Chapter 10: Parachute (2)
Chapter 10: Parachute (2)
“My daughter, you look so beautiful in a hanbok!”
Sua was busy snapping photo after photo of Seo-yeon.
Just as she said, Seo-yeon looked incredibly adorable in the prepared hanbok. Her hair, which she usually wore long and loose, had been neatly styled to match the traditional attire, and it suited her perfectly.
“Does she think she can act with just her face?”
“If she got in as a parachute, she should at least stay quiet.”
Of course, Sua was the only one welcoming Seo-yeon. Most of the others were busy clicking their tongues at her.
Her looks? They were undeniably beautiful. Even among a crowd of child actors who were all exceptionally good-looking, her appearance truly shone.
But that only made people scowl more. It felt as if she had secured this spot based on her looks alone.
‘She’s lucky. Getting a role like this just from one CF.’
The soy milk commercial? Of course they had seen it. It was certainly a well-made ad, but dramas were a completely different story.
“I heard she’s only six years old.”
“I wonder if she can even memorize the script properly.”
“Well, at least it means there’s one less competitor for a spot, right?”
A few managers and people from the acting academies whispered among themselves. Usually, they refrained from speaking harshly about child actors signed to agencies to avoid getting on the agency's bad side.
However, Seo-yeon clearly had no agency and had simply lucked her way in. To them, she was easy prey.
On the other hand, unlike Seo-yeon, there was a child actor receiving attention for all the right reasons.
“That’s the girl who was in that daily drama, right?”
“Ah, the one who shouted, ‘I hate you, Unnie!’? Wow, she’s grown so much.”
As those whispers reached her, the child actor in question, Jo Seo-hee, huffed with pride.
‘Why do I even have to audition? It’s so exhausting.’
Jo Seo-hee was confident. The other child actors were all formidable, but even so, they couldn't compare to her. Not only did she have experience in historical dramas, but she also had the experience of appearing in a daily drama.
As the name suggested, daily dramas aired every day, making acting a part of one's daily routine. Not only that, but since filming happened every single day, it required immense stamina. However, because they aired during prime time, they had the advantage of quickly building public recognition.
Just looking at Temptation of the Sister-in-law, which had gained cult-like popularity a few years ago, the impact was enormous.
With experience in historical dramas and overwhelming acting experience, Jo Seo-hee and her manager were confident. Confident that they wouldn't fail the audition.
“Oh, he’s here!!”
However, there was one person even Jo Seo-hee had to acknowledge. A boy walking slowly with his manager.
Seeing him, several girls let out small gasps of admiration.
“Wow, he’s only ten, but he’s already so handsome.”
“He already has the aura. I guess his genes really are different.”
Watching from a distance, the production producer, Ha Tae-oh, smiled with satisfaction.
“I’m already looking forward to Park Jung-woo’s performance. His skills grow every time I see him; the adult actors better stay on their toes. It would be embarrassing to be outshone by a child, wouldn't it?”
These weren't just empty words of praise. He was the son of Park Sun-woong, an actor who had starred in three movies that surpassed ten million viewers. Even Park Jung-woo himself had experience appearing in a ten-million-viewer film.
Playing the role of a child kidnapped by terrorists, Park Jung-woo was a child actor who had stunned the nation with his incredible acting skills. Although he had no experience in historical dramas, his genius-level acting ability was enough to draw everyone’s attention.
‘Wow, they really do say a true genius shows their potential from the start.’
Seo-yeon was also inwardly surprised seeing Park Jung-woo.
So that’s what a natural-born alpha male looks like.
In The Moon that Hides the Sun, Park Jung-woo wouldn't just gain massive popularity; he would go on to hit the jackpot with his next drama as well. After that, he would continue his success story with a consecutive mega-hit movie. Though he would stumble a few times along the way, he was a child who lived up to the name of being a great actor’s son.
‘Ah, now isn’t the time for this. I need to memorize the script.’
Seo-yeon, who had been momentarily distracted, checked the script they had handed out at the audition hall. Because she had changed her clothes late, she had relatively less time to look at it.
‘Oh.’
Seo-yeon’s eyes widened as she scanned the script.
‘This is the highlight.’
To be precise, it was the highlight of the second episode. The scene where the young male lead, Yoon Seo-il, and the young female lead, Lee Hye-wol, part ways. It was the scene that was supposed to make the whole nation cry in episode two, but only ‘almost’ did.
‘I remember it being a bit... bland.’
It wasn't that anyone had acted poorly. It was a highlight, but it was just a scene that came out... decently? It felt something like that.
Seo-yeon recalled the scene from the drama she had seen in the past and began memorizing the script step by step. She considered using Jo Seo-hee’s acting as a reference but soon shook her head.
‘There’s no point in imitating someone else’s acting.’
Hadn't she already learned that from the soy milk CF?
Watching Seo-yeon quietly read the script, Sua asked Jo Min-tae, “Do you think Seo-yeon can memorize the script well?”
“I’m not sure. Wouldn't you know better, ma'am?”
“She’s good at memorizing things in general, but... I don’t know.”
