Chapter 6

The first day’s complete sellout of soymilk was admittedly shocking, but I didn’t think too deeply about it.

“It’s probably because they didn’t bring in much stock.”

However, contrary to my thoughts, the soymilk sold far better than I had expected.

Though it wasn’t sold out every time I went, compared to the memories of my past life, the sales were incomparable.

Lately, even as I walked around with my mom, there were people who recognized me.

“Isn’t that the child who appeared in the soymilk ad?”

“Wow, you live in our neighborhood!”

“So cute! But somehow, it feels different from the ad, doesn’t it?”

It wasn’t as if I’d suddenly become a real entertainer, drawing a crowd wherever I went.

Just a few ajummas (middle-aged women) started talking to me after recognizing me.

Yeah, it was still just that much.

“Seoyeon! Mom finally bought a lot of soymilk!”

“…Eat a lot, Mom.”

“What are you saying? Eating that soymilk so deliciously… Oh, unless you dislike soymilk as well?”

Mom said it as if realizing something new.

That was true—I didn’t particularly enjoy milk.

Well, it’s because it tastes foul!

I could tolerate skim milk, but I definitely couldn’t say I liked milk.

“Soymilk is better than that…but I just dislike soy entirely.”

“My goodness! Our daughter’s acting is incredible. I thought she loved soymilk!”

Well, yes—it was good acting.

If I didn’t like it, there was no way I could act like I enjoyed it.

‘How did we end up with three boxes?’

Anyway, as there was no way I could let Mom eat all the piled-up soymilk herself, I was destined to eat it as well.

“Hmm, Seoyeon must truly dislike something, huh.”

“…What?”

Without answering, I averted my gaze.

When I think about it, in my past life, I hadn’t separated what I liked from what I disliked.

Especially, showing that I disliked something like milk only got me teased heavily.

Seeing how naturally such behavior was emerging lately, it seemed those memories were fading.

“Is it because of acting?”

Or maybe it’s because I was born as a girl this time.

Who could really know why?

“Mom wants you to tell me everything you like and dislike, okay?”

“Yes.”

“By the way, Seoyeon.”

Seoyeon, who had pushed the soymilk cartons to one side, glanced around to confirm that Dad wasn’t nearby and whispered softly,

“Mr. Cho wants to know if you’d like to film another TV commercial?”

“Commercial? But auditions are so bothersome…”

“Mr. Cho mentioned that some advertisers liked the previous commercial and they want to film more.”

A skilled child actor is rare, but there’s no shortage of them.

Those with inadequate acting skills often transition into kids’ modeling, so simply being a child actor means one has a certain level of acting ability.

Take, for instance, Yi Ji-yeon, whom I had encountered during an audition.

“Why me?”

“Isn’t it because of that soymilk commercial?”

Soymilk commercial… indeed, its impact was much greater than in my previous life.

“Hmm, trying various kinds of acting wouldn’t be bad.”

The money earned from the previous CF (Commercial Film) went straight into my account.

Though the amount wasn’t huge, it was the first money I’d earned in this world, so it felt rather satisfying.

“Alright.”

After all, the number of CFs I could handle would be quite limited.

The acting had an aspect in common with being a VTuber, so to be honest, it was enjoyable.

The reason I wanted to be a VTuber was partly because it had been my sole hobby in my past life, but mainly because it allowed me to become someone completely different.

***

And so, Ju Seo-yeon.

It had been three months since she turned 6.

She began going to kindergarten for the first time in her life.

This was something unique to this life; in her previous life, she had never attended kindergarten.

‘Hmm.’

Amidst the children wearing colorful uniforms, I stood with my arms crossed.

Kindergarten opening ceremony.

I spotted Mom waving toward me from a distance.

‘…I want to go home.’

Naturally, I didn’t have much emotional resonance with children my age.

In fact, some of the kids even avoided me after seeing me.

Why exactly?

Even though I hadn’t done anything malicious.

“It’s because her eyes look scary…”

“Huh?”

I heard whispers.

Eyes.

Ah, eyes, indeed.

‘Well, it’s true to some extent.’

This was understandable.

My relatively pale irises with a reddish tint are certainly unusual.

And occasionally, they turn even redder, though I still don’t know why.

‘Could this be some kind of power that came with being reincarnated?’

I don’t know.

If they’d give me another chance at life, they should at least include an instruction manual.

Being born without even a basic status window left too many things uncertain.

“Hey, you!”

Then, a child’s high-pitched voice rang out.

Turning toward the sound, I saw someone grab the collar of my shirt.

“Just as I thought, it’s you! What are you doing here?”

Her familiar hostile demeanor was unmistakable.

Yes, without a doubt…

“…Ji-yeon?”

“How do you know my name?”

“I met you at an audition.”

Although, the reason I knew her name came from my past memories.

“Huh, is that so?”

Perhaps Ji-yeon hadn’t expected me to remember her name, and her expression softened slightly.

In truth, I was surprised that she remembered me at all.

“I thought you’d forget all about me.”

“What? How could I forget? It was… humiliating!”

Maybe from being a child actor.

She did demonstrate a vocabulary far beyond her peers.

‘Even so, how does she remember something from half a year ago?’

Regardless of having an excellent memory, this persistence was borderline obsessive.

Despite the long gap, her ability to get so angry over something from half a year ago impressed me.

“But, didn’t you also appear in another commercial?”

“Huh? You watched it?”

Of course, she had appeared on TV.

‘Actually, she starred in a better commercial than I did in my previous life.’

This time, her role was not in the soymilk commercial, but in a children’s toy commercial.

