Chapter 33

“……”

Han Seon-ah rubbed her eyes.

She thought it was a dream, but it wasn’t.

‘Sis, can you wait a long time until I do my next project?’

Suddenly, she recalled what Seoyeon had said to her at the premiere.

Ah, that’s why she asked if I could wait!

This wasn’t an impulsive decision; it was a conclusion reached after long contemplation.

Realizing this, Han Seon-ah shook her head fiercely.

“……It wasn’t about retiring.”

Seoyeon had said to wait until her next project.

She probably wanted to take a pretty long break.

That was quite common for child actors.

Just not usually during a moment of peak fame.

“I need to study.”

Thanks to Seoyeon, she got into Seoul S University.

So, Han Seon-ah would wait.

She would grow up and meet Seoyeon again as an even cooler sister.

This was probably the one and only signature Seoyeon left behind.

With that thought, Seon-ah made a promise.

*

“Unbelievable!!”

The scream-like outburst from Jo Seo-hee echoed through the living room.

Her parents, who were watching the news with their daughter, covered their ears in shock from her sudden shout.

“Ah, Seo-hee, why are you yelling all of a sudden….”

“Did you see that?! That girl!”

Jo Seo-hee was practically shaking her dad, grabbing his collar as if she would shake some sense into him.

A proud, spirited girl, it was hard to describe her otherwise.

Having been rejected during the auditions for The Sun Hidden by the Moon, she was utterly deflated.

‘There must have been something going on behind the scenes. Otherwise, Seo-hee, there’s no way you could lose.’

Her parents tried to console her with that logic, but the dissatisfaction still lingered.

If anyone could see that she was on top, even if something came from the higher-ups, she wouldn’t have lost anyway.

Seoyeon and her acting were comparable.

When it came to emotional acting and atmosphere, Seoyeon was superior.

But in terms of pure acting stability and skill, Jo Seo-hee took the cake.

The princess of daily dramas.

That’s how she was known, and her child actor life was on a solid path.

She’d never imagined losing to a greenhorn in that arena.

But even Seo-hee had to admit it when she watched The Sun Hidden by the Moon episodes two and three.

Little Jo Seo-hee sat spellbound, lost in the performance.

If she had seen it live on set, Seo-hee would’ve been completely devoured by Seoyeon’s talent.

“How can she pull off that kind of acting…”

Seo-hee bit her thumbnail as she glared at the TV.

Her intensity made her parents subtly inch away from the spot.

“Isn’t she the goose that laid the golden egg? Yet she just up and left?”

“Thanks to that, Seoyeon’s last CF has gone viral. Following the soy milk CF, she shot a children’s nutrition supplement ad.”

“Oh, I saw that too. It’ll be pouring in with CF offers, but why?”

The presenters on TV spoke, showing the CF as a reference.

Seoyeon was seen acting with veteran actor Kim Mi-yeon.

They portrayed a wholesome mother-daughter duo.

It looked completely different from the drama but still remarkable.

‘She’s that good…’

Even now, gossip about Seoyeon was flooding the entertainment news.

It had to be something sudden and unheard of.

‘Is she winning and fleeing?’

She vowed not to lose in the next audition.

In fact, failing this audition was a blessing in disguise for Seo-hee.

Everywhere she went, people praised her as the daily drama princess.

That made her complacent, a bit arrogant even.

After all, Seo-hee was just a child.

So in her mind, there was no need to improve beyond where she already was.

Even the esteemed Jeong Eun-sun had always told her so.

Seo-hee’s acting was already at a level where she could be called the best child actor.

Sure, as a child actor.

But Seoyeon was now being compared to adult actors.

With Ha Ye-seo, who played Lee Hye-wol, emerging in episode four.

“Just you wait.”

She didn’t believe in retirement.

The news may have hollered about retirement, but based on what was said on the Celebrity Live Broadcast segment ‘Hot Stars,’ it was closer to taking a ‘brief break.’

No one could tell how long that break would last.

Child actors often take breaks of over ten years.

