I Returned as a High School Girl

Chapter 46: Signs of Greatness (2)

Director Park had practically made the cutting room his home for the past three days while editing the first and second episodes of Reaper?that would be aired soon. Like all content, the beginning was the most important. Even webtoons and webs needed a good prologue to hook in the audience.

The prologue was the main deciding factor for the audience to keep watching or not. Hence, the first impression was the most important. The first and second episodes of a drama was the benchmark that assessed audience influx.

Director Park emptied yet another can of an energy drink and glued his eyes to the monitor. He had been planning on pouring his heart and soul into editing these two episodes.

In the middle of his focus, someone carefully opened the door of the cutting room and headed inside.

“You’ll get sucked into the monitor like that, Director Park.”

“Oh, sunbae!” Director Park exclaimed.

Program Director Son Han-Woo, the man who had risen to the status of star director through the success of The Devil’s Touch, visited the cutting room to cheer his junior on.

“Here’s some food for you. I picked out only the stuff that you used to love.”

Director Park’s expression brightened from the sudden food delivery.

“Thank you so much, sunbae. I was just getting hungry. You have perfect timing.”

“We work in the same field, after all. I had a gut feeling that you’d be getting hungry right about now, so I just got a few things for you.”

“What would I do without you, sunbae?”

Director Park had worked with Director Son before back when he was just an assistant director. Back in those days, Director Park really loved convenience store sandwiches.

“If I remember correctly, you especially loved the crab meat sandwich, right?” Director Son asked.

“Yes. You really are the best at taking care of your juniors,” Director Park commented.

“Yeah, yeah. Make sure you never forget the love that I’m giving you right now.”

Director Son patted Director Park on the back with a satisfied face. His gaze shifted to the monitor.

“Are you editing episode 1?”

“No, episode 2.”

“Oh, really?”

The paused monitor screen reflected Kang Ra-Eun wearing a suit for women.

“Ra-Eun looks a lot more mature like this,” Director Son remarked.

The maturity aside, Director Son felt that Ra-Eun had gotten even prettier than during the filming of The Devil’s Touch.

“And I think she’s gotten prettier... Is this the power of make-up?”

“The make-up artists were super motivated. They were talking about how their wish of being in charge of Ra-Eun’s make-up had been fulfilled,” Director Park said.

“Makes sense. Our make-up artists were also saying how they wanted to take pictures of Ra-Eun whenever they saw her.”

Ra-Eun’s beauty had captured the hearts of even those of the same sex, which was why she had been engraved in the minds of the audience despite having such little screen time in The Devil’s Touch. Director Son was curious of what her performance as a lead role would bring when her impact as a minor role with short screen time had already been massive.

“Can I take a look at the clip? I won’t go around spoiling it,” Director Son asked.

“Of course you can, sunbae. Just a second.”

Director Park shoved what was remaining of his sandwich in his mouth and pressed the play button.

Ra-Eun was staring at Je-Woon while holding a parasol askew. Her narrow eyes gave off a powerful enchanting feeling. Not many actors could overwhelm an audience with only their eyes, and especially for rookies.

Ra-Eun said as she stared at the trembling Je-Woon who had fallen on his butt.

[You can see me, can’t you?]

Je-Woon held his breath and slowly nodded.

[What else can you see?]

Spiritual entities could be seen around Ra-Eun. They were the so-called ‘ghosts.’ Although the CG was added in the post-production stage, it did not look off at all.

Je-Woon answered.

[Fear, and... horror.]

To humans, ghosts were subjects of fear and horror. Hence, Je-Woon figuratively expressed what they were. Ra-Eun slowly approached the fallen Je-Woon.

[Wrong.]

She slowly bent her knees to meet Je-Woon’s quaking pupils. The camera focused on Ra-Eun's bright red lips.

[What you’re seeing is not fear nor horror. It’s ‘sorrow.’]

Ra-Eun’s character Jin Seo-Yu often expressed these beings roaming the lower world while carrying their own resentment as ‘sorrow.’ Her last line marked the end of episode 2.

Director Park asked for Director Son’s thoughts after watching to the end.

“What did you think, sunbae?”

The scene, albeit short, had left a considerably strong impact on Director Son. Not only the BGM laid out over the background, but Ra-Eun’s beauty and acting that pulled the audience in...

“I think... this is gonna be even more of a hit than my drama.”

Director Son could already see signs of greatness in his junior’s drama.

***

Like Director Son had predicted, Reaper?made a huge impact after the first and second episodes aired. Jin Seo-Yu, a rare female character overflowing with charisma, and Ra-Eun who acted out the role were the talk of the entire nation.

