Chapter 12: Qualification of a Lead (2)
Chapter 12: Qualification of a Lead (2)
"Ju Seo-yeon, when are your audition results coming out?"
As soon as I arrived at the kindergarten, Lee Ji-yeon shook my arm and asked.
For the record, she hadn't missed a single day asking this question since the day after the audition, a full week ago.
Talk about persistence.
If nothing else, I had to give it to Lee Ji-yeon for her sheer tenacity.
‘But it should be coming out soon.’
I had definitely heard they would let us know within a week.
However, my mom hadn't received any calls, and there were no replies in our email or mailbox.
‘If I fail, do they just not send anything?’
Thinking back, I had never actually failed an audition before.
If they really didn't send anything in the event of a failure, I might actually be a bit shocked.
"Lee Ji-yeon."
"What?"
"If you fail, do they just not contact you at all?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
I looked away as Ji-yeon asked with narrowed eyes.
I couldn't bring myself to say, 'Because I figured you'd have failed a lot.'
Of course, regardless of how often she might have failed, I had no doubt that Lee Ji-yeon would become a great actress in the future.
"Seo-yeon!"
Just then, the Flower Class teacher called out to me in an urgent voice.
The way she beckoned me looked so frantic that I could even feel a sense of tension.
‘Wait, did something happen?’
The thought crossed my mind instantly.
There weren't many reasons for a teacher to call a child so urgently in a place like this.
An accident? Or had something dangerous happened?
"Oh my, Teacher Hyun-young, you'll scare Seo-yeon if you call her like that."
"Ah! I-I'm sorry. I was just so surprised."
At the words of the Sun Class teacher who appeared behind her, Hyun-young finally realized and apologized to me with an "Oh" expression.
"I'm sorry, Seo-yeon. Teacher scared you, didn't she?"
"No. I'm okay."
I was startled, but more than that, I was curious about what was going on.
Hyun-young, the Flower Class teacher, was usually a very calm person.
It was rare to see her calling me with such a flushed face.
"Come here. All the other teachers are watching right now."
"Pardon?"
Watching?
Wondering what she meant, I quietly followed behind Hyun-young.
And Lee Ji-yeon, who had been watching the situation, slipped in behind me.
After staring at Hyun-young's back for a moment, Ji-yeon whispered in my ear.
"Do you think it has something to do with that audition?"
"No way."
Does this girl connect everything to that?
‘In the first place, if it were related to the audition, they would have contacted my house, not the kindergarten.’
Even if it were good news, my dad, Young-bin, or my mom, Sua, weren't the types to come to the kindergarten for something like that.
They would worry about being a nuisance to the teachers.
"Seo-yeon. Look over there."
In the place I followed Hyun-young to, there was a small TV.
The teachers were huddled around, watching the screen.
In fact, it wasn't just the teachers; several children were also sitting nearby, watching the TV.
「Special Feature!! KMB’s Ambitiously Prepared Making-of Film for The Moon that Hides the Sun! Part One!」
Those words were plastered on the top right of the screen.
I blinked several times, double-checking the text.
"Wow, Seo-yeon is such a good actress..."
One of the teachers muttered blankly.
At her words, I turned my gaze toward the screen.
A familiar scene was playing out.
It was the audition held not long ago to cast the young Yoon Seo-il and young Lee Hye-wol.
It showed me performing in front of many child actors and the judges.
Of course, since it contained spoilers for the drama, the specific details were cut out.
However, the acting where I stood still and looked back—and the ad-lib that wasn't in the original script—were aired as they were.
The camera zoomed in on a child actor who was moved to tears by my lines.
At the same time, the screen alternated between Jo Seo-hee's serious face and my calm one.
"Wow, that's incredible. You can't look down on them just because it's kids' acting."
"Teacher Han, who do you think got the part? Surely our Flower Class Seo-yeon?"
"But looking at skill alone, that girl Jo Seo-hee was no joke either..."
"I've seen that girl before; she's highly praised in daily dramas."
The three kindergarten teachers discussed the acting they had just seen, debating who might have been cast as Lee Hye-wol.
To be honest, as the subject of the discussion, my face felt hot, but I was also curious.
‘Is it possible they're announcing the audition results through the making-of film?’
It was a very plausible guess.
If so, it explained why they hadn't informed us of the results yet.
And so, in the moment everyone held their breath, waiting to see who would be Lee Hye-wol!
「Who is the actress for Princess Yeonhwa Lee Hye-wol?! Please look forward to Part 2 of the Making-of Film!」
Bam! With a loud sound effect, that text appeared on the screen.
In an instant.
Everyone watching was lost for words.
And then.
"#$!$%$#!!!"
"Ugh!!! This is such a cheap way to broadcast. Isn't a making-of film supposed to be a preview for the drama anyway?"
"Exactly! Why are they making a teaser for a teaser!"
"I'm going to go leave a comment on the broadcasting station's website."
As soon as it ended, the teachers' outcries erupted.
Seeing them like that, Teacher Hyun-young, who had brought me there, whispered in my ear.
"Seo-yeon, so who ended up playing Lee Hye-wol?"
"..."
Teacher.
I'm the one who wants to know that.
