As Suhyeon arrived at the scene, bickering with Sangil, he quickly sensed the excited atmosphere spreading among the busy crowd.
…Well, it’s a bit much to say I noticed it.
Imagining himself as a detective, Suhyeon squinted his eyes but soon looked away, hiding his embarrassment.
Despite the prominent dark circles under his eyes, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
It would have been strange not to notice.
These days, a 3 percent viewership is considered impressive…
Unlike terrestrial broadcasters, who were content with a 20 percent rating, cable channels were gradually achieving new highs in viewership ratings, blurring the lines between cable and terrestrial broadcasters.
However, that was a story for the future.
The current situation was different.
One percent for cable is like 10 percent for terrestrial… So, 30 percent then? Ah, that’s pushing it.
Even while half-dismissing the industry’s rough calculations, Suhyeon understood the staff’s attitude.
It was notable that a cable drama in the Greater Seoul area surpassed a 3 percent viewership rating in just two episodes.
Even if it was only in the Seoul metropolitan area, a cable drama surpassing 3 percent viewership in just two episodes was unprecedented.
This could be true for subsidiaries of terrestrial channels or children’s dramas as well, but for dramas with mature content, excluding any sexual content, achieving a 3 percent viewership was unprecedented.
But if this is a remarkable record, will it make history in cable broadcasting too? To have a life’s work at six years old seems a bit early.
Engrossed in these frivolous thoughts, he walked towards Seohan and the PD.
The front of the convenience store, today’s shooting location, was cluttered with cameras and equipment.
“Hel—”
“Oh! Suhyeon’s here! Looking cute as always, huh? Just follow that noona there for your makeup.”
“—lo. Director, I’ll be right back.”
The PD warmly greeted Suhyeon when he spotted him and immediately handed him off to the staff before he could properly say hello.
Caught up in the moment, feeling like a leading, well-known Hallyu celebrity, he barely managed to keep his expression in check as he followed the staff.
Although he understood the urgency of shooting on a busy street, he still felt a bit slighted…
***
Suhyeon, who had applied makeup to look like he had bruises on his neck and wrists, slowly examined his appearance.
Wearing worn-out, stretched clothes and shoes that were crumpled due to being the wrong size.
Topped with an untrimmed wig, anyone looking at him would pity the poor child standing there.
Of course, walking around looking like this, I’d definitely be bullied.
As if being poor wasn’t enough, he was neglected by his parents.
To children who were still immature in controlling their emotions, such a sight would seem like an ideal outlet for relieving the stress that came with entering society.
Thinking about it, that teacher who cared enough about the dead child to report and actively deal with the situation was remarkable. Usually, children not looked after at home are easily deemed bothersome.
Suhyeon reminisced about his school days.
Even within the same class, the level of attention a teacher gave to each student varied.
This one’s a child of influential parents, that one excels in studies, another is exceedingly popular among peers, and so on…
Those who stood out in any way garnered more attention, and children with average grades and social connections naturally fell to the back of the line.
In cases like Suhyeon’s, where a child’s parents were indifferent to their school life, that attention dwindled even more.
It was obvious what kind of treatment a victim with clear signs of abuse from a single parent would have received.
“Hello. Tough spending a fun Friday night like this, isn’t it?”
“Hello, Seohan-hyung. Long time no see.”
While Suhyeon was lost in thought, Seohan had climbed aboard the bus and greeted him.
Transformed into a neat-looking teacher, he approached Suhyeon with a friendly smile.
“Is it only five days? How have you been?”
“Yes. I even went out to eat with my mom and dad!”
“That sounds nice. What did you eat?”
“Uh, meat and…”
Suhyeon fumbled with his tiny lips, gesturing this way and that to Seohan.
Now accustomed to it, describing things in a childlike manner wasn’t hard for him.
“…I did, hyung. You look very bright today.”
“Really? Maybe because a shoot just ended?”
As Suhyeon chattered away and offered a compliment, Seohan stroked his cheek.
