episode_0046

Zhiing─

The van window quickly rolled up.

The moment they were alone, Kim Iseo urgently asked,

“Sooa, did I hear you right? You’re not doing this project?”

Her voice was filled with dismay. She seemed to be begging for an answer, but Sooa didn’t change her stance.

She simply nodded again.

“Yes. I don’t plan to participate in this project.”

“Hmm.”

Kim Iseo fidgeted with her fingers. The answer was so far from what she had expected.

“Hmm, hmmm.”

Kim Iseo’s head became very complicated.

Of course, Sooa had never moved as she had expected from the start, but this was too much. Why did she always disagree on things she couldn’t even imagine?

Even though today was the contract signing day with Mystic.

She was already facing difficulties.

Knock knock─

Then, a sound of someone knocking on the window. It was Manager Seo Jaewoo.

Kim Iseo lowered the window slightly and smiled.

“Manager Seo, just a moment. We’re just having a little chat.”

Her voice and demeanor were perfectly relaxed.

But even that couldn’t hide the fact that Kim Iseo’s bangs were stuck to her forehead with sweat. The two large hairpins looked particularly heavy at that moment.

This situation must be pretty embarrassing.

“…Is there really that much to discuss? It’s just a few pages of a sample script, and I don’t think the conditions are bad at all.”

“Sooa is a rookie. There’s a lot to teach her.”

Kim Iseo countered Manager Seo’s bewilderment with a seasoned smile, then closed the window again and continued her negotiations with Sooa.

“…Sooa, you heard what he said, right? This is a sample script. It’s too hasty to reject it outright. It wouldn’t hurt to at least participate in the audition.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not interested.”

“Does that mean it’s not your style? Then I’ll dare to give you some advice. It’s too good an opportunity to dismiss for that reason alone. Especially for a rookie like you.”

“No. It’s not a matter of style, but the script is a bit strange.”

Kim Iseo stopped what she was about to say. It was because she felt an unwavering resolve from Sooa that wouldn’t budge no matter how many times she asked.

She took a deep breath and asked briefly,

“So, you’re saying you have no intention of doing this project.”

Kim Iseo barely swallowed the words that were about to follow in a string.

That the role suited Sooa’s look so well, and that it was a project by Director Kim Joongi, who had a wide network, etc.

“Yes.”

A very firm answer.

It was already beyond what Kim Iseo could handle.

You can forcibly drag a donkey to the water, but you can’t force it to drink. What could she do when the actress herself was so adamantly expressing her refusal?

‘It’s going to be difficult to persuade her right now.’

Kim Iseo hadn’t completely given up on persuading Sooa, but she thought of a few things to do.

Seo Jaewoo was waiting outside the van, puzzled. The longer he waited, the more suspicious he would become.

Therefore, the task was simple. It would be better to send Seo Jaewoo back first and then patiently persuade Sooa.

Zhiing─

Once again, the window rolled down.

“Manager Seo, I’ll return the sample script for now.”

Kim Iseo said in a gentle tone.

“It looks very luxurious just by glancing at it. I’m surprised.”

“Right? Later on, there’s even cruise filming, and it’s all about rich people having fun. But… Sooa’s expression doesn’t look too good?”

Seo Jaewoo’s eyes turned to Sooa, and at the same time, Kim Iseo, sensing a crisis, gently tapped Sooa’s toes with the tip of her shoe. It was a meaning that even Sooa could understand.

Even if she rejected, she should at least put on a show.

Sooa agreed. She knew the importance of image management well. An actor who was difficult to deal with and an actor who was rude were as different as heaven and earth.

Sooa parted her lips.

“It looks fun. It’s a scene I’ve imagined at least once.”

“Then there’s no reason to hesitate. Let’s go straight to the audition! I watched Sooa-ssi’s mock filming, right? Even if you only show half of your skills from back then, you’ll definitely get accepted!”

“But.”

Sooa asked cautiously.

“What’s the rating for this movie?”

“That’s right. Look at my mind. I didn’t tell you that. It’s 15+.”

