I Want to Be a VTuber-Chapter 303: Shine Moon (2)

"Jo Sehee."

Han Yegeon stepped outside, calmly lighting a cigarette as he spoke.

"You've been a bit off lately."

Unlike the quiet atmosphere on set, his tone was relatively light.

Despite the sharpness, there was a very casual, almost careless vibe, unlike the calm, intense mood of the filming set.

However, Jo Sehee found this more familiar.

The Han Yegeon she had seen when she was young felt just like this.

This was before he debuted as a director.

When he was still in college, helping his older brother with work.

Before he revealed his genius.

It was exactly the feeling she got when they first met at a funeral, when she was a child.

They had crossed paths occasionally after that, but they hadn’t really spoken much.

In fact, the events at the funeral were too long ago for her to remember the details clearly.

Occasionally, Han Yegeon’s gaze toward her contained many emotions.

It was strange because it felt familiar, even though it should have been unfamiliar.

"Could it be because of recent events...?"

The anniversary of the genius actress Baek Seoran.

It had been far too long for her to be shaken by it now.

Jo Sehee wasn’t the type to be so weak.

If anything, she was far too strong.

So strong, in fact, that she’d never stopped for a single moment.

"Or is it a more complex issue?"

"...You’re sharp."

"If you’re not sharp, you won’t survive in this industry."

He smiled lightly, rubbing his thumb across his stubbled chin.

"Today, you did a good job portraying the rich girl. But that’s all."

His eyes were hawk-like as they fixated on her.

Jo Sehee could feel Han Yegeon’s gaze piercing through her.

"Did you start wanting to act better?"

"Yes."

"Well, it’s natural. You’ve been filming with actors your own age."

Kyungsung Lady.

It was a project that was about to hit 10 million viewers, perhaps.

It would be a significant project for Jo Sehee as well.

Since her childhood, her acting had always attracted attention, and it had always been positive feedback.

Kyungsung Lady was no different.

Her acting was flawless.

As Amana-bi Michiko, Jo Sehee brought the perfect image to the role.

"But the impact was a bit lacking. In recent films and even today on set."

He knew.

Jo Sehee’s acting was textbook-level, and there was nothing to criticize.

She’d been like that since she was young, and she was still like that now.

"But, I think you need to change."

"Is it because of Seoyeon?"

"Yes."

Han Yegeon clicked his tongue at Jo Sehee’s refusal to deny it.

Occasionally, Jo Sehee’s straightforwardness made it clear she didn’t shy away from the truth.

She might hesitate at times in certain situations, but here, it was clear.

Jo Sehee was clearly paying attention to Seoyeon’s acting.

"And, I’ve been thinking about Lee Jiyeon’s performance too."

"The explosive energy she showed, even for just a moment."

"Yes. I didn’t have that."

Her performance had been earnest, but in that moment, she knew she was not as good as Lee Jiyeon.

That made it even more frustrating.

What should she do to improve?

"So, you’re trying to imitate your mother’s acting?"

"...Can you tell?"

Han Yegeon pointed to his sharp eyes as he spoke.

"I can tell in an instant if someone is imitating another’s acting."

"Is that possible?"

"Seoyeon could probably do it too."

"...I suppose that’s possible."

If it were Seoyeon, Jo Sehee thought, she could definitely do it.

She was special.

Not just in her exceptional physical abilities or her emotionally expressive acting,

but her ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ biggest strength was her keen observation.

Seoyeon described her emotional acting as mimicry.

It meant expressing things exactly the same way, as if drawing a picture.

If that were true, it would mean she could look at a picture and immediately replicate it.

"Seoyeon does it quite well. I’ve seen the works she’s been in. I’ve also watched her interviews."

Seoyeon’s acting often draws from real-life experiences.

Little, everyday experiences easily reflected in her performances.

Such a thing couldn’t be achieved so easily, could it?

"A genius actress."

Han Yegeon looked at Jo Sehee and spoke.

"To follow that, you’d need to be a genius actress too."

The "genius" Jo Sehee had seen since childhood must have been her mother.

