* * *
Manager Ma tugged hard at her shirt collar with her index finger. The stiff fabric barely budged, staying sharply pressed. Gulping down her Aricano, she let out a complaint.
‘Ah—. It’s harder when I wear this after a long ti.’
Giving up her three-for-9,900-won flimsy T-shirts to put on a crisp dress shirt was no easy feat.
‘But it can’t be helped.’
She had to show that JC ENM had attached manpower of this caliber to Han Yeoreum.
‘She needs to look like soone who can grow even more.’
Manager Ma sat on the second floor, looking down at the darkened stage.
‘It’s small.’
Everyone else was congratulating them, saying it was amazing for a rookie to sell out a 1,500-seat venue—but Manager Ma felt an absurd thirst.
‘It needs to be at least twice this size.’
Without Kwon Junhyeok. As Han Yeoreum, not Seoryeong. She wanted to run a fan eting like that so badly her hands itched.
Inside Manager Ma’s head, plans were being drafted at a furious pace.
“Manager Ma!”
She was in the middle of assessing the completeness of her plan when soone called out to her.
Clatter-.
A representative from the Taiwan side opened the door to the second-floor hall and ca in. Manager Ma stood as well, greeting them. A businesslike handshake was exchanged.
“What do you think? Are you satisfied with the hall interior?”
“Of course. I love it.”
The Taiwan executive, who had readily agreed to open the venue early so they could look around before the full rehearsal, was all smiles.
“The interior is designed so that the first-floor screen is visible from all sides—.”
The explanation the Taiwan executive had prepared was relayed to Manager Ma through an interpreter. Manager Ma nodded as she looked down.
The wide stage spread out in a circular form, built so that voices resonated smoothly.
‘The perfect venue.’
Manager Ma decided she would secure investnt from the Taiwan side here today. She had finished the blueprint on the plane.
“Ah, co to think of it, our actor has quite a deep connection with Taiwan.”
Pretending to listen attentively, Manager Ma finally brought up the main point.
“, which was a box-office hit in Korea last year, is scheduled to be released in Taiwan soon, isn’t it?”
“Ah, yes. There’s already a lot of anticipation on the Taiwan °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° side as well.”
“With so many people coming to the fan eting, I think they’ll gladly go see it in theaters too.”
“It’s already being picked as a must-watch. To be honest, I’ve already seen it myself!”
Riding on its success in Korea, had begun pushing into the Asian market. Soon, Han Yeoreum’s face would be hanging in Taiwan theaters as well.
“If you’ve already seen it, then I can speak freely. will be entering production soon.”
As soon as she leaked information about a successful Korean film’s sequel, the Taiwan executive’s gaze changed—clearly catching on.
“This ti as well, JC will be handling both production and distribution.”
The Taiwan executive was surely running the numbers on Han Yeoreum’s current market value.
“If trustworthy investors join hands with us, I believe can achieve success as well.”
Manager Ma smiled leisurely.
‘So trust us, and invest.’
The image Manager Ma was aiming for—Han Yeoreum as an actress sincerely devoted to acting—would be solidified through film. They needed to leave a strong impact with her first observational variety appearance.
‘Just the script-reading scene alone will be enough of an impact.’
There was no reason for broadcasters to clash over this, and the public valued films far more highly than dramas anyway.
“We couldn’t be happier that you approached us first like this.”
The executive spoke smoothly, clearly testing an exit. Manager Ma waited calmly.
‘Moving the script reading schedule forward isn’t difficult, but....’
JC ENM was producing it, and distribution was theirs as well. True to a series production, casting for the main roles was already complete. They could start script reading at any ti.
‘The problem is the power struggle.’
If things went wrong, rumors could spread that a re supporting actor was getting ahead thanks to a good agency. But if the Taiwan side invested because of Han Yeoreum, the story changed.
‘The overall production budget increases, and scene quality improves.’
Money never lies. When money shows in sets, CG, and music, the flavor deepens.
‘The climax scenes with the lead actors will beco more refined.’
At that point, it would effectively flip—they’d be the ones receiving help from Han Yeoreum. It would raise the completion level of a representative work that would remain in the filmography.
“Investnt is sothing we’d need to discuss internally on our side in many ways.... The film itself was excellent, though. I really enjoyed it.”
The Taiwan executive’s response grew longer. Even with its success in Korea, recognition of the two leads in Taiwan was still low.
Investnt was never decided in one stroke, so the caution was understandable.
‘But if it’s Han Yeoreum?’
If Taiwan decided to invest based on faith in Han Yeoreum, they’d also gain the title of expanding the Korean Wave market with a single work.
