NOVEL NEXT Chapter 258
In the heart of Yeouido, Seoul, there’s a department store.
Today is the day a pop-up for the famous French luxury brand, Beol, opens.
This year’s pop-up is extra special because it marks Beol’s 10th anniversary of launching in Korea.
They’re selling limited-edition clothing and various products exclusive to Korea.
Beol has a strategy of selling special items in each country they enter, but Korea had been somewhat delayed compared to others.
However, as Korea’s cultural influence grows, Beol seems to have taken notice, and this year, they’re promoting Korea on a grand scale.
Not just in Korea, but internationally too.
And the starting point is this department store in Yeouido.
“Wow, actor Park Jung-woo. He’s so handsome. What kind of life does someone like that even live?”
“Hey, before you worry about that, check if the banner’s hung properly.”
“It’s perfect, isn’t it?”
From early morning, the department store’s exterior was adorned with ads announcing Beol’s pop-up.
Featuring Park Jung-woo, Beol’s ambassador and one of Korea’s top young actors.
Dressed in Beol’s latest collection, he truly looked like the epitome of luxury.
Lately, he’s become synonymous with handsomeness, even becoming a recurring meme.
“And… the lady next to him is so elegant and beautiful.”
The workers hanging the ads chuckled as they looked at the graceful woman standing next to Park Jung-woo.
She wasn’t a Beol model, but she naturally blended into the scene with him.
Beol’s ad model is Park Jung-woo.
So, most of the ads plastered on the walls were his photos, and he was supposed to be front and center.
But this elegant woman didn’t fade into the background next to him.
Even though her photo was smaller and in a less spotlighted position.
“That’s why she catches your eye even more.”
The most striking thing about her was her warm, sunset-like eyes.
Eyes that glowed like red jade.
Even though they could seem intimidating at first glance, they had a sunlit warmth that made you stare in awe.
“Is she an actress? Or an idol?”
“Hmm. Judging by her proportions, she looks like a model…”
The clothing Beol is selling this time is inspired by hanbok, leaning towards a fusion style.
That’s why the woman’s outfit gives off such an elegant, traditional vibe.
“She looks like a princess from a historical drama.”
“Yeah, I thought the same.”
“Sorry to Park Jung-woo, but he looks like a young scholar serving a princess.”
Anyway, they made a stunning pair.
The workers gathered around, admiring the rare sight of such a pure and elegant model in this day and age.
“That’s actress Joo Seo-yeon.”
A staff member moving leftover props casually dropped the name.
“What?”
“Who?”
“Joo Seo-yeon???”
The workers took another look at the woman’s face.
Wait, how did we not notice before?
Now that they looked, it was clearly Seo-yeon.
How many people could be that beautiful?
Come to think of it, those red eyes are Seo-yeon’s trademark.
Along with her fair skin and jet-black hair.
“It’s really her.”
“Wow…”
Everyone was mesmerized as they stared at the photo.
Who is Joo Seo-yeon?
She’s the actress who rose to fame this year as Cha Seo-ah in *The Chaser*.
So, many people associate her with the cold, ruthless murderer image from that role.
Of course, that image was somewhat overshadowed by her breakout role in *Sky Garden*, but even there, she played a cool, top student, far from this elegant vibe.
“That’s the girl who rode a bear, right?”
“I’ve seen the meme of her smacking the bear’s head…”
“Before that, there was that survival show.”
“And *Star Fisherman*.”
“She was practically flying in *Hyper Action Star*…”
And what about her variety show appearances?
She’s known for being lively and cute.
Her expressions don’t change much, but her emotions are so transparent that she often comes off as quirky on screen.
Seo-yeon’s strength is empathy.
Or connection.
When you watch her, you naturally sync with her emotions.
That’s why the public sees her as a lively, golden retriever-like figure.
Recently, there was even a clip of her beating up a bear, adding to her image as a quirky, 4D girl.
“Wow.”
The workers stared at the photo, lost in thought.
Looking at Seo-yeon, who smiled softly like sunlight, a forgotten memory began to resurface.
“Come to think of it, Joo Seo-yeon’s debut role was Princess Yeonhwa.”
“Oh, right, right. I was just thinking that too.”
“If Princess Yeonhwa had grown up… she’d probably look just like this.”
Princess Yeonhwa.
The child role in *The Moon That Hid the Sun*, once a national drama.
