Chapter 9
“My daughter looks stunning in her hanbok!”
Sua busily snapped photo after photo of Seo-yeon.
As she said, Seo-yeon looked incredibly cute in the prepared hanbok.
Her long hair, usually trailing down her back, was neatly arranged to match the traditional attire, and it suited her perfectly.
“Does she act with that face?”
“If she parachuted in, she should at least keep quiet.”
Of course, the only one applauding Seo-yeon was Sua.
Most others were too busy clicking their tongues in disapproval at her.
Appearance?
Well, naturally, she was pretty.
Among all the child actors, her looks certainly stood out.
Yet, this very allure seemed to provoke scowls.
It felt like she had strolled into this audition solely based on her appearance.
‘What luck she has! Just one CF got her this far.’
The soy milk ad?
Sure, it was a well-made advertisement, but dramas were a whole different game.
“I heard she’s only six now.”
“I wonder if she can even memorize her lines correctly.”
“But hey, at least we get one less competitor, right?”
Some managers and academy folks whispered amongst themselves.
They were generally cautious about saying anything bad about kids in agencies for fear of offending the companies.
But Seo-yeon was clearly someone who had lucked in without an agency.
For them, she was prime bait.
On the flip side, there were some child actors who were getting attention for the right reasons.
“Hey, isn’t that the girl from that daily drama?”
“Oh, the one who screamed ‘I hate you!’? Wow, she’s grown up a lot.”
Hearing such comments made the child actress Jo Seo-hee smirk subtly.
‘Why am I even auditioning?’
Seo-hee felt confident.
Yes, the other child actors were impressive, but still nowhere near her level.
She had experience not only in sageuks but also had starred in a daily drama.
Daily dramas air every day, making acting a routine.
Not to mention, constant shoots demand stamina.
But the upside? Rapid recognition since they air during prime time.
Just look at the cultural phenomenon Temptation of my Sister from a few years back—the influence was massive.
With her sageuk experience and immense acting skills,
Seo-hee and her manager felt absolutely confident.
“Oh, she’s here!!”
However, there was one person who made Seo-hee think twice.
A boy who walked in slowly alongside his manager.
Several girls watching nearby gasped, “Wow! He’s only ten, and he’s already super handsome.”
“He definitely has the star quality. Must be good genes at play.”
From afar, producer Hae Tae-oh smiled with satisfaction.
“I’m already looking forward to Park Jeong-woo’s performance. Every time I see him, his skills keep improving. Our grown-up actors have to step up their game; it’d be pretty embarrassing if they got outshined by a child actor!”
This wasn’t just flattery.
He was the son of the great actor Park Seon-woong, who had played lead roles in three box-office hits.
Park Jeong-woo had even starred in a blockbuster himself.
As a child who had been kidnapped by terrorists in the film, his acting had astonished the nation.
No sageuk experience was needed; his innate talent garnered everyone’s attention.
“Wow, this kid is truly something special from day one.”
Seo-yeon felt a bit shaken at the sight of Park Jeong-woo.
Now that’s what you call a real alpha male fresh out of the womb!
Jeong-woo was not only gaining massive popularity here; his next drama was bound to be a hit too.
Subsequent movie roles had him hitting repeated jackpots, continuing his success story.
Sure, he stumbled here and there, but he was definitely living up to the title of a great actor’s son.
“Oh, this isn’t the time to gawk. I need to memorize my lines.”
Seo-yeon quickly focused on the script handed out earlier at the audition.
She was behind in review because she changed outfits late.
“Huh.”
Upon glancing at the script, her eyes widened.
“This is a highlight scene!”
Specifically, it was the highlight of episode two.
The scene where young Yoon-seo-il and young Lee Hye-wol say goodbye.
This is the moment that was designed to make the entire nation weep.
‘But… it felt kinda bland, didn’t it?’
Not that anyone particularly acted poorly.
It was a highlight, yet it had a vague, decent feel to it… kind of like that?
Recalling the scenes from the drama she had watched in her past life, she began to memorize the lines step by step.
She considered emulating Seo-hee’s performance but quickly shook her head.
‘Mimicking someone else’s performance won’t do me any good.’
Wasn’t that a lesson she learned from the soy milk CF?
As Seo-yeon quietly read her lines, Sua asked Jo Min-tae with concern.
“Do you think Seo-yeon can memorize the script well?”
“Well, I’m not sure. I believe it’s more up to you as her mom to gauge that.”
“She can memorize a lot of things, but… I don’t know.”
Sua firmly believed her daughter was a genius, but parental worries remained.
Jo Min-tae shared the concern about the script.
For Seo-yeon, who had only filmed CFs thus far, it would be a significant challenge.
The sheer volume of lines she had to learn was already staggering.
“Alright! Time’s up. Let’s get started.”
