I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

The New Year had brought an unusually large number of people who still hadn’t become new people.

Here was one such person, someone who stayed up every night, survived on catnaps, and did only the bare minimum amount of work.

“Yes. The 2 p.m. nap. Did you enjoy another honey-sweet break today? Then DJ Shim will be taking his leave now. See you again at this time tomorrow.”

Shim Juhwan finished with his usual gentle voice. The moment he removed his headset, he turned on his phone.

“Hyung. Your eyesight’s going to get worse.”

“I need to review the timeline....”

Ever since 〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉 had been released, Shim Juhwan had been incapable of living like a normal person.

“How many times are you going to watch the same scene?”

Unable to endure even the short walk to the elevator, Shim Juhwan stared only at his phone with shining eyes. His manager shook his head and pressed the elevator button.

On Shim Juhwan’s screen was Kim Kangil helping On Jihwa up from the hard case.

“No. It’s different.”

“What is?”

“The frame rate....”

Shim Juhwan had saved it in every correction style. Some in black-and-white, some with cold colors, some with warm colors, and some with added close-up shots. Every version felt fresh in its own way, so they were obviously all different scenes.

“Ha... I’m really going crazy....”

“Go work on songs.”

“〈How〉 and 〈Huijae〉 are both still charting, so I’m fine.”

Shim Juhwan was famous for obsessing over one thing once it caught his attention. He could eat the same menu item for an entire year, stockpile dozens of identical outfits, or listen to the same song as though he planned to spend the rest of his life with it.

And what had captured him this time was—

“No matter what, those two are dating....”

From GiYeon to JehaYeoreum, and now KangilJihwa. The thrill of jumping between ships was unbelievably delicious.

“What dating? They really aren’t.”

“When they’ve stabilized, they’ll get married....”

“You’re really hopeless, old man.”

“Then I’ll know before the official article comes out.... Why? Because they’ll shyly bring me their wedding invitation and ask me to sing the congratulatory song....”

Shim Juhwan muttered to himself while staring at his phone like a lunatic. His expression, however, was strangely serious. His manager opened the car door and looked at the phone-addicted middle-aged man who couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.

’What’s wrong with him?’

Shim Juhwan was diligently monitoring content. Since he wasn’t muting the videos, even his manager now knew what he was watching.

“Every Day Is Summer?”

“Bingo.”

Shim Juhwan visited Han Yeoreum’s fan account, ”@EveryDayIsSummer,” exactly as the name implied, every single day.

“Myeong Jeha needs to do more individual activities.... Cross-edits have their limits.”

The moment 〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉 was released, Every Day Is Summer uploaded a cross-edit video. They combined scenes of Myeong Jeha and Han Yeoreum in school uniforms from during 〈The Great Garland〉 days with footage from 〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉.

In between, they even gathered Han Yeoreum’s random Intube clips and Myeong Jeha’s commercial interview footage.

INTUBE

[Myeong Jeha X Han Yeoreum / Temperature of Separation │ Seoul Metropolitan City Fan Teaser] 2:45

Views: 68,765

-Kim Kangil works with anyone, but the flagship store is still On Jihwa.

-GiYeon forever.

↳ Seriously everyone, don’t go anywhere.

↳ LOL this is hilarious.

-What is this editing skill LMAO It feels more real every time, unnie T_T

-My daughter... Jihwa... (emoji flood) Daddy will protect you.

-Future star archer and delinquent delivery boy who dropped out of school. How can anyone not eat this? This is insanely delicious.

↳ A chemistry so good you’d die without even noticing.

↳ The characters literally died, maybe not the best timing.

↳ Our baby isn’t dead. Got proof?????

Shim Juhwan smiled while reviewing fabricated videos once again today.

But then an algorithm recommendation made him frown.

“Ha... that’s fake.”

Kim Kangil in 〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉 was no longer paired only with On Jihwa.

* * *

Aetami was checking the reactions to her uploaded video while rough-editing the next one.

Those who cried when content dried up were third-rate. Those who enjoyed things whether content existed or not were second-rate. And true first-rate fans could scrape together even nonexistent content and manufacture something new.

