I Want to Be a VTuber-Chapter 292: Irregular (3)

[<Kyungsung Lady> Surpasses 7 Million!]

[Three Ladies Who Dominated the Year-End Theaters.]

Although the domestic audience numbers for <Kyungsung Lady> had slightly plateaued, the film's popularity in Japan had recently sparked a resurgence in viewership. Of course, the efforts of Seoyeon’s promotional team in Japan, with Sehee and Jiyeon taking charge of the domestic promotion in place of Seoyeon, played a significant role. With all that, the cast and crew of <Kyungsung Lady> were all smiles, but not everyone was smiling.

For example, the highly ambitious film <Extreme Martial Arts> that opened around the same time. It was a 'anti-Japanese movie' that could reliably gather a solid audience.

Coincidentally, <Extreme Martial Arts> was also set during the same Japanese occupation period as <Kyungsung Lady>, with the lead role played by none other than Kang Seohyuk. Since actor Lee Sangsoo went missing, Kang Seohyuk had stepped in to play the role originally meant for Lee, raising his profile in the industry.

Originally, he had been cast for the role of Gotō Isamu in <Kyungsung Lady>, but he chose the more commercially viable <Extreme Martial Arts> instead.

"Ha, 3 million." "It’s not a failure, though. It’s not." "Are you telling me this isn’t a failure when people are already wondering whether it'll break even or not?" "Shh, Kang Seohyuk might hear you." "Ah."

At a drinking gathering with actors from <Extreme Martial Arts>, Kang Seohyuk gripped his glass tightly as he listened to their comments.

The other actors flinched at his actions. And they couldn’t help but do so.

The role that actor Lee Sangsoo had vacated was originally Kang Seohyuk’s. All the fame he was enjoying now should have been his. The comeback of an actor once considered washed up. But what about him?

"Yeah, so that’s the secret weapon you had."

Earlier, during filming in Japan, Kang Seohyuk had visited the set of <Kyungsung Lady>. The subtle atmosphere he had sensed at the time. It was probably to keep Lee Sangsoo’s disappearance under wraps.

And then. "Rising star, Ju Seoyeon."

The industry's newest star. If anyone were to be named the brightest actress of the year, it would undoubtedly be her.

Her explosive popularity in Japan? That didn’t really matter.

Kang Seohyuk recalled meeting Ju Seoyeon. The way she had looked at him, gazing at him intently.

"How frustrating."

It was none other than Kang Seohyuk who had been completely defeated. Was it because of a lack of acting skill? Lee Sangsoo’s acting was amazing, but Kang Seohyuk didn’t believe his own performance had fallen short. Or perhaps, <Extreme Martial Arts> was just a poorly made film? That wasn’t it. It wasn’t a completely unremarkable movie, though not particularly special.

Then why?

"Actor’s power."

In other words, the sheer allure. Some actor had drawn in attention to the point of it being almost absurd. And the public’s gaze naturally turned toward <Kyungsung Lady>.

Ju Seoyeon had lived an incredibly busy year, drawing attention in many ways. That influence had directly impacted <Kyungsung Lady>.

Originally, <Kyungsung Lady> was not a film that would have garnered this much attention. If it had been released normally, maybe 5 million? That would have been the upper limit.

But now, despite a slower pace, it was steadily moving toward 10 million. When considering Japan’s audience numbers, it was practically as though the film had surpassed 10 million.

There had never been a Korean film that hit this hard in Japan. No ordinary 10-million-viewer film could even compare in terms of the attention it was getting.

The actors’ reputations from the film were also elevated, especially for the three lead ladies.

"...Ju Seoyeon."

For the first time in a while, a fire ignited in Kang Seohyuk’s eyes. A great actor. The title that only the top actors in South Korea could earn—he had earned it himself. But now, he was being beaten by this rising star.

He might have chosen to go along with it, but he didn’t want that. He wanted nothing more than to get back at her for this humiliation.

"I heard you’re going to be in Director Jo Bangwoo’s movie."

Coincidentally, around the same time, a script had come in. A movie that would overlap with Director Jo Bangwoo’s release.

Once again, he planned to stake everything on this opportunity. This time, he was resolved not to lose.

****

Arthur Diaz found the current situation quite absurd. Filming for Mine had been relatively smooth and uneventful, with no major issues.

The problem was with the lead actress, Ju Seoyeon. She had gone to Japan briefly for Kyungsung Lady's promotion, but she was literally causing a storm. Today, even Narumi Sora, who was scheduled to film, was affected by it.

“Sora, did you see the reactions? They’re going crazy for you in Japan!” “Yeah, I saw. But... honestly, I can’t believe it.”

People's lives can change in a day, but this was just too sudden. And Sora hadn’t even done anything special.

