If I Don’t Earn 1 Trillion Won, My Regression Ends - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 21

“The concept was originally based on Andersen’s fairy tale ‘Thumbelina,’ you know? She discovers a tulip in the forest, and when the flower blooms, there’s a girl inside. We were going to go with this concept, but the director said it was cliché.”

“He must have gotten inspiration from seeing Sing-a soaked in water at the audition that day. He suggested ‘Sim Cheong’ instead of ‘Thumbelina,’ and after internal meetings, we had some concept changes.”

“The core message is transitioning from analog to digital. The image of an unknown being landing from sea to shore is more persuasive to the public than the original idea.”

After listening to Yun Yirae and the staff’s lengthy explanations, Mother had just one question.

“So… it’s underwater filming?”

“Yes.”

The staff member nodded and asked me kindly.

“Did you practice swimming a lot?”

“…”

I felt like crying.

“Alright, let’s go again. Places! Is the film rolling?”

“Yes! Rolling, Director. Standby complete.”

“Slate please~. Scene 10, Take 7!”

…

…

“…Cut! Let’s stop and go again.”

I came out of the water gasping for breath.

Mother, who had been waiting anxiously, hurriedly came over with a towel and wrapped me up.

“Sweetie, are you okay? Oh my…”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

No! Honestly, I wasn’t fine at all!

If Madam Bang Suk-yeong hadn’t looked like she was about to cry, I would have thrown myself down and bawled my eyes out right then and there.

I felt my lips trembling from the cold.

‘My first filming in life is underwater!’

Isn’t this fraud?!

Commercials in this era usually started filming within ten days after auditions ended, but this CF gave us a whole month of waiting time.

When they suddenly told us to learn swimming, I felt something was off, but I only found out today at the filming location that the concept had actually changed.

‘If this were the 2020s, I would have reported this to the Children’s Rights Committee, seriously…’

I casually surveyed the entire filming location while Mother wrung the water from my hair.

It was an era when indoor smoking was commonplace.

Even child model filming sets were no exception.

Through the cigarette smoke that filled the ceiling in a hazy cloud, I could see the director rubbing his brow and the staff’s not-so-pleasant expressions.

I could also catch bits of their lowered murmuring.

“At this rate, we might be pulling an all-nighter.”

“If we go into overtime, will the production company just sit still?”

“Even veterans use stunt doubles for underwater filming. How could this work with just a few days of swimming lessons? And it’s a rookie child actor… This never made sense from the start. We buttoned the first button wrong.”

“Sigh, Ham Gyeong-seok being Ham Gyeong-seok…”

“I heard Ham Gyeong-seok was the one who wanted to change this concept. Who else can we blame? It’s his own doing.”

“I thought he might get lucky and make a comeback with this commercial. As expected, he’s still the same.”

Scene 10, Take 7.

This meant we’d done this scene seven times already.

The model was exhausted, and so were the staff.

Commercial filming typically took one day, or two at most.

Especially when children were the models, there was a saying that filming started in the morning and ended before sunset, so all the staff had arrived with good expressions.

But who could have predicted things would go this wrong?

“Scene 10, Take 9!”

“Cut!”

“…Director, we’re out of film. We need to change the magazine.”

The camera operator announced dryly.

The staff’s murmuring grew louder than before. I could hear someone muttering curses.

The filming location wasn’t a flower garden, nor was it a fantasy fairy tale where a child who had been living an ordinary life until recently would suddenly bloom with unknown talent.

The filming locations of the 90s were survival sites with suffocatingly thick cigarette smoke, where no one had the luxury to consider others.

At this moment when the adults’ gazes became sharp enough to sting my skin.

Swollen from the water, I strongly felt it.

The need to change the atmosphere, and the need to protect myself.

“…Sob. M-Mommy…!”

So I used an 8-year-old’s privilege and just started crying!

“Oh no. Sh-she’s crying. The kid’s crying!”

“Oh my~ you’re all being too much. She’s still just a child.”

