Chapter 13: An Actor's Performance (1)
Chapter 13: An Actor's Performance (1)
"If I fail again this time, my family is going to kill me..."
Han Seon-ah, a repeat student studying for her second attempt to enter the Department of Journalism and Broadcasting at S University in Seoul, let out a deep, gloomy sigh.
Having missed the mark by a hair last time, she had been confident that she would surely pass the next. However, the only thing waiting for her at the end of that road was the label of a "second-year repeat student."
"Sigh."
Overwhelmed by depression, Seon-ah turned on the TV in her cramped studio apartment. Her heart was heavy and her head was throbbing; she couldn't bring herself to focus on her studies.
'Huh?'
Since she loved celebrity gossip, she was a regular viewer of Entertainment Live Broadcast, a show that frequently covered such topics. Usually, the program introduced the latest trending actors or idols, but for some reason, it was currently airing a making-of film for a drama.
"Geez, do they even show making-of films on network TV these days?"
From the looks of it, it seemed like a show they had invested quite a bit of money into.
The Moon That Hides the Sun.
According to the description, it was a fictional historical drama based on a fairly popular novel.
"Instead of this, they should tell us what my Hoseok-oppa is up to."
Suppressing the urge to change the channel, she kept watching, waiting for the next segment.
After the introduction of the drama and some talk about the cast, the audition to select the child actors who would play the 'protagonists in their youth' began.
Naturally, Han Seon-ah was indifferent. No matter how well a child actor performed, weren't they still just a child? Her only thought was, 'Oh, that girl was in that daily drama.'
"Wow, Park Sun-woong's son is already that big?"
Park Jung-woo, the son of Park Sun-woong—who was once famous for his handsome looks—caught Seon-ah's eye. As she gradually became immersed in the broadcast, she was inwardly surprised by the acting of the children who followed.
She had expected them to be slightly better than a school play at best since they were all young children, but she was completely wrong. Even at their age, they were young sprouts who knew how to act properly.
And the performances by Park Jung-woo and Jo Seo-hee that followed were like flowers already in full bloom. Beautiful flowers that commanded everyone's attention.
'I didn't realize it when she was in that daily drama, but she's really good.'
It made sense. The actors in daily dramas were all seasoned veterans. Jo Seo-hee's acting, which didn't feel awkward among them and actually stood out, was beyond being described as merely "excellent."
'She's going to take first place.'
That was what Seon-ah thought as she watched Jo Seo-hee. Anyone watching the child actors' performances so far would have thought the same. As for Park Jung-woo, there was no need to even mention him. Seeing how the other male child actors were discouraged, his spot was as good as decided.
Seon-ah, watching the broadcast, assumed all the roles had been settled.
'Huh?'
But it was then.
A girl, who had no presence until now, stepped forward and revealed herself.
She was a cute child. She had dark black hair and eyes that shimmered with a light brown—no, a reddish hue—giving off a strange sense of mystery. There was a stillness about her that one wouldn't expect from such a small child.
The captions introducing her stated that she had only six months of acting experience and that her only credits were commercial appearances. However, Seon-ah recognized the girl immediately.
"Oh, the soy milk girl!"
The child from the soy milk commercial that was currently all the rage. The image she had shown in that commercial was certainly very impressive.
'But can she act?'
Six months of experience and two commercial shoots. No matter how you looked at it, she fell short compared to the kids who had received proper training or had established careers. Could she overcome that with just a unique eye color and striking looks? Seon-ah had her doubts.
However, those thoughts changed completely once the acting began.
Princess Yeonhwa.
It was Princess Yeonhwa, appearing haughtily at the audition site. A sorrowful girl standing with the sunset at her back.
Seon-ah watched the "Soy Milk Girl's" performance in a daze. By the time she snapped out of it, the first part of the broadcast had already ended.
"No way! How can they end it like this!"
Seon-ah was indignant. This was the production team's manipulation, a despicable tactic to raise viewership ratings.
So, who was Princess Yeonhwa? Was it Jo Seo-hee or Ju Seo-yeon?
Seon-ah sat down at her desk, huffing and puffing. At some point, her headache had vanished. Her mind felt strangely refreshed for the first time in a long while.
*
"So, who do you think it'll be? Jo Seo-hee or the Soy Milk Girl?"
A week later.
Seon-ah had this conversation with a friend from her prep academy. Since they were applying for the Department of Journalism and Broadcasting, many of Seon-ah's friends were interested in the entertainment industry. Naturally, the Taesumdal audition became a topic of conversation.
"It's tough. But I'm leaning a bit more toward the Soy Milk Girl?"
"But the judges said Jo Seo-hee was more stable."
"Hey, you know how it is. Acting is about that spark! That brilliance!"
By the time such conversations had been exchanged several times, the second making-of broadcast began.
The acting in Part 2 was even more intense than in Part 1. Naturally, not every scene was shown to avoid spoilers, but the various snippets of acting were so good it was difficult to rank them.
Jo Seo-hee's acting was stable. Despite her youth, she felt professional. "Genius child actor"—that modifier certainly suited her.
In contrast, the acting of the Soy Milk Girl—no, Ju Seo-yeon—was rough. After seeing her perform a few times, it was clear what they meant by her being technically lacking.
However, she had presence. She had an intensity. There was something about her that appealed to the emotions, something that made it impossible to look away.
At some point, Seon-ah found herself rooting for Seo-yeon without even realizing it.
A fan.
Yes, perhaps it was because she had become a fan. Seon-ah felt more affection for Seo-yeon's raw acting than for Jo Seo-hee's polished performance.
And so, as the second broadcast came to an end...
Just as she was wondering if they would delay the announcement until a third broadcast, the screen transitioned.
