Just as Seoyeon had gathered information about Stella, Stella was also privy to various bits of information about Seoyeon.
For instance, someone had posted a summary of Seoyeon’s exploits on her fan community page.
Among the posts was a video from Hyper Action Star.
When Stella watched it, her immediate thought was,
“What is this, some kind of variety show?”
It was labeled as an action movie audition, but frankly, it didn’t feel like an audition.
It just seemed like a variety show.
In fact, the footage resembled Seoyeon going solo in what appeared to be a poorly choreographed variety show.
There were clips of her swatting incoming paintballs with her hand, as if she could see them,
and other scenes displaying her incredible physical abilities as she completed various missions.
The final scene, however, where she fought Sora, felt much better choreographed compared to the rest.
“Hmm, is she a Japanese actress?”
Stella leaned her chin on her hand while looking at the screen of her laptop, occasionally glancing at Sora.
‘Is this girl better than that Koto Reika I saw the other day?’
She couldn’t recall Sora’s face clearly.
Part of it was because Seoyeon’s acting overshadowed everything, but Stella also had a poor memory for faces in general.
Her mind could only truly register virtual faces, not real ones.
She could remember the faces from movies or comics.
When she met someone in person, she rarely remembered them.
In theory, she should have remembered Koto Reika’s appearance, but Stella had been so caught up in Seoyeon’s performance that she didn’t retain much.
“Ahaha, it’s exaggerated.”
Variety shows are infamous for exaggeration, and this one was no different.
Even dull American variety shows often amplify situations.
Especially these days, the trend leans towards sensationalism both at home and abroad, with numerous internet influencers competing for attention.
YouTubers and virtual YouTubers alike are setting the pace with raw content, and traditional variety shows have to outdo them somehow.
Thus, Stella didn’t give much thought to Seoyeon’s exploits.
Probably it was staged during the past year to promote her on television.
However, there were also concerns that the exaggerated stunts might backfire.
‘Well, it’s not my business.’
Thinking thus, Stella recalled her internet-purchased plane ticket.
She only remembered seeing a video that Asher Baldwin had personally shared, showing Seoyeon’s acting skills.
‘Somehow, my gaze keeps going to her.’
Chuckling to herself, Stella revisited the video of Seoyeon she had watched multiple times.
Her acting felt strangely akin to her own.
Specifically, their emotional acting techniques seemed similar.
It shouldn’t be the case, yet here it was.
That was why Stella had come to South Korea.
She wanted to see if the Seoyeon in person would be anything like the one she’d seen on her small smartphone screen.
Surprisingly, the real-life Seoyeon lived up to her expectations—actually, she surpassed them.
“What is this, some kind of Frank Video (Prank Video)?”
Frank Video is the American term for a hidden camera prank. Her scene with Seoyeon had been so shocking it felt like one.
Rarely had Stella’s usual amused smile faded and been replaced by a stroll around the broken punch machine, examining its malfunctioning parts.
“Hm.”
Stella inspected the punch machine.
The portion Seoyeon had struck was slightly bent.
Stella knew it wasn’t common for a metal frame to warp just from a punch.
Moreover, the bolts that had anchored the machine to the floor had loosened and popped off from the impact.
No matter how much she looked at it, the scene seemed unlikely to be just a hidden camera prank.
The equipment looked old, the fix wasn’t new, and it clearly hadn’t been freshly set up for the shot.
That meant that Seoyeon’s punch had genuinely broken the machine.
People around murmured in shock.
The two female actors who had come with Seoyeon were wide-eyed and speechless.
Seoyeon, on the other hand, was avoiding eye contact, moving her eyes sideways.
Her face looked like that of a guilty puppy.
“Seoyeon.”
Squatting down and examining the broken hinges of the punch machine, Stella finally spoke.
“Hm?”
“One question only, okay?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Marvel or DC?”
Confused by Stella’s sudden question, Seoyeon tilted her head.
Did Stella mean which one did she like more?
“I like Marvel.”