Despite his fatigue, unmistakable joy was visible on his face.
…Is it really that significant?
Promise of the Blue Summer, which had swept the NBC Acting Awards, was coming to an end, with only six episodes left.
The intense battle for management rights between the stepbrothers, the female lead’s delicate struggle in not letting go of the secondary male lead despite having chosen the main lead, and character inconsistencies not matching the early setup.
While there were rough patches, the villain-turned-secondary-male lead “Lim Jihyuk’s” wickedness and many refreshing moments balanced it out, preventing viewer dropout until the very end.
Overcoming derivative copies from other broadcasters and maintaining a viewership rating close to 50 percent, it firmly held the number one spot for weekend dramas.
It could indeed be called a success.
The problem is the hardships the actors went through…
Hidden behind the success, with the drama being dubbed a masterpiece, was the reality of the staff and actors being ruthlessly exploited.
Harsh schedules, excessive product placements that disrupted immersion, and last-minute scripts…
Among them, the last-minute scripts were seriously concerning.
The writer should learn some ethics.
The last-minute scripts of Promise of the Blue Summer didn’t just refer to a few pages of script.
Often, only a single scene was delivered, and in extreme cases, it was substituted with a few lines of text messages.
Naturally, there was no hope for any scene direction.
The text message script is really… It’s been worrisome since they casually chose the main lead.
Suhyeon came to know of this as he coincidentally overheard Seohan talking with his manager.
Pretending to be an innocent child joining the conversation, all he could say after seeing the script that was nothing more than a few lines of dialogue was, “Hyung, hang in there…”
I must never meet such a writer.
Suhyeon made a secret vow as he looked at Seohan.
Once he came to his senses, his joy felt even more genuine.
“…Hyung, let’s only walk on a path of flowers from now on.”
“Path of flowers? That sounds nice.”
“We can do it. We’ve already surpassed 3 percent, and we have the entire script!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
At his words, Seohan smiled gently and nodded his head.
It seemed more like he was amused by the younger hoobae worrying and cheering him on rather than agreeing.
“Are you going out dressed like that? It’s a bit cold today, are you sure you’ll be okay?”
As Suhyeon prepared to head to the site, Seohan scanned the child’s outfit.
The lingering look in his eyes on the thin t-shirt clearly conveyed the thought, ‘That doesn’t look okay at all.’
“I’ll be inside the convenience store, so I guess I’ll be okay…? I’m more worried about the hyungs and noonas who have to shoot outside.”
“You’re kind. Still, it’s cold on the way there, so let’s wear an outer garment.”
“Okay.”
“Miss Darae, could you please pass Suhyeon’s coat?”
“Oh, you know my name… Ah, yes!”
While they talked, a staff member, lost in thought, was startled and quickly handed over Suhyeon’s coat.
The fact that Seohan knew her name seemed to have caught her off guard, a strange embarrassment flashing across her face.
Seohan carefully draped the coat over Suhyeon’s shoulders.
He couldn’t put Suhyeon’s arms through the coat because of the bruise makeup, but he didn’t forget to snugly tuck it around.
“Thank youuu.”
“Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
Replying energetically, Suhyeon squinted his eyes against the wind as he got off the bus.
The chill swept through his bare arms, making him shiver involuntarily.
Kids’ bodies are too weak…
They shouldn’t even go near someone with a cold, and even for a short 2 to 3-minute walk, they needed to be bundled up tightly.
Frustrated with his frail and weakened body, Suhyeon hurriedly followed Seohan.
The prepared set greeted the two.
“Oh! Both of you are here. Did you check all the scenes for today?”
“Yes. We just need to talk while eating cup noodles.”
“Alright. The chair is a bit high. Can you sit by yourself? Try sitting… Hmm. Let’s cut the sitting part for this scene. And…”
As soon as they arrived, the PD immediately directed the scene rehearsal and organized the movements.
Lights and reflectors diligently changed positions according to the actors’ movements.
“The drinks are PPL products, so place them with the logo facing forward.”
