episode_0205

Meanwhile, Yang Harin is burning with determination.

*Vroom vroom*—!

Sooa was inside a moving van. The vehicle was headed to Director Go Tae-min’s studio. She needed to get what she was owed.

‘The rating should be coming out soon.’

Sooa’s concern was still the same.

Director Go Tae-min’s work, when will the rating be released?

In other words, Sooa is frustrated!

While thinking that, Sooa suddenly felt a ticklish sensation in her head. This usually happens when there’s a change in the special perk window. She immediately entered the special perk hotel.

*Whoosh whoosh*—!

“Oof.”

Sooa stood in the hotel lobby.

Would the rating finally be determined? And if so, what would it be? Sooa looked at the perk window with both excitement and nervousness.

‘Oh?’

Soon, her eyes widened.

‘It’s out! The rating!’

The rating was finally revealed.

[Crescendo From Tomorrow]

▶ Sufficient Implementation of Elements ▶ Rating: Special Class – Rare [※ Surpassed Class 1]

“Surpassed… Class 1?”

Sooa blankly murmured what was written.

“Crescendo From Tomorrow” surpassed Class 1.

This means it’s the highest rating Sooa has ever experienced, which is amazing in itself. It wouldn’t be strange to throw a party right now.

But.

“Special Class? Special Class Rare?”

She was more amazed than happy. Why? Because she was encountering a rating she had never even imagined.

Well, she *did* imagine it. When it was Class 1, it was flashing gold, so she thought there might be something beyond that.

But…

Accepting it in reality is a different matter, isn’t it?

‘…But seeing it in person doesn’t feel real! Not at all!’

After all, the Class 1 weekday drama “Special Mobile Unit 808” achieved a viewership rating of over 40%. It helped create the position Sooa is in now.

‘But how great is Special Class Rare…?’

Ah, never mind. Sooa soon shook her head.

Anyway, it’s a hundred, a thousand times better than the rating dropping, right? In other words, Sooa is happy!

*Tap tap tap.*

At the same time, Sooa tapped her cheeks with both hands.

‘A rating this high means talented actors are participating. So, I can’t let my guard down. Prepare harder than ever!’

Sooa determination! Sooa passion!

And…

‘…But who’s filling Lee Joo-hyun’s spot? Hmm, I think I had someone in mind? Who was it?’

◈◈◈◈◈

Afterward, they arrived at Director Go Tae-min’s studio.

The sight of the conference room with the grand piano is quite familiar now. When Kim Iseo and Sooa opened the door and entered, Director Go Tae-min was already seated.

“Mystic representatives, welcome.”

It wasn’t just a formality; Director Go Tae-min actually seemed quite pleased. After that, greetings were exchanged.

“I don’t know when the last time I got a good night’s sleep was.”

Kim Iseo sighed and sat down.

Go Tae-min nodded.

“Tell me about it. There’s no end to cleaning up the mess. The incident was just too big. A married man’s affair, no less…”

“The impact is this big even before the casting was revealed, I shudder to think what would have happened if it was revealed after the project progressed further.”

“I owe Mystic a great debt. But I’ve managed to lay most of the groundwork these past few days. We can proceed quickly again once the final touches are done.”

Director Go Tae-min slowly changed the topic.

As if he had something else he wanted to say.

“Let’s talk about the story we’ve been putting off. I thought this was CEO Kim Iseo’s doing, but what’s this about Sooa being a puppet doll?”

Kim Iseo took a moment to compose herself.

“Director Go Tae-min, do you know about Sooa’s past projects?”

“Sooa’s past projects?”

“Yes. Starting with the short film ‘Sword,’ ‘Special Mobile Unit 808,’ and the summer special photoshoot, etc.”

Director Go Tae-min nodded.

“Of course, I’ve been keeping up with all of that. Sooa is going to play the lead role in my work, so I definitely did my research.”

He stroked his chin and continued.

“I also know about the external stories. I heard about it through the Right Path Meeting. Rejecting Director Kim Joon-gi, pulling Director Park Joon out of despair… In the end, you created a golden portfolio, didn’t you?”

“That’s right. I’m glad you know that much detail. It’ll be very easy to explain.”

Kim Iseo put strength into her voice.

“Director, I have never once intervened in Sooa’s golden portfolio. Sooa made it with her own power. By making her own decisions.”

“Is that really true? What’s the standard for her decision making?”

“It’s just Sooa’s heart.”

“…?”

After that, Kim Iseo continued with a detailed explanation to Go Tae-min. How Sooa handled the crisis, and how she seized good opportunities.

Soon, Director Go Tae-min’s eyes widened.

