Free Web Novel[Pure Han Yeoreum’s Hand Heart, Outing to the Preview Screening]
[I’m in my 20s and I followed all of these women. BEST 5 Celeb SNS Feeds with a Good Vibe]
[20s Anonymous Board: Han Yeoreum’s vlog is low-key fun lololol The only vlog I watch without skipping]
JC’s side distributed press releases relentlessly. Instead of focusing on projects, Han Yeoreum showed her face through photo-wall outings, modeling work, and JC ENM’s Intube original content.
They rotated her toward external events and approachable everyday-life content so Seoryeong’s image wouldn’t grow too strong.
‘We couldn’t fully variety-wash her.... But she swept awards in the meantime, so even a few investors who were leaning toward Gi Juye will tilt.’
With Ji Haebeom showing overwhelming power through season’s greeting sales this time, the China-market argument from Gi Juye’s side would lose strength.
After all, the Chinese market already had a trump card called Ji Haebeom. Gi Juye’s influence would amount to little more than a minor effect.
Ji Haebeom didn’t believe in the saying luck seven, skill three.
‘There’s no luck in this industry. You make everything.’
Not long ago, he’d heard that Myeong Jeha had repeatedly visited the writers’ studio for <The Great Garland>.
And after that, revisions were made to <The Great Garland>’s script. Officially denied—but Ji Haebeom was certain.
‘The revisions definitely happened right after their conversation.’
Episode 4 was changed. The ending of Gi Taeseok and Yeon Huijae was no longer a simple breakup, but the awakening of a poor boy. For Ji Haebeom, there was nothing to lose.
‘They even made Gi Taeseok’s character more complete.’
A mere twenty-two-year-old rookie. For someone so far below him, Myeong Jeha had something oddly unsettling about him.
‘I’ll keep him close and watch.’
Leaning back into the plush first-class seat, Ji Haebeom closed his eyes. He was already looking forward to the audition.
* * *
Director Ja sucked noisily on a caramel frappuccino loaded with whipped cream as he stared ahead. An empty space lay before him. ƒrēewebnovel.com
Soon, the door would open, and Gi Juye and Han Yeoreum would walk in.
‘The air’s heavy.’
This single moment would reset the calculators of investors who thought themselves clever.
Most of the people sitting here wanted Han Yeoreum to be eliminated.
‘That way, the benefits from Gi Juye’s side are greater.’
To stop Ji Haebeom’s solo run, Eun Baekhap’s agency had chosen Gi Juye’s side. To avoid being swallowed up, they’d quietly applied pressure to Gi Juye’s investors and agency as well.
So if Han Yeoreum didn’t show something overwhelming today, the momentum would decisively swing to Gi Juye.
‘The board’s been tilted from the start.’
No matter how much weight Ji Haebeom carried, he couldn’t turn his back on so many investors and raise Han Yeoreum’s hand alone. She had to show acting that would convince them.
‘No—she has to go beyond acting itself.’
There needed to be unmistakable persuasion for why Han Yeoreum had to play Yeon Huijae.
‘Ah, damn it. I miss the days when the guy holding the megaphone was king....’
Director Ja kept forcing the frappuccino down his throat and gestured to the staff. Soon, the door would open and the two would enter.
The start was the moment their feet touched this place.
‘Have to check their walk first.’
With his eyes closed, a blue Earth unfolded in Director Ja’s mind. Then a massive telescope peered into it. The zoom rushed forward.
The map that spread out was the Japanese archipelago—Kobe.
An impeccably neat Japanese-style house, chillingly orderly without a single flaw. Inside a tatami room beyond a garden with patterns drawn in sand, Rio knelt for hours on end.
A girl wearing a pink kimono made from high-grade fabric that had been hard to obtain at the time.
Her gaze, quietly fixed on a painting hanging on one side of the tatami room, resembled the garden outside. Somewhere inside it was hollow.
Yeon Huijae, who had been kneeling, rose. She silently slid open the door and left the room. Passing through a long corridor, she turned a corner.
