Chapter 8: Growth (2)
Chapter 8: Growth (2)
Six-year-old Ju Seo-yeon leads a busy life.
After waking up in the morning and knocking out a round of stretches, she heads to kindergarten.
She spends several hours mingling with children whose mental ages are at least twenty years younger than hers.
And as soon as kindergarten ends, she heads straight to the filming set.
"Cut, cut, cut! Wow, I’d heard stories, but… Seo-yeon, you’re truly incredible."
"Not at all. It’s only because everyone else helped me so much."
At the words of Director Kim, who was in charge of this CF, Seo-yeon gave a polite, modest bow.
The filming set bloomed with smiles at the sight.
"Man, how can she be so different from my kid? I guess not all six-year-olds are created equal."
"She’s so mature. Seo-yeon’s mother must be so proud."
Every passing staff member spoke to Sua with envy.
It was because Seo-yeon’s performance in this commercial was just as impressive as her work in the soy milk ad.
Our Seo-yeon really might be a genius.
She had been a daughter who never required much effort since she was a baby.
She didn't cry much and handled things well on her own, making Sua’s experience with parenting incredibly easy.
Sua, nodding to herself, bowed her head in greeting when she saw the actress who had filmed the commercial with Seo-yeon.
She was a middle-aged veteran with over twenty years of experience, even if she didn't have a massive list of accolades.
"Ah! Ms. Kim Mi-yeon. Thank you so much for helping our Seo-yeon."
"Don't mention it. Seo-yeon acted so well that it made things easy for me."
Kim Mi-yeon spoke while watching Seo-yeon, who was giving a deep, polite bow not far away.
"However…"
"However?"
"There’s a slight sense of incongruity."
Kim Mi-yeon looked at Seo-yeon.
Everyone called it method acting, but the feeling was different.
Actually, isn't it the opposite?
Rather, she felt that Seo-yeon’s acting was a beautiful output of learned emotions.
Kim Mi-yeon was an experienced actress.
She had filmed with many big-name actors who specialized in method acting, and she knew the kind of pain they endured.
Maybe I’m being too sensitive. She’s still a child; it’s impossible for her to act by learning emotions like that.
That wasn't something that could be achieved in a year or two.
It took decades.
It was only possible when acting became as natural as daily life.
Seo-yeon was only six years old. Even if she had been acting since the moment she was born, it should have been impossible.
But still, there was always a 'what if.'
"Ma'am."
"Yes?"
"Seo-yeon seems very resilient, but children like her often have a hidden fragile side."
To Mi-yeon, Sua seemed like a young mother. Mi-yeon, who was over forty, was her senior as a parent.
"What you see on the surface isn't everything."
At Mi-yeon’s words, Sua nodded slowly.
Seo-yeon’s fragile side?
Does she have one?
The question crossed her mind, but she took the advice to heart since it came from experience.
Now that I think about it, I’ve heard that actors need regular stress management.
Just as Mi-yeon said, it seemed like a good idea to get her checked out in advance.
*
This shoot was productive too.
Seo-yeon nodded to herself.
Her savings were growing steadily, and she was getting solid acting practice.
The fact that a few people were starting to recognize her was also becoming a bit fun.
So this is why people enjoy being on broadcast.
She was already excited thinking about how much fun internet broadcasting—VTuber streaming—would be, where she could get real-time feedback on her actions.
"You’re living a more diligent life than your dad."
Ju Young-bin said as he looked at Seo-yeon, who had just returned home.
Somehow, Seo-yeon had arrived home even later than Young-bin, who was returning from the office.
"By the way, did you hear from your mother?"
"Pardon?"
"She said you received a drama offer."
A drama?
For a moment, Seo-yeon thought she had misheard.
"A-A drama? Me?"
"I heard it was a recommendation from Director Jo Min-tae…"
At Young-bin’s words, Seo-yeon finally grasped the general situation.
Director Jo Bang-woo pulled some strings.
Jo Min-tae’s father, Director Jo Bang-woo.
He was one of the big-name directors recognized in Korea.
At least for now.
Though he hadn't hit the ten-million-viewer mark yet, he had several successful films under his belt and was even called 'the director who never fails.'
Only for the next seven years, though.
After that, Jo Bang-woo would take on five films over four years.
And he would ruin every single one of them.
The last film he directed was the final blow.
After literally evaporating tens of billions of won in investment capital, Director Jo Bang-woo would be found dead in his home.
To put it another way, he’s at the peak of his power right now.
It would be well within his power to get a child actor who only did CFs into a drama audition.
"By any chance, did you hear which drama it is?"
"From what I heard… it’s a KMB drama. I think they said it was a historical piece?"
"A historical drama… on KMB?"
"Yeah, that’s right. Have you heard anything about it, Seo-yeon?"
Seo-yeon quickly shook her head at Young-bin’s questioning look.
