Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Graduation Film in Crisis
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The Scene Acting lecture had ended. The pairs that followed the first one, Yoo Ha-jin and Seo A-ra, never showed up.
Kim Jin-su's group was the same. They were so shocked by Yoo Ha-jin's performance that they couldn't even deny it anymore.
The guy they'd dismissed as the overwhelming loser from XX class had suddenly undergone a complete transformation.
The kid who'd been wallowing at the bottom for so long had visibly surpassed him at a glance? No way he could accept that.
'Everyone has off days. Maybe the piece or character we did today just clicked perfectly for him. Yeah, that's it. Just luck. Pure luck.'
He approached Yoo Ha-jin, itching to pick a fight for no reason.
"Hey, loser."
Then a calm, clear voice came from behind.
"Yoo Ha-jin."
He turned around.
"Seo A-ra? Why are you calling the loser...?"
"Mind stepping aside?"
"Uh, yeah, sure."
He awkwardly made way. Kim Jin-su was the classic bully to the weak and coward to the strong. With Seo A-ra's pro scene practically guaranteed, he had no choice but to yield. Especially because...
He flinched.
Seo A-ra's unique aura and piercing gaze. It wasn't just her charm as an actress—it was a charisma that overwhelmed people. Yoo Ha-jin, meanwhile, packed up his things as if he couldn't care less.
What if I'd regressed just four days earlier? Then I wouldn't be rushing like this on the first day of the semester.
Because of how I'd crammed my schedule in my previous life, another lecture was up next.
I had to go to another building for a general education class, and only ten minutes were left.
Even though I'd noticed Seo A-ra calling me, I quickly gathered my stuff and left the classroom.
Clack clack clack clack. Heeled clogs.
As soon as I stepped out of Geumsol Hall room 311, Seo A-ra caught up, wearing shoes with heels.
"Sorry... I've got a lecture right after this. Let's talk later."
"Wait, Yoo Ha-jin."
Come to think of it, since when did she remember my name so well? In my previous life, she'd always mangled it as Yoon Ha-jin or Yoo Ha-jung...
"Hi, A-ra unnie~!"
"Hi... Man-joo?"
"...It's Min-joo. Who names their kid Man-joo? It's not like I'm Delimanju."
See? Even now, she's arbitrarily changing other people's names.
Anyway, she'd stopped me pretty urgently, so...
I halted.
Without beating around the bush, she asked me point-blank.
"How did you do that today?"
That was it? I brushed it off casually.
"What's there to be surprised about? You could do it too, right?"
"...Who the hell are you?"
Hm, she kept throwing these out-of-left-field questions. I couldn't stall any longer, so I opened my mouth.
"Alien. Now I'm really going."
"??"
Seo A-ra's face twisted into something bizarre.
'Choi Min-jun caught me off guard unexpectedly, but this one's just straight-up sharp.'
The quick-witted kid was exactly the type I wanted to avoid, so I decided to keep my distance.
A few days passed since the semester started. Maybe because there was so much to adjust to after regressing, but time flew by like an arrow.
On top of that, all sorts of big and small incidents kept popping up... On weekend morning, I headed out to help with my sister's graduation film as staff.
Other schools tied graduation projects to dedicated classes, but at J University, they were student-led, so we had to carve out time like this.
It was a grueling march from dawn till late at night. But there was an even bigger problem.
Choi Min-jun, who'd followed me onto my sister's graduation film crew, whispered in my ear with his hand over his mouth.
"Your sister's project... it's gonna be okay, right?"
I replied nonchalantly.
"Yeah, no issues."
Of course, that wasn't true.
Clap clap.
My sister clapped her hands and walked around the set, boosting morale with a loud voice.
"It's fine! Everything's fine! We can wrap up on schedule!"
"Fine" usually meant the opposite. She was probably saying it to her team—and to herself.
The set atmosphere wasn't the only problem.
'Switching shooting locations constantly isn't efficient for the shooting flow. And the lead actress hasn't even shown her face yet. With less than ten days for the graduation film shoot, can we really afford to waste time like this?'
Normally, you'd location scout, then shoot every possible scene there.
Regardless of story order. Then repeat at the next spot. That was the drill—for maximum efficiency.
My sister's graduation film today was far from that. They barely shot the minimum scenes at each location before moving on.
The last shoot of the day was in a shared office space.
[Shooting ends.]
The walkie-talkie on my belt, used for set control, announced the wrap.
"Great work, everyone! Thanks for all your hard work!"
"..."
"Great work."
The staff's half-hearted replies reached my ears.
The core team members all wore faces full of worry, staying silent.
Choi Min-jun, who'd spent the day holding the lighting reflector, approached while shaking out his arms.
Normally, it'd be time for a joke, but the usually affable guy frowned slightly and thumbed toward one side.
"Isn't that a bit weird?"
He seemed reluctant to say the friendly older sister's project had issues right in front of her little brother.
Feeling bad that I'd dragged him into this chaotic, gloomy set, I was honest.
"Yeah. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to tire you out too."
"It's cool. I'm just padding my staff credits~."
I gave him a rough rundown of what I remembered from before regressing.
