Chapter 63

“Soyeon, Mommy has cut some fruit for you….”

Sua knocked on her daughter’s door and slowly opened it, her voice trailing off.

Soyeon was slumped over her desk with her head pressed down on it.

‘Did she… die?’

For a moment, such a thought crossed her mind. But the monitor displayed a YouTube video that had just finished playing, indicating Soyeon had been watching something until just a moment ago.

‘There she goes again watching strange things.’

With that thought, Sua placed the fruit down on the desk next to her daughter who was still slumped over and quietly left the room. After all, this was not the first time Soyeon had done something peculiar.

“Who… are you…?”

Soyeon groggily sat up and started chewing on the apple that lay on the plate. As the refreshing sweetness spread through her, she felt her mind become clearer.

However, inside, her emotions were still boiling.

Jealousy!

Unbeknownst to her, Soyeon was crushing the apple with her teeth, consumed by jealousy—an emotion she hadn’t fully realized.

“Someone who can teach Jiyeon about modeling or equipment.”

There was no clear answer that sprang to mind when she thought about people around Jiyeon who could do that.

“Is there someone else besides me?”

She was quite sure that when Jiyeon visited Soyeon’s house before, she had no knowledge of VTubers. Could Jiyeon have met someone, asked questions, and then developed an interest in it?

“Ugh.”

She couldn’t replay the video. That wizard—no, the wizard was clearly already a VTuber, so searching for information would probably reveal who it was.

Though Soyeon knew a decent amount about domestic VTubers, she didn’t know everything. There were gaps, like this blue wizard.

“30,000 subscribers with about a thousand average viewers.”

This kind of success on a personal level was impressive indeed. Why hadn’t she heard of this one before now?

But wasn’t there something more important? She needed to find the red potion…

“There’s none…”

Though Soyeon knew this VTuber had been active for over a year, there was little more information available. She deduced the person had proper vocal training, judging by their voice.

“Vocalization?”

This realization sparked a new possibility in Soyeon’s mind. If it was someone close to Jiyeon with good vocal training, the pool of candidates would narrow significantly.

“Someone from the voice acting academy, perhaps?”

Uuung!

Just then, her phone vibrated. She hurriedly picked it up.

“What is it, Joo Soo-yeon? Did you call me?”

The sharp tone of Jiyeon’s voice came through the phone. As Soyeon looked at the monitor showing Ramiel and overlaid it with images of Jiyeon.

“Shouldn’t I just ask her directly?”

This was it. Why complicate it? But then, Soyeon hesitated. Is it really okay to ask her so casually? Besides, wasn’t it essentially asking about the “red potion”? To Jiyeon and Ramiel being the same person could feel differently depending on context.

“Oh, it’s about the midterm… the exam scope.”

“You don’t study anyway.”

Soyeon fell silent at Jiyeon’s comment, having no argument against it.

***

The next day.

Soyeon longed to investigate the voice acting academy, but regrettably, she was tied up with movie filming, making it difficult to find time.

Additionally, due to morning shooting, she had taken a day off from school, meaning she couldn’t approach Jiyeon either.

“Soyeon, you seem a bit tired?”

“I’m fine.”

“Alright? Even so, it’s an important role, so you need to manage your condition well. Understand?”

“Yes.”

At Kim Dae-heon’s concerned inquiry, Soyeon simply nodded. She couldn’t bring herself to admit that she had been too upset after watching the VTuber’s broadcast to sleep properly.

“Condition management…”

Indeed, it was sound advice. Soyeon’s role in this movie was the main villain, Cha Sooah, a crucial character with many appearances. If Soyeon were absent from filming, it would significantly reduce the number of scenes they could shoot. While occasional gaps might be manageable, frequent interruptions could potentially delay the release.

“It’s not the same as a child actor anymore.”

The level of responsibility required and her importance in the film were greater than before.

Soyeon collected herself and began the filming.

“Her portrayal of Cha Sooah is almost like portraying her true self.”

Director Bae Jin-hwan had noticed a slight sense of incompleteness in a previous filming session. Frankly speaking, Soyeon’s performance as Cha Sooah was impeccable, leaving no room for critique. However, there was something that, if added, might further enhance the role.

The motive for murder. And the accompanying emotional ambiguity in Cha Sooah.

While this vagueness could be intriguing for the audience to speculate, Bae Jin-hwan believed a clearer depiction could elevate the performance further.

This was a challenging demand to place on a teenage actress, he thought, reflecting on the pressures he might be unconsciously piling on.

Still, “Let me see her performance today and perhaps give her some feedback.”

A director’s role involved guiding the actors to achieve the desired scenes. If something felt off, he needed to address it.

“Today’s scene is revised. You’re aware, right? The setting for Cha Sooah has been slightly altered?”

“Yes, the convenience store part-time job, correct?”

That was from Han Ye-hwa’s actor, Jung Si-hyun, who was making her first appearance on-screen today. Originally, it was a happenstance scene of their meeting on the street, but this revised version involved their encounter in a convenience store.

“Scene number 34.”

The time was the day after the chase sequence with the police. It was after the fourth victim had appeared.

The scene juxtaposed the bustling activity of police cars and officers with the cheerful image of Han Ye-hwa, suggesting the next potential victim.

“Pay attention to the atmosphere in this scene. Director Si-hyun and Soyeon, your characters need to contrast in their vibes.”

