When looking at it from the perspective of the 2020s, when I had regressed,
100 million views on YouTube might not seem all that impressive at first glance.
At that time, there were plenty of videos with views in the hundreds of millions,
and at the very top, videos would sometimes hit 100 million views in just a few days.
But that was the story of those who had already built a solid foundation.
For a newcomer, 100 million views was a distant, almost unattainable number.
But Sims was talking about 100 million views.
‘They didn’t mention the timeframe, but based on the flow, it seems like it’ll be reached within a month?’
If hitting 100 million views quickly was the standard for a big hit,
it meant it would be achieved within a month at the very least, maybe even in just two weeks.
What could be the reason for this?
‘Is it because of me?’
Honestly, this was the most likely explanation.
If not, there was no way Sims would have sent this message.
‘But if that’s the case, then the impact doesn’t end here.’
The ripple effect of this event was bound to be massive.
I briefly thought about what kind of future awaited me, but then dismissed it.
This wasn’t the time for that.
"Please play again!"
"Sure!"
I focused on doing my best for the music video shoot.
And then...
"...Isn’t this a bit too provocative? Is this really okay?"
"What’s the big deal, we’re adults. Don’t they do things like this in Korea?"
"Of course not."
It was time to focus on the newly added choreography.
Although the music video didn’t involve much dancing,
it was added on the suggestion that it would make the scene look even better.
Before I knew it, I was dancing closely with Evelyn.
It wasn’t excessively provocative or sexual.
The outfits were formal suits and dresses, so there didn’t seem to be any real issue.
‘But those eyes...’
Evelyn’s intense gaze was the problem.
Whether she had intended to mesmerize me or if this was just how she was,
her stare was purer and more direct than when we did The Phantom of the Opera.
Yes, pure.
Even though she had parted ways with her loved one,
her eyes still carried a deep longing, and that was incredibly captivating.
Her blue eyes seemed to try to hold onto someone.
And then came the soft smile that followed.
The woman, who usually seemed so bold,
now had this vulnerable side, and the contrast was truly captivating.
‘No wonder they call her the next diva.’
No wonder Disney had snatched her up so quickly.
She looked like a fairy.
It wasn’t just a regular long dress,
but a short skirt, which made the way the ends of her skirt flutter stand out even more.
In this situation,
I quietly sang the national anthem in my heart.
"Thank you for your hard work! We’ll do a few more takes and switch to the best scenes right away!"
"Got it!"
We continued the difficult shoot.
***
In the end, the music video shoot took 8 days.
After hearing the appearance fee for the shoot, I was more than a little surprised.
"They’re paying that much?"
"Yeah, I was surprised too... Honestly, isn’t this borderline embezzlement?"
I had thought of it as a kind of friendly appearance,
thinking of it as a return for the help with the musical.
But then suddenly, a huge amount of money appeared, and I was taken aback.
"It seems that... well, that Mila really, um, likes you."
"Sorry, what did you just say?"
"Huh? Mila."
"...?"
Isn’t it Mamila? Why is she suddenly calling her Mila as a nickname?
‘Now that I think about it, every time we shot, they were always talking a lot together.’
I shrugged it off, thinking that they must have their own reasons.
‘It’s private anyway.’
Anyway.
After some time had passed,
once Evelyn’s schedule was wrapped up, the real Tarzan shoot began.
Of course, before stepping in front of the camera. ƒreewebɳovel.com
"Haha, things got a bit mixed up, but I thought we’d better get to it."
"Yeah, seems like we’ll shoot the action scenes first and then do the script reading."
We proceeded with the script reading under the guise of checking our conditions.
Honestly, it was pretty obvious.
‘The action scenes were just a test... I’ll keep doubting until the very end.’
No matter how much power the producer, Verilad Ice, had,
it was ultimately Disney that controlled the entire flow.
They probably watched the footage from that day over and over,
deciding to officially acknowledge me as the lead and proceed with the script reading.
That’s why there were no other actors at that point.
"You can take it easy, we’re just reading the script anyway."
I nodded slightly at the staff member who seemed like they would sit down.
I thought it was just the producer and director who needed to know,
but...
‘Why are there so many titles?’
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
I found it a bit complicated since none of the name tags overlapped.
It seemed that a big ship required many captains to steer.
‘As long as I do my job well.’
I erased the stray thoughts.
An actor speaks through their performance anyway.
Thinking this, I slowly walked toward my seat, where my name was written.
It was a seat in the center of a π-shaped arrangement.
Ironically, my seat was right in the middle.
Why was I assigned the seat usually given to the director or producer?
‘It’s territorial.’
Unknowingly,
people kept demanding that I prove myself.
A seat where everyone could watch me,
to see if I was truly worthy of playing the lead role in Tarzan.
It was as if they wanted to test me until this very moment.
‘I’m getting the same treatment I never got in my home country.’
I knew making money abroad wasn’t easy,
but the standards applied to foreign workers were harsh.
‘I guess it’s the same everywhere.’
I thought it was only natural.
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