Chapter 27: Preview Screening (4)
Chapter 27: Preview Screening (4)
'I can't believe I actually won a ticket to the preview.'
Han Seon-ah, a student in the Department of Broadcasting at Seoul S University, clutched her trembling heart as she received her ticket at the entrance of the Vega Box where the preview was being held.
It was her first time applying for such a preview, and her first time winning.
Only after the ticket was firmly in her hand did the reality of the situation begin to sink in.
'Are previews usually this crowded?'
Since she had never attended a drama preview before, she had no way of knowing.
There were people who looked like reporters, but the majority were general audience members.
'The teaser video was really amazing, though...'
With a racing heart, Han Seon-ah entered Theater 1, where the preview was to take place.
She had heard that the competition for this drama's preview was quite intense. That meant expectations were high, and the impact of the teaser had been significant.
"But didn't they say only the child actors appear in episodes one and two?"
"Really? Kang Seong-chan isn't in them?"
In the seats in front of her, a few people who seemed to have won tickets together were chatting. They appeared to be fans of the actor Kang Seong-chan.
'What do you guys know!'
She wanted to shout it out, but the timid Han Seon-ah just kept to herself.
Just from the teaser alone, our Seo-yeon’s acting was the best.
She merely grumbled those words to herself.
"Good afternoon, everyone!"
As she waited for the preview to begin, a vibrant male voice boomed through the speakers.
Before she knew it, a man in a suit was standing in front of the screen with a microphone, looking out over the audience.
"Wow, so many of you have come out for today's preview! It makes me very happy to see how many people have been looking forward to the preview of The Moon That Hides the Sun."
The host then briefly explained how the preview would proceed.
First, the actors and the director would come on stage to give their greetings.
Then, there would be a brief gift giveaway and an event where people could take photos with the actors.
He concluded by explaining that the drama screening would begin after all of that was finished.
"Now then, shall we call out the stars of this drama together?"
At the host's cue, the audience let out a spirited shout.
The doors opened, and Director Gong Jeong-tae appeared along with the actors.
There were seven of them in total. It was the same group from the previous teaser event, with two more actors added to the lineup.
"Whoa, he's so handsome."
"The casting is really spot on. Ha Ye-seo is perfect for the female lead."
"The kids are cute, too."
The sound of the audience murmuring their evaluations of the actors filled the room.
Flashes went off as people took photos. Most were busy capturing the leads, Kang Seong-chan and Ha Ye-seo.
Hardly anyone was taking photos of the supporting actors or the child actors, Park Jung-woo and Ju Seo-yeon.
"I heard this is her first drama..."
"She looked okay in the teaser, didn't she?"
"Would they ever put the bad parts in a teaser? They obviously show the best cuts."
The voices of reporters could also be heard.
Amidst this, Director Gong Jeong-tae expressed his ambitions for The Moon That Hides the Sun.
Next, the lead actor, Kang Seong-chan, took the microphone.
"As I've said before, this drama was a time for me to learn a lot. In particular, the acting of these young friends here was so incredible that I worked really hard so as not to be embarrassed."
When Kang Seong-chan said that with a smile, the audience burst into laughter. They clearly thought he was joking.
After Kang Seong-chan, the microphone passed to Ha Ye-seo, and then to the supporting actors.
As his turn gradually approached, Park Jung-woo looked at Seo-yeon with a look of wonder.
Speaking in front of so many people watching him was quite a burden. However, Seo-yeon was calm and composed, as she always was.
"You're not nervous at all. Is this really your first time doing something like this?"
"Yes."
Seo-yeon answered casually as she looked out at the audience.
If she hadn't experienced the kindergarten play, she might have been inwardly nervous.
But whether in terms of numbers or scale, the kindergarten play had far more people.
How could Park Jung-woo understand the intensity of parents' glares every time she took away their child's screen time?
"Have you ever been to kindergarten?"
Park Jung-woo was flustered by Seo-yeon's sudden question. He had been busy with child acting since he was young, so he had never attended a place like kindergarten.
"? ...No?"
But why does that matter?
When he looked at her with that question in his eyes, Seo-yeon turned her head away with a strangely triumphant expression.
No, if you're going to say something, you should give a proper answer.
He wanted to say something back, but the microphone was handed to him before he could.
The children's interviews that followed were perfectly ordinary. It was just, "I'm Park Jung-woo and Ju Seo-yeon, playing the young Yoon Seo-il and young Princess Yeonhwa."
It was only natural, as almost no one there was particularly interested in the child actors.
The event that followed was the same. Most people wanted to take photos with Kang Seong-chan and Ha Ye-seo, while the supporting actors and the children were relatively sidelined.
In Seo-yeon's case, there was only one person.
"I-I'd like to take a photo with Seo-yeon!"
It was the woman who had identified herself as Han Seon-ah.
"I'm a f-fan. Seo-yeon, could you possibly sign this for me?"
A fan.
At that word, Seo-yeon froze with a marker in her hand.
'My first fan.'
She had seen plenty of them on the internet. Middle-aged women on the street would sometimes say things like that, but a fan approaching her at a preview felt completely different.
The other audience members even looked at Han Seon-ah as if she were an oddball for wanting an autograph and a photo with Seo-yeon.
Park Jung-woo at least had some fans from his previous works, but for Seo-yeon, The Moon That Hides the Sun was literally her only credit.
"Um, excuse me."
"Ye-yes?"
Seo-yeon signed Han Seon-ah's white clothes with the marker.
In truth, Seo-yeon hadn't created or practiced a specific signature yet. She hadn't expected to ever need one.
