Chapter 197

“I want to go back to Korea.”

Narumi Sora thought.

She earnestly wanted to return to Korea soon.

Well, to be honest, it was fun when she first came to Japan.

Of course, Japan was her hometown, and the place where she had lived, so she couldn’t help but feel at ease.

However, aside from that, having to continuously follow Seoyeon’s schedule was exhausting.

Even during the first hidden camera segment, she had fainted and been carried away, and upon waking, was treated as if she were a fragile child.

“Isn’t it obvious that anyone would faint at such a sight?”

The actors who participated in that hidden camera segment had immediately fled upon glimpsing the situation, but at the time, Sora had been relentlessly chased by Seoyeon. When Sora expressed her frustration,

“I kept reaching out for help but was cruelly rejected. And even before I could go in, they tried to close the fake door on me!”

Seoyeon had become slightly irritated.

After shooting the hidden camera segment, her cheeks were noticeably swollen.

Of course, due to her personality, this irritation lasted for less than two hours, but it seemed that Seoyeon herself was unaware of how she had acted then.

From Seoyeon’s perspective, she had been desperately trying to escape from a ghost, only for the other side to arbitrarily panic and shut the door.

“Still, things improved after the broadcast aired.”

When Sora saw the aired variety show yesterday, Seoyeon quietly avoided her gaze and slinked into her own bed.

She had pulled the blanket all the way up to her head, hiding her face, but it was evident that she was quite embarrassed.

Still, Sora felt relieved that her grievances had been resolved.

Nevertheless, Sora’s desire to return to Korea was not because of the hidden camera incident.

Purely, it was a matter of stamina.

As Seoyeon’s manager, Park Eun-ha, had already collapsed.

Thus, relatively more resilient Sora had no choice but to always accompany Seoyeon.

“It’s fine, I can go alone. It’s not dangerous at all.”

As Seoyeon tried to insist on her point, Sora couldn’t bring herself to nod.

Needless to say, neither Park Eun-ha nor Sora thought Seoyeon would be in danger.

It wasn’t Seoyeon who was dangerous—it was the other people around her.

“If we leave her alone, who knows what she’ll do.”

Sora was gradually coming to understand Seoyeon.

In general, she appeared to be a cool, above-average girl, but when something triggered her, she could suddenly take off full throttle.

Moreover, Sora needed to get closer to Seoyeon.

There was also the matter involving “Mine,” and the people associated with Seoyeon were excessively influential figures among her peers.

“Jo Seo-hee, Park Jung-woo.”

They were the top figures among their respective male and female actors. Hence, to learn much, forming a close bond with Seoyeon would clearly be advantageous.

Therefore, it seemed right to follow her as much as possible. But…

“Jo, let’s rest a little before moving.”

She had never considered herself physically weak before in her life.

Compared to girls her age and even some boys, her stamina and physical abilities were unparalleled, but Seoyeon was in a league of her own.

At those words from Sora,

“You should do some exercise.”

Seoyeon gave her a sincere piece of advice.

It seemed she felt Sora’s stamina had significantly weakened compared to the time of “Mine.” Of course, Sora was left speechless by that comment.

***

Since coming to Japan, Seoyeon had been having the time of her life, buzzing around everywhere.

She spent barely any time in the expensive hotel she had booked, constantly exploring in all directions.

Sure, most of her movements were limited to Akihabara, but honestly, that didn’t matter.

However, after a week of wandering while the variety show was on air, there was nothing left to see.

“I’ve bought too much stuff already; I’ll have to ship it as cargo.”

Actually, this wasn’t just Seoyeon’s; Suah’s items were also included.

Suah, once renowned in the Otaku world, hadn’t stopped indulging in her fandom, even after becoming a mother.

When Seoyeon mentioned her plans to go to Japan, Suah subtly entrusted her with various requests.

Most were items not available in Korea, so Seoyeon had to sweep them up first.

On top of that, buying anime merchandise, VTuber goods, and figures, her baggage was already full.

With the possibility of buying more in other places, she stopped purchasing for the moment.

“Also…”

Today, Seoyeon hadn’t ventured out yet.

It was because she watched the Japanese variety program featuring her yesterday.

Covered with a blanket over her head, she lay there, unable to move, somewhat nervous she might accidentally uncover herself.

Because she definitely didn’t want to be recognized and called out.

What if people formed an odd impression of her?

Apparently, she had even topped the Japanese Twitter trending list.

If people noticed her now, while she was in Japan…

“Especially, people often ask actors to reenact famous scenes they have performed.”

A common occurrence.

