A chaotic atmosphere lingered among the filming crew of
Especially the actors were busy watching each other's reactions.
Among them, there were those looking at actor Lee Sang-soo.
It was bound to happen.
An actor who had once failed overseas.
On the other hand, the one currently on this set was the youngest Best Actress winner at the Berlin Film Festival.
She had already reached the position that any actor would dream of.
Stella Baldwin.
A blonde girl smiling radiantly.
Her white dress and deep blue eyes made her look like a fleeting flower.
"Wow, she's really so pretty."
"The vibe is completely different from seeing her in the movies."
Did she hear those voices around her?
Stella's gaze shifted, and she smiled at the people who had just been talking.
"Thank you."
Of course, for Seoyeon, who knew her true nature, it honestly made her feel like 'ugh'.
Unlike when she was alone with Seoyeon, Stella now looked exactly like an angel.
'Plus, she's only answering in English.'
Judging by her current appearance, it was the face of someone saying, 'I don't speak any Korean.'
She only used Korean once.
When she met Lee Ji-yeon and Jo Seo-hee.
In other words, except when facing the trio including Seoyeon, she was conversing entirely in English.
"Shady."
Lee Ji-yeon, watching Stella's appearance, crossed her arms and said.
"It feels like looking at black-hearted kids."
"Heung, I agree. I had high expectations just from seeing her in the movie..."
Jo Seo-hee clicked her tongue as she watched Stella greeting the staff at the airport.
For Seo-hee, who was acquainted with the children of other conglomerates, it was a very familiar feeling.
Those who smile on the outside but harbor several venomous snakes in their bellies.
For Seo-hee, who had imagined an innocent angel, it was quite an unpleasant sight.
"Joo Seo-yeon, she can speak Korean, right?"
"Yeah, right. But how did you know?"
Did she figure it out just from that Puyo Puyo earlier?
If so, it could be said she had amazing observation skills.
"Otherwise, there's no way you'd be able to have a proper conversation with that black-hearted kid."
"...I can speak English too."
"So, what's your English grade?"
"..."
How cold is this reality that judges everything by grades.
Seoyeon couldn't help but lament inwardly.
Honestly, isn't it enough to just be good at Korean?
Since her previous life, she hadn't really been interested in English.
"Just kidding. But more than that, you don't really like kids like her. Ones who are different on the inside and outside."
Ji-yeon said that in a small voice.
Just as she said, Seoyeon didn't really like the type whose inside didn't match their outside.
Especially for Seoyeon, who was good at reading emotions, their true intentions were mostly visible.
'But, Stella's aren't really visible.'
That was a somewhat strange point.
Is it simply acting?
But if so, her usual words and actions would be severely wild.
If she were acting, she could dress up in a much better image as much as she wanted.
Like the appearance she's showing to other people right now.
However, she didn't particularly show such an attitude to Seoyeon.
'It's similar to... a sense of kinship, but it's not.'
What on earth is it.
Seoyeon felt such ambiguous emotions.
The sense of incongruity she felt when seeing her actions and watching the movie she starred in.
And, the bizarrely intertwining emotions.
Seoyeon recalled the person named 'Stella' for a moment.
The first thing that came to mind was her 'narrative'.
'Asher Baldwin's adopted daughter.'
Being an adopted daughter meant, in other words, that she was originally an orphan.
In the US, there are no official orphanages, and foster care is the norm.
It's a system designed to raise abandoned children in proper families rather than orphanages.
Foster families receive support from the government, but if they are deemed incapable of raising the child properly, the child is transferred to another family again.
'Five times.'
The number of families Stella had been through.
Seoyeon, waking up early in the morning, looked up information about her before the sleeping Stella woke up.
She moved families five times while growing up, and while living in her last family, she caught Asher Baldwin's eye and became his adopted daughter.
That was the year Stella turned seven.
Why did Asher Baldwin recommend the path of acting to Stella?
Why did Stella choose acting as her profession out of all the many things she could do?
She searched the internet up and down, but the reason didn't come up.
While thinking such thoughts and staring at Stella, their eyes accidentally met.
