Chapter 24: Preview Screening (1)
Chapter 24: Preview Screening (1)
Eunha Entertainment, the agency Lee Ji-yeon belonged to.
Seo-ah had no intention of leaving Ji-yeon in a place that felt like a ticking time bomb.
After all, Ji-yeon was the only one at the kindergarten who hung out with her...
Wait, do I not have any friends?
Suddenly, and quite belatedly, Seo-ah realized that fact.
Thinking back, while she had brushed past other kids at the kindergarten, none of them really approached her.
Why?
Even Ji-yeon had other friends.
Seo-ah was momentarily shocked, but it was only natural.
Who would easily strike up a conversation with a child who stood there blankly without opening her mouth whenever she was at school?
From the other children's perspective, the wild and boisterous Lee Ji-yeon was much easier to deal with.
Anyway.
Seo-ah shook her head vigorously.
That wasn't what was important right now.
I have to get Ji-yeon out of Eunha Entertainment.
Since it was an agency, terminating the contract wouldn't be that difficult.
However, it was unlikely that Ji-yeon, let alone her mother Hong Jin-hee, would easily give up a connection they had worked so hard to obtain.
They won't believe me if I say it, since I'm just a kid.
In the end, it had to be an adult.
Specifically, if the words came from Sua, who had recently been accompanying Seo-ah to filming sets, even Hong Jin-hee would have no choice but to be persuaded.
...That was Seo-ah’s scheme.
"S-Seo-ah."
Of course, from Sua’s perspective, this was incredibly burdensome.
To begin with, the woman in front of her, Hong Jin-hee, was someone Sua remembered.
She’s the one who was glaring at Seo-ah during her first audition.
Although Jin-hee was speaking to her in a friendly manner, this was the first time Sua and Jin-hee were actually meeting.
It was the first time Seo-ah was visiting a friend's house.
Since it was a child working in the same industry as her daughter, Sua understood why she had to greet the mother.
But still.
To ask me to persuade her to move to a different agency...
She had every intention of doing her best to fulfill Seo-ah’s request.
However, this was truly unexpected.
Hong Jin-hee’s eyes were quite sharp, reminding Sua of the "scary unnies" from her high school days.
If she hadn't been wearing an awkward smile, Sua might have squeezed her eyes shut in intimidation.
...A family of celebrities?
On the other hand, Ji-yeon’s mother, Hong Jin-hee, was experiencing her own version of culture shock.
Back then, she had been so focused on Seo-ah that she hadn't really looked at the mother.
But seeing her now, she could guess where those looks came from.
And above all, her chest.
No, seriously, her chest.
It’s huge.
Gulp. Jin-hee reflexively swallowed hard.
Impressive. So that kind of size was possible for a Korean woman.
On top of that, Sua’s looks were something else entirely.
Was this really the face of a mother who had given birth?
"Um, Seo-ah’s mother, how old did you say you were?"
"I-I’m twenty-nine... years old."
She’s young!
Well, she looked young, but still...
Was it a shotgun wedding?
Jin-hee’s mind raced, a rare occurrence.
Twenty-nine, and my daughter is seven... Seo-ah is the same age... so she got pregnant and gave birth at twenty-one or twenty-two...
Definitely a shotgun wedding.
Jin-hee became genuinely curious about what the husband looked like.
"You’re... incredibly young."
"T-Thank you. You look very young for your age too, Ji-yeon’s mother."
"..."
Is she taking a jab at me?
For a moment, Jin-hee wanted to ask, but she lost her words when she saw Sua suddenly squeeze her eyes shut.
"Seo-ah’s mother?"
"Ah, I-I’m sorry. I just felt a yawn coming on."
Sua steeled her nerves.
She stole a glance at her beloved daughter.
"..."
Seeing Seo-ah’s eyes fixed intently on her, she hurriedly turned her gaze back to Hong Jin-hee.
Let’s get this over with quickly. Sua made up her mind and spoke.
"Um, it’s a bit difficult to say this since we just met... but I heard something at the filming set recently..."
Sua began to speak as cautiously as possible.
It was about Eunha Entertainment.
It was the kind of topic that could easily be taken the wrong way, but fortunately, Sua was in a position where her advice carried weight.
Seo-ah had already appeared in a drama as a child actress, so it was plausible that Sua, who followed her around, had overheard something.
"Is... is that true?"
"Yes."
Of course, Sua was just relaying what Seo-ah had told her.
Just in case, she had asked Assistant Director Jo, and he had said something similar.
"Eunha Ent? I’ve heard of them... the rumors definitely aren't good."
