Chapter 3

It’s said that occasionally, people are born to become actors.

Kim Hyung-seok had been a casting director for quite a while, but until now, he’d never met someone who fit that description. While he had witnessed incredible acting skills many times, the phrase “born to be an actor” always felt like an exaggeration to him.

‘They do exist.’

But the words that he once thought were an exaggeration now felt strikingly real.

‘A person born to be an actor.’

Just by smiling, the atmosphere around the child changed entirely. An emotionless-looking child suddenly transformed into one who appeared cheerful and lively.

In the child’s hand was… a cup? No, looking at the hand’s shape, it was a milk carton or something longer. For example, something like a soy milk pack.

“Woah, sister, what’s this?”

Joo Min-tae and Kim Hyung-seok couldn’t take their eyes off the bright, happy child.

‘The gaze is directed upward.’

The performance assumed someone was being filmed with the child.

‘How?’

All they’d asked for was “a pleasant act of drinking cold milk.” There had been no mention of it being a two-person scene.

The girl held something with her two fingers—a straw. She poked it into the soy milk pack in her right hand and sucked it dry with a ‘gulping’ sound.

Such a simple action.

But just by watching, one involuntarily felt their throat move, as if they were searching for something to drink. There was a charm that made people want to mimic her effortless gesture.

‘It’s natural.’

The hardest part of watching a novice’s performance is when they can’t fully immerse themselves in the act. If an actor feels awkward or embarrassed, the audience feels the same, due to the human capacity for empathy.

Good acting, therefore, must evoke this empathy to its fullest extent.

Could a child barely five years old do that?

Has she done that?

“…Has finished.”

While lost in watching the girl’s performance, they realized she had already spoken these words. Her cheerful performance just moments ago felt like a lie as she now stood with a blank expression.

“Uh, uh… hmm…”

Joo Min-tae struggled to find the right words to say. Simply praising her by saying “great job” would’ve sufficed—it was what he’d already told the thirteenth performer—but the difference in skill levels was too vast.

‘Is this what they call an “A-rank child actor?”’

Among all the a-rank child actors Joo Min-tae had ever seen, only a few could compare to this girl. And most of them were older than Sooyeon Joo.

‘Wasn’t this her first audition?’

It was improbable that someone with this level of acting talent hadn’t passed an audition before. Qualified child actors were rare, after all.

First-time auditions and this kind of skill.

If this wasn’t “born to become an actor,” then who could say that phrase with conviction?

‘It seems…’

‘Decision’s been made, hasn’t it?’

After exchanging glances, Joo Min-tae and Kim Hyung-seok nodded in agreement.

“The best child actor I’ve recently seen.”

“Your performance today was amazing. We’ll notify you either via email or phone call concerning the result soon.”

After saying that, they continued to compliment Sooyeon: how she immersed herself in the emotions, how subtle her expressions were.

‘Hmm.’

Listening quietly, Sooyeon tilted her head.

‘Is that all…?’

The compliments felt a bit exaggerated.

Truthfully, she didn’t have much awareness of how her acting turned out. Even though she practiced in front of mirrors sometimes, grasping the quality of her own acting eluded her.

Perhaps her imagination helped.

Daydreaming had been her forte from her past life. While working at a toxic company, it was her hobby to pass time imagining various scenarios.

That imagination manifested into reality as a Vtuber—a 2D image come to life.

The initial shock of seeing a 2D character materialize into physical form was immense. It was as if a person living in a fantasy world had come to life.

She, too, wanted to live in such a fantasy world.

‘…Anyway.’

Sooyeon watched the man who continued to chatter cheerfully.

‘Joo Min-tae, right?’

The soy milk commercial fit. She had guessed it the moment she entered the audition room.

So it truly was Garam Dream’s “Pure Soy Milk” commercial audition.

‘Joo Min-tae really is a CF director.’

This “Pure Soy Milk” would be mentioned in an interview about a decade later. By then, Kim Jung-ha had starred twice in movies with ten-million admissions, and director Joo Min-tae had helmed her second such movie.

Specifically, when talking about his past as a “CF director,” the Pure Soy Milk commercial had been referenced. Even now, the clear memory of his interview surfaced when she closed her eyes.

“The first thing I ever shot with Ms. Jung-ha wasn’t a drama or movie but a soy milk CF, do you remember?”

“Of course, I never expected that connection back then to reach this point.”

The bright faces of Jung-ha and Joo Min-tae telling their story were vividly remembered. But Min-tae’s bright face didn’t last long. Just three years later, his idolized father committed suicide.

“So I thought Sooyeon’s performance was outstanding today… Sooyeon?”

“Yes?”

“Oh dear, we’ve kept you too long.”

Min-tae bent his head low in apology. Checking the watch discretely, nearly ten minutes had passed.

“As I mentioned earlier, we’ll inform you of the result in about a week.”

“Both of you have worked hard.”

Min-tae and Kim Hyung-seok greeted Sooyeon and Sua, who was watching from behind with respect. As if thanking them for saving the CF, their appreciation was genuine.

“Su.. Sooyeon.”

“Yes?”