Perhaps she felt Seoyeon looking at her.
Stella, whose eyes met Seoyeon's, smiled slightly and waved her hand in a friendly manner.
Thanks to that, Seoyeon waved back.
She's a little terror, but her looks are really good.
"Joo Seo-yeon."
"Yeah?"
"You've already gotten quite close, huh?"
"Huh?"
Wasn't waving hands all there was to it?
Lee Ji-yeon said that with a sullen face for no reason and turned her gaze away.
"It's not like we've gotten close!"
"Hmm, really?"
Close or not, it's only been a day since Seoyeon and Stella met.
At Seoyeon's answer, Ji-yeon opened her narrowly closed eyes for a moment and nodded.
It wasn't like Ji-yeon had any issues with Seoyeon getting close to someone.
It was just that Stella... felt somewhat off-putting.
'Like having a masterpiece from an art gallery in front of me.'
It's not a problem that Stella's personality is naturally foul and her way of speaking is bad.
She felt fundamentally repulsed, so she didn't want her to face Seoyeon.
'Like Joo Seo-yeon when she was young.'
Ji-yeon thinks.
At the time, she was also a child so she didn't know that sense of incongruity well, but if they met now, she would have felt a similar vibe from Seoyeon back then as Stella now.
***
Japan, arrived like that.
Seoyeon hadn't expected to return to Japan this quickly.
Furthermore, Stella, who had arbitrarily come to Korea, was promptly taken away by the bodyguards waiting at the airport.
"Then I'll get going."
Walking lightly, Stella said to Seoyeon in passing.
Her deep blue eyes, contrasting with Seoyeon's, held her fully in her gaze.
"But your eyes aren't red today? Only when you sleep?"
Stella, for her part, had many things she was curious about regarding Seoyeon.
Above all, her eyes.
Clearly, when their eyes met at dawn, they were red.
In the morning, although slightly red, they were brown eyes.
'Sleeping lenses?'
A question that arose even while knowing it didn't make sense.
Honestly, Stella wanted to stay with Seoyeon longer, but if she stayed any longer, her father would surely be furious, so she had no choice but to be dragged away by the bodyguards.
"What a pity. But we'll be able to see each other again soon."
Leaving behind such a meaningful remark.
She was a woman who appeared and disappeared like a storm.
"Director Baek Min?"
At Stella's meaningful words, Jo Seo-hee asked discreetly.
"Let's move out too."
Director Baek Min just smiled and replied like that.
When he usually spoke like this, it meant he had something in mind.
For reference, they weren't going straight to the filming location.
They had to unpack at the hotel and visit a place first.
It was the Japanese YHJ broadcasting station.
Although they were naturally mixed in, the current filming crew of
"Isn't this huge for us?"
It was the broadcasting station employees from Japan.
Those who accompanied them to film Seoyeon's documentary smiled hollowly at the series of situations.
"Suddenly Stella appears? Just to see actor Joo Seo-yeon?"
"We also honestly felt that actor Joo Seo-yeon wasn't ordinary, but actor Stella's actions are unexpected. Honestly, we can't even guess what she's thinking."
They had been watching Seoyeon's acting from the sidelines while filming
Therefore, they knew very well how outstanding of an actor Seoyeon was.
To speak frankly.
'The scene where she argued with Michiko was truly a masterpiece.'
At that time, all the actors performed with passionate acting.
Because of that, Seoyeon's acting stood out even more.
Since the one receiving her acting received it well, Seoyeon's acting shone even more.
To the point that their eyes were drawn to Seoyeon rather than Jo Seo-hee, who was already famous in Korea.
"But just for that..."
They heard why Stella came to Korea.
Because Asher Baldwin, while watching a Japanese drama, saw Seoyeon appearing as a cameo and pointedly said he wanted to cast her.
Hearing those words, Stella immediately came over to Korea.
"An actor that the Baldwin father and daughter are interested in, if this goes into the documentary, won't we be told we're exaggerating?"
"Eh~, but what can we do? It's already been filmed."
"Then it can't be helped."
"Right?"
Of course, from their standpoint, they were simply joyful.
