After the highlight filming of The Chaser, there was a slight break.
They had shot several scenes all at once, and the remaining ones seemed like they could be filmed a bit more slowly.
Director Bae Jin-hwan decided it would be better to wait a bit before filming those.
“Seo-yeon, you’ve been really immersed in acting lately. Let’s take it easy for a bit.”
That was his way of showing concern.
Since he judged Seo-yeon’s acting to be method acting, he took her mental fatigue into account.
There was no urgent scene that needed to be filmed right away, so there was no need to push the actor too hard.
‘Not that tired, though.’
She thought that, but honestly, she was thankful.
She had plenty to do outside of filming as well.
Plus, it was nice that those she had gotten a bit closer with called her “Seo-yeon-yang” instead of just “Seo-yeon.”
She often thought that the adults with age gaps really liked her.
…It was just awkward around peers.
‘But, that’s only a matter of time.’
Seo-yeon nodded her head a couple of times.
Now that she was preparing for the school festival’s ghost role, she would naturally have many chances to chat with her classmates.
As they talked, they’d become friends, sharing jokes and swearing at each other.
It was simply perfect.
Then, Ji-yeon wouldn’t be able to mock her for not having friends anymore.
Yeah, Ji-yeon…
“……”
Seo-yeon clutched her head.
Ah, she had forgotten.
She had meant to ask about how the Vtuber thing came about.
And what about that magician?
‘I’ve been focused on my role as Cha Seo-ah lately, so…’
Ramiel’s first broadcast was still about a week away.
Wasn’t that a pretty monumental broadcast?
She didn’t want to poke around unnecessarily before it.
It felt like stirring up trouble for no reason.
After all, it was already red medicine.
‘I don’t know who this Lee Ji-yeon is.’
Is it better to watch the broadcast with that impression?
No, I mean, it makes sense…
Ramiel’s Channel
Subscribers: 325.
Seo-yeon squinted at that number.
It was still low, but considering that there hadn’t been a proper broadcast yet, it felt ridiculously high.
The modeling must have been impressive, and that magician she had broadcasted with must have helped too.
‘……’
Seo-yeon felt somewhat disappointed.
Ji-yeon told the magician, but didn’t tell her.
‘……I guess I should go to a voice acting academy. Gotta check it out.’
Maybe after the first broadcast.
Of course, she wasn’t planning anything special.
If she went to the academy, she thought she would understand why Ji-yeon suddenly started being a Vtuber.
That was all.
*
Éclat Étoile’s advertising filming set.
Honestly, calling it a filming set was a stretch; there wasn’t much going on.
Most of it would be processed with graphics anyway.
It was enough to just check the lighting and see if the green screen background was okay.
“Hee-bin, you really shouldn’t be late today.”
“Right? You’ve been showing you don’t want to shoot previous ads at all.”
A popular actress from a recently aired drama.
She didn’t like the ad at all, even before she started filming that drama.
It felt like she was thinking,
‘I want to quit this lame brand ad!’
Of course, she had never expressed that out loud.
But people can usually guess roughly what someone is thinking from their attitude or face.
It had been the same back then, but how would it be now that she had gained recognition from the drama?
Staff members were already worrying about the shoot.
“Ah, haven’t you heard? The ad model has changed this time.”
At that moment, a young staff member spoke up.
“Pardon?”
“Song Hee-bin is stepping down, and they’re filming with a different actress.”
“Who’s the new actress? Wow, they said they had no one else to use, and now it turns out they were lying?”
“I heard her name is Joo Seo-yeon. She was the child actor from The Moon That Hid the Sun.”
“A child actor?”
“Ah, but she’s grown up now. How long ago was The Moon That Hid the Sun, anyway?”
“Right. That was already 10 years ago?”
“10 years? Wow, has it been that long?”
As soon as they heard Joo Seo-yeon’s name, several staff members reacted with an “Ah!”
She had made a flashy return recently in Looking Back at the Past, and those familiar with the community knew her from If It’s a Boy, It’s Joo Seo-yeon’s Edition.
“Ah, there were quite a few articles about her comeback… But what else?”
“I saw that play, and it was seriously no joke.”
A female staff member raised her hand, smiling.
The staff who enjoyed watching plays or musicals knew her from that side.
‘She’s already done quite a bit.’
It hadn’t been long since her comeback made a fuss, but already the staff were getting to know Seo-yeon through different channels.
That was fascinating for them, and it was the same for the director of the ad, Do Hyung-tae.
‘Theater, variety. And now this ad.’
She’s really busy.
Her recognition doesn’t seem that high yet, but is this a skill?
Or does she have someone backing her up?
For the young director in his thirties, Do Hyung-tae thought it might be one of those things.
Even though Song Hee-bin had quit, Éclat Étoile isn’t a small company.
This ad isn’t a small ad, either.
There were probably plenty of actors they wanted.
To choose Joo Seo-yeon over those people meant someone or something was backing her up in some way.
‘Is it a future-seeing investor? Nah, ads aren’t child’s play.’
Sometimes there are cases where people bet on an automatic hit with bold hearts.
But that’s not easy as it sounds.
Being an ad model means you’re the face of the brand for at least a few months.
Of course, the ad model is the face of the brand, and using an actor with no recognition signifies a loss for the brand, making it hard to carelessly talk about ‘investment’ when it comes to ad models.
