I’m an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me - Chapter 50

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

Episode 50

* * *

‘Oh. My second title.’

The first thing I checked when I opened my eyes was the Status Window.

‘I really did well yesterday, even if I say so myself…’

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that perfect unity when the character and I became one.

‘…But.’

Somehow my body feels heavy…

“Hey! Are you okay?”

Dokgo Min touched my forehead and made a fuss. This person never wakes up at this time normally… Did I oversleep that much?

“Unnie, what time is it now…”

My voice was completely gone. It was totally ruined. My tonsils must be swollen because it hurt every time I swallowed.

“Now? 9 o’clock.”

“Unnie, why are you awake at this time…”

“I didn’t sleep. I pulled an all-nighter.”

Plop-.

While I was talking with Dokgo Min, something cold suddenly covered my face.

“This moistness… this soothing feeling… this coolness…”

“Not only that, it even has a lifting function. I knew this would happen. How’s my foresight? Good?”

Dokgo Gyeol pulled up the face mask around my chin area and even applied plenty of lip balm to my lips.

As expected, the ace who went on business trips with top actors is different. When the cold face mask touched my hot face, I felt like I could live.

A humidifier had been turned on in the room at some point.

“I want to keep this voice as it is… so please turn off the humidifier…”

“Honey. Are you in your right mind right now?”

“Han Yeoreum has gone crazy. Yeah yeah. She’s completely lost it. Show me the thermometer?”

“Being sick is temporary… but videos last forever. Since I’m sick anyway, let’s bring out some reality…”

Realizing my words weren’t a joke, both of them frowned.

Knock knock-.

“Yeoreum… are you awake?”

It was Director So, holding Boksuni tightly. As soon as Boksuni saw me, she wagged her tail enthusiastically and whined. I stretched out my arms and took Boksuni.

“Yesterday felt cathartic, didn’t it…?”

“Yes. I really cried my heart out.”

“Then shall we rest for just two more hours and start again as a comfortable Yeondu…?”

“No. Right now is perfect. If I rest more, I feel like my condition will recover… Please start setting up right away.”

At my words, Director So nodded as if she expected this.

It was now the final stage of location shooting. Summer sunlight filled the room through the window.

I felt like I could finally let go of all the emotions I had felt in the past, just like Yeondu. Though I never showed it, the times when I felt like I was alone at the bottom of a dark pit had grown dim.

* * *

“Sob sob… There’s no content, absolutely none…”

Aetami was suffering from Yeoreum withdrawal at the nano level. 〈Pacheh〉 and one ALAB commercial. That was all of Yeoreum’s official content.

“She does post photos on her story sometimes, but…”

Photos from filming sets were uploaded occasionally, but this was far from enough. Aetami habitually searched for Yeoreum’s name on portal sites today as well.

“Oh!!! It’s Yeoreum!!!”

Just then, an interview with Jjang Director from 〈Pacheh〉 had been uploaded to a portal site.

Aetami reflexively clicked on the post.

Aetami was scrolling through thoughts about producing the unfamiliar content of web dramas, behind-the-scenes stories, and the director’s intentions, but stopped scrolling as soon as she found Yeoreum’s name.

The reaction to the final episode was quite heated. We even showed the wrap party scene directly to viewers through live broadcasting.

-It was Yeoreum’s (Pi Chaewon role) idea. Our viewer base consists mostly of people familiar with ‘memes’ and ‘SNS’, doesn’t it? Since it was a wrap party, I was worried about showing too relaxed a side, but I think we did well. It felt like we were having our own private screening.

“As expected, our Yeoreum…”

She wanted to shout that this is what a real actor looks like, everyone, already taking care of viewers like this!

Actually, I watched the live broadcast in real time too. A professional approaching viewers like this. It felt enjoyable as it captured the freshness of web dramas. I wanted to follow them to the after-party.

-Haha. If I had known this would happen, I should have started streaming from the wrap party. Yeoreum and Junseo even bought ice cream for the staff themselves, they were so cute and admirable.

