“…….”
Han Seon-ah rubbed her eyes.
She thought it was a dream, but it wasn't.
‘Unni, can you wait a long time until my next work?’
Suddenly.
The words Seoyeon said to her at the preview came to mind.
Ah, so that's why she asked if I could wait long.
It wasn't an impulsive decision, but an answer reached after a long period of thought.
Realizing that fact, Han Seon-ah shook her head vigorously.
“……Because she didn't say she was retiring.”
Seoyeon said.
To wait until her next work.
Probably, she intended to take a fairly long break.
It's quite a common case for child actors.
It's just that there's no case of going on a break right at the moment when they are the talk of the town.
“I have to study.”
Thanks to Seoyeon, she was also able to get into Seoul S University.
So Han Seon-ah will keep waiting.
So that they could meet with a cooler unni's appearance than now, having become a proper adult.
Probably the one and only autograph Seoyeon left.
Looking at it, Seon-ah made a resolution.
***
“No way!!”
Cho Seo-hee's scream-like shout echoed in the living room.
Cho Seo-hee's parents, who were watching the news with their daughter, covered their ears at her sudden shout.
“Ah, no, Seo-hee-ya. Why are you suddenly shouting…….”
“Did you not see that?! Her!”
Cho Seo-hee grabbed her dad's collar as if she was going to strangle him and shook it wildly.
A proud, energetic, and somewhat indescribable daughter.
She had failed the audition for The Moon Embracing the Sun previously, and was completely deflated.
‘There must have been something from the higher-ups. Otherwise, there's no way you would lose, Seo-hee.’
Her parents said so and comforted Seo-hee.
Still, her dissatisfied mind didn't change.
Because anyone could see that she was superior, even if words came from the higher-ups, she wouldn't have lost.
Seoyeon's and her acting were similar.
When it came to emotional acting and bringing out the atmosphere, Seoyeon was superior.
But in terms of pure acting stability and skill, Cho Seo-hee was superior.
The princess of daily dramas.
Cho Seo-hee's child actress life, which was called that, was a royal road.
To the extent that she couldn't even imagine losing to a rookie in such a place.
However, even such a Seo-hee acknowledged it when she saw episodes 2 and 3 of The Moon Embracing the Sun.
Acting that even the young Seo-hee would absentmindedly watch.
Probably, if she had seen it on the actual filming set, Cho Seo-hee would have been completely eaten alive by Seoyeon.
“After doing that kind of acting…….”
Cho Seo-hee bit her thumbnail and glared at the TV.
Her eyes were so fierce that Cho Seo-hee's parents, who were sitting with her, slowly slipped away.
「Isn't she a goose that lays golden eggs? But there are cases where you cut open its belly, but she just abandoned it and left.」
「Thanks to that, the last CF Seoyeon shot is said to be a hot topic. It's the children's nutritional supplement advertisement she filmed following the soy milk CF.」
「Ah, I saw that too. CFs will be pouring in, but I really don't understand the reason.」
The hosts on the screen said so, and watched the CF that came out as a reference video.
The advertisement Seoyeon shot with the middle-aged actress, Kim Mi-yeon.
The sight of them acting as a friendly mother and daughter was visible.
It's completely different from the drama, but it's still neat acting.
‘While being this good.’
Even now, stories about Seoyeon continuously flowed from the news dealing with entertainment gossip.
That much, it must be a sudden and impossible thing.
‘Is she winning and running away?’
She made up her mind never to lose in the next audition.
Actually, this audition failure was medicine for Cho Seo-hee.
Because everyone praised her, calling her the princess of daily dramas.
She was satisfied with that, and was arrogant.
That's because Cho Seo-hee was still a child.
So she thought there was no need to do better than this as a child actress.
The actress Eun Eun-seon, who cherished her, always said so.
That Seo-hee's acting was already at a level that could be called the best as a child actress.
Yeah, as a 'child actress'.
But Seoyeon was now being compared in acting with adult actors, not child actors.
With Ha Ye-seo, who played the grown-up Lee Hye-wol in episode 4.
“Just wait and see.”
She didn't think it was a retirement.
The news was making a fuss about retirement and whatnot, but when she looked up the content from Entertainment Relay's 'Star of the Issue', it was closer to a 'temporary break' rather than retirement.
