By Zephyria ■
Choi Hong-seo Cast as Lead in Director Kang Woo-hyun’s
Choi Hong-seo, leader and actor of idol group ‘Layered’, has been finalized for the film
His agency, UB Entertainment, announced today, “Choi Hong-seo will once again greet you as an actor. As this is his first film appearance, the actor is working hard with both nervousness and excitement. We ask for your much interest and love.”
⤷garn\ / …Reporter, what kind of film fans? What film fans are expecting Choi Hong-seo’s charms…? There are many film fans around me who are expressing anger at this absurd casting…?
⤷kpop\ / I’ve been a Hong-seo fan for 6 years, and while Hong-seo is a good actor for an idol, he’s really not right for a Kang Woo-hyun film.
⤷⤷wing\ / @kpop\ Hong-seo hasn’t even been debuting for 6 years, so how can you be a 6-year fan? If you’re going to criticize while pretending to be a fan, at least show some effort by doing basic research.
⤷⤷123k\ / @wing\ Regardless of debut year, the casting of Choi Hong-seo in a Kang Woo-hyun film is an error. Did he ever even play a role that required great acting skills? The talk of stable acting is laughable.
⤷⤷hotp\ / @123k\ This is correct. Choi Hong-seo’s acting has been inflated due to choosing good projects and roles. This is an opportunity for all the bubbles attached to his acting skills to burst and reveal his true capabilities.
⤷txgu\ / Didn’t the competition for that role have a 900:1 ratio? They probably decided on Choi Hong-seo from the start and the audition was just a show. It’s pathetic for the other actors who prepared for the audition so hard.
⤷⤷skyb\ / @txgu\ People who spread these kinds of baseless rumors should be sued.
⤷⤷free\ / @skyb* You can’t know if there’s fire without looking into the stove, right? The casting is so nonsensical that people are talking about it. Are you saying Choi Hong-seo was chosen fairly after 900 people auditioned? Even a passing dog would laugh itself to death.
⤷93se\ / Kang Woo-hyun’s films aren’t exactly box office hits domestically; it’s all about the prestige of winning awards at international film festivals. Why would an idol, who’s already got money and popularity, be greedy for prestige too? LOL. Know your place.
⤷jong\ / I thought I misread the article and reread it several times. They say it needs over 10 billion won in production costs, did you compromise to get investment? I’ve been a long-time fan of Director Kang Woo-hyun and I’m truly very disappointed.
⤷⤷wkdd\ / @jong\ What is Choi Hong-seo talking about? He attracted 10 billion won in production costs? LOL. Honestly, more people still don’t know who Choi Hong-seo is. LOL. It would be more convincing to say he slept with Kang Woo-hyun. LOL.
On the way to the salon before a schedule.
Choi Hong-seo, reading the comments from the backseat, pulled the brim of his cap lower. His chest felt tight.
He knew intellectually that it was a process every idol-turned-actor went through when debuting in film. Moreover, since it was a work by Director Kang Woo-hyun, who only made artistically acclaimed films, the negative reactions were bound to be even more intense.
He wasn’t unaware that the general public, not just fans, would react with resistance, and he had prepared himself for it… but the impact was greater than he expected. Understanding something intellectually and reacting emotionally were not easily linked.
Feeling short of breath, he took two or three deep breaths.
The team leader-level manager sitting in the passenger seat sensed the strange atmosphere and quickly turned around.
“Choi Hong-seo, you’re looking at comments again, aren’t you? Hand over your phone.”
“I wasn’t looking at comments.”
“Have I only known you for a year or two? I can tell just by looking. I thought you’d been quiet lately. Is it really that hard to just not look at comments?”
“Hyung, if… someone was talking about you, and you knew it, could you just ignore it? Just because it’s easier to be at peace by not listening?”
“Is this the same as that?”
“How is it different?”
“Either way, hand it over, your phone. It’s confiscated for now.”
The manager stretched his arm out, reaching over as if to climb into the backseat. Whenever Choi Hong-seo got too stressed by comments, the company would resort to extreme measures like confiscating his phone. But for the current Choi Hong-seo, there was an absolute reason he couldn’t let his phone be taken away.
“I won’t. I won’t look. I just saw the casting confirmation article. From now on, I just won’t look at the articles at all.”
