Chapter Text
The summer heat had settled over Seoul. Taking advantage of the clear summer morning, Seori immediately laid out her beddings after eating her breakfast, before sitting contentedly at the pyeongsang. That was where Gwangnam found her an hour later.
“Noona, Hong daepyo was calling your phone! Why do you even have a phone when you don’t bother to answer it?!” Gwangnam complained as soon as he saw Seori on the rooftop. His voice was loud, yet she didn’t even bother looking away from the newspaper she was reading.
“Why are you being so loud in the morning?!” Seori shouted as she calmly turned the page.
“It’s because she called me too! The constant ringing woke me up!”
Seori looked at him for a bit and scoffed, “Then you should have answered it immediately instead of letting it ring!”
Gwangnam stared at her, both confused and offended. Why did it suddenly become his fault? Maybe he should just blame himself since he chose to continue being her manager. After all, Yoon Jihyo almost scouted him during his interview at Biojei. But what could he do? The pay was higher, and honestly, being with this noona was fun—even if she was too much most of the time.
“What does she even want? Calling this early.”
“She said she wants you to review some contracts at the office today, and also—noona, are you even listening?”
Gwangnam sighed, realizing his noona was not even listening, as her full attention was on the newspaper she was reading intently. He didn’t think she was even blinking.
“What are you even reading, noona? Is Cha daepyo on the front page again? Well, he was always there since he started cleaning the Chail Group, right?”
“Aish, why are you so loud? This,” Seori picked up the newspaper and showed what she was reading to Gwangnam, “I’m going to win this.”
It was the entertainment section, Gwangnam squinted and read, “‘All Eyes on Yoon Jihyo as Daesang Award Speculation Heats Up.’ Oh?! She might win the Daesang this year?! It’s her second time—why are you glaring at me, noona?”
“You’re really focusing on that? And you consider yourself as my manager?” Seori mocked, clicking her tongue, “If this vixen is capable of getting it, I could too!”
Gwangnam said with a deadpan expression, “Noona, sorry for bursting your bubble, but that’s Daesang.”
He continued, emphasizing every word, “Not a simple award but Daesang! Do you understand? Daesang!”
“What’s so difficult about getting it?” Seori asked as she stretched her arms, “If that kind of acting can make her nominated, what more of mine?”
The confidence in her voice made him pause. It might be annoying to admit, but she wasn’t completely wrong.
Seori was not simply being arrogant. She knew she could act. At first, she wondered if playing Kang Huibin felt so natural because she had already lived through palace intrigue herself. The director and staff often commented that she carried herself as if she had truly lived in that era. Her expressions, her tone, and the way she controlled every scene made them realize that they needed her back for season three.
That was when she knew that acting as Kang Huibin wasn’t the challenge she was looking for. The role fit her almost too naturally. If she wanted to grow and be more known as an actress, she needed to become someone completely different. So she accepted My 99th First Kiss, a romantic-comedy, much to Segye’s dismay. Since it was her first lead role in more than a decade, everyone expected her to struggle, but she did not.
Seori had natural comedic timing and could improvise. Her scenes rarely needed multiple takes and most delays came from camera adjustments rather than her acting.
And, considering how popular Rain Shower remained even after all these years, Seori knew she just needed more opportunities to fully showcase her capability in acting.
“Honestly speaking,” Gwangnam said, breaking her thoughts, “it’s more plausible for you to win the Best New Actress, noona.” Gwangnam joked, although deep down, he knew that Seori truly had the talent.
“Ani, I could have both!” Seori confidently exclaimed, making Gwangnam’s eyes twitch.
A few hours later, Seori sat across from CEO Hong, reviewing the contract for a new brand. The office was quiet, and the only sound was the occasional flipping of the paper. However, that silence didn’t last for more than thirty minutes before Seori casually declared,
“I’m going to win a Daesang.”
CEO Hong’s eyes widened at her sudden remark, “What do you mean you’re going to win a Daesang?”
