Having unexpectedly received a vacation, Suhyeon chose to attend acting classes instead of lazing around at home.
Like any ordinary six-year-old, he found playing with blocks fun for an hour or two, but he couldn’t cling to child’s play for four days.
Upon learning that Suhyeon’s schedule had cleared, Hochan was about to take another vacation but got an earful from Jiyeon.
With no grounds to argue back, Suhyeon quietly turned a blind eye to his father, who was whining about his sore back after being hit.
“The script revision is done.”
“Is this it?”
The script revision finished earlier than expected.
The director rushed the editing for the actors to perform smoothly and distributed the revised script to Suhyeon first.
Even though Suhyeon was the lead, it was an exceptional favor to show such consideration to a young child actor.
“Yes. The story hasn’t changed, just some of Yeonwu’s lines have been slightly refined, so it should be easy to memorize.”
The words might have been similar, but if the emotional tone was different, they were as good as entirely different lines.
Disagreeing with Sangil’s opinion, Suhyeon still opened one of the revised scripts with a pleased expression.
Thinking that it was a result of his acting made him happy, even if it meant a bit more effort.
“The latter part of Yeonwu’s character changes quite a bit. I like it.”
The revised “Yeonwu” fit more snugly with the image Suhyeon had analyzed and acted out.
It gained more vitality as the character’s personality shifted from flat to three-dimensional.
“Lucky for us the director is open-minded.”
“I was shocked because I thought we had made a mistake that day.”
“I’m not of the age to make such mistakes.”
“Hmm.”
As Suhyeon exchanged words with Sangil, he skimmed through the rest of the revised scripts.
His body was already itching with anticipation for shooting to begin.
“This won’t do.”
“What is it?”
“I want to practice. Can you act the part with me?”
“…Even when you don’t have a schedule, you work your manager to the bone. What a tyrant.”
“A child’s money isn’t blind money, you know. You’ll help, right?”
“There’s only one copy, so come sit on my lap.”
“Ah, sitting on a man’s thigh is enough with dad only. Let’s just sit side by side and read.”
“…Mr. Actor, you know you don’t sound like a six-year-old when you say things like that?”
“It’s not the first time, why the fuss.”
Sighing loudly as if to make sure Sunhyeon heard, he grumbled about suing his ruthless employer while reluctantly opening the script.
Despite everything, Sangil harbored a soft spot for Suhyeon.
* * *
Amidst the changes happening on set, time passed and episodes 3 and 4 finally aired.
The explosive reception of the second episode maintained its momentum, with episode 4 recording a viewership of 2.4 percent nationwide and 3.8 percent in the metropolitan area.
The production team was thrilled by the steady upward curve.
The audience too, celebrated the arrival of a quality drama after a long time.
[Praise) Seriously… look at the production team
Did the production team hit the jackpot? Let me bow to you first.
The chemistry between Kichan and Yeonwu is insaneㅠㅠ
Kichan is ㄹㅇ the real mentorㅠㅠ[1]
Yeonwu is pitiable, but cuteㅠㅠ
I want to beat the shit out of those who mess with him, but when Yeonwu and Kichan are together, even their lessons feel heartwarmingㅠㅠㅠㅠ
If all this was planned, the production team is godly…
In the new episode, Suhyeon keeps sticking with Lee Seohanㅋㅋㅋ
Totally like father and sonㅋ
Life would be fun with such a husband and son
Is it really only 16 episodesㅠ?
Come on!!!! You could easily fill 20 episodes with just these chemistries. Seems like the production team only knows how to make dramas but not how to do business.
If you haven’t watched it, you must do so.
Truly, no regrets
└Got heart-wrenched seeing Suhyeon flinch when he thought he was going to get hit in episode 4ㅠㅠ Wish Seohee was dead.
└Can’t we ditch Seohee and have Kichan adopt Yeonwu? Their mentor-mentee chemistry is just too good.
└I don’t like the class president either, but since she’s a child, I’ll hold back… This drama really thrives on its mentor-mentee chemistry.]
Although the drama was merely a 2 percent nationwide, Praise spread through word of mouth among the young netizens.
Tired of dramas that only talked about love, they were charmed by Praise’s unique theme and spread positive words about the show.
Also, Suhyeon, who showed notable performances in two works, received much attention.
“That’s why I’ve come to ask you to appear on my program.”
“But I can’t mention the drama?”
“Since it’s a different broadcaster, promotion is a bit… But talking about Promise of the Blue Summer is fine.”
As Suhyeon’s popularity rose, so did the number of those hoping for his appearance.
Especially in the case of KBC, they were proactive in their recruitment, even bringing their ace program for recruitment.
Junior Star Season 2, huh…
The program brought by the KBC staff was a survival audition that had successfully completed its first season and was starting to recruit for its second season after two years.
It targeted children under 15 years old, and the winner would receive a prize of 50 million won[2] and the right to sign a contract with the major entertainment agency, CL.
There were only two conditions.
- Be under 15 years old.
- The performance must be related to music, such as rap, singing, dancing, or playing an instrument.
The winner of the first season, now a second-year middle school student, debuted two months ago, surpassing idol groups to take first place on the music charts and garnering public attention.
It was a crazy success, and KBC decided to ride the momentum and produce a second season.
It is a good program.
Suhyeon recalled watching Junior Star Season 3 when he was in elementary school.
Although the idol audition craze eventually led to its end, the Junior Star Series was a profitable program for KBC and CL.
