Author Cheon Seon-ran reveals the muse behind NINE was actress Kim Hye-yoon

In an interview given to Naver on November 2, 2021, famous author Cheon Seon-ran revealed that the Lovely Runner actress Kim Hye-yoon and Twenty-Five Twenty-One's Kim Tae-ri were the inspiration behind the protagonist of her novel, Nine. Hye-yoon was also an inspiration for writer Lee Si-eun, who wrote Lovely Runner with the actress in mind.

Cheon Seon-ran's latest full-length book tells the tale of Nine, an extraterrestrial with the ability to hear plant noises. She is compelled to help the victim as she cannot overlook the situation. In Cheon Seon-ran's world, it is inappropriate to ask why someone tries so hard. With their natural goodness, the characters race toward the only goal of rescuing lives.

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Kim Hye-yoon inspired character from Cheon Seon-ran's novel, Nine

Kim Hye-yoon shot to stardom in the South Korean entertainment business with her iconic part in the popular drama Sky Castle. In the media of her native South Korea, she is also referred to as the Nation's Little Sister. Her recent work in Lovely Runner also had her and her co-star Byeon Woo-seok topping the charts for the most popular actors.

For her novel Nine, Cheon Seon-ran took inspiration from the actress who is known for her cuteness and soft characteristics.

"Once I'm obsessed with an actor, I watch all of his works. Lately, I've grown fond of actor Lee Do-hyun, so after watching all of his works, I moved on to Deokjil of actor Koo Kyo-hwan. I like actors so much that I tend to do virtual casting when I'm thinking about novel characters. I wrote 'Nine' while thinking of actors Kim Tae-ri and Kim Hye-yoon, and 'Jimo' while thinking of actress Moon So-ri." she said.

An extract from the book introduces Nine.

"Geumok, I am Nine. Among the nine buds, I am the last to bloom. Because it was the last bud, it became Nine. A barren land where life can no longer be born. I was the last person to wake up in that barren land. So, Nine means miracle."

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Kim Hye-yoon leads the cast of Lovely Runner while on vacation

As a reward trip, Kim Hye-yoon, Song Ji-ho, Song Geon-hee, Heo Hyung-kyu, Seo Hye-won, and other members of the Lovely Runner cast and crew went to Thailand after the success of the romantic-comedy K-drama. Song Ji-ho has now gifted viewers a vlog with behind-the-scenes photos from their vacation.

There's a special moment as they all make their way to Patong Beach, with Hye-yoon leading the way. Hye-yoon turns back in the vlog and asks if she did a good job.

"Cool Captain, Hye-yoonie, our captain Hye-yoonie," said Ji-ho.

Though Byeon Woo-seok and Lee Seung-hyub could not attend the trip, the rest of the cast seemed to have a fun time.