NOVEL NEXT Chapter 257
Los Angeles, USA.
People dressed in dazzling banquet attire were gathered in a massive mansion, chatting away.
And it wasn’t just their outfits that were dazzling.
Their appearances alone were radiant, each and every one of them.
“Jimmy, this movie wasn’t bad. It did about as well as my first one.”
“Wow, you really know how to sugarcoat a flop.”
Of course, it was natural since the place was filled with well-known actors and celebrities from the U.S.
Actors whose names alone were recognizable, singers whose songs were instantly familiar.
Such people were gathered here in abundance.
And for good reason.
“Oh, Stella.”
A blond middle-aged man spread his arms wide, as if welcoming Stella.
At his gesture, Stella, standing on the balcony, simply smiled softly.
“My, my, you’ve become quite conservative after your trip to Japan.”
“Oh my, I’ve never been one for such greetings.”
“You’re no fun.”
“My charm is reserved for a select few.”
Hahaha, at her laughter, Aaron Campbell, a top actor in the U.S., shrugged his shoulders.
The host of today’s party, he was also a star currently appearing in a famous American superhero movie.
The numerous stars gathered here today had come to celebrate his fortieth birthday.
“By the way, are you leaving the movie?”
“Haha, who knows? That’s up to the higher-ups. But I won’t die. I’m Superman, remember?”
“True. With the profits so high, they’d probably bring you back anyway.”
“Oh, Stella. It’s just a comic book story. Don’t take it so seriously.”
“Aha~. But I don’t really watch comics. I’m into Marvel these days, but I don’t follow DC.”
“Of course. You’ve always been a contrarian.”
He flexed his impressive muscles in front of Stella.
Truly, the picture-perfect image of Superman.
A renowned action star and top actor in the U.S.
One of the few genuine action actors who could perform stunts without a double.
“So, about that.”
“Yes?”
“I saw it too, that Japanese variety show.”
“……You did?”
“‘You did’ is such a cold way to put it.”
Aaron chuckled.
This little genius fairy sure has a sharp tongue.
“That actor you’re interested in, he’s quite something.”
“Aaron, that’s stalking.”
“Call it a senior actor’s curiosity in exploring talented newcomers.”
Even so, hearing such words from a top actor like Aaron softened Stella’s expression.
“Yes, he’s an amazing actor. I’d love to see him in Hollywood.”
“Well, this market isn’t one you can just enter because you’re beautiful or talented. There are so many walls to climb before that.”
“…….”
“But honestly, I’m intrigued too. Bear Rider~. I’ve never ridden a bear before. That’s not for the faint-hearted. Japan really is something else, taming a bear to ride it.”
“Well.”
Stella almost mentioned that the bear was trained by the actor riding it but decided against it.
Anyway, it’s good that Aaron has a positive impression of Seo-yeon.
‘Though his real target is probably me.’
Aaron is genuinely interested in Stella.
He’s not just an actor; he wants to direct as well.
He’s hoping Stella will star in his first project.
“Well, enjoy the party. You’ve got so many men interested in you, isn’t that a shame?”
“Not really.”
“Oh my. Really? But that one over there seems different.”
Stella glanced over.
There was a young man walking towards them.
“Well, we’ll talk about that later. I’m also getting curious about that actor.”
With that, Aaron winked at Stella and disappeared.
His light footsteps as he walked away were as perfect as a Greek statue in motion.
“Hey, Stella.”
Luscious blond hair.
Not as built as Aaron, but still impressively toned.
Currently, the most successful young male actor.
Among his peers, few could match his success.
“I heard the rumors. You went to play maid for some Asian girls.”
“Oh my.”
Stella turned her gaze to him.
He looked like a prince straight out of a fairy tale.
In fact, he had played the prince in several movies inspired by fairy tales.
Which earned him a particularly large female fanbase.
“Arthur.”
“Hmm? Did I say something wrong?”
Arthur Diaz.
He chuckled and stepped closer to Stella.