When this broadcast airs, just how much of a hot topic would it become.
Just thinking about it, they could already feel their hearts fluttering.
***
'I want to go to Akihabara.'
Being dragged to the YHJ broadcasting station in Tokyo, Seoyeon thought that.
There were a lot of goods she couldn't buy last time, so only such thoughts filled her mind.
And, did he notice those thoughts?
"There's no filming schedule today, so it's fine for the young actors to rest comfortably."
Director Baek Min brought it up refreshingly.
"Huh? Then can we rest freely?"
Jo Seo-hee also seemed suspicious of Director Baek Min's words and asked, but he just smiled.
"Miss Seo-hee, do I speak so suspiciously? You ask like that every time."
"Ah, no. It's not particularly like that."
Honestly, that was true.
Even Seoyeon found it hard to take Director Baek Min's words at face value.
'He's oddly the type that seems like a mastermind out of a manga or movie.'
He always wears a soft smile, but his attitude when working is utterly ruthless.
He's got the visuals that would suit him even if he suddenly said, 'I will stand in the heavens.'
"Joo Seo-yeon, you're going around buying goods again, right?"
"Huh? G-goods?"
"Your mother asked me. She said there's no place to put things, so she told me to watch you so you don't buy too much."
At Ji-yeon's words, Seoyeon was flustered.
It wasn't simply a problem that Ji-yeon was requested by Sua.
'What kind of conversation does she normally have with my mom?'
Originally, Ji-yeon was very awkward around Sua.
Well, she had a record of suddenly rushing at her in middle school, so it couldn't be helped.
But recently, that awkwardness had disappeared, and she felt very close to her.
Why on earth.
Seoyeon looked at Ji-yeon with suspicious eyes, but naturally, she only looked back at Seoyeon with eyes saying 'Why, what.'
"Yeah, right. Aunt Sua asked me too."
Seoyeon was flustered again by Jo Seo-hee, who chimed in with Ji-yeon's words.
'You too?'
If it's Ji-yeon, she could understand since they've known each other since childhood, but why Jo Seo-hee?
Isn't there absolutely no reason for her to be entangled with Sua??
Seoyeon looked at Ji-yeon and Seo-hee with eyes full of such questions, but naturally, the two couldn't answer the reason.
'That's because.'
'We can't exactly say we're giving you the money you donate to us every time.'
It was almost a daily routine for Seoyeon to shower them with donation money, so naturally, they had to meet Sua often.
Recently, it feels like settling accounts once a week, but in the past, there were times they met almost every day.
"You're going to Akihabara again, right?"
"Yeah. It's close from here."
"...Well, I don't care, but before shopping, hang out with us for a bit first. Don't play alone."
"Understood."
But, even if she said that, would there be anything Lee Ji-yeon or Jo Seo-hee would like in Akihabara?
'An arcade wouldn't be bad.'
There are a few quite large-scale arcades in Akihabara.
Mainly places where you can play crane games, though.
Anyway, following Seoyeon like that, the three immediately moved to Akihabara.
One good thing here was that, unlike in Korea, there was no need to hide their faces.
"I originally don't need to hide, though."
Ji-yeon said that, but for the extremely famous Seoyeon and Seo-hee, there was a sense of liberation and freedom just from not wearing disguises.
Of course.
'Everyone can't easily make eye contact.'
Walking the streets with all their faces uncovered for the first time in a while, she could feel the people who saw the three's faces stealthily avoiding their gazes.
When they stood to wait for the traffic light, everyone stayed far away from the three.
'Anyway, because of Lee Ji-yeon.'
'Jo Seo-hee is a bit like that in Japan.'
'Because Joo Seo-yeon is glaring around her surroundings too much.'
Each of them sighed, thinking such thoughts.
A sight of them not thinking it was because of themselves.
Anyway, after such twists and turns, they arrived at the arcade.
"Oh, this place is definitely quite nice?"
"There are plushies rather than figures, that's cute."
Just as Seo-hee and Ji-yeon were admiring the crane game machines they were seeing for the first time.
"Hello?"
A blonde girl suddenly appeared in front of them.
