* * *
“I need to sleep, but I can’t fall asleep. Last night, I barely slept because I was practicing choreography.”
It was impressive how she was holding up despite not eating. I didn’t want to disturb her rest.
“Please get some sleep.”
“Yeah. I’ll try to force myself to sleep.”
I stood up. When I returned to my original place, the manager asked,
“How’s Yumi?”
“She’s going to sleep.”
“She probably won’t sleep well. One of the things she got from that accident is insomnia.”
I looked towards where she was. The road manager was handing her a pillow.
‘Honestly, I feel sorry for her.’
Even in such a terrible state, she was trying not to disrupt the filming.
As expected, the top singer in Korea was different.
I picked up my smartphone.
‘I never thought I’d use this for someone else…….’
[cheat mode 1/3]
[Yumi the singer’s insomnia, change to always having a deep sleep.]
[Changed.]
[Eyes will itch for 1 minute.]
[cheat mode 2/3]
I couldn’t help but laugh.
‘Still generous in recovery, huh?’
Soon, my eyes started to itch. I crossed my arms, resisting the urge to scratch.
‘Well, it’s for the best.’
If Yumi gets some sleep and recovers, the filming will go smoothly.
Soon, I heard that the lights were fixed. Several staff members climbed ladders to rehang the lights.
I rested my chin in my hand and watched the scene.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“Oh, I should.”
I quickly opened the lid. Maybe because the lunchbox had cooled down, or because there was someone starving, it tasted awful for some reason.
***
Filming resumed. I climbed onto the set in a different outfit.
Yumi, fixing her makeup, was joking with the director.
“Yumi looks in good condition?”
“Yeah. I took a quick nap, but it was very deep sleep. I even had a good dream.”
“Oh, isn’t this song going to be a hit?”
“Do you think so?”
The director pointed at me.
“This kid is doing better than I thought. Honestly, I was surprised.”
“Director, he’s never done child acting before.”
“Amazing. He’s very skilled.”
I smiled broadly and said,
“Some people are just good from the start.”
Maybe they knew it was a joke, and finally, they laughed together.
“I’m glad. I was worried about Yumi’s condition improving.”
“Why worry about that? Have I ever messed up filming because of my condition? Oh, director, really~”
The stylist came over and pulled my clothes tight.
“The kid’s legs are long, so the pants are a bit short.”
“Oh, it’s fine. Only the upper body shows on camera.”
“Yes. No need to fix it, noona.”
The stylist nodded as if she understood. I quietly recalled the scene I was about to shoot.
“It’s the scene where you take care of me after I collapse.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I just have to close my eyes.”
Yumi, looking much brighter than before, said,
“Leave it to me.”
“Please take care of me.”
Soon, the standby call was heard.
I looked at Yumi lying on the bed.
“Action!”
As soon as the clapperboard snapped, I leaned my head on her chest.
Then, I held her hair in my hand and smiled joyfully.
The storyboard ended there. But the director’s cut wasn’t heard.
‘Is he telling me to do more?’
Then I should make it impressive.
I lifted my head and kissed Yumi’s hair. Then, as if looking at the most lovely thing in the world, I gently caressed her cheek.
“Cut!”
Finally, the sound of the end came. I ran over to see the scene I was in.
“Look at this kid.”
The director chuckled, rubbing his chin.
“I pushed it just in case, and it’s quite something.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Your name is Dowon, right? You’re in the same agency as Yumi?”
The manager replied as if waiting.
“Yes. (ambitious)Ya Dowon, I mean, Cha Dowon is a trainee at Friends Entertainment. He’s very diligent and smart.”
If you’re going to promote, do it right. Diligent and smart are contradictory, aren’t they?
Also, why did you used that nickname again?
“Would you take my call next time?”
“What?”
The manager stood straight, surprised. Why is he so startled?
“Please use me. As a trainee, I have free time.”
“When will you debut?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“I like that you’re sharp. Arrogance is a flaw, though.”
“Thank you.”
“Arrogance and shamelessness are included in the flaw.”
But the director didn’t seem displeased.
“Thanks to that, it’s memorable.”
“It’s an honor.”
“Arrogant and shameless kid, the next scene is a hand shot. Can you do it well?”
“Of course.”
That was the end of my part. Yumi still had more filming, but I could go back to the dorm.
“Do you know, rookie? We’ve been filming for 20 hours.”
Has it been that long?
‘I didn’t realize.’
Maybe because we were completely cut off from the outside.
“You’re still lively.”
“I have good stamina.”
“At your age, you can chew iron. Dowon exercises diligently.”
That was promotion not even worth having.
“You like filming? Don’t you?”
I smiled and replied,
“You caught me.”
“At fifteen, you’re like an old man. Get going! To your spot.”
I gave a slight bow and went to my place. Soon, the camera was positioned to show the hand.
Yumi spoke.
“You’re just a background, and it’s a scene where my hand twitches, right?”
“Yes.”
“If you were waiting for decades for your lover to wake up and their hand moved, what would you do?”
I stared at Yumi. Her eyes, now much softer, blinked prettily.
“I’d hold it.”
“How?”
“Tightly, with strength.”
Yumi smiled brightly.
“Do it.”
“Can I?”
“I know the director’s style well. He probably won’t cut.”
This was good for me. It’s better to be in more impressive scenes.
“At your command.”
“Give it your best shot.”
Once again, I heard the standby signal.
As soon as the cue sound came, her hand twitched. I felt my arm tremble slightly as I slowly took Yumi’s hand.
As expected, there was no “cut” sound.
