NOVEL NEXT Chapter 262
“Darn it!!”
Arthur returned to the hotel, irritably unpacked his luggage, and ran his hand through his hair.
Today’s meeting wasn’t too bad.
The negotiation between the agency and GH Group went well, and he got a great deal to appear in a drama.
His role? The male lead.
Of course, not just any male lead.
There was an additional role attached to it.
GH Group clearly had plans to make good use of Arthur.
“Hey, Arthur. When it comes to Eastern action movies, are we talking Hong Kong-style action?”
“…How would I know?”
“Hmm, you’ve been in a low mood since we got back to the hotel. Something happen?”
Arthur gritted his teeth.
By the way, the guy sitting here is Oliver Goodman, his friend and fellow actor.
He’s also the stuntman for Arthur’s action scenes.
Of course, Arthur can handle action too, but for dangerous or high-difficulty stunts, Oliver usually steps in.
They’ve known each other since childhood, and Oliver’s exceptional stunt skills are well-known even in Hollywood.
“…It’s because of that woman.”
“Joo Seo-yeon? Ahhh, right. She was completely indifferent to you. A very pretty girl.”
“Yeah, her looks are passable. But that’s it. Everything else is a mess.”
“Looks like you got hit hard.”
Oliver chuckled.
As he took off his shirt, his well-balanced, muscular physique came into view.
“Actors speak through their acting anyway. And Arthur, you might not have heard, but it seems the actress in <Mine> does her own stunts.”
“What? No stunt double?”
“From what the director said, yeah. They held auditions specifically for actresses who could handle action.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Arthur let out a bitter laugh.
He remembered Seo-yeon chattering away at him like ChatGPT.
Her slender frame and not-so-tall height.
Of course, she’s not short.
Just average.
Honestly, she didn’t look like someone who could pull off action scenes.
“Are they planning to slap on a ton of CG? How’s Korea’s CG level?”
“Not bad. I like Korean movies, and their CG isn’t too awkward. Of course, it’s not Hollywood-level.”
“…Hmph, I guess they think they can get away with it since it’s an OTT drama.”
Arthur got paid a hefty sum, so he’ll act his heart out for what he’s getting.
But the quality of the work… honestly, he’s not so sure.
Even if that fourth-dimensional girl can act as Stella said, action is a whole different story…
“How did other agencies react?”
“Similar to you. Most laughed or even told the director, ‘If you don’t have a stunt double, we can find one for you.'”
“What?”
“‘If you don’t have a stunt double, we can find one for you.'”
“Ha! They really went out of their way to embarrass people.”
It might sound dismissive.
Normally, Arthur’s agency wouldn’t have been so blunt.
They could act this way because, whether Arthur does this OTT drama or not, it doesn’t really matter to them.
Of course, since they got a lot of money, the agency wouldn’t want to break the contract.
They’d want to keep it.
But aside from the money, Arthur couldn’t care less about appearing in some Korean OTT drama.
Even if GH Group is at the center of Korea’s cultural industry, it’s still irrelevant to Arthur.
It doesn’t matter if they offend GH Group.
So, GH Group has to do their best to keep Arthur and his agency happy.
“But, you know.”
Oliver, recalling the agency that mocked GH Group and Korean actors, calmly spoke up.
“No one seems to think this drama will do well.”
“Well, of course. Has any Korean drama ever really hit it big in the West?”
“Romance dramas are doing pretty well.”
“Only for those who watch them. Same with movies.”
That’s the general perception in the industry.
Oliver acknowledges that too.
‘But…’
He felt something when he saw Joo Seo-yeon.
Everyone laughed when they heard she’d be doing action, but Oliver thought differently.
‘She didn’t waver at all.’
Her body balance was excellent.
He didn’t know about her strength, but it was clear she had some athletic background.
Oliver had been a gymnast before becoming a stuntman.
So, he could tell if someone had trained.
“I hope our agency keeps their mouth shut from now on.”
“…You’re quite hopeful about this drama, Oliver.”
“You never know. A drama from this small country might just shake the world.”
“Not likely.”
“And if such a drama does come along… it’ll definitely affect this one too.”
