Starring Competence (1)

"Seo-yeon, when do you get the results for the audition?"

 

As soon as I got to kindergarten, Ji-yeon grabbed my arm and asked. She had asked this question every day for a week since the day after the audition. Her persistence was admirable, if nothing else.

 

‘The results should be out soon.’

 

I had heard they would notify us within a week, but there had been no contact with my mom, nor any mail or email. 

 

‘Do they just not notify you if you don’t make it?’

 

I had never failed an audition before, so I wasn’t sure. The thought of receiving no response if I failed was a bit unsettling.

 

"Ji-yeon."

 

"What?"

 

"Do they not contact you at all if you don't get in?"

 

"Why are you asking me that?"

 

Ji-yeon squinted at me, and I avoided her gaze, unable to say it was because I thought she might have failed a lot. Despite her frequent failures, I firmly believed Ji-yeon would become a great actress one day.

 

"Seo-yeon!"

 

At that moment, our teacher from the Blossom Class, Ms. Hyun Young, called me urgently. She waved her hand, looking quite flustered, which made me feel a bit tense.

 

‘Did something happen?’

 

It was rare for a teacher to call a child so urgently in kindergarten. Was there an accident? Or something dangerous?

 

"Oh, Ms. Hyun Young, don't scare Seo-yeon like that."

 

"Oh! I-I'm sorry. I was just so surprised."

 

Ms. Hyun Young apologized as Ms. Haetnim, from the Sun Class, pointed out her mistake. 

 

"I'm sorry, Seo-yeon. I didn't mean to scare you."

 

"It's okay."

 

I was curious about what had happened, though. Ms. Hyun Young was usually very calm, so seeing her this flustered was unusual.

 

"Come on. Everyone's watching something."

 

"Huh?"

 

Watching what? I followed her, still unsure of what was going on. Ji-yeon, curious, trailed behind me.

 

"Could it be about the audition?" Ji-yeon whispered in my ear.

 

"Unlikely."

 

Did she always connect everything to that?

 

‘If it were about the audition, they would have contacted us at home, not here at kindergarten.’

 

Even if it were good news, neither Dad nor Mom would come to the kindergarten for it. They wouldn't want to disturb the teachers.

 

"Seo-yeon, look."

 

Following Ms. Hyun Young, I saw a small TV. Several teachers and a few children were gathered around, watching it.

 

[ Special!! Behind-the-scenes footage of the ambitious KMB drama, The Sun Hidden by the Moon! The first episode! ]

 

The words were displayed in the top right corner of the screen. I blinked several times, confirming what I saw.

 

"Wow, Seo-yeon is such a good actress..."

 

One of the teachers murmured in awe. I turned to the screen. There was a familiar scene playing. It was the audition for the roles of young Yoon Seoil and young Lee Haewol. The footage showed me acting in front of many child actors and judges. Some parts were cut to avoid spoilers, but the important scenes, including my improvised lines, were there.

 

My dialogue brought tears to the eyes of my fellow child actors, and the camera alternated between a serious Jo Seo-hee and my calm face.

 

"Wow, this isn't child's play. Who do you think will get the role? Our Blossom Class Seo-yeon?"

 

"But looking purely at skill, that Jo Seo-hee girl isn't bad either..."

 

"I've seen her before. She was praised even in daily dramas."

 

Three kindergarten teachers discussed the performances they had just watched, debating who would get the role of Lee Haewol. Their discussion made me blush, but I was also curious.

 

‘Could it be that they’ll announce the audition results through this behind-the-scenes footage?’

 

It seemed likely. It would explain why they hadn’t notified us yet.

 

As everyone held their breath, waiting to see who would play Lee Haewol, the screen displayed:

 

"Who will play Princess Lee Haewol? Find out in the next episode of the making film!"

 

Everyone was left speechless. Then...

 

"#@%!$#!!!"

 

"Ah!!! What a tease. Isn't the making film supposed to be a preview for the drama?"

 

"Exactly, why make a preview for the preview!"

 

"I'm going to write a complaint to the broadcasting company's website."

 

The teachers' frustration was evident. Ms. Hyun Young leaned down and whispered in my ear.

 

"Seo-yeon, do you know who got the role of Lee Haewol?"

 

"..."

 

Teacher, I want to know that too.

 

***

 

Typically, behind-the-scenes footage for dramas isn't broadcast on TV. It’s usually released online. But the behind-the-scenes footage for The Sun Hidden by the Moon was aired on the entertainment news show, Celebrity Live, in an unprecedented move.