As a CF director, Jo Min-tae knew agencies well.
Eunha Entertainment was one of them.
"I see..."
Following Sua’s words, Hong Jin-hee’s face became clouded with worry.
It was flustering, but if it were true, she needed to make a decision for her daughter’s future.
"...Thank you for telling me. I’ll look into it myself."
"Y-Yes."
It was an agency they had worked hard to get into.
It wouldn't be easy to give up... but she didn't want to leave her daughter there to suffer.
Observing Jin-hee’s expression, Sua finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, she glanced over at her daughter, who was watching the scene.
Seo-ah, Mommy did well, right?
Yes.
Meeting Sua’s eyes, Seo-ah nodded and gave her a thumbs up.
...Sometimes, my daughter’s expressions are strangely like a boy’s, aren't they?
Oh, right.
Watching Seo-ah, Sua almost forgot the most important part and hurriedly spoke up.
"Ah! And, there’s one place I’d like to recommend instead."
Sua spoke to Jin-hee as if she had just remembered.
The agency to go to instead of Eunha Entertainment.
It was the agency that the actress who filmed the CF with Seo-ah—Actress Kim Jung-ha—would join in the future.
*
The Moon That Hides the Sun.
A highly anticipated project being prepared by KMB.
Since no significant footage had been released since the making-of video, the hype had been cooling down slightly.
Posts began to appear on various drama communities.
Specifically, news about the pre-teaser event held in front of the Coex Vegabox.
There was plenty of mockery online.
People were saying they used the making-of film just for clickbait and were delaying the release because the actual drama turned out mediocre. All sorts of rumors were flying around.
-
While the debate raged between those who had seen the teaser and those who hadn't, a new post appeared.
The drama’s teaser site had officially opened.
Along with a one-minute teaser video.
So far, five episodes of The Moon That Hides the Sun had been filmed.
That one-minute video contained short snippets from those first five episodes.
[The tragic princess driven out of the palace by her uncle’s rebellion, Princess Yeonhwa.]
The video first showed the drama’s protagonist, Princess Yeonhwa.
A cheerful child.
Her first meeting with Yoon Seo-il.
And then.
"Unhand me!"
With a sharp command that flipped the atmosphere, she transformed into a completely different person.
She was no longer the cheerful girl from a few seconds ago; she was Princess Yeonhwa herself.
As Princess Yeonhwa left the palace, the video transitioned to her adult self.
Then, Park Jung-woo, playing the young Yoon Seo-il, took over the narrative.
The teaser showcased the drama’s atmosphere along with glimpses of various supporting characters.
One minute.
It was a short video, hardly long at all.
However, with just that, the sentiment in the drama communities began to shift.
A day after the teaser for The Moon That Hides the Sun was released.
The view count reached a staggering 400,000.
This was the second-highest record for a KMB drama teaser in the last three years.
*
"Producer Ha! The Director is on the line!"
"Ah, yes, yes. Give it here, give it here."
Ha Tae-oh answered the phone with a broad grin on his face.
The response to the drama teaser was even better than expected.
If it hit 400,000 on the first day, they could aim for 1 million, or even 1.5 million eventually.
If it reached 1.5 million, it would become the KMB drama with the highest teaser views ever.
"Yes, of course. Preparations for the preview screening are going smoothly. I’ll make sure as many actors as possible attend."
For a moment, Ha Tae-oh wondered, Will Seo-ah come? but he made the promise anyway.
No, Seo-ah had to come. They were screening up to episode 2; how could the lead of those episodes be missing?
"...Whew."
After finally hanging up and letting out a sigh, Ha Tae-oh felt a lingering anxiety.
Seo-ah will say she’s coming to the screening, right?
Usually, if a producer made a request, most actors would come running, but Seo-ah was a child actor.
For child actors, many of whom quit acting as they grow up, a producer’s influence was strangely limited.
Her face looked worried, though.
After the teaser event ended, Seo-ah had exuded a grim determination, as if saying, 'This isn't enough yet... I shall return once I have grown stronger...'
It was almost as if she had the face of someone who would never appear at an offline event again.
"By the way, have you heard anything from Seo-ah? She must be the talk of the town right now."
"Pardon? Ah, no, not yet. That’s probably because..."
While Ha Tae-oh was trying to figure out how to win Seo-ah’s favor, he recalled what she had said in response to his colleague’s question. If it was today...
"She’s probably at her school talent show."
"What? Today of all days?"
"I guess so."
The day after the drama teaser became a massive hit.
It was obvious what the situation at the talent show would be like.