This was a conference hall located in Gangnam.
It was crowded with reporters attending the production presentation for 〈Unfair Trade〉.
The so-called press showcase, known as the core promotional event before broadcast.
Because it directly baton-passed from the drama airing right before it, it was usually held one week before the premiere, and this was the moment when public interest in the project reached its peak.
‘So it’s finally right before the first broadcast!’
Reporter Wi from Daily Media was no different.
His heart pounded with anticipation.
It was only natural for someone who had followed Han Yeoreum’s filmography from the very beginning.
An actress who had never once delivered disappointment.
Every film and drama Han Yeoreum had shown her face in had given Reporter Wi a heartbeat full of certainty.
Riding the elevator with the senior reporter famous for predicting first-episode ratings with almost supernatural accuracy, Reporter Wi carefully managed his expression.
The interest in Shin Seojin, who had completely overturned the landscape of Korea’s “second male lead syndrome” with 〈The Great Garland〉, was certainly high.
“I seriously thought Shin Seojin’s next project would obviously be romance. This is unexpected.”
“Since he blew up as the second male lead, if he jumped into romance again right away it would kind of break the flow. Even for me, Shin Seojin still feels like Taejin.”
“Did you see the teaser? The close-cropped hair suits him ridiculously well. If this hits, I feel like next time he’ll cross over straight into film.”
Most of the attention was on Shin Seojin, the lead.
But Han Yeoreum was not overshadowed either.
No one thought of Han Yeoreum as merely a supporting actress.
That was how much presence she carried.
“How does every single Han Yeoreum project blow up? That’s actually hard to pull off.”
“Seriously-. A few years from now, she really looks like she’ll hit the absolute top.”
The elevator doors slid open, and when they arrived at the floor where the production presentation was being held, a banner attached to the gray wall came into view.
〈Unfair Trade〉
Above the large title, the actors’ faces were printed in sharp detail.
Not only the reporters who had just been talking about Han Yeoreum, but also the reporter absentmindedly fiddling with a phone, the one readjusting a heavy camera bag, and even the one who had been staring only at the glowing floor numbers inside the elevator.
Before they even consciously realized it, the first face they looked at was Han Yeoreum’s.
Her neat half-up hairstyle.
Her straight, composed gaze.
The lips closed calmly into a flat line.
The slight twist of her posture as she stood beside Shin Seojin, her eyes lowered just a little to the right.
It drew the eye naturally.
Because Han Yeoreum had the power to make people curious.
The news that Han Yeoreum was appearing in something was enough on its own to pull out that fundamental curiosity—what kind of project would this be?
Even if she was not the lead, her presence was lead-level.
Everyone here, in one way or another, was already placing Han Yeoreum in a different tier.
* * *
“Please give us a fighting pose—.”
Click-. Click-.
The shutter sounds did not stop.
It was photo time.
The actors standing at the photo wall before the full press showcase began alternated between solo shots and group cuts.
Manager Hong stood near the press seats with his name badge hanging from his neck.
He had already lost count of how many production showcases he had attended for projects Han Yeoreum was in.
‘Feels like just yesterday she went into 〈Youth Disqualified!〉....’
As someone who had firmly established his position inside JC, Manager Hong had planned more than one or two things.
What kind of place was JC?
The homeland of provocation.
A company that, once it set its mind to it, could shake the entire public with just Episode 1 of a broadcast.
Even Manager Hong, whose bones had hardened through every kind of chaos JC could throw at him, had never seen anything quite like this.
‘Even the reporters are treating her like a lead?’
It was because once the name Han Yeoreum was attached, an article was practically guaranteed a certain baseline of views.
The shutter sounds ringing out now were almost identical to the ones during Shin Seojin’s photo time just before.
Reporters were the clearest metric for gauging public preference.
‘I keep telling people, our girl’s likability is on a completely different level.’
The moment Manager Hong truly felt Han Yeoreum’s growth came after photo time, during the full interview session.
“The teaser response has been incredible. Were both of you aware of that?”
Even the tone used when asking the question was different.
There was clear goodwill in the way they tried to soften the atmosphere.
‘And that’s not even all. The reporters holding the microphones are looking at our girl when they ask.’
Questions like why they chose the project, how they analyzed the character—questions that required broadly explaining the work—were usually answered in turn by all the actors.
So naturally, reporters usually looked at the lead when asking.
But even when their gaze clearly started on Shin Seojin, by the time the question naturally came to a close, it had drifted toward Han Yeoreum.
‘Eyes don’t lie.’
Shin Seojin was undeniably a once-in-a-generation rising star, someone who had climbed at a speed that simply made no sense.
From a publicity standpoint, the picture made sense only if he was the center.
But reporters were still human.
They could not keep every breath, every blink, every second focused only on him.
‘So naturally, their eyes sweep over our girl.’
A project they had genuinely enjoyed.
An actress they had heard good things about.
And the slight personal fondness built through running into her on-site.
All of that mixed together and created the attitude they had now.
The reporters were looking at Han Yeoreum with quietly affectionate, almost proud eyes.
