“I’m going to be a bit busy for a while, so it might be a while before I can come over.”
The full tracking gear had become familiar now.
Along with that, the 3D character reflected on another monitor.
These were all things that Ji-yeon had gotten used to by now.
What had started as a birthday gift for Seo-yeon had now turned into a hobby and a job that she found fun.
– [I don’t know what’s going on, but hang in there!! ￦100,000]
“……”
Ji-yeon smiled awkwardly at the Super Chat that was sent as if they were ignoring it.
The name of the person who sent the money was someone Ji-yeon knew very well.
‘Why are they sending money?’
Ji-yeon sighed, thinking about how to return this money.
Do they keep sending it because they think she’ll return it?
No, that didn’t seem right…
At first, it seemed like they were teasing, but it looked like they were serious.
‘Sometimes I don’t get it.’
Seo-yeon surprisingly showed some sincerity in being a Vtuber.
For example, she’d clearly know that she was Ramiel, yet she wouldn’t say a word.
But there were moments when she didn’t reveal it at all.
‘The wizard Erchebet,’ for instance, when Ji-yeon collaborated with an older sister who helped her a lot when she started Vtubing and sent subtle gazes her way when they were together.
That was amusing, and Ji-yeon often joked about it, but she didn’t plan to do it frequently.
‘Now there are two thousand live viewers.’
The growth was not only smooth but incredibly rapid.
While Ji-yeon had gotten to know other Vtubers through her older sister.
Strangely, they didn’t know who Ji-yeon really was.
What would they think if they found out she was an actress? That worry was there too.
‘Surprisingly, this fits my aptitude.’
Ji-yeon enjoyed planning or trying out content.
If she hadn’t been an actress, she might have made Vtubing her full-time job.
‘What if I had never met Seo-yeon?’
That thought crossed her mind.
If she hadn’t met Seo-yeon, she would still be at Eunha Entertainment.
Thinking about what kind of end Eunha Entertainment met, it wouldn’t have been a pleasant one.
So would she have continued acting?
Honestly, she didn’t think so.
Ji-yeon had a strong pride in being an actress, but the start came simply from her mother’s encouragement.
Honestly, her initial motivation and will weren’t that strong.
That all grew after she met Seo-yeon.
‘Sometimes I think about that.’
Seo-yeon occasionally acted as if she knew the future.
The movies Ji-yeon was about to appear in.
And commercials.
She sometimes subtly hinted at what was good or bad about those.
At first, it felt like a coincidence, but when it happened repeatedly, one couldn’t just call it coincidence.
‘……Have I been watching too many comics recently?’
Ji-yeon chuckled.
Studying characters, she realized she’d been watching a lot of comics lately, leading to such delusions.
‘But……’
Ji-yeon suddenly shook her head and dismissed that thought.
First of all, attending an audition was more important right now.
It seemed like a chance given to Jo Seo-hee without much thought, but for Ji-yeon, it was a golden opportunity.
A movie by Director Baek Min.
To be honest, not many actors would expect it to be a box office hit.
Since he was a director whose artistic value was excellent, the box office performance of his movies would fluctuate greatly, making him not so favored in the production team.
Still, he had a solid fan base, so there was a steady demand.
‘Moreover, he’s a director better known overseas than domestically.’
There would undoubtedly be actors participating aiming for that.
Though the numbers might be small, the quality would certainly be high.
In the first place, she didn’t even know what kind of role would be chosen through the audition.
Was it a leading role? Or a supporting role?
Seo-hee would definitely not have a small role.
Probably the female lead.
And if Seo-yeon were given the role, it was highly likely she wouldn’t just be a simple supporting character either.
‘The first movie I’ll shoot with Joo Seo-yeon.’
Seo-yeon might not think much of it, but for Ji-yeon, it was very significant.
Seo-yeon had always been out of Ji-yeon’s reach.
That hadn’t changed even with a ten-year gap.
She thought that if one day she returned to this industry, she could shine at any time like a star.
And just as that thought went, Seo-yeon was growing at a terrifying speed.
She was already ahead of Ji-yeon.
If it had been before, Ji-yeon might not have cared, but…
“Sometimes I want to strike back at her.”
At Ji-yeon’s remark.
