Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Translator: Penny
Chapter 16
Ha-eun found out that she had been finally cast in the role of Kim Jia after her singing lesson with Deobeulli.
To be exact, inside the black van heading home.
“You’re going to be busy in many ways from now on. So, you have to tell me in advance if you need anything.”
“…Yes.”
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t expecting it at all.
Ha-eun had secretly hoped to pass the screen test, as she had given the best performance she could.
However, now that she had actually won the role of Kim Jia instead of Min Da-yeon.
The reality didn’t quite sink in.
-Rustle.
With a half-dazed, half-solemn look, she flipped through the script from the man next door, page by page, and started reading it again from the beginning.
The official script for filming would probably be delivered separately later, but there wouldn’t be any significant changes.
Several highlight scenes of the man next door that remained vivid in Ha-eun’s memory.
And, the Kim Jia that Ha-eun had created during the previous screen test.
She planned to make this filming of the man next door a meaningful time as well, by appropriately utilizing these two elements.
In a way, this was the first time she had gained an advantage over others in the category of ‘acting.’
Being finally cast as Kim Jia, beating out the famous child actress Min Da-yeon, was proof that Ha-eun’s acting was competitive.
In other words, it meant that when Ha-eun became the Virtual Youtuber ｢Dia｣ in the future, she would likely receive a lot of attention.
‘That’s a relief.’
She was slightly relieved without realizing it.
It was right after that that she heard Ju Jeong-yun’s cautious voice, who had been glancing at Ha-eun in the rearview mirror.
“Um, Ha-eun-ssi. Reading a script in the car can cause motion sickness.”
‘…I should take motion sickness medicine next time.’
She had a thought that she should have a serious and in-depth conversation with Ju Jeong-yun at least once someday.
Of course, she was still young enough to be protected by adults.
She could understand Ju Jeong-yun worrying about every little thing to some extent….
One way or another, someone worrying about Ha-eun was one of the things Ha-eun disliked the most.
Rather than continuing to endure Ju Jeong-yun’s excessive worrying, it would be better to improve it little by little in many ways.
“Ah, right. It might be better to take a break from Ha-eun-ssi’s singing lessons for the time being. I heard that Deobeulli also has overseas performances scheduled for next month─”
While listening attentively to Ju Jeong-yun’s story about the upcoming schedule, which continued afterward.
It was only when they finally arrived in front of Ha-eun’s house that she said.
“Please…take care of me in the future. Jeong-yun unnie.”
She reached out her hand to shake hands with Ju Jeong-yun, who would be just as busy as Ha-eun until the filming of the man next door was over.
No matter what anyone said, Ju Jeong-yun was the only person Ha-eun could rely on at the filming site of the man next door.
“Ah, yes. Please take care of me too.”
A calm eye contact, a light handshake.
The collaboration between someone who was filming a movie for the first time and someone who was working as a manager for the first time was thus established.
However, as time passed once again.
When the first day of filming for the man next door finally arrived.
“Ha, Ha-eun-ssi. I’m going to go take some calming medicine for a moment.”
Ha-eun’s eyes narrowed slightly at Ju Jeong-yun’s appearance, who seemed even more nervous than Ha-eun for some reason.
It seemed she had chosen the wrong person to rely on.
Still, now that she had already come to the filming site.
What Ha-eun had to do was set.
As soon as Ju Jeong-yun, who had disappeared into the women’s restroom for a while, somehow returned, she moved her steps inside the chaotic filming site.
“Hello.”
She showed a facial expression, voice, and gestures that perfectly matched the word The Land of Courtesy to the various staff members.
Fortunately, not a single person ignored Ha-eun’s greetings.
In that way, she made all the staff members who encountered Ha-eun think of Ha-eun as a polite child.
Then, she headed to the makeup room to prepare for the full-fledged filming.
However, quite by chance.
The moment Ha-eun was about to enter the makeup room.
-Squeak.
‘Ah.’
She ended up running into an actress who had just finished her makeup and was coming out of the makeup room.
She took a slight step back and bowed politely.
“Hello….”
However, before the polite greeting, which was the same as usual, could be completely finished.
-Whoosh.
She passed by Ha-eun without even giving her a fleeting glance and disappeared somewhere.
Ha-eun’s polite greeting was ignored for the first time.
In response, Ha-eun stared intently at the back that was moving far away with slightly stiff eyes.
And, not long after, she realized one thing.
‘…Kim So-hyun?’
The identity of the actress who had ignored Ha-eun just now was the role of Kim Jia’s mother in the man next door.
In other words, it was the actress Kim So-hyun, who played the role of ‘Seo Do-yeon,’ a severe alcoholic.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the first time Kim So-hyun and Ha-eun had met.
They had met several times before the first day of filming for the man next door to read the script.
‘Hello. I’m Lee Ha-eun, who plays the role of Kim Jia.’
‘…Hello.’
Kim So-hyun had been accepting Ha-eun’s greetings normally until the script reading.
Just in case, she pondered whether she had done anything rude to Kim So-hyun in the meantime.
As a result, the only conclusion Ha-eun could come to was, well, she didn’t know.
She moved her steps inside the makeup room for now.
