“There’s no one who can play like this from the beginning. Besides, his sense of pitch is sharp…”
Sohee’s praise seemed endless.
If Suhyeon wasn’t already a well-known child actor, she seemed determined to make him major in violin one way or another.
No, even knowing how successful he already was, she seemed to want to make him switch.
Actually, this isn’t my first time.
Suhyeon smiled bashfully, hiding the truth.
No matter how much of an adult’s mind he had, it wasn’t easy to play a new instrument without hitting any wrong notes.
Especially the violin, which easily produced unpleasant sounds due to its high pitch.
They say the senses you learn with your body don’t disappear easily. I didn’t know that applied even after regressing.
He had learned the violin in his third year of activities with END.
At that time, END was an unknown group, and the CEO was trying various methods to make them popular.
I don’t think that was a particularly good choice, though…
Unless you’re good at everything, focusing on one thing is better for securing fans and establishing a clear identity.
But both the group and the agency lacked the patience to push through, resulting in a vicious cycle of trying this and that.
In such a situation, the concept trending around their third year was a band format.
Honestly, it was only tried a few times by some famous groups, but it looked cool… We suffered all sorts of hardships for a concept that was abandoned after one go.
Since Suhyeon managed to do well no matter what he was given, the violin was handed to him.
Though it was a high difficulty for a beginner over twenty to learn in six months, they trusted Suhyeon’s ability to somehow manage to do it at an average level once instructed.
In reality, he grasped the basics within a month and played the assigned piece at a level that was passable.
Of course, it was only passable, not outstanding, so the album flopped once again.
“…Suhyeon is, of course, lovable, but still…”
“No, ma’am! I’ve never seen a child who can produce such rich tones on the first try. This is innate.”
Sohee repeatedly emphasized the “Suhyeon genius theory” to the appropriately humble Jiyeon.
It would be a waste to let this talent go, and if they prepared from now, Suhyeon could make the stage his own at next year’s competition, and so on…
At first, Jiyeon showed reluctance, but after repeated persuasion, she seemed quite tempted.
Ah, that’s not going to happen.
Suhyeon, who had been smiling brightly, subtly intervened between the two.
Praise was praise, but career direction was another matter.
He had no intention of giving up what he liked because of others’ distractions.
Also, he had no intention of abandoning real gold for something gold-plated.
“But Suhyeon likes acting more, teacher. The violin, it just didn’t… spark for him.”
“I don’t think it’s right to decide after just one day. Suhyeon is quite a decisive child… I want to respect his opinion as much as possible.”
Jiyeon, who had been swept away by the praise, finally showed an awkward smile and rejected Sohee’s proposal.
She had recently made up her mind to help him pursue what he wanted rather than lamenting his talent.
Knowing how exceptional Suhyeon was, she didn’t force him to do something he wasn’t interested in just because he was good at it.
“Still, it’s really a shame…”
“But that’s for my son to decide, not us.”
Suhyeon hid his laughter as he watched Jiyeon being more assertive than usual.
Though it seemed like she was half swept up by the atmosphere, he was happy that her words contained sincerity.
As Jiyeon stood firm, even the director couldn’t push further.
Worried that Suhyeon might leave, the director quickly changed her stance, saying,
“That could be the case.”
“We promise to do our best to help Suhyeon succeed in the drama audition. Our academy is really good at meeting standards. You won’t regret it.”
And she brought up the audition that had been set aside.
Having found a gem she liked, the weaker party was already decided.
* * *
The class that began with Sohee’s fuss went smoother than expected.
Instead of pressuring Suhyeon continuously, she tried to make him interested in the violin.
Choosing songs kids would like or selecting sheet music with flashy colors were part of these methods.
Of course, it didn’t work on Suhyeon, who had the mind of a twenty-five-year-old, and it produced a different effect.
“Kids at this age are usually doing it because their moms make them, and they run off to play whenever they get a chance…”
At six years old, it was a very young age, full of curiosity yet lacking concentration.
They were different from Suhyeon, who moved with a goal, and this difference shocked the director.
“Even without the talent, I really want him…”
As time passed, Sohee couldn’t hide her desire.
She let her true feelings slip under the guise of talking to herself, and her eyes were filled with longing.
This teacher is good, but she’s a bit overwhelming…
Suhyeon felt both pleased and troubled by the director’s attitude.
While he appreciated the recognition of his efforts, the transparent ulterior motives made him uncomfortable.
Still, she wasn’t oblivious, so when Suhyeon showed discomfort, she cleverly hid her intentions.
“Suhyeon, your audition is tomorrow, right? Fighting. Should I go with you?”
“No! Sangil-hyung is going with me! Thank you, teacher.”
As they continued their subtle stalemate and focused on the lesson, the audition date finally arrived.
Suhyeon was satisfied with his improved skills.
As he solidified the basics he had rushed through before regressing, his sound became richer.
Though his finger strength was still lacking for anything extraordinary, he experienced significant growth in that short time.
Maybe because I’m young, my brain and body absorb things quickly. …Was I a genius with beauty as a kid? Did I become average as I grew up? This feels really unfair…
Whether it was different from memory or learning achievements, his young body improved its skills day by day.