“Ah ha.”

The manager continued, seeing Sooa subtly nod her head.

“Other actors really have a hard time. They learn piano, baseball, martial arts for their roles… They get dragged to some remote mountain village… Even this Ryu Hyuna role is like that. She’s supposed to be a piano prodigy, so the actress is suffering to death.”

“Heeum.”

“But Sooa-ssi just has to dress up in designer clothes and have fun. Isn’t that a really unfair situation?”

Then he grinned.

“But the world of actors is originally unfair. And if it works to Sooa-ssi’s advantage, there’s no reason to refuse!”

His statement was simple and clear.

That Sooa could copy money while having fun with this project.

Then, Kim Iseo intervened with good timing.

“Sooa is contemplating because she’s satisfied, not dissatisfied. She’s a rookie. If she suddenly gets an offer like this after only having difficult shoots, it’s understandable that she’d be surprised.”

“Ah, is that so? So that’s the kind of surprise it is?”

Seo Jaewoo nodded as if he finally understood, and Kim Iseo continued. It was a calculated move to prevent Seo Jaewoo and Sooa from having a conversation.

“But, isn’t Director Kim known for making R-rated movies well? He’s trying 15+ this time?”

“R-rated movies inevitably have a limited number of viewers. This time, he’s just going for a more mainstream approach. R-rated movies are good for getting high praise, but if you ultimately want box office success, you have to lower the age rating.”

“It’s a good thing for Mystic. Sooa is especially a rookie and a woman, so R-rated is too dangerous a choice.”

Kim Iseo continued to make subtle compliments, pretending to be interested in various things. So that Seo Jaewoo would feel sufficiently reassured without feeling bad.

After a while.

“Then I’ll contact you again later.”

Her experience definitely shone.

“If it’s ‘later’, how long will it take?”

“You were at the mock filming, so you know? These days, there are more than a few people who are obsessed with Sooa. It looks like it will take some time to fend them all off and do this and that.”

“Please do it as soon as possible. I actually boasted to the director that I found a role that suits him. Please help me to be able to hold my head high.”

“Of course. I’ll give it to you soon.”

No matter how much time she bought, it wouldn’t be a significant amount. In the end, she would have to give an answer sometime tonight. In other words, Kim Iseo had to persuade Sooa within that time.

Kim Iseo nodded gently and successfully sent Seo Jaewoo back.

Immediately after.

“Whew…”

Kim Iseo opened a bottle of mineral water. Because she was so small, the water bottle looked particularly large.

She drank the whole bottle without stopping.

Then she grabbed Sooa’s hands tightly.

“Sooa, look me in the eyes and tell me. What’s wrong?”

Had Kim Iseo ever asked so seriously before? Sooa’s heart skipped a beat slightly.

“Sooa.”

“Yes.”

“If there are a hundred roles, I doubt there’s even one as easy as this. And even the director is Kim Joongi. It’s a project where you can raise your profile and make money while resting.”

Sooa knew that this was easy. She knew it!

But there was a reason why she couldn’t help it.

‘…What can I do when it’s a role that I can’t even experience?’

The moment she put her hand on the script, Sooa was able to visit the special privilege hotel, and she confirmed it very clearly at the phone booth there.

[Movie ‘Life is All About Money’.]

▶ Sufficient implementation elements.

001 ─ Park Sojin (Virgin experience unavailable)

This ‘Park Sojin’ is the role of the youngest daughter of a conglomerate family, but Sooa can’t even experience it. Because she’s still a virgin with no experience.

That wasn’t all. Most of the roles were like that.

002 ─ Jung Dojin (Virgin experience unavailable) 003 ─ Choi Hyunwoo (Virgin experience unavailable) 004 ─ Ryu Hyuna (*Caution, includes special abilities)

They all had conditions that made it impossible for virgins to experience them, and in the case of number 4, Ryu Hyuna, it seemed dangerous, so she couldn’t try it. She couldn’t risk something big happening if she tried it for no reason.

Of course, there wasn’t no way to check the rating.

