Hobbyist VTuber

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Trying to finish all the shooting in a single take without even one NG is pure greed.

No matter how much effort you put into practice, the practice environment and the actual shooting environment are bound to be different.

“Cut, cut! Let’s do that again~.”

Therefore, there was absolutely no need to treat someone like a criminal for stumbling over a line just once.

Kim So-hyun herself knew well that blaming herself for the previous mistake wouldn’t do any good.

However, the look in Ha-eun’s eyes that Kim So-hyun had just encountered, filled with resignation—

Those empty eyes that seemed to say to just let her die—

‘Wait, was she always like that…?’

It lingered in Kim So-hyun’s mind, sending chills down her spine.

After all, none of the child actors Kim So-hyun had met so far had ever shown such lifeless eyes.

It was a sense of dissonance.

Or perhaps, guilt.

No matter how much she thought about it, it was an acting performance filled with despair that shouldn’t come from a child of that age, someone who had seemingly let go of everything.

It felt as if she had stepped a few paces beyond the agreed point of just acting out the scripted situation.

The Ha-eun in front of the camera was a girl so deep in a pit that even the utterly selfish Seo Do-yeon wouldn’t dare touch her for some reason.

And that was more than enough to evoke hesitation in Kim So-hyun, a person before being an actress.

“Yeah, Kim Ji-a, why don’t you just die once today… Sorry. Let’s do it again.”

Not long after that, during the second and third takes, Kim So-hyun’s acting continued to falter.

It was only natural that Director Kwon Jong-hyuk’s worries deepened due to Kim So-hyun’s ongoing NGs.

‘…She’s been swallowed up.’

It’s common for one actor’s performance to sway another in a scene where actors coordinate with each other.

When it’s a child actor and an adult actor shooting together, that sway happens more frequently.

However, it’s a story limited to child actors who might struggle in terms of physique, acting ability, or vocal strength compared to adult actors.

It was rare for adult actors to be swallowed by the performance of a child actor like what was happening now.

She didn’t shout or appeal emotionally, nor did she get agitated with blood vessels popping in her neck.

She simply locked eyes in silence.

Yet, that unique atmosphere pressed down on Kim So-hyun’s acting, ultimately taking all the control for herself. What a situation!

Strictly speaking, Ha-eun was acting exactly as the script described.

No, rather, she was displaying a demeanor even more Kim Ji-a-like than what was written in the script.

It was Kim So-hyun as Seo Do-yeon, who should be repressing the emotions that a child like Kim Ji-a would find difficult to fight against, who was instead the one being suppressed.

This was something Kim So-hyun knew all too well, and while she tried to restore her performance back to its original state, for some reason, as time passed, Ha-eun’s somber atmosphere only thickened.

Consequently, the scene continued to be captured on camera much the same as the first take.

Even for Director Kwon Jong-hyuk, it didn’t seem that forcing the shooting to continue would improve the situation.

“Okay, okay. Let’s take a short break. So-hyun, go take a breather somewhere.”

“Ah, yes….”

They decided to take a break of about 30 minutes before starting the shooting again.

It was afterward that Kang Sun-woo, who had been observing the filming beside Director Kwon Jong-hyuk, approached Ha-eun.

“Hey, can we talk for a moment?”

“?”

Naturally, Ha-eun had no idea why Kang Sun-woo was coming towards her.

That’s because it was Kim So-hyun, not Ha-eun, who had been continuously stumbling over her lines.

However, that didn’t mean Ha-eun could overlook Kang Sun-woo.

“Director Kwon, I’m just going to borrow Ha-eun for a bit~.”

“…Don’t take too long.”

Somehow, Ha-eun ended up heading toward a makeshift breakroom with Kang Sun-woo.

Of course, their manager, Joo Jeong-yoon, came along as well.

However, it wasn’t easy for the already tense Joo Jeong-yoon to maintain her composure in front of the great actor Kang Sun-woo.

She froze like a statue of ice, merely watching as Ha-eun and Kang Sun-woo sat at the same table.

Ha-eun, too, would have been telling a blatant lie if she said she wasn’t anxious at all.

A person like Kang Sun-woo taking her to a quiet place for a conversation certainly wasn’t a trivial matter.

Thus, as the two of them simultaneously turned their gaze toward Kang Sun-woo, it was actually Kang Sun-woo who felt a bit awkward.

