Parachute (1)

[The Sun Hidden by the Moon.]

 

It’s a fantasy historical drama prepared by KMB, one of the top three broadcasters in Korea. A fantasy historical drama mixes a fictional background with general history, aiming to captivate both young and middle-aged viewers.

 

‘It needs to be well-made.’

 

Ha Tae-oh, the producer of [The Sun Hidden by the Moon], was a veteran in the industry with several historical dramas under his belt. This was his second fantasy historical drama. The first one, Fox Dew, wasn’t a blockbuster but did fairly well.

 

‘If it’s poorly made, it will lose both the young and middle-aged audiences.’

 

So, the cast was meticulously selected. The budget allocated was twice that of a typical fantasy historical drama. For KMB, this was a project that couldn’t afford to fail.

 

“Wow, even the child actors are top-notch.”

 

Casting director Kim Ki-woong remarked, seemingly impressed.

 

“It looks like almost every well-known kid from agencies, academies, and entertainment companies has shown up.”

 

“They all know how much effort KMB is putting into this drama.”

 

Even if the child actors didn’t have major roles, they wouldn’t fail to leave an impression. Usually, child actors appear in the early episodes of a drama. It could be just one episode or extend up to five episodes.

 

Are they important?

 

Absolutely. They set the first impression of the drama.

 

Therefore, many recent dramas omit the childhood parts altogether. If a child actor’s performance is lacking, it could negatively impact the drama’s image.

 

“The role of young Yoon Seoil is practically decided.”

 

“Yes, he’s been famous since he was young.”

 

Looking over the profiles of the child actors, Ha Tae-oh nodded.

 

Starting his acting career at five, recognized for his talent, Park Jungwoo, son of the great actor Park Sun-woong, was already five years into his career. At ten years old, Park Jungwoo was the perfect fit for the young Yoon Seoil in [The Sun Hidden by the Moon].

 

“This means we can’t just pick anyone for young Lee Haewol.”

 

“Park Jung-woo is such a good actor that the wrong partner could be overshadowed instantly.”

 

A child inheriting the talent of the great actor Park Sun-woong would necessitate careful selection for the female lead.

 

“Oh, this...”

 

Kim Ki-woong sighed, holding a profile of a girl who had only appeared in two commercials and was now included in the audition.

 

“First drama appearance... with only two CFs under her belt, and she’s in this audition?”

 

“Oh, that kid?”

 

Ha Tae-oh glanced at the profile in Kim Ki-woong’s hand.

 

“I heard she was recommended by Director Cho Bang-woo. Apparently, she was in a CF with his son.”

 

“Did he recommend her just because she was in his son’s CF? Hoping his son would get noticed too?”

 

“No way.”

 

They briefly scoffed at the name Ju Seo-yeon on the profile. Her face was decent, and at six years old, she was a bit young but could still play the eight-year-old Lee Haewol.

 

‘She has a good look.’

 

What CF was it again? Right, the soy milk CF.

 

“Well, her performance in the soy milk CF wasn’t bad.”

 

“But a lively child’s performance isn’t necessarily acting.”

 

Moreover, CF acting and drama acting are entirely different. Memorizing lines accurately would be a challenge.

 

“Nepotism has its limits.”

 

Ha Tae-oh dismissed Seo-yeon’s profile, believing there was no chance a child with just two CFs would pass the audition.

 

***

 

[The Sun Hidden by the Moon.]

 

The audition site for [The Sun Hidden by the Moon.]

 

‘Wow, what is this?’

 

Seo-yeon wondered if it was really an audition site or a filming set.

 

Upon entering, after confirming some basic information, a staff member explained the audition process and handed them a document.

 

“For this audition, some parts might be broadcasted as making films or commercials. Please sign here if you agree to this.”

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

Sua signed with trembling hands. Since Seo-yeon was a minor, parental consent was required.

 

“This audition definitely feels different.”

 

Heading inside, Sua muttered to herself, and Seoyeon agreed.

 

As Sua mentioned, most of the kids were accompanied by their managers or agents. Unlike previous auditions, there were no other child actors with just their parents, making Seo-yeon and Sua feel isolated.

 

“Who’s she?”

 

“Did she come to the wrong place?”

 

They were drawing a lot of attention. Some kids were even dressed up or had makeup done for the audition.

 

“Seo-yeon, what should we do?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

What could a six-year-old, who had only shot two CFs, possibly know?

 

“Mrs. Ju, over here, please.”

 

Just when the stares were becoming overwhelming, a savior appeared.

