Chapter 6
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Daddy, Don't Go!
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Daddy! Dont go! Daddy!
Siu? You, youre not imitating that scene from earlier, are you?
Hey, Noah! Put a little more emotion into it. Is the Battenberg Duke too scary for you to let everything go and wail?
Oscars bellow seemed to echo in his ears.
Probably only Oscar and Shakespeare could speak to him, the son of the Battenbergs, so casually in England.
Ah, the actors too, of course.
Was it because hed finally gotten back on stage after so long?
Unlike when he was stuck at home, memories from his past life flooded back in vivid detail.
He was lost in that wistful haze, reminiscing about old times, when
What are you doing?
A mans low voice cut through the air.
Eek, Director Kang...
Huh?
He followed his flustered uncles gaze to the theater entrance.
Oh no.
There stood Kang Yonghwi, the head of the rehearsal roomand apparently the director of the play his uncle was in.
Hmm.
...
What? Why? So what?
It was break time, and this empty theater wasnt even in use yetwhat was there to wear out?
Still, with a twinge of guilt, he clamped his mouth shut and watched how things played out.
Hey, Ji Dongwook.
Yes, y-yes!
You said hes your nephew?
Yes. My sisters son. Im sorry. Well head down right away. He kept begging me to let him see the stage.
When did I?!
He was the one who dragged me here saying hed show me!
And hed seen me soaking up the stage atmosphere just moments ago.
Sure, Siu had reminisced a bit about the old days, but really, just for a second?
Outraged, he glared at his uncle, but then Kang Yonghwi spoke up.
Kid. Whats your name?
...Siu. Han Siu.
You say Han Siu, sir to the director.
...
Everything else was fine, but Korea had this weird custom.
You had to use polite speech with your elders or something?
It wasnt like nobles had their own special vocabulary, yet they demanded it here.
But after decades in England, polite speech didnt come easily to his tongue.
Haha, looks like my nephew still struggles with polite speech.
It was fine to step on stage once, right? They wouldnt kick his uncle out over this, would they?
The kids something else. Especially his looks.
His uncle laughed it off, but Kang Yonghwi ignored him and stared straight at Sius face.
Yeah, Han Siu. Were you acting just now?
Uh?
He tilted his head and pretended not to hear.
Better not stir up trouble.
No way theyd let a five-year-old kid on stage.
If he admitted he could act, itd be awkward explaining it to his parents.
Hed gotten into trouble before from slipping up with habits from his past lifenot just once or twice.
But then...
That was some solid acting. Want to try standing on stage, Siu?
What? The stage?
Was he seriously saying that?
If there was even a chance to get on stage, he could figure out how to handle his parents.
Yeah!
He hopped off the stage and toddled straight over to Kang Yonghwi.
Daddy! Dont go! Daddy! Pleeease!
He latched onto Kang Yonghwis pant leg even more desperately than he had with his uncle.
Im going! Im going!
Director?
Then he was in charge of this play!
No way a guy like that would say it lightly.
This was his chancehis chance!
S-Siu?
His uncle called out in panic at the performance.
Kang Yonghwi looked down at the boy clinging to his leg, eyes gleaming with interest.
Ugh, gotta do something about that.
Kang Yonghwi watched the rehearsal with half-lidded eyes.
He just couldnt get into it today.
Hed gotten a call that morning from an extra whod been in a car accident.
Not severe, but theyd have to drop out of the play.
Hed debated what to do, then called Ji Dongwook, who ran errands for the troupe.
Luckily, hed shown up right away, saying he had time.
He came with a little extra baggage, though...
Thankfullyor as Ji Dongwook had assured himthe kid was pretty well-behaved.
Confirming the boy was quietly wandering the rehearsal room, Kang Yonghwi started the final practice run.
But one reliable actor hed counted on ended up tripping him up in the worst way.
Ji Dongwook, filling in as a last-minute sub, and the kid hed brought werent the problem.
Daddy! Whatll I do if you go and die! Waaah!
The guy had real experience, no doubt.
He handled everyday acting smoothly too.
He was taking on the janitor role in this play People in the Attic House, after all.
His stage time was short, so theyd even given him the kid role as a one-man double cast.
Just doesnt sit right with me.
Hed trusted the guys skills with the kid part, but nope.
The more he watched, the less satisfied Kang Yonghwi was with that actors performance.
He frowned and rubbed his temples.
Not completely unusable, but...
The audience would get it anyway.
No real kid was going to perform in a troupe play just because it was a kid role.
Theyd shrug it off, but Kang Yonghwi couldnt compromise.
He couldnt complain to the theater owner either.
How am I supposed to match your picky tastes? Im barely scraping by myself, you know?
Hed just get complaints in return, so Kang Yonghwi endured it like a monk in meditation every rehearsal.
Then,
Huh? That kids got a serious look on his face.
He noticed the little boy hovering near the practicing actors.
No tantrums, no breaking stuffjust quietly watching, so hed half-forgotten the kid was even there.
But the way he stood with hands behind his back, lips pursedit had this aura like he was critiquing the acting.
