Chapter 12
“If I fail again this time, my family will probably kill me…”
Han Seon-ah, a re-examinee preparing for admission to the Journalism and Broadcasting Department at S University in Seoul, let out a deep sigh filled with gloom.
Having narrowly missed the cut last time, she was confident that she would definitely succeed this time.
But what awaited her instead was simply the label of being a second-year re-examinee.
Sigh.
In despair, Seon-ah turned on the TV in her cramped studio apartment.
She couldn’t focus on studying due to her gloomy mood and throbbing headache.
“Hm?”
Since she loved entertainment gossip, she was a regular viewer of a variety show that often covered celebrity news.
But for some reason, the show was broadcasting a making film of a drama instead of introducing the latest trending actors or idols.
Sigh, why are they airing making films on public broadcasts nowadays?
From the looks of it, this seemed like a show that had some money invested in it.
“The Moon that Hides the Sun.”
According to the description, it was a historical drama based on a popular novel.
“Instead of this, why not give us updates on my Ho-seok oppa?”
Trying to resist the urge to change the channel, she watched the program, waiting for the next segment.
Introduction to the drama.
And after discussions about the cast, the auditions for the ‘childhood protagonists’ began.
Naturally, Seon-ah was indifferent.
No matter how talented the child actors were, they were still just kids.
Her thoughts were limited to, “Oh, that girl is from the daily drama.”
“Wow, Park Sun-woong’s son has grown up that much already?”
The son of the once-renowned handsome actor Park Sun-woong, Park Jung-woo caught Seon-ah’s attention.
As she gradually became engrossed in the broadcast, she was taken aback by the performances of the child actors that followed.
She had expected them to be merely a step above a school play, but they were anything but that.
They were young sprouts who knew how to act!
And the performances by Park Jung-woo and Jo Seo-hee were already blooming flowers.
Such beautiful blossoms that catch everyone’s attention.
“I didn’t realize it when they were in the daily drama, but they performed so well.”
It was only natural.
The actors in daily dramas were all seasoned veterans.
Jo Seo-hee’s performance, which stood out without feeling awkward, couldn’t just be described as “excellent.”
‘She’s definitely going to take first place.’
Seon-ah thought this while watching Jo Seo-hee.
Given the performances of the child actors thus far, anyone would come to the same conclusion.
As for Park Jung-woo, it was needless to say.
Seeing how the other male child actors were already intimidated by him, the roles were practically set.
Seon-ah thought that all the roles had already been decided as she watched the broadcast.
Huh?
But then, it happened.
A girl who had been insignificant until now stepped forward.
It was a cute child.
Her deep black hair and light brown, no, reddish eyes sparkled with a mysterious allure.
There was a calmness about this little girl that seemed out of place.
The subtitle introducing her read that she had half a year of acting experience, and that she had only appeared in a couple of commercials.
But Seon-ah immediately recognized who she was.
“Oh, that’s the girl from the soymilk commercial!”
The girl who recently became popular from that soymilk ad.
Her performance in the ad had certainly left a strong impression.
But can she act well?
With only half a year of acting experience and a mere two commercials under her belt, she surely couldn’t compare to those who had proper training.
Could she overcome this with just her unique eye color and striking looks? That was a question hovering in Seon-ah’s mind.
But that thought completely changed once the acting started.
Princess Yeonhwa.
The character strutted into the audition room like she owned the place.
The heart-wrenching girl stood against the backdrop of a sunset.
Seon-ah watched the performance of that soymilk girl in a stupor.
By the time she snapped back to reality, the first part was already over.
“No! How can they end it here?!”
Seon-ah was incensed.
This was just a trick by the production staff, a lowly scheme to bump the ratings.
In the end, who is the real Princess Yeonhwa?
Is it Jo Seo-hee or Ju Seo-yeon?
Seon-ah sat at her desk, grumbling.
For some reason, her headache had disappeared.
Her mind felt somehow clear for a change.
It’s been a long time…
“So, who do you think will get the role? Jo Seo-hee or that soymilk girl?”
A week later.
Seon-ah had this conversation with a friend from her re-examination school.
Since they were all applying for the Journalism and Broadcasting Department, many of Seon-ah’s friends were interested in the entertainment industry.
Thus, it was only natural that they discussed the ongoing Taesumdahl auditions.
“It’s tough. But I think the soymilk girl has a better shot?”
“But the judges said Jo Seo-hee had more stability.”
“Come on, you know acting is all about sparkle, sparkle!”
As this kind of conversation went back and forth, the second making film began.
The second part’s performances were even more intense than the first.
Of course, not every scene made it since they had to avoid spoilers, but the snippets they did show made it hard to pick a clear winner at a glance.
Jo Seo-hee’s performance was steady. Despite her young age, she exuded professionalism.
A child prodigy, she was undoubtedly deserving of the title.
In contrast, the performances of the soymilk girl, no, Ju Seo-yeon, felt rough around the edges.
After watching a few of her performances, Seon-ah understood what it meant to lack technical skill.
But her presence was undeniable.
There was something intense, something mesmerizing that made you unable to look away.
Before she realized it, Seon-ah found herself silently cheering for Seo-yeon.
A fan?
Maybe that’s why she felt that way.
Seon-ah felt affection for Seo-yeon’s raw, unpolished acting compared to Jo Seo-hee’s refined performances.
And once the second broadcast wrapped up, just as she wondered if the results would be delayed until the third broadcast, the screen switched.
