Jung Eun-sun's words froze the atmosphere on the filming set.
That was only natural.
Anyone could see that Seo-yeon's acting just now was good.
'As expected.'
Gong Jung-tae squeezed his eyes shut.
It was clear that Jung Eun-sun still didn't like Seo-yeon.
Since she especially doted on Jo Seo-hee, she must have been displeased that she failed the audition.
Or, she might think there was interference from Director Jo Bang-woo, as the recent rumors suggested.
"Actor Jung Eun-sun."
The only one who could handle this situation was ultimately himself.
She was, without a doubt, the veteran actor with the most power in this drama.
"T-That's going too far. Seo-yeon's acting was sufficiently excellent."
The acting skills expected from a child actor were originally not that high.
As long as they could deliver their lines without slurring and ride the emotional line, they were a promising enough actor.
It wasn't for nothing that Jo Seo-hee was called the princess of daily dramas.
Gong Jung-tae had never seen a child actor who acted as well as her.
At least, until he saw Seo-yeon.
'There's a power in this child's acting.'
Even if her technique was lacking, she had the power to move people's emotions.
He thought it might be difficult in a drama, but hadn't she just proven it splendidly?
"What?"
At Director Gong Jung-tae's words, Jung Eun-sun looked at him with furrowed eyes.
Her gaze was like that of Eunhye-daebi, so blade-like that it made him involuntarily flinch.
"C-Cough. I just thought your words were a bit harsh."
No matter how much of a veteran actor she was, the director of this filming set was him.
He couldn't just stand by and watch Jung Eun-sun's attitude.
It must have been excessive, since even those who originally looked at Seo-yeon through biased lenses felt that was going too far.
"……."
At Gong Jung-tae's words, Jung Eun-sun fell silent for a moment.
"It seems you misunderstood what I meant."
"Excuse me?"
Was there anything to misunderstand in what she just said?
A flustered Gong Jung-tae asked back, but Jung Eun-sun's gaze was still directed at Seo-yeon.
Seo-yeon only met her gaze with a blank face.
She didn't properly understand how the situation was unfolding.
Honestly, from Seo-yeon's perspective.
'Can't she just point out the flaws?'
Department Head Kim always picked at her like this too.
She simply continued with such peaceful thoughts.
"Director Gong, how was Seo-yeon's acting just now?"
"How was it? It was naturally good. It was good, so I gave the okay sign, didn't I? Rather, I want to ask. What part of Seo-yeon's acting just now was so displeasing to you, Actor Jung Eun-sun?"
"I never said such a thing."
Jung Eun-sun answered firmly to Gong Jung-tae's words.
"What I said was that no emotion was put into this child's acting, that it wasn't sincere."
'...Aren't those the same thing?'
He thought so, but Gong Jung-tae quietly listened to her words.
"The acting was, needless to say, excellent. Yes, it was too good. Honestly, I was surprised."
It was sudden praise.
As the flustered Gong Jung-tae quietly watched her, Jung Eun-sun gave Seo-yeon a glance.
Clear eyes.
Mystical eyes that seemed to hold a red light.
Those eyes were probably one of her charms.
"Director Gong."
"Y-Yes?"
"Could I have a brief conversation with Seo-yeon's mother?"
At her words, Gong Jung-tae had no choice but to stiffen.
This, too, was something he hadn't expected at all.
***
"……."
Su-ah shrunk back for a moment as she looked at the middle-aged woman in front of her.
Honestly, Su-ah disliked Actor Jung Eun-sun.
That was only natural.
To say such things after seeing Seo-yeon's acting, which everyone admired!!
If the other staff hadn't stopped her, she would have stormed right onto the set.
However, the conversation took a strange turn, and she ended up facing her like this.
The filming was also temporarily paused.
Seo-yeon was waiting outside, and in this narrow waiting room, there was only Gong Jung-tae, Su-ah, and Actor Jung Eun-sun.
"Let me tell you, there is no sincerity or emotion in Seo-yeon's acting."
"...What are you talking about?"
Su-ah, who had been intimidated for a while, flared up at Jung Eun-sun's words.
Su-ah, who was about to slam the table and strongly refute, stopped her hand at Jung Eun-sun's following words.
"I mean that even without sincerity or emotion, she was at that level. ...Everyone thought of that child as a child actor whose specialty was emotional acting."
"Ah."
Only then did Gong Jung-tae realize what Jung Eun-sun was saying.
He, too, was a director with a lot of experience.
He could at least figure out what she was talking about.
Rather, it was late for him to realize it.
Of course, unlike Gong Jung-tae, Su-ah couldn't understand what Jung Eun-sun was saying.
"That's..."
"At first, I also thought it was a misunderstanding, but after seeing her acting today, I was certain."
The first time Jung Eun-sun saw Seo-yeon was the soy milk CF.
At that time, she simply thought she was a lively child.
She didn't think it was acting.
The next was this Taesumdal audition.
It was because it was the making film of her beloved junior, Jo Seo-hee.
And there, she saw Seo-yeon again.
'Something's... strange.'
The acting duel between Jo Seo-hee and Seo-yeon.
The close match, divided into parts 1 and 2, was certainly splendid.
