Kiss Scene.
A moment that every actor inevitably faces at least once.
If it’s a romance movie or drama, it’s practically guaranteed.
Seoyeon was aware of that.
She had just wondered what she would do if she ever had to perform one.
Most of the films she had starred in so far avoided such elements.
And since Seoyeon had knowledge of the future, it wasn’t hard for her to dodge them.
Kyungsung Lady was no different.
Kasugayama Yuina, her character, had an unrequited love for the protagonist, Yeonseonye, but there was little in the way of intimate contact.
At most, brushing shoulders, gently stroking faces, or touching lips in passing.
Moments that were suggestive without being explicit.
Of course, even that was more awkward than Seoyeon had anticipated during filming.
Who wouldn’t feel that way?
Flirting while touching the face of a friend she’d known for ten years felt downright bizarre.
‘How am I supposed to look my classmates in the eye after this movie comes out?’
Jiyeon had laughed and said something similar after the scene was done.
In any case, with tips on unrequited love from Seohui, Seoyeon managed to portray emotions well even in romance scenes.
Subtle attraction.
Yet unable to take that final step closer, Yuina’s tangled emotions remained complicated.
Her purpose clashing with her concern for Yeonseonye’s safety—
That internal conflict.
It was a part Seoyeon liked, given her preference for emotional acting.
A love scene that felt both embarrassing and exciting to perform.
Yes, up to that point, there had been no issues.
“Seoyeon, you’ve finished filming all your scenes in Korea, so you can relax now,” said Director Baek Min with a gentle smile.
That was fine.
Though actor Lee Sangsoo, who still had scenes left in Korea, seemed a little gloomy.
Seoyeon’s first thought, however, was that the long and tumultuous Kyungsung Lady shoot was finally coming to an end.
“Jiyeon and Seohui still have many scenes left to shoot, though.”
They had to cram all the remaining scenes into a short schedule.
Particularly, the ones set at Amamami House.
And most of those scenes revolved around Yeonseonye and Michiko’s romance.
Yuina didn’t appear in those parts for a simple reason—
Whenever there was business at Amamami House, Goto Isamu always went instead.
“We’ll start filming in a few days. Make sure to stay in character until then.”
And then he added—
“Don’t let the kiss scene look childish.”
Seoyeon had carefully avoided any such elements for her character.
It was only then that it hit her.
Even if she didn’t have to do it, the other actors still had to deal with kiss scenes.
*****
“Ju Seoyeon seems a little off today.”
“Maybe it hasn’t hit her yet that filming is over?”
“Ah~, could be. This Kyungsung Lady shoot felt especially long to me too.”
“Well, there were issues even before filming started.”
The staff’s chatter passed through one ear and out the other.
Seoyeon was sitting at a restaurant with the movie crew.
Holding a spoon, Seoyeon thought—
Kiss scene...
It was an expensive sushi restaurant.
Jo Seohui had recommended it, so naturally, it was top-tier.
Jiyeon and Seohui were sitting side by side across from Seoyeon.
Seoyeon’s gaze wandered to their faces.
More precisely, to their lips.
‘So, they’re supposed to press those together? Touch lips and—do that?’
It didn’t feel real.
Seoyeon’s mind was still adrift somewhere in the universe.
The long history of human romance—
Even Kyungsung Lady, which was rated for all ages, had a kiss scene.
If even dramas with minors included them,
Movies would, of course, have more.
Especially since all three characters in question were adults.
Yet Jiyeon and Seohui, casually munching on sushi, didn’t seem bothered at all.
Jiyeon, in particular, was devouring the sushi like it had wronged her.
‘Lamiel and Alice.’
The thought of Alice’s red pill suddenly flashed through Seoyeon’s mind,
but she quickly brushed it aside.
Seoyeon refused to think about Seohui wearing tracking gear while streaming.
She °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° forcibly erased those images from her memory as soon as they surfaced.
Even so, as the two ate, their 3D avatars seemed to overlay them naturally.
Wasn’t this basically a legitimate yuri scene?
No, it was a yuri movie.
‘Not that I’m particularly into that kind of thing.’
Besides, Seoyeon didn’t like seeing Lamiel interacting with other streamers.
