I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

〈The Great Garland〉 entered a new phase. As the story moved into its middle arc, Taejin forced his way into the narrative that had previously belonged only to the GiYeon couple.

Dark Second-Lead Protection Squad @s2ndlover

(Shall we go. myjoy.mp4)

Please please please please let him not be the second male lead

This man must be the male lead

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It wasn’t just Huijae’s popularity that had skyrocketed as she grew older. Taejin, who maintained a firm and upright character, was more than capable of stealing the viewers’ hearts as well.

[〈The Great Garland〉 Gallery]

[Analyzing why Huijae didn’t talk business with Taejin and instead went straight to Taeseok]

Taejin always wanted to do something for Huijae. Piano, books, anything Huijae might like, he brought it all to her.

Considering how Taejin sits beside her because he doesn’t even like his wife playing the piano alone, he probably taught her how to drive himself too. In that era, a woman being able to drive was seriously impressive.

So that’s why she went to Taeseok instead of Taejin.

If Huijae had wanted it, Taejin probably would’ve bought even the smuggled goods that were currently banned just for her clothing samples, and he’d have easily signed contracts for sewing factories he personally had no use for. But what Huijae wanted wasn’t someone to protect her. She wanted the power to protect Joseon people herself.

That’s why she chose Taeseok, who already had the conditions prepared.

Anonymous (17.171) Yeah that makes sense. Upvote for the sharp analysis.

Anonymous (3.15) Exactly. There’s no way Huijae went to a driving academy alone. Especially in America lol.

Anonymous (28.811) Holy shit Taejin is such a god-tier husband material TT__TT Only this kind of patriarch is the real patriarch.

The ratings ultimately broke through the miraculous 30% mark, and they kept climbing.

Not only that — every episode left viewers on edge.

— Phew... thank god... Taejin didn’t cheat today either...

— Seokhwan please stop baiting us... even if there’s just a woman near Taejin I get tense frame by frame like a crazy person

— TT_TT Taejin is seriously so good but what if his character gets ruined near the end...? I’ve seen way too many dramas where the second lead turns into trash just so they can force the main couple together... my heart is pounding please please

ㄴ My PTSD is kicking in

ㄴ 8,126,636 ruined second leads flashing through my head... ahhhhh T_T

ㄴ Watch your mouth. Taejin is the real male lead. That other guy isn’t even her husband, who does he think he is!

The popularity poll for 〈The Great Garland〉 wasn’t happening only on the KBC homepage.

Now the invisible offline popularity vote was about to begin.

* * *

IP 85.152 headed toward H Department Store Apgujeong Main Branch. Walking along in a midsummer long padded coat, they occasionally noticed other people wearing the same outfit.

‘Well... Christmas is coming soon....’

Christmas.

Even for people who weren’t Christian, it was the most global festival in the world. People casually exchanged the greeting “Merry Christmas,” and sent small gifts and cards to those they were grateful for — a beautiful moment that wrapped up the year.

‘So I should go buy cards.’

For someone culturally sensitive to trends, the basic rule wasn’t choosing the design you liked, but thinking about the other person’s preferences. Which meant selecting the widely popular 〈The Great Garland〉 postcards was truly putting others first...

“What?”

IP 85.152 suddenly doubted their own eyes.

“What is that?”

The department store hadn’t even opened yet, but at least ten groups of people were already standing in line. Several of them were wearing midsummer long padded coats.

‘Those faces look familiar...?’

Right in front was a woman excitedly using her phone. Standing behind her, IP 85.152 hadn’t meant to look, but the text on the screen entered their vision anyway.

@Eyeoreum EverydayIsSummer

Input: Is it okay if this auntie goes bankrupt today? Can I keep swiping my card until I pull our Baby Melon Bread’s random photo?

IP 85.152 quickly looked away. They were not the same as those actor fans. They cared only about product quality...

Clatter—

The shutter of the closed department store rolled open. IP 85.152 immediately started walking forward at a brisk pace.

Not to receive the first-come free gifts from the 〈The Great Garland〉 pop-up store.

〈The Great Garland〉

The pop-up store was decorated in an old-fashioned style. The pop-up name was printed in a font that looked like it belonged on the front page of a newspaper from that era, and posters styled like those hung outside vintage theaters were displayed everywhere.

After briefly looking around, IP 85.152 couldn’t help admiring JC ENM.

‘There are two versions?’

Almost every product existed in both black-and-white and color.