Because she now knew how to use the special privilege.

024 ─ Cheese.

What’s cheese? It was a cat.

…A real cat. A meow-meowing cat.

Experiencing a rich family’s cat was a truly bizarre experience. It felt like she could do quadrupedal locomotion right now if she decided to imitate a cat.

Anyway, the rating she worked so hard to confirm was.

[Movie ‘Life is All About Money’.] ▶ Sufficient implementation elements. ▶ Experience completed / Grade 6.

Grade 6. It was a bizarre grade that went beyond being puzzling.

‘He’s a famous director with a wide network, right? How could it be like this? Ah, did it turn out like this because people around him only said good things?’

And there was one more thing she was curious about.

‘The manager mentioned 15+, but when I try to experience it, it’s all R-rated. What’s going on here?’

However, she soon brushed away many thoughts.

Thinking about it was just a waste of time.

It’s not like Sooa has clairvoyance, and no matter what the hidden circumstances are, the rejection was already destined from the moment Sooa was offered a role she couldn’t experience.

Besides, the grade is trash, so there’s no reason to do it.

Meanwhile, Kim Iseo was still looking at Sooa.

It was quite embarrassing.

She couldn’t have a consultation about things like, “Why are you making a Grade 6 movie when you’re a famous director?” Is this a cover fraud? And why are the roles all R-rated when it’s supposed to be a 15+ movie?

Sooa pondered for a moment and chose a safe option.

“My heart doesn’t respond.”

Others would think of her as an actress who filters out projects based on a hunch, but it couldn’t be helped. This was the best answer she could give.

In fact, Kim Iseo currently thought of Sooa as that kind of actress.

A clash of two opinions. A situation that was becoming more and more of a mystery.

“…So, Sooa isn’t motivated at all?”

“Yes. You said that I have a unique scent, right? But I don’t think that scent will be able to be exerted in this project.”

Kim Iseo’s face became subtle.

Sooa could understand her feelings.

You brought her here giving her three sports cars, and she rejects a famous director’s project from the first day? And she’s doing it because she’s not motivated? She must feel a little unfair.

“I’ll work harder on other things. Please reject this one.”

“…”

Kim Iseo quietly opened a bottle of mineral water and drank it.

She brought Sooa here because she believed in her, but she was still a little confused. When she thought about it, this kind of thing never happened when she was dealing with Seo Yeonjoo and Kim Sunil. Everything went according to Kim Iseo’s wishes.

Did she have to get used to this kind of thing to work with Sooa? No, could she get used to it? Kim Iseo was constantly emptying water bottles in the face of an experience she had never had before.

“…Okay.”

Still, she nodded for now.

Working as Sooa’s representative. It wasn’t easy from the first day.

◈◈◈◈◈

A few hours later.

Kim Iseo dropped Sooa off at the Mystic Entertainment building, and Sooa headed to a nail salon nearby.

A nail salon.

She had never even imagined herself heading to such a place. She used to think that she would never have to go to a place like a nail salon in her life.

Well, she wasn’t going there voluntarily today either.

She had just received a call from Seo Yeonjoo.

Sooa immediately opened the door and entered the store.

“Welcome.”

The staff greeted her kindly.

In response, Sooa bowed her head very slightly. It was an unconscious action. And that fact inwardly surprised Sooa.

‘…How did I become so skilled?’

All of these actions were as natural and familiar as flowing water.

The way the other person looked slightly intimidated when they met Sooa, the way she greeted elegantly based on her thorough calculations. The way she reduced unnecessary movements or embellishments so as not to look frivolous…

Besides these, countless other things came out without any particular awareness. Is this also a kind of acting? Did her skills improve?

Anyway, it wasn’t a bad thing. It was definitely a good thing.

‘It feels good. That I’m becoming more complete with this kind of image.’

It was then.

“Sooa, is that you? Come over here and sit down.”

The reason she had come to this place, Seo Yeonjoo, tapped the chair next to her. She was currently sitting comfortably with one hand entrusted to a staff member.

