Chapter 597
* * *
There were not many people. Just two. That was all, yet the firepower of the premiere exceeded anyone's imagination.
Articles spread across the internet in real time.
[HOT/ The premiere is absolute chaos right now.jpg]
(Hong Suryeon winking while making a finger heart.jpg)
The reporters are absolutely dying over how pretty she is. If you watch the videos, you can literally hear them groaning the whole time lol.
(Hong Suryeon blowing a kiss.jpg)
Seriously, after watching all those awkward actors who just stomped down the photo wall, smiled halfheartedly, gave a lazy wave, nodded once, and went inside, seeing even a top star like Hong Suryeon putting in this much effort feels so damn good lol.
(Articles overflowing with affection for Hong Suryeon.jpg)
You can tell from the headlines alone how biased they are lol.
(Eun Baekhap making a finger heart.jpg)
And then Eun Baekhap showed up too... She's someone you almost never see at premieres. She arrived around the same time as Hong Suryeon, and the reporters practically lost their minds. Just a full-on beauty attack.
(Eun Baekhap blowing a kiss.jpg)
She usually says these kinds of poses are embarrassing and never does them, but today she actually did.
(Headline full of typos.jpg)
The reporter's hands must've been shaking so much they wrote "puppy-like beauty" instead of "pure beauty"...T_T...
(Edited photo placing Hong Suryeon and Eun Baekhap together.jpg)
Ladies... your beauty is the movie...
-Anonymous 1: LMAO "puppy-like beauty" LMAOOOO
-Anonymous 5: I'm dying. What the hell is "puppy-like beauty" T_T Baekhap unni...
-Anonymous 12: Hong Suryeon seriously seems like she has the nicest personality. The way she even made another lap around the photographers was adorable.
-Anonymous 28: Eun Baekhap honestly looks like a movie poster;; Is she insane?
-Anonymous 43: Unni, you're so puppy-like TT__TT
-Anonymous 76: How are their names even Suryeon and Baekhap? It's like they were destined from birth to monopolize all the beauty in the world.
-Anonymous 89: Fr.
-Anonymous 101: This isn't even rolling a six on the dice... She's just unbelievably gorgeous.
Several reporters were so focused on Hong Suryeon and Eun Baekhap that they completely forgot to upload articles about Heo Haena.
Management H hurriedly distributed the prepared press materials, but the public reaction was lukewarm.
Barely thirty comments.
[HOT/ The premiere is absolute chaos right now.jpg] (1298)
Compared to that, Hong Suryeon and Eun Baekhap completely dominated the buzz. Their famous fan photographers on Tr*tter got so excited they immediately uploaded untouched preview shots, and those spread everywhere.
[Issue Board/ On-site photos uploaded by Hong Suryeon and Eun Baekhap's fan photographers.jpg]
[Today's BEST/ Is it even legal for Hong Suryeon and Eun Baekhap to look like this today.jpg]
[Drama/Movie Actor TALK/ What is this...? I'm just... grateful somehow...]
[Neighborhood Chat/ My heart's beating so fast. If I'd been there I wouldn't have remembered a single thing about the movie.]
That wasn't all.
was a tentpole film.
Even the guests invited to the premiere were on an entirely different level.
["Heart Pop-Pop" — So Dami's lovely finger-heart photo time]
["The Scary Kid Is Here~" — Choo Gaeul pokes her cheek]
[(Photo) Ja Sokhwan's protégé, Director Galdaeguk, surprises everyone with an incredible jump. "Today I'll speak with my body instead of words."]
[StarCutCut | Writer Ma Eungyo: "Is fun?" enters the photo wall.]
[(Photo) Here comes another lunatic... Director Ja Sokhwan waves to the crowd.]
Real-time articles continued pouring in, instantly drawing the public's attention.
On top of that, the venue was K-EX.
The promotional displays still hadn't been taken down.
As a result, even though Han Yeoreum only played a supporting role in , everyone coming and going practically viewed this place as "Han Yeoreum's turf."
"What's going on today?"
"Didn't Han Yeoreum's movie just come out?"
"Holy... Is that why there are so many celebrities...?"
Near the enormous K-EX photo wall, it was only natural that passersby stopped in their tracks.
[ACT Photo | Kwon Junhyeok attends the premiere despite his leg injury.]
[Shin Seojin's smiling eyes steal countless hearts ( VIP Premiere).]
"Oppa Yoo Jiuk is here... He really is one of the three legends."
