Chapter 7 : Commercial Shoot (2)

“Ha ha ha ha ha! It’s done! It’s done!”
The main PD of ‘Garter Belt,’ Kang Chan-guk.

Chan-guk laughed loudly as he browsed the viewer board of ‘Garter Belt.’

ᄂWow, who is this? Is this CG?
ᄂSo pretty, and only five years old? Her face is already perfect.
ᄂA heavenly face.
ᄂWow, she’s going to be big. So cute.
ᄂBut are those stuntmen really okay? LOL.
ᄂRight, LOL. Why are they being dragged off?
ᄂThey should be paid extra for that acting.

The viewer reactions were explosive.

A heavenly face, rare even in the entertainment world—no, the first of its kind.

On top of that, unbelievable action scenes from a five-year-old.

She was receiving more attention than any other participant ever had.

“Director! The rerun rating has surpassed 30%!”

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

The ratings were a smash hit.

Initially, the ratings for the first airing were nothing special.

Though ‘Garter Belt’ was already a show with strong ratings, it was only average at first.

But after Siyeon’s scenes started making waves, the demand for reruns skyrocketed.

So much so that rerun ratings surpassed 30%.

An unprecedented record.

All the online communities were buzzing with posts and clips about Siyeon.

“Director Kang, can’t you make it happen somehow?”

“I told you, I can’t just give out private information.”

Various entertainment agencies were asking Chan-guk for Siyeon’s guardian’s contact info.

Of course, he refused, but he had an idea of what would happen.

That child would inevitably enter the entertainment world.

Word had it that TM Entertainment and FAC Entertainment were fiercely battling to sign Siyeon.

They were even blocking other agencies from reaching the guardian.

Normally, Jiye, Siyeon’s guardian, would have been bombarded with calls.

The relative calm was thanks to this.

Chan-guk thought to himself.

One day, he wanted to work with that child again.

Whatever it might be.

Someday, that child would become an extraordinary star.

If he wanted to work with her, he too needed to become a greater director.

“Oh my~ Isn’t that the kid from ‘Garter Belt’? She’s so pretty~”

“Ha ha. Siyeon, you should say thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh my, how polite she is.”

Following her mom on a shopping trip.

Out of every three people they met at the market or store, one would come up to pat her head.

“Since the broadcast, too many people recognize you. Is that okay, Si-yeon?”

“Yep.”

Si-yeon nodded at her mom’s question.

It was a valid concern.

For an assassin, having their identity exposed could be fatal.

It was all due to the nature of television.

Apparently, every household owned at least one TV.

All sorts of performances were broadcast through it.

Her lack of understanding of this world’s culture had been her mistake.

If she could see others through the TV, it was only natural others could see her too.

She had underestimated television as just a “fool’s box.”

This error led her to begin studying this world more deeply.

In addition to her daily training, she added studies about the world.

Fortunately, this world seemed to lean more toward “light” than “darkness.”

Performers weren’t automatically treated as shady individuals.

On the contrary, clowns seemed to have a better reputation here than in her past life.

Some clowns even enjoyed immense popularity.

It was a fascinating world in many ways.

But she still needed to be cautious.

For an assassin, being exposed was still deadly.

For now, it was okay since she was young. Her face would change a lot as she grew.

She decided to avoid too much exposure in the future.

“Siyeon, if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to. If it’s too hard, just say so, okay? You don’t have to just because your dad says so.”

“Yep.”

Her mom was also concerned.

Her dad seemed to be the more shortsighted one.

A man who seemed to be all muscle, even in his head.

He was more like a northern barbarian warrior than an assassin.

In contrast, her mom seemed like an ordinary potion shopkeeper.

Her mom was different from her dad, who pushed her to earn money.

Though she’d continue relying on her parents for now, she needed to be careful.

“My little Siyeon, who do you take after to be this pretty? Mwah, mwah, mwah!”

Her mom hugged her and showered her with kisses.