That’s why Jo Sehee wanted to act like her mother.

At Han Yegeon’s words, Jo Sehee sighed.

"...Baek Seoran’s daughter."

She had heard that phrase incessantly since she was young.

"People always said I must have inherited my mother’s talent. They expected me to show incredible acting like hers."

In truth, Jo Sehee had somewhat lived up to that expectation.

Her career proved that.

"...So, I’m thinking of trying it now."

After seeing Lee Jiyeon’s performance, she thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try.

Just like her mother.

To create acting that sparkles like starlight.

Then, she could stand beside Seoyeon.

On equal terms.

Like Stella.

"Hmm..."

Han Yegeon exhaled, letting the smoke out as he spoke.

Honestly, he didn’t think it was a great idea.

More than that...

"Let’s not practice on set."

"...It wasn’t exactly practice."

"On set, you should be doing what you’re good at."

At those words, Jo Sehee had no response.

But, in the end, anything must be tried on set.

If she hadn’t practiced beforehand, she’d still have to use what she learned in the real scene.

But from the director’s point of view, that was not what he wanted.

"...Understood."

Jo Sehee nodded slowly.

'It’s not that he’s telling me not to try new things. He just wants me to stick to what I do best.'

He wasn’t asking her to avoid trying new things, but simply to do what she was already good at.

If you can do something new well, no one would complain.

It was only when you couldn’t that it became an issue.

'I should probably let the investors know in advance.'

It might take a bit longer, he felt.

A certain feeling told him that.

****

"You're looking better than I thought."

As soon as filming was over, Seoyeon arrived at the hospital where Shim Cheongseok was admitted.

She had rushed over quickly, but fortunately, it didn’t seem like he was seriously injured.

"Phew, it's thanks to Jiwoo. ...And 'better than I thought,' huh? Despite how I look, my insides still hurt a bit."

As he lifted his hospital gown slightly, showing bruises in various places, Seoyeon’s gaze darkened.

"...Can you explain what happened?"

"It’s not that hard. It happened last night."

"Last night? Then why... today...?"

"I was out of it yesterday."

Shim Cheongseok calmly continued.

It was late last night, after they had wrapped up filming and had all gone out for drinks together.

"Jiwoo, your house isn’t too far, right? I can drive you back."

"Is that so? Then thank you."

Jiwoo answered awkwardly, and Shim Cheongseok had a complex expression at her response.

It didn’t seem like she hated him, but at the same time, it didn’t seem like she thought of him any particular way.

"You’ve had a complicated expression all day. Is something wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You didn’t seem in a good mood during dinner."

"Ah, was I...?"

Jiwoo sighed.

Looking at her, Shim Cheongseok remembered what she used to be like, back when he saw her as a rather haggard, gloomy woman.

Recently, she had been giving off a similar vibe.

'Is it because of that Low guy?'

That was the only thing he could think of.

He vaguely remembered hearing that her birthday was coming up soon.

'Huh?'

As he thought about it, he noticed a strange group of people around his car in the underground parking lot.

"Jiwoo, wait here for a second."

Saying this, he approached the people around his car.

And then...

"Hey, what are you doing over there...?"

As he spoke, he suddenly felt a blow to the back of his head.

Losing his balance, he collapsed to the ground.

He described the chaotic sounds of shouting and the beating that followed vividly.

"That's how I ended up like this."

"...So, you just took the beating and that was it?"

"I don’t know."

"Huh?"

"I really just took the beating and it ended there."

Seoyeon squinted at him, but what could she do? He was outnumbered.

In fact, considering the situation, wasn’t his ability to withstand the beating impressive?

"Earlier, you said you were fine because of Jiwoo."

"I wasn’t fine. It's just that thanks to Jiwoo, I’m not worse off."

Shim Cheongseok didn’t really remember what happened.

He had been beaten like a dog, and after hearing some screams, the people attacking him gradually started to leave.

He managed to protect his face, and when he opened his eyes again, he was relatively intact.

"Are you... okay?"

"Ah, yeah, those guys?"