[Han Yeoreum's man, Han Yohan... "I'm here to watch ."]
[ACT Photo | I'm the real Han Yeoreum's man... Seo Eden's signature wink.]
[Hwang Boseok enters confidently with a smile that says, "I'm looking forward to ."]
[(Photo) Ji Haebeom's most perfect profile.]
Every single one of them was someone capable of drawing attention on sight.
One after another came industry giants whose names alone had become brands.
And among them were four absolute top-tier stars whose mere appearance elevated the entire event.
Hong Suryeon.
Eun Baekhap.
Yoo Jiuk.
Ji Haebeom.
There was simply no way the public wouldn't go wild over a premiere this extravagant.
[HOT/ People are saying today's premiere looks more like an Entertainment Awards ceremony.] (2353)
With all of them gathered together, nobody even thought about whether Heo Haena had shown up or not.
She was even left out of some lineup posts, yet nobody noticed. No matter how hard Management H pushed viral marketing, it simply couldn't compete with genuine public interest.
"God damn it!"
The head of Management H exploded in anger as the carefully prepared plan collapsed in an instant.
Their idea had been to use Hong Suryeon and Eun Baekhap to create the impression that Han Yeoreum was feuding with them, then repeatedly market Heo Haena as "the second Han Yeoreum" or "Little Han Yeoreum" to gain immunity whenever criticism arose.
Han Yeoreum did it first.
Han Yeoreum isn't even that special.
Why are you all so sensitive?
Who does Han Yeoreum think she is?
The narrative he had planned to use for quite some time had become unusable.
Slamming his fist onto the desk, the department head took a deep breath.
"...No. No. Heh..."
With this much attention even before release, the backlash would be even more explosive if the movie failed at the box office.
"After all, she barely promoted , and she barely promoted either... Then she just hops onto her next project like a grasshopper, doesn't she?"
Han Yeoreum—the actress who dumped the exhausting promotional schedule onto other cast members while only taking care of her own filmography.
It was the perfect narrative to build.
"Doesn't care whether the movie succeeds. Just hand me the next script... Wait. That's actually not a bad headline."
For , she'd left the promotions to Tak Jeongyun, a formerly unknown stage actress who had only just started getting recognition.
For , she'd left them to veteran actors Kwak Cheolsik and Yun Hyeonjo.
It would be the perfect frame: a selfish representative of the younger generation who cared only about herself and had no loyalty whatsoever.
-Anonymous 1901: Ugh. Everyone keeps treating her like a little baby, so she actually thinks she is one LMAO
-Anonymous 2014: Isn't Han Yeoreum already old enough to be a regular working adult...? LOOLL Who still calls someone that age a baby?
-Anonymous 2025: I've seriously never seen an actor this unenthusiastic about promoting their own work; Guess that's what happens when you're successful T_T
-Anonymous 2046: Is she the only one with a schedule? She should've managed things better herself. Doesn't seem ambitious about acting—just about money LMAO
Just imagining it made him think the firepower would easily double.
If they dragged fans of the other actors into the fight, everyone would end up attacking Han Yeoreum.
Especially since has Han Yohan and Jo Eunnara!
Han Yohan—the Grim Reaper of Romance.
Jo Eunnara—the icon of bad luck.
Their fans would desperately want to avoid yet another "it flopped again" reputation.
And Han Yeoreum, currently the busiest actress around, was the perfect target for concentrated attacks.
-Anonymous 2057: Please stop calling her Baby Melon Bread already T_T It's so damn cringey.
As long as the public grew to hate Han Yeoreum's nickname, Baby Melon Bread, it would be a profitable trade.
"If we play this right, we can pull it off before starts airing."
The department head swallowed hard.
Management H might even earn enough from launching their actress successfully to move into a brand-new headquarters.
* * *
"I said I just want to go in early..."
"Nara, no! Baekhap noona got way too much attention out front. We have to leave a gap!"
"What does that have to do with me?"
"If you go out now, every headline will just call you Eun Baekhap's cousin! They won't even mention your next project!"
"..."
Despite arriving before Han Yohan, Jo Eunnara ended up entering late because of Eun Baekhap's completely unplanned trolling.
...Damn. I'm the junior here...
Having been thoroughly "educated" by years of Eun Baekhap's fists, Jo Eunnara instinctively reviewed how many years Han Yohan had been her senior and whether there was any justification for a supporting actor like herself entering after him.
