“…Wow, this is crazy.”
“Hyung, let’s watch our language, shall we?”
“I feel like I made the right choice coming today. Seriously, wow….”
While holding an umbrella to protect his sponsored clothes from getting wet, Chaemin watched the filming scene with continuous admiration.
It was because his young friend had done an exceptional job.
“I thought his vocalization was different, but I assumed it was a mistake, you know? I mean, he’s only five years old. How could he care about his vocalization?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I just thought he was a product of abuse, like someone’s kid.”
“Hyung, can’t you be more careful with your words?”
“You won’t die from being bad-mouthed a little.”
“Do you want me to tell Auntie about this?”
“Ah, shit…”
Chaemin grumbled and picked up a candy stick to chew on.
His wrinkled eyebrows gradually relaxed, perhaps because of the sweetness.
“Anyway, it turns out the performance I saw last time was genuine.”
“It doesn’t look that impressive, though…”
“That’s because your eyes are only for decoration.”
“Ah, seriously, hyung.”
He left his grumbling manager and focused on the two child actors.
On the surface, Seora, who was more active and had a clearer voice, seemed to be the better actor.
However, if you take away the label of a child actor, the evaluations would change.
If it weren’t for the boy’s short breathing, I would believe them if someone told me he was an adult acting like a child.
Suhyeon’s acting had many static aspects to match his character.
The lengths of his lines, except for his sharp remarks, were just like that, and his facial expressions were limited.
But he knew how to express such restrained emotions through his eyes and voice.
Like sprinkling salt on sweet watermelon to make it even sweeter, Suhyeon used contrasting emotions to amplify the faintly visible ones.
His lack of breathing control is covered by breaking the stems of the words. Well… that’s something you learn with experience, but can a five-year-old do that with talent… or rather, with such skills?’
Chaemin sneaked a glance at the main monitor and found the screen capturing Suhyeon.
And he swallowed a curse.
Fuck, what kind of kid acts with his eyes?
The close-up shots captured by advanced technology showed the movement of the boy’s eyebrows and even the subtle changes in his faint wrinkles.
Skilled actors knew how to use this and portrayed the character’s personality to the finest detail.
It meant this wasn’t something a newly debuted child actor could do.
I know the theories, but I still can’t do it properly. What is this? Even a born fraudster wouldn’t be able to do that.
Chaemin’s eyes twinkled as he thought of something that he couldn’t tell whether it was praise or criticism.
At first, he focused on Suhyeon because of his acting skills conveyed through his voice and cute appearance.
But now, he could not describe the boy’s charm with just one or two things.
I’m glad I spoke to the PD. It would have been unfair if I had only seen it on screen.
Unable to take his eyes off Suhyeon’s tears rolling down his cheeks, Chaemin found the unpolished gem extremely enticing.
* * *
“Suhyeon, you were amazing earlier!”
“Thanks, you cried well too.”
While the filming team was busy preparing for the next scene, Seora and Suhyeon chatted and encouraged each other.
Since they had a common subject, their conversation flowed well despite the age difference.
Besides, I’m glad she treats me as a friend. It’s a relief that Seora doesn’t fuss about me calling her noona.
It was truly fortunate that he could call Seora by her name, not as “Seora-noona.”
Suhyeon, who appeared to be only five years old on the outside, smiled warmly at the innocent girl.
On the other hand, Seora was already seven years old. She had a high level of concentration and a decent knowledge of acting for her age.
Thanks to that, Suhyeon was able to tell his own story without pretending to be naïve or childlike.
“Wow! Suhyeon, you’re amazing… How do you know all that?”
“I just happened to know it.”
Although he knew from his past life experiences, Suhyeon could not explain it, so he covered it up with a laugh.
Seora misunderstood Suhyeon’s smile in a different way.
“Did you learn from your mom too?”
“…Mom?”
“Yeah. Or your dad? Weren’t your parents actors?”
“Uh, no.”
He thought of his father, an ordinary government official, and his mother, who wrestled with design.
Neither of them had anything to do with acting.
“But you do?”
“Ah, yes! My mom is an actress! …She’s retired now, though.”
“Oh, what’s her name?”
“Her name is Lee Jeongyun!”
As Suhyeon asked her name, Seora’s eyes sparkled as she mentioned her mother’s name.
Her eyes clearly expressed her love for her mother.
It’s a bit strange to say her name in such high regard, but well, she’s a kid. Anyway, Lee Jeongyun… Why does it sound familiar?
While it felt vaguely familiar, he couldn’t quite recall who she was.
Even when he asked Seora about her mother’s works, she only mentioned obscure titles.
“…You love your mom a lot, don’t you?”
In the end, Suhyeon craftily moved the conversation like a cowardly adult.
He consoled himself by saying that sometimes a kind lie was better than a painful truth.
Seora swallowed the bait.
“Yes! I love my mom the most!”
So cute…
Suhyeon could tell that the loveliness of this child was not only because of her appearance.
“Suhyeon, Seora, we’re ready. Let’s go shoot the scene.”
“Yes.”
“Yesss!”
When they had been chatting for a while, the youngest staff member called for Suhyeon and Seora.
The two responded and followed him with a light, skipping step.
Their appearance, like ducklings following their mother duck, brought smiles to the faces of the busy staff members around them.
* * *
It finally feels like the filming set I knew.