 

“Director Cho!”

 

Grabbing Seo-yeon’s hand, Sua approached him with a grateful expression, and he smiled reassuringly.

 

“I recommended her, so I should help.”

 

“Oh, thank you so much.”

 

“And please call me Min-tae here.”

 

He smiled at Seo-yeon, who gave a polite bow.

 

“I was curious to see how Seo-yeon would perform in a drama.”

 

Though he said this, Seo-yeon knew how exceptional this situation was. As a CF director, he had no reason to go out of his way for Seo-yeon. Other child actors would be stunned by this opportunity.

 

Seo-yeon glanced at the growing number of scrutinizing eyes.

 

‘This is definitely nepotism.’

 

With Cho Min-tae’s presence, some people started to frown at them, probably thinking Seo-yeon was there because of internal connections.

 

“Is it always like this for drama auditions?”

 

Seo-yeon asked quietly.

 

“No. Auditions can be done or actors can be selected through directors or casting directors. Large-scale auditions like this are rare. It’s probably for promotional making films.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Making films. Seoyeon recalled past events.

 

She remembered that [The Sun Hidden by the Moon] had released various videos before airing to attract attention, including the child actor auditions.

 

“Ah, it looks like everyone is here, so we’ll start soon.”

 

At that moment, a bearded man announced.

 

“I’m Ha Tae-oh, the planning producer. Let me briefly explain the audition process...”

 

Cho Min-tae had mentioned that the producer would come forward. The planning producer oversees the project, matches the director, and leads the casting.

 

“Each audition pair will be a boy and a girl. We will now distribute the scripts... you’ll have about two hours for reading.”

 

Two hours was neither too long nor too short, but it was a daunting time for child actors who hadn’t received the script beforehand.

 

“What? Paired auditions?”

 

“Pairing affects the outcome, which doesn’t seem fair.”

 

Murmurs of discontent arose.

 

‘Is this not how auditions are usually done?’

 

The Sun Hidden by the Moon had garnered attention even before airing, probably for this reason.

 

‘Paired acting.’

 

It would be different from a CF. And the script was different too. CF scripts were visually driven, but drama scripts were like novels.

 

“In paired auditions, your partner’s performance is crucial.”

 

“Is it a problem if the partner is bad?”

 

Sua asked nervously.

 

“Yes. If your partner is much worse or much better, it’s problematic.”

 

“Isn’t it good if they’re better?”

 

“This isn’t a CF; it’s a drama. If your performance is lacking... you’ll get overshadowed.”

 

A crucial thing for an actor, especially a lead, is not to get overshadowed by the co-actor.

 

“If your presence gets overshadowed, you don’t deserve the lead role.”

 

“For now, Seo-yeon, let’s change into the costume. You have two hours for the reading, so prepare quickly. The costume room is over there.”

 

“Oh! Yes!”

 

Sua quickly led Seo-yeon to the costume room.

 

“Huh? Who are you?”

 

As they arrived, a girl who had just changed came out. With her sophisticated look, she stood out from other kids.

 

‘Ah, it’s her.’

 

Seo-yeon recognized her immediately.

 

‘The child actor for young Lee Haewol.’

 

She remembered from the previous life’s drama. Even at a young age, she had shown remarkable acting skills.

 

Her name was probably ‘Jo Seo-hee.’

 

‘Not as good as the actor for young Yoon Seoil.’

 

She was excellent when acting alone but tended to get overshadowed when paired with the young Yoon Seoil.

 

‘I think she was in only two episodes because of that.’

 

Even so, she left a strong impression in those episodes.

 

‘She did quite well later on, too...’

 

Seo-yeon didn’t remember the details.

 

“Oh, is it her?”

 

Jo Seo-hee laughed at something her manager said.

 

“Nepotism?”

 

She smirked, looking like a drama villain. Seo-yeon was impressed.

 

‘She’s quite articulate.’

 

No wonder she’s an actor. She seemed only a year or two older than Seo-yeon but knew words like ‘nepotism.’

 

“Well, good luck.”

 

Seo-hee said confidently and walked out.

 

She was like a higher version of Lee Ji-yeon, mostly in a negative sense.

 

“Seo-yeon, you must not lose to her.”

 

Of course, Sua didn’t realize that the rude girl was originally cast as the main character in The Sun Hidden by the Moon. To her, Seo-hee was just a brat who mocked her precious daughter.

 

“I’ll try.”

 

Telling a novice child actor who had only done two CFs to surpass the lead child actor was an impossible challenge.