The shooting went smoothly, and before they knew it, the sky was draped in sunset.
During a brief break, Suhyeon was sipping on a cocoa handed to him by his manager when stealing glances at Jiyoon.
It’s comfortable but…
After the scene where “Yeonwu” and “Chaeun” clashed, Jiyoon had been quiet around him, not picking any fights.
But Suhyeon felt that this silence wasn’t entirely comfortable.
It feels like I’ve bullied her somehow…
He felt pricked by conscience because it felt like he had become the aggressor.
Though he acted as planned, Suhyeon had not expected her to be crestfallen right away.
Being a confident and self-centered child, he thought she would misunderstand his induced expression as a product of “her own excellence.”
I planned to poke her pride several times, but I didn’t expect her to crumble after just once… Did I underestimate the sensitivity of kids?
Suhyeon fiddled with the warm paper cup.
He had grumbled about the environment and child abuse, but those were reflections from his time as a child actor, not because he understood the kids’ thoughts.
In fact, he often found it troublesome not knowing what the children were thinking.
It seems simple, yet sometimes it’s impossible to follow.
As an adult, he could just laugh it off with a “kids will be kids” attitude.
However, now that he was on the same level, the incomprehensible thoughts of the children overwhelmed him.
The emotions are plainly visible, but the reasons behind them are hard to discern. It’s complicated, really complicated.
Suhyeon swallowed a sigh.
Regardless of the reason, responding to a child’s provocation was not the most adult-like behavior.
It was better than being underestimated, but it wasn’t the best approach either.
…Sigh, right. Since we have to keep seeing each other, let’s smooth things over a bit.
Having thought that far, Suhyeon handed his cup to Sangil and went to look for Jiyoon.
He spotted her, just as she was heading outside the classroom, away from the other kids.
“Jiyoon-noona.”
“Noona… what?”
Jiyoon, who was walking down the corridor, turned her head at the sound of her name being called.
Discovering Suhyeon, her face visibly soured, reflecting her feelings.
“Playing the lead and hanging out separately, huh.”
Was it a mistake to think she had been subdued?
Jiyoon still bristled at Suhyeon and picked a fight with him.
If not for the guilt, he wouldn’t have wanted to deal with such an annoying nine-year-old.
This part is the same whether it’s a child or an adult.
Although she was irritable, Suhyeon noticed it was all bluster.
Before that incident, the confident child focused solely on lashing out, which would have been more surprising if he hadn’t noticed.
Alright, let’s take a gentle approach.
With no desire to continue the standoff, Suhyeon smiled brightly.
He might not be good at appeasing children, but he knew how to lift someone’s spirits.
“I wanted to tell noona something.”
“I’m busy.”
“Noona seems amazing.”
“I said I’m busy… What? Are you mocking me?”
“I mean, even after our scene together made you upset, you still performed brilliantly.”
Caught off guard by his words, Jiyeon couldn’t offer her usual retort.
Suhyeon added praise upon the silence.
“Your sharp acting was cool.”
“You really resembled ‘Kim Chaeun.’”
“It was impressive, after all.”
Though it ended up sounding like any word could be a compliment, he continued to inflate her spirits as if filling a balloon with air.
“…Huh. Really?”
Human psychology is rather peculiar; hearing the same praises repeatedly can actually lead one to believe they are true.
Initially indifferent, Jiyoon slowly raised her nose and flared her nostrils with newfound pride.
Suhyeon’s compliments, coupled with her experiencing the feeling of “defeat” for the first time, made Jiyoon even more susceptible to them.
“Yeah! So… actually, I wanted to become closer with noona too.”
“…Well, I guess that’s not impossible. Hmph! You also act well.”
“Noona is nine years old, older than me. I… actually wanted a noona like you.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Suhyeon gently boosted her mood, establishing a comfortable relationship.
The skills he honed appeasing demanding PDs and broadcasting staff during his idol days shone through.
“Right! As a noona, it’s natural to look after your younger sibling!”
As if forgetting everything Suhyeon had said during their first meeting, Jiyoon regained her confident posture, her chin lifted proudly.
Despite her bold attitude, her ears were tinged with slight redness.
“Thank you. Please do well in the next scene too.”
Having shed all his guilt, Suhyeon smiled brightly, feeling refreshed.
Jiyoon’s cheeks flushed when she saw his smile, but he didn’t make much of it.
***
After making an apology that wasn’t quite an apology, Suhyeon’s schedule became a bit more relaxed.
Unlike his time with Seora, he managed to bridge a slight gap with the child actors and even got to know the stories that circulated only among them.
It’s only about who the trendy child actor is these days but to call people “unnie” and “hyung” more often than when I was with Seora’s time might be more beneficial, I guess.
Though it wasn’t particularly valuable information, interacting with his peers helped dispel the views of him as being “too precocious” or “not childlike.”
It was a welcome development for Suhyeon, who had avoided being “different” outside of acting.
The kids aren’t too bothersome, either.
While he had become acquainted with the other child actors, no further friendships were formed.
Even though adults lumped them together under the category of child actors, there was a generational gap between Suhyeon, who hadn’t even started kindergarten, and the elementary school-aged children.