‘The articles are going to do numbers without even needing to check.’
Among all the showcases Manager Hong had attended, this was one of the warmest atmospheres he had ever seen.
It had that uniquely smooth flow that successful projects always carried.
“What made you choose this project? I imagine both of you felt a lot of pressure after the success of 〈The Great Garland〉.”
“Yes. People definitely loved Taejin so much... so I did consider doing another project centered on love for my next work. But the moment I received this script, it became a role I absolutely wanted to try at least once, so I chose it. I also found similarities between Gam Seonghwan and Taejin, which made him feel even more familiar to me.”
Then it was Han Yeoreum’s turn beside Shin Seojin.
The reporters’ hands moved quickly.
“Lee Seohae is such an attractive character that anyone would be greedy for the role, so I told them immediately that I wanted to do it without needing much thought. A female sociopathic criminal profiler is already such a rare character, and it’s also a type I’ve never played before, so I’m a little nervous. But I hope everyone enjoys it.”
In his head, Manager Hong roughly sketched out the headline.
‘[The trend of the moment, Han Yeoreum—next, a “sociopath”? Tension rises around 〈Unfair Trade〉’s Lee Seohae... “I’ll show it through my acting” reveals confidence]. Something like that.’
Now, even without JC emphasizing it separately, reporters had started attaching something else in front of Han Yeoreum’s name instead of “rising.”
The trend of the moment.
A phrase that, if used carelessly, could easily draw negative reactions.
But it was also a magical phrase that naturally made the public weigh whether Han Yeoreum had truly reached the level worthy of it.
‘But right now, that phrase suits our girl better than anyone.’
Now the public would naturally accept the phrase attached before Han Yeoreum’s name.
Manager Hong thought of the words Han Yeoreum could now rightfully carry.
‘Box-office guarantee, advertising blue-chip, powerhouse actress, ratings fairy, highly anticipated talent....’
At this point, none of them sounded awkward.
She had earned every single one.
‘Ah, there’s still one left.’
Manager Hong thought of one more modifier that was still a little overwhelming now, but one Han Yeoreum would soon be able to own.
‘Cheat code.’
It was then.
The thick wooden door to the showcase venue suddenly trembled slightly within Manager Hong’s field of vision.
* * *
The press showcase proceeded in such a warm atmosphere that it flowed along like water. Nothing caught. Nothing stalled. And outside, the SBC bureau chief was standing with his ear pressed to the door, listening.
‘If word gets out that the bureau chief himself came to the site, the actors and the staff alike will feel pressured.’
The SBC bureau chief was different from the shameless MBS center director, and different from the attention-seeking KBC bureau chief as well. He was fair, precise about drawing boundaries, and genuinely gentlemanly—a real bureau chief.
The SBC bureau chief recalled the dark chapter in his history that had been created because of Han Yeoreum’s 〈Strange Tales〉.
“Geum Bitgang is Geum Bitgang, sure, but does it even make sense for some rookie actress to be able to go head-to-head with Yoo Jiwook? Huh?”
When the ending of Episode 1 of 〈Strange Tales〉 started pulling in explosive buzz, the SBC bureau chief—anxious that the special anniversary drama 〈Top Class〉 might get pushed aside—had made an uncharacteristic choice.
“Joo Junseo-ssi, let’s do the shirt-ripping properly. Really put your soul into it. Come on.”
That had happened not long after he first sat down in the bureau chief’s seat....
“Release the making-of and the behind-the-scenes—!!!”
It had been a natural disaster.
The elite of the elite. No matter how hard the SBC bureau chief tried, it had been a tide he could not stop. So after that, he had made only the safest possible choices.
He could never again show the employees that kind of side of himself—not a bureau-chief-like side—shouting in front of everyone and getting visibly anxious.
‘Urgh....’
Remembering that painful dark chapter, the SBC bureau chief once again coldly refocused on the press showcase.
‘Their diction is definitely good.’
Satisfied by the clear answers that carried cleanly even through the thick door, the SBC bureau chief pressed his ear even closer.
“This is our last question. For a character you’re trying for the first time, what are some things you paid special attention to?”
“As you can see... I think everyone already knows, even if I don’t say it.”
A small ripple of laughter spread through the venue at Shin Seojin’s gentle joke.
‘Good. The start is good.’
The SBC bureau chief recalled the Shin Seojin he had seen in the teaser.
His build had obviously been bulked up properly, and his hair had been cut so short he looked completely different from how he did in 〈The Great Garland〉. On top of that, Shin Seojin even had an eyebrow scratch, making him look like an entirely different person.
But Han Yeoreum was not all that different from how Na Yuna had looked in 〈Youth Disqualified!〉. Because the shooting periods had overlapped, they had not been able to make any major changes to her hairstyle.
“As for me....”
Because it was the final answer, the reporters’ concentration was different.
“She has to answer well. She has to answer well. She has to answer well.”
If they brought in the two hottest actors around and they only ended up doing exactly ‘average’ as usual, then all of that would make SBC look lacking. The SBC bureau chief muttered gravely.