“We’re having a hard time too, but how much harder must it be for the kid? Look at that. She can’t even cry properly and her shoulders are shaking from holding it in.”

“She must feel pressured. Kids aren’t oblivious to these things.”

Mother, with reddened eyes, hurriedly picked me up.

Sympathy began to mix into the staff’s murmuring.

Thinking the time was ripe, I activated my finishing move.

“M-Mom… I feel a little dizzy…”

“D-Daughter! Daughter! My precious baby!!!”

“S-Sing-a!”

“What do we do! Call 119!”

Little Seosing-a’s finishing move: Fainting (pretending to)!

♧

“My precious! My one and only daughter in this world! This mother can’t live a single day without you, I can’t!”

“S-Sing-a’s mother, please calm down…!”

“Poor our princess!”

“What should we do? Should we call 119?”

Swaying appropriately like a gas station inflatable doll to the rhythm of the shaking, I went limp and drained the strength from my limbs.

Since this was just a commercial filming location in the 90s, there were no medical staff standing by on site or any such luxuries.

‘Phew~ That would have been big trouble!’

As soon as someone showed signs of actually calling 119, I hurriedly groaned and lifted my eyelids.

“Daughter! Are you coming to?! Oh, my princess!”

“M-Mom? Where am I…?”

I blinked weakly.

“What happened… Ah~ I’m dizzy…”

Why pretend to faint?

Try living through thick and thin between toxic Jeong Hyeon-hye and poisonous Choi Chamsol for just a few months. You naturally acquire these skills.

Through repeated learning of observation, imitation, and practice, I learned that there are methods to crying and ways to act weak.

‘The martial world is vast…’

When crying, wailing loudly was amateur level, while truly biting your lips gently like flower petals getting wet and shedding a few tears was the posture of a real master.

Fainting was a technique I learned while fighting with Jeong Hyeon-hye on the school playground.

Blur your focus, tilt your head left and right limply, breathe rapidly then exhale sharply and collapse – complete.

‘Who knew I’d use the results of practicing in front of the mirror every night like this…’

“Don’t overdo it, daughter! You fainted! Mom really thought her heart would drop!”

Every time they saw their daughter practicing earnestly in front of the mirror at home, my parents, not knowing the situation, would often worry as if looking at a crazy child.

Recently they’d gotten used to it and even gave scores.

Madam Bang Suk-yeong, who had been watching her daughter’s fake fainting daily, had naturally already assessed the situation.

Madam Bang, who had trained alongside me every time I practiced crying and achieved considerable success, took out her handkerchief and sniffled sorrowfully.

“My poor daughter, suffering at such a young age to earn money because of her incompetent parents…! Having to stay in the water all day breaks my heart to death… How can this world be so harsh to us mother and daughter!”

‘Ah~ Mother, that’s a bit much?’

It seemed like the lady was going a bit too far, so I hurriedly coughed and distracted everyone’s attention.

The assistant director sighed and spoke with a face mixed half with guilt and half with embarrassment.

“Seosing-a has definitely pushed herself too hard. The director says since it’s almost lunch time anyway, let’s just rest like this. After the break is over, it seems like the director has something to discuss with Seosing-a separately.”

“With me?”

“Yes. Just rest for now.”

Could they be trying to fire me?!

‘No way… My 20 million won…!’

I became anxious and bit my lips nervously.

I just wanted to change the atmosphere on set slightly in my favor.

I just wanted to remind those heartless adults that even though this is a professional world, I’m still a young child and the weaker party, so the situation wouldn’t become too harsh…

‘Did I end up overthinking it after all?’

I really don’t know how a real eight-year-old would handle this situation.

The waiting room after everyone had left.

I hid my confusion and smiled at my mother who was looking at me with concern. It was a bit difficult.

♧

And after lunch time ended.

Director Ham Gyeong-seok sat down in front of the young child who was suppressing her anxiety while trying to maintain a mature expression, and casually announced.

“Seosing-a. I’m going to make you a star.”

“…What?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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