Chapter 14

After finishing all the lines prepared for the screen test for the role of Jiji, I waited until Kwon Jong-hyuk’s “Okay” sign echoed from afar.

A little time passed until I received the news that it was okay to go home.

“Phew…”

It was more bearable than I had thought. Yes, more than I had thought.

The memories I conjured up to create my own version of Jiji, not Min Da-yeon’s Jiji, could never be called good memories.

I knew that those were experiences I didn’t have to go through anymore, and people I didn’t have to meet. However, I couldn’t help but feel my heart constrict even at the thought of them.

One might say it was post-traumatic stress.

Or rather, trauma.

Moreover, since I was showing a bit more depth in my expressions and emotions than I usually did, I could feel that I was mentally a bit exhausted.

– Nevertheless.

It seemed I felt somewhat better, thanks to the apple-flavored drink Jung-yoon had bought for me earlier.

Is that why they say you should eat something sweet when under stress?

Anyway, now that the screen test was over, I could go home as soon as my mother, who had gone to the bathroom, returned.

“Lee Ha-eun.”

“?”

Out of nowhere, Min Da-yeon appeared, blocking my path.

What was worse was that she called me by a name I had never told her, as if it was completely natural.

Should I pretend to know her or act like I didn’t? I hesitated, recalling that Min Da-yeon was quite a famous child actor at this time, and we made eye contact.

However, the question that followed was so unexpected.

“Does your mom hit you?”

“…What?”

I couldn’t help but ask back why she was asking such a strange question.

Eventually, the reply I received from Min Da-yeon was.

“No, you were acting like a kid who was really abused. Just wondering.”

It was a kind of response that I couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or an insult.

In any case, this life was one that was completely detached from the word “abuse.”

“That’s not true. My mom doesn’t do that.”

“Well, that’s good then.”

Regardless of what Min Da-yeon was imagining, I answered that it probably wasn’t true.

The real reason Min Da-yeon had approached me came after that.

“Who did you learn to act like that from?”

“I didn’t learn it.”

“Don’t lie.”

“It’s true.”

At almost the same time, Min Da-yeon shot me a sharp look as if to pierce through me.

Less than a few seconds later, a voice mixed with irritation and suspicion echoed again.

“If you’re really not abused and you didn’t learn it from anyone, how could a kid like you act so pitifully?”

“…You’re the same age as me.”

“Ah, whatever!”

I finally realized, seeing Min Da-yeon’s slightly flushed face, that she had been paying attention to my acting all this time.

It seemed that the competitive spirit I felt toward her was mutual.

The previous question was likely a genuine curiosity rather than having any deeper intentions.

Yes, I knew in my head that it was merely innocent curiosity.

– Throb.

But why did my heart become heavy once more?

Such things can’t be learned just by someone telling you.

I was already aware that not knowing certain things was sometimes preferable to knowing them.

“…It’s better not to know stuff like this.”

In the end, I couldn’t provide the answer Min Da-yeon wanted.

No matter what, I couldn’t tell a young kid like her to go through the same things I had experienced.

That wouldn’t be advice; it would be a curse.

Then I saw Min Da-yeon frown and turn her back to me.

However, it felt odd to let her leave like this, so I said,

“Hey, Min… Da-yeon.”

“?”

“You did well.”

I translated that I had been watching her acting carefully.

After a brief pause, the little shadow walking away seemed to hurry its steps.

For some reason, it seemed like her stride was more forceful than before.

She was definitely upset.

But why?

Was it really such a big deal that she didn’t hear the answer she wanted?

As I pondered Min Da-yeon’s anger for a while,

“Ha, Ha-eun. Did she say anything to you?”

To my surprise, my mother was standing beside me, and I quickly folded up my thoughts.

“…No. She didn’t say anything.”

I reassured my mother with the words that nothing had happened.

After all, it was correct that there was nothing to worry about enough for my mother to be concerned.

Nevertheless, hand in hand with my mother, I headed toward the exit of the set.

When we got in the black van waiting at the entrance, which Jung-yoon had arrived in, and started heading home,

‘If you’re really not abused and you didn’t learn it from anyone, how could a kid like you act so pitifully?’

The innocent voice that was neither pure curiosity nor anything else kept replaying in my mind, bringing back memories I didn’t want to think about.

By the time we arrived home, my chest and head began to throb.

…I should have just pretended not to know.

After taking a shower with cold water on purpose, my condition didn’t improve at all, so I decided to use my own way of relieving stress after quite a long time.

Well, it’s called my unique way of relieving stress, but really, all it meant was eating sweets while surfing the internet on the living room computer.

To be honest, it was a practice that was definitely not good for my health, but the effect was undeniable.

I brought over a piece of the birthday cake that Jung-yoon had cut for me a few hours ago and sat in front of the living room computer.

The first site I accessed was YouTube.

I roughly started playing a classical music compilation in the background, then slowly browsed through the comments on the matchstick music video to gauge public opinion.

– Child actors nowadays are on another level. They cry on cue without any hassle.

– They usually use artificial tears or something like that for those shots.

