I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

“Thank you for adding subtitles. I was this close to deciding to study Korean just for this.”

“Heejae... T.T”

“The chemistry between Joo Junseo and Han Yeoreum is incredible. If the actress opposite Joo Junseo in 〈The Team Leader at Twelve〉 had been Han Yeoreum, I’m sure it would have been even more popular ;3 Because the two of them are dating!”

ㄴ Yeoreum Unnie doesn’t date anyone. Are you out of your mind?

The Hong Kong investors, checking the reactions, carefully tracked the public that had fallen in love with Huijae.

No one knew how not to love the short-haired girl smiling brightly beyond the wall.

This was Hong Kong.

A country where Intube was not blocked. At the same time, it was also a place where Korean drama streaming was not restricted.

Hong Kong had a website called Viuu.

A streaming platform available across Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, and at the same time a barometer of the Korean Wave in Asia.

Here, the popularity of 〈The Great Garland〉 was beyond imagination.

1st 〈The Great Garland〉

2nd 〈Strange Tales〉

It was a record no one had ever achieved.

Today marked exactly two weeks since 〈The Great Garland〉 began airing, and it was the very moment Huijae and Taeseok had just separated.

The site was crowded with users wandering in search of more Han Yeoreum works.

But Han Yeoreum did not have many projects.

〈Youth Disqualified!〉, which had only recently ended, had wrapped up so recently that it had not even entered overseas licensing negotiations yet.

“Having too little Heejae in your life is the same thing as unhappiness.”

“Heejae T.T Heejae T.T Heejae T.T”

The audiences in Hong Kong and Singapore missed Huijae without end.

3rd 〈The Team Leader at Twelve〉

4th 〈Top Grade〉

As Huijae’s counterpart Gi Taeseok, Myeong Jeha had only filmed 〈The Great Garland〉 alone so far.

Since Viuu did not yet service films, everyone going through “Taeseok withdrawal” had no choice but to remain on Intube.

Because of that, the one who unexpectedly benefited from the spillover effect was someone else entirely—Joo Junseo, who got caught in searches for Han Yeoreum on Intube.

After people came in, 〈The Team Leader at Twelve〉, a decently popular title that had steadily remained in the top ten, shot right back toward the upper ranks, and the new Korean Wave fans who ended up stanning Joo Junseo inevitably flowed all the way into 〈Top Grade〉 too.

The Hong Kong investors did not know what to call this bizarre phenomenon.

Following an actor’s filmography was the same for any fandom, but they had never expected even the supporting-role days of another co-star from the same project to be dragged upward with it.

Among them, the most popular by far was the project the two had done together: 〈ParCheHi〉.

Above all, because Intube was not blocked, it had excellent accessibility, and for Korean Wave fans who had a casual interest in K-high-teen content, the entry barrier was low.

On the Hong Kong investors’ screens, Episode 7 of 〈ParCheHi〉 was playing.

Joo Junseo, with that rough-looking red hair, was inside the auditorium.

He had taken a seat in front of the drums, casually playing with the sticks in his hands, and over that image was overlaid the scene of Joo Junseo rapidly spinning chopsticks in the cafeteria.

That one intense moment.

The scene drove itself deep into the investors’ minds.

The punk from 〈Top Grade〉, the delinquent teen from 〈ParCheHi〉, and the Joo Junseo they had seen in person just now.

Every piece clicked into place and slowly formed Chen Wei of 〈Faster Than the Law 3〉.

Even in the algorithm-fed videos, Joo Junseo looked as though he had been preparing for this very day.

He was spinning drumsticks even in Han Yeoreum’s 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 vlog.

Joo Junseo was someone who could move his hands so fast it looked sped up.

The investors no longer hesitated.

“Then shall we decide it as is?”

Someone spoke, and everyone nodded.

Chen Wei: Joo Junseo

The villain role in 〈Faster Than the Law 3〉 had been snatched by Joo Junseo.

* * *

JC ENM immediately pushed out the articles.

[〈Faster Than the Law 3〉 Villain Role Joo Junseo... “Sexy Casino Villain” Targets Women’s Hearts]

[Joo Junseo, “Something Big Is Coming” Wins the Role of Chen Wei in 〈Faster Than the Law 3〉]

[〈The Team Leader at Twelve〉→〈Faster Than the Law〉, Joo Junseo’s Trendy Career Momentum Continues]

Because the villain role in 〈Faster Than the Law 3〉 was the most watched seat in the film industry, it instantly spread across communities and SNS.

Everyone who remembered the days of 〈ParCheHi〉 cheered.

There were quite a few people rewatching it from the beginning for the first time in a long while.

And at this moment, there was one more unexpected reverse climb.

