The Kids' Resolve.
The Kids' Resolve.
The comments I was reading were, to put it nicely, from people worried about me.
- This is seriously child abuse fr
└ Agreed. Even if it's a movie, putting Si-yoon through all that underwater is seriously too much.
└ Feels like this movie's gonna hit some serious controversy.
└ Seeing Si-yoon's face turn red, guess I wasn't the only one who took it seriously...
└ She actually seemed like she was in pain... Yoo Dae-yeon's always been famous for running people into the ground to make masterpieces, but blindfolding a kid and doing god knows what... insane...
The scene of waterboarding an 8-year-old had sparked more controversy than I'd expected, so I looked up other videos too.
People taking it seriously...
'So even this kind of thing becomes controversial these days...'
The people involved in this film, myself included, had already explained things at the preview screening and in interviews, but since today was only the second day since the movie's release, those interviews hadn't been uploaded yet.
Everyone would find out through the interviews and behind-the-scenes footage eventually anyway.
After wrapping up filming, I didn't want to ruin the mood of Yoo Dae-yeon, who'd been so happy about it.
So to help even a little, I came up with a plan.
"Daddy!"
Dad must have been working in his studio, but somehow he heard me and came running.
"Hm? You called?"
"Dad, can I post my swimming video on Neotube?"
"Should we?"
"The video you gave to Director Yoo Dae-yeon!"
The Si-yoon Ji-ho channel had an overwhelming subscriber count, placing it among the most popular channels in Korea.
A video was uploaded there.
Kim Ji-ho waved at the camera, put on various oxygen tanks and gear, and entered the water.
Then Si-yoon entered the deep water wearing a snug freediving suit and no equipment apart from a diving mask covering her eyes and nose and a pair of earplugs.
As if she had no intention of surfacing, Si-yoon slowly descended into the water as though she had no buoyancy at all.
She sat on a platform two meters deep, looked at Kim Ji-ho holding the camera, and flashed him a V sign.
Then she stood up and playfully stepped down one tier at a time on the stepped floor where the depth increased by 1 meter per step, until she reached the bottom at 6 meters.
Below it was a deep, circular shaft.
After playfully circling the opening, Si-yoon floated upward, backflipped, and slipped smoothly down into it.
You could tell how much Kim Ji-ho had practiced to film Si-yoon, because he was descending smoothly at the same speed as her.
Si-yoon reached the bottom at a total depth of 26 meters, sat down there, and looked at her dad, Kim Ji-ho.
A hand, presumably Kim Ji-ho's, pointed upward with a finger as if to say it was time to go up.
Si-yoon looked around, shrugged, and slowly ascended.
When she reached the six-meter ledge, she exhaled, formed rings of air, and played with them as the video ended.
There wasn't even a scene of Si-yoon coming out of the water, but the video easily ran over 6 minutes long.
Everyone who watched the video was left open-mouthed.
Later, Director Yoo Dae-yeon uploaded behind-the-scenes footage from the movie to Neotube.
To begin with, the blindfolded water-torture scene had actually been filmed without a blindfold.
I held the rotating pillar while unbound, and mannequins modeled after me handled most of the fully submerged shots.
As the video spread, the comments that had been worrying about me in aggressive language disappeared, and only those marveling at the genuinely painful-looking acting remained.
While I was rewatching the movie I'd filmed on TV, Dad brought over some fruit.
"Watching it again?"
"Yeah."
"When does winter break end?"
"February 1st. Spring break is two weeks starting 15 days after that."
Dad chuckled at the sight of me remembering the vacation schedule and started brushing my long hair.
Then Dad's phone rang, and he answered it.
"Hello? Ah, yes, just Si-yoon? Ah... got it~"
When I heard my name, I looked up at Dad, and Dad said with a smile.
"Jang Seong-man called. He wants you to appear on Next-Door Hyungnim."
"Just me?"
"Yeah, with the people you filmed the movie with this time~ including Si-yoon, he said three people total."
"What about the others?"
"I'm not sure either. Maybe they can't because of their schedules?"
I kept my eyes on the movie while eating an apple from the fruit Dad had brought.
Then Dad's phone buzzed, and Dad checked the message.
"Whoa... Si-yoon must be really popular... What kind of appearance fee is this for a child...? Whoa... it's about the same as Dad's."
Whenever money came up, my gaze snapped right to it.
"Really?"
Just then, the phone rang again and Dad answered it.