“Your inferiority complex seems worse than the last time I saw you.”
“……Have you lost your verbal filter?”
“Hahaha!”
At Stella’s clear laughter, Arthur frowned.
He didn’t exactly have an inferiority complex towards Stella, but he did have a strong competitive streak.
He had been called a genius actor since he was young.
From an artistic family.
The son of a renowned composer and an opera singer.
A naturally gifted actor.
Everyone praised him.
Whether it was acting, action, or even singing, he excelled at everything.
He was quickly rising to become a top star in Hollywood.
But.
“Want to hear something interesting, Stella?”
The appearance of this girl, Stella, began to dim those accolades.
An actress five years younger than him.
The youngest to win the Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival.
“Recently, that actor you’re interested in is in a Korean drama. They offered me a role in it.”
“……Hmm.”
Stella, who had been indifferent until now, showed her first reaction.
Arthur found it fascinating.
The Stella he had known for so long was not someone who easily showed interest in anything.
Especially not in people.
She wore a mask for everyone, smiling like an angel, as if she were from another world.
Even to Arthur, Stella had never shown her true self.
“So?”
“So, it’s not a big deal. Of course, I turned it down. The lead is a young girl, not even an adult. How good could the drama be?”
“If they offered it to you, it must be more than just an ordinary drama.”
“Probably an OTT drama. They’re planning to release it on Netflix. Probably targeting East Asia.”
Arthur shrugged dismissively, and Stella smiled faintly.
“That’s a relief.”
“Oh, what’s the relief?”
“You would’ve been humiliated if you’d taken the role.”
Humiliated?
Arthur paused, wondering what she meant.
“Are you talking about me?”
“Hmm? Who else?”
“Haha, Stella. I’m Arthur Diaz. What kind of humiliation could I possibly face in some OTT drama?”
“Hmm~. Who knows.”
Stella took a step closer, looking Arthur up and down.
Her icy blue eyes.
Like the glaciers of Antarctica, they reflected Arthur’s face.
“Arthur, from what I see.”
She whispered, almost like singing.
“You’re no match for that kid.”
Her whisper, like a wicked witch from a fairy tale, made Arthur falter.
Then, she stepped back.
And then, she furrowed her face.
“Me? Ha! What do you mean? Are you talking about acting? Or…”
“Everything.”
She tilted her head back, and Stella took two steps back.
“Acting. And the action you’re so proud of. Everything.”
“…Are you joking? I was talking about that little girl who’s the main character of the drama.”
“Yeah, that little girl.”
Then, she smirked.
“I couldn’t even beat her, so how could someone like you win?”
“What?”
Arthur laughed it off, thinking Stella was joking.
No matter how much he disliked her, and even harbored some inferiority complex, Arthur still respected and highly regarded Stella’s acting.
But Stella said she couldn’t win?
She might be a liar, but she doesn’t belittle herself.
Her high self-esteem is her strength.
“So, it’s a good thing, Arthur. You almost ended up like a dog running away after being brutally defeated by a little girl from the East.”
“You.”
“Hollywood is a big cage… but not everything, Arthur.”
Stella turned her back.
“That’s it for now. We’ve talked more than usual.”
As if she had no intention of continuing the conversation, Arthur’s lips twitched.
“Not a funny joke.”
Arthur glared at Stella’s back, then roughly turned away.
Listening to the fading footsteps, Stella glanced in that direction, then looked up at the night sky.
A starry night sky.
“Is it daytime in Korea now?”
Stella thought.
It’s quite sad not being able to see the same stars together.
Anyway, Arthur Diaz is a talented and great actor.
Surely, his appearance will help.
“I hope it helps a little.”
That way, we can see the same stars together sooner.
Thinking that, Stella smiled brightly.
***
“Seo-yeon, an advertisement came in.”
“Where?”
“Bear Paint.”
“……”
Anyway, Joo Seo-yeon, 17 years old.
As she approaches 18, advertisements that could make her 17th year end spectacularly are coming in one after another.
