Free Web Novel-Holy shit, what a psychopath TT_TT
-Seokhwan, stop already.... we’re suffering too much....
-Ji Haebeom’s acting is seriously insane, he looks so damn pitiful;; I just want to hug him tight
ㄴIsn’t that just your personal feelings showing?
After the child actors’ portion ended and <The Great Garland> transitioned to the adult storyline, the drama firmly established itself as the undisputed number one among all currently airing series.
[“Please stop....” Viewers’ tearful complaints filled with affection, the reunion of the GiYeon couple in <The Great Garland>]
['Scene-stealer' Ji Haebeom’s desperate call, “Huijae”... momentary ratings reach 26.1% — will Eun Baekhap deliver classic melodrama?]
[<The Great Garland> Ji Haebeom ‘shocked’ by Shin Seojin♥Eun Baekhap marriage news / StarCutCut]
The buzz, the attention, the public interest—none of the other shows could even compare.
But there was one thing missing.
A decisive blow.
INTUBE
[Taeseok and Huijae crying over their farewell...ㅠ_ㅠ The final moment of the GiYeon couple <The Great Garland> Ep.4]
Views 1,801,334
-The child actors’ part is seriously something you can watch over and over without getting tired of it... thank you for showing such a heartbreaking story... the kids did so well that the transition to the adult actors felt completely natural~
-GiYeon is the real true love. If you disagree you’re Hanamura
˪Why are the GiYeon stans so loud T_T try posting that comment under the wedding video too lol
-Their face chemistry is legendary, visuals that will go down in K-drama history TT_TT
-Since it’s come to this can’t they just date in real life?? Please cure our mental illness we’re begging
˪Seokhwan, this is all your fault....T_T
Now whenever a preview teaser was released it would easily pull in fifty to eighty thousand views, and clips uploaded after broadcast would reliably pass one hundred thousand.
But there is a difference between a drama becoming popular and an actor becoming popular.
[Ji Haebeom shines brightest in the dark, capturing women’s hearts in an all-black outfit... “Where is that watch from?”]
[This is what true “suit fit” looks like — Ji Haebeom’s unbeatable <The Great Garland> wardrobe collection]
Ji Haebeom wasn’t called a scene-stealer for nothing.
The narrative revolved primarily around Gi Taeseok, and combined with his unique aura, the spotlight naturally tilted toward him.
“....”
It was a development she had already anticipated. There was no way she could appear in the same production as Ji Haebeom and not foresee this much.
But the calculations had gone far more wrong than expected.
INTUBE
[Huijae has now completely mastered Joseon speech — a gift? <The Great Garland> Ep.7]
Views 311,781
-Where is that top from? T_T gorgeous
-Huijae.... damn, your Joseon speech has improved a lot
-Since it was a time when traveling overseas was difficult it subtly shows how wealthy Taejin’s family must beㅎ and the garden is so flashy too~~ Huijae, husbands as good as Taejin are rare so hold onto him tight
-Eun Baekhap seriously has insane chemistry with everyone TT_TT she’s so womanly
-Please don’t let Taejin and Huijae divorce they look so good together. You’re not going to follow the original story right?? Promise??
The person receiving attention after Ji Haebeom should have been Eun Baekhap. Not Han Yeoreum.
Eun Baekhap’s Yeon Huijae carried the strange feeling that she was not the “real” Yeon Huijae.
It was like the shadow of the girl Huijae from the past—like someone who had died—still loomed over the role.
There was no escaping it.
“....”
Her popularity remained intact, but the contribution ratio had become a problem.
Both the buzz and the ratings had been pulled upward by the child actors.
While the ratings surged crazily until episode 4, the increase up to episode 8 had been minimal.
Predictions had assumed the show would move from the low ten-percent range in episodes 1–4 to well over twenty percent by episodes 5–8.
Every single prediction had been wrong.
“....”
The story was perfect.
The directing was perfect.