Wait, no—this wasn’t Lamiel.
It was Jiyeon and Seohui.
Seoyeon rubbed her eyes.
Hard.
“Hey, Ju Seoyeon. Why are you looking at us like that?”
“...Huh?”
“Your eyes are red, by the way. Did you know? It’s creepy.”
Seoyeon checked her phone camera.
Sure enough, her eyes were bloodshot.
‘Was I staring too hard?’
But how could she help it?
When she looked at the two of them, the word kiss scene was all that came to mind.
‘What am I, an elementary schooler? Get it together.’
Seoyeon sighed and composed herself.
“Uh, Seohui? Can I ask you something?”
“...Huh? Yeah?”
Her tone, an awkward mix of formal and casual speech, made Seohui’s expression stiffen.
‘Just drop the formalities already.’
She wanted to speak casually too, but it wasn’t easy after using honorifics for so long.
At least she had started calling Seohui by her name instead of Miss Seohui.
“What did you talk about with Stella when you two disappeared at the end?”
Seoyeon asked, trying to steer her thoughts away from the kiss scene.
She’d meant to ask earlier, but the mental image of a kiss scene universe had been too distracting.
“Hmph, nothing much.”
Despite usually being gentle with Seoyeon,
Seohui had a sharp personality outside their dynamic.
Put her together with Stella, and it was a recipe for chaos.
Apparently, Seohui had been quite disappointed with Stella.
‘Weird. I thought Seohui would want to get along with her.’
Jo Seohui seemed to have her own set of standards when it came to acting.
Seoyeon hadn’t noticed it before, but after visiting Seohui’s house, she had gained some insight into what those standards might be.
Seohui admired actors with the kind of dazzling talent her legendary actress mother possessed.
‘It’s a bit embarrassing to say that about myself, though.’
But since Jo Seokhwan, Seohui’s father, had pointed it out, there wasn’t much she could do about it.
Either way, it explained why Stella was exactly the type of actress Seohui liked.
She was the Fairy of the Century, after all, and her acting skills needed no explanation.
‘Well, not that it matters since I won this time.’
Seoyeon shrugged.
No matter how you looked at it, this round was her victory.
Sure, it was silly to think of a lead competing with a supporting role,
but a win was still a win.
“I’ve been observing her, and there was something I didn’t like. So I asked her a few things. Hmph. Just as I thought... she wasn’t acting with the best intentions.”
“Huh? So you’re saying she acted with us to cause trouble?”
“No, it has nothing to do with us. I was talking about the way she approached her acting. And her cameo in our film wasn’t just about trying to steal the spotlight like you did, Seoyeon.”
Then what was it about?
As Seoyeon stared blankly, Seohui crossed her arms and scoffed.
Not at Seoyeon, of course—
Most likely, it was directed at Stella.
If you gave her a fan, she’d look like the perfect villainess.
“...Well, it’s not really my place to say. Anyway, I found Stella’s intentions a bit unpleasant.”
“Wait, what were her intentions?”
“That’s... hard to explain. It’s personal.”
Then don’t leave me hanging!
Seoyeon grumbled and glared at Seohui.
Seohui flinched but shook her head firmly, clearly unwilling to say more.
Hmph.
Seoyeon dropped the subject and turned her attention back to her sushi.
At least she had managed to distract herself from thinking about the kiss scene—
For about three days.
The romance scenes between Yeonseonye and Michiko had started soon after.
*****
YHJ Broadcasting Station, Japan.
The network was discussing the recent Kyungsung Lady filming sessions.
They were heavily invested, not only distributing the drama but also preparing a special program about it.
“The scenes between Stella Baldwin and Ju Seoyeon were an unexpected jackpot.”
“Wow, this is going to blow up once it airs!”
Stella was already incredibly popular in Japan.
Her mixed-race heritage and Fairy of the Century title fit perfectly with what Japanese audiences adored.
And now Seoyeon was added to the mix.
A Korean actress who had recently made headlines in Japan.
Thanks to her, the ongoing Japanese broadcast of Dream Future was gaining even more traction.
There were even talks of a remake.
‘If that happens, the actress playing Joharin is going to be under a lot of pressure.’
Joharin’s character had delivered one of the most striking performances in Dream Future.
Not to mention her looks—absolutely stunning.
Honestly, even the producer had been momentarily breathless when he first saw Seoyeon.
It was unfortunate, but Japan simply didn’t have an actress with that kind of presence.
And so, the thought crossed their minds—
What if no one could replace Seoyeon’s portrayal of Joharin?
“I heard Ju Seoyeon’s schedule has some openings soon.”
“But we can’t just bring her over for something like this.”
“True. Still, Korean filming techniques feel so polished. It’s different from how we do it in Japan.”
“They say the Korean industry models itself after Hollywood. And, well... markets are ultimately driven by money.”
“Hey, in terms of market size, we’re still bigger.”
That was true, at least in terms of overall revenue.
But—
‘The paychecks for directors and actors are much higher in Korea.’
Naturally, this created differences in attitudes and approaches.
Still, Japan had its share of masters and talented performers.
Cultural influence was Japan’s strong suit, and it was holding up for now.
But even so, Japanese films and dramas had been struggling globally.
Bringing in Asher Baldwin was part of an effort to change that—
‘Though who knows what he’s actually planning.’
Was he here to make a movie or just sightseeing?
At least Stella seemed motivated, which was reassuring.
Honestly, the network initially thought she had only come to shadow Asher.
But her proactive attitude had proven invaluable for YHJ.
And pairing her with Ju Seoyeon created plenty of buzz.
“Still, Stella’s confidence almost makes me want to tease her a bit.”
“Ju Seoyeon gives off that vibe too.”
“No, no. Seoyeon’s cool demeanor is just stoic. Stella has that smug, shameless air—what do they call it? Doyagao?”
“Haha, yeah, I know what you mean.”
As the PDs chatted, someone suddenly spoke up—
“What about a survival show?”
“Huh?”
It was an unexpected proposal.
*****
Jo Seohui seemed to have her own set of standards when it came to acting.
Seoyeon hadn’t noticed it before, but after visiting Seohui’s house, she had gained some insight into what those standards might be.
Seohui admired actors with the kind of dazzling talent her legendary actress mother possessed.
‘It’s a bit embarrassing to say that about myself, though.’
But since Jo Seokhwan, Seohui’s father, had pointed it out, there wasn’t much she could do about it.
Either way, it explained why Stella was exactly the type of actress Seohui liked.
She was the Fairy of the Century, after all, and her acting skills needed no explanation.
Follow current novels on freewebnσvel.cѳm.
‘Well, not that it matters since I won this time.’
Seoyeon shrugged.
No matter how you looked at it, this round was her victory.
Sure, it was silly to think of a lead competing with a supporting role,
but a win was still a win.
“I’ve been observing her, and there was something I didn’t like. So I asked her a few things. Hmph. Just as I thought... she wasn’t acting with the best intentions.”
“Huh? So you’re saying she acted with us to cause trouble?”
“No, it has nothing to do with us. I was talking about the way she approached her acting. And her cameo in our film wasn’t just about trying to steal the spotlight like you did, Seoyeon.”
Then what was it about?
As Seoyeon stared blankly, Seohui crossed her arms and scoffed.
Not at Seoyeon, of course—
Most likely, it was directed at Stella.
If you gave her a fan, she’d look like the perfect villainess.
“...Well, it’s not really my place to say. Anyway, I found Stella’s intentions a bit unpleasant.”
“Wait, what were her intentions?”
“That’s... hard to explain. It’s personal.”
Then don’t leave me hanging!
Seoyeon grumbled and glared at Seohui.
Seohui flinched but shook her head firmly, clearly unwilling to say more.
Hmph.
Seoyeon dropped the subject and turned her attention back to her sushi.
At least she had managed to distract herself from thinking about the kiss scene—
For about three days.
The romance scenes between Yeonseonye and Michiko had started soon after.
YHJ Broadcasting Station, Japan.
The network was discussing the recent Kyungsung Lady filming sessions.
They were heavily invested, not only distributing the drama but also preparing a special program about it.
“The scenes between Stella Baldwin and Ju Seoyeon were an unexpected jackpot.”