"One of the lead seniors dropped out suddenly, apparently."
"Dude! Wait, no—dude. Then what're we gonna do??"
Choi Min-jun quickly lowered his raised voice and glanced around. He worried like it was his own problem.
It was a big deal, sure. But I patted his shoulder like it was nothing.
"It's fine. My sister's not one for empty talk."
"True... She seems unfazed even in this mess. Feels solid, you know? Anyway, it was tough today—beer?"
"Next time. My treat."
"Okay~."
Choi Min-jun smacked his lips regretfully and left first. Unfazed, huh.
He didn't get it. Cynical, laid-back types didn't flail around full of energy all day like a freshly caught fish unless they were faking toughness.
She was scared that if she showed even a hint of her own anxiety, the whole set would collapse.
Wrap-up was over. I waited for my sister to finish inspecting the gear before storage.
Glancing at her face, she was still smiling brightly. She checked each equipment box for damage.
Since the school equipment room was closed on weekends, they'd store it in the department office.
My sister headed toward the group transporting gear to school, tossing over her shoulder casually.
"Head home first. Good work today."
"I'll help."
"No, no. You've done plenty. Go home and rest."
She shooed me away with hand waves and a push on the back, so I went home like a kicked puppy.
Late at night, with the whole family asleep. Lying on my bed, I sank into thought.
'I gave her a heads-up, so surely she found a lead by now? No, that doesn't make sense. In my previous life, she did end up casting someone and finishing it. She's not the lazy or irresponsible type.'
I wanted to ask her directly, but...
"Why isn't she back yet!? It's past midnight!"
The person in question still wasn't home.
Beep beep beep beep.
Speak of the devil. She'd just gotten back.
The door flew open.
I stepped out. My sister hurried in with her head down.
"Still up?"
Where was the energetic person from earlier? Her voice was subdued. She went to the kitchen, got cold water from the purifier, and drank.
Gulp gulp. Thunk.
She gripped the empty glass on the table, hunching over and staying like that for a while.
It felt like looking at a charred lump of coal.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Memories from my previous life flashed through my mind. Back then, the conversation ended there. She said she was fine, so I took it at face value and didn't pry.
'No, I vaguely sensed it but turned a blind eye because I was caught up in my own mess. No room to look back.'
And the graduation film flopped, so she gave up on her dream.
'If I let the same thing happen again, there'd be no point in me coming back.'
This time... I'd take one step further than before regressing.
"Still no lead actress?"
What was it? Not energy draining away, but life itself ebbing out. Not spacing out, but feeling like an empty shell.
"Still no lead actress?"
Her brother's voice reached her. Yoo Ha-eun turned her head and stared at Yoo Ha-jin for a long while.
About ten days ago, he'd suddenly changed. His attitude and speech had softened. He seemed more at ease somehow.
'He nailed Bang Tae-hyuk quitting too. I was shocked after that incident at the orchard.'
He wasn't some fortune-teller who knew the future. And Yoo Ha-jin wasn't the insightful type anyway.
If anything, he was the sort who didn't waste energy or interest on anything beyond his own business.
She had tons of questions, but no energy for them now.
"I've seen auditions for a few after revising the script. I'll decide by tonight, sleep on it, and contact them in the morning. I gave them a heads-up, so they can do a quick table read before tomorrow's shoot."
Her voice grew heavy without her realizing. Technically, with midnight past and it being Sunday, these were tasks for today. Only a few hours left. But Yoo Ha-eun had no bandwidth for that right now.
After her brother's tip-off, she'd realized she was too optimistic.
So she'd reached out to a few acting majors. Had them read for Bang Tae-hyuk's role.
Accepted they couldn't cut it and revised the script accordingly.
Now it was just down to deciding. No more delays with the schedule. And yet...
'...I want to aim higher.'
But for the team members trusting and following her, it was time to compromise.
She didn't explain all that to her brother. No need to burden him when he had his own stuff going on.
Then her brother's low voice came again.
"Honestly, the graduation film is your best shot right now. Can't get school support after graduating, right? They help recruit staff now, lend equipment for free, and you can tap the alumni network."
She flinched.
Yoo Ha-eun swallowed dryly, her shoulders trembling.
'Did he read my mind? What's with him??'
Everything he'd just mentioned were perks unavailable after graduation.
Post-grad, locations, staff, everything fell on her own effort and dime.
This might be her last chance to focus purely on creation.
'I thought no one would get my dilemma...'
Then Yoo Ha-jin continued.
"Our family's not exactly well-off, right? Supporting two arts kids is tough. I know we can't both get full scholarships. And that you've been shouldering it alone as the eldest to not burden the family—especially me."
She flinched again.
Listening to her brother, Yoo Ha-eun swallowed her surprise once more.
'When did he grow up like this!? No, this isn't maturity... it's like he's attained enlightenment and reached nirvana! Wasn't he the guy who ignored everything but his own stuff??'
Proud as she should've been, she stared at her brother like he was a ghost.
They'd lived under the same roof for over twenty years, so this Yoo Ha-jin felt too alien. Moments later, the unfamiliar brother made her an absurd proposal.