The drama had at first received massive attention because it was the first lead role of the popular idol Je-Woon, but everyone was only talking about Ra-Eun after the episodes were aired. Because of that, Ra-Eun had to go to school while wearing horn-rimmed glasses that she was not even used to.

Seo Yi-Seo glanced at Ra-Eun’s side while heading to school together.

“Ra-Eun, I don’t know if I should be telling you this, but there’s no way that people won’t recognize you just because you’re wearing glasses.”

There was a sea of people on the other end of the crosswalk who had recognized Ra-Eun and took her picture. She herself already knew that glasses alone wouldn’t do the trick, but...

“I thought it’d be better than nothing.”

“I guess so, but is there even meaning to it?”

“...No.”

It was completely meaningless. She was recognized no matter where she went because the drama became a huge hit. She was even barraged with handshake requests from her fellow students when she passed through the school gates.

“Now, now! Don’t trouble Ra-Eun and go about your way! Go!”

At that moment, a boy stepped up and shouted to help Ra-Eun. He had on an armband that signified he was on the student council. He was Park Se-Woon, a boy whom Ra-Eun happened to know very well.

Ra-Eun dumbfoundedly asked Se-Woon, “You're on the student council?”

It did not match the image of Se-Woon the womanizer at all. However, students were clearing out of the courtyard thanks to him.

“You’re being rather helpful for once.”

Se-Woon laughed awkwardly and said, “It’s for you, so of course I should help.”

He was still blatantly displaying his feelings for Ra-Eun.

‘He’d be decent if only he’d get rid of those feelings for me,’?Ra-Eun thought.

Se-Woon didn’t seem to know these feelings of Ra-Eun. He swung his arms toward the remaining students to make way for Ra-Eun and Yi-Seo. It irked Ra-Eun that she received help from Se-Woon of all people, but they were able to safely enter the school building thanks to him.

Ra-Eun changed into her school slippers and entered the first floor lobby.

“Yes, I have a delivery. Should I bring it to the staff room?”

Just then, she saw a delivery man carrying several cardboard boxes while on the phone.

“Understood, then I’ll head straight up to the staff ro—!”

The delivery man was taken aback when he locked eyes with Ra-Eun. He then quickly pulled down his cap to hide his face as much as he could. He pretended not to know Ra-Eun and headed toward the stairs.

“...”

Ra-Eun’s beautiful face stiffened. The delivery man’s actions pissed her off. She walked straight up to him.

“Why are you pretending not to know me, Dad?”

The students’ murmurs stirred up even more at Ra-Eun’s mention of her dad.

“He’s... Ra-Eun’s dad?”

“I think so.”

Ra-Eun’s father could not conceal his embarrassment as the students whispered amongst each other. Ra-Eun actually knew very well why her father was pretending not to know her. He was embarrassed of the fact that he, the father of a popular actress, was a meager delivery man.

Ra-Eun raised her voice toward Yi-Seo to let the other students hear her loud and clear, “Say hello, Yi-Seo. This is my dad.”

She especially emphasized that he was her dad. Yi-Seo seemed to have noticed Ra-Eun’s intentions and greeted him happily.

“Hello! I’m Ra-Eun’s friend, Seo Yi-Seo. You seem to be carrying a lot of things, let me help you.”

“Huh? N-No, it’s fine! I can carry them myself,” Ra-Eun’s father stated.

“It’s alright. Let’s carry some together, Ra-Eun.”

Ra-Eun nodded as if she was waiting for Yi-Seo to say that. However, there was one more person wanting to join in.

“Hello, sir! My name is Park Se-Woon! Please allow me to help as well!”

Carrying heavy loads was usually a man’s job. Se-Woon picked only the heaviest boxes and placed them in front of himself. He lifted them without much effort and shot a smile at Ra-Eun.

Ra-Eun lightly sighed as Se-Woon boasted his strength to her like a child.

“Yeah, you’re strong. Good for you.”

Just the fact that Ra-Eun knew was enough for Se-Woon. He led the way for Ra-Eun’s father, saying, “Follow me, sir!”

Ra-Eun pushed her confused father’s back with both hands.

“Let’s go, Dad. You have work, don’t you?”

“Y-Yeah. Let’s go.”

She walked through the hallway side by side with her father while carrying the boxes. She whispered to him at a level that only he could hear.

“Please don’t pretend like you don’t know me again. I’ve never been embarrassed of the fact that you’re a delivery man. Not even once.”

“...”

There were no ranks among occupations. A father of a top star working as a delivery man was nothing to be embarrassed about. At least, that’s what Ra-Eun thought. Her thoughtfulness left her father embarrassed of himself.

He managed to open his mouth with difficulty to say, “Thank you.”

His daughter had become so mature before he knew it. He couldn’t be more thankful that she had grown up so well.