As expected, after that, it was a series of all kinds of ticklish sensations.
The makeup she had received during the screen test felt like a joke, as the makeup brush touched even the most meticulous parts.
It was about two hours later that Ha-eun’s appearance took on the complete form of Kim Jia.
‘…Hmm.’
From the disheveled clothes to the dry hair.
All parts of Ha-eun except for her face looked exactly like Min Da-yeon in her memory.
Seeing that Ha-eun had been completely transformed into a different person like this, the power of makeup, which falls into the category of special makeup, was truly beyond imagination.
Anyway, the preparations for filming were now complete.
She decided to look around the filming site of the man next door during the time remaining until the start of the first filming.
All of these small experiences could become stories that Ha-eun possessed.
Of course, she didn’t forget to greet politely no matter who she encountered in between.
For some reason, she couldn’t meet Kim So-hyun no matter where she went, but since she would have no choice but to meet her once filming started.
Coincidentally, today’s first filming scene was also a scene where Kim Jia was being harassed by her mother, Seo Do-yeon.
In fact, it was more like unilateral abuse than harassment.
Come to think of it, it seemed better for Ha-eun, who had to play the role of Seo Do-yeon’s emotional trash can, not to meet Kim So-hyun in advance.
If she met Kim So-hyun in advance and had even a brief chat, her immersion would inevitably decrease.
Thus, until the first filming of the man next door was just around the corner.
She went around every place without missing anything, even the really insignificant places.
“So-hyun-ssi and Ha-eun-yang, are you both ready? Okay, then……Action!”
It was only when she heard Director Kwon Jong-hyuk’s signal to start filming that she brought out the things that were not so welcome to Ha-eun from the bottom of her memory again.
\\
From the time she tried to work with Ha-eun in advance under the pretext of a script reading a few days before the filming of the man next door began.
Until the day of filming finally came and she ended up standing in front of the camera alone with Ha-eun.
‘Can I…bully such a cute kid?’
Kim So-hyun, an actress who was neither a star actress nor an unknown actress, but somewhere in between, was not confident.
She wasn’t confident in coldly bullying a pretty and cute child like Ha-eun.
In fact, this was the first time Kim So-hyun had taken on a villainous role like ‘Seo Do-yeon.’
It was difficult to refuse because it was a role she had been recommended for by the famous actor Kang Seon-woo, who happened to be in the same agency as Kim So-hyun.
She still wondered why Kang Seon-woo had recommended Kim So-hyun for the role of Seo Do-yeon.
It was clear that she didn’t want to disappoint Kang Seon-woo, a senior actor she admired in her heart.
‘Hello….’
-Whoosh.
She steeled her heart by deliberately ignoring Ha-eun’s greeting.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy, so she thought that she should definitely apologize after filming today.
Anyway, in just a few seconds, she would have to torment her daughter Kim Jia, as Seo Do-yeon, a terrible alcoholic.
In other words, she was in a situation where she had to literally torment Ha-eun, who was playing Kim Jia.
She once again brainwashed herself with Seo Do-yeon’s bizarre mindset.
And then, in accordance with the cue sign from Director Kwon Jong-hyuk that she heard.
｢…Do you think I’m a joke too?｣
She barely squeezed out a voice in which deep anger and a trace of sorrow were turbidly mixed.
Almost at the same time, she staggered slowly toward her daughter Kim Jia, and finally.
-Bang!
She drove her daughter to the end of the dark, cramped room, making it impossible for her to escape any further.
Soon, Seo Do-yeon’s fierce gaze slowly went down and finally met Kim Jia’s.
｢Tell me. Where did you hide the money that was in the drawer!｣
This scene was where Kim Jia was mistaken for stealing Seo Do-yeon’s money.
In fact, Seo Do-yeon’s money had already been used by Seo Do-yeon herself, but she was so drunk that she had even forgotten that she had used the money in the drawer.
However, no explanation or excuse was heard from Kim Jia, who was silently looking up at Seo Do-yeon.
She already knew that she wouldn’t listen to any words.
Unfortunately, this silence from Kim Jia only resulted in further increasing Seo Do-yeon’s anger.
-Slap!
Eventually, the explosion of emotions caused by the alcohol covered Kim Jia.
Kim Jia, who was hit without resistance by an adult’s thick hand, collapsed powerlessly on the floor.
｢Get up without making a fuss. Where did you hide my money!!｣
In that way, Seo Do-yeon, who literally didn’t care about her daughter, grabbed Kim Jia by the collar and forcibly raised her up.
｢…………………….｣**
Kim Jia’s silence, which was the same as before.
However, unlike a little while ago when she hadn’t moved at all, she bit her trembling lips forcibly.
Kim Jia’s two eyes, which had turned into a hollow form in which not even a grain of sand of vitality remained since when.
As if, like a deep swamp, they were pulling Seo Do-yeon’s emotions down below.
｢Th, that’s right. Kim Jia, let’s see you die today….｣
She made Kim So-hyun, who had a long acting career, stutter in front of the camera for a moment.
Seo Do-yeon, who had to overwhelm Kim Jia with a terrible voice that revealed the bottom of her reason, was rather overwhelmed by Kim Jia’s voiceless despair.
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny