Later, in the blink of an eye, two weeks had passed.
Once a train starts running, it goes whether a dog barks or not, and it’s a law that it can’t be stopped willingly or unwillingly. The production team of Special Tactics Squad 808 also rushed madly toward completion.
And Su-a, standing at the center, suddenly thought.
‘Already two weeks? Have I adapted quite well?’
She soon shook her head.
Wait? Not at all!
They say humans are creatures of adaptation, but maybe she was an Arctic Fox. Su-a found it incredibly difficult to adapt to the scene. However, this was not actually Su-a’s problem with adaptability.
“Miss Su-a! Where are you?”
“Miss Su-a! After wiping the bloodstains, let’s immediately shoot scene 82!”
The actual intensity of labor that Su-a had to handle was tremendous. She had tried all kinds of part-time jobs before, but this was the first time she’d been so busy.
“…Miss Su-a!”
Her name being called again. Su-a’s head hurt.
‘The feeling of being crushed under various tasks, the sensation of suffocation…’
But Su-a had to accept it.
Why? Because this was the best course of action.
Kim Yu-han’s makeup required a high level of skill and was incredibly time-consuming every time it was redone. In other words, shooting everything in one go, as was the case now, was actually more helpful for Su-a.
‘That’s why, this current situation is the best…’
Su-a understood that much but…
Still, it was too much! There’s not even a moment to rest!
“Makeup team! Please check Kim Yu-han’s makeup one more time!”
“Three minutes until we start!”
Given Kim Yu-han’s significance, and the large amount of footage, the situation was truly miserable. Nevertheless, Su-a tried her best without complaint, having noticed the exhaustion on the staff’s faces.
‘Everyone believes in me. They expect a lot from me.’
The staff, despite their evident fatigue, were fully committed. That Su-a was trusted meant, in other words, that if Su-a faltered, they would all be affected.
Thus, Su-a held herself even more.
It wasn’t that Su-a was mature or smart enough to comprehend everything. Rather, Su-a enjoyed the atmosphere of working hard together. It was already starting to feel like a sense of responsibility taking root in her heart.
Of course, due to these aspects, Su-a’s status continued to rise.
“By the way, Miss Su-a never looks at the script again?”
“Indeed. You’d expect her to take breaks in between, but she does nothing. She just silently works on. Kim Yu-han has an incredibly large amount of lines and situations. Is everything in her head?”
“That’s just the basics. It’s more than that? Even when shooting scenes mixed in wrong order, she perfectly grasps the emotions. Any other actor would have cracked by now.”
“…It’s something extraordinary. It feels like watching a magic trick.”
Of course, Su-a didn’t know what they were thinking. She was merely on the verge of collapsing. That’s how it is now, too. Su-a was as drained as an Arctic Fox hung out to dry.
“Ah, still, I have to manage my facial expressions.”
Even in this tough situation, she had to care about her outward appearance, which was no small feat. Image management, image management…
“Miss Su-a! That scene was truly wonderful!”
Su-a continued producing scenes like a factory, quietly nodding her head whenever she heard praise, as she lacked the energy to respond verbally.
However.
Even as Su-a churned out scenes like a factory, the work didn’t dwindle quickly. There were several reasons for that. First, actors would approach the PD with serious looks.
“Uh, Director PD. This scene is fine for Miss Su-a, but I’m dissatisfied with my own. Can we try again just once…?”
“I don’t mind, but Miss Su-a’s permission is required.”
“I’ll take the initiative and ask. Uh, Miss Su-a! Please! Let’s try again this time, I’ll do better!”
“…”
Su-a instinctively nodded. Su-a-nod. Rejecting or pulling out from such things would not align with her image.
Of course, inwardly, Su-a was despondent.
She cried inwardly, over and over.
“I’m dying… I’m really going to die doing this…”
She felt like she would collapse right then and there. No joke, really.
…
…
…
…
…
…
And another two weeks passed.
Now it was a full month.
“…”
Su-a was even more exhausted, and as a result, more irritable. This was no longer just Su-a’s situation; the entire Special Tactics Squad 808 team looked like ghosts.
Among them, there was one person who showed no signs of fatigue.
“Clear the props, call the extras! Right to the next scene!”
Director Choi Hee-won was acting like he was worth his weight in gold, showing no signs of fatigue. In fact, he was experienced and sharp.
“CUT! Miss Do-hee! Just a moment!”
He was currently reprimanding Park Do-hee.
“Why so intimidated? Fight like you did back then!”
“…What?”
“Oops, that means act freely! Alright!”
“…”
Contrary to his rock-hard physique, he was very delicate.
Each time there were impurities in the scene, he precisely identified them, and those around him renewed their appreciation. It was then they realized that Su-a, who was never criticized by Director Choi Hee-won, was truly remarkable.
Su-a caught Park Do-hee’s eye and waved.
A subtle sense of intimacy, perhaps. A feeling they had grown slightly closer.