Well, not that it’s completely impossible.
‘Just hope she listens well.’
Whether she has someone backing her up or if it’s an investment for the future,
Either way, for the actor, it’s a burden on their shoulders.
Especially since Joo Seo-yeon is still a young actress, right?
‘Seventeen? Wow, she’s young but really working hard.’
Honestly, that part worried her.
Seventeen.
Éclat Étoile is, of course, a cosmetics brand targeting adult women.
But for teenage girls, there’s naturally a youthful vibe.
The appeal is often more toward ‘cuteness’ than the ‘beauty’ that adult women desire.
Isn’t there a saying that there’s makeup that fits teens?
So, if she has a young appearance, it might not work that well with makeup.
‘Of course, the advertisers must have considered this, right?’
But then again, being an expert doesn’t mean they consider everything.
Anyway.
‘I bet there’s a lot of fluff behind this.’
It wouldn’t be strange for her to have a lot of fluff when she’s already active.
She was a child actor who had big hits since she was young.
It was a prejudice, but it was hard to imagine she had a good personality.
Thinking of how Song Hee-bin had her fluff, it made sense.
“When is Joo Seo-yeon arriving for shooting?”
“Oh, she’s already here! They say makeup is all done.”
“Really? She came sooner than I thought.”
Do Hyung-tae checked the time.
There was still about 30 minutes until shooting.
Compared to the frequently late Song Hee-bin, she had arrived quite early.
Considering makeup, she must have come at least an hour early.
“They said she came early just in case the makeup took longer.”
“Hmm…”
At that, another staff member crossed his arms.
Is she diligent?
That’s a relief, at least.
Soon enough, about 10 minutes passed, and the filming set’s door opened.
The eyes of the staff members who had just finished preparing for the shoot turned to the entrance.
They were eager to see the new model of the ad, a young actress whose face they were curious about despite her still low recognition.
“……”
For a moment, the staff members froze.
Even Do Hyung-tae, who had been fiddling with a cigarette in his pocket, stopped.
The first thing that caught their attention was her long black hair.
Next were her reddish-brown eyes.
Her skin was so white it was hard to tell if it was from makeup or not.
One thing was sure: her makeup was on point.
He had heard she was seventeen, but looking at her made her beauty comparable to that of an adult actress.
That point was very impressive to Do Hyung-tae.
“Hello, I’m Joo Seo-yeon. Looking forward to our shoot today.”
Then she bowed.
Seeing her do that made Do Hyung-tae exhale softly.
‘This is… I see.’
What do they call this? Value-buying? Investing for the future?
‘This looks promising.’
With looks like this,
Éclat Étoile—a name meaning shining star—suited her radiance perfectly.
Song Hee-bin had already vanished from his mind.
‘Wow… what a gem.’
It’s often said that actors exude an aura that sets them apart from the general public.
Do Hyung-tae had seen a variety of actors.
He had met many who truly left that impression.
Song Hee-bin had… well, something there.
But Joo Seo-yeon.
This actress felt different.
He finally understood why she had become famous as a child actor.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Do Hyung-tae, the director for today’s shoot.”
In a rare moment, reflecting his cynical nature, Do Hyung-tae reached out first.
At the same time, he thought.
Somehow,
This ad might become a very impressive credit on my resume.
*
Three days until the Yeonhwa High School festival.
The preparations for the festival were nearing their end.
Especially in Seo-yeon’s class, since the scale was massive, the amount of work was enormous.
Even students who weren’t interested had to participate.
If it had been a school that focused more on academics, rumors would have definitely circulated about it.
“……Um, that, um. Th-that…”
A female student struggled to speak while facing Seo-yeon.
In her hand was some makeup for decorating her face.
Actually, it was more of a special effect makeup.
The female student froze, unable to move her hand under Seo-yeon’s blank gaze.
And it was understandable.
“Is it okay if I remove your face makeup?”
Seo-yeon was currently wearing makeup.
No, maybe “makeup” wasn’t the right term; “makeup application” might be more accurate.
‘Ads demand models to use their products.’
Seo-yeon felt the same way.
Of course, it wasn’t a strict rule.
But there was a sense of obligation as an ad model.
In that respect, Seo-yeon was quite diligent.
Even if the makeup felt awkward, she had become a model for an ad worth 400 million, so she was obligated to maintain appearances.
‘What if someone says, “Hey, why aren’t you using Éclat Étoile’s products?” while I’m out without makeup…’
Seo-yeon, who was already cautious about her image, needed to avoid rumors at all costs.
Anyway.
‘What should I say?’
The female student had an incredibly apologetic expression.
Seo-yeon pondered deeply.
Should she coolly say, “Take it off”?
Or gently say, “It’s okay”?
‘Something feels off.’
Everyone else was chatting cheerfully while applying their makeup.
It was strange.
She had talked quite naturally with the older sister doing her makeup.
Could it be that there’s an issue with her communication skills?
She suddenly thought about that but shook her head.
At least she hadn’t felt that way through her acting experience.
Maybe it was just that she had no real experience making friends since her past life…
‘…I’ll make up for it when we practice the ghost role later.’
She felt the trembling hand of the female student as she wiped her face.
The festival still had plenty of time left.
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