Sooa sat next to Seo Yeonjoo and said,

“What’s the matter?”

“The matter? The matter is that I wanted to chat with you while getting our nails done. We’re family now, aren’t we? Sisters should get along well.”

“…So it wasn’t a work matter.”

“Were you disappointed that it wasn’t a work matter? That’s called being a workaholic.”

Sooa had said it while inwardly relieved, but it seemed to have a different meaning to Seo Yeonjoo. She smiled.

“Life is hard if you only think about work. You have to have days like this sometimes. At least for now, enjoy yourself.”

Sooa could only find it amazing.

‘That I’m going to spend private time with Seo Yeonjoo…’

The epitome of purity. The big-name actress Seo Yeonjoo chose Sooa as someone to spend time with. It was an honor.

Sooa admired Seo Yeonjoo’s face up close, and the other person was the same. Seo Yeonjoo looked at Sooa and widened her eyes.

“It’s even more amazing up close? It’s really hard to pull off white hair. But Sooa is different. It suits you very well.”

“Arctic fox.”

“Huh?”

“…Arctic fox. They said I look like an arctic fox.”

Sooa put particular emphasis on the word arctic fox.

And a moment of silence hung in the air at that comparison.

Actually, the animal Seo Yeonjoo had in mind was a snow wolf. An arctic fox wasn’t unrelated, but still, Sooa looked more like a wolf no matter how you looked at it…?

While she was pondering, Sooa asked again.

“Right?”

“Uh, uh-huh? Right, right.”

Seo Yeonjoo quickly nodded her head.

It was now time to start the nails in earnest. A staff member held out a catalog containing samples to Sooa. It was something similar to a menu at a restaurant.

“What would you like to have done?”

“Hmm.”

It was already a difficult situation for Sooa.

A sand swept by concept, a leopard concept, a checkered pattern concept, etc.

She didn’t know what to choose, and she didn’t want to do any of them. She was supposed to stick these on her nails? It just seemed like a hassle.

It was then that Seo Yeonjoo burst out laughing. Sooa was afraid that she might have seen her clumsiness.

“Ah, I’m sorry. The staff unnie’s trembling look was so funny. Hey, Sooa, relax your expression. This is a place to play, a place to play. You don’t have to be so serious because we aren’t in front of the camera.”

The staff member shrugged her shoulders.

“…I’m a little nervous because someone more special than I thought came.”

“Oh my, look at this unnie. Am I not special?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. Anyway, what would you like to do?”

Sooa still didn’t know what to do, and Seo Yeonjoo was the one who broke the silence again in the end.

“Unnie, it looks like Sooa doesn’t like any of them. Let’s go with custom.”

“Custom… That’s right, that’s right. Even if I look at the sample, there isn’t one that suits her. The only thing to do for a customer like this is to draw something that suits her directly and then do the procedure.”

“…”

It was an even worse choice for Sooa.

Not being able to choose an example meant that she had to decide on all the pictures that would go on her nails. It was no different from the difficulty increasing exponentially.

In the meantime, Seo Yeonjoo was pondering what would suit Sooa.

‘Come to think of it, we talked about the arctic fox earlier.’

Her hair color, too, Sooa seemed to like the Arctic.

What’s in the Arctic? Penguins? Penguins are in the Antarctic. Arctic gold? No, arctic bears are a bit much.

Saying arctic fox again would be kind of cliche. Come to think of it, rabbits live in the polar regions too, don’t they? Seo Yeonjoo’s eyes twinkled.

“…Sooa, how about a rabbit?”

After much deliberation, Seo Yeonjoo said the word ‘rabbit’.

“Rabbit? Ah, I have something in mind. How about something like this?”

The staff member immediately moved her hand. Drawing a sample was nothing for her, who had excellent skills.

The initial draft was created not long after.

A white background with two red eyes and a green leaf on its forehead.

It was a snow rabbit with a very small but violently cute look.

“…”

Sooa’s heart was beating. Thump thump thump. Very loudly.

“…It’s annoying, so let’s just do this.”

