I Want to Be a VTuber-Chapter 248: Nine Spirits Liquor (1)

Anyone who knew Seoyeon would have noticed it immediately.

Her demeanor was completely different from usual—like she had stepped straight out of her role as Princess Yeonhwa.

'She's acting. Look at her.'

If Lee Jiyeon were here, that's exactly what she would have said. That’s how obvious Seoyeon's performance was.

Even Park Jungwoo realized it belatedly.

Seoyeon was acting as 'Princess Yeonhwa' right now.

And not just acting.

Method acting.

She was pouring her entire soul into becoming Princess Yeonhwa.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

'It's just a commercial. What's the big deal?'

That thought crossed his mind, but maybe this shoot really was important to her. He didn’t get it, but there had to be a reason.

Jungwoo tried to make sense of it, but it was hard to approach Seoyeon right now.

Especially considering the recent nightmares.

For Jungwoo, Princess Yeonhwa had left a lasting impression.

And to Seoyeon, Princess Yeonhwa was a deeply significant role.

Seoyeon stood tall and poised, waiting for the shoot to start.

Her posture evoked the image of a noble lady, and the way she gently brushed aside the strands of hair falling over her face felt incredibly feminine.

But Seoyeon hadn’t planned to slip into method acting as Princess Yeonhwa.

It just—

Happened naturally.

'Why?'

A fleeting thought passed through her mind—why was it so effortless to immerse herself into Princess Yeonhwa?

The answer was simple.

To Seoyeon, Princess Yeonhwa was special.

Most importantly, it was the first role where Seoyeon had truly 'acted.'

The role that led her to take her first step out of her tiny fishbowl and into the vast ocean.

Her first real performance.

Not just brief, superficial scenes in commercials, but actual, heartfelt method acting.

Because it had been Princess Yeonhwa, Seoyeon’s body naturally remembered how to move, even without conscious effort.

Like flipping a switch.

Completely seamless.

'Maybe it was the same back then.'

Even in Looking Back on Memories, it had been like that.

Back then, it felt half like playing around, so she hadn’t thought much of it.

But in hindsight, maybe every thought and action had been as Princess Yeonhwa.

That’s what Seoyeon suspected.

But only for a moment.

Then she caught sight of Jungwoo staring at her in disbelief, and a sly smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

If it had been her usual smile, it might have seemed cold—maybe even mocking.

But right now, the smile on her lips had a playful elegance, fitting for a princess.

It was so charming that the staff watching her began to smile along with her.

'This...'

Director Jung Sungmin felt his heart skip a beat.

'This is it!!'

Even with Jungwoo alone, the ad would have been visually stunning.

But now?

Seoyeon was wearing a fusion hanbok.

Completely different from the traditional, elegant clothing Princess Yeonhwa had worn.

And yet, no matter how he looked at her, Seoyeon still felt like Princess Yeonhwa.

When the other models had worn this outfit, it had simply looked pretty.

But on Seoyeon, it felt beautiful.

Like a real princess was wearing it.

"Alright, alright! Jungwoo, stop standing there in a daze and come stand beside her."

"I'm not in a daze."

"Haha, sure. If you say so."

"......."

Jungwoo scowled but eventually nodded.

He was just...a little surprised.

And who wouldn’t be?

Seoyeon had done too many unbelievable things to take her acting lightly.

Rumor had it she once fell off a cliff and came out without a scratch.

Apparently, anyone who sparred with her at the action school ended up in the hospital.

People joked that working with her felt like getting hit by a car.

Jungwoo had heard all the stories.

And after working with Seoyeon himself, he knew those rumors weren’t entirely false.

And in games?

No one played as energetically as she did.

Thinking about it—

"Seoil?"

"Ah, don’t say that. Seriously."

"Why not?"

Following the director’s instructions, Seoyeon moved closer to Jungwoo and covered her mouth with her sleeve as she laughed.

Even that gesture was refined.

The perfect noblewoman.

Her usual icy expression was gone, replaced by something warm and soft, like the spring breeze.

Even her striking red eyes, which had seemed terrifying in The Chaser, now looked gentle—like the hues of sunset.

Ten years ago.

Just before Seoyeon disappeared, she and Jungwoo had filmed their final scene together.

Princess Yeonhwa had stood against the sunset, bidding Seoil farewell.

Her eyes back then—

Like the crimson glow of sunset, calling forth the night.

Calm, yet beginning to shimmer with starlight.

Eyes on the brink of growth.

With those same eyes, Seoyeon laughed softly.

As if Jungwoo’s reaction amused her.

A vein popped in Jungwoo’s forehead.