*
Normally, drama making-of films aren't specifically scheduled for broadcast.
Most are just lightly pre-released on the internet.
However, the making-of film for The Moon that Hides the Sun (Taesumdal) was exceptionally chosen to be revealed on Entertainment Live Broadcast, a show that delivers the latest news from the station.
Almost like a segment of a variety show.
Furthermore, it wasn't just a one-off; it was being released in three parts, leading to rumors that KMB was going all-in on Taesumdal.
"The peak viewership rating for Entertainment Live Broadcast exceeded 10 percent!"
Naturally, the KMB producers and executives were all smiles.
As a drama with a massive investment, it was a project that absolutely could not fail.
To think the making-of film was already seeing this kind of effect.
"The usual rating for Entertainment Live Broadcast was around 4 to 5 percent, right? It's almost doubled!"
Kim Jung-hoon, a variety PD at KMB, was speechless at this brilliant result.
It was because the child actor audition had been so competitive and the footage was so good.
‘Park Jung-woo, and the two candidates for young Lee Hye-wol.’
Jo Seo-hee and Ju Seo-yeon.
In terms of career, Ju Seo-yeon couldn't even be compared to Jo Seo-hee.
But looking at this performance alone, was Ju Seo-yeon any worse than Park Jung-woo or Jo Seo-hee?
‘Absolutely not.’
Furthermore, people naturally root for the underdog.
Ju Seo-yeon was the underdog.
At first, she was in an unfavorable position, looking like a "parachute" hire, but she flipped public opinion by proving her outstanding acting skills.
Currently, Seo-yeon was being seen as a pitiful child actor who, despite having such incredible talent, hadn't been able to build a career because she lacked a proper agency.
‘Director Jo Bang-woo’s standing is going to rise as well.’
Director Jo Bang-woo, who discovered Seo-yeon, was also being mentioned.
Of course, it wasn't known to the general public yet, but no one in the broadcasting station was unaware of that fact.
"Since they're child actors, we should get them on a variety show while they're this popular."
"Right. Child actors often get buried quickly even if they become a hot topic."
From the perspective of the KMB variety department, they wanted to ride this wave while it was hot.
As time passes and child actors grow up, the situation changes.
The level of acting required increases, and there's always the risk of an awkward growth spurt.
No matter how pretty they are now, there's no guarantee their looks will stay the same when they grow up.
‘I’ll have to bring it up later.’
They had to seize this opportunity now.
Kim Jung-hoon was certain of it.
*
Ju Seo-yeon, still 6 years old.
In this period, with my 7th birthday not far off, a great trial had befallen me.
"Seo-yeon, so who became Lee Hye-wol?"
"Did Seo-yeon win?"
"How was that Jo Seo-hee girl on set? She didn't bully you, did she?"
Perhaps I had underestimated the impact of terrestrial television.
If I, who had only just gained attention through a making-of film, was like this, I couldn't even imagine how kids like Jo Seo-hee lived.
"I'm not sure."
"Oh, stop lying..."
"Oh, Tae-yong's mom. Haven't you heard? Usually, you're not allowed to talk about these things. They sign contracts and everything."
"Ah, I see. Oh dear, I'm sorry, Seo-yeon."
Several neighborhood women were apologizing, greeting, and questioning me—it was a total mess.
It was a good thing I had a thick skin; if I were a normal child, the stress would have been unbearable.
"Still, the rest of the video is being released today."
My mom spoke in the calmest tone possible, but her face was pale as if she might faint at any moment.
Since today was the day Part 2 of the making-of film was being released, she seemed incredibly nervous.
‘If it’s Part 2, then the scene where I acted with Park Jung-woo will come out.’
By the time the first acting session was over, Park Jung-woo was already halfway locked in for the role of "young Yoon Seo-il."
Of course, they hadn't announced it there, but everyone would have guessed as much.
So, in the subsequent auditions, Jo Seo-hee and I had to perform opposite Park Jung-woo.
This was definitely something that hadn't happened in my past life.
‘He was certainly... different.’
Living up to his reputation as the son of a legendary actor, Park Jung-woo felt different from other child actors from the start.
Even I had momentarily wondered if this was really a child's acting.
"Seo-yeon, h-hurry and come here, let's watch with Mommy! Oh, what do I do? Mommy's so nervous."
If Dad had been here, we would have watched the live broadcast together, but since he hadn't come home from work yet, it was just me and Mom.
「Special Feature!! KMB’s Ambitiously Prepared Making-of Film for The Moon that Hides the Sun! Part Two!」
A newly established segment on Entertainment Live Broadcast.
The moment everyone had been waiting for: who is the actress for "young Lee Hye-wol"?
The place where it would be revealed.
At that time, I didn't realize.
The moment Jo Seo-hee and I performed opposite the young Yoon Seo-il.
That the viewership rating for Entertainment Live Broadcast temporarily soared to a staggering 15 percent.
And.
"...Seo-yeon."
When all the acting was over.
The actress for Princess Yeonhwa Lee Hye-wol was revealed.
It must have been an upset.
Even my mom, Sua, just stared at me blankly.
The girl who had defeated the princess of daily dramas, Jo Seo-hee.
The girl who had seized the qualification of a lead.
Yes.
It was me.