Sooa-sen-cheok (Sooa pretending). But the inside was different. She was very excited.

The work began. Seo Yeonjoo said,

“Come to think of it, did Sooa hear about that too?”

“About what?”

“During the main filming of the Special Mobile Unit 808, some famous people might come to watch. What do they call those people these days? They’re said to be desperate to make a movie about music…”

A little later, ten snow rabbits were born on Sooa’s nails.

It was a result that even Seo Yeonjoo next to her could admire.

“Oh my, I should have done it on my hands. Sooa, it’s so cute…”

Sooa moved as if she was annoyed. Sooa nodding.

In fact, she was so happy that she lost her words….

Seo Yeonjoo neatly placed Sooa’s hand on the desk, then took a picture of it together with her hand. Seo Yeonjoo’s was a leopard print reminiscent of a cheetah.

Then they took a selfie side by side. Sooa did so because she asked to show her back of her hand so that the nails would be visible. You know, that hand motion that zombies or gangers do when they jump around.

Seo Yeonjoo laughed.

“Today’s nails are my gift. To commemorate you becoming a member of Mystic. Please take good care of me in the future.”

Sooa was still unable to take her eyes off her nails, and she thought. Sometimes things like this aren’t bad.

Her life had already changed greatly.

.

.

.

At a certain street stall, the soju advertisement filming location.

“Sunil-ssi! That was so good just now! In 10 minutes, we’ll go through it one more time with a different tie! This is the last one!”

Black dress pants, a shirt with the top button slightly unbuttoned, and a loose tie. Moreover, his hair was styled with moisturizing wax and hung down like he had been caught in the rain.

The staff members couldn’t help but react positively.

“Sunil-ssi… He’s so handsome…”

“What are we going to do with that decadent beauty?”

“Is a working person who is tired from working overtime supposed to be this sexy?”

Kim Sunil was actually resting while checking his phone. The given time was 10 minutes. For once, he had received a message from Seo Yeonjoo.

He was going to delete it, but he saw it.

Because a photo had been sent instead of letters. He was a little curious.

[Sender: Seo Yeonjoo] ▷ I took a picture with Sooa. ▷ (Photo taken while getting nails done together) ▷ Aren’t you jealous~~~~~~

Even Kim Sunil thought that Sooa dyeing her hair white was a divine move. It was like an Imoogi finally finding a magic orb and putting it in its mouth?

Moreover, the combination of the two was also good. If Seo Yeonjoo was a rabbit, Sooa was a wolf. What kind of arctic combination was this?

Kim Sunil, who had been looking at the screen with satisfaction, soon changed his face to a blank expression. Because he wasn’t used to this self.

He soon typed a short reply.

▶ Don’t mess around.

.

.

.

Everyone’s time flowed fiercely.

“Let’s do it one more time before we eat!”

Park Dhee and Hwang Myungpil, including the actors of the Special Mobile Unit 808, gathered together and focused on practicing hard today as well.

Meanwhile, in the editing room of the short film ‘Sword’.

Director Park Joon heard the news while editing.

“Sooa finally joined Mystic? Oh, she suits it pretty well? She went to a good place! I wonder how much of a contract fee she received? Wouldn’t it be almost the first time a rookie got a contract fee?”

He was happy as if it were his own business.

He soon hung up the phone and began editing more diligently than ever. It was an amazing passion.

The future was already unfolding in his mind.

The sight of ‘Sword’ breaking through to the finals no matter what. The sight of Lee Sooa, the protagonist who brought this work to life, walking around the film festival in an elegant dress.

Looking at the scenes, it didn’t just seem like a fantasy.

He was confident that he would make it a reality soon.

◈◈◈◈◈

Night.

Sooa was walking around inside the Mystic Entertainment building.

Looking here and there, here and there, an ordinary person would be desperate to get out of work, but Sooa was different now.

This building itself felt like an amusement park to Sooa.

‘It’s so much fun just looking around…’

It not only had a cafeteria, but also a space to exercise. In addition to this, there was also a mirror space to practice dancing… It was just amazing for Sooa.

