Hobbyist VTuber

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Remembering back, there was indeed such a clause in the appearance contract.

A clause stating that I, as a cast member, should cooperate as much as possible for the movie’s promotion even after all filming had finished.

But at the time I signed the contract for the role of Kim Jia, I was only thinking about acting.

Somehow, I had concluded that my only job as a child actor was to portray Kim Jia in front of the camera.

So after wrapping up the final shoot, I assumed I would return to kindergarten and play hospital games with my classmates or receive singing lessons from Dobly, who had just returned from a successful overseas tour.

‘Um, Ha-eun, we’ve received a contact from MakeFuture…’

‘?’

It wasn’t until I heard from Joo Jung-yoon that I had to attend the press conference for the neighbor’s uncle that I realized the actor’s workplace isn’t just the filming location.

Thus, time passed, and the day of the neighbor’s uncle press conference finally arrived.

“…Our daughter should have been a model, not an actress.”

Going to the makeup shop early in the morning after a long time, I was transformed into an image that matched the word ‘actress.’

The complete opposite of the plain Kim Jia from head to toe.

A white blouse and navy skirt.
Voluminous hair.
A face that could be described as elegant.

It’s understandable that my mother couldn’t stop clicking the camera shutter at me.

However, perhaps it was because the makeup that usually maintained a plain appearance this time enhanced my look to stand out.

‘…Are they not going to recognize me?’

I felt quite a gap from the appearances I had while being Kim Jia over the past few months.

It could be understandable if Director Kwon Jong-hyuk and Kang Sun-woo mistook me for someone else.

Anyway, it’s still a bit awkward.

It seems I still need a little more time to accept the fact that the girl reflected in the full-length mirror is me without any hesitation.

In any case, there are only about two hours left until the neighbor’s uncle’s press conference.

So, I headed to the venue, Apgujeong OGV.

By the time I arrived at the underground parking lot of OGV and walked to the elevator connecting to the ground building,

Until I got off the elevator and headed to the location I had received via text earlier, all I could think about was what Director Kwon Jong-hyuk and Kang Sun-woo would say upon seeing my changed look.

Maybe that’s why.

‘…Why are there so many people?’

I was slightly taken aback by the crowd filling OGV, almost like a children’s day amusement park.

Fortunately, I quickly met the staff who had come to greet me and was guided to the waiting room, so nothing particularly eventful happened.

“Ugh, as expected, Kang Sun-woo is Kang Sun-woo… It’s bustling.”

Hearing the muttering of the staff who brought me to the waiting room, I finally realized why so many people had come to OGV early in the morning.

I reunited with the person who had drawn such a crowd about five minutes later.

“Hi Ha-eun! It’s been a while~.”

“…Hello.”

The person who made my previous worries seem ridiculous and recognized me at once was Kang Sun-woo, another lead actor in the neighbor’s uncle.

He was a star actor who had been enjoying immense popularity even before starring in the neighbor’s uncle, so it’s natural for people to flock to see a renowned actor like him.

However, until now, the Kang Sun-woo I had met on set was just a nice person with excellent acting skills.

While I knew intellectually he was a big deal, we had conversed comfortably in the same space for so long that I had never really felt his status until today.

“Uh, Ha-eun. Do you have something on your face?”

“No… It’s nothing.”

As usual, it was a familiar gaze, familiar expression, and familiar voice.

The only reason I couldn’t help but glance at Kang Sun-woo now and then was that I had just vividly sensed the popularity of his name.

About ten minutes after that, the rehearsal for the press conference began.

Still, there was no problem until we practiced answering the questions the host had prepared.

I was somewhat concerned that we would have to respond to the questions from the reporters when it came to the actual press conference rather than the rehearsal.

“Ha-eun will probably just be asked about how she felt filming the movie and what it was like meeting Kang Sun-woo for the first time.”

From what the younger staff assisting in the rehearsal said, it didn’t sound like we would get anything too difficult or awkward.

In fact, when you think about it, it’s odd to ask a 7-year-old deep questions.

Moreover, it didn’t seem like it would help to get nervous already, so I decided to stay relaxed.

Since I had already heard from Kang Sun-woo that I could toss any difficult questions over to him if needed.

Once the brief rehearsal ended and I headed back to the waiting room, I found pieces of cake laid out on the table.

“Hey, Ha-eun. Don’t your classmates ask about the neighbor’s uncle?”

“Um, that’s… Maybe because it’s a movie rated for adults, the parents didn’t let them watch the trailer.”

“Oh, that’s understandable. Parents would feel that way.”

During the roughly 10 minutes left until the press conference, I enjoyed the sweet and tangy cakes while sharing brief chats with Kang Sun-woo about how we’ve been doing.

“Actor Kang Sun-woo, Actress Lee Ha-eun. It’s time to move~.”

