“Ah~ but still, no matter how much of a monster rookie you are, you can’t beat Jeon Ji-won. Well, everyone knows how talented Jeon Ji-won is.”
“Well, don’t you think so? Si-yeon should come back after growing up a bit more.”
Jeon Ji-won’s comment.
Jeon Ji-won smiled leisurely and glanced at me.
“How was it, Si-yeon? How did it feel?”
I was smiling, but I couldn’t speak.
Normally, I should have said, ‘As expected, senior, your skills are amazing, and I learned a lot.’
But I couldn’t say that.
Because, in reality, I was better.
This isn’t an exaggeration; it’s the truth.
If I objectively assess it after putting aside all my personal ambitions, I was simply better.
I forced a smile, but in the end, I ended up saying something I shouldn’t have.
Because it was something I couldn’t accept.
“At that time, senior Jeon Ji-won’s skills were really amazing. But if we’re talking about skills alone, I didn’t fall behind.”
- Oh~
The MCs and staff’s eyes widened.
They seemed to have caught something.
On the other hand, the three guests looked bewildered.
Sorry, but this was the best I could concede.
I was actually better. But I couldn’t go so far as to bow down completely; my pride wouldn’t allow it.
“So you’re saying that the skills themselves were similar?”
“Well…”
“Do you think you did better?”
“It seems like Jeon Ji-won is quite flustered.”
“Ho, hoho… Si-yeon, are you trying to throw me under the bus?”
Jeon Ji-won looked at me while laughing.
“Still, I think the role of Lim Yeon-ok suited you better, senior.”
“How about we try to see it again? How about that? Do you remember the performance from the competition back then?”
“Yes, I remember.”
At this point, I felt like I needed to prove my skills to calm things down.
Because that’s what my skills were like.
If I show them, everyone will recognize it.
And I vividly remember the Lim Yeon-ok performance.
I finished the acting as if I were holding a sniper rifle.
“Wow~ That’s amazing!”
“No, but really, you’re like an assassin. Maybe it’s because you’re the assassin girl?”
The MCs were in awe.
I returned to my seat.
“This is enough to challenge for a duel, right? What do you think, Jeon Ji-won?”
“Si-yeon did really well. I admit it too. Then, you can see who did better by watching Assassination.”
“Ha, this is great for promoting the movie.”
“Ah, how about this? Some might say that the competition between the two ended somewhat unsatisfactorily. How about each of you making a bet on the success of your upcoming movies? For example, if Assassination: The Final has fewer viewers than The Watchers, what would you do?”
“Sounds good~? Let’s settle this for real.”
The MCs’ suggestion.
It was a really good idea.
“Sounds good? I’m confident.”
“Ah, you’re bold. What about you, Jeon Ji-won?”
“…Ha. Alright. Then.”
Jeon Ji-won also accepted the bet.
The terms of the bet were simple.
A penalty that would take place at year-end award ceremonies or broadcasting station award ceremonies.
It wasn’t a bad idea, since it’s something actors occasionally do as part of special events.
Maybe we would do a choreography from a girl group song that’s popular at the time.
It didn’t matter to me since I was going to win anyway.
And more than the penalty, the bet itself was the most important thing.
For Jeon Ji-won, it was a bet where she had nothing to gain.
She was still looking down on me, but I would definitely show her.
And so, the filming of Audio Star came to an end.
After the broadcast aired, as expected, articles flooded in.
[Audio Star Movie Industry Giants Episode. Monster Rookie Kim Si-yeon and Queen Jeon Ji-won’s Box Office Bet?]
[The Newcomer Who Appeared Like a Comet in the Movie Industry. Acting Battle with Jeon Ji-won. ‘Skills are Similar.’]
[Assassination vs The Watchers Release Date. The Year’s Most Anticipated Movie Duel.]
[Audio Star Kim Si-yeon: ‘Jeon Ji-won is great, but our skills are similar.’]
[Audio Star Kim Si-yeon’s Performance of Assassination: The Final During the Acting Battle with Jeon Ji-won. Truly an Assassin Girl…]
“…Si-yeon, I told you not to do this!”
Jae-young cried out when he saw the news.
“Ha… What are we going to do?”
“What’s wrong? In the end, it turned out to be great for noise marketing.”
“Hahaha. Someone’s going to think we’re doing this on purpose to attract attention to the movie.”
“Oh, really? How can the MCs make such a move in front of a young girl like that?”
“No matter what, how can a 15-year-old rookie actor challenge Jeon Ji-won to a duel? Not just once, but twice. And to do it in front of the cameras of Audio Star. Hahaha!”
Jeon Ji-won and Lee Jae-jeong sighed deeply and drank their coffee.
While the two of them worried, Jung Woo-sun laughed heartily.
“Really… The kid doesn’t seem bad, but is she an assassin? Is she trying to kill me?”
“Honestly, that makes more sense. Otherwise, who would do something so crazy? It’s like watching Woo-sun when he was younger.”