It’s a field where many child actors vie for roles, so it was quite an achievement for her to secure it.

Though Ji-yeon didn’t know it, I had helped her significantly with that.

“…Hmm. Alright. I’ll forgive you.”

I wasn’t sure exactly what she was forgiving me for, but her face lit up with triumph upon seeing my nod.

“My mom told me my commercial with the toys is better than the soymilk one, you know? Got it? So, I’m the winner.”

Though I’m not sure what specific contest she’s referring to, I silently nodded in agreement.

She spoke clearly and confidently, but it was undeniable that she was still just a child.

“Soymilk?”

“Ah, now that you mention it, I saw her on TV!”

When Ji-yeon casually mentioned the “soymilk,” a few kids reacted, though it wasn’t my intention.

“Wow, she’s the girl from the soymilk commercial?”

“Sure, she is pretty. But the image feels different, doesn’t it?”

“I thought she’d be livelier.”

Mothers observing the kindergarten ceremony from behind also began to pay attention to me.

For some reason, this soymilk commercial seemed to have been seen by a lot of people.

Actually, due to the presence of mothers who cared about their children’s health, the reach of the advertisement was amplified in this environment.

Kids were glued to TV all day, viewing the ad, and the mothers were naturally interested in healthy products like milk or soymilk for their kids.

“…”

Glancing sideways at Ji-yeon, I noticed she looked a bit flustered, her face turning red.

Then, she began circling around me as if expecting others to recognize her as well.

This made my eyes spin unnecessarily.

‘Please stop.’

Of course, no one approached her.

Not even one person, even 10 minutes later when the kindergarten opening ceremony began.

***

“We really did the right thing working with Director Cho.”

“No, it’s thanks to everyone’s effort.”

“The actor selection was truly excellent. Actress Kim Jung-ha was great, and the child actor was incredible too.”

The head of Garam Dream’s advertising team’s compliments brought an awkward smile to Jo Min-tae’s face.

‘If you think they’re incredible, how about memorizing their names?’

Though he had mentioned “Ju Seo-yeon” many times, it seemed the head had no intention of remembering her name.

After all, how many people bother to memorize the names of child actors?

“Thanks to you, sales have surged sevenfold. It’s all thanks to you, director. So, we’d sincerely appreciate it if you could work with us again for the next ad. We won’t leave you disappointed.”

“Of course. I’ll inform you as soon as I have some free time.”

“Thank you.”

After hanging up the call with the advertising team leader, Jo Min-tae sighed.

‘They do good work, but they’re too stingy with the pay and can’t remember an actor’s name. I don’t want to work with them again.’

Even so, the fact that he had managed to make the names of Kim Jung-ha and Seo-yeon known was at least a significant achievement.

Talented actors are very valuable to a director.

Jo Min-tae hoped that Kim Jung-ha and Ju Seo-yeon would grow to be truly remarkable.

Perhaps for the movie he would someday direct with them.

“The previous ad you filmed was quite impressive.”

At that moment, his father’s voice rang out, observing his thoughts.

Turning around, he saw his father, whose hair was beginning to turn white, standing there.

Jo Bang-woo.

A famous director with several hit works under his belt and Jo Min-tae’s idol.

The only regrettable fact was that his father had never directed a “Ten Million Movie.”

“Was that kid the one you selected?”

“Yes. Even during the audition, she wasn’t ordinary.”

“Hmm.”

Jo Bang-woo stroked his chin, listening to his son.

She was about five… or six, wasn’t she?

“After watching the unedited footage, it was clear there were flaws.”

“But the emotional acting was unusually good.”

“It’s almost like a Method acting… style?”

“Yes.”

Method acting is a double-edged sword.

Once deeply immersed in a role, many actors suffer for months.

Undoubtedly, Seo-yeon was the type to deeply immerse herself in her role.

It showed in her performances.

However, unlike true Method acting, she seemed to detach herself from the emotions far too easily.

“That could be due to various reasons. Perhaps she’s immature, or there’s something else at play.”

“Something else?”

“Yes.”

Though Jo Bang-woo himself wasn’t sure of the exact reasons.

After all, the only proper footage Seo-yeon had was one commercial.

“If this were a more serious project instead of a CF… a real acting attempt might reveal the explicit reason.”

“Huh?”

This talent-filled child actor discovered by his son needed to try something more serious than advertisements.

Jo Bang-woo had viewed the CF repeatedly.

This child needed to explore acting beyond commercials.

If left only to advertisements, the skills might develop in an unhealthy way, especially given the rapid learning period during childhood, where bad habits could easily form.

“Did you say there’s a new recommendation for CFs? When will this project conclude?”

“Probably about a month from now. They’re set to begin filming soon.”

“Hmm, a month.”

Advertising involves much post-production and scheduling negotiation.

The shooting alone would be done quickly.

And indeed, there was something suitable available.

“I know of a good historical drama audition.”

“…Yes?”

“For her, if she’s interested, I could make a special recommendation in my name.”

Such special recommendations were rare, but the child seemed to matter to his son.

It seemed like a waste to keep such talented potential limited to commercials.

“If it’s a historical drama, you mean….”

“Yes, I heard there’s a virtual historical drama soon to be aired by KMB. I think it’s called…”

Jo Bang-woo paused momentarily and resumed calmly.

“The Moon That Hid the Sun, something like that.”

If Seo-yeon had heard this title, she would have been astonished.

“The Moon That Hid the Sun.”

Its final episode had achieved a 40% viewership rating,

earning it a place among the nation’s beloved historical dramas.

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