In the end, it’s a matter of interest.
Korean dramas and movies haven’t gained much attention overseas because nothing has really caught on.
But in recent years, their culture has been quietly spreading.
You could say the stage is already set.
If a spark ignites, it could blaze up in an instant.
“…If you say so, I’ll respect that.”
Arthur respected Oliver.
He’s thoughtful and has a broad perspective.
Purely in terms of looks.
If it weren’t for the burn scars on his face from childhood, he could’ve been a great actor.
Arthur believed Oliver would’ve been a far more impressive actor if not for that.
“Of course, as long as she doesn’t step on me on set.”
“Didn’t Stella acknowledge her acting skills?”
“Who knows? That girl’s been dying to provoke my inferiority complex.”
Arthur recalled today’s humiliation.
The perfect indifference of someone who listened to him with one ear and let it go.
It was the first time in his life a woman had treated him like this.
“Let’s see if she can do the same on my home ground.”
Arthur twisted his lips into a smile.
Seeing his green eyes glint in the light, Oliver shrugged.
Looks like the fire’s been lit properly.
Oliver knows.
Arthur is the real deal.
Though overshadowed by Stella, he’s the most intense flame Oliver has ever seen.
A man who could one day swallow even the starlight.
‘I hope this time it’s not boring.’
Oliver thought as he lay down on the bed.
He said all that, but he didn’t have high expectations for Korean dramas either.
As he mentioned earlier, the Korean dramas he knows are all female-oriented romances.
It’s just a what-if.
He was merely thinking of a miraculous what-if.
***
After the <Mine> meeting, Seo-yeon had some free time again.
They needed to sort out Arthur’s schedule before the actual filming began.
Of course, the same went for Seo-yeon.
It was like two shoots overlapping.
On top of that, Seo-yeon was preparing for a meeting about a web novel adaptation drama.
‘So many meetings lately.’
<Mine>, <Seoul Escape>, and the web novel adaptation <The Flower of the Imperial Palace>.
In order, after filming <Mine>, she’d have to jump right into <Seoul Escape>.
And lastly, <The Flower of the Imperial Palace>.
It will be.
Fortunately, the filming doesn’t get mixed up, but the meetings are all piled up at once, so I’m completely out of my mind.
“It’s a drama adaptation of a web novel.”
Web novel.
Seo-yeon has seen a lot of creative works.
Web novels were definitely mixed in there too.
Of course, there’s a lot about emotions that you can’t fully grasp just by reading, so she didn’t particularly read a lot.
Seo-yeon read countless creative works to mimic human emotions.
But there were limits to just reading.
So, the web novel that’s the original work for this drama is no different.
Her mother liked it, but Seo-yeon has never actually read it.
“Modern historical romance drama.”
Just hearing it sounds as strange as it gets.
If you classify it by web novel genre, it’s more like modern fantasy romance.
“Basically, it’s set in a Korea where the royal family hasn’t disappeared.”
Thinking about world history, it doesn’t make much sense, but aside from the royal family still existing, it’s not much different from modern times.
So, think of it like the UK or Japan, where there’s a prime minister instead of a president.
“Well, it’s a romance novel, so it doesn’t go into too much detail about that.”
Seo-yeon read the novel all night.
Honestly, Seo-yeon usually reads hunter-themed web novels.
She likes the straightforward action of breaking through and winning, or the process of the protagonist getting stronger.
But reading this romance today, it was actually quite enjoyable.
She’s appeared in many romance movies like <Dream Future> and <Gyeongseong Young Lady>, but the emotional descriptions in the novel were something you couldn’t get from just watching.
“The protagonist is the only princess of the current royal family.”
Her position in the line of succession is third, which isn’t bad.
She has two older brothers, and she’s the only princess.
The story begins with the princess’s engagement.
“The story revolves around an engagement with the son of a chaebol family who wants the royal family’s symbolism, but the female lead, Princess Hwaryeon, ends up getting engaged to a commoner boy on her own.”
A boy she coincidentally meets at university.
Not knowing she’s a princess, she puts an engagement ring on the finger of the kind boy.
