Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Child Star
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...Is it you?
Child Star.
In my past life, I knew exactly how this show operated.
It started with good intentions, but from the preparation stage onward, it was a total mess, ending in utter disaster.
At first, even though it felt a bit lacking, there were a few kids who stubbornly showcased their singing skills,
but in the end, thanks to utterly baffling missions seemingly designed to unearth bombs and rampant biased judging,
the program drew nothing but a barrage of viewer backlash and flopped hard.
The fallout was so severe that audition shows for kids became taboo material across other networks for a while,
and MBS never touched another audition program again.
On top of that, MBS's already declining variety lineup suffered a nosedive in ratings for some time.
In every way, it was a bomb of an ending,
remembered as one of the darkest stains in MBS history.
Child Star.
Even so, the reason I chose this show was to change that dismal future.
And at the same time, to give my daughter more experiences.
The best opportunity for growth is, after all, real combat.
If the plan I discussed with Park Chan-su worked out, great—but even if it failed, missing this chance meant no similar programs for a long while.
In my past life, even though Seon-hwa had shown promise since childhood, her activities slowed down for a period because of this very incident.
So, for my daughter's growth.
And, if possible, to create what people call a 'miracle'...
With that wish in my heart,
I decided to go through with it.
"Thank you for your hard work. See you at the next shoot."
"Unnie, oppa, see you next time~"
With polite farewells, Chae Soo-jeong departed, followed by Chae Seon-hwa waving her hand.
Just watching the mother-daughter duo filled a corner of the heart with pride,
and Park Chan-su and Lisa waved back with warm smiles on their faces.
"What an amazing mother and daughter... Is genius genetic, after all?"
"Tell me about it. Especially that Chae Seon-hwa kid... Honestly, I'm still shocked every time I watch her.
She's handling even fairly difficult songs with ease, so with a little polishing, she'll be incredible."
"Heh heh..."
Lisa spoke with genuine admiration.
Chan-su nodded in agreement, letting out a light chuckle.
But then...
"Alright, then... enough of the heartwarming stuff."
In the next moment, Chan-su's face turned icy cold.
Feeling the sudden surge of genuine killing intent,
Lisa's expression hardened as well, and she began radiating her own formidable hostility.
A chilling, murderous aura filled the now-empty recording studio between the two.
In the midst of it,
Chan-su slowly turned to Lisa and spoke.
"...Is it you?"
A short question laced with clear hatred.
Lisa didn't back down an inch; instead, she smirked slightly.
Seeing that, Chan-su asked again, his words dripping with slicing malice.
"It really is you... the punk who scarfed down the pudding I had in the fridge."
"Before you get mad about that, shouldn't we talk about you devouring the macarons I bought last time?"
"I held out for three days, at least. Who the hell leaves macarons in the fridge like they're aging wine? Do they mature now or what?"
"I told you I was saving them for friends! Eating the ones I even labeled makes you guilty from the start!"
"You ate mine without warning on day one of storage—you're the real criminal here!"
"Oh dear, is that so? A big earner like you flipping out over one pudding? Wonder what the fans would think~?"
"Better than the jerk who smeared toothpaste in my cousin's shoes before a concert over a box of macarons. Want me to trend 'Toothpaste Lisa'?"
Manners tossed out the window, the two unleashed an unfiltered barrage.
Of course, it was just harmless bickering—they had zero intention of actually harming each other.
Park Chan-su and Lisa.
Not widely known publicly, but they were cousins.
They'd grown up next door, practically siblings—no, closer than real ones.
Even after moving to Seoul for their entertainment careers, they shared a home,
leading to daily squabbles over the pettiest things, with zero compromise.
An instinctive sibling refusal to yield, at least to this person.
So today, like always, they headed home amid childish fighting.
Then, in a suddenly serious tone, Lisa asked her cousin,
"...So. You really gonna do it? Put Seon-hwa on Child Star?"
"Yeah, that's the plan... Why, you worried?"
"Can't say I'm not. Her singing's top-notch, but she's only eight.
I don't like the idea of sending a kid like that into a filthy program."