It was all thanks to Seoyeon’s efforts that Sora had been pulled into the spotlight. Naturally, the actors who had participated in the Mine audition were also keeping an eye on the reactions online.

They couldn’t help but wonder if they too had become part of some trending topic like Narumi Sora.

“If I had known this would happen, I should’ve tried challenging Ju Seoyeon!”

Most of them hadn’t even thought to challenge her, so they never shared any scenes with her. The only ones who had been mentioned even slightly were Han Soyeon, who competed in the preliminaries, and Min Doha, who had always been chased by Seoyeon.

“Doha, in Japan, they’re calling you ‘Initial D Girl.’ What’s that about?” “Well... uh... I’m not sure. Heh heh...” “Being called 'Initial D Girl' sounds like it means something interesting.”

Park Daehyeok, a supporting actor in Mine, gave Min Doha a thumbs up. Although Min Doha wasn’t the lead, she had enough presence to be considered one of the main supporting actors.

Moreover, since she seemed to have some connection with Seoyeon, who had been rising in popularity, he was trying to get closer to her.

“I’ve got to make up for the mess I made with Shim Cheongseok.” He had gotten on the wrong side of Seoyeon after picking a fight with Shim Cheongseok, and every day was getting more unbearable. As Seoyeon’s recognition continued to rise, he couldn’t shake the feeling of thirst.

“Damn you, Kang Sehyun!”

It was all because of the fight he’d picked with Shim Cheongseok, who was close to Seoyeon, that every day felt like a thorn in his side. Anyway, Park Daehyeok was trying to be as friendly as possible with Min Doha.

“This is real, huh?” Min Doha awkwardly smiled at Park Daehyeok, but inside, she was boiling with frustration.

“That’s from a racing game. If you don’t know, maybe you shouldn’t be talking.”

In the famous Japanese racing game, the D in Doha’s name had been taken for the nickname "Initial D Girl." The reason was obvious—her screams while running away from Seoyeon...

At any rate, even as her recognition increased, Min Doha found herself in a position she absolutely couldn’t enjoy. What if, during a Japanese event...

“Doha, you should do that thing! Do it!” “Huh? ...Again?” “Yeah, quickly, quickly.”

And then, her screams and the laughter of the crowd. She could already imagine herself awkwardly smiling.

Min Doha shook her head violently. This was her nightmare come to life.

"I’ve got to redeem this Supercar image somehow in this drama."

In some way, she was grappling with the same dilemma as Seoyeon, the one who had unintentionally sparked the meme. Of course, Min Doha would never admit it.

As Min Doha burned with determination, Oliver’s words caught her attention.

“One actor is really affecting the whole set, huh, Arthur?”

Arthur frowned at Oliver’s comment. Given the situation, the attention that had been on him was now shifting to Seoyeon.

He didn’t particularly care about the Japanese reactions, but the fact that the eyes were no longer on him was unsettling.

“...But it wasn’t just luck that got her here.”

Arthur had recently watched Kyungsung Lady. The Seoyeon he saw there was different from the Seoyeon he knew on set.

While she often displayed a quirky, fourth-dimensional side on set, the Seoyeon in Kyungsung Lady—Yuina—was entirely different.

“Stella wasn’t wrong after all.”

Seoyeon had shared a scene with Stella at the auction house, and Seoyeon hadn’t been overshadowed by Stella in the slightest. Stella admitted she had lost, and in that scene, Seoyeon’s Yuina had left a stronger impression than Stella’s Rosalind.

Of course, Rosalind was a cameo, a minor role, so it was an unfair comparison.

But Stella was Stella. She was the kind of person who could transcend the limits of her role with just her presence.

Arthur didn’t like Stella, but he couldn’t deny her talent as an actress. She was a genius. Unlike himself, who had once been like a fleeting flame, she was a real star.

“But... she won, huh?”

Arthur found # Nоvеlight # himself smiling involuntarily. He watched Seoyeon bow her head as she entered the set, and he felt a surge of energy in his hand.

Until now, he had only seen her as “just another rising star promoted in a small country.” That was all.

...Of course, after acting with her, he had changed his mind a bit, but it was still just that—nothing special.

Honestly, he had underestimated her.

"I think action acting is probably beyond my abilities, Oliver." "Arthur?" "I'll take on the basic action scenes and the ones where it makes sense for me to be involved. But beyond that, I won’t push myself."

Saying he wouldn’t force himself into action acting meant he would focus solely on his own performance.

At the same time, it was an admission that he considered Seoyeon to be superior in action acting, acknowledging her skills. He was essentially saying, "You’re far better than me in action acting."

‘Seems like watching Kyungsung Lady really changed my mind.’

Seeing his friend, who had finally been sincere, Oliver nodded. Slowly, he began to stretch his body.

‘...Feels like I’m about to fight a monster.’