Her performance, far beyond her age, shook the nation, and then she disappeared for 10 years.
Now, seeing her like this… it was impossible not to look at the photo with nostalgic eyes.
***
At 10 a.m., the department store opened, and people started streaming in for Beol’s pop-up.
YouTubers, Instagram influencers, and other celebrities.
They took photos of the ads on the store’s exterior, and naturally, the buzz spread online.
Especially Hong Ye-rin, a famous luxury reviewer, who was livestreaming her excitement.
“Wow, Jung-woo oppa!! He’s so cool. Sniff. I really just want his autograph once.”
– Me too ㅠㅠㅠ
– So cute ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– The store’s packed today. Is Beol really that powerful now?
– There’ve been some controversies lately, but their stuff is rare, so people are hunting for it.
– By the way, who’s the girl next to Park Jung-woo?
Reading the comments, Ye-rin took another look at the photo.
She’d been so focused on Park Jung-woo that she hadn’t noticed the woman next to him, who was stunningly beautiful.
“Uh, who is that? She doesn’t look like a regular model.”
– Doesn’t look like a regular model? That’s Joo Seo-yeon.
– LOL?
– Joo Seo-yeon? The bear rider???
– What are you talking about…
– Nah, that’s definitely not Joo Seo-yeon LOL
Since Ye-rin is a luxury reviewer, most of her viewers are women.
So, while most were more interested in Park Jung-woo, the mention of the woman next to him started drawing attention.
– That’s totally Joo Seo-yeon????
– Huh??
– It’s really her???
Ye-rin moved closer to look, and sure enough, it was Joo Seo-yeon.
Though her vibe was completely different.
“Ah, I, I really like Joo Seo-yeon too! But, wow. This is… honestly, I’m shocked.”
– LOL agreed!!!
– Seo-yeon unnie is so quirky… but this is a totally different vibe… right???
– What happened to our bear-riding girl???
“Lately, I’ve seen so many memes of her riding the bear. Honestly, I was worried she was being typecast as too lighthearted… But, wow, I didn’t even recognize her.”
Ye-rin’s words were genuine.
She genuinely likes Seo-yeon.
First, as the child actress who returned after 10 years.
And this year, her acting power has been among the best.
“Her image is completely different.”
It’s not just the comedic image from variety shows.
It’s the aura.
The aura Joo Seo-yeon exudes here is completely different.
On TV or variety shows, Seo-yeon’s impression is cool and sharp, despite her lively actions.
Her eyes are fierce…
It felt hard to approach her.
But in the photo now, there was no such feeling at all.
Rather, she looked like a woman with a gentle personality.
– I’m a mom in my 30s… Seo-yeon actually played Princess Yeonhwa when she was young, and she looks exactly like that now.
– Princess Yeonhwa? That drama from 10 years ago?
– The title was “The Moon That Hid the Sun.”
– Ah, lol, my mom and dad loved that one, lol.
– Honestly, it felt unfamiliar at first… but the more I looked, it felt like this is her true self? Doesn’t she fit so well?
“Yeah, yeah. She really fits perfectly.”
She was in her mid-20s.
“The Moon That Hid the Sun” was a drama that aired when she was in middle school.
“I used to talk about it with my friends during night study sessions.”
Back then, we couldn’t skip night self-study, so we always stayed and chatted with friends.
The dramas airing at the time were always the topic of conversation, and “The Moon That Hid the Sun” was the hottest drama back then, so it always came up.
“Sometimes, when I talked with my friends back then, we’d say things like this.”
Maybe it’s because this time Beol’s costume concept was hanbok.
She’s always been lively, but today was a bit different.
She just quietly looked at the photo, lost in memories.
“It would’ve been even better if the child actor who played Yoon Seoil and the one who played Princess Yeonhwa had grown up and taken this photo together.”
She knew it was impossible.
But the acting those two child actors showed was that impressive.
The first impression of a drama is decided in the first three episodes.
Those three episodes.
The acting up to the third episode, which depicted Princess Yeonhwa’s departure.
The image of the two saying goodbye at sunset still comes to mind when I close my eyes.
The photo now was like that.
The image of a man and woman standing against the sunset.
Was it intentional?
It felt like it.
“I miss it.”
Hong Yerin muttered those words as she stared at the photo.
And, just as she said.