Which was why first-rate otaku Aetami was busier than anyone.

When 〈Faster Than the Law 3〉 came out, she’d have to upload videos with Joo Junseo. When 〈Code Name: Time Seven〉 aired, she’d have to drag up footage from 〈Faster Than the Law 2〉 to showcase chemistry with Han Yohan.

Her timeline was filled with actors from all the clips she’d been gathering, and eventually she spotted the same video that had appeared on Shim Juhwan’s timeline.

INTUBE

[Myeong Jeha X Do Gyeoul / The Trapped Flower Fan Trailer │ ・] 2:25

Views: 92,257

-Wait, give this editor the ”Editor of the Year” award.

-She deserves our princess♥︎♥︎♥︎ to meet her prince!

-Their visuals together are making me emotional TT_TT

-Gyeoul had amazing chemistry with Noh Seungchan, but the way Jeha looks at her is different.

-My actor suffered so much growing up in the flashy entertainment world~ She must’ve seen countless men who looked shiny outside but were empty inside. Quiet Myeong Jeha, who focuses only on acting and avoids scandals, seems perfect for her.

“Not that Myeong Jeha necessarily belongs to Yeoreum....”

Do Gyeoul already had a solid domestic fanbase, but with the K-drama hits 〈Beyond the Closed Door〉 and 〈The Fuse〉, her overseas fandom was unbelievably strong. She was the perfect actress for shipping fantasies.

“Honestly, I don’t think they should be dating right now either....”

The #kangyoo hashtag taking over Tr*tter bothered Aetami for some reason. The staying power of a drama often diverged depending on persistent shippers.

“It’s annoying when someone else takes him.”

The subconscious of people who hadn’t watched 〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉 yet was important. If they saw Yoo Yeonji before On Jihwa, they’d naturally recognize Do Gyeoul as the protagonist.

The one who stayed and the one who left.

“Season 2’s protagonist is going to depend on which of the two people viewers focus on.”

After such a success, there was no way they wouldn’t make Season 2. That was the conviction of Aetami, whose bones had been tempered by years of drama fandom. But who would open the first page remained unknown.

Because Hyeonmok was beside Yoo Yeonji.

If Season 2 was narrated from Hyeonmok’s perspective, then the opening flow would inevitably belong to Yoo Yeonji.

But if it started after martial law had fallen, from the ruined and isolated Seoul Metropolitan City, then the protagonist could only be On Jihwa.

“Our Baby Melon Bread has to be the protagonist!”

Sighing, Aetami checked overseas reactions.

“There’s a subtle difference....”

If On Jihwa had become a new icon, a character people wanted to become because of her powerful identity, then Yoo Yeonji had become something familiar.

Someone who felt “just like me.”

The clumsy rookie nurse.

Yet kind and righteous.

Gentle with children.

The good person who had called out to lonely Jihwa when everyone else turned away.

[Anonymous Daily Board / People keep saying Yoo Yeonji is like me..T_T]

Does that mean I’m frustrating? People always say I have long hair and a pure first impression, but I’m nowhere near as pretty as Do Gyeoul lol.

-Anonymous 1: Get lost.

While On Jihwa Syndrome made people want to become On Jihwa, Yoo Yeonji Syndrome had become a disease where people believed they already were Yoo Yeonji.

It was a strange phenomenon spreading throughout Korea and every country where NetHolics was available.

“That’s why they really can’t pair Myeong Jeha and Do Gyeoul together... ah....”

Even back during the videos, there had been subtle comments from people supporting Do Gyeoul and Myeong Jeha. Aetami could easily predict the next step.

“If they mess up in , this will become ship bait again.”

She was anxious.

Just as Han Yeoreum was beginning her overseas expansion in earnest, the thought that the attention would be buried under Do Gyeoul’s overseas fans made her chest feel tight.

She simply wanted Baby Melon Bread to use Myeong Jeha’s face and international popularity to enter an even wider world.

“Please... don’t be too close, but don’t be awkward either. Not secretly close, but not distant either.... Just maintain some vague middle ground....”

Aetami waited desperately for the day would air.