“In ‘The Moon that Hides the Sun,’ the child actor who will portray Young Lee Hye-wol is…”
The location was a conference room.
Seated were the director, producers, and various staff members exchanging glances.
And then, the result.
“The role of Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol, goes to Ju Seo-yeon!”
The result was a victory for Seo-yeon by a margin of two votes.
Seon-ah felt a satisfaction akin to finishing a long variety show.
“…I have to watch that drama.”
Seon-ah murmured this absentmindedly.
There were many dramas she had been putting off due to studying recently.
But for this one, she absolutely had to watch it live.
That was her determination.
*
After the making film, Seo-yeon’s popularity skyrocketed.
Previously, she was simply regarded as a cute girl from a soymilk commercial.
Now, people had a more complex view of her.
The child prodigy who beat out the princess of daily dramas, Jo Seo-hee!
Some said that.
While others argued that Jo Seo-hee acted better and that this was just the favoritism shown to a rookie!
“There’s no need for Seo-yeon to see the internet, right?”
Sua’s eyes and voice trembled.
The veins bulging on her forehead revealed how upset she was.
Moreover, the bags under her eyes suggested she had been online all night.
“Last night, it looked like there was quite a fight on the Next portal site.”
It seemed there were posts about this audition on the Next portal site.
Some petitions and various discussions were ongoing in the “Makgora Plaza” of Next.
After discovering the slanders against Seo-yeon, Sua rolled up her sleeves and fought fiercely against many others all night.
When Seo-yeon stepped outside just to use the bathroom late at night, she was momentarily frozen when she saw her mom battling furiously.
That sight could rival that of a warrior on the battlefield.
“Well, what can we do?”
In contrast, her father, Ju Young-bin, remained incredibly cool.
“Seo-yeon, you know this is what you need to show with your acting. Of course, Daddy believes in you.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, these days, Daddy is so happy thanks to Seo-yeon.”
As Young-bin ruffled Seo-yeon’s hair, he hummed a tune while getting ready for work.
Lately, he was thrilled about going to the office.
After all, what do parents love most?
Proudly bragging about their kids.
In fact, quite a few colleagues asked him about Seo-yeon once he got to work.
In some cases, they even wanted to get her autograph in advance.
Even Team Leader Kim, who usually picked on Young-bin, had been asking about Seo-yeon, making him feel like he was walking on clouds.
“Dad feels so good right now.”
Seo-yeon nodded as she watched Young-bin.
“This is why they keep doing auditions.”
It certainly seemed like an unbeatable way to generate buzz in recent times.
Wouldn’t it be so effective if virtual YouTubers held auditions like this too?
“If I can do this, maybe I can aim for corporate taxes down the line…”
Aren’t virtual YouTubers also chosen through auditions?
If they could do something spectacular like this again, promoting a “monster rookie” could become possible!
As her thoughts spiraled in that direction, Sua spoke firmly to Seo-yeon.
“Seo-yeon, you mustn’t feel too pressured, okay? Also, remember, I’ve scheduled a visit to the hospital, so you must go.”
“Oh, okay.”
Seo-yeon suddenly recalled that they had reserved a session with a psychiatrist in order to manage her stress.
That felt like someone else’s idea but…
Hmm.“
Seo-yeon crossed her arms and sighed.
Honestly, she wasn’t particularly fond of that place.
*
The promotion for “The Moon that Hides the Sun” has been surprisingly successful.
It seemed that special arrangements made in advance for the Entertainment Live broadcast were the right decision.
But separate from that, PD Ha Tae-o felt a hidden unease.
“Will Ju Seo-yeon… be okay?”
She had been chosen by a voting system.
Given her acting prowess during the auditions, there was no denying that.
But now, she would be acting alongside experienced, recognized veteran actors rather than fellow child actors.
Among the actors, it was likely that some would harbor resentment over Jo Seo-hee’s loss, given her elite training.
“Honestly, that child is… hmm, somewhat unconventional.”
To put it simply, she didn’t follow the standard learning path.
Naturally, those who trained properly and held strong pride would likely perceive her unfavorably.
Thus, Tae-o had cast his vote for Jo Seo-hee during the audition.
While Seo-yeon’s auditions had certainly made a stronger impression, filming wasn’t the same as auditions.
“PD Ha!”
At that moment, an actress with neatly arranged gray hair called out for Tae-o.
“Ah! Yes, Jeong Eun-sun.”
“Today is that child’s first filming for the drama, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Hmm.”
Tae-o subtly observed Eun-sun’s expression.
As experienced actors, they often concealed their feelings well.
However, everyone has their sensitivities.
Having observed many actors over the years, Tae-o had learned to read those nuances.
“Looks like she’s not impressed.”
Eun-sun was a veteran actress.
She was especially strict about acting.
Her discontent was evident, particularly towards Seo-yeon’s rough performance.
“Plus, she’s made no attempts to hide her favoritism towards Jo Seo-hee.”
As another child star who successfully made it big, she had always praised Jo Seo-hee, who had shown exceptional talent since childhood.
Last time they featured in a variety show together, she had expressed excitement for shooting a drama with Jo Seo-hee.
However, that opportunity was abruptly snatched away by a newcomer.
“I hope that girl has a strong mental resilience.”
The irony of the situation is palpable.
As fate would have it, Eun-sun’s role is that of Queen Um-hye.
This means she would be playing the grandmother of Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol.
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