"That's exactly why it's a huge opportunity, isn't it? Real talent shines brighter among the mediocre."
Chan-su spoke confidently.
Lisa shot back with sharp eyes.
"...Be honest. This is because of Seon-hwa's mom, right?"
"?!! W-What are you talking about? What about S-Soo-jeong?"
"Your face is turning red. Bingo. Are you insane? Finally lost it? She's a married woman, for crying out loud! How can you drool over someone with a husband?"
"It's not like that! And... Soo-jeong isn't married!"
"...Huh? What do you mean?"
Lisa questioned Chan-su's baffling statement.
Chan-su explained calmly, recounting what he'd learned during the filming of The Queen Dowager, Sovereign of Deception.
"Soo-jeong has no husband. She's Seon-hwa's biological mom, but her husband died before Seon-hwa was even born. Welp... cough. She's the mom, but not married."
"Oh..."
Lisa fell silent upon hearing an unexpectedly dark family secret.
Chan-su let out a small sigh as he watched her.
And.
'Drooling... not quite, but... honestly, I don't think she's bad at all...'
Harboring that fact deep in his heart—something he'd never tell this damn cousin—
Chan-su blushed slightly, a faint smile on his lips.
Human emotions are unpredictable in and of themselves.
Like a tangled ball of yarn, twisting into directions impossible to foresee.
That's why they're difficult,
beautiful,
and sometimes painful.
Just like right now.
"Ah..."
A single scene before her eyes.
A small voice escaped Choi Soo-jin's lips as she took it in.
She always exuded poise and elegance.
But at this moment, her face was etched with deep bewilderment.
A small flower bed near the east wing.
Two people sitting there, shoulders leaning on each other.
Ha Yu-ra and Kwon Chan-su.
One was her closest friend.
The other, the man she harbored deep in her heart.
Stumbling upon their intimacy by chance, she unwittingly stepped back.
Since when?
Why hadn't she noticed all this time?
And if it was what she thought,
what should she do now?
Amid the flood of emotions, deep confusion clouded Choi Soo-jin's face.
Then.
"Pathetic."
"!"
A short remark in her ear.
Turning, Choi Soo-jin spotted him.
Kim Sung-min—playing Lee Sung-min.
The free-spirited guy who always clashed with her principled nature.
But this time, his brief words held no usual antagonism.
Pity.
And bitterness.
His remark toward his friend who realized the painful truth too late
made her swirling emotions settle a bit.
They sat a short distance away.
Still unsettled, Choi Soo-jin asked Sung-min,
"...You knew?"
"Of course. I'm not as oblivious as you."
"...Tch."
Even in this situation, his prickly response drew a small smile from Soo-jin.
Sung-min chuckled lightly too, lightening the mood before asking quietly,
"So, what're you gonna do?
They're not officially dating yet, but it seems like only a matter of time."
"..."
A question laced with curiosity and mild concern.
Choi Soo-jin pondered briefly,
then spoke in a serious tone.
"...I'm greedy."
"...Insanely so."
"What I want, I must have."
"...Knew you'd say that."
Sung-min gave a light laugh at her quick recovery and unyielding resolve.
A laugh tinged with subtle regret.
The shoot unfolding before his eyes.
Lee Dong-cheol PD wore a constant thick smile.
'Top actors really are different. Who knew filming could go this smoothly.'
Practically NG-free from the start.
No intense scenes, but weaving complex emotional interplay made it no easy feat,
yet the actors before him nailed it near-perfectly.
'Especially actress Chae Soo-jeong—she's exceeding expectations. Conveying that range with so few lines isn't easy.'
The character Choi Soo-jin: few words, but extreme emotional swings.
Expressing it through expressions and aura alone was no small skill,
risking a disjointed drama otherwise.
Chae Soo-jeong's flawless handling surpassed his expectations by far.
Satisfied with the smooth shoot,
Lee Dong-cheol PD pulled out his phone.
ZTVC main homepage.
Countdown to the Answer Here 1989 ad: 5.
'4... 3... 2... 1.'