She didn't know how long that break would be.
Because child actors often rest for more than ten years.
Especially if she was as young as Seoyeon, the blank period would be even longer.
Generally, the age group that looks for child actors the most is 5~7 years old.
After that, they can still be active, but there are not as many roles to take on as one might think.
Above all, they have to go to school, don't they?
So, most of them reveal themselves after becoming high school students or adults.
When they become able to digest the roles that adult actors take on.
But Cho Seo-hee had no such intention.
Not as the princess of daily dramas, but as a proper actress, she will continue to grow.
Continuously while Seoyeon is away.
Until she is called the best among her peer actors, even surpassing Park Jung-woo.
“Next time…….”
……I will unconditionally win.
Cho Seo-hee made that resolution.
***
“Seoyeon, first of all, I think you should try acting without using emotions?”
The acting instructor of Hwayang Acting Academy.
Hong Jung-hoon said that to Seoyeon.
“What Seoyeon has is something that catches people's attention. Bam, like that. That probably works as a strength in emotional acting…….”
Acting that captivates a person's field of vision.
Probably, the reason Seoyeon could do that was because of that pretty appearance.
And because of her mysterious eyes and unique atmosphere.
So when showing static acting, literally, Seoyeon's acting had no rival among her peers.
Because it was a level that would make even adult method actors nervous.
Actually, how were the child actor wannabes who experienced that acting right in front of their noses?
“Teacher, I, I can't do that.”
“I saw her on TV……. Why is she here?”
They became demotivated and were getting kicked in the butt by Lee Ji-yeon.
It seemed they froze after truly experiencing the 'actor' acting that couldn't be thought of as a peer child actor.
“What, are you guys not doing it properly? Should I kick you again?”
“Ah, I got it.”
The boy who was practicing acting in a pair started acting again at Ji-yeon's kick.
It wasn't anything great, just a level of acting where they simply exchanged lines.
Actually, it was closer to 'storybook reading' than acting.
That level was the typical acting of children.
“Can you act without using emotions?”
“I don't mean not to use them at all. And you have to use your body.”
The movement of fingers, the movement of the eyes. Trivial actions.
“If you interpreted the character, there will naturally be habits of that character. And gestures you should take for each line. How was Princess Yeonhwa?”
“Princess Yeonhwa was…….”
I imitated Park Jung-woo in my own way.
But that was more of Joo Seo-yeon's behavior than Princess Yeonhwa.
The reason it was natural was because Princess Yeonhwa, who escaped the palace, was in a state of acting as a 'normal girl'.
‘Probably, the acting of Princess Yeonhwa who escaped the palace would have been awkward.’
An OK sign came out at once.
Probably, there was a high probability that they interpreted Seoyeon's awkwardness as intentional awkwardness.
Or, it might have just passed because it fit well.
‘Park Jung-woo didn't show any particular reaction back then.’
Seoyeon thought that was Jung-woo's general attitude towards her.
A calm and indifferent 10-year-old child.
Seoyeon also had a part that was insensitive to others, so she thought they were of a similar kind.
But.
“How can you act like that?”
After filming episode 3, Park Jung-woo's reaction was completely different.
A face shocked by Seoyeon's acting.
Probably, up to episode 2, he clearly thought of it as 'the level of a child actress inferior to himself'.
It must not have been the sense of thinking 'she's pretty good for a child actress~ at that level', right?
‘Even though he's also a child actor.’
It seemed he was completely ignoring her because he was 3 years older.
‘Serves him right.’
But since she properly gave him a punch in episode 3, Seoyeon felt very refreshed.
……Even considering the age of her previous life, it felt a bit subtle.
“So, you mean to express the character only with actions, taking out emotional acting as much as possible?”
“Yes, that's exactly it!”
Hong Jung-hoon smiled broadly as he saw Seoyeon, who understood quickly.
‘I was flustered when she first came……, but this is a huge opportunity.’
Usually, acting academies often double as agencies.
It was the same for Hwayang Acting Academy, so it was the place where Lee Ji-yeon settled after leaving Eunha Entertainment.
The agency Seoyeon recommended.
It was an excellent agency and acting academy that produced many great actors after that.
Of course, right now, it was just a normal acting academy that only had a few child actors and caught CF or extra auditions.