“Ah… hyung. No matter what, I wasn’t that extreme.”
The two men laughed while reminiscing about the past.
Jeon Ji-won, leaving the two behind, fell into deep thought.
Si-yeon was definitely a monster rookie actor with skills that no one had ever shown before.
• To be honest, Jeon Ji-won knew that there were actors who were better than Si-yeon at acting.
But in this industry, works and fame aren’t only built on individual talent.
Countless talented actors had vanished despite their skills. Many movies with great quality had disappeared as well.
Jeon Ji-won didn’t dislike Si-yeon.
She could be seen as arrogant based on her actions, but in reality, Jeon Ji-won didn’t think Si-yeon was truly arrogant inside.
In some ways, she even seemed pure.
Though it was in a strange way, Si-yeon’s personality wasn’t one that would disappear because of internal flaws.
That’s why Jeon Ji-won wanted to keep her in this industry for a long time.
If she was properly guided, Si-yeon could become an actor who would make history worldwide.
“Ha… It’s harder to handle than I thought.”
During Audio Star, Jeon Ji-won tried to play a suitable villain role to help Si-yeon.
With Si-yeon’s manager Kim Jae-young PD around, Jeon Ji-won thought Si-yeon could learn and grow properly.
But Si-yeon turned out to be a very stubborn child, and eventually, an absurd result—the bet on box office performance—was created.
Looking at the result, it seemed like it had turned into noise marketing, and both movies would likely perform well.
From Jeon Ji-won’s perspective, Assassination didn’t look like it would lose.
After being in the industry for a long time, Jeon Ji-won could tell which movie would perform well.
The Watchers seemed like it would do well, but the most successful films had a certain unique element.
And that unique element was in Assassination: The Final, but not in The Watchers.
“Maybe this is the last chance. The kid is really stubborn.”
“Well, leaving her as she is might not be bad, right? She has the skills. Every film industry needs at least one actor like that to keep things interesting. If we guide her well, huh? We can make it work, as a senior.”
“Ugh… Don’t even talk about it.”
Jeong Woo-sun seemed to particularly like Si-yeon’s characteristics.
Maybe it was because Jeong Woo-sun was similar to Si-yeon in the past.
But that was also why it had been so difficult for Jeong Woo-sun to get to where he was.
Now his confidence and arrogance had become part of his character, but when he first started, he too had received criticism.
“Our country is too conservative. And what’s wrong with giving talented actors their due? If someone rises from the bottom and can’t hold their position, they should make way. Honestly, I don’t like the award shows these days. What’s with the way they give awards?”
“That’s true. These days, award shows aren’t even a popularity contest anymore…”
Lee Jae-jeong also agreed with that part.
Of course, Jeon Ji-won shared the same sentiment, but Jeong Woo-sun’s thoughts seemed too extreme to him.
The important thing was in the middle, and finding that balance was difficult.
“Still, Si-yeon won the Best Actor Award last year.”
“She should’ve gotten the grand prize, but she got the Best Actor Award instead. Doesn’t that make you expect even more? Even those high-and-mighty people at the broadcasting station gave that award to a rookie actor.”
This incident led to a rare long conversation between the three people.
One thing was clear for sure, though:
A massive wave was coming to the stagnant acting industry.
And at the center of that wave was a young girl.
The release date of the movie quickly approached.
Although it was her first lead role, the experience from past works made it easier than expected.
In fact, thinking about winning the bet with Jeon Ji-won made filming enjoyable.
While filming the movie, I also prepared for the entrance exam to high school.
The preparation wasn’t complicated.
Korea Performing Arts High School, Acting Department.
Though I had a slightly lower grade in middle school, it was essentially a school that accepted students based on their acting skills.
So, I thought I’d be able to attend the same high school as Ji-young without much trouble.
In fact, I didn’t really have a strong desire to go to such a prominent school.
But perhaps I’d meet Chae-young there.
Since Ji-young asked me to, I decided to go ahead and make that choice.
“Director, what’s the most important point to focus on in this movie?”
There was a special preview for The Watchers which was about to be released.
“Well, this movie is about action. I guarantee that you will experience an action thrill like never before. I promise you, there has never been an action scene in Korean cinema as magnificent as this one. Two hours will fly by.”
“You’re really confident. And Si-yeon, do you know that Assassination: The Final’s preview is also happening at the same time?”
“Yes, I know.”
“Do you think you can win?”
“Anyone who didn’t come here today and went there will regret it. If you don’t see The Watchers now, you’ll have to wait a long time until the release date.”
“That’s Si-yeon for you. I’m really curious to see how the bet between you and Jeon Ji-won will turn out.”
The preview ended smoothly, and the audience’s reaction was extraordinary.
I didn’t specifically check on Assassination: The Final, but it would probably be settled after the official release.
And after a little more time passed, Assassination: The Final and The Watchers were released simultaneously.