– Do artificial tears really make your eyes red? That looked like genuine crying to me.

– It must be CGI.

– So, what? Did they use masks for the expressions too? Come on, admit it, man.

– Daulby’s new song, Matchstick, represents the egoism of modern society. It cautions listeners about individualism and the loss of altruism throughout the development of civilization…(see more)

– Please save those kinds of comments for your blog, dude;

‘…Hmm.’

I couldn’t understand most of the comments that were at least 70% incomprehensible.

I thought that as time went on, I’d see different comments, but they were still pretty much the same ones I had read last week.

Eventually, after reading about 30 comments, I got tired and scrolled back up the comment section.

I opened a new tab and this time logged into an internet broadcasting station called New World TV.

With a much more serious expression than when I had read the comments on the matchstick music video, I entered the currently ongoing gaming broadcast.

Then, slowly, I pressed the keyboard.

<D.A: Start watching~>

I typed my trademark style of chat into the quiet chat window.

The BJ who greeted me with enthusiasm responded.

“Oh, Diah! I’ve been waiting for you to show up~.”

Following that was a trivial discussion about the game equipment he was currently enhancing.

He expressed a slight complaint that it had cost a fair amount and that it seemed like it was almost time for the enhancements to succeed.

I chimed in with some of the knowledge I had gathered along the way.

There were about four or five other viewers besides me, but since I was the only one chatting, in a way, it was like a one-on-one broadcast between me and the BJ.

With a certain level of intimacy established with the BJ, it was a comfortable interaction.

However, the game the BJ was currently playing was one I had never played in both my past and present lives.

The reason I started watching a gaming broadcast that I technically hadn’t even made time to follow for the past few days was for one reason only.

[Challenge: Black Meteor Sword +11 Reinforcement “BJ Da Ramji”]

This “Da Ramji” character would grow to be so influential that they’d be called a king of virtual influencers in the future.

Moreover, Da Ramji was the one who introduced the Virtual YouTuber group called <Fantasy Land> to the world.

“Oh, oh, oh…! It, it worked!!!”

<D.A: Congratulations>

Back when the broadcast’s viewership was still in the single digits, which is often referred to as a “small channel,” I thought it’d be beneficial to get a head start and establish recognition early.

This is what is called “buying in at a low point.”

In the distant future, if I apply to the <Fantasy Land> Virtual YouTuber group with the same nickname as my chat ID, D.A, they might recognize and be happy to see me.

So, I continued watching Da Ramji’s broadcast until I started to feel a bit drowsy.

The various complicated memories that had plagued my mind until just recently began to fade away like a mirage.

Indeed, there couldn’t be a more effective way to relieve stress than this.

Even if the sugary cake was a snack, that means I would have to ramp up my exercise a bit more than usual tomorrow, but that was okay.

It was a hundred times better than staying in a restless state.

***

– Ring.

– Ring.

“Hello.”

[Ah, Manager Jo. This is Jeong Do-cheol.]

“Oh, yes. Good day, sir. What can I do for you?”

[Is our actor currently in class?]

At Jeong Do-cheol’s deep voice asking what Ha-eun was up to, Ha-eun’s manager, Ju Jung-yun, shifted her gaze momentarily.

What she saw was Ha-eun in the Doubi recording studio, wearing a headset and focusing on the score of a famous singer’s hit song.

It was a rather different scene from what one would normally imagine a children’s singing class to be, and she was momentarily at a loss for words.

Then, recalling that this class had already been going on for a few weeks, she spoke again.

“She is in the middle of her class. If you need to reach her urgently, I can go get her right now—”

[No, no, it’s not that urgent. Just let me know later that our actor’s first debut film has been decided.]

Following the continuation was Do-cheol’s raspy voice, affirming that his eyes hadn’t been deceived.

Then, without any warning, the call abruptly ended.

At almost the same moment, Ju Jung-yun received a message that contained the contact information for the production team of “The Neighbor Uncle.”

‘…What should I do first?’

She began deeply contemplating what actions to take first regarding the filming associated with Ha-eun’s “Neighbor Uncle.”

Yet, as expected, the first people she needed to contact were already determined.

Immediately, she tapped her phone to contact Ha-eun’s parents.

She deemed it essential to convey such good news to the family before anyone else.

“Hello, hello, Mother. Yes, this is Ju Jung-yun. I’m calling with good news.”

The ensuing conversation was about Ha-eun being cast for “Neighbor Uncle.”

As expected, she could hear Na-yeon’s joyful voice coming through the phone, and Ju Jung-yun replied with enthusiasm about working hard.

Moments later, she encountered Lee Geon-yeol, who had just stepped out of the studio.

Whether having eavesdropped on the call or not, Lee Geon-yeol soon asked if Ha-eun had really been cast as Jiji.

– Nod.

She nodded her head affirmatively to the question she had just heard.

However, soon after, Lee Geon-yeol’s not-so-quiet mumbling was heard.

“…I knew it. The beef was cheap for a reason. We couldn’t have timed our low point buying more perfectly.”

She couldn’t fathom what he meant at all.

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