Chapter 63
Chapter 63
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Outsider Struggling During Filming
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The first shoot at Bukchon Hanok Village went off fairly smoothly, all things considered.
Han Si-a stumbled once when she lost her balance dancing on the sloped ground, feeling awkward.
Yoo So-mi hesitated once more, mixing up the dance sequence.
And finally, once again because a passerby lingered in the camera's frame, watching instead of moving along.
Just three retakes, and we wrapped it up.
Of course, you might wonder, 'Three retakes and you call that smooth?'
But the background music we used runs under four minutes. Even with two retakes, that's only about sixteen minutes total.
So not only were we right on schedule, we even had time to spare to wander around a bit.
Following our policy of sightseeing if time allowed after shooting, we decided to leisurely stroll through Bukchon Hanok Village before heading to lunch.
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.
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Clean roads lined with hanok-style houses and walls on both sides.
And thanks to the low-rise buildings nearby, an unobstructed view of the open sky.
This unique sight, so rare in central Seoul, made even a silent walk along the path feel fresh and engaging, with no room for boredom.
Plus, being in Seoul meant easy access, no entry fees—unbeatable convenience and value.
No wonder couples flock here for dates; there's good reason for it.
Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi both seemed to be visiting for the first time, constantly looking around in wonder, snapping photos.
As for me... I was dutifully dragging the cart with our shooting gear, following the two girls.
Sure, I found the scenery pretty too, but they were still first-year high schoolers.
And at that age, at least by my standards, they still needed a guardian.
Fun was fine, but for safety, at least one of us should stay alert and keep an eye out.
"Yi-an~ Come here and take a photo with us!"
"Jeong Yi-an, why are you walking so far back? People might think you're a stalker and report you. Get over here!"
They'd been wandering the hanok village, settling on a house gate as their photo backdrop.
So I took Yoo So-mi's smartphone and snapped a shot of them arm-in-arm.
While the two girls checked the photo and chatted, I reached for the cart handle to move on.
"Where are you going? Hurry over here and pose."
I ended up taking a photo with Han Si-a.
Yoo So-mi naturally stepped into the photographer role, snapping us as we stood facing forward.
But she didn't seem thrilled with our stiff, blank stares.
"Guys, the photo's too rigid... Any cooler poses?"
But cooler poses? Other than the classic V-sign facing front, nothing came to mind.
At her sudden request, I just stood there blankly, saying nothing.
Then Han Si-a tapped my shoulder and whispered, her face slightly flushed.
"Um... like that time at Daegwallyeong, could you pick me up?"
Hm... Daegwallyeong? Probably the princess carry.
Her frame was light enough, so it wasn't a tough ask.
I supported her back and thighs with my arms, hoisting her up effortlessly. Yoo So-mi finally seemed satisfied, snapping several shots.
Han Si-a checked the photos and beamed, clearly delighted.
"This... kinda looks good? So-mi, can you take a few more?"
"Sure! But first, let me get one with Yi-an!"
Next, at Yoo So-mi's request, we did a concept shot posing like we were salsa dancing...
"Heehee... Yi-an looks great in this! Want to take a few more?"
After that...
Photos of us holding hands, smiling at each other.
Just sitting side-by-side on the gate steps, grinning.
Standing at opposite ends of the gate, gazing and smiling at one another.
Even a moody one with our backs together, glancing at the camera.
We went photo crazy.
And finally, we asked a passerby to snap a group shot of all three of us.
The time we spent here taking photos probably exceeded the actual UCC video shoot.
"You two really love taking pictures, huh? I've never taken this many at one spot before."
Curious why they were so into it, I asked.
Their answers?
"Hm... how to put it? Somehow, photos with you turn out better. My expressions look more natural too. So I figured I'd snap a bunch while I could. I'm not usually big on photos, you know?"
"Yi-an never sends you photos usually, so of course we stock up now."
Ah... I see. I kinda expected that, but girls and their photo logic still baffles me.
For me, it's one proof shot to remember I was here, plus a few nice landscapes. Done.
Still, hearing I helped make their photos better made me happy.