Before filming began, Bae Jin-hwan delivered a brief guide on the scene. The rough camera angles were discussed, and the desired scenes and emotional lines clarified.

For Si-hyun, this was a straightforward task. As Han Ye-hwa, the character was simply an ordinary person who hadn’t considered that a murder case might one day involve them. She just needed to portray a happily excited woman with an upcoming date.

The focus, of course, was on Soyeon.

Sooah must approach her, wearing a smile that exudes tension. The contrast between the light-hearted Ye-hwa and the sinister aura of Cha Sooah needed to be clear, intense, and vivid.

“Alright! Let’s start.”

With a clap of hands, everyone began moving into place, checking the camera and audio equipment. All actors took their positions.

Si-hyun stood on the street, while Soyeon was at the cash register inside the convenience store.

“Could it be that I’d be assigned the role of the convenience store employee?”

Soyeon reflected, absently touching the uniform she wore, which ironically belonged to the convenience store she frequented.

“Cha Sooah’s emotions…”

Honestly, customer service was not fitting for Cha Sooah. She had an ailment that prevented her from accurately expressing emotions, making it impossible for her to work in customer service.

She couldn’t. But for dramatic purposes, such realism was sacrificed to some extent.

“Or, imagine me trying to conceal it.”

The idea of performing as if hiding illness or conquering it, rather than fully changing herself.

Cha Sooah’s performance was more awkward and crude than Soyeon’s past work, hence she rarely showed any expression.

She hadn’t thought deeply about her emotions. Whatever form they took, they tended to provoke discomfort in others.

That day in the convenience store…

The door opened.

It was just another ordinary day for Cha Sooah. Although she was a bit sore from the previous night’s activities, it was no big deal, she rationalized it as if she had only worked out harder than usual.

With that in mind, she looked at the customer who had just walked in.

“Yes, brother, I’m good. I understand.”

A cheerful woman holding her phone, engaged in lively conversation. With her brown hair and overall cute appearance, she looked like someone born to be loved.

“…”

There were other customers inside, yet Cha Sooah’s gaze slowly, almost magnetically, followed the woman.

The woman, happy Han Ye-hwa with an inviting smile.

Sooah’s eyelids twitched slightly. Her lips quivered, unable to find the appropriate emotion for the moment.

Unable, herself, to accurately define the emotion she felt. Despite other customers around, her pupils moved almost spellbound to the other woman.

Captured perfectly by the camera zooming in, Cha Sooah’s gaze was sharply detailed.

“What is this?”

Director Bae Jin-hwan, observing the sequence, unconsciously opened his mouth wide. Soyeon’s eyes radiated with the emotion so sharply defined.

Jealousy.

The fierce blaze was unmistakable.

Not only he, but others on staff felt the same.

In stark contrast to the jovial Han Ye-hwa’s call, a palpable tension lingered.

The camera director, who was zooming in the scene, felt the emotions even more acutely.

Soyeon had always had a high sync level with Cha Sooah, and with the added motivation of jealousy towards happy humans, the tension in Cha Sooah’s portrayal took on a new dimension.

It was as if they were facing the real deal.

It was at this point that…

Actor Han Ye-hwa’s role, Jung Si-hyun, instinctively flinched upon turning toward the counter after ending her call. The performance was stronger than anticipated, causing an unconscious response.

“It’s an inevitable reaction for humans.”

In their unconsciousness, it was impossible not to react that way. Feeling such intensity from Cha Sooah, along with the unsettling sensation of something almost inhuman from a person, evoked this natural reaction.

Though technically a blunder, it was understandable.

However, as Bae Jin-hwan was about to call “Cut” due to this being an NG, Han Ye-hwa said,

“Isn’t the weather great today?”

Han Ye-hwa addressed Cha Sooah with a kind smile.

“Huh?”

“Because you seem quite tired. On such a good day, anyone doing work would feel this way.”

Especially during this springtime.

Han Ye-hwa continued, stating how on clear days in the afternoon, people often feel sluggish.

Han Ye-hwa then handed Cha Sooah one of the glass bottles on the counter, a Vitamin drink she had just bought.

“Here, take a sip and cheer up.”

Han Ye-hwa smiled warmly and kindly before leaving the counter, with Cha Sooah staring at her back until another customer called her over.

For a long while…

“CUT!!”

Bae Jin-hwan called out as the scene finished, not expecting Si-hyun to ad-lib so naturally at that moment.

“Was that supposed to be scripted?”

“Yes.”

“Jung Si-hyun’s acting is really on point today.”

It was natural acting.

The brief hesitation felt like it highlighted Han Ye-hwa’s character effectively.

“Soyeon.”

“Yes?”

Before praising Jung Si-hyun for the ad-lib, Bae Jin-hwan first addressed Soyeon.

“Did you undergo some special training?”

“Huh?”

“I was actually planning to discuss something with you today, but it seems unnecessary now. You’ve depicted Cha Sooah’s emotions absolutely perfectly.”

And Soyeon, upon hearing Bae Jin-hwan’s words…

“…?”

She wasn’t sure if that was accurate. It felt like she had just acted normally.

But then…

“Ahh.”

Soyeon realized what she had subconsciously recalled during this performance.

Jealousy.

A similar emotion.

“Yeah, I did undergo… special training.”

Soyeon couldn’t divulge the specific trigger, given her awareness of certain boundaries.

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