* * *

There was another person waiting seriously for that day.

Manager Na of Noble Actors.

“Yes, yes, PD. Actually, I just wanted to know the editing direction a little bit. Yes. Since you told us before, but... it’s still delicate....”

Manager Na was trembling.

’Not a dating scandal, right???’

They had shared too many schedules already, so he always had to be vigilant. But required ten times more caution.

Its main audience was teenagers and young adults, which meant professional shipping was guaranteed. And since it was the hottest channel around, the impact would be enormous.

-No, no. Don’t worry.

“Really...? Thank you. Thank you so, so much....”

After ending the call, Manager Na spent every night before bed throwing one hundred punches into the air while praying that no dating scandal would break.

A few days later, with his arms aching—

INTUBE

[When actors become delivery workers at the restaurant receiving endless octopus orders │ Working Holysh!tday / Myeong Jeha Han Yeoreum Do Gyeoul Tak Jeongyun] 48:23

At last, had arrived.

* * *

“Working Holysh!tday~. The Sh!t is silent. Hello everyone! This is WorkHol!”

The comedian who represented the channel greeted viewers with a smile. Since used Intube pre-releases, subscribers could participate through live chat.

-Finally TT_TT

-Show Myeong Jeha

-Been waiting like crazy

-Why were there no spoilers this time T_T

-LOL

Three thousand viewers poured in the moment it started. Right from the beginning, the firepower was completely different from previous episodes.

“This time we’ve got a real restaurant. A place that sells ten million won worth of octopus every day!”

-Holy crap.

-Octopus ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) massacre 😯😯

-Oh I know that place.

-Guys it’s seriously delicious.

-When does Myeong Jeha appear T_T

The introduction continued.

Since they even included clips from , subscribers who had watched that episode became even happier.

“Back then there was only one of us....”

“But they succeeded after going independent....”

“Still, I miss them a little....”

This was MBS.

The team was watching live.

One of the production staff had originally worked on , so Gam Dajeong and the staff observed with nostalgic yet cold eyes.

“They didn’t upload a teaser.”

“They probably didn’t want to split the traffic while 〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉 was already being milked everywhere. Smart choice.”

“They’ll probably upload Shorts after release.”

You had to capture viewers in the first minute. The Intube market always had alternatives.

Knowing viewers would click another thumbnail if the opening failed, immediately shoved a close-up shot of octopus into their faces.

“The opening visuals are good.”

“It looks delicious....”

After introducing the restaurant, they moved on to today’s cast.

“Hello. I’m Myeong Jeha, who plays Kim Kangil in 〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉.”

[Staff smiling brightly]

“Our Jeha! Thank you so, so, so much for coming... seriously....”

[Faces overflowing with gratitude]

The editing switched to the staff, whose cheeks hurt from smiling.

-Finally.

-Husband TT__TT

-I’ve waited so long!!!!

-I love Jeha oppa forever.

The chat nearly froze.

Then came Do Gyeoul.

“Hello. I’m Do Gyeoul, who plays rookie nurse Yoo Yeonji in 〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉.”

“You’ve worked since childhood, but part-time jobs like this are new, right?”

-She’s seriously beautiful.

-That face, what the hell.

-Do Gyeoul T_T

-Gyeoul ♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

“Hmmm... tricky.”

“If they only push Myeong Jeha, it’ll get boring.”

“That would only apply to ordinary shows....”

The veterans knew exactly where this would go.

Myeong Jeha, the rarely-seen precious celebrity.

Do Gyeoul, the inexperienced but lovable child.

“If you underestimate a former broadcast station crew member... especially one from our ... you’re making a mistake.”

Then Gam Dajeong’s eyes caught Han Yeoreum.

“Hello~. Long ago, I worked a little part-time at Aunt Wang’s Octopus. Veteran employee Han Yeoreum.”

-LOL, you’re here to promote Seoul Metropolitan City.

-Why did she skip introducing On Jihwa T_T

-Han Yeoreum worked part-time?

-Hahaha she established dominance immediately.

Han Yeoreum didn’t follow the introductions before her.

Instead, she’d already secured an editing point from the very beginning.