Sua had no doubt that her daughter was a genius. Still, a worry was a worry. Jo Min-tae was also concerned about the script. For Seo-yeon, who had only ever filmed a CF, this would be a significant challenge. The sheer number of lines was on a completely different level.
“Alright! It looks like it’s time, so let’s begin.”
As soon as two hours had passed, Ha Tae-oh stood up and announced.
“First, we will select the opposing roles by drawing numbers. For the role of Lee Hye-wol, please draw a number from the red box, and for Yoon Seo-il, draw from the blue box. Those with the same number will be partners.”
In a two-person acting scene, the partner is incredibly important. Yet, that crucial partner was being decided at random. Naturally, most of them couldn't help but feel nervous.
‘Please, just don’t let it be Park Jung-woo!’
‘Please, let me avoid Jo Seo-hee!’
The managers and academy teachers desperately prayed that the children they brought would avoid the ‘dangerous’ ones. The boys prayed they wouldn't get Jo Seo-hee, and the girls prayed they wouldn't get Park Jung-woo. If their partner’s acting was too superior, their own presence would surely be swallowed up.
‘Please let it be the parachute. Please the parachute, please the parachute!!’
On the other hand, the easiest target was Seo-yeon. Standing there blankly with an unreadable expression, she had the face of an ordinary person who had no idea what was going on.
“Alright, then. Number 1, please step forward.”
Number 1.
Under the pressure of being the first to perform, two children stepped out. Both felt relieved that their partner wasn't a ‘dangerous person’ and began their acting.
“Hmm...”
Many people, including Producer Ha Tae-oh, the cinematographer, and the casting director, gathered to watch their performance.
“Next, Number 2.”
Team by team, they went through the auditions without any particular praise. Most of them performed reasonably well without any major flaws.
“Number 7, please step forward.”
When Number 7 was called, Jo Seo-hee stepped out.
“Ah...”
Naturally, the boy who was her partner looked like he was heading to his execution. His acting teacher had told him that he must avoid Jo Seo-hee at all costs.
And then, the acting began. It was the scene where Lee Hye-wol and Yoon Seo-il part ways, promising to meet again in the distant future. A poignant farewell between Lee Hye-wol, who had to leave for a far-off place due to a rebellion, and Yoon Seo-il.
「I will... come back. I promise, I will...」
As Jo Seo-hee spoke with a tearful voice, the boy playing opposite her couldn't quite keep up. He tried his best, but his presence was completely eclipsed.
“She’s not called the Princess of Daily Dramas for nothing.”
“Indeed.”
“It’s not easy to bring out those emotions in such a short time.”
It was the first bit of praise. Jo Seo-hee scanned the audition hall with a triumphant look before returning to her seat.
“Now, let’s see... moving on.”
As the call-outs continued, Park Jung-woo stepped forward when Number 10 was mentioned. Immediately, sighs of relief were heard from some, while his partner’s face filled with despair.
“I-I will... come back.”
The performance that followed was disastrous. Completely overwhelmed by Park Jung-woo, who poured out his lines first, the girl even began to stutter. Between her vocalization and everything else, it couldn't even be called acting.
“Hmm... I can’t really tell because the partner was so poor.”
“Still, Park Jung-woo’s vibe is definitely different. He’s several levels above the other kids.”
A few children flinched at the harsh criticism. They knew they would have ended up the same way if they had been paired with Jo Seo-hee or Park Jung-woo.
“How many teams are left? Number 11, please step forward.”
At the next call, a nervous boy stepped out. Unfortunately, because he was right after Park Jung-woo, it felt like he would be compared.
“Oh!”
The boy let out an involuntary exclamation of joy before quickly covering his mouth. It was because the girl everyone had been calling a ‘parachute’ had finally stepped forward. Because of that, the boys still waiting for their turn looked at him with envious eyes.
‘A girl who filmed a few CFs and got lucky enough to catch an official’s eye and get an audition.’
That was the impression everyone there had of Seo-yeon—a self-proclaimed, universally acknowledged parachute.
“Her visuals are... certainly something.”
“There’s a reason the CF turned out so well. She definitely has an aura.”
Even those who had been mocking her acknowledged Seo-yeon’s appearance. Standing there quietly, she possessed a mysterious atmosphere that girls her age couldn't typically produce.
However, acting wasn't done with just an aura or a face.
“Well then... please begin.”
At the director’s word, the boy in the neat hanbok spoke out vigorously toward Seo-yeon, who stood with her back turned.
「Your Highness, Your Highness! Where on earth are you going!」
Yoon Seo-il reached out to catch Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol, who had to leave soon. On the hill where they often spent time together, the two shared their final conversation.
Hearing the young Yoon Seo-il’s words, Princess Yeonhwa slowly...
She turned her body.
The first thing that caught his eye was her eyes.
Princess Yeonhwa’s eyes were slightly narrowed, as if she were looking at something dazzling. Those narrowed eyes gradually widened as she looked at Yoon Seo-il, who had called her.
They were eyes filled with joy, happiness, and a poignant affection. The boy’s face was reflected in her pupils, which were as red as the sunset.
“...”
In that moment.
The boy facing her lost his words. He forgot the lines he was supposed to say next. His lips and tongue froze.
It was only natural.
Because standing before him was Princess Yeonhwa herself.