'Seriously...'

Would snapping her out of it with a flick on the forehead work?

But no.

It’d just hurt his hand.

And besides—

It really felt like Princess Yeonhwa was standing in front of him.

"Jungwoo! Stop backing away and stand closer!"

"Ah, yes."

For the first time during the shoot, Jungwoo got scolded.

The director’s request was simple.

Since Seoyeon was much shorter than him, he had to stand closer so they’d look better together in the frame.

But Jungwoo couldn’t bring himself to move any closer.

"Haha! Looks like Jungwoo’s shy!"

"No, I’m not!"

"Come on, it’s written all over your face."

"I said I’m not!"

Jungwoo felt genuinely wronged.

When he looked at Seoyeon—

"Oh my, what’s wrong?"

"Oh my?"

Hearing Seoyeon speak in a way she’d never normally talk, Jungwoo felt dizzy.

Method acting?

It was terrifying.

Sighing, Jungwoo adjusted his posture again.

He focused on the camera, making sure both of them fit into the shot.

Making sure their outfits stood out.

"You’re supposed to look this way, Young Master."

"You’re messing with me on purpose, aren’t you?"

Seoyeon didn’t answer.

She just covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed.

Jungwoo looked at Seoyeon again, this time with a sullen expression.

Click.

The camera captured the picturesque scene—an image so naturally beautiful it seemed unplanned.

"Director, this..."

"Yes. It feels like it brings back the nostalgia of the past... like a memory."

The Moon That Hid the Sun wasn’t just a hit drama from ten years ago.

Seoyeon’s portrayal of Princess Yeonhwa had left such a lasting impact that it was still considered the gold standard for child acting even now.

And anyone who had watched the drama back then must have wondered at least once—

What if the young Princess Yeonhwa and young Yoon Seoil grew up and reunited to film another drama?

At least once—

Everyone must have thought about it.

And now, with just one photograph, that vague fantasy had come to life.

Princess Yeonhwa had grown up, and so had Yoon Seoil.

And here they were, dressed in modernized fusion hanbok—

It felt like seeing reincarnations of the two characters in the present day.

A photo that stirred nostalgia for the past.

"If this keeps up, it won’t feel like a prop anymore."

One of the staff members commented while flipping through the photos taken so far.

The images of Seoyeon and Jungwoo standing so closely together—

Originally, Jungwoo was the face of Violle’s campaign.

The female model beside him was meant to highlight his presence, nothing more.

There were reasons for that.

No female model had ever been able to match Jungwoo’s aura.

And the company hadn’t found any woman they particularly liked.

But now—

"This... is perfect."

Perfect.

That word suited these photos so well.

Jung Sungmin had shot countless campaigns for Violle with Jungwoo.

But not once had he seen photos that felt this right.

There was a potential in these pictures that no other female models, treated like accessories, had ever shown.

Honestly, who even cared about fusion hanbok?

It was just a concept. They probably weren’t planning to sell the outfits anyway.

That’s what Sungmin had thought.

But looking at these photos—

His mind had changed.

They looked stunning.

Elegant. Beautiful.

So much so that he couldn’t help but admire how well the fusion hanbok captured the essence of Korean tradition.

"Alright, that’s a wrap for today. Great work, everyone!"

The shoot continued for a little longer before wrapping up successfully.

Sungmin couldn’t help but feel excited as he prepared to send the photos to headquarters.

He was curious about how they’d react to the sudden addition {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} of a female model—

And especially this one.

"Well, we might feel nostalgic, but the French staff probably won’t get it."

"True, that’s possible."

"But on the other hand... I’m very curious about the reaction in Korea."

When these photos were displayed in department stores—

And when this video aired as a commercial—

What kind of response would it get?

Sungmin’s heart was already pounding in anticipation.

Like the very first time he’d directed a commercial—

He felt that same nervous excitement bubbling up.

*****

"Good work today."

"...Are you still doing that?"

"Hehe, well, it seems I’m having a bit of trouble shaking it off."

Seoyeon placed her left palm against her cheek and tilted her head slightly.

"Maybe I got so immersed that I can’t pull myself out so easily?"

"Is that how method acting works?"

"This is my first time experiencing it, so I wouldn’t know..."

Seoyeon’s awkward, amused smile made Jungwoo shut his eyes tightly.

He thought he’d finally be free now that the shoot was over, but the grip of Princess Yeonhwa hadn’t loosened just yet.

Bzzzt. Bzzzzt!

"...Hey, your phone’s ringing."

"Oh, you’re right."

Every time she said Oh my, Jungwoo flinched.