The tight hug felt like it might suffocate her.

Was this her mom’s way of saying to do things properly, or else?

She needed to stay alert.

From now on, she had to stay hidden and find her place in the shadows.

That reminded her about the commercial.

If she passed the audition, she’d shoot a commercial that would make her even more famous.

Her dad had been thrilled at the thought of earning a hefty sum if she succeeded.

Her mom, despite her words, also seemed hopeful she’d go for it.

…Fine. Her face was already known from ‘Garter Belt.’

If the pay was that good, it was better to earn big while her current face was still recognizable.

And as she grew, she’d conceal her changing face.

Ring ring.

Just then, her mom’s phone rang.

“Hello? Oh, yes!”

It seemed from what could be overheard that the call was from a representative at Filler Korea.

Siyeon appeared to have passed the audition.

But the content of the call wasn’t just about that.

“…What? You’re asking to film a TV commercial?”

The conversation was about whether it would be okay to change the originally planned photoshoot advertisement into a TV commercial.

Filler Korea’s CEO, Jung Chun-sung, had personally visited the set for the shoot—a rare occurrence.

Because of the CEO’s presence, the entire staff was on edge.

“CEO, it’s a waste for this child to only do a poster shoot. It would be great if she could participate in the commercial originally planned for actor Jung Woo-sun.”

“What? That doesn’t make sense. The TV commercial features Jung Woo-sun running through the city, emphasizing the clothing’s functionality and style. Are you suggesting a dynamic shoot like that for a five-year-old child?”

“I’m certain it’s possible. No, I’m saying this child must appear in that commercial.”

The advertisement director, Ha Jung-soo, made his case while showing a clip from Garter Belt.

The video depicted a five-year-old child performing action scenes with stuntmen.

It was far from ordinary movement—so much so that it was hard to believe she was five.

Her performance rivaled that of professional action actors.

Moreover, her build was surprisingly well-suited for such action, with a physique atypical for a five-year-old.

However, such a shoot would naturally involve risks.

If the child got hurt during the intense filming, taking responsibility would be difficult.

But after intense persuasion by Director Ha Jung-soo and the creative director, CEO Chun-sung gave his approval.

“CEO, you didn’t have to visit in person…”

“Don’t worry. I just stopped by because I had a nearby appointment. I’ll watch briefly and leave. But if the child seems unable to handle it, I’ll halt the shoot immediately. Understood?”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

It was a reckless attempt.

CEO Chun-sung still harbored concerns.

If the child couldn’t keep up with the filming, he intended to stop it right away.

“Hello! I’m Kim Siyeon!”

A sweet, bright voice echoed across the set.

Siyeon had arrived.

“She’s even cuter in person than on screen.”

Her appearance was breathtaking.

With a face like that, even casually wearing any outfit would create a stunning photo.

Shortly after, actor Jung Woo-sun also arrived.

Siyeon greeted him with a polite bow.

“Ha ha ha. You’re such a charming little one. Do you think you can keep up?”

“Yes!”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Actor Jung Woo-sun laughed heartily.

As a veteran actor, he was confident in his ability to handle intense shoots.

However, coordinating action sequences with a five-year-old child was a first for him.

He couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

Still, he didn’t show it in front of Siyeon, instead patting her on the head.

“As I said, Director, if anything seems off, we stop immediately.”

“Ha ha. Got it. Don’t worry!”

Director Ha Jung-soo shouted with confidence, exuding determination to make this commercial happen.

At this point, CEO Chun-sung remained doubtful.

Actor Jung Woo-sun shared the skepticism.

Most of the staff felt the same.

But as soon as filming began, those doubts quickly began to disappear.

“This feels promising.”

“Even though she’s running lightly, her pace matches perfectly with actor Jung Woo-sun’s. The combination of the heavy presence of actor Jung Woo-sun and the sweet girl Siyeon works surprisingly well.”

“She looks amazing. She’s running so impressively. What kind of little kid is she?”

