The Chaebol Family’s Youngest Daughter Doesn’t Hide Her Acting Skills - Chapter 22

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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 22

***

The filming set of <Your Blue Name>.

‘This feels quite unsettling.’

Director Woo Byeong-hwa frowned slightly as he glanced at Ju Sae-i preparing for the next scene.

Ju Sae-i, the newcomer who had secured the difficult role of young Yeon Doyeon in just one audition.

When Director Woo Byeong-hwa first saw her acting, he was certainly satisfied.

He had already seen dozens of actresses audition for Yeon Doyeon, but no actor had made him feel the character come alive as much as Ju Sae-i’s portrayal of Yeon Doyeon.

So when his closest associate, Writer Choi Gi-jeong, praised Ju Sae-i’s acting, it seemed reasonable.

When even Byeon Seo-jun, whom he had been nurturing for his work, began praising her acting, Woo Byeong-hwa felt a sense of crisis.

Ju Sae-i, whom he had observed through several filming sessions, was somehow…

‘Too similar to Sim Ju-yeon.’

Actress Sim Ju-yeon, who played the female lead in <Trap Marriage>, the work that made Woo Byeong-hwa a famous director.

She too was overflowing with talent like Ju Sae-i, and with that overflowing talent, she drew people around her.

Woo Byeong-hwa had originally taken up directing for the pleasure of discovering geniuses.

Sim Ju-yeon was a once-in-a-lifetime genius who came into his directing career.

He tried to discover and nurture Sim Ju-yeon, but…

-Rookie lead actress S, ‘abuse of power controversy’ continuously exposed on SNS… Will she step down from next project?

He failed spectacularly. Sim Ju-yeon’s arrogant abuse of power was exposed one after another and spread widely.

Facing stones thrown by the media and public, Sim Ju-yeon had to retreat behind the camera. Even the project that had been offered specifically for Sim Ju-yeon fell through completely.

After experiencing failure once, Woo Byeong-hwa developed one firm belief.

If you pamper geniuses too much, they inevitably become arrogant.

It wasn’t that Sim Ju-yeon lacked manners from the beginning. It was because everyone praised her as a genius that her nose grew high.

‘Ju-yeon acted exactly like that kid too, in the early days.’

Wasn’t she quickly becoming comfortable with Byeon Seo-jun, who was a senior in the entertainment industry even counting his singing career, and wasn’t she also unrestrained when dealing with Dojehyeon, who had a clear difference in experience despite being the same age?

It reminded him exactly of how Sim Ju-yeon used to act casually toward seniors on set.

Woo Byeong-hwa derived two possible scenarios from Ju Sae-i’s behavior.

One was that Ju Sae-i was also a genius who would become conceited like Sim Ju-yeon, and the other was…

‘There’s also the case where she’s just too naive.’

However, Woo Byeong-hwa leaned toward the former. She seemed too good at looking after her own interests to be called naive.

Just the fact that she had connections with Seong Hye-sim seemed to reveal her intention to build networks.

Even now it was the same.

“Sae-i, when filming, it really feels like watching Yeon Doyeon.”

“…Be quiet.”

Woo Byeong-hwa dismissed the filming assistant’s words praising Ju Sae-i. He quietly stared at Ju Sae-i.

Ju Sae-i bowed her head diligently to everyone she made eye contact with, greeting them. When standing, she bent her waist a full 90 degrees to show proper manners.

Woo Byeong-hwa frowned even more at such behavior.

Because Sim Ju-yeon, when she was first discovered by him before becoming arrogant, had also deceived everyone with such polite conduct.

Human greed has no end, and once you get a glimpse of the top, there’s an instinct to step on others to climb there. Sim Ju-yeon had sunk to the bottom because of that instinct.

Her eye-catching acting is good, very good.

‘But what if she steals my attention and then crumbles like Sim Ju-yeon again?’

While everyone on set treated the well-mannered Ju Sae-i warmly, Woo Byeong-hwa found her burdensome for this reason.

Sigh. After letting out a deep breath, he redirected his attention. Soon he called for Ju Sae-i for the next scene.

“Let’s prepare for Yeon Doyeon’s filming.”

“Yes!”

Ju Sae-i clasped her hands together as if she had been waiting and ran to the set.

As if proving that her words about working hard weren’t lies, Ju Sae-i’s eyes sparkled as she waited before filming.