“Understood.”
“Director. I think a fork would be better than chopsticks for me.”
“Ah, are you still lacking finger strength? Hyunsik, don’t put chopsticks on the table, use a fork instead. And don’t forget to tear it up beforehand.”
“Yes. Understood.”
After finishing the rehearsal for the shooting, the PD sat in front of the monitor, satisfied.
The other staff members also moved inside and outside the convenience store as organized.
“Since it’s the first time, let’s start off light! Cue!”
With the PD’s light clap, the camera rolled, and the surroundings quieted down.
Before he knew it, Suhyeon, who had taken off his outerwear and was only wearing a shabby long sleeve, fiddled with his fingers and sneakily glanced at Seohan.
Then, he acted like a “child who was anxious because he didn’t know why the kind homeroom teacher had brought him to the convenience store after a chance encounter.”
“What would Yeonwu like to eat?”
“Me, I’m… It’s okay.”
“They say if you buy one cup ramen, you get one free. Are you really not going to eat?”
While looking around cautiously and slowly shaking his head, Suhyeon soon grabbed his stomach and blushed.
The scene that followed was edited to insert the sound of a growling stomach.
Ashamed by the noise from his stomach, Suhyeon bowed his head and trembled.
Seohan quietly looked at the child and then picked up a ramen.
“Cut. Good! Seohan, step aside. Let’s get the camera right up close for Suhyeon’s cut.”
The aisles of the convenience store were narrow, and it was difficult to position the cameras on both sides.
Especially since Suhyeon’s body was completely hidden by Seohan, he had no choice but to act alone when it was his turn.
Their knees are going to hurt.
Suhyeon glanced at the staff who adjusted their height to his, all the while holding heavy equipment.
He then channeled his emotions.
He intended to proceed without any NGs, even if it meant kneeling awkwardly like the cameraman.
“Cue!”
“Me, I’m… It’s okay.”
Following the PD’s cue, Suhyeon became “Yeonwu” and acted out a brief scene that lasted only a few seconds.
He portrayed a child anxious about kindness and quickly blushed his cheeks that had been cooled down, in time.
His face, filled with shame, shone brightly in the camera’s view.
“Cut! Good, let’s keep going like this today.”
With a gentle start, the PD encouraged the staff in a bright voice.
Though it was only one cut, it was a good start.
* * *
“Yeonwu,” after awkwardly holding the fork, eventually swallowed hard and slowly lowered his hand.
Despite the food being right in front of him, the child was too anxious to touch it.
“…Why are you, teacher, nice to me?”
“Yeonwu” asked “Kichan,” looking for the right moment after holding back his question.
Why had he continued to hold onto him, a student seen as lacking, for extra study after class?
Why hadn’t he ignored him being bullied, like the other teachers?
And why was he buying food for him…?
“Kichan” was so different from the adults “Yeonwu” knew, leaving him feeling both grateful and scared.
“This teacher is Yeonwu’s homeroom teacher. It’s normal for a teacher to buy a meal for his student.”
“But, you, you also stood up for me last time…”
“It’s a homeroom teacher’s job to make sure the kids don’t fight.”
“I, I’m. A fool, a useless kid who deserves to be hit…”
“Yeonwu.”
“And then… And then…”
“Yeonwu” sobbed, his eyes reddening as he listed his flaws.
Despite his stuttering, he spoke more than he ever had in response.
“Kichan,” who had only bought a bowl of ramen for the pitiful student, was flustered and pulled out a tissue to hand to the child.
Expecting to be hit, “Yeonwu” had his eyes tightly shut, but “Kichan,” hesitating for a moment, gently touched the child’s eyes as if nothing was wrong.
“It’s not right to cry over your food.”
“Huhuh. I’m sorry…”
“Don’t say you’re sorry, just eat. It won’t taste good if it gets cold.”
He lifted “Yeonwu’s” drooping arm and moved it toward the ramen container.
While watching the child with a heavy heart, he quietly patted the back of the child who was eating.