‘It’s not about moving up the script reading schedule just for Han Yeoreum—this completes a much bigger picture.’
The Taiwan executive seed deep in thought. That was when it happened.
A pinpoint spotlight snapped on at the exact center of the stage. The direction Manager Ma had prepared began. Soone was standing on the stage everyone thought was empty.
The unexpected effect made the Taiwan executive’s eyes widen.
“Oh? Who is that?”
Because the face was turned left, shadows obscured it. Manager Ma answered, putting weight into every word.
“Our actor Han Yeoreum has a special affection for Taiwan as well.”
The mont the head turned from left to right, Yeoreum’s face was revealed under the light.
“She insisted on rehearsing earlier, even though we told her to rest.”
Even from far away, she was clearly visible. Standing on the stage, Yeoreum’s eyes sparkled as she looked around the seats. You could feel her gaze lock onto this side at once.
A rehearsal staff mber handed her a microphone. Despite the rehearsal starting earlier than scheduled, Yeoreum showed no sign of fluster. As if she’d been waiting, she greeted them.
“Hello. Taiwanese fans. I’m Seoryeong from Strange Tales.”
Yeoreum’s voice, introducing herself in practiced Taiwanese, flowed gently through the hall. The Taiwan executive quietly watched her greeting.
“A perfect introduction, wouldn’t you say?”
“It is.”
“With this video, Korean audiences’ favorability toward Taiwan is rising as well.”
Manager Ma cast the bait toward the Taiwan executive.
“This video?” he asked.
* * *
At this very mont, in Korea, real-life video reviews of Yeoreum were circulating.
Intube
[Han Yeoreum Departure Real-Life Video Review] 00:59
Views: 130,000
It was an Intuber specializing in “close-up real-life shots,” filming celebrities up close—not with broadcast caras, but phone caras—capturing them as vividly as if seen right in front of you.
[Teen Anonymous Board / wow ho-masters really over-edit lol;;; watching the real-life hunter video makes the difference hit hard]
So even preview photos from ho-masters are all edited....
-yeah obviously lol;;; they intentionally crank the noise way up;;
-I really want to see the celebrities who survived the real-life hunter up close just once.. they must be totally different from regular people
ㄴweren’t there fans of so male idol screaming about smashing broadcast cams? they all sward the real-life hunter dude’s video this ti, it’s hilarious
-I see celebrities in person a lot for my job, and the real-life hunter reviews are legit. everyone says the sa thing
What made Yeoreum’s airport video go viral wasn’t her departure from Incheon.
[the mont you see her you know “I’m a celebrity” — certified visual stamp]
It was Yeoreum arriving at a Taiwan airport. Surrounded by locals calling out Seoryeong’s na from all sides, the video gave viewers an overwhelming surge of national pride.
[her face is so small with those insane proportions I had to zoom the lens multiple tis trying to catch her]
Fans crowding in on both sides as Yeoreum stared blankly ahead made the popularity of Strange Tales in Taiwan unmistakably real. The fact that the background noise wasn’t edited out made it feel even more realistic.
[when fans call her na her eyes well up — blood-sugar-spiking visuals that make you want to feed her snacks every day]
As Yeoreum’s face drew closer, the video went into slow motion. It felt less like watching through a screen and more like seeing her right in front of you.
[those bright eyes making contact one by one while she walks — like a politician campaigning]
Their eyes t through the lens. Yeoreum smiled and dipped her head in greeting. It was a gentle gaze.
[sohow rewrites your mories like a n-in-Black first love you’re sure you liked back in school]
Those who made eye contact with Han Yeoreum felt as if the captions had pierced straight through them. Han Yeoreum looked exactly like an abstract, conceptual first love—soone who truly must have existed like that.
[one of the top 5 actresses you’d want to see again in real life — addictive visuals]
While watching Yeoreum fade into the distance, the short video ended. It wasn’t because it was under a minute long—the ti simply felt that short.
-thank you for uploading a 36-hour video
ㄴwhat are you talking about? I’ve been watching for 48 hours already
ㄴyou’re all wrong, this video is 18,263 hours long
ㄴguys this was uploaded yesterday;;
-but seriously, no matter how many tis I watch it I don’t get tired of it... custor, you’re just my first love
The likes and comnt counts were overwhelmingly higher than on other videos.
“Okay. This works!”
Manager Hong quickly grasped the situation. He scrolled down, checking the reactions, then imdiately spread it to communities.
‘Even without attaching Strange Tales or “Seoryeong” in the title, if the response is this strong....’
It ant that a sizable portion of the public had already developed a high level of favorability toward Han Yeoreum.
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