People heading to the department store occasionally stopped, looking at the two figures.
Drenched in the nostalgia of 10 years ago.
***
“Chairman, what do you think of this?”
Jo Seok-hwan, the chairman of Newlike Group, who had just arrived at work in the morning, checked the video his secretary showed him.
It was footage of the Newlike department store in Yeouido, packed with people.
“There are quite a lot of people today. Oh, right, isn’t today Beol’s pop-up event?”
“Yes. But the response is much better than expected. Especially…”
The secretary flipped through the video and showed a few photos.
“The ads on the department store walls are getting particularly good reviews.”
“Ads on the department store walls… Hmm.”
Jo Seok-hwan stroked his chin.
He never expected to see her here.
“Since when did actress Joo Seo-yeon become Beol’s ad model?”
“She’s not the ad model. The scheduled model for the shoot with Park Jung-woo dropped out, and she filled in as a replacement.”
“…A replacement?”
Using an actress like Joo Seo-yeon as a replacement? That’s impressive in itself.
Was her schedule just free? Or… was she just bored?
“But the response is great. Throughout the day, there wasn’t a single review of Beol’s new product that didn’t mention that photo.”
“That much? Sure, actress Joo Seo-yeon looks great, but…”
“Maybe it’s because of the influence of ‘The Moon That Hid the Sun.’ The story of Princess Yeonhwa keeps coming up.”
Jo Seok-hwan looked at the photo again.
Seo-yeon’s image with Park Jung-woo definitely had something that evoked memories.
He hadn’t watched “The Moon That Hid the Sun.”
Back then, Jo Seok-hwan was struggling with his wife’s death, so he hardly watched any movies or dramas.
“…Come to think of it, GH Group seems to be planning something big with actress Joo Seo-yeon.”
Was it “Mine”?
They’re even trying to cast famous foreign actors, so it seems like they’re serious.
I wonder how much that will pay off…
“It wouldn’t hurt for us to try something too.”
“Huh?”
“Recently, my daughter was reading some novel. It was a modern novel… and it seems perfect for this situation.”
Coincidentally, wasn’t that work also being considered for a drama adaptation?
‘The timing is just right.’
Jo Seok-hwan stood up.
Joo Seo-yeon is a top actress right now.
GH Group must know that and are trying to make the most of her while she’s at her peak.
From what I’ve heard, one of their directors has close ties to actress Joo Seo-yeon’s family.
“We should also take advantage of my daughter’s connections.”
“Seo-hee might get mad though…”
“Being hated by your daughter is just part of being a father. Look at actress Joo Seo-yeon’s father.”
He recalled Joo Seo-yeon’s father from “Golden Duckling.”
‘Didn’t he do the right thing?’
He thought so, but it wasn’t something to say in front of the chairman, so the secretary quietly bowed his head.
“Personally, I think it’s a good idea, but maybe we should wait until tomorrow to see the response before deciding.”
“Tomorrow? Why?”
“Because at midnight tonight, Beol’s official YouTube will release the making video for this ad.”
At the secretary’s words, Jo Seok-hwan let out a hollow laugh.
“They’ve really sharpened their knives.”
“The atmosphere during the ad shoot must have been that good.”
“Then there’s even less reason to wait.”
In fact, waiting until then could lead to disaster.
This is a race where the fastest wins.
Right now, it’s just a few photos circulating online.
The point where Instagram or YouTubers’ comments start spreading through communities.
It’s still a calm wave.
But if Beol officially releases the making video, the impact will be completely different.
By then, there will definitely be people reaching out to capture ‘the image Beol showed this time.’
Having already given GH a head start and suffered for it, we can’t let that happen again.
“Seo-hee said that actress Joo Seo-yeon only has one movie scheduled for next year.”
“There’s ‘Mine.'”
“That’ll finish filming by the end of the year. I know the director handling ‘Mine,’ and he’s a very fast shooter.”
“Is that so?”
Jo Seok-hwan stood up.
Then, holding the doorknob of his office, he grinned at his secretary.
“Next year belongs to us, with actress Joo Seo-yeon.”
He said that and left the office.
And that evening.
At midnight, Beol’s making video was released.
And the result.
[Beol <Park Jung-woo and Joo Seo-yeon> – The nostalgic duo’s ad making video]
[Views: 2,000,431]
Korea, Beol’s main page crashed as traffic surged.