‘I’d like the milk in my latte changed to soy milk, and before you add the whipped cream, please sprinkle on a little cinnamon powder. Instead of sugar syrup, add one pump of hazelnut syrup. And just a little bit of whipped cream on top—don’t drizzle chocolate syrup, just load it up with chocolate chips. Oh, and crush them.’
‘Ah, wait just a moment! Starting over from the whipped cream…’
‘Could you take my order here too?’
‘Sena-ssi, isn’t the pile of dirty dishes getting out of hand?’
‘Ahhh, just a second!’
‘Sena-ssi, stop taking orders and blend the smoothies.’
‘Ahhhhhh!’
“Wow, I’m such an idiot.”
Watching footage of myself in complete meltdown mode for a solid twenty minutes made my face burn with embarrassment.
The moment the video uploaded to the newly created vlog account, it shot straight to the real-time popular videos ranking, and people swarmed over to watch.
-The staff did well. Those orders were diabolically difficult.
-Crush the chocolate chips lolol that’s infuriating
-I work at a cafe. Got PTSD and couldn’t keep watching. So sad.
-But unnie’s got good memorization skills. Guess that’s what you get from all that script memorization.
-The fan stomping her feet for 20 minutes straight lololololol just like me. I’d die if my bias came to visit and touched my hand.
-The vlog content’s fun. Wonder where they’ll go next. Please come to our company.
-Ah seriously so cute.
⤷ Han Sena’s so adorable when she’s doing this kind of (victimized?) concept.
⤷ For real, the contrast with her usually perfect image is amazing.
-Han Sena’s fans are seriously blessed. They get more content to enjoy than idol fans do.
⤷ Facts, between projects, variety shows, commercials, advertisements… she never skips anything and covers all the trends.
⤷ Love how she’ll do any concept.
Fortunately, the fans seemed to love it just as I’d hoped.
According to what I heard from the company, thousands of applications came flooding in the moment the video went live.
Wonder where I’ll end up going next….
How should I put it.
This content wasn’t acting, wasn’t a project, but it felt like good broadcasting I could enjoy doing consistently.
In both my past and current lives, I’d had few opportunities to experience environments outside of being an actor, so I’d always thirsted for new experiences.
Doing these one by one should give me material to use in my acting someday, right?
After browsing through more comments, I slipped out of the van.
The filming location I returned to felt somewhat subdued.
“Please clean up here.”
“Didn’t you organize those cables? I told you this morning. Ugh….”
“Could someone get Teacher Yunmi from the makeup team?”
Everyone was on edge from the pile of tasks accumulating.
As filming approached its final stages, everyone was exhausted from fatigue, and the scenes were difficult for both actors and staff alike—there was no helping it.
In the distance, I spotted Do Changhyeon standing alone reading his script.
“Changhyeon.”
I waved as I approached him.
“Ah, Mentor.”
Do Changhyeon looked at me and greeted me.
“Did you get some sleep? The past three days must’ve been rough, right?”
Getting closer, I noticed Do Changhyeon’s eyes were bloodshot red.
“I barely slept.”
Looking at Do Changhyeon’s face, I let out a sympathetic sigh.
“You filmed almost everything up to the ending, right?”
“Yes.”
The three-day filming schedule Do Changhyeon had tackled alone covered a lot of content—the remaining action scenes and everything up near the ending.
Now what remained were the scenes with both Tak Yeowon and Jeong Haeseon appearing together, and…
Tak Yeowon’s ending.
Over the next three filming sessions ending the day after tomorrow, all my scenes would wrap up completely.
“I’m going to head back and prep for filming.”
“Sure.”
Do Changhyeon smiled slightly awkwardly and excused himself.
Watching his retreating back for a moment…
“Changhyeon.”
I ended up calling him back.
Do Changhyeon answered “Yes?” and turned around.
Looking at his face, I grinned.
“Just. Let’s finish this well.”
“Ah….”
“It’s tough, isn’t it?”
At my words, Do Changhyeon wore an apologetic expression.
“No. It’s not like I’m the only one struggling… Sorry for making such a fuss by myself.”
“Making a fuss? I like that you’re so immersed.”
“…..”
“But we’re actors and also members of this filming crew.”
“Ah, yes….”
Do Changhyeon’s face showed he already understood what I meant.
“You don’t need to break your immersion with me. I’m just stepping over the line for a moment to give some advice. Like Tak Yeowon would.”
At my words, Do Changhyeon smiled slightly.
“Yes.”
“Just, it’d be good to be mindful in front of the staff. You know what I mean?”
“Yes. Thank you, Mentor. And I’m sor—”
“If you got it, that’s enough. Save the speech for later. Don’t break your immersion.”
“Yep.”
I gestured to Do Changhyeon as if to say ‘good work,’ then turned around too.
* * *
“Ready, action!”
“Choose—us or Tak Yeowon.”
Inside the small hideout, with the zombie horde pressed right up to the door.
The door rattled violently with the sound of zombies crashing against it—it looked ready to shatter any second.
In this urgent situation, the people who’d somehow united were all staring at Do Changhyeon, demanding an answer.
“Us or Tak Yeowon—which is it?”
The director was glued to the monitor in the other room, concentrating intently.