“…!”
However, Park Do-hee politely greeted and then moved away, without any particular friendly sign.
“…?”
Su-a was taken aback but then reflected.
‘Ah, separating work matters from personal matters?’
Was it a commitment to focus only on work in public? Su-a thought there was much to learn from Park Do-hee.
On the other hand, the production site faced a new challenge.
“Everyone! Check this script!”
The cause was Writer Lee Geum-sook. Now, the script was the problem.
Ah, there wasn’t a fundamental issue with the script itself.
“Miss Su-a, I quickly revised it. How’s this?”
With everyone burning with passion, Writer Lee Geum-sook kept updating the script.
Of course, revising a script is a major issue, and not something Writer Lee Geum-sook could insist on alone. It required the actors’ consent. Yet…
Su-a was utterly surprised.
‘What? They’re going to accept this?’
The actors nodded silently without a word.
Not just a few—it was everyone.
Ah, Park Do-hee hesitated a bit, but nonetheless…
The actors unanimously agreed.
“…Yes. Let’s go with the revised version.”
“I’ll do my best!”
Su-a found the entire thing fascinating.
She, with her special privileges, faced no penalties, but for other actors, accepting last-minute script revisions was insane. Why did they accept it? Su-a’s head was filled with question marks.
Unknown to her, the reason lay with Su-a herself.
“Miss Su-a’s kind of improvisation, I want to try it too.”
“I want to stand out even a little more.”
“I want to work hard! Although, peeing, not so much.”
“I want to contribute more!”
Regardless of their internal motives, Su-a externally appeared to be a perfect newcomer, skilled in acting and without complaints. This sufficiently motivated the surrounding actors.
But the gap between ideals and reality was vast.
Especially for those without special privileges.
The shooting naturally took longer, and there were more NGs.
From Su-a’s perspective, more re-shoots were a problem.
It wasn’t that Su-a couldn’t do it, but having to reshoot for the sake of the production, and not being able to decline, was a challenge.
“This time, let’s do it without NGs!”
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
But NG.
NG again.
This led to more actors being self-conscious about Su-a’s impressions.
“Su-a Miss, I’m sorry. It’s because I keep making mistakes…”
“Please don’t worry.”
She sincerely meant it.
‘Cut out the guessing! Focus on your own acting!’
And the relentless re-shoots continued.
“Let’s try again! Speak up if you’re tired, Miss Su-a!”
“I’m fine.”
“Great! Let’s all bring our best!”
Su-a had no choice but to deal with everyone’s enthusiasm.
“…”
As a result, outwardly stern but inwardly hollow, Su-a became an empty tin can, ready to fall over at the slightest touch.
‘I want to sleep. I desperately want to sleep. Just for a week…’
Right at that moment, a thought crossed her mind.
‘Hmm?’
Su-a devised a trick: visiting the special space.
To refresh her muddled mind, the trick was to briefly experience different roles and return.
Su-a decisively picked Wi Ji-hye from the short film ‘Sword.’
Given that Wi Ji-hye, as the best in the world, spends her time idly meditating in peaceful mountains for days, it seemed a perfect choice.
As a result.
Sparkling─
Somewhere along the way, her eyes regained their original brightness.
After returning, Su-a felt mentally refreshed.
However, her physical fatigue hadn’t disappeared. Literally, only her mind was refreshed. A clear proof being that when she moved her body, it still felt unbearably heavy.
‘Come on, where else can one refresh their spirit alone?’
Su-a tackled filming with sparkling eyes afterward.
The staff, on the verge of collapse, stared in awe.
“Wasn’t Miss Su-a the one who received the most cue cards?”
“…How is she still fine?”
“I heard that Miss Su-a often shares ideas, and the Writer refines them. So, in a way, Miss Su-a gives cue cards to the Writer.”
“…Excuse me? Is that implying the Writer is being led by the newcomer?”
“Not entirely wrong, though. In fact, Special Tactics Squad 808 has diverged quite a bit from its original script. It’s changing every day.”
Finally.
When the month had three extra days added.
The production team made an official announcement.
[Special Tactics Squad 808 – Finally the Premiere Date Confirmed]
[Get to Know Special 8 Beforehand]
Watching these news, Su-a swallowed a dry gulp.
“…”
What will the viewers see when they look at her?
That was what she was extremely curious about.
‘…What will their reaction be? Exactly?’
A tingling, trembling sensation in her heart.
While nervous, it was also something incredibly exciting.
Su-a felt thrilled anew. More than any other time in her life.
◈◈◈◈◈
The next morning.
NeoLive’s Virtual YouTuber, Shikarin.
Simultaneously a ‘Deer’ in the group chat.
Go Eun-bi unknowingly furrowed her eyebrows.
“What?”
She couldn’t believe it, so she blinked her eyes tightly and opened them again.
Once, twice, thrice…
Eventually, she started blinking like crazy.
“…What? What is this?”