“…So, you mean she’s been making decisions solely based on whether or not it moves Sooa’s heart? What! Does Sooa have some kind of psychic ability?”

“Of course not.”

Kim Iseo shook her head and continued.

“It seems Sooa comes to a conclusion by combining very rational reasons. She doesn’t explain the reasons to the people around her, so we feel like it’s a superpower.”

“Ah, that’s true. It must be difficult to explain to others why she made such a decision. A genius has a unique perspective.”

“That’s right. Sooa is a genius, a genius.”

“Wow, a genius with not only acting skills but also insight… I can’t believe it even after seeing it with my own eyes…”

Sooa, who was actually listening to the story, scratched her head.

It *is* a superpower, isn’t it? I just got through it with my perks, but it’s nice to have it packaged this way. Sooa proud! The word “genius” resonates well.

‘Hehe. It feels good to be called a genius.’

Meanwhile, the director quietly looked at Sooa.

‘The insight to select a project, the acting skills to lead a chosen project to success, and the ability to cope with unexpected situations like the recent Kang Hak-man incident… I’ve never seen a type like this before.’

The word that Seo Yeon-joo is popularizing these days began to linger in Go Tae-min’s mind. Sooa is like a meteor.

…It’s too amazing to be the same kind of human, isn’t it?

“Ahem.”

He had a guest in front of him, so he shouldn’t be lost in thought for too long. Director Go cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“Let’s put the astonishment aside for later and start with a thank you. You saved my work, so I must repay the favor. What do you want?”

“Hmm.”

Then Kim Iseo smiled softly.

“Actually, what I want as a CEO is always the same.”

“Are you talking about appearance fees, after all?”

“Yes. I want Sooa to receive as much as possible.”

“Okay. Of course, we have to increase it.”

Go Tae-min agreed very easily.

But surprisingly, that wasn’t the end of it.

“But this is only a show of sincerity towards the CEO. The gratitude towards Sooa must be expressed separately. Sooa, is there anything you want?”

“Huh? Hmm?”

Sooa blinked her eyes quickly only then. To be honest, she was lost in other thoughts and hadn’t been listening to the conversation.

“What did you just say?”

“I want to do whatever Sooa wants.”

What Sooa wants? There’s always something like that!

Sooa didn’t hesitate to reveal her inner thoughts. Normally, she would think about it over and over again before saying it, but now her overload hasn’t fully recovered.

“Soomi seems lonely these days. I want to get her a boyfriend. I want a male arctic fox.”

That’s what Go Tae-min meant to Sooa.

A master? I don’t know such thing! For Sooa, Go Tae-min is just ‘the grandpa who brought Soomi.’

“Another arctic fox?”

Go Tae-min murmured with wide eyes for a moment. Soon, he burst out laughing. To the point where tears welled up in his eyes.

“They say a genius’s thoughts can’t be followed by the head of a commoner, and it seems true. I can’t figure out Sooa’s thoughts. Okay! I’ll look very hard!”

◈◈◈◈◈

Even two days later, the internet was still hot.

That’s because there had been so many “rice cakes” recently. In fact, the firepower is still increasing. Kang Hak-man and Lee Joo-hyun started fighting furiously.

[Kang Hak-man vs. Lee Joo-hyun, SNS Battle Over Affair… Lee Joo-hyun “Stop Lying”]

Judging that there was nothing more to lose, they were exposing all kinds of shameful acts through SNS. And to those around them, there was nothing more fun than a mud fight.

At the same time, like a seesaw.

The more they sank, the more someone rose on the other side, and that was, of course, Sooa. Star Catch began to seriously deal with Sooa’s response this time.

[“Where are you touching?” Lee Sooa, Summoned for Police Investigation Within Days. Mystic Says Absolutely No Leniency]

In other words, Sooa justice! Sooa implementation!

Since it was not something that would end with social criticism, the public authorities began to move. After compiling statements from Sooa and others, Kang Hak-man will be punished.

Everything was clear.

[Kang Hak-man, 8 Billion Won in Penalties? Lawsuit if No Agreement]

[“They said they’d live playing forever…” Aftermath Hits Lee Joo-hyun. No Room to Relax]

Now, it will be much harder for Kang Hak-man and Lee Joo-hyun to live than to die. Really much harder.

Sooa’s fan cafe and other communities praised Sooa while actively welcoming Kang Hak-man and Lee Joo-hyun’s fall, and the group chat room was bustling for the first time in a while.

[Deer: The internet is going crazy right now] [Deer: Is Sooa okay?]

[Sand Mouse: Of course. The situation is unbelievably good right now. You can see that Sooa has risen as much as Lee Joo-hyun and Kang Hak-man have fallen. The response was so great.]