Especially those who are young like Seoyeon, the break could be even longer.

Generally speaking, the desirable age for child actors is around 5 to 7 years.

They can still work as they grow older, but the roles available tend to dwindle.

After all, they have to attend school too!

So, most reappear as high schoolers or adults.

When they can finally take on roles meant for adult actors.

But Seo-hee had no plans for that.

She would continue growing as an actor, not just the princess of daily dramas.

Even surpassing Park Jung-woo, being declared the best among her peers.

“Next time….”

……I’ll make sure to win.

Jo Seo-hee made her vow strong and loud.

*

“Seoyeon, to begin with, you should try acting without emotions!”

The acting instructor from Huayang Acting Academy, Hong Jeong-hoon, spoke to Seoyeon.

“There’s something in how Seoyeon draws people’s attention. It’s just BAM! Probably plays a significant role in your emotional acting….”

Captivating acting.

Seoyeon could likely do that because of her beautiful looks.

And perhaps her mystifying eyes and unique aura.

That’s why when it came to showcasing static acting, Seoyeon’s performance was unparalleled among her peers.

Even seasoned adult actors would feel the heat.

As for the child actor hopefuls who experienced her acting firsthand…

“Teacher, I can’t do that…”

“I saw her on TV… Why is she here?”

They were left disheartened after getting a kick in the rear from Lee Ji-yeon.

Surely seeing ‘acting’ that was far beyond their expectations froze them in disbelief.

“What’s up? You guys not doing it right? Want me to kick again?”

“Okay, okay.”

The boy practicing in pairs resumed acting after Ji-yeon’s swift kick.

It wasn’t anything grand—just a basic exchange of lines.

In truth, what they were doing was closer to ‘storytelling.’

That level was typical of kids’ acting.

“Can you act without emotions?”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t use them. You need to utilize your body too.”

Finger movements, eye motions. Simple actions.

“If you’ve interpreted the character, there should be quirks related to that character. You will need gestures for each line. What about Princess Yeonhwa?”

“Princess Yeonhwa….”

Seoyeon tried to mimic Park Jung-woo somewhat.

But that was more Joo Seoyeon’s actions than Princess Yeonhwa’s.

It felt natural because the princess who left the palace was in a state of acting as an ‘ordinary girl.’

‘She probably wasn’t all that convincing in her role as a princess.’

She got an ‘okay’ sign on her first try.

That probably meant they interpreted her awkwardness as intentional awkwardness.

Or maybe it just fit well enough to pass.

‘Park Jung-woo didn’t react at all that time.’

Seoyeon assumed that was standard for how Jung-woo treated her.

The calm demeanor of a ten-year-old boy.

Seoyeon had her own insensitivity towards others, so she thought they were kindred spirits.

But.

“How can you act to that level?”

After the shooting of episode three, Park Jung-woo’s reaction was entirely different.

His expression was one of shock at Seoyeon’s acting.

Before that, he surely thought of her as just another child actor below his level.

Maybe his perception hadn’t risen beyond thinking she did well for a kid.

‘After all, she is also a child actor.’

He had probably dismissed her seeing that she was three years younger than him.

‘Serves him right.’

But after delivering her performance in episode three, Seoyeon felt quite satisfied.

……Considering her previous life’s age, it was a somewhat strange feeling.

“So, you mean to say I should express the character only through actions, minimizing emotional acting?”

“Yes, exactly!”

Hong Jeong-hoon grinned widely, seeing how quick Seoyeon was to grasp it.

‘At first, I was stunned, but… this is a huge opportunity.’

Most acting schools often doubled as agencies.

This was also the case for Huayang Acting Academy, where Lee Ji-yeon settled after leaving Eunha Entertainment.

An agency Seoyeon recommended.

It was an esteemed agency and acting school known for nurturing numerous top actors.

Though right now, they mostly worked with a few child actors, getting CFs and extras.

‘Genius Child Actor Joo Seoyeon.’

The most talked-about child actor recently.

If they were able to get her at Huayang Acting Academy, tons of people would surely show up afterward.

