Chapter 24
The official advertisement video appeared on the drama teaser site.
The reaction to the one-minute video was much hotter than Seo-yeon had anticipated.
Su-a had been fussing all night about it.
“Our daughter looks so cute!”
“True.”
“Right? It’s going to be chaos at the art festival tomorrow.”
Is that so?
Seo-yeon blinked as she stared at the drama advertisement video on her computer screen.
The timing of the video going live right before the festival was surprisingly astonishing, but Seo-yeon couldn’t quite gauge the extent of the teaser’s impact.
“Don’t put too much pressure on her. Didn’t you see the news about why child actors can’t stay active for long?”
Joo Yeong-bin pointed out in a small voice, worried that their daughter might feel burdened by all the attention.
“I know, but… Seo-yeon kind of likes this stuff.”
“Likes?”
“Yes. She subtly enjoys being praised by others.”
Su-a replied quietly.
Previously, it had been hard to tell, but now that their daughter was acting, her expressions of emotion had become more vivid.
Sitting at the computer desk, her face expressionless and composed while moving the mouse drdrdr as she watched the video was the same as before.
But upon closer inspection, it was clear that she was eagerly replaying the parts she was in.
“…Right?”
“Um. But there are bad comments, too…”
Just as she mentioned this, their daughter began acting strangely, seemingly noticing something on the screen.
She started pew-pewing with a virtual gun or throwing hearts…
“What’s that?”
“She does that when she sees good comments. She claims it’s ‘reaction practice.’”
“What kind of reaction?”
“I have no idea. She says she has to work hard as a ‘hako’ or something like that…”
“What’s ‘hako’?”
With dazed eyes, Joo Yeong-bin quietly observed his daughter.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that despite her calm expression, her cheeks were flushed and her body was subtly bouncing up and down.
‘She definitely looks happy.’
Even if there were bad comments, it didn’t seem to bother her.
‘Looks like I don’t need to worry about the art festival tomorrow.’
Joo Yeong-bin nodded.
Child acting has a limited period of opportunity, after all.
Especially with a hit role, it’s even more succinct.
‘Of course, if she seeks work, she could still easily do it.’
Yeong-bin thought he would do his best to help Seo-yeon do what she desires.
That is a father’s role, after all.
It seemed Seo-yeon had her own thoughts sorted out regarding this.
*
At the Arongdaro Kindergarten art festival.
Being the largest kindergarten in the area, the scale of the festival was quite impressive.
Not only was the event being held in a rented auditorium rather than just within the kindergarten, but the number of children attending was well over 300, making the number of parents present quite overwhelming.
“Did you know? The famous kid from the Haet-nim class is here.”
“Ah, the Princess Yeonhwa… What was her name again?”
“If you’re asking about that child actor’s name, it’s probably Seo-yeon, Joo Seo-yeon. Our daughters are in the same class, you know.”
While her husband stood awkwardly by, the mothers gathered in groups primarily discussed such topics. Naturally, their own children being the best led to conversations about any particularly prominent kids.
“That child acts really well. Should I get an autograph or something?”
“Maybe it’s because she’s in an advertisement. I mean, I’m not intending to criticize, but all child actors are pretty similar…”
“That’s true. I heard the Haet-nim class was doing a play today…”
I’ve heard there are two child actors in the Haet-nim class.
If one of them is being featured on TV and is being promoted by KMB, it’s evident she’ll steal the spotlight at this art festival.
In fact, there were those eagerly awaiting Seo-yeon’s appearance.
“I heard it’s Snow White, and she’s playing the mirror character, right? I heard she gave up her role.”
“Oh, really?”
In response to the mention of the mirror role, some sighed with a blend of relief and disappointment.
Regardless, Seo-yeon certainly commanded attention at the art festival after the teaser had just dropped!
The buzz that had been casually floating around now became a hot topic among parents attending the festival.
“Why don’t you join in and chat with them?”
As Joo Yeong-bin overheard the conversations of the parents from afar, he suggested that Su-a engage.
But Su-a shook her head slowly.
“I was on the parent-teacher association once before. The scrutiny was intense.”
“R-really? Ahem!”
Yeong-bin had heard some snippets of this situation too.
It wasn’t so much that they were being judgemental, it was just that they were curious.
Observing his wife, he thought it was unavoidable.
‘Is Seo-yeon going to be alright?’
Of course, Su-a, unaware of Yeong-bin’s worries, simply looked towards the auditorium.
Their daughter was likely finishing up preparations and getting ready to take her turn.
Although she was just the mirror….
No, given that she was playing the mirror, he found himself oddly more anxious.
Sometimes, their quirky daughter had a tendency to put in excessive effort in strange places.
*
“Joo Seo-yeon.”
“Yes?”
“Today, I’m going to show everyone properly.”
What exactly did she mean by “showing properly”?
I stole a glance at Ji-yeon, who was adorned in a dress that featured an impressive color combination.
Somehow, it suited her more as a different princess rather than Snow White.
