Sujin's Starstruck Recommendation
Child actress Kim Sujin. Child actress Kim Sujin. My desk mate from kindergarten at age five. Back before my regression, she hated me so much she couldn't stand me being anywhere near her.
That was shocking at the time, but looking back later, I got it.
Kids don't discriminate based on familiarity. They judge by faces. They're born knowing instinctively what's attractive. In that sense, pre-regression me must've been truly horrific.
But now it's different.
Just looking in the mirror made me grin—this face of mine. When you're this handsome, you don't even need a sense of humor. Your face does the laughing for you.
And the proof was right in front of me: Kim Sujin, giggling away.
She'd been in the industry since age five, which probably explained it.
"Donghu, you're really handsome."
Her face was insanely cute, no denying that.
"I know."
The reason I could be so brazen about my looks? The perks from regression. Normally, I'd be too shy to talk to anyone, let alone girls. But those perks turned me into a silver-tongued prodigy.
"Wh-what about me?"
"You? What about you."
"...Am I pretty too?"
"Not really."
"What? How can you say that... Waaahhh!"
"Donghu... again, again, again... Please don't make the girl cry."
The second Sujin burst into tears, the teacher swooped in with a scolding.
But what could I do?
It's the truth—she wasn't pretty.
At this age, Sujin was more cute than beautiful. But as the years passed, she'd bloom into mature elegance and claim her spot as the next top star. Hell, one of my life's proudest achievements was being kindergarten classmates with her at five.
"But did you think about what I mentioned last time?"
"The audition thing?"
"Yeah! You'd be amazing at it!"
"I'll think about it."
This was a development that never would've happened pre-regression. Just because I was exceptionally handsome, Sujin had recommended me to the PD of a kids' show. Soon, I'd be officially signed up for an audition.
Child acting might be worth a shot.
But could my family handle it? In a dual-income household, a child actor meant one parent quitting to manage. No such thing as a kid actor without parental oversight. And even then, you'd need a manager fast—but I was a total newbie, so no chance of that.
This needed serious thought.
"Don't just think—can we meet after class? My parents are picking me up today."
"That PD wants to see me?"
"Yeah!"
She'd been a standout from this early? I didn't know her life story that well—just that we went to the same kindergarten at five, and boom, top star later. But if her success started here, her potential was obvious from the sprout.
"Alright, let me call my parents first."
"Okay!"
She took that as a yes, nodding eagerly with a beaming smile.
The girl who'd screamed at me to stay away was now grinning like this. Handsomeness really is power.
The kids' show Kyarruk Doctor! was a staple on the Toon Train channel. Like a battle-hardened survivor amid countless cartoons, it featured the main MC, Dr. Kyarruk, and a bunch of child actors enjoying various games.
Its popularity came from the cast—all gorgeous kids who screamed "future star." A dream team that kids everywhere adored.
And shining brightest among them was...
"Sujin, you're here!"
"Yes!"
Kim Sujin. Not even old enough to graduate kindergarten yet, but her acting was no joke. Crocodile tears? Child's play. A genius at shifting and hiding emotions.
She just hadn't found her breakout role. Give her the wind, and she'd devour everything like a typhoon.
Proving it, she commanded the highest pay on Kyarruk Doctor!.
Lately, though, she'd been persistently asking for one thing.
"You're really checking him out today, right?"
"Yes, yes—I promise I'll take a good look."
A spot had just opened up.
PD Kim Youngmo fiddled with his bucket hat—a habit when pondering.
With Kyarruk Doctor!'s popularity came endless lobbying. From "Please let my kid in" to "Do you know who I know? Look after my child."
Even big agencies had leaned on him. But Kim Youngmo rejected them all. He didn't cast for fame or looks alone—he curated based on his philosophy.
He rarely even offered auditions.
But this is Sujin's first request.
His irreplaceable treasure, guaranteeing 6%+ ratings. He couldn't flat-out refuse her.
Just give him a quick look and move on.
They were at the age for pretend marriages and puppy love in playtime. This crush was surely just childish whimsy.
"He's so handsome! For real!"
"Ugh, my ears are gonna fall off."
At the age where girls say they'll marry Daddy.
"So when's your friend coming? We wait here, right?"
"Ah... their call with his parents is taking a while, I think."
What if he doesn't come? It was written all over her forehead.
What's got her so worked up?
The princess who ignored all the boy actors on set, now fretting over one running late.
Kids these days fall in love fast.
Kim Youngmo smiled warmly to ease her worry—a "we can wait" grin.
Funny seeing a van parked out front at the kindergarten gate—
He bolted upright, flinging open the stuck door and leaping out.
"Y-you! Wh-what's your name?"
First time seeing a face like that. "Handsome" didn't do it justice—it was an insult. A kid whose face literally glowed. Kim Youngmo wanted to call this encounter fate, a miracle...
"Ah, Donghu!"
Sujin's voice from behind. Quick on the uptake, he pieced it together and declared:
"You're in."
"Huh?"
"Mind if I talk to your parents too?"
Kim Donghu's parents were utterly ordinary folks. No big ambitions, prioritizing stable lives and facing reality head-on over dreams.
An audition call was like lightning from a clear sky.
"What?! Our boy?"
—Yes, yes. Donghu said he'd already gotten permission, but I figured I'd confirm directly.
"Oh, uh, h-hold on."
—Take your time, ma'am—no rush at all.
Kim Donghu's mom, Lee Yuhyun. She'd lived a steady life without spotlights. But even she knew one thing:
Our son is special.
Parents always see their kids as cute. But even accounting for that, her son was stunning. So she'd half-expected this someday.
Not at five, though.
What to do? Consult the dad? Then her eyes lit up.
No—this is experience too.
With their finances, they couldn't afford to pass up chances like this.
"Can I come to the site myself and see?"
Scam risk meant she had to go along.
I thought Donghu was just talking big on the phone.
Scale didn't matter. Longtime employee perks let her take a day off on short notice.
—Of course, ma'am. Where are you? We'll pick you up.
"Well, we're at..."
Off to find her son's spotlight. Lee Yuhyun heads out.
Why's everything moving so fast?
I knew zilch about showbiz, but this felt off. Two calls, Mom takes a day off work, and now a PD I'd just met is chauffeuring her to the station.
Can you just parachute into a hit like Kyarruk Doctor!?
What was the PD thinking, pushing this full steam ahead?
Am I that handsome?
I'd spent half a day customizing this face, and yeah, it was my best work. But I'd never considered how others saw it.
No experience being this hot left me baffled. Making a five-year-old cry was one thing; this was another level.
Thud.
The van hit a speed bump, floating briefly. Mom squeezed my hand tight. She was trembling a bit.
Mom was so young back then.
Lost in nostalgia, emotion welled up, so I stared out the window.
Building a bond with Sujin had dragged me straight to the broadcasting station already.
Things are going too smoothly. Am I about to become a star?