The Little Teacher's Challenge
The director shouted, “Cut!” and Do Je-hyun snapped back to reality. Gu Su-min approached with a beaming smile.
“Je-hyun, that last take had real feeling! And Su-a, your facial acting was fantastic!”
Gu Su-min showered them with praise, saying there was nothing he could even tweak. But Do Je-hyun felt completely thrown off.
The one who had frozen while looking at the child in the final moment wasn’t Go Su-hyeok—it was Do Je-hyun himself. The actor, not the character, had been genuinely shocked.
How can a kid make an expression like that…?
The sense of loss that comes from losing what you hold most dear is an emotion even adult actors struggle to portray convincingly. It was the kind of performance that only ripened after accumulating a wide range of life experiences.
Yet the child actor currently receiving a torrent of compliments from Gu Su-min had pulled it off perfectly.
She was with her mom earlier, right?
Maybe she was drawing from the experience of losing a father or grandparents? Even if that were true, it was still an incredible performance. But Do Je-hyun noticed something even more remarkable about Lee Su-a after the scene ended.
“Shouldn’t we film a version where ‘Min-seo’ is crying? I don’t think the emotion would feel forced even if she cried.”
“Hmm, no. The current version is better. A child who doesn’t cry even when her mom is hurt? Viewers will be even more curious. They’ll wonder what kind of story ‘Min-seo’ is carrying.”
Lee Su-a looked perfectly composed, as if the deeply emotional acting from moments ago had never happened. She even flashed a bright smile at the making-of camera pointed at her.
If she had drawn from real experience, there should have been some lingering shadow in her eyes—something that could make a person’s heart sink with just a glance. But there was none.
That left only two possibilities.
Either she’s naturally gifted enough to slip out of method acting emotions instantly… or every single one of those feelings was calculated from the start.
Either way, it was clear that Lee Su-a was a genius. A shiver ran through Do Je-hyun’s entire body, raising goosebumps, before his face broke into a wide grin.
“Su-a! Director! Let’s do one more take!”
When his scene partner had delivered such an extraordinary performance, failing to match it properly was something he simply couldn’t let slide. This was both a problem an actor couldn’t ignore and a golden opportunity for growth.
Do Je-hyun trembled with excitement at the thought of witnessing that performance once more.
Whether in dramas or films, it was rare to shoot a single scene only once. Aside from NGs, different angles were needed according to the director’s vision, and emotional lines often required adjustments.
“Cut! Okay!”
It had been roughly twenty years since I last acted in front of a camera for a drama, but fortunately I didn’t have any NGs. The main director, Gu Su-min, barely gave me any direction and simply let me perform freely.
There were no lines exchanged, but Do Je-hyun, who could be considered my scene partner, didn’t offer any particular feedback either.
“Little Teacher, please watch this disciple’s acting. Would it be better to show a little more trembling emotion when our eyes meet?”
“Excuse me? Are you talking to me? Shouldn’t you ask the director about that?”
Why on earth was he asking me in return? And what was with that nickname?
When I asked again in bewilderment, Gu Su-min burst out laughing.
“Looks like Je-hyun has become a complete Su-a fan! Su-a, that’s just Je-hyun’s habit. He has this quirk of trying to learn something from any good actor he meets.”
Even so, I was just a child actor making my debut. Was he really that free of prejudice?
I rolled my eyes around before letting out a bright “Hehe” and giving him a thumbs-up.
“Senior Disciple’s acting is the best!”
I genuinely couldn’t point out anything specific, so I just played along with a joke. The making-of camera had been stuck on me since earlier; I couldn’t afford to create any unnecessary gossip.
Oddly enough, Do Je-hyun looked disappointed.
“It’s not quite at ‘the best’ level yet… There must be room for improvement…”
“Oh come on, Je-hyun! Su-a is only ten years old. Stop putting so much pressure on her.”
It wasn’t something the director should say, but he was right. Since I wasn’t actually ten, it wasn’t particularly burdensome, but it was still uncomfortable.
And someone else agreed with that sentiment.
“That’s right, Je-hyun. It’s good to have a proper attitude as an actor, but you shouldn’t act like that toward a much younger junior.”
“Whoa, Senior!”
“Welcome, Actress Gi!”
At the hearty voice, both Do Je-hyun and Gu Su-min turned at the same time. A relaxed middle-aged actress was walking toward us.
I recognized her at a glance.
Gi Seong-hui? Why is someone who only does movies here?
Gi Seong-hui was a veteran actress known for her friendly and natural performances. She could make any role fit her like a perfectly tailored outfit, but her tone somehow didn’t quite match dramas, so she had settled into a career as a film actress.
Even searching through my pre-regression memories, I couldn’t recall seeing Gi Seong-hui in a drama. But the question was quickly answered. Gu Su-min rushed over and took her hand.