Occasionally, fans who come for autographs might say, “I loved your movie XX! Show me the XX scene from the movie!” Of course, it’s usually just a simple line.

Even in Korea, Seoyeon had shown some fans similar performances a few times.

Mostly, they would ask her to recite famous lines from Cha Sooah’s movies.

But in Japan, what should she perform?

“The Chaser” wasn’t even out yet.

“Should I crawl around?”

No, they probably wouldn’t ask her to actually crawl, would they?

Still, being trend number one meant people must recognize her.

When Seoyeon appeared on the show yesterday, it left a strong impression, even in her own opinion.

So much so that the fan café of Seoyeon’s Korean fans was already filled with various meme-edits about that scene.

– Seoyeon… you really went all out today..

– Hahaha, I kinda thought Juseoyeon would do something crazy but this is beyond expectations! Hahahahaha.

– I knew she flies around when she’s in variety shows but… now she’s crawling around! Hahaha.

– How did Juseoyeon break the mannequin with her bare hands?

– If she can’t break it, is she really Juseoyeon?

– Ah…

– But was Juseoyeon crawling as an act? Or did it happen for real?

– Is it real or an act? Juseoyeon gets scared easily, right?

– NNNNah, I know a friend from Yeonhwa High. She says Juseoyeon played in the haunted house at the school festival. So, it was probably acting?

Just as Seoyeon was about to use her secondary account for image management, comments like this popped up.

Yeonghwa High?

Could someone really have seen that?

Seoyeon nervously watched as people noticed.

– RLly??? So, was she using skills she learned there?? Haha. I heard she crawled there too?

– Yea but back then, she crawled upside down in a bridge position.

– ????? What is that?

– Do I understand this right?? Is it talking about the dragon position??

– Yea but even that was fast enough she could barely escape.

– Hahahahahahah Can’t believe it’s true but, since it’s Juseoyeon, it could happen. Humor. Hahahaha.

– Eh, honestly, that sounds like a lie.

– I need to see the video!

Seoyeon swallowed hard at these series of comments.

Is there someone who has that video?

Back then, she might have gone a little overboard while trying to surprise everyone.

Though she was stopped by Jiyeon midway, many people had already seen her.

Luckily, after observing the situation, no video was uploaded, so she relaxed.

“Come to think of it…”

Seoyeon realized something.

She herself was a high school student.

It only made sense that there would be students from Yeonhwa High who were members of her fan café.

Rather, it would be strange if there weren’t any.

What did fans think about her at school?

Just thinking about it made her uneasy.

“…I need to attend school diligently.”

She had been managing her image quite strictly so far.

But now, she decided to be even more careful, and cautiously peeked her head out from under the blanket.

“Still asleep.”

Subtly shifting her eyes, Sora and Eun-ha lying in bed came into view.

They seemed utterly spent and unable to get up.

They must be quite exhausted from this week-long trip that had only just begun, considering it was supposed to last a total of two more weeks.

“I have to go out alone today.”

In Japan, she had never disguised herself to conceal her face.

But today, maybe it would be best if she did, considering the broadcast of the variety show had aired just yesterday.

***

Immediately after the variety show aired, the conventional broadcasters were quite shaken.

The reason was simple: Seoyeon had topped the Japanese real-time trending topics solely because of that one variety show appearance.

Not just five channels but Futaba, various personal sites, and entertainment communities that discussed the show.

It even made it to Yahoo Japan’s front page.

Even now, a day later, if you searched Twitter, posts would still continue to appear.

===

@naer3234

Ohh, another Korean actor, right? But I ended up completely engrossed! I thought she was just a pretty face, but wow, she’s something else~

@tqerk_noya

I thought ‘prodigy actor’ was just another fancy term but wow, her performance was incredible! The actors playing the ghost running all over the place had me in stitches!

@kakeba_hiro

Ms. Juseoyeon. I watched her with a bit of bias as a young Korean actor, but I’ve changed my mind.

Her variety show performance was impressive. If there’s a chance, I’d love to work with her.

@fuzio_rei

How did she break that mannequin??? And the speed at which she crawled!!???

I’d like to see her on other variety shows

Besides, she’s too beautiful!! Her face is probably once-in-a-thousand-years material! I’d love to see her in person.

===

The majority were high praises, and occasionally, members of the industry were also spotted.

Especially Kakeba Hiro, who mentioned wanting to work with her, is one of the young and rising directors who targets overseas more than his home country and is known for creative cinematography.

For just one variety show appearance, Seoyeon received an overwhelming response, leaving industry professionals bewildered.

Above all, the journalists were the most confused.

