I Want to Be a VTuber

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“What’s with the vibe?”

“Aren’t they just trying to get in sync before the action scene?”

All eyes were on Seo-yeon and Do-ha as they practiced in the space before shooting their action scene.

Filming an action scene requires quite a bit of prep work.

You can’t just rush in; the moves need to be perfectly synchronized to avoid accidents. Plus, if you’re using the set, it all needs to align with that too.

Of course, today isn’t about perfectly shooting a scene; it’s just practice.

Tomorrow, though, that’s when the real filming will begin.

“It feels like Min Do-ha is getting her emotions right first, and then Joo Seo-yeon is matching her vibe,” someone said.

“They’re young actors, so they’ve got that bloodlust,” came the response.

Everyone shared intrigued looks and commented like that.

But for Do-ha, it wasn’t so easy to smile along.

Bloodlust? What does that even mean?

I’m just feeling calm.

Do-ha took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart as she looked at Seo-yeon.

Seo-yeon, or rather “Jin Yeon-seo,” looked a lot like she did in <Hyper Action Star>.

More specifically, she resembled the version from the “preliminary rounds” rather than the finals.

While the finals leaned more emotional, during the preliminaries, Seo-yeon had maintained a poker face.

At that time, her character wasn’t fully defined, so she appeared just to be emotionless; now, though, it’s deeper than that.

She’s not emotionless; she just doesn’t get it.

Even though she’s making expressions, there’s no real emotion behind them.

“Something feels off about her acting.”

“No, you silly! It’s not off; it has to look off. Weren’t you there for the previous filming?”

“Huh?”

“When we shot with that Hollywood guy, the director said she should act like someone who doesn’t understand emotions—very mechanical.”

A veteran actor explained this to their less experienced junior.

He’s playing the stepfather role of Seo-yeon, “Park Hoon-min.” While he hasn’t led any dramas, he’s that kind of actor that pops up in various films like a spice.

So, he’s often acted alongside many respected actors.

“You have to act like you’re painting an emotion. Mimic it because you don’t truly feel it.”

Just doing that brings a strange discomfort.

It’s similar to the feeling people get when they witness bad acting.

That discomfort arises from the awkwardness of someone forcing emotions.

However, even though Seo-yeon isn’t exactly forcing her expressions or acting strangely, that unique discomfort is still there.

‘If I faced that head-on, I might struggle to even speak.’

Kwak Dae-cheol looked at the standoff between Seo-yeon and Min Do-ha.

Then he noticed Narumi Sora watching Seo-yeon like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She seemed completely accustomed to such scenes from Seo-yeon.

‘These young actors are terrifying.’

Didn’t they say Jo Seo-hee was also in this movie?

That young Hollywood actor over there and now Jo Seo-hee too.

It made him think that if he didn’t pay attention, he might end up in trouble.

Meanwhile, amidst everyone’s focused gazes, Seo-yeon tilted her head at the frozen Do-ha.

“Aren’t you coming?”

In a puzzled ‘feel,’ Seo-yeon spoke to Do-ha, who looked completely frozen in place.

Already in a method-like state, Seo-yeon’s actions were all eerily similar to Jin Yeon-seo.

Seeing this, Do-ha bit her trembling teeth hard.

She wasn’t even in the right mental space to perform.

This was just practice.

Seo-yeon was just acting on her own.

Simply matching the action the professor Kim Hong-baek had shown earlier, that’s all.

‘Come on, Do-ha, what’s got you scared? You really think she’s actually gonna kill you?’

Deep down, Do-ha was confident in her physical performance.

Before meeting exceptional actors, she thought she was the best at action acting among her peers.

‘First, I swing with my right arm, then the left, and finally, I’ll make contact while leaning back.’

Imagining the scene in her head, Do-ha swung her plastic baton towards Seo-yeon.

‘Oops.’

Because it was practice, she should’ve said she was swinging first.

But, she got nervous and attacked without warning.

However, the only ones startled by her action were the other actors around her.

The action consultant, Professor Kim Hong-baek, just stood there with his arms crossed, and Narumi Sora, who had also sparred with Seo-yeon before, didn’t even bat an eyelash.

‘It’s Seo-yeon; she’s fine.’

That was the general feeling.

And just as the plastic baton swung through the air, Seo-yeon’s pupils moved.

‘Those eyes.’

Once, Do-ha had seen that kind of look.

In <Hyper Action Star>, when Seo-yeon deflected a paintball with her arm.

Following the trajectory of the paintball, Seo-yeon’s gaze moved smoothly.

Having witnessed that first-hand, Do-ha lost her motivation for fighting after that.

Pang!!

The plastic stick collided with Seo-yeon’s arm.

‘First hit.’

Then Jin Yeon-seo’s arm was flung to the side and drooped down below.

There’s a sign of an arm breaking.

At the same time, Jin Yeon-seo’s left arm reached out toward Min Do-ha.

Seeing that, Do-ha swung the baton towards Jin Yeon-seo’s elbow, albeit a beat too late.

