The Pet Drama Project
Suhwan returns home and immediately squeezes a handful of Churu into the bowl for Namcat.
The cat buries his face in the bowl and licks it up. Being a glutton, when Chicken comes near, he gets slapped and tumbles.
"Is it good?"
Even though I ask if it's good, Namcat is only focused on licking the Churu, as if he has no intention of answering.
Seeing that, I shake my head.
With just seven Churu, I've earned thousands of times more profit. It doesn't matter to me whether he ignores me or not; I can forgive anything.
'Thinking this way, I really am the villainous boss.'
Deciding to reward him later, I head straight to the bedroom.
"No work while I was away?"
"Yeah. Just a little missing Namcat, but otherwise the same as usual."
"Missing me?"
"Not at all?"
"Anyone?"
"Yes."
Noona's firm tone makes me deliberately act overly sulky and pull her into my arms.
"Shouldn't there be at least one person who misses me? Noona should miss me when I'm gone."
"Yeongji told me about you being gone while we were chatting."
"Wow, that's too much!"
Noona's playful expression is obvious. I exaggerate my reaction to match her.
"Our baby shouldn't act like that. Got it? When Dad's not around, you should cry a bit."
"Ticklish! Don't say weird things!"
Looking at Noona's slightly bulging belly, I whisper to it.
Struggling because it's ticklish, Noona and I roll around on the bed lightly.
Noona pushes me away, organizes her clothes, and pats the bed beside her for me to lie down. Clinging to her, I wrap my arms around her shoulders and rest my head against her.
"How was your day? The filming location. It was different from when we filmed the animal farm last time, right?"
Noona seems curious because I went alone today. Especially since I knew I was going to the movie filming place, her curiosity is even greater.
"It was interesting. They had a huge camera... Ah, I saw that too. Chroma key. Acting in front of a green screen, and I felt a bit embarrassed watching it? In the movie, it would look like an amazing scene, but seeing it before CG was applied, it looked really pathetic..."
"Puhuhu, there are a lot of those on YouTube. A scene where lightning is struck from behind and it's a big deal, but actually just posing in an empty place."
"So. Today's filming was the same. Apparently, it's about avoiding traps in some cave or something, but actually just jumping around in front of the chroma key."
"Really? Namcat and that Yeonghee person jumped together?"
"Yeah. Want to show the video? I got permission from the director to film it. As long as I don't publish it on the internet before release, it's fine."
"Show it! Show it!"
Noona's expression is full of curiosity as she urges me. Smiling faintly, I look for my phone.
"Ah... wait a minute. Must have left my phone downstairs. While squeezing Churu for Namcat, I forgot to put it away."
"I'll wait. Bring it."
Noona, who was leaning on me, sits up as if to get up. But I pull her back into my arms.
Instead of getting up, I shout towards the slightly open door.
"Cheongho!"
After calling Cheongho and waiting a bit, the sound of paws clicking comes as the dogs walk.
"Was I called?"
"Sorry, can you bring my phone from downstairs? I'll give you something delicious tomorrow."
"Understood."
Cheongho immediately turns and goes down to the first floor.
"If I ask Cheongho to bring the phone, how? He needs to rest too."
"It's fine. He actually likes being asked for things."
Noona shakes her head at my words. Clearly, she thinks I'm lazy and using Cheongho as a servant.
But it's true. Cheongho, whether because he's a military dog or not, is a guy who seems to enjoy being commanded.
Especially lately, since he's been guarding Noona quietly, he seems to love being ordered to move around.
Just as I'm about to explain that, Cheongho's footsteps sound again.
"Ugeu, he brought it."
Cheongho, holding the strap connected to the phone in his mouth, drops the phone on the bed with a thud.
"Anything else you want me to do?"
"No, you rest too."
"Then sleep well."
Cheongho lifts his front right paw as if saluting, then lowers it and exits. Even closing the door by lightly biting the handle.
