A Break from Filming

After filming the highlight scenes for The Chaser, the production took a short break. Having pushed through the intense scenes all at once, the remaining parts were less urgent and could be filmed at a more relaxed pace.

Director Bae Jinhwan decided to take this opportunity to give the cast some time off.

“Seoyeon, you’ve been really immersing yourself in your role lately. Let’s take it easy for a bit.”

This was Bae Jinhwan’s way of looking out for Seoyeon, assuming that her intense method acting might be mentally exhausting.

With no immediate need to rush, there was no reason to push the actors unnecessarily.

‘I’m not really that tired, though,’ Seoyeon thought, though she appreciated the gesture. She had plenty of other things to keep her busy outside of the film.

And she found herself appreciating the way people around her were now calling her “Seoyeon-ah” instead of the more formal “Seoyeon-ssi.” It was a small but meaningful shift, reflecting a growing familiarity. She noticed that older people often seemed to like her—she just found it a bit awkward with her peers.

‘But that’s just a matter of time,’ she reassured herself.

Nodding to herself a couple of times, Seoyeon thought about how participating in her school’s festival preparations, particularly in her role as a ghost, would give her plenty of opportunities to talk to her classmates. With more conversations, casual jokes, and maybe even some teasing, she’d naturally start building friendships.

Her plan was perfect. Soon, even Lee Jiyeon wouldn’t be able to tease her about not having friends anymore. Yes, Lee Jiyeon…

“...”

Seoyeon grabbed her head, realizing she had completely forgotten to ask Jiyeon about her recent decision to become a VTuber, or about that mysterious “wizard” character.

‘I’ve been so focused on playing Cha Seoa lately…’

Ramiel’s first broadcast was about a week away. It was going to be a significant event, and Seoyeon didn’t want to stir up anything unnecessarily beforehand.

She felt like asking too many questions might cause more trouble than it was worth—especially since this whole thing seemed like a slippery slope to begin with.

‘I should probably just pretend I don’t know who Lee Jiyeon is when I watch the stream.’

That seemed like the best approach. But then again…

Ramiel’s Channel Subscribers: 325

Seoyeon squinted at the number on the screen. It wasn’t much yet, but considering that Jiyeon hadn’t even done a proper broadcast, it was surprisingly high. The high-quality modeling and the collaboration with that wizard character probably played a big role.

‘...’

Seoyeon couldn’t help but feel a bit slighted. Jiyeon had told that wizard about her VTuber plans but hadn’t mentioned a word to Seoyeon.

‘...I really should visit that voice acting academy.’

But only after Ramiel’s first broadcast. Seoyeon wasn’t planning anything major—just a visit to see if she could find out why Jiyeon had suddenly decided to become a VTuber.

That was all.

***

At the Éclat Étoile commercial shoot, the atmosphere was relaxed. The shoot was relatively simple, with most of the effects to be handled in post-production. As long as the lighting and the green screen background were set up properly, everything else would fall into place.

“I hope Heebin isn’t late today.”

“Yeah, she’s been pretty vocal about not wanting to shoot this ad anymore.”

Song Heebin, a popular actress thanks to her recent hit drama, had been reluctant about continuing this commercial from the start. Even before the drama aired, she had made it clear she wasn’t enthusiastic about the brand.

It was as if she was thinking, ‘I want to stop doing these ads for a washed-up brand!’

Though she never said it out loud, her attitude made it clear.

People can often sense someone’s thoughts through their actions and expressions. Even if she hadn’t directly voiced her dissatisfaction, it was evident to the crew. Given her recent rise in popularity, thanks to the drama, they were even more worried about how this shoot would go.

“Oh, didn’t you hear? The ad model has changed. They’re bringing in someone new.”

“What? Who’s replacing her? They said they couldn’t afford another actor!”

“I heard it’s Ju Seoyeon. You know, the child actress from Tales of Sumar.?”

“A child actress?”

“Well, she’s grown up now. That drama was a long time ago…”

“Right, it’s been ten years, hasn’t it?”

“Ten years? Wow, has it really been that long?”

At the mention of Ju Seoyeon’s name, several of the staff members reacted with recognition. Recently, she had made a spectacular comeback with Looking at the Past, Recalling Memories. Those who frequented online communities were familiar with her from The Gaming Prodigy: Ju Seoyeon Edition.

“Oh, I remember seeing news about her comeback… but has she done anything else?”

“I saw her in a play, and she was incredible.”

One of the female staff members raised her hand and laughed, clearly a fan of theater and musicals.

‘She’s already done so much.’

It hadn’t been long since Seoyeon had made headlines with her comeback in Looking at the Past, Recalling Memories, but the staff already knew her from various sources. They found it impressive, and so did Do Hyungtae, the director of the commercial.

‘A play, a couple of variety shows, and now this commercial.’

She’s been really busy. Her name recognition isn’t that high yet, but that’s still impressive.

Or maybe she had someone powerful backing her?

Do Hyungtae, a young director in his thirties, couldn’t help but wonder. Even though Song Heebin had dropped out, Éclat Étoile wasn’t a small company. This was no minor ad campaign, and there were likely plenty of actors vying for the spot. That Seoyeon had been chosen suggested she either had powerful connections or something extraordinary about her.

‘Is this some sort of future investment? Nah, ads aren’t child’s play.’

Sometimes, people gamble on an up-and-comer, believing they’ll eventually become a star. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. Advertisements make the model the face of the brand for at least several months.

