Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: A Five-Year-Old on Stage
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Kang Yonghwi, are you feeling sick or something?
Im perfectly fine. For now.
No, what did I ever do wrong to you? I let you put on whatever show you want. I bring in whatever actors you ask for. And now? Whats this about putting some infant on stage?
Youre overreacting again. Hes five years old.
Five or a one-year-old grabbing for letters! Are you in your right mind?!
Kang Yonghwi plugged one ear as the theater owners shouts pierced it like nails.
Clunk.
The nameplate that always ended up in his hand whenever someone in the troupe caused trouble was gripped there once more.
Despite it happening every time, hed never once swung it at anyone.
The nameplate read Theater Owner Kim Sangcheol.
Ah, hyung! Your blood pressure. Calm down a bit.
Do I look like I can calm down right now?
Didnt you hear the kids earlier? They said hes amazing. Ive unearthed a once-in-a-lifetime talent here.
Once-in-a-lifetime? More like hes about to ruin everything.
Hyung, Sangcheol hyung. Not only did he memorize the script perfectly, but his emotional delivery is out of this world.
Han Sius eyes.
A shiver raced up from his toes, and Kang Yonghwi smiled faintly.
It was the boy Youngsu straight out of the script itself.
Exactly the plucky kid hed envisioned when first putting together People in the Attic House.
If you just see him once, hyung, youll get what I mean.
You... you madman.
Kim Sangcheol felt fire rising in his gut at the smug look on Kang Yonghwis face, as if he should be grateful.
Kim Sangcheol let out a deep sigh that seemed to shake the earth.
Seeing Kang Yonghwi already lost in rapture, he realized something.
His objections wouldnt even register.
Now Ive got to change shitty diapers in my theater.
Hes out of diapers. Hes five.
Will you shut your mouth?
No, hyung. When have we ever been picky about actors? This troupes called Emergency Iron, isnt it?
Why leave out the 777?
Anyway, I told him to come tomorrow. Lets see for ourselves and decide. Yeah? Weve still got over a month till the show.
With that, Kang Yonghwi got up from his seat.
Hed been played again.
Ticket sales had been decent since handing directing to Kang Yonghwi, but it left him reaching for cold water every other day.
I shouldve known when that guy threw himself on the street.
Kim Sangcheol grabbed cold water from the purifier in the corner of the office and chugged it down.
The modest 8-pyeong directors office was sparsely furnished.
He hadnt started the troupe to make big money in the first place. If there was cash for decorating the office, hed rather invest it in the troupethat was his way.
Kim Sangcheol had been an actor back in the day.
A pretty damn successful one, at that.
His looks werent the kind that actors prized most, but his stellar acting chops landed him meaty supporting roles in theater and even film.
Kim Sangcheol always said his roots were in Daehangno.
After breaking into broadcasting, hed made a decision one day.
Use this money to do something for young dreamers like him who wanted to act.
And so Emergency Iron 777 was born.
Rise up, young dreamers! Let Kim Sangcheol be your lottery jackpot!
Hit the big one on the Emergency Iron express!
That was the spirit behind the name.
Thats why Kim Sangcheol rarely turned away actors who came and didnt block those who left.
Even Kang Yonghwis wild proposalshe accepted as many as he could.
But this bastard... what? Fiiive years old?
The more he thought, the more infuriated he got.
When hed first met Kang Yonghwi, honestly, he hadnt planned to take him on.
Kang Yonghwi was already famous by then, before theyd even crossed paths.
A comet-like new director blazing into Daehangno.
From the start, hed only staged experimental plays.
Plenty of people looked down on him for it.
Veteran theater stalwarts openly criticized him.
But strangely, everything Kang Yonghwi touched turned to gold.
Even experimental works audiences would normally ignore shone under his hand.
After seeing one of Kang Yonghwis hyped-up shows, Kim Sangcheol quietly backed off.
Hed thought of recruiting him at first, but for his fledgling troupe, the risk was too high.
Then Kang Yonghwi approached him first.
Theater Owner, will you take me on?
Hed refused at first.
But the guy followed him daily, then lay down blocking his path.
Hed thought it was just the directing that was crazyturns out the guy was crazy-looking too.
In the end, Kim Sangcheol brought Kang Yonghwi to Emergency Iron 777.
Hed taken him on with real resolve and high hopes.
Path of thorns, path of thorns...
Not a single peaceful day since.
Despite his guts churning daily, the troupe had thrived.
Even with ample investment, making profit without losses on theater in this day and age was rare.
Theyd achieved even bigger success than expected.
Emergency Iron 777 had become one of Daehangnos major troupes that everyone wanted to join.
Kim Sangcheol even wondered if he shouldve switched paths sooner.
Of course, it was largely thanks to the actors he and Kang Yonghwi had carefully scouted.
Incidents never stopped when bringing them in, though.
The ones Kim Sangcheol recruited were the well-behaved sort.
The problem was Kang Yonghwi never brought in actors or staff normally.
Storming other troupes for casting.
Dragging in film students and rookies out of nowhere.
Cleanup always fell to him, the theater owner.
The stomach meds hed popped could probably bury this office.
Every drinking session with Kang Yonghwi, hed vent.
