I’m an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me - Chapter 107
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 107
Yeoreum giggled at Taeyang’s muttering.
“That’s right! You know. Yeah. Your noona. Drank sooo much because of the goods. Need to have goods. Goooods…”
“Goods, right?”
Taeyang, who didn’t really listen to what Yeoreum was saying, just laid her down carelessly on the floor. Then he picked up the box.
“They said it would be shipped in batches, and it arrived today. Ah, you stepped on the end because of this! Did the postcard inside get crumpled? You’re really careless about everything.”
Taeyang turned his back on Yeoreum without any regret and went into his room holding the Blu-ray box. It took about an hour and thirty minutes after Taeyang finished unboxing before he brought Yeoreum, who was lying on the floor, into the room.
* * *
Aetami took a deep breath. Today was the first day of the new year. She was ready to welcome it with a purer and clearer heart than anyone else.
After taking a neat bath, she finally reached for the box placed in front of her.
“It’s here! Blu-ray-!”
She had bought Blu-rays of all kinds of dramas so far. But she could guarantee that there had never been a Blu-ray with this level of quality.
First, the box was custom-made in a light mint color, then cherry printing was embedded in the center.
“As expected of a wealthy family. JC is different…”
It really looked like an idol album package. When she carefully opened the box, inside was a printed CD that reminded her of .
The CD, composed of cute designs including school uniform ribbons and ties, notebooks and pencils, and even Post-it notes, made her smile just by looking at it.
“To think such aesthetics could come from a drama Blu-ray…”
Usually, drama Blu-rays were clean at best, and boring at worst. But was different. Aetami was moved as she checked the goods.
“Yeoreum!”
First was the student ID. It contained a photo of Yeoreum in school uniform. The name tag with Pi Chaewon written on it was the Hyeonjae High School version in light pink. Next to it was a small melon soda keyring, with a red cherry cutely decorating the top as expected.
“They even gave stickers. So generous…”
Thanks to the funding amount exceeding 100%, they added extra goods that weren’t in the original guide. Aetami took out the envelope under the stickers.
“Photo cards, photo cards…”
Aetami gazed deeply at Yeoreum’s selfie photo card and took a deep breath.
Now it was time to rewatch together with the script book.
“…What is all this?”
And Aetami was genuinely shocked.
The script book was called a script book, but it was almost like an interpretation book. You could see the determination to somehow tell all the stories that the actors, Writer Pi, and Director Jjang couldn’t finish telling.
“Yeoreumaaah!”
Among them, the one that stood out was, as expected, Yeoreum.
* * *
-Since it’s a web drama, I thought many teenage students would watch it. So I wondered where Chaewon’s loneliness that she briefly shows comes from. So that you could relate while watching.
At this moment, Reporter Wi was also watching the Blu-ray video. The unreleased footage also included interview videos of the actors.
-If you look, Chaewon has aspects where she values efficiency. She said she didn’t make friends because she was studying, but there are scenes where she seems to envy Hina. I thought maybe Chaewon had a falling out with friends once because of studying.
The character Pi Chaewon that came from Han Yeoreum’s mouth really seemed like she could be right next to us.
-You know how it is. After school, Chaewon has to go to academy, but her friends go out to play. I think her friends would have been disappointed after she skipped this several times. At this age, time spent playing together is also important.
Reporter Wi found herself nodding without realizing it.
-So the hurt Chaewon closed her heart thinking she didn’t need friends at all, which is why she observed with such dead fish eyes in the early part. When acting, I took on a tendency to look at the friends around Hina somewhat pathetically. Since the class would be split after a year anyway and they wouldn’t see each other, I thought it was pathetic to talk about friendship like that. I thought this might be what Chaewon was thinking every break time when she was alone and isolated before entering the romance comics.
Yeoreum had even changed her handwriting to match the character Pi Chaewon. Yet when asked to sign for the Blu-ray, her face turned red.
-I don’t have a signature prepared right now… Could I look at InTube for just a moment? Really briefly. I’m almost done…
“Why InTube?”
As if to answer Reporter Wi’s question, red-faced Yeoreum said quietly.
-There’s a video I’ve been watching and practicing recently…
Then the video Yeoreum was watching appeared on a small screen.
[You Can Do It Too! How to Make a Cool Signature in Cursive]
“So cute-!!!”
Reporter Wi punched the bed with her fist. Despite the soft mattress, maybe because she hit it too hard, her hand stung.
An actress who shows such sincerity even in a mere 10-minute web drama. Reporter Wi’s heart thrilled.
“This is why is already anticipated…”
Just thinking about how Yeoreum would lead the 16-episode series made her heart race. She had already read all of the original web novel.
“But how will they do it? It’s a historical drama.”
And to mention this in passing, historical dramas were one of the subjects most likely to attract controversy. Reporter Wi’s occupational disease kicked in. Comment sections swirled chaotically in her mind.