‘These bastards... they used the fact that most of the merchandise is printed goods... since they can’t set the price too high, they’re making people buy multiple versions....’

But IP 85.152 was a rational consumer. They had absolutely no intention of falling for the commercial schemes of companies like JC ENM and KBC.

Since Christmas gifts should include a simple card, they picked up postcard sets. One corner of their room felt empty, so posters that seemed suitable for interior decoration. They’d always wanted to start copying famous quotes as a hobby in the new year, so the famous-line paperweights were necessary. A classic design file case perfect for storing documents. A crookedly written memo pad that said “Don’t lose me.” A pear blossom grip-tok they happened to need, and a flesh-colored rose grip-tok. Keyrings designed like nameplates written in Chinese characters for Gi Taeseok, Yeon Huijae, and Lee Taejin...

Anyway, they were useful items that you’d eventually use if you bought them.

“How much is it?”

“It’s 139,800 won in total.”

“Um, I’m not really sure, but that photo... card? thing... you know?”

“Yes! We’re giving away a four-cut photo.”

IP 85.152 wasn’t the type to refuse something that was being given for free. So they accepted the gift the employee handed over.

“You can’t see what’s inside?”

“Ah, they’re random and we only have a limited quantity, so it’s difficult for us to exchange them. We appreciate your understanding.”

“That makes sense. It’s fine.”

Holding the shopping bag, IP 85.152 turned away and quickly tore open the envelope.

Inside—

“Ah! Eun Baekhap!”

“Pardon?”

Number 3. A four-cut photo of adult Taeseok and adult Huijae.

IP 85.152 glanced around for a moment.

“Please line up in two rows!”

At some point, a line had already formed for the 〈The Great Garland〉 pop-up.

IP 85.152 instinctively realized something.

‘...At this rate, the giveaway stock might run out?’

The four-cut photos could be completely gone before the pop-up period ended.

Since expressing gratitude and greetings in everyday life was an important virtue of a cultured person, IP 85.152 picked up several more goods including another postcard set.

Anyway, they were useful things you’d end up using if you bought them.

Really.

“...How much?”

“That will be 98,000 won. If you purchase just 2,000 won more, you’ll also receive today’s giveaway—”

“I’ll take this too.”

After pulling a Han Yeoreum–Myeong Jeha four-cut photo, IP 85.152 walked out of the pop-up store and saw the long line filling the entire area in front.

* * *

“Ah...”

So this... is the taste of a rising actor...?

[〈The Great Garland〉 truly ‘great’ in scale... daily visitors “astonishing numbers~”]

[Insane popularity of 〈The Great Garland〉, breaking through the Christmas rush to rank #1 in pop-up sales]

[From “Joseon scum controversy” to national drama... “Give me Garland goods” ⎜〈The Great Garland〉]

I stared at the flood of articles and couldn’t help admiring it. I never imagined I’d feel the drama’s popularity so vividly.

Thanks to JC pulling some strings, many articles used still cuts of me and Myeong Jeha as their main image.

‘Not Eun Baekhap and Ji Haebeom!’

Let me correct that.

I’m not just a rising actor.

I’m experiencing the taste of being a rising popular actor.

Photos of fans lined up at the department store for the 〈The Great Garland〉 pop-up were spreading everywhere.

“Waiting time is an hour...?”

Among all the mentions, the most talked-about item was still the four-cut photo of Yeon Huijae and Gi Taeseok. That just showed how impactful the child actors had been.

[HOT / Garland pop-up reviews coming in now.jpg]

(receipt proof.jpg)

Showing the love-line war with receipts

(Gi Taeseok dog tag.jpg)

Honestly this should basically be limited to one per person

(postcard set.jpg)

Everyone’s buying both the color and black-and-white versions

(poster.jpg)

People are demanding larger versions

(four-cut photo.jpg)

The child Taeseok–Huijae ones already have resale premiums lol

Anonymous1: I went too lol (Garland waiting line.jpg) If you’re going, go early. I warned you.

ㄴ Anonymous3: Holy shit that line is insane

Anonymous10: The name keyrings are so pretty TT_TT Huijae!!!

Anonymous18: Won’t they release this online? T_T I live outside Seoul

ㄴ Anonymous26: They keep selling out already... maybe online later?

Anonymous88: I collected all the four-cut photos v( ・ ◡ ・ )v (proof.jpg)

ㄴ Anonymous101: Holy shit are you a billionaire?

I read every single review that came up.

From posts on my fan café Summer Day to everything on Triter.