– [Ramiel’s smile is so pretty ￦100,000]
– [Phew ㅠㅠㅠ ￦100,000]
– [Wow ￦100,000]
– [Yay ￦100,000]
– [Hehe ￦100,000]
– [!!!! ￦100,000]
– Oh damn, stop it
– Just say it without dragging it out, you jerk
– Aren’t you gonna ban her?
– How can you ban a big spender? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
“……”
Seeing the continuous flow of Super Chats, Ji-yeon kicked Seo-yeon out.
*
Cheonghong Action School.
Kim Hong-baek scratched his head while looking at the list of students who wanted to be trained by him recently.
There had been a swell of actors suddenly interested in action.
From notable managements, they had even come to Kim Hong-baek, asking if he could teach some famous actors action.
“Could it be because of GH Group?”
“They say they’re filming an action movie this time. But it might end up being more of a variety show.”
A large-scale action actor survival audition.
Since something like this hadn’t happened before, many were interested in the audition itself rather than the movie.
Broadcasting on the web could lead to airing on cable TV if done well, even if public broadcasting was tough.
Competition among action actors fighting for the lead role in the movie!
That seemed to be the catchphrase.
“I heard that young actors who are confident in their action skills are all applying.”
“Hmm, for sure…”
Just hearing the plan sparked interest.
In fact, GH Group hoped that Kim Hong-baek would appear in this variety show.
He was the top martial arts director in South Korea.
It was odd for someone like him to be involved in such a variety show.
However.
“……Will Seo-yeon be participating, too?”
“Probably, I think?”
Kim Hong-baek and Professor Seong Ho-cheol, who had been with him for a long time, fell silent for a moment.
They recalled an actress who came excitedly every week.
At first, she had seemed a little awkward, but now she had no qualms about running around Cheonghong Action School. Other aspiring actors didn’t dare say anything to Seo-yeon anymore.
If there was even a chance that Seo-yeon would say, “Do you want to practice together?”, they’d need to make a hospital appointment.
“Um, will it be alright?”
“It should be fine now. ……Maybe.”
At first, Seo-yeon had been like a runaway train, but after practicing to some extent now, it should be alright.
And setting aside her physical talent.
‘Her acting is no longer comparable to before.’
Action acting.
When they first shot [The Chaser], she had been somewhat clumsy, but now it was different.
Professor Kim Hong-baek had seen the talent Seo-yeon possessed as an actress.
The handling of her gaze.
Moderately restrained actions.
Not relying only on physical ability, every motion was diverse and ever-changing.
The Seo-yeon from before and the Seo-yeon now were completely different people.
“So it’s fine for her to not come now…”
“I guess she’s bored.”
“……”
In fact, he had known to some extent.
That Seo-yeon came to Cheonghong Action School to relieve stress.
Not the kind of work-related stress you might think, but simply wanting to put her body to good use.
Kim Hong-baek squeezed his eyes shut.
At least Seo-yeon often compensated for what she broke.
Thanks to that, the equipment in Cheonghong Action School had been getting newer.
Though they quickly became worn out.
“I need to get more sandbags…”
The most inexpensive item that could restrain Seo-yeon.
Professor Kim Hong-baek muttered that.
He couldn’t just tell her that it was fine for her to stop coming now.
*
A new survival variety show prepared by the GH Group.
Its tentative title was [Hyper Action].
A fierce contest where young action actors face off based solely on their skills for the lead role in a movie.
It was said that there would be a division for men and women.
In retrospect, that seemed only natural.
According to internal information, there had been talk that the protagonist of this movie would be the ‘female lead’, so there were many strong contenders on the women’s side.
Of course, the precise plot wasn’t disclosed.
And before the filming of the variety show, an interim meeting was set up.
A time for the actors participating to meet each other.
“GH Group is doing something fun.”
A languid-faced actress with a sharp impression muttered.
Usually, such meetings with actors didn’t occur in advance.
However, some actors who knew her swallowed hard at her mumbled words.
‘Min Do-ha.’
A twenty-one-year-old young actress who gained significant recognition from a previously starred action movie.
Though the film’s reception was poor, her action acting was highly praised.
She was an actress in a film that had garnered over four million audiences just with that action.
“Maybe it’s just to get to know each other’s faces and boost enthusiasm.”
In response to the woman’s light-hearted comment, the languid-looking actress replied.
She too was one of the noteworthy actors in this area.