-The historical distortion is severe lol Making this kind of crap and calling it a drama shows they think viewers are idiots. Northeast Project can get lost
-I can’t understand why the historical accuracy is like this. If you know even a little about hanbok, you would have noticed that the costumes are a mess first. If they make it like this in a work that many foreigners also watch…more
-Is the CG quality for real? My heart feels petty…
“…No way…”
Reporter Wi bolted upright from the bed. Regardless of her anticipation for , anxiety struck her. It was because she had encountered too many flops while working as a reporter.
* * *
Today too, Jegal Rok was in a neat suit. Looking at his dark circles, he seemed to have pulled an all-nighter yesterday too, but there was no sign of dishevelment.
“I, I’ll have a mojito.”
This was a bar near JC ENM’s Cheongdam New Building. Director Jjang awkwardly looked at the menu and ordered a familiar menu item.
“A mojito for this person, and I’ll have my usual.”
As expected, someone like Jegal Rok would have a usual drink. Director Jjang was impressed without showing it. Shortly after, what was placed in front of the two was a refreshing mojito and a coffee-like cocktail.
“The reason I wanted to meet with you today, Director, is for the upcoming scenario work.”
, based on a web novel, was planned to keep the general framework as is. Only the parts adapted for direction would go through Director Jjang’s hands.
And here, Director Jjang felt tremendous pressure.
‘If I mess up… it’ll be big trouble!’
Although was based on ghost stories, the lightness of the original web novel inevitably existed. Since Director Jjang’s directing style was also closer to trendy, he wasn’t confident yet about the heavy atmosphere that viewers expected from ghost stories.
‘But if it’s too light, it won’t be scary at all…’
It was truly a state where he couldn’t do this or that. The specific scenes he had drawn in his mind were vivid, but it was unclear how to weave and cook them to make them delicious.
To such Director Jjang, Jegal Rok said simply.
“Do as you please, Director Jang.”
At those words, Director Jjang suspected Jegal Rok.
With no Chinese investment money, no Ministry of Culture and Korea Creative Content Agency support, and no brand PPL, when every scene should be carefully crafted, he was telling Director Jjang to do as he pleased.
“Are, are you drunk?”
“No. Only Director Jang is drinking alcohol.”
What Jegal Rok had ordered wasn’t a cocktail that looked like coffee, but actual coffee. Director Jjang shook his momentarily dazed head left and right.
“Everything will be replaced with fiction. The country, the characters, even the costumes.”
“Th-then what about the authenticity issue….”
“Instead, just one thing. Only that one thing needs to have authenticity.”
“…What would that be?”
Jegal Rok took a sip of coffee and his dark eyes gleamed.
“Ghost stories.”
To summarize Jegal Rok’s words: No matter how perfectly you try to make it, given the nature of the subject matter, viewers won’t accept 100% of it anyway.
[Voting by the people? Idols made with my money… “Are dreams bought with money too?” heated debate]
[Amid controversy over overseas show programs becoming public property, PD Gu Jeongmo says “Ideas belong to everyone”]
[Programs full of beeping sounds – is this okay? “Hip-hop that only pretends to be tough isn’t cool”]
When it came to controversy, Jegal Rok had already reached a level where he understood it all. Countless programs had made him detached.
“You just need to implement exactly what’s written in Korean ghost stories. For Japan and China, boldly delete any overlapping ghost stories from those two countries and maintain authenticity only in that part.”
Set everything as a fictional country, fictional characters, fictional era. This meant that the foundation of only needed to lie in the ghost stories.
“Put weight only in the ghost story scenes. For the rest, go with what Director Jang does well.”
Jegal Rok added one more thing while finishing his remaining coffee.
“You don’t need to worry about the budget.”
It wasn’t “you don’t have to worry,” but “you don’t need to worry.”
At that moment, like magic, the pressure that had been weighing down Director Jjang disappeared. The heavy shackles that seemed tied to his ankles also vanished. All the blocked stories suddenly came flooding in. His head filled completely with eerie ghost stories.
“S-sorry, but I!”
“Yes. Go ahead and leave now.”
As if understanding Director Jjang’s feelings, Jegal Rok nodded. Director Jjang hurriedly grabbed his coat and rushed out. Watching his retreating figure, Jegal Rok also stood up from his seat.
“Well, now I should go to work too….”
For Jegal Rok, there was clocking in but no clocking out. He returned to JC ENM’s building and contacted Manager Ma and Manager Hong.
[Set the framework as a fictional world, but still proceed in a direction that tries to preserve Korean authenticity.]
The story of the work belonged to Director Jang, creating the work’s image belonged to Manager Ma, and suppressing all potential controversies this work could cause from the start belonged to Manager Hong.
And most importantly.
“Yeoreum! The Episode 1 Script Revision for has arrived!”
“Yes! I’ll check it right away!”
The attention of viewers who would come to watch the work belonged to the actors.
Yeoreum flipped through Episode 1 of .
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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