With that thought in mind, Oliver smiled confidently. Up until now, Arthur had handled the action scenes.

Even though Oliver had been right there.

Arthur had probably wanted to challenge Seoyeon in action acting and beat her. But now, it was clear he was acknowledging his shortcomings.

Just like when they were filming in Hollywood, they had agreed to divide the roles perfectly. Oliver’s eyes, once soft, now gleamed sharply.

He wasn’t the type to lose on his home ground, after all.

****

"Seoyeon, I take it you don't have any other schedules, right?" "Yes. I don't have anything else planned."

"If the lead, Seoyeon, isn’t available, we’re in trouble. But, anyway, this is a big boost for Mine, so it's fine."

Director Han Yegyeon’s words made Seoyeon nod in agreement. Honestly, she was more than a little embarrassed by the current situation.

Who could have predicted that Mine would become a talking point because of Kyungsung Lady? Once it gained popularity in Japan, it naturally affected Korea as well.

With Hyper Action Star trending again, expectations for Mine grew just as naturally.

‘The atmosphere on set is really good.’

Director Han Yegyeon was extremely pleased with the atmosphere on set. It was only natural. As with any movie or drama, getting word of mouth going is the hardest part.

But in this case, it was already happening. The attention was there, and that didn’t happen often.

It was literally a feast where all they had to do was scoop up the spoon.

Naturally, the actors were full of enthusiasm. No one wanted to miss this opportunity.

"The higher the expectations, the higher the bar for the movie." "Yes." "Especially Seoyeon, you’ve already shown so much. So the expectations will only rise even more."

Action. Many people would be expecting great action from Seoyeon because of her excellent physical abilities and action skills, seen in variety shows.

"So, I’ll be quite strict. I hope you’ll keep that in mind." "Yes, I understand."

Seoyeon nodded to Director Han Yegyeon’s serious words. Han Yegyeon had always been strict, and now that she mentioned being stricter, Seoyeon couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

‘This feels like it’s getting way bigger.’

Seoyeon was honestly a bit flustered by the attention from Japan, but she couldn’t deny that she was happy. She was really relieved!

Her image had been well preserved in Korea and hadn’t fallen apart, unlike what had happened in Japan.

"Alright, let’s get started!"

Director Han Yegyeon called out to the actors and staff on set. Now, about 80% of the filming would be action scenes.

The remaining 20% would be scenes depicting the protagonist Jin Yeonseo’s peaceful school life. And her journey to learn what being a 'normal girl' truly meant, from her adoptive parents.

After that, the main content would revolve around Yeonseo’s confrontation with the 'research lab.'

‘Today’s scene is the first confrontation.’

The protagonist, Jin Yeonseo, was living her peaceful school life, completely forgetting about the research lab. Just as her parents had said, she was leading an ordinary life without showing anything extraordinary.

‘Yeonseo doesn’t know what’s coming, but she’ll have to endure it.’

Her parents had told her that once an enemy was made, they would keep coming for you.

Yeonseo had said she liked this peace, and that was why she was fine.

‘But...’

Then, one day, Yeonseo met a girl at the academy. Her name was Shin Arin. She was a diligent girl, and she quickly became friends with Yeonseo at the academy.

They ended up walking home together after school.

"After school, Yeonseo will be attacked."

Director Han Yegyeon said, looking at Sora with a tense expression.

"At this point, Shin Arin should seem panicked, but her eyes should show she’s observing Yeonseo. She should subtly indicate that there’s something about her."

Narumi Sora nodded. Expressing something subtly wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

"And the attacker is Adam Lowell. Arthur, you were supposed to act this out, right?"

Director Han Yegyeon looked at Oliver, standing next to Arthur.

"What I can do, Oliver can do too. If we’ve rehearsed together, Oliver will be just as capable, so you don’t need to worry."

"...Is that so?"

Still, it felt like it would be different from doing it together. After saying that, Director Han Yegyeon nodded.

Either way, if it didn’t match, they could always take some time to adjust.

"At this point, Adam Lowell is hiding his identity, so he shouldn’t speak but should act with only his eyes. Arthur, you’ll be filming this part, right?" "Yes, I’ll take care of the action. I’ll do the other scenes too." "Good."

The editing might be a bit tricky, but that was something Director Han Yegyeon would handle. She thought as she looked at Seoyeon, who was now wearing a school uniform.

Seoyeon was slowly stretching and looking at Oliver.

‘This will be fun.’

Seoyeon didn’t have a lot of experience with action acting yet. Especially in a situation where she had to coordinate with someone else.

Most importantly, this was her first time working with someone as special as Oliver.

Arthur, one of Hollywood’s rising stars, had his favorite stunt actor in Oliver.

He was someone Arthur trusted enough to call a 'real' expert.

Seoyeon was very curious about Oliver’s skills.