A year ago, DC’s cinematic universe had launched a highly acclaimed Batman v Superman which ignited a superhero craze in the American film industry, but Seoyeon preferred Marvel.
‘Probably because the Avengers debuted before any other heroes could build their backstories.’
Seoyeon sighed.
Anyway, it’s always disheartening when a live-action adaptation of your favorite comic flops.
Perhaps, DC’s heavier tone didn’t resonate, and their attempts came off as too light.
“Okay. Marvel is better though.”
Stella said that as she raised her hands, signaling a non-threatening gesture.
She seemed slightly more subdued than before.
People instinctively shrink from witnessing violence beyond imagination.
“Just asking, but you can’t hit me, right?”
“No, I won’t hit you.”
“Ah, can you really deflect real bullets, by any chance?”
At the mention of Hyper Action Star, where Seoyeon had swatted paintballs with her hands, Stella wondered half-jokingly if Seoyeon could do the same with real bullets.
Of course, bullets move far quicker than paintballs, so it was mostly a jest.
“I don’t know.”
Seoyeon gave a serious answer, much to Stella’s surprise. She was genuinely curious about whether her skin could possibly be bulletproof.
‘Maybe if I see it and try…’
But honestly, she felt she wouldn’t truly get hurt.
“Come to think of it, guns are allowed in the U.S., right?”
“…Yeah? Why?”
“Do you have one, Stella? A g*n.”
“To be honest, I don’t have one myself. My bodyguards do, though.”
Of course, she left them all behind when coming overseas.
“That’s kind of a racially discriminatory statement, isn’t it?”
“Huh? Is it?”
Seoyeon had innocently thought that Americans carried firearms as casually as phones.
“Well, why?”
“Just that I want to see someone sh**t someplace in Korea.”
“You can see that here too, you know.”
“Watching from the position where someone shoots, you can’t really see the b*llet trajectory.”
‘Hmm? What is she getting at?’
Does she mean she wants to watch shooting from beside the target?
Stella grew curious about whether Seoyeon’s words were a joke or genuine.
“Seoyeon.”
Just as they were chatting, Eun-ha came back to the accommodation looking exasperated and called out to Seoyeon.
When Seoyeon turned her head, they noticed a crowd gathering around them, holding smartphones.
And at the front was a bewildered-looking employee of the game center.
“…”
Seoyeon glanced at Stella.
“Won’t you give me this instead of Omakase?”
“Ahaha, so you were trying to eat something expensive?”
Amused by Seoyeon’s honesty, Stella laughed.
What could be done?
“Yes, sure. It’s a bet, after all.”
Regardless of Seoyeon’s strength being tested, a deal was a deal.
Though it was an expensive meal, it wasn’t too problematic.
“What on earth have you been doing in Japan?”
As they played around and returned to their lodging, Eun-ha greeted Seoyeon with that question.
Indeed.
==
Post: I saw Joo Seoyeon at the Game Center
I didn’t expect to see her face here in Japan instead of Korea. ;;;;;
At the game center, I was pulling a figure prize, and suddenly it felt like an earthquake happened.
People startled and all fled, and there she was standing in front of a punch machine as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
It was so bizarre that I just took a picture.
(Seoyeon in front of the punch machine)
Comments
– You should at least try talking to her.
└ Can you really approach her after that?
└ Why not?
└ What if she punches me on sight?
– What did she break, the punch machine?
– Someone shot a video; it’s said she just broke it with her bare fists.
└ Mch… What happens if you use that thing on people?
└ What do you think will happen?
==
The first thing Eun-ha showed them was a post that had appeared on Korean internet forums.
Clearly, Akihabara is not solely populated by Japanese people.
There were plenty of Koreans as well, so the news got out quickly.
Moreover,
“There’s also a post on Twitter. It’s not trending yet, but the video is circulating.”
“…A video?”
“The video of Seoyeon punching the machine.”
Seriously? There was a video?
Seoyeon quickly checked the footage and sighed in relief.
‘The quality isn’t great.’
Seoyeon’s face wasn’t clearly visible.
Instead, Stella, standing nearby, was in clear focus.
