I Want to Be a Vtuber Again Chapter 203 (204/718)

The fact that Seo-yeon, the lead of , had built significant recognition in Japan was a huge boon for the film's production.

The only reason it would struggle at the box office was Director Baek Min's unique style.

He was originally a director with some degree of recognition to begin with.

Also, while the cast was largely composed of unknowns, it had been somewhat offset by the participation of Jo Seo-hee and Ju Seo-yeon.

On top of that, receiving a love call from Japan made it nothing short of a reason for the existing investors to beam with joy.

"Actually, we have one more secret weapon here."

Hwang Tae-sang, Head of the Cultural Industry Division at BestOne, smiled broadly at BestOne's Director Park Hoon.

"Actor Lee Sang-soo."

The secret weapon of , currently being kept as strictly confidential as possible.

After failing to break into Hollywood, the representative actor of South Korea who hadn't appeared in any work.

"I'm not sure if he'll live up to that name value, though."

"He definitely will. Because Director Baek Min, of all people, bent his own vision and said okay."

Park Hoon had heard that actor Lee Sang-soo was participating in the film.

But not having heard the full details, he couldn't help but be surprised by those words.

"Is that for real?"

"Yes. It was conveyed directly by Director Baek Min."

"That's quite unexpected. Director Baek Min bending his own vision."

"I think so too. He's a man of ability, but also stubborn, right?"

Ability over career.

And Director Baek Min was a director with a clear vision of what he wanted to show in his films.

If an actor didn't fit the composition he had in mind, he wouldn't cast them, even if they had the ability.

"But how did actor Lee Sang-soo end up joining the film? I heard he doesn't move for any persuasion."

"From what I heard, actor Ju Seo-yeon brought him in personally......"

"Actor Ju Seo-yeon?"

How could a young actress who hadn't even been back for a year move actor Lee Sang-soo?

Perhaps a connection that started from , which they previously filmed together?

But that alone didn't seem like it would move actor Lee Sang-soo......

"Anyway, there's a lot of good news for Director Baek Min's film in many ways."

"It might be thanks to Jo Seo-hee. Actor Ju Seo-yeon also seems to be close with Jo Seo-hee."

Since her childhood acting days, Jo Seo-hee had never experienced failure even once.

There was even a saying that she would save works that were destined to fail.

Some people jokingly called her a lucky fairy.

"It's a blessing that actor Jo Seo-hee is a fan of Director Baek Min."

"Hmm, thinking of it that way, it's actually stranger that NewLike hasn't moved."

"Isn't it an open secret? Part of it is also that actor Jo Seo-hee herself doesn't want to borrow their power."

Honestly, Hwang Tae-sang thought of Jo Seo-hee's actions as simply childish naivete.

"She's young, so she might have felt embarrassed to receive her parent's help unnecessarily."

Or it could simply be pride.

Every work Jo Seo-hee participated in was a hit.

If all of those had been movies invested in by 'NewLike,' it was hard to imagine how much profit that would have generated.

"That's hard to tell. Jo Seo-hee is a very principled girl."

"That sounds like you know her very well."

"Well, wasn't it the company I used to work for? I've seen her a few times."

BestOne's Director Park Hoon looked out at the Gangnam scenery visible below the tall building and thought.

"So, she definitely has her own reasons."

For example, issues related to that child's mother.

'Or perhaps, she purely thought it would have a negative impact on her.'

If she used NewLike's power, Jo Seo-hee's acting career would become incredibly easy.

Directors and PDs alike would be busy watching Jo Seo-hee's every mood.

But once she started using that power, would she be able to stop?

She would no longer be actor Jo Seo-hee, but merely the heiress of NewLike.

A chaebol third-generation whose acting is just a hobby.

Perhaps what Jo Seo-hee wanted to avoid was that kind of perception.

To protect herself as an actor.

Either way, it was a path ordinary people wouldn't choose.

"Of course, for us, it's a very good thing."

Great actor Lee Sang-soo.

And Jo Seo-hee, considered among the best young actors alongside Park Jung-woo.

Finally, the rising star of this year.

'Ju Seo-yeon.'

Right now, the interest in Seo-yeon from Japan was significant.

Simply because of her looks?

No, that can't be it.

There were three main things Seo-yeon had shown in Japan.

The ghost-like acting where she held nothing back on variety shows.

Her one-minute cameo appearance in the drama.

Finally, the unremarkable related event.

With just that, she had become this much of a hot topic.

