Chapter 66
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: The Superstar's Arrival
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“What if we change the script?”
At the words of the Eunhasu Center's president, Director Park Jisoo silently crossed his arms. The lighting director and the music director both nodded repeatedly. The president's eyes sparkled.
“I've never seen a child actor perform like that.”
The memory was vivid even when recalled.
Lee Seojun, standing alone on stage, delivered the Blue Dragon's lines. He didn't just stand still and deliver the lines like the other children; his expressions and gestures changed with the dialogue.
The way he walked, step by step, seemed truly non-human. It was as if a real Blue Dragon had transformed into a human child and was moving.
No matter how skilled an actor was, playing a non-human role was bound to feel awkward. Especially when acting without special effects makeup, it was inevitable that even the audience would find it strange.
But Lee Seojun was different. Despite having no makeup on, those who watched Lee Seojun's performance couldn't find a single "human" element in it.
The president's eyes grew hazy, as if he were dreaming.
“It made me think. If a real dragon existed, wouldn't it have that kind of feeling, those gestures, that expression? Director Park. It's too much of a waste to just have his voice. Everyone needs to see that.”
“I'm not so sure.”
Director Park Jisoo tilted his head.
“You know this, President. An actor capable of that level of performance chooses scripts they like. Lee Seojun liked 'the current script.' If we change it recklessly, he might refuse to do it.”
There are actors like that.
Actors who will only perform a 'script' they like, regardless of screen time or number of lines.
Actors who have conviction in their craft, are financially secure, and are not in a rush. Actors who can take a hiatus for several years to find a script they love.
The source of such actors' confidence was the public. The conviction that no matter when or what role they appeared in, the public would greet them with enthusiasm.
A superstar!
“Lee Seojun is on that level.”
Everyone nodded at Director Park Jisoo's words.
No one here was unaware of Lee Seojun. The money he earned annually from his N-tube videos, the global recognition he'd built through Marine Company's films, and the mainstream popularity he would gain from his television debut with the cameo in *Re-Investigation*.
The president sighed.
“It's not just about box office success. As a member of the theater community, I just feel it's a waste of the stage. A waste of actor Lee Seojun. I want everyone to recognize his talent.”
“In any case, since actor Lee Seojun's side wants to keep his identity a secret, the current script might be appropriate.”
“Ah, right. There was that.”
The president massaged his brow, which had furrowed unconsciously.
“He's such a kind actor, thinking of the children, but why do I keep feeling this sense of regret?”
It wasn't about the money, and he didn't have to use his name, but it was still such a shame. He wished everyone could see Lee Seojun's performance.
Unconcerned with the president's still-regretful expression, Director Park Jisoo got to the main point of the meeting.
“So, about actor Lee Seojun's appearance?”
“What's the 'Spring' team's opinion?”
“He passed.”
At Director Park Jisoo's words, the president leaned back in his chair and said with a gentle smile.
“Hhmm. Then shall we start by ensuring confidentiality within the center?”
***
Seojun, who was setting the table, touched his ear. Lee Minjun, carrying a bowl of soybean paste stew to the table, asked.
“What's wrong?”
“My ear is itchy.”
“Someone must be talking about you.”
“I guess so.”
Seo Eunhye smiled as she placed the perfectly grilled cutlassfish on the table. The plump cutlassfish looked delicious. Everyone sat down in their seats.
“Let's eat!”
Lee Minjun deboned a piece of cutlassfish and placed it on Seojun's rice. Seojun scooped up a spoonful of rice and ate it with the fish. Salty and savory cutlassfish!
“It's delicious!”
“Is it?”
“Yeah! Dad. Let me try deboning it this time!”
“You want to?”
Lee Minjun slowly taught Seojun how to debone the cutlassfish.
First, you use your chopsticks to remove the sides of the fish, where there are many small bones. Then, you gently scrape the meat off the large central bone with your chopsticks,
“Done!”
“You're good at it!”
“Seojun has nimble hands.”
Perfect!
The long, white flesh of the cutlassfish was perfectly deboned.
After a satisfying meal of delicious cutlassfish and soybean paste stew, Seojun and his parents headed to the living room for dessert. After eating a slice of oriental melon, Seojun spoke.
“At the audition, some kids were crying.”
“They were?”
“Yeah.”
