Chapter 17: The Aquarium and the Sea (2)
Chapter 17: The Aquarium and the Sea (2)
One week remained until Ju Seo-yeon turned seven.
On set, the crew was busy preparing to film a new scene.
I suppose we can’t delay it any longer, the staff thought, stealing glances at Seo-yeon.
Standing there blankly, Seo-yeon looked perfectly fine, but the crew was walking on eggshells. After all, that incident had happened during filming just two weeks ago. It wasn't just anyone, but the veteran actress Jung Eun-seon who had called her out like that.
I guess she didn't tell them, Seo-yeon thought, feeling a bit puzzled by the way the staff kept peeking at her.
While she appreciated the considerate atmosphere, she wondered if it was necessary. The conversation she’d had with Sua and Director Gong Jeong-tae that day had been kept strictly confidential.
As a result, Jung Eun-seon had become, in the eyes of the crew, someone who had criticized a six-year-old child actor for no apparent reason.
Well, they did have one guess as to why: because Seo-yeon had landed the role of Princess Yeonhwa instead of Jo Seo-hee.
Because of that, the other staff and actors couldn't help but worry about the upcoming scenes between Seo-yeon and Jung Eun-seon.
The person most burdened by this was the director, Gong Jeong-tae.
Most of the remaining shoots are scenes featuring Seo-yeon.
And there were quite a few of them. Princess Yeonhwa, Seo-yeon’s character, was the lead of this segment.
The young Princess Yeonhwa was only scheduled to appear in three episodes. While that might sound like a small amount, the actual number of filming sessions was significant. Generally, for a 16-episode drama, there are about 100 filming sessions. This meant that filming three episodes required a little over six sessions per episode.
And that’s assuming we film everything without any mistakes.
They had to budget roughly twenty filming sessions for Seo-yeon. So far, she had only completed one. She had nineteen more to go. Even with other scenes interspersed, it was bound to be an exhausting schedule.
“Seo-yeon’s mother, will she be alright?”
“...”
Sua watched Seo-yeon, who was vigorously stretching a short distance away. Look at her, acting so nonchalant without a care for how worried everyone else was. On the surface, she truly seemed fine.
...No, was she actually just fine? It was reaching the point where those worrying about her felt like the strange ones.
“She... seems okay, doesn't she?”
“...Hmm.”
“Hehe, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure myself.”
Seo-yeon was her daughter, but Sua honestly thought she was a peculiar child. Even as a baby, she rarely cried, and she never asked for anything for herself. Even her start in acting had been Sua’s suggestion.
However, this time was different.
“This time, Seo-yeon was the one who said she wanted to do it first.”
While it was adorable to see her daughter speak with such confidence, a mother’s heart couldn't help but worry. She was simply grateful to Director Gong Jeong-tae for being so attentive to Seo-yeon.
“So, please don't worry too much. I’m just thankful you’ve been so considerate.”
It was rare for a director to care this much about a single child actor. Usually, managing an actor was their own responsibility.
“Well, a talented actor is an asset to a director, after all.”
Though there were some shaky moments, Gong Jeong-tae believed Seo-yeon’s talent was the real deal. A genuine talent recognized by Jung Eun-seon herself. Within that small chest, she harbored an ocean of emotions so vast she couldn't even handle it herself.
Gong Jeong-tae was no rookie director. He had several hits under his belt and had seen many actors throughout his career. Among them were those who shone like morning stars.
Just like Seo-yeon was doing now.
Director Jo Bang-woo didn't keep his eye on this kid for nothing.
With that thought, Gong Jeong-tae nodded as the set preparations seemed complete.
“Alright, today’s scene is the first official meeting between the young Yoon Seo-il and the young Lee Hye-wol.”
Gong Jeong-tae began directing the young actors who would carry the future of the Korean acting industry. He explained in detail how they should act and how to express the scene.
And then.
Filming officially began.
*
Park Jung-woo, playing the role of the young Yoon Seo-il, found the girl in front of him quite fascinating.
She’s not nervous at all.
Park Jung-woo was the only son of the powerhouse actor Park Sun-woong. He was ten years old, but with five years of experience, he was a veteran child actor in his own right. Even Jo Seo-hee, the darling of daily dramas, was just an ordinary child actor in front of him. It was safe to say that no other child actor in his age group had a better career than Park Jung-woo.
To someone like him, Seo-yeon had been intriguing from the start. It was true during the audition, and it was true now.
“Alright, cue the cameras. ...Action!!”
The shoot began with Gong Jeong-tae’s shout. The acting of the young Yoon Seo-il and the young Lee Hye-wol commenced. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the children performed.
The meeting between Yoon Seo-il, the son of the Head of Sungkyunkwan, and Lee Hye-wol, who had secretly snuck out of the palace.
「My Lady, are you perhaps Her Highness, Princess Yeonhwa?」
「Y-you have the wrong, wrong person!」
At the serious words of the young Yoon Seo-il, the young Lee Hye-wol ran away as if fleeing. She even stumbled over her words, which felt incredibly natural.
Gong Jeong-tae checked the script. The part ‘Startled, her pronunciation falters’ was clearly written there. It followed the script, but it felt like a more natural interpretation.