As soon as they exited the audition room, Sua tightly embraced her daughter.

“Our daughter acts so well. A real genius, right?”

“Uh… I don’t know…”

Sua’s hug was too tight, almost suffocating. Moreover, Sua’s chest size was… quite burdensome.

Because of this, Sooyeon felt a strange sensation she couldn’t describe, possibly influenced by her memories from her past life when she was a man.

“Hmph, exaggerating.”

Some mothers glared upon hearing such enthusiastic responses. Few took such reactions sincerely.

‘Parents usually think their own child’s talent is the best, don’t they?’

Still, Sooyeon, with her undeniably pretty face, caught their attention. Especially Hong Jin-hee, mother of Ji-yeon who was praised today, felt this even more strongly.

‘Could it be… no, impossible, right?’

Compared to the regular 5-minute auditions, Sooyeon took nearly 20 minutes to return.

Jin-hee closed her eyes tightly, realizing this audition might have gone poorly.

***

One week later came the news of Sooyeon’s audition success.

Upon receiving the call, Sua jumped around, excitedly sharing the news with her husband, leaving Joo Young-bin speechless.

“Really?”

For a moment, he considered if his wife was joking, but she was far from being someone who would pull such a prank.

“Sooyeon really seems to be a prodigy. How about that? Did I deliver her too perfectly?”

“J-Jin, calm down. Just calm down.”

“But!”

Young Sua hadn’t changed much from her twenties. Their daughter might have inherited her youthful, emotional personality.

“What does Sooyeon think? Do you want to continue?”

Contrarily, Sooyeon was sitting composed on the sofa, as if auditioning and succeeding were obvious events. She was watching Pinyping with a solemn expression.

‘Hmm.’

So focused on the TV, Sooyeon tilted her neck sideways, trying to turn her head toward Young-bin. But her eyes glued to the screen wouldn’t move as she wished.

Her young mind had possibly been influenced by the entertainment. Pinyping seemed more entertaining than expected.

‘…So I passed.’

In her previous life, she had never succeeded on the first try, but this was unexpectedly delightful.

After a short ponder, Sooyeon said,

“I want to give it a try.”

“Alright?”

“Yes.”

Besides, participating in the CF ad would generate income. Knowing this, Young-bin had already determined how it would be managed.

“All this money will be deposited in Sooyeon’s account for her to use when she grows up.”

For college tuition or when any other expense arises.

Judging by how well they took care of such matters, Young-bin and Sua were undoubtedly good parents, unlike the ones in her past life.

‘Money… definitely needed.’

Thinking about her debut as a Vtuber, there were many potential costs ahead.

Perhaps even more than regular streamers.

Standard equipment for any streamer, 3D models, full-tracking gear…

Maybe she’d even need a separate room. Installing soundproofing walls… the expenses piled up unimaginably.

‘Need to save diligently.’

Sooyeon didn’t want to burden her diligent parents by asking for money.

Though it felt awkward at first, she had grown to treasure them greatly. She wished to handle as much as possible on her own.

Of course, Sooyeon had a clear sense of her adult-like mind. Her motto: “Do things yourself if you want to try.”

“Since you’ve made up your mind, let’s have Daddy come along this time.”

“Yes.”

“Great. And this audition qualification is wonderful too. You’re truly our daughter!”

As Young-bin affectionately ruffled Sooyeon’s hair, she nodded, unsure herself why she had passed.

But if she was going to do it, she decided to give it her all.

***

A small studio in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Waiting anxiously beforehand for her first commercial shooting, Kim Jung-ha let out a nervous sigh.

“Let’s do well, let’s do well.”

Technically, this was her first professional job. Despite trying many auditions before, none had worked out yet. Without a talent agency, she was working independently.

If she stood out with this ad, perhaps she could secure a proper agency next.

“Emotions shouldn’t be exaggerated.”

Her downfall in every audition so far was her over-the-top energy, which didn’t align with commercial needs. Even with an extra role in a regular drama, it was the same.

Even with just a few lines, her performance was too flamboyant. Therefore, her roles were mostly limited to faceless extras.

“Jung-ha, you don’t need to be overly nervous. Pros are all about getting paid. Just do the job.”

“Hu, hah.”

The staff member’s attempt to ease her tension brought a clumsy smile from Jung-ha. Certainly, the contract for this ad hadn’t been large.

Hence, her being cast likely resulted from the lack of big-name actors available.

“By the way, I heard from Director Joo that today’s child actor is supposed to be a real hit?”

“Big hit?”

“Yes. Not only the casting agents, but it’s as if everyone who watched her audition is praising her non-stop. You can’t even tell fact from fiction anymore.”

Jung-ha, who had only gotten praise once at an audition, which incidentally was this one, was envious.

‘What kind of child is this?’

Still, internally, Jung-ha thought ‘Even so, just an A-rank child actor.’

Especially for small commercials like these, it was typical to cast average or below-average child actors.

But, upon seeing the child greet her modestly,

“Hello, actress Kim Jung-ha.”

She realized she had to revise her thoughts. The world did, after all, contain geniuses.

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