Then, she suddenly stopped in one place.

“Here…”

It was a soundproof room with a grand piano standing right in the center.

Suddenly, she remembered what Manager Seo Jaewoo had said.

─They learn baseball, martial arts for their roles… They get dragged to some remote mountain village… Even this Ryu Hyuna role is like that. She’s supposed to be a piano prodigy, so the actress is suffering to death.

Sooa was curious.

How much would the script experience affect her body?

She gained the feeling that she could drive by experiencing ‘Speeding Violation’, but there was no way to check it. Because she didn’t have a license.

She experienced Wi Ji-hye in ‘Sword’, but that alone wasn’t enough to judge whether her swordsmanship skills had improved. Because that short film was a philosophical film that focused on debating swords.

In other words, Sooa still didn’t know.

How much would the script make Sooa’s body grow?

‘I’ll come across countless scripts in the future, but…’

This was a prerequisite that Sooa had to solve quickly.

‘What if I avoid scripts with high ratings because the experience is difficult? Or, what if my reproduction doesn’t follow even though I experienced the experience, and it interferes with my acting?’

Sooa retraced the past.

She avoided the torture experience because it was difficult, and she couldn’t do the experiences that she couldn’t do because she was a virgin. Fortunately, she had been lucky so far. The ratings of those scripts were very insignificant.

But things wouldn’t always be like this in the future. There would also be roles that had excellent ratings but required very high levels of ability.

…Wouldn’t it be a waste to miss out on those?

So now was the time to check.

Sooa reviewed the experience list again.

[Movie ‘Life is All About Money’.] ▶ Sufficient implementation elements

001 ─ Park Sojin (Virgin experience unavailable) 002 ─ Jung Dojin (Virgin experience unavailable) 003 ─ Choi Hyunwoo (Virgin experience unavailable) 004 ─ Ryu Hyuna (*Caution, includes special abilities)

She had been scared by the word caution, but now that she kept thinking about the fact that Ryu Hyuna was a piano prodigy, it looked a little different.

Perhaps the fact that it included special abilities was the possibility she was expecting. A small hope and desire.

Sooa eventually chose Ryu Hyuna.

Ssssseuseuseu─ [Recognized that the role includes special abilities.] [The difference between the role and the special privilege holder’s ability is significant.] [Preparing to narrow the ability gap…] […Preparation complete. Injecting.]

A phrase she had never seen before.

Sooa inadvertently muttered.

“Injection? What an eerie word…”

Immediately after, the whole world felt like it was on fast forward.

It was as if all the books in the library were forcibly filling Sooa’s mind in an instant. A feeling that her head would explode if she lost focus even a little bit.

Ryu Hyuna’s life was difficult.

When she opened her eyes, she had to practice piano all day, and she was whipped and punished if she made even one mistake. How long had she spent those days? Sooa forcibly repeated that experience.

At some point, when Sooa even forgot the fact that she was Sooa.

Paaat─!

“…Ah?”

Sooa returned to reality.

She seemed to have forgotten the fact that she was Sooa when she was living as Ryu Hyuna, but the memories of Ryu Hyuna were faint now. It felt like she had experienced a fleeting moment that wasn’t even 0.1 seconds long?

It was like she had pressed a 500 million year button that she had seen on the internet. Anyway, Sooa didn’t feel any mental burden now. She didn’t have any physical hardship either.

“…”

Then she suddenly swallowed hard.

It wasn’t a dry swallow, but a wet one.

It was because the grand piano in front of her suddenly looked very welcoming. It felt like her only friend. When she came to her senses, she was resting her hand on the grand piano.

Her fingers moved without her even realizing it.

Dadadan─

Sooa stiffened without her even realizing it.

And a long time later, again.

Dadadan─

She couldn’t help but stiffen again.

But this time, it was with belated admiration.

“Wow…”

It was because the sound she was making was so beautiful.

She also realized it. She had goosebumps all over her body.

Her acting spectrum.

It was by no means narrow. It couldn’t be narrow.