 

It was treated like a segment on an entertainment show, split into three parts. This indicated how seriously KMB was taking this drama.

 

"The momentary ratings for 'Celebrity Live' hit over 10%!"

 

The producers and executives at KMB were thrilled. Given the significant investment in the drama, it was crucial it didn’t fail.

 

The fact that the behind-the-scenes footage was already making such an impact was promising.

 

"Didn’t Celebrity Live usually get around 4-5% ratings? It nearly doubled?"

 

Kim Jung-hoon, a variety show PD at KMB, was amazed by the numbers. The audition had been highly competitive and visually impressive.

 

‘Park Jung-woo, and the two contenders for young Lee Haewol.’

 

Jo Seo-hee and Joo Seo-yeon. Comparing their careers, Seo-yeon couldn’t compete with Seo-hee.

 

But purely in terms of performance during the audition, was Seo-yeon worse than Park Jung-woo or Jo Seo-hee?

 

‘Not at all.’

 

Moreover, people naturally root for the underdog. Seo-yeon was the underdog, initially seen as an unqualified newcomer but proving her talent and winning over the public. Now, she was seen as a talented but unrepresented child actor deserving of more opportunities.

 

‘Director Jo Bang-woo’s reputation will also benefit from this.’

 

Jo Bang-woo, who discovered Seo-yeon, was being mentioned positively. Although not widely known to the public, everyone in the broadcasting company knew it.

 

"She should appear on a variety show while she's still popular."

 

"Right. Child actors' fame fades quickly if not managed well."

 

From KMB’s perspective, capitalizing on Seoyeon's current popularity was crucial. As child actors grow, the dynamics change, and maintaining their popularity becomes challenging.

 

‘I need to suggest this soon.’

 

Kim Jung-hoon was determined to push for this.

 

***

 

Joo Seo-yeon was still six years old. As her seventh birthday approached, I faced a significant challenge.

 

"Seo-yeon, so who got the role of Lee Haewol?"

 

"Did you win?"

 

"How was Jo Seo-hee on set? Did she bully you?"

 

I had underestimated the influence of national TV dramas. If this is the reaction from just the behind-the-scenes footage, I couldn’t imagine how Jo Seo-hee and others in her position lived.

 

"I don’t know."

 

"Oh, come on..."

 

"Ah, Mrs. Taeyoung. Didn’t you hear? They usually can't say anything about these things. It’s all in the contract."

 

"Oh, I see. Sorry, Seo-yeon."

 

The mothers around me apologized and asked questions, creating a chaotic scene. Luckily, I was calm enough not to be overwhelmed, but any other child might have been stressed out.

 

"But the rest of the footage is coming out today, right?"

 

Mom tried to stay composed, but she was so pale she looked like she might faint. Today was the release of the second part of the behind-the-scenes footage. She was extremely nervous.

 

‘The second part will feature my performance with Park Jungwoo.’

 

After the first audition, it was almost certain Park Jungwoo would play young Yoon Seoil. While it hadn’t been officially announced, everyone likely assumed it.

 

Therefore, in the subsequent auditions, both Jo Seo-hee and I performed opposite Park Jung-woo. This was definitely different from my previous life.

 

‘He was indeed different.’

 

Park Jung-woo, living up to his reputation as the son of a great actor, felt entirely different from other child actors. Even I momentarily doubted whether it was really a child’s performance.

 

"Seo-yeon, come here, let’s watch together! Oh, I’m so nervous."

 

If Dad had been home, he would have watched it with us, but unfortunately, he was still at work. It was just me and Mom waiting anxiously.

 

"Special!! Behind-the-scenes footage of the ambitious KMB drama, The Sun Hidden by the Moon! The second episode!"

 

This special segment on Celebrity Live was finally going to reveal who would play young Lee Haewol.

 

At that moment, I had no idea.

 

During the scene where I and Jo Seo-hee performed opposite Park Jung-woo, the ratings for Celebrity Live spiked to 15%.

 

And then...

 

"Seo-yeon..."

 

When all the performances ended, the role of Princess Lee Haewol was announced.

 

It must have been a surprise.

 

Even my mom, Sua, stared at me blankly.

 

I had beaten Jo Seo-hee, the princess of daily dramas, and secured the lead role.

 

Yes.

 

It was me.