"Hello? Ah, Si-yoon says she'll do it."
Dad was on the phone for a moment, then his eyes widened.
"Huh? Another one? This time a drama... wow... Si-yoon must really be crazy popular."
After talking for a good while, Dad listened seriously, then his eyes lit up.
"...A gumiho role...? A hanbok... a tail...? I'll make sure Si-yoon does it."
"...?"
When I stared at Dad, he received a photo on his phone and started grinning like a pervert, clearly imagining something to himself.
"What."
"Si-yoon, there's this fantasy drama coming out called 'My Love Was a Gumiho'..."
I cut Dad off and said,
"No."
"....."
"Looking at Dad's face, I've got a feeling you want cutesy-wootsy scenes. Not doing it."
"....."
Suddenly Dad was putting on a face like a pitiful puppy.
"If you make a face more pitiful than Alpha losing his Churu, I'll think about it."
At the word 'Churu,' Alpha and Beta started rubbing against my body.
Hearing what I said, Dad scrunched up his face even more, as if trying to make a pitiful expression.
"...Gross."
Dad was flustered by my one word.
"...Si-yoon?"
Dad tried to grab me in despair, but I dodged his hands as swiftly as Ga-in.
After the movie opened, attention poured in, but Dad and Jang Seong-man used their influence to turn down every request.
But as my appearance fee kept going up because of that, the Next-Door Hyungnim side quadrupled the original offer.
Anyway, it was my favorite variety show, and the people were ones Dad met often, so I decided to appear.
Having arrived at the filming set, I was getting ready for the shoot.
Dad had come along as my guardian and was sitting with the staff, watching the filming.
Maybe because the scene of Kwak In-gu holding Ga-in was so famous...
During rehearsal, the Next-Door Hyungnim PD asked Song Il-seong if he'd be okay carrying me in.
I nodded readily, and Song Il-seong smiled as he lifted me up.
Song Il-seong was famous as Korea's representative powerhouse and was seriously jacked, so his arms offered a pretty decent ride.
Once the cue came, Kang In-seong and the regular cast of Next-Door Hyungnim began talking.
Just then, Song Il-seong flung the door open while carrying me.
The people startled by Song Il-seong's sheer size wore flustered expressions.
Kim Ha-neul quickly laid out the cushion he had brought so I could sit comfortably on the teacher's desk.
I waved, and Song Il-seong and Kim Ha-neul greeted them alongside me.
"Hi~"
After the greetings, people were saying it had been a long time since they'd seen me.
"Si-yoon, you've gotten so big~"
"I know."
"How old are you now?"
"Look it up."
"What have you been up to lately?"
"Check the Si-yoon Ji-ho vlog on Neotube."
These kinds of cheeky answers went back and forth, but they were all smiling fondly.
Kang In-seong asked me on behalf of everyone.
"They say Si-yoon is really good at swimming."
"Yep, I'm good."
"So did you learn to swim from your dad?"
I swept my hair back and said,
"My dad sucks at swimming. Our house cat's probably better at it, honestly."
Everyone laughed at the sight of me casually dissing Dad while slicking my hair back.
I looked at the short male cast member and said,
"I told you, didn't I? I'm good even at things I've never tried—except drawing."
"Nah~ I saw the videos, and your drawings are amazing too?"
"The other stuff I'm even better at."
My self-praise was as consistent as ever, something that should've been ridiculous, but the look suited me more and more.
Above all, it was refreshing because there were no pretenses.
As everyone finished introducing themselves, I sat swinging my legs from the teacher's desk.
Kang In-seong threw a question at Song Il-seong, and the conversation naturally kept going.
"They say Il-seong's filming a movie overseas these days."
"That's right. But when I got Director Yoo Dae-yeon's script, it looked like they really needed me."
Maybe to match my concept, everyone started laying on the self-praise.
"Since we've got a connection, I figured I'd do it for them again."
The handsome guy next to him pointed a finger at Kim Ha-neul and said,
"You know about that? It went crazy worldwide, right?"
"For what?"
"For being insanely handsome."
Kim Ha-neul, known for his puppy-like charm, had generated plenty of attention overseas through this movie.
Kim Ha-neul smiled and said,
"Did you guys see the screenshots people took while praising me?"
Kim Ha-neul was referring to a set of photos that had recently been circulating online.
People were calling them the best shots of his life.
"But there isn't a single photo of me taken with Si-yoon?"