It would be strange to act like she knew something here.
An audition at this time, on KMB, and a historical drama.
One thing came to mind.
The Moon That Hides the Sun.
A fictional historical drama that surpassed a 40% peak viewership rating.
In truth, it was more of a romance drama set in a historical period, but its impact was so immense that the actors from this show swept almost all the awards at that year's Baeksang Arts Awards.
And I’m in the running for that?
There’s a limit to how much a 'parachute' can do.
For a KMB drama audition, every child actor from top-tier academies and major agencies would be applying.
A child actor who had only done two low-budget CFs wouldn't even be able to apply.
"Well, don't get your hopes up too high. Even if you get in, it’ll probably just be a minor role, right?"
"I-I suppose so?"
That would be a relief, but in reality, even just showing your face as an extra in such a massive historical drama was a huge help.
However, Seo-yeon knew.
If it were just an extra role, they wouldn't bother holding an 'audition' to pick someone.
The audition Director Jo Min-tae mentioned is probably…
Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol.
In other words, it would be the audition to cast the child version of the female lead for The Moon That Hides the Sun.
*
"Hey, you. What are you thinking about?"
When I looked up, Lee Ji-yeon was glaring at me with a grumpy face.
She had been following me around since the kindergarten entrance ceremony, and now she was practically monitoring me.
"Unlike a child like you, I have a lot on my mind."
"We’re the same age, are you stupid?"
I clicked my tongue briefly.
Unlike other emotional children, Lee Ji-yeon had a strong personality and was very sharp.
Just listening to her talk made me doubt if she was really six years old.
Is this how other people feel when they look at me?
Anyway, Lee Ji-yeon was a nuisance.
She had her cute moments, but she was like a leech, making it very hard to shake her off.
She was the type to keep hounding someone once she set her sights on them.
What was so great about that soy milk commercial anyway? Every time I filmed an ad, she would come find me and chatter away.
"More importantly, Ju Seo-yeon, open this for me."
Lee Ji-yeon held out two glass bottles to me.
They were orange juice bottles.
She must have come looking for me after struggling to open them herself.
"Why are there two?"
"One is yours. Can't you tell?"
Well, Lee Ji-yeon is annoying, but she does have these cute sides.
I happened to be thirsty, and she brought orange juice. What a thoughtful kid.
"Here."
With a pop, the orange juice bottle opened easily.
Lee Ji-yeon’s eyes widened when she saw that.
"How are you so strong? Even the teacher couldn't open this."
"Really?"
So she had already tried asking the teacher.
Usually, don't you go to the teacher if a friend can't do it?
Am I strong?
Come to think of it, I hadn't noticed anything strange because I was still using my standards from when I was an adult male.
Was there anything I did in my past life that I couldn't do with Seo-yeon’s body?
Aside from problems caused by being short or having short limbs.
You’re right. Why am I so strong?
A six-year-old’s physical strength is the same as my strength from my past life?
If I keep growing like this, won't I become a Super Soldier or something?
My eyes turn red sometimes too; it’s actually quite terrifying.
"I’m just saying this just in case, but you better not hit me, okay?"
"Why would I hit you?"
Lee Ji-yeon didn't bother answering.
It seemed she thought I might hit her in a fit of rage since she was always being prickly.
Among children, fights do tend to break out quite easily.
"Hey, did you hear?"
A moment later, after finishing her orange juice, Ji-yeon spoke up.
"Hear what?"
"There’s an audition at KMB. I can't go, but the older kids at my agency are going."
Older kids?
I guess they’re holding auditions for the male lead’s child counterpart at the same time.
This was unexpected information.
"Ju Seo-yeon."
"Yeah."
"Are you going to that?"
For a moment, I couldn't think of how to answer.
Should I tell the truth? Or should I lie?
"I am."
But I didn't want to lie.
If by some miracle I actually got picked, it would be a disaster.
Of course, I knew there was absolutely no way I’d be picked.
If you knew how formidable the child actors appearing there were, me getting picked would be impossible.
"Hmph, really?"
Given Lee Ji-yeon’s personality, I thought she might scream or something, but her reaction was surprisingly mild.
"What, is that it?"
"Then what? What am I supposed to do? I can't go anyway."
Lee Ji-yeon said that while giving me a sharp glare.
"Just you wait. I’ll be going to things like that soon too. It’s only because of the older kids that I couldn't go this time, okay?"
The kid certainly is bold.
Her self-esteem is sky-high.
Come to think of it, what happened to her in my past life?
I don't think she really did much of anything after that soy milk commercial.
But now, Lee Ji-yeon has already filmed another commercial.
She was a child who made me feel quite strange.
"I’m going to be a drama lead next time too."
"Sure, you do that."
After responding to Ji-yeon, I found myself smiling without realizing it.
It was probably a very rare smile for me.
In many ways.