‘Genius child actress Joo Seo-yeon.’
The most talked-about child actress recently.
If they had this child at Hwayang Acting Academy, many people would definitely visit later.
It was an opportunity to make a name for themselves.
Besides, the talent Joo Seo-yeon had was a level that made one unable to hide their astonishment.
‘She understands quickly too. She doesn't seem like a seven-year-old at all.’
Even Lee Ji-yeon right now thought she was a very smart child for her age.
But Seoyeon was beyond that.
An understanding that couldn't be seen as a child at all.
“Then, I'll try it once.”
Acting without using emotions.
Seoyeon started the acting performed only with body movements.
Looking forward to how much she would surprise herself this time.
And.
“Um, let's start with one thing. Seoyeon.”
“…….”
Seoyeon's acting with emotions removed was just a stiff Joo Seo-yeon.
She realized that fact.
‘It's all because of the body.’
Physical abilities that vastly surpass those of a child.
Clearly, because of that, she couldn't do it properly.
Or perhaps the discrepancy between emotions and the flesh was also the cause.
‘Right, definitely.’
Seoyeon desperately made that excuse inside herself.
So this invincible TS body doesn't mean I can do everything well from the start.
Realizing the fact.
***
Putting aside the humiliation at the acting academy.
My daily routine was quite regular.
Monday and Wednesday are acting academy.
Tuesday and Thursday are voice acting academy.
And finally, Friday was for trying out various exercises.
She tried Taekwondo, tried children's boxing, and was looking for an exercise that fit her body.
“But, Joo Seo-yeon. Voice acting and…… acting are different no matter how I think about it, right?”
“You use vocalization, vocalization.”
“No, I think they are completely different.”
And today was the day to go to the voice acting academy.
I had already practiced vocalization to some extent, so I could speak with a passable sound.
‘Voice actors are masters of voice acting.’
However, even if they act the same way, the vocalization method is completely different from actors.
The feeling itself is like the difference between heaven and earth.
‘As Lee Ji-yeon said, it would be difficult to use it in acting…….’
I should just use it when catching emotions.
Besides, the vocalization of a voice actor was very difficult, so I struggled quite a bit.
‘I felt this during acting too, but I can't do everything well.’
Thinking so, I thought it was a relief again.
Acting, it's a good thing I'm taking a break…….
If I had continued acting, how long would the title of genius child actress have lasted?
Of course, I could have managed with emotional acting.
But that puts a strain on the body, and it would have been difficult during puberty.
“Ji-yeon is really good. You really didn't learn it anywhere, right?”
“Of course. But who is better, me or Joo Seo-yeon?”
“Ah, that's…….”
The instructor glanced at me and Ji-yeon for a moment, then whispered something in a quiet voice.
It seemed she thought I would feel bad if I heard it.
‘But, saying that, and seeing that triumphant face…….’
Am I losing to Lee Ji-yeon?
How can this be?
“Ahem. Then let's try it again. It seems it would be good to make your voice a little higher.”
“Yes!”
And this voice acting is not simply about speaking well.
From narration to character acting.
Plus vocalization for animation dubbing.
Etcetera, etcetera, there are very many.
The voice acting academy also had a properly structured curriculum for that.
Currently, Ji-yeon and I were only listening to the basics.
“Hmm.”
To soothe my dry throat, I drank water and quietly listened to Ji-yeon's voice.
Today was probably going to be directly acting out a character from a fairy tale.
A little squirrel, was it?
In some ways, it suited Ji-yeon well…….
「Where's my acorn, my acorn?」
Cute child's vocalization.
Definitely, Ji-yeon was better at this than acting.
“Pfft!!”
But the moment I heard that voice, I accidentally spat out the water.
Because a completely different tone of voice flowed from Ji-yeon's throat, different from the narration or general character acting she had done so far.
I heard that a normal child's throat couldn't do that, but it seemed Ji-yeon surprisingly could.
“……What, why are you suddenly laughing. Joo Seo-yeon.”
“Huh? I, I wasn't laughing.”
“Hmm, really?”
Ji-yeon glared at me sharply for a moment, but didn't ask any further.
Looking at Ji-yeon walking away with her back turned, I wiped the water flowing from my lips.
‘N, no way, right?’
I desperately thought so.
Because I felt that, no matter what, it was going too far.