When had he even prepared it? He pulled a display board from beneath the teacher's desk where I was sitting.
The panel had a bunch of scenes of me and Kim Ha-neul shot together.
"But whenever I take a picture with Si-yoon, I look ugly by comparison..."
It looked like a filter had been applied solely to my face.
"Seriously, they used a ton of makeup to tone down Si-yoon's looks."
Because I'd been made up to look as scruffy and boyish as possible.
All sorts of conversations went back and forth, and then the Guess Who segment time approached.
With Kim Ha-neul's help, I climbed down from the teacher's desk.
While Kim Ha-neul was talking, Song Il-seong lifted me up and sat me on a tall chair.
"There was a moment while reading the script that totally threw me off. What do you think it was?"
The tall guy behind him spoke up.
"Because Si-yoon's acting was too good?"
"Close, but no. But you've got the right idea."
The ugly guy in front raised his hand and said,
"Because of Si-yoon's ad-lib?"
Kim Ha-neul smiled and followed up.
"What could that ad-lib be?"
I recalled the moment during the very first script reading when I'd cussed out Kim Ha-neul, who I'd never met before.
Among the celebrities in front, the ones who'd seen the movie threw out all kinds of guesses but were all wrong, and then the handsome guy sitting on the left spoke again.
"Flipping him off and telling him to go fuck himself?"
"Oh! That's the right answer!"
Some people apparently hadn't seen the movie; they buzzed among themselves, and Kang In-seong said to me,
"Si-yoon~ how about showing us once?!"
"Yeah, not happening."
At my simple, clear, and crisp answer, the actors were laughing.
"I already look rude enough because of the concept. If I swear here, there'll be no coming back."
This time the actors paused, while the seated cast members wore fond, paternal smiles.
Kim Ha-neul whispered loudly enough for me to hear perfectly.
"That... isn't just a concept, though."
"...?"
"Sorry..."
After checking my glare, Kim Ha-neul started with an apology, and it looked pretty natural.
When my turn came, I picked up the toy hammer and walked around while talking.
"Hmm... When I do this, Dad has a dramatic reaction. He's probably sitting over there watching right now, and if I do this, he'll come bursting out."
"".....""
From far away, Dad flinched, and I stared at him.
I grinned at the camera.
"What could it be?"
"What kind of reaction does he have?"
The handsome guy asked, so I crossed my arms, rested my chin on my hand, and thought about it.
"Hmm... He absolutely loves it."
The ugly guy raised his hand and said,
"A kiss?"
"No, he gets much more proactive."
Song Il-seong and Kim Ha-neul, who'd co-starred with me, shrugged to say they didn't know either.
Suddenly, the short male cast member came out in front of the camera and did a sleazy leg-shaking dance.
"Oh? Close. The dancing part is right."
"So it's a type of dance?"
"Yeah, I'll give you a hint."
I grabbed the teacher's desk and stuck my butt out. Sure enough, Dad hurried behind the camera and pointed at me.
"Ah-hah, look over there. Dad totally loves it."
Some cameramen turned to film Dad, who was wearing a hat.
I popped my butt one more time toward the camera Dad was at, and in the end, Dad came into the camera shot and picked me up.
After filming ended, Dad briefly exchanged greetings with the other celebrities.
"Your entrance today was great~"
"It was Si-yoon's idea, ahaha..."
Dad's entrance was an idea I'd come up with.
Thinking I was waiting for him, Dad quickly wrapped up his greetings and came over to me.
While we were heading home, I checked Dad's phone and it seemed like he wanted to get me into a hanbok somehow, no matter what.
His search history had a lot of 8-year-old girl hanbok size queries.
Before Dad could notice, I quickly opened Neotube and watched a video.
"Si-yoon~"
"Yeah?"
Dad kept sneaking glances at me through the rearview mirror while driving.
"Should we go buy a hanbok?"
"Just say it. You want me to film the gumiho thing, right?"
Dad was gauging my reaction.
"...Was it that obvious?"
"Yeah."
"They said they're gonna use a ton of CG... Si-yoon with a fluffy, bushy tail..."
Dad, who loved animals, had likely imagined the tail from the photo he'd received on me, as he mumbled to himself while facing forward.
"Fine, I'll do it."
"Really?!"
Dad was so delighted that he hummed a song we had made together when I was in daycare.
I was sighing to myself.
I had a feeling Dad's influence was heavily involved in this drama...