Chapter 64
Chapter 64
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: An Outsider Praying for the Success of Day 2 Filming
We gathered again for the second day of filming exactly one week after the first shoot.
Unlike last time, today's filming location was just one spot: the Cheonggyecheon fountain.
From the original plan, we intended to wrap up the second day's shoot quickly in the morning and then hang out around Jongno.
So normally, we would've met in front of the fountain and jumped straight into prep.
But right now, we were huddled in a cafe near Cheonggyecheon instead of out front.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Having learned several lessons from the failure of Day 1, we'd made various preparations to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Our decision to hide out in a cafe rather than assemble at the fountain was part of those countermeasures.
As the director in charge of filming, I began briefing the performers, Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi, on the site conditions before heading out.
"Take a look at this map I printed. It marks the filming positions I scouted and adjusted in advance. I've stuck stickers on the ground at the site for the camera and performer spots, so once we arrive, we just stand in place and start shooting."
My strategy to avoid repeating last time's failure was called 'Time-Distance-Shielding'.
For reference, this was straight from the three core principles of radiation safety:
-Time: Minimize time spent in hazardous areas,
-Distance: Maximize distance from the hazard,
-Shielding: Block the hazard with a physical barrier.
...And in this shoot, the 'hazard' was, of course, 'people'.
"I've preset all the smartphone camera settings, so when I give the signal, just turn on the speaker and start dancing right away. If we finish and bail before drawing a crowd, the odds of another fiasco like last time drop dramatically."
For the girls, the filming location was a danger zone. That's why minimizing our time there was priority one.
"Cheonggyecheon isn't crowded on weekday mornings. Even if there are people, it's mostly moms out with kids or elders on walks. The types who'd swarm us for unauthorized filming are super limited."
We'd deliberately picked a low-traffic weekday morning. With people themselves being the hazard, distance was key.
For reference, Han Si-a, who had cram school on weekdays, had struggled to adjust her schedule.
"Finally, as you'll see on the map, our spot is basically smack in the middle of Cheonggyecheon. It's got a height difference from the surroundings, so it's not very visible, and the fountain behind us will act as a screen. Unless someone's right up close when we start, they won't notice us dancing or the music."
To dodge prying eyes, we'd chosen a spot that's hard to spot in the first place.
The raised banks on either side and the fountain made perfect shields for us.
Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi nodded seriously as they reviewed the materials I'd handed out.
With my briefing done, Yoo So-mi spoke up next.
"Si-a and I practiced a ton! Over the past week, I went to her place every other day, dancing and checking moves for hours... So this time, we'll nail it in one take, no reshoots!"
Their dance proficiency was the core of this shoot.
Every mistake added about four minutes to filming time, so one-and-done followed by a quick exit was ideal.
Both girls seemed confident on this front, so I didn't need to worry.
As I nodded at Yoo So-mi's words, Han Si-a took the floor.
"Luckily, it doesn't seem like our photos or videos from last time are circulating online. Guess your scary face chasing off the onlookers worked, Jeong Yi-an."
"...Was I scary?"
I'd just been running around in a panic, not paying attention to my expression.
But hearing her say that made me wonder if I'd been glaring at the crowd...
"Hmm... Like a big dog establishing pecking order. Kinda cute..."
"Really? I thought you looked super wild and cool..."
Their evaluations were polar opposites, so not much reference there.
As I made a puzzled face, Han Si-a changed the subject slightly.
"One more thing. It's not a big deal for us, but when I told my parents about last shoot, they offered private security personnel. I mentioned the location, so they might be somewhere around Cheonggyecheon on standby."
Security personnel... Better than nothing, but I doubted it'd help in our specific worries.
Maybe noticing my subtle expression, Han Si-a added some context.
"Honestly, I don't think it'll help much either. It's just my stepmom padding her resume and showing off."
Aha. Not actually helpful, but she wants to show she's looking out for her daughter by hiring security.
Not sure if I should be grateful or not...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 11 a.m. We strolled casually toward the site like we were just walking Cheonggyecheon.
A quick scan showed only a few family groups with kids or strolling elders nearby.
If we moved fast, no worries about getting swarmed.
Having pre-discussed every step, we prepped in silence lightning-quick.
On my OK signal, Yoo So-mi activated the ground speaker for the music.
Their dance skills were leagues better than last time.
Probably the practice sessions at Han Si-a's house paying off.
In the first shoot, there were subtle timing mismatches; now, nothing.
Maybe the switch from fluttering skirts to jeans made the improvement stand out more.
For today's shoot, I'd requested 'jeans + college student vibe' outfits.
Jeans because they were the only pants both owned that matched.
But the college look had a reason.
With the fountain in the background constantly shifting water patterns, the dynamic, ever-changing backdrop suited a youthful, energetic feel over something prim.
And as expected, they nailed my vague request perfectly.
Han Si-a in black skinny jeans and a crop short-sleeve shirt,
Yoo So-mi in light jeans and a short-sleeve knit...
...
Ignoring that they looked a bit too cute and girly for the hanger, they totally passed as fresh-faced college freshmen.
.
.
.
Today, too, people started gathering one by one the moment we began filming.
But by the time they approached, we were in the song's final stretch.
"Perfect. That's a wrap! Regroup at the cafe!"
Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi bolted on my cut signal, retreating to our earlier cafe hideout.
I stayed behind to pack up, though.
Late-arriving elders asked what we'd been doing, and I answered honestly.
"Oh, we're prepping for a video contest. Wasn't planning a show here, but it drew eyes—kinda embarrassing."
The elders praised us young folks and blessed us before leaving.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "To the successful Day 2 shoot~ Cheers!!!"
"Cheers!!!"
"Pfft. It's been a while since Jeong Yi-an looked this pumped—kinda funny."
I'd been on edge fearing another crowd and photos, but we pulled it off clean. How could I not be thrilled?
Having aced Day 2, we were now at a gukbap joint for lunch.
"I was anxious about people crowding us, but no mistakes and smooth sailing—relief."
"Hope no one filmed us without permission?"
Yoo So-mi, despite her practice-fueled confidence, had been tense inside.
Han Si-a worried about unauthorized filming of them specifically.
But the crowd was only about five people max, and as far as I saw, no sneaky cameras.
"No need to sweat unauthorized shots. We wrapped too fast for anyone to pull out a camera."
After that, we chatted about the next shoot over gukbap.
...
There was a sad reason our lunch was gukbap.
After filming nearby, we aimed for the closest bustling area, Jongno, for eats.
But Jongno prices are steep...
Catering to well-off salarymen, a meal strained my and So-mi's wallets.
Han Si-a, rich girl, barely blinked at the menus.
Anyway, debating cheap, filling options, Han Si-a led us to a spot she knew: this gukbap place.
Thankfully, 'gukbap' in this era still held insane value—future meme fodder, unit of currency levels—letting students like us fill up cheap even in central Jongno.
...
...So what's the sad part??
Here with these pretty girls in Jongno, and we're eating gukbap. Kinda depressing.
I slightly regretted dumping all my part-time earnings into Bitcoin.
.
.
.
Buoyed by the Day 2 success, filling up on Jongno eats wasn't enough.
"Wanna hit karaoke? I haven't been in forever—really craving it..."
Yoo So-mi nagged for karaoke before lunch ended.
Made me wonder what her classmates do since they ditch her.
I considered alternatives just in case.
1. Pool hall (only I know how)
2. Bowling (pricey)
3. Batting cages (no one knows how)
4. PC bang (no games to play together)
...
This crew? Karaoke's probably it.
Cafe was an option, but we'd used one pre-shoot as a green room—no one wanted more.
Han Si-a didn't object, so karaoke it was.
This era's karaoke spots, minus chains, were mostly dingy and worn.
Ashtrays in every room standard, dim, dirty, musty...
So we skipped the sketchy locals, braving summer sun to a chain in Jongno.
"Waaah!!! AC's blasting!!! Si-a! Yi-an! Free ice cream here!!"
"Whew... Should've picked lunch closer knowing karaoke. You okay, Jeong Yi-an? You look rough."
"...Dragging this carrier in the heat? Honestly dying. Dizzy—mind if I sit a sec?"
While heat-sapped me slumped, Yoo So-mi and Han Si-a grabbed mics for a song each.
Famous tracks I'd heard back in the day...
Realizing: these were pretty current now.
...
Suddenly, a faint sense of dissonance hit me.
Shaking off heat-fog, I coolly analyzed my situation.
It's 2011. I'm a 35-year-old regressor.
Meaning most songs I know aren't out yet.
I knew some oldies, but unsure if released by 2011...
Big trouble.
Sitting here dazed, watching girls sing? Wrong move.
I need to check which of my known songs are out now and pick ones to sing!!
I fired up my smartphone, verifying release dates one by one.
Han Si-a griped that I was ignoring her singing for my phone...
But we're here—gotta sing at least one, right?
.
.
.
"Yi-an sings well... Said it was your first time with friends, so I figured you'd be meh."
"You tricked us, Jeong Yi-an. Pretended to suck to hide your skills, deceiving us for a big reveal..."
"Why do you both look disappointed? Shouldn't good singing get praise?"
We belted for a solid two hours.
Started fumbling old melodies/lyrics, but they came back after a few.
My friends misinterpreted that, sadly.
For the record, I never said I couldn't sing.
Pre-regression, I'd hit coin karaoke solo whenever bored.
At 35, experience counts. No way a high school freshman out-sings me.
...
But I can't tell them that, so I unfairly got labeled a 'deceptive no-talent faker'.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Today was fun.
Day 2 shoot nailed,
gukbap tasty,
karaoke a blast...
Felt fulfilling enough to be glad we didn't ditch the contest.
A bit embarrassing playing like a kidless 35-year-old, but I look high school age, so fine.
But my rare good mood got trashed right before bed that night.
Thanks to a few posts I spotted while surfing the net.
📰 Breaking News ➤ Cheonggyecheon Goddess Dance Girl mp4. -[Video of a woman presumed to be Yoo So-mi dancing in front of the Cheonggyecheon fountain] — Anonymous Lololol check her huge tits shaking, outline popping through the knit every time. — Anonymous Mosaic on the face and calling her a goddess? Who buys that? Got a face-reveal version? — Anonymous Ooh... jiggle. Jiggle. Fuck... How the hell did they even film this.