It was a chance to get their name out there.

Plus, the talent Seoyeon possessed left everyone awestruck.

‘She understands quickly. She doesn’t seem like a seven-year-old at all.’

Just looking at Lee Ji-yeon, one would think she was incredibly clever for her age.

But Seoyeon was beyond that.

Her understanding was far too advanced for a child.

“Then, I’ll give it a shot.”

Acting without emotions.

Seoyeon began her performance, purely displaying actions.

Now, how would she surprise herself this time?

And.

“Okay, let’s start simple, Seoyeon.”

“……”

Seoyeon’s emotionless acting was simply a stiff Joo Seoyeon.

That realization dawned on her.

‘It’s all about my physicality.’

The ability that children’s bodies surpassed.

That’s likely why she hadn’t done well.

Or maybe the disconnect between emotions and body was also a contributing factor.

‘Right, that must be it.’

Seoyeon tried to convince herself that.

This invincible TS physique doesn’t mean she’s perfect at everything from the start.

That dawned on her.

*

Regardless of the humiliation she faced at the acting academy.

My daily routine was quite structured.

Monday and Wednesday were for acting school.

Tuesday and Thursday were for voice acting academy.

And lastly, Fridays were meant for trying out various sports.

I’d tried taekwondo and even children’s boxing, searching for a sport that suited me.

“Hey, Joo Seoyeon, isn’t there a huge difference between voice acting and acting?”

“They both need vocalization, right?”

“No, they seem completely different.”

And today was a day for voice acting academy.

I had practiced enough to the point where I could speak reasonably well now.

‘Voice actors are the masters of vocal performance.’

But even if I acted the same way, their vocalization method was completely distinct.

The sensation was a world apart, really.

‘Just like Ji-yeon said, I might not be able to apply that in acting….’

I figured I should only use it when capturing emotions.

Moreover, the vocalization in voice acting was incredibly challenging and I struggled a lot.

‘This supports the feeling I had during acting—naturally, I can’t do everything perfectly.’

Thinking that way, I felt relieved in a strange way.

Acting was a good break….

What if I’d kept acting? How long would that “genius child actor” title have lasted?

I could’ve probably done well with emotional acting.

But that would have put a strain on my body, and it would’ve been tough during puberty.

“Ji-yeon is really good. She really didn’t get trained anywhere?”

“Of course. But am I good or is Joo Seoyeon better?”

“Oh, that’s….”

The instructor took a moment to glance between me and Ji-yeon, whispering something quietly.

It seemed they were worried I’d feel bad if I heard them.

‘But saying that, and seeing Ji-yeon’s smug face….’

Am I losing to Ji-yeon?

How can this even be happening?

cough “Let’s try again. You should raise your voice a bit higher.”

“Yes!”

Voice acting isn’t merely about speaking well;

It includes narration, character acting,

And vocalization meant for dubbing animation.

Above all, there’s a lot to it.

The voice acting academy had a well-structured curriculum for that,

And currently, Ji-yeon and I were just starting on the basics.

“Hmm.”

I sipped water to soothe my scratchy throat, listening to Ji-yeon’s voice.

Today, we were probably role-playing characters from a fairy tale.

A small squirrel, perhaps?

In some ways, Ji-yeon seemed quite fitting for that role…

「Where’s my acorn, where’s my acorn?」

Her cute childlike voice.

Definitely, Ji-yeon was better suited for this than acting.

“Pfft!!”

But the moment I heard that voice, I inadvertently spat out my water.

It was entirely different from narration or standard character acting.

A totally new tone flowed from Ji-yeon’s mouth.

I had heard not many kids could pull that off, but Ji-yeon surprisingly did.

“……What? Why are you suddenly laughing, Joo Seoyeon?”

“Um? I-I wasn’t laughing.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Ji-yeon shot me a side-eye but didn’t press further.

Watching Ji-yeon walk away with a huff, I wiped the water from my face.

‘N-No way, right?’

I tried to convince myself otherwise.

Even so, that was a bit too far, wasn’t it?