The manager glanced at Choi Hong-seo with a skeptical expression, and Choi Hong-seo, fearing his phone would be snatched, put it in his pocket while still holding it. He couldn’t give up on contacting Lee Hae-sung.
“Hyung, but… can you add one more acting class?”
“What? Where do you have time for another class now?”
“Just one more per week. Can’t you somehow fit that in?”
“The only free time you have left is after midnight. Are you going to ask the teacher to teach you then?”
“……”
“With your current schedule, even four classes a week is a lot. Are you only doing acting classes? You have choreography practice too. You have plenty of preparation time before filming starts. You can take more intensive classes then.”
“They’re saying I was cast without an audition. That I got the role by competing fiercely from the first round like everyone else.”
“Don’t you still realize that people aren’t criticizing you for your actual skills? Even if you practiced more and became a national-level actor, they wouldn’t acknowledge it. You just have to ignore it.”
“Even if I want to ignore it… I can’t. What should I do?”
“You’re really something else. With so much popularity, does the criticism from that small minority bother you that much? You’re increasing practice time to please people who dislike you. Why? There are countless people who like you.”
“There are some people whose hearts don’t work the way you want them to.”
“Make your heart work the way you want it to. It doesn’t make sense that you have strong mental fortitude in other areas but are weak in this one. You can do it. Choi Hong-seo, fighting!”
The manager, abruptly ending the conversation, turned his attention away from Choi Hong-seo to answer a call that had just come in.
Slumping back against the seat, Choi Hong-seo completely covered his face with his bucket hat.
Whenever criticism about his skills surfaced, Choi Hong-seo had always responded by increasing his practice time. While he couldn’t do anything about baseless dislike, he believed that criticism about his lack of skill could be changed through effort. Whether it was dancing, singing, or acting… practicing made him feel a little less suffocated. Because if his skills improved, he could hold onto the hope that those who criticized him would see him differently again.
The reason he signed the contract with UB was the temptation of being able to ‘repay his debt quickly,’ but he developed an attachment to the work while preparing for his debut. Enduring humiliation while being treated as less than human, being used as a tool to abnormally satisfy others’ sexual desires… that couldn’t be a profession. There might be people who did it with professionalism and pride, but Choi Hong-seo couldn’t.
Choi Hong-seo of ‘Layered’ was the first productive role he had been given.
Even when he became the leader simply because he was the oldest, he didn’t dislike it. Instead, he felt motivated and responsible, determined to make this team succeed, clear his debt, and escape from CEO Myeong.
Perhaps that’s why.
In real life, he had a personality that took criticism calmly, but he was excessively bothered by every single comment from the public. Since he started acting, the scope of public attention widened, and the stress intensified.
His life had been one of being used as a trivial tool by his family, at school, and later in society, but here, as the singer Choi Hong-seo, as the actor Choi Hong-seo, he wanted to be properly recognized.
Choi Hong-seo, who had completely covered his face with his hat, fiddled with his phone in his pocket.
He wanted to contact him. He wanted to meet him. He knew he was busy, he knew he had an important schedule tomorrow, but he wanted to. It was a Choi Hong-seo he didn’t know.
He pushed up his hat, took out his phone, and opened the messenger app.
Carrot Seller: The official article has finally been released^^
Carrot Seller: Lead actor, how are you feeling?
Me: I’m nervous ㅠㅠ
Carrot Seller: You haven’t eaten anything since morning, have you?
Me: I’m okay. I don’t even feel hungry…
Carrot Seller: Should I have them send some of your favorite things to the salon?
Me: But I really can’t eat right now ㅠㅠ I’m sorry ㅠㅠ
Carrot Seller: You can’t even eat cookies or pies?
Me: I’ll be okay about 5 hours after the article comes out. I’ll definitely eat then.
Me: I feel bad for worrying you unnecessarily when you’re busy today ㅠㅠ
Carrot Seller: It’s better to be honest than to lie because you’re worried about me.
Carrot Seller: Worrying about Hong-seo-ssi is also, for me,
Carrot Seller: like a boyfriend’s privilege^^
Carrot Seller: Thinking about you not eating anything until this hour,
Carrot Seller: it’s very pitiful, but
Carrot Seller: forcing yourself to eat wouldn’t be good either.
Me: I’ll eat as soon as I feel better.
Carrot Seller: Really?
Me: Really.
Carrot Seller: Good boy^^
Carrot Seller: Starting work.
Carrot Seller: I’ll contact you later.