YDCF 17

Chapter – 17

After notifying about the school transfer and moving my belongings to the storage, the first day of filming arrived before I knew it.

I had been rushing since morning, and soon Aunt Jeong-hee was by my side, speaking up.

“Hey, where are you going? A date?”

“Huh? No!”

“Then?”

“Filming…”

“Filming?”

Now that I thought about it, she probably didn’t know the full story yet. Even though she was an acquaintance of actress Seong Hye-sim, I doubted they would discuss me in detail.

I rattled off the news about being cast as a child actor. Aunt listened as if she were my manager, nodding along.

“So your co-star is Do Je-hyeon? I heard he has quite a strong personality.”

“Oh, yes!”

“Does he act all big in front of you too?”

“Uh… I don’t think so.”

“Hm.”

I started to nod but stopped myself.

Aunt could easily handle Do Je-hyeon herself. I just had to endure it as if saving a life.

She watched me busily going about my preparations, arms crossed. After a long silence, she finally spoke in a clear, decisive voice.

“I’ll give you a ride. Come down when you’re ready.”

“Me?”

“Who else would I give a ride to in my car?”

Her blunt question made me rethink my original plan to take public transport.

‘Well, I’m grateful… but usually someone like Aunt would be busy, right?’

“You’re thinking I have nothing to do, huh?”

“…Eek!”

“I have tons of things to do. A l-ot, so don’t worry about that.”

Did she have the ability to read minds or what?!

I shook my head frantically, but Aunt squinted as if she already knew. Only after I begged properly did a small smile appear on her face.

“Instead of wasting time like this, go pack your things.”

The pat on my back carried a faint warmth of awkward kindness.

In the car on the way to the set.

“Thank you for the ride.”

“Don’t mention it.”

After thanking her, I double-checked the first episode’s schedule that I had memorized sweetly.

Because the first episode focused mostly on the child actor, filming would be split into several sessions. Even after arriving at the meeting time, I’d have to wait an hour or two before it was my turn to shoot.

“Um, Aunt…”

“Yes, what is it?”

“You’ll go back as soon as I get out, right?”

“What?”

Her sharp tone implied my question made no sense.

But didn’t she say she had a lot to do…?

“I came to see you act. Waiting isn’t a big deal.”

I had assumed she’d go back to work or errands once I got out, but she confidently declared she would stay with me.

“You can just call me your manager.”

“Oh, a manager…”

“Why, is that a problem?”

“No, no problem….”

How many rookie actors have a manager wrapped in luxury following them around…

But Aunt was already excited to go to the set. Even if I tried to stop her, it wouldn’t have worked.

Sighing softly so she wouldn’t hear, I focused on my script.

Even though I had read and memorized it countless times, I wanted to show a perfect performance for my first shoot. For the people who trusted someone who was still nothing.

Byun Seo-jun, who was cast as Yeon Do-hoon, Yeon Do-yeon’s older brother in the drama, felt nervous about today’s shoot.

It wasn’t because of the staff. Writer Choi Ki-jung wouldn’t be coming to the set, and thanks to the strong recommendation of director Woo Byung-hwa, with whom he had previously worked, his backing was solid.

Also, Yeon Do-hoon was just a special appearance in episode 1 and a few flashback scenes. He assumed the short scenes wouldn’t be difficult to film. At least, that was until recently.

Having debuted as a second-generation idol and recently transitioning to acting, he still lacked experience.

Byun Seo-jun had the ideal actor’s look: tall, well-proportioned, and a textbook handsome face, so he had only started acting. Not entirely by his own will, but under his agency’s suggestion.

Since he had already started, he wanted to do well, taking acting lessons, but he was still more confident on stage than on screen.

“My acting isn’t that great….”

Honestly, he thought the cameo didn’t require much acting skill, so it would be fine. After all, the public didn’t expect genius-level acting from him, just a handsome face.