Strange kid.
That was Kang Yonghwis impression of him.
Until he saw the boy act.
Daddy! Dont go! Daddy!
Thats when Kang Yonghwis half-closed eyes snapped wide open.
Yeah, lets do it. With me.
Yeah!
The dramatic casting was sealed.
This director guy really had an eye for talent!
Siu nodded with a satisfied grin.
As the two clasped hands and smiled, his uncle quickly wedged in.
H-Hold on. Directorno, sir! Y-Youre putting my nephew on stage right now?
Yeah. You saw that killer performance if youve got eyes.
Y-Yeah, of course, Siu did great... Thats not the point. Director? Sius only five...
Uncle. Im almost six.
Youre five!
No dice.
He just had to say it.
His sneaky attempt to age up by a year had failed, so he pouted.
What a clueless guy.
Not that he didnt get it.
Mom didnt like Uncle acting anyway.
If he got on stage too, Uncleher brotherwould get a good whacking.
Whats going on?
What happened?
Ugh, seriously.
The other actors came swarming into the theater at the commotion.
This could kill his brand-new opportunity.
But then his uncle pulled out his cellphone in the corner!
Uncle!
Ugh, seriously. Why isnt this sister picking up?
Uncle ignored him and called Mom.
He was about to get on stage, and Uncle was trying to block it?
Dont you dare!
Ow! Let go, Han Siu?!
He dashed over and clung to Uncles waist.
While Uncle struggled to pry him off, the actors surrounded Kang Yonghwi.
Director, whatd you do now?
What do you mean now? Dont make me out to be the weirdo when innocent people are involved.
Kang Yonghwi protested to the actors with mock indignation.
You know the whole theater world calls you a nutcase already?
I saw you lie down in the middle of the street in front of the theater owner last time?
Whoa, that rumor was true?
I heard you grabbed his pant leg.
Nah, he full-on lay down and blocked the road. Said he wouldnt move unless they did the show he wanted.
Kang Yonghwi silenced the chattering actors with one line.
I cast him.
Huh?
What?
Kang Yonghwis fingertip pointed at Siu, who was gripping his uncles back.
Kang Yonghwi, the ace director of Emergency Iron 777.
With his insane foresight, hed nailed hit scripts one after another, rising to lead a troupe at a young age with his charismatic direction.
He was infamous for casting based on his gut feel.
His skills were so sharp, no one could outright dismiss him.
A man who lived by the motto of experimentation and adventure, but this casting took the cake.
The actors crossed their arms and plopped into the audience seats, figuring theyd hear out his tantrum.
Otherwise, hed flop onto the stage again.
Daddy goes away, whatll I do? What if you go die! Waaah!
Pure toddler lisp.
But the lines pouring from that voice were heartbreakingly raw.
No, Youngsu. Daddyll come back safe. Why would Daddy die! Ill be back tomorrow morning, so cover up tight with the blanket and sleep alone, okay?
Noooo! Dont go. Youll die! Stay, Daddy! If Daddy dies, what about me? How do I live then!
Youngsu...
Waaah, Daddy.
Divine emotional acting.
Tears plopping down one by onepitiful beyond words.
Was this acting from a mere five-year-old?
Howd he memorize the lines? His gaze never wavered on stage.
How did a five-year-old even know those emotions, let alone express them?
Actors whod seen their share of plays had uncrossed their arms, utterly absorbed in Han Sius performance.
It was a short scene, but a couple looked ready to tear up.
Bravo!
Kang Yonghwi jumped up, clapping as Han Sius scene ended.
He possessed or something? Howd you think to have a kid act?
Dongwook, youre really his uncle? Kids got natural talent.
Guess the acting genes came from my brother-in-law... Wait, were you dissing me just now?
Haha, Sius really good at acting, huh?
Even Uncle Ji Dongwook and the other actors admitted it, giving a standing ovation.
Thank you, thank you.
Han Siu on stage beamed and bowed from the waist.
Siu, whyd you suddenly imitate that?
Huh?
You ever take acting lessons?
Huh?
The five-year-old just cocked his head at Kang Yonghwis questions.
The actors faces filled with puzzlement.
No way a five-year-old would give a proper answer.
But Kang Yonghwi didnt give up and asked again.
If anyone could pull it off, it was him.
No one knew what went on in that inscrutable head of his.
Meanwhile,
Acting lessons...
Han Siu inwardly sighed in frustration.
No one else knew why he was tilting his head.
In his past life, just three years after shedding his dukes son identity and donning the golden mask to take the stage.
Everyone in London who knew theater had heard of the Golden Mask.
Back then, people called the Golden Mask this:
A talent bestowed by the gods.
Many teachers had helped nurture that talent.
He just couldnt name them now.
What if he said hed learned acting from Oscar Pitt of the Oscar Theater Troupe 400 years ago?
Or that hed debated acting endlessly with Richard Burbage and spent sleepless nights dissecting plays with William Shakespeare?
They wouldnt believe himand the casting talk might vanish.
Han Siu had just one thing to say.
I wanna act!
All that was left was permission.