“Ha-eun, you acted incredibly well. I think you were even better than during the screen test.”

“…Thank you.”

He attempted to break the ice with slightly exaggerated praise for Ha-eun’s acting.

Yet, the frozen atmosphere didn’t thaw, and in the end, he tossed aside mere flattery.

“Can you tell me what kind of person Kim Ji-a is, from your perspective?”

He dove right into the main point, taking the first step to avoid any further NGs.

After all, the neighboring uncle was under significant pressure due to the movie’s importance.

In fact, if shooting got delayed any further, it would cause trouble for Kang Sun-woo, who had recommended Kim So-hyun for the role of Seo Do-yeon.

Seeing Kim So-hyun, who had been cast without any auditions through the power of Kang Sun-woo, repeatedly make mistakes wasn’t a good look in various ways.

“Hmm, the Kim Ji-a I imagine is—”

Then, after listening attentively to Ha-eun’s thoughts about Kim Ji-a for about 10 minutes,

Kang Sun-woo brought up what he thought could help fix Ha-eun’s performance.

“Hmm, Ha-eun, you’re interpreting it correctly. You’re interpreting it correctly, but… from now on, it’d be better to focus more on the situation rather than the character.”

“The situation…?”

“Yeah, the situation. The scene you’re filming right now needs to emphasize Seo Do-yeon as the bad mother, right?”

Strictly speaking, it was usually more common to adjust the performance of adult actors.

However, considering that Ha-eun had already absorbed Kim So-hyun’s performance, it seemed more effective to adjust Ha-eun’s acting instead.

It was a regrettable thing to say to Kim So-hyun.

But objectively, Ha-eun’s acting was at a higher level.

If Ha-eun’s performance could be adjusted as Kang Sun-woo intended, then Kim So-hyun’s acting would fit well with it.

Whether it was an adult or a child actor, the one with the ability to accommodate the other was usually the more efficient choice.

“Instead of showing Kim Ji-a’s misfortunes as they are, it’s better to draw Seo Do-yeon’s irritation and anger. Do you understand what I mean?”

“…Yes.”

Afterward, it was Joo Jeong-yoon, who had been standing still like a stone Buddha, who cautiously mentioned it was time to return to the shooting location.

Still, Kang Sun-woo had shared everything he wanted to say with Ha-eun.

‘That kid will probably handle it well on her own.’

There was no need to worry too much about how Ha-eun’s performance would be adjusted in advance.

Given that she was such an unusual child who left Kang Sun-woo speechless during the recent screen test, it was better to simply suggest a new direction.

“Director Kwon, Ha-eun is back~.”

Finally, the filming of the scene reflecting Kim Ji-a’s unfortunate family circumstances began again.

“Get up and stop whining. Where’ve you hidden my money?!!”

In that moment, as Kim So-hyun’s voice transformed into something much sharper than before, Seo Do-yeon’s emotions reached a peak once again.

“…Where would a debtor hide any money?”

For the first time, Ha-eun, who had to remain silent, uttered a not-quite soliloquy.

It was a voice so small that you’d hardly catch it unless you focused, just barely audible if you strained your ears.

Yet, mixed within those empty eyes that only reflected resignation was a trace of anger—

Resentment towards a mother unworthy of being called that.

Decisively, the corner of her little mouth curled up just slightly, creating an expression that almost seemed to mock Seo Do-yeon.

“What did you just say…? …Alright, Kim Ji-a, let’s see you die today!!”

Seo Do-yeon’s rage, aimed solely at her small, delicate daughter Kim Ji-a, was perfectly elicited.

About five seconds later, Director Kwon Jong-hyuk’s mouth, which had been firmly shut at Ha-eun’s ad-lib, finally opened.

“Cut!”

As one might expect, no NG signal was added.

Almost simultaneously, Kang Sun-woo lifted his thumb in approval toward Ha-eun.

In return, Ha-eun shared a moment of silent eye contact with Kang Sun-woo before heading to a corner of the filming location with Joo Jeong-yoon, who appeared with strawberry-flavored milk.

‘Focusing on the situation over the character…’

Perhaps it was because she was learning a perspective on acting that she hadn’t encountered before, the resulting feelings weren’t easily categorized as simply good or bad—they were complicated in many respects.