‘Han So-yu.’
An actress who previously appeared in a disaster escape drama, known for her impressive athleticism.
‘Supposedly, she performed most of the stunts without a stunt double.’
What a brave heart.
In action, it was an unexpectedly crucial quality.
Humans naturally fear getting hurt.
But Han So-yu didn’t seem to have such feelings.
Thus, the scenes she shot were bold and filled with thrills.
Even though it was a cable drama, it recorded considerable ratings.
One of the up-and-coming actresses recently promoted by XN Entertainment.
Seated across a large table, a peculiar tension flowed among the gathered actors.
Then another woman appeared.
‘……!!’
Some of the actors opened their eyes wide.
The person who had appeared now was truly unexpected.
‘Jo Seo-hee!’
A woman whose presence in this place was mysterious.
Hadn’t Jo Seo-hee never starred in an action movie?
The atmosphere began to stir.
For good reason, Jo Seo-hee’s name carried more weight than any other actress present.
She was an actress who didn’t need such an ‘audition.’
She was in a position where she could select roles after receiving a script.
‘Could it be… that she’s trying to take on action acting for the first time?’
‘If she wants to truly showcase her skills, this is indeed a good opportunity.’
As the actors thought such things and looked at her, Jo Seo-hee scanned the venue.
The piercing gaze made some actors feel pressure, and Jo Seo-hee nonchalantly took a seat in the empty spot.
Seeing her demeanor, the actress who had previously worn a languid expression, Min Do-ha, smirked slightly.
‘Is she trying to assert dominance? How amusing.’
With that fierce gaze, she conveyed that she was on a whole other level than the rest of them.
Even though she was younger than the other actresses, her aura was ferocious enough that it didn’t come to mind.
However, unlike what the other actors thought,
‘Joo Seo-yeon hasn’t arrived yet.’
Jo Seo-hee merely glanced to see if Seo-yeon had come.
She had intentionally arrived late to sit beside Seo-yeon without attracting attention.
A bit regretting that made her frown, and she felt the tension in the air around her.
After all, with an appearance that screamed ‘villain,’ Jo Seo-hee’s presence felt very different from the rest.
Gradually, the seats began to fill up, and by the time only Jo Seo-hee’s surroundings remained empty,
Clank.
The door opened, and a girl walked in.
Black hair.
A slender figure with a pale face.
Impressively red-tinged eyes.
Joo Seo-yeon.
At her entrance, the gazes of the other actors converged.
This was also… an unexpectedly formidable opponent showing up.
‘The action scenes she showcased in [The Chaser].’
‘And considering her recent variety show appearances…’
The action scenes or chase scenes in [The Chaser] were likely filmed with a stunt double.
After all, the intent was to use a stand-in from the time she donned a ‘raincoat.’
But regardless, in terms of ‘action acting,’ she was undoubtedly at an excellent level.
Furthermore, considering the dances she showed in [Dream Future], her athletic ability must be superb.
Many extraordinary moments had been displayed in her recent variety show appearances too.
‘Has the production exaggerated it…?’
Honestly, the moments in the variety show were so outrageous it was hard to tell if it was staged or real.
But there was that appearance.
And that atmosphere.
With Joo Seo-yeon, a young actress advancing with terrifying momentum, everyone couldn’t help but feel anxious.
“?”
Reacting to their response, Seo-yeon tilted her head, scanning for a free seat and realizing only the one beside Jo Seo-hee was left, she frowned slightly.
Well, still, it’s better to sit beside someone I know than a stranger.
With that thought, she sat down next to her, and a thrilled Jo Seo-hee spoke up.
“You’re late, huh?”
“I ran after finishing school.”
Her voice was quiet enough to be heard due to the quietness of the room.
Of course, Jo Seo-hee cared little about it.
She belonged to those who believed it was only natural for people to focus their attention on her.
Plus.
“……You go to Yeonhwa High School, right?”
At Jo Seo-hee’s comment, the other actors stiffened all at once.
They realized why she had arrived a bit late.
‘Asserting dominance.’
After all, Yeonhwa High School was a school five stops away from here.
Running all the way from there confirmed how impressive Seo-yeon’s stamina was.
“?”
Of course, Seo-yeon found some of the reactions around her a bit strange.
She had just run to avoid being late because of traffic.
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