Then she remembered.
Oh.
He's here because it's his girlfriend's movie.
Right.
The relentless filming schedule and Russia's brutal cold had made her forget for a while, but Han Yeoreum's "real man" wasn't Seo Eden.
It was Han Yohan.
Figures. She suddenly jumped several tiers overnight. Of course he'd be uneasy.
As expected, everyone else might be fooled, but not Jo Eunnara.
Han Yohan had obviously rushed over because he wanted to see Han Yeoreum.
You can hide your expression, but not your heart. Makes sense.
Finally, it was her turn.
Jo Eunnara stepped out of the van and walked forward.
"..."
"What's wrong, Nara?! Why did you suddenly stop?!"
An ominous feeling washed over her.
"..."
She lifted her right foot.
"Ah, damn it. I stepped in gum."
"...N-Nara..."
[StarCutCut | Jo Eunnara waves to the crowd, prompting a flood of "We'll love our country forever" patriotic jokes.]
* * *
Heo Haena was hiding inside a bathroom stall.
Every loud burst of noise outside made her headache worsen.
What is this...?
It was the first time she'd ever experienced such a feeling.
"Haena, who did you inherit your beauty from?"
"Our Haena is definitely going to become fa-mous when she grows up! If not you, then who could ever become a celebrity?"
"I think you're the prettiest girl in our school..."
"Stop talking nonsense. The moment you debut, people are going to lose their minds."
Her entire life had been one endless series of confirmations.
There had never been hardship.
Only one moment after another where everyone adored her, cherished her, and showered her with affection.
She had always believed that was only natural—and that it always would be.
Even in an entertainment industry overflowing with extraordinary people, Heo Haena had been special.
A person born to be loved.
Those words existed solely for her.
What the hell is this...?!
Yet now she had encountered a moment that denied her entire life.
Between the eyes fixed on Hong Suryeon and the cheers for Eun Baekhap, Heo Haena was practically nothing.
Who Heo Haena was.
Why she had come.
What she was wearing.
What expression she made.
Who she was looking at.
What role she played.
Nobody cared about any of it.
"Okay. This way, please..."
Among the people receiving no requests for poses whatsoever, the staff member simply signaled that Heo Haena's time on the photo wall was over.
What should she call this emotion she was feeling for the very first time in her life?
This feeling of being pushed away from the protagonist's position—a place she had always claimed effortlessly while everyone else struggled desperately.
I'll definitely surpass you, Han Yeoreum...
It was humiliation.
Real-time screams continued echoing from outside.
Articles from the premiere photo wall were still being uploaded one after another.
[(Photo) Tak Jeongyun: "Today I'm not a nurse—I'm Han Yeoreum's unni."]
[Tak Jeongyun's radiant smile... "Someday, I'll be in a movie too." ( premiere)]
Only a month ago, Tak Jeongyun had been a completely unknown stage actress nobody had ever heard of.
Now article after article was pouring out about her.
She looked so ordinary that she could blend into a crowd of everyday people without anyone noticing, yet even the reporters who had treated Heo Haena with indifference were now showing interest in Tak Jeongyun.
The realization made her brow tighten.
Right.
As long as you land the right project, you can surpass someone like Han Yeoreum whenever you want. Luck never lasts forever.
Taking a deep breath to forget the crushing impact of Hong Suryeon and Eun Baekhap, Heo Haena tried to ignore the commotion outside and imagine a bright future.
But then a new wave of screams erupted.
The shutter clicks and cheers sounded completely different from before.
W-Wait... could it be...?
Heo Haena opened the stall door and washed her hands at the sink.
If her guess was right...
Then the person entering now...
...Myeong Jeha!
Leaving the restroom in time with the footsteps heading toward the theater, Heo Haena ran into Myeong Jeha.
The instant she saw him, her heart began pounding.
Myeong Jeha was the kind of man whose mere existence changed the flow of the air around him.
She instinctively realized that even if she gathered one hundred—no, one thousand—people who had doted on her all her life, it still wouldn't compare to receiving affection from Myeong Jeha alone.
She didn't even have to calculate it.
The answer presented itself automatically.
The reporters' cold treatment.
The public's indifference.
If she could just get close to one person—
Only Myeong Jeha—
She felt like she could forget all of it.
Putting on the timid expression that had succeeded one hundred percent of the time throughout her life, Heo Haena spoke softly.
"U-Um... hello, senior..."