smoothly.

Variety shows, after all, didn’t need to be exceptional to be successful. But then...

“Ah, hello. I’m Min Su-ah, Seoyeon’s... Seoyeon’s mom.”

“Mom, it’s Seoyeon, not Suyeon.” “Se... Seoyeon’s mom...”

As Su-ah bowed her head nervously, something large bounced up and down with her movement. Naturally, Jeon Ha-young’s eyes followed the trajectory.

Wow, those are huge. No, I shouldn’t be thinking this. But seriously, wow.

“Wow.”

Jeon Ha-young unconsciously let out a small exclamation, then quickly covered her mouth. A middle-aged woman with a high schooler?

Was that really a middle-aged woman? Seoyeon, who was a shining star among the younger actresses, was stunning, but her mother... She had expected Seoyeon’s mother to have good looks, but...

“Excuse me, but may I ask how old you are...?” “I’m 39. Just an ordinary mom.”

Thirty-nine. An ordinary mom. Was there anyone who fit the term “ordinary mom” less?

At that age, wouldn’t there normally be some sagging? Jeon Ha-young herself was now in her mid-thirties. She had worked hard to become the main PD at such a young age and had built an impressive career.

Recently, she’d noticed a few wrinkles, and she comforted herself by calling them life’s little scars. But now...

Here was someone older than her, without a single visible wrinkle. Was that even fair? How was this even possible?

Feeling a sense of unfairness, she thought to herself...

‘This could actually be... amazing.’

Jeon Ha-young realized that Su-ah’s appearance would undoubtedly shock the public. This was going to work!

“Could we, um, perhaps have a more in-depth conversation? You’re really beautiful.”

“Th-thank you.”

As the PD gushed over her mother...

‘Wait, am I not the star here?’

Seoyeon couldn’t help but feel like she’d been relegated to the background.

 

___________________

 

After confirming Seoyeon's appearance on Golden Duckling, the filming date was quickly set. Approximately one month later.

Right after the final of Hyper Action Star.

It seemed MDC wanted to have Seoyeon on the show as soon as possible, but they didn’t want to interfere with her audition schedule, so they chose that time.

‘It feels a bit strange, though.’

Reflecting on recent events, Seoyeon felt oddly calm. She simply thought, ‘Oh, I’m appearing on a variety show.’

That was the general reaction from others as well. When they found out it was Golden Duckling:

"Take it easy," Lee Jiyeon said.

"Sometimes it's good to show a more polished side of yourself," remarked Kang Chanyul, the head of Nova Entertainment, hinting at how Seoyeon should avoid causing trouble. His words made Seoyeon puff out her cheeks in mild frustration.

But when she mentioned that her mom, Su-ah, would be appearing too:

"Your mom? Really?" Lee Jiyeon was shocked.

"Su-ah? Seriously? Haha, I’ll have to prepare for that!" Kang Chanyul chuckled and scurried off.

Seoyeon couldn't help but feel her agency was a bit too focused on her mom rather than her.

"Seoyeon, I’m really looking forward to this variety show!" said her manager, Park Eun-ha, who was the only one genuinely cheering for Seoyeon.

Seoyeon felt a bit hurt. Why was everyone so focused on her mom?

‘Well, I guess I understand.’

Objectively speaking, her mother’s looks were extraordinary. Despite her age, she hadn’t aged much at all, and even people around her had begun asking for beauty secrets.

Ji-yeon’s mother, for example. And apparently, Jungwoo’s mother had been asking too.

In any case, everyone seemed thrilled about Su-ah’s appearance on the variety show, which left Seoyeon feeling a bit conflicted. Still, there was something pleasant about it. Seoyeon often thought that her mom would look good on TV if she dressed up.

When Su-ah dressed up and did her makeup, it was actually quite fun.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t told Dad yet.’

It wasn’t that she had intentionally kept it from him; it just sort of happened.

But now, she felt a bit uneasy about telling him.

‘Would he start acting differently if I tell him?’

Seoyeon’s father cared a lot about his image, much like Seoyeon herself. If he knew he’d be on TV, he’d probably act all sweet and charming.

But if she didn’t tell him…

‘Hmmm.’

If he started teasing her like usual, Seoyeon would have no choice but to endure it all on camera without being able to fight back.

‘There’s no helping it.’

She decided she’d tell him later. It might make the show less entertaining, but at least she’d feel more comfortable.

Seoyeon made up her mind.

And exactly two days later, she forgot.

From the round of 16 in Hyper Action Star, live voting was introduced.

What had started as simple action scenes evolved into more serious role-playing situations. The importance of acting, not just action, had increased.

As a result, the outcomes of matches were becoming increasingly clear, making the term "round of 16" feel almost meaningless.

“I didn’t expect Jo Seohui to make it to the semifinals.”