[Deer: How did Sooa come up with such a response?]

[Black Bear: Hi] [Black Bear: Sooa, are you coming to the troop performance?]

[Deer: Hey, the older sisters are having a serious conversation.]

[Sand Mouse: Can Sooa go to a troop performance? She doesn’t sing or dance…?]

[Black Bear: No no] [Black Bear: Sooa is super popular these days. It’s not a lie, but we can win the war just by opening a fan meeting]

[Sand Mouse: Your jokes have improved since you joined the army.]

[Deer: I know. They say men change when they go to the military.]

◈◈◈◈◈

The next day. Mystic Headquarters.

Kim Iseo suddenly waved to Sooa.

“Sooa, come here.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Listen to this and tell me what you think.”

Kim Iseo said that and put white bean sprout-shaped wireless earphones in Sooa’s ears. Sooa didn’t resist, but tilted her head and asked.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Hong Ye-ji’s Netflix flagship project, ‘Untitled,’ has released the OST. It’s a song Sooa has to sing, so listen to it and see if you like it.”

Kim Iseo continued the explanation calmly.

“Actually, any reaction is good, but the more detailed, the better. It doesn’t match Sooa’s emotional line, or it’s a bit strange to sing. Yes. I’ll play it.”

After that, Kim Iseo played the song.

‘Hmm.’

Sooa’s impression was simple.

‘The melody is good. I want to put it in my playlist.’

It’s a simple melody that you can hum right away, and that’s good. It was good enough that if I accidentally heard this song in a cafe, I would search for it right away.

However…

‘Huh? Something’s weird?’

Sooa sensed something strange.

‘Why are there no lyrics?’

Yes, there are no lyrics.

For example, if there are lyrics like ‘The spring breeze is blowing─,’ the vocalist who recorded the guide is only singing ‘Ah ah ah ah ah ah─.’ What’s wrong with this person?

But soon she understood.

‘Ah, is this the lyric itself?’

It must be easy to sing. The lyrics are only ‘Ah.’

Sooa took the earphones out of her ear and nodded.

“CEO, the lyrics are simple.”

“Right. I didn’t explain the lyrics.”

Kim Iseo rushed to Sooa.

“Originally, I was going to attach lyrics through a lyricist, but I was curious to know what kind of lyrics Sooa would attach, so I only delivered the melody. Try adding it comfortably.”

“….”

“Of course, if it doesn’t work out, you can use a lyricist, but I heard that the settlement amount is different if Sooa writes the lyrics herself. Think about it comfortably. Comfortably.”

“….”

Lyrics? Asking me to write lyrics?

There’s no way that’s possible, is there…?

Sooa emergency! Sooa emergency!

The CEO tapped Sooa’s shoulder, which had started to sound alarms. The face always has a smile with it.

“There will be a practice recording soon, so think about it until then.”

◈◈◈◈◈

Another week has passed.

Now it’s really sweltering summer. The sound of cicadas crying, the main section of the stores’ stalls is filled with Sooa’s summer special photo shoot…. It was like that everywhere I looked.

Then CEO Kim Iseo brought good news.

“Sooa, Director Go Tae-min sent you arctic fox photos, right? Did you look at them? How is it? Did you decide?”

“No. Not yet.”

Sooa frowned.

“They all look so different that it’s hard to choose. I’ll have to take my time and look at them carefully.”

“Oh…. Really…?”

Kim Iseo unknowingly fidgeted with two large hairpins in her bangs. Why? Because they all looked like the same arctic fox to Kim Iseo.

But to Sooa, they looked very different!

That’s because I experienced the life of an arctic fox through the script. All kinds of arctic foxes are distinguished like human faces.

Then suddenly.

‘Oh?’

There was a moment when Sooa’s finger stopped.

‘He’s so handsome. He has his own atmosphere and is sharp. It’s a bit like Kim Sun-il if he was human…?’

But even if he’s handsome, I’m worried. I’m worried that Soomi will be hurt if he’s too blunt and fierce.

Isn’t that right? Is being handsome the best?

…I don’t know. I have to have experience with men to know.

Sooa soon quit worrying. It’ll be over if I ask Soomi directly. When Sooa whistled, Soomi ran and wrapped around her neck like a scarf. *Whirr.*

“Awoo rureu.” (Soomi.)

“Rureureuk” (Yes. Mother.)

Fur scarf. No, Soomi answered.

“What kind of man do you want to marry?”

“Marriage…”

Soomi paused for a moment.

“Actually, I’ve already thought about it.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Soomi said with a slightly blushing face.

“I like a husband who is fiercer and stronger than me.”