Naturally, the model represents the brand. Choosing an actor with little name recognition is a risky move that could harm the brand, so advertisers can’t just bet on potential.

Then again, it wasn’t unheard of.

‘As long as she cooperates, that’s all that matters.’

Whether she had powerful connections or was a future investment, it didn’t really matter to Do Hyungtae. His main concern was that actors in that position could sometimes develop a bit of an ego. And given that Ju Seoyeon was only seventeen, that was a concern.

‘Seventeen? Wow, she’s so young but works so hard.’

Honestly, this was also a worry for him. Seventeen was still so young. Éclat Étoile was, after all, a brand targeting adult women. Teenage girls had a different kind of beauty—more fresh and youthful than the mature, polished look that adult women typically sought.

There’s a saying that teenagers need makeup that suits their age. With someone so young, there was a chance the makeup might not even look right.

‘Of course, the advertisers must have considered that, right?’

But then again, just because someone is an expert doesn’t mean they consider everything. In any case…

‘She’s probably got a bit of an ego by now.’

If she’s already this active, she’s probably full of confidence. And considering she was a successful child actress, it was hard not to assume she might have developed a difficult personality.

After all, just look at how Song Heebin turned out.

“When is Ju Seoyeon supposed to arrive?”

“Oh, she’s already here. Makeup’s done too.”

“Really? She got here early.”

Do Hyungtae checked the time. There were still about thirty minutes until the shoot.

Compared to the often-late Song Heebin, this was impressively early. If you included the time spent on makeup, she had arrived at least an hour early.

“I heard she came early in case makeup took longer than expected.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing this, Do Hyungtae crossed his arms. Maybe she had a diligent personality? If so, that was a relief.

Creak.

About ten minutes later, the door to the set opened.

All the staff members who had been finishing up the preparations turned their heads simultaneously. They were eager to get a glimpse of the new model, the young actress who, despite her relative lack of fame, had landed a coveted cosmetics ad.

“...”

For a moment, everything froze.

Even Do Hyungtae, who had been fidgeting with a cigarette in his pocket, paused.

The first thing that caught their eyes was her long black hair. Then, her reddish-brown eyes. Her pale skin was so flawless that it was hard to tell if it was makeup or not.

One thing was certain: her makeup was flawless. She was seventeen, but her appearance had the elegance and beauty of an adult actress. This was something that left a strong impression on Do Hyungtae.

“Hello, I’m Ju Seoyeon. I look forward to working with you today.”

And then, she bowed deeply.

“Ah.”

Do Hyungtae let out a short exclamation of admiration.

‘This is… wow.’

What do they call this? A good investment? A future-proof bet?

‘She’s worth it.’

With looks like this, she perfectly suited the brand name Éclat Étoile—“Shining Star.”

The image of Song Heebin was already fading from his mind.

‘Wow… she’s something.’

It’s often said that actors exude an aura that sets them apart from ordinary people. Do Hyungtae had met many actors and had encountered several who gave off that aura. Song Heebin had it too, to some extent.

But Ju Seoyeon… she was different.

Now he understood why she had made a name for herself as a child actress.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Do Hyungtae, the director for today’s shoot.”

Despite his usually cynical nature, Do Hyungtae extended his hand first.

At the same time, he thought to himself.

This ad might just become a highlight of my career.

***

Three days until Yeonhwa High School’s festival.

Preparations were reaching their final stages. Particularly in Seoyeon’s class, where the scale of their project meant they had a mountain of work left to do.

Even students who initially weren’t interested were now participating out of necessity.

Had this been an academic-focused school, there would likely have been complaints about the amount of time being spent on the festival.

“...Um, s-s-so…”

One of the girls in her class stammered as she tried to speak to Seoyeon.

In her hand, she held makeup tools meant for creating the ghost look.

But faced with Seoyeon’s calm, attentive gaze, the girl couldn’t bring herself to start and froze.

It was no wonder.

“Are you sure… it’s okay to… wipe off the makeup on your face?”

Seoyeon was already wearing makeup. Well, it was more accurate to call it professional makeup.

‘A cosmetic model has to use the product they’re advertising.’

This applied to Seoyeon as well. While it wasn’t an absolute rule, she felt a responsibility to adhere to it as the face of the brand.

She was diligent in these matters. Despite still feeling awkward about makeup, she knew she had to represent the brand properly, especially with a 400 million won contract.

‘If I walk around without makeup and someone says, “Aren’t you supposed to be using Éclat Étoile products?”…’

Seoyeon was already being cautious about her image. The last thing she needed was to be the subject of gossip.

In any case…

‘…How should I respond to this?’

The girl looked so guilty, like she was on the verge of tears. Seoyeon thought deeply. Should she casually say, “Go ahead and wipe it off”? Or should she be a bit more gentle and say, “It’s okay”?

‘This feels wrong somehow.’

In other corners of the room, students were chatting and laughing as they applied their makeup. It felt strange. She had managed to talk naturally with the makeup artist earlier, so why was this so awkward?

Was there something wrong with her communication skills? Seoyeon wondered briefly, but shook her head. In all her years of acting, she had never felt this way before.

Maybe it’s just that she had never really made friends, even in her past life…

‘…I’ll make up for it when we practice the ghost role later.’

As the girl nervously wiped off her makeup, Seoyeon reassured herself that there was still plenty of time before the festival.