With that, Hae Tae-oh quickly got to his feet.
“First, we’ll draw numbers for the opposing roles. Candidates for Lee Hye-wol, please draw from the red box, and those for Yoon-seo-il, from the blue box. The same number means you’re partners.”
In a two-person performance, the partner role is super important.
Yet, they decided this crucial role by random drawing.
Naturally, the tension ran high.
‘Please, just not Park Jeong-woo!’
‘Please, anyone but Jo Seo-hee!’
Managers and academy teachers desperately hoped that the kids they brought would avoid these ‘dangerous’ competitors.
Male child actors prayed to evade Seo-hee.
And female child actors desperately hoped to dodge Jeong-woo.
If their partner was exceptional, they’d lose presence in the performance.
‘Please, parachute, parachute, parachute!!’
Meanwhile, the most innocent one seemed to be Seo-yeon.
With a blank expression as she stood there, she was the embodiment of someone who had no idea what was going on—a genuine bystander.
“Alright, number one, please step forward.”
Number one.
Two kids, carrying the weight of being first to perform, stepped up.
Both felt relieved that the other wasn’t ‘dangerous’ and began their act.
“Hmm…”
With many viewers including producer Hae Tae-oh, the filming director, and casting director, they all keenly observed.
“Next up, number two.”
Team after team rolled forward without any special praises flowing.
Not that they acted poorly—it was solid enough but nothing outstanding.
“Number seven, please come forward.”
When number seven was called, Seo-hee stepped up.
“Ah…”
Of course, the kid playing the opposite role looked like he might faint.
His acting instructor had sternly warned that no one must face Seo-hee.
Then the performance began.
It was the scene where Lee Hye-wol and Yoon-seo-il promise to reunite someday while parting ways.
Heartfelt farewells for Hye-wol, who was destined to leave far away from Yoon-seo-il.
“I’ll come back. Definitely…”
With a voice trembling with emotion, Seo-hee delivered her lines, leaving her partner in the dust.
Despite his efforts, he completely faded from the scene.
“She’s definitely not just a princess from a daily drama.”
“True that.”
“It’s tough to evoke that kind of feeling in such short time.”
Finally, the first praise emerged to flutter around.
With a proud smile, Seo-hee scanned the audition space before striding back to her spot.
“Now, let’s see… moving on.”
As the announcements kept flowing, when “number ten” was called, Park Jeong-woo stepped up.
Naturally, an audible sigh of relief came from somewhere, while Jeong-woo’s expression was one of despair.
“I’ll… definitely come back.”
In stark contrast, the performance that followed was abysmal.
The girl opposite him completely froze in awe of Jeong-woo’s overwhelming talent, stumbling over her words.
Her vocal delivery was so jumbled it hardly qualified as acting.
“Hmm… it’s hard to judge here since the partner was so weak.”
“Yet, Jeong-woo indeed has a completely different vibe. He’s on a whole other level from these other kids.”
Some of the fellow competitors flinched at the harsh critique.
They realized they’d probably end up in the same quandary if they were paired with Seo-hee or Jeong-woo.
“So, how many teams do we have left now? Number eleven, please step forward.”
With that next announcement, a nervous boy walked out, likely seen as a comparable to Jeong-woo.
“Oh!”
The boy let out an involuntary gasp, quickly covering his mouth.
This was the same boy who had been whispering ‘parachute, parachute’ before!
Now, others in the waiting area looked at him with envy.
‘Just a few lucky CFs caught the attention of the audition staff, and now she’s here.’
Everyone here recognized Seo-yeon as the self-proclaimed parachute.
“Yeah, she’s definitely visually striking.”
“The CF did well for a reason; she totally has the aura.”
Even those who scoffed earlier acknowledged Seo-yeon’s appearance.
The stillness she held stood out, possessing an unusual charm that girls of her age usually lacked.
Yet, acting isn’t merely about aura or looks, right?
“Alright then… let’s start.”
With the director’s cue, a boy dressed immaculately in hanbok confidently spoke.
Facing Seo-yeon, he turned his back.
“Your Highness, Your Highness! Where are you going?”
He reached out, attempting to catch the departing Princess Lee Hye-wol as she made her exit.
In the spot they usually played together on a hill, they exchanged their final words.
Listening to young Yoon-seo-il, the princess slowly turned.
First, her eyes caught the boy’s gaze.
Princess Lee Hye-wol squinted as if gazing at something dazzling.
Gradually, her narrowed eyes widened as she recognized Yoon-seo-il calling for her.
Joy, happiness, sorrow, and affection glistened in her eyes.
The boy’s face reflected in her fiery-red pupils.
“……”
At that moment, the boy fell utterly silent, lost for words.
He completely forgot the lines he was meant to deliver.
His lips and tongue froze in place.
Well, of course!
Before him stood Princess Lee Hye-wol!
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