She barely avoided having her collarbone grabbed by Jin Yeon-seo’s hands.

‘I, I messed up.’

But there was nothing she could do.

She panicked at the sight of Jin Yeon-seo closing in on her.

‘She really looks like Jin Yeon-seo.’

Acting in action scenes is hard because of the fear factor.

It’s not only the difficulty of the action itself but also the fear that a small mistake could lead to injury.

Now, she’s swinging around a plastic baton, but it’s not gonna feel nice to get hit.

It definitely hurts when you get smacked with a plastic stick.

Even little pains can instinctively make your body flinch.

But Seo-yeon showed no reaction.

When she got hit on her right arm, there was no visible change.

‘Surely, when I hit her right arm, I put some force into it.’

It was a reflexive attack made out of anxiety.

So naturally, it was much stronger than intended.

Normally, that would inspire Seo-yeon, the one who got hit, to get mad or at least be told to ease up during practice.

But the second she swung, an equal shock returned to Do-ha’s hand.

Seeing Seo-yeon remain still only intensified Do-ha’s fears, causing her next move to follow a beat behind.

‘But I did deflect it.’

Then she noticed Seo-yeon’s leg swinging toward her.

Right, in the next scene, she was supposed to get knocked down by that leg.

“……!!”

It happened in an instant, a blink of an eye.

Just as Jin Yeon-seo’s foot approached, it felt like emotion momentarily erupted from her.

She sensed murder.

Seo-yeon’s intense gaze got wider as a little smile crept onto her lips.

‘So.’

She’s not unable to feel emotions.

It’s just unfamiliarity from not having practiced it.

So, depending on the situation, it can just instinctively spring forth.

After taking two hits.

As her arms broke, despite her calm thoughts, her body instinctively held a murderous intent toward Min Do-ha.

That was the singular attack.

Perhaps the first moment in the research lab where Jin Yeon-seo’s ’emotion’ was fully confronted.

Do-ha couldn’t help but freeze.

It was like a person standing frozen in front of a charging truck.

Her mind went blank.

And then.

Thud~

Do-ha fell on her backside, pushed by Seo-yeon’s foot.

“…Why aren’t you acting?”

Seo-yeon, not Jin Yeon-seo, looked at Do-ha with a puzzled expression.

“Huh?”

“No, you should be acting like you got kicked by my foot! I can’t just push you with my foot.”

“Oh, right! Uh, yeah, of course.”

Do-ha thought she was about to head into another world after being kicked just now.

“Uh, that was just too immersive.”

“Hmm, that can happen.”

Seo-yeon nodded at the performance Do-ha just displayed.

Seeing that, Do-ha let out a sigh of relief as she looked at her body.

‘I’m fine?’

Was she genuinely just overwhelmed by the pressure of acting?

Do-ha began recalling how she felt when Seo-yeon’s foot made contact with her.

It was just the sensation of being toppled over by an ordinary woman’s foot.

‘Ah, I guess that’s only natural.’

Do-ha suddenly thought maybe she was too scared.

When she thought back to <Hyper Action Star>, Seo-yeon had never shown any particular strength.

She simply had a quicker reaction time.

What happened with the swinging punches seemed a bit suspicious, but…… maybe it was all her imagination.

‘Right, that makes sense. Am I really getting lost in weird delusions?’

Thanks to the image of Seo-yeon she had seen in <Hyper Action Star>, she found herself thinking strange thoughts.

As Do-ha was starting to relax, Seo-yeon remembered the moment they just practiced together.

‘That was pretty decent.’

That sudden ambush echoed right out of a film scene.

Even though she had put in some force from getting immersed in acting, Seo-yeon’s skin wouldn’t have gotten scratched even if it had been a knife; so it was no big deal.

…Of course, that was guesswork since she’s never actually been hit.

‘Most importantly, it felt incredibly natural.’

She’d swatted the punches aside and displayed a sigh of relief; everything was spot on.

At first, it felt odd, but thinking it through a bit confirmed that it was actually more natural that way.

It makes sense that you can only show a relieved smile after just barely deflecting an attack.

‘Pretty good!’

Shooting a scene where both arms are broken yet wearing a relieved smile feels a bit odd once you think about it.

It’d be more fitting if she was smirking instead.

In light of their great “chemistry,” Seo-yeon suddenly craved to capture an even better scene!

“Professor.”

“Yes, Seo-yeon?”

“Wouldn’t it be more natural for me to push you down rather than having the one who gets hit fall back?”

“Hmm……”

Professor Kim Hong-baek glanced at Do-ha, who had just fallen on her butt.

“Ah, wouldn’t that be alright?”

Do-ha nodded, recalling the kick she had just received from Seo-yeon.

A bit stronger than that should be fine.

More than anything, everyone kept complimenting her, which made Do-ha feel her lost confidence returning.

“Hmm, then it sounds good. It would definitely be more natural like that.”

That would be genuine action without any CG or wires involved.

As long as the shot was framed well, an incredibly dynamic scene could unfold.

“Director, what do you think?”

“…Is that actually possible? Even if you’re pushed and fall back, it seems no different from now.”