Until he rehearsed the reading with Joo Sae-i, the actress playing his younger sister.

“So embarrassing…”

He remembered hesitating over lines in the reading room, completely captivated by her performance. Catching lines was his only advantage, but if he barely managed that, he would be completely overshadowed on set.

The thought of casually reading his lines as planned made his stomach churn. He even felt pathetic for struggling over a rookie.

He read the script repeatedly, trying to prepare, but the more he read, the harder it became. Yeon Do-hoon wasn’t as shallow or simple as he had imagined.

He even considered declining the role at the last minute, but curiosity kept him from backing out. And it would have been disrespectful to both director Woo Byung-hwa, who strongly insisted, and writer Choi Ki-jung.

Ultimately, he arrived at the set with no improvement in his skills. The wait for his turn felt endless.

Meanwhile, Joo Sae-i appeared surprisingly calm for her first-ever shoot. With her skills, she didn’t seem nervous, taking the setup in stride.

Byun Seo-jun deliberately avoided looking at her. Seeing her as Yeon Do-yeon made him feel pathetic.

Time passed, and finally it was time to shoot the scene between Yeon Do-yeon and Yeon Do-hoon.

The first scene was of the caring older brother consoling his younger sister, upset with their mother. It would be inserted as a flashback after Yeon Do-hoon’s death, showing Do-yeon realizing her brother’s absence.

“Seo-jun, relax! Your expression is way too scary! You’re supposed to be the caring brother!”

“Ah, yes!”

“Hmm, Sae-i, are you hitting the camera well? Do-yeon, you’re ready!”

Even the staff checking us alternately annoyed him.

Suppressing his wildly fluttering emotions, Byun Seo-jun finally looked at Joo Sae-i, who had finished the setup.

Unlike him, wandering without knowing where to look, she stood still, expressionless.

‘Doesn’t she even care about me? Maybe she thinks she’s above me.’

He chose the easiest way to calm himself: turn her into the enemy to protect his pride.

The moment his deep brown eyes burned, the slate clapped loudly in everyone’s ears.

“…Hoo.”

Joo Sae-i exhaled deeply. Lifting her head, she positioned herself as per the script. Seo-jun immediately realized he had made the wrong choice.

“Ah, get out of my room!”

In an instant, Joo Sae-i as Yeon Do-yeon shouted with powerful projection. Sitting on her bed, she swung her bag in front and stomped her feet.

“I said I don’t want to see you, oppa…!”

Though she spoke harshly to her brother, she couldn’t actually push him out of her room. A teenage girl who was grateful for her brother’s concern but never got her mother’s attention.

“…Still, you need to eat. You’ll grow if you do.”

“Mind your own business! Mom doesn’t care, so why do you?!”

“Do-yeon, that’s because…”

The older brother was supposed to continue the line according to the script.

But once again, Seo-jun hesitated, barely moving his lips. Just like in the script reading, he had been overwhelmed by Joo Sae-i.

Only this time, it wasn’t just intimidation.

‘I’m too embarrassed.’

He was supposed to care for and love his sister as Yeon Do-hoon, but failing to do so made him feel pathetic.

Seeing Joo Sae-i’s flawless performance reminded him that he had almost turned a talented rookie into his rival out of jealousy.

Even if he wanted to act well, he still hadn’t found his stride. Joo Sae-i was like a minefield to him.

Byun Seo-jun realized just by watching her act as Yeon Do-yeon that his character’s love and care for his sister had to be shown fully—and she was giving that effortlessly.

Seeing the gap between them, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“Cut, cut!”

The director shook his head at Seo-jun’s inability to continue and stopped the filming.

“Seo-jun, your condition is really off today. Let’s take three minutes and try again, for now.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Feeling he couldn’t continue like this, Byun Seo-jun lightly tapped his own cheek. He needed to snap out of it to avoid being devoured by Joo Sae-i, playing Yeon Do-yeon right in front of him.