Suhyeon nodded his head as he looked at the set.
The small, delicate, and luxurious cups and tableware.
The toy box placed in the corner.
The extras wearing black suits and standing by the wall, and the child actors taking the center stage.
It was the scene at the beginning of episode 1 where the “young Jiwu” and the “young Gaeun” would first meet.
Right. I practiced my lines a lot for this episode, so I should give it my all while filming. How much do these people expect from a child actor…?
Suhyeon praised himself for acting the scene excellently in the midst of it all.
He had managed to succeed without getting flustered or making any NGs, so at least he had made a good impression.
Having a good reputation was important in continuing as a child actor.
After all, a crisis often becomes an opportunity.
Humming to himself, he scanned the child actors standing in the middle.
The children, who seemed to be about ten years old, were openly casting hostile glances at Seora and Suhyeon.
“…Did I do something wrong?”
“I don’t know.”
As Seora shrugged her shoulders and asked, Suhyeon shrugged as well.
Since he had somewhat anticipated this reaction, he calmly examined each child individually.
As soon as their eyes met, they laughed and chatted as if nothing had happened, which seemed quite wicked.
That age must be when people’s jealousy explodes.
It’s the age when they first enter kindergarten or school and learn about competition rather than fairness.
They would undoubtedly experience cognitive dissonance as they realized they were not the center of the world.
As a result, they often became hostile to those who seemed better than themselves.
Rather than accepting that there was always someone better than them, they behaved just like the second-best student in a cartoon who tries to push the top-ranked student down, saying, “I’ll be the best if you’re not here!”
They probably don’t like that Seora and I got the important roles.
Even though he knew the situation, Suhyeon didn’t try to befriend the children, nor did he react the same way they did.
Anyway, I’m only seeing them today, so what’s the point?
His past experiences had been more of a mud pit, so he wouldn’t easily be swayed by things like jealousy.
There was an age gap between him and the other children for him to have such childish fights with them.
Also, jealousy in the entertainment industry was a sign of superiority, so there was nothing bad about it.
“Please stand by! We’re starting the shoot!”
At the staff’s near-scream, everyone took their positions and waited for the signal.
Soon, as the camera started rolling, the actors focused on their respective roles.
In particular, the child actors who played roles such as “Rich Kid 1,” “Rich Kid 2,” and “Rich Kid 3” aggressively picked fights with Suhyeon, who had become “young Jiwu.”
“What’s up with you? I’ve never seen your face before.”
“Right. If it’s your first time here, you should greet us. Stop being so arrogant, kid.”
Their acting was so raw and real that it was hard to tell how much of their real emotion was mixed in.
That must be the method acting that viewers loved.
“…”
Suhyeon ignored their provocation and flipped through the book.
His lowered eyes and delicate touch contrasted with the lively crowd around him.
“Hey, you!”
“I just want to read my book.”
As the little kid in the middle scrunched up his face and raised his arm, Suhyeon turned his head and answered with a calm voice.
Then, he looked at them with the same smile that had captivated the adults during his audition.
His deep, smiling eyes and gently curved lips harmonized with his delicate facial features, making flowers bloom behind him.
“Those pathetic flies are so noisy.”
However, the fully bloomed flower was covered with thorns.
“Uh…”
At Suhyeon’s attitude, the group surrounding him blushed.
The boys felt a mixture of embarrassment and anger for losing face, even if just for a moment.
The girls were dazzled and shy because of his radiant beauty.
Though the reasons were different, at that moment, it was clear that Suhyeon was the protagonist.
“Hey, you…!”
“Stop it. But you’re really pretty…”
“Cut, cut!”
As a girl with blushing cheeks attempted to intervene with the other boys and remark on Suhyeon’s beauty, an irritated voice abruptly brought the scene to a halt.
Only then did the girl realize her mistake, and her expression instantly darkened.
“What would happen if you said Gaeun’s lines! Let’s do it again!”
“I’m sorry…”
The child who made the mistake bowed their head with a gloomy expression after being scolded by the PD.
It was just a minor role to stop the boy and then disappear, but under the spell of Suhyeon’s smile, she had blurted out the lines meant for the main character.
It wasn’t a big mistake, but adults were always stricter with a child’s mistake than their own.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah, yes…”
Suhyeon spoke to the disheartened child.
Though it was true she messed up the lines, such mistakes were common on set.
Instead, if she became conscious of her mistake and became nervous, the shoot would be delayed further.
Veterans know how to let it slide and adjust, but it’s hard for newcomers and child actors…
Even though it wasn’t the girl’s fault, Suhyeon comforted her so that it wouldn’t affect the filming.
Soon, the child’s complexion recovered and even turned rosy.
“Thank you. I don’t know if you’ll remember my name, but it’s Areum. Let’s be friends.”
Areum quickly returned to her proper position after introducing herself.
As soon as the actors found their spots, the shooting resumed.
Having heard the scolding once, the child actors focused on acting rather than giving Suhyeon an attitude.
Their acting became somewhat stiffer because they feared being scolded if they made a mistake, but the PD and staff didn’t blame them.
It was because Suhyeon was able to fully grasp the camera angles.
He captivated everyone’s eyes with a more sparkling performance than before.
In the end, the children, jealous at first, were swept up in Suhyeon’s acting and the fast-paced atmosphere of the set, finishing the shoot as Rich Kids 1, 2, and 3.
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