[Members Only ⎜ I went to the Garland pop-up too~ small proof, hehe]

I wanted the goods so badly while watching the broadcast T_T I’m really glad I got in before things sold out. Seeing the line in front made my heart pound...

Now I’ve hung the poster in my room and I’m addicted to looking at our actor’s face (^ω^)

‘Our actor....’

It’s a nickname I should be used to by now, but it still feels a little strange. There’s a distance to it.

‘Say my actor instead.’

Add a heart and say my actor♥. Because I’ll forever belong to Summer Day’s...

“Hey. Han Yeoreum.”

A chilling voice suddenly came from somewhere.

“You came early and you’re holding your phone instead of a guitar?”

This was the 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 band rehearsal room. At some point Choo Gaeul had approached, holding a drumstick like a disciplinary rod.

“Hey! Han Yeoreum! Get over here!”

“Put that down before we talk! Wait! Gaeul!”

* * *

Muaaang @maaaaang

Looking to trade Taeseok–Huijae four-cut photo

I have Haebeom–Baekhap

♥︎ Want Jeha–Yeoreum

#TheGreatGarland #Garland #GiYeonCouple

Eun Baekhap doubted her own eyes.

“...” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Next to Eun Baekhap’s name, the word “trade” was plastered everywhere.

“...Does this even make sense?”

No matter how hard she tried to regain her rationality, it wasn’t easy.

“They’re trading... me... for her...?”

Even worse, it seemed easier to trade Han Yeoreum for Eun Baekhap, but difficult to trade Eun Baekhap for Han Yeoreum.

Muaaang @maaaaang

Buying Jeha–Yeoreum four-cut photo. Name your price please! T_T

She couldn’t believe it. Even if the career she had built over the years collapsed, it wouldn’t shock her this much.

“I... with that...?”

She couldn’t even finish her sentence. Even trying to hide her emotions, she couldn’t stop her heart from pounding violently.

A child actor with barely four episodes.

And even that final appearance had its last ten minutes cut short.

Yet that person was standing on equal footing with Eun Baekhap — perhaps even exerting greater influence.

Her fingertips trembled.

“Fuck, seriously, this is so fucking ridiculous...”

Eun Baekhap was the one traveling between Jinhae and Jeju, changing clothes dozens of times and exhausting herself filming.

Meanwhile Han Yeoreum filmed comfortably on a set and still generated this level of buzz.

“I... with that...?”

Her voice shook with anger.

After closing her eyes for a moment, Eun Baekhap recalled something.

Emotion was emotion.

Work was work.

It was time to film.

She mentally reviewed the script filled with analysis notes again and again before opening her eyes.

“I can’t keep getting devoured like this.”

If Han Yeoreum was devouring Eun Baekhap’s public popularity...

Then Eun Baekhap ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) would simply devour something that belonged to Han Yeoreum.

* * *

Director Ja, holding a megaphone, looked at Eun Baekhap’s face.

She was an actress who had become famous the moment she debuted.

Even just standing silently in front of the camera checking her blocking made it impossible to look away.

The pure aura of a single person.

That alone drew everyone’s attention.

Today’s scene required heavy CG despite being filmed in the middle of winter. It would undoubtedly become one of the most memorable scenes in 〈The Great Garland〉.

“Ready!”

At this moment Eun Baekhap was probably extremely exhausted. As soon as Episode 2 aired, investors had flooded in, increasing the number of filming locations.

Changing locations every scene increased immersion for viewers — but it also drastically increased the actors’ fatigue.

‘Especially since Eun Baekhap is playing a character whose child actor left such a huge impression.’

The staff had begun watching her carefully, worried something might be wrong with the lead actress’s condition.

“Action!”

The moment Director Ja gave the signal, Eun Baekhap and Ji Haebeom became Yeon Huijae and Gi Taeseok.

‘Look at that.’

Watching Eun Baekhap through the monitor, Director Ja shifted his gaze.

Not to the nearby monitor.

But to look directly at Eun Baekhap with his own eyes.

‘Interesting.’

Sometimes unforgettable memories bring people back to that exact moment.

As if they are still living in that time.

“...Okay.”

With her natural sensitivity, Eun Baekhap had found her breakthrough.

If Han Yeoreum had imitated Eun Baekhap’s voice projection—

Then Eun Baekhap was imitating the expression of the young Huijae.

As if they were truly the same person.

So that the Huijae the viewers had loved would feel not like a memory of the past...

But like someone standing right in front of them now.

Eun Baekhap was trying to make even Huijae of the past her own.