'If Jo Seo-hee is a lucky fairy, what should this one be called.'

Something was different.

Should it be called presence, or aura.

It made sense that Jo Seo-hee was particularly attached to following Seo-yeon around.

'A supernova.'

If, instinctively, she was chasing starlight that resembled her mother.

***

The long-delayed full-scale filming of .

Honestly, Seo-yeon hadn't given it much thought all along.

First, she was so busy, and itself was a film that didn't really need worrying.

Even in her past life, it had its share of twists and turns, but it managed to open in theaters even with a worse cast than now.

With a much better cast now, there was no way problems would arise.

If anything, NewLike, the investor in this film, had struck gold.

So she had been waiting for the filming day without much thought.

'But looking at the script, this is......'

She had received the script quite a while ago.

She hadn't thought much when she read it then either.

But with filming approaching, thinking about filming these scenes with Jo Seo-hee or Ji-yeon.

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How should she put this.

'I, I can't imagine it well.'

had quite a lot of romance scenes.

Originally, it was a script aiming for an adult rating, but as the cast's overall age dropped, the level of explicitness dropped significantly as well.

For reference, this part wasn't particularly different from her past life.

Back then too, they couldn't cast the actors properly, so it was changed to an all-age rating script.

However.

'Romance...... acting.'

Even same-sex romance.

Seo-yeon had already vaguely deceived viewers during .

But this time, had quite a few shocking parts that couldn't be glossed over.

'Uh, this is difficult.'

One thing was certain—she couldn't do method acting.

Of course, it had been a long time since she stopped method acting because she didn't feel the need for it.

But she was a bit worried about whether she could properly bring out the emotional line.

'Still......'

Seo-yeon closed the script and fell into thought.

Considerable attention followed her.

Today was the day of the script reading for .

She had thought about coming with Ji-yeon, but came alone first.

There were many things to think about in many ways.

The script was the script, and actually filming made her think a lot about its impact.

'They said there's interest from Japan too.'

This was something that didn't happen in her past life.

was highly regarded overseas, but it was exported to Japan about two years after its Korean release.

Of course, it had opened in other countries well before that.

Only Japan had a delayed release.

But now, Japan was the one most eager for the release first, which was quite amusing.

'......I wonder how it will turn out.'

Seo-yeon's appearance in was due to Jo Seo-hee's recommendation.

Of course, she didn't accept it simply because she couldn't refuse the recommendation.

It was purely because it was too good of an opportunity.

'Recognition as an actor.'

A golden opportunity to raise that.

, which was highly regarded overseas, would create opportunities for the participating actors to leap forward.

Of course, most of them disappeared after causing accidents or having consecutive failed works.

Anyway, the fact that the opportunity was given was important.

Especially for Seo-yeon, the fame she could gain from was more important than anything else.

'Because it's impossible to attract investment as an actor with ordinary recognition.'

Of course, it wasn't that Seo-yeon wanted to become a film director or anything like that.

But she did have thoughts of making a film.

Although it was still a vague plan......

'Graduation.'

The word graduation held a very special meaning for Seo-yeon.

Commonly, virtual YouTubers use the word 'graduation' when they retire.

This graduation didn't simply mean ending activities.

In a way, it might be like death.

Something like an eternal parting.

So, the graduation Seo-yeon aimed for might be similar in a way.

In some sense, it felt like she had dragged it out too long.

'Because I learned from Masked Singer.'

Meeting her mother from her past life.

Seeing her, who gave birth to a normal daughter, not herself.

Finally, hearing the question from her current mother, Soo-ah.

'Why did Seo-yeon start working so hard as an actress?'

With those words, she inadvertently realized it.

The reason she hadn't been able to do what she had wanted to do since she was young.

VTuber was a dream from the past that she had harbored in her previous life.

Now, if she did that, she felt like she would be forever bound to the past.

Because she realized that she still had lingering attachments.

And when she realized that, doubt arose.

Perhaps, her becoming an actress was also a trace of that.

Was she acting because she wanted to let her know that she was safe?

Through TV, through movies.

The suspicion that she might have been trying to convey herself indirectly.

Because she had lingering attachments that she herself hadn't properly recognized.

'I need to graduate from my past self.'

Of course, that graduation didn't mean retiring as an actress.

Rather, it was indispensable for living as actress Ju Seo-yeon.

Also, preparation to pursue the dream she had harbored since childhood as 'Ju Seo-yeon.'

She knew the answer to that.