A brief silence fell over the living room. Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun, who had heard the story from An Daho, quietly waited for Seojun to speak.
“His mom said, 'Didn't you say you wanted to be like Lee Seojun?' and he cried and said he never said that.”
“I see.”
“Yeah.”
Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun sat next to Seojun and hugged him tightly. In his parents' warm embrace, Seojun quietly listened to their beating hearts.
“Seojun, he didn't say that because he dislikes you.”
“That's right. The boy just hated the situation. He probably wanted to do something else, but his parents forced him, and that's why he was upset.”
“Yeah.”
He knew.
It wasn't because of Lee Seojun; they had just mentioned the name of the most prominent and famous child actor.
Still, the fact that he had, even in a small way, contributed to that child's unhappiness weighed on his mind. And that there would be more people like that child and his parents in the future.
*‘…They might already exist.’*
Seojun burrowed deeper into his parents' arms. Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun stroked his head.
“You love acting, right, Seojun?”
“…Yeah. I love it a lot.”
“Mom and Dad love seeing you do what you love. And your fans will love seeing you do what you love, too.”
“Seojun. The more famous you become, the more you'll influence people in one way or another. And you can't solve all the problems that arise from that. Not even Redborn or Shadowman can do that.”
“Yeah.”
“So when you're having a hard time or your heart aches, let's think about the people who love you. Just making those people happy is a truly amazing thing.”
His parents counted on their fingers, naming their acquaintances one by one. Among them were the nicknames of fans who frequently posted on Seojun's fan cafe.
Those names, spoken by his parents with so much love, felt like a powerful magic spell, lifting the weight from Seojun's heart.
“Ehehehe.”
As Seojun laughed, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun also smiled gently.
The living room of the once-again happy family became bustling with Seojun's acting practice.
Seojun brought the Blue Dragon doll from his room and began to act, and Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun, his audience, clapped for him.
He'd been attached to monster dolls since he was little, and now he was actually playing such a role.
To be honest, the couple had expected it, just like Kim Heesang. That he would play a monster role someday. And they thought he would be incredibly good at it.
After all, hadn't he been practicing for as long as he'd been alive?
“But are you okay with just your voice being heard? You wanted to act in front of people.”
“It's fine! Voice acting is still acting!”
“Really?”
“Hmm. It is a little disappointing. But it's the role of the Blue Dragon!”
Seojun's eyes sparkled.
“Movies and dramas with dragons or monsters are really rare, you know. And even if they appear, they're usually in human form. There are quite a few in movies, but not many in plays or musicals. I want to do a play, but I want to be a monster more. If not this production, who knows when I'll get another chance!”
The future is uncertain.
There might be more monster roles than Seojun thought, or, just as he thought, this could be the first and last.
“So I'm going to do this now.”
What was clear was that he wanted to play this role right now, even if it was only with his voice.
“Ugh! It's going to be so much fun!”
In the end, unable to contain the anticipation rising from his toes, Seojun hugged the Blue Dragon doll tightly, fidgeting with excitement. Seojun's brightly smiling cheeks were flushed red.
At the sight, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun couldn't help but burst into laughter. Their overjoyed son was just too adorable.
***
The day of the first rehearsal arrived.
All the actors for the play [Spring] gathered in the Eunhasu Center's practice room. Fifteen children chattered away with their peers. The guardians who came with the children also sat on chairs set up to one side, chatting amongst themselves.
“I heard this play is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, right?”
“Yes. That's why a few reporters are coming to take pictures of the kids soon. I heard an official from the Ministry might come too.”
“Ah. But there probably won't be much of an audience, right?”
“Well, we're not doing it for the audience. It's to add a line to their resumes. Whether they continue acting or focus on studying, a program sponsored by the Ministry will be a great extracurricular activity.”
Everyone nodded at those words.
“But isn't one person missing?”
“You're right. I heard they cast sixteen.”
“It's not a good look to be late on the first day.”
Just then, Director Park, the staff, and a few reporters entered the practice room. The chattering children and their guardians awkwardly stood up. Director Park Jisoo looked around the practice room and spoke.
“First, we'll take a group photo, and then we'll film the script reading. You don't have to worry about the cameras during the reading.”
“Um, Director.”
Choi Soyoung, the oldest and the lead actress in ‘Spring’, raised her hand.
