Aura of a Genius Actor

It was the golden age of television dramas.

Even by the late 2000s, cable channels had begun to flourish, dividing up the drama market share.

This was the era of TV dramas, when a hit series could surpass 40% viewership ratings. And once a drama became a ‘national drama,’ it was difficult to find anyone who hadn’t watched it.

KBK wasn’t the only network sharpening its knives for the year-end drama lineup.

MBK, basking in the enormous success of Jewel in the Palace, which had ended earlier that year, and SBK, riding the momentum of Lovers in Paris, were both putting considerable effort into selecting their final mini-series of the year.

[Year-End Mini-Series War: Who Will Be the Final Winner of 2004?]

[MBK’s ‘Defense of Dignity’ Casts An Sang-soo and Cha Hye-kyung: A Prestigious Courtroom Drama in the Making?]

[SBK’s ‘Soulmate’: Will They Succeed with a Classic Melodrama This Time? Melodrama Queen Yoon Eun-jung Returns to the Small Screen.]

[KBK’s Sudden Scheduling Changes? Hitmaker Writer Yook Mi-young’s New Drama ‘Showbiz Studies’ Revealed.]

Amid the heightened atmosphere, news broke of PD Joo Ilho’s drug scandal.

For a while, the entertainment industry buzzed with rumors about a PD and an actress close to PD Joo, and the sparks even spread toward the drama currently in production. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

— What about Baek Seunghyo and Cha Harin? Shouldn’t all the actors from that drama undergo hair follicle testing?

└ We’ll take legal action if you spread baseless rumors about our Seunghyo.

— KBK’s dramas were already a failure this year, and this was their last chance. They must be humiliated.

— PD Joo, your life isn’t worth saving!

So even after PD Joo parted ways with KBK and held a grand press conference, some reporters were eager to seize the opportunity to ask provocative questions.

“Public opinion toward KBK has become unstable due to PD Joo Ilho’s drug scandal. PD Bang Hak, this is your first drama comeback in a year despite all the controversy. Is there a particular reason you chose to start again under such turbulent circumstances?”

Even after being told beforehand not to ask provocative questions, there were always people who ignored the warning.

PD Bang Hak raised a hand to stop the host from intervening and picked up the microphone.

“The moment I saw the quality of the project, the writer, and the actors, I felt this could become my masterpiece. Compared to the core quality of the work, isn’t everything else secondary, Reporter Choo Sang-hyuk?”

Yoomyeong admired the seasoned response. ‘PD Bang’s Anticipated Masterpiece?’ was exactly the kind of headline-worthy phrase that could dominate tomorrow’s papers.

And sure enough, the reporter who had asked the question had no choice but to follow up.

“Then among the dramas airing in the same time slot, is there any particular work you consider your competition?”

It was a somewhat milder question.

“Defense of Dignity shares similarities with us in that it explores the inner world of a particular profession, while Soulmate shares similarities in that it centers around a deep love story. They’re all strong works, so I hope we can compete fiercely. I enjoy competition.”

He might enjoy competition, but he probably loved winning overwhelmingly even more.

Hearing PD Bang’s assertive tone, Yoomyeong recalled their first meeting and smiled faintly.

PD Bang Hak gave a few more comments to the press before moving on.

Then the questions shifted to the actors.

“Mr. Baek Seunghyo. After receiving acclaim for your acting in the film , fans have shown great interest in your next project. Is there a particular reason you chose this work?”

“First of all, I enjoyed writer Yook Mi-young’s previous works. After reading the script, I saw that my character’s defining trait is ‘an actor who acts well,’ and that intrigued me. When I play ‘Kwon Do-jun,’ I also have to portray ‘Kwon Do-jun acting.’ If I fail at either one, it would be pretty embarrassing. So it really stimulated my desire to challenge myself.”

As he expressed his determination to excel in acting, camera flashes erupted around him.

“Cha Harin, in a previous interview you said that ‘Kim Hana’ resembles your real self, and that you liked her because of that. What did you mean?”

Yoomyeong glanced at Cha Harin.

Fortunately, interviews seemed to trigger her on-camera persona, so she looked nothing like her usual sloth-like self.

“While carrying the undeserved title of the ‘Nation’s Little Sister,’ I’ve mostly played cute and kind characters. But you may be disappointed to learn that I’m not really like that in real life. I have ambitions of my own, I’m competitive when it comes to my goals, and I can be stubborn like any ordinary girl. That’s why Hana feels like a ‘real person’ to me, and I admire how she works hard to pursue her dreams through her own efforts. Of course, Hana also has her ‘benefactor’ by her side.”

The mention of a ‘benefactor’ naturally led to another question, this time directed at Yoomyeong.

“Writer Yook Mi-young mentioned in a written interview that she was delighted to find an actor capable of portraying ‘Bohyung,’ a supporting character she worked especially hard on, at 120%. Could you tell us more about Bohyung and how you’re portraying him?”

Trying not to squint under the blinding flashes of the paparazzi cameras, Yoomyeong answered. ƒreewebɳovel.com

“Cha Harin mentioned the word ‘benefactor,’ and Bohyung is exactly that. He’s like a modern-day fairy godmother supporting Hana from behind the scenes. That means I have to portray him as an endlessly affectionate supporter toward Hana while remaining a cold judge toward the world. I’m focusing on making sure those two sides remain clearly distinct without feeling inconsistent.”

“Mr. Shin Yoomyeong, you recently drew public attention for your outstanding performance in the film , which earned you an award at PIFF. The release of that film is also approaching. Do you think the two characters will influence each other because of their similarities or differences?”

Having anticipated the question, Yoomyeong smiled.

“The Phantom in Ballerina High and Bohyung in our drama share many similarities. Both act as mentors and supporters who help the female lead reach the next stage. However, their methods are completely different, so I don’t think viewers will confuse them. I think it will be interesting to compare two very different approaches to supporting someone.”

Questions and answers continued for nearly thirty minutes afterward.

Then came the question directed to the entire cast.

“If you could describe the character you’re playing in one word, what would it be?”

“Challenge. He’s a man who constantly challenges himself, first through acting and later through the heroine’s heart. I think that’s what defines Do-jun.”

“Ordinary person. She isn’t an exceptionally pretty or extraordinary heroine, just an ordinary person. So I want her to be remembered as a character anyone can relate to and root for.”

“Rest. When Hana grows exhausted and wants to run away from Do-jun, who constantly pushes her, Gyu-min becomes the man who gives her a place to rest.”

“Temptation. Jun-kyung is a woman who has everything yet remains unhappy because she can’t have Kwon Do-jun. I’ll do my best to tempt Kwon Do-jun, so viewers, please be careful not to fall for me~”

Then the microphone returned to Yoomyeong.

“Opportunity. Bohyung is like an opportunity that everyone encounters at least once in life. Whether you can seize it depends on the life you’ve lived up to that point.”

Opportunity.

As someone who had seized such an opportunity himself, Yoomyeong spoke calmly.