“By the way, don’t you need to wear makeup or something?”
“I just need to stand behind the board.”
What would a mirror need for makeup?
Hiding behind a thick cardboard cutout decorated with foil, all she had to do was speak.
In a sense, Joo Seo-yeon would debut as the first virtual YouTuber.
‘The kids are definitely anxious.’
While some kids were happily smiling, others looked tense.
The one looking the most nervous was the boy playing the prince.
The peculiar role had some importance but lacked presence.
As a result, the boy had no choice but to take on the role since the other boys shunned it.
“My… My stomach… Ugh…”
He looked so pale from nervousness that Joo Seo-yeon’s heart went out to him.
Is he alright?
But she understood.
Just look at the number of people packed into the auditorium.
‘This kindergarten festival is much larger than I expected.’
She had an inkling of this.
When the number of children exceeded 300, the scale was bound to be considerable, but she hadn’t foreseen it to be like this.
This kindergarten festival should not be underestimated.
Moreover, practically all parents were participating, so it seemed there was even higher interest compared to middle and high school events.
“The play is only between our class and the Saesak class.”
“What’s their play about?”
“King Lear.”
That title was beyond what she expected.
Isn’t King Lear a bit too heavy for kids?
In any case, Arongdaro Kindergarten has a total of ten classes.
Among them, the position of the Flower class was right in the middle at fifth.
As they waited for their turn,
“Kids, it’s almost time to go out. Get ready! You’ve all practiced hard, so even if you make mistakes, it’s okay! Fighting!”
Min-a, the teacher of the Haet-nim class, called out, as the kids cheered back loudly.
Their performance would involve light movement and songs.
Though brief, it was a presentation that showcased the kids’ cuteness well.
“Seo-yeon, let me know when to move the board. I’ll help you!”
“No, it’s okay.”
As the mirror, she had to carry the cardboard cutout.
While it might be heavy for the other kids, to her, it was just a piece of cardboard.
Even if it were made of the same size metal sheet, she’d still manage.
As she lifted the cutout and whirled around, teacher Min-a’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Seo-yeon is strong! Is it because she’s an actress?”
That didn’t seem quite right, though.
But she had no excuse, so she simply nodded.
“Anyway, okay! Haet-nim class, fighting!”
With that, the play commenced amid Min-a’s encouragement.
Hidden behind her board, Seo-yeon didn’t feel particularly pressured, but all the gazes of the parents in the auditorium suddenly shifted towards the stage.
‘This is different from filming a drama.’
There’s a different flavor to this.
Should she try something like a children’s musical later on?
But for a musical, she would need to learn to sing… and since being a virtual YouTuber also requires some singing, maybe thinking about it later wouldn’t be a bad idea.
*
“This is the class, huh?”
“Ah, is that the play the kid is participating in?”
That kid, there was no need to state who they were referencing.
Today, the most frequently mentioned name amongst the mothers.
Yesterday’s ‘Taesoomdal’ teaser had spotlighted Joo Seo-yeon in her role as Princess Yeonhwa.
“I heard she’s playing the mirror role.”
“What a shame. I was looking forward to seeing how well she could act.”
I was curious if she would act as well as in the teaser.
At the same time, many understood that having a “real actor” in the mix could create pressure for the other kids.
Thus, the play of the Flower class began amidst keen attention.
The lights dimmed, casting small lights onto the stage.
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
Unlike a typical children’s play, the background music softly layered beneath created an engaging atmosphere.
Additionally, the child who took on the queen role clearly showcased the effort they’d put into practicing for the performance.
They had originally competed with Lee Ji-yeon for the princess role but unfortunately had to settle for the queen role.
In response to the queen’s passionate performance, the mirror also responded in kind.
“Why, of course, my beautiful queen.”
The voice had a strangely androgynous tone.
The moment the parents heard that voice, they gasped, and murmurs spread through the audience.
“Actors are indeed different. There’s something distinct about it, right?”
“It’s called vocalization, isn’t it? This just feels different.”
Amidst the chattering parents, Su-a’s eyes widened in surprise.
“She mentioned she wanted to attend a voice acting academy. I guess all that solo practice was for this.”
Unlike acting, this vocal aspect had been practiced by Seo-yeon since she was much younger.
While acting might be a product of pure talent, her voice had been shaped by long hours of practice.
Thanks to that, even in the drama, Seo-yeon’s voice had a clarity that was rare for her age.
The parents who had initially watched the children’s play casually began to immerse themselves more deeply.
The play continued steadily.
Familiar to all, the tale of Snow White led to the mirror’s words about the queen shifting to praise the newly born princess.
“A princess as white as snow, her name is Snow White.”
The refreshing and clear voice was a delight to the ears.
Even though it was a typical children’s play, the voice had an intriguing way of drawing the audience in.
‘The holiday is just around the corner!’
Teacher Min-a from the Haet-nim class trembled with excitement.
If things went on like this, the holiday might just be hers!
Indeed, it seemed like the performance was progressing smoothly.
Until that point, at least.
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