"When did that happen?"
Han Ga in didn't know much about these things. She was a very willful girl, and this wasn't mainly about her personality, but her career.
You couldn't find a second actress in all of Korea as free-spirited as her.
Who would dare to suddenly temporarily withdraw from the industry after a hit drama, announce marriage and childbirth, and then be silent for several years? The key was that this kind of operation wasn't just a one-off; after starring in the massively popular drama "Moon Embracing the Sun" in 2012, she disappeared for another five years.
"A few days ago, I happened to run into him at the company and asked," Han Hyo-joo said after thinking for a moment.
She wasn't a fool either. Following this trajectory, Kwon Hyuk getting into the company with Park Jun-jung's help was almost a sure thing. It was just a small favor for her to lend a hand.
Kwon Hyuk happened to fit the company's development strategy and was also a trustworthy person.
Indeed, having Park Jun-jung, a relative working within the company, was a huge bonus point for Kwon Hyuk. This wasn't about so-called nepotism snatching resources; that was secondary.
Rather, with this connection, the possibility of Kwon Hyuk breaking his contract and running away after being nurtured was greatly reduced.
Nobody wanted to see someone they had painstakingly promoted go to waste.
New-generation actors have great development potential once they gain momentum, and everyone wants a piece of the pie.
"No wonder."
Han Ga in nodded, then no longer paid it any mind.
The topic of Kwon Hyuk circulated among them a few times before ending. No matter how much was said or thought, Kwon Hyuk was currently just a rookie actor.
...
Ever since Han Hyo-joo sent the coffee truck, the atmosphere on set changed again.
In reality, except for the behind-the-scenes creative team, such as the director, screenwriter, and producer, who somewhat knew his background, most of the crew actually didn't know his background.
Now that Han Hyo-joo's coffee arrived, Kwon Hyuk could feel a subtle change in the attitude of the crew members.
The specifics don't need much description; in any case, Kwon Hyuk felt more comfortable.
As he sat leisurely under a parasol, scrolling through his phone, he saw Kim Ro-woon, the male lead who had just finished filming. His thoughts turned, and he got up to go find him.
After spending some time together, the two, as main characters, had naturally become quite familiar. They were both young people and not so formal.
"Let's all get together for a meal sometime soon. I don't think we've had a cast dinner yet, have we?" Kwon Hyuk suggested.
Kim Ro-woon nodded upon hearing this. "Of course, when?"
"Anytime is fine," Kwon Hyuk said casually.
The two chatted casually, and as they talked, the topic drifted to male-female relationships.
"I'm very curious, are there any idols who are already dating?" Kwon Hyuk asked casually.
"Whose do you want to know about?" Kim Ro-woon asked back, seeing his interest. It was only because the two of them were close now; otherwise, he wouldn't discuss such gossip about others with outsiders.
"Anyone, especially those that are unexpected," Kwon Hyuk asked, as there wasn't much to do during filming, making it a good pastime.
"Park Ji-hyo," Kim Ro-woon thought for a moment, remembering that he had said he liked Twice.
"Her? The one from Twice?" Kwon Hyuk was surprised and asked curiously.
"That's right, and Kang Daniel," Kim Ro-woon nodded and added.
"How do you know?"
"Think about it, many people pursue them, and when faced with acquaintances they can't just casually refuse, they can only say they have a boyfriend."
Kim Ro-woon spoke very realistically. Some things, even if you want to keep them secret, can't truly be hidden forever. But luckily, they only circulated within the industry, as everyone was in the same situation.
"Then does Tzuyu have a boyfriend?" Kwon Hyuk pressed, not having any particular feelings about Park Ji-hyo, so he didn't care, instead asking about others.
"No," Kim Ro-woon shook his head.
"What about Sana?" he asked again.
"Not either."
"Then I'm relieved," Kwon Hyuk said with a big, carefree smile.
"Relieved about what?"
Hearing this, Kim Ro-woon was very curious. "Are you planning to pursue Tzuyu? Or Sana?"
"Just a fan's curiosity, after all, it's painful when your idol dates," Kwon Hyuk joked, his expression unconcerned, but then he changed the subject.
"If Ro-woon Hyung can help me arrange a meeting, that would be great too. We could have a meal together and chat."
"I'm not very close with them, especially Tzuyu; I haven't even said a single word to her."
SF, Kim Ro-woon's group, had several comebacks that coincided, so they knew each other, but he was only familiar with the more outgoing and social members among them.
"If it's Ji Hyo, there's no problem, but aren't you looking for Lee Naeun? She's more familiar."
Hearing this, Kwon Hyuk turned his head to look for Lee Naeun, who he didn't know if she was on set, but seeing no sign of her, he turned back.
"Ji Hyo is fine too, I'm not picky."
What do you mean? Not picky about what?
Kim Ro-woon really wanted to complain about him, but after thinking about it, he decided against it and instead said, "Well, we'll see. You wait for my news recently."
"If you want to pursue one of them, you need to consider it carefully."
"Many people are really pursuing them," Kim Ro-woon emphasized again.
As the saying goes, idols are all young people; there's no fan filter or halo. There are many instances of top boy group members dating minor internet celebrities, and even more unexpected pairings.
"I didn't say I was pursuing anyone, just making friends first," Kwon Hyuk said with a laugh, not taking it to heart.
In life, you always need to find things to adjust your mood. Haven't you seen so many celebrities committing suicide in the Korean entertainment industry? You always need to find an outlet.
Kim Ro-woon shrugged, but looking at his strong-hearted demeanor, he thought of the recent controversy over audition rigging and asked him, "Have you seen the news? Everything's gone haywire because of the show."
He wondered if his heart was just that big, not caring at all.
"What am I afraid of? If I had debuted in the group, I might be afraid of the group disbanding because of this, but I didn't make it," Kwon Hyuk said with a strange expression.
"Not that. Look at the news reports. If there are problems, it will also implicate previous groups."
Kim Ro-woon meant that the rigging definitely didn't start this time; it existed before. If the police investigation confirms it, the mistakes of the previous seasons still have to be borne now.
For example, IZONE, which is currently very popular and even close to surpassing Twice, and Wannaone, which disbanded last year.
When he brought this up, Kwon Hyuk thought of IZONE.
During the Produce 101 recording, members of IZONE also came to the recording site. At that time, as a pre-recording, IZONE was invited to record an entire episode of program reactions.
Kwon Hyuk's screen time was saved thanks to a few kind-hearted IZONE members who cued him during his part; otherwise, it would have been completely cut.
He finally met them properly on debut night, but unfortunately, there was no excuse to talk to them at all; they were complete strangers.
He hoped there would be an opportunity in the future, an opportunity to communicate face-to-face.