It seemed the trending topic was more about the mysterious punch machine destroyer and Stella.
Seoyeon hadn’t realized that Stella had considerable fame in Japan.
While in Korea, Stella might draw some attention, in Japan, she drew significantly more.
Yet thanks to the presence of Seoyeon, along with Jo Seohui and Eun-ha, there were fewer random interruptions.
“You’ve been really helpful. Seoyeon, you’ve been far more reliable than our bodyguards.”
Before parting ways, Stella whispered to Eun-ha, covering her mouth ladylike.
Apart from her interactions with Seoyeon, Stella usually acted demure, embodying the ideal of a pure fairy figure.
Thus, Eun-ha refrained from scolding Seoyeon harshly.
“Don’t cause too much trouble. This is overseas, different from Korea.”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I know Seoyeon isn’t really the type to cause trouble, but a precautionary warning.”
The topic on Twitter wasn’t necessarily bad.
Korean online communities responded similarly.
The picture and the blurry quality of the video meant it wouldn’t spread too widely.
And without seeing it in person, it wouldn’t seem believable.
“Aa.”
At Eun-ha’s words, Jiyeon exclaimed in sudden alarm.
Of course, Eun-ha didn’t notice, but Seohui, who was nearby, caught it.
“What’s the matter?”
“I shot the entire punch machine incident earlier.”
“Huh?”
“It seems I passed it on to the Japanese staff.”
Jiyeon had been asked by the staff to film their day in a vlog-like manner, capturing all their activities.
Thus, the encounter with Stella, their playtime, and even Seoyeon smashing the punch machine were all recorded.
“Was it footage for the documentary?”
“Probably.”
“…Hmm.”
Seohui paused to think.
“Whatever. It’s fine, isn’t it?”
“It is?”
“Anything that sparks interest can only be good.”
And if such footage ended up in a documentary, it would definitely create a buzz in Japan.
After all, the concept of a “strong little girl” was wildly popular in Japan.
‘Rather, Stella.’
Watching Seoyeon chatting with Eun-ha, Seohui crossed her arms.
Stella had completely ignored them while focusing solely on Seoyeon.
It wasn’t out of intent to slight them, though.
There was a strange feeling of alienation.
Neither Seoyeon nor Jiyeon seemed to notice, but Seohui was vaguely aware.
By comparison, Seohui knew more about Stella’s background than the others.
Given her position, she had easy access to information about foreign celebrities.
Especially with her ties to Newlike Group, the leading force in Korean cultural industries.
Despite recent challenges from GH Group, Newlike Group remained at the center of Korea’s cultural scene.
Jo Seohui remembered Stella’s rare interview with a small newspaper from her childhood.
The reason she acted.
Nowadays, with her “fairy” image overshadowing that interview, the information had become harder to find.
But Jo Seohui knew.
Why Stella acted.
The following day:
“For today’s filming, we have a special guest joining us.”
At the shooting location, Director Baek dropped this announcement as the actors marveled at the splendid mansion.
It caught everyone off-guard, sparking chatter.
Among them, Lee Sang-soo quietly remained silent.
“You’re familiar with her already, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
At that, Seoyeon had a vague idea who this guest might be.
At this point, not knowing would be the real oddity.
After all, her encounter with Stella the day before, when they played together with Jo Seohui and Jiyeon, couldn’t have gone unnoticed by the staff.
It wasn’t plausible that they shared their hangout locations so easily.
Although Stella mentioned she came herself, Seohyeon believed they must have already discussed this beforehand.
‘Most likely when Stella came to Korea before.’
Certainly, during Stella’s visit to Seoyeon’s house, details must have been arranged.
‘In short…’
“Wait, could it be…”
Seoyeon slowly turned her gaze.
There stood a girl in a Western-style dress with a white umbrella, resembling a walking painting.
She slowly, very slowly approached and stood before Seoyeon.
Every eye in the room was on her.
She radiated a commanding presence.
“Don’t worry, it’s just a cameo.”
And then,
“Like you.”
With a smirk, Stella spoke.