[The child actor who will play the young Lee Hye-wol in The Moon That Hides the Sun is...]
The setting was a conference room. The cinematographer, producer, and various staff members seated there exchanged ballots.
And the result...
[The role of Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol, goes to Miss Ju Seo-yeon.]
Ju Seo-yeon won by a margin of two votes. A sense of satisfaction, as if she had finished a long-running variety show, washed over Seon-ah.
"...I definitely have to watch this drama."
Seon-ah muttered the words unconsciously. There were many dramas she had put off recently because of her studies. But this one, she vowed, she would watch as it aired.
*
After the making-of film, the level of attention on Seo-yeon skyrocketed.
Until then, the general assessment of Seo-yeon was "the cute girl from the soy milk CF." Now, it was multifaceted.
"The genius child actor who beat the princess of daily dramas, Jo Seo-hee!" some said.
"Jo Seo-hee acted better; this is just pushing a newcomer! They picked her based on looks alone!" others argued.
"Seo-yeon, you know, right? You mustn't look at the internet."
Sua's eyes and voice trembled. The vein throbbing on her forehead showed just how upset she was. Moreover, the dark circles under her eyes suggested she had been on the internet all night.
'I think she was fighting like crazy on the Next Makgora Plaza yesterday.'
Apparently, there had been a post about the audition on the internet portal site, Next. Sua had discovered slanderous comments about Seo-yeon on Next's Makgora Plaza—a place where various petitions and debates took place—and had spent the night with her sleeves rolled up, battling many people.
When Seo-yeon had stepped out to use the bathroom during the night, she had frozen for a moment upon seeing her mother fighting so valiantly. The sight was truly comparable to Zhang Fei at the Battle of Changban.
"Hmm, well, what can you do?"
In contrast, her father, Ju Young-bin, was very cool about it.
"You know, right, Seo-yeon? You have to prove it with your actual acting. Of course, Daddy trusts our Seo-yeon."
"Yes."
"Man, Daddy really feels like life is worth living these days thanks to you."
Ju Young-bin gave Seo-yeon's head a vigorous rub, then put on his tie and headed to work, humming a tune. Lately, going to the office was a joy for him.
After all, what do parents love most? Bragging about their children.
Whenever he arrived at work, many people around him would ask about Seo-yeon. In some cases, they even wanted to get an autograph in advance. Since one of those people was Team Leader Kim, who had been picking on Young-bin for every little thing, Young-bin felt like he was walking on clouds.
'Dad is really happy.'
Seo-yeon nodded as she watched him.
'So this is why people do auditions.'
It seemed there was nothing better than this to garner attention in a short amount of time. If VTubers also entered through auditions, wouldn't they get this kind of massive promotion?
'At this rate, maybe I could aim for a corporate-backed debut later...'
Don't they also select VTubers through auditions? If she appeared in one and performed like she did this time, it wouldn't be impossible to become a "monster rookie" overnight!
Sua, perhaps misinterpreting Seo-yeon's determined reaction, spoke in a firm tone.
"Seo-yeon, you shouldn't feel too much pressure, okay? And I've scheduled a hospital appointment for next time, so you have to go."
"Ah, yes."
Seo-yeon suddenly remembered that Sua had mentioned making a psychiatric appointment to manage Seo-yeon's stress. She thought it had been someone's suggestion...
'Hmm.'
Seo-yeon crossed her arms and let out a sigh. To be honest, it wasn't a place she particularly liked.
*
The promotion for The Moon That Hides the Sun was currently a huge success. Asking the PD of Entertainment Live Broadcast for a special segment had been the right move.
However, separate from that, PD Ha Tae-oh was inwardly anxious.
'Ju Seo-yeon... will she be okay?'
She was the winner chosen by vote. Based solely on the acting ability she showed during the audition, there was no room for doubt. However, this time, she wouldn't be acting alongside peers her own age.
She would be with actors. And among them, veterans recognized for their acting prowess.
Among the actors, there might be those who were dissatisfied that Jo Seo-hee—who had received proper training and followed the elite path—had been dropped.
'To be honest, that child is... well, she's closer to the unorthodox path.'
So to speak, she was a case of someone who had taken a shortcut rather than the standard route. Naturally, the more a professional actor had pride in their formal training, the more likely they were to view her unfavorably.
That was why Ha Tae-oh had given his vote to Jo Seo-hee during the audition. While Ju Seo-yeon had certainly delivered a greater shock, a filming set was different from an audition.
"PD Ha."
Just then, an actress with neatly styled graying hair called out to him.
"Ah! Yes, Actress Jung Eun-seon."
"I heard today is that child's first day of filming for the drama?"
"That... is correct."
"Hmm."
PD Ha stole a glance at Jung Eun-seon's expression. As expected of an actress, no emotion showed on her face. However, people have a certain aura. Having observed many actors for a long time, Ha Tae-oh could more or less read it.
'She's definitely been marked.'
Jung Eun-seon was a veteran actress. She was notoriously fastidious when it came to acting. In her eyes, Seo-yeon's unrefined acting was likely the definition of unsatisfactory.
'Besides, she openly showed how much she doted on Jo Seo-hee.'
Since she herself had become a great success after starting as a child actor, she was particularly fond of Jo Seo-hee, who had shown talent from a young age. She had even said during a variety show appearance that she was looking forward to filming a drama with Jo Seo-hee.
But then, that opportunity was suddenly snatched away. A stone from nowhere had come and smashed everything.
'I'll just have to hope that child has a strong mental state.'
Of all things, truly of all things... the role Jung Eun-seon had taken was Queen Dowager Eunhye.
In other words, the Queen Dowager to Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol.
Essentially, her grandmother.