It was a phrase that didn’t suit the usual Seoyeon at all, yet it fit the current Seoyeon perfectly.

As they left the shoot location and walked down a nearby street, Seoyeon wore sunglasses and a mask.

Even so, her straight posture and confident steps naturally drew the attention of passersby.

This was different from usual.

Normally, when Seoyeon walked around like this, she looked like an ordinary high schooler.

Most people just thought, Oh, what a cheerful girl, and moved on.

But today?

Even her movements and steps seemed to command attention.

Jungwoo suddenly became aware of how absurdly well-proportioned Seoyeon was.

Her height was modest—around the mid-160 cm range, far shorter than typical models who stood close to 180 cm.

And yet, her proportions made her seem taller.

Her long legs and slender figure made it impossible not to look.

She’s never been like this before.

Princess Yeonhwa’s aura was overwhelming.

It was like her entire atmosphere had changed.

"Oh, it’s a video call."

"...Really?"

"Yes. Ah, over here."

Seoyeon gently tugged Jungwoo’s sleeve and led him to a quieter alley nearby.

There, she removed her mask and sunglasses before answering the video call.

[Hey, Seoyeon! What are you doing right now?]

The screen showed Jiyeon and Seohui in Japan.

Judging by their costumes and their tired expressions, it was obvious they had just wrapped up a shoot.

Finding their appearances amusing, Seoyeon covered her mouth with her sleeve and giggled softly.

"Hehe."

[W-Wait. Did you just... giggle?]

"Oh, I’m sorry. You two just look so amusing."

Seoyeon’s soft, gentle tone made Jiyeon’s mind go blank for a moment.

What the hell was this?

Was she actually speaking like a refined woman?

Wait, was that description outdated?

Either way, she was talking like a completely different person.

While Jiyeon stood frozen, Seohui’s face appeared in the frame.

[Seoyeon, what happened? Who’s that next to you?]

"Oh, do you mean this person?"

[Y-Yeah. That’s what I mean.]

Seohui stuttered, clearly thrown off by Seoyeon’s formal speech.

In response, Seoyeon angled the camera to show both herself and Jungwoo.

"I was with Jungwoo for a commercial shoot."

[H-Huh? What? With Jungwoo?]

Seohui’s eyes widened.

It wasn’t that being with Jungwoo was strange.

What was strange was Seoyeon speaking like that while being with him.

Suspicious.

Seohui’s eyes narrowed sharply, and Jungwoo quickly jumped in.

"It’s a misunderstanding!"

[Oh, really?]

"I’m serious! She’s been acting weird ever since the shoot ended!"

Jungwoo sounded desperate, and Seoyeon pouted slightly in response.

"Geez, weird? That’s so mean."

Then, she lightly poked Jungwoo’s side with her elbow.

Normally, a jab from Seoyeon would leave someone gasping for air, struggling to breathe.

But this time, it was soft—like a gentle breeze.

Jungwoo instinctively clutched his side despite the lack of pain and looked at Seoyeon.

"Even if it’s a joke, you shouldn’t say things like that. Got it?"

"Uh... yeah."

Dazed by her scolding tone, Jungwoo nodded without thinking.

Watching the two of them, Jiyeon and Seohui shouted—

[Hey, Seoyeon!]

[Seoyeon, wait a second. Something’s definitely wrong. This is weird!]

Despite their urgency, a figure appeared behind them—Director Baekmin.

"Oh, looks like the director’s calling you. Let’s talk again later. I’ll be waiting!"

[No, wait! This is important! Seoyeon’s acting weird!]

[I’m serious—wait, don’t hang up! Wait—!]

Before they could protest further, the call ended, leaving Seoyeon smiling brightly.

"Everyone’s working hard."

"...Yeah, sure."

Jungwoo felt conflicted.

How was he supposed to explain this later?

Knowing Seohui’s personality, she’d grill him endlessly about what happened.

The frustrating part was—

He really hadn’t done anything!

"Well, I’ll head home now. Thanks for all your hard work today."

"Huh? Wait, you’re just heading home like this?"

"Yes? How else would I leave?"

Seoyeon tilted her head and looked at him blankly, leaving Jungwoo speechless.

Right.

What else could she do but go home?

Even Seoyeon’s parents might think something’s off if they see her like this.

Jungwoo suddenly worried that he might get dragged into questioning again.

"Make sure to drop the method acting before you go home."

"Of course. Thanks for today, senior."

"Uh, yeah. You too."

With an awkward farewell, Seoyeon left.

And—

"...Who are you?"

Yeongbin could only stare at his daughter in disbelief as she walked through the door.

Lately, it felt like he was saying those words far too often.