Hobbyist VTuber

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In fact, from the moment Kim Min-jun expressed his willingness to participate in this CF, it was always supposed to be him as the main character, not Ha-eun.

Even if the child has recently become a hot topic, it couldn’t compare to the presence of a national representative.

Somehow, although the composition slightly changed from what Kang Eun-tae had initially planned, the overall framework of the project remained unchanged.

Either way, I thought it would be better to lean on the stature of Kim Min-jun, the national representative of athletics, rather than hoping for something extraordinary from Ha-eun.

It was important to ensure this advertisement maintained its identity as a children’s nutritional supplement rather than an ordinary one.

Yes, that was all the role I expected from Ha-eun in this CF.

“I heard she’s never taken acting lessons; was that a lie?”

From the very first take, she produced footage that made Kang Eun-tae involuntarily exclaim in wonder.

The cinematographer was equally astonished by Ha-eun’s screen presence.

“…The atmosphere is incredible, isn’t it? Is it because it’s in black and white?”

Perhaps it was because it was shot in black and white to emphasize a serious feel, but the ‘atmosphere came alive’ compared to normal color footage.

It felt like we had just transported a sketch-style CF storyboard into reality.

However, it didn’t simply stop at reproducing the scenes in the storyboard.

Ha-eun’s unique aura was also being highlighted by the static filming technique.

Most importantly, the way she ran in a posture nearly identical to the one Kim Min-jun had just passed on created a sense of familiarity.

When the focus shifted from relatively famous Kim Min-jun to Ha-eun, that sense of familiarity firmly seized the concentration that might have been lost otherwise.

It made it hard to believe she had never taken a proper acting class.

Everything Ha-eun delivered on camera was beyond just basic skills.

If even her falling over by mistake was intentional…

If the moment she flopped down onto the tracks resulted in a close-up of Ha-eun’s heavy expression, completely taking over the CF, was calculated on her part…

‘…I brought a monster, not just a gem.’

I could no longer judge Ha-eun with the narrow-mindedness of seeing her as just a child.

Even if all of this turned out to be mere coincidence, no one could deny that Ha-eun was born with star qualities.

“It would be great if you could tell me your thoughts in a bit more detail.”

“In more detail? What do you mean?”

“I feel like just running won’t be enough. I want to understand what kind of feelings you want me to convey while I run.”

Moreover, the fact that she understood the director Kang Eun-tae’s thoughts and executed them perfectly in front of the camera made Kang Eun-tae chuckle.

How many actors can provide exemplary answers to such personal and abstract concepts as someone else’s thoughts?

Usually, if a child model gets injured even a bit during a CF shooting, the schedule is postponed, but there was no need to delay anything this time.

From the very first take, Kang Eun-tae had gotten the image and atmosphere he wanted from Ha-eun.

Instead, it might be more appropriate to say that he decided to let Ha-eun take on a few of the advertisement lines originally meant for Kim Min-jun.

I was convinced that adding Ha-eun’s voice in together with Kim Min-jun’s repeating recordings would be more effective than having just his voice all the time.

*

“I’m sorry, ma’am. We should have been more careful.”

The scapegoat and assistant director, Hong Young-tae, who received instructions on how to relay the situation from Kang Eun-tae, continued apologizing and bowing to Ha-eun’s mother.

This stemmed from the PTSD caused by a similar incident a few months ago involving a child actor named Song Seo-a.

“If my child’s face gets a scar, will you all take responsibility? Will you take responsibility—!!”

I still vividly remember the fierce outcry from Seo-a’s mother that felt straight out of a Hong Kong martial arts movie.

Back then too, it was an accident caused by a child’s mistake, yet nobody really cared about that.

Typically, the hierarchy on a set has the director and crew as the ‘A’ side and the cast as the ‘B’ side.

However, the special nature of child models sometimes flips that hierarchy on its head.

Thus, Hong Young-tae had an obligation to keep both Ha-eun and her mother calm.

Fortunately, neither of them showed any significant emotions yet, but it was essential to remember they were still potential volcanoes.

“For now, please continue resting in the lounge. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask at any time.”

After that, Hong Young-tae stepped outside the lounge for a moment to find out what decision the director had made during his absence.

It was shortly after that when Song Na-yeon opened her mouth while silently staring at the band-aid over her daughter’s knees.