So, just as we practiced in the previous rehearsal, I held hands with Kang Sun-woo and walked toward the press conference area, where countless reporters and eager viewers of the neighbor’s uncle awaited us.

*

“This is the press conference for Neighbor Uncle, or is it Kang Sun-woo’s personal fan meeting?”

The posters solely featuring Kang Sun-woo from the neighbor’s uncle, along with his personal photo books scattered throughout the press conference venue, caused entertainment reporter Heo Joo-eun to inadvertently click her tongue.

Of course, Heo Joo-eun agreed that Kang Sun-woo was a flawless star actor.

However, watching the people who came solely to greet Kang Sun-woo without caring about the neighbor’s uncle, she didn’t feel entirely good about it.

This sentiment stemmed solely from Heo Joo-eun’s past experiences working as an entertainment reporter.

Whenever an actor with such a massive fan base as Kang Sun-woo showed up at press events, she had seen various problems arise due to the fervent fans of the actor more than once.

‘Are they going to scream every time he says something again?’

It was hard not to have prejudices against the people who seemed to be Kang Sun-woo’s fans.

Of course, anyone who disturbed the press conference would immediately be removed.

But it was best for both Kang Sun-woo and Heo Joo-eun that such chaos did not occur in the first place.

After all, as a reporter, Heo Joo-eun hoped to write an article that would grab people’s attention through the press conference for the neighbor’s uncle.

Having prepared extensively in the days leading up to the press conference and finally securing a front-row seat was just an extension of that.

“Alright, now we should meet the two leads of the neighbor’s uncle. Entering now are actor Kang Sun-woo and actress Lee Ha-eun.”

As soon as they entered, a barrage of camera shutters greeted them, and at last, the two lead actors from neighbor’s uncle appeared on stage.

‘…She looks completely different from the trailer.’

Heo Joo-eun couldn’t help but admire Ha-eun’s gorgeous appearance, who was unrecognizable compared to Kim Jia in the trailer.

Until various questions from the host were directed to Director Kwon Jong-hyuk and Kang Sun-woo, there hadn’t been any significant commotion.

“So, Ha-eun, what kind of acting did you aim for in this neighbor’s uncle?”

Finally, the host directed a question to Ha-eun, but it seemed like it would be a proper press conference as she answered clearly without stuttering.

However, about 20 minutes later when the reporters’ Q&A session began,

“Ha-eun, you know the neighbor’s uncle is a film rated for adults. Did your parents object to you appearing in such an intense movie?”

When I heard that unrelated question from a reporter behind Heo Joo-eun, the atmosphere began to feel somewhat off,

And soon, more reporters started shooting meaningless questions directed solely at Ha-eun.

‘…Did they all get a hit out together? What’s up with that?’

To be precise, there were far more reporters asking normal questions than those giving strange ones.

Yet, there are always a few reporters like that.

They can twist whatever celebrities or famous figures say into whatever narrative suits their needs if they can hear something open to interpretation.

And for such reporters, innocent child actors like Ha-eun were the best prey.

“Wasn’t the process of acting as Kim Jia mentally tough for you? I believe this is your first movie role, Ha-eun.”

A question that was both superficial and insidious was thrown at Ha-eun.

While this question seemed to ask about Ha-eun’s first experience filming a movie on the surface, if examined closely,

Responding that it wasn’t tough would imply the depth of her acting in neighbor’s uncle would be low.
Responding that it was tough would provide a basis for suggesting that she had endured mental distress during the filming of an adult-rated movie.

At the moment, Director Kwon Jong-hyuk and Kang Sun-woo, who had picked up on this and were about to lift their microphones,

“Excuse me, what kind of tough acting are you referring to?”

Before they could even speak, with an innocent expression on her face, Ha-eun opened her mouth first and, instead, asked the reporter back.

The reporter, looking slightly flustered, replied,

“It’s the kind of acting where your head and heart become heavy, and you can’t seem to breathe properly. It’s the kind of acting I don’t want to do again.”

An answer that was distinctly vague and abstract.

Since it was an answer someone who couldn’t be well-versed in acting would give, it wasn’t really worth listening closely to.

“So, does that mean acting that you can do comfortably and repeatedly is good acting?”

Instead, quoting that ambiguous answer, Ha-eun’s reply or question prompted the reporter into a moment of silence.

After that, while remaining silent, she slowly smiled at the reporter.

“Finding acting to be hard means that you did your best in your acting, doesn’t it?”

With her elegant looks serving as the basis for a dignified smile.

“So, I’m grateful that I could act the role of Kim Jia with such difficulty.”

She had firmly sealed the reporters’ lips that had already started to close.

When she smoothly shifted her gaze toward another reporter, there was not a trace of wavering in her regal demeanor, unusual for someone her age.

At almost the same time, click.

Heo Joo-eun, who had finally confirmed the protagonist for her article, lifted her camera.

This time, she captured Ha-eun in calm composure as she continued to respond to the reporter’s questions without missing a beat.