"Our daughter, the hanbok suits you so well!"
Soo Ah was busy continuously taking photos of Seo Yeon.
True to those words, Seo Yeon wearing the prepared hanbok was extremely cute.
Her hair that always hung long was also neatly arranged to match the hanbok, and that suited her perfectly too.
"Did she parachute in just for her face?"
"If she came in through connections, she should at least stay quiet."
Of course, the only one welcoming such Seo Yeon was Soo Ah.
Most of the others were busy clicking their tongues briefly at her.
Appearance?
Of course she's pretty.
Even among the child actors who were all good-looking, her appearance definitely shone.
So rather, it made people frown.
Because it seemed like she got into this place just with her looks alone.
'Lucky too. To come to this position with just one CF.'
Soy milk commercial?
Of course they saw it.
It was definitely a well-filmed commercial, but dramas are an entirely different beast.
'I heard she's only six years old now.'
'I wonder if she can even memorize her script properly.'
'Still, thanks to that, one competitor is gone, isn't that good enough?'
A few managers and academy figures whispered such things.
They tend to hold back from carelessly throwing words at child actors who belong to agencies, as they could earn the dislike of that agency.
But Seo Yeon clearly looked like she had no agency, someone who got in by luck.
To them, she was very easy prey.
On the other hand, unlike Seo Yeon, there was a child actor who received attention in a good sense.
"That kid, the one who appeared in that daily drama?"
"Ah, the kid who shouted 'I hate that unni!'? Wow, she's grown a lot."
When such whispers were faintly heard, the child actor in question, Jo Seo Hee, curled her lips smugly.
'Why do they even bother with auditions.'
Jo Seo Hee was confident.
The other child actors were all formidable, but they couldn't even compare to Jo Seo Hee.
Not only did she already have experience in a historical drama, she even had experience appearing in a daily drama.
Daily dramas, as the name suggests, air every day, so acting becomes a daily routine.
That's not all? Since every day is a filming day, stamina is also required.
However, since it airs during prime time, there's the advantage of quickly raising one's recognition.
Just looking at 'My Sister-in-Law's Temptation' which gained cult-like popularity a few years ago, its impact was tremendous.
Historical drama experience, plus overwhelming acting experience.
Naturally, Jo Seo Hee and her manager were confident.
Confident that they wouldn't fail the audition.
"Oh, he's here!!"
However, there was exactly one person that even Jo Seo Hee would yield to.
A boy walking slowly with his manager.
Several girls who saw him let out small exclamations of "Wow!"
"Wow, he must be only ten years old, but he's really handsome."
"He already has the aura. I guess the genes are really different."
Planning producer Hae Tae Oh, who was watching from a distance, smiled with satisfaction.
"I'm already looking forward to Park Jung Woo's acting. Every time I see him, his skills have improved so much. The actors need to be nervous. What if they get outacted by a child actor?"
These words were not said just to flatter him.
The son of Park Sun Woong, an actor who played the lead role in not just one but three ten-million-viewer movies.
Moreover, Park Jung Woo himself had experience appearing in a ten-million-viewer movie.
Park Jung Woo, who appeared as a child kidnapped by terrorists, showed amazing acting skills and surprised all of South Korea.
Although he didn't have experience in historical dramas, his genius-level acting ability was enough to attract everyone's attention.
'Wow, so this is what they mean by being different from the start.'
Seo Yeon was also inwardly surprised seeing Park Jung Woo.
So that's a true born alpha.
Park Jung Woo not only gained huge popularity in this Tae Soom Dal, but also hit it big in the drama he appeared in next.
In the movie he appeared in after that, he continuously scored super hits, continuing his success myth.
He stumbled a few times in between, but still, he was a child befitting the name of a great actor's son.
'Ah, this isn't the time for this. I need to memorize the script first.'
Seo Yeon, whose attention had briefly wandered, checked the script given to her earlier at the audition venue.
Because she changed clothes late, the time to read the script was relatively delayed.
'Oh.'
Seo Yeon, examining the script, opened her eyes wide.
'This is the highlight.'
To be precise, it was the highlight of episode 2.
The scene where the male lead, young Yun Seo Il, and the female lead, young Lee Hye Wol, part ways.
It's the scene that almost made the entire nation cry in episode 2.
'Somehow, it felt a bit bland.'
It wasn't that anyone acted poorly.
It was a highlight, but it was just a scene that came out decently well... should I say, roughly that kind of feeling.
Seo Yeon recalled the scene from the drama she had seen in the past and gradually memorized the script.
She considered referencing Jo Seo Hee's acting, but Seo Yeon soon shook her head.
'There's nothing good about imitating someone else's acting.'
Hadn't she already learned that from the soy milk CF?
Watching Seo Yeon quietly reading the script like that, Soo Ah asked Jo Min Tae.
"Do you think Seo Yeon can memorize the script well?"
"I'm not sure about that. Wouldn't you know better, mother?"
"The child memorizes this and that well... but I don't know."
Soo Ah believed without doubt that her daughter was a genius.
Still, worry is worry.
Jo Min Tae was also worried about the script.
For Seo Yeon, who had only filmed CFs, it would be a tremendous challenge.