If I'd known this would happen, I would have practiced a bit.
With that thought, she carefully wrote out the letters 'Ju Seo-yeon.'
"Can you wait a long time for me until my next project?"
Seo-yeon blurted out the words impulsively.
Han Seon-ah's eyes widened, and then she nodded her head vigorously.
"O-of course!"
"Really?"
At her words, Seo-yeon couldn't help but smile. She thought that this kind of thing wasn't so bad after all.
*
Once all the prepared events were over, the screening began in earnest.
It was also Seo-yeon's first time seeing the fully edited footage.
'Will it be okay?'
She was inwardly worried. Her acting had been broadcast several times before, but those were commercials.
This was her first drama. Had she really done a good job?
Amidst those doubts, the first episode of The Moon That Hides the Sun began.
'I hope it's not boring since it's just the kids.'
'To be honest, having the kids for three whole episodes is a bit...'
Usually, childhood segments are kept short, ending in the first episode. It was rare for a show to spend three episodes on the childhood years like Taesumdal.
So everyone was skeptical, and not many were thinking positively.
Until the image of the young Lee Hye-wol appeared on the screen.
「Father~!」
The Lee Hye-wol in the video was a bright and adorable child. At the same time, she gave off the unmistakable aura of a princess. A precious daughter who had been raised with love since birth.
'Is that really the same girl from earlier?'
'She's a completely different person.'
The actors were sitting in the front row watching the video. The audience members stole glances at Seo-yeon sitting in the front.
The acting ability shown in the teaser was certainly good. But a teaser and the first episode of a drama were completely different things.
The general audience felt it, but the reporters' surprise was even greater.
'Now I see why Kang Seong-chan told us to take lots of photos at the teaser event.'
'How can children's acting be that natural? Even their vocalization is on another level.'
Usually, children's acting feels awkward because of their characteristic high-pitched, lisping voices. Even if they put emotion into it, it's bound to feel awkward if the words aren't delivered properly.
Yet, despite being only seven years old, nothing of the sort was felt from Seo-yeon.
'She's so cute!'
From Han Seon-ah's perspective, it was literally a whirlwind of emotion. Watching the adorable Princess Yeonhwa, Seo-yeon, she quietly wiped away tears with a handkerchief.
Episode 1 depicted the meeting of the young Lee Hye-wol and the young Yoon Seo-il. Since it concluded amidst the bright acting of the children, many expected Episode 2 to be similar.
However, from Episode 2, the atmosphere began to shift.
As Grand Prince Jo Young made his full appearance, a tension felt as if something was about to explode.
Soon, Grand Prince Jo Young launched a rebellion. Princess Yeonhwa ran toward the Queen Dowager's chambers to seek help.
「I have cast it aside. Humanity, and the grace of the royal family.」
Everyone held their breath at Grand Prince Jo Young's madness-soaked lines. The young Princess Yeonhwa merely kept her head bowed.
「What will you do? Will you leave on your own? Or... shall I personally escort you out?」
Tense background music played. Grand Prince Jo Young's face was shown in a close-up, his glistening eyes revealing his feelings toward Princess Yeonhwa.
Then, the screen switched to Princess Yeonhwa.
The area around Princess Yeonhwa, which had been bright with lanterns, was now very dark. It was as if it represented her state of mind.
Princess Yeonhwa, who had been keeping a deathly silence, lifted her head.
"...!!"
In an instant, the audience gasped.
Princess Yeonhwa's face was magnified. Her eyes.
Was it the reflection of the lanterns? Red eyes, too natural to be called CG, were clearly visible in the darkness.
Red eyes shining vividly in the dark. It was as if they represented Princess Yeonhwa's rage.
And so, Princess Yeonhwa, standing alone, exited amidst Grand Prince Jo Young's laughter.
With a thud, the door closed.
Episode 2, marking the end of the preview, came to a close.
"Wow..."
Someone checked their watch. Each episode of the drama had a one-hour runtime. Two episodes meant two hours. It was the same length as a typical movie.
Yet it felt as if the time had flown by in an instant.
'Grand Prince Jo Young's acting was incredible, too.'
It was a pity that the actor Yoon Jong-hyuk, who played Grand Prince Jo Young, didn't appear at today's preview. He was likely excluded to avoid spoilers.
"Are all child actors like that these days?"
"Look at my arm. I have goosebumps."
"I should have taken a photo earlier!"
The audience chattered away.
As for the reporters, they were in a state of lamentation.
"Ah, I don't even have a photo to put in the article."
"Should we try to catch her after it's over?"
"She's a child actor, so we can't. That would be big trouble."
It was a moment where joy and sorrow intersected.
Some people looked at Han Seon-ah, who had taken a photo with Seo-yeon earlier. Their gazes seemed to ask how she could have known this would happen.
'...Incredible.'
Of course, Han Seon-ah was simply trembling from the lingering emotions of the drama.
And so.
After the preview concluded amidst rave reviews.
On the internet, reviews of the preview began to spread by word of mouth.
In particular, the most mentioned thing was Princess Yeonhwa's acting. Everyone who had seen the preview praised the child actors' performances, especially the final scene of Episode 2.
'Just how good is it for them to be like that?'
'Aren't they just exaggerating?'
Time passed amidst such doubts.
One month later.
Episode 1 of The Moon That Hides the Sun aired amidst everyone's interest.
The result surprised even Seo-yeon, who already knew the original ratings for Taesumdal.
The viewership rating for Episode 1 was 25%.
This was a figure a full 8 percent higher than the record The Moon That Hides the Sun had originally achieved.