Even he found himself extraordinary, and Suhyeon felt a strange sense of discrepancy recalling his twenty-five-year-old self.
But I’m only six now! I should make the most of this talent.
Suhyeon smiled contentedly without realizing it.
He had more than he thought and much to take with him.
* * *
“30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, come in.”
“Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
When his number was called, Suhyeon stood up.
In the inner waiting room where managers or parents couldn’t accompany them, the five kids, big and small, headed inside one by one, subtly competing with each other.
“What’s this? Even a little kid is auditioning?”
“That’s Kang Suhyeon.”
“He might be good at acting, but…”
As soon as Suhyeon moved, eyes followed him.
About a hundred child actors participated in today’s audition.
Most of the children were over ten years old, and there were fewer than ten children as young as Suhyeon.
The lead role, the skill level required for violin, and other restrictions raised the average age of the participants.
Among such a group, six-year-old Suhyeon stood out more than anyone else.
The fact that he was already a well-known child actor brought sharp, envious glances his way.
This is the jealousy towards those who have… Cute.
Despite the raw hostility, Suhyeon was not affected at all.
The mental toughness of an idol who had spent four years at the bottom was strong enough to laugh off mere jealousy.
Rather, he was glad to be the one being envied rather than the one envying.
“We will go in one by one starting from number 30. It will take about 5 to 10 minutes each, so don’t make any noise and stay calm. Number 30.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Go in.”
As soon as the staff member called, the girl called number 30 stiffly took out her violin from its case and went in.
After the girl went in and the door to the judging room closed, the waiting children glanced at each other nervously.
I thought there would be more girls applying since the first round is a performance, but there are fewer than I expected.
While the other children were nervous, Suhyeon remained relaxed.
He spent his time calmly reviewing his upcoming audition piece, fully aware of the stares directed his way.
“Number 34.”
“Yes.”
“Go in.”
Two children came out crying.
One child sighed in disappointment.
Despite seeing the dejected faces of the other children, Suhyeon walked into the room with a smile.
Four people, including a familiar but younger-looking woman, sat in a row and watched him.
“Hello. Number 34. I’m Kang Suhyeon!”
“Oh, isn’t he the kid from the drama that ended recently?”
“Yes!”
“This contestant is quite young.”
“He’s quite good at acting.”
“His popularity might be great for us.”
As Suhyeon introduced himself, the judges exchanged their opinions in low voices.
Except for the woman in the center, the expressions of the men and women were favorable.
“What good is it if he can’t play or act? Are we casting based on looks? If so, we might as well put a doll there to film.”
“Ahem…”
The woman in the middle, Director Kim Eulhong, shot sharp words at the judges.
One of the judges, who seemed to be from the investor side, cleared his throat, but she didn’t care.
So her personality was like that even back then. So consistent.
Knowing her difficult and self-centered personality, Suhyeon smiled brightly instead of being scared.
It was a tone he would always hear when filming, and showing any signs of shrinking would just be a point deduction.
“I’ll ask you a few questions first. Suhyeon, what do you think is the most important thing when filming a drama?”
Trying to lighten the atmosphere, the only female judge besides the director asked gently.
Though the direction of the questions was different from what Seohan had told him, Suhyeon answered clearly without making any mistakes.
The atmosphere was pleasant except for the director, and the judges had smiles on their faces.
“…Then let’s hear your performance now. Start when you’re ready.”
“Yes.”
After a couple of minutes of Q&A, it was finally time to check his musical skills.
Picking up the violin, Suhyeon drew the bow across the strings a couple of times.
The tuning he had done earlier resonated unchanged in the judging room.
It feels like my debut stage.
The difference this time was the confidence that he could succeed even if he failed once.
Unlike other contestants, he had confidence in his skills, which showed in his performance.
“Isn’t it a bit plain? The other kids added vibrato.”
“It’s not bad but…”
“He’s at least five years younger than the other kids, so he’s doing well enough.”
“He’s playing a pop song instead of a classical piece…”
The four judges couldn’t hide their mixed feelings after listening to Suhyeon’s performance.
There was no vibrato that the other contestants had included, and the chosen piece was a pop song arrangement rather than classical music.
Though it wasn’t bad, it didn’t meet expectations.
As they were contemplating whether to advance him to the second round considering his popularity, Eulhong, who had been wearing a sullen expression, spoke up while staring at Suhyeon.
“Why didn’t you add vibrato? Don’t tell me you don’t know what vibrato is?”
“The protagonist hasn’t formally learned the violin. And if it’s a song he heard when he was young, he probably wouldn’t know such things.”
Feigning ignorance, Suhyeon explained the “protagonist” he had in mind.
A genius who played songs from memory without any sheet music but had never formally learned the violin.
While the previous kids might have focused on showcasing their violin skills, the current venue was a casting audition for a movie, not a music competition.
So I need to emphasize how well I sync with the protagonist.
I have analyzed your work and created this character to this extent.
Understanding the unspoken meaning behind Suhyeon’s words, Eulhong twisted her lips into a smirk.
Her fierce eyes almost shone, and the silence grew heavier.
“You—”
While the others in the room watched nervously, fearing Eulhong would cause trouble…
“—I kind of like you?”
…an unexpected comment came out from her.