From the director’s perspective, Do Changhyeon and Han Sena’s acting had been growing subtly deeper compared to early filming.
Do Changhyeon, having completely possessed Jeong Haeseon’s soul, asked with an incomprehensible expression.
“What are you talking about?”
“We can’t travel with that woman anymore. If you’re taking her, we’ll go on our own.”
“Why did you join up with her group without even asking us?”
The people had independently decided to abandon Tak Yeowon.
If Jeong Haeseon opposed this, they’d abandon him too.
Do Changhyeon wore a shocked expression.
“Tak Yeowon saved you all. Her people even… died in your place trying to save you….”
The director quietly watched Han Sena in the close-up on the monitor.
Han Sena let out a mocking laugh as if she’d expected this.
“That’s all in the past. Those of us left need to survive.”
“Tak Yeowon got us this far.”
Do Changhyeon’s voice trembled.
“And people died. Some who didn’t have to die.”
One of the group members spoke with a twisted expression.
“There was no one who didn’t have to die!”
Do Changhyeon shouted.
One of the survivors shook their head as if giving up.
“Then you two go together. I can’t travel with you anymore since we don’t see eye to eye.”
The others hurriedly packed their things in agreement.
“Wait.”
Han Sena spoke up.
Then pushed Do Changhyeon’s back.
“I’m the one who latched onto him. So take him and get lost.”
Han Sena sat down on the floor with an indifferent face.
This left Jeong Haeseon and all the survivors looking flustered.
Watching that detached expression, the director let out a small laugh.
A face showing not the slightest fear of death.
She was perfectly executing the character whose inner thoughts couldn’t be read.
More precisely, a character whose thoughts remained hidden from the people within the story, yet stirred indescribable emotions in the audience watching the screen.
That was the core essence of Tak Yeowon’s character.
Before the zombie outbreak, Tak Yeowon had endured domestic violence since childhood, living through a reality more horrific than this—she was a twisted person.
Still, she was human.
Just someone who made quick judgments and thought practically.
A type of human unfamiliar to others.
Simply for that reason, Tak Yeowon was treated like a monster worse than zombies by people, receiving excessive criticism….
Even among viewers, this Tak Yeowon would spark heated debate between support and condemnation.
‘If I actually met her in the world of this film, could I make better judgments than her?’
A character who posed that question.
Anyone might criticize her, but knowing Tak Yeowon’s pain, they’d feel sympathy at least once.
Han Sena understood all these aspects of Tak Yeowon’s character right now.
Moreover, with Do Changhyeon’s deep immersion adding emotion, they were creating perfect synergy.
Do Changhyeon felt less like he was acting and more like he was genuinely reacting.
His expression showed anger and confusion never seen before.
Do Changhyeon roughly pulled Han Sena to her feet.
“Why are you giving up!!! What’s with you all of a sudden?”
Han Sena furrowed her brow as if annoyed by the noise.
Do Changhyeon gripped Han Sena’s arm tightly.
“Why are you accepting this? You’re the one who got us this far.”
Han Sena answered with a disinterested expression.
“It’s fine. I’m used to these ridiculous situations.”
“…..”
“Just go. Your brother got in touch, right? You should meet him.”
“You….”
Do Changhyeon’s highly agitated voice trembled.
“Why did you even come this far? Didn’t you come to survive?”
Do Changhyeon looked down.
“Hah….”
After exhaling a deep sigh, Do Changhyeon looked at the people with cold eyes.
Then spoke.
“Put down that backpack.”
“…?”
The people couldn’t believe their ears.
“The food and relief supplies. We’re the ones who brought them. Why are you taking them?”
At Do Changhyeon’s murderous gaze, the people hesitated.
This time, Han Sena panicked and grabbed Do Changhyeon’s arm.
“What are you doing? I told you to go. Why are you acting like this?”
“Let’s die together. You and me.”
Do Changhyeon looked at Han Sena.
His bloodshot eyes revealed painful emotions.
Those eyes held desperation, anger, sadness, and resentment all at once.
Han Sena silently stared at Do Changhyeon.
Do Changhyeon’s emotions ran far more intense than what was written in the script.
The director watched the monitor without cutting, maintaining silence.
And gazed at Han Sena, who was probably feeling the same way.
Han Sena looked at Do Changhyeon and bit her lip.
This was Tak Yeowon’s first moment of wavering.
The first time someone took her side.
Tak Yeowon couldn’t help but waver.
This too was an emotional line not in the script.
It was truly a set brimming with vitality.
Han Sena’s acting ability and Do Changhyeon’s method were transforming this from a set into reality.
Do Changhyeon smoothly turned his gaze back to the people.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
One of the survivors sneered.
“What if we don’t? You two gonna fight all of us?”
At the provocative comment, Do Changhyeon stood up.
“Should we?”
That’s when the chain holding the door snapped.
In an instant, the zombie horde burst through the door and poured in.
“Get out of the way!!!”
People scattered in panic.
“Run.”
Do Changhyeon looked at the zombie horde with an exhausted expression.
Han Sena pressed a weapon into Do Changhyeon’s hand.
“Let’s get out.”
Do Changhyeon looked at Han Sena and gripped the weapon.
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