‘Ju-yeon, that girl always had dead fish eyes…’

Ju Sae-i’s eyes were different from Sim Ju-yeon, who had seemed to lack enthusiasm despite relying only on talent since her rookie days.

‘What a feeling.’

Ju Sae-i seemed to genuinely enjoy acting. Like a child who had come to a playground.

Woo Byeong-hwa closed his eyes for a moment.

Suddenly he thought this. Perhaps he had been caught up in prejudices about geniuses and deliberately looked for Sim Ju-yeon in Ju Sae-i’s behavior.

If she was a genius who loved acting, she would be grateful for every opportunity given to her. Yes, exactly like Ju Sae-i standing before him.

“Mmm…”

However, he had been too hurt by Sim Ju-yeon to trust Ju Sae-i yet.

If those sparkling eyes changed like Sim Ju-yeon’s, the blow would be great. Deliberately imagining Ju Sae-i changing like Sim Ju-yeon, Woo Byeong-hwa cautiously stroked his chin.

***

A while later.

Director Woo Byeong-hwa, who had finished today’s filming, couldn’t help but be amazed.

‘What kind of kid is she, really?’

Dojehyeon had acting experience so that was understandable, but what kind of kid was Ju Sae-i?

What exactly had she been doing with her life to be better on camera than adult actors at that age?

Woo Byeong-hwa hadn’t let down his guard toward Ju Sae-i. With that level of vigilance, even small mistakes should have been immediately noticeable.

‘Did she receive systematic training from somewhere like the National Intelligence Service?’

Otherwise, there was no way to explain today’s filming.

Woo Byeong-hwa hadn’t expected Ju Sae-i to handle today’s filming so smoothly. No matter how well she did, he thought she’d get through it after a few NGs.

Naturally, no matter how well Ju Sae-i analyzed characters or acted, she was still a beginner with little practical experience.

Beginners always showed their rookie nature in such static scenes. The same had been true for Sim Ju-yeon, whom he had nurtured.

Immaturity that was hard to find in scenes with frequent movement but clearly visible in static poses.

This could commonly be found in things like how they held their neck or moved their eyes.

That’s why static scenes, though they might look easy to act to others, were actually tricky to handle.

‘Even experienced actors would rather be asked to do intense acting, which says it all.’

But.

‘Nobody taught her, yet she knows how to express sunlight while lying still?’

The scene where young Yeon Doyeon and Yu Hajin lay on a wooden platform, basking in sunlight while talking.

Ju Sae-i’s platform acting wasn’t simply expressing being dazzled by light.

Eyes naturally closing from the pouring sunlight, but opening again from the desire to steal glances at Yu Hajin.

In close-up, even her uncurled eyelashes trembled finely while holding the sunlight.

From her flushed skin to the beads of sweat forming, there wasn’t a single part untouched by Ju Sae-i’s acting.

This was truly…

‘That young kid is acting out a pleasant summer.’

And that wasn’t all.

Ju Sae-i had the ability to grasp the producer’s hidden intentions in scenes.

The scene where Yeon Doyeon opens her heart to Yu Hajin. Since the first take of that scene was for testing, no specific lying position was designated.

Ju Sae-i initially positioned her legs neatly together. Then, as she conversed with Hajin, she gradually moved her legs to point toward where he was.

There’s a saying that people point their toes toward someone they’re open to, someone they have favorable feelings for.

Usually, even knowing this, one wouldn’t immediately think to incorporate it…

Buzz, buzz.

Suddenly, the notification from his phone in his pocket rang twice.

[How was today’s filming? I was curious about Doyeon and Hajin’s on-set images and almost went but decided against it.]

[Young Doyeon, did that kid adapt well to the set? I couldn’t pay attention because I was busy finishing the script.]

It was a message from Writer Choi Gi-jeong.

At Writer Choi’s message worrying about Ju Sae-i, Director Woo Byeong-hwa swallowed a bitter smile.

‘You should worry about the right person to worry about.’

There was still a high possibility that Ju Sae-i would change like Sim Ju-yeon. However, when it came to acting, it was certain she had skills that didn’t need worrying about.

[What are you worried about? That kid is devouring everything…]

[Still, I’m keeping my distance. I’ll watch more.]

‘Whether it’s passion that will disappear quickly, we’ll see in time.’

Woo Byeong-hwa planned to watch Ju Sae-i’s progress. Maybe then he could prevent another genius from becoming like Sim Ju-yeon.

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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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