The guy never even pretended to listen, just yapping about the next show.
Kim Sangcheol had thrown himself into the troupe from day onecleaning, watching rehearsals daily, full steam ahead.
Just when things had settled into smooth sailing...
Aigoo, my head.
In the end, Kim Sangcheol had to pull headache pills from his desk drawer.
Tomorrow too? Youre taking Siu with you to work?
A cozy evening meal.
Mom spooned well-seasoned hairtail fish into my mouth while eyeing her younger brother.
Mmm, nice and tender.
I chewed contentedly, scooping a big bite of rice.
Rice, the staple of the East.
The way it stuck perfectly to my palate confirmed Id been reborn Asian this time around.
I was thinking of bringing Siu to work tomorrow...
Why drag Siu along for handing out flyers?
Mom picked a rice grain off my cheek and popped it in her mouth, asking innocently.
I opened wide like a baby bird, waiting for the next piece of fish.
There we go, eating so well.
Mm!
With Moms encouragement, I munched the fish.
A clean savoriness different from the perch wed had daily at Battenberg Manor.
My favorite side dish these days.
No, its not flyers. I landed a spot in this show People in the Attic House. Well, you know.
Come on!
Our fate hangs on your yap.
Ahem, heres the thing. Noona, noonas hubby. Dont freak out.
Okay.
Our Siu... got cast today! Bigger role than mine, even.
...
...
Silence blanketed the table.
Cast, you say?
...Casting.
Uncle mumbled, head hung low.
I swallowed the rice in my mouth and glanced at Mom and Dad.
They exchanged looks and shook their heads.
Siu is cute, sure... but sudden casting?
Haha, Dongwook, come on. Casting for a five-year-old?
Yeah, no more asking you to watch him. Happy? I asked for one day, and look at the grief. Just eat.
They didnt buy it, apparently.
As they tried to brush it off, I grew anxious and shot Uncle a glare.
Uncle, panicking too, spoke up fast.
Noona! I promised to bring Siu to the troupe tomorrow. Our directors super famous, he personally asked Siu, and the theater owner said hed convince him. Siu wants to too.
What? Siu, is that true?
Gulp.
No, this jerk acts like hes got it handled, then turns the arrows on me?
I gulped down my rice and nodded faintly.
Sius acting was so good, we were all floored watching.
So, youre putting a kid on stage? Sius only five, still.
Yeah, Dongwook. Isnt he too young?
Agh, you two didnt see Siu act, thats why. It wasnt some five-year-olds acting.
Sharp eyes.
But yeah, the biggest hurdle.
I peeked upMom and Dad still looked worried.
No good, huh.
Tremble.
My fists, clenched tight since earlier, shook faintly.
Unbelievable. Slipping out like a rat to play actor?
Even staining the Battenberg name would be a mercy. How ridiculous well look.
Stay out of sight, you disgust me.
Flinch.
Memories from my past life.
The duchesss voice, cold as frost.
Thered always seemed an unbridgeable gap between her, Mom, and me.
Siu.
Then, a warm spring breeze of a voice.
Siu really liked it?
Yeah. He showed us his acting first, unprompted!
Dads gentle words followed.
Honey, if Siu wants to, maybe let him try once?
I recalled my new moms warm embrace.
Dads rough hands, always washing off the grease before touching me.
Siu, bedtime.
Like this that much, Siu?
Our boy should do whatever he wants.
Unlike my past life, the last five years brimmed with warmth.
Maybe this time would be different?
To be, or not to be. That is the question.
A grave tone.
My childish lisp lingered, but not enough to mar the perfect British pronunciation.
Huh?
Siu?
Stunned parents and uncle turned to me.
Seeing their wide eyes, I poured emotion in once more.
To be, or not to be. That is the question.
Shakespeare always stressed re-creating the script.
As is, its meaningless. Actors must fully re-create it.
That from the playwright?
Kekeke, thats why the shows are fun.
In that sense, this line: To be, or not to be. That is the question.
To be or not to be.
Back then, to me, it sounded like live or die.
When I was still Noah Battenberg, right before deathwhat had I thought?
Fuzzy now, but surely only of acting.
So I couldnt squander this second chance.
Uncles jaw dropped as he asked.
Mom and Dad stared wide-eyed, confused.
Then Mom turned to Dad.
Whoa, Hamlet? Right?
Uh, yeah, seems like it. Wow, Siu! Youre amazing!
How... howd you memorize that...?
Preparing a show 400 years ago.
Couldnt say that.
Came on. Tetebi.
I pointed firmly at the living room TV, and Mom and Dads faces lit up.
Son, howd you do this?
How?
Practiced with Shakespeare.
400 years ago.
The worry faded from their faces.
Now was the moment.
Mommy. Daddy. Wanna act. Wanna go on stage.
Mom clasped my still-trembling hands in hers.
Gazing at me with boundless warmth, she asked.
Siu. Do you really want to act?
I nodded slightly to Moms question.
Want to act? To me, its want to live.
How could I shake my head?
Alright. Then tomorrow, lets go with Mommy to Uncles theater.
Mom lifted me proudly into her cozy embrace.
Before I knew it, my hands had stopped shaking.