“Yes.”
“I don't think one person has arrived yet.”
“Ah.”
Director Park Jisoo scratched his cheek and answered.
“The actor playing the Blue Dragon couldn't make it today due to personal reasons but will definitely be here for the next rehearsal. Now, shall we gather for a group photo? Let's take one with just the actors first, and then one with the guardians.”
“Okay!”
The children huddled together. The shorter kids stood in the front, the taller ones in the back. The cameras held by the reporters and staff flashed.
The children's first script reading was better than the reporters and guardians expected, but fell short of the director's and staff's expectations.
Seeing the guardians applauding continuously and the reporters giving a lukewarm response, Director Park Jisoo and the staff let out a hollow laugh inwardly.
Well, this was normal. Lee Seojun was just the exception.
[Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Planned by Eunhasu Center. The Children-Only Play ‘Spring’]
[‘Spring’ is a play depicting the adventures of a young girl…]
[First Day of ‘Spring’ Rehearsal, Group Photo.]
The articles about ‘Spring’, which were only read by the cast's children and their guardians, were soon buried by other entertainment news.
***
The second day of rehearsal.
Seojun planned to make his entrance with Director Park Jisoo's introduction, so he arrived at the Eunhasu Center early but waited in an adjacent practice room.
Seojun looked a little nervous, which was unusual for him. An Daho opened a water bottle and offered it to him.
“Want some water?”
“Yeah!”
After taking a sip of water, Seojun seemed to relax and let out a light sigh. An Daho tilted his head.
“Why are you so nervous?”
“I've never met other child actors before.”
He knew it was impossible for everyone to like him. Daho hyung, and his parents who heard the story, had all comforted him.
Just like with that child, unintended things could happen, contrary to his own feelings. He couldn't solve all those problems by himself. Still, Seojun wanted to do his best for his own happiness and everyone else's.
Since they all loved acting, he hoped they could all have fun creating the production together. How could they get along?
A staff member gestured, indicating that everyone had gathered in the practice room.
At that, Seojun took a deep breath and stood up from his chair. It felt a bit like cheating, but he started using [Basic Elven Breathing] to win the children's favor.
And from Seojun's body, the actor's aura that everyone had been curious about began to emanate. The staff member and An Daho flinched at the atmosphere.
*‘…Is he trying to intimidate them?’*
It was completely different from what Seojun was thinking.
“Now, I will introduce the actor playing the role of the Blue Dragon.”
As soon as Director Park Jisoo finished speaking, the practice room door opened.
At first, no one recognized him. But soon, everyone realized who the child walking toward Director Park Jisoo was.
An appearance that shone brighter than anyone else's and a radiant smile. And on top of that, the benevolent energy Seojun was exuding to win the favor of the other children, as he was a little nervous about meeting actors his own age for the first time.
That warm, otherworldly aura reminded everyone of someone they had all seen at least once.
“Lee Seojun!”
Choi Soyoung, playing the lead ‘Spring’, shouted without realizing it.
At her shout, the children who had seen *Shadowman* screamed "Woooow!", and the guardians were left speechless.
Even the children who hadn't seen the movie were gaping at the sight of ‘Hollywood star, Lee Seojun,’ a name they had heard at least once on television.
Seojun, radiating his actor's aura, stood before the children and bowed deeply.
“Hello! I'm Lee Seojun!”
“Hello!”
Watching the children repeat his words as if he were their teacher, Seojun smiled brightly. Unlike what he had worried about, everyone was welcoming him.
As his worries disappeared, his heart began to pound. The reality of acting with the children here finally hit him. It felt strange to meet peers like this after always acting with adults.
It was fascinating how different their eye level was from the adults he had to look up to. Child actors walking the same path of acting.
It was a different feeling from his school friends.
“Hi. I'm Choi Soyoung.”
“Hello!”
As Choi Soyoung, the oldest and the leader of the children from the first rehearsal, introduced herself, the other kids introduced themselves one by one.
Seeing the children chatting amicably without any trouble, Director Park Jisoo gave a signal to the assistant director.
“Alright, guardians, if you could please come this way for a moment.”
Director Park Jisoo left the children with the assistant director and headed to another practice room with the guardians.
The guardians, still looking dazed, simply followed behind Director Park Jisoo.
*Thump.* The door closed.
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