Which meant there had to be a gap somewhere.
A gap Eun Baekhap could break through.
But Han Yeoreum—not Gi Juye—had perfectly sealed that gap.
And with even the acting becoming flawless, <The Great Garland> had begun to be jokingly called a short special.
-If you only watch until right before the end of episode 3 this is seriously a legendary perfect drama
˪For real....T_T I’m looping it endlessly too
˪Let’s just carry Huijae piggyback and end it beautifully TT__TT
-<The Great Garland> has 24 episodes? No. This is a 3-episode drama.... anyway that’s the truth
The child actors should have introduced the early narrative, then pushed viewers to look forward to the future rather than cling to the past.
But it had gone wrong.
Completely wrong.
“....”
Monitoring the reactions, Eun Baekhap slowly looked around the spacious room assigned to the lead actress.
She picked up the tissue box beside her.
Her fingertips trembled.
Pulling out a single sheet of pure white tissue, she began tearing it into pieces.
One sheet. Then another.
Her delicate hands made no sound at all.
The room itself was silent.
White fragments of tissue scattered around Eun Baekhap.
In the silence, the sound of her teeth grinding pierced sharply through the air.
Eun Baekhap was a top actress.
If one had to name the ultimate symbol of purity, her name would undoubtedly come first.
But she had one fatal flaw.
She did not have a defining masterpiece powerful enough to sweep the public.
She had several works with respectable ratings, and several moderately successful hits in her filmography.
She was undeniably a skilled actress.
But the Eun Baekhap phenomenon built on iconic lines and unforgettable scenes had never quite happened.
Some said she lacked luck with projects.
Others said she simply had a safe eye for choosing roles.
And some dismissed her not as an actress, but as a celebrity.
“....” freeωebnovēl.c૦m
This time, <The Great Garland> was the joker that could erase Eun Baekhap’s long-standing complex in one stroke.
If she wanted to climb higher.
Or at the very least remain where she was.
She needed a defining masterpiece.
At the moment, the MBS Best Couple vote rankings were clear.
First place: Ji Haebeom and Eun Baekhap.
Second place: Myeong Jeha and Han Yeoreum.
Third place: Shin Seojin and Eun Baekhap.
At this rate, she would win with a comfortable margin.
“....”
But Eun Baekhap did not want a comfortable victory.
She wanted overwhelming victory.
Both first and second place should belong to Eun Baekhap.
She had no intention of quietly stepping down from the throne of the top.
“....”
Eun Baekhap recalled the date of the MBS Acting Awards.
The voting would close the day before “that episode” of Yeon Huijae aired.
There is no first love that remains forever unforgettable.
Because Eun Baekhap would make them fall in love again.
So she would win.
Eun Baekhap had not the slightest intention of giving up the highest position.
The hanbok ambassador title.
The D-brand ambassador position.
The title of Nation’s First Love.
And beyond that, swallowing up the female lead roles circulating through Chungmuro in a single bite.
All of it would belong to Eun Baekhap.
Standing by the window and looking down at the Jinhae filming set, white tissue fragments fluttered behind her like pale feathers.
“What’s going on?”
“Looks like they’re filming something.”
Now that the campus set had been fully prepared, today was the first filming day of 〈Youth Disqualified!〉.
I was waiting while wearing the Han Yeoreum long padded coat, the fashion item that—without exaggeration—had become the most popular winter item in Korea this year.
“As expected of the Han Yeoreum long padded coat. The design is great, but the durability is amazing too, unni. I’m not cold at all. It feels warm like a heater is on....”
“Yeoreum. There really is a heater behind you.”
I pretended not to hear.
Anyway, sitting on a waiting chair holding the script from my personal script case while wearing the padded coat I had shot an advertisement for.
Han Yeoreum has really grown a lot.
Soon I’ll take the coat off and start filming in spring clothes, but I doubt I’ll feel cold at all.
‘Because my heart is burning....’
