Chapter 04

    First Shoot (1)

    ‘Hmm.’

    Crossing my arms and closing my eyes gently, I thought.

    ‘I’m nervous.’

    Even though my gender had changed, I was still human. Fear was still fear, and nervousness was still nervousness.

    ‘I wasn’t like this during the audition.’

    To be honest, I had expected to fail the audition. Maybe the mindset of treating it all as an experience worked to my advantage.

    “Oh my, Seo-yeon, are you nervous?”

    “No, I’m not.”

    “Yes, you are.”

    “I’m not.”

    At times like this, Suah was particularly perceptive about my feelings. When I glared at her with a pouty face, she hugged me tightly with her large chest.

    Hmph, whatever.

    “Looks like this is the studio. Let’s go in.”

    At my father Joo Youngbin’s words, I nodded. I couldn’t quite gauge the size of the studio.

    After all, it was my first time in such a place.@@@@

    “Ah, you’ve arrived.”

    As we entered the studio, CF director Cho Min-tae greeted us as if he had been waiting. While my parents exchanged brief conversations with him, I looked around the studio.

    ‘Interesting.’

    Reflectors, cameras, and various props were placed in a rectangular space. It was quite charmingly arranged, probably by the staff in advance.

    It felt entirely different from the audition room, which was just a bit more spacious. It felt more professional, I suppose.

    “Hello.”

    “Oh, you’re Ju Seo-yeon. I’m looking forward to your performance today.”

    I scurried around and bowed to the staff. A child’s deep bow is a very powerful weapon.

    When I was my previous self, my nieces’ deep bows made me instinctively open my wallet. Especially now, with my own cuteness added, it was natural for the staff’s expressions to soften.

    ‘Managing reputation is important.’

    Who knows, I might succeed as a Vtuber and make it onto a broadcast. It was important to prepare for any possibility.

    “Oh my, how cute.”

    “I wish my daughter was half as cute as her...”

    As expected, sighs of admiration followed my deep bows.

    ‘Huh?’

    As I greeted everyone, a particular woman caught my eye. She sat in a white plastic chair, looking very anxious and deep in thought.

    ‘Kim Jung-ha.’

    The Kim Jung-ha I knew was a ten-million-ticket-selling actress. Seeing this ‘pre-success’ version of her was quite unfamiliar.

    “Hello, Ms. Kim Jung-ha.”

    When I greeted her with a deep bow, her eyes widened.

    “Oh, are you the child actor in this CF?”

    “Yes, that’s right. My name is Ju Seo-yeon.”

    The term ‘child actor’ felt a bit awkward, but I accepted it for now.

    “Wow, really... people are indeed different.”

    “Pardon?”

    “...Nothing.”

    Kim Jung-ha murmured and then slouched back into her plastic chair, looking very different from the person I had expected.

    ‘This is the person who filmed that CF?’

    Kim Jung-ha, who always appeared bright and cheerful on various shows, now looked like someone who might never leave the house—a hikikomori, a loner.

    ‘Can we sync up?’

    Already feeling nervous, I couldn’t believe Kim Jung-ha was like this. I decided it was best to abandon any hope of relying on her seniority for confidence.

    “Ms. Jung-ha! Ms. Seo-yeon!”

    At that moment, another staff member gestured toward us.

    “It’s time to start filming. You’ve memorized your scripts, right?”

    “Oh, the second scene?”

    Cho Min-tae looked at the script for the second scene. He had wanted to create a more familial atmosphere, so he wasn’t entirely fond of this scene.

    ‘It’s too lively.’

    He glanced at Jung-ha.

    ‘Can she handle it?’

    Static acting has its challenges. Lively acting can easily become overly childish.

    Kim Jung-ha, who struggled with static acting, handling a lively role...

    “Okay, let’s try it.”

    They weren’t making progress with the first scene anyway. The biggest hurdle in filming food commercials is the eating part. Even though it was just soy milk, it was easier for them to bring out emotions when eating.

    So they began filming again.

    “Huh?”

    “This is good.”

    The staff’s eyes filled with surprise. As soon as the acting switched to lively, Kim Jung-ha began to shine. Her once gloomy performance now brimmed with energy.

    In fact, her energy was almost overwhelming.

    ‘And she matches it perfectly.’

    In this commercial, Jung-ha and Seo-yeon were playing the roles of sisters. A cheerful older sister and a lively younger sister.

    Seo-yeon’s performance was exceptional, embodying the lively younger sister perfectly.

    ‘This is it.’

    While the staff were merely impressed, Cho Min-tae felt chills. This performance was exactly like what Seo-yeon had shown during the audition.

    ‘How can it be so identical?’

    It didn’t make sense. There was no way the script had been leaked.

    Lost in watching the performance, he forgot to call for a cut.

    “Oh, I’m sorry. Cut, cut! This is great. This will work.”

    Despite the previous struggles, they got an okay sign in one take. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Kim Jung-ha couldn’t believe it.

    ‘One take? Really?’

    Having confidence in lively acting, she had desperately tried to bring the scene to life. But she hadn’t expected an okay sign in one take.

    ‘Did she know this would happen?’

    Seo-yeon’s suggestion to switch to the second scene now seemed incredibly insightful.

    ‘It must be a coincidence, right?’

    If it was intentional, it would be terrifying. How could she have known?

    “Okay, let’s review the footage. Ms. Jung-ha, Ms. Seoyeon, come over here.”

    Jung-ha and Seo-yeon approached the camera to review the footage. On the small screen, the scene they had just filmed played back.

    “Big sister, it’s soy milk!”

    The lively cry from Seo-yeon started the video. Watching it, the staff were impressed, and Jung-ha blinked in awe.

    ‘Wow, it’s so clean.’

    Is filming supposed to be this easy? She wondered, glancing at Cho Min-tae’s face.

    ‘Huh?’

    Cho Min-tae’s expression was slightly furrowed. And it wasn’t just him.

    Seo-yeon also seemed deep in thought.

    “This is strange. This seems quite good...”

    Cho Min-tae replayed the video several times, scrutinizing it. Kim Jung-ha’s acting was flawless. Seo-yeon’s performance was excellent.

    Or was it? Was this really okay?

    “I think we should shoot it again.”

    Before Cho Min-tae could say anything, Seo-yeon spoke up.

    It was her first time filming a CF. It was also her first time reviewing footage like this.

    But even without much experience, she could tell if something was off.

    Especially if it was her own fault.

    “I didn’t do well.”

    Jung-ha couldn’t understand what Seo-yeon was talking about. What was wrong with the last shoot?

    ‘Oh.’

    Then she realized why Seoyeon suggested redoing it.

    Footnotes

    Hikikimori is a Japanese term that refers to a phenomenon where individuals, typically young adults, withdraw from society and remain isolated in their homes for extended periods, often for months or years. ?Method acting is a technique used by actors to create a more authentic and immersive performance.The goal is to become the character, not just play the role. ?Static acting refers to a style of performance where the actor''s physical movements and facial expressions are minimal and restrained. ?