The title of “the youngest lead” also contributed to the distance between them.
Of course, Suhyeon welcomed this aloofness.
Considering it was our first meeting, it was pretty successful, I guess.
Unlike Promise of the Blue Summer, where there were hardly any encounters with the other casts after the day’s shooting, Praise mostly took place in “Jang Yeonwu’s house” and school.
Naturally, there were many scenes that required coordination with the child actors, and a suitable level of acquaintance helped the acting.
“Great work today!”
“I wanted to take one more shot of the kids…Is it too late?”
“Everyone’s not in the best condition, and it might be better to call it a day…”
The filming, which had been as bright as the sun under the bright lights, slowed down once the leads’ filming ended.
Aside from the late hour, the child actors, drained of energy, were nodding off while waiting.
Eventually, the PD, who had been rushing the early schedule to have some leeway during the latter half, called for a wrap.
“That’s a relief.”
“Right… You had a hard day too, hyung.”
The December weather, on the verge of the New Year, was cold enough to scratch at one’s soft, tender cheeks.
“Really, it’s about time you went to sleep, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Yawn.”
Suhyeon, unable to overcome his sleepiness, yawned widely with his tiny mouth.
As his consciousness blurred, his small body shook noticeably.
Seohan gently caught him.
“I’ll talk to the manager and see if we can arrange your schedule to be in the morning.”
“Thanks… Yawn.”
“Mr. Lee Seohan, I think Suhyeon is really tired. Would it be okay if we head out first?”
As Suhyeon staggered from sleepiness, Sangil, his manager, eventually picked him up.
Seohan smiled bitterly for a moment and nodded.
“Please do. Ah, does Suhyeon have a schedule in four days? If not, I’d like to enter the awards ceremony together.”
Seohan looked at Sangil.
He was referring to the NBC Acting Awards that was happening in four days.
He seemed to want to make up for not being able to celebrate Suhyeon’s birthday on time.
“We’d be grateful if you could enter together. Still, I’ll ask Suhyeon once he wakes up and get back to you.”
“Of course. Take care on your way home, and I’ll mention the schedule to Hoyoung.”
“Yes. Take care.”
After exchanging farewells with Seohan, Sangil adjusted his hold on Suhyeon and headed to the car.
The limp body didn’t wake up even when it was laid on the bed.
***
The next day, Suhyeon sent a message to Seohan, saying he would join him.
There was no reason to refuse when the actor he admired suggested they enter together.
Of course, it would have been better to meet and talk in person…
While Suhyeon had been resting up for the awards ceremony, indulging in skincare and relaxation, Seohan had been busy with filming and advertising schedules up until the day before the ceremony.
Naturally, all their conversations took place over the phone, and they were both so busy that they hardly managed to have a proper call.
“Suhyeon, just tilt your head up a little. There you go.”
“Kyah, Manager, Suhyeon is so cute.”
“The actor is quite cute, isn’t he?”
“Our director usually doesn’t just touch any actor’s hair, you know? But Suhyeon is so, so cute that the director personally took care of him.”
“Really? Thank you.”
“Huah……”
Hearing the staff’s words, Suhyeon flashed a grateful smile to the director through the mirror.
The strict-looking director’s eyes crinkled slightly.
“You were nominated for the Best Couple Award today. I voted for you.”
“Thank you!”
“Suhyeon, did noona also vote for you? You should thank noona too……”
“Siyeong, I told you to assist, not to chat, didn’t I?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m also grateful to you, noona.”
“Ahaha…”
“Ugh…”
Even as the director scolded her assistant, her hands moved delicately.
Trimming the damaged hair and styling the ends, Suhyeon’s radiance seemed to increase by 20 percent just with that.
“We’ll keep the waves and naturally let them down, while the front hair will be styled up like this and fixed. You shouldn’t touch your hair until you receive the award, okay?”
“Yes.”
The director explained today’s hairstyle step-by-step, suitable to a child’s understanding.
She didn’t forget to apply light makeup after finishing with the hair.
And two hours later…
The finished Suhyeon had become an angel without wings, bathed in a halo.
“…Suhyeon, would it be alright if I posted your look on our website’s gallery?”
“Yes! That would be great!”
“In return, I won’t charge you for today’s hair and makeup.”
“…Are you sure that’s okay?”
“I do this much for other customers too. Don’t make a fuss.”
The director’s kindness seemed exclusive to Suhyeon as she frowned and scolded Sangil.
Then, conversation shifted to how Suhyeon usually took care of his hair, what time he went to bed, and so on.
With their conversation as background noise, Suhyeon smiled at his reflection in the mirror.
The makeup shop Chaemin had recommended turned out to be much more satisfactory than he had expected.
That guy is good at everything except acting. Why does he even pursue acting? He doesn’t seem to like it that much.
Despite having good taste, a wide network, and seemingly enough money, it was puzzling why he would choose to be an actor without any apparent interest in it.
Suhyeon briefly thought of Chaemin but then dismissed him from his mind.
There was no need to think about someone he would soon meet
I’m supposed to meet with Seohan-hyung in 20 minutes. Should I start heading out?
Suhyeon checked his outfit once more.
The black suit and charming bowtie reflected in the mirror were absolutely perfect.