To perform this level of acting at such a young age.
Jung Eun-sun purely admired it.
Although she supported her junior Jo Seo-hee, her eyes were drawn to Seo-yeon.
'Strange.'
She rewatched it several times.
Seo-yeon's acting drew people's eyes.
Emotional acting.
The subtitles said Seo-yeon's specialty was emotional acting.
Method acting.
'No.'
However, Jung Eun-sun was an actor whose specialty was method acting.
Because it was her, she couldn't help but know.
Seo-yeon's was not real method acting.
If it were method acting, she couldn't break out of the emotions that quickly.
Especially if it were a young child.
No, honestly, having emotional acting as a child actor's specialty was a dangerous category to begin with.
Did they edit it for broadcast? Was there something she hadn't seen?
But if that were real.
Jung Eun-sun bit her lower lip.
A normal child couldn't possibly do that.
If it's emotional acting, it could be explained as a born actor.
Even that was too perfect, but acting coming from such 'experience' isn't something you're born with.
So she thought there was an external cause.
The person child actors are usually most influenced by.
Parents.
From the moment she recalled that, Jung Eun-sun's mood had been continuously bad.
It's common for parents to force excessive expectations and effort onto a child.
She thought this was also such a case.
So she clearly thought there was a problem with the parents, but...
Su-ah, whom she saw before her eyes, didn't seem to have any major problems.
"...Method acting is like throwing yourself into the deep sea."
Deeply immersing oneself in one's role, sinking deep into the water.
So when coming out, one is out of breath, and it's hard to easily escape from those emotions.
"But Seo-yeon doesn't do that. This means she's doing superficial acting. What feels like emotional acting is just that she's familiar with how others perceive her. This kind of thing doesn't appear in normal children..."
"Is it... a bad thing?"
Su-ah asked cautiously.
Jung Eun-sun hesitated on how to answer this.
If method acting is jumping into the water.
Seo-yeon walks on its surface.
She was looking into the surface of the water.
Like a child who doesn't understand emotions, she imitated emotions.
How this was possible, Jung Eun-sun still couldn't understand.
However.
"...She's at this level even without using emotions. It's probably because she still lacks technique."
That was why Jung Eun-sun liked Jo Seo-hee.
Jo Seo-hee knew the line.
She knew the line of emotions she could use.
But Seo-yeon had no line.
She had no brakes either.
That was because she didn't know.
She didn't know how far she could go.
The line was kept because she didn't know how to put emotion into her acting.
But what if.
Seo-yeon learns acting.
And truly performs method acting, not an imitation.
If she acts with genuine emotion put into it.
"I'm not sure either. It might be nothing, but... Seo-yeon is young."
Jung Eun-sun thinks.
Emotional acting is poison to a child.
She could say this for certain.
Excessive emotional acting should be refrained from as much as possible.
Especially if a sensitive child were to do method acting, it would be very difficult to escape its influence for a long time.
But a child who performs such deep acting, even if it's fake.
"What would happen when she truly acts as an actor."
That was why Jung Eun-sun didn't like Seo-yeon's acting.
The reason her mind had been constantly uncomfortable was also because of that.
Because it felt like the child, strolling by the river of emotions and looking into its surface, might accidentally slip one day.
Yes, a child exposed to the river.
It was exactly that kind of feeling.
"I only hope it's just my worry."
At Jung Eun-sun's words, Su-ah too.
And Director Gong Jung-tae couldn't say anything either.
***
There was a little disturbance, but anyway, the filming was successfully wrapped up.
Anyway, the scene coming out with Actor Jung Eun-sun had already received an okay in one take.
The shot looked quite good too.
Afterwards, Actor Jung Eun-sun, who returned with her mother, still had an uncomfortable face, but she even apologized for being a bit too harsh.
"Seo-yeon."
"Yes?"
At that time, on the way back, Mom asked quietly.
"How is acting?"
Mom somehow felt more subdued than usual.
The reason was hard to know.
Did Actor Jung Eun-sun say something?
That didn't seem to be it.
Honestly, I don't have a very good eye for people, but I didn't feel that Actor Jung Eun-sun disliked me.
She did keep looking at me with disapproving eyes, though.
"It's fun."
"Is it?"
"Yes."
If at first it felt like a simple practice before doing VTubing, now I was somewhat satisfied with this too. In the end, there was a similarity to VTubing in the aspect of becoming a completely different self.
'I don't really like the red pill, but...'
Still, an ordinary VTuber's red pill being a popular actor?!
Doesn't that sound somewhat cool?
No, still, the red pill is a bit...
"Seo-yeon, if you have any hard times, you must, must tell Mom, okay?"
"Huh? Ah, yes."
At Mom's words, I answered absentmindedly.
At least recently, I thought I was living much more diligently compared to my past life.
The proof was the money steadily piling up in my bank account!
If I work hard here, shoot more commercials, and appear in more dramas!
'Hmm.'
Suddenly, I recalled the words Actor Jung Eun-sun said today.
Her words saying it wasn't sincere, that no emotion was put into it.
I don't know about others, but at least I had some part I could empathize with in those words.
'...Ummm.'
I crossed my arms and let out a sigh.
Regarding this, I had a rough guess recently.