I held her hand. Her slender fingers were captured in my palm.
‘If a lover you loved barely wakes up…’
I slowly intertwined our fingers. I could feel Yumi’s warmth clearly. Her held hand moved again.
After a long while, the “cut” sound was finally heard.
I immediately looked at the director. He adjusted his hat and said,
“Good, isn’t it?”
I expected a reprimand, but he laughed cheerfully.
“Yumi, is this what you wanted?”
Yumi got up from the set and replied,
“I asked him to give it a try.”
“It’s fine. It feels much more heartfelt.”
“Even my hand shaking a bit at the end was okay?”
“Yes.”
I walked with Yumi to check the scene. It definitely looked more poignant.
“It has a kind of sensuous atmosphere, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed. Even without any exposure, it feels like this.”
The director grinned and said,
“I can feel it! This music video will become legendary!”
“Wow! The director is getting carried away!”
Yumi and the director laughed heartily together.
‘Did I sense that atmosphere earlier too?’
Then, the director looked at me.
“You did well.”
Well, I guess I did do well.
“Thanks to your good filming. Thank you for not calling ‘cut.'”
“Are you leaving now? Safe travels.”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”
I bowed slightly and straightened up. The director gestured for me to go.
“You did great. Dowon.”
“Yes. I’ll go say goodbye.”
I went around and greeted everyone, from the camera crew to the lighting team.
They all praised me for my good performance. I even received candy from the coordinator who had worked hard.
By now, it was completely dark outside. I got into the car and took a deep breath.
My shooting was over.
“Tired?”
The manager got into the driver’s seat and looked back at me. I shook my head.
“I could do more, but there are no more scenes left to shoot. It’s a bit disappointing.”
“You’ve got real stamina!”
“Can you drive, Manager? It’s nighttime.”
“Don’t underestimate my 20 years of accident-free driving experience!”
I chuckled softly. The car soon started moving smoothly.
“If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep. It’ll take quite a while to get there.”
“Aren’t you tired, Manager?”
“Hey, kid. How many years do you think I’ve been doing this?”
The manager said, slightly turning the steering wheel.
“I slept while you were shooting.”
Ah, so that’s what he meant. Well, he also had his meal earlier.
‘These people can’t rest when the celebrities are resting.’
They must maintain their stamina somehow.
“How was the shoot?”
“It was fun.”
It made me wonder if I could do this for the rest of my life.
“I could see your passion.”
“Really?”
“Seeing you makes me realize I’m witnessing a great talent in real-time.”
What does he mean by that?
“It’s like watching a future legend of the entertainment industry unfold.”
I see.
“I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”
“You don’t miss a beat. Tough kid.”
I shrugged. The car with its headlights on navigated through the remote area skillfully.
“Manager, about Yumi. Her girl group disbanded after that car accident, right?”
The manager turned the wheel and replied,
“Yeah. Two members couldn’t cope with the trauma. The company tried to keep it together, but the fandom and everything made it impossible.”
“Is it such a big deal when a member leaves the group, even if they’re not the most popular?”
“Of course, it’s a big deal.”
The car moved onto a four-lane road.
“Fans care a lot about the chemistry between the members.”
I see.
‘It sounds like he’s saying to take good care of the members.’
Well, even the successful Zenis eventually fell apart because of that. And the members who left didn’t do well either.
They underestimated the roles and planning of Kang Minjae and the agency.
‘I should keep that in mind.’
When did Zenis debut again?
‘Wasn’t it a year later?’
I squinted. If the debut is a year later, the members should be decided at least six months before that.
‘I need to get into the debut lineup as soon as possible.’
In two weeks, it would be the end-of-month evaluation. I assessed my abilities.
‘Singing is the issue.’
How does one improve vocal skills? Maybe a cheat is the only way. How does a C become a B?
I took out my smartphone from my pocket and tried it out.
[cheat mode 2/3]
[Cha Dowon’s keen eye]
[It’s a C. Do you want to use it?]
[Change to B]
‘Of course, it’ll say it’s impossible with my current condition.’
I didn’t expect it to work since I tried it impulsively. But slowly, the text appeared.
[Changed.]
[As a side effect, you will be blind for 1 hour.]
[cheat mode 3/3]
“Wow…”
I covered my mouth with my hand. A strange, amused sigh escaped and faded away.
‘It didn’t work two days ago.’
So why does it work now?
Suddenly, a clue popped into my head.
“Experience?”
The only difference between then and now was experience.
As I was about to look at my smartphone again, my vision turned black as if on cue.
‘Ah, the side effect…’
I was so focused on the change that I ignored the side effect. I closed my eyes completely. Now I understood a bit more.
‘Experience makes a difference.’
It was fascinating. Would it be the same for vocals?
‘I’ll give it a try.’
The more I learned, the more it seemed both petty and bold. I put my smartphone back in my pocket. A strange laugh escaped again.
“Experience? What experience?”
My ears were sharp. When did he hear that?
“Oh, I just think experience is important.”
“Well, that’s true. In that sense, no matter how busy you are, finish high school. If you skip school to become an idol, it’ll be tough later.”
“I’ll discuss that with my sister.”
I leaned my head back against the rear seat of the car.
“I’m going to sleep now.”
“Okay.”
Although I couldn’t see, it wasn’t frightening. Since things had turned out this way, perhaps it would be better to just sleep.
The excitement that had been boiling up gradually cooled down. I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but slumber quickly enveloped me.
When I opened my eyes again, I had already arrived at the lodging. Of course, my eyes were perfectly fine by then.
* * *
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