“Now, please come in.”
And then Director Ja opened his eyes again—two Huijaes were walking in before him.
Yeon Huijae with long black hair falling straight down, blunt bangs cut evenly, wearing a red kimono. And Yeon Huijae who was her complete opposite, with a short blunt bob and a white cape.
The two stood before the judges, hands folded, posture equally straight.
‘Basic stance passes.’
Judging by appearance alone, both were excellent Huijaes. Director Ja held a coin.
“Heads or tails? Decide.”
Gi Juye spoke quickly, as if claiming it first.
“I’ll go with heads.”
“Okay. Then tails is Han Yeoreum. I’m throwing.”
With a light flick of the wrist, Director Ja tossed the coin. Thup—! The sound of it landing in his palm rang out. He quickly pulled his hand away.
“Heads. Gi Juye, you first.”
Yeon Huijae in the red kimono stepped half a pace forward. Confidence she couldn’t hide seeped from her eyes.
* * *
Ji Haebeom crossed his arms and leaned back.
“I’ll read the Gi Taeseok lines. Let’s do the scene where we talk about the pear blossoms. So relax. Just relax.”
When it turned into an audition to test chemistry rather than a simple solo, the room stirred. Ji Haebeom smiled pleasantly. Contrary to his words, the moment he joined in, the audition could no longer be taken lightly.
‘If the two of them trade lines, the difficulty spikes.’
The other person’s voice, tone, the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) speed at which they deliver lines—results shift depending on countless combined factors.
And if the other party is a veteran,
‘...you get devoured. Literally.’
A flicker of unease crossed Gi Juye’s eyes, which had been brimming with confidence. She didn’t show it outwardly.
Instead, she bowed slowly with controlled movements. The way she lowered her head deeply enough to expose the nape of her neck looked like that of a young lady from a prestigious Japanese family.
“Thank you.”
At that sight, the judges who were backing Gi Juye exchanged looks. See? was written all over them. Gi Juye, who had spent a long time promoting in Japan, had fundamentals ingrained into her body.
When her gaze met Ji Haebeom’s, Gi Juye’s face changed. With innocent eyes, she lightly tucked her lips inward once—just like Yeon Huijae.
The shy Huijae, hesitating before speaking to her first love, was laid cleanly over Gi Juye.
‘She practiced, huh?’
‘Not bad.’
The judges looked at Gi Juye with satisfied expressions.
“On the way here, I saw something pretty hanging on a tree.”
Gi Juye spoke using the deeper part of her voice. It was extremely gentle. It was obvious she’d refined her fundamentals specifically for this role.
Director Ja lifted the corner of his mouth as he watched her.
“What was it. Where did you see it.”
Gi Taeseok tossed the words out like a boy from a port city. His ending was rough and coarse, unlike Huijae’s.
“I... when I looked outside from the car.”
Red Huijae was shy. She was embarrassed to show herself stumbling over words. Unable to deliver a full sentence, she slightly lowered her head, dropping her gaze.
“It was so, so beautiful I was surprised. But... I don’t know—wakaranai, sorry, I don’t know. I don’t know what it’s called.... If you oshiete—teach me—I’ll be happy.”
“You’re asking me to tell you the flower’s name?”
“Yes. It was very white. Kirei datta. No—pretty.”
“Must be an apple blossom.”
“Really?”
Between clumsy Korean, fluent Japanese popped out here and there. It was Gi Juye’s sharpest weapon.
Her Japanese pronunciation was perfect, making Yeon Huijae’s innocence stand out even more.
“I dunno either. How’m I supposed to teach you somethin’ I ain’t seen. It’s just a flower. A flower. I wasn’t askin’ ‘cause I didn’t know the word.”
“...I know that too. Hana—flower.... But saying it is hard. I don’t not know. I just want to know.”
Yeon Huijae lifted her head. She met Gi Taeseok’s eyes. Her brow was lightly furrowed, like a cute complaint.
‘...Huh?’
And in that moment, Ji Haebeom caught something.