"I chased them off. I... actually practiced Kendo when I was younger."

Can you really chase people off just by practicing Kendo?

That thought crossed his mind, but it seemed like it had worked.

In fact, even Jiwoo didn’t know the full details.

She just screamed and wildly swung her weapon, causing the attackers to flee.

It didn’t seem like a lie, and it seemed to have happened exactly as she said.

'...Jiwoo should be an action actor.'

Seoyeon suddenly thought of that.

If she fought with Sora holding a weapon, who would win?

At least with a sword, Jiwoo would probably win, right?

"But, here’s where it gets important."

"Is there something more important than this?"

"Yes, there is."

Shim Cheongseok mentioned that he had overheard a phone call Jiwoo had made outside the hospital room.

From what he heard, the person who had likely orchestrated the attack on him was connected to Low.

"It’s Low."

"Probably."

"What did Jiwoo say about it?"

"Well, her eyes looked pretty cold. It was similar to when she stared down that... guy."

It seemed like she was ready to take someone down.

Shim Cheongseok thought that the reason the men fled was because they instinctively felt they were facing something dangerous.

"If she wanted, she said she’d go that day."

"That day...?"

"Yeah, I think it’s probably Low’s birthday."

At that, Seoyeon paused, deep in thought.

No contact had come for her from Low.

But thinking about the message Jiwoo had received, it seemed very likely that "that day" referred to Low’s birthday.

'It’s just a guess, but the attack probably has something to do with it.'

Maybe Jiwoo had been avoiding going on her birthday because of it.

Shim Cheongseok had mentioned that Jiwoo was suspicious of Low.

So, it seemed like Low had probably assumed it was Cheongseok who was the reason Jiwoo had been avoiding him.

That’s why he had attacked Cheongseok when he was alone.

Now, Jiwoo had likely gone to settle things with Low so that it wouldn’t happen again.

Or maybe she had been forced to go.

'...'

But something still bothered her.

Was Low really just trying to intimidate and attack Cheongseok?

Or...?

"Seoyeon?"

Shim Cheongseok, noticing Seoyeon lost in thought, swallowed nervously.

'Her eyes... they’re turning red, aren’t they?'

It happened sometimes when she was acting.

But this was different.

Seoyeon’s usually expressionless face was colder than ever.

Honestly, considering Seoyeon’s personality, he had expected her emotions to show in her expression, but...

'She’s actually quite emotionally expressive.'

Having observed her for so long, Shim Cheongseok had realized that Seoyeon was more emotionally expressive than she let on.

She just found it awkward to display emotions, which is why she often kept a blank face.

But now, in this coldness, he could feel the sharp emotions piercing through.

"I understand now."

"...Understand what?"

Shim Cheongseok spoke with a slightly tense tone.

Though it felt wrong to say this, the Seoyeon in front of him now was far scarier than the people who had attacked him before.

"What it really means to be angry."

Seoyeon had trouble empathizing with Jin Yeonseo in Mine.

She didn’t like that type of character.

It was different from Chasa.

Chasa didn’t know, and had a condition where she couldn’t express emotions, which is why she did bad things.

Perhaps, Seoyeon had thought she might have ended up like that too.

But Jin Yeonseo was different.

She could feel emotions perfectly, and learned about unfamiliar feelings as she went on.

Even though she had a rough childhood, she had good parents who raised her well.

But her actions were cruel.

She never spared those who attacked her.

From the start of the movie, Yeonseo was angry the entire time.

Yes, continuously.

'Except for when she was with her family.'

And now, Seoyeon thought she understood why Yeonseo acted that way.

Sometimes,

you realize there are people for whom common sense and the law don’t apply.

****

"There’s an event at Shine Moon today, right?"

"Yeah, it’s Low’s birthday, so I heard they’ve got a lot of things planned."

The street in front of Shine Moon was packed with a considerable crowd.

Outside, members of JustX were mingling with the fans, casually greeting them.

Of course—it was their leader Low’s birthday.

There was no way they wouldn’t be here.

"Shit."

