Writer Im Jin-ha had reduced Jo Ha-rin''s screen time. Seoyeon didn’t know the exact reason for this.

    There could be many reasons why drama writers reduce a character''s role. Judging by Park Jung-woo''s reaction, it wasn’t something that happened often.@@@@

    ‘But...’

    Seoyeon wasn’t particularly bothered by the reduction in Jo Ha-rin''s screen time. After all, this role was meant to offset the image of Cha Seo-ah.

    So, she thought the current amount of screen time was enough. Although Cha Seo-ah’s image sometimes overlapped with Jo Ha-rin’s acting, it wasn’t a big deal. In fact, it was even amusing.

    "Seoyeon."

    "Yes?"

    It was around that time that Cha Na-hee, who played Song So-ha, spoke to her.

    "Am I... really lacking in my acting?"

    "...What?"

    "My screen time, it’s been reduced."

    Cha Na-hee said this. She seemed to think that her screen time as the main character, Song So-ha, had been reduced because Jo Ha-rin had overshadowed her.

    But that wasn’t true. There must have been another reason behind the writer’s decision.

    She wanted to tell Cha Na-hee this, but since no one had openly discussed her increased screen time, she couldn’t say it. It would sound like she was making excuses to comfort Cha Na-hee.

    "So... could you help me out a bit? I’ll do my best until the drama ends."

    Cha Na-hee was still an idol. When idols act, they don’t often approach it with full sincerity. After all, they have their main career.

    "Yes, I’ll help as much as I can."

    "Th-thank you!!"

    She was a truly upright person. She was probably older than Seoyeon, yet she bowed and asked for help, which couldn’t have been easy.

    Is Song So-ha really the main character?She has no presence, lol. You can only see her when she sings.Just make Jo Ha-rin the main character.Both the director and the drama writer have lost their touch.

    But even with Seoyeon’s help, Cha Na-hee’s acting didn’t improve significantly. Of course, she must have already received proper acting lessons, so it wouldn’t improve drastically overnight.

    "..."

    However, Seoyeon had many thoughts as she watched Cha Na-hee. She reflected and realized something.

    ‘I’ve been avoiding Jo Ha-rin’s character.’

    Acting in a role where she had to express love for someone else—honestly, Seoyeon lacked confidence in that area.

    When she lacked confidence, she didn’t want to do it. It was a childish thought. Even though she had always believed that she shouldn’t pick and choose roles as an actress.

    Seoyeon took pride in her work as an actress. She realized that her nonchalant attitude, thinking it was okay if her screen time was reduced, was disrespectful to Cha Na-hee.

    "I... I want to see you act properly, Seoyeon. Like in episode 1..."

    Cha Na-hee said this with a smile. Even though she was still being criticized online, she was a strong person.

    Seoyeon didn’t know much about Cha Na-hee. She knew that she was from a girl group, that the group would soon disband, and that she was the breadwinner who had supported the group alone.

    Among the members of her girl group, Cha Na-hee was the only one who continued to work until the end. Seoyeon thought she might understand why.

    "...Yes, if the opportunity arises."

    At Seoyeon’s words, Cha Na-hee smiled. And then...

    "This stage scene is really important. You know that, right?"

    Jo Ha-rin’s screen time had suddenly increased. Director Kim Pil-seok spoke to Seoyeon.

    "Park Min-yul will be eliminated, and Jo Ha-rin will take his place. This is the moment when Jo Ha-rin, who has lacked presence until now, must make an impact."

    In other words, this one performance in episode 7 had to make up for the lack of screen time so far.

    "It’s a bit of a tall order, but..."

    Min Se-hee said this, bowing her head. And so, the shooting began. Seoyeon watched Ma Yeon-woo on stage.

    "No way."

    More and more people were talking about the drama.

    In both film and drama, Seoyeon’s name started coming up more frequently.

    Lol, the writer of Dream Future quit.??? Really??They say there’s a new writer starting from episode 7? Apparently, the old writer quit after a power struggle.Wasn’t the one who reduced Jo Ha-rin’s screen time that writer?Lol, maybe they wanted the show to fail.

    Discussions about Writer Im Jin-ha were circulating online. It seemed like someone on the staff had leaked information. Or perhaps...

    "Hmph."

    Han Seon-ah scoffed as she typed out the latest article. It was an article based on an internal investigation at KMB, focusing on Im Jin-ha.

    The article title was something like "Power Struggles Among Drama Writers—Is It the Viewers’ Fault?"

    "Ah, this is too clickbaity."

    Reflecting on it, Han Seon-ah rewrote the article. After all, she wasn’t going to let Im Jin-ha quietly fade away.

    And so, after episode 7 aired, episode 8 followed. Jo Ha-rin had entered the top ten and met with Song So-ha.

    "Did the ratings go up again? How much?"

    "17%! Up by 2%."

    "Wow, this is crazy! Are we going to see a drama that surpasses 20% ratings after a long time?"

    In an era where drama ratings were generally declining, 20% was considered the threshold for a big hit.

    [The Chaser Surpasses 8 Million Viewers! On Its Way to 10 Million?] [A Positive Rebound for Dream Future! Ratings Nearing 20%]

    Then came episodes 9 and 10 of Dream Future. Song So-ha began to shine as she realized her feelings for the male lead, Kim Si-hwan. Meanwhile, Jo Ha-rin also had a chance encounter with Park Min-yul.

    This is so frustrating.Song So-ha’s acting has really improved lately.You mean Cha Na-hee, not Song So-ha.Aren’t they the same? There’s a reason she’s the breadwinner.I’ve seen her posting pictures with Ju Seoyeon on Instagram a lot lately.Are they close?

    Cha Na-hee, in her own way, gave it her all. As the female lead, Song So-ha, she was slowly but surely making her presence known to the public.

    Jo Ha-rin and Park Min-yul’s relationship is so sweet.Honestly, the romance line is so frustrating.But that’s what makes it good, you drama newbie.They probably won’t end up together.Honestly, it would feel cheap if she just switched from liking Kim Si-hwan to liking Park Min-yul.Yeah, that’s true.

    Discussions about Dream Future were becoming more active in online communities. As a result, the ratings continued to rise, and the number of views on YouTube increased as well.

    [Lamiell’s Broadcast]

    "Recently, I watched a movie called The Chaser."

    "Oh, it seems everyone knows about it. It’s great, isn’t it?"

    "I heard the same actor is in Dream Future, so I checked it out, and I was shocked."

    "I couldn’t believe it was the same actor; the performances were completely different."

    "...Honestly, I was really impressed."

    "Oh, what? You think my voice sounds familiar? Th-that must be a mistake."

    "Ahem, anyway, The Chaser and Dream Future—Lamiell recommends them both!"

    As these shows were mentioned more frequently in various internet broadcasts, their popularity continued to grow.

    There were people who hadn’t seen The Chaser. There were people who hadn’t watched Dream Future. But it was rare to find someone who hadn’t seen both.

    "Lately, Ju Seoyeon? That actress is everywhere."

    "I first saw her on a variety show, and I liked how cheerful she was."

    "But because of her image as Cha Seo-ah, she’s kind of scary. Like she might show up with an axe."

    "Pfft, true."

    With her appearance in both shows, mentions of Seoyeon were steadily increasing.

    [Dream Future OST Released, Dominating Melon Charts!]

    The OSTs from the drama were climbing the charts on music streaming sites, showing their presence.

    [The Chaser Reaches 10 Million Viewers!]

    And so, as The Chaser hit the 10 million viewer mark,

    "Hello? Yes, Director Bae Jin-hwan. ...Me?"

    Seoyeon received a phone call right around that time.