As they handled gossip, they understood the unprecedented nature of this situation.

“Wow, an actor who hasn’t even started her activities in Japan being this talked about is, honestly, amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Yes, and now The Chaser team is rushing to bring forward the release date to capitalize on this buzz.”

“Why would a Korean actor…”

Japanese entertainment journalist Furihata Yuito tapped his lips lightly with his pen while talking to a fellow reporter.

The most frequently written name in his notebook recently wasn’t new either.

Juseoyeon.

This wasn’t just because she had come to Japan.

Furihata Yuito had already seen “The Chaser” in Korea and had predicted that it would surely catch on well in Japan with her.

His colleague, who looked at him inquisitively, prompted a smirk from Yuito.

“Because she’s beautiful.”

“… Huh? Just for that?”

“And she’s young.”

“That much, I agree with.”

“In fact, she kind of feels like a character straight out of an anime, doesn’t she?”

“Definitely!”

Black hair.

The most talked-about aspect in recent threads is Seoyeon’s eyes.

Some say it’s the camera lights, others suggest she’s a superhuman with special eyes.

Various stories are shared about her red eyes.

There was an instance where a Korean broadcast had looked into it and discovered her eyes to be surprisingly normal. No explanation for why they seem to glow red, though.

Is there something magical about her after all?

“Black hair, red eyes, pale skin. On top of that, a genius child actor with… exceptional physical abilities as a current high school student actress.”

“Hold on, isn’t that too much of a setup? Too many good traits, isn’t it? Haha.”

“But it’s all true.”

In a nutshell, there are various reasons for this phenomenon. Despite her shocking performance on yesterday’s variety show, the captivated Japanese audience already embraced her as a prodigious actress.

Rather, her detection of the hidden camera and how she cleverly played it off with her acting received good reviews.

It was funny.

Finally, a surprising reaction in an overused hidden camera setup even the Japanese hadn’t seen before.

“I hear everyone is trying to track down actress Juseoyeon.”

“Of course, but when she came, no one was interested, so no one knows where she’s staying.”

Yuito spoke as if discussing someone else’s affairs.

In the calm response of his fellow reporter, Muroga Ouki, his eyes opened slightly.

“You know?”

“Yes?”

“You were already interested in Juseoyeon before she came to Japan, weren’t you?”

With that from his colleague, Yuito smiled faintly.

That’s right.

Yuito knew.

He had already visited the set after the filming was done.

Though he hadn’t met Seoyeon.

Knowing she wouldn’t give time, he questioned the other actors involved and figured out her approximate destination.

“In Tokyo, she’s visiting Akihabara. Probably staying at a hotel nearby?”

“Hey, Akihabara?”

“Yes. She might have an interest in cameras or electronics.”

Considering the shopping district formed around electronics and cameras.

The thought of an actress engaging in otaku tourism in Akihabara didn’t feel right.

Recalling the situation, Yuito spoke to Ouki.

“If you check the hotels near Akihabara, you’ll easily find her. There aren’t many decent ones around that area.”

“Got it.”

“We’re in Shibuya now, so it’s about time to move.”

Shibuya isn’t far from Akihabara.

Thinking that, as he was about to get up from the café seat, that was when it happened.

“Uh, Yuito-san!”

Suddenly, Ouki pointed with a flustered face at the crosswalk.

There was a peculiar figure there.

She seemed to hesitate, checking something on her phone.

But her outfit was a bit unusual.

Maybe it was a flashy gothic lolita style outfit?

“Woah, even though her face is hidden, she gives off a really pretty vibe. Hm?”

“Juseoyeon.”

“What?”

“I just noticed. She was briefly taking off her mask in the glass of our café, probably checking herself.”

“Seriously???”

It happened just as Ouki was standing up.

The coincidence led him to spot her.

“Are you sure?”

“I swear, it’s impossible to mistake that face, isn’t it?”

“Why is she in Shibuya? Was Narumi Sora with her?”

“Clearly not. She’s alone.”

Why would someone who should be in Akihabara be in Shibuya?

And why is she dressed like that?

But if it’s really Juseoyeon…

“This must not be missed.”

What if she’s walking around like this in such a trending hotspot?

Perhaps, one could even secure an on-street interview?

“Hey, the crosswalk is lit!”

“What are you waiting for?!”

“Well, of course, we must go!”

Thus, the two hurriedly ran after Seoyeon.

Amid the crowd, Seoyeon walked at an unusually hesitant pace, unlike her usual self.

‘I shouldn’t have worn it just because…’

That’s how much regret she carried for donning it.

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