Over the past two weeks, Jo Seohui’s appeal had become a major focus in Hyper Action Star.

To be honest, comparing her acting skills to the other contestants almost felt unfair. The only person who could rival her was Seoyeon.

“As for Ju Seoyeon… well, what more is there to say?”

Seoyeon seemed like she was born to be an action star. There wasn’t an action scene she couldn’t pull off, and her acting was excellent.

Honestly, it was becoming clear why GH Group had gone to the trouble of organizing this audition show.

“They probably thought the outcome was already decided.”

“And after that initial gunfight, the show has had a bit less impact.”

“That’s true.”

Since no one could match Seoyeon’s action skills, she often wandered around the set like an invincible NPC. Acting and action required cooperation with a partner, but there wasn’t much anyone could do to compete with her.

“Thank goodness for Jo Seohui.”

“Although… the actress has picked up a bit of a negative image.”

Jo Seohui had a somewhat fierce appearance, but through Hyper Action Star, she had gained a new reputation.

‘The Icon of Betrayal.’

After betraying her team three times—twice in the preliminaries and once in a group mission during the quarterfinals—she had cemented that image.

By the third time, even Seoyeon’s normally calm gaze turned icy as she crushed Jo Seohui’s spirit. Remarkably, Jo Seohui managed to avoid serious injury, suggesting she was tougher than she appeared.

“And then there’s Min Doha.”

“Huh? How did she make it to the semifinals? And they’re all from Group A?”

“She did reasonably well.”

“She showed a lot in the preliminaries.”

Min Doha had also made it to the semifinals. Now, only the semifinals and finals remained.

Two more episodes to go.

“And then...”

There was one more contestant.

“The dark horse from Group D.”

“Oh, you mean... the foreign actress?”

“Yes, she’s Japanese, here in Korea to study acting.”

“She’s the one who beat Han Soyu.”

This was an incredibly rare case. It was common for idols to cross over to acting, but an actor coming to Korea? That was unusual.

There were strong prejudices against Japanese acting, as the emotional tones required in Japan and Korea were quite different.

Many people found Japan’s exaggerated acting style to be too childish.

“Narumi Sora, right?”

“Yes, I believe she’s 19 years old. A young actress with a lot of potential.”

“And her eyes... she’s got great eyes.”

Great eyes.

If you hadn’t seen her act, you wouldn’t understand what that meant. But in terms of action scenes, she was exceptional, and she knew how to emphasize her unique style.

“She’s great with weapon-based action scenes. I’m excited to see her face off against Ju Seoyeon.”

“I heard she’s trained a bit, right?”

“She mentioned it in an interview.”

“She beat Han Soyu, so it’s definitely going to be interesting.”

Most people had expected Han Soyu to win, but the victor was Narumi Sora. That was when people really started paying attention to her.

“It’s going to be very exciting.”

The producers were all buzzing with anticipation for the upcoming semifinals. At this point, not only were the main roles up for grabs, but additional roles could also be given to the contestants depending on GH’s decision.

It wasn’t just an audition; this was about landing a role in a fully-fledged movie with CGI-enhanced performances. Everyone present wanted to witness that.

The four semifinalists were all incredibly talented. Of course...

‘Why, how, how did this happen?’

There was one actress standing on set, completely bewildered. Min Doha was in that mindset.

At this point, it wasn’t bad. She had made it to the semifinals, after all.

Though luck had played a role, her confidence was starting to grow.

‘As long as I don’t have to face Ju Seoyeon... or Jo Seohui.’

The easiest opponent seemed to be the Japanese actress, whose name she barely knew. What was a Japanese actress doing in Korea, anyway?

Just as Min Doha was regaining her confidence...

“...” “...”

On the set for the semifinals, a female actress with her black hair tied in a ponytail, Narumi Sora, glanced to the side.

A woman with model-like features was staring at her.

‘Why the school uniform?’

Even Narumi Sora, who took her concepts seriously, found this Korean actress to be baffling. What bothered her the most was that since she arrived on set, Seoyeon hadn’t taken her eyes off her.

Why?

Was this some form of Korean hazing? Or was this genius actress sizing her up as a rival?

If that were the case, it might at least make her feel a bit better. But the whole situation just felt strange.

As Jo Seohui watched the back-and-forth between Sora and Seoyeon, she narrowed her eyes. Since they had arrived on set, Seoyeon’s attention had been fixed on Sora.

‘Is she still mad about my last betrayal?’

That thought made Jo Seohui chew nervously on her lower lip, too hesitant to make the first move.

As both actresses focused on Seoyeon’s reactions...

‘Hmm.’

Seoyeon, for her part, was completely at peace.

‘...She’s Japanese. I wonder if she likes anime? She probably watches VTubers too.’

Seoyeon’s thoughts were somewhat narrow-minded, possibly even bordering on racial stereotyping, but she wasn’t quite sure.