So she had asked writer Min Se-hee about it.

And had tried to move, becoming a bit impatient.

But through Aunt Yeo-hee, she had calmed down a bit.

Because it felt like she had been told there was no need to be impatient about moving toward her dream.

Anyway.

Let's not be impatient.

She had made up her mind to take it step by step.

'Anyway.'

If asked why she was suddenly having such maudlin thoughts, it was all because of the acting she saw in the script.

Romance acting.

In other words, acting out 'love.'

It was too difficult a subject for the current Ju Seo-yeon.

For Seo-yeon, emotions were like paint.

Her weapon was acting like painting using those emotions.

Needless to say, the better she understood that emotion, the more colorful it became, resulting in a wonderful piece of work.

In that sense, the emotion called love was honestly difficult.

Because it required more self-understanding and empathy with others than other emotions.

In other words, for Seo-yeon who hadn't graduated yet, deception was the limit.

'Though I do want to understand it like other emotions someday.'

For now, she had to find a way to deceive......

'Even with Lee Ji-yeon.'

Anyway, she had made various complicated excuses, but to put it simply, that was it.

She had to film romance with a close friend.

Moreover, her character, Kasugayama Yuina, was a villainess who had a crush on the female lead.

Realizing that fact anew, Seo-yeon felt a headache coming on.

"You're looking forward to the acting, right?"

Unaware of Seo-yeon's feelings, Jo Seo-hee said with a beaming smile.

Naturally, Seo-yeon was about to glare at Jo Seo-hee sullenly...... but stopped.

"Yes, I suppose so."

Whatever the case, there were definitely parts to look forward to.

***

First off, Jo Seo-hee was in a good mood.

Thinking about the script reading today, she couldn't even sleep properly.

So, she played YouTube sleep music and tossed and turned all night.

Finally succeeding in falling asleep, she arrived at the filming location in very good condition, which was right now.

'Is she worried about the acting?'

She noticed that Seo-yeon was quieter than usual.

It was quite rare for Seo-yeon to examine the script so closely ahead of a script reading.

For reference, as for Ji-yeon who had just arrived.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

She spoke cynically right after arriving.

Her eyes were sharp, and her words were sharp.

She sat with polite posture because senior actors were present, but every time Jo Seo-hee looked at Ji-yeon, she felt suspicious.

'Won't there be a school bullying controversy later?'

was a very important work for Jo Seo-hee too.

Of course, she had learned from meeting her that Lee Ji-yeon wasn't that kind of person...... but she was still suspicious.

No matter what, her physiognomy looked like a delinquent......

"Alright then, let's start slowly. Everyone has exchanged greetings, right? Shall I call your names once more?"

At Director Baek Min's words, the somewhat heavy atmosphere of the filming location brightened.

Truthfully, for a script reading venue, there had been unusually little conversation.

The reason was nothing special.

'The impression of these young actresses is no joke.'

'With the three of them sitting like that, it's a bit......'

Ju Seo-yeon examining the script, and Jo Seo-hee sitting next to her glancing at her.

And Lee Ji-yeon pretending not to but also glancing at Jo Seo-hee and Ju Seo-yeon.

All three had appearances that made it hard to start a conversation, each in their own genre, making it truly difficult to approach.

With the lead actors of this work having such impressions, naturally the supporting actors kept their mouths shut.

With that kind of atmosphere forming, the filming location naturally became quiet.

"Then, as a way to freshen up the atmosphere a bit, let's start lightly. First......"

The moment Director Baek Min looked around the filming location, wondering who should start first.

'I should do it first.'

Jo Seo-hee sent a glance toward Director Baek Min.

Roughly, a strongly sparkling gaze saying she wanted to go first.

'It seems like Seo-yeon is hesitant to go first.'

Given Director Baek Min's personality, he would definitely have Seo-yeon do it if not herself.

In that case, it was better for her to take the initiative.

Thinking so, she gestured earnestly with her eyes.

"We'll start with the scene between actor Lee Ji-yeon and actor Ju Seo-yeon. Since they meet first in the order of the scenes. Seo-hee, you want to do it so badly, so I'll put you later."

Director Baek Min said with a smile toward Jo Seo-hee.

It was close to a small prank played because he understood Jo Seo-hee's desire to go first.

Thanks to that, Seo-yeon, who ended up reading first unexpectedly, looked at Jo Seo-hee with narrowed eyes.

'Ah, that's unfair.'

Of course, Jo Seo-hee felt truly unfair.