I felt this during her previous acting too.
She seemed to read the script and capture the feeling in her own way. He felt that this kind of interpretation was another one of Seo-yeon’s talents, separate from her emotional acting.
And besides.
Gong Jeong-tae watched the performance in silence. Their acting was flawless. Not just the lines, but their subtle gestures and movements were the very essence of the young Yoon Seo-il and Princess Yeonhwa. Even the staff watched as if spellbound. The other actors were smiling and whispering in admiration. They seemed surprised by the performance of these rising sprouts.
The emotional range is a bit narrower than before, isn't it?
The ‘Princess Yeonhwa’ vibe was less intense than during the audition or when she had performed with Jung Eun-seon. If deep emotional acting was like submerging one's body deep into water, this felt like skipping across the surface.
The funny thing is, it actually suits the scene better.
He wasn't sure if it was intentional. But thinking about it, this was a perfectly correct interpretation. From the moment Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol, left the palace, she was essentially ‘Princess Yeonhwa acting as a commoner.’ Therefore, it was only natural for her actions and tone to be somewhat awkward or for her emotions to be slightly off.
Just like Seo-yeon was now.
“Cut! You both did great! It was perfect.”
As Gong Jeong-tae shouted with his hand raised, the two young actors finally caught their breath. Park Jung-woo, in particular, looked at Seo-yeon with surprised eyes.
She’s become even more natural than before.
There must have been areas where her actions were lacking, but now those gaps were thinner. Park Jung-woo had also skimmed through the script for the young Lee Hye-wol. He honestly thought it was quite difficult, but she had matched his pace perfectly.
“You’re pretty amazing.”
“Pardon?”
Seo-yeon, who was wiping sweat from her forehead, felt a bit embarrassed by Park Jung-woo’s praise.
Getting complimented by a ten-year-old.
Well, her acting was essentially plucked from her past life, so of course she’d be good. But honestly, she had been a bit shaky this time, yet it seemed to have come across as natural.
It’s actually harder to be ambiguous than to do a strong mimicry.
This was a new realization. Since Seo-yeon’s emotional acting was a mimicry of real emotions, she always aimed for ‘perfection.’ Therefore, lowering that level to linger in the Uncanny Valley was more difficult than she’d expected. She reflected on her past self for thinking it would be simple.
The young powerhouse actors of the future really are different.
It wasn't that the child actors who had worked with Park Jung-woo before had their presence swallowed up. Of course, Seo-yeon had no intention of being pushed back. No, she couldn't let that happen. He was a real ten-year-old, after all.
While Park Jung-woo looked at Seo-yeon with a puzzled expression as she burned with determination...
“What were we even doing at that age?”
“Well, we’re supporting actors now, so let’s just have a drink and forget it.”
To the other actors, the two of them just looked like monster-tier child actors. Especially Seo-yeon, who hadn't even been acting for a year. On top of that, this was her first drama shoot. It was a level of talent that was practically unbelievable, even if one accounted for memories of a past life.
Seo-yeon herself didn't quite realize the gravity of it.
“Alright, let’s move straight into the next scene!”
After a brief break, Director Gong Jeong-tae’s voice rang out. His voice was much lighter than before. Of course, the staff could guess why.
Looks like we’ll be finishing early today.
Everyone loves getting off work early.
*
“How was filming today, sweetie?”
As soon as Ju Young-bin got home from work, he knocked on his daughter’s door and entered. When he opened the door, he found her sitting with a very serious face, with the robot toy and Ppiniping doll he’d bought her earlier placed in front of her.
“...What are you doing?”
“I was thinking.”
“About what?”
“Ppiniping and Tobot. Who is stronger?”
Young-bin actually had to think about that for a moment. Between a boy’s anime and a girl’s anime, who would truly be stronger? It was a serious topic he’d never considered.
Ahem, she really is a peculiar one sometimes.
She seemed to have no interest in girls' toys, yet she played with them just fine when given. But then, at the mart, she would naturally toss robot toys into the cart. She even had the robot toys displayed quite properly, like a professional.
“Well, I’m glad nothing happened.”
In any case, Young-bin was relieved that his daughter seemed fine. His wife, Sua, had been worried lately.
“Don't stay up too late playing.”
“Okay.”
As Young-bin closed the door and left, Seo-yeon glanced at the door and flopped backward.
Hmm, I don't know.
Of course, she didn't mean she didn't know who was stronger between Ppiniping and Tobot.
Real emotional acting.
If asked whether she could or couldn't do it, she probably could. However, to what extent she should do it, and whether she could control it, was a different matter. Jung Eun-seon was right about that. She had always been confident in emotional mimicry, but going beyond that was uncharted territory.
After all, facing her own emotions was something foreign to her. As the actress had said, it might leave a scar on her fragile child’s psyche. Her TS body might be invincible, but her hormones and mind could be a different story. There was no harm in being cautious.
“Hmm.”
Seo-yeon picked up the script lying beside her. There were scene numbers marked in red.
There are two places where real emotional acting is needed.
Scene numbers S#24 and S#32.
She wanted to act with sincerity in these parts, if nowhere else. Because these scenes were none other than...
The climax of the young Lee Hye-wol’s story.