“Wow, this is going to blow up once it airs!”
Stella was already incredibly popular in Japan.
Her mixed-race heritage and Fairy of the Century title fit perfectly with what Japanese audiences adored.
And now Seoyeon was added to the mix.
A Korean actress who had recently made headlines in Japan.
Thanks to her, the ongoing Japanese broadcast of Dream Future was gaining even more traction.
There were even talks of a remake.
‘If that happens, the actress playing Joharin is going to be under a lot of pressure.’
Joharin’s character had delivered one of the most striking performances in Dream Future.
Not to mention her looks—absolutely stunning.
Honestly, even the producer had been momentarily breathless when he first saw Seoyeon.
It was unfortunate, but Japan simply didn’t have an actress with that kind of presence.
And so, the thought crossed their minds—
What if no one could replace Seoyeon’s portrayal of Joharin?
“I heard Ju Seoyeon’s schedule has some openings soon.”
“But we can’t just bring her over for something like this.”
“True. Still, Korean filming techniques feel so polished. It’s different from how we do it in Japan.”
“They say the Korean industry models itself after Hollywood. And, well... markets are ultimately driven by money.”
“Hey, in terms of market size, we’re still bigger.”
That was true, at least in terms of overall revenue.
But—
‘The paychecks for directors and actors are much higher in Korea.’
Naturally, this created differences in attitudes and approaches.
Still, Japan had its share of masters and talented performers.
Cultural influence was Japan’s strong suit, and it was holding up for now.
But even so, Japanese films and dramas had been struggling globally.
Bringing in Asher Baldwin was part of an effort to change that—
‘Though who knows what he’s actually planning.’
Was he here to make a movie or just sightseeing?
At least Stella seemed motivated, which was reassuring.
Honestly, the network initially thought she had only come to shadow Asher.
But her proactive attitude had proven invaluable for YHJ.
And pairing her with Ju Seoyeon created plenty of buzz.
“Still, Stella’s confidence almost makes me want to tease her a bit.”
“Ju Seoyeon gives off that vibe too.”
“No, no. Seoyeon’s cool demeanor is just stoic. Stella has that smug, shameless air—what do they call it? Doyagao?”
“Haha, yeah, I know what you mean.”
As the PDs chatted, someone suddenly spoke up—
“What about a survival show?”
“Huh?”
It was an unexpected proposal.
“Let me make this clear—this scene cannot be taken lightly.”
Director Baek Min’s rare serious tone immediately sobered everyone.
Jiyeon and Seohui nodded, their expressions tense.
The day’s shoot was nearly over.
The only thing left—
Their first kiss scene.
“This isn’t just about actions. You need to convey your emotions—something more platonic.”
Since it was rated for all ages, the scene had to remain tame.
A kiss, and nothing beyond that.
Originally, Baek Min had envisioned an adult version.
But investors pushed for broader accessibility.
Now it was aimed at audiences aged 15 and up.
So if the scene was going to feel intense,
it had to rely more on emotion than physicality.
“Michiko has realized her feelings for Yeonseonye and wants to act on them.”
Yeonseonye, too, had changed.
Her initial goals were forgotten.
She reflected on the fact that she had contributed to Michiko’s despair, nearly driving her to suicide.
And she regretted it deeply.
Essentially, her arc had shifted to oppose Yuina’s role.
“I’m sure Seohui will lead the scene well. She’s experienced, after all.”
“...This is actually my first kiss scene.”
“Oh, really?”
Baek Min looked genuinely surprised.
Seohui, in turn, seemed flustered.
‘What kind of image does he have of me?’
Did she come off as that bold?
“Okay, let’s begin. Get ready, you two.”
With those words, the cameras rolled.
Facing each other were Jo Seohui and Lee Jiyeon.
Michiko and Yeonseonye.
The staff watched in silence,
while Seoyeon sat off to the side, staring intently.
“Seoyeon’s eyes look bloodshot.”
“She must be exhausted.”
Whispers floated around, but Seoyeon remained still.
A flood of emotions welled up inside her—ones she couldn’t quite define.
And then—
『My lady, you must have been born for this... How are you so perfect at it?』
Seoyeon fainted on the spot.