At the appearance of the angelically beautiful girl, the surroundings instantly became greatly stirred.
"See? I told you we'd see each other soon?"
There was only one blonde girl who could speak to Seoyeon like this.
Namely, Stella Baldwin was smiling radiantly as she looked at Seoyeon.
But how did she know they were coming to the arcade?
"...How did you know to come here this time?"
At this point, isn't she almost a stalker?
"Well, I heard it from your managers."
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"...The managers tell you that?"
"Yeah."
Stella's gaze headed toward Ji-yeon's hand.
There was a camera there filming the three of them.
Should I call it a camcorder?
Naturally, it was something the Japanese filming crew requested.
Because there was a request to film the three of them playing around.
"If I appear, it's beneficial in many ways, right?"
Well, that's true.
Seoyeon looked at Stella with a pitiful gaze.
Somehow, because of the appearance she showed in Korea, there was a part where the impression wasn't very good.
"Don't speak like that in Japan either."
"Huh? Like what?"
"Like, 'all Asians look the same,' or something. We're filming."
"Ah, am I not supposed to?"
Asking if she shouldn't do it was even more surprising.
Not only Seoyeon, but it seemed Ji-yeon and Seo-hee were also bewildered by Stella's remark.
"Heung? Ah? Aha, right. This is sort of a black joke."
"Black joke?"
"Because I'm treated as Asian overseas. So to speak, it's like a Black person making a Black joke."
Stella's words were quite unexpected.
That Stella was treated as Asian overseas.
"Well, I don't know where half of my blood is from. And I don't care."
Mixed race.
To Seoyeon, she just looked like a foreigner, but scrutinizing it, Stella's appearance had quite a few Asian parts.
"Yeah, well. If it looks that way. I'll restrain myself as much as possible?"
"Wouldn't it be fine to just not do it?"
"Ahaha, don't be like that. More importantly, how about that? I'm good at that."
What Stella pointed at while saying that was none other than the punching machine.
Seeing that, Ji-yeon shuddered.
Seo-hee naturally looked at Seoyeon.
Naturally, it was because the shocking sight seen at the mansion came to mind.
And as for Seoyeon.
"I'm good at it too."
She said, shrugging her shoulders.
To be honest, she had never hit a punching machine even once.
Instead, she had burst many sandbags, so she was confident.
"Really? Then wanna have a match with me?"
"Sure."
"How about a bet? The loser buys all the meals today."
"Really?"
Seoyeon immediately nodded.
It would be a bit much if she proposed it herself, but since Stella proposed it first, she was totally in the clear.
'I should look up a few Japanese omakase places.'
If it's Stella, she'll have plenty of money, so there's no need to unnecessarily choose a cheap place.
"Then I'll go first."
Seoyeon, full of enthusiasm, stepped forward first.
When a pretty girl stood in front of the punching machine, the gazes of the people in the arcade naturally flocked to her.
"Ah, you'll hurt your hand if you hit it like that."
"Who is she? She's super pretty."
"I feel like I've seen her somewhere."
Such voices were heard from the surroundings.
Most of them were words pointing out Seoyeon's posture.
Normally, before hitting a punching machine, one hits while holding the left hand on the right wrist.
It's to prevent injuries as well as to exert more force.
However, Seoyeon just had her right hand raised up, so it was only natural for such words to come out.
Of course, Seoyeon didn't think for a moment that she would get hurt.
Just.
'I should hit it gently and moderately.'
She only thought that.
Kwaaang!!
A loud roar rang out as if the punching machine was breaking.
Even though there was a shock-absorbing part in the back, it was a sound loud enough to fill the center.
Everyone's gaze flocked in an instant.
"Joo Seo-yeon, that punching machine isn't coming back up? Are Japanese ones like that?"
"..."
Ji-yeon said while looking at the punching machine that was somehow in a strange state.
Something, this felt strange.
Clearly, it should come up when hit, but the score wasn't displayed and it didn't come up.
Of course, Ji-yeon said it out of concern that the item might be broken.
"Hmm?"
Stella hovered near the machine and tilted her head while still smiling.
"...Hmm?"
Because something was definitely weird.