“……Well, by the end, it turns out the boy’s father had a grandfather who had a long-lost connection. That grandfather was actually from a chaebol family, and the male lead ends up inheriting it.”
It’s like, why did it have to turn out he’s a chaebol when she could’ve just stayed with a normal guy? But considering the main readership is women, I guess it makes sense.
Even more, the boy doesn’t remember, but he and Princess Hwaryeon were childhood friends who met when they were young.
The boy forgot, but the princess remembered.
So, that’s why she so easily put the engagement ring on him.
“Two projects in a row with Jung-woo sunbae.”
On the other hand, Jo Seo-hee is also in <Mine>, so now it’s like filming two projects in a row with her.
Jo Seo-hee originally declined <Mine> because she was busy.
“I’ll do it.”
“Didn’t you say you were busy?”
“I feel like I have to.”
It seems she felt her position as a friend was threatened because of Stella’s rapid rise.
Thanks to that, Seo-yeon has been feeling like she’s frequently appearing alongside people around her.
“A princess…….”
Park Jung-woo muttered with a gloomy voice.
Today’s meeting spot was a cafe inside the broadcasting station.
The people to meet are the web novel’s original author, the adaptation writer, and the director.
And the two lead actors.
Aside from Seo-yeon and Jung-woo, the others haven’t arrived yet.
“Why?”
“Ah, nothing.”
“Isn’t it good since it’s familiar?”
“……Not really.”
Seo-yeon tilted her head at Jung-woo’s words.
Of course, Jung-woo sighed at Seo-yeon’s reaction.
Seo-yeon probably doesn’t know.
The interrogation he faced after the Beol commercial aired.
First, Jo Seo-hee and Lee Ji-yeon.
As soon as they returned from Japan, the two stormed into Jung-woo’s agency.
“Tell us.”
“Your reaction was very suspicious. If you come clean now, we’ll let it slide.”
Jung-woo felt wronged.
They’d have the same reaction if Princess Yeonhwa, Joo Seo-yeon, appeared, yet they’re only interrogating him.
“No, your reactions are different from ours.”
“Ji-yeon, well said. Right, we’re different.”
“How are you different?”
“We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“There’s also cases like Stella.”
“Don’t compare us to that bratty kid.”
“Right, Seo-hee. I only realized I was a Confucian girl when Stella said that to Seo-yeon.”
Since when did Stella become a bratty kid?
Jung-woo sighed at the harsh evaluation of a famous overseas actress he’s never even met.
Anyway, he had to endure a lot from his younger female juniors.
And when he got home.
“Ahem, Jung-woo. The commercial was very nice.”
“Oh my, Jung-woo. Surely not? If it’s something like that, you should tell your mom.”
“…….”
At home, the reactions were too easy to understand.
It was sad.
He thought he’d been managing himself well, but did they really have so little trust in him?
“I think I’m suited for princess roles.”
“You’re not.”
“Why are you denying that, sunbae?”
“What kind of actress says she’s suited for princess roles?”
Anyone hearing this would think she has princess syndrome, but Seo-yeon says it so casually.
Sometimes it feels like she has no sense of shame.
“So, it doesn’t suit me?”
“…….”
At Seo-yeon’s question, Jung-woo tightly closed his eyes.
As an actor, he couldn’t lie in a situation like this.
“……You do it well.”
“See?”
Seo-yeon immediately became triumphant, and Jung-woo held his forehead.
I must be crazy.
Accepting to appear in this drama with Joo Seo-yeon.
But since the Beol commercial was so well-received, the agency also wanted him to appear in a historical drama with Seo-yeon.
It has the effect of evoking memories of <The Moon That Hid the Sun>.
There are so many fans who want to see the two of them in a historical drama together, so it ended up like this.
Of course, it’s not purely a historical drama.
“……My head hurts.”
Jung-woo thought that and sighed again.
About 10 minutes later.
“Ah, hello.”
A woman with hunched shoulders appeared first.
Seo-yeon immediately realized she was the author of the web novel being adapted into this drama.
Because she looked exactly like the woman in the high school photo of Young-bin and Su-ah.
The woman who was smiling faintly next to Young-bin in that photo.