I stare at the sight in amazement for a moment, then turn my gaze to Noona. The fact that Cheongho's actions are strange is surprising, but our house is overflowing with animals that do even weirder things.
"Here, watch this."
I play the video saved on my phone. It's the video of Namcat jumping around in front of the chroma key at today's filming location.
"Puhup!"
Noona bursts into laughter right after seeing the video.
Yeonghee is acting by jumping flat on the ground and almost falling backward, and Namcat is watching the scene with disdain.
Even though Namcat didn't know the full situation, he just looked unimpressed at Yeonghee trying to fall on flat ground. But for me and Noona who understand the situation properly, it's enough to make us burst into laughter.
After that, I show various photos and videos to Noona and tell her about what I saw today.
"It would have been fun. I want to see it too..."
"If such a thing happens again, let's go together."
"It won't work? There are many places that film movies privately, you know."
"What's the difference. I said I would. I'm the only domestic superpower user in Korea! If you want help from my ability, you have to do at least this much."
With shoulders open and head slightly raised in a boastful manner, Noona smiles bashfully.
"Yeah, yeah. Our husband is amazing."
"...Something like soothing a child, I guess."
"So? I'll think of you as my husband?"
"Something feels a bit off."
"Mood, just mood."
With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Noona pats my chest, and I laugh, ending the day in a good mood.
And the next day. Whether Noona told me or someone else, the fact that I made Namcat act in a movie reached Yeonhee's ears.
"Suhwan! Really did Namcat act in a movie? In front of the chroma key?"
"Ah... how did you know? I went yesterday."
"Really! If that's the case, you should have told me earlier. I had so many ideas prepared. I was worried if it was possible and threw some away... I should have kept them. Uuu! I could have made a video with huge views! My fault for not thinking animals could act, but anyway!"
"...Eh?"
I feel a bit dumbfounded by the sudden torrent of words from the auntie.
"Suhwan. Not just Namcat, can you make other kids act like Namcat too?"
"I haven't tried, but I think I can? Not asking for lines, just giving simple action instructions, so similar."
Yeonhee's eyes sparkle as she looks at me intently. Then, she suddenly runs up to the third floor and comes back down to the first floor.
Panting with quick breaths after climbing and descending the stairs, the auntie hands me several sheets of paper.
"What is this?"
"Look. It's my pre-planned script. Since that's the only one left, at least look at it."
[PET DRAMA PRODUCTION PLAN]
"What is pet drama?"
"Is it a portmanteau of pet and web drama? Or just call it pet drama... anyway! Web drama was really popular for a while. There are webtoon original web dramas. So I thought. With so many unique and distinctive animals, what if we film a drama with these kids?"
"Oh..."
At Yeonhee's words, I can't help but nod my head. Thinking about it, it wasn't just about filming other people's movies or dramas, but I could make my own.
Although there are problems like poor equipment, the lack of actors is a bigger issue, but according to Yeonhee's script, there wouldn't be a big problem. It was literally a drama featuring only animals.
In fact, other than attaching a story to the YouTube filming I've been doing so far, there was no difference. If I had to find a difference, it would be that there would be more lines to subtitle?
"Should we really try? It seems good."
Looking at the script Yeonhee gave me, it really seemed like a good idea.
Especially, since the script notes that the story part, which could be a problem, can be handled by Yeonhee, who knows many writers from broadcasting stations, there was no reason not to.
"Do you know any writers?"
"Plenty of writers. The drama department is where I stayed the longest at the broadcasting station. I'll ask a few script writers and get one that's good. We'll talk about writer fees later."
Yeonhee starts moving more enthusiastically than me. Immediately, she takes out her phone and calls an acquaintance writer, starting preparations for producing the pet drama.
Feeling that I can't just wait around, I start teaching the animals acting by bribing them with snacks to get them to approach the guests.
Rather than teaching acting, it's more like guiding them to follow what I say, but the more I teach, the better the appearance for filming videos comes out.