The number of lines itself was vastly different from the start.
"Alright! Since it seems time, let's begin."
Just as two hours passed, Hae Tae Oh stood up abruptly and said.
"First, the opposing roles will be drawn by number. For the role of Lee Hye Wol, put your hand in the red box, and for Yun Seo Il, the blue box, and draw a number ticket. You can think of the same number as partners."
In a two-person acting, the opposing role is very important.
Yet, that precious opposing role is decided randomly.
Naturally, most couldn't help but be nervous.
'Please, just don't get Park Jung Woo!'
'Please, just avoid Jo Seo Hee!'
Managers and academy teachers each desperately hoped that the child they brought would avoid the dangerous ones.
The male child actors wanted to avoid Jo Seo Hee.
The female child actors desperately prayed not to get Park Jung Woo.
If the opposing role's acting ability was too outstanding, their own presence would surely be stolen.
'Please parachute. Please parachute, please parachute!!'
On the other hand, the easiest target was Seo Yeon.
Standing blankly with an unreadable expression, Seo Yeon had the face of a layperson who couldn't grasp the current situation at all.
"Now then, first, number 1, those who drew, please come out."
Number 1.
Two children came out under the pressure of having to perform first.
They started acting, relieved that their partner was not a 'dangerous figure.'
"Hmm..."
The acting of the two was watched by many people, including producer Hae Tae Oh, the filming director, the casting director, and others.
"Then next is number 2."
Like that, one team at a time. Another team, it flowed without any special praise.
Because they all acted decently without any particular rough edges.
"Number 7, please come out."
And when number 7 came out, Jo Seo Hee came forward.
"Ah..."
Naturally, the child who was the opposing role had a face like death.
Because the acting teacher who came with them had said to definitely avoid Jo Seo Hee.
And so, the acting began.
The scene where Lee Hye Wol and Yun Seo Il part ways, promising to meet again in the distant future.
The heartfelt farewell between Lee Hye Wol, who must leave for a faraway place due to a rebellion, and Yun Seo Il.
「I will come back again. Definitely, again...」
Seeing Jo Seo Hee speaking with a voice full of emotion, the boy playing the opposing role couldn't properly receive it. He tried his best, but his presence was completely lost.
"She's not called the princess of daily dramas for nothing."
"Indeed she is."
"It's not easy to bring out such emotions in such a short time."
It was the first praise to come out.
Jo Seo Hee swept her eyes around the audition venue with a triumphant face and returned to her seat.
"Now, let's see... we'll continue."
In the midst of such continued calls, when number 10 was mentioned, Park Jung Woo came forward.
Naturally, at his entrance, sighs of relief came from somewhere, while the person in question had a face filled with despair.
"I, I will come, back again."
The acting that followed was disastrous.
The girl, completely overwhelmed by Park Jung Woo who first poured out his lines, even stuttered her words.
Her vocalization was like that too, it couldn't be called acting level at all.
"Hmm... I'm not sure about this since the partner was too poor."
"Still, Park Jung Woo has a definitely different feel. He's several levels above the other children."
A few children flinched at the harsh criticism.
Because if they had gotten Jo Seo Hee or Park Jung Woo, they would have ended up in a similar state.
"How many teams are left? Number 11, please come out."
At the following call, a tense boy came forward.
Of all things, being the next order after Park Jung Woo, it seemed like there would be comparisons.
"Oh!"
The boy unknowingly let out a joyful exclamation, then covered his mouth.
That was because, the child who was being called 'parachute, parachute' around them had finally come forward.
Because of that, the male child actors still waiting for their turn looked at the boy with envious eyes.
'A girl who only filmed a few CFs and luckily caught the eye of an official to come to the audition.'
The parachute acknowledged by everyone here, both self and others.
That was Seo Yeon's impression.
"The visual is... definitely."
"There's a reason the CF came out well. She definitely has the atmosphere."
Even those who mocked acknowledged Seo Yeon's appearance.
That figure standing quietly had a subtle atmosphere that girls of similar age couldn't produce.
However, acting isn't done with atmosphere or face, is it.
"Now then... please begin."
With the director's words, the boy in the neat hanbok spoke powerfully.
Toward Seo Yeon, who stood with her back turned.
「Your Highness, Your Highness. Where on earth are you going!」
Yun Seo Il reaching out his hand to hold back Yeonhwa Princess Lee Hye Wol, who must soon leave far away.
On the hill where the two used to frequent together, they share their last conversation.
Yeonhwa Princess, having heard young Yun Seo Il's words, slowly...
Turned her body like that.
What caught the eye first were the eyes.
Yeonhwa Princess Lee Hye Wol's eyes were slightly narrowed, as if she had been looking at something dazzling.
Those narrowed eyes gradually grow larger as she looks at Yun Seo Il who called her.
Joy. Delight, and sorrow and affectionate longing contained in her eyes.
In the sunset-red pupils, the boy's face was reflected.
"..."
In that moment.
The boy facing her lost his words.
He forgot the lines he should have uttered next.
His lips and tongue froze.
It was only natural.
Because Princess Yeonhwa was standing right before his eyes.