◈◈◈◈◈

Another week has passed.

Netflix Korean branch headquarters.

Kim Iseo and Sooa visited the recording studio in the Netflix building. It was time to practice the OST for ‘Untitled.’

There were quite a few people gathered, even though it was just a practice recording. From Netflix officials to Lee Geum-suk’s division. Everyone was just excited at the thought of being able to listen to Sooa’s song.

“What kind of lyrics did Sooa write?”

“I know, right.”

“I’m more excited about the song than the lyrics. The melody is so good, I wonder what it will be like when Sooa sings it…”

*Bang*—

While everyone was expressing their expectations, Sooa entered the recording booth. Her heart is pounding again today.

‘The song is okay, but I’m worried about the lyrics. I couldn’t write it at all, so I got help from Wi Ji-hye, but is this okay…’

In fact, Sooa did have her own lyrics.

[Sooa’s Song] [The ‘Untitled’ team’s staff are threatening me to write the lyrics myself without attaching a lyricist. Oh oh oh, a situation that always exists, Lee Sooa’s shoulders are heavy, she tries to write the lyrics while gritting her teeth, but….]

It was unanimously scrapped by the Sooa Association. Hmm.

─I enjoyed romance in my youth. Don’t worry.

‘Yes, yes….’

Meanwhile, instructions were given through the headset.

“Sooa, since it’s just a practice anyway, let’s get right to it. Today, let’s just confirm if Sooa’s color matches this song and warm up your voice. You know?”

“Yes, yes.”

After that, the song was played.

─♩♪♬

At the same time, Sooa started singing.

『The sky is still the same, but the human heart disappears.』

『I share moonlight and a glass and sing of the world.』

『When flowers fall in the cold wind, I sleep with my sword as a pillow, I am a traveler wandering the world. Who will understand.』

The people who were listening widened their eyes as if they were surprised.

“…I thought she would do a love song, but she wrote the lyrics like this? Unexpected?”

“She sings so well that this is also perfect. Adding meme-like elements to the lyrics and singing them makes it feel like it will become a hit on short-form content in an instant.”

“Ah, that’s right. Those challenge videos that the kids turn on and dance to? Like *TikTok*? That’s the sensibility.”

Fortunately, Sooa’s singing skills were beyond question, so people didn’t question Wi Ji-hye’s lyrics. Just as people’s mouths were open, Kim Iseo ended the recording button on her phone.

*Swish*—

She sent the recording containing Sooa’s song to someone.

▶ [leesua_ostsing_practice.MP4] ▶ How is it? ▶ Please give me your honest feedback.

Then, a reply came in less than 30 seconds.

▷ I just heard the first verse. ▷ Who is this? ▷ This is the kind of vocalization that would work in musicals too?

Thanks to that, Kim Iseo was able to smile. The other person was a musical director and a performance director.

◈◈◈◈◈

Two days later. A broadcasting station.

People gathered in a not-so-sophisticated conference room. The number of officials sitting across from Sooa and Kim Iseo was seven.

Overall, the situation is poor.

“Oh, CEO Kim Iseo! Sooa…!”

The other side greeted Mystic with excitement.

Kim Iseo waved her hand lightly.

“Don’t be so exaggerated. It’s a meeting that both sides wanted.”

“We can’t help but be polite. As I said on the phone, our budget is….”

The man handed over the paper with trembling hands.

Even Kim Iseo was shocked by the amount.

‘Only 2.5 million won? It’s always too much here.’

But Kim Iseo knows.

It’s not that the other side set this amount because they underestimated Sooa. In reality, the maximum budget they could use here was only this amount.

That’s how poor the place is.

The other side looked at Mystic carefully.

“We won’t desperately cling to you. You can leave at any time if you don’t like it.”

“That’s right! We’re used to being rejected!”

But Kim Iseo shook her head.

“No. I’ll do it.”

“Re, re, really? Then a fan signing event…!”

“No. It’s not a fan signing event.”

“Oh? Is Sooa doing something else?”

“The details are secret, but just set up the stage and sound equipment like when you cast other girl groups.”

“Yes, yes, of course. If you just come…!

It’s a poor place, and it’s an event that doesn’t make money, but Kim Iseo actively recommended this place to Sooa anyway. This is definitely an investment that can earn several times more later.

‘Sooa’s singing skills have been verified for sure. What’s important from now on is marketing. And this marketing is…’

Kim Iseo tapped the contract with her fingernail.

‘…Let’s do it through this program.’

This place is the National Defense Public Relations Agency Television KFS Broadcasting Station.

[Troop Train]

This is the name of the program that Sooa will soon advance to.