Watching me from afar, Dami and Gaeul came running over at full speed.
“Hey! Han Yeoreum! The coffee truck is here!”
“Yeoreum! We have to take a proof shot!”
They dragged a coffee truck behind them that had apparently just arrived.
A huge banner hung across the green coffee truck.
[Youth Success!♥︎]
On both sides were photos of me, Gaeul, and Dami, covered in green hearts.
[The cherry on the parfait belongs to youth]
[Joo Junseo, Best Director, and Writer Pi support all the staff «٩(´∀`)۶»]
Before the first filming began, the first thing Gaeul and I had done was extort a coffee truck from senior Joo Junseo.
“Sunbae, sunbae. Have you been doing well?”
“Hey. Did you contact me again because you need something?”
“Not at all.... I just wanted to check if your filming was going well so I contacted you out of concern. But if it bothered you I’m sorry.... The coffee truck you sent last time was so cute and pretty and delicious that I suddenly felt grateful again thinking about when I might receive something like that again....”
“Hey, you always act pitiful like that without hesitation. I kept wondering how long it would take for you to contact me, but you didn’t reach out at all until you ended up joining the same project as Choo Gaeul....”
For reference, after SBC’s <Top Class>, Joo Junseo had joined another project.
It was another SBC romantic comedy.
In a broadcasting industry where production budgets had been wiped out after the Korean Wave restrictions, the presence of a rising actor capable of bringing luxury sponsorships and PPL deals was invaluable.
Joo Junseo was playing the prickly yet oddly pathetic team leader of a fashion magazine, rising from a niche “.5-dimension fan” favorite to mainstream popularity.
Anyway, we successfully extorted the coffee truck.
Since the <ParCheHi> team was basically family, Best Director and Writer Pi also pitched in.
When the news spread that the team was sending a coffee truck together, Kwon Junhyeok immediately stepped up.
For the next shoot, the <Strange Tales> team planned to send a coffee truck as well.
And once that news spread, the <Faster Than the Law> team had already reserved one too.
Incidentally, the <The Great Garland> side also planned to send one.
In the names of Myeong Jeha, Writer Ahn, and Director Ja.
At this point the schedules had to be coordinated so the coffee trucks wouldn’t overlap.
‘So this... is what the Han Yeoreum family feels like...?’
As my filmography gradually builds, the people around me accumulate too.
As I stood staring at the coffee truck, Gaeul and Dami gestured urgently for me to come over.
“Hey! Han Yeoreum! Stand in the middle!”
“Yeoreum, over here—!”
Pulled by the two grabbing my arms, I stood in the center of the coffee truck.
Looking at the camera lens, I smiled brightly.
“Miss Yeoreum.... the setup is finished now. Shall we start filming?”
At the voice calling me, I turned my head.
A set prepared for me.
Cameras, lights, and countless people.
Before filming began, I unzipped the long padded coat.
The cold wind of November rushed in like madness.
“I’m sorry.... it’s really cold, isn’t it....”
Since the main setting of 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 takes place from spring to early summer, the wardrobe had to be light.
Watching me prepare to film wearing just a T-shirt and a check shirt, Director So patted my shoulder.
“It’s fine, Director. I’ve always wanted to try filming in winter. Because during behind-the-scenes footage, seeing actors wearing long padded coats looks so professional.... I really wanted to do it at least once.”
Ugh, why is my voice shaking so much. I’m freezing to death.
I hopped in place a few times, then handed the padded coat to Coordinator Hwang.
Coordinator Hwang took the coat and stuck hot packs all over the inside.
Her hands clearly showed her determination to wrap it back around me the moment the shot ended.
“〈Youth Disqualified!〉 first filming begins!”
A staff member’s voice rang loudly, clearly aware of the behind-the-scenes camera.
Every gaze turned toward me.
I gently °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° closed my eyes, then opened them again.
Now I become Na Yuna.