“Thank you so much for coming! I should have gone out to greet you…”
“You’re busy. No need for all that. Assistant Director Cho guided me well.”
“Still. We requested you on such short notice, yet you kindly agreed to the cameo. I’m truly grateful.”
Gi Seong-hui’s latest film was about to be released. It was a female-led comic investigative story, and it seemed she was appearing as a cameo for promotional purposes.
Is this a change caused by the drama’s content diverging from what I remember before regression?
Even so, managing to bring in Gi Seong-hui—Gu Su-min’s connections must be pretty impressive.
Do Je-hyun quickly approached her as well and asked for a handshake.
“Senior, please take good care of me today.”
“You’re not even in the same scene as me. I’m the one who should be asking for good care—from someone else.”
As Gi Seong-hui said this and looked at me, I immediately bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
“Hello, Senior! I’m the rookie actress Lee Su-a! Please take good care of me!”
“Oh my, what a bright and clear child. I’ll be counting on you too.”
After the round of greetings, I went to touch up my makeup for the next scene. Before leaving, I glanced quietly at Gu Su-min, and the man just grinned slyly.
The next scene I would film was the one where ‘Min-seo’ was being interrogated by the police.
And Gi Seong-hui played a detective in her movie.
Even if it’s only one scene, you’re not even telling me it’s a cameo?
And not just any cameo—someone as strict about acting as Gi Seong-hui? Aren’t you trusting me a little too much?
Of course I prepared thoroughly anyway.
He had scolded Do Je-hyun so much, yet he was the one giving me the most pressure.
“Su-a, are you that excited to act with Actress Gi Seong-hui? Your liver must be huge.”
Oops. At Mom’s words, I quickly composed my expression. I hadn’t even realized I was smiling.
I couldn’t help it. Getting to work with an actress of Gi Seong-hui’s caliber was something I had never managed to do even before my regression.
To be honest, I was looking forward to it.
Dressed in character for the comic investigative film Detective Yang, Reporting for Duty!, Gi Seong-hui listened to Gu Su-min’s direction.
“Although it’s not her jurisdiction, the only nearby detective available is ‘Detective Yang,’ so the setting is that she came out briefly to assist. She’ll appear without explanation, interrogate ‘Min-seo,’ then hand her over to the assigned officer.”
“So ‘Detective Yang’ only knows about the hit-and-run and has no idea that ‘Min-seo’ has been silenced?”
“That’s right. If ‘Detective Yang’ knew, she wouldn’t be the type of character to just let it slide.”
When the writer Cho Ga-yeong, who was standing with them, spoke up shyly, Gi Seong-hui smiled pleasantly.
She had only received part of the script, but she had heard the general outline from Director Gu. It was clear that the two had put considerable effort into this episode—so much so that she didn’t even feel disappointed it wasn’t a direct scene with the main character.
The fact that the key character of such an episode was a child actor was a bit questionable, but…
“You saw how Je-hyun was completely smitten with Su-a earlier, right? She’s truly an amazing actress. She’s only ten, yet she naturally brings out polite speech. You’ll be shocked when you see her acting, Actress Gi.”
“After watching Su-a’s performance, I was able to add more depth to the episode. And I’m confident she’s an actress who can bring that depth to life.”
Hearing both the director and writer speak so unanimously, it seemed she really did have talent. Gi Seong-hui lightly tapped Gu Su-min on the forearm.
“Don’t talk like that in front of the child. How much pressure do you think that puts on her?”
“She’s really something special. Even when we shove the camera right up to her face, she doesn’t even blink.”
At this point, even Gi Seong-hui was starting to feel a bit of anticipation. If the child actor she was acting with did well, it would help with promotion too.
The reality of female-led films was that they lacked power. If a difficult film like this flopped, there was no guarantee that a similar project would come along again.
The pressure that had weighed on her throughout filming continued even during promotion, but Gi Seong-hui didn’t show it. Such emotions wouldn’t help her performance.
“Cut! Okay!”
The scene of her running busily down the hospital hallway in search of the hit-and-run victim’s daughter wrapped up easily. Next was the scene where she discovers ‘Min-seo’ sitting in front of the operating room.
“Please take good care of me, Senior.”
The rather pretty child actor smiled brightly at Gi Seong-hui. She looked so purely happy that it seemed she genuinely found acting fun. That was quite an important talent.
Once the drama aired, it would probably become quite a topic. A child who looked like that crying beautifully would inevitably draw the eye.
It would be nice if I had something to teach her.
If she continued to find acting this enjoyable and kept working steadily, that would be the best outcome.
“Standby—action!”
After all, welcoming the growth of a good fellow actor was always something to celebrate.