Han Ye-geon, who had been quietly observing, was startled by Professor Kim’s statement.

“I think it’d be more natural to use CG or wires.”

“Wires might feel awkward for this scene. CG costs unnecessarily too much.”

It’s best to save costs wherever possible.

Hearing Professor Kim’s reasoning, Han Ye-geon thought for a moment.

Honestly, she felt that it wasn’t possible with just a woman’s leg strength.

But knowing Professor Kim, he wasn’t someone to say nonsense.

“Then let’s try it out first and decide.”

After Han Ye-geon’s approval, Professor Kim loaded up the mat with soft cushions in the back.

It was so no one would get hurt when they fell back.

‘Huh?’

Of course, it was the scene that began while Min Do-ha was still getting her act together.

“Alright, Do-ha, you just have to stand over here.”

There’s no need to check the previous scenes since they had already confirmed everything was perfect there.

All they had to do was capture the final kick scene correctly.

“You’re pushing; don’t kick.”

“Got it.”

“Make sure you don’t kick.”

“Of course not.”

Hearing Seo-yeon speak passionately about it made Professor Kim feel some worry.

He suddenly recalled how Seo-yeon had ridden a bear recently.

When she hit the bear on the head, it let out a sad whimper.

Each time she smacked its head, it tilted back.

Professor Kim knew that bear’s head wouldn’t go back so easily.

“Do-ha, you just have to let your body go with Seo-yeon’s foot. Make sure to not put any strength into your body.”

“Yes!”

With a much more relaxed voice, Do-ha replied.

It’s probably because Seo-yeon’s kick felt lighter than she expected.

‘Right, it was all my imagination.’

So now, they stood facing each other.

Inspecting the safety gear and whatnot, things were pretty hectic.

“Ha.”

Arthur, quietly observing all this, let out a laugh.

What a farce this was.

“Hmm.”

However, in contrast, his friend Oliver watched the situation with a spark of interest in his eyes.

“…It’s fascinating how interested you are. Is that pointless circus show really interesting?”

“You know, Arthur, you’d probably find it intriguing if you saw it too.”

“Tch, what nonsense…”

At that moment.

“Aaaaah!!”

A scream echoed as Min Do-ha got flung away.

She flew several meters, landing onto the cushions.

Instantly, there was silence on set.

“…”

“?”

Arthur, stunned by the previous scene, exchanged wide-eyed glances with Oliver.

It was as if what his friend had just said had come to life.

“The East truly is mysterious, Arthur.”

In response to Arthur’s gaze, Oliver merely shrugged.

***

As Seo-yeon prepared for <Mine>, she also had to be ready for the premiere of <Gyeongseong Young Lady>.

Fortunately, in <Mine>, most of the work involved synchronizing actions rather than filming itself.

Once that prep gets underway, filming will eventually follow.

‘I feel a bit sorry for Do-ha unnie.’

After the initial toss, Do-ha’s reactions showed she flinched when Seo-yeon appeared.

Of course, after being tossed a few more times, she was back to normal.

Maybe it was just her adapting.

“You’ve just given up, Joo Seo-yeon.”

Lee Ji-yeon said, incredulously.

After being tossed around multiple times, only Jo Seo-hee would come out unscathed.

Jo Seo-hee was by far the strongest mentally among those that Lee Ji-yeon knew.

If she wasn’t, she’d probably feel the same way as Min Do-ha.

“That’s harsh.”

“Isn’t the harsh one actually you?”

Ji-yeon paid her condolences to the actors starring alongside Seo-yeon in <Mine>.

Given that the film features plenty of action scenes, similar situations will likely arise.

‘Still, it doesn’t seem like she overdoes it much in action acting.’

Honestly, Ji-yeon feared that Seo-yeon might do something reckless while shooting the film.

But aside from specific scenes, she seemed to perform normally.

‘…Something about her gaze feels off.’

Of course, Seo-yeon sensed Ji-yeon’s gaze and thought it was a bit much.

She wasn’t some wild beast, nor did she just run amok all the time.

In action acting, she merely played a normal person—nothing more or less.

However, in Do-ha’s case, that normality made it seem like the scene would turn out beautifully.

Seo-yeon never intended to use her physical abilities for acting.

“By the way, Ji-yeon.”

“What?”

“You’re nervous, aren’t you?”

“….”

When Seo-yeon pointed this out to Ji-yeon, she simply gave her a haughty look.

“Today’s just the pre-premiere interview, so there’s no need for you to be so tense.”

“I know.”

Ji-yeon must have been trying to demean herself for her own peace of mind.

For Ji-yeon, <Gyeongseong Young Lady> was her first lead role.

More than anything, the hype was unprecedentedly high.

The premiere date was announced, and a brief interview would take place before that.

“Make sure to handle questions from actor Lee Sang-soo smoothly.”

“Got it.”

Seeing Ji-yeon respond a bit bluntly made Seo-yeon smile softly.

In Ji-yeon’s current state, she felt like a reflection of herself from the time <The Chaser> was released.

 

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