Jjang Director faithfully played the role of the heartwarming story vending machine that Yeoreum had aimed for. And toward the end of the interview, he even dropped hints about his next project.

-I want to try fresh material for my next work too. Something like ghost stories.

“I hope Yeoreum stars in the next project too!”

Aetami stamped her feet. If it’s ghost stories, the production budget would be higher than 〈Pacheh〉, which means the quality would be incomparable.

‘This won’t do. I need to see Yeoreum once more.’

That’s when she opened Yoosta to visit Yeoreum’s SNS.

“Huh???”

A new photo from Yeoreum had been uploaded.

“No way…”

It was an impossibly refreshing yet bittersweet photo.

“Is this a photoshoot?!”

* * *

Click- click- click-.

This was Dokgo Min’s studio. Having watched all of Han Yeoreum’s Seoul filming, Dokgo Min had now begun working on still cuts.

‘Even a little bit, faster…’

The exhausted eyes shown on the subway platform, the voice tinged with life’s tedium, the gestures of wanting to escape from life’s weariness. Yet still, the faint will that could be felt despite it all.

‘Quickly, quickly…’

Recalling the overwhelming emotion Han Yeoreum showed when looking up from inside the pit still made her feel like her breath was being cut off.

She wanted to capture that moment’s emotion in a photograph. She wanted to go one step beyond simply capturing beauty. But that something beyond seemed within reach yet unreachable.

Click- click- click-.

Dokgo Min moved her hands frantically. She busily moved her eyes here and there while touching up the photo. The Stat Window above Dokgo Min’s head sparkled incessantly.

‘One hour… just a little over one hour of footage.’

Han Yeoreum’s previous work 〈Pacheh〉 consisted of eight videos around 10 minutes each, and if you totaled the scenes where Yeoreum appeared, it was just over an hour. Her next work 〈I Don’t Care At All〉 was also an hour long.

‘It’s far too insufficient.’

Han Yeoreum is a genius. It would take much longer for viewers to accept this obvious truth.

Dokgo Min found this incredibly frustrating. The fact that was obvious to those who watched Han Yeoreum on set wouldn’t immediately resonate with viewers watching from beyond the screen.

Click- click-.

Dokgo Min’s hands became busy. Dokgo Min repeated watching the sun rise and set several times in front of the computer. The donut boxes and coffee cans scattered around kept increasing.

“It’s done…”

Finally, Yeoreum appeared on the screen along with the typography.

No one would think this was a poster for a short drama. This was quality that could be considered suitable for film festival submission.

Especially the side profile sitting on the wooden floor holding a plum in her hand was perfect from the color tone to the composition. Even the clouds in the sky slightly visible beside her were large and pristine white.

There was even a feeling, just a little, really just a tiny bit… as if Jeong Yeondu in the photo was speaking.

Saying that now she could finally breathe a little.

“Unnie. You already finished this?”

From behind, not knowing when she had arrived, Yeoreum’s voice was heard. Dokgo Min collapsed face-down on the desk. Having poured out all the energy she had, her eyes were closing.

“Wow. As expected, Dokgo Min. The best senior. Really fifteen hundred stars.”

Click- The sound of Han Yeoreum moving the mouse to check the next photo was heard.

Boksuni peeking her head out from Yeoreum’s arms, the scene of riding the cultivator to town, Han Yeoreum’s figure standing on the subway platform passed by in sequence.

Photos that seemed to faintly convey the moments of that day from beyond the screen continued.

“…I’m going to work with Do Gyeoul too.”

Dokgo Min said quietly. Her pronunciation was all slurred from long fatigue.

“Other people… if I get offers, I’ll do those too… I won’t be picky about work anymore…”

The stats above Dokgo Min’s head sparkled brilliantly again.

“So Yeseul or whatever, just like that strange director said… no matter how much I shoot with other people, I’ll make it so when people think of Dokgo Min, they think of Han Yeoreum first.”

“So you too… don’t get too far ahead by yourself.”

Buzz- Buzz- Buzz- Buzz-.

As soon as Dokgo Min’s monologue ended, the cell phone placed on the desk vibrated frantically like crazy.

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