“The fit of the clothes is also perfect. Usually, kids her age have a bigger upper body ratio, so they don’t look that great in clothes. But her legs are long and look fantastic.”

Siyeon was running lightly on the track while wearing Filler clothes.

Even though it was just a simple running scene, the feeling was different.

‘It looks good… no, it’s just a running scene for now.’

Chun-sung was also surprised.

The child’s ability to move well was, of course, surprising.

But what stunned him even more was the “coolness” of the five-year-old child.

The restrained movements. Perfect muscle control.

It was even more perfect than a well-trained action actor running.

There was something secretive yet dazzling in her movements.

For some reason, the action scenes from spy movies seemed to overlap in his mind.

Her body movements and the overall feel were innate.

Overwhelming talent. Overwhelming presence. The vibe.

Each movement of her body seemed like a piece of art, making it impossible to look away.

“Okay, the final shoot is the scene where you run across the rooftops in the rain.”

The shoot progressed quickly, and it was now time for the final scene.

The final shot was of them running in the rain—showing the functionality of Filler clothing that could withstand rain.

It was a cliché often seen in advertisements for outdoor clothing brands.

But Director Ha Jung-soo wanted to give it more dynamism.

In the rainy city, they conceptualized a scene where the two would run across rooftops while wearing Filler clothes.

“…Wait, Director. Isn’t this dangerous?”

Chun-sung had some concerns.

While he trusted Siyeon’s abilities, running across rooftops was another matter.

Of course, safety measures were in place, and they were using a low building.

But still, telling a five-year-old to leap across buildings seemed risky.

Siyeon’s mother also appeared to be anxious, which didn’t go unnoticed by Chun-sung.

“This is the scene Siyeon can do. No, she said she could do it well.”

“I can do it!”

“…What?”

Siyeon boldly walked up, confidently saying this.

Her confident expression at just five years old left Chun-sung dumbfounded.

“Siyeon, you could get hurt seriously. Imagine falling from that height. Aren’t you scared?”

“…That’s not very high.”

“…What?”

“If it’s that height, I wouldn’t even get hurt if I jumped barefoot!”

“…What?!”

She seemed completely serious.

She wore a look that seemed to say, “What’s all the fuss about such a small height?”

“Ha ha ha, CEO, our Siyeon is an ‘assassin.’ Do you really think she’d be scared of such a small height?”

“Well, that’s… okay… understood. Be careful, Siyeon. Got it? If you don’t think you can do it, just say so.”

“Yes!”

With that, the shoot resumed.

They set up sprinklers to simulate the rain.

On the rooftop, Woo-sun and Siyeon faced each other and smiled.

They flipped the hoods attached to their jackets over their heads and zipped them up fully.

And then, the two began running.

The moment they reached the edge of the rooftop, they kicked off from the railing and leapt.

The scene of the two of them soaring through the air, with the cityscape in the background, was breathtaking.

“Whoa, whoa?!”

“Wow… insane…!”

“??!!!”

The moment staff members erupted into applause.

It was all because of Siyeon’s action.

‘The length of those short legs can’t be helped. She’ll fall if she just jumps.’

In that brief moment of judgment, the distance between the buildings seemed far for Siyeon’s current physical size.

Although she had leapt much wider distances before, the limitations of her current body couldn’t be ignored.

‘But…’

However, there was a solution.

If her legs were short, she could use her body to propel herself.

After kicking off the railing, Siyeon did a somersault mid-air between the two buildings, using the momentum to land safely on the opposite rooftop.

To minimize the shock of landing, she rolled once more on the ground.

Despite the roll, Filler clothes were completely undamaged.

Woo-sun, who had jumped alongside her, smiled in amazement at Siyeon’s performance.

Siyeon responded with a smile, and the two resumed running.

“Okay! Wheeeeeee!!”

Waaaaaaa!!!

With the “Okay!” signal, cheers erupted on set.