Even if one was eliminated in the first round, it was a decent option for raising one’s profile.
However, there was a major problem with this offer.
“I’m only six years old…”
No matter the requirement of being under 15, Suhyeon was a six-year-old who hadn’t even started elementary school.
Considering the youngest contestant in the first season was 12, six years old seemed forced.
“Don’t worry. You’ll definitely pass the preliminaries for the sake of buzz, and we’ll help you practice based on whether you’re better at dancing or singing.”
The participation of a well-known face would draw attention.
That was exactly what the Junior Star production team was aiming for, and Suhyeon’s young age was one of the ingredients for creating buzz.
Of course, Suhyeon felt differently from their intentions.
Isn’t that just rigging the game…?
To the production team, it was just a trivial part of ensuring the program’s success, but for someone, it could be a desperately needed ticket to stardom.
However, Suhyeon hid his discomfort.
There was no need to openly show his displeasure and earn disdain.
“Thank you for the offer, but…”
That’s when Sangil, who had been listening, intervened between them.
He naturally took the lead from Suhyeon and diverted the staff’s attention.
“We have some concerns.”
“Concerns?”
“Yes, actually…”
Sangil sighed as if it was regrettable and slowly continued.
It started with praise for Suhyeon.
Suhyeon’s acting skills and his courage to express his opinions even among adults.
He didn’t leave out that the script for Praise had been significantly revised due to his exceptional acting skills.
“Ah, yes…”
“And moreover—”
Just when the staff member was feeling awkward about the sudden actor promotion, Sangil changed direction.
“—our actor here is also exceptionally talented in music.”
“Um…”
He went on, seemingly trying to instill Suhyeon’s musical talents.
In some ways, it seemed like overparenting, and from another perspective, it looked like a scheme to sell Suhyeon at a high price.
Sangil’s words were too smooth, making it hard to find a moment to interject.
Yet, cutting him off rudely and demanding to get “straight to the point” didn’t fit with industry ethics.
Like a merchant praising their merchandise to fetch a higher price, it was natural for a manager or CEO to offer compliments of their celebrity before signing a contract.
Therefore, an employee who could never become the dominant party could only listen.
“It would be one thing if all the participants were trainees, but competing against ordinary people, it’s obvious that an actor accustomed to the camera would have an advantage. He’ll easily pass the preliminaries.”
He went on to argue that even while acting, Suhyeon stood as an actor, not being pulled around by adults, so in this audition among ordinary people, he would surely stand out as the best among his peers.
As the employee grew tired, Sangil presented a strange logic.
Though it sounded like nonsense upon closer consideration, his expression and voice lent his words credibility.
“Indeed… Since you’re not necessarily looking for the person who performs the best, being comfortable with the camera would definitely give someone an advantage in the preliminaries.”
The employee nodded without much resistance, deeply sympathizing with the distinctions Sangil made between “audition” and “audition program.”
They had carelessly thrown away one of their cards.
His build-up is insane.
From a third-party perspective, Suhyeon looked at Sangil with respectful eyes.
Listing facts favorable to himself until the opponent’s fatigue peaked, then bringing up what he really wanted to say.
The other party, having heard those statements, unconsciously based their thoughts and conclusions on them.
Since even the supporting data was laid by Sangil, the employee stood no chance in this fight for dominance once the conversation was taken over.
But is he laying the groundwork for a good contract because he doesn’t actually want to do it?
While supporting Sangil, Suhyeon worried whether he was aiming for a good deal.
His talent as an idol was like a finely cut crystal.
He might rise to fame with some luck, but, compared to those with real talent, he was quite lacking.
It might not be hard to make it into the top 10, but…
Still, he was confident he would stand out more than the unremarkable raw stones, even if he was just a piece of glass art.
He felt no guilt about stealing opportunities from those who were ambiguously talented and even inferior to glass.
However, he didn’t want to create a flaw that could be caught later by participating in a rigged program.
I plan to have a long career. I’ve been making a name for myself since I was six.
If all he could gain was notoriety, all the more reason.
It’s like a persimmon that can’t even be served as a garnish, utterly useless.
If making his face known was all he could achieve, he thought shooting commercials would be more productive.
Being on a “nationally popular program” was, from Suhyeon’s perspective, nothing more than a highly publicized but disappointing event.
I hope Sangil-hyung realizes that and acts accordingly…
Whether Sangil knew of Suhyeon’s concerns or not, his eloquence knew no end.
He skillfully manipulated the atmosphere to his pace, guiding the employee’s thought process to reach a “certain” conclusion.
Making the opponent believed it was their own will was more an art than a technique.
He’s practically a swindler… no, more like a cult leader?
If Goebbels were reborn, would he even act like this?[3]
While Suhyeon marveled, the conversation between Sangil and the employee had reached its conclusion.
“Then, I’ll make sure to convey this to the PD.”
“Thank you.”
“Not at all. I think we’ve been thinking of Kang Suhyeon based on what he was three months ago… I’m sorry.”
“It’s us who should say that…”
“I’ll send you the revised proposal today.”
“Thank you.”
“Sangil-hyung…?”
Suhyeon, who had momentarily lost focus, looked at Sangil with eyes filled with a sense of betrayal.
Ignoring Suhyeon’s gaze, Sangil saw the employee out.
[1] ㄹㅇmeans “really.”
[2] A little bit over $37,000.
[3] Goebbels was a Nazi and their chief propagandist.