“…Did it hurt a lot?”

“Except for a little sting, it was okay. There wasn’t even an NG sign.”

Ha-eun’s voice was surprisingly calm.

This was a far cry from the lively girl Na-yeon had been used to seeing, who loved singing songs and enjoyed sports.

Was the CF shoot putting a significant mental burden on Ha-eun?

Even when she held Na-yeon’s hand and set out from home for the ad meeting, or when she was going to meet Kim Min-jun a few days later, a serene yet heavy expression settled upon her face, making Na-yeon ponder.

Yet, she could never voice her concern about whether it might be better for Ha-eun not to do the CF.

It stemmed primarily from an inexplicable conviction that no matter what she said, she wouldn’t be able to persuade Ha-eun.

When she had received Kang Eun-tae’s business card, her heart had raced more than Ha-eun’s.

She never imagined that Ha-eun would gain public attention after the opening pitch, and the next day, be featured prominently in newspapers.

Her daughter could genuinely become a star.

As Ha-eun crossed into the realm of possibility from vague imagination, Na-yeon, who cherished her daughter deeply, couldn’t help but feel cautious.

The thought that her worries might hamper Ha-eun’s future.

The concern that judgment based on momentary emotions could end up making things harder for Ha-eun.

Moreover, she also knew that the title of ‘star’ doesn’t come cheap.

She could guess that it wouldn’t always be possible to just see her daughter being joyful and happy.

“Hey, Ha-eun. Aren’t you hungry? Should I ask one of the staff to bring some snacks?”

As I barely swallowed the question I really wanted to ask Ha-eun, I tried my best to steady my heart.

I didn’t want to show any anxiety so that it wouldn’t influence Ha-eun.

For now, I hoped that my daughter wasn’t forcing herself to endure any hardships.

A bit longer time passed before Hong Young-tae returned to the lounge.

But, when he finally conveyed the news, it was slightly different from what Na-yeon had expected.

“They said there’s no need for re-shooting? But, when you mentioned it before, you definitely….”

“It’s just that the first take was so well done. They said if we shoot again, we probably won’t capture the same essence.”

At first, I mistakenly thought that it was unavoidable to wrap it up with the first footage.

It was nearly impossible to postpone the filming schedule until Ha-eun’s knee healed.

If this CF had been a solo debut for Ha-eun, that would have been different, but with a national representative like Kim Min-jun participating, we couldn’t only consider Ha-eun’s situation.

Still, I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling just yet, especially after hearing the words from Han Min-ah, the advertising team lead at Han Dong Pharmaceuticals, about Kang Eun-tae.

“The director can be a bit particular. He might push Ha-eun too hard due to unnecessary ambition, so it’d be better if you could mediate it for her.”

It was hard to believe that this particular director, despite the slip that occurred during the shoot, said it was fine and there was no need to re-shoot.

It was also puzzling that Ha-eun would share some of the advertisement lines that were originally meant for Kim Min-jun.

However, I also dreaded the thought of watching Ha-eun, who had hurt her knee, forcing herself to run on the track.

“I’ll send you the date for the advertisement voice recording separately via text. Oh, please do contact me if there’s any issue with Ha-eun’s knee.”

With a mix of regret and awkwardness for Ha-eun’s injury, I could only return the sentiment of “thank you for your hard work” to Kang Eun-tae.

And so, time flowed on.

The day of the first airing of the CF Ha-eun shot also happened to be the day before her first day at kindergarten.

“Everyone falls and struggles with the trials that come their way sometimes.”

Finally, the CF began to air, recorded on the pre-prepared videotape.

With Ha-eun’s voice reciting the advertisement lines, the scene revealed Ha-eun in the TV screen, calmly moving forward while leaving behind a moment of pain.

“But still, I won’t give up. No matter when that time comes.”

“Even if it’s slow, I’ll eventually reach the place I aimed for.”

The ad lines sounded as if they were interviewing Ha-eun’s aspirations, and at some point, Song Na-yeon’s eyes began to fill with tears.

Meanwhile, the one who recorded those touching lines, Ha-eun…

—Thud, thud!

—Flap, flap—!

In an delayed fit of embarrassment, she was kicking her blankets on the bed all alone.

She knew it was just an advertisement line, yet she couldn’t help but feel her limbs cringe in discomfort.