Ma Yeonwoo smiled at the people around him, nodding in greeting, but inwardly, he cursed.

"This isn’t it."

The place he belonged wasn’t out here—it was on the stage.

Interacting with fans was fine, but something about this situation felt off.

Among today’s club attendees were a lot of high-ranking individuals.

When the time came, it would feel like he was nothing more than a performing clown.

His head was already starting to ache.

"The birthday party starts at ten tonight, right?"

Technically, Low’s birthday was tomorrow.

But they were holding a major event right at midnight, so the doors would open at ten.

Most of the VIPs would probably arrive around then.

For now, the only people inside the club were the staff busy with preparations—

And those who were personally acquainted with Low.

"Pyo Jiwoo, wasn’t it?"

That woman who had stormed into the club earlier with a deadly expression.

Her face had been unusually grim, which was why Ma Yeonwoo remembered her.

There were still four hours left until the event, yet she had shown up early.

"Damn, she must have pissed Low off somehow."

Should he intervene?

Maybe he could sneak her out later.

Just as he was thinking that—

"Whoa! What the hell is that?"

"No way... is that really her?"

The murmuring voices of the crowd caught his attention. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Turning to look, he saw a girl walking toward them.

A black dress.

An all-too-familiar silhouette.

"Mine... poster."

Yes, she looked exactly like the girl from the Mine poster.

Which made sense.

Because the girl who played Mine’s protagonist, Jin Yeonseo—

Was standing right in front of him.

"Ju Seoyeon?"

Ma Yeonwoo muttered, caught off guard.

Hearing that name, JustX member Ri Hyun let out a low whistle beside him.

"Damn, Low’s got skills. He even invited Ju Seoyeon?"

As expected of Ri Hyun, who always had an eye for women—his gaze toward Seoyeon was already dubious.

Ma Yeonwoo shot him a glare before approaching her.

After all, Shine Moon was a club—standing around where everyone could see her wouldn’t be good.

But—

"Excuse me. I’m here for a Mine shoot. Please let me through."

Seoyeon’s voice was calm as she wove her way through the crowd.

Hearing her words, people exchanged glances, tilting their heads in confusion.

"A shoot? At Shine Moon?"

"Well... she is wearing the exact outfit from the poster."

"But where’s the rest of the cast?"

"Maybe she just arrived first?"

"Wait, wasn’t there an event here today?"

"Yeah, but she’s a minor. Maybe she just dropped by to say hi?"

"That makes sense, especially since it’s JustX."

Something felt off, but since she was dressed in full costume, people just snapped photos without stopping her.

Not that they would have had the chance—Ma Yeonwoo had already rushed out ahead of them.

"Are you out of your mind? A shoot? I never heard anything about that!"

He hissed at her in a low voice.

Seoyeon, however, simply gave him a curious look.

"You don’t seem very happy to see me."

"Of course I’m not! You need to leave. Now. This place is crawling with scumbags."

"I’m fine. Just tell Low that I’m here."

"...What? You were invited?"

"No."

She wasn’t invited.

But if Low heard she was here, he’d undoubtedly tell them to let her in.

That was just the kind of man he was.

"...You’re not planning to start anything inside, are you?"

Ma Yeonwoo asked hesitantly, worried.

He knew Seoyeon was stronger than she looked, but only to a certain extent.

He couldn’t imagine her being capable of anything more.

Seoyeon met his gaze in silence.

"Don’t worry."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Seoyeon smiled.

It was soft, but for some reason, it sent a chill down his spine.

"Being famous can actually be a form of protection."

There were many reasons she wasn’t afraid.

The weight of JustX’s name.

And the fact that, as a minor, no one would dare question her walking into the club.

"Sehee knows too."

Of course, that was why her phone had been ringing non-stop—

But that was just a backup plan.

"More importantly."

Nothing that happened inside was ever going to make it outside.

Low would make sure of that.

Even when the Shine Moon Incident happened, it was the same.

According to the police investigation, aside from one suspicious location—

There were no records of what went down inside.

"I plan to settle things peacefully."

At least, that was the plan.