Although Stella’s statement acted as a breakwater, Bear Rider Joo Seo-yeon didn’t die.
Because the scene was too intense to die from just that.
If it had just quietly aired on a Japanese variety show and ended, it would have been fine, but…
[Joo Seo-yeon transitions to mixed martial arts. Enganu “Korea is committing a crime now”]
[International Animal Association, “Bears are our friends, stop the violence” A dramatic request sent to an actor!!]
[The Korean actress who trampled a Japanese star and made an American fairy her maid.]
All kinds of YouTubers spread the news, and rumors started to spread rapidly.
Bear Rider became a kind of meme, so it was natural for Seo-yeon riding a bear to be photoshopped into all sorts of places.
For example, photoshopped next to Putin riding a bear.
Or Seo-yeon riding a polar bear was also frequently seen.
At this point, even in the variety show she appeared on for the promotion of <Gyeongseong Young Lady>, they asked Seo-yeon this:
“Seo-yeon, weren’t you scared when you were riding the bear?”
“I was scared. It just happened that way…”
“But you were fiercely hitting the back of the bear’s head?”
“……”
No matter what, what was filmed was filmed, and Seo-yeon’s excuses didn’t work at all.
But if she didn’t appear on broadcasts, while Lee Ji-yeon and Jo Seo-hee were filming hard in Japan, she couldn’t just be idle.
Considering Seo-yeon, since her scenes were filmed first, she took on these promotional activities whenever possible.
‘Well, it’s not all bad.’
On the contrary, at school, Bear Rider Seo-yeon was very popular.
It feels much more familiar than other dramas or movies, right?
Even the ghost scene of Seo-yeon crawling around in Japan started to spread as Bear Rider became famous.
Some male students noticed that she was the girl ghost crawling down the stairs at the school festival.
“Joo Seo-yeon, she’s more fun than she looks.”
“Right. Honestly, I didn’t think she’d do something like this because of her image.”
“Being an actor isn’t easy.”
“But I heard she likes gaming too. She’s often seen in the esports room.”
“Really?”
Such conversations started to be mentioned at school, and more students began to talk to her in class.
‘…Now, with two months left in the first year.’
Seo-yeon’s high school life finally began, but there were only two months left in the first year.
When she becomes a second-year, she’ll have to start all over again, right?
If she’s in a different class from Lee Ji-yeon then, Seo-yeon might really cry.
‘Beol advertisement, when will it be released! Release it soon!!’
Seo-yeon thought that was the only way to cover up the Bear Rider image.
Princess Yeonhwa Joo Seo-yeon, who struck Park Jung-woo’s heart and made Young-bin tremble in fear!!
It’s been two weeks since they said it would be released, but there’s still no news.
On the contrary, <Mine> suddenly sped up its production, which is just confusing.
“Arthur Diaz.”
Manager Park Eun-ha said to Seo-yeon with an excited face.
“That Arthur Diaz is appearing in Seo-yeon’s drama <Mine>!”
“Is he the male lead? Or?”
“Probably not the male lead. Maybe the villain? I’m not sure.”
At Park Eun-ha’s words, Seo-yeon tilted her head.
‘The CEO said he was the male lead.’
Maybe it’s not finalized yet, or they’re spreading information appropriately.
But aren’t the male lead and the villain opposites?
‘Ah, maybe.’
Seo-yeon had a rough guess.
Of course, she’d have to wait until filming starts to know.
‘But why is Arthur Diaz appearing in a Korean drama…’
He’s a proud American actor.
As far as Seo-yeon knows, he’s never appeared in an Eastern movie or drama.
His status overseas is overwhelmingly lower than Stella’s, but in Korea, Arthur is much more famous than Stella.
Because the fairy tale movie he starred in was a huge hit.
For a while, when people talked about ‘prince,’ Arthur was mentioned.
Two days after Seo-yeon heard the news that Arthur Diaz’s appearance was confirmed.
Beol’s advertisement started to appear in department stores.
Along with the <Making Video>.