After that, we wandered the hanok village a bit more before heading out for lunch.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After a quick lunch, we arrived at our second location: Hongdae Walking Street.
"Whoa, there are a lot of people... We have to dance here with all these folks around?"
It was post-lunch afternoon, so the street bustled with passersby.
Unlike our first spot, where we'd timed it for minimal crowds.
Of course, we'd gotten local permission for today's shoot, so we could use a section typically reserved for busking.
But...
"Oh? Shooting a video here today."
"Yeah, and those girls are super pretty... Idol trainees maybe? They'd have agencies lining up."
In this situation, avoiding onlookers was impossible...
Honestly, picking this spot, I'd assumed three high schoolers messing around in Hongdae wouldn't draw much attention.
We were just filming, not performing or singing publicly.
But I quickly realized I'd underestimated Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi's looks.
They hadn't even started dancing or playing music, yet two beautiful high school girls prepping a video shoot drew eyes like magnets...
At least we weren't fully surrounded yet.
I guided the gathering crowd out of frame to secure space, then started the music and rolled camera.
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.
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But the shoot didn't go well.
People moving out of the camera's range naturally clustered right in front of the performers—behind me, the camera guy.
So Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi suddenly danced under a sea of stares, tensing up and flubbing repeatedly.
We were already on our tenth retake.
And as time dragged, more people piled up.
Now the crowd was too big for me to handle alone.
Luckily, those who heard it was a shoot stepped aside to avoid blocking, so the contest video itself was fine...
But...
"Hey! You filming this? Don't!"
"No photos either! Uploading? Absolutely not."
As the crowd grew, some started snapping photos or videos of Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi freely.
I tried blocking them as best I could, but one guy couldn't cover everyone.
Most listened and deleted on the spot, but a few just walked off without a word.
...
This was my mistake.
This space was meant for busking or magic shows, where filming was usually fine.
So people shooting our girls' photos or clips? Predictable, really.
Of course, Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi had braced for some public exposure entering the UCC contest.
But not this rampant, unchecked filming.
Had I foreseen this, I wouldn't have suggested the contest at all.
I grabbed my whiteboard, scrawled 'NO INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS/VIDEOS' in huge letters, and patrolled like a rat exterminator, targeting anyone holding a smartphone during our UCC takes.
But some were just checking messages, not filming.
So I'd bow and apologize each time: 'Sorry for the inconvenience, my mistake.'
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.
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The shoot finally ended after thirteen retakes, amid endless stares and unauthorized filming.
Even then, we hadn't thoroughly checked for issues—we just couldn't keep going in that mess.
If problems pop up later, editing will have to fix them.
Mentally drained, we bolted the area right after and holed up in a nearby cafe to calm our nerves.
Once Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi's faces returned to normal over drinks,
I asked gently, seriously.
"Girls. Be honest. Can you keep going with this UCC contest shoot?"
I figured this incident warranted rethinking the whole thing.
"If we push on like this, today's mess might repeat. Getting photographed by strangers has to suck."
I'd suggested it for their fun summer vacay, not some prize.
No obligation or guilt needed.
"If you don't want to continue, I'll drop future shoots without regret, make the video from what we have. Hell, if today's footage bothers you going public, say so—I'll scrap the contest entirely."
Of course, it'd sting wasting prep and practice, but dragging it out through bad vibes? No.
Plus, I had a bad feeling about this contest anyway.
Deep down, I hoped they'd quit.
But their resolve held firm.
"Sure, like you said, getting snapped like that isn't fun. But acting like criminals hiding? That pisses me off more. Now I'm determined to win on spite."
Han Si-a scowled on her pretty face, firing up instead.
Her competitive streak shining through?
"First time dancing for a crowd, so we messed up and dragged time—that was the issue. Next time, nail it perfectly, wrap quick, and bail. Easy."
Yoo So-mi focused on flaws and fixes from today.
She could've blamed the gawkers or my naive planning.
...
You two are amazing.
This coward uncle wants to tuck tail after one flop.
But if the ones taking the hits are still gung-ho, I can't bail from safe behind the camera.
Confirming their commitment, I steeled myself and pondered the next shoot.