“I really hope the reporters will definitely watch Episode 1 live. I hope you’ll check it in 〈Unfair Trade〉 Episode 1.”
Laughter broke out here and there at Han Yeoreum’s answer.
“Then lastly, we’ll have everyone stand in a line together, do an 〈Unfair Trade〉 fighting! shot, and wrap things up.”
Shin Seojin, Han Yeoreum, Director Park, and the rest of the 〈Unfair Trade〉 team stood in a row and raised their right hands. The click-click of shutters burst explosively through the venue.
Bang.
And then the door opened, making the SBC bureau chief lose his balance.
“Huh? Bureau Chief?”
The person who caught the SBC bureau chief just as he was about to fall over like some male lead in a drama was someone he knew by face.
“Ah, Manager Hong from JC. It’s been a while. I should have contacted you, but as you know, I’ve been terribly busy.”
“I’m the one who should have greeted you first. But what brings you here.... You should have come in and watched.”
“As it happens, I have separate business. I’m on my way upstairs for a meeting. I didn’t make time just for this—my schedule is quite tight. Then I’ll see you later. When there’s more time. As you know, I really am quite busy.”
Leaving JC’s Manager Hong behind, the SBC bureau chief swiftly exited the scene. It looked natural.
He stepped quickly into the elevator and turned on his phone at once to begin monitoring. The articles uploaded by quick-footed reporters were already sitting at the top.
[SBC Monday-Tuesday Drama 〈Unfair Trade〉 Production Presentation Site... Trend Leaders Shin Seojin and Han Yeoreum Meet]
[The Nation’s Favorite Second Male Lead and the Nation’s First Love Together? “Even Better” 〈Unfair Trade〉 Production Presentation]
[“Episode 1 Is a Must-Watch Live” Han Yeoreum’s Confidence in 〈Unfair Trade〉...]
And along with the news of 〈Unfair Trade〉, the most anticipated release slated for the second half of the year—
[Trend-leading Actress Han Yeoreum Opens Recruitment for First Official Fan Club, 〈Reummate〉]
Recruitment for Han Yeoreum’s official fan club had begun.
* * *
“I think I’m going to die....”
Aetami covered her face with both hands and muttered.
“From happiness....”
The moment one project ended, another one came.
There truly was no more dutiful daughter than this in the world.
Not even a full season had passed since 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 ended, and she had already come back with her next project—plus an official fan club on top of that. Aetami felt a thrilling rush from the nonstop stream of content.
After the 〈Unfair Trade〉 press showcase, SBC released a lot.
INTUBE
[〈Unfair Trade〉 2nd Teaser ⎢ Character Highlight] 1:27
[Trailer Shin Seojin X Han Yeoreum 〈Unfair Trade〉 Trailer Long Version] 0:57
The release of the second teaser really made it hit home that the broadcast was about to begin. The video properly summarized the character relationships, the structure of the case, and even the emotional lines, but because it fed them only the tiniest crumb of Yeoreum’s action scenes, Aetami felt like she was going to lose her mind wanting to watch Episode 1 already.
Youstagram
[〈Unfair Trade〉 Character Clip! Next Monday, Lee Seohae is coming -_-]
The short character clip had been filmed separately and uploaded as well. Yeoreum, who had been doing nothing but typing in front of a laptop, lightly shifted her gaze and said exactly one line.
“See you on Monday.”
Even the slightly awkward bow of her head afterward was perfect Lee Seohae.
And then, on top of that, media interview cuts started coming out too, leaving Aetami floundering in happiness.
“And on top of that... now they even uploaded it without blurring the fan club kit....”
There was a trust between JC and the fans that had been built through Blu-rays all this time. Aetami carefully cherished a feeling most fangirls never had toward an agency—that they would charge a fair price for decent quality.
The goods from 〈ParCheHi〉, 〈Strange Tales〉, and 〈The Great Garland〉 flashed through her mind.
It was exactly 8 p.m.
Aetami refreshed the page immediately.
“It’s up!”
Thunk.
The moment she saw the screen, Aetami dropped her phone.
She could not believe it.
“Isn’t that the Taiwan pictorial... the B-cut...?”
Because they had been doing such a good job all this time, no one had really felt it.
JC, that place.
“They’re giving us that?”
That was the homeland of provocation.
“Have they lost their minds?”
They could not increase the sales of the June issue of Ruel that had been sold in Taiwan for Han Yeoreum ‘alone.’
So JC chose another method.
It was this: after being unable to withstand “the outcry of Korean fans,” JC contacted Taiwan Ruel, separately purchased the B-cuts that had not been sold as the cover, and then turned one of Han Yeoreum’s fan club kit items—the interview collection—into a limited magazine “for Korean fans only,” bundling it as part of the official merchandise.
That way, when the public saw the articles, it made them feel as though Han Yeoreum’s Ruel sales were higher than even Ji Haebeom’s and Eun Baekhap’s.
It was a plan that made people recognize Han Yeoreum ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) as the trend-leading star standing shoulder to shoulder with top stars.