“It’s exactly that,” Seori replied, as if she were just talking about buying some fruits in the market.
“Seori-ya, you know I don’t have a problem with your confidence, but isn’t this a little too much?”
“What do you mean by too much?” Seori blinked, “I just believe in myself that I could do it. Aim high, as they said.”
“But can you aim a little lower for now? Maybe the Best Supporting Actress for Kingdom of Women 2? I pretty much think you’ll be nominated for that.”
Seori nodded, “That could work too.”
CEO Hong sat straighter. It was not often that Seori would immediately agree with her, “Yes. Exactly. Let’s just aim for––”
“Then I’ll just get all three!” Seori shouted, her eyes ablaze with full conviction.
CEO Hong opened her mouth to speak, but then immediately closed it. For a moment, she wanted to argue. She really did. But then, seeing Seori like that, with an expression full of impossible confidence and stubborn determination, she knew that there was no point arguing. It might be a goal impossible for others but for Seori, it could be a reality.
After agreeing to the terms of the contract, Seori headed to Biojei. As she had already visited countless times for a variety of reasons, she was already familiar with the building. The receptionist immediately greeted her with a bright smile.
“Shin Seori-ssi! I really enjoyed the latest episode of My 99th First Kiss,” she commented as she walked Seori towards the elevator. “Honestly, I thought the plot was a little cliché, but what made it interesting were the characters. They felt like real people. These days, there are so many dramas with perfect leads that don't even feel human."
The receptionist laughed as she pressed the button, “And the comedy! I’ve lost count of how many viral videos came from this drama.”
Hearing those words made Seori smile. That was exactly why she accepted the role. After acting as Kang Huibin, many expected her to continue doing Sageuk dramas because it suited her perfectly. They said it was the best way to make her more well-known, yet Seori didn’t agree.
She wanted to show she could portray someone bright and chaotic too. Comedy was not easier than dramatic acting; it simply required a different kind of skill.
As she walked through the floor of Segye’s office, Chief Son noticed her and informed her that Segye had just gotten back after finishing a meeting.
“Cha Segye!” She called as she peeked by the door.
The man who had just finished intimidating a room full of executives during a meeting immediately looked up. His face, which had shown no emotion for almost the entire day, suddenly lit up.
Chief Son, who was standing behind, sighed. He had seen this countless times. The feared CEO who could make an entire boardroom silent because of his ruthless words would immediately smile the moment Seori appeared.
It was honestly embarrassing. He hoped that he would be the only one to see it because the image of his cold boss would certainly collapse.
“Oh? What is the famous actress Shin Seori doing here?” He joked as he walked towards her, immediately engulfing her hand with his before closing the door.
“You should keep showing up unannounced.”
Seori raised an eyebrow, “Why?”
“Because I like being surprised.” He said with a boyish smile that Seori loved seeing.
She tried to hide her smile, “If I keep showing up here, you probably won’t finish anything and Son siljang will nag you.”
That made Segye raise an eyebrow and whisper, “You’re right. You’re a beautiful distraction, Shin Seori.”
Those words made Seori’s cheeks heat up, making her playfully punch Segye’s arm, “Sweet talker.”
Segye’s laugh echoed through the whole room. “But seriously, did anything happen?”
Seori shook her head, “Ani. I just decided to do something, Cha Segye.”
He let her sit on a chair before leaning back towards his office table, “Do it.”
Seori stared at him, “You won’t even ask about it?”
“I will, but I know you could do it.” His voice was full of assurance, not even an ounce of doubt. If there was one person who never questioned Seori’s decision, it was Segye.
“They might think it’s too ambitious.”
“Then, they don’t know you enough.”
That made Seori grin from ear to ear, “Then, I’ll aim for Best Supporting Actress, Best Actress, and Daesang this year.”
Hearing those words made Segye widen his eyes, yet he just gave a hearty laugh.
“Go! I’ll be there when you win!”
Neither of them knew a year later, the project everyone doubted would be the reason Shin Seori’s name would be cemented in the industry again.