[1. A Letter I Write Alone] ▲3

It was the OST of 〈Youth Disqualified!〉.

* * *

“Wow, the timing is insane. Right?”

“Exactly. Why is our kid’s luck this good?”

At JC ENM’s PR office, Manager Hong and Assistant Shin pressed their foreheads at the perfect timing.

[The emotion shown by the variety show 〈Romantic Music Festival〉... It completely captured viewers in their 40s and 50s]

[We are, no longer second place... “That exact feeling of watching the University Song Festival” moves viewers to tears]

[We are passionately sings 〈A Letter I Write Alone〉, “Forever first place in our hearts~” earns applause]

The new-concept vlog variety born from 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 shook the entire broadcasting world.

It especially turned the variety division upside down, and the one that charged straight into that gap was KBC.

KBC had launched a new music program called 〈Romantic Music Festival〉, gathering singers from the past, and its comfortable vlog format captured the hearts of viewers in their 40s and 50s.

The generation that still preferred TV over Intube.

To properly aim at broadcast fixed-viewers meant keeping them seated in front of the television even now.

In other words, it solidified the “stable base.”

Someone naturally flowed into Intube through the stage video sent over messenger, and in the algorithm appeared clips from 〈Youth Disqualified!〉, or the 〈Youth Disqualified!〉 vlog.

In that way, the people who remembered romance once again watched the University Song Festival music and Han Yeoreum together.

Naturally, the eyes of that stable TV audience lingered on Han Yeoreum’s next project, which the algorithm displayed.

* * *

“Ah, I’m nervous, I’m nervous.”

Shin Seojin carried out his personal ritual in place.

Clench the right fist three times, then the left fist three times, then check today’s lucky color.

Mm. Looks like today is white.

He hugged the white sheep doll keyring to his chest and prayed.

‘Feels like it bulked up even more while I was away in Taiwan.’

The tiny sheep doll looked almost trapped against Shin Seojin’s huge chest.

As if his ritual still wasn’t over, Shin Seojin carefully placed the sheep doll on top of my head.

“It’ll go well, right? Huh? This is my first leading role....”

“Of course it’ll go well. Don’t forget all the praise I gave you.”

“I’ll never forget it. But it really will go well, right?”

“Why are you so anxious ever since I got back from Taiwan?”

“If Yeoreum-ssi isn’t on set, something just doesn’t feel stable. Ah, maybe this is a jinx too.”

While calming himself by gently petting the sheep doll resting on my head, Shin Seojin dragged Director Park over from nearby.

“So in the meantime, I changed Director Park’s wallpaper too. Double-luck event.”

“No way, Director Park too...?”

“Yeah. They said Director Park had been scattering Yeoreum-ssi’s luck all over the set, so... me too.”

Then all the staff nearby raised their phones.

“Me too.”

“Actually, over here as well....”

“Me too.”

Wait, everyone had Han Yeoreum wallpapers?

Director Park, who had walked over past Shin Seojin now wearing a somewhat calmer expression, quietly whispered into my ear.

“To be honest, I’m from a science background, so I don’t really believe in superstitions like this... but of course memorial rites are science, so those must be done. Yeah. You know what I mean?”

What part of that was scientific?

I had no idea, but if the director says do it, you do it.

I nodded.

“I just set it because Yeoreum-ssi is cute.”

“What waaas that....”

Director Park patted my shoulder.

Right. I really am cute.

Taiwan’s first love, and Hong Kong’s rising Korean Wave lead.

“Maybe Seojin-ssi rubbed off on me too. Without Yeoreum-ssi on set, it felt strangely empty. I think the others probably set it like that for the same reason.”

At Director Park’s words, something started to tickle softly in one corner of my chest.

This wasn’t nervousness.

It was anticipation.

“Director-. It’s about time for you to head out now-.”

A voice called for Director Park.

That meant it was finally time for us to finish preparing too.

By now, Shin Seojin was already managing his expression, wearing the face of a veteran detective.

That was fast.

I took the sheep doll down from my head.

As it happened, today’s lucky color for me was white too.

I had a feeling something good was going to happen.

‘I can’t lose either.’

Right now, this was the production presentation for 〈Unfair Trade〉.

I had been waiting for this moment.

“Shall we go, then? Our joy.”

Shin Seojin opened the door and smiled at me like a senior.

As I walked ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) down the hallway behind Shin Seojin and Director Park, it finally started to feel real.

Looking at the banner hanging in front of the door that read 〈Unfair Trade〉 Production Presentation, I took a quiet breath.

At last, the day had come to show our drama to the world.

It was finally time for Shin Seojin and Han Yeoreum’s true image transformation.